Bonum Certa Men Certa

Links 17/08/2009: GIMP 2.7.0 and Linux from Scratch 6.5 Released



GNOME bluefish

Contents





GNU/Linux

  • What is this Linux thingy and why should I care?
    Why would anyone want to use GNU/Linux? Well, there are a lot of reasons but the most alluring is that GNU/Linux is completely free. It does not cost a penny and anyone can download it. A regular operating system will cost you around $200. So price is definitely a huge factor for people switching over. This saves people money and also allows them to install it on mutiple machines without licenses. Even most of the applications that you install on Linux are available for free. This gives your operating system tons of functionality from editing audio/video, playing games, surfing the web, editing documents and many more. Another reason that people switch to GNU/Linux is because of its open source nature which gives additional power to the user. Because anyone can copy, edit and distribute the software there is no one company that can control things. This is very good for innovation, comptetition and freedom for the user. GNU/Linux is a computer software revolution and many people are realising it. People are not happy with other operating systems that lock them in and dictate the rules to them. With GNU/Linux it sets you free from restrictions and limitations that are created by certain companies. Linux will run on many different computers from servers to desktops, laptops and even many gadgets. So why don't you learn more about GNU/Linux and join the world of open source software? You will be impressed at how innovative and progressive it is.




  • Desktop

    • Recycling Lives and Computers
      Through grants and with the help of trained volunteers, the program takes at-risk youth and teaches them how to clean and repair donated computers and load them with open source software.

      [...]

      So far the program has been extremely successful. AWOL is currently, receiving more than 100 donated computers a week that need to be refurbished. But they’re running out of space to store them. They also need RAM (Random Access Memory Sticks) to make them functional.

      [...]

      Link to the open source operating system AWOL uses. Ubuntu is and African word which means “humanity to others”. This philosophy of sharing is the FOUNDATION of AWOL’s computer technology training program: http://www.ubuntu.com/

      Click here to learn more about the meaning of Ubuntu from one of the world’s most noted humanitarian, former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx0qGJCm-qU If you’d like to help or if you’re in need of a computer, click here: awolinc.org


    • 5 things Microsoft Windows users do not know about Ubuntu Linux and its users.
      Fact 1 The users of Ubuntu are to a certain extent, the owners of the OS. Everyone can participate in the development of the OS irrespective of their technical skills. They determine what goes into the development of the OS and have a lot of say in the kind of functions that the OS comes out with. They can choose to overwhelmingly reject something and the developers would have no choice than to obey. I doubt if Windows users can boast of this level of ownership and control over Windows.

      Fact 2 Ubuntu users have the right to distribute the OS to as many people as they like without fear of attracting a lawsuit from Canonical or anyone for that matter.








  • Server

    • Distributed file system for the internet
      The server runs under Linux and Solaris, and the software is licensed under the GPLv2.


    • IBM halves mainframe Linux engine prices
      The IBM mainframe may not have a lot of direct competition when it comes to z/OS-based batch and transactional work, but the story is different when it comes to Linux. There's plenty of competition among Linux platforms, and Big Blue can't ignore the pressure that Moore's Law brings to bear.


    • Linux to Command 12.5% Share of Taiwan`s Server Market by End of 2009
      Noteworthy is that Window`s penetration rate in Taiwan`s server market for this year is down from last year`s 81.52% and 2005`s 84.58%, while that of Linux moves upward from 2005`s 7.75%. Last year, 44% and 34% of Taiwan`s public research labs and schools, respectively, preferred Linux as the two most acceptable segments, according to DGBAS.






  • Kernel Space

    • Radeon Driver Picks Up VBOs, OQ Support
      There are quite a number of changes in store for Mesa 7.6, such as new state trackers for Gallium3D, other Gallium3D-specific improvements, optimized IR, and many changes to the different Mesa 3D drivers. Adding to that list, the open-source ATI R300+ driver has just picked up support for Vertex Buffer Objects and Occlusion Queries.






  • Applications

    • GIMP 2.7.0 Development Release
      The release of GIMP 2.7.0 is a first step towards GIMP 2.8, the next stable release. Please note that this is an unstable development snapshot.


