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Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols & Paula Rooney
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Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora Linux updates prepped as Win7 release nears

By | October 21, 2009, 7:37am PDT

As Microsoft gets set to launch Windows 7,  Linux desktop vendors are trying to make some waves.

Yesterday, IBM and Canonical announced availability of a cloud and Linux-based business desktop alternative for existing PCs or low cost netbooks.

The IBM Client for Smart Work package , which was first introduced in Africa last month, runs Canonical’s Ubuntu and IBM’s Lotus Symphony office suite, Lotus Notes e-mail or LotusLive iNotes for cloud based email and other social networking tools. It can be hosted on site or in a cloud based model.

Canonical, Red Hat, CSS Corp, Compariv, Midas Networks, Virtual Bridges and ZSL are among the selling the package.

Also on Tuesday, Novell introduced SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 Service Pack 3, which offers upgraded Firefox browser and Novell GroupWise collaboration software and updated drivers to support the latest hardware and peripherals.

Meanwhile, Red Hat-backed open source organization Fedora on Tuesday announced the beta release of its next generation Linux code named “Constantine” which includes better video streaming support for the desktop.

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Ubuntu, Fedora Project, SuSE, IBM Corp., Linux, Open Source, UNIX, Operating Systems, E-mail, Web Browsers, Software, Online Communications, Internet, Paula Rooney

Paula Rooney is a Boston-based writer who has followed the tech industry for almost two decades.

Disclosure

Paula Rooney

Paula Rooney owns no stock in the companies that she covers. She holds a 401K that is managed by Morgan Stanley.

Biography

Paula Rooney

Paula Rooney has covered the software and technology industry for more than 20 years, starting with semiconductor design and mini-computer systems at EDN News and later focused on PC software companies including Microsoft, Lotus, Oracle, Red Hat, Novell and other open source and commercial software companies for CRN and PCWeek. She received a silver award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors in 2005 for her profile on Linus Torvalds and edited and co-authored "Partnering With Microsoft," a book about Microsoft's channel published by CMP Publishing in 2004. Rooney graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1997. In her off time, she enjoys scuba diving, sailing, sun worshipping, running, reading, surfing (the net) and hanging out with her family. She resides on the shores of Scituate, Massachusetts.

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RE: Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora Linux updates prepped as Win7 release nears
edward polling Updated - 4th Jul
Any decent enterprise architecture shop already has that governance in place. Home user has no analogous incentive, and it's an all-or-nothing ipad bag blog sutudeg education news and pclos hwdb proposition. k l
View in thread
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another nail in M$ coffin
Linux Geek 21st Oct 2009
The upcomming failure of windoze 7 and M$ going under will not leave the users exposed.
Linux is here to save the day!
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Wrong Answer
ShadeTree 21st Oct 2009
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/21/windows-7-breaks-amazon-uk-pre-order-volume-record-ousts-harry/
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Desperation
AndyPagin 21st Oct 2009
Guess it shows how desperate Vista users are to get onto Win7
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There is nothing in the article to suggest ....
ShadeTree 21st Oct 2009
... what OS they are upgrading from.
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http://gcn.com/articles/2009/10/26/gcn-lab-review-windows-7-vista-by-anothe
way_z Updated - 21st Oct 2009
http://gcn.com/articles/2009/10/26/gcn-lab-review-
windows-7-vista-by-another-name.aspx?
s=gcndaily_201009

0 Votes
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Nothing could be further from ....
ShadeTree 21st Oct 2009
... the truth with the exception of the first post in the chain.
0 Votes
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Wrong answer again.
Agnostic_OS 21st Oct 2009
the Windows Chevrolet Aveo may be popular but Linux Toyota Yaris is reliable - not pretty but very, very reliable...
0 Votes
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What does that have to do with my post?
ShadeTree 21st Oct 2009
Try following the topic being discussed rather then blathering nonsense!
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KEEP UP!
Agnostic_OS 21st Oct 2009
You can only follow in a linear fashion?
0 Votes
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so is DOS and unix
midcapwarrior@... 21st Oct 2009
And neither have much of a market on the desktop
Your point?
0 Votes
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so are DOS and unix
Agnostic_OS 21st Oct 2009
And both have their merits. Just because something is popular does not make it good or "the best".
0 Votes
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RE: Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora Linux updates prepped as Win7 release nears
edward polling Updated - 4th Jul
Any decent enterprise architecture shop already has that governance in place. Home user has no analogous incentive, and it's an all-or-nothing ipad bag blog sutudeg education news and pclos hwdb proposition. k l
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Windows 7 a failure?
Cylon Centurion 21st Oct 2009
Didn't it already surpass Linux's market share? BEFORE it's GA?

