Rumors denied do not mean rumors unfounded. Does Corel still exist or did they die last year with the rest of the strangled businesses? Corel Linux, and Corel Office Suite. There's your merger AOL-TW. Gank yourself a project someone else already started to make user friendly and get yourself an Office Suite in the process. I'm pretty sure it's a tad less expensive to buy out.

Corel Linux and everything the company was working on was sold to Xandros (http://www.xandros.net/).

just saw that. they're developing an OS based on Corel Linux thats due out this summer.

http://news.com.com/2100....msnbc.feed..ne_8551983

A friend called me this evening, and let me know about a radio program he heard last night. Seems the talk show host, Allen Handleman, was talking with a security person from the Libertarian part about "Carnivor". The way the story went, AOL was the first to allow the FBI to install Carnivor on their servers- and is supposedly still there and active today. Supposedly MSN, Earthlink, and others fought against Carnivor. Anyone out there know more about this?

James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com

I was just wanting to see if any one posting even knew what carnivor is ? Please dont think I am putting any one or anything down. I am not a big fan of AOL but this kinda gets me worried the above mentioned program is what the FBI uses to screen if you will email kinda like a filter it can be set to look for spacific words and pulls that message aside for them to read . what bothers me is that most of the providers faught it and makes the FBI get at least a warrent to use it but AOL volunteered to put it on this kinda sets off all kinda bells in me about privacy and such things. If AOL is willing to do this to their customers what will they be willing to do to those using thier own distro of red hat . I am not a linux user and this bothers me i dont know how i would feel if i were a user and this was handed to me

Yes, most of us know what carnivore is. The thing about carnavore is that it won't interfere with your privacy unless you tell it to by using language that makes you a potential threat. I don't think it's a good idea for the feds to spy on us, but I both own my own mail domains, and don't send the sort of mail that would trigger it so I have nothing to worry about. Until Jamwheat provides solid proof that AOL is using carnavore I think it's pretty safe to call it a rumor. ;-)

You are correct, Fewt- other than my friend telling me about the radio show, I don't have any "hard proof". Wish I did, though :-)

James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com

glad you got in on this fewt have watched you post on here with great interest . this may help prove some of what James is speaking of http://www.lp.org/press/...ion=view&record=542 about half way down the page but for those interested in privacy and security in other fields it is a good read

Very little has been said about how the takeover of Nullsoft has done to Winamp. I believe there was only a post or two about it, most people tend to look for the bad things rather than the good. Im as anti-AOL as most people are. But WinAmp used to be shareware and when AOL bought them out, it became freeware. This application is one of the few that I haven't crashed nearly a dozen times.

Look at the new version 3.0 of WinAmp, it is amazing. So many new features in it and the sound quality is better than the previous 2.xx.

One thing that might support AOL taking Red Hat is the development of their new WinAmp 3.0 for linux. Or it could just be something the developers do when they have nothing else to do.

Thats my two cents.

WinAmp was freeware before AOL bought Nullsoft and it was freeware to begin with! There was only a short period of time when it was shareware and cost $20 or so.

AOL server is open source, mozilla is open source, and Linux is of course open source. With the slew of aim/icq friendly clients wouldnt it make sense for them to open source the two clients after such a large absorption of new radical source. Their software people will be up to their eyes in code. My prediction: Rams beat the Eagles (defense scored only 2 sacks in chicago, not quite good enough to stop the quick out rams from scoring again and again) Stealers drop the curtain on the Pats. With or without betis they've pummeled their way in, and they will continue to do so as Stewart out scrambles New England.

all you folks out there that are pissed cause AOL is trying to grab up RedHat needs to chill a little. Is it disturbing that a company that produces crappy software is buying the top distribution for GNU/Linux? Sure it is, BUT think of all free marketing that GNU/Linux are gonna get out of this. RedHat isnt the only distribution just currently one of the largest, even if AOL gets RedHat they will have NO control over any of the other dists'. They arent/cant "buy" Linux and even if they found some legal loop hole to do so all they would own is the kernal nothing more since all the rest of the software that comes with Redhat is the GNU stuff. There are other kernals out there that can be used instead. Anything AOL puts into Redhat can be removed with a quick "rpm --erase" or if its really bad, a kernal recompile (not as bad as it sounds). In the meantime they will be pouring $$$ into marketing AOLinux and most likely dummying down the x-windows interface and install process which is what GNU/Linux really needs to get it onto the average users desktop.

