The 2.4 kernel systematically addresses and remedies the main weakness that has kept Linux from winning more servers in the enterprise: scalability. This article looks at the changes and improvements to the 2.4 kernel and also how it compares to the network operating systems that currently dominate the enterprise.

"In the future, all network content will be defined in XML ... Jabber is just a generic XML routing framework." XML, then, becomes not only a key enabler of innovation, but also a driver for innovation.

"The 2.4.0-test releases received a lot of testing. So far it worked fine on all machines I installed it on. I'm particularly happy that we got integrated most of the m68k (Amiga, Atari, Mac, Sun-3, ...) port. As you probably know, Linux/m68k was the first port of Linux to a non-Intel platform (yes, it's even older than the Alpha port)."

"Most awkward moment for a kernel creator: During the Golden Penguin Bowl, a quiz-show event, it fell to Linus Torvalds to define "BogoMips," a term he himself invented. When the judges ruled his answer insufficiently specific, the look on his face was absolutely priceless."

"BeOS, has added two important pieces that no other OS appears to use. First, BeOS uses the MIME typing system. This defines super- and subtypes of files, as well as provides a mechanism for industry-wide definitions."

How can the Ramen worm be stopped? The same way any other worm is stopped: starve it. Administrators of all Linux and other Unix-based systems must take the time to secure all servers in their care.

"While certain parts of the community will never let a bad word about Linux go unchallenged, most folks have come to realize that while the new "recognition" by Microsoft is bound to turn up some legitimate flaws, it also establishes Linux and open source as the alternative."

"I don't think it is too fanciful to point out that from a user point of view, the progression from KDE 2.0 to 2.1 is at least on a par with the move from, say, Windows 95 to Windows 98 AND Office 95 to Office 2000. At the current pace of development, KDE will be able to offer a computing experience far superior to that offered by Microsoft by around the third quarter of this year."

"Many of the old limits which prevented Linux adoption in the "enterprise" market have been lifted. Performance problems highlighted by the infamous Mindcraft Benchmark have been removed. More file systems and partitions types are supported, even NFS has been moderately improved. SMB support has continued to rock with the help of the SAMBA team."

Oracle, Intel and IBM may be expending a lot of money and resources to lift Linux into enterprise IT shops, but any large commitments from customers remain a well-kept secret. Or they don't exist.