Home
Backgrounds
Cowboy Mouth Pictures

It's Easy to Bitch, Easy to whine, Easy to moan, Easy to cry,
Easy to feel like there ain't nothing in your life,
Harder to work, Harder to strive, Harder to be glad to be alive
But its really worth it if you give it a try...
Fred Leblanc

Welcome to Capnkirby's Linux Reviews and News
Older Linux News


Really Old News
Linux Links

Debian Admin

Debianhelp

Debuntu

DesktopLinux

User Friendly

















 
Web Capnkirby.com

How it all began … At National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology - NRIEC- from Kocaely, Turkey, in summer of 2003. In order to provide a free-of-charge turkish genuine and completed localized Linux distribution, a development core was formed. First goals were to provide a modular, localized, easy to admin and extensible distro.
Pardus 2008 - More Than A Cat Meow
2008-08-25
I've previously looked at Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 2, Mandriva 2009 Beta 1 (KDE4.1) and Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 4. I was planning on reviewing OpenSuse 11.1 Alpha 2 next, though reading through their release notes it seems that it's too early to consider OpenSuse 11.1 Alpha 2 as a cutting edge gaming distro – the alpha issues heavily out way the benefits of accessing the new repositories. So instead, I'm going to look at Kubuntu 8.10 Alpha 4, an often overlooked distribution due to Ubuntu stealing most of the limelight (and don't forget Xubuntu, which stands in the shadow of both Ubuntu and Kubuntu).
Kubuntu 8.10 'Intrepid Ibex' Alpha 4
2008-08-25
Today, I completed my download of openSUSE 11.0 (after my recent Vista failure) and set about installing it. It was a DVD of the latest ISO from openSUSE. My machine is the same Acer Ferrari 5000 (2.0 GHz X2 AMD Turion 64, 2GB RAM, ATI X1600 Mobility Radeon).
openSUSE 11 - Desktop Emphasis
2008-08-25
Ulteo Application System is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Kubuntu and designed to work with the Ulteo Online Desktop service to provide you with an automatic offsite backup and file synchronization between live CD instances. It attempts to require as little user configuration and maintenance as possible, and provides several unique features that set it apart from being "just another distribution."
Ulteo Application System is innovative, easy, and a little buggy
2008-08-25
What's the big deal about Linux? Isn't it at heart just a PC-based version of UNIX – the ‘70’s hit operating system which has outlived the predictions of its demise throughout the ‘90’s? If you’ve come from a Solaris or HP/UX or AIX background isn’t a PC-based UNIX a bit, well, passé?
Isn't Linux just UNIX under a different name?
2008-08-21
AMD had delivered same-day Linux support when launching the Radeon HD 4800 series this summer. This was a first for AMD when launching a major product revision that there was same-day support considering for the R500 and R600 (and earlier) generations it had taken months for any level of support on Linux. This was great to see and the Radeon HD 4850/4870 performance was terrific thanks to their new OpenGL driver introduced last September. Today AMD has announced another Catalyst driver release for Linux and this is arguably the most significant driver update since last October's release when AIGLX support was added. Catalyst 8.8 delivers CrossFire support on Linux, OverDrive overclocking support, adaptive anti-aliasing support, and other improvements.
AMD Catalyst 8.8 Linux Driver, Exciting New Features
2008-08-21
Generating buzz this morning with the release of the Linux 2.6.27-rc4 kernel is word that Ubuntu may switch to the Linux 2.6.27 kernel for their forthcoming 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex" release. Canonical's Ben Collins has proposed on the Ubuntu development mailing list that Intrepid be switched to using the Linux 2.6.27 kernel instead of using 2.6.26.
Ubuntu 8.10 To Use Linux 2.6.27 Kernel?
2008-08-21
Back in June we had exclusively shared that CrossFire would be coming to Linux as part of their Radeon HD 4800 series strategy. CrossFire (or CrossFire X as it's now known) allows the graphics rendering workload to be split between multiple Radeon GPUs to deliver faster performance. Meanwhile, NVIDIA's multi-GPU technology known as SLI (Scalable Link Interface) has been supported on Linux since 2005. While AMD is still working to address some issues with their ATI Linux driver, they have been working hard on new features like CrossFire. How does this feature work though on Linux and does it deliver similar performance gains to their Windows driver? Today we have a full rundown on ATI CrossFire for Linux along with benchmarks from the ATI Radeon HD 4850 and Radeon HD 4870.
ATI Radeon CrossFire On Linux
2008-08-21
Ever since the release of OpenGEU 8.04 Beta a few days ago, I felt I needed to see for myself what it brought new and to take a closer look at the praised E17 Desktop shell. Combining the power and flexibility of Ubuntu and Gnome with the beauty of E17, OpenGEU 0.04 (Luna Crescente) aims to make the step forward in developing a user-friendly system. As Luca De Marini, the designer behind OpenGEU said, this release is somehow not quite appropriate in timing with the new Ubuntu being so close to the release date, but it's nevertheless a great OS to reside on anyone's computer. With these words from the OpenGEU team, I began installing it one of our computers, here at the Softpedia Labs, my expectations being very high, as also was my trust in a great release.
Testing OpenGEU 8.04 Beta
2008-08-21
According to its past and present marketing, Foresight Linux has three claims to fame: Its user-friendliness, its use of the Conary package management system, and its role as a showcase for the latest in GNOME. In practice, its latest 2.0.4 version is not more user-friendly than any other GNOME-based distribution -- if anything, it is slightly less so because of its limited software selection and package management -- but its other claims are enough to make Foresight one of the more distinctive modern distributions.
Foresight Linux: Two out of three's not bad
2008-08-21
Every couple of weeks, I’ll hear someone or read a blog post that says that Linux will never reach mainstream desktop users. I completely disagree.
Debunking Myths That Say Linux Won’t Reach the Desktop
2008-08-19
Red Hat's next-generation Linux distribution shows off some early new features as it preps for release.
Fedora 10 Takes Shape
2008-08-19
Sun is battling hard to break into the open source operating system world with OpenSolaris. Juliet Kemp takes it for a test-drive, sampling its unique features and seeing how it fares against Linux...
The LXF Test: OpenSolaris 2008.05
2008-08-19
Science is the effort of trying to understand how the physical world works. From observation and experimentation, science uses physical evidence of natural phenomena to compile data and analyze the collated information. Science really prospers and advances when individuals share the results of their experiments with others in the scientific community. There is a certain logic that scientific software should therefore be released in a freely distributable environment.
42 of the Best Free Linux Scientific Software
2008-08-19
A shift from multi-core power-gobbling monsters toward whisper-quiet systems with single-digit power consumption is rippling through the desktop market. This trend plays right into the hands of a Paris-based company called Linutop, which offers a miniature Linux-based desktop system. The latest version of the machine appeals to customers who are in the market for a machine with green credentials and low maintenance costs. After testing one myself, I found the tiny desktop has a lot going for it.
Linutop 2.2: A desktop where smaller is better
2008-08-19
Finally, after testing, using and experimenting with dozens of GNU/Linux distributions during the last 4 years, I’ve found my ultimate distro of choice. It’s ArchLinux. I’ve never been so happy to be a GNU/Linux user as today.
ArchLinux: My ultimate GNU/Linux distro of choice
2008-08-18
What a week! I’ve been working on my podcast so I’m a bit behind on posting. Here’s an interesting compilation of Linux distribution which resemble Apple’s Mac OS 10. They might not be identical, but you guys who like Apple’s design might appreciate the fact yu can get something like it, with the nice-on-the-inside GNU/Linux kernel, out-of-the-box. For free.
