This has been a hot topic for some time now. but I'm curious what everyone has to say about it. We have an array of formats- .rpm, .deb, .tgz, and now .slp? We also have variations of each (Source, x86 Binary, Alpha Binary etc etc) and this is getting crazy. Each has pros and cons, but isn't this an issue that we need to resolve? Hit the link below to read some thoughts. (note:This is the first time I've posted an article with just something to think about, is this a good/bad thing? Should I instead write a whole editorial or is this enough to seed conversation? Email me)

Matt Wood writes "The Linux Development team is pleased to announce the latest release of the Stampede Linux Distribution, version 0.79. This release includes many bugfixes, more packages, later versions of software, and a much easier install (than previous versions.) " You can download Stampede 0.79, try one of the many Stampede mirrors, read The Stampede install guide , or grab Stampede Updates.

Steve Rojem sent us a Sm@rt Reseller article where you can read about Netscape and Linux. The main point of the article is that other companies haven't joined in. Well, Corel seems to be making a step with their VNC, but Oracle and Informix are holding back. The negative comments are typical: Accountability (unfair because RedHat and Caldera will support Linux systems) Demand (Considering there are as many as 10 million Linux Boxes, I question this) and Lack of Central Marketing Push (a valid pointy haired reason, but certainly not a real reason). Mike Saranga, Informix's senior VP, says they do 16 ports right now, but won't do another unless it makes sense. Considering Linux is the fastest growing Unix, and soon will be the largest *nix, I wonder if it will "Make Sense" in time to give Informix a chance against Mysql, mSQL and PostgreSQL. Is it to late for the normal Commercial Databases on Linux? I know you guys use databases... what do you think?

Robert Owens wrote in to tell us to check the Kirc Page for a rant by Aaron Granick, creator of Kirc, who is going through something to many of us have experienced. With a flood of email complaining about problems, and no chance to make any money back, sometimes an Open Source developer can get really burned out. (I wish I had more time to fix all of My Stuff, it really gets disheartening sometimes). He also talks about lack of standardization of X tool kits, as well as the downside of KDE. It's a heartfelt bit that a lot of us can sympathize witih.

Simon Karpen sent us a link to Nick Petreley's Latest InfoWorld Column. It is a moderately cheesy detective story, but I guess since Dvorak just did a stage play, this is normal behavior for mainstream computer press columnists. Petreley is cool: he has written a lot of positive Linux stuff before, so I tend to cut him a lot of slack... Anyway, he talks about something that many of us have gone through- trying to debug some crazy kernel device driver problem. (In this case, its a 3com 3c905b). There's a even a nice happy ending. Oh, and I've decided that my next editorial will be instead be a Performance Piece- I'll dance suspended by chains 6 feet above a stage to protest the suffering I've had with my laptop's sound support and 2.1.99 kernels. Gotta do something to keep up... *grin*.

Oliver Maruhn writes "I would like to use Slashdot to announce the recent improvements, I have done to Linux Ftp Watcher. Now lfw monitores more than 100,000 different files sorted in over 100 sections. It shows the newest files of each day and it has two powerful search engines for filenames and file descriptions. If you are searching for some file, you will probably find it here"

David F. Skoll writes "ISDMag has another editorial about Linux and electronic design automation -- the second in a row. In the article, editor Jonah McLeod says that "Readers are speaking out loud and clear for Linux, but the EDA software and hardware vendors are hearing-challenged." It's a great read. If anyone is going to the 35th Design Automation Conference in San Francisco, maybe we should have a Linux EDA BOF session? "

thi wrote in to give us This link where you can read about a Internet Aware fridge. The prototype runs win95, but the next version will adopt Linux. Shell prompts on your home appliances? Uber cool.

Linus, keynote speaker at this year's Linux Expo, coughed up a nice tarball of kernel 2.1.99 and put it in the usual place. A few changes in this big patch include: major documentation updates for many, many things, some x86 IRQ updates, a quick sparc memory management fix, and some scheduling updates

Conor writes "It seems the Linux Advocacy HOWTO may be working, Columnist Mark Tebbe at infoworld was forced to reconsider his dismissal of Linux as a 'Renegade OS' when he heard about the number of large corporations relying on it for large parts os their IT infrastructure. See his article for more details. "

Jeff Grady writes "I requested technical information from Plustek in order to write a Linux driver for my OpticPro 4800P scanner, and I received this response: "Unfortunately we do not give out that type of information pertaining to our scanners. However, we are planning on writing LinuxUnix drivers hopefully by the end of the year. " Looks like mainstream companies are really starting to support linux! Cool, man. " I wish companies would be more open about releasing specs, but if they can't do it, its cool that they'll at least code drivers. Linux is becoming more of a viable alternative every day.

Sam Rowe writes " Bootnet has 12 steps to installing Debain, with some nice words about Linux. They've also inclded Debain on their magazine CD. " I love when companies do that. It's one thing to get a CD of free software, but to get a CD of free software, it's just a warm fuzzy day.

LinuxFreak writes "Faximum has released the second Linux beta of their commercial fax server product. Go here for the details. " Faximum is commercial code, but its still nice to see commercial linux software becoming more common.

Chris Thompson writes "I've created a mailing list to discuss Linux Hardware Hacking a-la the mp3mobile story. To subscribe, send a message with the subject and body containing the word "subscribe" to linuxhw-request@x4.net. "

Torgo Jr writes "devx.com (a Windows development site) has daily polls, today's being "Do you think Linux will be a threat to Windows NT?". So far Linux only has 21% "Yes"... " when I went, Linux was at 22%, but their server felt like a 486 running PWS. Anyway, vote quick before its gone... :)

Mark Spencer writes "Just so you all know, I am hosting a lotus-linux mailing list to discuss the possibility of running Lotus Notes/Domino under Linux. We have discussed both running SCO and Solaris/x86 binaries, as well as strategies for encouraging Lotus to make a port. We have a contact at lotus and that contact has mentioned that he has been in communication with a representative from RedHat to discuss the possibility. If you're interested, send "subscribe" in the body of a message to lotus-linux-request@marko.net to join the list. We hope to setup a web site soon to collect information regarding the possible markets of such a port. "

While I know that most of our readers prefer Mysql and Postregsql, it still is interesting to read what Dan Kirkpatrick sent in: " Just a rumor from Cringley. However, he says that an "IT manager at a large health-care organization" has tweaked an SCO version of Oracle 7 for Linux, and has it running on a 180 MHz box. Seems to me that Oracle is one of those mission critical apps that *has* to be ported to Linux before many corporations can consider Linux for their mission critical apps. " True enough.

Amos Shapira wrote in to give us this one which I think is quite impressive. This is a MP3 box for a car. Spiffy LEDs and the ability to NFS mount a server for downloading more tunes- what a great concept. My roommates and I are working on getting an old computer to perform the same basic tasks in our living room. Who needs to search for that favorite track when it's sampled on that 2.5 gig hard drive?

Here are a few quickees before I go for lunch: Dark Rain is a new web site by Emissary dedicated to providing new user help for linux. Second, I meant to post this yesterday, but I forgot, anyway Cory Bosley sent us a RH5 easter egg. He says tells us to, as root, run timetool and click the am/pm. I wasn't aware of that one...

An anonymous reader contributed this link where you won't read much unless you read french, but there is a cartoon that a lot of you will find quite entertaining... I think I want a t-shirt of that one.