“Call it the Linux paradox. Less than a year ago, the
upstart computer operating system — whose ubiquitous symbol
is a stylized penguin — was considered a fringe show for geeks
with too much time on their hands and investors with too much money
in their pockets. … A year later, open-source software has lost
much of its sizzle — but Linux’s future has never been
brighter.”
“The explanation for the Linux paradox? Much of the initial
frenzy centred on speculation that Linux could break the virtual
monopoly that Microsoft Corp. holds in desktop operating systems.
That ambition — always a long shot — has been shelved in favour
of a less glamourous, but crucial role in the technology world:
running the powerful computer servers that are the engine of the
Internet.”
“The future of Linux can be seen at Trihedral Engineering. The
company uses the operating system for its computer servers, but not
for its desktop computers. And while some of the Linux software it
uses was downloaded from the Internet, the company has also paid
for it.”