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IBM

IBM Joins Linux International 72

Chris DiBona wrote in to tell as that Linux International is sporting a Big Blue new Member in the form of IBM Software They've been supporting Apache for awhile, and now DB2 comes to Linux. Wonder what else they might have in store.
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IBM Joins Linux International

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  • Anonymous Coward wrote:

    Unfortunatley, people didn't want OS/2 and it was hard to convince software companies to develop applications for OS/2. At least not enough to make it apealling to use resources (people and money) to continue to develop and market an OS.

    People didn't want OS/2 Version 1. OS/2 Version 2 raised a few eyebrows. People tried flocking to OS/2 Version 3 (Warp), but the developers wouldn't bite.
  • The excuse I always heard when I asked about an OS/2 version of an app was "Why should we waste the time and money--you can run the Windows version of our program on OS/2, can't you?"

    This is what bothers me about WINE. Not that WINE isn't cool or anything, don't get me wrong. I'm just concerned that if it's too good, ISVs may turn around and start giving the same lame excuse WRT Linux versions of their apps.
  • IBM was a 'bad mofo' not too long ago. Reverse the clock 15 years or so and they're the Microsoft of that time. The difference is that IBM, after being bitten by Microsoft, has learned how to be a (IMHO) truly good company. Things like helping out Apache and their constant advancement in hardware make the difference. The fact is that IBM does make good stuff nowadays, and they do help the computer industry. Maybe 15 years from now we'll be saying the same thing about Microsoft. Don't forget that the Scanning-tunneling electron microscope was invented by IBM's Zurich labs [ibm.com]. Whatever they've done in the past, they've made up for it: I believe in IBM now.
  • to test Wine. Although, I can't remember actually booting into Windows for nearly a year now. Funny, I don't miss it at all. :)
  • I welcome IBM's input and technical presence. IBM may have been one of the problems in the past but maybe they've changed - only time will tell. Better to have them as allies than as enemies.

    IBM has shown us that they can play the game with style. They've worked with Apache and both are healthy, they've released Jikes as an Open Source project, they've ported DB2 and tools to Linux. IBM stands to gain much by participating in Linux and I feel that Linux can gain much by having the backing of IBM.

    After all, with corporations competing based on applications and support instead of OS, they are sure to benefit and ultimately so will the consumer. What happened in the hardware world (the powerful competition) will then happen in the software world - then we will see advances in Computer Science like never before!

    Didn't realize I was rambling on until I had already done it but... we need software innovation moving as fast or faster than hardware. Let's have it!

    I feel that IBM's entry into LI will help this idea to fruition.
  • Posted by hrearden:

    So they told us at LotusPhere. But only the server, administration and development will have to be done from another machine. Unless someone WINE's the client...
  • I'll believe it when I see Tivoli:

    [a] directly support Linux; and

    [b] go OpenSource ;)

    Currently amassing my fortunes via architecting Distributed Systems Management for Fortune 100 companies, I'm constantly at the Management Tools portion of IT industry. Most amazing is how utterly intransigent these vendors are with responding to the needs of their customers. Sencondly, so many became millionaires selling this stuff; but, now the budding millionaires are those who take a hand in architecting, deploying and simply making it do something to address ROI concerns.

    As long as this train keeps rolling, I guess I'll be paying the bills. But, it sure would be nice to run this stuff in my office }:-

  • I hope this means the death of AIX.
  • Not until they port SMIT and LVM over.

    "Quick, I need a disk space fix! AAHHHHH! LVM."
  • We all know the call to arms that got the Linux
    ball roleing, but have you all read this set of
    postings in the erly days of Linux ?

    I.e. Linus had a .plan and asked to be fingerd.
    ( Get your mind out of the gutter AC :).

    It's all here [li.org]
  • Linux International's financial and organizational
    support were instrumental in getting the Atlanta
    Linux Showcase off the ground. ALS was, as of this
    past fall, the largest Linux show ever. To my mind,
    that is a hell of a good use of their resources.
    It took a lot of guts for MadDog et al. to extend
    the resources which they did to the ALE users' group,
    but they did it. We thank them for it.
  • * Free BEER. (not speech)
    * A month's worth of brown paper bags for Linus.
    * Flea collars for John "Mad Dog" Hall.
    * RMS's bar tab.

  • Having IBM's name and marketing pushing systems running GNU-Linux, Apache and other Free Software will propel open source into the mainstream.

    I always said Linux could be a contender. j.b.
  • ever mix up water and oil.. yeah exactly loves..
  • Your money?

    Have you made cash contributions to Linux International? Have you applied for a grant from LI and been turned down? Have you been taxed by LI, forced to divert funds to that organization that you would have otherwise spent on yourself?

    The information on www.li.org states that Linux International is a non-profit organization which charges modest annual membership fees, and uses those revenues to print press kits, attend trade shows, and sponsor development grants.

    Just what part of the activies of Linux International do you take issue with?
  • Compaq post-dates the introduction of the IBM PC. In fact, Compaq created the first PC clone, which was a luggable. I first saw it at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco. Had I known at the time what its introduction foretold, I probably would have shot myself right there.

    What a depressing conversation that was, talking with the Compaq flak:

    "So, what does your new machine do?"
    "It's a PC clone."
    "Yeah, but what does it do?"
    "It does everything an IBM PC will do."
    "Yeah, but what else does it do?"
    "Nothing. It's a PC clone."
    "...You mean, this thing doesn't do anything new?"
    "No."
    "It's not faster?"
    "No."
    "It doesn't have better graphics?"
    "No."
    "Then why did you bother?"
    "You don't understand. It's a PC clone..."

