> It sounds just fine in the present tense.
You're right. Fixed.
> Such URLs are too long. Kill them.
I'm going to send around an opinion list to see if we should trim the list of
URLs a little. I've gotten the same sorts of comments from a few people, so I
need a bit more input. (Just what I need; more mail. =)
> Ugh. We ought to use the same terms that Cisco uses in their
> press releases.
Huh?
> It is better. The first sentence takes too long parse. It looks like
> "proprietary" modifies "protocol network devices". There is no such
> thing as "protocol network devices". Simple fix: kill "protocol".
>
> You still have "wide support for a wide" in your text.
> Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers...
>
> Support for protocols has little to do with taking control.
> I just think "a wide variety of protocols," should go.
>
> Firewall info has clearly been tacked onto the end. Firewalls need
> to be in the list of features that let you control your intranet.
> If you don't agree with that, at least get rid of "In addition,"
> and replace "significantly improved" with a comment about how the
> new code gives better control.
All done. I can't believe the "wide...wide" slipped by me _twice_. Another
reason to support peer review. =)
> That got a bit long. Maybe this:
>
> : * Strong 256-bit encryption, uncompromised by US export restrictions,
> : is available as an add-on component. It protects both network
> : infrastructure and hard disk storage, including swap space.
Wait, that's almost exactly the same as what I had originally. =)
> Are you sure they want to see it _there_?
Yes.
> It is a very bad place.
> You were also vague about internationalization. Linux 2.2 has
> Euro support in keymaps, in console maps, and in fonts.
And you (below) don't want me talking about everyone's pet projects? We need to
trim the fat somewhere, and this seems like the perfect place to start. =)
> I like "File server destruction" better, because RAID already protects
> you from some hardware malfunctions. Coda is much more capable.
Done.
> > I like this the way it is. I have also avoided having a string
> > of "Linux 2.2 provides" or "Linux 2.2 offers" prefixes.
>
> It is good to mention "Linux" often. Perhaps you would prefer this:
>
> : The many exciting multimedia enhancements in Linux 2.2 include
> : video conferencing and recording support, TV tuner support, and
> : enhanced audio support.
Something like that is in my new draft. The three "support"s are now bugging
me. What to do, what to do...
> No, that would be multiple computers (or non-PC non-Mac hardware).
> Nobody sane would make non-SMP multiprocessor support for a PC.
Well, it depends on what you mean by a computer. Some of the fastest
supercomputers in the world (like the IBM SP2) are message-passing machines, not
SMP. No matter what anyone tells you, SMP doesn't scale incredibly well. If you
have an easily parallelized algorithm, MP almost always scales better due to
hardware concerns.
> Passive voice is almost always bad. You use it when you have to
> testify about what you did to a whitehouse intern.
=)
> What about the parody appearance?
?
> Yes indeed, this is a press release. Kill Samba. I read all the
> kernel patches, and I assure you that Samba was not integrated
> into the 2.2 kernel.
Har, har... I agree, but this seems to be one of those features that will make or
break Linux for many departments. It also has a nice lead-in from the
NT/UNIX filesystem sentence.
> You must add "Windows and Windows NT are..." to go with it. Eeew.
You're right. Done.
> Are you suggesting that Linux has something that must be fixed? :-)
=)
> You may feel very strongly about the information, but that doesn't
> mean it belongs in a Linux 2.2 press release.
I think it does. It is one of those things that we want to drill into the press,
so the misconceptions about Free Software end. Maybe if some of them actually
follow the link, they'll start to understand. I will add this to the survey that
I'll be distributing in a little while.
> You can just ignore SuSE, Red Hat, and all the rest.
> Simplify: "Linux is a secure network operating system"
I removed distributions and said "systems," just to see what everyone thinks.
> **ahem**
(Remainder deleted)
I fixed this per a suggestion from Jim Gettys. It may need some fixing, however,
as you'll see...
> Now you have to explain what an UltraSPARC is and why someone
> should care about UltraSPARC support. This press release is too
> long now. It is time to chainsaw this document, and you might as
> well start here.
Only people who have an UltraSPARC are going to care. For them, it's good that
it's there. Others will ignore it. Not everyone is going to care about
multimedia support, either, but we have that in there...
