Linux Solutions

To someone who has joined the party late, the recent friction between Linux and Microsoft over the growing popularity of Linux based operating systems may seem something of a non-event. However, this is an argument over what is a multi-billion dollar industry and the future of popular operating systems.

The main attractions of the two systems are :-

Linux

This is an open source code which means that anyone can use the code to produce their own individual system. As you might guess, the fact that it can compete with other more popular operating systems on a number of levels has led to the creation of a very large commercial market. We are seeing companies such as Red Hat pushing the Linux system to the limits in the pursuit of competitors such as Microsoft.

Windows

Microsoft Windows has been the leading operating system for many years and the fact that Microsoft has spent literally billions of dollars creating an array of updated systems has caught the eye of the consumer. There is no doubt that Microsoft offer an excellent service and have also created their very own commercial sector with literally thousands of Windows based software packages available.

In simple terms we are looking at the collective power of the open source system which has seen more and more people join the party, against the billion dollar research and development programs instigated by Microsoft. The fact that Windows is more often than not preinstalled on the vast array of new computers on the market today has proved a massive advantage. But is this advantage being reduced?

There are signs that more and more programmers are looking towards the Linux system because it is seen as more flexible and able to accommodate an array of different platforms. The more publicity the battle gets the more likely that Linux will benefit from increased exposure. So what will Microsoft do now?

While Linux has often been seen as nothing more than an irritation in the past, it seems that the heavy weights at Microsoft have finally woken up to the possibility of a competitor in the mist. The growing number of budget laptops hitting the market now seem to be looking towards the more compact Linux operating system which is lighter on memory use yet still retains its functionality and user friendly style.

Compare this with the Windows XP operating system which takes over half of the memory available on these small machines, thereby severely limiting the ability of the user to operate correctly and save vast amounts of data. Such are the concerns within Microsoft that they are set to release a “slimmed down version of Windows XP” in the next couple of months to try and stem the tide. So will it work?

Those of you who keep a check on the situation with and development of Linux will be well aware that the name of Linux has never been better covered in the press since its inception. We have had a number of legal wrangles, from the likes of Microsoft, and while they have ended in defeat they have only helped to spread the Linux name throughout the computing industry.

Microsoft have, and continue to, make a large play for the open source programmers connected with the Linux movement to write similar program for Windows, but as yet there has been very limited success in this area. While the Microsoft millions have helped to push the system to the forefront of the computing industry, it seems that this advantage is slowly ebbing away.

For the first time ever there are signs that Microsoft are taking the threat from Linux very seriously and looking to attack them head on. The risk is that a long drawn out battle will see the Linux profile grow and grow, with Microsoft affectively assisting heavily in this – a very tricky situation indeed for the computing giant.

While the thought of Linux actually powering the massive financial exchange computer systems around the world would have been absurd just a couple of years ago, there is a growing feeling that the open source computer operating system is ready to make the jump. We are not talking about speculation, we are talking about solid performance figures which suggest it is possible. So what next?

Speakers at the recent Linux on Wall Street conference heard from Vinod Kutty of the massive Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) which recently replaced their network operating system with Red Hat Enterprise Linux which has proved very successful. Not only is the Linux based system able to handle the massive volumes flowing through the system, it has actually been instrumental in recent growth on the exchange. Surprisingly, the CME have also confirmed that the cost of Linux is cheaper than their old operating system, something which many had suspected for some time. So what next?

The seal of approval from the CME will have a major impact upon the way other exchanges view Linux in the future, and has already allayed many fears that Linux would be left wanting in the real-time environment of financial markets. The fact that Linux controlled trade reporting was faster than the prior system is also something which has not gone unnoticed. This now opens up what is a huge market for Linux, and puts more pressure on the likes of Microsoft who have had it too easy for too long in the eyes of many.

While a mass exodus to Linux based systems will not happen overnight, and may be delayed somewhat in light of the recent economic climate, we can safely assume that Linux will have a growing presence in the financial sector. Increasing up take in this sector will see the name of Linux hit the headlines worldwide and could possibly offer a useful way into other, more traditional markets.

The release of Linux XP 2008 has highlighted an interesting opportunity for the open source code which might see it eventually crack the mass market after a number of false starts. Linux XP 2008 offers an interesting backdrop to Windows XP and gives users the opportunity to use what is fast being recognised as a more flexible and user friendly system. But can it work in the long term?

