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Tux, the Linux Mascot

Welcome to the Corporate Linux Advocate Homepage!


What is Linux? - General Info - Linux/Alpha Info - Linux/Alpha Resellers - New User Info - Distributions - Documentation - Magazines - Media - Papers - Newsletters - Linux Journal - Boardwatch Magazine - Software - Newsgroups - Interest - Worldwide - Folks - Other - Maintainer - Bill


PLEASE NOTE: This page is maintained for historical purposes only. It is no longer being actively updated.

I began this work back in February 1998 when there were very few sites advocating the use of Linux in the corporate world. For roughly two and a half years, I tried to supply information which would feed the adoption of Linux in the business during a time when the "common wisdom" proclaimed that Linux would never become viable in business. Thankfully, my voice is now one of a great many instead of one of a very few.

Sometimes, it's darn good to realize that you're obsolete because you've accomplished what you set out to do. In my case, the task was to get people to take Linux and Open Source seriously in business. If you're not taking them seriously today, look out. Linux and Open Source have many real business advantages -- and these days, it is likely that your competition is paying attention, even if you are not. Do you really want to give them that advantage?

To see my more recent opinions on Linux in the corporate world, check out my bibliography for many of the articles I've written on the subject, including my columns for InfoWorld and Processor magazines, and my weekly appearances on The Linux Show webcast.

-- Russell Pavlicek




My new book Embracing Insanity: Open Source Software Development is available for sale at Barnes and Noble ($23.99), Amazon ($23.99), or Fatbrain ($23.95).
Want to know what's going on in the corporate world? I suggest Linux Today. For older announcements, try my old Linux News for the Corporate World page.
Great things are happening in the Corporate Linux movement. Many companies are coming onboard, like Oracle, Informix, Computer Associates, IBM, and Compaq. Partially because of my speaking schedule, I have not had time to keep this page updated as I should. My apologies.

One of my articles appears in the November 1998 edition of Linux Journal. It's called "The Quick Road to an Intranet Web Server."


Want to try Linux/Alpha without breaking your bank account? Check out my article in the August 1998 edition of the Linux Gazette called "Personal Linux/Alpha System: 64 bits for Under $500."


An Alpha-based Linux Supercomputer ranks in the top 500 supercomputers worldwide! And, it only cost $150K! Read about it here.


Linux at the US Postal Service! It's true! Check out Linux is reading your mail.


My current bibliography is online here.



Corporate Linux is a reality! Datapro's 1997 International User Ratings Survey of UNIX and NT ranks Linux as the 4th most used Unix in large corporations worldwide! This represents a jump from 7th last year.

Heck, EVEN MICROSOFT USES IT!



How big is the Linux market? Red Hat's Sizing the Linux Market gives the newest estimates. Their belief: 7.5 million Linux users worldwide!



Red Hat 5.0 Named Infoworld 1997 Network Operating System of the Year! I guess winning Desktop Operating System of the Year last year wasn't enough!



Who says Linux isn't supported? The Linux community was named Infoworld 1997 Support Organization of the Year! And that doesn't even include the formal support channels at Red Hat and Caldera.



Check out my first article, published in the Linux Gazette webzine: Confessions of a Former VMS Junkie: One Techie's Journey to Linux.



Linux/Alpha Saves the Titanic! Learn why Digital Domain used more Linux than NT or Digital Unix to create the movie Titanic. Click here for the full scoop!



WHAT IS LINUX?

Linux is a freely available Unix clone operating system that is changing the computing world from the bottom up!

Linux has gone from a mere concept in 1991 to a full, rich, dependable workhorse in just 7 years! Current estimates are that 6 to 10 million or more computers run Linux -- and the number is no where near a plateau.

  • DOS and Windows lowered the bar for technical excellence in operating systems in order to raise the bar for ease of use. Linux has already surpassed DOS, Windows 3.1, and Windows 95 for technical excellence, and some knowledgeable people argue that it has even surpassed Windows NT. At the same time, there are tremendous efforts surging ahead to do what no Unix-type operating system ever succeeded in doing: making the operating system friendly enough for non-technical people to enjoy its benefits! The past year alone has seen the birth of a strong Windows-95ish desktop system, based on the open standard of X Windows. It has also witnessed the development of even more easy-to-use and easy to administer front ends that effectively harness the power of Unix.

  • Linux is designed to POSIX specifications (and at least one distributor has gone through POSIX certification). Linux is multiplatform (Alpha, Intel, Sparc, Macintosh, PowerPC, MIPS, and more!). Linux is multiuser and multitasking. Linux is built on open standards, like X Windows and a full-blown TCP/IP implementation. The Linux kernel and all standard utilities are distributed with full source code. Linux even sports a healthy DOS emulator, a Windows emulator (in development), NetWare support, Lan Manager support, and DECnet support is in the works. Languages such as GNU C/C++, GNU Fortran, Pascal, Perl, and Tcl/Tk are included for free as well. The Apache Web Server -- the most popular Web server in the world, hosting over 50% of Internet sites worldwide (Netcraft Web Server Survey, January 1998) -- is a standard feature.

