The Latest Linux, Open Source, And Tech News
LEFTOVERS
OSI, FSF want inquiry of Microsoft consortium deal on Novell
Open Source Initiative and Free Software Foundation petition the DOJ, fearing patents will be used for 'nefarious' motives
Protesting the secrecy of the deal, the Open Source Initiative and the Free Software Foundation have jointly asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the purchase of more than 800 patents by a Microsoft-led consortium, CTPN Holdings. more
Open Source Initiative and Free Software Foundation petition the DOJ, fearing patents will be used for 'nefarious' motives
Protesting the secrecy of the deal, the Open Source Initiative and the Free Software Foundation have jointly asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the purchase of more than 800 patents by a Microsoft-led consortium, CTPN Holdings. more
Larry Page To Replace Eric Schmidt As Google CEO
Google is going through mega power shift. On April 4, 2011, Larry Page, the co-founder of Google will take charge of Google as the CEO, thus joining the elite club of founder CEOs which includes the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gate, Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg. more
Google is going through mega power shift. On April 4, 2011, Larry Page, the co-founder of Google will take charge of Google as the CEO, thus joining the elite club of founder CEOs which includes the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gate, Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg. more
Review: CrunchBang ("#!") Linux 10 "Statler" Openbox r20110105
I've had a couple of encounters with #! before, starting with this review of version 9.04.01 and including this review of version 10 "Statler" Openbox (Alpha 2). I was pleasantly surprised by the features and minimalistic beauty of version 9.04.01, and I was later slightly let down by the relative lack of polish and removal of some features in version 10 (Alpha 2). Now, the #! developers have come out with a (actually, two) post-alpha release(s) of version 10 "Statler". more
I've had a couple of encounters with #! before, starting with this review of version 9.04.01 and including this review of version 10 "Statler" Openbox (Alpha 2). I was pleasantly surprised by the features and minimalistic beauty of version 9.04.01, and I was later slightly let down by the relative lack of polish and removal of some features in version 10 (Alpha 2). Now, the #! developers have come out with a (actually, two) post-alpha release(s) of version 10 "Statler". more
A Look at Linux Mint Debian Edition
I have a fairly wary relationship with Debian GNU/Linux, so I had to wonder how things would go with the new Linux Mint Debian Edition.
My wariness stems from my early days of using Linux and trying to install Debian a few times and — thanks to my inexperience, failing spectacularly. Chastened, I would ultimately reach over and grab a MandrakeLinux or Red Hat disk instead.
Over the years, it's been a source of mild embarrassment, enough to keep me from trying it out again, as new distros like Fedora, openSUSE, and Ubuntu came along.
Today, though, I am one step closer to eliminating that small bit of shame, as I am running Linux Mint Debian Edition. And, I must say, liking it. more
I have a fairly wary relationship with Debian GNU/Linux, so I had to wonder how things would go with the new Linux Mint Debian Edition.
My wariness stems from my early days of using Linux and trying to install Debian a few times and — thanks to my inexperience, failing spectacularly. Chastened, I would ultimately reach over and grab a MandrakeLinux or Red Hat disk instead.
Over the years, it's been a source of mild embarrassment, enough to keep me from trying it out again, as new distros like Fedora, openSUSE, and Ubuntu came along.
Today, though, I am one step closer to eliminating that small bit of shame, as I am running Linux Mint Debian Edition. And, I must say, liking it. more
The Fall of Wintel and the Rise of Armdroid
This year's show, Dediu argues, marks the end of the PC-era: it's finally being disrupted. The basic concept of disruption is that a low-end offering (in this case, tablets) emerges to displace existing solution (PCs). The reason this takes place is that the current solution has improved to such an extent that it provides more performance than a majority of users able to usefully employ. more
This year's show, Dediu argues, marks the end of the PC-era: it's finally being disrupted. The basic concept of disruption is that a low-end offering (in this case, tablets) emerges to displace existing solution (PCs). The reason this takes place is that the current solution has improved to such an extent that it provides more performance than a majority of users able to usefully employ. more
Linux 2.6.38 eliminates last main global lock, improving performance
The first release candidate for the upcoming Linux 2.6.38 kernel is now out and it could further improve Linux performance.
With 2.6.37, the Big Kernel Lock (BKL) was removed, but apparently there is at least one more big global lock that needed to come out. In 2.6.38 there is a new RCU (Read/Copy/Update)-based path name lookup. more
The first release candidate for the upcoming Linux 2.6.38 kernel is now out and it could further improve Linux performance.
With 2.6.37, the Big Kernel Lock (BKL) was removed, but apparently there is at least one more big global lock that needed to come out. In 2.6.38 there is a new RCU (Read/Copy/Update)-based path name lookup. more
The EU won't stand in the way of Microsoft & Friends acquiring Novell's patents
CPTN Holdings–a Microsoft-led group with fellow-members Apple, EMC, and Oracle–isn’t just still try buying Novell’s patents, the group’s patent acquisition attempt recently received an OK from the European Commission (EC) vice president and competition commissioner Joaquín Almunia. more
CPTN Holdings–a Microsoft-led group with fellow-members Apple, EMC, and Oracle–isn’t just still try buying Novell’s patents, the group’s patent acquisition attempt recently received an OK from the European Commission (EC) vice president and competition commissioner Joaquín Almunia. more
GNOME 3 Official Website Launches
It's several months behind schedule, but GNOME 3 is getting closer to becoming reality. While we're still a few months away from the planned release date, the GNOME project team launched the GNOME 3 website showcasing the core features and focus areas as well as providing preview of the new visual style. more
It's several months behind schedule, but GNOME 3 is getting closer to becoming reality. While we're still a few months away from the planned release date, the GNOME project team launched the GNOME 3 website showcasing the core features and focus areas as well as providing preview of the new visual style. more
Windows on verge of dropping below 90% market share
Rise of smartphones, tablets threaten Microsoft hegemony
"The operating system usage market share trend line points to Windows' overall usage falling below 90% sometime during 2011," says Vince Vizzaccaro, executive vice president of marketing and strategic alliances for Net Applications. "The timing depends on several market forces. It could be as early as next month, or possibly not at all." more
Rise of smartphones, tablets threaten Microsoft hegemony
"The operating system usage market share trend line points to Windows' overall usage falling below 90% sometime during 2011," says Vince Vizzaccaro, executive vice president of marketing and strategic alliances for Net Applications. "The timing depends on several market forces. It could be as early as next month, or possibly not at all." more
Play Angry Birds under wine on Linux
Rovio media have no plans to bring the popular puzzle game ‘Angry Birds’ to Linux, with their previous statement it being something they were ‘looking into’ since translated as ‘no plans at all.’
‘We’d like to.’ would’ve worked better guys.
Still, if you’re an Angry Birds fan looking to get your feathery fix on Linux you still can – using everyone’s favourite binary beverage ‘Wine’.
more
Rovio media have no plans to bring the popular puzzle game ‘Angry Birds’ to Linux, with their previous statement it being something they were ‘looking into’ since translated as ‘no plans at all.’
‘We’d like to.’ would’ve worked better guys.
Still, if you’re an Angry Birds fan looking to get your feathery fix on Linux you still can – using everyone’s favourite binary beverage ‘Wine’.
more
Was Stuxnet a joint US-Israeli project?
It has long been clear that a lot of grey matter was exercised in creating Stuxnet. It is equally clear that the highly expert team behind the worm was not simply showing off Windows exploits on Siemens manufacturing control systems, but intended to destroy centrifuges used for uranium enrichment. A New York Times report has now collected together a range of evidence which suggests that experts from the US and Israel worked together to develop Stuxnet over a two year period. Siemens is also reported to have unwittingly assisted them, in that the company collaborated with a US Department of Energy research institute on a programme for protecting against cyber-attacks. The security vulnerabilities uncovered during this programme were then utilised in developing the worm. more
It has long been clear that a lot of grey matter was exercised in creating Stuxnet. It is equally clear that the highly expert team behind the worm was not simply showing off Windows exploits on Siemens manufacturing control systems, but intended to destroy centrifuges used for uranium enrichment. A New York Times report has now collected together a range of evidence which suggests that experts from the US and Israel worked together to develop Stuxnet over a two year period. Siemens is also reported to have unwittingly assisted them, in that the company collaborated with a US Department of Energy research institute on a programme for protecting against cyber-attacks. The security vulnerabilities uncovered during this programme were then utilised in developing the worm. more
Backdoors in OpenBSD? Reply hazy, try again
The fallout from last month's allegations that the Federal Bureau of Investigations attempted to deploy backdoors in the OpenBSD operating system are continuing to echo through developer circles, as more potential clues are unearthed. But if anything, these clues tend to muddy the answer to the key question: did the US government employ contractors to insert deliberate security holes into OpenBSD? more
The fallout from last month's allegations that the Federal Bureau of Investigations attempted to deploy backdoors in the OpenBSD operating system are continuing to echo through developer circles, as more potential clues are unearthed. But if anything, these clues tend to muddy the answer to the key question: did the US government employ contractors to insert deliberate security holes into OpenBSD? more
Xfce 4.8.0 desktop environment released
After nearly two years of work, the Xfce development team has released version 4.8.0 of Xfce. The open source desktop environment for UNIX and Linux platforms aims to be fast and lightweight, while still being visually appealing and adhering to standards. more
After nearly two years of work, the Xfce development team has released version 4.8.0 of Xfce. The open source desktop environment for UNIX and Linux platforms aims to be fast and lightweight, while still being visually appealing and adhering to standards. more
Rakarrack: An Open Source Alternative to Guitar Rig
In the last post, I blogged about setting up a guitar amp/effect processor in Arch Linux. In the comments, some readers mentioned an open source alternative to Guitar Rig named Rakarrack. Since we are all advocates and lovers of FOSS software I thought that it deserves a separate post and our dear readers would get a kick out of using this open source effect processing software. more
In the last post, I blogged about setting up a guitar amp/effect processor in Arch Linux. In the comments, some readers mentioned an open source alternative to Guitar Rig named Rakarrack. Since we are all advocates and lovers of FOSS software I thought that it deserves a separate post and our dear readers would get a kick out of using this open source effect processing software. more
The Arch Way
You love tinkering with your computer. You've tried Ubuntu and Fedora, and they're good, but you feel something is not quite right. Maybe you don't like all those daemons loading on boot, or maybe you want to build your Linux desktop stack just how you want it? Perhaps you're completely new to Linux and want to learn exactly what makes a Linux workstation tick? It's time for you to try Arch Linux. Arch Linux is often called the binary Gentoo—an appropriate description. Arch gives you a full but simple command-line base to build on, but unlike Gentoo, Arch uses i686 or x86_64 optimized binary packages instead of source code. more
You love tinkering with your computer. You've tried Ubuntu and Fedora, and they're good, but you feel something is not quite right. Maybe you don't like all those daemons loading on boot, or maybe you want to build your Linux desktop stack just how you want it? Perhaps you're completely new to Linux and want to learn exactly what makes a Linux workstation tick? It's time for you to try Arch Linux. Arch Linux is often called the binary Gentoo—an appropriate description. Arch gives you a full but simple command-line base to build on, but unlike Gentoo, Arch uses i686 or x86_64 optimized binary packages instead of source code. more
Debian Squeeze RC1 is released! | With Screenshots Tour
Debian 6.0 Sqeeze RC1 is released, this release candidate includes a new SpaceFun artwork, adds support for the Lao and Sinhala languages, support for new computer systems, fixes for Finnish keyboard support, and the Linux kernel used by the installer has been updated to the latest version of 2.6.32. more
Debian 6.0 Sqeeze RC1 is released, this release candidate includes a new SpaceFun artwork, adds support for the Lao and Sinhala languages, support for new computer systems, fixes for Finnish keyboard support, and the Linux kernel used by the installer has been updated to the latest version of 2.6.32. more
Unity 2D gets a PPA
The slick Unity 2D we told you about yesterday has now got a PPA for Ubuntu 10.10 and Ubuntu 11.04 users to test.
It can’t say how it compares to the regular flavour of Unity becuase that doesn’t work on my computer, but one thing I can certainly say is that it is faster than the regular Desktop Session. more
The slick Unity 2D we told you about yesterday has now got a PPA for Ubuntu 10.10 and Ubuntu 11.04 users to test.
It can’t say how it compares to the regular flavour of Unity becuase that doesn’t work on my computer, but one thing I can certainly say is that it is faster than the regular Desktop Session. more
I, for one, welcome our Linux Penguin, Jeopardy Overlords
“I’ll take evil, science-fiction computers for $2,000,” Alex. OK, we’re not quite there yet, but in the early going, IBM’s Watson supercomputer beat Jeopardy super-champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in a practice round. And, what is Watson running? Linux, of course. There’s nothing surprising about that. The fastest of fast computers have long used Linux In the latest TOP 500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, 459 of the Top 500 supercomputers were running Linux. more
“I’ll take evil, science-fiction computers for $2,000,” Alex. OK, we’re not quite there yet, but in the early going, IBM’s Watson supercomputer beat Jeopardy super-champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in a practice round. And, what is Watson running? Linux, of course. There’s nothing surprising about that. The fastest of fast computers have long used Linux In the latest TOP 500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, 459 of the Top 500 supercomputers were running Linux. more
Mozilla exec: Firefox 4 will arrive in February
Firefox 4 is nearly ready for release, a recent post on Mozilla's developer mailing list suggests.
