Linux for the CIO

On the 3rd of July,

1991, Linus Benedict Torvalds posted the following message on the Internet:

From: torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds)

Date: 3 Jul 91 10:00:50 GMT

Hello netlanders,

Due to a project I’m working on (in minix), I’m interested in the posix

standard definition. Could somebody please point me to a (preferably) machine-readable

format of the latest posix rules? Ftp-sites would be nice.

Almost eight years later, on the 18th of February 1999, the following announcement hit

the news-wires of the world:

IBM and Red Hat Software announced today that they will work collaboratively to

optimize IBM personal system hardware for running Red Hat Linux, providing customers with

powerful and reliable enterprise and e-business solutions on the Red Hat Linux platform.

What a journey! From an experiment in 1991 to adoption and endorsement by the

world’s largest technology company in 1999!

A year ago, only the IS people knew what Linux was. If they were using it, they were

doing quietly, in secret. Why? Because their bosses had deemed that Linux was not

something the company should be using.

Imagine the surprise of the very same IS people on getting a memo from someone high up

in management, saying "At the meeting yesterday everybody seemed to be using and

raving about Linux servers. Are we using Linux? If not, why? Please see me about this

immediately."

What happened?

Bill McCracken, general manager of marketing and strategy, IBM Personal Systems Group,

sums it up nicely, "Our customers are asking for Linux solutions."

The once hackers’ OS, had found worldwide corporate acceptance. Tux, the lovable

penguin, the mascot of the Linux community, had traded his jeans and T-shirt for a

pinstriped suit and a tie.

PC Quest and Linux FACE="Arial" COLOR="#000000" size="2">

The May 1998 issue of PC Quest seemed to have

been timed to perfection. In the months following its release, Linux saw corporate

endorsement from the likes of Intel, Netscape, IBM, Compaq/Digital, Dell, Corel, HP, and

(wonder over wonders) even Microsoft, they not only acknowledged the importance of Linux

in the global IT market, but also released products that ran on Linux. Everyone sat up and

took notice. More so in India, where Linux provided a solution that made a lot of sense to

everyone–Linux gave a new life to "outdated" computers.

Apparently, the May 1998 issue of PC Quest made its way into the hands of people

who had never even heard of PCQ.

If you ask around, you will find that many of India’s corporate giants are already

using Linux. Many of them set these up using the PC Quest CD-ROMs.

Now almost a year later we are back with Linux, complete with all updates and

additional software that companies need to deploy it. The articles in this issue address

both corporate management as well as those who will deploy Linux.

It’s been four years since PCQ first brought out Linux on its CDs, but it’s

the first time that it’s being specifically aimed at Corporate India.

Be aware that you will be part of a worldwide community that uses a product that has

the highest growth factor in operating systems, after Microsoft Windows. And that might,

quite possibly, decide the future of computing.