Links: Linux News (SSHFS, Drivers), Applications, Instructionals, Unigine Game, and Distributions
- Dr. Roy Schestowitz
- 2010-07-21 16:06:25 UTC
- Modified: 2010-07-21 16:06:25 UTC
Summary: Accumulation of Linux and GNU news including a Zenwalk 6.4 review
Graphics Stack
Last month we reported on the status of kernel mode-setting with the Glint driver that's being done as a Google Summer of Code project to provide KMS support for the ancient 3Dlabs Permedia 3 and Permedia 4 graphics cards and to better document the Linux KMS/DRM driver writing process. As part of the Glint KMS discussion, it emerged that an independent developer (James Simmons) happened to hack together a 3dfx DRM driver. This was interesting as the work was never published or accepted into the mainline kernel, but today we finally are able to lay our eyes on this open-source 3dfx driver for the Banshee, Voodoo 3, and Voodoo 5 graphics cards.
Userspace file systems are one of the coolest storage options in Linux. They allow really creative file systems to be developed without having to go through the kernel gauntlet. This article presents one of them, SSHFS, that allows you to remotely mount a file system using ssh (sftp).
Applications
Most Linux users are familiar with the top command. Top shows you a list of processes on your system and provides a ton of useful information such as their CPU usage and owner. Unfortunately, this isn’t always enough data and many people don’t know where to turn next. This article covers three performance monitoring applications that show information top doesn’t tell you, and can greatly help in troubleshooting bottlenecks or just finding out more about your system. These utilities are iftop, iotop, and pv.
digiKam is undoubtedly a powerful application for processing and managing your photos, but there are situations when you need something lighter. For example, I use my netbook when I'm on the move to off load photos from my camera and quickly go through them. For this, I use Geeqie, a lightweight image viewer that offers a slew of nifty features that make it an indispensable tool in my arsenal.
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Instructionals
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Games
Earlier this month the developers behind the Unigine Engine shared their latest update on this advanced 3D engine that's fully supported under Linux. With the latest work on this game engine, there are significant performance optimizations to UnigineScript (the developers say these optimizations are "HUGE"), volumetric light shafts, optimized rendering of meshes in non-instanced mode, optimizations of the Unigine math library, and a note there is a new terrain system on the way, among other changes. Unigine Corp also dropped their first public confirmation of a new strategy game they are developing.
Desktop Environments/WMs
This time around, in our Alternative desktops series, we’re going seriously old-school Linux with Fvwm. Although using Fvwm will make you feel like you’ve gone back in time, it still has it’s place in today’s world. Where speed and simplicity are the single most important desire on a desktop, you really can’t go wrong with Fvwm. The only problem with this wonderful little desktop is getting used to the configuration.
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K Desktop Environment (KDE SC)
Most of you probably haven't heard about Clementine before. But every linux music enthusiast must be aware of Amarok 1.4, which for many like me, was the best open source music player for Linux. Even though it was KDE app, I used it as my default music player in Ubuntu Gnome. It was that good. But everything changed once KDE developers decided to rewrite Amarok.
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GNOME Desktop
I can't stand the default menu Ubuntu comes with and I only keep it because I have to know under which submenu the user can find an installed application when posting on WebUpd8. This wouldn't be needed if people used a menu with a search function but anyway. Also, since I install quite a few applications, half of it requires scrolling and makes it almost unusable.
There are gazillions of people on this planet right now. Not all of them will ever care to build their own flavor of Linux. But Linux gives you the ability to choose how YOU want things, and then share it with the world. I’ve talked before about where you can go to build your own version of Linux. It’s not as difficult as you might think it is… so what are you waiting for?
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Reviews
It’s been a long time since I last took a look at Zenwalk. I’ve always had a sweet spot for it, though I haven’t had a chance to really give it a full spin in quite some time. Although I am primarily a KDE user, there’s something about Zenwalk that always keeps my attention: It’s simple, fast, and gets the job done. Not only that, but its one of the best lightweight distros around.
Zenwalk uses XFCE as it’s desktop of choice (though other versions are available) and from the past times I’ve used it, it appears to be focused on allowing your system to run free, rather than bog it down with unnecessary eye candy and bloat. Zenwalk manages to pack a punch with a large variety of useful applications preinstalled, without slowing you down in the process.
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Red Hat Family
Red Hat Enterprise Linux now comes with built-in virtualization (KVM) but is Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization (RHEV) about to go to the virtual mat with VMware? If you look at their RHEL video, you'll come away with a resounding 'Yes' to that question.
Red Hat purchased Qumranet in 2008 to acquire their KVM-based virtualization solution and SolidICE product based on the SPICE protocol.
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Fedora
As Ian and Ryan already blogged, the Fedora Design Team is evaluating new branding fonts: Comfortaa for headings and either Cantarell or Droid Sans for body text.
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Debian Family
After ten editions in nine countries spanning four continents, and for the first time in the US, the Debian project is holding the annual Debian Developer conference, DebConf, at Columbia University in New York City on August 1.
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Canonical/Ubuntu
I believe such a philosophy, like Ubuntu’s code of conduct, is important and every project should have one.
