When you ask most network and system administrators about system and

network security, they'll respond, "We have a firewall" or "We use SSL

encryption." This is all fine and good. However, there are often some things

they have missed - not that it is really their fault, since these additional

options are not very well documented in most cases. Almost all Unix-based

operating systems have the capability to modify various kernel options while

the system is running.

It is claimed that Linux is more robust, more secure and more

efficient in its use of hardware resources compared with the

market leader in Intel-based systems, Microsoft Windows NT.

That's all fine and good, but how do you know Linux is using

your hardware to its fullest? Here are tips on manipulating

some of Linux's performance-tuning parameters to make the

system scream.

This week, Nick Petreley examines how companies can make

money in open source and how much money they're likely

to make. Along the way, he predicts the eventual demise

of proprietary software and the evolution of the open source

market away from the software itself.

If you think Linux is the choice of geeks only, think again. Many of the large software vendors are now shipping Linux versions of their software. In this article I'll take you through some of these product offerings.

Exactly what work of yours does your employer own? A group of system administrators has been working on ways to clarify that issue for computing professionals who also work on Open Source projects in their spare time. The fruit of their work, released a few days back, is itself Open Source.

Eighteen months ago it looked neigh on impossible, but today, leading server hardware makers and the various Linux companies are becoming increasingly locked together in web of symbiotic relationships. These, generally loose, alliances are reshaping the face of the server business.

Two years ago, we had no idea that what we were beginning would become the LPI. We had no clue of the tremendous support we would receive not only from members of the Linux community, but also from the larger IT, training and publishing communities. Nor did we know how significantly LPI would change some of our lives.

In a market where technical certifications carry more weight than ever before, more and more vendors are offering certifications of their own. Because of the nature of the RHCE exam, Red Hat Certified Engineers will stay comfortably distanced from the stigma of paper certifications.

Here's the crucial difference between Windows and Linux: if someone puts a backdoor into Linux, someone will eventually find it.

We may be able to expect a real Linux 2.4.0 before the new year, but major distributions probably won't ship with it by default immediately. Also, different distributions may take different approaches to the new kernel. Features, such as DevFS and the Linux Volume Manager, may not be enabled by default in some distributions.