Open Source

RhoHub: GPL and Dual Licensing

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:15:00 EST

Some people say “oh, you’re dual licensing like MySQL. So does that mean that I get to use it and not pay as I don’t with my MySQL based website?” Companies such as Google have thousands of MySQL servers running without paying license fees for it, due to a loophole in the GPL (in both GPLv2 and GPLv3) known as the “Google exception” or “ASP exception”. Specifically that access to your derivative work over http does not count as redistribution (or “conveyance” in GPLv3 parlance). It is for this reason that there Affero General Public License was created. Unfortunately for software vendors that have chosen to use the AGPL, it isn’t really accepted much as a widespread license. The Rhodes framework however is not subject to this loophole. So even with our status under a popular license such as GPLv3 closed source customers must purchase a commercial license for it.

Seven Observations On Software Maintenance and FOSS

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:00:00 EST

The November 2009 issue of Communications of the ACM (CACM) has a very interesting article by Paul Stachour and David Collier-Brown entitled “You Don’t Know Jack About Software Maintenance”. The authors argue energetically for using versioned data structures and “continuous upgrading” to improve the state of the art of software maintenance. The piece got me thinking about FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and “continuous upgrading”. Here are seven observations on FOSS software maintenance that occurred to me as I reflected on the CACM article:

Cloud Computing Can Revitalize Your Career as Software Developer

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:45:00 EST

Everyone knows that the longevity and ultimate success of a platform lies in the developers willing to create on that platform. Creating a healthy developer ecosystem in which both the developer and the platform vendor can grow and prosper is very important. No one knows this better than Microsoft. It has long been their mantra that “developers, developers, developers” are the key to success. With most of the new large scale websites and platforms being launched on open source platforms and now the cloud, this is becoming even more important.

Yahoo! Announces Open Source Distribution of Traffic Server at Cloud Expo

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, took its second major step in five months towards open-source cloud computing today, debuting an open source version of Traffic Server, a high performance application server for builders of cloud services. Traffic Server enables the session management, authentication, configuration management, load balancing, and routing for an entire cloud computing stack. It follows the Yahoo! Distribution of Hadoop as another example of Yahoo!’s unprecedented commitment to open source cloud computing initiatives. Yahoo! has donated the Traffic Server code to The Apache Software Foundation through the Apache Incubator, and intends to build a robust community of developers around the open source Traffic Server. Shelton Shugar, senior vice president of Cloud Computing at Yahoo!, will be discussing the new technology tomorrow at the Cloud Computing Expo.

Orchestra Featured on SAP Ulitzer Site

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:15:00 EDT

Wow, look at me, I'm famous. Oh wait, what have I done. Are people going to follow me to the grocery store with cameras now? Probably not, unless the world turns it's attention from Jon and Kate to SAP Business One. But in our little world, this is pretty cool. Orchestra and myself are featured on the SAP site at SYS-CON. Check us out on the front page.

Open Source Software: More Reasons It Is More Secure

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EDT

Software designed by open source standards has security built in and has been found to be fielded with far fewer faults per unit of code than proprietary development houses. There are many reasons for this. This factor is especially true when the open source code is commercially supported. For example, Linux, which has the strength [...] Related posts:

Bad File Descriptor Error in Linux

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:30:00 EDT

In a Linux system, files, blocks, directories, sockets and other items are referred by corresponding file descriptors. If your system is reporting errors that the file descriptor is bad, one of possible causes is that file system is corrupt and thus, you require restoring from backup

O'Reilly OSCON in San Jose: Good Conversations, Wrong Venue

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:15:00 EDT

"I liked it better in Portland," said one OSCON attendee to another during Thursday's lunch. This comment summed up the feeling of OSCON 2009 at the San Jose Convention Center. Nice people, wrong venue. Portland's progressive reputation and its status as the North American home of open-source deity Linus Torvalds made it the perfect place for this modest event. The cavernous, sterile confines of the largest convention center in sterile Silicon Valley brought the excitement surrounding OSCON down several notches.

When is Your Small Business Ready for an ERP System?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT

A common question small business owners ask themselves is when their business is ready to implement an ERP software application that will replace their existing small business software. Fortunately for the small business owner, there are a number of small business ERP software solutions on the market today that serve as a viable replacement for [...]