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Flavours and Variants
Huzzah! So, the official (and huge) ISO for the second release of Netrunner is up, out and available right now! (torrent)
Here’s the distrowatch announcement.
Moving to KDE
The biggest change in this version is moving to KDE for the desktop.
Something important to understand about that: when I say “KDE for the desktop”, that doesn’t mean Netrunner is running all KDE apps. There are a lot of GNOME (and other) apps in there, because we are trying to present the best selection of applications and for some reason some people like some of the non-KDE apps better.
Recent Techrights' Posts
- Comparing U.E.F.I. to B.I.O.S. (Bloat and Insecurity to K.I.S.S.)
- By Sami Tikkanen
- New 'Slides' From Stallman Support (stallmansupport.org) Site
- "In celebration of RMS's birthday, we've been playing a bit. We extracted some quotes from the various articles, comments, letters, writings, etc. and put them in the form of a slideshow in the home page."
- Thailand: GNU/Linux Up to 6% of Desktops/Laptops, According to statCounter
- Desktop Operating System Market Share Thailand
- António Campinos is Still 'The Fucking President' (in His Own Words) After a Fake 'Election' in 2022 (He Bribed All the Voters to Keep His Seat)
- António Campinos and the Administrative Council, whose delegates he clearly bribed with EPO budget in exchange for votes
- Adrian von Bidder, homeworking & Debian unexplained deaths
- Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
- Sainsbury’s Epic Downtime Seems to be Microsoft's Fault and Might Even Constitute a Data Breach (Legal Liability)
- one of Britain's largest groceries (and beyond) chains
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- People Don't Just Kill Themselves (Same for Other Animals)
- And recent reports about Boeing whistleblower John Barnett
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 18, 2024
- IRC logs for Monday, March 18, 2024
- Suicide Cluster Cover-up tactics & Debian exposed
- Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
- Gemini Links 19/03/2024: A Society That Lost Focus and Abandoning Social Control Media
- Links for the day
- Matthias Kirschner, FSFE: Plagiarism & Child labour in YH4F
- Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
- Linux Foundation Boasting About Being Connected to Bill Gates
- Examples of boasting about the association
- Alexandre Oliva's Article on Monstering Cults
- "I'm told an earlier draft version of this post got published elsewhere. Please consider this IMHO improved version instead."
- [Meme] 'Russian' Elections in Munich (Bavaria, Germany)
- fake elections
- Sainsbury's to Techrights: Yes, Our Web Site Broke Down, But We Cannot Say Which Part or Why
- Windows TCO?
- Plagiarism: Axel Beckert (ETH Zurich) & Debian Developer list hacking
- Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
- Links 18/03/2024: Putin Cements Power
- Links for the day
- Flashback 2003: Debian has always had a toxic culture
- Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
- [Meme] You Know You're Winning the Argument When...
- EPO management starts cursing at everybody (which is what's happening)
- Catspaw With Attitude
- The posts "they" complain about merely point out the facts about this harassment and doxing
- 'Clown Computing' Businesses Are Waning and the Same Will Happen to 'G.A.I.' Businesses (the 'Hey Hi' Fame)
- decrease in "HEY HI" (AI) hype
- Free Software Needs Watchdogs, Too
- Gentle lapdogs prevent self-regulation and transparency
- Matthias Kirschner, FSFE analogous to identity fraud
- Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
- Gemini Links 18/03/2024: LLM Inference and Can We Survive Technology?
- Links for the day
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 17, 2024
- IRC logs for Sunday, March 17, 2024
- Links 17/03/2024: Microsoft Windows Shoves Ads Into Third-Party Software, More Countries Explore TikTok Ban
- Links for the day
- Molly Russell suicide & Debian Frans Pop, Lucy Wayland, social media deaths
- Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
- Our Plans for Spring
- Later this year we turn 18 and a few months from now our IRC community turns 16
- Open Invention Network (OIN) Fails to Explain If Linux is Safe From Microsoft's Software Patent Royalties (Charges)
- Keith Bergelt has not replied to queries on this very important matter
- RedHat.com, Brought to You by Microsoft Staff
- This is totally normal, right?
- USPTO Corruption: People Who Don't Use Microsoft Will Be Penalised ~$400 for Each Patent Filing
- Not joking!
- The Hobbyists of Mozilla, Where the CEO is a Bigger Liability Than All Liabilities Combined
- the hobbyist in chief earns much more than colleagues, to say the least; the number quadrupled in a matter of years
- Jim Zemlin Says Linux Foundation Should Combat Fraud Together With the Gates Foundation. Maybe They Should Start With Jim's Wife.
- There's a class action lawsuit for securities fraud
- Not About Linux at All!
- nobody bothers with the site anymore; it's marketing, and now even Linux
- Links 17/03/2024: Abuses Against Human Rights, Tesla Settlement (and Crash)
- Links for the day
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 16, 2024
- IRC logs for Saturday, March 16, 2024
- Under Taliban, GNU/Linux Share Nearly Doubled in Afghanistan, Windows Sank From About 90% to 68.5%
- Suffice to say, we're not meaning to imply Taliban is "good"
- Debian aggression: woman asked about her profession
- Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
- Gemini Links 17/03/2024: Winter Can't Hurt Us Anymore and Playstation Plus
- Links for the day