So far this year, the buzz about Linux in enterprise networks has focused on servers and embedded systems, with the growth of Linux severs being most heralded. According to IDC, a research firm based in Framingham, Mass., Linux was the fastest-growing server operating system last year, with a 93% growth rate over the year before. Linux was the second most-shipped operating system in 1999 after Windows NT, capturing 24% of new licenses shipped.

IBM has revealed further steps in its commitment to Linux, parts of which may make AIX users a little uneasy.

The investment aimed at speeding development of embedded Linux Operating Systems. Intel Corporation announced that the company has made a minority equity investment in Lynx Real-Time Systems, Inc., a leading developer of embedded real-time operating systems.

Conducted in March 2000, the study consists of over 300 in-depth interviews with Linux developers on matters such as what type of apps they're creating, which languages and distributions they use, desktop environments, relationship with open source software issues and development tools.

Internet visionary and Netscape Communications co-founder Marc Andreessen will invest in Collab.Net, a site for uniting corporations with open-source programmers.

The hype over Linux has principally centered on the open-source operating system running on Intel processors. Intel surely loves this scenario, as it wouldn't have to depend so heavily on the Wintel "duopoly" with Microsoft for such a huge portion of its business. Having so many of your eggs in one basket can be a dangerous business plan, especially when the feds are trying to crack open your partner.

Caldera Systems' IPO shot through the starting line Tuesday, climbing 80 percent by midday trading, and almost 110 percent by the time the market closed.

Businesses should embrace Linux or risk losing control over their IT infrastructure by driving the operating system underground. Andrew Butler, a research director at GartnerGroup, advises businesses to have an open Linux strategy.

The University of New Mexico and IBM are teaming up to build the world's fastest Linux-based supercomputer. It's built from 64 of IBM Netfinity 256 servers. The servers are linked together using special clustering software and high-speed networking hardware, delivering a processing speed of 375 gigaflops, or 375 billion operations per second.

Linux vs. Windows. It's a battle fought on many fronts. While a worldwide legion of Linux developers has successfully mounted a frontal attack on Microsoft's WinNT in the servers, routers, firewalls, and telecommunications markets, the open-source community has quietly set its sites on another of Microsoft's three OSes: WinCE -- the Windows operating system for handheld and embedded devices.