> Nobody should care who designed the document, but the results matter.
> The results: everybody's pet feature is listed.
** ahem **
> : Both traditional support contracts and cost-effective Internet
> : support resources are widely available.
I changed it to this for now. I want to see what others think, although I think
it's fine. "Cost-effective Internet groups" was just too much cheese in one
sentence, IMO. =)
> >> We can't use "UNIX" here. We can't use it anywhere at all.
> >> Only reporters may use the term without prior authorization,
> >> and they still have to be careful about proper use.
> >
> > We can't even if we list the trademark? Doesn't this come under fair use?
>
> http://www.UNIX-systems.org/trademark.html
Yep, it looks like you're right. Umm..... we should consider what the
consequences are if we don't abide by this. We could also go the old way, as
I suggested to Jim Gettys: UN*X. It removes some of the professionalism, but at
least we don't lose the great Vinod quote, because we can just put in "[UN*X]" in
place of "UNIX." =)
> Important URLs get lost in that huge collection. It also looks
> like you endorse particular distributions and projects.
Keep in mind that a lot of this was here WAY before I started modifying it.
I basically did cut-and-paste on the URL section.
> Worse yet, YOU ARE BEING TOTALLY POLITICAL about this. You have
> excluded www.linux.org, which happens to be a very good site.
> More than any other site, www.linux.org has earned a place.
Oops! Sorry, that was unintentional, although having read Slashdot for many
months, I understand why you would get angry about this. I was rearranging the
URLs, and that was the first one on the list, so I guess it got chopped. It's
back now.
Okay, the latest draft (5) follows. Comments are appreciated.
Kyle
-- Kyle R. Rose "They can try to bind our arms, Laboratory for Computer Science but they cannot chain our MIT NE43-309, 617-253-5883 minds or hearts..." http://web.mit.edu/krr/www/ Stratovarius krose@theory.lcs.mit.edu Forever Free**** DRAFT **** PRESS RELEASE - LINUX KERNEL 2.2.0 **** DRAFT **** **** FORK 1 **** FINAL-5 DRAFT
Linux kernel version 2.2.0 released
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday 26 January 1999
Contact: linux-2.2@linuxunited.org
SANTA CLARA, C.A. -- Today Linus Torvalds, the primary developer and coordinator of the Linux kernel team, releases a major new version of the Linux kernel. This update brings substantial performance improvements and a multitude of new features.
* Advanced network routing and wide area network (WAN) support give Linux the ability to replace many expensive, proprietary network devices. Users can take control of their intranets with support for usage limits, accounting, firewalls, and virtual private networks.
* Strong 256-bit encryption, uncompromised by US export restrictions, is available as an add-on component. It protects both network infrastructure and hard disk storage, including swap space.
* Owing to its tradition of open and international development, Linux is positioned as an operating system ready for the new millennium. Linux 2.2 is Y2K ready and continues to build on previous versions' internationalization.
* Enterprise-level network filesystem support, with data replication for performance, mobility, and extreme reliability, ensures that file server destruction does not stop business.
* New multimedia capabilities in Linux 2.2 include video capture support, TV tuner support, and enhanced audio support.
* A wide variety of new SCSI and parallel port devices are now supported, including disk drives, tape drives, and other external devices.
* Already legendary performance is significantly enhanced. High-end symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) support scales well, supporting systems with up to 64 processors.
* Compatibility with Windows NT and Unix filesystems enables Linux 2.2 to seamlessly handle data from legacy systems. SAMBA gives a Linux system the ability to provide a complete replacement for NT Server services, including file and print sharing and domain authentication.
* Because Linux operates under an open development model, every user has the ability to modify the operating system components and submit patches to the official distribution. This both facilitates the development of new features and enables users to repair problems within hours after they have been located.
Linux 2.2 is available for free download on the Internet: visit the Linux Kernel Archive (http://www.kernel.org/) to obtain it from a worldwide network of mirror servers which has been established in anticipation of massive demand for this new version. As always, the Linux kernel is distributed as Free Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.html).
Linux distribution vendors are expected to ship fully-integrated systems using the new kernel before Q2 1999. Business users should look to their distribution vendors for information about this important upgrade.
