July 24, 2007
by sjvn01
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Launchpad PPA Service: Software Development the Ubuntu Way

During the Ubuntu Live Conference in Portland, Ore., Canonical announced the beta release of its Launchpad PPA (Personal Package Archive) service, a new way for developers to build and publish packages of their code, documentation, artwork, themes and other contributions to free software.

Canonical, the company that backs Ubuntu, uses Launchpad to help develop Ubuntu. The Launchpad program itself is a set of integrated tools that support collaboration and community formation. These include a team management tool, a bug tracker, code hosting, translations, a blueprint tracker, and an answer tracker. Its best feature, the bug-tracker, works by trying to track separate conversations about the same bug in external project bug trackers, such as Bugzilla, Roundup, SourceForge, and the Debian Bug Tracking System.

In this new free offering, individuals and teams can each have a PPA. With this, groups can collaborate on sets of packages, and solo developers can publish their own versions of popular free software. Developers upload packages to a PPA and have it built for multiple architectures against the current version of Ubuntu. Each user gets up to 1GB of Personal Package Archive space, which works as a standard Ubuntu software package repository. Free PPAs are available only for free (“libre”) software packages.

Launchpad itself is not an open-source project at this time. Canonical, however, has recently open-sourced Storm, a generic open-source object relational mapper that is used by Launchpad.

The PPA service is designed to connect developers with their users directly. Users who are interested in those packages can make a single update to their system to enable them to install packages from that PPA. Those users will also receive automatic updates whenever new versions of the packages are built and published in that PPA.

Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu’s founder and Canonical’s CEO, explained the significance of Launchpad Personal Package Archives for the Ubuntu community in a statement:

“Many developers want to modify existing packages, or create new packages of their software. The PPA service allows anyone to publish a package without having to ask permission or join the Ubuntu project as a developer. This is a tremendous innovation in the free software community,” he wrote. “We hope that PPA will make it easier for developers and development teams who have excellent ideas to get their work into the hands of users for testing and feedback. They also get to mix with experienced packagers to improve their skills. PPA is a build system, a publishing system and a community experience.”

Matt Zimmerman, CTO of Canonical claimed that PPAs’ also make it easy for developers to test new and experimental software builds.

“Adding a new feature to a package or building it against a new version of a system library requires extensive testing. A PPA allows a developer to form a community of testers who are interested in her changes. The testing community can install the packages, run them for the test period, [and] then remove them cleanly from their system,” said Zimmerman. “If the developer releases an updated version, the Ubuntu Update Manager will automatically notify those testers and enable them to update to the newer versions with a single click. This creates a very efficient environment for developers and testers to improve their favorite software.”

The Launchpad PPA service is currently in beta. To participate in the beta program, would-be open-source programmers should send an email to ppa-beta@launchpad.net.

Launchpad PPA Service will be released for general use on August 22, 2007 in-line with the regular Launchpad release cycle. The PPA Service will be available here.

At launch, software in Personal Archive Packages will be built for x86 and AMD64 architectures.

A version of this story was first published in Desktop Linux.

July 23, 2007
by sjvn01
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Canonical launches Web-based systems management for Ubuntu

Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu Linux distribution, announced on July 22 at the Ubuntu Live conference in Portland, Ore., the availability of Landscape, its Web-based systems management program for Ubuntu servers and desktops.

Landscape will be available to Canonical’s support subscribers. Landscape provides a key tool for the growing number of businesses that want to take advantage of the ease of use of Ubuntu and have previously seen system administration or support as a hurdle. This is Canonical’s first native Ubuntu system deployment and management tool.

The new Landscape program is delivered as an Internet service rather than as a product. It has more in common with Red Hat’s Red Hat Network than Novell’s ZENworks.

With Landscape, users can manage, monitor and maintain all of their Ubuntu machines simply by registering them with the service. Focused on being easy to deploy, Landscape is immediately available with an easy-to-use Web interface to common administration tasks.

Landscape’s features start with package management. With this, administrators can remotely manage a system. It allows managers to quickly find installed packages, view information about them and add or remove them.

The services also include a way to easily deploy system updates to both Ubuntu desktops and servers. This enables network managers to quickly install security and feature updates as they become available.

An administrator can also use Landscape to manage users. The service enables a network manager to add, edit or remove users from individual or multiple computers.

With Landscape, administrators can also manage multiple machines within a group. This can be used with fine control so that a manager can work on either a single system or all of the machines within the group. Groups can be set up quickly and be made up of servers or desktops by either their location or their function.

