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NewsVac: News from around the Web
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IBM nears a decade of Linux and open source
8 minutes ago
After nearly a decade of active involvement in open source, IBM's commitment to Linux is broad and deep, said Inna Kuznetsova, the director of IBM Linux strategy. This vision of IBM's rapport with Linux is shared by most, but not all, IBM observers. -
Ulteo Applications System
1 hour, 38 minutes ago
Gaël Duval announced the availability of Ulteo Application System, code name "Sirius" Stable: "The Ulteo Application System is a FREE installable version of Ulteo, that ships with hundreds applications and innovative features that include: Global Ulteo authentication; Automatic data backup/synchronization to/from the Ulteo Online Desktop; "My Digital Life" panel to organize your digital life easier and better; Automatic system and application incremental upgrade; Very fast to install, very easy to use."
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Linux is easier to install than XP
4 hours, 38 minutes ago
You might think it would be easier to replace Vista with XP rather than Linux. You'd be wrong. -
Red Hat extends RHEL lifecycle
5 hours, 42 minutes ago
As of today, the first phase of the life-cycle for every Red Hat Enterprise Linux major release is being extended from three years to four. During the first phase of the life cycle we provide support for new hardware that is released by our partners, important new software functionality, bug fixes and security patches. -
Vector Linux SOHO 5.9 Deluxe -- not just for the office
6 hours, 38 minutes ago
Vector Linux is a decade-old distribution based on Slackware that provides many of the user friendly tools and features offered by the largest and most popular distributions. The SOHO edition is no longer available for free download, but Vector Linux 5.9 SOHO is the most polished release to date. It is probably worth the price of admission for those who know and like Vector Linux already and for anyone who is looking for a Linux distribution that is optimized for performance and who doesn't mind an occasional foray to the command line.
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Face off: Windows vs. Linux real world RAM and disk tests
23 hours, 23 minutes ago
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. -
Ubuntu Muslim Edition 8.04.1 released
1 day ago
Highlights:- WebStrict (parental control tool) enabled by default (so as browsing the Internet is safe)
- Zekr 0.7.0 (Quran study tool) installed and configured to play Quran recitations
- Minbar and Firefox “Pray Times” addon installed
- Monajat (display Islamic prayers)
- Thwab (encyclopedia)
- UbuntuME artworks: usplash, login screen, islamic wallpapers, theme etc.
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Debian celebrates 15-year legacy
1 day ago
Debian, arguably the most important Linux distribution, is readying to celebrate its 15th birthday on August 16. While a respected and widely used Linux distribution in its own right, Debian has, over the 15 years, also been widely used as the base for numerous other Linux distributions, including the popular Ubuntu distribution. -
PC vendors want to sell you desktop Linux
1 day, 12 hours ago
It used to be that finding a PC with pre-installed Linux was harder than finding a needle in a haystack. Now, though, all the major PC vendors are offering Linux-powered PCs. -
Linux-based Exchange replacement helps 3 health care systems cut costs
1 day, 18 hours ago
For three health care centers, the challenge was clear: Find a way to improve internal communications by expanding e-mail accounts to all employees, including doctors, nurses, security staffers and dietary workers, without breaking their IT budgets. -
Dual-core PPC SoC drives 55
1 day, 22 hours ago
Freescale is sampling a pin-compatible version of its PowerPC-based MPC8641D system-on-chip (SoC) that is claimed to consume 27 percent less power. The 1.0-1.25GHz MPC8640D offers dual e600 cores, a 37 percent lower price, and an optional Linux board support package (BSP), says Freescale. -
Automation computers run Linux
2 days ago
Axiomtek has announced two aluminum-cased embedded computers targeting automation, kiosk, digital signage, and vehicle applications. The Linux-compatible eBOX832-831 and eBOX832-840 offer dual gigabit Ethernet ports, six USB ports, four COM ports, and two IEEE 1394a ports, according to the company. -
COM Express module runs 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo
2 days ago
RadiSys announced a COM Express module based on Intel's newly shipping Core 2 Duo T9400 and GM45 Express chipset. The Linux- and Windows-ready Procelerant CEGM45 targets portable, high-performance applications, and comes in Type 2 and Type 3 COM Express pin-out models, says the company. -
Blogger unpacks Linux-based phone
2 days, 1 hour ago
Out in the blogosphere (which we believe is somewhere near "the Internets,") the OpenMoko Neo FreeRunner is getting unpacked, photographed, and examined. On Holden Karau's blog, he describes difficulties getting the FreeRunner working with an AT&T SIM card, but dubs the voice quality "pretty awesome." -
Compact Debian-based server adds router
2 days, 1 hour ago
Excito is shipping a faster version of its low-power, Debian Linux-based file and print server. The quiet-running Bubba Two moves up to a 333MHz Freescale PowerPC processor, boosts storage to 1TB, and adds dual gigabit Ethernet ports, providing router support. - More News
Linux.com : Linux
Network Security Toolkit distribution aids network security administrators
Network Security Toolkit is one of many live CD Linux distributions focusing on network monitoring, analysis, and security. NST was designed to give network security administrators easy access to a comprehensive set of open source network applications, many of which are among the top 100 security tools recommended by insecure.org.
