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+---[ Issue 6
| 10th June 99 ]----+
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The Linux Bits
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http://www.thebits.co.uk
------[ CONTENTS
----[ EDITORIAL
Hello once again my fine-feathered friends. It's been a busy week for me. I've written a new section for the Newbie's Linux Manual, entitled "Access Rights Intro", which took me absolutely ages to put together. I hope it was worth it and you like it. This was a topic I felt was seriously lacking from the manual.
Many of you will be glad to hear that the manual download option has finally made its way back onto the site, after being absent for far, far too long. I've even included a download link on every section of the manual. The option to view the manual as one big page will once again makes its return within the next few weeks.
The other addition to the site is a revamp of The Windows Vendetta and the inclusion of a new article, entitled "The Great MS Robbery", written by Bill Turner.
The site's getting pretty big now, not bad considering it's all hand-coded.
Anyone that wants to write some articles, create some graphics or simply provide some feedback is welcome to. The site and this newsletter in the true spirit of Linux, is all about helping the community. Notice the distinct lack of advertising or profiteering on the site? Not often you see this, is it? ;)
(Note: The following idea has since been scrapped.)
I've been toying with the idea of moderating a Linux Digest in the same format as the Link Digest. Depending on the amount of response I get, I'll think about it and get back to you. If you'd like to subscribe to it (it's likely to be weekly, just like this newsletter) then please send an e-mail to .
The Digest won't begin until I have enough subscribers to make it work, but I'll store your e-mail address until the time is right to begin it. I think a good Digest is what the Linux community needs to help Linux users everywhere have their say and exchange opinions and knowledge. What do you think?
----[ QUOTE OF THE WEEK
VAR Business has a brief article about the Office 2000 announcement, in which they say:
"But the real news from today's product unveiling was the company's carefully worded insistence that it will not port the popular-selling office suite to the competing Linux operating system any time soon."
Amusing, wouldn't you say? :)
- Source -
----[ RED HAT GO PUBLIC
The big story everyone's undoubtedly been talking about this week, is Red Hat's decision on the 4th June to file for its initial public stock offering. Red Hat hope that by doing so they will raise $96.6 million to help them cope with the ever-increasing demand for their products. Those of you that are into all that stockmarket lark will find them trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "RHAT".
Red Hat was the top-ranked seller of Linux in 1998, with corporations like Intel, Oracle, SAP, IBM and Dell backing them.
----[ MY 2 CENTS ON RED HAT GOING PUBLIC
Don't get me wrong - I'm a BIG fan of Red Hat - but I can't help but feel a little unsure about Red Hat's move to go public. Sure they need the money so they can cope with the increasingly larger demand put on them and make sure they stay afloat financially during their ongoing expansion. But I can't help but feel that the overpowering influence of all those big corporations that are backing them, the large price increase for Red Hat 6.0 and this move to go public, could quite possibly in years to come, turn them into a mini-Microsoft. I seriously hope this is not the case, but I'm sure there are many others who are starting to share the same suspicions.
Let's hope for Linux's sake, that this does not happen. Besides in true spirit of the Linux revolution, I'm sure people will revolt by changing over to another Linux distribution, enforce. Perhaps even move to BeOS or some other yet unknown O/S newcomer... who knows where we'll go tomorrow?
Here's a quote from Red Hat on the subject:
"Some members of the open source software community have criticized the expansion of our strategic focus as encouraging the fragmentation of the Linux community. Others have suggested that by expanding our focus, we are trying to dominate the market for Linux-based operating systems and the open source community in the same way that some companies have been able to dominate the traditional software markets."
Please send all death-threats to . ;)
----[ SITE UPDATE LINKS
Download the latest copy of the Newbie's Linux Manual from:
www.thebits.co.uk/nlm/nlm.zip
Read the new "Access Rights Intro" section of the manual at:
www.thebits.co.uk/manual/part2/rightsintro.html
See the revamped A Windows Vendetta? column at:
www.thebits.co.uk/vendetta/
Read the new A Windows Vendetta? article "The Great MS Robbery" at:
www.thebits.co.uk/vendetta/3.html
----[ CREDITS
This week's The Linux Bits has been brought to you by:
Laurence Hunter- Creator & Sole Writer
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