If anyone outside the tightly-knit Linux community thought of Linux even six months ago, they might have gotten a picture of a bunch of geeks up late, hacking on a niche operating system whose main purpose in life was not being Microsoft Windows.

Wrong.

Not only is Linux quickly becoming a real alternative for people who want to deploy Unix servers for IT or Web purposes and don't want to pay workstation prices, but it's also showing up on a surprising number of desktops of users as a replacement for Windows.

Some of Tuesday's most interesting announcements:

• IBM announced not just compatibility with, but corporate support for, Linux...including co-marketing with a number of commercial Linux distributors, WebSphere support, and porting Linunx to its RS/6000 systems.

• Tripwire, a high-end security company, announced immediate availability of one its key products...free for Red Hat Linux users.

• Computer Associates International announced it would be releasing its mainstream IT management Unicenter TNG Framework product, also free on Red Hat Linux.

• SCO, the leading provider of Unix software -- and who actually own Unix -- announced it had added the ability to run Linux binaries to its own UnixWare platform, instantly knocking out the old canard about "splintering of the Unix/Linux community."

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