I don't like AOL any more then the rest of you, but with the publicity this will give to open source software and the possibility of mainstreaming the GNU/Linux OS... this is a good thing to anyone who wants GNU/Linux to succeed.

if there were a loop hole IBM would have found it.

EXACTLY! they can't "own" Linux any more then they can "kill" it, so all these folks who think this is a bad thing need to read more on what GNU/Linux really is. You could go to Linus Torvaldis and offer him a billion dollars and it wouldnt do you any good because even he doesnt "own" Linux and he would have the biggest claim to it if anyone did. All this will do is sink $$$ into promoting GNU/Linux and, possibly, harm one of the biggest distributions going...which is fine since there are plenty more to choose from. mandrake, suse, debian...hell you can get away from Linux all together and go freebsd :)

Aol...you suck..., but thanks :)

Nice icon, I like the Aim buddy w/the Hat on. He looks slick.

I can't see how this'd do any harm.. it's GPL, so it'd just get forked into a non-AOL version. It may well end up like Mozilla/Netscape - basically an up-to-date free version without the bloat, or a slightly older version bundled with lots of stuff, but a bit more support.

I actually think it's a good thing. If there's one thing AOL are good at, it's enticing Joe "Clueless" Sixpack into using their stuff. A nice pretty interface, the voice of Joanna Lumley, and 5 free CDs in every packet of cerial - mister average can't stop himself from installing it!

If they do that with Linux... it could turn out well.
Two of Linux's biggest weaknesses: popularity with the average everyday public (for AOL, fixing this would be a walk in the park - just shove it in your face like the AOL discs) and the ability for any old monkey to use it without reading the manual (also one of AOL's strengths)

Remember, AOL is the first step into the Internet for a lot of people (before they lose the need for the hand-holding and find a better provider). If they do the same for a Linux distribution... who knows where it'd lead.

The Clinton Justice Department went after Microsoft mainly because Bill Gates didn't give the DNC enough money. At the same time, they let AOL merge with Time Warner (itself the result of a megamerger) and Exxon merge with Mobil.

AOL Time Warner is a much more dangerous monopoly than Microsoft. And because they have a lock on their market, their software is lousy and they couldn't care less.

What a senseless reply that was. The depth of idiocy is amazing. "Antitrust case is because MS didn't donate enough". I live in Microsoft country, I play test at the Union Hill complex in Redmond every week. Most of my neighbors work for Microsoft. The company is evil incarnate. AOL is scraping for it's very survival with the Redhat buyout. Microsoft has destroyed more good companies than the AT&T and Standard Oil combined. As you'll recall (I'm sure the fellow I'm flaming won't) those were the two major anti-trust cases of the 20th century. Fear Microsoft. They desire total control of all you see and hear. I'm not kidding. That's the way they talk in Redmond.

Could you point out an article or piece of evidence that proves substantially that MS has destroyed any companies or are you working on just conjecture and what some consider "common knowledge". Could you also give us a comparison of companies destroyed vs. companies saved/created/invested in by MS?
Talk fact not speculation.
I'm really tired of seeing people dismiss of bad behavior from one company by using another companies bad behavior as an example. "Well AOL needs to do this to compete against MS" blah blah. So lets take all of AOL's bad business practices and sweep it aside because 1) Microsoft is worse and 2) Linux will get a big boost, woohoo!

Anyone wanna buy some shares from BeOS????

I hear it's really really cheap.....

The ONE thing that Linux has ALWAYS had over MS in fence sitters is the fact that it was non-commercial and regulated by nobody. Commercializing Linux will destroy it's very foundations and turn many a hardcore user off to it. The very things that Linux users HATE about Windows will become an integral part of "America On Linux". Even though I don't use Linux much, the one thing that has attracted ME to it was the idea that I could be FREE from BIG business. AOL ruins every thing it touches like ICQ for example. They have turned their internet service into the SLOWEST, most UNRELIABLE ISP out there. Wonder what their user to modem ratio is? 500 to 1?

