Michael K. Johnson, editor of the Linux Journal, estimates 50,000 to 100,000 Linux CDs are distributed worldwide by commercial providers each month. This doesn't account for free Linux distribution on the Internet. Many research houses, however, consider Linux a hobbyist OS that doesn't merit tracking.

There's enough interest in the OS, however, to involve some major hardware players. Digital was expected by the end of May to port Linux to the Alpha platform and reportedly has provided Torvalds with machines to implement Linux as a 64-bit OS. There's work on the Internet to port Linux to Sun SPARCstations and talk about adding symmetric multiprocessing support.

Noorda Nightmare?

As for major vendors porting Linux to their platforms, Winkler says it should be understood that these vendors aren't discriminating. "They'll port even goofier things than Linux."

Winkler also questions the value of Caldera in the niche for which it is first targeted--that of high-volume, low-cost multiuser Internet gateways and browser/server packages for OEMs.

Toward that goal, Caldera has been quietly operating as an Internet service provider, Infonaut, for Provo and Orem, Utah. Caldera's service relies on a Linux server, and, says Love, the server hasn't had to be rebooted once in the several months it has been in use.

Some analysts say the kind of gateway performance seen with Infonaut isn't achievable on Microsoft Windows or NT, but Winkler questions why small businesses wouldn't just use an OS with which they are familiar.

Joe Andrieu, director of Internet marketing for GNP computers, a custom engineering firm specializing in mission-critical, high-availability networking, finds Caldera's plans interesting and "reasonable" for the low-end market. But he says a company like his own needs an OS that runs on RISC systems that have already been "tried by fire on the Internet." Linux isn't expected to be extended to Sun platforms for at least six months.

Caldera was expected to ship a $29 preview compact disc of its Caldera Network Desktop for Internet Access in May, followed by another release in July or August. The final product will be priced under $100.

Caldera is expected to announce a developer's package and licensing OpenDOC technology this month. It will also announce this month or later that Novell's Ferret Internet technology will run on the Caldera platform.

Caldera has also promised to return any changes made to the OSes kernel to the Internet community--its chief partner. Caldera is also aligning with a wide range of companies to address some of Linux's commercial weaknesses.

Leader of the Pack? One key partnership is with Willows, another startup financed by Noorda. Willows is providing an application programming interface so that Windows applications will run on Linux, as well as other Unix and Macintosh platforms. One of the important challenges that lies ahead for Caldera is to convince ISVs to build applications based on the Willows API. For certain critical applications, such as an Internet browser, Caldera is doing the work in-house.

Another important linkage is with Novell. Caldera is licensing NetWare client support from Novell, but Novel l won't resell Caldera's product, Love says.

Caldera is also working with Visix Software for GUI and software license server support; ACC Corp., Westport, Conn., for package management capabilities; Gallium Software for Truetype font service and MTI for RAID technology and possibly backup software.

Cry in the Wilderness? Caldera has some other key hurdles ahead. For one, it must find a way to get its product to market without a sales force of its own. "We'll be working to provide a full channel," says Love.

Caldera must also overcome Linux's reputation for being a bear to install. "We have it close to plug-and-play, and it works nicely once it's up and running," says Love, "but the install is a little rough." He adds that the released product will address these issues, although the preview product will not.

And finally, Caldera must face the ultimate test--seeing whether business and academic users are willing to plug in yet another Unix operating system.

For more Caldera information: http://www.caldera.com.