A Nando Media story on startribune.com reports on the war of words brewing between the Java and Microsoft C# camps: “Scott Hebner, director of marketing for IBM’s WebSphere project, said Microsoft’s .NET initiative is a recognition that the emphasis has moved away from Windows desktops and onto the Internet. Hebner said Java is the standard for Web applications. “Why is Microsoft trying to create C#? Why not adopt Java?” Hebner asks. “If Sun had turned Java into a true open standard, it would be an interesting discussion with Microsoft.”

Issue 21 of Georg Greve’s GNU projects newsletter is hot off the presses. Among the new projects discussed are a graphical front-end for the Common UNIX Printing System, two new fax programs, and KBasic.

Wired News reports: “A pair of British inventors has developed an electricity-conducting fabric that could lead to washable, wearable phones, keyboards and other devices. The pair have already made a cloth keyboard for handheld computers and a spongy cell phone that will go through the wash.”

Record companies should stop worrying about security and start giving people what they really want: Music, anywhere, anytime. Commentary by Salon’s Janelle Brown.

From an advisory at LWN.net: “A local root exploit has been found using kernels compiled with kmod and modutils > 2.1.121. Kernels without kmod and systems using modutils 2.1.121 are not affected.” The message includes a patch to fix this problem.

From a press release at PR Newswire: MandrakeSoft S.A., publisher of
the Linux-Mandrake operating system today announced the appointment of
Jay Beale as Security Group Director. Prior to this appointment, Jay has helped guide the Bastille Linux Project as Lead Developer, where he was responsible for the design and development of the high profile Open Source project. He has led the effort to secure or “tighten” Linux systems and currently consults on general Linux security, from firewalling and VPN design to host-level lockdown.

The SF Press reports that a student in the US faces jail after he hacked into his school website and re-wrote its rules to include orders to watch Beavis And Butthead and play video games.

Linux has established itself as a qualified operating system for Web
servers, fiZDrewalls and e-mail, but it’s still fighting its way into
e-marketplaces, both as a platform and as a commodity. From ZDNET.

– by Dan Berkes –
When Linus first whipped up Linux, it’s probably safe to assume that he didn’t have laptops in mind as his target hardware platform. This operating system was initially destined for workstations and servers, not portable computing devices.What might have been a roadblock for certain other operating systems was viewed as something of a challenge in the Linux user community. After years of dedicated trial, error, and success, you can now find Linux on everything from laptops to handhelds to microwave ovens.

Much of the collective wisdom for portable computing can be found on Kenneth E. Harker’s Linux on Laptops Web page. The core of the site is a list of hundreds of Web pages dedicated to getting Linux up and running on specific notebook brands and models. From Acer to Zenith, most notebooks popular over the last five years are represented in this list.

What happens if your notebook isn’t listed? In the time-honored tradition of Linux gurus everywhere, it’s time for you to experiment. Start with the Linux Laptop HOWTO, containing almost everything you need to know about running Linux on your laptop. If you haven’t yet purchased a notebook computer, the section on how to choose the right hardware for Linux is a must-read.

Sometimes documentation just isn’t enough — you need some real and (almost) live help with a unique problem. Waiting in the wings are the Linux Notebook HQ Discussion Forum, a Web discussion for Linux laptop issues, and comp.os.linux.portable, a Usenet newsgroup discussing many of the same issues.

Before sending your plea for help through the ether, be sure to make your way back to the Linux on Laptops site. A collection of Linux kernel patches, utilities, and other files to help you with your notebook endeavors are available here. The answers to many common laptop issues are just a download away.

Getting Linux running on your laptop is one thing; getting the X Window System operating may be quite another. Once again, the Linux on Laptops site saves the day: a half-dozen pointers to alternate X servers and documentation are available for all of your graphical user interface desires.

Laptops are anything but the last Linux frontier; for the time being, handheld devices hold that distinction. There’s a special distribution — uClinux — designed to work with the processors contained in many of today’s most popular palmtops, including the PalmPilot.

As with desktop computers, everything old can be new again when touched by Linux. If there’s an Apple Newton handheld lurking in your closet, haul it out of retirement and head on over to the Newton and Linux Mini-HOWTO. Just like yesterday’s 486, the Newton is perfectly capable of handling everything Linux has to offer.

NewsForge editors read and respond to comments posted on our discussion page.

Debianplanet reports: “It’s just been a week now since The X Strike Force released XFree86 4.0.1-1 packages into the unstable tree. Now that the dust has settled and that he’s regained some semblance of his sanity, G. Branden Robinson , aka ‘Overfiend’ on IRC, the intrepid leader of the force behind X in Debian GNU/Linux has now volunteered his time to answer your brain numbing questions on XF4 in an upcoming interview on DebianPlanet.”