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To: smolejv@gmx.net who wrote (580)	12/25/2002 4:53:33 AM
From: TobagoJack	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 867

Hello DJ, Kristie is a friend and she had reported last year ... China's Linux coders not sharing, says Red Hat July 5, 2001 Posted: 7:52 PM EDT (2352 GMT) By CNN's Kristie Lu Stout cnn.com HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Linux software developers in China are not sharing their modified source code, according to a Red Hat executive. Red Hat vice president and managing director Mark White said that Chinese programmers are going against the fundamental philosophy of the open-source movement by withholding their code. But Hong Kong's Sun Wah Linux says Red Hat's comments are rooted only in frustration as the company fails to win a market dominated by domestic players. "Chinese software developers should be able to work on the Linux kernel project, as a peer, with somebody in Finland, the U.S. or Australia, but they are not doing that," White told Computerworld Hong Kong. "They are keeping the source code, (which) means that their product becomes wrapped in it and encapsulated, and in a sense (this is) going against the ideals and benefits of what made Linux useful to them in the first place." 'Sour comment' But according to Sun Wah Linux deputy chief executive Alex Banh, Red Hat's assessment of Chinese programmers is not true, and is simply a comment seeded in frustration. "One of the issues is Red Hat has had a difficult time penetrating into China," Banh told CNN. "It might just be a sour comment from Red Hat." Linux is a free operating system developed by a community of programmers who openly share the source code in an effort to continually improve the language. Because of the distributive nature of the open-source movement, there is no guarantee that any breakthroughs in Linux development would be shared. The U.S.-based Red Hat makes money "on the edges" of Linux by charging for Linux documentation and technical support. The company has already launched a simplified Chinese version of its Linux software and is competing directly against domestic players like Red Flag. Government blessing Sun Wah Linux is a shareholder and distributor of Red Flag products in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Founded in October 1999, Red Flag is closely allied to Beijing University's software affiliate Founder and the Software Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It also boasts strong alliances with Compaq, HP and IBM. Companies like Red Flag and Sun Wah have one key advantage over Red Hat and other U.S.-based Linux firms -- the blessing of the Chinese government. "When you're backed by the government, it's much easier to get into Linux training and technical support for larger customers," said Banh

To: smolejv@gmx.net who wrote (580)	12/25/2002 4:54:30 AM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 867

China: The Republic of Linux techtv.com Learn more about how the open-source movement has captured the world's most populated nation. By Roman Loyola Printer-friendly format Email this story Video Highlight Linux in China Microsoft's software has gained acceptance worldwide, but in China the company is losing ground. The Chinese government has adopted Linux as its operating system of choice, and is doing its part to promote Linux and open-source software to the masses. On today's show, Han Naiping (Vice Chief Engineer, CS&S Corporation) and Zhao Xiao-Liang (Senior Vice President, Red Flag Software), part of a federal delegation from China, talk about the reasons behind this decision, including piracy challenges and suspicions that Microsoft is in cahoots with the US government. There are numerous reasons why China adopted Linux over Windows or any other commercially available operating system. Among them: Before joining the World Trade Organization, China had to show that it was doing something to stop its massive software piracy problem. Since open-source software is nonproprietary, piracy is a nonissue. The Chinese government is uncomfortable with one company dominating its software market. Prices for Microsoft software are too high for many Chinese citizens, and Microsoft is viewed as an uncompromising bully. China prefers to develop a software market dominated by Chinese developers. Some Chinese officials are convinced that having an American government dominate the market compromises national security. Secret security flaws in Windows can be used to access Chinese networks. Officials like to state the discovery of the NSA key in Windows as proof that Microsoft is working with the US government on intelligence issues. Links Get more information about the Linux and open-source movements in China. Business Weekly: Linux Operating System Gains Ground in China General overview of the Linux movement. BBC News: Linux Takes on MS in China Factors that have persuaded China to choose Linux and open source. Salon: Linux in China: Not Ready for Prime Time One writer's experience of the Chinese software market. China Linux Forum Online Linux community. Site is published in Chinese. What do you think? After you watch Nai-Ping and Xiao-Liang's appearance on the show, let us know what you think. Does China have the right idea? Will this help the open-source movement? Will this affect Microsoft's bottom line? Let us know your opinion in the Talkback section below.

To: smolejv@gmx.net who wrote (580)	12/25/2002 4:56:07 AM
From: TobagoJack	Respond to of 867

Linux takes on MS in China Microsoft is losing out to homegrown Linux software Tuesday, 8 January, 2002, 21:15 GMT news.bbc.co.uk Microsoft could have a fight on its hands for control of the software market in China as it emerges that arch-rival Linux is experiencing unexpected growth in the region. Linux offers people the ability to do what they want at a price they can pay Dan Kusnetzky, IDC Open-source Linux operating systems have long battled with software giant Microsoft for a greater share of the software market. Now, it seems it is making headway in the important emerging market of China. Although figures for 2001 are not yet released, technology analyst IDC claims Linux systems have made surprising headway in the communist state in both server software - a traditional growth market for Linux - and in the desktop market which has been much more difficult for open-source systems like Linux to break into in the past. Desire to control One of the reasons for its success in China could be down to its ability to be controlled says vice president of software systems at IDC, Dan Kusnetzky. "Open source gives a level of control that proprietary software from the likes of Microsoft and HP do not give," explains Kusnetzsky. "It may be that the authorities want to keep a check on who is using computers and firms like HP might take a dim view of what the Chinese Government wants to do," he adds. An uneasy relationship between the Chinese Government and Western multi-nationals is also cited by analyst firm Gartner Group as the reason why a recent Microsoft bid to provide software to the Beijing regime was rejected. Out of seven software contracts, six went to Chinese vendors. "The key factor in its decision has been the Chinese's support of indigenous vendors such as the Chinese Academy of Science's development support of Red Flag Linux OS," says Gartner analyst Louisa Lui. Another reason that China may be looking favourably on Linux is because it wants to build up its own IT infrastructure, says IDC's Kusnetzsky. "China is very interested in building its own software industry and open source can be viewed by their operators and adapted without having to do the whole design from scratch," he points out. Price pressure The third factor in the rise in popularity for Linux is simple: price. By showing its patronage of systems like Linux, the Chinese Government puts itself in a better negotiating position with the big boys such as Microsoft, believes Kusnetzsky. He also thinks it could force a global price rethink for the software giant. "Microsoft will respond to competitive pressures. China is just one example of forces operating worldwide, he says. In other places like South America, Linux offers people the ability to do what they want at a price they can pay." The impact of Linux on the world software market should not be over-stated, however. According to IDC's figures for 2000, Microsoft still controlled 94% of the desktop software market and while Linux is expected to overtake the number two - Apple Mac OS - by 2003, it would still control less than 4% of the market. In server software, it fares a little better and is expected to control around 30% of the market by 2003, according to IDC.