"Team, we've worked tremendously hard on Firefox 4, and it's time to ship it," wrote Damon Sicore, Mozilla's senior director of platform engineering, on Tuesday. "I'm seeing the same burst of excitement and activity that we've seen in the endgame of every release. We must press hard now." more
Firefox 4 is nearly ready for release, a recent post on Mozilla's developer mailing list suggests.
"Team, we've worked tremendously hard on Firefox 4, and it's time to ship it," wrote Damon Sicore, Mozilla's senior director of platform engineering, on Tuesday. "I'm seeing the same burst of excitement and activity that we've seen in the endgame of every release. We must press hard now." more
Pandora Plugin For Rhythmbox
I've recently came across a Pandora plugin for Rhythmbox that uses Pithos for accessing Pandora. While Pithos must be installed for the plugin to work, you don't have to run Pithos to use the Pandora Rhythmbox plugin. more
I've recently came across a Pandora plugin for Rhythmbox that uses Pithos for accessing Pandora. While Pithos must be installed for the plugin to work, you don't have to run Pithos to use the Pandora Rhythmbox plugin. more
Google buys eBook Technologies, could be developing its own publishing tools
Following the launch of its Google eBooks service, Google acquired an ebook platform company - what plans does it have for the technology involved?
Google eBooks was the first truly platform agnostic ebook option to hit the market. Google has played up the fact that you can read ebooks purchased from its store anywhere, with or without dedicated apps. The initial launch specifically focused on a web-based approach absent from competitors like Amazon's Kindle, Barnes and Noble's Nook, and Apple's iBookstore (the most limited of the bunch with it's store and titles available only on iOS devices). more
Following the launch of its Google eBooks service, Google acquired an ebook platform company - what plans does it have for the technology involved?
Google eBooks was the first truly platform agnostic ebook option to hit the market. Google has played up the fact that you can read ebooks purchased from its store anywhere, with or without dedicated apps. The initial launch specifically focused on a web-based approach absent from competitors like Amazon's Kindle, Barnes and Noble's Nook, and Apple's iBookstore (the most limited of the bunch with it's store and titles available only on iOS devices). more
GNOME 3.0 Is Getting Very Close
Vincent Untz has announced the first GNOME release of 2011, which is one of the final development snapshots leading up to the long-awaited release of GNOME 3.0. more
Vincent Untz has announced the first GNOME release of 2011, which is one of the final development snapshots leading up to the long-awaited release of GNOME 3.0. more
Banshee Is Not Replacing Rhythmbox In Linux Mint 11
Clement Lefebvre, the Linux Mint founder, recently talked to Muktware about Banshee - which has replaced Rhythmbox in the recent Ubuntu 11.04 development builds -, and Mono. Banshee is an amazing application but it uses Mono which many consider risky because Microsoft could one day assert its patents against all the free applications that use Mono. more
Clement Lefebvre, the Linux Mint founder, recently talked to Muktware about Banshee - which has replaced Rhythmbox in the recent Ubuntu 11.04 development builds -, and Mono. Banshee is an amazing application but it uses Mono which many consider risky because Microsoft could one day assert its patents against all the free applications that use Mono. more
Popular WiFi Scanner For Windows "inSSIDer 2" Is Now Available For Linux!
inSSIDer 2 will display all Wi-Fi access points within range and display their MAC address, SSID, RSSI, Channel, Vendor, Encryption, Max Rate and Network Type. Use the filters feature to quickly sort through long lists of access points. more
inSSIDer 2 will display all Wi-Fi access points within range and display their MAC address, SSID, RSSI, Channel, Vendor, Encryption, Max Rate and Network Type. Use the filters feature to quickly sort through long lists of access points. more
Chrome H.264 video decision a vaccination against license trap
Yesterday's announcement that Google would be dropping built-in support for the H.264 video codec in the HTML5 <video> tag caused quite a stir in the open source and browser sectors, with many people lining up to either praise Google or deride them for the decision. The derision basically goes like this: H.264, which is already supported in Internet Explorer and Safari, is a widely used codec for HTML5 video playback, while WebM and Theora are not. Why would Google drop support for a perfectly good, widely deployed, and essentially free codec in favor of video support that is perfectly good and not as widely deployed, just to foster more openness on the Web? And why is it that such an open friendly move is being implemented in a browser that will still continue to support Adobe Flash--which is decidedly not open--for video playback? more
Yesterday's announcement that Google would be dropping built-in support for the H.264 video codec in the HTML5 <video> tag caused quite a stir in the open source and browser sectors, with many people lining up to either praise Google or deride them for the decision. The derision basically goes like this: H.264, which is already supported in Internet Explorer and Safari, is a widely used codec for HTML5 video playback, while WebM and Theora are not. Why would Google drop support for a perfectly good, widely deployed, and essentially free codec in favor of video support that is perfectly good and not as widely deployed, just to foster more openness on the Web? And why is it that such an open friendly move is being implemented in a browser that will still continue to support Adobe Flash--which is decidedly not open--for video playback? more
Sony takes legal action against PS3 hackers
On their web sites, George Hotz, who became known for his iPhone and PS3 hacks, and the fail0verflow hacker group, have published three statements of complaint made by legal representatives of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) against Hotz and four alleged members of fail0verflow at the District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. In their motion, Sony's legal team accuse the hackers of having successfully bypassed the PlayStation 3's copy protection and of having released various software tools and the "metldr root key". more
On their web sites, George Hotz, who became known for his iPhone and PS3 hacks, and the fail0verflow hacker group, have published three statements of complaint made by legal representatives of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) against Hotz and four alleged members of fail0verflow at the District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. In their motion, Sony's legal team accuse the hackers of having successfully bypassed the PlayStation 3's copy protection and of having released various software tools and the "metldr root key". more
Google kills H.264 in Chrome
The Internet reacted to yesterday's post on the Chromium blog with astounding speed. What caused the hubbub?
We expect even more rapid innovation in the web media platform in the coming year and are focusing our investments in those technologies that are developed and licensed based on open web principles. To that end, we are changing Chrome’s HTML5 <video> support to make it consistent with the codecs already supported by the open Chromium project. Specifically, we are supporting the WebM (VP8) and Theora video codecs, and will consider adding support for other high-quality open codecs in the future. Though H.264 plays an important role in video, as our goal is to enable open innovation, support for the codec will be removed and our resources directed towards completely open codec technologies.
And since so much has already been said on the matter, I'm simply offering a roundup of what's already been written. more
The Internet reacted to yesterday's post on the Chromium blog with astounding speed. What caused the hubbub?
We expect even more rapid innovation in the web media platform in the coming year and are focusing our investments in those technologies that are developed and licensed based on open web principles. To that end, we are changing Chrome’s HTML5 <video> support to make it consistent with the codecs already supported by the open Chromium project. Specifically, we are supporting the WebM (VP8) and Theora video codecs, and will consider adding support for other high-quality open codecs in the future. Though H.264 plays an important role in video, as our goal is to enable open innovation, support for the codec will be removed and our resources directed towards completely open codec technologies.
And since so much has already been said on the matter, I'm simply offering a roundup of what's already been written. more
Apple, MS, others withdraw regulatory filing to buy Novell patents
CPTN Holdings LLC, a holding company formed by Microsoft, Apple, EMC, and Oracle to purchase nearly 900 patents from Novell as part of its sale to Attachmate Software, has withdrawn a regulatory filing with the German government necessary to purchase the patents. Despite this, a Microsoft spokesperson has said that the holding company will still acquire the patents. more
CPTN Holdings LLC, a holding company formed by Microsoft, Apple, EMC, and Oracle to purchase nearly 900 patents from Novell as part of its sale to Attachmate Software, has withdrawn a regulatory filing with the German government necessary to purchase the patents. Despite this, a Microsoft spokesperson has said that the holding company will still acquire the patents. more
Banshee May Put Ubuntu, Canonical At Risk!
Banshee is going to be the default music player for Ubuntu which makes me worry. Banshee is based on the controversial Mono technologies developed by Novell employees.
Richard M Stallman has warned against Mono and C# which applies to Banshee as well. He wrote, “The problem is not unique to Mono; any free implementation of C# would raise the same issue. The danger is that Microsoft is probably planning to force all free C# implementations underground some day using software patents. (See http://swpat.org and http://progfree.org.) This is a serious danger, and only fools would ignore it until the day it actually happens. We need to take precautions now to protect ourselves from this future danger." more
Banshee is going to be the default music player for Ubuntu which makes me worry. Banshee is based on the controversial Mono technologies developed by Novell employees.
Richard M Stallman has warned against Mono and C# which applies to Banshee as well. He wrote, “The problem is not unique to Mono; any free implementation of C# would raise the same issue. The danger is that Microsoft is probably planning to force all free C# implementations underground some day using software patents. (See http://swpat.org and http://progfree.org.) This is a serious danger, and only fools would ignore it until the day it actually happens. We need to take precautions now to protect ourselves from this future danger." more
GIMP's Future With 2.8, Then Going Forward With GEGL
At the end of December we talked about GIMP 2.8 struggling to make it out the door and now there's official commentary from the GIMP project.
In last month's article we talked about how this free software graphics program missed its anticipated release date and one of the core developers, Martin Nordholts, said it was about a month and a half away still if it's just a single developer working on the release full-time. Martin said the key item missing from GIMP 2.8 was the single-window interface mode and that there were less than three dedicated developers working on this critical free software project. more
At the end of December we talked about GIMP 2.8 struggling to make it out the door and now there's official commentary from the GIMP project.
In last month's article we talked about how this free software graphics program missed its anticipated release date and one of the core developers, Martin Nordholts, said it was about a month and a half away still if it's just a single developer working on the release full-time. Martin said the key item missing from GIMP 2.8 was the single-window interface mode and that there were less than three dedicated developers working on this critical free software project. more
Incredibly simple MySQL administration with SQL Buddy
If you have a need to manage MySQL databases, you know that learning the syntax for the various MySQL tools can be a real nightmare. Fortunately there are tools out there that make this job far more easy. But of the web-based tools, which are easiest? You might have given phpMyAdmin a try, but found it a bit complex to get up and running (if you’re curious about phpMyAdmin, read my article “Install phpmyadmin for easy MySQL administration“). If that is the case, and you’re still looking for an easy way to manage your MySQL databases, look no further than SQL Buddy.
SQL Buddy is one of the easiest web-based admin tools you will ever find. Not only does it make the process of creating and editing MySQL databases easy, it is also incredibly easy to install. Let’s see just how easy this is to manage. more
If you have a need to manage MySQL databases, you know that learning the syntax for the various MySQL tools can be a real nightmare. Fortunately there are tools out there that make this job far more easy. But of the web-based tools, which are easiest? You might have given phpMyAdmin a try, but found it a bit complex to get up and running (if you’re curious about phpMyAdmin, read my article “Install phpmyadmin for easy MySQL administration“). If that is the case, and you’re still looking for an easy way to manage your MySQL databases, look no further than SQL Buddy.
SQL Buddy is one of the easiest web-based admin tools you will ever find. Not only does it make the process of creating and editing MySQL databases easy, it is also incredibly easy to install. Let’s see just how easy this is to manage. more
Spain grovels to penguins over 'Linux' anti-terror plot
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has expressed its regret that an international crackdown on IT masterminds inside the violent Basque separatist group ETA was dubbed "Operation Linux".
Apparently, penguin-loving outfits are complaining that the antiterrorist operation sullies their good name. more
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has expressed its regret that an international crackdown on IT masterminds inside the violent Basque separatist group ETA was dubbed "Operation Linux".
Apparently, penguin-loving outfits are complaining that the antiterrorist operation sullies their good name. more
Arch Linux is More Awesome Than I Previously Thought
As an ardent Debian user, I’ve always admired the simplicity and stability of this incredible operating system. One of the things that I like about Debian is that I can download and install a netinst version and build up the whole OS from ground up with my preferred packages and apps. In this way, I ended up with an extremely stable Debian installation on my little EeePC netbook with very low footprint. However, since I had already got rid of my ancient, noisy and big desktop computer, the EeePC netbook was the only computer I had for the last few months. Therefore, buying a computer for more serious computing was on the to-do list for a while. Looking for a fairly decent second-hand laptop I came across this 3.5 years old Dell Inspiron 1520. Core 2 Due 2.2 GHz, 2GB Memory, nVidia 8600 GT Graphic Card. I suppose the system used to be a gaming machine in its better days. I was quite satisfied with the specification and $150 price tag so I decided to pick it up. more
As an ardent Debian user, I’ve always admired the simplicity and stability of this incredible operating system. One of the things that I like about Debian is that I can download and install a netinst version and build up the whole OS from ground up with my preferred packages and apps. In this way, I ended up with an extremely stable Debian installation on my little EeePC netbook with very low footprint. However, since I had already got rid of my ancient, noisy and big desktop computer, the EeePC netbook was the only computer I had for the last few months. Therefore, buying a computer for more serious computing was on the to-do list for a while. Looking for a fairly decent second-hand laptop I came across this 3.5 years old Dell Inspiron 1520. Core 2 Due 2.2 GHz, 2GB Memory, nVidia 8600 GT Graphic Card. I suppose the system used to be a gaming machine in its better days. I was quite satisfied with the specification and $150 price tag so I decided to pick it up. more
Quick Thoughts on Puppy Linux and Puppy 5.2
In recent years I've grown to like Puppy Linux. I can't say that its my favorite "mini" distro, but it serves its purpose. There are some key features that really hold this distro back. They may seem trivial, but they matter to the end users. So has Puppy Linux 5.2 fixed these issues or does it still lack the basics? more
In recent years I've grown to like Puppy Linux. I can't say that its my favorite "mini" distro, but it serves its purpose. There are some key features that really hold this distro back. They may seem trivial, but they matter to the end users. So has Puppy Linux 5.2 fixed these issues or does it still lack the basics? more
D-Link Boxee Box review – is Internet TV finally a reality?