Ubuntu hits new high in Linux boredom
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?
Is SCO finally dead?
Even though SCO has suffered another legal defeat, the company looks like it has enough willpower, if not sense, to keep its legal losing streak going.
Arch Linux for the DIY Linux user
There's no dearth of Linux distributions for desktop users or even for running high availability servers. But if you are a do-it-yourself computer user, your choice of Linux distros is fairly limited. You can build Linux from scratch with Linux from Scratch or compile your own set of packages with Gentoo. But if you want a distro that teaches you the basics of Linux as you set it up; is well documented, lightweight, and zippy; and has a dependency-resolving packaging system, you need Arch Linux.
Event aims to bring Lindependence to one California town
An enterprising group has taken on a radical approach in attracting users to Linux: switch a whole town! Dubbed "Lindependence 2008" (a.k.a. LIN08), this event strives to switch citizens in Felton, Calif., for at least a week from Microsoft Windows to Linux. The initiative, loosely led by Ken Starks in Austin, Texas, and Larry Cafiero in Felton, has taken the idea of introducing normal computer users to Linux to screaming heights. By July 28, those in Felton who decide to take the plunge will go Microsoft-free for a week or more.
Myah OS: Not quite ready
Myah OS is a desktop-oriented distribution built from the ground up around a custom package manager. When things go right, it has the potential to be an easy to use, simplistic deskop operating system. As you will see, however, not everything always goes right.
SliTaz, a mighty micro Linux distro
SliTaz is a new micro GNU/Linux live distribution designed to run from RAM (a recommended minimum of 128MB) and installable to a hard drive or USB device. The current version, SliTaz 1.0, weighs in at a light 24.8MB and provides a nice selection of applications that run on a lightweight desktop. You can store user data and settings on persistent media, and support for more than 400 additional download packages is available.
How to write a thorough review of a Linux distribution
I have never written a review of a Linux distribution, but I've read more than I can count, and many of them have been maddeningly incomplete and not worth the time it took to read them. Here's a list of items you need to talk about in order to write a thorough review, covering every aspect of the distribution from the initial download to the final recommendation and everything in between.
Three reasons why GNU/Linux is better for Web servers than OS X
Apple's OS X, which has been an official certified Unix system for some time now, is often installed onto Internet-exposed or intranet-only Web servers for serving up dynamic content. I've worked with such configurations for a couple of years, and with GNU/Linux alternatives for even longer. There are at least three reasons why GNU/Linux systems do the job better.
Nokia buys Symbian, will open Symbian OS
Symbian, the company behind the popular proprietary mobile/embedded operating system of the same name, just turned 10, but it won't see its next birthday. Nokia, which had long owned a substantial portion of Symbian, announced today that it would be buying the rest of the company, 52% for about &euro264 million, or approximately $410 million. In addition to purchasing Symbian, Nokia says it will be open-sourcing the Symbian operating system.
