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Sean Michael Kerner (bio)

May 9, 2008, 9:53 AM

GPL 1 : Skype 0

 skype.jpgFrom the 'don't bet against the GPL ' files:

Guess what? The GPL is not in violation of any type of German anti-trust laws.  VoIP vendor Skype had argued in a German court that they didn't have to adhere to the letter of the open source GPL license, but the German court has now ruled against them.

Harald Welte (who has been on a seemingly one man crusade in Europe against Skype)  reported on his blog that:
In the end, the court hinted twice that if it was to judge about the case, Skype would not have very high chances. After a short break, Skype decided to revoke their appeals case and accept the previous judgement of the lower court (Landgericht Muenchen I, the decision was in my favor) as the final judgement. This means that the previous court decision is legally binding to Skype, and we have successfully won what has probably been the most lengthy and time consuming case so far.
So the lesson here is simple. Whether you're Verizon in the US or Skype in Germany, if you use GPL licensed code, then the terms of the GPL license apply to you.

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 9:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Share

May 8, 2008, 10:20 AM

Israel @60 : Tech Innovations that Changed the Industry

 The state of Israel turns 60 today and I've seen all kinds of coverage on TV/newspapers/web. From a technology point of view there are a bunch of things that have come from that tiny country, but for this short blog post I'm going to highlight three vendor/technologies in particular.

ICQ: I couldn't do my job without instant messaging today. If you're like me than you have ICQ to thank. Israeli based Mirabilis launched ICQ -- the first 'real' internet wide instant messaging app - in 1996. AOL bought them out in in 1998 for $407 million and to this day in the US, AOL is still arguably the largest IM network.

Check Point : A number of different individuals 'claim' to have invented/pioneered the firewall, but it was Check Point that deserves a lot of credit and is the vendor that really took it main stream. Remember the mid 90's ? If you wanted a firewall you got Check Point, there really was no other viable choice.

Zend : While Zend did not invent PHP (and certainly PHP was popular without Zend), it is Zend that has become the leading voice commercially for PHP on a global basis. Tens of millions of websites (including InternetNews.com) use Zend developed PHP code in some way shape or form.

So if you use instant messaging, PHP or have a firewall, give thanks to the state of Israel today.

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 10:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Share

May 8, 2008, 9:51 AM

Don't Run Mozilla Firefox in Hanoi !

 sr-firefox3.jpgFrom the 'many eyes don't necessarily mean better security' files:

Open Source thrives on the idea that contributions help to grow development. Open Source thrives on the idea that many eyes looking at open code can provide better security than proprietary closed models.

Unfortunately on the security side, it's not always the case. Mozilla's Chief Security person Window Snyder has publicly admitted that Mozilla was inadvertently allowing a virus infected Vietnamese language pack for Firefox to be distributed. Snyder noted that the infected code could result in users seeing unwanted ads and could be used as a launching point for other malicious actions.

Mozilla is not aware of precisely how many users may be at risk,  though they do know that there have been 16,667 downloads of the language pack since November of 2007.

So how did this happen? Doesn't Mozilla do some kind of security scanning before they distribute code?  Snyder explains:
Mozilla does virus scans at upload time but the virus scanner did not catch this issue until several months after the upload.  We are also adding after-the-fact scans of everything to address this sort of case in the future.
IMHO, while it's NOT GOOD that this happened in the first place, it is good that Mozilla is being relatively open about this now and is taking the appropriate steps to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 9:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Share

May 7, 2008, 4:25 PM

OpenOffice.org 3 Hits Beta Testing

 ooo.gif
From the 'newer, better, faster' files:

After what seemed like an eternity (to me at least) OpenOffice.org 3.0 (OOo) is now finally in full Beta testing. Hurray!

There are a lot of things to like about OOo 3, but on the surface it just 'looks better' with new icons. It also supports importing Microsoft's Office 2007 XML formats as well as OpenDocument Format (ODF) 1.2 standard. OOo's solid marketing team has listed a full list of new features in a nice high level document.

OOo will also be the first OOo release to be distributed under the LGPLv3 open source license.

OOo overall though has made some significant strides lately in smaller point releases. The OOo 2.4 release last month added a nice bunch of new charting improvements.

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 4:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Share

May 6, 2008, 3:47 PM

Does OpenSolaris Matter?

 opensolaris.screen.big.gifI'm not sure.