While this is probably one of the areas of Linux which has annoyed Microsoft, the Linux system allows information to be converted from Microsoft Windows XP and used within their own add-on operating system. Even though there are no legal issues with these methods (they are used throughout the industry) it does show how Linux may well be able to benefit from the association with Windows XP in order to increase the profile of Linux XP in the mass market.

Many people seem to forget that Linux is already used to great success in a number of highly visible, highly commercial ventures such as the Playstation to name but one. However, the majority of people who are actually using a Linux based system are unlikely to be aware of the fact with very little promotion of the name. It would be interesting if the Linux Foundation were able to arrange some kind of deal to make the name more visible, but why would you wish to deflect attention to the operating system if you had invested hundreds of millions of dollars into your product, as Sony have into the PlayStation brand.

Linux has long suffered from a lack of market penetration in the mass market, due mainly to the problems associated with lack of direct marketing and the fragmentation of the open source community – something which can work for and against an open source system. However, having secured a reasonable share of the server market, Linux seems very much set for the next stage, whatever that may be!

While there have been a number of reports of late which seem to suggest that the Linux operating system will never be accepted in the desktop PC market, surely the death of the system has been greatly exaggerated?

It seems that a number of experts are pointing the finger at Microsoft’s recent contract wins which have seen the Windows Operating System installed into an array of low price PC’s at heavily discounted prices. To be fair, these were the opportunities which many had hoped Linux would grab with both hands but it seems that at the moment the consumer still prefers to deal with a name which is familiar to them. But to say that Linux is dead is crazy…….

Microsoft has for some time instigated a program which has muddied the waters of Linux with legal challenges about elements of the code and suggestions that the Windows operating system is more flexible and much more attuned to the wider market. While there is no doubt that Microsoft have long ruled the PC operating system market, and seem set to do so for some time yet, they appear to be a little more concerned about Linux than they were only a couple of years ago.

As we have covered on this website in past posts, Linux is currently more of a professional source code used by those who work in the industry. The mass market have yet to switch on to the advantages and positive aspects of this open source system which many had hoped would see them close the gap on the Windows operating system. However, the beauty about an open source system like Linux is the fact that the harder their competitors try to knock the code, the more programmers around the world will look to improve functionality, etc.

Linux is far from dead and while the desktop PC market is proving a lot harder to crack than many had hoped, there is still hope for the future.

While the development and improvement of the Linux Open Source code is a market which is open to anybody, there are only a few companies in the world who continue to make a sustained difference to the development of the code. Names such as IBM, Novell and Intel just roll off the tongue, but it is the name of Red Hat which has been at the top of the tree for a while and continues to look down upon the rest. The Linux Foundation is in charge of tracking changes and ensuring that those who do contribute to the ongoing changes receive some form of official acknowledgement.

It was the Linux Foundation who put together the report which shows that Red Hat added 9,000 changes (11.2% of all changes) to the code, Novell added 7,000 changes (8.9%), IBM added 7,000 changes (8.3%) and finally Intel added 3,000 changes (4.1%). While to those in the industry it will be no surprise to see Red Hat register highly, the fact that they admitted more changes than the likes of Novell, IBM and Intel may shock some. Red Hat is a company which is dedicated to the Linux open source system and as such they have probably the most in depth knowledge of anyone on the market, something which shines through brightly in the above figures.

It was also interesting to see that looking back; the top 10 individual developers have contributed 15% of all changes to the code over the last 3 years while the top 30 companies have written 30% of all changes. As the cost of commercial, non-Linux based, software continues to rise more and more developers are looking at Linux to reduce their cost base before they even start. The raft of information available online has also attracted the masses and Linux really is becoming a force for the future.

It may not be to everyone’s taste but Linux software is making a massive splash in the software sector with spending on Linux related software expected to top £25 billion a year by 2011. This is a massive move up for the open source programming code and it literally puts them up their with the other majors in the sector. While the likes of Microsoft are still well ahead with Windows related software sales, the gap is narrowing and the pressure is starting to mount up. So what next?

The beauty of Linux is that nobody, not even the Linux Foundation, really know what direction the code will take in the short, medium and longer term. When you have the brain of thousands of skilled programmers working together around the world (which is affectively what the open source position gives them) it is more than any corporate entity could hope to match. However, while Linux has always been popular in the professional programmers sector of the internet it has yet to receive approval from a sceptical public who only see Microsoft and Windows hitting the headlines.

Those who think that Linux is in some way inferior do not understand the idea behind Open Source coding and the many markets which it can open up. The one possible drawback, and something which has probably affected Linux software in the recent past, is the fact that those who develop a program or code will quite rightly want to claim the credit themselves. So while you may see a popular software program hitting the headlines you may not see that it is Linux based, only the name of the company / persons who developed it.

