On The Net - Computing News

with Chris Goh

Open Source

In 1994, I downloaded my first Linux (the free alternative to Windows). It took month t over a 14.4k modem (the top of the range at the time) to download the FreeBSD version created by Berkley. The final operating system would need 22 floppy disks. Compiling the kernel and getting it running on my PC wasn't easy, and required weeks of reading. I remember problems with the disk partitioning as I attempted to load it in different partitions to Windows 3.11and trying dual boot.

Linux now celebrates its 10 anniversary and has come a long way - especially if recent efforts by Microsoft to quash it are any measure.

Recent US anti-trust suits revealed that Microsoft had a special contingency fund for dealers to offer sweeteners to large organisations who might swing away from the Microsoft monopoly.

Linux pioneered the evolution of Open Source, allowing a global community of programmers to see how software made their machine works, and how they could tweak it to help the greater good of software evolution. Before then, Source Code was considered the holy grail of IP (Intellectual Property) in software companies, but the mood has shifted.

So is Linux as good as every techie will tell you? Microsoft's reaction suggests so. And growing anti -American sentiment means that governments in the likes of France and Germany are looking to Open Source as protection against an US software giant, which the paranoid ponder might have written CIA eves-dropping programs into the operating system.

As a reaction, Microsoft is creating special programs for government agencies worldwide, including NSW, where NAMS (NSW Agreement for Microsoft Software) is sweetening the costs.

But Linux either still needs to make a serious impact. While it's finally more user-friendly, the software support will determine whether it becomes mainstream for desktop PCs.

In the Server market, there's no question that Linux is making inroads, largely because there are no license costs, it's stable and there's a growing crowd of Linux/Unix aware graduates.

ISPs looking to keep down recurrent costs know that Linux, Apache (a web server), Squid (Pproxy), PHP (server side web language) will do most of what's needed to host websites. And it's all free.

The only variable is an IT manager's comfort level when using new operating environment that is initially low-cost, but requires integration with other applications.

That's where Microsoft still holds the trump card, emphasising close integration and carefully guarded APIs to ensure a successful computer environment means you need Microsoft products along every step.

And when a company's made such a huge investment in software, changing the operating system is like throwing out the bath, the baby and the water.

HotNews

Dupont has created a fibre called Aracon for womens clothing that aims to provide a deterrent to attackers. In the 'No Contact Jacket' the fibre carries a high voltage/low amp electric charge to shock would-be attackers without effecting the user. It's like a personal electric fence, although husbands may end up thinking twice before sneaking up for a surprise hug.

It's not unique in the billing world, my Health fund gives me a discount if I choose to have money directly debited from the account and so does many other vendors who have to send out regular bills. Optus is being pursued by Telecomunications Ombudsman, for aggressively marketing their direct deposit system.

If you were in Byron on Sunday, you would have spotted the Yahoo truck making a 4,000km trip through towns as part of a petition campaign against Spam. Yahoo wants people to sign a petition asking the federal Government for legislation to stop Spamming. Good luck.

Scientists bought 100 Sony PlayStation 2s to build a US$50,000 Super Computer capable of calculating half a trillion instructions per second. Combined with the power of the 'emotion chip' - the powerhouse of graphics processing in PS2 - it's quite impressive. The boffins believe it's the first time in computing's 60-year history that the evolution of computer speed has come about because of the demands of games, rather than for military purposes. By the way, the super computer's job is calculating Quantum Chrono Dynamics. Now I need a bigger computer to find out what that means.

A Palm Pilot application called Mini Cog will help anyone obsessed with how they feel. It tells you how you feel and what to do about it.

Based on nine tests derived from cognitive psychology and neuroscience research, this little program apparently helps people modify their behaviour. So next time I'm at a party, I won't ask how you are, I'll ask you to answer nine questions on my palm pilot.

HotSites

www.outlawcook.com

It's not a pretty site, that's for sure, but if you're into cooking, then this simple cooking site offers extensive literature on all types of cooking.

www.wordcentral.com

If you're not sure whether these columns are in English, fear not, there may be hope for me yet. Word Central is dedicated to making you think, eat, and spell words, plus it has fun things to do with learning about words. It's a great site.

www.netlingo.com

If it's important to be part of the 'in' crowd when chatting online and hanging out with your fellow cyberfolk, Netlingo can make you waaay cooler than reading this column. Learn all about the jargon of the Net. It's a great read.