04.14.09

Contents

• GNU/Linux
  • Distributions
  • Devices/Embedded
• Free Software/Open Source
• Leftovers
• Digital Tipping Point: Clip of the Day

GNU/Linux

• All-in-one Nettops resurrecting desktop market

  A category long dominated by Apple’s $1,200 iMac is suddenly rife with nice-looking imitators that pack less power than traditional Windows desktops, but are also gentler on the wallet. They’re a subcategory of desktop PCs called Nettops, and, like Netbooks, they’re generally defined as a computing platform powered by the Atom processor that runs either Windows XP or a version of Linux. Combined with the all-in-one form factor and a smaller screen than most desktops (between 15 inches and 19 inches), they’re essentially the Netbooks of the desktop category.

• Linux Migration for the Home PC User, Part 1

  Why would you consider migrating from Windows to Linux? In my work as a volunteer computer service technician, the one thing which finds traction is the impending death of XP. That Vista is significantly different without necessarily being better, and requires hardware they can’t afford, while their current machine is still in good shape, and perhaps the fear (justified or not) which results from all the sales pitches they can’t avoid designed to prod them into buying the next new security package, are all contributing factors. But they don’t want a new hobby; they just want their computer to work with less hassle.Z

  I tell these people there is no magic pill. Switching is a way of shifting the cost profile, which includes time and money. When you start having more time than money, Linux starts to look a lot better.

• Server

  • Dell aims to poach Sun customers

    End-to-end service, including assessment, advice, planning, design, validation and deployment. Calculators and online tools help customers assess their current IT environment and determine the ROI of implementing new technologies and platforms, including Dell’s new “Server Power and Space Savings Calculator,” which offers detailed summaries of projected costs savings from migrating to new Dell PowerEdge servers (a UNIX to Linux Migration ROI Calculator is also available).

  • 10 Straight forward but proven ways to harden your LAMP servers.

    Over the years I have had to harden a great number of LAMP boxes, I have found some methods work for better than others. I will now share with you all my favorite 10 along with methods to implement them on Debian/Ubuntu.

  • SME Server: The Linux solution for growing businesses

    Being a Linux operating system, one gets a lot of bang for their buck: A couple of years ago, I replaced a Windows 2003 Small Business Server running on a Pentium 4 that had a 1GB of RAM (RAM was expensive then, remember) with an old Celeron 1.1 Ghz with 192 MB of RAM for an office of about 20 users. The SME Server running on the old hardware outperformed the bigger server in every way. It had a boot time under of under two minutes, versus almost 10 minutes. Stability, easy backups and immunity to viruses were just some of the other benefits.

  • Linux gets reseller friendly

    So I was happy to see that SYNNEX, a leading software and hardware distributor, had partnered up with Red Hat and other open-source ISV (independent software vendors) to form the Open Source Channel Alliance. It may just be what’s needed to get Linux and open-source software into more offices.

  • Channelling the Power of Open Source

    But if it’s good for Red Hat, it’s also good for free software, since the latter’s use in small- and medium- sized companies is likely to rise. Moreover, the tie-up with “SYNNEX” means that open source has just gained a marketing army of 15,000 resellers who will go out and sing its virtues to their customers. Now that’s what I call channeling the power.

  • Ubuntu 9.04 Server Edition: What to Expect

    Given that Jaunty is not a long-term support release, many server users are likely to opt instead for Ubuntu 8.04 (a.k.a ‘Hardy’) in production environments, since the latter receives security updates through 2013. This means that the features new to Jaunty server edition will be limited largely to testbeds. Nonetheless, those who opt to put Jaunty into production on their servers will benefit from incremental improvements and new features that, although not yet completely stable, offer cutting-edge functionality.

• Kernel Space

  • Panelists ponder the kernel at Linux Collaboration Summit

    At the Linux Collaboration Summit, several key Linux developers discussed kernel development during a discussion panel.

  • PulseAudio 0.9.15 Brings Major Improvements

    With the release of PulseAudio 0.9.15 also comes an update to the PulseAudio Volume Control program. The PulseAudio Volume Control 0.9.8 update brings support for configuring sound card profiles and various other updates.