4 Linux Distros Which Look Like Mac OS X
2008-08-18
Well, I gave KDE a whirl, but it’s not ready for me yet, so I thought I might try out XFCE. This is partially about trying out other desktop environments, and partially trying to get away from GNOME, so there’s a little of both in this entry…
My first taste of XFCE…
2008-08-18
I’m waiting a few hours at the Thompson Toyota, my Prius is getting some minor work done to it to pass state inspection, it still takes a few hours. They have a wireless connection to the Internet, but even though last time I connected without problems this time my PII Debian system was not happy. So I checked out the bank of beat up Gateways with vagabond keyboards in the corner. I wiggle the mouse, and up pops the Ubuntu Heron! Wow
Ubuntu at Toyota
2008-08-18
When it comes to Linux there are 3 kinds of people, those who never heard of it, those who are afraid of it, and those who hate it and spread falsities about it. I don’t really care about the first, they probably aren’t really technologically literate anyways, as long as they have E-mail they are content. While the second group is the result of the actions of the third. Let’s hit two birds with one stone shall we?
9 Linux Myth Debunked
2008-08-18
Linux Operating System has been myth for many of the people out there.. Most of the people has wrong inception regarding Linux. Those who dare to make the transition get caught in the partition or they failed to understand the Basics of Linux. “The applications and the OS itself” . Its pretty natural for a Mediocre user to get used to different terms at once..
Things To Know Before Using Linux
2008-08-18
The people behind KDE Michael Pyne In what ways do you make a contribution to KDE? I developed and maintain kdesvn-build. I also help work on JuK, and beyond that I do lots of random bugfixing, bug triage, and general helpfulness on the mailing lists. Time permitting, of course. ;)
More Here
2008-08-18
This section is for those new to CrossOver Linux. If you already know what CrossOver is and want to find out what's new in version 7.0.2, skip down to the next section. CodeWeavers' CrossOver Linux is a software framework that emulates the Microsoft Windows 98, 2000 and XP application programming interfaces (APIs) on GNU/Linux. This allows Windows programs to run on GNU/Linux without having to run a virtual instance of the operating system e.g. a virtual machine. CrossOver was originally designed to bring Microsoft Office and Intuit Quicken to GNU/Linux, but many more programs have been tested and are known to work with CrossOver to some degree at this time.
Review of CrossOver Linux 7.0.2
2008-08-18
Open source software has long been accepted as a legitimate software license by tech-savvy crowds. It's become recognised by business. And even the courts are taking seriously open source software authors rights despite the fact no money has changed hands. This month an Artistic License was tested in court in the case of Robert Jacobsen vs KAM Industries, and upheld as enforceable copyright conditions. It was a landmark decision ratifying the philosophical basis behind FOSS.
It’s the law: open source doesn't mean no copyright
2008-08-18
Although we all remember that everything started with legendary Norton Commander, somehow lots of TC users religiously believe that every other, two pane file manager, is a not worthy clone. They all share the same roots, but TC with its rich Plugin library managed to capture the largest user base.
10 Total Commander Alternatives for Linux
2008-08-18
“Hacking Exposed Linux” by ISECOM (Institute for Security and Open Methodologies) is a guide to help you secure your Linux environment. This book does not only help improve your security it looks at why you should. It does this by showing examples of real attacks and rates the importance of protecting yourself from being a victim of each type of attack.
Hacking Linux Exposed
2008-08-18
Debian GNU/Linux is now 15 years old -- which isn't too shabby for an operating system. Yet though Debian is still alive and kicking, I'm not so sure it holds the market position that it should at this point in its maturity.
Debian @15 is it still relevant?
2008-08-18
NimbleX, a Slackware-based distribution, advertises itself as "the new wave of Linux." However, what is appealing in NimbleX -- its speed and small footprint and the resulting selection of alternative software choices -- will likely strike veteran GNU/Linux users as being very old school. By contrast, its limitations -- too little attention to such aspects as the installer, packaging, and security -- seem all too modern, being reminiscent of other distros intent on commercialization or emulating Windows, even though NimbleX is a community distribution and largely a labor of love for Romanian developer Bogdan Radulescu.
NimbleX 2008 is speedy but flawed
2008-08-18
Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex is to be Ubuntu’s next release, due in late October this year. It’s gingerly marked as “experimental” and, as with all Ubuntu releases, follows just six months after the previous version—Hardy Heron. The message is usually that those who want stability and support should stick with the long-term support release, while those who want to help test Ubuntu, and get a taste of cutting-edge software, should try the newer versions. But is this true, or even advisable, in the case of Intrepid?
First look at Ubuntu Intrepid Alpha 4
2008-08-18
This was my first ever adventure with a Slakware-based GNU/Linux distribution so I cannot say it has been an easy, effortless task, but that's probably just my lack of experience, because, after I finished the installation and testing of Zenwalk 5.2 Beta Gnome edition, it all made much more sense. Still, I would have greatly appreciated a more intuitive installer which could guide through the steps to a trouble-free installation accompanied with slightly (more) detailed explanations, especially at the partitioning stage. And now, let's have a closer look at what this edition of Zenwalk brings to the new Linux user!
Test Driving Zenwalk 5.2 Beta Gnome Edition
2008-08-18
I first heard of gOS when it was chosen to power the $199 Wal-Mart gPC. The third iteration of the OS, gOS 3.0 "Gadgets" Beta, was released last week. It's a great Web-focused desktop, but it doesn't offer much to experienced or current Ubuntu users.
gOS 3 Gadgets (beta) targets Linux beginners and Google Gadgets lovers
2008-08-18
I've previously looked at Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 2 and Mandriva 2009 Beta 1 (KDE4.1) to see what we should expect once the final versions have been released. After finding that Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 2 was just a bit too alpha for gaming, I've decided to have another look to see if things are starting to become a bit more stable. Sure, there will be a few bugs here and there (that's to be expected in an alpha) and the artwork may not be finished – but is it ready for gaming? Time to blow away 8.04 and crank Enemy Territory: Quake Wars on 8.10? Read on to find out...
Ubuntu 8.10 'Intrepid Ibex' Alpha 4
2008-08-18
OpenBSD provides a UNIX® distribution with a primary emphasis on security and cryptography. If you're looking for a UNIX distribution to deploy in the most critical nexus in your network infrastructure, look no further than OpenBSD. The recent release of OpenBSD—version 4.3—includes several new features and bug fixes that this article reviews.
Take a closer look at OpenBSD 4.3
2008-08-18
With the recent release of gOS 3 Beta, we thought it was prime time to take a closer look at the company responsible for creating the OS that powered the ill-fated Everex Cloudbook, and the gorgeous (and Mac OS X Leopard-inspired) gOS Space. We chewed the fat with David Liu, gOS founder and CEO, about the operating systems’ new features, potential competition from Ubuntu Netbook Remix, the push for consumer adoption, and the future of Linux on the desktop.
gOS 3 Beta, Netbooks, and Linux: An Interview with David Liu, Founder of Good OS
2008-08-14
The fourth alpha version of the upcoming Ubuntu 8.10 (codename Intrepid Ibex), which is scheduled for release in late October this year, was made available a few minutes ago and, as usual, we intend to keep you up-to-date with the latest changes in the Ubuntu 8.10 development. Compared with the third alpha, which brought you the Nautilus file manager (with tabs), this version comes with the old Human-Murrine (white) theme, some new features and a lot of bug fixes.
Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 4 Screenshot Tour
2008-08-14
After my last few articles on how to connect Ubuntu Linux to network shares and a network printer, I want to have a look at some of the more fun aspects of Ubuntu Linux. I thought this was appropriate at the moment, so...let the games begin!
Gaming on Ubuntu Linux
2008-08-14
Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel, says he's fed up with what he sees as a "security circus" surrounding software vulnerabilities and how they're hyped by security people. Torvalds explained his position in an e-mail exchange with Network World this week. He also expanded on critical comments he made last month that caused a stir in the IT industry.
Torvalds: Fed up with the 'security circus'
2008-08-14
Lenny (aka “testing”) appears poised to displace Etch as the popular Linux distribution’s “stable” branch next month. To see how Lenny was coming along, I loaded the latest preview (beta 2) of its KDE system image onto an available Thinkpad, and took it for a spin.
Testing Debian’s Lenny KDE beta
2008-08-14
I’m always willing to try something new and exciting in the world of Linux, and I couldn’t let gOS Gadgets pass me by. Mainly because I’d never used the LXDE window manager, but also because its lure of low system requirements and netbook-oriented design seemed to suit my ageing ThinkPad X22 quite nicely.
First Impressions: gOS ‘Gadgets’
2008-08-14
You've all heard of Ubuntu, we've talked to the man behind the scenes.
Lead-developer of Ubuntu Desktop Linux
2008-08-14
In a significant victory of free and open source licences the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit - which deals with IP issues - has upheld an open source licence (PDF), in particular referencing the Artistic Licence from Creative Commons.
Big court win for open source licences
2008-08-14
I discovered this little gem in this week's DistroWatch Weekly. When a distribution claims to be "Linux for Software and Web Developers," both of which I happen to be, my ears prick up. Could this be the distribution I've been waiting for? Or will it simply build up my hopes only to dash them later?
Workbench 1.0
2008-08-14
When I came across the oddly named SliTaz I really didn’t know what to expect. Yet another predictable fork of some better known distro which would blaze briefly in the free software firmament, burn out and fall to Earth, spent? Boy, was I ever wrong. If you want to know why Switzerland may be about to become better known for more than chocolate and Cuckoo clocks, read on and be prepared to be impressed and delighted by a live distro of exceptional speed and size.
SliTaz live CD: small but beautifully marked
2008-08-13
Instead of an introduction, I'll answer the question 'Why did you left out wonderful applications like Scribus, Inkscape, Cinelerra, Wine, QCad etc?'. Well, because the article is about applications which I consider essential for daily use. Of course, some work with those every day, but not the majority. Secondly, if you ask why Amarok and not Banshee, or why KTorrent and not Deluge, well that's a personal preference. Unfortunately the article is about 10 and only 10 applications, so I can't include all of them here. Instead, I mentioned several (I know, not all) alternatives for each of the applications included here. Happy reading!
10 Essential Linux Applications for Daily Use
2008-08-13
Linux is getting more and more users everyday. There are even more users who want to give it a try but they are afraid they might lose their data or they won't be able to remove it in case they don't like it. Here comes the virtualization technology. A virtual machine creates a virtual hard drive in which you can install another operating system (guest OS) and run it along with your main one (host OS). Therefore it is a very good solution for those who want to try Linux without having to really partition their hard disk. In this guide I will explain how to install Linux and specifically Ubuntu on Windows XP.
How to install Ubuntu Linux on Windows using VirtualBox
2008-08-13
A lot have been said about user experience, themes and looks of your OS in general. Some claim that OSX has the best GUI around. Aero fans drool over its fancy windows flip thingy. But does it really all matter? Take a look and decide yourself
10 Reasons why GUI Doesn’t Matter
2008-08-13
Reading articles like this certainly make us feel good, but I have to say that they leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. While we run around patting each other on the back for a job well done on the adoption front, the truth is that most people, real computer users, not geeks, are using Windows. Does this mean that Linux is not ready? Not at all, but perhaps this means that what we feed to the public needs a fresh review?
Why Linux Continues to Evade Mainstream Users
2008-08-13
Has Jack Wallen finally found the pinnacle of Linux distributions?The one distribution that will usurp Ubuntu as his OS of choice? You’ll have to read his take on Mandriva Spring 2008 and see just how enamored he has become of this distribution once called Mandrake Linux.
Mandriva Spring 2008: The new “definitive” Linux?
2008-08-13
Who says you have to give up your must-have Windows applications when you migrate to Linux? If you can't leave some crucial Windows program behind, you can run it using CodeWeavers' latest version of CrossOver Linux.
Windows apps on Linux the CrossOver way
2008-08-13
The history of computing is one of giants being toppled. Remember DEC and Wang? No? Well, that says a lot. A giant is in the process of being toppled right now. Arguably, Microsoft is thrashing about in death throes as the era of personal computing ends.
gOS: The Ubuntu giant killer?
2008-08-13
Vyatta offers hardware and open source software for enterprise-level network infrastructure. Vyatta can turn any 32-bit x86 machine with at least one network interface into a network appliance that handles routing, firewall, and VPN tasks. The company released Vyatta Community Edition 4 in April, with improved scalability and feature enhancements. Large enterprises now have a low-cost alternative to proprietary hardware like the Cisco 7200.
A hands-on look at Vyatta Community Edition 4 networking software
2008-08-13
Pardus is a GNU/Linux distribution funded and developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. Pardus has its own unique installer, package manager, configuration wizard, and control panel. This originality, and the developers' attention to detail, make Pardus worth a look.
Pardus 2008: A touch of refinement
2008-08-13
Graphic designers, movie editors, music composers, and multimedia addicts have specific needs when it comes to software. That is why there are specialized Linux distributions that cater to them. Here are 7 Linux distros that will surely win the hearts of multimedia enthusiasts:
7 Best Linux Distributions for Multimedia Enthusiasts
2008-08-12
The new Banshee 1.2 includes several new features over the last stable release, like the equaliser or the music recommendations panel. The full list of new or improved features is here. For those who didn't hear about Banshee yet, it's a pretty powerful audio player for GNOME which received more and more attention lately, featuring things like a media library, support for Last.fm, podcasts, cover fetching, plugins and many more.
Banshee 1.2 - 1.x Series Getting to Maturity
2008-08-12
One of the main reasons that most people are afraid to try Linux is because they have this preconceived notion about linux being too hard to use and difficult to maintain; or that they have to do something drastically differ ant and there is a steep learning curve to using linux. After reading most of the comment on this post of mine and other popular forums for new linux users, it only solidified my belief that most non-linux users are very ignorant about linux. So here is an attemp to dispel some of the myths surrounding Linux:
Linux Myths: Busted!
2008-08-12
I’ve been using Mac OS X alongside Debian since 2007 now, and I think I have a fairly good picture of how things work in both operating systems. In the end, the only feeling I got of Mac OS X is as if I were playing with Linux’ retarded little brother. Here are a few reasons why.