Sun first announced OpenSolaris in 2005 but they keep finding ways to announce 'first releases'. Yesterday was one such release.

I've written about a number of OpenSolaris releases over the years, often though under the guise of the Solaris Express Developer edition mantle as well as OpenSolaris based distributions like Nexanta (which uses Debian)

Apparently though after three years of development, Sun is now finally ready to make an OpenSolaris branded release stand on its own.

Why didn't OpenSolaris have a full release in the beginning just like any other normal open source operating system distribution?

Well I suppose you could argue that their new Project Indiana package system (now called the OpenSolaris Image Packaging System - IPS)) is one reason.

 But hey wait a minute, open source packaging system...sounds vaguely familiar...

About 10 years ago I was really excited when RPM came out. Isn't IPS just an RPM-type system for Solaris? And if so, isn't this 10 years late?
 
Don't get me wrong on a personal level I think Sun is doing a lot of things right. I'm actually writing this post on a LiveCD version of OpenSolaris now.

I also think Sun is moving in the right direction with OpenSolaris -- an open community approach to developing an OS is the right way to drive innovation. What I question is how long it is taking to get there and how they may lag behind Linux development in terms of adoption.

What I question is how open OpenSolaris actually is in terms of reciprocity.

After all OpenSolaris is licensed under CDDL and not GPL like Linux. Smarter minds than mine have noted that the GPL is the magic sauce that helped to make Linux more successful than the BSDs.  CDDL does not require reciprocity so in practice a company could extend OpenSolaris code and not be required to contribute back.

While some might want to compare OpenSolaris against Linux, I think the closer comparison is with FreeBSD.  They both share a common Unix heritage and they both have BSD type non-reciprocal licenses. FreeBSD also may yet benefit from Dtrace and ZFS as well whereas it is unlikely that those technologies (in the form that Sun licenses them) will be integrated in any significant way in any mainstream Linux distribution.

OpenSolaris also may prove to have a commercial competitive edge over FreeBSD as well in that Sun with offers full commercial support. FreeBSD does have many people supporting it but it doesn't have the strength of a Sun behind it.

So where does that leave OpenSolaris? 

Well I think OpenSolaris matters to those that would consider BSD. For Linux users, OpenSolaris is still playing a bit of catchup and it will be interesting to see over time if it does in fact catch up in terms of community and broad participation.  When and if Sun will ever be able to claim (like the Linux Foundation) that it has thousands of contributors from a wide spectrum of vendors remains to be seen. Participation alone does not dictate if an open source effort matters, but it sure does affect adoption. 

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 3:47 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Share

May 5, 2008, 11:26 AM

SCO Novell Trial - The Verdict is...

 sco.gif
I wish I knew! But as of this posting, Judge Kimball has not made his decision in the SCO versus Novell trial that occurred last week.

The ever vigilant Groklaw site has posted pdf/html transcripts of each day of the trial, which make for interesting reading if you've got the time. If you don't I'll save you the grief and make it easy. SCO, under the direction of CEO Darl McBride stuck to its guns claiming that Linux is a copy of Unix. Novell stuck with its argument that SCO never acquired all the rights to Unix.

So where does that leave things?

In my simple layperson, I'm-not-a-lawyer-and-don't-pretend-to-be-one-either view it leaves things in pretty much the same spot they were before the trial started -- with one major exception. Instead of Novell and SCO just making their respective cases, this time around the Judge will make a ruling based on the arguments and facts presented.

Regardless of the outcome, I expect the losing side (Novell or SCO) to appeal. An appellate judge (if the appeal is granted) will be the final arbiter here.

That said,  it will be very interesting to see what Judge Kimball actually rules. He's already made a summary judgment against SCO that favored Novell's view of who owns what in terms of Unix. The key issue at this point is how much (if anything) will he award to Novell or will he somehow change his view based on the testimony?

Frankly I'm still amazed that SCO has hung in this long.Though it is easy to paint SCO as the villain in this drama, it's also possible to see this as a Tragedy (Greek or Shakespearean) in many ways. McBride (the tragic hero?)really does believe in his view and he is sticking with it to the (bitter?) end.

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 11:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Share

May 2, 2008, 5:39 PM

Interop Las Vegas 2008 Roundup

 interop.blog.small.jpg
That was fun.

