Linux really has gone mainstream. That was my reaction on a recent Saturday when looking through the shelves in the Cork branch of the video-game shop Game. There on a shelf was a little penguin sticker on a dark-looking green box. On a closer look it turned out to be Tux, the Linux mascot, stuck on a special boxed edition of Quake2 for Linux. Finding the Linux version of a well-known game in a high-street computer store reflects the growth of Linux in the computer industry over the past year and confirms popular opinion that Linux can become a viable desktop operating system for everyone in the near future. ID Software, the company behind such hit games as Doom and Quake has always supported Linux. Rival publishers such as Activision and Loki Games are now bringing new games to Linux, including Civilization: Call to Power, Myth II: Soulblighter and Railroad Tycoon II. More will follow soon.
As most people know by now, Linux is the kernel of a Unix-like operating system built by volunteer programmers who work together over the Internet. It has been in development since 1991 and is now used all over the world by millions of people.
Parents keen to equip their children for the information age should take a look at Linux. The operating system has been "Internet ready" since its creation. It comes with a huge range of tools, mostly from the GNU free software project, that make it a very rich development environment. From a leading web server to powerful programming languages, there is plenty here for any budding software designer to get stuck into. A full set of GNU/Linux can be downloaded for free from the Internet, or purchased on CD-Rom for under £40, with manuals. Historically, there has been a lack of desktop applications such as word-processing and spreadsheets for Linux and Unix systems. Things are changing, however. Companies such as Corel, Applix and StarDivison (recently purchased by Sun Microsystems) make inexpensive but powerful word processors and office suites for Linux. In fact StarDivision's office suite for Linux, which compares well with Microsoft Office, is being given away for free. These applications can also work with files created under popular Windows programs, so it is not a matter of abandoning old documents and starting from scratch.
Need a new server at work or school? Worried about the cost of licensing a commercial one? Linux can do the following with ease: share files between Win- dows and Macintosh users; reliably connect a local area network to the Internet through one modem; work as a central fax and print server; and run a powerful web server. Major commercial databases such as Oracle, DB2 and Sybase run on Linux as alternatives to the free GNU database programs. The sheer number of server applications for Linux is astounding. Those worried about support issues can now look to a range of well-known companies that provide Linux support, including Dell, IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Silicon Graphics. A specialist US company, Linuxcare, offers round-the-clock technical support - which it is now cheaper to call in the US than to call many of the support lines operated by subscription-free Irish Internet service providers. This is on top of the 30 to 60 days of free telephone, email or fax support offered by Linux vendors such as Red Hat or Suse.
Ireland will play an important part in the growth of Linux in Europe as it seems likely that Red Hat Linux will build its European operations centre in Cork. Irish companies already using Linux include Tradesignals.com, Bluetree, RTE, Global Cafe, Esat Telecom, Forfas, Websters, Connect Ireland, IOL, Indigo and Eircom. There are many more, and lots of them rely on Linux in the most critical elements of their business. The Irish Linux community is active and motivated. Subscriptions to the Irish Linux Users Group (www.linux.ie) mailing list are growing all the time and there are active local user groups in Cork and Galway. Colleges and universities are turning out students who are at least familiar with the operating system. This widespread growth in Linux has prompted the Cork Linux Users Group to organise a "Linux Awareness in Ireland Day" in University College Cork, on Saturday, November 6th. Aimed at anyone with an interest in Linux, it will feature beginners's sessions, talks on business issues surrounding Linux, technical discussions and a keynote talk by Linux developer Alan Cox. Participants will see this radical computing environment take one more step into the mainstream. As one Linux program asks its users: "Where do you want to go tomorrow?".
Donncha O Caoimh can be con- tacted at donncha@linux.ie See http://cork.Linux.ie/events/laid/ for information on the awareness day