I keep reading about Linux, how it doesn't cost anything, how it is a viable alternative to Microsoft. Is this true? If I wanted to try it out, dip my toe in, where would you suggest I start?

The stock prices of companies that market the operating system have taken a nine-month-long tumble. But at the same time, Linux has caught the eye of established computer companies and corporate executives looking for an inexpensive yet flexible operating system.

The big difference between closed source versioning and open source versioning is philosophical. In reality most software is a work in progress. Open source developers admit this up front. Close source developers, while not actually hiding the information, prefer not to draw anyone's attention to it.

George Weiss, research director for server and operating systems at Gartner, said: "The biggest problem IBM has is that it appears to the Linux community that it is trying to take over the Linux momentum and grab what this OS has to offer."

According to GNOME developers Lebl and Stachowiak, version 1.4 will be released sometime in February and will include many enhancements as well as new features. Some of the additions include: Nautilus to replace GMC, better theme support, Medusa search and indexing system and the addition of gnome-vfs virtual file system.

In his well-attended keynote address at Linux.conf.au, Alan Cox has outlined the changes made for the Linux 2.4 kernel. The talk entitled "World Domination: Classified Progress Report and Briefing" began with a step back to work that is being done on previous releases of the Linux kernel.

People like standards. Amid the chaos of computer technology and operating systems with a list of names that can reach to the moon, people like finding similarities that they can build on. Linux needs more cohesiveness between its disparate distributions before it will seriously take on the desktop industry. Linux needs standards. As it presently stands each distribution basically does it's own thing.

Everyone has greeted the new kernel with joy and relief, pending a thorough road test. But less certain is the response of the corporate user base that the kernel has been so carefully groomed for. Nor is it entirely clear exactly when usable 2.4-based products will be available for them to deploy.

While VA Linux has become a poster child for the Silicon Valley downswing, its employees -- who view their company as part of a larger computing revolution -- are remarkably stoic. Despite their heavy dose of shock therapy, VA Linux employees seem to be holding up just fine.