Open Source and FDLs, Part 2: The Open Publication License -- Andrew St. Laurent dissects the Open Publication License (OPL), which was originally crafted for use with software manuals. He also looks at some of the pitfalls you could encounter using the OPL. Andrew is the author of Understanding Open Source and Free Software Licensing.

What's So Java About Sun's Linux Desktop? Sun attracted sharp criticism when it released a tightly integrated Linux desktop distribution under the name Java Desktop System (JDS). In this article, Sam Hiser writes that JDS is not only the very best, most complete, and thoroughly integrated GNU/Linux distro on the market, but it's also a testament to shared values for open standards and competitive functionality. Sam is a coauthor of Exploring the JDS Linux Desktop

O'Reilly Learning Lab: $200 Instant Rebate -- Learning programming languages and development techniques has never been easier. Using your web browser and Useractive's Learning Sandbox technology, the Learning Lab gives you hands-on, online training in a Unix environment. This month, receive a $200 instant rebate (and a Certificate from the University of Illinois upon course completion) when you enroll in any Certificate Series.

Defining the Linux Enterprise -- Linux users often question decisions by major vendors who increase innovation in the enterprise at the expense of the desktop. In this article, Tom Adelstein discusses the business reasons behind the pursuit of the enterprise market and possible ways enterprise advances and the community might benefit consumer products. Tom is a coauthor of Exploring the JDS Linux Desktop.

Study Shows Safari Saves Time -- A recent study by The Ridge Group of Princeton, New Jersey found that Safari Bookshelf delivers savings of about 24 times its cost. The group found that without the use of an Electronic Reference Library (ERL), the typical technology professional spends an average of 31 hours per month looking for answers, researching issues, and helping colleagues do the same. Safari subscribers, however, report an average of 13.5 hours saved per month--nearly half the amount of time lost by people who don't subscribe. Test it out: get a free trial.

The GNU Free Documentation Licenses -- The principles that apply to open source licenses also apply to licenses for documentation and works other than software. In this article, Andrew St. Laurent looks at the GNU Free Documentation License (FDL), reviewing it section by section and raising some minor problems and ambiguities in definitions. Andrew is the author of Understanding Open Source and Free Software Licensing.

The Best Tips from the Great Linux Desktop Migration Contest -- What's the best way to move an organization to a Linux desktop? Here's a collection of the best tips we received from our Great Linux Desktop Migration contest.

Inventing Linux News Reporting -- In 1997, Dave Whitinger began collecting and spreading news about the adoption of the still-fledgeling Linux operating system. His work grew into the immensely popular Linux Today. Dave retired from the Linux news scene, but he's returned now with a new site, Lxer.com, and fresh ideas. Catch up with him in this interview on Linux DevCenter.

O'Reilly Corporate Services has a variety of ways to help your business, employees, customers, and associates. Take advantage of our bulk discounts when you're buying books for a work group, key customers, or internal training.  Consider bundling an O'Reilly book or integrating specific content, like an application's help files, with one of your products as a way to add value. Or save money on a Safari site license if there are five or more people at your organization who want to subscribe. There are many creative ways to take advantage of O'Reilly's content, online audience, and events. Find out how we can help at corporate.oreilly.com.

Top Ten Subversion Tips for CVS Users -- If you're planning a switch from CVS to Subversion, you'll need to unlearn some bad habits CVS has instilled in you. Here are ten tips to help from Brian Fitzpatrick, a coauthor of Version Control with Subversion.

PHP Debugging Basics -- If you've got problems with your PHP programs, this article by David Sklar offers techniques to help you find and fix them: locate basic syntax errors, check the values of variables as your program is running, and make the PHP interpreter report the errors that interest you. David is the author of Learning PHP 5.

Building a Unix Server -- Building a new server is always a little exciting--you have the chance to make a fresh start. Dru Lavigne explains how to optimize servers for both performance and security, some common pitfalls to be wary of, and the logical approach to getting the job done right. For everything else you need to create functional and secure servers, see O'Reilly's The Complete FreeBSD, 4th Edition.

SafariU: Create, Customize, and Share Teaching Material -- Looking for a way to truly customize your course textbook and offer students exactly the material you choose to teach, while saving them a good bit of money? Become a SafariU beta tester and check out the new web-based publishing platform from O'Reilly that allows you to create custom textbooks and online syllabi.

Linux and Patent Risks -- A study recently commissioned by Open Source Risk Management (OSRM) found that the Linux kernel potentially infringes upon 283 existing patents. This article by chromatic evaluates the study and its findings. Cover the full spectrum of open source licensing issues and options with O'Reilly's upcoming Understanding Open Source and Free Software Licensing.

Questioning Promises at LinuxWorld -- O'Reilly editor Andy Oram reports this week from LinuxWorld 2004 in San Francisco. He'll be exploring the promises of Linux and trying to determine how realistic they are, because, as Andy writes, "In many areas, the important foundations have been laid--but a lot remains to be done." See what questions he has going into LinuxWorld in Andy's blog.

A Linux Quick Reference to Useful Commands -- Daniel J. Barrett, author of O'Reilly's Linux Pocket Guide, has compiled a quick-reference guide to the most essential Linux commands and the tasks they perform. It's the kind of information you will want to keep right by your keyboard for those times when you need a fast, useful answer to a problem. Download a PDF (100KB) of Daniel's Linux Quick Reference.

New Web Site Aids Sun JDS users -- DesktopLinux.com reports that a new community-driven web site launched recently to support Sun's Java Desktop System (JDS) community. The site, JDSHelp.org, was started by Tom Adelstein and Sam Hiser, authors of the upcoming O'Reilly book Exploring the JDS Linux Desktop.

How to Write a Basic Gtk# Program with Mono -- Gtk#, the Mono API for the GTK+ UI toolkit, is the open source alternative to Windows.Forms. This article shows how to install Mono on Windows, how Gtk# works, and how to write a simple Gtk# program. This kind of mini-project is just the sort you'll find in O'Reilly's upcoming Mono: A Developer's Notebook.