ABOUT LINUX
"Linux" is the common name for a class of secure network operating systems based on the Linux kernel and other open source software including the Free Software Foundation's GNU Project, the Apache web server, Samba, the X Window System, and BSD UNIX. Linux takes full advantage of modern, high-end x86, Power Mac, Alpha, and UltraSPARC hardware. It can also breathe life into older machines -- even 386- and 486-based computers. Networks of Linux computers can provide supercomputer-like performance for some applications; one widely-known example is the dramatic 3-D scenes in the blockbuster movie "Titanic", which were rendered on Alpha-powered Linux systems.
Both traditional support contracts and cost-effective Internet support resources are widely available. Linux is provided under an unlimited-use license that lets users make in-house customizations to the system itself. Recent estimates suggest that Linux has up to 20 million users worldwide.
Microsoft employees Josh Cohen and Vinod Valloppillil, in a competitive examination of Linux (The so-called "Halloween Document", http://www.opensource.org/halloween.html), wrote that "Linux represents a best-of-breed UNIX, that is trusted on mission critical applications, and - due to its open source code - has a long term credibility which exceeds many other competitive operating systems."
ABOUT LINUS TORVALDS
Linus Torvalds, originally from Finland, lives with his family in Santa Clara, CA, USA. He and others created Linux as an open-source alternative to proprietary, closed operating systems after becoming disillusioned with the poor quality and prohibitive pricing of commercial offerings.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Power Mac is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. UltraSPARC is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Alpha is a trademark of Compaq Computer Corporation. The X Window System and UNIX are a trademark and a registered trademark, respectively, of The Open Group. Microsoft and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information on Linux, its help pages, press, distributions, and commercial programs, please refer to some of the many Linux Internet resources. Resources relating to Open Source software and its projects are also listed.
General Linux Resources
Linux International http://www.li.org/ Linux Kernel Archives http://www.kernel.org/ Linux Online http://www.linux.org/ Linux Resources http://www.linuxresources.com/ Linux Standard Base http://www.linuxbase.org/ LinuxHQ http://www.linuxhq.com/ Eurolinux http://www.linux.eu.org/
Open Source Software
Open Source Initiative http://www.opensource.org/ Open Projects http://www.openprojects.net/ Free Software Foundation http://www.fsf.org/ The Linux Kernel Archive http://www.kernel.org/
Linux Help
Linux Help Online http://www.linuxhelp.org/ Linux HOWTOS http://metalab.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTOS/
Press
Freshmeat http://www.freshmeat.net/ Linux Gazette http://www.linuxgazette.com/ Linux Journal http://www.linuxjournal.com/ Linux Today http://www.linuxtoday.com/ LinuxNow http://www.linuxnow.com/ Linux Weekly News http://lwn.net/ LinuxWorld http://www.linuxworld.com/ Slashdot http://www.slashdot.org/
Linux Distribution Vendors
Caldera Systems http://www.calderasystems.com/ Conectiva Linux http://www.conectiva.com.br/ Debian GNU/Linux http://www.debian.org/ Linux PowerPC http://www.linuxppc.com/ TurboLinux http://www.pht.com/ Red Hat Software http://www.redhat.com/ ROCK Linux http://www.rock-projects.com/linux-e.html Slackware Linux http://www.slackware.com/ Stampede GNU/Linux http://www.stampede.org/ S.u.S.E Linux http://www.suse.com/ UltraLinux http://ultra.linux.cz/
Other Open Source Projects
The Apache Project http://www.apache.org/ The Beowulf Project http://www.beowulf.org/ The GNU Project http://www.gnu.org The GNOME Project http://www.gnome.org/ The K Desktop Environment http://www.kde.org/ The Mozilla Project http://www.mozilla.org/ Roxen Challenger http://www.roxen.com/ The SAMBA Team http://www.samba.org/ The XFree86 Project http://www.xfree86.org/ The Wine Project http://www.winehq.com/
Commercial Sites
Corel http://linux.corel.com Informix on Linux http://www.informix.com/informix/solutions/linux Linux Commercial Software Index http://www.linux.org.uk/Commercial/ Oracle on Linux http://www.oracle.com/linux/ StarDivision http://www.stardivision.com/
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