    And thus began the industry's long, slow downward slide...

    Schwab

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Let's welcome the Super Smurf with open arms!
    My enemy's enemy is my friend.
    If they quit selling MS crap, it would make a
    difference, and they are the most likely to swear
    off. Besides, it's the smartest move they've made
    in years. Supporting Linux moved them from a 2 to
    a 9 in my book.
  • it really seems to me that Linux will make it as a (the?) mainstream OS.

    Over the past few years, I've watched low end Unix applications turned over to NT boxes and worried that I'd have to spend the next 25 years of my career managing MS-SQL Server on NT. Then Linux came along. I hoped and wished for it to be successful, for purely selfish reasons of course. But, I refused to get my hopes up too high given the history of OS/2, Netscape/Java, and all the other would-be contenders.

    It didn't strike me until the other day when Loki announce the Civ port that Linux may well be unstoppable. Geeks love Linux, geeks love games, games on Linux will sell disproportionately to the user base. In a couple of years, teenage boys everywhere will be installing Linux for the games.

    Now, every new piece of news is just another nail in the coffin. Welcome aboard IBM!
  • That sounds perverted.
  • IBM also has an ADSM (network-based backup)
    client for Linux. I'm using it to back up
    my office machine. They're claiming that it's
    unsupported, but it works very well. Most likely
    nervousness on their part.

  • Every time I read that IBM does something having to do with Linux or any other product I like, I get a queasy feeling in my stomach which I can't quite explain. And then I remember . . .

    It was many years ago and I worked in a small retail shop which sold and serviced portable microcomputers -- that's what they were called back then, microcomputers -- and the software that was usually bundled with them, Dbase, Wordstar, Lotus123 or SuperCalc. We specialized in "luggables", Compaq, Kaypro, Osborne. And they all used C/PM as their OS.

    Then one day we got this new fangled thingy in the shop. It was by IBM. It had a 10MB hard drive. 10MB?! Geez, what the heck would anyone every need 10MB for? It had no software written for it as this IBM microcomputer (soon to be known as "personal computer") had as its OS this thing called DOS. Who the heck had ever heard of DOS, MS or otherwise? Geez, the only thing you could run on it was King's Quest.

    But, this was IBM, ole Big Blue. They had name recognition. They knew how to market. Heck, they even passed on their expertise in marketing to the little upstart who had provided them with an OS for their little jaunt into the microcompter world. And that was how IBM treated those of us who had to deal with their choice of OS and their systems over the years. Those of you who have ever had problems with Microsoft tech support should know that it is an IBM model of tech support. Microsoft learned their lesson from IBM well, indeed.

    Years later the little Microsoft upstart bit the IBM hand that had fed him so much market share and name recognition over the years. So eventually, IBM paid the piper for their ways. But not before leaving us with the IBM/Microsoft legacy of poor and expensive tech support, total disregard for quality product in favor of market share and profit, and marketing techniques which are questionable at best.

    Oh yeah, now I remember why IBM involvement makes me queasy.
  • Not related to

    They rock. Compared to Compaq they are much stronger and more reliable. They can get expensive, but IBM's rock solid support offsets that for me. We use them to run SCO UNIX, but I'm dying for the chance to try Linux 2.2 on a 7000 M10 fully decked out. (4 450 Xeon PII/ 8GB RAM/TB of RAID 5) The way my company is pumping the things out, it should not take long.

    The best part: _Everything_ is in stealth black. (Even got a deal with APC for black UPSes.)

    Here a link. Check em out.

    http://www5.pc.ibm.com/us/products.nsf/$wwwovser ies/Netfinity+7000+M10

    Anyone out there with any Linux experence with them?

  • IBM are (I believe) making copper technology chips, and have been tipped to superseed Intel in new low-power chip technology. They appear to be following Intels recent interest in Linux in looking for an alternative OS to MS Win*.

    I'd argue that this can only be good.

    IBM's support for Apache is notable, and I'd say this could be a good example of commercial partnership with the Open Source movement - something I'm all in favour with (given certain caveats).

    I'm not old enough to appreciate your concerns over the `Big Blue', but I'm sure they're grounded. However, times change...

    Ultimately the Open Source community can only wait and see. The ball is in IBM's court.

    ---

    Off Topic, but hey: got my first PC & use & know Linux at work. Five days of Win98 are driving me *mad*. Can anyone tell me how to partition my hard drive from Win98 so as I can install RH5.2?

    CH
  • I think there is a wc that emulates the look and feel of wps .. though I don't understand why anyone would like that.
    I personally thought it was not that great of a wm when I was using OS/2 (Long looooooong ago).
  • I like VA for Java and would love to see it on Linux. A move like this would hopefully help move other IDEs to Linux as well. However, I am currently happily using CodeForge and enjoy how it is coming along. Yes, I also use Emacs but have yet to master VI.
  • I say IBM should port REXX and Pipelines to Linux. You folks think piping commands in sh/csh/bash/tcsh is fun, try juggling multiple pipelines, selective fanin/fanout with labeled streams, all more powerful than the 'tee' command. One can write a powerful script much like Perl with one pipe.
  • This is the IBM page where you can
    find out all about it:
    http://www.software.ibm.com/data/db2/linux
  • Well, at the very least, it's not M$ that is deciding to develop software for Linux. Maybe they should be told that everyone should stay in their own little neighbourhood. :)
  • I *converted* to Linux about a month ago, or a month and a half, I don't remember. I used to run Win95. I have to say, really, scrap Windows, embrace the Penguin completely. Sound good? Great! Haf fun. :)
  • Where is this petition anyway. I'd like to sign
    too. By email of course.

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