Linux is proving to be a stronger competitor than Apple for Microsoft, says Steve Ballmer at a recent Strategic Update meeting with investors, and has a supporting graphic to prove it.

An alliance is forming between virtualization providers Novell and VMware with a strategy for teamwork. At the same time Novell is providing a glimpse of its upcoming SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) version 11.

Novell wants to expand its SUSE Enterprise Linux into security management by acquiring the technology assets of two software companies.

Steve Ballmer's deal with the Catalonian government is seen as a leverage against their existing Open Source strategy.

HP and Canonical are working together to get Ubuntu certified for HPs Proliant servers.

Xandros has launched an ARM based Linux version for netbooks and Mobile Internet Devices at the Mobile World Congress in Spain's Barcelona.

Last week Novell announced a layoff of almost 100 employees "in response to the global economic downturn," without any further details. New information now brings into question the software house's commitment to openSUSE.

The deal is closed: Debian 5.0, code-named Lenny, is officially available.