Web review: Your Linux experience starts here

– by Tina Gasperson –
With original articles and an active Open Source project, this Linux site shows promise.It’s a clever concept, to link a community news site to a pretty-much-unrelated development project, and one that appears to be working for LinuxMAX. They’re busy coding FoxServ, an Apache/mySQL/PHP installer package that’s ranked 179th on SourceForge.

“They” are Ewdison Then, Jackie Ray, and Elizabeth Albert, along with Linda J. Hart and Victoria Nesta. Ewdison launched the site in June of 2000 and has collected volunteers from around the world.

Other than its connection with FoxServ, LinuxMAX isn’t all that different from other Linux news sites. The main page shows a feed of the latest Open Source software releases and links to original articles and cool tips and tricks, like how to fix FTP transfers that hang, a PHP primer, how to add modules to an Apache server, and lots more.

There’s a special page for AvantGo users, and a Yahoo-style links directory with categories for companies, distros, user groups, software, support, and news (Hey! NewsForge is not listed in there … hmm).

Currently, LinuxMAX is ad-free, and Ewdison posted on the site’s message forum, saying that LinuxMAX will “never be commercial,” and he hates ads on sites. They’ll generate revenue through sales of FoxServ and other software he plans to develop. Strangely enough, there’s an entire FAQ section dedicated to purchasing advertising on LinuxMAX, answering questions like, “What kind of click-through ratios can I expect?”, “How much does advertising at linuxmax.net cost?”, and “How do I keep track of how well my ad campaign is doing?” Must not have had any response.

They’re looking for article submissions and more posts in the forum over at LinuxMAX, so if you’re a frustrated first poster over at /., here’s your chance to be fulfilled.