The promise of a hardware companion for the popular open source media centre Boxee has interested us since its original announcement. Let’s see how the final product stacks up against expectations…
If D-Link’s Boxee Box is nothing else, it’s original. With its unusual chassis design it makes a really bold statement, featuring a sunken, off-centre cube shape that sets it apart from anything in its class. While its unconventional looks could divide a household from an aesthetic standpoint, its performance as an internet TV device, network and local movie player almost certainly wont. The design might frustrate those with low-profile spaces under their TV set (for which it’s a little too tall), but we were certainly taken with it, not least because it’s smaller and infinitely cuter than the imagery here credits it. more
The promise of a hardware companion for the popular open source media centre Boxee has interested us since its original announcement. Let’s see how the final product stacks up against expectations…
If D-Link’s Boxee Box is nothing else, it’s original. With its unusual chassis design it makes a really bold statement, featuring a sunken, off-centre cube shape that sets it apart from anything in its class. While its unconventional looks could divide a household from an aesthetic standpoint, its performance as an internet TV device, network and local movie player almost certainly wont. The design might frustrate those with low-profile spaces under their TV set (for which it’s a little too tall), but we were certainly taken with it, not least because it’s smaller and infinitely cuter than the imagery here credits it. more
U.S. Administration's 'Technology Neutrality' Announcement Welcome News
Score another landmark for the mainstreaming of open source.
On January 7, the Administration issued a succinct, clear message to Executive Branch IT leaders: Don't discriminate between proprietary and open source solutions when it currently spends almost $80 billion dollars to buy information technology (IT). In fact, in its message on Technology Neutrality, it goes even further, urging agencies to “analyze alternatives that include proprietary, open source, and mixed source technologies. This allows the Government to pursue the best strategy to meet its particular needs. ” more
Score another landmark for the mainstreaming of open source.
On January 7, the Administration issued a succinct, clear message to Executive Branch IT leaders: Don't discriminate between proprietary and open source solutions when it currently spends almost $80 billion dollars to buy information technology (IT). In fact, in its message on Technology Neutrality, it goes even further, urging agencies to “analyze alternatives that include proprietary, open source, and mixed source technologies. This allows the Government to pursue the best strategy to meet its particular needs. ” more
A Linux Success Story: Optelian Migrates to Linux
The Linux Foundation announced that Optelian, a company that designs and manufactures optical transport systems that send data across optical fiber, successfully migrated to Linux. more
The Linux Foundation announced that Optelian, a company that designs and manufactures optical transport systems that send data across optical fiber, successfully migrated to Linux. more
VLC for iOS vanishes 2 months after eruption of GPL dispute
It's official: the iOS version of VLC has been yanked from the App Store. Though Apple didn't offer any reasons for its removal, the media player is believed to have been pulled thanks to a licensing dispute that started more than two months ago. more
It's official: the iOS version of VLC has been yanked from the App Store. Though Apple didn't offer any reasons for its removal, the media player is believed to have been pulled thanks to a licensing dispute that started more than two months ago. more
Firefox is Now the Most Popular Browser in Europe!
In line with the predictions we had here before, IE has not only fallen below 50% market share for the first time ever, it has now become the second most popular browser in Europe. Firefox has taken the lead and is now the most popular browser in the whole of Europe. Is that what you call as the great circle of life? more
In line with the predictions we had here before, IE has not only fallen below 50% market share for the first time ever, it has now become the second most popular browser in Europe. Firefox has taken the lead and is now the most popular browser in the whole of Europe. Is that what you call as the great circle of life? more
CEDEGA shutting down, GAMETREE LINUX born
Commercial Wine software ‘Cedega’ is to “cease operation” at the end of February, parent company TransGaming Inc. have today announced.
The proprietary fork of WINE, which proved popular with Linux users thanks to its enhanced support for Windows gaming titles, will instead live on as a free service under the new name of ‘GameTree Linux’. more
Commercial Wine software ‘Cedega’ is to “cease operation” at the end of February, parent company TransGaming Inc. have today announced.
The proprietary fork of WINE, which proved popular with Linux users thanks to its enhanced support for Windows gaming titles, will instead live on as a free service under the new name of ‘GameTree Linux’. more
Best media players for Linux - A choice selection
Before I start writing about the topic at hand, I promise not to make yet another cheesy compilation of X best programs. Honestly, I'll try to give you a short list of several media program that I think are really worth their megabytes. This relates to everything - ease of use, codecs, options, integration with the system theme, and whatnot.
OK, so today, we will talk about media players. Every Linux distro comes with a handful of them preinstalled. But are they really the best choice for you? What if you like watching foreign movies? Do you need subtitles? What about tagging and rating? What about online music stores? Are you anti-mono? Do you need radio streaming and special codecs? What about high-definition movies? more
Before I start writing about the topic at hand, I promise not to make yet another cheesy compilation of X best programs. Honestly, I'll try to give you a short list of several media program that I think are really worth their megabytes. This relates to everything - ease of use, codecs, options, integration with the system theme, and whatnot.
OK, so today, we will talk about media players. Every Linux distro comes with a handful of them preinstalled. But are they really the best choice for you? What if you like watching foreign movies? Do you need subtitles? What about tagging and rating? What about online music stores? Are you anti-mono? Do you need radio streaming and special codecs? What about high-definition movies? more
Tagtool - Tool to tag and rename MP3 and Ogg Vorbis files
Audio Tag Tool is a program to manage the tags in MP3 and Ogg Vorbis files.It can be used to edit individual tags, or to easily tag or rename hundreds of files at once, in any desired format. It can also create playlists. more
Audio Tag Tool is a program to manage the tags in MP3 and Ogg Vorbis files.It can be used to edit individual tags, or to easily tag or rename hundreds of files at once, in any desired format. It can also create playlists. more
Ubuntu ported to the Nook color
Another day and another device finds itself capable of running Ubuntu.
This time the device in question is Barnes and Noble’s ‘Nook Colour’ eBook reader.
With its 7-inch colour multi-touch touchscreen the device makes for a comfortable fit running Ubuntu, with most major desktop applications benefitting from the near-normal screen resolution. more
Another day and another device finds itself capable of running Ubuntu.
This time the device in question is Barnes and Noble’s ‘Nook Colour’ eBook reader.
With its 7-inch colour multi-touch touchscreen the device makes for a comfortable fit running Ubuntu, with most major desktop applications benefitting from the near-normal screen resolution. more
When trouble strikes, who speaks for open source?
For the record, I'm not terribly happy about the patent purchase agreement that's running in parallel to the Novell-Attachmate acquisition deal. The thought of 882 Novell patents getting sold to CPTN Holdings, LLC (a holding consortium made up of Apple, EMC, Microsoft, and Oracle America) does not sit well with me. Now, also for the record, a source inside one of these four companies told All Things Digital's John Paczkowski "'We get to buy in at a cheap price and get a license to a very valuable portfolio... It's cheap defensive insurance.'"
I'm sure. more
For the record, I'm not terribly happy about the patent purchase agreement that's running in parallel to the Novell-Attachmate acquisition deal. The thought of 882 Novell patents getting sold to CPTN Holdings, LLC (a holding consortium made up of Apple, EMC, Microsoft, and Oracle America) does not sit well with me. Now, also for the record, a source inside one of these four companies told All Things Digital's John Paczkowski "'We get to buy in at a cheap price and get a license to a very valuable portfolio... It's cheap defensive insurance.'"
I'm sure. more
Broadcom Becomes Linux Foundation Member
"We applaud Broadcom for its recent move to work more closely with the Linux community; their membership in the Linux Foundation speaks volumes of their commitment,” says Amanda McPherson, Vice President of Marketing and Developer Programs at The Linux Foundation. more
"We applaud Broadcom for its recent move to work more closely with the Linux community; their membership in the Linux Foundation speaks volumes of their commitment,” says Amanda McPherson, Vice President of Marketing and Developer Programs at The Linux Foundation. more
LibreOffice: Ready for Liftoff
LibreOffice, the Oracle-free fork of the OpenOffice office suite, may, or may not, end up being the default office suite in Ubuntu, but its first release is almost here. Before getting into that though, there have been rumors running around that Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, had already committed to using LibreOffice in its next release, Ubuntu 11.04. True, Ubuntu has always been interested in replacing OpenOffice with LibreOffice Indeed, Mark Shuttleworth told me back when LibreOffice was starting to break away from OpenOffice that, “The Ubuntu Project will be pleased to ship LibreOffice from The Document Foundation in future releases of Ubuntu. That’s not the same thing though as saying it’s going to ship in Ubuntu 11.04. more
LibreOffice, the Oracle-free fork of the OpenOffice office suite, may, or may not, end up being the default office suite in Ubuntu, but its first release is almost here. Before getting into that though, there have been rumors running around that Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, had already committed to using LibreOffice in its next release, Ubuntu 11.04. True, Ubuntu has always been interested in replacing OpenOffice with LibreOffice Indeed, Mark Shuttleworth told me back when LibreOffice was starting to break away from OpenOffice that, “The Ubuntu Project will be pleased to ship LibreOffice from The Document Foundation in future releases of Ubuntu. That’s not the same thing though as saying it’s going to ship in Ubuntu 11.04. more
Conky Colors Gets A New "Board Mode"
Conky is a light-weight system monitor that displays the info on your desktop - you've seen it in many screenshots so I'm sure most of you already know what Conky is. Conky Colors is a tool that make is very easy to set up and configure Conky. more
Conky is a light-weight system monitor that displays the info on your desktop - you've seen it in many screenshots so I'm sure most of you already know what Conky is. Conky Colors is a tool that make is very easy to set up and configure Conky. more
Best Windows Games and Apps That Run Under Linux
The following article was created to inform our readers about popular native Windows games and applications which install and run under Linux-based operating systems, with the help of the Wine software.
We have recently discovered that many people have no idea that games such as the popular World of Warcraft, Call of Duty or Left 4 Dead work flawlessly under Linux. Therefore, we've decided to make a list with all of them. more
The following article was created to inform our readers about popular native Windows games and applications which install and run under Linux-based operating systems, with the help of the Wine software.
We have recently discovered that many people have no idea that games such as the popular World of Warcraft, Call of Duty or Left 4 Dead work flawlessly under Linux. Therefore, we've decided to make a list with all of them. more
VirtualBSD for easy trial of FreeBSD
VirtualBSD is a 1.3 GB VMware image of the current stable FreeBSD version 8.1 release. The system uses the version 4.6 of the Xfce desktop and comes with a variety of the latest desktop applications, such as Firefox 3.6.13 with several plug-ins, Thunderbird 3.17, OpenOffice.org 3.2.1, Gimp 2.6.11, Pidgin 2.7.7 and version 1.1.5 of the VLC Media Player. more
VirtualBSD is a 1.3 GB VMware image of the current stable FreeBSD version 8.1 release. The system uses the version 4.6 of the Xfce desktop and comes with a variety of the latest desktop applications, such as Firefox 3.6.13 with several plug-ins, Thunderbird 3.17, OpenOffice.org 3.2.1, Gimp 2.6.11, Pidgin 2.7.7 and version 1.1.5 of the VLC Media Player. more
Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide (PDF Guide)
This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter. more
This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter. more
New Linux kernel strengthens SMP support
The latest release of the Linux operating system kernel offers a number of improvements that should speed up operations in SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) systems.
Among the improvements are an adjustment to the way the kernel supports the ext4 and XFS file systems, making them more suitable for SMP duties. The software also includes a number of routing and device-handling optimizations that SMP system managers should welcome.
Kernel keeper Linus Torvalds announced the release of this latest version, 2.6.37, on the Linux Kernel mailing list on Tuesday. The release comes a little more than two months after version 2.6.36, which was issued in late October. Approximately 1,140,000 lines of code were added into this version, according to Linux Weekly News. more
The latest release of the Linux operating system kernel offers a number of improvements that should speed up operations in SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) systems.
