October 18, 1999

InternetView:
Linux Gets Stronger

By Jason Levitt

ou can't buy advertising this good. When Microsoft takes time out to publish a point-by-point attack of your software product (www.micro soft.com/ntserver/nts/news/msnw/Linux Myths.asp), you must be on to something. And since Linux and related products command only a thimbleful of IT purchasing, I can only assume that Microsoft is going to do anything it can to derail the Linux hype machine before Linux can compete more effectively.

Microsoft's rant makes some good points about Linux's weaker aspects. But when one recalls what a joke Windows NT Server 4.0 was a mere three years ago, it's clear that the weak can get stronger through perseverance. The Oct. 4 update of Red Hat Linux 6.1 proves that Linux is adroitly moving ahead.

High availability is starting to be addressed with the addition of Piranha, software that lets you build a two-node Linux cluster. The key element is the Linux Virtual Server kernel routing patch that lets the two-node cluster act as a front end for a Linux Web and FTP server farm.

Red Hat Linux 6.1 also bundles Sun's recently acquired StarOffice 5.1, an interesting multiplatform office-productivity suite. It adds much-needed file compatibility with Microsoft Office, but also stands on its own as an integrated, high-quality set of software applications. StarOffice does a lot to make the Linux user desktop more attractive to business customers.

Version 6.1 sports a new graphical installation program that is the best I've seen on a Linux distribution. But for serious system administrators handling large workgroups, the new remote-booting and installation features are more interesting. Red Hat Linux includes an implementation of PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) 2.1, part of Intel's Wired For Management Baseline 2.0 specification. The software lets IT managers use Linux servers to boot and install other Linux machines remotely using standard protocols, according to guidelines suggested by Microsoft and Intel (www.pcdes guide.com/pc99). Client systems must have network interface cards with boot ROMs that are PXE-ready.

Once you're up and running, you can configure Red Hat's new Update Agent to download and notify you automatically about Red Hat's Linux software updates--a process that is usually tedious because Linux has such a large number of software packages coming from disparate sources.

It's nice to see Open LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) 1.2.7, an open-source LDAP directory server and API from the nonprofit Open LDAP Foundation, included in the Red Hat package. Open LDAP is already part of other free operating systems, such as FreeBSD, though Open LDAP has yet to gain a substantial presence in large and midsize businesses.

Is Linux worth the hype? Considering the money and resources available to Microsoft, I'd rather ask: Why isn't NT so much better?

--Jason Levitt can be reached at jlevitt@cmp.com. You can read his Internet Zone column on InformationWeek Online at informationweek.com/author/internet.htm.

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