  • Linux is lowering the cost of operating both the desktop and the server compared to both traditional Unix implementations and the current Microsoft operating systems. By combining the power of a Unix server and a snazzy user desktop, Linux can match most of the serving abilities of Windows NT while carrying a software pricetag below that of a traditional DOS/Windows PC!

  • Software vendors, assisted by such companies as Caldera (birthed by Ray Noorda after leaving Novell), are beginning to port software to Linux. Netscape Navigator, Netscape Fastrack Server, WordPerfect, Software AG's Adabas-D, the StarOffice Product Suite, and the Applixware Product Suite are all available, with many more on the way including a number of the Corel products. Informix has announced that it is examining the porting of its database products to Linux. Linux vendors such as Caldera and Red Hat are now offering traditional product support services that corporations require. The time is now clearly past when Linux can be dismissed as a mere "hacker's operating system!"


    Some interesting links:


      General Linux Pages:

    1. the Linux Online Homepage
    2. the Linux International Homepage
    3. the Linux Organization in the UK
    4. the Linux NOW Homepage
    5. the LinuxWeb Homepage
    6. the Linux Links Page [I think I just developed link envy! 8^]
    7. and even more Linux links

      Linux/Alpha-related Linux Pages:

    8. the Linux/Alpha FAQ
    9. the Linux/Alpha Page
    10. the Linux/VAX Port Page [they're looking for helpers!]
    11. the Linux/DECnet Project Page [they're looking for helpers!]
    12. the UDB/Multia Troubleshooting Page [good stuff!]
    13. the DEC AXPpci33 Low-Cost Motherboard Page
    14. the Red Hat Mirror on digital.com [includes sources (SRPMS), Linux/Alpha, Milo]
    15. the Linux/Alpha News Archive

      Linux/Alpha Resellers:

    16. the DCG Computers, Inc. Homepage
    17. the Microway Homepage
    18. the Aspen Systems Homepage
    19. the Linux Hardware Solutions Homepage
    20. the ASL Workstations, Inc. Homepage
    21. the Apache Digital Corporation Homepage
    22. the SW Technology Homepage
    23. the Promox Systems Homepage
    24. the Annex Technology Europe Ltd Homepage
    25. the Red Hat Linux/Alpha Software Page

      Information for the New Linux User:

    26. the Linux Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    27. the VMS-to-Linux HOWTO
    28. the DOS-to-Linux HOWTO
    29. the Linux Distributions HOWTO
    30. the Why Linux? explanation from Bob Young of Red Hat Software

      Linux Distributions Pages:

    31. the Caldera home page (OpenLinux)
    32. the Debian home page
    33. the Linux-Mandrake home page
    34. the Red Hat home page
    35. the SlackWare home page
    36. the S.u.S.E. home page
    37. the WGS home page (Linux Pro)

      Linux Documentation:

    38. the Linux Documentation Project Homepage
    39. the Red Hat 5.0 Installation Guide
    40. the Red Hat 4.2 User's Guide
    41. the Installation and Getting Started Guide
    42. the Linux System Administrator's Guide
    43. the Linux Network Administrator's Guide
    44. the HOWTO Index
    45. the Linux Kernel Hacker's Guide

      Linux Magazines:

    46. the Linux Journal homepage [Get a Free Issue!]
    47. the Linux Gazette Webzine
    48. the Fresh Meat Webzine [Breaking Linux news!]
    49. the Linux Weekly News Webzine
    50. the Linux Today Webzine [temporarily unavailable]
    51. the Linux Focus Webzine [Multilingual]
    52. the L'Echo de Linux Webzine [French]
    53. the Linux Magaz Webzine [Greek]
    54. the Linuxove Noviny Webzine [Czech; "Linux News"]
    55. the Linux Plus [Polish]

      Linux in the Media:

      Check out the Linux News for the Corporate World.

      Whitepapers and reports to understand Linux and the Marketplace

    56. John Kirch's Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Versus UNIX
    57. Evan Leibovitch's Four Phases of Linux Acceptance
    58. Caldera's OpenLinux vs. Windows NT: WebBench Performance Test
    59. Netd's Interview with Linus Torvalds
    60. Netd's Interview with Patrick Volkerding
    61. Jon "maddog" Hall's Linux for the Commercial Market?
    62. David Mosberger's Linux/Alpha: How to Make Your Applications Fly
    63. Dave Rusling's The Big Bang: Booting Linux on an Alpha PC
    64. Mark Bolzern's Linux is NOT freeware
    65. Eric Raymond's The Cathedral and The Bazaar: a whitepaper on how and why Linux software development works
    66. NASA's Beowulf Project, which describes how to build a Linux supercomputer! [1.2 gigaFLOPS for $50K!!!]
    67. Debian's Linux on Two Space Shuttle Missions
    68. Russ Pavlicek's Confessions of a Former VMS Junkie: One Techie's Journey to Linux.

