Sun is working with the leaders of the free software and open source community to make the source code for its StarOffice software suite freely available under

the GNU General Public License.

Windows 2000 may be the next big thing, and sales should ramp up shortly, but Sun Microsystems and Red Hat are powering much of the Internet these days.

Caldera Systems, a leading Linux distributor, is on the verge of buying SCO's server division for a price expected to be north of $70 million in stock.

Caldera Systems and SCO's Tarantella Division, are delivering the first application server bundle of Linux and the Tarantella Express application server.

The Linux command line interface has become more accessible for blind users through the efforts of Matthew Campbell, a 19-year-old visually-impaired college student who recently released an audio player that makes it more user-friendly.

Embedded devices and appliances will accelerate the growth of Linux within Western Europe, according to the latest figures from research group IDC, which tips Germany and the Nordic countries for greatest adoption.

As linux 2.4 enters another round of testing, SCO is in negotiations to distribute a version of Linux from MandrakeSoft.

IDC believes Linux will continue to make inroads into the market, but not enough to alter the market segmentation significantly. COE revenues generated from Linux and other Open Source environments will increase from $36.9 million in 1999 to $93.3 million in 2004.

Before placing your embedded bet, you need to decide exactly what it is that you want to accomplish and find a partner that can meet your needs.

If the goal is to make Linux a success on the desktop, then we must accept that some fundamental changes in technology and attitude are required.