Those of us in the Linux community have long appreciated the many virtues of open source technology, but a rash of new interest suggests that governments are starting to wake up to the idea as well. For example: Earlier this month, as faithful readers will remember, we noted the new mandate in Vietnam that all government computers move to Linux. Then, late last week, news emerged that the Russian government may be planning to build a Linux-based national operating system of its own as a way of reducing its dependence on licensed foreign software.