      Linux Journal Articles:

    69. Linux Helps Bring Titanic to Life [Linux/Alpha the unseen star of the movie!] (Feb 98)
    70. I'm Not Going to Pay a Lot for This Supercomputer [$25K Linux Supercomputer!] (Jan 98)
    71. Microway Screamer 533 [An Alpha scores big!] (Jan 98)
    72. Linux At Holt Public Schools (Sep 97)
    73. Linux Out of the Real World [the Space Shuttle] (Jul 97)
    74. Network Management and Monitoring with Linux (Jun 97)
    75. A 10-Minute Guide for Using PPP to Connect Linux to the Internet (Apr 97)
    76. Graphics Tools for Linux (Nov 96)
    77. My Next Pentium Is A DEC Alpha (Oct 96)
    78. DEC AXP Review [They were impressed then; they're more impressed now!] (Oct 96)
    79. Linux in Antarctica [Used as GPS systems even back then!] (Nov 94)
    80. Samba: Unix Talking with PCs [LanManager support] (Nov 94)

      Boardwatch Articles (Linux Redux):

    81. Linux and the Thin Client (February 98)
    82. Linux Support (January 98)
    83. IPV6 is Coming (November 97)
    84. What No Fire-Walling? (September 97)
    85. Protecting Your Network (August 97)
    86. Network Management and Monitoring (July 97)
    87. Linux Expo (June 97)
    88. Serving the Web with Linux (May 97)
    89. Providing Dial-Up Services with Linux (April 97)
    90. Building an Effective Linux Server (March 97)
    91. Macintosh Connectivity (January 97)

      Linux Software Locations [just a few of the many available]:

    92. the Linux Applications and Utilities page [GREAT place to find applications!]
    93. the Linux Software Map search
    94. the Linux Mall [includes Cheap Linux CDs]
    95. the CheapBytes Homepage [includes Cheap Linux CDs]
    96. the Linux Systems Labs Homepage [includes Cheap Linux CDs]
    97. the Linux Advocacy Project
    98. the K Desktop Environment development page [Windows-95ish]
    99. the GNUstep Environment [OpenStep for Linux]
    100. the AfterStep Desktop Environment page [NeXTSTEP-ish]
    101. the Sunsite Software Archive
    102. the StarOffice home page
    103. the Apache home page [Free web server used by over 40% of the Internet!]
    104. the XFree86 home page [Free X11 implementation]
    105. the SEDT Editor (EDT emulator) Page from Anker Berg-Sonne
    106. the GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Project) home page [Photoshop-ish]
    107. the Metro X supported video card list [Metro X is a commercial X server, which is currently included in the Red Hat and InfoMagic distributions]
    108. the Wine (WINdows Emulator) home page
    109. the Willows TWIN Windows API Emulator home page [GREAT Windows 16 bit emulator!]
    110. the Informix port status page
    111. the Netscape Communicator download page (about 10.5 MB).

      Some Newsgroups and Forums of Note:

    112. the Red Hat Mailing List Archives
    113. the Linux Newsgroup list
    114. the Linux People Support Network
    115. the comp.os.linux.announce Archives
    116. the comp.os.linux.admin newsgroup
    117. the comp.os.linux.announce newsgroup
    118. the comp.os.linux.development newsgroup
    119. the comp.os.linux.hardware newsgroup
    120. the comp.os.linux.help newsgroup
    121. the comp.os.linux.misc newsgroup
    122. the comp.os.linux.setup newsgroup

      Linux Points of Interest:

    123. the Linux Business Applications page
    124. the Linux Web Watcher
    125. the Linux Quotes
    126. the Linux User Groups Page
    127. the Linux at NASA page
    128. the Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts (ALE) group
    129. the Linux Expo page
    130. the Linux Kongress page
    131. the Linux Laptop page
    132. the Open Hardware Certification Program [sponsored by Debian]
    133. the Mission Critical Linux Survey page
    134. the NetPod Internet Kiosks
    135. the Virtual U [holds Linux classes on occasion]
    136. the Interview with Bill Gates [Why is Linux popular? Maybe it's the different attitude]

      Worldwide Listings of www.linux.country:

    137. Linux in Austria
    138. Linux in Croatia
    139. Linux in Czech Republic
    140. Linux in Germany
    141. Linux in Greece
    142. Linux in Italy
    143. Linux in Luxembourg
    144. Linux in Norway
    145. Linux in Slovakia
    146. Linux in Switzerland

      Other Stuff:

    147. the FreeDOS page [a free DOS implementation]
    148. the Caldera DR DOS page [a free DOS; also known as OpenDOS and Novell DOS]
    149. the FreeVMS (OpenVMS clone) page [they're looking for helpers]
    150. the Digital Equipment Corporation home page
    151. the AltaVista Internet Search
    152. the Source of True Business Management Wisdom 8^}

    Good luck!


    Russ Pavlicek: the Corporate Linux Advocate

     [ My mug goes here ]

    ... as if I'm not annoying enough without having to LOOK at me, too!

    (Thanks to Rick Powell for the picture!)


    Bill Gates: His True Mission Revealed?

    Click it and weep!

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