You don’t have to have 24-hour Internet connectivity to make the most of Landscape. Administrators can safely and securely manage systems that are infrequently connected to the Internet. Landscape queues tasks for disconnected and remote desktops, laptops or servers. When they come on-line, Landscape automatically carries out the queued instructions.

The program will run hardware system inventories: Besides reporting on individual computer’s hardware at the component level, it also reports on some operating system elements such as the version of the currently running kernel.

Landscape will also let administrators log system performance so one can compare past and present performance. It also enables managers to compare the performance of multiple systems on such factors as system load and disk usage.

The program also lets administrators keep notes on each system. In addition, you can assign computers “tags”–all Web servers, all remote desktops, for example–for easier management.

Finally, with Landscape, administrators can audit the actions on their systems improving security. Landscape also provides information on the tasks it’s scheduled to perform in the future. It also keeps historical logs, which show actions it performed and those done locally on a given machine, for maintenance audits.

“For our support customers this is a huge value-add,” said Steve George, Canonical’s director of support and services in a statement. “Landscape is an enterprise-ready systems management tool that is as easy to use as everything else built with the Ubuntu philosophy. Any business deploying Ubuntu on multiple servers or desktops can instantly benefit from increased productivity and reduced costs of management.”

“I’m delighted to see Landscape being made available to Canonical’s customers,” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu. “Canonical’s support services are now at a point where anyone with serious deployment intentions on Ubuntu has the reassurance of a center of expertise to help them succeed. Landscape is a vital tool in taking Ubuntu further into the business and enterprise markets.”

Canonical offers two levels of support: 9 to 5 daily and 24-hour support. For each level, there are three types of support: Desktop, Server and Thin-Client/Cluster. The least expensive support contract is $250 for an annual desktop contract. At the high end, 24×7 support for thin-clients and clusters costs $4,000. Subscribers to any level or type of support receive Landscape services free of any additional charges.

A verson of this story was first published in LinuxWatch.

July 16, 2007
by sjvn01
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Open-Xchange releases Ubuntu-based SMB Groupware

On July 16, Open-Xchange announced the immediate availability of Open-Xchange Express Edition. This is a full-featured collaboration designed to make it easy for small and midsize businesses to take advantage of the cost benefits of open source without requiring prior Linux know-how.

OXEE (Open-Xchange Express Edition) transforms a bare metal computer into a fully-functional collaboration server running on Ubuntu Linux. The package includes all the tools required by companies to facilitate communication and efficient teamwork. It doesn’t require any additional operating system or any other prior software to work.

In a statement, Mark Shuttleworth, CEO of Canonical Ltd. and founder of Ubuntu, said, “Ubuntu has radically changed the economics of IT for small business owners. Integrated, ready-to-work software solutions like Open-Xchange Express on Ubuntu make it easier for non-technical SMBs to increase productivity and spur innovation while reducing their IT costs at the same time.”

“Many organizations—especially those categorized as small and midsize businesses—require a low-cost and low-maintenance in-house solution that unites e-mail, calendaring, tasks and document sharing,” said Jürgen Geck, Open-Xchange’s chief technology officer, in a statement. “Open-Xchange Express Edition was designed specifically for this underserved but large corner of the market.”

To further facilitate the adoption process, OXEE supports standard groupware clients, such as Microsoft Outlook. Outlook users on Open-Xchange Express Edition can synchronize public, private and shared folders, accept or decline appointments through Outlook, manage private appointments, tasks, contacts and “Free/Busy” status. In addition, Open-Xchange Express Edition’s AJAX-based web interface is always accessible to users, regardless of platform.

While developing Open-Xchange Express Edition, the company was determined to make the program network manager friendly. The installation wizard guides companies through the process of configuring the operating system and groupware solution in a few steps. The installation can be completed within minutes and delivers a fully functional smart collaboration solution including a self-explanatory user interface to support ease of use.

OXEE also offers enterprise users access to its features such as e-mail, smart links between calendar appointments, task lists, contacts, documents, bookmarks and knowledge articles through its OXEE’s AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) Web-based interface.

Behind the end-user scenes, OXEE also includes anti-viral and anti-spam protection. It also can import data from: CSV (comma-separated values), iCal (Apple’s iCalendar), and vCard vCard.

OXEE, however, at this time is not capable of directly migrating information from a Microsoft Exchange server. Exchange administrators can, however, save user data as a PST file and then import it into OXEE. OXEE, with the OXtender for Microsoft Outlook, fully supports and integrates Microsoft Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Outlook 2007.

