Novell Announces Agreement to Acquire SUSE

Mickey Hill writes "Novell today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire SUSE LINUX, one of the world's leading enterprise Linux companies, expanding Novell's ability to provide enterprise-class services and support on the Linux platform. Novell expects the transaction to close by the end of its first fiscal quarter (January 2004). This latest move follows Novell's August purchase of Ximian."

Webcast

[argonaut]

It looks like there is a web cast at 11 AM EST. Perhaps we will learn some useful information on what Novell is planning.
http://www.novell.com/webcast [novell.com]

Re:FIRST POST.

[Anonymous Coward]

Fedora! Fedora! Fedora! (http://fedora.redhat.com). For once, please read ...

Kind of hard to interpret

[HidingMyName]

Novell offerred $210M for SuSE according to the article, that may be a bit low. I personally use SuSE and would like to see them continue to do well. Perhaps others can give details, my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I don't remember their stewardship of Unix System Laboratories to be especially good or bad. SuSE may be in a position to become a much larger player in the Unix arena, given Redhat's recent change in direction. I wonder how IBM will react (IBM is using SuSE internally, how well does Novell's management get along with IBM?).

Pretty well, it seems.

[zonix]

I wonder how IBM will react (IBM is using SuSE internally, how well does Novell's management get along with IBM?).

From the press release:

Novell today also announced that IBM intends to make a $50 million investment in Novell convertible preferred stock. In addition, Novell and IBM are negotiating extensions to the current commercial agreements between IBM and SUSE LINUX for the continued support of SUSE LINUX on IBM's eServer products and middleware products to provide for product and marketing support arrangements related to SUSE LINUX. Both of these agreements will be effective when the acquisition of SUSE LINUX by Novell is completed. z

wait a minute

[Anonymous Coward]

didn't Novell create this SCO problem to begin with. Can they really be trusted? Why in the world is SUSE selling out to Novell, when their stance on Linux has been wishy-washy at best. I like having different distributions of linux, so I hope SUSE reconsiders.

Re:Can anyone answer this for me:

[Ath]

I can only remember seeing Novell products in less than a handful of places-- and it was in the process of being removed in those places.

That's because most people only think of Netware (the server OS) when they hear Novell's name. Take a look at eDirectory (if you use Yahoo's portal, you use eDirectory), DirXML (an amazing XML based directory synchronization tool), ZENworks (client management) and many other products.

I almost dread every time I see an article on Slashdot about Novell because inevitably people talk about Novell as a dying company.

Your question about Novell's capital is easy. They are a cash positive company and have remained so during most of their existence. Last I heard about a year ago, they had about $600 million cash in the bank.

I recommend people who aren't familiar with Novell's product line just go take a look at it. Decide for yourself. I think you will be impressed with what they offer.

Re:Hmm

[javatips]

You seem to forget about Mandrake Linux which has free ISO availlable for download.

I believe that Mandrake has more market share in North America than SUSE (I don't have any link to back that up though).

IBM announced it will invest 50 Million in Novell

[mrmdls]

CBSMarketwatch is reporting that IBM has announced that it will invest 50 Million in Novell, This is getting more interesting by the minute!!!

Except that

[Daath]

Except that Novell can just tell SCO that they can't sue [groklaw.net] - I wonder why we don't hear more on this... Since it appears that SCO can't sue IBM anyway.

Re:KDE?

[eGuy]

As far as Allocating resources for more desktop development, they already have. They formed a group in india specifically to forward Linux desktop developement.

Here is the article I where I read it: indiatimes.com [indiatimes.com]. Here is a blerb, "This probably could be the first single largest Linux development centre of any MNC in India"

Re:The pressing issue:

[roystgnr]

The second cool thing is that all of a sudden there is a viable alternative to the Red Hat evil empire.

Suggested activities for while you wait for the alternative:

1. Go download free Red Hat .ISOs, which include all the software Red Hat develops under an open source license.

2. Go figure out why you can't download free SuSE .ISOs including YaST.

3. Find some more appropriate "evil empire" (I'm afraid the world sucks enough that neither Red Hat nor SuSE should be very high on your list) to redirect your indignation towards.

Re:The pressing issue:

[10Ghz]

2. Go figure out why you can't download free SuSE .ISOs including YaST.

You can install it through FTP just fine (and for free), so what's the problem? Does it say somewhere that they must provide ISO's?

Re:Novell basically acquired Suse for free...

[jazman_777]

So basically, the acquisition of Suse is FREE. Actually, Novell made an extra $300 million in stock value by announcing the deal - so it's better than free.

Novell pays for SuSE, but they don't get a bunch of cash for stock going up. The stockholders do (if they sell). You're playing a shell game.

Re:The pressing issue:

[ahillen]

Sorry, I also wish I had my mod points:

- Yast is not closed source, you get the source with every SUSE distro, you can change it, you can even redistribute the changes, as long as you mark 'your' yast version as a modified version. The restrictions are, that you are not allowed sell(!) your modified program, while on the other hand SUSE is allowed to incorporate your changes into their next version
(for reference, type 'yast license' into google, for me it was the 5th link)

- SUSE doesn't have a 100$ user licens (not even one you could put into quotations), because
(a) SUSE Professional is only $79.95
(b) you could also buy the update version for $49.95
(c) you can install for free (modulo your internet connection costs) over FTP
(d) you can legaly copy the CDs from somebody else
The fact that the ISOs are not publically available from the net is something which I don't considere as positive, but it still doesn't make you assertions true

Re:DejaVu all over again and No need to switch

[_|()|\|]

The License for RHEL WS is the same as for RH9.