Among the improvements are an adjustment to the way the kernel supports the ext4 and XFS file systems, making them more suitable for SMP duties. The software also includes a number of routing and device-handling optimizations that SMP system managers should welcome.
Kernel keeper Linus Torvalds announced the release of this latest version, 2.6.37, on the Linux Kernel mailing list on Tuesday. The release comes a little more than two months after version 2.6.36, which was issued in late October. Approximately 1,140,000 lines of code were added into this version, according to Linux Weekly News. more
Introduction to RAID
One of the most common techniques to improve either data reliability or data performance (or both) is called RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks). The concept was developed in 1977 by David Patterson, Garth Gibson, and Randy Katz as a way to use several inexpensive disks to create a single disk from the perspective of the OS while also achieving enhanced reliability or performance or both.
Before anyone erupts and says that RAID does not stand for “Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks”, let me start by stating that was the original definition. Over time, the definition has become more commonly known as “Redundant Array of Independent Disks” perhaps so the word “inexpensive” isn’t associated with RAID controllers or disks. Personally I use the original definition but regardless, either definition means that the disks are independent of one another. Feel free to use either definition since it won’t change the content of this article. Now, back to our discussion of RAID. more
One of the most common techniques to improve either data reliability or data performance (or both) is called RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks). The concept was developed in 1977 by David Patterson, Garth Gibson, and Randy Katz as a way to use several inexpensive disks to create a single disk from the perspective of the OS while also achieving enhanced reliability or performance or both.
Before anyone erupts and says that RAID does not stand for “Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks”, let me start by stating that was the original definition. Over time, the definition has become more commonly known as “Redundant Array of Independent Disks” perhaps so the word “inexpensive” isn’t associated with RAID controllers or disks. Personally I use the original definition but regardless, either definition means that the disks are independent of one another. Feel free to use either definition since it won’t change the content of this article. Now, back to our discussion of RAID. more
Browser Wars: Internet Explorer loses and Firefox wins in Europe
It wasn’t that long ago that your choice of Web browsers were Internet Explorer (IE) and, ah, uh, a sadly out of date Netscape Navigator or the then obscure Opera. IE was the Web browser, but then along came Firefox in 2004, and everything changed. Today, IE may finally be on its way to losing its market-share leadership position to Firefox. According to a pair of research firms, StatCounter and Net Application, IE is sinking fast, while Google’s Chrome is gaining rapidly at IE’s expense. more
It wasn’t that long ago that your choice of Web browsers were Internet Explorer (IE) and, ah, uh, a sadly out of date Netscape Navigator or the then obscure Opera. IE was the Web browser, but then along came Firefox in 2004, and everything changed. Today, IE may finally be on its way to losing its market-share leadership position to Firefox. According to a pair of research firms, StatCounter and Net Application, IE is sinking fast, while Google’s Chrome is gaining rapidly at IE’s expense. more
How To secure your Linux system
Are you running Linux just because you think it's safer than Windows? Think again. Sure, security is a built-in (and not a bolt-on) feature and extends right from the Linux kernel to the desktop, but it still leaves enough room to let someone muck about with your /home folder.
Linux might be impervious to viruses and worms written for Windows, but that's just a small subset of the larger issue. Attackers have various tricks up their sleeves to get to those precious bits and bytes that make up everything from your mugshot to your credit card details.
more
Are you running Linux just because you think it's safer than Windows? Think again. Sure, security is a built-in (and not a bolt-on) feature and extends right from the Linux kernel to the desktop, but it still leaves enough room to let someone muck about with your /home folder.
Linux might be impervious to viruses and worms written for Windows, but that's just a small subset of the larger issue. Attackers have various tricks up their sleeves to get to those precious bits and bytes that make up everything from your mugshot to your credit card details.
more
Linux everywhere
As far as media coverage goes, 2010 doesn't appear to have been the best year for Linux. In years gone by it was common to see headlines proclaiming this or that government to be moving to Linux, or this or that company switching to free software. Not so in 2010, where tech media was dominated by tablet PCs, web applications and mobile phones.
This doesn't mean that Linux has fallen by the wayside, however. Far from it. Linux had a fantastic year in 2010, popping up at all the right places and sneaking into every event. more
As far as media coverage goes, 2010 doesn't appear to have been the best year for Linux. In years gone by it was common to see headlines proclaiming this or that government to be moving to Linux, or this or that company switching to free software. Not so in 2010, where tech media was dominated by tablet PCs, web applications and mobile phones.
This doesn't mean that Linux has fallen by the wayside, however. Far from it. Linux had a fantastic year in 2010, popping up at all the right places and sneaking into every event. more
LibreOffice Is the Default Office Suite for Ubuntu 11.04
As we've announced a few months ago, Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu project, said that future versions of the Ubuntu operating system will ship with the new LibreOffice open source office suite. Therefore, the Ubuntu developers started the transition of the outdated OpenOffice.org packages to the new LibreOffice ones. more
As we've announced a few months ago, Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu project, said that future versions of the Ubuntu operating system will ship with the new LibreOffice open source office suite. Therefore, the Ubuntu developers started the transition of the outdated OpenOffice.org packages to the new LibreOffice ones. more
GNU/Linux Returns to Walmart
Walmart lost interest in GNU/Linux on netbooks for some reason but welcomes it again on tablets. Funny how that works, eh? Small cheap computers and GNU/Linux go together well, that other OS does not fit and M$ cannot justify tinkering with the market. Chuckle. more
Walmart lost interest in GNU/Linux on netbooks for some reason but welcomes it again on tablets. Funny how that works, eh? Small cheap computers and GNU/Linux go together well, that other OS does not fit and M$ cannot justify tinkering with the market. Chuckle. more
Mint vs. LMDE: Sudden weight gain
I’ve only had this Celeron M for about a week now, but I’ve already put four different distros on it, eradicated half of those again, reconfigured, tweaked and wiggled it so many times I almost lost track.
Now it is living out its existence as a remote media player. And it seems well suited to the task.
I did find a pair of screenshots from late last week though, showing a clean boot in both Linux Mint 10 and Linux Mint Debian Edition 201012, on that same machine. more
I’ve only had this Celeron M for about a week now, but I’ve already put four different distros on it, eradicated half of those again, reconfigured, tweaked and wiggled it so many times I almost lost track.
Now it is living out its existence as a remote media player. And it seems well suited to the task.
I did find a pair of screenshots from late last week though, showing a clean boot in both Linux Mint 10 and Linux Mint Debian Edition 201012, on that same machine. more
Is Netflix a Friend or Foe to FOSS?
Well it's 2011 at last, and those of us here in the FOSS community have a great deal to look forward to this year.
Android is going nowhere but up, Ubuntu is gearing up to capture the hearts and minds of the masses, and Linux-friendly ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) is poised for even more great things. It's going to be a great year!
Not that there won't be anything to grumble about, of course. As long as there's Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), for example, we'll always have that.
But what about Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX)? more
Well it's 2011 at last, and those of us here in the FOSS community have a great deal to look forward to this year.
Android is going nowhere but up, Ubuntu is gearing up to capture the hearts and minds of the masses, and Linux-friendly ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) is poised for even more great things. It's going to be a great year!
Not that there won't be anything to grumble about, of course. As long as there's Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), for example, we'll always have that.
But what about Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX)? more
HandBrake 0.9.5 Has Been Released (Ubuntu Installation Instructions)
Handbrake is a multithreaded video transcoder that supports any DVD-like source and most multimedia file it can get libavformat to read and libavcodec to decode. Even though it's not its first aim, Handbrake is used by many as a DVD ripper and it was voted as "best Linux DVD ripper" by the WebUpd8 readers.
Handbrake 0.9.5 was released today, bringing some very interesting new features and improvements: more
Handbrake is a multithreaded video transcoder that supports any DVD-like source and most multimedia file it can get libavformat to read and libavcodec to decode. Even though it's not its first aim, Handbrake is used by many as a DVD ripper and it was voted as "best Linux DVD ripper" by the WebUpd8 readers.
Handbrake 0.9.5 was released today, bringing some very interesting new features and improvements: more
12 commands every Linux newbie should learn
It's a testament to how far Linux has come that users today don't typically have to use the command line if they don't want to. Such is the quality of the graphical user interfaces in many modern Linux distributions that there's simply no need, in general.
Yet the command line can be a highly efficient way of getting things done in the Linux world--it's often a much simpler, easier and more direct method than clicking through all the menu choices, in fact.
I believe fear of the command line is one of the top mistakes newcomers to Linux sometimes make. For that reason, let's look at some of the main commands any Linux user should know. more
It's a testament to how far Linux has come that users today don't typically have to use the command line if they don't want to. Such is the quality of the graphical user interfaces in many modern Linux distributions that there's simply no need, in general.
Yet the command line can be a highly efficient way of getting things done in the Linux world--it's often a much simpler, easier and more direct method than clicking through all the menu choices, in fact.
I believe fear of the command line is one of the top mistakes newcomers to Linux sometimes make. For that reason, let's look at some of the main commands any Linux user should know. more
Why I Use Linux
Most people that know me on any level beyond just a basic hello know that I use Linux in my personal computing for about 95% of what I do. Of course purists would say that I should call it GNU/Linux, but that’s a habit I have yet to adopt. Apologies.
I thought I would take a minute to articulate why I have chosen to be a Linux user. I’d like to think I’m a Linux evangelist, but I’ve only convinced 0.5 people to give it a try, so I guess I haven’t been to successful on a person to person basis of getting anyone to switch over, though not for lack of trying. Well, whatever your reasons are for sticking with Windows or Mac, here’s why I chose a third path. more
Most people that know me on any level beyond just a basic hello know that I use Linux in my personal computing for about 95% of what I do. Of course purists would say that I should call it GNU/Linux, but that’s a habit I have yet to adopt. Apologies.
I thought I would take a minute to articulate why I have chosen to be a Linux user. I’d like to think I’m a Linux evangelist, but I’ve only convinced 0.5 people to give it a try, so I guess I haven’t been to successful on a person to person basis of getting anyone to switch over, though not for lack of trying. Well, whatever your reasons are for sticking with Windows or Mac, here’s why I chose a third path. more
HowTo: Run a more *UPDATED* Android On Your PC
There was an article in the Syndicated News forum that told how to run Android on your PC but referred to Live Android, which is DEPRECATED.
To get a more updated version of Android on your computer, you have to build it from source as there is currently no build for any PCs (aside from specific vendors) on the official site (which has moved to http://android-x86.org) that's greater than 1.6. However, thanks to the instructions on http://android-x86.org/getsourcecode, that shouldn't be all that hard, provided you have all the prerequisites installed. It has been patched for Java 6, so the issue of requiring Java 5 (which is wayyy outdated) to be installed on your system no longer is an issue.
First, you need to install the build prerequisites, so here's the command you need to type first (assuming you have an Ubuntu 9.10 or higher system): more
There was an article in the Syndicated News forum that told how to run Android on your PC but referred to Live Android, which is DEPRECATED.
To get a more updated version of Android on your computer, you have to build it from source as there is currently no build for any PCs (aside from specific vendors) on the official site (which has moved to http://android-x86.org) that's greater than 1.6. However, thanks to the instructions on http://android-x86.org/getsourcecode, that shouldn't be all that hard, provided you have all the prerequisites installed. It has been patched for Java 6, so the issue of requiring Java 5 (which is wayyy outdated) to be installed on your system no longer is an issue.
First, you need to install the build prerequisites, so here's the command you need to type first (assuming you have an Ubuntu 9.10 or higher system): more
Finally a solid Pandora app for Linux
If you are a fan of Pandora Music and a user of Linux you know that Linux is a bit behind in the app space for this service. There are only a few possible clients and, until now, those clients simply were not options. The official Pandora client, due to flash issues, could bring your Linux machine to a screeching halt. Many of the other clients either will not install or will install but will not run. Fortunately a new-ish Pandora client is available for Linux – Pithos.
Pithos is a native Pandora client for the GNOME desktop. It is easy to install, has a user-friendly GUI, and won’t drag your machine into the murky waters. Let’s take a look at how to install and use this client so you can start your new year out rockin’. more
If you are a fan of Pandora Music and a user of Linux you know that Linux is a bit behind in the app space for this service. There are only a few possible clients and, until now, those clients simply were not options. The official Pandora client, due to flash issues, could bring your Linux machine to a screeching halt. Many of the other clients either will not install or will install but will not run. Fortunately a new-ish Pandora client is available for Linux – Pithos.
Pithos is a native Pandora client for the GNOME desktop. It is easy to install, has a user-friendly GUI, and won’t drag your machine into the murky waters. Let’s take a look at how to install and use this client so you can start your new year out rockin’. more
Pirated Apps Smuggle Trojans Onto Android Phones
A new Trojan that can create botnets has emerged in China, according to Lookout Mobile Security.
This Trojan, dubbed "Geinimi," is the most sophisticated Android malware so far, the company said.
Once it's installed on a user's phone, Geinimi can receive commands from a remote server that lets that server's owner control the smartphone.
Geinimi is apparently being spread through pirated versions of legitimate Android apps, mainly games, and is being distributed in third-party Android app stores in China. more
A new Trojan that can create botnets has emerged in China, according to Lookout Mobile Security.