Hardware requirements for OXEE will vary based on the number of users, but here are some recommendations. For 20 users—CPU: Athlon64/P4; Memory: 1GB; Disk: 500MB plus user data space. For 250 users—CPU: Opteron x2/Xeon x2; Memory: 4GBs; Disk: 500MB plus user data space.

OXEE is available now at the Open-Xchange Online Shop and through qualified resellers. Prices start at $898 for 20 users and thereafter a customer can purchase additional user bundles of five users. OXEE has been tested with up to 250 users. Governmental, nonprofit and educational organizations are eligible for discounts. All prices exclude VAT (value added tax).

This is a change in sales approach for Open-Xchange. In an interview, Jürgen explained: “It is a change in the sense of OX selling direct via our webshop and through resellers to end users. It is not in the sense that it is the same target audience, with the same needs and constraints, but with no affinity to SAAS [software as a service] and hosted services.”

“This upcoming offering is for people who want their data in-house, but with as little hassle as possible. And it is based on the same proven technology we deliver through hosters,” said Jürgen.

July 16, 2007
by sjvn01
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Microsoft and Red Hat continue partnership dance

Intellectual property may be off the table, for now, but it sure seems like Red Hat and Microsoft are still dancing around coming to some kind of partnership relationship.

In a recent eWEEK news story by Peter Galli, Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s vice president of intellectual property and licensing, said, “Red Hat and Microsoft have previously had conversations about interoperability, but none of our recent conversations have included discussions about intellectual property cooperation.”

Ah! Notice the start of the last phrase, “none of our recent conversations.” So, they are still talking.

In reply, Paul Cormier, Red Hat’s executive vice president of engineering, told eWEEK that the company is still willing to work with the Redmond software maker on the interoperability front, but that it wants to limit those talks to pure interoperability between Windows and Red Hat Linux.

If you look at it one way, the gap between the leading Linux company and Microsoft is as wide as ever. Microsoft insists that any deal with a Linux distributor has to address its IP (intellectual property) concerns. Cormier’s position continues to be: “I want to talk to the folks at Microsoft about our two operating systems and how we can work together to solve real customer problems without attaching any unrelated strings, such as intellectual property.

Let me translate that for you. Red Hat is saying that no way in hell will we make a deal involving any kind of acknowledgment that your IP, expressly your patents, have anything to do with Linux.

So why are they still talking?

Well, for one thing, Microsoft has been making deals with at least one Linux company, Turbolinux, that doesn’t seem to involve any kind of patent agreement. In its most recent partnership, Turbolinux has joined in the Open XML/ODF translator project with Microsoft. Years before that, Turbolinux became the first Linux company to let its desktop users play WMF (Windows Media Format) with Microsoft’s own proprietary WMF codices.

In the older deal, Turbolinux recognized Microsoft’s rights to its audio and video codices, but then there’s never been any question that Microsoft owns those lock, stock and barrel. In this month’s partnership deal, there is no mention of an IP deal.

It sure looks to me like Microsoft is ready to make at least limited deals at times with Linux without attaching its patent FUD to the deal. Besides, what does Microsoft really gain from these clauses? No one who has signed one–Novell, Linspire and Xandros–agrees with Microsoft that they somehow confirm that Linux violates Microsoft’s patents.

Heck, for that matter, the Novell deal has blown up in Microsoft’s face. The SFLC (Software Freedom Law Center) claims that Microsoft’s deal has made it potentially subject to the GPLv3.

Microsoft’s reaction to this proclamation is something like a major health care provider being told that filmmaker Michael Moore will now be on its board of directors: “No! No! No!” Too bad Microsoft. It looks to me like you’re still stuck with it.

It seems to me that since Microsoft’s IP stance has only gotten the company into more trouble, It’s worthless anyway and, lest we forget, Microsoft won’t show a shred of evidence that its patent claims amount to anything. It’s time for Microsoft to drop it.

Oh, Microsoft can still let Ballmer be Ballmer and let him rave and rant every now and again. But, away from the spotlight, maybe it’s time for Microsoft to make pure technology partnerships. Red Hat wants it; other Linux companies want it; and Microsoft’s own customers want it, as Bob Muglia, Microsoft’s senior vice president for server and tools, admits.

Stop being a wallflower Microsoft, and come on out and join the interoperability dance. You can always try to steal away the customers later. We know you will. But, for a while anyway, both Windows and Linux users will benefit.

A version of this story first appeared in Linux-Watch.

