SuSE Linux gets security credentials

Linux seller SuSE and server maker IBM have obtained a crucial security certification that will make the operating system an option for demanding military and government customers, the companies are expected to announce Tuesday. Many governments require certification to the international Common Criteria standard before they're allowed to purchase a specific computing product. SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 running on IBM's Intel-based xSeries servers achieved Evaluation Assurance Level 2 (EAL2) of the Common Criteria, the companies are expected to announce at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo.

Red Hat files suit against SCO

Red Hat escalated the legal war over Linux on Monday by announcing that it has filed a lawsuit against the SCO Group. The seven-count suit seeks, among other things, a declaratory judgment that Red Hat has not violated SCO's copyrights or trade secrets, Red Hat CEO Matthew Szulik said at a news conference here Monday. "We have asked the courts to declare that no violation of intellectual property and trade secrets have occurred," Szulik said. "We've been patient, we've listened, but when our customers and the whole open-source community are threatened with innuendo and rumor, it's time to act."

BEA joins forces with HP on Linux push

BEA Systems on Monday announced a deal with Hewlett-Packard to promote Linux, while laying out plans for its newly released WebLogic Platform Java server software. Executives from BEA formally introduced WebLogic Platform 8.1 at a press conference in San Francisco, calling the revamped product a key weapon in the highly competitive market for Java-based tools and software. BEA's most formidable rival is IBM, which snared the market share lead for Java-based software that is used to build and run custom business applications.

Linux on Itanium passes milestone

The Itanium version of Linux crossed an important threshold Monday, developers said: It now can be built from the standard software maintained by Linux leader Linus Torvalds rather than requiring special patches. "As of this morning, Linus' current (kernel) builds and works out of the box for ia64!" Linux-Itanium leader David Mosberger, a Hewlett-Packard programmer, said in a mailing list message. The version uses Torvalds' 2.5 development version of the kernel, or heart, of Linux, which in coming months is expected to become the 2.6 version, which will be sound enough for real-world use.

Linux moves on to next battles

Linux, having just won the fight for mainstream respectability, has moved to a challenge that's less glamorous but just as important: making itself attractive to the information technology industry. Past victories for the open-source operating system have included securing a place in product lines from every major server maker, coaxing business software companies such as Oracle and SAP to release Linux versions, winning the trust of major customers, and rising to become one of Microsoft's top threats.