This Trojan, dubbed "Geinimi," is the most sophisticated Android malware so far, the company said.
Once it's installed on a user's phone, Geinimi can receive commands from a remote server that lets that server's owner control the smartphone.
Geinimi is apparently being spread through pirated versions of legitimate Android apps, mainly games, and is being distributed in third-party Android app stores in China. more
Putin orders Russian gov't to move to open source
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ordered government agencies there to open-source software by 2015, according to translated documents. Putin's order, signed this month, follows news reports from October saying the Russian government was planning to drop Microsoft products in favor of a national open-source operating system based on Linux. more
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ordered government agencies there to open-source software by 2015, according to translated documents. Putin's order, signed this month, follows news reports from October saying the Russian government was planning to drop Microsoft products in favor of a national open-source operating system based on Linux. more
Wary Puppy 5.0 Now Available
Wary Puppy, a project developed to provide on-going Puppy Linux solutions for older hardware, announced today that version 5.0 is ready and available for download.
While Wary Puppy 5.0 uses older kernel (2.6.31.14) and X.org (7.3) versions in order to provide better drivers for the older hardware, newer applications, and support for modern printers, scanners, cameras, digital modems, and more have been added. Like other puppy distributions, Wary is built with the latest Woof and is now available for download. more
Wary Puppy, a project developed to provide on-going Puppy Linux solutions for older hardware, announced today that version 5.0 is ready and available for download.
While Wary Puppy 5.0 uses older kernel (2.6.31.14) and X.org (7.3) versions in order to provide better drivers for the older hardware, newer applications, and support for modern printers, scanners, cameras, digital modems, and more have been added. Like other puppy distributions, Wary is built with the latest Woof and is now available for download. more
Linux Mint Debian Edition review
Linux Mint Debian Edition, or LMDE, is the edition of Linux Mint based on Debian Testing. The latest release was made available for download on December 24, 2010. LMDE was announced as an alternate edition of Linux Mint in first week of September 2010. A review of that release was focused on the installation program. This article presents a more detailed review of this distribution. more
Linux Mint Debian Edition, or LMDE, is the edition of Linux Mint based on Debian Testing. The latest release was made available for download on December 24, 2010. LMDE was announced as an alternate edition of Linux Mint in first week of September 2010. A review of that release was focused on the installation program. This article presents a more detailed review of this distribution. more
Bloomberg: 'Windows' Coming to ARM
Very light on details, but this is interesting nonetheless - very interesting, and potentially one of the biggest things to have hit the operating systems business this decade. Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft plans to announce Windows for ARM processors at CES in January 2011. more
Very light on details, but this is interesting nonetheless - very interesting, and potentially one of the biggest things to have hit the operating systems business this decade. Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft plans to announce Windows for ARM processors at CES in January 2011. more
Linux Mint Debian (201012) released!
What a better time than Christmas to bring all the best from 2010 into an updated release of Linux Mint Debian.
What a better time than Christmas to bring all the best from 2010 into an updated release of Linux Mint Debian.
- All Mint 10 features
- 64-bit support
- Performance boost (using cgroup, the notorious “4 lines of code better than 200″ in user-space)
- Installer improvements (multiple HDDs, grub install on partitions, swap allocation, btrfs support)
- Better fonts (Using Ubuntu’s libcairo, fontconfig and Ubuntu Font Family) and language support (ttf-wqy-microhei, ttf-sazanami-mincho, ttf-sazanami-gothic installed by default)
- Better connectivity and hardware support (pppoe, pppoeconf, gnome-ppp, pppconfig, libgl1-mesa-dri, libgl1-mesa-glx, libgl1-mesa-dev, mesa-utils installed by default)
- Better sound support (addressing conflicts between Pulse Audio and Flash)
- Updated software and packages
- more
FTC gives its blessing to Intel's acquisition of McAfee
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has given its blessing to Intel's proposed takeover of security services provider McAfee. In an Investor News post, Intel Investor Relations VP Kevin Sellers stated that, "The Federal Trade Commission has concluded its review of the proposed McAfee transaction and has cleared it". Sellers also notes that his company is currently working with the European Commission as it continues its review. more
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has given its blessing to Intel's proposed takeover of security services provider McAfee. In an Investor News post, Intel Investor Relations VP Kevin Sellers stated that, "The Federal Trade Commission has concluded its review of the proposed McAfee transaction and has cleared it". Sellers also notes that his company is currently working with the European Commission as it continues its review. more
Skype slowly recovers from global blackout
The free internet phone service Skype is slowly coming back online after an outage that affected millions of people around the globe.The firm's engineers are still working to fix the problem, which first started at around 2030 GMT on 22 December.Skype said the fault had been caused by a "software issue" on critical parts of its network. more
The free internet phone service Skype is slowly coming back online after an outage that affected millions of people around the globe.The firm's engineers are still working to fix the problem, which first started at around 2030 GMT on 22 December.Skype said the fault had been caused by a "software issue" on critical parts of its network. more
Microsoft warns on IE browser bug
Microsoft has issued a warning about a serious vulnerability in all versions of its Internet Explorer (IE) browser.If exploited by a booby-trapped webpage the bug would allow attackers to take control of an unprotected computer.Code to exploit the bug has already been published though Microsoft said it had no evidence it was currently being used by hi-tech criminals.A workaround for the bug has been produced while Microsoft works on a permanent fix. more
Microsoft has issued a warning about a serious vulnerability in all versions of its Internet Explorer (IE) browser.If exploited by a booby-trapped webpage the bug would allow attackers to take control of an unprotected computer.Code to exploit the bug has already been published though Microsoft said it had no evidence it was currently being used by hi-tech criminals.A workaround for the bug has been produced while Microsoft works on a permanent fix. more
Oh, the irony. European Commission, an ACTA proponent, fined for copyright infringement
It’s kind of ironic that the European Commission, a proponent of the international trade agreement to enforce intellectual property rights, is being slapped with a fine of 12 million euros for infringing on the copyrights of a software company.
A European Union court has ruled against the European Commission, the EU’s own executive branch, over a years-long case involving the alteration of a language translation software system created by a French company. more
It’s kind of ironic that the European Commission, a proponent of the international trade agreement to enforce intellectual property rights, is being slapped with a fine of 12 million euros for infringing on the copyrights of a software company.
A European Union court has ruled against the European Commission, the EU’s own executive branch, over a years-long case involving the alteration of a language translation software system created by a French company. more
Net neutrality rules get go ahead from US regulators
US regulators have approved new rules meant to prohibit broadband companies from interfering with internet traffic.The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 on the principle known as net neutrality; a tenet that ensures all web traffic is treated equally.
The rules have been criticised for setting different standards for fixed line broadband and mobile operators.Officials said the regulations are "the first time the commission has adopted enforceable rules" to govern the web. more
US regulators have approved new rules meant to prohibit broadband companies from interfering with internet traffic.The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 on the principle known as net neutrality; a tenet that ensures all web traffic is treated equally.
The rules have been criticised for setting different standards for fixed line broadband and mobile operators.Officials said the regulations are "the first time the commission has adopted enforceable rules" to govern the web. more
Google Launches New Channel On YouTube
Ellen Ko of Google's Open Source Team announces the creation of a new Google YouTube channel, googleOSPO, created to house all the Google and open source related videos in one place.
Playlists on the googleOSPO channel include Google Tech Talks and Geek Time series and more. more
Ellen Ko of Google's Open Source Team announces the creation of a new Google YouTube channel, googleOSPO, created to house all the Google and open source related videos in one place.
Playlists on the googleOSPO channel include Google Tech Talks and Geek Time series and more. more
2010 Was A Big Linux Year
2010 was a big year for Linux, with four major kernel releases, multiple enterprise Linux updates and some large vendor shifts that will likely affect the Linux market for years to come. more
2010 was a big year for Linux, with four major kernel releases, multiple enterprise Linux updates and some large vendor shifts that will likely affect the Linux market for years to come. more
Warsow 0.6 comes with many improvements- new weapon models, new maps, Capture the Flag and more
After 16 months of developement, finally Warsow 0.6 has been released, this major release comes with many improvements, plenty of new maps and most of the old maps restyled and redesigned for improved visuals, All weapon models have been retextured for a more unified and modern look , added the class-based ‘Capture the Flag: Tactics’ gametype, a brandnew full soundtrack by jihnsius. 6 in-game songs and 2 new menu soundtracks for you to enjoy while browsing for servers, Engine updates for improved and more realistic lighting, Higher framerates due to greatly improved engine performance. Lower latency due to better netcode. more
After 16 months of developement, finally Warsow 0.6 has been released, this major release comes with many improvements, plenty of new maps and most of the old maps restyled and redesigned for improved visuals, All weapon models have been retextured for a more unified and modern look , added the class-based ‘Capture the Flag: Tactics’ gametype, a brandnew full soundtrack by jihnsius. 6 in-game songs and 2 new menu soundtracks for you to enjoy while browsing for servers, Engine updates for improved and more realistic lighting, Higher framerates due to greatly improved engine performance. Lower latency due to better netcode. more
Four years with Debian Testing
My experience with Debian
I first met Debian because of Ubuntu (I was using Fedora in that time), I was introduced to Ubuntu Dapper Drake in August 2006 more or less, and then when I realized it was based on Debian, I decided to test Debian, and started with Debian Sarge the stable release in that time.
The differences with Ubuntu were huge, Dapper Drake was years ahead of Debian Sarge, but then I switched to Testing (Etch in that time), actually I’ve downloaded and installed a Debian testing from scratch, and then I switched my /etc/apt/sources.list file to etch instead of testing. Well the differences with Ubuntu were not that big comparing it to testing.
I’ve noticed that I had a lot more problems with Ubuntu (broken packages, and other issues) than with Debian testing so I completely switched from Ubuntu Edgy Eft to Debian testing, in my servers, desktop and laptop. I still have a CentOS server since those days and it is still working well. more
My experience with Debian
I first met Debian because of Ubuntu (I was using Fedora in that time), I was introduced to Ubuntu Dapper Drake in August 2006 more or less, and then when I realized it was based on Debian, I decided to test Debian, and started with Debian Sarge the stable release in that time.
The differences with Ubuntu were huge, Dapper Drake was years ahead of Debian Sarge, but then I switched to Testing (Etch in that time), actually I’ve downloaded and installed a Debian testing from scratch, and then I switched my /etc/apt/sources.list file to etch instead of testing. Well the differences with Ubuntu were not that big comparing it to testing.
I’ve noticed that I had a lot more problems with Ubuntu (broken packages, and other issues) than with Debian testing so I completely switched from Ubuntu Edgy Eft to Debian testing, in my servers, desktop and laptop. I still have a CentOS server since those days and it is still working well. more
KDE Gets OIN Protection Against Possible Microsoft, Oracle Patent Attack
Last week LibreOffice's The Document Foundation joined the OIN, and now KDE is following the suite. KDE has joined OIN as a licensee.
Communities which used to discourage software patents are now flocking to protect themselves against any patent attack. This is sad. The culprits is none other than Novell. more
Last week LibreOffice's The Document Foundation joined the OIN, and now KDE is following the suite. KDE has joined OIN as a licensee.
Communities which used to discourage software patents are now flocking to protect themselves against any patent attack. This is sad. The culprits is none other than Novell. more
Windows 7 and the Linux desktop (PART 2)
A few days ago I published an ARTICLE about my experience with Windows 7, somewhat influenced by Fewt's own VIEW on the subject. Because the article was taking on some humongous proportions, and to hopefully organize it in a way that would make some sense, I decided to split it in two parts.
The first part was my take on the interesting concepts Fewt raised about Windows 7. The second part, the one you are reading now, will elaborate on why I choose the Linux desktop, Linux Mint 10 in this case, over the latest from Microsoft. more
A few days ago I published an ARTICLE about my experience with Windows 7, somewhat influenced by Fewt's own VIEW on the subject. Because the article was taking on some humongous proportions, and to hopefully organize it in a way that would make some sense, I decided to split it in two parts.
The first part was my take on the interesting concepts Fewt raised about Windows 7. The second part, the one you are reading now, will elaborate on why I choose the Linux desktop, Linux Mint 10 in this case, over the latest from Microsoft. more
Red Hat Reports Positive Third Quarter Earnings
Reporting $236 million in growth revenue and $198 million in subscription revenue Red Hat's third quarter earnings are up 21 percent over last year.
Red Hat's third quarter ended in November with sales rising over 20 percent compared to last quarter and profits up from 16 million in the third quarter 2010 to 26 million in 2011. more
Reporting $236 million in growth revenue and $198 million in subscription revenue Red Hat's third quarter earnings are up 21 percent over last year.