July 12, 2007
by sjvn01
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Apple now owns CUPS

Chances are if you print anything from your Mac, Linux desktop or server or Unix system you’re using CUPS (Common Unix Printing System). Now, in a surprising development, Michael R Sweet, CUPS’ creator, revealed on CUPS’ Web site that Apple had bought CUPS’ source code and other intellectual property.

CUPS is used for printing in almost all Linux distributions. This includes such major Linux distributions as Debian, Novell SUSE, Red Hat, PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu. It is also supported in most Unixes such as AIX, FreeBSD, HP/UX and it’s an option in OpenSolaris. Beginning with Mac OS X 10.2, Jaguar, CUPS became the basis for the Mac’s printing system.

Previously, CUPS and its trademarks had belonged to Easy Software Products. This company had been founded by Sweet to develop a 3D modeling program for real-time displays called ESP Modeler. The need to print these models led Sweet to develop ESP Print. When it became apparent that ESP Print was the more popular of the programs, Sweet turned his attention to it. From his work on ESP Print, came the concepts and technology that became CUPS.

Sweet licensed CUPS under the open-source GPL2/LGPL2. In his announcement of Apple buying CUPS, he said, “CUPS will still be released under the existing GPL2/LGPL2 licensing terms, and I will continue to develop and support CUPS at Apple.” In the past, Sweet also worked on other open source programs such as Ghostscript and Samba.

CUPS development, however, will not be his fulltime job at Apple. Sweet said that he will be “primarily working on non-CUPS projects.” Given his background, one presumes those will still be printer-related projects.

The CUPS name, logo and full spelled out name had been trademarked by Easy Software Products. Apple now owns these trademarks.

According to Sweet,”These names and logos may be used freely in any direct port or binary distribution of CUPS. To use them in derivative products, please contract Apple Inc. for written permission. Our intention is to protect the value of these trademarks and ensure that any derivative product meets the same high-quality standards as the original.”

Support for both the current and future versions of CUPS will remain as it has been. Thus, all of the major Linux distributors and Apple will continue to provide CUPS support for their customers. Free support provided by volunteers will continue to be available via the CUPS Newsgroups. Access to these is also available via mailing lists.

The next edition of CUPS, version 1.3, had been due out in June, but its release has been delayed. This release will include Kerberos authentication and DNS-SD (Domain Name Server-Service Discovery) Bonjour. The latter is an Apple sponsored zero-configuration network protocol. It enables Bonjour aware applications to automatically obtain IP address assignment without a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server, name to address translation without a DNS server, and service discovery without a directory server.

CUPS uses IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) as its foundation for managing print jobs and queues. A system running CUPS can be used both as a printer server and as a client to another CUPS-based print server.

It also supports older Unix printing systems such as LPD (Line Printer Daemon) and the System V and Berkeley command-line interfaces In addition, CUPS can work with SMB (Server Message Block), and AppSocket, also known as JetDirect, protocols.

July 9, 2007
by sjvn01
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Look Out Microsoft! Here Comes Google and Postini

The combination of Google and Postini is exactly what CIOs need for their corporate e-mail systems and what Microsoft doesn’t offer.

When you think e-mail servers and service, do you think POP/SMTP and MAPI? Or, do Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPPA come to mind? If you think of the former, youre thinking like a system administrator; if youre thinking of the latter, youre a CIO.

Google, with its purchase of software security company Postini, is trying to win the hearts and minds of technology friendly users and administrators this time. No, they want to open the wallets of midmarket and enterprise CIOs. And, you know what? Theyre going to get those checkbooks opening.

Gmail, while trailing far behind Yahoo! Mail and Windows Live Hotmail, is quickly picking up users since it finally opened the doors to anyone. Not long after that, Google announced Google Apps Premier Edition.

For those of you who dont know it, Google Apps Premier Edition is a hosted office suite. It combines a customizable start page with chat, e-mail, calendaring, word processing, a spreadsheet and a simple Web page builder into a package that Google sells for $50 per user per year. For that, you also get a 99.9 percent SLA (service-level agreement) for Gmail uptime, and 24/7 phone support.

At $50 per user, you can set up your office users at a price well below any Microsoft deal. The list price per user per year for Microsoft Exchange is $225 and Microsoft Office Professional Edition will run you $499. Of course, Google Apps Premier does not offer a PowerPoint clone. Yet. Google seems to have that in the works too in a skunkworks project code-named Presently. Besides all that, Googles applications can read and write the older Microsoft Office formats like .doc and .xls.

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