With the core prototype awaiting user reaction, Murphy examines consolidation and software pricing issues raised by readers. He finds Moore's Law has been working its magic on Unix software costs while only Nixon's Law seems to have applied to Microsoft's. (2,600 words)

This article is republished from Brian Hatch and James Lee's Hacking Linux Exposed, Second Edition, published by McGraw-Hill / Osborne Media. Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or distributed without the prior wri...

Help for managers who want to undertake their own TCO study. We look at three current real-world scenarios to learn what elements should be included in TCO calculations. (2,650 words)

Paul Murphy explains why SOAP makes getting a grip on network security a slippery ordeal, why the Aberdeen Group's report that open source is less secure than Windows is hogwash and how to bolster server-side security with Linux/Cocoon. (3,000 words)

How to assemble the Unix-side infrastructure needed to create a business-application system to compete with Microsoft-licensed software. Also, a look at reader reaction to the first installment in this series. (2,500 words)

Licensed or open-source software: which is the better choice in real business situations? Paul Murphy launches the debate with the first installment in a six-part series. In this article, Paul compares the costs, key questions, risks and managerial issues involved in implementing busin...

Sidebar to 'The pros and cons of business-app implemention via open-source software (Part 1)' (1,700 words)

Welcome to the Linux Advocacy Spotlight - here to show you how Linux advocates get Linux introduced in their companies*.

Microsoft's XML extensions form the basis for the Passport single sign-on service but are fundamentally inconsistent with SGML principles. In contrast, Plan 9's factotum authentication management offers an elegant and effective open source alternative.

Have you ever received offers by mail, e-mail, or phone to the point you just wanted to scream? I have. It got to the point where no matter what I received I would set it aside for later. (Later being the next day or the next Millennium). I appreciated receiving all the CDs and product...

What we got right & wrong in 'Why you should take a Mac user to lunch' including the definition of a 'blade,' PostScript vs. PDF, and the purchase price of a bundled operating system. (2,100 words)

Apple's new rackmount server is just another Unix box -- with big implications for the Linux community. Four million new Unix users a year, that's the MacOS X promise and it's a market full of friends with whom we should be working. (2,200 words)

David Boyes, creator of several mainframe-on-Linux benchmark tests, responds to Paul Murphy, the author of the Linux.SYS-CON.com series 'Weighing the pros & cons of IBM's mainframe Linux' series. (4,400 words)

This is the second of three articles in which Paul Murphy takes a close hard look at running Linux on the mainframe. In this article, he looks at who should buy into this product. Next week, we look at what IBM could do to reduce skepticism surrounding the performance claims of Linux o...

A confession of error, poking a little fun at religion, and early benchmarks results from deep inside the IBM cloister. (1,250 words)

Slipping a Linux desktop into a Windows-dominated corporate environment can be easier than you think. In Part 2 of this series, we describe a simple method for Linux users to browse a Windows network. (2,484 words)

First part in a series describing simple and easy ways to replace a Windows workstation with a Linux workstation, and stay productive in a corporate environment. (1,600 words)

In part 13 of the Cheap and Easy Linux Network for Peanuts, we discuss the required components needed to install Nola, the GPL licensed, open-source, Linux-based accounting system. (4,050 words)

Author Paul Murphy's first LinuxWorld article A strategic comparison of Windows vs. Unix on making the Unix decision suggested that Unix is usually a smarter business choice than Windows. The current article, seventh and penultimate in this series, looks at what it takes to implement t...

Author Paul Murphy's first LinuxWorld article A strategic comparison of Windows vs. Unix on making the Unix decision suggested that Unix is usually a smarter business choice than Windows. The current article, seventh and penultimate in this series, looks at what it takes to implement t...

Author Paul Murphy's previous LinuxWorld article on making the Unix decision suggested that Unix is usually a smarter business choice than Windows. The current article, sixth in a series, looks at what it takes to implement that knowledge. (3,800 words)

Fear no evil, for the Sendmail daemon proves devilishly easy to add to our Cheap and Easy Text Messaging Gateway. Plus, an egregious security oversight corrected, and a new safety net for Slackware users. (2,000 words)

Author Paul Murphy's A strategic comparison of Windows vs. Unix suggested that Unix is usually a smarter business choice than Windows. The current article, fifth in a series, looks at what it takes to implement that knowledge. (3,000 words)

Adding features to a Linux Network for Peanuts is a piece of cake, but we want to make sure we aren't using stale ingredients! Don't let anyone tell you Debian is outdated. Debian isn't old, it's refreshed with Apt. (1,900 words)

Caldera's Volution Messaging Server 1.0 shows promise, but fails to deliver compatibility with Microsoft's Outlook 2002 calendar. A shame, as Volution is easy to install and appears easy to administer. (2,000 words)

Author Paul Murphy's A strategic comparison of Windows vs. Unix on making the Unix decision suggested that Unix is usually a smarter business choice than Windows. This article, the first in a series, looks at what it takes to implement that knowledge in a small business. (3,500 words)

Bruce Perens lends his name and reputation to HP's open source initiatives. (1,100 words)