"Systems management startup aduva is trying to reduce
the cost of man aging free software.
As an open source operating system, Linux is available as a free
download or through low-cost shrink-wrapped packages. But once the
Linux cat is out of the bag, its numerous constituent components
can make it difficult to herd, many users agree.
Now, in another sign of Linux's increasing maturity, new tools
are helping I-managers better administer the OS. Aduva, based in
Palo Alto, Calif., has built a knowledge base with information on
which Linux components work best together, along with other open
source software modules, such as the various versions of the Apache
Web server. It has assembled a library of information on 3,700
components, including versions of Linux that run on the IBM
zSeries, formerly known as the System 390 mainframe."