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<title> News Bytes #23 </title>
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<H4>&quot;Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>&quot;</H4>
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<H3>Contents:</H3>
<ul>
<li><a HREF="./lg_bytes23.html#general">News in General</a>
<li><a HREF="./lg_bytes23.html#software">Software Announcements</a>
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<center><H3> News in General </H3></center>
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<H3><IMG ALT=" " SRC="../gx/bolt.gif">
New URL for LG
</H3>
<P>
<i>Linux Gazette</i> now has its own domain name! Check out <a
href="http://www.linuxgazette.com/">http://www.linuxgazette.com/</a> as
another way to get to <i>LG</i>.
<P>
<B>Other <I>LG</I> News</B>
While we do not mail issues of <I>LG</I> to our readers--it's just too
big--we do have an announcement service. Write <A
HREF="mailto:lg-announce-request@ssc.com">lg-announce-request@ssc.com</A> with the
wordsubscribe in the body, and each month you will receive an e-mail notice
when we post <I>Linux Gazette</I>.
<P>
Our <A HREF="ftp://ftp.ssc.com/pub/lg/">ftp site</A>
will now contain each issue after Issue 9 in its own gzipped
tar file. Issues 1 through 8 will be together in one gzipped tar file.
<P> <hr> <P>
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Cool Linux Sites of December!
</H3>
<P>
<P>Check out the two cool Linux sites of the month!
<P><a href="http://128.229.72.241/">The Rat Pack Underground
Network</a> is a must-see. This URL has some practical stories about using
Linux to solve "real-life" problems and much more.
<P><a href="http://www.hooked.net/~tvs/eyes/">The Eyes on the Skies Robotic
Solar Obsevatory and BBS page</a> contains an internet-accessable robotic
solar telescope and BBS system built by Mike Rushford. You can actually
control your view of the sun by controlling a telescope from your browser!
The telescope control pages are served by a Linux system that is called
<I>Eyes on the Skies</I>.
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Stand Up and Be Counted
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<P>
<P>The Linux Counter is a serious attempt
to count users in the Linux universe.
At the moment, more than 53.000 people are registered with the
counter, coming from more than 130 different countries.
The counter has been recently updated and given a new Web interface
and forms design, and is now able to give you the ultimate Linux
counter gimmick: The Linux REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE!
This little GIF image, with your personal registration number on it,
ready for insertion in your Web page, is available for you at the price
of filling out the registration form.
Older, registered users can go to <a
href="http://counter.li.org/update.html">http://counter.li.org/update.html</a>,
enter their registration key, and get it there.
<P>Come on folks--STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!!!!
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Virtual Services HOWTO
</H3>
<P>
Check out the new HOWTO on virtual services which includes a section on
virtual mail services as a whole. Go to <a
href="http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/Virtual-Services-HOWTO.html">http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/Virtual-Services-HOWTO.html</a>
The author would like your comments on the HOWTO in order to keep it on
track, you can reach him at <a
href="mailto:brian@nycrc.net">brian@nycrc.net</a>
<a name="software"></a>
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<center><H3> Software Announcements </H3></center>
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Eiffel Special
</H3>
<P>
<P>In celebration of the 200,000th Eiffel Professional license, ISE is
making available special limited time offers for new purchases of
the Eiffel Professional Licence and upgrades from Personal Eiffel.
<P>FREE Upgrade to Eiffel Professional license with NEW Java Interface
(see offer for full details)
<P>Eiffel Professional Suite $495
<ul>
<li>EiffelBench
<li>EiffelBase
<li>EiffelLex
<li>EiffelParse
<li>EiffelVision
</ul>
<P>Eiffel Client-Server Suite $795
<ul>
<li>EiffelBench
<li>EiffelBase
<li>EiffelLex
<li>EiffelParse
<li>EiffelVision
<li>EiffelWeb
<li>EiffelNet
</ul>
<P>Eiffel Cross-Platform Suite $895
<ul>
<li>EiffelBench
<li>EiffelBase
<li>EiffelLex
<li>EiffelParse
<li>EiffelVision
<li>EiffelWeb
<li>MEL
</ul>
<P>Eiffel Enterprise Suite $1195
<ul>
<li>EiffelBench
<li>EiffelBase
<li>EiffelLex
<li>EiffelParse
<li>EiffelVision
<li>EiffelWeb
<li>EiffelNet
<li>MEL
<li>EiffelCase
</ul>
<P>A special bonus runs with each of the above which includes a free upgrade
to the next release, a free O-O book and 15% off any ISE training session
up to June 1998. The Enterprise Suite also includes a free year of
maintenance and support from the date of purchase.