Kudos to openSUSE 11.0
openSUSE 11.0 was one of the most anticipated Linux distro releases of 2008. Despite a few bugs in the final code, which was released yesterday, it was worth the wait. The openSUSE version of KDE 4 alone is worth the download, and the improvements to the software manager make customizing a pleasure.
Fresh Linux Mint is a mixed bag
Linux Mint is a heavily customized community-driven derivative built on top of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. According to the creators, its purpose is "to produce an elegant, up-to-date, and comfortable GNU/Linux desktop distribution." The latest release, Linux Mint 5.0 "Elyssa", released this month, retains most of Ubuntu's stability and features, but distinguish itself with unique features and tweaks. Although Mint is a great desktop, a few problems keep it from perfection.
openSUSE's Brockmeier sees distro coming into its own
Of all the community distributions, probably the least known is openSUSE. After two and a half years, the distro is not only still working out details about how its community operates -- including how its governing board is elected -- but also struggling to come out of the shadow of its corporate parent Novell, much as Fedora has emerged from its initial dominance by Red Hat. With the pending release of openSUSE 11.0, community manager Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier suggests that the distribution is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves. In the middle of preparations for the new release, Brockmeier took the time to talk with Linux.com about the priorities within the community and its relation with the larger world of free software.
Puppy Linux 4.00 is barking up the right tree
With the recent release of Puppy Linux 4.00, developer Barry Kauler and his team have provided a lightweight but functional Linux operating system. To help reduce size and include more functionality over the previous binary-package-based Puppy 3.01, Puppy 4.00 has been compiled from a Slackware 12-based source. Yet despite its small size -- the ISO file is a meager 87.1MB -- Puppy has an abundance of applications, with more than enough for an average user.
Canonical showcases Ubuntu Netbook Remix at Computex
This week, Canonical announced a reworked version of Ubuntu at the Computex trade show in Taiwan. The new Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR) is specifically built for new so-called "netbooks" -- mini laptops with small screens geared towards Web browsing and built on Intel's new, low-power micro-architecture called Atom. The new version will allow users to access email, browse the Internet, and use instant messaging, and provide online access to music, photos, and videos, all in one small, affordable package.
Ultimate Edition: Not so ultimate
Ultimate Edition (UE) 1.8 is a remaster of Ubuntu Hardy Heron with custom software repositories and a distinctive theme. Its claim to fame over pure Ubuntu is convenience, due to preloaded updates and software. While the name might suggest that it is a huge upgrade over its progenitor, in reality its developers have not made many improvements besides application install scripts. Due to a distracting theme, a poorly built user interface, and an incredible lack of the convenience it claims to have, Ultimate Edition falls painfully short of ultimate.
Upgrading to Slackware 12.1
Pat Volkerding and the Slackware team released the latest version of Slackware Linux, 12.1, on May 2. Even though it is a "point one" release, the list of new features reads like what other distributions would consider a major new version. Slackware 12.1 features the latest KDE 3.5.9, Xfce 4.4.2, and a number of improvements, especially to udev. The full list of updated features is in the official product announcement. From a user's perspective, version 12.1 is a true refinement of the previous version.
gNewSense distro frees Ubuntu
Free software lovers can rejoice at this month's release of gNewSense 2.0 (pronounced "guh-new-sense"), the latest version of the popular distribution based on Ubuntu Hardy Heron. Code-named DeltaH, this operating system includes only software where users have the right to run, study, adapt, redistribute, and improve all of the software and code. To that end, gNewSense is supported and sponsored by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). The strict freedom-ware requirement excludes a great deal of software, including proprietary drivers for wireless and video cards, leaving most users with a less functional -- albeit less tainted -- derivative of Ubuntu 8.04.
Review: Mandriva Linux 2008 Spring
Last month Mandriva announced its latest Spring edition. Despite a few minor glitches, after several weeks of testing the two Mandriva flavors, I have finally come across a distro that gives you the best of the GNU/Linux and proprietary worlds in terms of ease of use, range of software, and stability on hardware that ranges from old Celerons to newer multi-core machines.
Testing the new SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP2
In Novell's new SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP2, announced yesterday, you'll find only small, but useful, improvements, most of them for better interoperability with Microsoft protocols and formats.