Red Hat's third quarter ended in November with sales rising over 20 percent compared to last quarter and profits up from 16 million in the third quarter 2010 to 26 million in 2011. more
Exploit published for unpatched Internet Explorer vulnerability
An exploit is now in circulation for a critical vulnerability in Internet Explorer that has been known for about two weeks. IE users would have to visit a specially crafted web page for an attack to occur. A successful attack allows the execution of arbitrary malicious code on the victim's system. more
An exploit is now in circulation for a critical vulnerability in Internet Explorer that has been known for about two weeks. IE users would have to visit a specially crafted web page for an attack to occur. A successful attack allows the execution of arbitrary malicious code on the victim's system. more
Virtual Box 4.0 Is Here
Oracle has announced the availability of VM VirtualBox 4.0. Acquired through Sun, VirtualBox enables desktop or laptop computers to run multiple guest operating systems simultaneously, allowing users to get the most flexibility and utilization out of their PCs, and supports a variety of host operating systems, including Linux, Windows, Mac OS X and Oracle Solaris. more
Oracle has announced the availability of VM VirtualBox 4.0. Acquired through Sun, VirtualBox enables desktop or laptop computers to run multiple guest operating systems simultaneously, allowing users to get the most flexibility and utilization out of their PCs, and supports a variety of host operating systems, including Linux, Windows, Mac OS X and Oracle Solaris. more
Sabayon Linux 5.4+ Xmas Gaming Edition
Oh oh oooh! Merry Christmas!
While Santa announced the intention of suing me because he thinks I'm stealing his job, for the third time in a row, I am very pleased to announce that THAT TIME of the year has come again! (who cares about Santa! Old fart!)
Yeah, I really mean that THAT time. The Christmas time! So, what do we have under the tree this year? Easy bet, a Gaming Edition!
So, who cares about this bla bla bla, let's go straight to the facts. more
Oh oh oooh! Merry Christmas!
While Santa announced the intention of suing me because he thinks I'm stealing his job, for the third time in a row, I am very pleased to announce that THAT TIME of the year has come again! (who cares about Santa! Old fart!)
Yeah, I really mean that THAT time. The Christmas time! So, what do we have under the tree this year? Easy bet, a Gaming Edition!
So, who cares about this bla bla bla, let's go straight to the facts. more
Zero Ballistics 2.0 For Linux Finally Released
The Linux gaming news continues to pour in this week. While we're still busy with our exclusive copy of Unigine OilRush and waiting to see what the surprise is for Humble Indie Bundle #2 raking in more than one million dollars, we have just received word that Zero Ballistics 2.0 has been released. more
The Linux gaming news continues to pour in this week. While we're still busy with our exclusive copy of Unigine OilRush and waiting to see what the surprise is for Humble Indie Bundle #2 raking in more than one million dollars, we have just received word that Zero Ballistics 2.0 has been released. more
Microsoft Brings H264 to Firefox on Windows 7
Both Apple and Microsoft are betting on H264 for HTML5 video, while Firefox and Opera focus on WebM and Chrome does both. Microsoft, however, is kind of an oddball; they first stated they would limit HTML5 video support in Internet Explorer 9 to H264, excluding all other codecs, but later made an exception for WebM, as long as the user installs the WebM codec. Now there's a new move by Microsoft: a Firefox plugin that allows the browser to hook into Windows 7's native video framework to provide H264 support. more
Both Apple and Microsoft are betting on H264 for HTML5 video, while Firefox and Opera focus on WebM and Chrome does both. Microsoft, however, is kind of an oddball; they first stated they would limit HTML5 video support in Internet Explorer 9 to H264, excluding all other codecs, but later made an exception for WebM, as long as the user installs the WebM codec. Now there's a new move by Microsoft: a Firefox plugin that allows the browser to hook into Windows 7's native video framework to provide H264 support. more
How to Open/Extract RAR files in Ubuntu Linux
If you happen to download a file that contains .rar extension, you will have to unpack or extract it first in order to view or use its content since it is a compressed or archived file. RAR (Roshal ARchive) is a proprietary documented archive file format that supports data compression, error recovery, and file spanning. RAR files are often created using the commercial software called WinRAR. more
If you happen to download a file that contains .rar extension, you will have to unpack or extract it first in order to view or use its content since it is a compressed or archived file. RAR (Roshal ARchive) is a proprietary documented archive file format that supports data compression, error recovery, and file spanning. RAR files are often created using the commercial software called WinRAR. more
How To Compile The Kernel In Ubuntu, The Easy Way [Video]
So you want to compile and maybe even apply a patch to the kernel but you've always thought that's too difficult? Well, it isn't, thanks to KernelCheck, a program that automatically compiles and installs the latest Kernel for Debian based Linux distributions (Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.). more
So you want to compile and maybe even apply a patch to the kernel but you've always thought that's too difficult? Well, it isn't, thanks to KernelCheck, a program that automatically compiles and installs the latest Kernel for Debian based Linux distributions (Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.). more
The Anonymous WikiLeaks protests are a mass demo against control
Richard Stallman
The Anonymous web protests over WikiLeaks are the internet equivalent of a mass demonstration. It's a mistake to call them hacking (playful cleverness) or cracking (security breaking). The LOIC program that is being used by the group is prepackaged so no cleverness is needed to run it, and it does not break any computer's security. The protesters have not tried to take control of Amazon's website, or extract any data from MasterCard. They enter through the site's front door, and it just can't cope with the volume.
Calling these protests DDoS, or distributed denial of service, attacks is misleading, too. A DDoS attack is done with thousands of "zombie" computers. Typically, somebody breaks the security of those computers (often with a virus) and takes remote control of them, then rigs them up as a "botnet" to do in unison whatever he directs (in this case, to overload a server). The Anonymous protesters' computers are not zombies; presumably they are being individually operated. more
Richard Stallman
The Anonymous web protests over WikiLeaks are the internet equivalent of a mass demonstration. It's a mistake to call them hacking (playful cleverness) or cracking (security breaking). The LOIC program that is being used by the group is prepackaged so no cleverness is needed to run it, and it does not break any computer's security. The protesters have not tried to take control of Amazon's website, or extract any data from MasterCard. They enter through the site's front door, and it just can't cope with the volume.
Calling these protests DDoS, or distributed denial of service, attacks is misleading, too. A DDoS attack is done with thousands of "zombie" computers. Typically, somebody breaks the security of those computers (often with a virus) and takes remote control of them, then rigs them up as a "botnet" to do in unison whatever he directs (in this case, to overload a server). The Anonymous protesters' computers are not zombies; presumably they are being individually operated. more
Humble Indie Bundle #2 Just Made One Million Bucks
Yesterday we figured the Humble Indie Bundle #2 would earn a million dollars during its seven day sale and likely hit that mark today. Well, it has succeeded in doing so! Literally just seconds ago it crossed the million dollar USD mark.
There's still about two days and eighteen hours left for this seven day event where you can pay whatever you want (literally) for a collection of five indie games: Braid, Cortex Command, Machinarium, Osmos, and Revenge of the Titans. more
humblebundle.com
Yesterday we figured the Humble Indie Bundle #2 would earn a million dollars during its seven day sale and likely hit that mark today. Well, it has succeeded in doing so! Literally just seconds ago it crossed the million dollar USD mark.
There's still about two days and eighteen hours left for this seven day event where you can pay whatever you want (literally) for a collection of five indie games: Braid, Cortex Command, Machinarium, Osmos, and Revenge of the Titans. more
humblebundle.com
Apple, Oracle and EMC join Microsoft in Novell patent play
Apple, Oracle and EMC are involved with CPTN Holdings LLC, the Microsoft-led consortium that is purchasing 882 patents from Novell for US$450 million, according to a Dec. 9 posting on the website of German antitrust authority Bundeskartellamt, or Federal Cartel Office.
News of the sale emerged last month when Novell announced it was being purchased by Attachmate for $2.2 billion.
Little remains known about which patents CPTN Holdings will acquire, although speculation has run rampant in recent weeks. Many had also wondered which other companies were involved in the LLC, and the nature of their interest in the patents. more
Apple, Oracle and EMC are involved with CPTN Holdings LLC, the Microsoft-led consortium that is purchasing 882 patents from Novell for US$450 million, according to a Dec. 9 posting on the website of German antitrust authority Bundeskartellamt, or Federal Cartel Office.
News of the sale emerged last month when Novell announced it was being purchased by Attachmate for $2.2 billion.
Little remains known about which patents CPTN Holdings will acquire, although speculation has run rampant in recent weeks. Many had also wondered which other companies were involved in the LLC, and the nature of their interest in the patents. more
Red Hat joins charge to fend off patent madness
Current U.S. court ruling could jeopardise the future of software innovation
A group of US companies including Red Hat, Yahoo, eBay, Electronic Arts, General Motors and HP, have joined together to challenge a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which threatens to seriously exacerbate problems in the already highly controversial software patent system within the United States.
The group has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking correction of the standard for inducing patent infringement, relating to the case of Global-Tech Appliances, Inc v. SEB S.A. Under the existing ruling, the Court of Appeals held that organisations and individuals can be held liable and prosecuted for infringing patents of which they have no knowledge. It used a standard of “deliberate indifference,” which it then equated to negligence. more
Current U.S. court ruling could jeopardise the future of software innovation
A group of US companies including Red Hat, Yahoo, eBay, Electronic Arts, General Motors and HP, have joined together to challenge a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which threatens to seriously exacerbate problems in the already highly controversial software patent system within the United States.
The group has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking correction of the standard for inducing patent infringement, relating to the case of Global-Tech Appliances, Inc v. SEB S.A. Under the existing ruling, the Court of Appeals held that organisations and individuals can be held liable and prosecuted for infringing patents of which they have no knowledge. It used a standard of “deliberate indifference,” which it then equated to negligence. more
Alien Arena 2011 version 7.50 has been released! Installation instructions for Ubuntu & LinuxMint
Alien Arena is a free, stand-alone first-person shooter computer game based on source code released by id Software. Begun by COR Entertainment in 2004, the game combines a 1950s-era sci-fi atmosphere with gameplay similar to the Quake, Doom, and Unreal Tournament series. Alien Arena focuses mainly on online multiplayer action, although it does contain single-player matches against bots more
Alien Arena is a free, stand-alone first-person shooter computer game based on source code released by id Software. Begun by COR Entertainment in 2004, the game combines a 1950s-era sci-fi atmosphere with gameplay similar to the Quake, Doom, and Unreal Tournament series. Alien Arena focuses mainly on online multiplayer action, although it does contain single-player matches against bots more
Windows 7 and the Linux desktop (PART 1)
I recently read an interesting ARTICLE by Fewt, sharing his experience with Windows 7 in these past seven months. The article praised Windows 7 in general, raising several interesting points, as well as a specially interesting conclusion I fully agree with. I didn't agree with everything he shared, though, but the article got me thinking how my point of view could be so different. As a matter of fact, my experience with Windows 7 was not that positive, so I thought I'd put together an article to share my take on the subject. more
I recently read an interesting ARTICLE by Fewt, sharing his experience with Windows 7 in these past seven months. The article praised Windows 7 in general, raising several interesting points, as well as a specially interesting conclusion I fully agree with. I didn't agree with everything he shared, though, but the article got me thinking how my point of view could be so different. As a matter of fact, my experience with Windows 7 was not that positive, so I thought I'd put together an article to share my take on the subject. more
A Windows User Installs Ubuntu Linux
An older model laptop showed up at our home this summer; the HP Pavilion DV6000 to be exact. Kim has mentioned how convenient it would be to have a laptop she could keep upstairs while working in the kitchen or to take the beach during the summer. Or maybe it was her subtle way of asking for an iPad. I’ll never know.
Although this HP was a few years old, I figured it should fill in nicely as a kitchen computer.
One week into ownership, Kai managed to pry off a dozen keys. We tried to line up the tiny springs and keys, but that only resulted in frustration. My father-in-law suggested I search for a keyboard on eBay when I was about to toss the laptop on the scrap heap. For about twenty bucks, I was able to replace the keyboard and assumed we were back in business. We were for a while.
But Windows XP began giving us problems. It would send the laptop into death mode (sleep mode) and never recover. Only a hard boot would return the machine to Windows, but only temporarily. I assumed Windows 7 would fix the problem. So I spent an evening installing Windows 7 Home Premium. The installation took less than forty minutes but downloading and installing the dozens of patches and driver updates took a few hours. This isn’t uncommon on such an older machine. more
An older model laptop showed up at our home this summer; the HP Pavilion DV6000 to be exact. Kim has mentioned how convenient it would be to have a laptop she could keep upstairs while working in the kitchen or to take the beach during the summer. Or maybe it was her subtle way of asking for an iPad. I’ll never know.
Although this HP was a few years old, I figured it should fill in nicely as a kitchen computer.
One week into ownership, Kai managed to pry off a dozen keys. We tried to line up the tiny springs and keys, but that only resulted in frustration. My father-in-law suggested I search for a keyboard on eBay when I was about to toss the laptop on the scrap heap. For about twenty bucks, I was able to replace the keyboard and assumed we were back in business. We were for a while.
But Windows XP began giving us problems. It would send the laptop into death mode (sleep mode) and never recover. Only a hard boot would return the machine to Windows, but only temporarily. I assumed Windows 7 would fix the problem. So I spent an evening installing Windows 7 Home Premium. The installation took less than forty minutes but downloading and installing the dozens of patches and driver updates took a few hours. This isn’t uncommon on such an older machine. more
Pithos and Pianobar, for the win.