AOL buying RedHat != AOL buying Linux.. Linux can not become a commercial entity unless AOL buys Linus, even then there are hundreds of kernel developers that would take their ball and go play elsewhere. Soon you'd find that the FreeBSD kernel had been forked, and it would quickly become Linux's replacement. I have no worries about Linux being destroyed by a corporate entity because it's just not possible. :-) Only good can come of AOL's purchase of RedHat, otherwise someone will give AOL the finger, and fork the code. There isn't much of RedHat that's closed source. ;-) I could take RedHat 7.2 GPL edition, find and replace every instance of RedHat with Fewt, then sell a Fewt Linux CD and RedHat couldn't do anything about it (Actually as history shows they would likely wish me luck)

You tool! This is a wonderful thing! Think about it. Billions in resources, hundreds if not thousands of new open source coders, simpler navigation and control, and most importantly this makes it a true microsoft competitor! I will remind you all that Winamp is still top quality, as is the newest Netscape 6 release, and as for ICQ even though its bloated doomed existance seems eminent they've remained sted fast to developing tools to integrate into it and enhance AIM at the same time. While this enhances the AOL Empire, you really need someone with that kind of clout to battle with the jugernaut of MS.

I don't understand what all you people are worried about. Red Hat will be safe under the pillowy busom of the world's largest ISP, AOL users will happily yield to these new changes - getting what they want (an IM system, e-Mail, Internet); while Microsoft will fight back or fall into the fetal position and die.

I mean, the entire problem with Linux is that it doesn't use the applications that the bulk of internet users use each day, right? Well, throw an AOL Operating System Disk at them (not to mention media marketing it like hell) and they'll gladly switch with the promise of enhancing their AOL experience. 10 Million users use AOL, even a small percentage of that number switch to AOL's OS it will hurt Microsoft harder than ever before.

All the basic Internet user (an AOL user, basically) needs is a word processor, browser and media player. What else do they need?

Internet Explorer
AOL has had IE in their client since it started, but with the purchase of Netscape you can be sure that it will make the switch. (There are also reports that a beta version of AOL came out with Netscape in it, not IE)

Windows Media Player
AOL has bought Nullsoft, which has Winamp - pretty much the most popular MP3 player out there. It wouldn't be too hard to get it to run video files too.

MSN Messenger
AOL IM wins this. Even though MSN is gaining great momentum with Windows XP integration, AOL already has a gigantic user/fanbase and is far easier to use.

MSN Passport
As you can see with AOL IM's recent betas, they are adding a "Magic Carpet" [aka AOL Alarms] into it which is basically like MSN Passport. They can carry this same infastructure to the opperating system.

Windows
This is the checkpoint where AOL is at now. Instead of creating your own opperating system - isn't it a better, and more buisness savvy - decission to just find another suitable company that already has some good foundation and just build from there? Hmmm.. who, WHO? Well, Linux ofcorse. And the most popular distro is Red Hat. And as a bonus, you get the supreme expertise of it's corperate staff.

And what can Microsoft do about it? Pretty much, nothing. Ofcorse, they can "security update" AOL into ablivion - causing all AOL clients unusable, but this can be easily fixed. A simple editorial on what else, CNN, will cause AOL users to be angry and make the switch to AOL's new OS. It would ultimatly help AOL get their users onto their OS (to use the internet) than to remain dry on Windows. And if it comes to it, I'm sure AOL could sue Microsoft. Wouldn't that be a great legal battle to see?

This is big news, and should make all you anti-Micro$oft people jump for joy. It's about time Microsoft has something to fight other than the courts.

Jeez. I feel like working for AOL now.

Great post :-)

"All the basic Internet user (an AOL user, basically) needs is a word processor, browser and media player. What else do they need?"

Replacements..