    • Gaming in Linux
      One of the reasons people have a hard time making the jump to Linux is the fact that they have a hard time leaving the games they play in Windows. In this article, I’m going to describe some methods of getting around this hurdle, and make the transition to Linux easier. I’m not going to promise that your favorite game will work, but will give you the tools to be able to try. I’m also not going to be talking about native linux apps – those are pretty straightforward. This article will focus on Windows apps in Linux.


    • The 10-minute crash course in virtualisation
      Apps like Win4Lin or Win4Solaris will let you run Windows inside a virtual machine on a Linux or a Solaris box, saving you having to buy hardware and an OS. It's not just about Windows apps, though. Virtualisation is driving plenty of convergence between different hardware standards.

      Virtualisation applications create virtual platforms and hardware that will run on all your physical machines, irrespective of the operating system. Parallels and VMware both have competing desktop virtualisation tools available for Windows, Linux and Mac users. The time when virtualisation was an esoteric technology of interest only to corporations' IT departments or die-hard techno-geeks is over.


    • Virtualization p0wns emulation
      I have been writing a lengthy series that attempts to help new Linux users figure out the best way to cover their Windows application needs. The series starts off by showing how well the Linux community has all of their needs covered by showing the open source equivalents to the most popular Windows applications. The series then goes on to highlight the different ways a user can run full-blown Windows applications. The choices? Virtualization or Emulation.








  • K Desktop Environment







  • Distributions

    • Linux from Scratch 6.5: The DIY operating system guide
      The Linux From Scratch project has released version 6.5 of its step-by-step instructions on how to create your own Linux system from scratch. The 300 pages of instructions show how to obtain the source code components and then compile your own 32-bit Linux system.


    • Hilal Computers strengthens unique partnership with Red Hat
      Bahrain-based Hilal Computers has strengthened its partnership with Red Hat, the world's leading provider of open source solutions, with an agreement signed recently at the company's headquarters. Under the terms of the agreement, Hilal Computers has become a Red Hat Advanced Business Partner for IT infrastructure. Previously, Hilal Computers was a Red Hat Ready Business Partner.




    • Debian Family

      • Debian and Ubuntu: Can’t we just get along?
        I guess what I’m getting at is that it seems that Debian developers are creating a free and open Operating System for themselves, and could care less about a “stupid user”, while Ubuntu is more concerned with the end user experience, and is committed to providing the best that the Open Source world has to offer in a nice, stable easy to use package. Although there are only small fundamental differences between Ubuntu and Debian on the technical level, there is a *huge* difference in the public “opinion” of the two projects.


      • The Perfect Desktop - Kubuntu 9.04
        This tutorial shows how you can set up a Kubuntu 9.04 desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge. Kubuntu 9.04 is derived from Ubuntu 9.04 and uses the KDE desktop instead of the GNOME desktop.


      • Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter Issue 155
        Welcome to the Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter, Issue #155 for the week August 9th - August 15th, 2009. In this issue we cover: Karmic Alpha 4 released, New Ubuntu Members, Developer News, Reporting Ubuntu Community Problems: Jono Bacon, Ubuntu US Teams, UbuCon Atlanta 2009, Brazilian Council & New Brazilian Ubuntu Members, Zim & the art of wiki development, Ubuntu Server Tips - Help Wanted, Ubuntu Community Learning Project, Ubuntu Podcast #32, and much, much more!








  • Devices/Embedded

    • Linux Based NAS Removable Hdd Enclosure
      It supports Ethenet 10/100Mbps transmission. Aside from being a data backup solution, it allows users to download files, play multimedia, share photo and share a USB printer via network.




    • Phones

      • Dell's Android phone unmasked
        Dell’s Mini 3i was demoed alongside smartphones from several other manufacturers – including HTC – at the launch of China Mobile’s online content platform for mobile phones, which provides local subscribers with access to music, games and entertainment.


      • T-Mobile MyTouch 3G First Impressions
        Like my wife, I don’t like to buy first-generation products. So the T-Mobile G1 was out. But then the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G arrived. Google Android. Second-generation. Linux-friendly (Linux-based, actually). And with my wife complaining about dropped calls with AT&T (American iPhone users have to sign up with AT&T to use a non-jailbroken iPhone), I was ready to give T-Mobile a chance. So I took the plunge. After one day of use, here are my first impressions.