Well Interop Las Vegas 2008 has come and gone and I'm still somewhat sane.  With the addition of the Software 2008 conference into Interop this year, the volume of sessions was more overwhelming than past Interop events.

Perhaps the biggest challenge I heard from many people was the challenge of deciding what session to go to, since so many overlapped. In fact the conference organizers even overlapped sessions with Keynotes -- which I personally think was a very bad idea.

That said, there was lots to see and hear.

On the show floor, there was the mix of everything that is networking (and at least one that wasn't with the Happy Feet booth...since networking pros have feet issues apparently) with big network vendors, acceleration, testing, power, security, wireless and connectivity booths.

I always personally get a real kick out of the Interop Labs area where you can get hands on with stuff, this year I went hands on (again) with NAC and some Unified Communications stuff.

On the news and trends side, sure 10GbE is there as is virtualization. The biggest thing though (and this may seem quaint) is the broader and continuing realization of what networking is all about. That is, networking exists to enable applications. Being application aware is incredibly important and is something that vendors of all sizes are now claiming to do.

As always I wrote 'a few'  stories from the show (18 in total), so for your reading enjoyment, and as one last look at Interop LV 2008, here you go...

On InternetNews.com:

Interop: Applications And Networks Need to Unite
[May 01, 2008] Future of application delivery discussed at Vegas conference.

Meeting The Challenge of 10GbE
[April 30, 2008] What is the key to 10 gigabit Ethernet? And is there one?

Is It Time to Rethink IT's Priorities?
[April 30, 2008] At Interop, Citrix's CEO explains why the industry needs major change before it can grow.

Interop: How Comcast, Verizon Fight Spam
[April 30, 2008] Major networking players address e-mail's never-ending nuisance.

Interop: The Problem With NAC
[April 29, 2008] While interest swells in Network Access Control and vendors converge around standards, would-be adopters still need to weigh some serious decisions.

Ethernet: Getting Faster, Getting Greener
[April 29, 2008] As the race toward faster speeds continues, so too does the search for reducing power consumption.

Nortel Pitches Networks Revamp For Virtualization
[April 28, 2008] Linux-based hardware appliance aims to optimize virtualization for datacenter deployment.

'NAC 2.0' Takes Shape Under Networking Giants
[April 28, 2008] Microsoft, Cisco and TCG converge on standards as broader network access control standards emerge.

Riding Out The Slowdown, Speeding Up Networks
[April 25, 2008] Can networking gear help to recession proof your network?

Laying The Groundwork For 10GbE Networks
[April 25, 2008] As the networking world moves to 10GbE networks, it's not just speed that matters.


On this Blog:

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 5:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Share

May 2, 2008, 1:12 PM

PHP 5.2.6 Updates for Security

 php.gif
PHP users -- time to update!

Ilia Alshanetsky PHP 5.2 Release Master has officially announced the availability of PHP 5.2.6.  In his release announcement Alshanetsky noted:
This release focuses on improving the stability of the PHP 5.2.x branch with over 120 bug fixes, several of which are security related. All users of PHP are encouraged to upgrade to this release.
On the security side there are at least five issues that are addressed in the 5.2.6 update which security vendor Secunia has rated as being 'moderately critical'.  The issues if left unpatched could potentially lead to a denial of service (DoS)  or unauthorized system access.

One of the flaws was credited to security researcher Stefan Esser, who has been an outspoken critic of PHP security for years and was responsible for the month of PHP bugs effort in 2007.

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 1:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Share

May 1, 2008, 11:39 AM

Interop : What Users Want

 interop.blog.small.jpg
LAS VEGAS. At a show as big as Interop there are always a lot of different technologies on display, some of them being more interesting than others.

But what are users/attendees actually interested in?

Network Instruments and NetQoS did an on-site survey of 117 network engineers and IT executives the other day which sheds some light.

As you might expect, virtualization is an area of interest. Survey respondents reported that 50 percent of their apps will run virtualized now increasing to 82 percent within the next two years.

In terms of WAN optimization, which is often something I hear alot of buzz on at an Interop show, respondents were split.  44 percent reported that they had no plans to implement while, 42 percent indicated that they did have plans to implement some form of WAN optimization technology.

Posted by Sean Michael Kerner at 11:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Share

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