Days after Tripp Lite, a leading manufacturer of power protection products, announced it had made the source code of its popular PowerAlert Universal UPS Management Software available to Linux developers in an open source environment, the Linux community has responded with overwhelmingly positive approval.

This week, Linux-based hardware solutions vendor VA Linux Systems moved to support startup Web portal LinuxNewbie.com, a site aimed at introducing the public to the increasingly popular open-source operating system.

Network computing products and services provider Sun Microsystems plans to freely release the source code for its proprietary Solaris operating system to catch the rising tide spurred by Linux, an industry-sweeping operating system free to all users.

iming to become a supplier of Linux to consumers, computer book publisher Macmillan has opened a Web site offering Linux information and support, with plans to sell a Mandrake variation of Linux in book and software stores.

SuSE GmbH, one of the leading Linux system companies worldwide, is now expanding in eastern Europe with opening a branch in Prague.

The Common UNIX Printing System provides a portable printing layer for UNIX operating systems.

It’s fast, stable and free. But these alone do not explain the fanatical loyalty of Linux fans.

Sun Microsystems Inc., in a major shift, plans to begin making the source code of its Solaris operating system freely available to the public in an attempt to parallel the success of the popular Linux operating system.

'Jesux' is being crafted as the Christian Linux distribution of choice. One possible change: replacement of common Unix names 'kill,' 'abort' and 'daemon.'

The power and stability of Linux can also be a boon to the average secretary, teacher, small business owner, etc. on the desktop as the platform on which to run the most common productivity application to date, word processors.