In Part One of this article we looked at the growth of GNU/Linux in several areas, including high-performance computing (supercomputers), mobile phones, desktops, miniature laptops, consoles, and set-top boxes. There is a great deal of overlap between some of these areas, but they are certainly separable.

In this concluding article we look at the growth of GNU/Linux in still more tech sectors. This ought to demonstrate the tremendous presence that GNU/Linux quietly gained throughout the year 2007.

“HACKERS, welcome! Here are detailed circuit diagrams of our products — modify them as you wish.”

Wikia Search launched live Monday in its first publicly accessible form.

The search engine, backed by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, is an open source search tool that allows collaboration.

Wikipedia and Wikia operate independently and are unrelated except for Wales' involvement in each.

Wales announced plans for the project last year and said he wanted to provide an open alternative to Google (NSDQ: GOOG).

Wikia Search uses a social networking model, allowing users to create profiles, select friends, share photos, and manage privacy preferences in addition to providing traditional search capabilities. Users can click on an option to start or participate in discussions about search rankings and write mini-articles about search terms.

OpenMoko has announced an upgrade to its Linux-powered mobile phone and plans to present the device at CES. That’s a slap in the face for open source competitor Google Android, which is still in development.

I’ve been using Ubuntu (or a derivative) for two years now. But then I noticed the new cool kid: PCLinuxOS. It naturally runs KDE, as opposed to being a derivative like Kubuntu. But then I started to notice PCLOS falls short in some areas where Kubuntu shines. So how does it all break down?

It is quite commonplace to talk about "the" FOSS community, but like I've stated so many times, there is no such thing as "the" FOSS community. As a matter of fact, there are many communities.

How do you destroy the GPL? Honestly I don't think it will be done, but there is a way. Simply put the GPL is a copyright license, which is it's strength and it's achillies heel. For years publishing companies, our friends at the RIAA and MPAA among others have pushed for longer and longer copyright terms so that they can reap the rewards from other people's work for a longer period of time. So why not turn things on their heads a bit? Actually, what I'm talking about has already been proposed.

Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has deployed a Linux-based High Performance Cluster from Sun Microsystems to run its reservoir simulation software, increase its processing power, and enable the company to take critical business decisions faster than ever before.