August 2, 2005 6:11 PM PDT
Novell seeks outside help with Linux
- Related Stories
-
Novell plans European layoffs
August 2, 2005 -
Solaris engineers offer personal source-code tours
June 14, 2005 -
Red Hat releases newest Fedora
June 13, 2005 -
Red Hat lets go of Fedora Linux
June 3, 2005 -
Novell delivers Linux package to home PCs
April 20, 2005 -
Novell launches new Linux--with JBoss Java
August 3, 2004
Novell is launching the project in an attempt to attract more outside developers, new users and, ultimately, market share, said Greg Mancusi-Ungaro, director of marketing for Linux and open source. Novell is the No. 2 seller of Linux after Red Hat.
Novell and Red Hat each have two versions of Linux: a slow-changing, higher-priced product intended for conservative customers and a fast-changing version for enthusiasts and developers. For Red Hat, the products are Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Fedora, respectively, and for Novell, they are Suse Linux Enterprise Server and Suse Linux Professional.
Novell is paring down this latter product's name to Suse Linux and plans to invite outsiders to help build it, Mancusi-Ungaro said.
In the past, "We've made (Suse Linux) not widely available--just retail stores or a packaged download from an FTP. It's not the easiest way to gain a large user community," he said. The company is trying to turn that around through the invitation for outside involvement and an effort to distribute more copies of the software, a push called the lizard blizzard, a reference to the company's Geeko mascot.
Novell isn't the only one trying a more open approach. Sun Microsystems has begun opening its Solaris source code in an effort to regain the relevance the Unix version has lost to Linux. Attracting users is key for Novell: Wall Street analysts see Novell's Linux effort as a key factor in the company's financial health as revenue from its older NetWare operating system declines.
But creating a collaboration with the broad community of open-source programmers is a difficult task. Red Hat has tried for more than two years to get its Fedora project fully off the ground, most recently taking the step of creating the Fedora Foundation to try to give the project more independence.
The first stage of Novell's effort will begin next week with the first public beta test release, Mancusi-Ungaro said. Next, Novell will accept bug fixes and suggestions from outsiders, and, eventually, more active development. By the spring of 2006, Novell will make the product's underlying source code available and will provide publicly accessible servers that can be used to build the software, he said.
"We're trying to make it easier for application developers to come to Suse, create forks (variations on Novell's product), create packages and build the software," Mancusi-Ungaro said.
Along with the greater openness will come an effort to spread the software as widely as possible--an effort Novell hopes will distinguish Suse Linux from Fedora.
Where Fedora is available chiefly by downloading multiple large CD images, Novell plans to distribute Suse Linux CDs in magazines, at trade shows and meetings, and possibly by sending them to those who just ask.
"We will give away thousands at user group events," he said.
See more CNET content tagged:
Novell Inc.,
Fedora Project,
SuSE,
SuSE Linux,
Novell OpenSuse
SuSE to this point has provided precisely what I need, a nice stable, supported OS that works. Hopefully I don't lose this or I'll be looking for yet another distribution.
My message to SuSE is to be careful. Learn from RedHat's mistakes.
Actually there was no reason to develop the open source operating engine known as Linux if it was to use the same browser and same internet infrastructure as Microsoft's window but different source code. The obvious idea is to put Microsoft out of business.
There is every reason to develop a different type of a browser than is used by the existing Internet Service Providers. The existing internet service is good only for the hackers and music pirates. Whereas Red Hat and Novell Applications are not doing any good the server based internet service would be a boon to companies in a number of different fields like cellphone manufacturers, internet service producers and telecoms, music Industry, RIAA etc. as discussed at
http://www.newerawisp.blogspot.com