Linux: When Free Isn't

Both companies' estimates have been hotly disputed in the press and in Linux newsgroups. One reason Linux is controversial is that it is difficult to determine the market share of software that is often downloaded for free and installed on top of existing operating systems. Gartner's research accounts only for servers that were shipped with Linux preinstalled. Conversely, IDC's higher numbers are also an inexact measure because paid copies are so cheap (often less than $40) that, in many cases, they may be purchased for experimental or personal use only. But since corporations are the customers most likely to buy preconfigured systems or pay for software in order to secure support, the increase in both the Gartner and IDC figures suggests that corporate interest continues to grow. --T.R.

WHO'S BUYING THE BEER?

With companies looking to pinch pennies, the idea of free software-- particularly operating systems, which typically come with hefty license fees--may sound intriguing. But Linux supporters are fond of explaining that the software isn't really free in the sense of "free beer"--that is, gratis--it's free in the sense of "free speech." Many advocates of free software prefer the less confusing term "open source" software, which emphasizes the public nature of the source code.

The premise of Linux is that users can modify, improve, and share the source code as they wish, but they can't turn it into a proprietary product. In general, Linux and other free software products are distributed under the General Public License (GPL). As defined by the Free Software Foundation, the GPL is a sort of inverted copyright (actually referred to as a copyleft) that "requires those who distribute a program to also pass along the right to use, modify, and redistribute the software." (Although it is the most well known, Linux is not the only open-source software available, nor is GPL the only copyleft license.) Nonetheless, the practical result of such licenses still is that Linux is typically available for download at no cost. --T.R.

LINUX BIG AND SMALL

APPLIANCE SERVERS: Linux works well for servers handling a single application like firewalls or Web servers.

DISTRIBUTED ENTERPRISE: Linux also works well in remote configurations. Example: Kenwood Americas Corp., which uses Linux as a file server to provide daily sales data and backup for its five outlet stores.

CLUSTERS: Look out, Deep Blue. Linux allowed Amerada Hess Corp. to string together off-the-shelf Dell desktop PCs and create a supercomputer that displaced IBM's SP2, the very machine that beat chess master Gary Kasparov.

MAINFRAME: Yes, the mainframe is back, and it's running Linux--an increasingly popular method of eliminating servers and lowering the total cost of ownership. That's what Winnebago Industries Inc. is doing now as it experiments with moving its mail server back onto the mainframe, an approach that may help it reduce the $100,000 annual expense by 30 percent.

DESKTOP: The practicality of Linux on the desktop is the subject of much debate. Most of Corporate America is addicted to the Microsoft Office suite of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and despite the availability of alternatives, most executives will think twice before prying their workforce off such an entrenched system. --T.R.

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