NetGuido

Technical director of the publisher of SuSE Linux distributions, gives us his vision of a Linux market that now hesitate to integrate business solutions and owners.
01net. In business, should install the latest version of the Linux kernel now? Our most recent distribution includes the 2.4 kernel, but the user can opt for a kernel 2.2.18 [latest development kernel 2.2, Ed], it depends on its needs. If he wants to be assured of the stability of its system, rather he will choose a kernel 2.2. However, if they need scalability, management SMP, the latest network standards, or use large amounts of memory, it will turn to the 2.4, which is more responsive to these issues.


In fact, in our last distribution (SuSE 7.2), it is possible to install the two clusters and choose which will be used to boot. There is still no journeyed file system in Linux, since Raiser FS was ultimately not included in the first kernel version 2.4. Yet it is an important function for companies … In fact, Raiser FS is proposed for a year to option and, in recent days, it comes with the latest distribution as a function integrated into the kernel, since the 2.4 was replaced by 2.4.1. Of course, it is necessary to have a file system journaling.
Further improvements are needed? In future versions, it will improve the management of new interfaces as Infiniband and USB 2.0. It will also have to make an effort on the high availability. These changes are necessary. We have an advantage over publishers of proprietary operating systems: conducting several distributions a year, we incorporate the latest technical developments, much faster than Microsoft. But this proliferation of versions and publishers distributions might does not fragment Linux, to break compatibility between the versions? Against this risk, a number of publishers and developers met to develop a Linux Standard Base (LSB), a series of criteria to be respected by all to avoid the explosion of Linux in a multiplicity of non-compatible OS. Alas! the resistance of some players Linux world slows the implementation of the LSB. Today, the Linux community already has compatibility tests online, and a specification of 250 criteria. The sale of distributions enough to make you earn money? Our business is based on two pillars. First, the sale of CD complete with all the tools adapted for easy installation. Even if all that we offer on our CD is available for free download on the network and allows to build a system full kit. The second pillar, the services. We are preparing for deployment projects, we do training, we provide support and services we charge the OEM, for example, AMD has consulted us to achieve its simulator Sledgehammer (64-bit AMD). The market for business service - the deployment, advice, support - is a market that works very hard. The German situation with a real adoption of Linux has helped us. Why do I appear alongside your distributions offers applications like messaging or tools for collaborative work? Are not you outside of your true ability, operating systems?
This development comes on the market, the maturing of the market that there are more and more in software distribution. SuSE is a toolkit that enables you to build complete solutions. But we receive many requests for pre-solutions, particularly for Web servers or collaborative work tools. We do not go out of our business, we do realize that the integration of third-party applications on the operating system. We do not develop software ourselves. Our collaborative work tool is Lotus Domino, with customers Notes. Otherwise, we use mostly free software, or entirely based on Open Source.
In fact, you sell Notes, which is not Open Source … I do not think it is necessary that everything is Open Source. In particular, the more you are heading towards complex applications and specialized, very vertical, it is less easy to do Open Source. The Open Source is needed for infrastructure, not for everything. I am personally satisfied with work with good commercial publishers. What is the profile of Linux customers today? We see a significant change. Banks, Internet and telephone operators, insurance companies, industry are turning to Linux. Linux enters the heart of the information system. In all, there is a movement that led us to the adoption by a few visionaries to consumers more modest and more traditional. Today, Linux company is no longer a niche market. And the market for appliances? We should not minimize the importance of the PC market, it is very important. Only the PC changes shape, digital assistants [PDAs, Ed] shelves Internet access terminals are expansions and changes in the PC. They are multitasking, extensible, they meet the new needs of users. And there are those say they do not wish to be associated with an operating system locked and different on each machine. Linux runs everywhere, that is its strength.