Caldera Systems, Inc. announced that Cosmos, their Linux management solution, has entered closed beta. Unlike single-system configuration systems, Cosmos is designed to let you manage multiple systems from a single point without having to manage systems individually.

While there have been GUI configuration tools from all the major Linux vendors, we have yet to see a tool designed to manage a whole host of systems. With Cladera's target market being ISPs and ASPs, this sounds like a big win. Cosmos will be Open Source. Ransom Love, president and CEO of Caldera Systems, will demonstrate Cosmos at LinuxWorld during his keynote on August 16 at 10:45. It will also be demonstrated in the Caldera booth at the show and is scheduled to ship this fall.

Offering a different twist on getting Linux installed and running, VA announced "Build-to-Order Software Selector" which allows VA customers to select specific software components that they want pre-installed at the factory and delivered on their servers. The customer uses a web interface to select the software. The system is then pre-configured before being shipped.

Because the configurations are saved and checked to make sure they will work, customers don't need to re-specify configurations when ordering additional systems. Especially in larger companies, I can see where this will help address problems where the purchasing department "translates" what was ordered.

Indrema and Red Hat have formed an alliance to brand and distribute DV Linux. DV Linux is a distribution for console video gaming and TV-based entertainment applications. According to the press release, the intent is to produce an open standard for developing these applications.

In a somewhat surprising move, Sun is announcing its GNOME Foundation initiative. Little details are available at this time but it appears that this fits in with Sun's recent announce to open source the StarOffice suite.

Apparently the goal is to try to move commercial UNIX systems away from Motif and onto GNOME. As GNOME is open (under the GPL) this is desirable but it does require Sun getting the cooperation of competitors such as HP.

Mike Boich, Bud Tribble and Andy Hertzfeld, all involved in early Mac development at Apple, are rolling out their first product from their new company at LinuxWorld. Eazel's Nautilus 1.0 is a file manager and system management interface.

Eazel's goal, according to Boich, is "to make this the easiest GUI in the world". Nautilus uses the existing infrastructure of the GNOME desktop. It is expected to combine the idea of a browser with a file manager to give you a single interface to use to talk to your computer.

Linux Journal, voted "Favorite Magazine" by LinuxWorld show attendees last year, will be there to cover it all. Linux Journal will be featured in booth #238. In addition, a new member of the Linux Journal staff will be introduced at the show on Monday, August 14. Stay tuned for the big announcement.