John Patrick, the closest thing IBM has to a cult hero, calls Linux a disruptive technology. Patrick's referring to the phenomenon described by Clayton M. Christensen in the book "The Innovator's Dilemma" as a technology that sneaks up on established vendors because they are too blinded by their own visions to realize that the technology is a threat in the first place.

The U.S. government's proposal Friday to split software giant Microsoft into two companies is already proving a boon to upstart Linux companies, as several Linux stocks were trading significantly higher in midday market action Monday.

As Linux slowly moves into the mainstream, several distinct classes of Linux users are emerging. At the top of the spectrum, we have the "die hard" users, those who have been using some Unix variant for years. At the low end, we have those who have picked up a copy of Linux at the local CompUSA, and probably plan on dual-booting between it and Windows. There is a vast gap between these two ends of the spectrum, and when they meet, there's sure to be a "culture clash."

Security holes are not uncommon in the software industry. But a recent vulnerability discovered in a Red Hat (RHAT) Linux product has refueled the debate over the security of open-source software.

Everything that is free has a catch. Maybe not this time. However, just to give you the benefit of the doubt let's take a peek to get a fair representation of Linux and how it compares as an operating system.

TurboLinux is well known for its industrial-strength Linux server distributions, but its recent desktop distribution falls short of its lofty reputation. Workstation 6.0's text-based partitioning tools make it difficult to install, and it comes with only limited technical support to help you in a pinch. That's why Linux beginners should avoid Turbo--we suggest Corel Linux instead. Even power users might want to consider a Linux distribution that's easier to install, such as Red Hat.

Eazel, Inc. of Palo Alto, is one of the few companies that bridges the business PC and Internet appliance markets. A powerful team of original Macintosh programmers behind this Silicon Valley startup is betting you’ll soon be running their new friendly version of Linux both at work and from the kitchen.

Swiss startup Smartdata today unveiled a credit-card sized embedded Linux computer called µ-computer Chipslice. The tiny device, which runs uClinux, is intended to be used in a wide range of mobile, portable, and wearable computing applications.

It is getting pretty easy to defend the choice of open-source software for corporate projects these days. It is common knowledge that the Internet runs mostly on open-source software.

Recent stock market fluctuations have affected Linux companies and could cause the consolidation of leading Linux firms.