• Applications

  • Linux Life Insurance: 21 Top-Notch Backup Tools

    The guide doesn’t cover every available LInux backup option. But it will at least give you a good overview of what to expect from a quality backup product, and it really does offer something for almost everyone.

  • Cooliris gets local file support, Linux version

    Photo and video enhancer Cooliris has launched an updated version of its browser add-on that brings new features including support for viewing local media, file specific metadata, and a Facebook photo viewer that shows user name tags. It’s also available–for the first time, to Linux users.

  • Overview: 5 BitTorrent Clients for Linux

    In this article I will leave command-line clients like rtorrent or ctorrent for some other time, focusing on KTorrent, Deluge, Transmission, Vuze and QBitTorrent.

  • Sacred: Gold Edition Available

    Linux Game Publishing has announced that Sacred: Gold Edition has gone, well, gold:

    Get your swords and spellbooks ready, Sacred: Gold Edition is here and ready to order! Adventure through a massive land in the biggest RPG to come to Linux. Join other players online in collaborative adventuring as you seek to rescue the land of Ancaria from its evil nemesis!

• Distributions

  • Sabayon Linux 4.1 GNOME Edition Released

    Almost three months after the release of Sabayon Linux Lite MCE, Fabio Erculiani announced yesterday, April 13th, the immediate availability of a new edition, entitled Sabayon Linux 4.1 GNOME and based on the Lite MCE version. This GNOME edition of Sabayon Linux 4 brings a “ready to use” version of the powerful and popular XBMC Media Center, multimedia applications, a dark GNOME desktop environment and all the other apps you’ll need. Sabayon Linux 4.1 GNOME is available for the x86 and x86_64 architectures, featuring a custom Linux kernel 2.6.29.1 with support for the EXT4 filesystem, which is enabled by default in the installer!

  • Debian Lenny, Mighty Debian!

    In conclusion I would suggest all of you who are using Ubuntu or other Debian Derivatives to try Lenny. It is worth the time!

  • April tribute to the Fedora Project art team

    The Fedora Project is an openly-developed project designed by Red Hat. It is a leader among Linux distros helping to set a high standard for all to follow. Graphically, Fedora includes some of the most eye pleasing artwork to be found. What it takes to make Fedora look so good is the subject of this article.

  • Ubuntu 9.04 ‘Jaunty Jackalope’ release on April 23

    While the current Ubuntu 9.04 is still in beta and is identified as “For testing only!”; the release date for Januty Jackalope is set for April 23, 2009, which is just two Thursdays away. The beta is available for download and testing. Reported major improvements for 9.04 are faster booting and 2.6.28.8 kernel support.

• Devices/Embedded

  • Phones

    • Android set-top box in the works

      Google’s Android operating system is about to start showing up in a whole slew of consumer electronic devices other than cell phones, according to recent reports.

      The Web site Android Guys reported late last week that Motorola is building a TV set-top box for Japanese telephone and broadband service provider KDDI. The new device is expected to be ready in time for the Japan’s largest electronics show, CEATEC, which will be held in October.

    • Google Previews Android ‘Cupcake’ Update

      Code-named “Cupcake,” the latest version of the Linux-based operating system adds numerous features to the Google-backed OS. One of the complaints of the Android-powered T-Mobile G1 is that it lacks an on-screen keyboard, but Android 1.5 fixes that issue.

    • Version 1.5 SDK of Android Is Available for Early Developers

      Here comes the next version of Android. Google has announced that developers can get an early look at the SDK for version 1.5 of Android, based on the “Cupcake” branch of the open source project. There are quite a few new capabilities that should make upcoming rounds of Android-based devices more flexible, including APIs for soft keyboards, home screen widgets, live folders, and speech recognition. Video features are also coming. Developers can download the early version of the version 1.5 SDK for Windows, the Mac and Linux here. Here’s more on what to expect as Android matures.

  • Sub-notebooks

    • Intel Tweaks Atom Netbook Designs for China

      The designs are based on Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor and are intended for netbooks running Linux with 8.9-inch or 10.2-inch screens and priced as low as 1,750 yuan (US$256), according to Chinese media reports.

    • Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook

      To recap our initial thoughts on the Inspiron Mini 9, it is a small, well-built netbook that appears to be durable and has easy upgrade capabilities. What though is not nice about the hardware is the smaller keyboard and using a 4-cell battery instead of 6-cells. With Dell shipping Ubuntu on the Mini 9, it is of course Linux compatible. This version of the Dell Mini 9 is being sold for well under $300 USD.

Free Software/Open Source

• Community Leadership Summit, Kick Off OSCON at an “Unconference”

  How do you manage, grow, and foster active involvement in a community? One way might incorporate planning several events at approximately the same time and venue. This is why you can rest assured that the organizers behind the Community Leadership Summit can help you learn to manage your project’s community in the most effective way possible.

• PC-BSD 7.1 released

  The PC-BSD developers have announced the release of version 7.1 – Galileo Edition of their open source operating system. PC-BSD 7.1 is based on the 7.2 Pre version of FreeBSD, an operating system derived from BSD UNIX that focuses on security and stability. PC-BSD development is sponsored by iXsystems.

• ‘Cloud’

  • Is cloud computing a threat to open source?

    My fear is that the web will be subsumed by the ‘Clouds’ servers and it will be controlled by hardware vendors.

  • Open Source and Cloud: A Curse or Blessing During Recession? BriefingsDirect Analysts Weigh In.

  • CollabNet accommodates cloud in ALM package

    CollabNet is unveiling on Tuesday a successor to its CollabNet SourceForge Enterprise product, called CollabNet TeamForge 5.2, which offers cloud development capabilities.

• Business

  • Open Source as an Antidote to the ‘Agency Society’

    The Financial Meltdown May Suggest Some Lessons for IT

    [...]

    Now, to square the circle and make sure we are indeed getting what we expect and pay for, we also have the responsibility as consumers to inspect and verify. The beauty of open source is that what runs our systems is now transparent.

• Government

  • Transparency in Government

• Literature

  • Open Learning: What Do Open Textbooks Tell Us About the Revolution in Education?

  • Linux Educational Comicbook

    I got an email from Jeremiah Gray announcing a new issue (#2) of Hackett and Bankwell, the educational comicbook about Linux and Free and Open Source Software from Intarcorp Ltd. Issue #2 is currently only available in electronic format (PDF) and they have decided to release it under a Creative Commons license. Thank you!

  • Book Review: Beginning Ubuntu LTS Server Administration: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition by Sander van Vugt

    Ubuntu Server Edition, built on Debian GNU/Linux, has established itself as one of the most popular and well documented GNU/Linux server distributions. The Long Term Support (LTS) version of Ubuntu Server is provided with security updates for five years from the release date. This long term commitment ensures a stable base for deployment. Beginning Ubuntu LTS Server Administration From Novice to Professional aims to teach all you need to know to begin administering Ubuntu Server. The book covers installing, configuring and the systems administration tasks for Ubuntu Server Edition.

Leftovers

• Labour flames whistleblowers in email smear brouhaha

  As repercussions from the weekend’s email-smear blogosphere meltdown continue to be felt at the highest levels in government, senior Labour figures are scrabbling to blame those responsible for the leaks of having obtained their story by unethical means – including hacking.

• Goldman Sachs threatens blogger over demonic domain name

  Blogger and investment advisor Mike Morgan has registered the domain name goldmansachs666.com and is using it for a blog that criticises the investment bank and its practices.

  Goldman Sachs wrote to Morgan asking him to stop using the domain name and claiming that his use of it interfered with its rights.

• Goldman Sachs tries to bully Goldmansachs666.com off the ‘Net

• Google’s use of trade-marks as keywords might be infringement

• Censorship/Web Abuse

  • EC starts legal action over Phorm

    The European Commission has started legal action against Britain over the online advertising technology Phorm.

    It follows complaints to the EC over how the behavioural advertising service was tested on BT’s broadband network without the consent of users.

• Copyrights

  • DMCA Coupon Flap Ends — Nobody ‘Won’

    A federal judge on Thursday rejected an online coupon-generating company’s bid to reopen a copyright infringement lawsuit against a North Carolina man who posted commands allowing users to print an unlimited number of valid coupons.