Linux' support of EDA is improving as Avant! Corp. prepares to port its Polaris Verilog simulator and Design Acceleration Inc.'s recent port of SignalScan (a debugging environment), Verilog simulation is marching toward the forefront of the Linux EDA movement. Other vendors, such as Fintronic USA are reporting a sudden upsurge in demand for Linux versions of their products. Other vendors such as Novas Software are rethinking their plans given Engineers' preference for Linux. One of the main interests appears to be simulation farms on PCs running Linux which fits better than NT into Unix networks. Indeed even Wellspring whose "decision to drop Linux support" was big news last week revealed that this decision was taken over 2 years ago.

boinger wrote in to send us a link to a yahoo bit saying that ALS has broken the record for the largest number of exhibitors at a Linux conference. I bet this trend continues for every con for that comes along for awhile. I'll be there. I guess I'm one of the exhibitors (VA Research and Cyclic are our official sponsors, so go buy their stuff :) in a booth with t.o and freshmeat so see ya there. No, I won't be naked, but I might go topless for a bit if anyone wants to give me a laptop with a fully functional x key *grin*

In the most recent Unix Riot there is some discussion of Linux. However, the most interesting part of the article is the very last line which says "...an HP executive told me that "you can look for us to announce" support for Linux. How much support? Although he was not precise, the context of our conversation made me believe that HP may even ship Linux on PA-RISC.".

Larry McVoy has quit his job to help Linus scale better: Recently Linus has been getting too many patches (understandable now that Linux is on so many architectures) and is having difficulty keeping up. Linux Weekly News has the gory details. The new system will enable a hierarchy of more and more trusted Linux developers to filter/improve patches before they reach Linus himself without resorting to the committee style approach that has led to the *BSDs splitting up. Given that Larry has lost quite a bit of money so far developing this software the license has yet to be finalized. However he is well qualified to do this having written the source control system used at Sun. Linus is willing to try it out.

Jon Ellis Writes in asking for assistance on this issue: "I'm looking for help getting japanese input working (well) under Linux. The app that matters most is Netscape (browser and mail), and in case someone suggests it MULE and Cut & Paste won't cut it ;)"

ian ehrenwald needs some assistance with this problem: "Can someone help me out with getting a Canon BJC620 to work in Linux and with ghostscript correctly? I have RTFM over and over and compiled this in and that in and with this option and with that option. Nada. I use Staroffice 4.0 and when I try to print stuff just to the normal lpr I get the postscript codes. I am guessing this is because my printer isnt PS friendly. So can anyone reccomend a way to get this BJC620 working with ghostscript so I can print from Staroffice or Netscape or any program that uses PS?"

joe writes in with this call for assistance: "I purchased a used Castelle Print server that only has the DOS configuration software that needs to be run with administrator access level on a Novell network. I would like to use this print server with Linux and OS/2, however, I am unable to set it up without the proper software. This is an older printserver no longer supported by Castelle. I am hoping someone can give me some software (manual calls it uxconfig) or directions on how to get this working."

Kanoot writes "I got the following message from a StarOffice representative this morning... "The beta testing of StarOffice PreFinal has been closed and generated very useful input for the Final version. As StarOffice 5.0 will ship very soon we have discontinued shipping out the PreFinal. The StarOffice 5.0 for Linux is scheduled for release beginning of November." "

kwisti writes " Another Windows versus Linux story, ABCNews.com compares the two operating systems with twist of David versus Goliath parody. They even feature a picture with Rob Young displaying his Red Hat. :) "

Debian has announced that they will be feature freezing v2.1 (code name 'Slink') tonight at 8pm EDT. A party will start on irc.debian.org #debian 2 hours prior to the freeze. apt-get is in, but the GUI isn't yet. Also will include the latest Gnome. Related is the 'Highly Commendation' reward Debian recently received from APCM. Congrats guys.

Joel Stone was the first to tell us "Stop the presses! Compaq has thrown it's weight behind Linux - For details see link " This follows on from Compaq's announcement back in September. However, this goes one step further: Compaq will help the Linux community get Linux working on Compaq hardware (as they did with with their donation of an Alpha to Debian), they will provide telephone support, and port Compaq software to Linux on the Alpha and x86/IA 64 platforms.

An Anonymous reader writes "S.u.S.E., Inc. announced today that the shipment of Linux Office Suite 99 will be delayed. Originally scheduled to ship during the week of October 12, S.u.S.E. now expects the Linux Office Suite to ship closer to the end of October.

gnudist writes "I almost hesitate to mention this, since it might suggest that the anonymous mob mentality on Slashdot has gotten its way, but: Remember the "Linux Standards Association"? Remember the flame wars that thrilled and disgusted millions? All 9 of the LSA's domains (that's right, 9) are now "On Hold", which typically means either (a) a trademark dispute (as had been theorized about earlier) or (b) they didn't pay the bills (if a "Standards Association" which wants to attract Fortune 500 members doesn't have $630 to pay the 'NIC, something is wrong.) This means that www.linuxstandards.org won't resolve. Perhaps the LSA would like to explain this situation? "

Debian-announce sent out a message today stating that you can now boot Debian on the Corel NetWinders. They used to merely run Red Hat v4.2. You can snag the boot images or A kernel package from Jimpick.com (who also keeps .deb's of most of Gnome around as well)

Don Rude sent a letter to us, asking the Linux community to give him a hunk of yer collective mind about potentially porting Cold Fusion into an Apache module. More info was in a past article.

hazard writes "Just saw an annoucements that Alta Technology started making AltaCluster systems based on Extereme Linux. Now those look really nice! I'm glad to see professionally designed systems for Beowulf. "

Magus311X writes " Even during the usual marketing of Windows 98 and how to effectively nuke your system resources using it, Linux once again is mentioned! The wonder OS was featured on Computer Chronicles with a cool segment featuring Linus Torvalds over national cable access. Linus bashes the OS market by claiming that all the OS's "Just... suck." and self-proclaimed himself as "the best programmer in the world". The show also included snippets of the ever-glorious "Slashdot.org" using Netscape 4.5, as well as The Gimp, KDE. It also featured VA Research, and that they make custom Linux boxen. (Mooo!) So, thanks to WGBH 44 and all the other cable access channels that featured Computer Chronicles, for showing the world "The growing alternative to the Windows platform". The show usually reruns the following Saturday, so tune in on 10-17-98 for some Linux action. And check out the Computer Chronicles website"

Nick Towers wrote to tell us of an interesting editorial which outlines the risks associated with closer industry ties for the linux community and distributors: we think open, they think proprietary. Nick got this from the The Register before it was published on the main page... And you work for, Nick?

Ken Broadfoot wrote to relay a message from Vladimir Eflov Dear colleagues! We are small new group of the Linux users from Petrozavodsk State University Russia Unfortunately, our activity has coincided with the new financial crisis in our country. As a result, we can not receive the books and other materials connected with Linux (cost of one book is equal to half of salary of the professor of university and equal to two mounths salary of associate professor). The resources of our Internet server Internet are too weak to get the distribution kit of Linux online. If you have possibility to send us any editions on Linux, GNU C ++, GNU Java & etc. unnecessary to you, and also the distribution CD's of Linux we would be extremely grateful to you." Read more below.

Evelyn Mitchell writes "Enter the tummy.com Where's 2.2? pool and show off your project estimating skills. link " Linus should enter. He might have a somewhat unfair advantage.