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Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft may be seeking protection from Linux with Dell loan (networkworld.com)

Submitted by alphadogg
alphadogg writes: Microsoft's $2 billion loan to Dell is a sign that the software maker wants to influence hardware designs in a post-PC world while protecting itself from the growing influence of Linux-based operating systems in mobile devices and servers, according to analysts. Michael Dell and equity firm Silver Lake on Tuesday announced a buyout of computer maker Dell in a deal valued at about $24.4 billion. The transaction includes the loan from Microsoft, which in a statement said it views the deal as a commitment to the "long term success of the entire PC ecosystem." As the world's third-largest PC maker, Dell is important to the success of Microsoft's server and PC software. Even though Microsoft's loan does not represent a big part of the total value of the transaction, the software maker does not throw around money lightly and its participation in the deal might be an attempt by the software maker to influence hardware designs in the post-PC world of touch laptops, tablets and smartphones, analysts said. It may also be an attempt to secure the partnership and to stop the PC maker from looking toward alternative operating systems like Linux, analysts said. Dell offers Linux servers and in late November introduced a thin and light XPS 13 laptop with a Linux-based Ubuntu OS, also code-named Project Sputnik. Major PC makers in recent months have also introduced laptops with Chrome OS.
Open Source

Submission + - Tim O'Reilly steps into the comments to debate Open Government and Linux (aeonmagazine.com)

Submitted by
PatrickRIot
PatrickRIot writes: "Aeon Magazine ran this longform crtique of Open Source politics last week.
"Open Sesame: ‘Openness’ is the new magic word in politics – but should governments really be run like Wikipedia?"

It referenced Tim O'Reilly and the man himself has stepped in at the bottom of the page for a detailed and lengthy rejoinder.

'I'm a bit surprised to learn that my ideas of "government as a platform" are descended from Eric Raymond's ideas about Linux, since: a) Eric is a noted libertarian with disdain for government b) Eric's focus on Linux was on its software development methodology. From the start, I was the open source activist focused on the power of platforms, arguing the role for the architecture of Unix and the Internet in powering the open source movement. (continues)'"
GNU is Not Unix

Submission + - Fedora 18 for ARM-based Devices Released Officially (paritynews.com)

Submitted by hypnosec
hypnosec writes: Fedora 18 "Spherical Cow" has been officially released for ARM-based devices within a month of being released for x86 and x64 hardware. The newly released ARM version of the operating system has been made available in the form of pre-built images for the hardware platforms such as Versatile Express (QEMU), Trimslice (Tegra), Pandaboard (OMAP4), GuruPlug (Kirkwood), and Beagleboard (OMAP3). Announcing the release Fedora noted that these pre-built images can be written directly to any type of storage media used today such as SD card, USB or SATA drive and can booted right away without the need for any extra configuration.
AMD

Submission + - AMD Publishes Open-Source Radeon HD 8000 Series Driver (phoronix.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The hardware hasn't been released yet, but AMD has made available early open-source Linux GPU driver patches for supporting the future Radeon HD 8000 series graphics cards. At this time the Radeon HD 8800 "Oland" series is supported with the Mesa, DRM, X.Org, and kernel modifications. From the driver perspective, not many modifications are needed to build upon the Radeon HD 7000 series support.
Ubuntu

Submission + - Ubuntu to Build Own Display Server, Not Go With Wayland (omgubuntu.co.uk)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Ubuntu Community Manager Jono Bacon has dropped several hints that Ubuntu may 'roll' with a custom display server for Unity across its desktop, phone, tv and tablet devices. His most telling response was in a reply to a question on Wayland adoption, saying: “X doesn’t meet [our] needs, Wayland doesn’t meet [our] needs”.

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