Internet Explorer -- Mozilla Konqueror Opera Galeon (IE in wine)
Windows Media Player -- Real (yuk) Mplayer (SWEET player) (WMP in wine)
MSN Messenger -- AIM Yahoo licq gicq gaim (I hear there are lnx MSN client clones)
MSN Passport -- I'm sure Liberty support will be added to clients if or when it's necessary.
Windows -- heh

More apps.. ( Ximian versions are great )
Email -- Evolution Kmail pine (yes pine is good) Balsa 100x more
Word Processing -- Abiword Starwriter Kword (Word in wine)
Spreadsheet -- Gnumeric Starcalc (Excel in wine)
Graphics -- Gimp GPhoto PhotoPaint
Productivity -- Adobe Reader GNUCash
Games -- www.linuxgames.com
Service Packs -- one word.. red-carpet (The patch management answer that Windows dreams of)
File Management -- kfm nautilus gmc

This is just a very short list of choices, there are many more. Many people argue that if you can't buy apps off the shelf then there's no software.. They couldn't be more wrong. There are 10s of thousands of applications for Linux, most of them are free. Example, why drive to the store and look at off the shelf software, purchasing it just to find out you hate it? In the Ximian GNOME desktop environment, click system/Get Software, and browse for something interesting.

No one ever needs to use the CLI in linux anymore, unless they *WANT TO*. Anyone that says otherwise is a liar spreading FUD.

:-)

Fewt, you say "No one ever needs to use the CLI in linux anymore, unless they *WANT TO*. Anyone that says otherwise is a liar spreading FUD."
Well, sorry to say this, but to set up the LICQ client, you have to start it the First time via command line. That way, you can set up user number, pass, etc. After that, not needed. To set up Mozilla, if you read the readme, it says "open command line, do this.."
So, it is still "needed" at times.
Heck- I have a couple floppies with DOS commands and tools I use working on computers. MUCH easier at times!

James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com

That all depends on how it's installed. You don't need to go to cli, if you know it's name, you can system-run licq

The point I was trying to make was that it's not necessary to use a cli to use the O/S. :-) You've also added to that. If it is absolutely necessary to open a shell, the docs spell out exactly what needs to be done in that shell.

I cant make words to express how pissed I would be if AOL does get RedHat, now, if they become a partner with the RH creation, as funding, ok, I'm ok with that, but if the completely buy RedHat Inc. then boycott RH and go with Slackware.
--SubFreeze

Ok, if they dont try to make RH more towards the user friendly and bloating with massive pathetic applications, and keep the home user version seperate from the server version, then ok.
:)

It seems to me that AOL is geared toward beginner/non-technical users. And most of these users will most likely have win-modems in their computers, will they not? Last I heard (and I haven't kept up to date), software based modems aren't supported under Linux. If this is the case, I can't see an AOL-branded Linux being very useful for their dial-up subscribers.

Many "Winmodems" are supported in Linux. ( http://www.linmodems.org ) Linux offers everything the normal internet & email user could want. We have Mozilla (which is QUITE good now), Evolution (email), AIM, ICQ, Yahoo Pager, Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Finance apps, Graphics tools, USB, etc.. Right out of the box. The folks that talk it down complaining about "recompiling your kernel" are fools, it's just not true.

Ahh, that is what I wanted to know. I'd agree that Linux has all the tools to be useful to most people. The feel of Linux is a bit of a change from Windows, but the learning curve isn't that steep.

Although I'd never use AOL, I think they could do a lot to standardize and commercialize (ie "dumb-down") the interface. The Linux newbie, in my opinion, wouldn't be so intimidated if it were more candy coated (like XP).

My point is that it AOL could make a viable to alternative to Microsoft. For beginners. The more powerful flavors of Linux will still exist for more advanced users.

this is the one thing to bring me back , to this website, Just what we need , a proprietary AOL operating system , they took netscape and made it pure sh!t the same will come of this , as they try to get in to the server market , and the cheese world of internet appliances.

AOL almost killed Netscape, now it's Linux turn.