Lifehacker had an article on pianobar, a command line client for Pandora. I found it nicer to use than the web Flash player, but I just had to have my Last.fm scrobbling. more
Lifehacker had an article on pianobar, a command line client for Pandora. I found it nicer to use than the web Flash player, but I just had to have my Last.fm scrobbling. more
If OpenBSD Has FBI Back-doors: Should You Trust Proprietary Technology?
Linus Torvalds once said, "OpenBSD guys are a bunch of masturbating monkeys'. He criticized OpenBSD's obsession with security. He further added, "one reason I refuse to bother with the whole security circus is that I think it glorifies - and thus encourages - the wrong behavior."
OpenBSD is reportedly caught in its own circus net. Gregory Perry recently wrote to Theo de Raadt of OpenBSD that "… the FBI implemented a number of backdoors and side channel key leaking mechanisms into the OCF, for the express purpose of monitoring the site to site VPN encryption system implemented by EOUSA, the parent organization to the FBI." more
Linus Torvalds once said, "OpenBSD guys are a bunch of masturbating monkeys'. He criticized OpenBSD's obsession with security. He further added, "one reason I refuse to bother with the whole security circus is that I think it glorifies - and thus encourages - the wrong behavior."
OpenBSD is reportedly caught in its own circus net. Gregory Perry recently wrote to Theo de Raadt of OpenBSD that "… the FBI implemented a number of backdoors and side channel key leaking mechanisms into the OCF, for the express purpose of monitoring the site to site VPN encryption system implemented by EOUSA, the parent organization to the FBI." more
The FBI Paid OpenBSD Developers For Backdoors?
Government organizations, whether they be from the United States, the European Union, or anywhere else for that matter, contributing to open-source projects is not new. Heck, Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) in the mainline kernel can largely be attributed to the United State's National Security Agency (NSA). More organizations contributing to open-source isn't bad -- government or not -- when it's mutually beneficial work with good intentions. However, there are new allegations being made today about OpenBSD's networking stack, in particular it's IPsec code. The FBI allegedly paid OpenBSD developers to insert back-doors into the code-base. more
Government organizations, whether they be from the United States, the European Union, or anywhere else for that matter, contributing to open-source projects is not new. Heck, Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) in the mainline kernel can largely be attributed to the United State's National Security Agency (NSA). More organizations contributing to open-source isn't bad -- government or not -- when it's mutually beneficial work with good intentions. However, there are new allegations being made today about OpenBSD's networking stack, in particular it's IPsec code. The FBI allegedly paid OpenBSD developers to insert back-doors into the code-base. more
Humble Indie Bundle returns: pay what you want for 5 awesome games
The Humble Indie Bundle is back! Independent gaming company WolfireGames are once again letting you set the price for five of mutli-platform DRM-free games.
The games making up the bundle include the first ever Linux releases of platform puzzler ‘Braid’ and side-scrolling action game Coretx Command, the launch of new game Revenge of the Titans as well as indie favourites Osmos & Machinarium. more
The Humble Indie Bundle is back! Independent gaming company WolfireGames are once again letting you set the price for five of mutli-platform DRM-free games.
The games making up the bundle include the first ever Linux releases of platform puzzler ‘Braid’ and side-scrolling action game Coretx Command, the launch of new game Revenge of the Titans as well as indie favourites Osmos & Machinarium. more
The Supreme Court takes a new case on the standard for invalidating patents
The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear an appeal regarding the evidentiary standard for invalidating patents. The case involves a judgment against Microsoft Corporation in favor of i4i Limited Partnership. If the Court accepts Microsoft's arguments, it could be good news for the FOSS community. more
The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear an appeal regarding the evidentiary standard for invalidating patents. The case involves a judgment against Microsoft Corporation in favor of i4i Limited Partnership. If the Court accepts Microsoft's arguments, it could be good news for the FOSS community. more
The trick with the f: Google and Microsoft web sites distribute malware
Last week, Google's DoubleClick advertising platform and Microsoft's rad.msn.com online ad network briefly distributed malware to other web sites in the form of advertising banners. Visitors to MSNBC.com and other web sites then received scareware. Although according to a Google spokesman, the malware filter in the "DoubleClick Ad Exchange" system did automatically block a number of malicious ads. more
Last week, Google's DoubleClick advertising platform and Microsoft's rad.msn.com online ad network briefly distributed malware to other web sites in the form of advertising banners. Visitors to MSNBC.com and other web sites then received scareware. Although according to a Google spokesman, the malware filter in the "DoubleClick Ad Exchange" system did automatically block a number of malicious ads. more
Google Chrome OS mauled by Richard Stallman
'Careless computing for suckers'
Free Software Foundation founder Richard Stallman has attacked Google's still-gestating Chrome OS, arguing it's designed "to push people into careless computing."
Stallman – who created the free Unix-style GNU operating system – has never been a fan of so-called cloud computing. At one point, he called it "worse than stupidity." And now, he's peeved that with Chrome OS, Google is so strongly encouraging netizens to move data off their personal machines and onto servers that aren't under their control. more
'Careless computing for suckers'
Free Software Foundation founder Richard Stallman has attacked Google's still-gestating Chrome OS, arguing it's designed "to push people into careless computing."
Stallman – who created the free Unix-style GNU operating system – has never been a fan of so-called cloud computing. At one point, he called it "worse than stupidity." And now, he's peeved that with Chrome OS, Google is so strongly encouraging netizens to move data off their personal machines and onto servers that aren't under their control. more
Create A Bootable ISO With Multiple Linux Distributions Using MultiCD [Version 6.2, Released]
MultiCD is a shell script designed to build a multiboot ISO containing multiple Linux distributions and/or utilities, which you can then burn on a DVD or use it to create a live USB memory stick. As an example, you can use it to create DVD ISO with Gparted, Clonezilla, Ubuntu and Kubuntu. There are a lot of supported live CDs - a complete list if available @ MultiCD website. more
MultiCD is a shell script designed to build a multiboot ISO containing multiple Linux distributions and/or utilities, which you can then burn on a DVD or use it to create a live USB memory stick. As an example, you can use it to create DVD ISO with Gparted, Clonezilla, Ubuntu and Kubuntu. There are a lot of supported live CDs - a complete list if available @ MultiCD website. more
Play it slowly - Play back your audio files at a different speed or pitch
Play it slowly is a software to play back audio files at a different speed or pitch. It does also allow you to loop over a certain part of a file. It’s intended to help you learn or transcribe songs. It can also play videos thanks to gstreamer. Play it slowly is intended to be used on a GNU/Linux system like Ubuntu. more
Play it slowly is a software to play back audio files at a different speed or pitch. It does also allow you to loop over a certain part of a file. It’s intended to help you learn or transcribe songs. It can also play videos thanks to gstreamer. Play it slowly is intended to be used on a GNU/Linux system like Ubuntu. more
New US cybersecurity bill could threaten free software
RMS recently called our attention to the Homeland Security Cyber and Physical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2010. This bill, currently being considered in a House subcommittee, has the potential to threaten free software. more
RMS recently called our attention to the Homeland Security Cyber and Physical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2010. This bill, currently being considered in a House subcommittee, has the potential to threaten free software. more
Chrome OS Notebooks Will Be Windows-proof
Don't look at one of these if you're into Windows.
The Chrome OS Notebook appears to be a rather basic system that's almost the perfect definition of a netbook. Like the early netbooks, the Cr-48 runs a non-Windows operating system and its primary purpose is to run a browser. more
Don't look at one of these if you're into Windows.
The Chrome OS Notebook appears to be a rather basic system that's almost the perfect definition of a netbook. Like the early netbooks, the Cr-48 runs a non-Windows operating system and its primary purpose is to run a browser. more
Social browser Rockmelt is coming to Linux – just not yet
Rockmelt, the much hyped social web browser famously backed by by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen, is heading to Linux – only not just yet.
Earlier today I asked the Rockmelt team what the plans were on a Linux build and got a response. Whilst they said there is ‘no date set for a Linux release’ they do ‘hope to be able to have one in the near future.’ more
Rockmelt, the much hyped social web browser famously backed by by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen, is heading to Linux – only not just yet.
Earlier today I asked the Rockmelt team what the plans were on a Linux build and got a response. Whilst they said there is ‘no date set for a Linux release’ they do ‘hope to be able to have one in the near future.’ more
Google Cr-48 Chrome laptop preview (update: video!)
Well, would you look at what showed up on our frigid doorstep this morning? That's right, we are now the proud owners of Google's first Chrome OS laptop -- the Cr-48. Obviously, we ripped open the box and got right to handling the 12.1-inch, Atom-powered laptop. So, what does the thing feel like? How's that keyboard? And more importantly, how's Chrome OS looking? Stand by for our impressions, which we'll be adding in depth over the day. First impression: this thing is different. Here are some quick bullet points, one of our favorite formats for presenting data in a list: more
Well, would you look at what showed up on our frigid doorstep this morning? That's right, we are now the proud owners of Google's first Chrome OS laptop -- the Cr-48. Obviously, we ripped open the box and got right to handling the 12.1-inch, Atom-powered laptop. So, what does the thing feel like? How's that keyboard? And more importantly, how's Chrome OS looking? Stand by for our impressions, which we'll be adding in depth over the day. First impression: this thing is different. Here are some quick bullet points, one of our favorite formats for presenting data in a list: more
My Google Chromebook has arrived: First impressions after an hour
My Google Chromebook landed via FedEx just about an hour ago. Naturally, I couldn’t resist firing that puppy up.
Now this isn’t a full-blown review, but immediate impressions of what I liked and areas that are going to take some work to get used to. The ultimate judge of this thing will be handing it to my 7-year-old daughter. To her, the browser is the operating system. more
My Google Chromebook landed via FedEx just about an hour ago. Naturally, I couldn’t resist firing that puppy up.
Now this isn’t a full-blown review, but immediate impressions of what I liked and areas that are going to take some work to get used to. The ultimate judge of this thing will be handing it to my 7-year-old daughter. To her, the browser is the operating system. more
ITworld review: Arch Linux for Linux fundamentalists
Most users like their operating system to be like their cars. They stick in the key, turn on the ignition, and off they go. For these users, I recommend Ubuntu. But, if you're the kind of person who likes a car with manual transmission and getting your hands dirty under the hood, then Arch Linux deserves your consideration. more
Most users like their operating system to be like their cars. They stick in the key, turn on the ignition, and off they go. For these users, I recommend Ubuntu. But, if you're the kind of person who likes a car with manual transmission and getting your hands dirty under the hood, then Arch Linux deserves your consideration. more
13 Breathtaking Conky Configurations You Should See!
Though we used to talk a lot about Ubuntu desktop eyecandy, Conky is something we never really discussed at all. Conky Ubuntu Lucid theme was the only exception, which is by far the most easy to install Conky theme I have ever used. So as to settle the Conky drought once and for all, here we feature one of the best collection of Conky configurations available. more
Though we used to talk a lot about Ubuntu desktop eyecandy, Conky is something we never really discussed at all. Conky Ubuntu Lucid theme was the only exception, which is by far the most easy to install Conky theme I have ever used. So as to settle the Conky drought once and for all, here we feature one of the best collection of Conky configurations available. more
'Tis the Season for Rolling Releases
Ah, the holiday season. Children may have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, but here in the Linux blogosphere, it's been something a bit different.
Rolling releases, that is.
Yes, there must be something about this time of year that has made tongues more likely to wag and Linux bloggers more likely to think about daily updates. How else to explain the recent rash of rumors and discussions on the topic of release schedules for certain popular Linux distros? more
Ah, the holiday season. Children may have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, but here in the Linux blogosphere, it's been something a bit different.
Rolling releases, that is.
Yes, there must be something about this time of year that has made tongues more likely to wag and Linux bloggers more likely to think about daily updates. How else to explain the recent rash of rumors and discussions on the topic of release schedules for certain popular Linux distros? more
About Those 882 Novell Patents: This is Where OIN Comes In
I have some important news for you. It's about those 882 Novell patents that are being sold to a Microsoft-organized consortium in connection with the sale of Novell to Attachmate. I've been worrying about those patents, and I was wondering what happens to Novell's license to the Open Invention Network after the sale. So I took the time to find out. And it's very good news. more
I have some important news for you. It's about those 882 Novell patents that are being sold to a Microsoft-organized consortium in connection with the sale of Novell to Attachmate. I've been worrying about those patents, and I was wondering what happens to Novell's license to the Open Invention Network after the sale. So I took the time to find out. And it's very good news. more
Amarok 2.4 Beta 1 "Closer" Released
This Fall has been busy, busy, busy in Amarok development! Many of the summer projects have been merged and are being tested. It’s an exciting time, and we’re proud to show you the first beta of Amarok 2.4.
This new release brings a lot of new features. The following features are critical and need a lot of testing to make sure they are top-notch for final release at the beginning of 2011. We need your help with this, so try them out and report any problems you find!
This Fall has been busy, busy, busy in Amarok development! Many of the summer projects have been merged and are being tested. It’s an exciting time, and we’re proud to show you the first beta of Amarok 2.4.
