Linux 2.4.0 was released without much fanfare on January 4th, 2001. Although it has often been criticized for tardiness, the Linux kernel adheres

to the Open Source philosophy of releasing code when it is ready. This article bring attention to areas where Linux 2.4 is not compatible with Linux 2.2.

User-Mode Linux gives you a virtual machine that may have more hardware and software virtual resources than your actual, physical computer. You can assign your virtual machine only the hardware access you want it to have. With properly limited access, nothing you do on the virtual machine can

change or damage your real computer, or its software.

How does Linux initialize during boot? Many people don't consider the actual process that Linux takes to enter a usable state. This article explains what the various run levels are for and how they fit into the boot process.

LinuxUsersGroups.org announced today the

launch of the new Not-For-Profit website and home for the LUGs Resource Project,

www.linuxusersgroups.org. This new site is dedicated to providing resources to

Linux Users Groups and the Linux community, planning to offer services to assist

with group management, event planning, vendor coordination, and more.

Linux is a proper multi-user environment. In a multi-user environment,

security of user and system data is very important. Access should be given

only to users who need to access the data. Since Linux is essentially a

server OS, good and efficient file security is built right into Linux. Of

course, such security does create problems for users, especially novice

users. Many user queries are due to incorrect file permissions or just

because a user ignores that fact that the file permissions do not allow

access.

"In a move unanimously hailed by the trade press and industry analysts as

being a sure sign of incipient braindamage, Linus Torvalds (also known as

the "father of Linux" or, more commonly, as "mush-for-brains") decided

that enough is enough, and that things don't get better from having the

same people test it over and over again. In short, 2.4.0 is out there."

The free software communities focused much attention on StarOffice, WordPerfect, AbiWord, KWord, and the like. Meanwhile, most have ignored one of the best-kept secrets in the world of document creation. Though it ships with almost every Linux distribution, and has been around longer than Linux itself, the LaTeX typesetting system remains a hidden gem.

IBM chose an open source offering [Apache] over a viable commercial alternative. The Apache decision ended up being a great success for IBM, setting the precedent for the company's involvement in community development projects. And, more importantly, it put IBM on the cutting edge of the Internet. While competitors like Compaq and Sun Microsystems have stumbled in their adoption of open source technology, IBM's Apache relationship proved to be the model of how a traditional company can work best with the open source world.

Hitachi's Flora is effectively a cross between a notebook, a handheld and a mobile phone. The device -- which looks like a notebook screen with a frame -- hooks up directly to the Internet and is used to search Web content or run applications, similar to a standard PC. Like the Crusoe-based Internet terminal released by Gateway and AOL in November, the Flora will contain a version of Linux.

"Much of the initial frenzy centred on speculation that Linux could break the virtual monopoly that Microsoft Corp. holds in desktop operating systems. That ambition -- always a long shot -- has been shelved in favour of a less glamourous, but crucial role in the technology world: running the powerful computer servers that are the engine of the Internet."