      • Getting started with developing on the Palm Pre
        I’m starting to use a specialized build of the Dojo Ajax toolkit to fill in some of the blanks that Palm’s Mojo toolkit leaves out, and that’ll probably require another post.








    • Sub-notebooks

      • The beauty, the function, the beauty
        Yesterday German users from MandrivaUser.de began working on the netbook-launcher – the desktop which made the beauty of the Ubuntu Netbook Remix. They packed it for Mandriva 2009.1 and today I installed it: there I have my beauty again!


      • Dell Switches to Ubuntu Netbook Remix, Looks Into Smartbooks
        Currently, Dell offers Ubuntu Linux 8.04 on its Mini 10v netbook, but will soon (in the next few weeks actually) be upgrading to version 9.04 (codenamed Jaunty Jackalope). On its future netbooks, the company is planning to pre-loading Ubuntu Netbook Remix, which is specifically designed for smaller screen sizes.










Free Software/Open Source

  • Winners of maddogs Colombian Multimedia Challenge
    The fact that the contestants learned about the use of Free Software multimedia tools, Creative Commons and understand media licensing more, made the effort of putting on the Challenge worthwhile.


  • Choosing the Right Open Source Technology
    The real key to a successful project is to hire the right developers. There are great developers using all of the available technologies so there is no correct choice when it comes to picking one. My advice is to pick the right developer (or team of developers) and go with the technology that they are most experienced with.




  • FSF/GNU

    • GNU Toolchain Update, August 2009
      New in this months merge are:

      * Support for the Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture has been added to the binutils.

      * GNU/Linux targets now supports "gnu_unique_object" as a value in GAS's .type pseudo op. This marks the symbol as being globally unique in the entire process, a feature which is needed by C++ binaries.

      [...]








  • Programming

    • Perl 6 due in spring 2010 - some of it anyway
      In a recent entry on his blog, Patrick Michaud has again confirmed the news which has been circulating this week in light of his presentation at the "YAPC::Europe 2009" conference in Lisbon, Portugal – Rakudo Perl 6 will be released in the spring of 2010 (with all of the signs pointing to April). Michaud is the 'Pumpking' (keeper of the pumpkin patches - think 'release manager') for the Rakudo Perl 6 compiler, designed to run on the Parrot virtual machine.








Leftovers

  • Italian bloggers' silent protest
    Italian bloggers went on strike in July to protest against government measures that they claim could kill the internet. They say the Alfano decree restricts the rights of bloggers to express their opinions without fear of comeback.






Digital Tipping Point: Clip of the Day



Thomas Bartol, computational neuroscientist for the Salk Institute 07 (2005)



Digital Tipping Point is a Free software-like project where the raw videos are code. You can assist by participating.

Recent Techrights' Posts

The Register Bill
The Register MS - putting the "MS" in your centre of the universe
Analogies for "Memory Safety" in Rust
Don't worry, it's Rust! It can do anything!
 