Linux has been bubbling away under the surface for some time and is starting to grab market share, while companies such as Microsoft are fighting hard to defend their enormous market share. Slowly but surely Linux is gaining public acceptance, but what will Microsoft do to combat this?

This must be the ultimate in Linux brainstorming sessions, with literally hundreds of Linux experts all in one room and all looking for the next big driver to push this popular operating system into new and exciting markets. So what is on offer this week?

There are a number of keynote speeches planned which include :-

Technology Trends and the Economics Driving Linux

A look at the wider implications the current worldwide slowdown is having on the likes of Linux and markets in which they operate. Many are of the opinion that with more and more low cost computers coming to the market, the environment for Linux is perfect. Time will tell, but there are high hopes for an increase in total market share for Linux this year.

Sun Microsystems and the Acquisition of MySQL

This will be an interesting speech with the future of Sun Microsystems and recently acquired MySQL at the fore. Sun Microsystems acquired the business for a whopping $1 billion and will be announcing their thoughts and plans for the future of MySQL – something which might impact upon various areas of the internet.

Linux Phones

While there has been much speculation about a Linux based mobile phone hitting the markets, we have yet to see a marketable, scalable model – although there have been some “bricks” on show. Experts are working hard to try and reduce the overall size of the first Linux handsets and we should see something to compete with current market best sellers, some time later this year.

All in all it seems set to be a good year for Linux, but it will be interesting to see what ideas and suggestions arise in this massive brainstorming session. There is no doubt that Linux is starting to eat into more traditional operating system markets, but controlling and developing this at an acceptable speed may be tricky with an Open Source code.

While on the surface it might sound a little bizarre, Linux actually working with their main competitor Microsoft, is there an ulterior motive behind the recent overtures from the Linux Foundation?

Jim Zemlin, who is currently the head of the Linux Foundation, recently held out the hand of friendship to the Foundation’s arch enemy and most vocal critic, Microsoft in a move which has got many people wondering what is happening. The whole ethos of Linux is total at odds with the Microsoft way of business, the creation of wealth and profit and the ongoing protection of their customer base. Linux on the other hand is open source code and as such is open to use by each an every programmer in the world.

However, on closer inspection it seems that Microsoft recently filed a number of claims with the courts with regards to patents which they believe they hold on parts of the Linux code. While Microsoft has not as yet released the identity of the code in question, they seem to be trying to bully the Foundation into some kind of agreement. In direct response to this threat, which Linux are confident is unfounded, the Foundation seem more than willing to discuss the matter further with Microsoft, forcing their hand in public.

While Microsoft has yet to respond to this invitation it seems highly unlikely that they will be prepared to let the Linux Foundation anywhere near their customers, office or contacts. Whether Linux were looking to enter the Microsoft Group via the back door or secretly see some kind of legal basis to the argument is unsure, but it has got the industry talking.

In the world of computing and programming especially, patent and copyright law cases come and go, with Linux often an “easy target” for many. While the Foundation has actually had their day in court as a consequence of action by other parties, to date nothing has ever been proved and they have won every action ever taken against them.

A quick search for Linux on Google will show you that there are literally hundreds of millions of pages dedicated to the open source code which is becoming so large a part of our everyday lives. While Linux does not receive the recognition of perhaps better known operating systems, it is something without which many of our systems today could not operate. We hereby list a number of areas of industry which have been touched by Linux :-

In Flight Entertainment

Virgin Airlines are a heavy user of the Linux operating system which is used to control passenger in flight entertainment, computing and music services. While it was not the first choice of the airline it soon became apparent that it offers some what more flexibility than a number of competing codes.

Film Animation

It will perhaps surprise many that a lot of the leading animation companies actually use Linux operating systems for their animation networks. It has been shown to be very reliable, quick and scalable – meaning that the size and depth of the users of the network can be increased with very little extra work. In an industry where computers need to react at lightening quick pace to ensure motion shots look correct, it seems that Linux has no competitor at the moment.

Wikipedia

Many surfers will also be interested to know that one of the open source giants, Wikipedia, actually uses a version of the Linux operating system. The Wikipedia system holds literally hundreds of millions of pages and it seems very apt that the largest open source information exchange should use the most popular open source operating system!

This is just a snap shot of some of the areas of industry which Linux has touched and while we may not always be aware of its existence, it really is everywhere around us.