Software News

More Fire and Thunder

The Mozilla Foundation has announced the release of its "next generation" web browser Firefox 1.0. This official release is not the first appearance of Firefox; pre-release versions have been available for several months. In fact, we covered Firefox 0.9 in the September 2004 installment of Software News, but as we mentioned at that time, Mozilla's focus has been on preparing the way for this Version 1.0 release. Over 8 million users have downloaded the pre-release versions of Firefox, an unexpected success that may lead to what the Open Source community hopes will be a challenge to the market dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser. Enthusiasm for Firefox is fueled by the fact that Internet Explorer didn't have a very good year. The rise of ad-ware, and the presence of several highly publicized vulnerabilities, have left even some diehard Windows users scrambling for an alternative browser. Of course, as we mentioned in the December 2004 Business News, IE's "reduced" market share is still over 90%, but if these download rates continue, the battle could begin. Firefox is designed to be leaner, faster, and friendlier than the full Mozilla release from which it derives. The target audience is the everyday (non-technical) desktop user, and many of the extra features are intended to place Firefox in the same market space with commercial browsers. Features include pop-up blocking, online fraud protection, and tight integration with popular search engines such as Yahoo! and Google. The Mozilla Foundation states that more than 100 extensions are currently available for Firefox. Mozilla also announced the release of the email client Thunderbird 1.0. According to Scott MacGregor, lead engineer for the Thunderbird project, "Thunderbird is the perfect companion to Firefox...." Like Firefox, Thunderbird is intended for a general audience of everyday desktop users. Features include active junk mail controls and an integrated RSS news and blog reader. Thunderbird also provides extensions for Palm synchronization and offers easy migration from other email clients such as Outlook, Eudora, and Netscape Communicator. http://www.getfirefox.com http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird

Python 2.4 Uncoiled

The Python Software Foundation announced the release of Python 2.4. Python is a popular programming language used on the web and also for general programming. Changes with release 2.4 include function decorators, generator expressions, and improvements related to the importing of modules. Python 2.4 also includes bug fixes and several new modules, including subprocess, decimal, and cookielib. Python 2.4 is also faster than previous versions. Python was originally designed to optimize the speed and efficiency of the programming process, and less attention was paid to the speed of execution. With this version, the developers lent their attention to optimizing the code for faster response times. http://www.python.org

Xandros 3

Xandros announced the release of the Version 3 of the Xandros Desktop Operating System. Xandros 3 includes Linux kernel 2.6.9 and a modified version of KDE 3.3. Xandros focuses on providing a simple desktop environment with good cross-platform support. Features include the versatile Xandros File Manager (XFM) and support for the Windows Active Directory system. According to Xandros, the installation process requires only four steps and provides "everything you need to write, chat, draw, surf, talk, email, listen, and play in Linux.". Version 3 also includes expanded wireless networking features, a new Personal Firewall Wizard, and built-in support for virtual private networks. The US$ 49.95 Standard edition and US$ 89.95 Deluxe edition of Xandros Desktop Operating System 3 are available for download from the Xandros website. http://www.xandros.com/

Gibraltar Firewall 2.1

Version 2.1 of the Open Source Gibraltar Firewall is now available. Gibraltar is a Debian-based router/firewall distribution that is bootable from a live CD. The Gibraltar firewall provides a number of routing, firewall, and proxy features. Improvements with the 2.1 release include enhanced spam filtering, SMTP authentication, email blacklists and whitelists, and better usability. An optional commercial version offers technical support and a web-based administration GUI. http://www.gibraltar.at

Free as in Sun

Sun Microsystems announced the long-anticipated release of Solaris 10. According to Sun, Solaris 10 represents "3,000 engineering years" of development work and includes "more than 600 new features." One could argue that Solaris is a bit off-topic for the Linux news, but the new Solaris is significant to the Linux community in a number of ways. With Solaris 10, Sun introduces a radically new pricing structure intended to compete with Linux. Starting early next year, Sun will essentially give Solaris away for free. In the past, they have had free (or low cost) options for a limited license on a private computer, but in this case, the free Solaris will be available for all system sizes and uses. Like the major Linux vendors, Sun plans to make almost all of its OS revenue on customer support. Support subscription fees start at US$ 120 per CPU per year. The other significant development is that Solaris 10 includes a new feature called the Linux Application Environment (which was previously known as Project Janus). The Linux Application Environment allows Solaris to run Linux binaries with no modification. Solaris's new pricing covers them on "free as in beer," but Sun is also apparently pursuing a "free as in speech" option. We mentioned in the November 2004 Business News that Sun is working on plans to release an Open Source version of Solaris 10. As we reported, the arrangement may be similar to what Red Hat is currently doing with Fedora. The details of this Open Source licensing arrangement have not been released at the time of this writing. http://www.sun.com

Games Knoppix

Games Knoppix is a version of the Knoppix live-CD distribution with a special focus on games. The Games Knoppix distro includes a joystick configuration tool and a large collection of games and emulators. Visit the Games Knoppix website for a complete list of all the games that have been added with this version and the various pre-release versions leading to this offical "St. Nicholas Day" release. According to developer Martin Ohler, "This version is a true Knoppix, and I'll try to sync the releases with Klaus Knopper in a way that the base of Games Knoppix is the most current public Knoppix." Perhaps the most original thing about Games Knoppix is its remarkable disclaimer, "I'll give no guarantee that anything in Games Knoppix is working. It may even be that your city is invaded by aliens, or worse, soon after you use this Knoppix, but I won't take responsibility." http://games-knoppix.unix-ag.uni-kl.de

PCAnylinux

Symantec announced the release of PCAnywhere 11.5. With Version 11.5, the popular screen sharing application once used only with Windows unveils a Linux host for interactive cross-platform remote control. PCAnywhere lets you control a remote computer. Other similar products exist throughout the industry - and the Unix/Linux world has always had its own remote control techniques - but the fact that a mainstream business tool like PCAnywhere is investing in Linux is more evidence that Linux is becoming a mainstream business operating system. Symantec asserts that the remote screen view format of PCAnywhere will have the effect of "freeing" the user from command-line Linux tools, which is possibly not the best pick-up line for reaching the Linux audience, but at least their software is connecting. http://www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/Consumer

Linux Migration Agent

Alacos announced the release of Linux Migration Agent, a tool designed to reduce the time and expense of moving documents, settings, and email from a Windows PC to a Linux computer. According to Alacos, Linux Migration Agent reduces by up to 80% the time necessary for migrating to Linux. By providing a standard, systematic process for moving Windows data to Linux, Linux Migration Agent Professional also reduces the possibility of errors that may accompany migration. The simple wizard interface allows a non-technical user to supervise a migration that may otherwise require advanced technical knowledge of both Windows and Linux. Linux Migration Agent moves email, address books, folders, documents, IE preferences, backgrounds, icons, photos, music, movies, and databases, as well as other types of data. The tool runs from a CD. Alacos states that Linux Migration Agent can move 1 GB of data in 10 minutes with a crossover cable and that, after the migration, all the data will end up at the right place on the target system. Licensing options range from US$ 29.95 to US$ 39.95 per user migrated. http://www.alacos.com/linux.html