No, it's not. To purchase RHEL WS basic, you must agree to the RHEL WS Basic (x86) Subscription agreement [redhat.com], which states, among other things, that "Customer expressly grants to Red Hat the right to audit Customer's facilities and records from time to time."

Re:The pressing issue:

[agurkan]

they have actually put a lot of manpower into products that have been released into the public domain free of charge.
err, not quite. i feel like i am defending a trademark so it won't disappear, but most of RH's stuff is under GPL which is not public domain.
they have contributed a lot to the Linux user community
this i agree completely.

Re:The pressing issue:

[ahillen]

2. Go figure out why you can't download free SuSE .ISOs including YaST.

I'm quite sure that the Live Evaluation CD includes yast:
ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/live-eval- 9.0/SuS E-9.0-LiveEval-i386-Int-RC1.iso

In any case, you can download yast (and all other SUSE packages from their FTP server:
ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/8.2/suse /i586/yas t2-bootloader-2.7.20-2.i586.rpm
(9.0 version will be there soon)

Or do you prefer the sources?
ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/8.2/sus e/src/yast 2-2.7.30-38.src.rpm

Re:DejaVu all over again and No need to switch

[jmd!]

> RH Enterprise Linux WS is actually it's repacement.

> The only real change is that to get support from Redhat, you are going
> to HAVE TO PAY for the support.

I think you've missed the very important part. RHEL is not available as a free download. No binaries. Certainly no ISOs. Simply a release of the source, to fulfill the letter of the GPL.

The most basic available RHEL product is the basic edition of "WS". This is priced at $179 and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO SUPPORT. The standard edition of "WS" is $299 for i386, and has web support available.

$179 happens to be infinitely more expensive than the $0 price tag on Red Hat Linux 9. And it's an inferior product compared to RHL, because there are less users testing it. It may as well be BSDi, or HP-UX at this point.

See my rant from yesterday [slashdot.org] for my whole take on the matter.

Re:The pressing issue:

[ElGuapoGolf]

This product you point out is a version of SuSE that includes Codeweavers Crossover Office and a few other commercial goodies. It is *NOT* the regular SuSE that you can download and install.

Grow a clue.

Re:The pressing issue:

[Anonymous Coward]

[Redhat] have actually put a lot of manpower into products that have been released into the public domain free of charge.

No they haven't. They've put a lot of manpower into products that have been released as Free/Open Source Software. There's a big difference. Try reading GNU's information on the subject [gnu.org].

Re:Will the EU let it happen?

[SmilingBoy]

The only obvious way to block this would by the EU would be by using Merger Control Regulations. The deal will probably have to be notified to the European Commission, but I can't see any serious competition problems that would prevent the Commission from clearing this merger in Phase I.

Re:The pressing issue:

[shawn(at)fsu]

I have had nothing but great experiences using the FTP install. This FTP install is actually good for alot of users since SuSE's 8.2 distro is 7 CD's or 1 DVD. That would take way to much time to DL, with the FTP install you only grab what you need when you need it.

7 CD's just think of the amount of time/bandwidth you would need.

GroupWise server and Evolution

[MrCranky]

According to our Novell rep, they will indeed be porting GroupWise's back-end to Linux, and are already partway along. He also said they are going to be developing a Ximian Connector product to connect Evolution to GroupWise, similar to the way they did for Exchange.

Re:DejaVu all over again and No need to switch

[Error27]

Only if you want service. If you reject the service (and this includes errata updates) then the license is the same.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Continuation of Novell's pattern

[deviator]

1) ultimately sold to SCO.

2) this did not fail - they took the best parts of WPOffice and created GroupWise, which, IMO, is way better than Exchange or Notes for most environments. GW has over 10% mkt share in the groupware arena now, making it #3 in the world.

3) Still there. It is fast. exteNd uses this (formerly silverstream) but so do TOMCAT & APACHE which are installed by default with Netware 6. iFolder, for one, uses this extensively.

Re:Will the EU let it happen?

[egghat]

You'r wrong: SuSE still IS privatly hold. There was no going public (Mandrake went public).

But you're right, the EU won't do anything. Their market (Linux) isn't big enough and their market share isn't big enough. (But public vs. private company doesn't matter; when two private companies that will have a market share of 80% after the merger the EU will intervene).

Bye egghat.

Re:Webcast

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's the link to the Novell seminars going on around the country. They are free, all you have to do is register online and show up.

http://www.novell.com/linux/seminar.html

Re:Try debian

[AKnightCowboy]

However some might ask why every distro but Debian (stable) uses KDE 3 instead of KDE 2.

Because it wasn't released at the time of Debian Woody? Red Hat 7.3 doesn't have KDE 3 either. What's your point? If you want KDE 3 then run unstable. It's as stable as Red Hat 9 would be for example.

Re:Holy shit!

[Perl-Pusher]

Kylix, by Borland. This works great if your a c++ programmer. You can also take your apps direct from Visual Studio and use Visual MainWin [mainsoft.com]. Visual MainWin is an enterprise-class application-porting platform that enables software developers to develop C++ applications on Windows using Visual Studio and deploy them on Unix and Linux. If your a visual basic developer, there is Phoenix Object Basic [janus-software.com]

Or you could do what I did and buy a Qt programming book from orielly and just start using kdevelop. You can also develop your application in java using eclipse. A good place to start would also be using the tk libraties for perl, tkinter for python or tcl/tk. Oreilly has books on all of these.

Re:Novell offered its eDirectory free in 2001

[Anonymous Coward]

it was offered free as in free beer.
developers can get a free 250.000 user
license for free, if they bundle it with their product.
see: http://developer.novell.com/edirectory/redistribut ion/