5 Things Linux does better than Mac OS X
2008-08-12
The KDE new desktop grid Changes include:
Rest Here
2008-08-12
Developers from Nokia and Mozilla have been working hard to port the Mozilla Platform and Firefox to Qt and there are now some solid results available. An experimental build of Firefox Qt is available, and you can download the sources from Mozilla's mercurial repository. The plan is to merge the Qt branch into the central Mozilla branch to make the port official. KDE Dot News spoke to developer Oleg Romaxa from Nokia who came to Akademy 2008 from Finland
Interview: Qt Comes to Mozilla and Firefox
2008-08-12
LXDE is a new project aimed to provide a new desktop environment which is lightweight and fast. It’s not designed to be powerful and bloated, but to be usable and slim enough, and keep the resource usage low. Different from other desktop environments, LXDE doesn’t tightly integrate every component. Instead, LXDE makes all components independent, and each of them can be used independently with few dependencies.
LXDE - Light Weight Desktop Environment for openSUSE Linux
2008-08-12
Dell is shipping two new laptops with widescreen LCD displays and Ubuntu Hardy Heron (8.04) operating systems with DVD playback. Additionally, the largest U.S. PC maker has started offering Hardy Heron on three models previously available with the earlier Gutsy Gibbon Ubuntu release.
Dell shipping five Hardy Heron systems
2008-08-12
CentOS, for those unfamiliar, is a clone distribution. The maintainers take the freely-available source code released by Redhat for its commercial Redhat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) product and recompile it, stripping out any trademarked artwork, then redistribute it as CentOS.
CentOS 5.2
2008-08-12
Since 1995, when Patrick Volkerding announced that he would no longer include GNOME in Slackware, people had to rely on projects like GWARE, GNOME Slackbuild or Dropline to enjoy their favourite desktop environment on the oldest Linux distribution around. Or, of course, build GNOME yourself. This has been the case for three years, and despite the popularity of GNOME-based distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora, not one of the many Slackware derivates jumped at the opportunity to combine the simplicity and stability of Slackware with a good looking GNOME desktop. Until now
Zenwalk 5.2 GNOME Edition (beta)
2008-08-12
Pardus is a rather interesting Linux distribution amongst a wide field of many competitors. It's unique in that, while it's designed for desktop usage, it is funded and developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. I don't know the reasons behind this, but I suspect it was due to a need for a good quality Linux distribution for Turkish speaking people.
Pardus Linux 2008
2008-08-11
When the long-awaited Gentoo 2008.0 release finally hit mirrors last month, the two largest groups of users found themselves out of luck: x86 users discovered that their live CD wouldn't copy the kernel during install, and the AMD64 image wouldn't fit onto a standard CD-ROM. This was not a great start for a distribution whose comeback may rest upon this release. Updated ISOs were released two days later, though, and those work well for getting a quick Gentoo install ready to customize.
Gentoo 2008.0: Return to greatness?
2008-08-11
As you all probably know Linux is not limited to just desktops. It’s far reaching, actually. Not that you’d have a Terminal app on it or anything, but you could. Some of you may have a mobile phone running Linux and you probably don’t even know it. The most popular phone in the world runs Unix. That’s right. The iPhone runs on Unix. Are there any other cool devices out there running on Linux or Unix?
10 Coolest Devices Running Linux (Updated!)
2008-08-11
In early November of 2007, the gOS Linux Operating System was presented along with the Everex gPC available at Wal-Mart and on-line. The gPC desktop system was priced at 9 and its early succes must be attributed to the gOS 1.0 Operating system based on Ubuntu 7.10 + enlightenment. The original gOS 1.0 OS offered many enhancements over it's Ubuntu base, the most noticeable being links to interact with Web 2.0 applications by Google and other vendors. These applications included Facebook, Blogger, Google searches, Wikipedia, Youtube and more.
gOS
2008-08-11
A shell is a command interpreter which allows the user to interact with the computer. The way things work is simple: you type in commands, the shell interprets them and performs the tasks you asked it to do, and finally sends the results to the standard output
An Introduction to Linux CLI
2008-08-11
This article reviews all the most common command line tools for manipulating and listening to audio formats on Linux. Players, editors, encoders/decoders, tag editors, music servers, they are all here. Currently it includes no less than 18 CLI (Command Line Interface) tools.
18 CLI Audio Tools for Linux
2008-08-11
When it was first released a year ago the tiny Asus EEE PC sparked a new generation of ultra-portable PCs called netbooks. As the name suggests they tend to be not much bigger than a medium-sized novel and are designed to surf the Internet and check email on the move. And when the EEE PC was first released it was shipped with a version of Xandros Linux.
Running Ubuntu on an Asus EEE 4G
2008-08-11
Is free software taking over the world one town at a time? Residents of Felton, Calif., recently pledged to go proprietary-free for at least a week. Plans for similar events are reportedly under way in town in Oregon and New Mexico, as well as 100 towns in Italy.
Visions of a Microsoft-Free World
2008-08-11
Linspire, the distribution originally launched as Lindows, is no more, says Xandros CEO Andreas Typaldos. Xandros purchased Linspire, the company, earlier this summer. This week, the company announced that it was going to revamp community distribution Freespire, basing its next version on Debian instead of Ubuntu, and using it as a precursor for Xandros Desktop Professional, in much the same way Red Hat uses Fedora and SUSE uses openSUSE. But the company didn't need multiple for-pay desktop distributions, so Linspire is getting the boot.
Linspire is going away
2008-08-11
Time for a review. Thanks to the always useful DistroWatch.com service, I discovered a new Gnu/Linux distribution, called gOS. gOS stands for Good Os, born in 2007 in California. The version I’m reviewing is the so-called “gOS 3 ‘Gadgets’”, their third release. gOS 3 Gadgets BETA is based on Ubuntu 8.04.1, and the final release is to be expected in the next 1-2 months.
gOS 3 Gadgets (Beta) Review
2008-08-11
It all started back in November, my Linux addiction that is. Being now that it’s August, I’ve officially been using Linux for 10 months. It feels like a long time, and I’ve learned a lot. For the past 6 months, I’ve been using it as my main OS. In fact, the company I work at runs entirely on Linux which can be heavily attributed to it’s success, but let’s not go there. In the land of Linux, I’m still a newbie.
Zenwalk 5.2
2008-08-11
While at LinuxWorld at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, I chaired the panel on what the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) that are pre-installing Linux on their PCs are up to and ...
Three things the Linux desktops needs to do to beat Windows
2008-08-11
Puppy Linux version 4 is a good choice if you're looking for a portable Linux OS, writes reviewer Jack Germain. You can load it onto a thumb drive and run it from multiple PCs, taking all your personal settings with you. Its tiny size comes with a few shortcomings, however.
An Old Dog Learns Some New Tricks With Puppy Linux 4
2008-08-11
If you want to add space to a drive, store personal data on a separate partition from your operating system, or run multiple operating systems from the same hard drive, then you need a partition editor.
PartedMagic: An Open Source Alternative for Partition Editing
2008-08-05
Debian took a giant step forward recently towards releasing the next version of Debian, Lenny, by freezing the codebase. Now, the only major things standing between the next release of the popular Linux distribution are “fixes for release critical bugs” and “fixes for severity.”
What to expect in Debian 5: Lenny
2008-08-05
Fedora 9 had shipped earlier this year with kernel-based mode-setting support, an early release of NetworkManager 0.7, PackageKit integration, install-time encryption support, initial EXT4 support, the Upstart daemon, and many other improvements. Now, however, it's time start getting excited over Fedora 10. The first Alpha release of Fedora 10 (codenamed Cambridge) was released this morning. In this article we have screenshots of Fedora 10 along with some of the features you can expect when this Linux operating system ships in October.