<P> <hr> <P>
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O'Reilly "Animal Book" Contest
</H3>
<P>
Readers of the "Animal Books" by O'Reilly now have a
chance to see some wild animals close up, courtesy of computer book
publisher O'Reilly & Associates. O'Reilly has launched the In a
Nutshell contest, with the prize being a trip for two to the San Diego
Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Readers of O'Reilly's bestselling In a
Nutshell quick-reference books can find entry forms at their favorite
bookstores. Completed entry forms must be received by December 31,
1997, and the winner will be chosen on January 30, 1998.
<P>Official In a Nutshell Contest Rules:
<ul>
<li>Completed entry forms must be received by December 31, 1997, in order
to qualify.
<li>No purchase necessary to enter. (However, please include original
cash register receipt or a legible copy if purchase is made.)
<li>Offer good in USA and Canada.
<li>Not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, or illegible entry forms.
<li>Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law.
</ul>
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Help with JWP
</H3>
<P>
<P>There is a Windows application, called JWP -- a Japanese Word Processor.
This package was written by Stephen Chung, and as a GNU product it is freely
distributable.
JWP comes with its own fonts and its own Front End Processor (FEP) which
means it is useful on English-only computing systems. It is also
integrated with Jim Breen's EDICT Japanese-English dictionary.
Unfortunately, JWP is only available for Windows right now, which is
locking out a lot of people under other platforms who might benefit from
it. As Stephen is quite busy with full-time work and maintaining the
Windows versions (he's developing version 2.00 now), there is an attempt
being made to go ahead and port to X-Windows.
<P>This project will never get off the ground without volunteers.
any interested X-Windows developer who wants to make
a contribution both to the GNU and Japanese-speaking communities is invited
lend a hand with this exciting project.
<P>The JWP-Port Project home page contains more information on the JWP
package as well as the JWP-Port project itself. If you are interested,
please visit the page at <a
href="http://qlink.queensu.ca/~3srf/jwp-port">http://qlink.queensu.ca/~3srf/jwp-port</a>.
<P> <hr> <P>
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Perfect Backup+ Personal Edition
</H3>
<P>
<P>Unisource Systems, Inc. announced today the release of the famous
PerfectBACKUP+ Personal Edition, a fully functional version of their
best-selling PerfectBACKUP+ V5.5. Having received continued and
tremendous support from the LINUX community, and in recognition of LINUX
becoming our #1 best-selling platform we are giving something back. The
PerfectBACKUP+ Personal Edition is unrestricted and free to anyone. Its
freely redistributable and can be use for either private or commercial
use.
<P>Information about, and the program itself can be obtained from
<a href="http://www.unisrc.com">http://www.unisrc.com</a>.
<P> <hr> <P>
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86Open Project
</H3>
<P>
<P>A group which includes some of the key developers of Unix operating
systems on Intel architecture computers have agreed to work on a
common programming and binary interface.
At a meeting held mid-August at the head office of SCO, participants
achieved consensus on a way to create software applications which would
run, without modification or emulation, on the Intel-based versions of:
<ul>
<li>BSDI
<li>FreeBSD
<li>Linux
<li>NetBSD
<li>SCO OpenServer
<li>Sunsoft SolarisX86
<li>SCO UnixWare
</ul>
<P>The goal of this effort is to encourage software developers to port
to the Unix-Intel platform by reducing the effort needed to support
the diverse mix of operating systems of this kind currently available.
The specification, called "86open", will be published and freely
available to any environment wishing compliance. It involves the use of a
standardized 'libc' shared library of basic functions to be provided on
all systems. This library will provide a consistent interface to
programmers, hiding the differences between the various operating systems
and allowing the resulting binary programs to run unaltered on any
compliant system. Whenever possible, it will be consistent with The
Open Group's Single Unix Specification.
<P>Each participating operating system will be free to implement the 86open
library specification on its own. However, the reference implementation
will be based upon GNU's 'glibc' version 2, ensuring that it will remain
open and freely available. The actual list and behavior of the 86open
functions is presently being determined.
<P>Participants in the meeting, who will be involved with the ongoing
evolution of the 86open specification, include people deeply involved
with the operating systems mentioned in this project. The 86open
steering committee, a core of this group which will assemble
the work and produce the final specification, comprises:
Marc Ewing, Dion Johnson, Evan Leibovitch, Bruce Perens,
Andrew Roach, Bryan Sparks and Linus Torvalds
<P>For more information, contact <a href="mailto:86open@telly.org">
86open@telly.org</a> or check <a
href="http://www.telly.org/86open">http://www.telly.org/86open</a>.
