The Linux parade is headed for Main Street. Finally, after years of nay-saying (and the occasional grumpy analyst report), we're seeing more evidence that open-source is ready to become something more than an asterisk in the mainstream market.

Yet the true test for mass-market Linux isn't the desktop—it's the laptop. And while desktop Linux keeps moving towards the head of the class, its laptop cousin still has some homework to do.

There are a number of reasons why the laptop market isn't yet friendly territory for Linux, but the most vexing is probably hardware support. Laptop vendors are notorious for tweaking their hardware configurations and chipsets—and in some cases, they'll make changes without bothering to change the model number. Since most laptop hardware still relies on third-party Linux drivers, developers are often one or two steps behind the vendors—and as a result, users spend too much time wrestling with basic hardware issues. I've seen experienced Linux users go half-mad dealing with broken drivers, and I guarantee this kind of trouble won't play in Peoria.

If you'd like to find other headaches for Laptop Linux users, take your pick: power management, wireless networking, graphics, and peripheral management are all giving somebody, somewhere, a serious headache as you read this. And as usual, the typical ways to find answers to these problems—user groups, newsgroups, or the Linux geek next door—simply don't compute for 98 percent of the computer-using population, even if they're actively interested in using Linux and open-source software.

Now that I've delivered the bad news (with inexplicable glee, as usual), here's the good news: Things aren't nearly as bad for laptop Linux as they used to be, and they're likely to get much better very soon. Already, if you want a first-rate laptop system with a choice of Linux distros, no hassles with hardware or drivers, and reliable support, firms such as LinuxCertified are filling the gap that major vendors aren't yet willing to cross. And the Linux 2.6 kernel, which is now a part of the Red Hat and SUSE distros and should be appearing elsewhere over the next several months, includes new software-suspend and wireless support capabilities, along with the ability to change processor speed based on a laptop's power profile.

And then there's the Linux-based laptop system HP introduced last month. It's the first such offering from a major laptop manufacturer, and as a result it got more press coverage than most hardware announcements. It's also the first, and perhaps the most important, test for laptop Linux. Although some analysts are already predicting that other major vendors will have to follow suit with their own Linux-based laptops, HP is still treating this as an experiment rather than a permanent addition to its product line. In other words, the HP honeymoon could still end in a quick divorce.

While we're waiting for the jury to come in on laptop Linux, I'd like to hear your own experiences purchasing, installing, and using Linux on laptop computers. Let me know what you think, and I'll share the best responses here on Linux Pipeline.

Matthew McKenzie
Editor, Linux Pipeline
mattcmp@sonic.net
www.LinuxPipeline.com

Novell Warns Against Potential Linux Lawsuits
Novell Corp. executives this week fired a warning shot in the continuing industry battle over software patent lawsuits.

JBoss Unveils Workflow Engine
Open-source company JBoss Inc. on Monday introduced a workflow engine that broadens the company's middleware stack.

Red Hat Launches Linux Runtime For Appliances
Red Hat takes a second stab at the embedded systems market with a new partner program and a run-time edition of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.

Open-Source TCO Favors Large European Firms
Small and mid-sized companies have little to gain switching from Windows to open-source applications, according to a European IT resarch firm.

Excite Co-Founders Turn Wikis Into Development Platform
A new company named JotSpot aims to extend wiki technology into the realm of enterprise workgroup applications.

Special: TechWeb's 'Best Independent Tech Blog' Readers'=20 Choice Award
Do you have a favorite tech blog? Which tech bloggers keep you coming back for more? Help us find the best tech blogs and spread the word by nominating up to five of your favorites. We'll pick ten finalists for a head-to-head showdown starting November 1.
The rules are simple: To qualify, a blog must cover technology, and it must be an independent publication (in other words, no blogs associated with online publishing companies like CMP Media). Nominations are open through October 29.

Opinion: You Can Learn A Lot From A Pig
Security Pipeline editor Mitch Wagner shares a fairy tale about three little pigs—along with some unrelated discussion about Microsoft vs. open-source security. Really. Completely unrelated.

Feature: IBM Gives Details On 'Atlantic' Release
IBM Rational sets a late December launch date for its next- generation enterprise development platform.

InternetWeek: eBay Dominates Search, Site Traffic
As the most searched-for brand, eBay attracts more than one-third of visitors to shopping sites.

How-To: 64-Bit Processors: Twice As Nice
Ready to jump on the 64-bit Linux bandwagon? Here's a guide to picking the right processor to suit your needs.

Check Out Our Linux Product Finder
Don't reinvent the wheel. Find the right off-the-shelf product to do the job. How do you find the right one? Two words ... Product Finder:
   - Desktop Applications
   - Application Servers
   - Commercial Linux Distributions
   - Network Management
   - Web Servers

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