Fedora 10 Alpha Preview
2008-08-05
"I do think 'next' as it is has a few issues that either need to be fixed (unlikely - it's not the point of next) or just need to be aired as issues and understood," noted Linus Torvalds about the linus-next development tree, originally designed as a way to get subsystem maintainers more involved in managing merge conflicts. Linus continued, "I don't think anybody wants it to go away. The question in my mind is more along the way of how/whether it should be changed. There was some bickering about patches that weren't there, and some about how _partial_ series were there but then the finishing touches broke things."
Reviewing Linux-next
2008-08-05
The open-source community is no longer the sole province of technology geeks. The mood is shifting. As the mistress of ceremonies at OSCON (the Open Source Convention) commented: instead of open source trying to figure out its place in the enterprise, today the enterprise is seeking its place in open source. And that, among other trends, is causing changes in the community.
A Penguin with an Egg: Growing the Open-Source Community
2008-08-05
Linus Torvalds needs no introduction in operating systems or open-source circles. He's the creator, muse and chief developer of the Linux operating system. Torvalds started Linux while he was in college in 1991. Today, Linux is the foundation of multibillion-dollar companies including Oracle, Novell and Red Hat. It's used on computers from small office servers and home office desktops to the New York Stock Exchange.
Five Things Linus Torvalds Has Learned About Managing Software Projects
2008-08-05
Fedora 9 now lets you create a bootable Linux distribution on a flash drive with persistence. In other words, you can not only boot any PC that will accept USB drive booting into Linux, you can even boot into your own personal desktop. Now, that can be useful.
Fedora on a stick
2008-08-05
I recently decided to give OpenSuse 11.0 a spin on some of the computer terminals at work, replacing PCLinuxOS. It is not that I have any hard feelings towards PCLinuxOS, it is just that I prefer to stay up on the different distros available to make sure I'm not missing out on something.
PCLinuxOS to OpenSuse 11.0
2008-08-04
gDesklets is another great tool like Google Gadgets for bringing mini programs called desklets such as weather forecasts, news tickers, system information displays, or music player controls, onto your desktop, where they are sitting there in a symbiotic relationship of eye candy and usefulness. The possibilities are really endless and they are always there to serve you whenever you need them, just one key-press away. The system is not restricted to one desktop environment, but currently works on most of the modern Unix desktops (including GNOME, KDE, Xfce).
gDesklets - Desklets for your Desktop
2008-08-04
Untangle is scheduled to host an Ubuntu Linux Installfest from Aug. 4 to 7 at LinuxWorld Expo in San Francisco. This latest Installfest, coupled with recent moves by Canonical and Intel made The VAR Guy wonder: Can Ubuntu Linux close the digital divide?
Can Ubuntu Linux Close the Digital Divide?
2008-08-04
Recently I have been pondering whether to buy the eee pc 1000 for university work. Being a massive Ubuntu fan the first thought that came into my mind was can I install Ubuntu on it.
EEEBuntu: Ubuntu for the EEE PC
2008-08-04
Recently I have been pondering whether to buy the eee pc 1000 for university work. Being a massive Ubuntu fan the first thought that came into my mind was can I install Ubuntu on it. The answer is yes, however there are a few issues.
EEEBuntu: Ubuntu for the EEE PC
2008-08-04
Parsix GNU/Linux is a distribution based on Debian and reminds me a lot of Ubuntu. It features a pretty GNOME interface with lots of handy applications and uses APT with Synaptic as the package manager. Parsix GNU/Linux 1.5r1 was released on July 30 and I thought I'd give it a little test run.
Parsix GNU/Linux 1.5r1
2008-08-04
Has Jack Wallen finally found the pinnacle of Linux distributions?The one distribution that will usurp Ubuntu as his OS of choice? You’ll have to read his take on Mandriva Spring 2008 and see just how enamored he has become of this distribution once called Mandrake Linux.
Mandriva Spring 2008: The new “definitive” Linux?
2008-08-04
I have to say it: Canonical has delivered it this time round. Stability, desktop power and general aesthetics. Add to it a very active community, and I have to acknowledge Ubuntu 8.04.1 to be one of the best desktop distributions around.
Ubuntu 8.04.1 Review - Desktop Emphasis
2008-08-04
INSTALLING Slackware is a Linux rite of passage. It is the computing equivalent of wandering off alone into the bush for a month armed with nothing more than a pointy stick and grim determination. That is to say, it is quite a testing experience that is not to be entered into lightly. It is also something you only want to have to do once, if at all possible. My own Slackware experience (v9.0, I think it was) was such a tense affair that, once the KDE desktop loaded, I jumped around the room whooping like I had just killed my first antelope. So I am pleased to report that Absolute Linux is here to make your Slackware experience much less painful.
Absolute Linux 12.1.05 – Slackware Made Easier
2008-07-31
This is going to give a hard time to any Vista or Mac. KDE brings to GNU/Linux the cool and bling factor with a complete arsenal of applications and tools with which you can conquer even Mars. While Windows enjoys the rich ecosystem where third-party players sell applications at a heavy price for the platform, in the world of Linux, everything is being created by a huge community which may outnumber the entire workforce of Microsoft. And all these applications and tools in Linux are available for free (free in terms of cost as well as freedom to modify it the way you want).
KDE 4.1: Better Than Any Mac Or Vista
2008-07-31
Now KDE 4.1 is out, I've played around a bit with different themes. I've installed the KDE artwork package, and a couple of themes via GetHotNewStuff. KDE's coloring system has seen quite a lot of love, as has Plasma's theming engine. The results are quite impressive, as you can see in the screenshots.
Going wild with KDE 4.1 themes.
2008-07-31
The KDE development community announced today the official release of version 4.1, the first major update of the new 4.x series. This release finally delivers on the promise of a next-generation desktop environment and resolves most of the problems that afflicted the original 4.0 release.
KDE 4.1 delivers a next-gen desktop Linux experience
2008-07-31
KDE 4.1 is finally out today, as you probably already know, and it comes with a lot of innovations for the Linux desktop. KDE 4 is the next generation of the popular K Desktop Environment, which seeks to fulfill the need for a powerful yet easy-to-use desktop, for both personal and enterprise computing. The new version provides increased stability over the first KDE 4 version and more eye candy!
How to Install KDE 4.1 on Ubuntu 8.04
2008-07-31
Now that I've got your attention, don't worry too much: Blizzard Entertainment, the company behind the popular World of Warcraft online game, isn't trying to shut down open source software entirely. But in a recent legal filing (reported by the Virtually Blind weblog), they are asking a judge to take an unusual move: prohibiting a developer from releasing a particular bit of code as open source. Read on for the details.
Blizzard Asks Judge to Forbid Open Source
2008-07-31
Launchy and GNOME Do are both two launcher programs that are designed to let you quickly open applications and files and perform tasks you want done quickly, with just the tapping of a few keys. Previously, Launchy had been an open source solution, albeit for Windows only, and GNOME Do was the Linux solution.
GNOME Do vs Launchy
2008-07-31
Over the past few years, I have heard a lot of noise about how great it would be to see KDE coming to Windows world. Despite this happening on its own, it really means little with the exception of perhaps one application - amaroK.
amaroK: Music App for Linux Reviewed
2008-07-31
It's small and silent, sports an array of ports on the back but only one tiny white LED on the front, and it can help you spend hours of time in front of your TV -- and it runs Linux. It's the Netflix Player from embedded device specialist Roku, and we got our hands on it for a review of the service and the hardware
Roku's Netflix Player: a hands-on review
2008-07-31
There have been plenty of reviews deriding KDE 4 (the Linux Desktop Environment). I decided to see if it were really the case of KDE 4 being a bad nut, or just the distributions that shipped it. My emphasis is on the desktop pliability of distributions, with a minimal use of the command line. So if there are complicated, script-type, workarounds to bugs and problems, and there isn’t a simple solution, I am afraid it does not hold for me.