Failure huh?
0 Votes
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Despite the nay-sayers ...
kd5auq 21st Oct 2009
Windows 7 seems to be "heaven sent" to use users stuck with Vista!
Maybe some day in the distant future, in a galaxy far, far away Widows, Linus, OSX and Unix will converge into a single usefull, stable, powerfull, user friendly OS!
0 Votes
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Enterprise first
IT_User 21st Oct 2009
Still my bet, for several reasons..

- Strong thin client redevelopment, not as a move against any vendor, but to decrease complexity and service calls at the edge, while greatly enhancing agility.

- The server gang already knows Linux, unlike the Best Buys and the like that the home user has to depend on.

- License savings provide an incentive to look at alternatives for most machines, while retaining a specialized desktop image for those that require a unique application. Any decent enterprise architecture shop already has that governance in place. Home user has no analogous incentive, and it's an all-or-nothing proposition.

- Some relatively big guys (ODNI and NYSE) are showing the way.

If anything, the OS-agnostic movement will be business based.
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Numbers
Agnostic_OS 21st Oct 2009
The ONLY metric by which Windoze beats Linux, the number of people hoodwinked by hype...
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Windoze?
Cylon Centurion Updated - 21st Oct 2009
Really? How old are you?


People use Windows for its ease of use and familiarity, not because of the hype.
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You are in the wrong forum. Go back to Ed Bott and Mary Jo
D T Schmitz 21st Oct 2009
and wave your MS flag there.
Not welcome.
Can you take a dose of your own medicine?
  • Flagged
0 Votes
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No MS flag
Agnostic_OS 21st Oct 2009
I'm an OS agnostic.

More competition in the market the better, I'll still pick and choose what I feel is best for what I want where I need it. Win, *nix, even DOS. it keeps things flying.
0 Votes
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I've FINALLY discoverd your problem.
ths40 21st Oct 2009
You have useless balls. grin

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/21/republican_testosterone_drop/
0 Votes
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just liberal propaganda
Linux Geek 21st Oct 2009
just wait for 2012 to see my manhood surging.
Sarah Palin will boot the communists/socialists out of the government.
0 Votes
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Now you're making sense
IT_User 21st Oct 2009
A look at Sarah Palin is enough to get my manhood surging. Just need some duct tape for that mouth.
0 Votes
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Oh sure
Tiggster 21st Oct 2009
I'm sure a browser upgrade, a different office suite, and some cloud computing features, and some bug fixes in SUSE SP3 will make all the difference in the world!! Even you have to be intelligent enough to know that's idiotic.

Anyway, I thought you said Vista was going to be the end of MS?? I guess when your predictions inevitably are proven to be untrue, the only thing left to do is make more baseless prophecies for everyone to laugh at, huh? happy

What a joke!
0 Votes
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cods wallop
Richard Turpin 22nd Oct 2009
what a load of bollox ... get in the real world what a cretin!
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RE: Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora Linux updates prepped as Win7 release nears
zakkiromi 23rd May 2011
Meanwhile, Red Hat-backed open source organization Fedora on Tuesday announced the beta release of its next generation Linux code named ?Constantine? which includes better video streaming support for the desktop.
0 Votes
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Why the hurry to make waves?
kd5auq 21st Oct 2009
Steady progress is much better than the sporadic "who knows when and IF" roller coaster!
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RE: Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora Linux updates prepped as Win7 release nears
BobJensen 21st Oct 2009
Fedora Project's release schedule has nothing to do with if or when Microsoft releases their products, I am sure this is true for the other distributions of Linux you mention. Fedora has a targeted six month release cycle falling on May1 and Oct 31 each year.

Robert 'Bob' Jensen
Fedora Contributor
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Ubuntu
Agnostic_OS 21st Oct 2009
I've been watching Ubuntu countdown clock for about a month. So Canonical must have known of MS release before everybody else.
0 Votes
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Canonical doesn't care about when Win 7 comes out.
pfyearwood 22nd Oct 2009
Ubuntu releases April and October of each year. Their release code are X.04 and X.10 for the months and X is the year. Hence, 9.10 means October of 2009. Been that way since version 6.06. They announced the release date of 10.04 back in March of this year. When did Microsoft announce the release date for Win7? This has been a good month for computer users of all flavors.

If you want to know future releases of Linux distributions, check out www.distrowatch.com.



0 Votes
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Fedora contributor?
storm14k 21st Oct 2009
I find it really hard to believe that if you don't realize that the other distros are on 6 months cycles as well. If you do and just wanted to speak for Fedora thats actually rather sad and one reason I tend to stray away from Fedora now.
0 Votes
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Relax...
pfrields 21st Oct 2009
I think what Bob said was that he *was* sure that was the case. Actually, I believe openSUSE is on more like a 9-month schedule, but Bob's point, which is correct, is that these time-released Linux distributions don't plan releases to interfere with Microsoft. We're perfectly happy to create cool free and open source software regardless of what they're trying to sell people this year.
0 Votes
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Why we do what we do.
BobJensen 22nd Oct 2009
As a Fedora Contributor and user I feel that it is the distribution I am qualified and in this case obligated to defend by stating facts. I do not track the releases of other distributions because I do not use them and I am not involved with them, as a result I do not have facts for them. I did mention them in hopes that someone could respond and state facts. I am glad you are happy running your distribution of choice, I would not want you to run a distribution you are not happy with. I have no intention of starting a "distro war" they help none of us.