The UEFI 9/11 - Part VIII - Denial of Service and Selling Us WSL (Windows) Instead of "Risky" (Prone by Breakage by Microsoft) GNU/Linux
Restricted Boot (so-called 'SecureBoot') does not improve security. It is nothing but trouble. It's meant to trouble non-Windows users. In dual-boot setups, SecureBoot is a recipe for disaster because Microsoft keeps erasing or tampering with the boot sector, to paraphrase an associate
Slop is Extremely Rare in Geminispace, Slop Images Are Unheard Of (Despite Images Being Supported)
As long as Geminispace grows in terms of domains it's safe to predict the protocol will still be used in 2029 and hence Geminispace will turn 10
Certificate Authority Let's Encrypt Has Almost Gone Down to Zero, Nearly Totally Extinct in Geminispace, the Few Capsules Still Using It Are Spam/Dead/Stagnant
This represents another decrease for Let's Encrypt; the last decrease was last week
Links 07/09/2025: Robodebt Class Action, Fines, and Copyright Settlement
Links for the day
Links 07/09/2025: Yle Impersonated in Social Control Media, Boat-Attacking Orcas, Midjourney Sued Again
Links for the day
Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity, Linux Journal, and the Serial Slopper
Google won't tackle the issue because Google participates not only in relaying slop but also in generating lots of it
Links 07/09/2025: Google Fines in EU and "Your Internet Access Is at Risk"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 07/09/2025: Little Brother and Corporate Theatre
Links for the day
Links 07/09/2025: More Harms of Slop and Anthropic's Nightmare Scenario (Huge Legal Liabilities for Slop)
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, September 06, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, September 06, 2025
Microsoft Sites Now Talking About September's Mass Layoffs at Microsoft
It's noteworthy that even Microsoft's MSN now covers the latest revelations about mass layoffs
Gemini Links 06/09/2025: SpellBinding Moving and "The Cloud" Ridiculed
Links for the day
Slopwatch: On "the Apology Industry", Chatbots (Punchbag for Customers), and Fake Articles About "Linux"
"news reporting priorities changed"
Links 06/09/2025: "Covid Incidence on the Rise" and Many Attacks on the Press Worldwide
Links for the day
Nobody Denies That SecureBoot Will Cause Problems After September 11
Not even Microsoft
Gemini Links 06/09/2025: Infinite Scrolling and Posting from Emacs
Links for the day
Links 06/09/2025: GitHub Meltdown Over Slop, "U.S. Jury Says Google Should Pay $425 Million in Privacy Lawsuit"
Links for the day
Despite Its Severe Financial Problems Gnome Foundation Inc Paid Rosanna Yuen Over 100,000 Dollars Last Year
maybe relocation should be considered
The "Left" and the Right"
It poisons everything
Mozilla and Rust Are Not Leftists
they're part of the mass consumerism machine
Disposable to Microsoft
There is an extensive set of people who got used by Microsoft, only to be thrown away a month later or a year later or a decade later
The UEFI 9/11 - Part VII - This Coming Week Many PCs Will Refuse to Boot "Linux" (Because of Microsoft's Expired Certificate)
The real solution is, disable "secure boot" or "SecureBoot" while it's still possible. [...] Just like submarine patents, a lot of this problem was "hibernating" for a while
The Thing Nobody in Red Hat Wants to Talk About Openly
There is a real sentiment or worry among Red Hatters, Europeans and Americans in particulars (because of higher salary expectations)
Slopwatch: Small Parade of Fake News About "Linux" and Scams Borrowing the Name (or Word) "Linux"
In practice, LLMs are a risk
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, September 05, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, September 05, 2025
Genini Links 05/09/2025: Community, ROOPHLOCH, and PITkit
Links for the day
Links 05/09/2025: Vaccine Sceptics Poison the Well, Two Exploited Vulnerabilities Patched in Android
Links for the day
Gemini Links 05/09/2025: Logitech Lift and DIY Gemini Servers
Links for the day
Links 05/09/2025: Sainsbury's Caught Spying on In-Store Shoppers and Microsoft "OpenAI is Using Legal Threats to Harass its Critics"
Links for the day
BASIC Predates Microsoft by Over a Decade, Microsoft-Controlled Sites Like The Register MS Don't Want You to Know This
The state of the media is really bad when it relies a lot on oligarchs' money and is appointing editors who are working for oligarchs
Brian Kernighan, "Only Third to Dennis Richie and Ken Thompson" (UNIX), Agreed With Someone Who Said Rust Was Just Hype, Should Not Replace C
17 hours ago
Reminder: Microsoft's "Secure Boot" Certificate for "Linux" Will be Expired in One Week
Many PCs won't manage to 'rotate' to another certificate
"Many of the Red Hat Employees Are Still Looking for Work"
Shame on IBM's CEO
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, September 04, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, September 04, 2025
Microsoft Started With Code Literally From The Trash, Nothing Has Improved Since
The reality is, there are systems and code that are reliable. But they're not Microsoft's.
Hypothesis That New McKinsey/Microsoft Executive Inside Red Hat Will Outsource Research and Development Operations to India (Like They Do in IBM)
IBM is floundering
Slopwatch: Scams, Fake Articles About "Linux", Plagiarism, and Worse
Perhaps some time soon the LLMs or the "Big LLMs" will run out of money (to borrow) and go offline, leaving those slopfarms in a tough place