I laugh when I see posts like this, because it's just not possible to "kill linux". Microsoft has been trying to find a way for years. ;-)

AOL can do what MS can only dream of when it comes to destroying Linux j/k

since RedHat != Linux, that is impossible

Who killed Netscape? I don't think they did, they actually helped to create fantastic engine that can power not only Netscape but other browsers and apps on many different platforms! Netscape would be a dead company if they were not bought. Who needs crappy browser from 1997? Honestly, I used from July 4th, 1997 to Sep 17th, 1997. The day when IE4 was released, after that release I didn't use Netscape a single time. And many others didn't do this either. So Netscape killed themselves by not producing new versions soon after main release. All they wanted was to sue Microsoft.

Linux needs investments, and AOL has money, this combination may be very good. AFAIK, even now RH has closed source software, and they would do even w/o AOL.

I agree. It would be very similar to the way hardcore punks think of bands like Green Day when they "go commercial". Weather I like Linux or not, it has always been independent and as far from commercial as possible. AOL buying Linux will do nothing but ruin it. Just like they did with ICQ.....................

I think it's fantastic news. Consider:

* Red Hat is already a marketing-centric company. AOL has a lot of powerful brands, and Red Hat would fit right in. For example, Red Hat 7.0 was derided for being way too buggy for a .0 release. This already shows that Red Hat cares more about marketing dates than quality, at least on some level, just like AOL.

* Red Hat is missing specifically what AOL can offer: mainstream acceptance of Linux.

* AOL is currently in a position that Microsoft can cause the Windows code to be an antagonist to AOL code. For instance, for kicks Microsoft can withhold code to Windows XP until the last possible minute so that AOL is hard-pressed to port its software properly to the new version of Windows in time for the launch of the OS. Making AOL a Red Hat-integrated solution would remove Microsoft's ability to hinder AOL in this fashion, since now they're just bypassing Windows altogether.

* Like AOL is like "Internet For Dummies", Red Hat Linux really is "Linux For Dummies". A slightly modified version of the Red Hat Workstation install could nicely carve a partition with little or no input from the user, set up a Red Hat Linux environment along with AOL, Netscape, ICQ, etc., etc. Dual-boot environments could become commonplace: they're really not that hard to deal with when they're installed properly.

* Red Hat Linux would come with more software, true, but the consumer versions would probably come with LESS software than the Red Hat distro comes with. AOL wouldn't include developer tools and all that nonsense for consumers, so the bloat caused by AOL, Netscape, ICQ, etc. would be offset by the software that was removed.

* Sure, Red Hat Linux may well come with AOL icons. Delete them if you don't like them. It's a small price to pay for the sheer exposure that Red Hat Linux would get on desktops.

* Together with Mozilla, AOL can fashion all of its software from open source software. The AOL software is obviously not built with either Mozilla or Linux yet, but that's a one-time transition the company will have to make. After that, they can create complete desktop productivity and Internet-access solutions from OS to interface using almost entirely free software. Many didn't catch that Mozilla was just infused (it hasn't landed yet, and won't til after 1.0) a Calendar application from OEONE. Together with this, a Red Hat Linux OS, Star Office 6.0, and Internet access software (Netscape, ICQ, AOL, Compuserve, whatever), AOL can offer one solution that offers the same as Windows XP + Office XP, except that in AOL's case it's all free software. That's a very compelling solution for PC manufacturers. The one thing missing is software support for Linux, but if anyone can garner that, it's AOL.

* AOL can utilize Red Hat's desktop and embedded OSs as a basis for AOL Anywhere devices a'la AOL Mobile Communicator, etc.

A couple possible effects would be:

* This will give Apple pause, I think. Basically, AOL's solution would be the same as Apple's in theory (a Unix-based OS in a consumer environment), only AOL's would be free. At the same time, Apple might gain some support for OS X because if people support AOL/Red Hat, they may as well port to OS X, which is also Unix, although PPC Unix. Maybe AOL could buy Yellow Dog Linux to get onto the PPC as well? Or make agreements with Apple to stay OFF of the PPC? Who knows? Handling Apple would be interesting. AOL would do well not to snuff Apple while trying to counter-attack Microsoft.

* Microsoft could find itself hurting fast if other software companies start supporting Linux. This is obvious. I would like to see Microsoft seriously humbled, and back on a competitive playing field. Monopolies suck, period. It's time this one ended, or was at least diluted.
* Other distros of Linux may benefit if they distance themselves from Red Hat after this. They will definitely benefit from any software vendors who decide to support Linux because of AOL.

all great points.... i think it will be a good thing for linux, AOL and any anti - MS people.