This new release brings a lot of new features. The following features are critical and need a lot of testing to make sure they are top-notch for final release at the beginning of 2011. We need your help with this, so try them out and report any problems you find!
- Transcoding: Now you can convert tracks from one file format to another when copying from the file browser to the local collection. We will expand this to media devices in future releases.
- Shiny new collection scanner, rewritten from scratch - it should now detect compilations in a more robust way
- Writing back to tags: there is now an option to have Amarok write statistics and album covers to the files directly, so you can save your play counts and tags in the files themselves. more
Inappropriate use of the Debian logo?
The debian-legal is a great source of knowledge about legal issues related to FLOSS. A couple of days ago one of the contributors sent a mail informing that a computer shop has taken the Debian logo and used it for his business. more
The debian-legal is a great source of knowledge about legal issues related to FLOSS. A couple of days ago one of the contributors sent a mail informing that a computer shop has taken the Debian logo and used it for his business. more
The Three Differences between Chrome OS and Android
On December 7th, Google is expected to announce the release of a laptop with the first version of the Chrome operating system. Concurrently, Google is going great guns with Android. Does Google really need two operating systems? So what’s going on here? Here’s what Google is up to. Yes, both Android and Chrome OS are Linux-based operating systems. Neither, at the application level, uses the common Linux desktop application programming interfaces (API) that are used by the GNOME or KDE desktops and their applications.
They’re also similar in that both use a common set of techniques to make them more secure. The most important of these is process sand-boxing. What this means is that any Chrome or Android application has just enough access to the system to do its job.
Once you’re past this, the two look and act in very different ways. Here are their main points of difference: more
On December 7th, Google is expected to announce the release of a laptop with the first version of the Chrome operating system. Concurrently, Google is going great guns with Android. Does Google really need two operating systems? So what’s going on here? Here’s what Google is up to. Yes, both Android and Chrome OS are Linux-based operating systems. Neither, at the application level, uses the common Linux desktop application programming interfaces (API) that are used by the GNOME or KDE desktops and their applications.
They’re also similar in that both use a common set of techniques to make them more secure. The most important of these is process sand-boxing. What this means is that any Chrome or Android application has just enough access to the system to do its job.
Once you’re past this, the two look and act in very different ways. Here are their main points of difference: more
Your Web Surfing History Is Accessible (Without Your Permission) Via JavaScript
The Web surfing history saved in your Web browser can be accessed without your permission. JavaScript code deployed by real websites and online advertising providers use browser vulnerabilities to determine which sites you have and have not visited, according to new research from computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego. more
The Web surfing history saved in your Web browser can be accessed without your permission. JavaScript code deployed by real websites and online advertising providers use browser vulnerabilities to determine which sites you have and have not visited, according to new research from computer scientists at the University of California, San Diego. more
Fed up with ICANN, Pirate Bay cofounder floats P2P DNS system
Peter Sunde of Pirate Bay fame has had it. Now that the US government is ordering domain names of copyright infringers to be removed from the global DNS, Sunde has sounded a call to arms to create a new Domain Name System to help pirates remain masters of their domain. The new DNS would forego a centralized root—too attractive a target for meddling governments—and use peer-to-peer technology instead. more
Peter Sunde of Pirate Bay fame has had it. Now that the US government is ordering domain names of copyright infringers to be removed from the global DNS, Sunde has sounded a call to arms to create a new Domain Name System to help pirates remain masters of their domain. The new DNS would forego a centralized root—too attractive a target for meddling governments—and use peer-to-peer technology instead. more
Google Chrome OS Netbook Expected to be Unleashed on December 7
In November, I expected that Google would showcase the Chrome OS netbook that month mainly because developers are already testing the “Release Candidate” version of Chrome OS as reported by several reliable sources. But a lot of us were wrong since Google never made an announcement. Well, not until the 7th of December.
The Google Chrome team has already sent media invitations for an event that will be held in San Francisco on December 7. The simple invitation (see below) hinted an "exciting news about Chrome", which is most probably the announcement of the highly anticipated notebook computer. more
In November, I expected that Google would showcase the Chrome OS netbook that month mainly because developers are already testing the “Release Candidate” version of Chrome OS as reported by several reliable sources. But a lot of us were wrong since Google never made an announcement. Well, not until the 7th of December.
The Google Chrome team has already sent media invitations for an event that will be held in San Francisco on December 7. The simple invitation (see below) hinted an "exciting news about Chrome", which is most probably the announcement of the highly anticipated notebook computer. more
SuperGamer - Dedicated live Linux gaming DVD - BOOM!
Linux games, hmm. Well, after reading ten compilations and a handful of single game reviews, you are by now convinced that Linux gaming is alive and kicking. And growing. Not bad. Hey, even obtaining Linux games is a fairly easy deal. So far so good.
Nevertheless, in order to play games on Linux, or demonstrate Linux gaming to friends, you will need a machine running some kind of a Linux distro, install drivers for your graphics card and download a handful of games. However, there's an easier way. What if I tell you that there's a live Linux DVD edition, with drivers for your graphics card and preloaded with dozens of games, just waiting for you. Place the DVD in the tray, boot the system and start playing. Sounds good. Name of the game: SuperGamer. more
Linux games, hmm. Well, after reading ten compilations and a handful of single game reviews, you are by now convinced that Linux gaming is alive and kicking. And growing. Not bad. Hey, even obtaining Linux games is a fairly easy deal. So far so good.
Nevertheless, in order to play games on Linux, or demonstrate Linux gaming to friends, you will need a machine running some kind of a Linux distro, install drivers for your graphics card and download a handful of games. However, there's an easier way. What if I tell you that there's a live Linux DVD edition, with drivers for your graphics card and preloaded with dozens of games, just waiting for you. Place the DVD in the tray, boot the system and start playing. Sounds good. Name of the game: SuperGamer. more
Out of the darkness comes Enlightenment
Although KDE is my work horse, every day, desktop environment, I enjoy testing different environments from time to time. Enlightenment is one environment that I had wanted to try for a while. I remember seeing some beautiful Enlightenment screen shots about 10 years ago. However, at the time, installing it was not an easy task. And frankly, KDE fulfilled all my needs on a DE. However, my admiration for Enlightenment has never really gone away. So, I was glad when I heard that PCLinuxOS had a release sporting this DE. Knowing how easy it is to install and maintain a PCLinuxOS desktop, I thought this may be the time to finally give Enlightenment a try. And I was right. more
Although KDE is my work horse, every day, desktop environment, I enjoy testing different environments from time to time. Enlightenment is one environment that I had wanted to try for a while. I remember seeing some beautiful Enlightenment screen shots about 10 years ago. However, at the time, installing it was not an easy task. And frankly, KDE fulfilled all my needs on a DE. However, my admiration for Enlightenment has never really gone away. So, I was glad when I heard that PCLinuxOS had a release sporting this DE. Knowing how easy it is to install and maintain a PCLinuxOS desktop, I thought this may be the time to finally give Enlightenment a try. And I was right. more
Free Software Foundation hacked with SQL attack
GNU.org software repository attacked by SQL injection
The web front end for a Free Software Foundation software repository remains down after the server it was hosted on was attacked last week.The repository holds the pages for the organisation's Gnu.org website, which the attackers altered last weekend. They also downloaded all the user names and encrypted passwords. None of the Gnu software projects on the server have been compromised as part of the attack, said Matt Lee, FSF's campaign manager. more
GNU.org software repository attacked by SQL injection
The web front end for a Free Software Foundation software repository remains down after the server it was hosted on was attacked last week.The repository holds the pages for the organisation's Gnu.org website, which the attackers altered last weekend. They also downloaded all the user names and encrypted passwords. None of the Gnu software projects on the server have been compromised as part of the attack, said Matt Lee, FSF's campaign manager. more
Google releases Chrome 8.0 stable
Previously only available in the Beta channel, Google has released version 8 of the Chrome web browser into the stable channel. This major update is the first version capable of using the upcoming web store and includes a built-in PDF viewer that's sandboxed to help prevent attackers from exploiting security vulnerabilities in the plug-in. A sandboxed Adobe Flash Player plug-in has been integrated into the Development (Dev) channel version of the browser, so that too should appear in the stable release in due time. more
Previously only available in the Beta channel, Google has released version 8 of the Chrome web browser into the stable channel. This major update is the first version capable of using the upcoming web store and includes a built-in PDF viewer that's sandboxed to help prevent attackers from exploiting security vulnerabilities in the plug-in. A sandboxed Adobe Flash Player plug-in has been integrated into the Development (Dev) channel version of the browser, so that too should appear in the stable release in due time. more
Top 10 Most Infamous Black Hat Hackers of All Time
In the world of information technology, black hat hackers (also known as crackers or cyber-criminals) are known as the bad guys or villains. Most of them break into computers or networks without authorization to steal money and classified and sensitive information, while others are doing it simply for the challenge or the thrill of hacking. To accomplish their sinister work, crackers often create malware (malicious software) like viruses and worms to gain control of computer systems.
I have gathered here a list of ten of the most popular cyber-criminals the world has ever known. These evil geniuses were involved in high profile hacking that possibly caused millions, if not billions of dollars in total damages. However, some of them have now turned to the good side and are using their talents for the benefit of mankind.
Without further delay, here are the top 10 most infamous black hat hackers of all time: more
In the world of information technology, black hat hackers (also known as crackers or cyber-criminals) are known as the bad guys or villains. Most of them break into computers or networks without authorization to steal money and classified and sensitive information, while others are doing it simply for the challenge or the thrill of hacking. To accomplish their sinister work, crackers often create malware (malicious software) like viruses and worms to gain control of computer systems.
I have gathered here a list of ten of the most popular cyber-criminals the world has ever known. These evil geniuses were involved in high profile hacking that possibly caused millions, if not billions of dollars in total damages. However, some of them have now turned to the good side and are using their talents for the benefit of mankind.
Without further delay, here are the top 10 most infamous black hat hackers of all time: more
Super-Duper Linux Computers
Everyone who follows super-computers knows that they run on Linux. Just one look at the latest Top 500 SuperComputer list confirms that. Today 91.8% of all super-computers run Linux. Alas, if you look at the latest list, you’ll also see that the U.S. now trails China in the super-computers. IBM’s new CMOS Integrated Silicon Nanophotonics chips, though, should soon put the U.S. back in the lead. Today the fastest of the fast computers is the Tianhe-1A Running full-out, it hits a peak performance of 2.57 petaflop/s (quadrillions of calculations per second).and cruises along at 563.1 teraflops. To do this, it uses 14,336 Intel Xeon CPUs and 7,168 NVIDIA Tesla GPUs and Linux. more
Everyone who follows super-computers knows that they run on Linux. Just one look at the latest Top 500 SuperComputer list confirms that. Today 91.8% of all super-computers run Linux. Alas, if you look at the latest list, you’ll also see that the U.S. now trails China in the super-computers. IBM’s new CMOS Integrated Silicon Nanophotonics chips, though, should soon put the U.S. back in the lead. Today the fastest of the fast computers is the Tianhe-1A Running full-out, it hits a peak performance of 2.57 petaflop/s (quadrillions of calculations per second).and cruises along at 563.1 teraflops. To do this, it uses 14,336 Intel Xeon CPUs and 7,168 NVIDIA Tesla GPUs and Linux. more
A 50-monitor Setup Powered by a 25-node Linux Cluster
I stumbled upon a website that showcases a 50-monitor setup powered by a 25 Linux cluster, which I think is awesome and could easily win any Linux workspace contest if qualified. The display is composed of fifty 21-inch touch-screen monitors that can run at a resolution of at least 12800x5120 (65,536,000 pixels). Meanwhile, the Linux cluster is made up of 25 Shuttle PCs. Here are some photos (click on the images to enlarge): more
I stumbled upon a website that showcases a 50-monitor setup powered by a 25 Linux cluster, which I think is awesome and could easily win any Linux workspace contest if qualified. The display is composed of fifty 21-inch touch-screen monitors that can run at a resolution of at least 12800x5120 (65,536,000 pixels). Meanwhile, the Linux cluster is made up of 25 Shuttle PCs. Here are some photos (click on the images to enlarge): more
Red Hat At $1 Billion
Based on the run rates of the current quarter, Red Hat will likely reach $1 billion in annual revenue in 2011. Only a handful of companies, probably less than 20 software firms, have ever hit this milestone. Red Hat will be the first open source-focused company to break the billion dollar barrier. Certainly Richard Stallman did not envision this when he created the paradigm of Free Software. Such an event may be more in tune with what Eric Raymond, Tim O’Reilly, and others had in mind when they reframed Free Software as Open Source. more
Based on the run rates of the current quarter, Red Hat will likely reach $1 billion in annual revenue in 2011. Only a handful of companies, probably less than 20 software firms, have ever hit this milestone. Red Hat will be the first open source-focused company to break the billion dollar barrier. Certainly Richard Stallman did not envision this when he created the paradigm of Free Software. Such an event may be more in tune with what Eric Raymond, Tim O’Reilly, and others had in mind when they reframed Free Software as Open Source. more