Kubuntu KDE 4 Review
2008-07-31
After spending 99% of my time computing time on Windows operating systems (predominately XP) I recently decided to give Linux a go. I had heard mixed reviews of this free operating system but most people seemed to enjoy using it. My initial response was quite good but I quickly got annoyed with a few things; this included not being able to install a lot of programs and games that I regularly used on Windows.
Review on Linux
2008-07-31
This is the second review in the series, following on from Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 2. The point of these reviews were lost on a few readers in part 1. Why review a Linux distribution that is in Alpha, Beta or Release Candidate? The answer is simple; Newer distros mean newer kernels, which give better support for new hardware and newer distros have newer packages - importantly, game packages. The last point is quite important. Downloading Ubuntu 8.04.1 right now will give you a very stable OS, though a number of the games in the 8.04 repo's have been superseded. In fact, if you're wanting to play online, you might find that this is impossible as the server version might be newer than the version you're running. The answer is either add extra repos from dodgy sources, compile from source or upgrade to a 'not safe for production' distro that's still going through the testing phase of it's release cycle. By taking the last option you'll be helping them out by inadvertently testing, so you're doing the world a favour...while you headshot people in OpenArena
Review: Mandriva Linux 2009 Beta 1 (KDE4.1)
2008-07-31
With its 4.1 release, KDE is taking few chances. While the 4.0 release's announcement emphasized excitement and significance, the tone of the announcement for 4.1 is more subdued. This time, the announcement talks about maturing technologies and underlying improvements, and the only claim is that the 4.1 desktop "can replace the KDE 3 shell for most casual users."
KDE 4.1 Review: The Rocky Road of the New KDE
2008-07-30
Recently Greg Kroah Hartman showed some very interesting Linux kernel development stats. I decided to do some too and the result are 5 cool things you probably didn’t know about the kernel code ;-) These aren’t anything I’ve seen so far about the kernel.
5 things you didn’t know about linux kernel code metrics
2008-07-30
For a book to be complete about Linux as an operating system, it is important to inform the user about operating systems in general. Linux is very modular and open, meaning that each component in the Linux Operating System is visible to the user. Without understanding of the structure of an operating system it would be hard for a user to comprehend the reasoning behind each module in the Linux OS. For this reason alone I devote an entire section on operating systems in general. Once we have crossed the tasks of an operating system, we continue with an explanation on the real Linux operating systems: Linux distributions
Linux Sea
2008-07-30
For those rare people who don’t know, Canonical’s Ubuntu distribution is basically Debian Sid (the unstable version) plus a few GUI apps and modifications. Debian is one of the most successful community-based distributions. Don’t get me wrong, I use both Debian and Ubuntu, and they both perform well, but here are some reasons to choose Debian over Ubuntu:
5 Reasons to Choose Debian Linux Over Ubuntu Linux
2008-07-30
It’s easy to forget with all the source compiling, the conspiracy theories, and the OS flaming going on in every corner of the Internet, that there is a fun side of our beloved OS and Open Source applications. I have compiled a list of 10 easter eggs found in Open Source project (actually you will find more than 10 here, as I treated each application as one)
10 Cool Open Source Easter Eggs
2008-07-30
Lots of different companies are investing and promoting linux. Dell, Asus, Intel, Apple, are just a few to mention who have poured lots of money into the development and adoption of linux. Despite their best efforts, linux is still not adopted over OSX and Windows by professionals and average users. Why? Despite all the companies promoting the development of linux, not enough have joined the band wagon.
Linux mainstream? Not enough software!
2008-07-29
After giving this distro a few days of use, one word comes to mind: “polished.” Pardus 2008 is a Linux distribution created by the Turkish National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology. At its core, it is a Turkish language OS, but the English version shows no lack of attention. It is a KDE-based distribution, and while I’m not a KDE fan myself, the ease-of-use of this interface blew me away. It is clear that a lot of attention went into making almost every aspect of the system professional and easy to use.
Pardus 2008 Review
2008-07-29
Nautilus is the Swiss Army knife of the GNOME world. Nautilus is a file manager that helps you to graphically use and manage files, folders, and other resources found on your computer. Nautilus is developed as part of the GNOME project. Linux directories are the same as Windows folders.
Ubuntu GNOME's Nautilus
2008-07-29
Last October we were the first to deliver a full-review of DeviceVM's SplashTop which was an instant-on embedded Linux distribution at the time found on a lone ASUS motherboard. Since then there has been a commitment to SplashTop on all ASUS motherboards and even on ASUS notebooks. While ASUS has been the primary partner with DeviceVM up to this point, other manufacturers are exploring this market. One of our few gripes about SplashTop is that it's limited in the current applications available and doesn't allow for much tweaking with no terminal access. However, members of the Phoronix Forums have hacked SplashTop. They have been able to run SplashTop from a USB stick on non-ASUS motherboards, boot SplashTop within a virtual machine, run custom applications, and launch a terminal within this proprietary Linux environment.
SplashTop "Instant-On Linux" Gets Hacked
2008-07-29
Day 3 of this year's Ottawa Linux Symposium featured a number of sessions, most notably a keynote address by Ubuntu founder and space tourist Mark Shuttleworth, who called for the greater Linux community to start thinking about discussing syncronicity, his term for having major software releases synchronised. The conference wrapped up on Saturday with some final interesting sessions and statistics.
OLS 2008 wrap-up
2008-07-29
When LinuxWorld Expo kicks off August 4 in San Francisco, The VAR Guy will be watching the event closely. In fact, he expects four key trends — related to Canonical and Ubuntu Linux — to emerge at the conference. Here’s the scoop.
LinuxWorld Expo Preview: Four Canonical and Ubuntu Linux Trends
2008-07-29
Email is arguably one of the most popular and useful functions of a Linux system. Fortunately, there is a wide selection of free email software available on the Linux platform which is stable, feature laden, and ideal for personal and business environments. Send and receive emails, run a mail server, filter spam, administer a mailing list are just some of the options explored in this article
42 of the Best Free Linux Email Software
2008-07-29
We don’t normally start tracking the Ubuntu releases until they hit about the Alpha 3 stage; after all the big software updates have made it in, any theme work is mostly done and the final release is starting to take shape. Well, that happened yesterday: Ubuntu 8.10 “Intrepid Ibex” Alpha 3 was released.
Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) Alpha 3, Screenshots and New Theme Proposals
2008-07-29
In the battle for which operating system runs best on the $15 Laptop, Puppy Linux has pulled out front as the fastest system with the most features I need and best functionality on this 1999-era Compaq Armada 7770dmt.
In search of the best OS for a 9-year-old laptop: Part I — Puppy or Damn Small Linux
2008-07-29
KDE 4.1 was finally released to the public today. After all the controversy since the release of KDE 4.0, I'm happy to announce that KDE 4.1 simply rocks. KDE 4.1 packages are available for Kubuntu and several other popular distributions. If there are no prebuilt binaries yet for your distro of choice, you can compile the software from the available source packages. A live CD image is also available should you wish to try the new desktop without altering your existing installation.