Robert 'Bob' Jensen
Fedora Contributor
0 Votes
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I can half way see your point.
storm14k 22nd Oct 2009
I understand if you wanted to state your point from an official Fedora standpoint. However I don't think you have to use or be involved with other distros to know their release cycles...at least not the ones mentioned. I simply dislike this "I don't know about the other guy" attitude I sometimes see. It really doesn't put a collaborative light on FOSS.
0 Votes
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UBUNTU RELEASES EVERY 6 MONTHS
BobJensen 22nd Oct 2009
There are you now happy? Why do you work to prove them right? I am very sorry I did not fully research the release schedules of the 1000 other Linux distributions, I am not a journalist that is expected to do research. Now please quit whining "what about me."

NOTE: My posts are mine alone, they should not be confused with being "Official Fedora" messages.

Robert 'Bob' Jensen
Fedora Contributor
0 Votes
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Nobody cares...
jackbond 21st Oct 2009
except for ZDNET bloggers, nutjobs with screen names
containing linux, and serial killers.

Linux - Whom do you want to murder today?
0 Votes
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You forgot destroyers of the economy
IT_User 21st Oct 2009
Don't you suspect that the NYSE desktop conversion is at the heart of the economic meltdown? Forget derivatives and subprime loans -they're so complex nobody understands them. Now we have a villain we can all appreciate - Linux.
0 Votes
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Well, actually, they may not identify directly with Linux and nix, but,
DonnieBoy 21st Oct 2009
the mainstream DOES love the products. For one,
think of the most popular search service, that
everybody cares about a great deal. What does it run
on? what about the iPhone, what kind of OS does it
run? What is under the covers of Android?
0 Votes
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Well looky here!
Ole Man 21st Oct 2009
We have some of the worst Microsoft loudmouths trying to put Linux down. The same ones that try to evict Linux proponents from any blog or forum in which Microsoft is involved.

Can you say hypocrite? As well as FUD?

Welcome to "Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora Linux updates prepped as Win7 release nears", Microsoft terr0r!$t$.
0 Votes
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Says the guy that trolls all MS blogs [nt]
Qbt Updated - 21st Oct 2009
.
And don't delete this post AGAIN, idiot!
0 Votes
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I think they smell blood like never before. The publicity around Linux and
DonnieBoy 21st Oct 2009
OSX based products has never been greater. And, of course
the functionality and quality compared to Windows has
never been greater.
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Really?
BFD 21st Oct 2009
I read the noise/news coming out around Linux and I'm thinking, is this the best they can do to drive attention away from what Microsoft is doing?
0 Votes
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And, no one will even care.
No_Ax_to_Grind 21st Oct 2009
Better luck next year.
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And as usual, Linux will FAIL once again. Does this EVER change? [nt]
Qbt 21st Oct 2009
.
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RE:And as usual, Linux will FAIL once again. Does this EVER change?
joe6pack_z 21st Oct 2009
Succeed? Fail? Not an issue for Linux. The shrill, the semi hysterical, the trolls, the FUD-meisters have been piling on Linux since its first release. Linux little notices nor cares. Why should a heavy hauler care about what you can carry in a sub-compact pick-up truck?
0 Votes
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No winning with them...
storm14k 22nd Oct 2009
They are so lost in the proprietary world of win/fail and market share that they don't realize that none of this matters for Linux.
0 Votes
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I guess the download servers....
storm14k 21st Oct 2009
...just bog themselves down on release dates then. Or else they use Microsoft servers. Then that would explain slow downloads with no traffic.
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No it really doesn't because...
Peter Perry 21st Oct 2009
It doesn't even change because of the fact that Linux has no money for Marketing and to get your favorite apps or games running you have to monkey around with Emulation through config files which is something that Microsoft hasn't really had an issue with since the days of DOS.
0 Votes
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Really?
storm14k 21st Oct 2009
I haven't had to moneky around with anything to get my favorite apps or games running. I either download a package or go to the Add/Remove software dialog and basically click install on the app I want. I don't know what you've been doing.
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Obviously you...
Dave32265 21st Oct 2009
don't even have a clue. I doubt you have even tried a recent distro With statements like "you have to monkey around with Emulation through config files", this is evident.
0 Votes
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A question. Maybe someone can help me...
Qbt 21st Oct 2009
Can someone please let me know what that red thing flat-lining at the bottom of this chart is?

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/os-market-share.aspx?qprid=9

Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated - Thanks!

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