AOL now stands for America On Linux!

Can anyone say FORK? Honestly I see this as a GOOD thing, it'll give RH Linux the funding it needs to compete, at the same time, being GPL it can be forked at any point. This is good. :-)

I guess I'll be switching our linux machines FreeBSD or Slackware which unfortunately aren't supported by either Dell or Macromedia (for Cold Fusion) so I'll have to keep our web site running on Win2k. Go AOL! Way to help out Microsoft!

LOL! :-D

I actually don't like AOL, for making 30M users suffer using their client, and not knowing what the real Internet is.

But where would ICQ be now if AOL didn't buy it, to keep 30-40M active users chatting you need servers and quite a lot of bandwidth that costs money. So all the "bloat" that goes with ICQ can be switched off completely? So my ICQ is clean of the "phones", SMSs, cards, etc. And it is a light small program with only buttons showed that I really need. Ads are needed to make us have this program, or anyone prefer paying month fee for ICQ?

Now Netscape, Netscape at the time AOL bought them was absolute crap (and version 4 still is), but they allowed open source community to developed a much better broswer Mozilla (Netscape 6.x) and what's more important sponsored main developers, in order for us now to have good browser for both Windows and Linux. And what a beautiful engine powers Galeon and K-Meleon...

Finally to RedHat, RedHat is not desktop OS, it server OS, and I can see how it can finish the line of server products that AOL now offers together with SUN. Since all the sources are GPLed, all new improvements will be available to everyone else, including Mandrake, etc. At the same time current developers will be able to keep their jobs in this crazy market environment, when you have job today and none tomorrow.

I would not be afraid of this acquisition, it will probably make more good than bad, AOL now has a good stake in RH shares and RH is still has ISO images downloadable. ICQ still allows other clients to use the network (both under Windows and other OS). However, IMHO, RedHat is lousy distro, SUSE is a much better choice. Need server? Turbolinux, Debian, etc. there are tons of other distros.

Q: "Where would ICQ be?"

A: Better off. Less buggy. No personal information stored on AOL's servers. None of their business who talks to who, now is it?

Good thing? I highly doubt it. AOL has ruined all it's gotten it's hands on -- just like M$. The keyword in the article is `control' .. as in "AOL has long been interested in controlling alternatives to Microsoft" .. Stevie Boy (in abstencia or not) is just looking to beat Billy Boy at his own game.

I disagree, RH has many strengths in the server room, especially when it comes time to make that phone call to the vendor. Anyone ever called the vendor while running Deb? I have. IBM's third teir support, "We don't support Debian Linux" Of all of the distrobutions I have used, RedHat seems to be the most consistant. I also see RedHat up there on the Desktop. Out of the box it SUUUCKS as a desktop O/S, but "lynx http://go-gnome.com | sh" fixes that, fast. ;-)

They "allowed" them to develop a better browser? You do realize that the Mozilla project started before AOL purchased Netscape, right? Right?

Nonsense. Name me one AOL property that is WORSE OFF now than it was when it was acquired. Now name me a Microsoft property, oh say WebTV, and tell me where that is now. It's rotting in Hell. Then let's then discuss the week that anyone could log into any Hotmail account with ONLY a username, no password even, or maybe the entire week that thousands of MSN Messenger users were without service because Microsoft's servers didn't reboot properly. Or, maybe counter the hordes of security leaks Windows and IE have had over the past two years next to security debacles for ANY AOL software.

Microsoft is not a leader, they're a follower with a s***load of cash.

AOL itself is worse off than when it started. It receives NOTHING but ridicule from most seasoned professionals in the computer world. "AOHell" is one derrogatory name they have been coined with in recent years by IT. What's next? "Ass of Linux" or "Absolutely obsolete Lameware"?