KDE 4.1 rocks the desktop
2008-07-29
About nine months ago I reviewed NimbleX 2007 and found it to be quite an enjoyable compact distribution with a number of unique features. The first of those was that it is designed to run from a CD, a USB pen drive or even from the network rather than a hard drive. A combination most other distributions don't do. Or for that matter, any that I'm aware of. NimbleX 2007 was also very fast with a lot of great tools. It set quite a precedent when it came out. So what's special about 2008 that sets it apart from its predecessor?
Review: NimbleX 2008
2008-07-29
I was bored over the weekend. Really bored. Kinda had a little flu, so couldn’t go outside… What does one do then? Yeah, check out another distribution. Decided to give OpenSuSE 11.0 a spin - wasn’t terribly amazed by the 10.3 release, but really curious to see what they did with KDE 4.x. Long story short, they did quite a nice job polishing it to look familiar to KDE 3.5.x users. Too ‘familiar’ and not enough 4.x’ish for my liking,
KDE 4.1 Beta 2 on OpenSuSE 11.0
2008-07-28
In his quest to find the simplest Linux distribution, Jack Wallen makes a stop at PCLinuxOS and may have found the holy grail of simple operating systems. Read Jack’s take on PCLinuxOS and decide for yourself if PCLinuxOS is your “go-to” Linux distribution.
PCLinuxOS: Definately “Radically Simple”
2008-07-28
Linux enthusiasts have always touted for Linux to be one of the best operating systems ever. Their voice grew shriller with the advent of Microsoft Windows Vista in the market.
5 simple reasons to choose Linux over Vista
2008-07-28
KDE 4.1 is coming! If all goes according to schedule, we should see it released in a day or so. While I have actually been partially using KDE 4 trunk (which was 4.1) since around March or April, I have been going back and forth between KDE 3 and KDE 4 sessions and using a different user for KDE 4 testing. But now I’ve migrated my main user to KDE 4 totally, except for a few KDE 3 apps here and there. I just want to share some of the things I’m loving in KDE 4 in general, and KDE 4.1 in particular. With screenshots, of course!
http://jucato.org/blog/140/
2008-07-28
The Debian GNU/Linux team today released the fourth update for the current stable Debian release, codenamed Etch. The latest release corrects a number of security issues as well as, for the first time in Debian’s update history, adding support for new hardware. The new hardware support
Debian issues fourth Etch update
2008-07-28
I've used different distributions over the years. Right now I happen to use Fedora 9 on most of the computers I have, which really boils down to the fact that Fedora had fairly good support for PowerPC back when I used that, so I grew used to it. But I actually don't care too much about the distribution, as long as it makes it easy to install and keep reasonably up-to-date. I care about the kernel and a few programs, and the set of programs I really care about is actually fairly small.
Linus Torvalds on Linux Distributions
2008-07-28
VirtualBox is a family of powerful x86 virtualization products for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Install Virtualbox 1.6 in Ubuntu
2008-07-28
Mandriva and Precedent Technologies ("PTech"), announce a new partnership, working together on the release in September in the United States of a new low-cost desktop, with Intel Atom CPUs and Mandriva Linux preinstalled on these machines.
Mandriva and Precedent Technologies work together to offer a new low cost desktop: TechSurfer
2008-07-28
During OSCON last week, I met with Canonical's Pete Goodall to discuss the company's strategy for Ubuntu in the mobile market. Although he could not tell me any specifics regarding plans for upcoming Ubuntu-based subnotebook products, the word is that good stuff is coming soon. He seemed very enthusiastic about emerging opportunities for Ubuntu in the mobile space.
Ubuntu on Atom: coming soon to a subnotebook near you
2008-07-28
IDG World Expo has teamed up with open source security gateway provider Untangle and electronics recycler Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC) to host an Installfest for Schools at LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in San Francisco next week. Volunteers will refurbish older discarded computers with free and open source software (FOSS) before they are donated to schools in need.
Installfest at LinuxWorld could seed national program
2008-07-28
Yahoo! subsidiary Zimbra has released beta 3 of Zimbra Desktop, its new email application designed to make it simpler to work with multiple web mail accounts, even when offline. The program also includes calendaring facilities.
Yahoo!'s Zimbra Desktop beta 3 launched
2008-07-25
64-bit computing is as prevalent today as multicore computing. Almost any new processor from Intel or AMD has the AMD long mode extensions, allowing the processor to use 64-bit registers. While 32-bit processors can address 4 gigabytes of RAM, a 64-bit processor can address 16 exabytes, or almost 17.2 billion gigabytes, of RAM. Most 64-bit-capable computers aren't making use of these capabilities, but instead are put to work running 32-bit operating systems, usually because of a lack of applications for 64-bit operating systems, since applications must be recompiled and in some cases rewritten for 64-bit operation. It is possible, however, to run 32-bit Linux binaries natively under 64-bit Linux kernels.
Using Adobe Flash and other 32-bit applications on 64-bit Linux
2008-07-25
Nathan Zale Dowlen objects to proprietary software, so when he opened his new law office, he outfitted it with Ubuntu Linux and open source software. Cost was the main factor in his decision at first, but he has since come to appreciate the security found in FOSS and the ease of use found with Ubuntu.
Proprietary software? Counsel objects
2008-07-25
Well, reality finally took hold on me this week. Yeah, I am a ardent fan of Arch, Gentoo, and FreeBSD. I really like Linux Mint. Unfortunately for me, the Linux distribution of choice in Vietnam is Ubuntu. Roughly 90 percent of Linux users I meet in Vietnam are now Ubuntu users. The other 10 percent are people like me seem to be the old school Linux propents who feel that using Linux means configuring your entire system by command line.
Compromising to Ubuntu
2008-07-25
A few months ago, we looked at Linus Torvalds in his own words, which was surprisingly popular (for a filler ;). So following the same approach (i.e. too busy to write something original today ;), what are the top-ten best mailing list posts in the history of free/open source software?
Top Ten mailing list posts in the history of free/open source software
2008-07-25
I guess all Linux users, especially Ubuntu ones, have used or at least heard about Automatix, an application that can install and uninstall the most used and popular programs. From multimedia codecs and archiving tools, e-mail clients and web browsers, to audio/video ripping and burning software, Automatix could do them all. Unfortunately, a few months ago, Automatix died (it was actually sold to the Pioneer Linux).
Ultamatix: The New Automatix
2008-07-25
The third alpha version of the upcoming Ubuntu 8.10 (codename Intrepid Ibex), which is scheduled for release in late October this year, was made available a few minutes ago. Even if it doesn’t come with any significant modification, compared with the second alpha, which brought just a handful of software updates, we wanted to keep you up-to-date with the latest changes in the Ubuntu 8.10 development. Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 3 comes with a brand new development version of the Nautilus file manager (with tabs) and a new Linux kernel, version 2.6.26-4.1
Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 3 Screenshot Tour
2008-07-25
openSUSE officially announced the start of 11.1's development cycle with a drop of alpha 1. What follows are some quick notes taken after booting into the KDE Live CD version. Note that this is indeed an alpha 1.
Notes from the Field: openSUSE 11.1 Alpha 1
2008-07-25
On those infrequent occasions when you need to reboot Linux, you may find that the process takes longer than you’d like. Jack Wallen shares a number of tricks you can use to reduce boot times.
10 ways to make Linux boot faster
2008-07-24
Last year I wrote a review of Vector Linux 5.8 Standard for O'Reilly in January. Five months later I decided a new review was in order for Vector Linux 5.8 SOHO because the two weren't based on the same code and the changes were great enough to make the SOHO release seem like an entirely different version from Standard. This past March I reviewed Vector Linux 5.9 Standard and once again I find the changes in the SOHO release warrant a separate review.
