open-source

Cloudera ups the ante on open-source Hadoop

The Hadoop open-source project for distributed compute processing continues to be one of the most interesting projects for managing the vast amount of data being analyzed and collected in a wide variety of scenarios.

Today, Cloudera, a provider of Hadoop data management software and services, is set to release a major release of its open source software distribution--Cloudera Distribution for Hadoop (CDH), including Apache Hadoop v3.

Cloudera's CDH3 distribution is an integrated set of components and functions that interoperate through standard APIs and manage required component versions and dependencies.

CDH3 is an integrated stack that includes not just software … Read more

Commemorating 20 years of Linux (video)

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Linux Operating System, the nonprofit Linux Foundation has produced an infographic and video that reminds us how much of an impact the open source operating system has had on the world.

In case you've been living under a rock for the last two decades, Linux is part of pretty much every technology ecosystem--mobile (Android), Web (Google), consumer (TiVo), and powers a huge amount of the Internet itself. And it continues to grow, both as an enabler of new services in the cloud and as the operating system that powers huge corporate … Read more

Cisco throws networking into OpenStack cloud

Cisco Systems, one of the world's largest technology companies, signaled last week that it has more than a passing interest in cloud infrastructure by submitting a design for OpenStack: Network as a Service (NaaS).

Cisco's proposal is not the first for NaaS, but I believe it signifies an important acceptance not just of a change to the way that we consume compute and networking but a shift in how big companies will make OpenStack both the literal and metaphorical Apache Web server for cloud services.

The networking component of both public and private clouds has been woefully underserved, … Read more

Firefox 4 launches into a tougher, faster world

Three years ago, Firefox 3 set the record for most downloads in a 24-hour period, cracking 8 million and positioning itself as a viable alternative to Internet Explorer.

Firefox 4 released today to the public at large after 12 public betas, two release candidates, and nearly a year of development, faces a hugely different landscape. (Download Firefox 4 here for Windows, Mac, and Linux.) Microsoft's Internet Explorer remains the dominant browser. And in less than three years, a significant chunk of the browser market has taken a shine to relative newcomer Google Chrome.

Mozilla flips the switch from version … Read more

IBM takes aim at Smarter Commerce

IBM is putting its expertise in data analysis and business process to work under a new initiative called "Smarter Commerce" to help make sense of what consumers want and help vendors to better target offers.

"Smarter Commerce" is a reaction to the shift in the dynamics of commerce as a whole, with the customer leading the path to sales, according to Yuchun Lee, VP of enterprise commerce for IBM. The newly packaged offerings are designed to help businesses engage customers with a higher level of relevancy, putting the customer back to the center of the business … Read more

Survey: Oracle bad for Java, MySQL (infographic)

On March 3, database vendor EnterpriseDB is set to release the results of its survey conducted at the JavaOne conference last September in San Francisco.

More than 600 IT professionals completed the survey, the results of which provide a bit of insight into community sentiment regarding Oracle's control of open-source projects Java and MySQL.

While opinion polls generally tend to be fairly unscientific--especially when sponsored by rival vendors--the results seem to indicate the IT community is wary of Oracle's plans.

According to the results, 46 percent of respondents believe that open-source projects such as MySQL will stagnate under … Read more

Avoiding the cost of entanglement

Modern IT is very focused on economics. We talk endlessly about cost. We debate capital costs vs. operational costs--CAPEX vs. OPEX, in the lingo. We look at Total Cost of Operations (TCO) and we try to calculate our projects' Return On Investment (ROI). But even with all of these economic metrics, we miss an enormous source of costs: Our long-term entanglement with the products, technologies, and approaches we choose.

Long ago, we had a bright idea. "We could represent the year portion of dates with just two digits--that would save space!" We happily did that for a few … Read more

OpenOffice.org offshoot LibreOffice debuts

Programmers have released the first version of LibreOffice for Windows and Mac, the product of a rebellion against Oracle's open-source office suite called OpenOffice.org.

A group called the Document Foundation--unhappy with Oracle's control over OpenOffice after it was acquired along with Sun Microsystems--forked the software into the group's own version in September. LibreOffice 3.3 is the first stable release.

LibreOffice has won support from longtime open-source allies such as Red Hat, Novell, and Ubuntu. But it's got rivals aplenty: while the Document Foundation focuses on separating from its Oracle and Sun roots, the larger … Read more

Ubuntu opens up to Qt toolkit

Future versions of Ubuntu will include the cross-platform Qt interface libraries and could come preloaded with Qt applications based on the framework, according to Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical and the Ubuntu Project.

Shuttleworth announced the decision on his blog yesterday, noting that, following the Linux platform's Natty Narwhal release, the company will need to assess the benefits of including Qt apps and frameworks with the disc and download installation by default.

"Ease of use and effective integration are key values in our user experience. We care that the applications we choose are harmonious with one another and … Read more