GNN is one property of AOL that's worse off. It was meant to be the more advanced users way on to the internet (the real internet) but AOL itself killed it when it started pushing more and more "Free" hours through the main AOL software. iPlanet has been all but dropped by AOL. Netscape as a product (not Mozilla) has floundered picking up little market share due to a miserable first (6.0) release. WorldPlay/ImagiNation is another property I believe AOL killed along with the adjoining Entertainment Asylum website. iPublish.com (closed), On magazine (closing), Family Life Magazine (closing), slowly killing CNN/CNN.com, along with several other magazines, news/content sites, record labels (Maverick). Newline, Warner Brothers Stores, Warner Music, all have or will take significant hits either w/layoffs or being sold/closed. I'm sure that there are several thousand people out there that are not in the least benefiting from their company being pulled under the AOL umbrella. Not to mention the many other companies that AOL has stifled through their blocking manuvers and lawsuits.
Webtv on the otherhand was failing before MS bought them. They had an upswing for awhile and then started to fall again not because of MS but because people just aren't buying the net appliance model and that niche market is just not profitable at present. Look to all of the other products in that market that have lost AOL/Gateway Internet appliance, I-Opener, Epods, Audrey, Virgin Webplayer, etc.

RedHat is already a rather bloated distribution. Now imagine what bloatware it is going to be once AOL gets their marketing morons involved in the product.

I think it's time for everyone to consider other distributions, like Mandrake for workstations and Debian for servers.

Unfortunately, I fear that this would impact Mandrake (my favorite Linux distro) severely. Their distros are based largely on Red Hat, with lots of customization of course. I'd hate to see them get tanked too. :-(

Aaron D. Priest
Coastal Technologies
aaronpriest@hotmail.com
http://www.retirequickly.com/70700

Mandrake came from a RH 5.x fork, I don't believe they still fork RH releases since their current install looks VERY different.

I have bad experience with AOL. They only bring ads and bloat and nothing good to software. I trully hope this doesn't happen. And if AOL buys RedHat Linux then I hope they will leave RH developers alon and not rape them with their ads and bloat politics. If they just support them and leave them alone in development of software then maybe Linux will even benefit from this. But as I said, I have bad experience with AOL.

Geez, I would hate to see how many more disks will come with RedHat, just for AOL "adware"! I am not much into Linux, but dang- I wouldn't want to wish AOL on them! I wonder what poor FEWT will think (since he uses RedHat, hehe!)

James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com

WOOOOOOOW, lots look at that for a minute.. AOL buys RH, and uses AOL's marketing strategy to deploy "AOLinux" to every home in america,by mail, airplane drop, etc.. THIS COULD BE A VERY GOOD THING!! ;-)

Fewt, it would only be good if they used CDRWes, hehe!
Seriously, Would you want AOL putting all the extra dialup crap in Linux, like they do MS Windows?? If you take out the added "virtual private networking" and all the rest, AOL just puts it back in again. This could be a problem for Linux if AOL does the same to them!

James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com

As long as they follow the standards that RedHat created in their distribution, it'll be as easy as rpm -e `rpm -qa | grep aol` (if you are a CLI sort of guy) or system/Get Software click Linux click Unstall, select a checkbox for each component, and click go.

I seriously doubt it will be that easy. Sometimes uninstalling, editing registry, and other such ways can't get AOL off a MS Windows system it seems!
AOL allowing RH to uninstall AOL? If they "acquire" it, I imagine it will be made "uninstallable"
James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com

There is absolutely no way. Make it difficult perhaps, but there's nothing they can to to prevent it from being ripped out. Example, if they added AOL to the kernel, they would have to release the source for their kernel hooks. I'm sure someone crafty would make a package that conveniently removed it. ;-)

I agree that if AOL purchases Red Hat, it's going to go downhill. I've never liked AOL Instant Messenger, and when AOL bought ICQ, it was only a matter of time before the banners showed up and all the crappy AutoUpdates... ICQ is still my fam IM, but it's not neither as good as it would have been if Mirabilis still owned it.

Mac's on the other hand I think are still great Machines/OS'. I'd still probably buy a PC cuz I've always had one, but remember on a mac you can still run any windows OS, games, programs, etc with their emu software.

As for Microsoft, I think their first REAL OS was XP. That's how an operating system should be; not crashing all the time like 98se. I still dual boot 98se jsut for gaming, but for everything else, it's XP. Microsoft did a good job on hotmail... just wish it didn't get so much damn spam, but I guess that's due to its popularity.