Talking to Simon Wardley About Ubuntu and Cloud Computing

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:00:00 EDT

Most readers of this blog are probably well aware that a new version of the Ubuntu Linux distribution is coming this week, and that it will be putting code from the Open Source EUCALYPTUS Project to work in simplifying the creation of private Clouds that look remarkably like Amazon’s EC2. You’ve probably also read RightScale’s announcements with respect to Ubuntu, and heard that Sun Microsystems were also making supportive noises about EUCALYPTUS and the EC2 API before their recent change in circumstances. Most readers of this blog are probably well aware that a new version of the Ubuntu Linux distribution is coming this week, and that it will be putting code from the Open Source EUCALYPTUS Project to work in simplifying the creation of private Clouds that look remarkably like Amazon’s EC2. You’ve probably also [...]

Open Source Toolkit for Job Hunters

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:15:00 EDT

Unemployment is rising and competition for the few jobs that are available is becoming tougher than ever. With each open job requisition, hiring managers are receiving hundreds of résumés. How do you stand out of the crowd? What can you do to get noticed? How can you start an interesting conversation?

Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz Scopes Out Future for Sun's Cloud

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:15:00 EST

"At Sun, we're planning on maintaining Java's ubiquity as the number one runtime environment, backed by the world's most price performant datacenter infrastructure, all powered by Sun's cloud." That, in no uncertain terms, is Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz's vision for Java and stresses the new role that Cloud Computing is beginning to play at Sun.

IBM Introduces New Products and Initiatives to Enable Next-Generation Linux

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EDT

IBM introduced a series of new products, services and initiatives that further expand IBM's commitment to Linux and open source by enabling the next generation of Linux. As the company marks ten years of support for Linux, IBM announced a number of cross-company initiatives to drive the next generation of Linux.

Open Source - What is the Total Cost of Ownership?

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:15:00 EDT

In 2005, Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems quipped that open source software was 'free like a puppy is free.' Just as you can pick out a puppy from the pound without paying expensive breeder fees, you can download and use open source software without buying a single license. But puppies become dogs, and dogs need food, toys, training and lots and lots of love. Even with all this attention, there?s no guarantee your cuddly puppy won?t develop a vicious streak. Will you need endless obedience classes and a chain and muzzle to control it? The same goes for open source software. As soon as you introduce open source into your organization, the real costs, commitments and risks become clear.

Extended Validation SSL Certificates

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Extended Validation (EV) is a new standard in SSL certificates. This guide explains the needs which drove the development of this standard and how it addresses contemporary security challenges. It also delves into the integration of EV certificates into new high security browsers such as Microsoft's IE7.

Red Hat Delivers on Linux Automation

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Red Hat announced advancements that extend the Company's Linux Automation strategy by providing expanded capabilities and incorporating broadened community involvement for secure management of both users and systems across virtual and physical enterprise infrastructures.

Xandros Management Tool Facilitates Red Hat Server Administration

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Xandros announced the release of the all new Xandros BridgeWays Management Console for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The BridgeWays Management Console, available as a free download from the Xandros web site, brings powerful graphical management of Red Hat servers to system administrators who may have Windows Server skill sets, but no prior Linux experience. Linux administrators will also find that this all-in-one remote management console relieves them from resorting to command line options or using multiple tools to administer their Red Hat servers. Multiple servers and services are integrated into a single 'Managed Community' that can be remotely administered from either a Red Hat server, or from any Windows XP or Vista desktop.

Wind River Plans Linux Platform for MIDs

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:45:00 EDT

Wind River says it's collaborating with Intel and will develop an open, extensible Moblin-based Linux platform for Atom-bearing MIDs. Both open source and commercial versions should be available next year. The commercial Wind River Linux Platform for Mobile Internet Devices is supposed to be a full-featured, commercial-grade Linux platform that includes a Linux distribution, middleware and mobile applications that deliver rich Internet and media experiences.