Vector Linux SOHO 5.9 Deluxe -- Not Just For The Office
2008-07-24
Today's IT managers face tough choices. PCs that run fine today have an uncertain upgrade path, now that Microsoft has chosen to discontinue Windows XP. Upgrade costs associated with Vista, coupled with the ever-escalating cost of application licenses, make switching to desktop Linux an increasingly attractive option.
Making desktop Linux work for business
2008-07-24
A year after creating an online open-source software development community to take on SourceForge.net and other rivals, the development team at Ubuntu Linux will be the first to admit that it still has a long way to go to achieve the popularity of its competitors.
Ubuntu to unveil new version of its Launchpad community next week
2008-07-24
OpenSolaris 2008.05, Sun's community-developed open-source Solaris distribution, was released in May of this year, to much fanfare. While I began my system administration career in the Solaris field, I've found myself more and more in the Linux arena in the last few years, and haven't had a good look at Sun's flagship product since back in 2005, when Solaris 10 was released. With this in mind, I decided to pull down an ISO and see just how much going open-source has improved the product.
Checking out Opensolaris 2008.05
2008-07-24
Dell Inc. has announced that is adding a number of laptops and desktop machines with the Linux operating system Ubuntu 8.04 installed.
Dell offers new machines with Linux Ubuntu 8.04
2008-07-24
Sorry if I’m the only person who’s confused about Canonical’s mobile Linux strategy. The company has at least two Ubuntu software projects — one for Netbooks, the other for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) — that sound strikingly similar. So what’s the difference between Ubuntu for Netbooks and Ubuntu for MIDs? Canonical gave me some answers during OSCON 2008.
Ubuntu Netbooks vs. Mobile Internet Devices: What’s the Difference?
2008-07-24
There are many people using Linux Operating system for their computer. The advantage that can be picked from Linux usage is not only some money that we can save but also features that included in Linux has almost same ability with the other Operating System in market.
The Four Consideration in Choosing Linux
2008-07-24
We have collected some of the best quotes from three of the most influential people in the history of operating systems: Steve Jobs (Apple), Linus Torvalds (Linux) and Bill Gates (Microsoft).
Great quotes from Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Linus Torvalds
2008-07-24
The reason i am writing this review is that few days back i had some problem with my ubuntu desktop(resizing disk issues) when i thought of giving Linux Mint a go since the new version Elyssa was released. I am a relatively new linux user about 6 months old. So i put forward my perception. Feel free to reply what you all think.
Linux Mint Elyssa Vs Ubuntu Hardy!
2008-07-24
To be honest, I never really liked Human, Ubuntu’s default theme, and seems that many other people don’t. Happilly, on GNU/Linux systems it is easy to customize everything, even the buttons aspect or the windows borders. Here’s a list of 30 Gnome themes of all styles, from the Windows XP look-a-like to the very original skin, to enhance your Ubuntu experience.
30 Gnome themes to enhance your Ubuntu experience
2008-07-24
If you want something basic, quiet and easily tucked away in your office, this Linux-based desktop PC could be the right choice.
Think small with Linutop 2
2008-07-24
Along with 2.6.27 development ramping up, there is a variety of other Linux kernel news. Shortly after the release of Linux 2.6.26, someone on the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML) asked what sort of changes – either potentially or already in the works – might give rise to a 2.7 development series. Torvalds did not even wait 20 minutes to respond, "Nothing. I'm not going back to the old model. The new model is so much better that it's not even worth entertaining as a theory to go back."
Kernel Log: No unstable series; Linux 2008.7; dealing with security fixes
2008-07-22
KDE 4.1 was released as a RC recently and will soon be released. While it will be a very usable and stable desktop environment ready to be used almost everywhere most users with NVIDIA cards will not be pleased: their proprietary driver spoil the fun.
Nvidia on KDE 4.1: a greedy problem
2008-07-22
Is Linux for everyone? Is Linux destined to be the Great Replacement? Will Linux ever reach billions on billions of installs in the world? Not likely. If Linux isn't for everyone, then who is it for?
Exactly who, is Linux for?
2008-07-22
Forget fear, uncertainty and doubt. How do Windows Vista and Linux really compare against each other? It’s one thing to talk about the familiar applications available to Windows users contrasted with the rich suite of free open source apps for Linux, but something totally different to actually compare the loads of the two operating systems as they perform functionally identical tasks.
Face off: Windows vs Linux real world RAM and disk tests
2008-07-22
"Hurrah! 2.0 has been released!" said Matthew Dillon, announcing the eighth major release of DragonFly BSD. This release is the first to include HAMMER, a new clustering filesystem that already boasts an impressive list of features, including: "crash recovery on-mount, no fsck; fine-grained snapshots, snapshot management, snapshot-support for filesystem-wide data integrity checks; historically accessible by default; mirroring: queueless incremental mirroring, master to multi-slave; undo and rollback; reblocking; multi-volume, maximum storage capacity of 1-Exabyte."
DragonFly BSD 2.0, HAMMER Filesystem
2008-07-22
Our good friend and developer of NimbleX, Bogdan Radulescu, gave us an exclusive copy of his new distribution, NimbleX 2008, which will be available for all of you tomorrow! I was really thrilled this morning when I saw the e-mail from Bogdan regarding the new version of NimbleX, I immediately downloaded the ISO image and gave it a try, to see what's new. In the following lines, I will share with you my personal thoughts about NimbleX, a small but versatile operating system based on the popular Slackware Linux.
Exclusive First Look: NimbleX 2008
2008-07-22
Just a little less than a year ago I reviewed Sabayon Linux 3.4a, and found it to be a good distribution that was more or less a jack of all trades in many ways. The ability to do multiple different desktop environments was quite a nice feature and allowed it to be a one stop solution for more than just one particular group of people. So what's new in version 3.5? A lot surprisingly enough, especially since it's only grown by one subversion number.
Review: Sabayon Linux 3.5
2008-07-21
I recently installed BLAG 90000 on one of my computers, but I am not going to trouble you with a traditional Linux review. Suffice it to say that BLAG 90000 is based on Fedora, uses the outstanding Anaconda installer and is really easy to use and maintain.
BLAG 90000: The Che Guevara Of Linux
2008-07-21
I posted an entry here a month or so ago about my switch from Linux Mint to PCLinuxOS. There was good, bad, and definitely very ugly, which, to be fair, was probably due to the non-standard hardware of my Thinkpad r51e. In the many comments on that article, someone suggested that I should try Mandriva, which uses KDE and on which PCLinuxOS is based. So I did. Another new distro, another day …
PCLinuxOS to Mandriva Spring 2008.1
2008-07-21
We see many new Linux distributions released on regular basis. Some are based upon already existing major Linux distributions while others are independent projects. But not all will attract your attention until there is something really unique about them.
Simplis GNU/Linux: A new face in GNU/Linux Town
2008-07-21
Last weekend a friend was moaning about endless problems with Windows XP on his desktop PC. We installed Ubuntu 7.04 on it. The problems went away. That started me thinking about my own "daily driver" computer, a Dell Latitude that also runs Ubuntu 7.04, and it made me realize that I hadn't thought about my laptop or its operating system in many months. Linux -- especially Ubuntu -- has become so reliable and simple that for most end users it's simply not worth thinking about, any more than we think about tools like wrenches and screwdrivers. Does this mean desktop GNU/Linux has become so boring that it's not worth noticing?