Yesterday I discussed the Bonnie++ tool, which can be used to benchmark filesystem performance. When you are tweaking a RAID and filesystem combination, you generally want to see whether your changes work in a positive manner across the board, and by how much. I created a utility called bonnie-to-chart to show the results of multiple Bonnie++ runs in either absolute or relative performance terms.

I was very interested in this piece from Computerworld U.K., titled "Can we give every school child in the U.K. a Linux notebook and still save money?" It provides a cost breakdown of what it would take to give every student a Linux notebook, compared to the costs schools in the U.K. currently face for software licenses, other technology fees, and printing and photocopying.

In my blog yesterday, I shared how Michael Robertson had sold Linspire to Xandros without a shareholder meeting or any input from the 100 some-odd shareholders. Today, Xandros' CEO, Andy Typaldos, did a Q & A (spin) about this deal. I thought I'd add some additional "color" to some of his answers.

When faced with using open-source software in your company should your first reaction be: 1) Run in terror, 2) Pick up and cuddle your stuffed Steve Ballmer doll while shouting “No!”, 3) Refuse to even consider it, 4) Deal with it? Even if you think open source is the dumbest idea to hit IT since Microsoft Bob, number four is your only real choice.

Harris' post is provoked by a discussion of “poisonous” users, i.e., those select few users who turn up and (intentionally or not) do “contribute” to the project in the form of dissonance and conflict, but the idea that open source doesn’t need users is one that should be strongly refuted.

Last post, I boldly proclaimed (using my proclaiming voice, which makes the font bold and a size larger), "There is not a single thing wrong with a single FOSS program's user interface, anywhere, period." And I expected to get some reactions, and I did, and I'm ready to explain that line.

VC funding levels rose again in the second quarter compared to last year, up just under 14% to $115.5m, compared to $101.5m in 2Q07. Given the overwhelming level of investment in open source vendors seen in the first quarter, it was always unlikely that level of momentum would continue into Q2.