Eliminating the 'Software Tax' by Using ODF

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Just as we have become dependent on oil as an energy resource, we have also become dependent on a single vendor solution for saving our digital history - in the form of our word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet documents. Last year, it was estimated that more than 90 percent of the office productivity suite market was controlled by one vendor, and, historically, because of this dominance, consumers, businesses small and large, and governments have been left with few viable options.

Linux, Wind and the Atom

Fri, 23 May 2008 13:15:00 EDT

Wind River and Intel are putting their heads together to create an extensible open source Linux platform for the automotive industry - an infotainment (gad, that horrid word) platform for Intel's newfangled Atom chip. It's part of a major new product strategy for Wind River, which is going to open source the specification and code from the platform at Moblin.org in hopes of creating Open Infotainment Platforms that everybody uses and that attract a vibrant ecosystem.

Borland Finally Dumps CodeGear Tools Division

Tue, 13 May 2008 06:45:00 EDT

It's only taken Borland two years but it's finally dumped its CodeGear tools division, responsible for Borland's hereditary JBuilder, Delphi and C++ Builder lines as well as its new web ventures into PHP and Ruby, said to be used by 7.5 million developers. Embarcadero Technologies is buying it for about $23 million and the transaction's supposed to close in 30-60 days. Thomas Cressey Bravo the private equity house that bought Embarcadero and took it private last year, is fronting the money.

Those Heady Days of Sex, Drugs & Linux Are Over

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:45:00 EDT

Well, it looks like Richard Stallman, the father of FOSS, is going to have to cut his hair and get a suit because the warmed-over hippie movement he's been leading is no longer the radical anti-software establishment counter-culture his rag-tag army fancies it is. Nope, it IS the software establishment. That is the finding of the Standish Group, which after five years of research on open source has delivered a $1,000 report called 'Trends in Open Source,' a study that finds that FOSS is now costing software vendors $60 billion a year in annual revenues, and it's still only 6% of the global spend.

Open Source & Commercial Software: Both Are Crucial

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:45:00 EDT

Is software development a science or an art? The software industry treats it as a science. It uses processes like MRDs, PRDs, and functional specs to convert customer needs into software that solves their problems. Various roles like product managers, engineering managers, project managers, architects, and programmers work together to drive the process like an efficient machine.

Ubuntu Here We Come! - Java Finally To Become 100% Open Source

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:45:00 EDT

With only two weeks to go now before JavaOne, its annual Javaganza for developers, Sun has revealed that Java is at long last to be made 100% open source. 'We're trying to get Java into places it's never been before,' Rich Sands, group manager for developer marketing at Sun, told an interviewer on Tuesday.

rPath to OEM SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from Novell for Appliances

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:45:00 EDT

rPath announced a technology partnership enabling application providers to use rPath's rBuilder to create virtual appliances using the rPath Appliance Platform and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from Novell. The agreement promises to reduce complexity and costs of application distribution and deployment, while maintaining the strategic value of investments in application certification. The Novell-rPath collaboration marks an industry milestone, enabling customers to utilize an open-source operating system with a virtual appliance lifecycle management platform.

Virtualization: Microsoft's Hyper-V Should Support Other Linux Distros

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:45:00 EDT

In what is a big mistake, in my opinion, Microsoft has chosen to only support Suse Linux in Hyper-V. If they want to truly compete with VMware and other virtualization companies they are going to have to open this up. This does not mean you can not run other distros, however it will not be supported by Microsoft. In today's corporate world that is a death nail for most companies.

The Open Solutions Alliance Enters Its Second Year

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:30:00 EDT

Anyone who's ever been involved in the beginning of a nonprofit consortium will tell you that the first year is the hardest. The initial high of coming together in the name of a shared cause gives way to the drudgery of meetings, working groups and member politics. The realities of executing against the vision and the inherent challenges of keeping an all-volunteer organization active and engaged set in. For many such consortia, the first year can be the last.

Think Global, Act Local

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Josep Mitjà, COO of Openbravo and OSA board member, argues that while technological advances in open source software should be viewed on a worldwide basis, its ultimate success in the market requires a localized approach. The secret, he says, is to 'think global, but act local.'

