August 14, 2000

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IBM Offers Linux Installed On Thin Clients, Notebooks

Vendor's support initiatives are aimed at making the operating system a viable alternative

By Paul McDougall

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arlier this year, IBM presented a broad plan to make Linux a widely available operating system throughout its product line. This week, the company is taking further steps to make that plan a reality.

IBM will unveil its first thin-client computer with the operating system available as a pre-installed option. Until now, users who wanted to run Linux on IBM thin clients had to buy the hardware and software separately and handle installation themselves. Now, the company's NetVista N2200 and N2800 models will feature Linux out of the box. "A lot of our customers are looking for a more packaged solution," says Paul Boulay, NetVista program director in IBM's Personal Systems Group. The devices will ship with TurboLinux 6.1.

Analysts say demand for Linux on thin clients will be driven in part by users looking for more operating system options. "There are a lot of people looking for an alternative to Microsoft," says Technology Business Research analyst Bob Sutherland, who adds that Linux's relatively small footprint makes it ideal for thin clients.

Also on the hardware side, IBM says this week it will begin offering Caldera Systems Inc.'s version 2.4 of Linux as a factory-installed option for some of its ThinkPad notebooks.

Much of IBM's Linux strategy is centered on creating a technology environment in which Linux can thrive as a viable alternative to more mainstream operating systems. With that in mind, IBM is also unveiling support initiatives aimed at making the software more powerful and easy to use. IBM is releasing more than 100 new device-specific print drivers for Linux, which should make it easier for IT managers to deploy it on file-and-print servers. And the company says it's making some of the more advanced features of its Netfinity servers "Linux aware," such as supporting the ability to hot-swap drives and peripheral cards.

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