<P> <hr> <P>
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Clobberd 3.2
</H3>
<P>
Clobberd 3.2 (Clobberd-3.2-RELEASED.tgz) has been
released on to the following sites:
<UL>
<LI><a
href="ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/linux/incoming">ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/linux/incoming</a>
<LI><a
href="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/incoming/Linux">ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/incoming/Linux</a>
<LI><a
href="http://dayworld.net.au/~jsno/rel/1997">http://dayworld.net.au/~jsno/rel/1997</a>
</UL>
<P>Clobberd is a user/resource regulator that allows Operators to monitor and
track users Total Time, Daily Time, Expiration time, Total network usage
and Daily network usage (to name a few) in an effort to limit or cost
resources that the user uses. Clobberd effectively "meters" resources,
and compares them to any limits/conditions you impose.
The third version now has the ability to monitor users on a network rather
than a single host.
<P> <hr> <P>
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Corel Video Network Computer News
</H3>
<P>
When Corel Computer Corp. formally unveils its Video Network
Computer later this month, the machine will be running Linux, an
operating system that is becoming an increasingly prominent force in
workstations linked to corporate intranets.
<p>
Linux is a compact, efficient, easier-to-use and free version of
Unix. A growing number of corporate MIS groups, as well as software
developers and systems integrators, are choosing Linux over 32-bit
Windows platforms, especially for Internet applications. At some
sites, Linux actually is displacing Windows.
<p>
That is what happened at Unique Systems, Inc., a software developer in
Sylvania, Ohio. The company, which puts together accounting systems
for small and midsize companies, was using Microsoft Corp.'s Office 95
internally but was plagued by software crashes and other problems. "It
really irked me," Unique President Glenn Jackson said.
<p>
The company tested Applix, Inc.'s ApplixWare office suite on Intel
Corp. computers running Linux. Users got nearly all the functionality
of Microsoft Office and were able to import all Office files easily
into ApplixWare - at much lower cost and with far greater reliability
than with Office, Jackson said.
<p>
"Linux is the true competitor to Windows NT in the long term," said
Dave Madden, senior product manager at Corel Computer, a subsidiary of
Corel Corp., based here.
<p>
Linux has a number of key features NT lacks. For example, Linux is a
multiuser system and runs on a wide range of processors _ from Intel
386 to 64-bit Reduced Instruction Set Computing chips _ and on
multiprocessor computers. The Linux kernel is less than 2M bytes.
<p>
Linux has other key attractions, according to Jon Hall, executive
director of Linux International, a trade group that promotes the
software. Linux is free, and users have access to all the Linux source
code, which means they can make whatever changes they need.
Commercial Linux versions from companies such as Caldera, Inc., of
Provo, Utah, and Red Hat Software, Inc., of Research Triangle Park,
N.C., range from $49.95 to $399 and usually come with additional
software and technical support.
<p>
The free version of Linux is crammed with utilities and connectivity
software. "One of the things that makes Linux so attractive is how
much software you get with it," said Dave Parker, a senior software
engineer at Frontier Information Technologies, a division of Frontier
Corp., a Rochester, N.Y., telecommunications company. "Linux will
connect to anything."
<p>
Much of the free software is available under the "GNU public license,"
which is administered by the Free Software Foundation.
<p>
For example, TCP/IP and a Web server are built in, and Linux can run
DOS applications. It includes X.11 support, so it can host or access
Unix applications.
<p>
Linux supports the Microsoft Server Message Block protocol, so it can
serve Windows files.
<p>
It also supports AppleTalk for Macintoshes. Using optional software,
it can even run Windows applications. Cal-dera's commercial OpenLinux
adds Novell, Inc. NetWare connectivity.
<p>
Frontier Information Technologies' Green Bay, Wis., site is using
several Caldera Open- Linux servers as specialized gateways, directory
or naming servers and firewalls.
<p>
This seems to be an increasingly common practice at big corporate
sites, said Dan Kusnetzky, director of operating system research at
International Data Corp. in Framingham, Mass.
<p>
Unknown to senior MIS executives, operations staff are deploying Linux
servers in a range of intranet applications, he said.
<P> <hr> <P>
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<center>Published in Linux Gazette Issue 23, December 1997</center>
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<h5>This page written and maintained by the Editor of <I>Linux Gazette</I>,
<A HREF="mailto: gazette@ssc.com">gazette@ssc.com</A><BR>
Copyright &copy; 1997 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. </H5>
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