COVENANT MATTERS
COVENANT MATTERS
Dear Linux Magazine Reader,
Usually we only get one cataclysmic,
world-changing Linux event per month, but it looks like we had two this month. The first was the news that Oracle plans to produce a spin-off of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and sell support for way less than Red Hat is charging. The second was the announcement of a deal between Microsoft and Novell in which, reportedly, Microsoft provides a patent covenant offering protection to users of Suse Linux from suits for patent infringement. It is hard to explicate both these explosions in just one page, so I guess I should just pick one. If anything, the Oracle announcement seems to have more potential for altering the landscape, but maybe that means I should talk about the Novell deal because there is a greater disparity between what it means and what it sounds like it means. This new patent covenant from Microsoft seems fully intended to invert itself in the mind of the viewer. The user is supposed to think, “If Microsoft will not sue the users of Suse, that means they will sue the users of other Linux distros. If they will sue users of other distros, that means I’d better not use the other distros, which means I’d better use Suse.”
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.