I like Windows 2000 Pro, it's still based on the Windows NT Kernel, and it's easy to use. plus it doesn't stop you from installing more then 6 item of hardware to you computer

ICQ would of been dead if it weren't for AOL, as other people here have said. Frankly, it's better dead. The thing has always been too bulky, has so much junk nobody needs and is slow. AIM is good, the file transfer is slower than ICQ; but it's more realtime, and is more user-friendly.

AOL needs to survive. So it's going to buy Red Hat, get an OS and compete with Micro$oft. Microsoft needs competition, REAL competition and I'm glad AOL is going to try. Actually, if AOL does what everyone thinks they are going to do (Free AOL distro), then Microsoft is dead.

I hope they do aquire red hat... Why? Because they will end up making it worse than it already is, thus killing it. All penguins should die and all apples are rotten. Microsoft (the best dang thing since... well ever...) shall forever reign over all!!!!

YES!!! some one see's the light and they shall be blessed lol windows NT/2000/XP are stable anad 2000/XP are easy to use, they are used on desktops and servers. Linux is only used on server and desktops of unix geeks. they try to trow Linux distro that are "easy to use" but I can never fidure out how to install a program on there or how to upgrade the kernel. With Windows there no changing kernels, they are called Service Packs and I must say they are great.

You're an idiot.

And so are you.

Who would you rather take it, microsoft or aol? That's a question i would hope we would never have to answer.

Well if there is only a choice between M$ and AOL the AOL is much better choice. But noone having it is even much better choice.

Aol is one of the worst internet services out their, they can't keep intruders out of their system. All Aol is out for is for profit. They might be able to push it to users. Make it profitable. The thought of aol owning redhat makes me sick. Redhat is a pretty good distribution though.. they will try to AOLize it .. and in the end ruine a good thing. Anything to try to get ahead of microsoft. They both are lame. And tend to ruin things they purchase.... Tis a sad day ...

Do you remember software before AOL?
Netscape, look what happened to them, a strong strong following, then AOL stepped in, and , well, what a pile of bollocks it is now,
ICQ, ever since AOL acquired it, it has become bloated, with banner ads all over the shot, making sometimes up to 12 connections to AOL spy central hogging up your bandwidth.

AOL takes good companies and ruins them as far as I see it.

Yet microsofts acquisitions haven't been that bad, take Hotmail for instance.

AOL would be the worst candidate to take linux, and if AOL buys a linux company, you can probably bet your money that Microsoft will start going in for one as well.

if AOL get it, then it goes against everything (as far as I know) that Linus Trovalds set linux up for.

I can't believe this!! Just leave them alone AOL

"AOL would be the worst candidate to take linux, and if AOL buys a linux company, you can probably bet your money that Microsoft will start going in for one as well."

No...that would not happen. You gotta remember that Linux is the only real competition with Microsoft...as small scae as it may be; it is more powerful and it is free.

M$ would only acquire a linux company to shut it down...since it can never really OWN the code that goes into it, they could never even incorporate any of the GNU stuff...so unless M$ buys one with the intent of just shutting them down I can't see them doing it...

On another note, I am starting to see this MIGHT be a good thing. Inject cash into Red Hat, boost developement...and we know how AOL spends money on advertising. It might get Linux a little more mainstream just through exposure. That brings more hardware and software geared towards Linux...but it all remains to be seen.

I'm just wondering if that means the aol disks that keep showing up in the mailbox and in the cases of modems we order from our distributor will start having a redhat linux distro with aol integrated into it?? boy that means I'll have lots of work reloading peoples machines with windows because they fubared their system by putting the disc in and running it ;)

"Take Hotmail, for example" Yes, let's see.. They took hotmail and changed it to a proprietary server that requires the broken smtp of IE or OutHouse (or other M$ 'mail clients') to use, encouraging users of such products as Pegasus Mail (which strictly adheres to standards) to get real mail accounts. :-)

While AOL is allowing their ISP customers to use standard e-mail and news protocols. Next time you should choose better arguments.