The Benefits and Business Value of Open Source

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:30:00 EST

Although organizations are not realizing the full potential benefits of open source due to the way open source projects are currently managed, this does not mean that there are no benefits from developing in open source. Once you get past the 'free developer' presumption and carefully look at the larger picture, it becomes clear that open source, even in its limited participatory forms today, brings real value.

How Open Source Is Changing Network Management

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Enterprise networks are growing increasingly complex. Over the past five years, the increased focus on unified security, network optimization, and application acceleration has resulted in an explosion of new technologies, specialty devices, and vendors. The proliferation of high-speed connectivity networks and logical overlay networks - all running over the same physical links - have made it all but impossible for network teams to maintain consistent security, access, audit and change control using manual processes and device-specific management tools.

The Greatest IT Bottleneck of Them All Is Finally Falling: Vendor Lock-in

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:45:00 EST

One of the most exciting things about the software industry is how fast it moves. Software is constantly optimizing itself around the state-of-the-art. Inherent industry bottlenecks change cyclically every five years or so. Architectures and solutions change too. CPUs too costly? Enter dumb terminals. Network running slow? Build client/servers.

Service Management and Enterprise Architecture

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST

Governance is currently a key topic for many IT functions. Its definition varies, but its key themes are true for all companies: effectiveness, efficiency, and reliability. Business value and risk mitigation are also at its center and represent a significant part of enterprise governance overall.

SSO, Open Source and the 'Modern' Enterprise

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:00:00 EST

Efforts to modernize enterprise infrastructure have never been more complex. While the need is certainly there on multiple fronts - competitive edge, cost savings and new business initiatives, to name just a few - new hurdles seem to pop up no matter where an IT administrator might look. That includes not just management issues such as cap/ex costs and user resistance, but also an increasing pancake stack of integration layers within and among applications.

Does Open Source Matter?

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:30:00 EST

There's a great deal of interest in open source software development these days. While the concept of open source (if not the name itself) is hardly new - people have been freely sharing source code since the beginning of the computer industry - the convergence of commercial interest in open source participation along with the maturation of open source development processes and governance models have greatly raised the visibility of open source development during the past several years.

The Top 250 Players in the Cloud Computing Ecosystem

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:45:00 EST

A robust ecosystem of solutions providers is emerging around cloud computing. Here, SYS-CON's Cloud Computing Journal expands its list of most active players in the fast-emerging Cloud Ecosystem, from the 'mere' 100 we identified back in January of this year, to 250 - testimony, if any further were needed, to the fierce and continuing growth of the "Elastic IT" paradigm throughout the world of enterprise computing.

How Open Is "Open"? – Industry Luminaries Join the Debate

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:00:00 EST

In order to describe itself as an 'open source' company, need a company merely be 'a company that will help you make the switch to open source in your company' - or does it have to be one that lets users feely download, compile, and use the software in question? Where is the dividing line? How open is 'open'? At Enterprise Open Source Magazine we contacted a range of FOSS luminaries for their take on the issue.

2X Opens Source Code to its NX Based Terminal Server for Linux

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 03:00:00 EDT

2X has announced the release of 2X TerminalServer for Linux, an open source terminal server for Linux, which enables users to run a Linux desktop and Linux / Windows applications over any type of connection. The 2X TerminalServer is based on the open source NX X-Windows compression protocol.

Belgian Linux and Open Source Company X-Tend Becomes XenSource Solution Provider

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 02:00:00 EDT

X-Tend announced an extension to the partnership with XenSource, by joining the XenSource Partner Program and becoming a XenSource Solution Provider (XSP). This partnership will allow X-Tend customers access to XenSource's XenEnterprise virtualization platform, the enterprise version of Xen.

New Linux Server Launched in U.K. for Small and Medium Business

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 02:00:00 EDT

Solution providers can now offer small and medium businesses a choice - bringing the security, power, flexibility and cost-savings of Linux - with the U.K. launch of Collax server solutions. Interactive Ideas will handle Collax product aggregation and distribution while working together with Collax to generate leads and create new sales opportunities for channel partners.

OpenVZ Project Releases Software for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, Plus Additional Capabilities

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 21:00:00 EDT

At the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, the OpenVZ project released its operating system-level server virtualization software in the form of a kernel build for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (RHEL4), plus enhancements that provide users with additional flexibility.