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Links 19/10/2010: Linux Mint 10 RC, Debian GNU/kFreeBSD Benchmarks



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Contents





GNU/Linux



  • 10 Reasons for Switching to Linux
    Linux has always been the geek’s favorite operating system. However, times are changing and Linux is now being promoted to suit the everyday user. Linux has its own share of pros and cons but the tide seems to be turning in its favor, as hardware vendors are starting to ship their systems with Linux pre-installed (a tactic to save OS costs). Curiosity about Linux is on the rise among computer users and the debate is on whether or not to make the switch to Linux.


  • Desktop



    • Ditch That Other OS
      The result is you will have a leaner OS that runs better on any hardware and you will not have to fight the malware constantly. As long as that other OS is such a soft target, the malware artists will keep writing for it giving you a 1000:1 advantage that way alone. Then most malware for GNU/Linux does not spread like wildfire. Even if it should get in it is very unlikely to do much damage. The few reported cases are mostly folks leaving the doors open with a weak password on a server. If you put up a firewall you are not likely to have any problem at all.
    • Surviving Change
      While interesting that this three-ring circus is survivable, it does show that GNU/Linux is at least as capable of being a solid platform as the others. Freedom from malware and cost with flexibility decide the matter for me.




  • Applications



  • Distributions



    • PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandrake/Mandriva Family

      • "LXDE" is a really svelt and fast Linux GUI
        I'm not claiming it's the smallest (it's not) or even the fastest or the best, but it is pretty good for my needs, on my 12 year old celeron computer in my back porch farm office/dog room/Ham radio shack. It only has 576 megs of ram. The computer is too old to spend money on buying more memory, so I wanted an operating system that would use a minimum of system resources. I chose PCLOS Linux, using the LXDE gui (graphical user interface), and it's made a big difference...




    • Debian Family



      • Debian GNU/kFreeBSD Benchmarks With Its New Kernel
        As was reported recently, the Debian GNU/kFreeBSD port now has limited support for handling ZFS file-systems and its stock kernel has been upgraded against that of FreeBSD 8.1. Due to the upgraded kernel we ran a quick set of benchmarks to see how the performance of Debian GNU/kFreeBSD to that of Debian Linux.

        [...]

        While Debian GNU/kFreeBSD is now running with the FreeBSD 8.1 kernel, in many tests Debian GNU/Linux continues to be a much faster operating system.


      • Debian Project News - October 18th, 2010
        Welcome to this year's fourteenth issue of DPN, the newsletter for the Debian community. Topics covered in this issue include:

        * State of Debian 6.0 "Squeeze" * New question and answer service at ask.debian.net * Updated DebianEdu released * New "sloppy" backports suite for stable Debian "Lenny" * General resolution about Debian project membership * Hybrid Installer Image for optical and USB devices * About the non-news of package removals in Debian's testing branch * Following Debian Mailing lists via micro-blogging services * "Four days" promise for Debian Mentees * Who's using Debian? * Why do people contribute to Debian? * Further "This week in Debian" interviews * ... and much more.


      • Mint

        • Review: Linux Mint Debian
          As those screenshots show, once inside a desktop session, things are pretty much as one would expect in a standard Linux Mint session. Of course, some may favor Linux Mint Debian because of its rolling release nature and perhaps because its lack of upstream issues (the infamous Ubuntu video issues in the last few releases should not apply here). On the other hand, those who favor a very polished and user friendly interface, a more aggressive approach in incorporating current software and don't want to miss on applications developed for Ubuntu exclusively, should probably stick with standard Linux Mint.

          Personally, I believe this is a nice departure from the original Linux Mint approach, a step that provides a wider catalog for Linux Mint users and yet another move towards making the Mint project less Ubuntu dependent. Would I use it? Well, not really, but that's just because it does not really fit my needs.


        • Linux Mint 9 review
          Finally, this version of Linux Mint 9 comes with three years of support. Now, we’re more than capable of supporting ourselves on Linux, but this will make Linux Mint 9 more interesting to new users or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) considering offering a desktop Linux already installed on their PCs.


        • Release: Linux Mint 10 RC
          The team is proud to announce the release of Linux Mint 10 RC.




      • Canonical/Ubuntu

        • Ubuntu 10.10 reviewed in brief
          Overall, Ubuntu delivers what it is supposed to do. At the bare minimum, Ubuntu is an operating system that provides the basics for any user. This can be expanded upon to suit each user’s needs. Ubuntu allows for this at zero cost to the user. With the philosophy in mind, Ubuntu will continue to provide for the users that they entertain to. Maverick Meerkat does not fall short of this expectation and will always be available to anyone. With its out of the box nature, anyone is able to jump right into the system and try it for themselves.


        • Ubuntu 11.04 development begins
          Less than one week after the arrival of Ubuntu 10.10, developer Matthias Klose has announced that version 11.04, code named "Natty Narwhal", is now officially open for development. Discussing the future Ubuntu 11.04 release, Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth has said that it will be "sleeker and more stylish" and that there was a lot of work going on with ARM chips and Ubuntu to "help keep the planet cool".


        • Ubuntu 10.10 on the Lenovo Thinkpad T410s
          So far I’m loving this little machine (and the nice touches in Ubuntu 10.10 as well). It’s just the right size, weight, and performs amazingly well.


        • Ubuntu, deKaffeinated


        • Ubuntu 10.10 – the release cycle in review…
          Ubuntu 10.10 developer and Community Leader Dave Walker reflects on Maverick Meerkat’s release cycle. Celebrating with a 10/10/10 release date meant a compressed development period. Many said it couldn’t (or wouldn’t) be done. They were wrong…


        • Flavours and Variants

          • First look at Kubuntu 10.10
            In conclusion, Kubuntu 10.10 might not bowl you over, but it seems to function fairly well if you're a bit forgiving. I would have liked to have seen a prettier desktop and I'd really like someone to look into the NVIDIA and Akregator issues, but overall it wasn't an unpleasant experience. This is the first time I've used Kubuntu for any real length of time, and at the end of my excursion, I am moving on (but I'm taking that font with me). Kubuntu won't be leaving my desktop with a lot of bad memories, it just didn't win me over. Like I said before, it wasn't the best desktop I've ever used, nor was it the worst. It's just stuck right there in the middle of the road. And sometimes, that's good enough.


          • One week, three distributions (Day 2: Kubuntu)
            As noted in my previous post I have decided to try out a mini experiment wherein I test out three recently released distributions (Kubuntu 10.10, Ubuntu 10.10 and Linux Mint Debian Edition) giving each 48 hours to leave me with either a brilliant or terrible first impression. First on the docket was Kubuntu 10.10.










  • Devices/Embedded



    • Tablets

      • Charge of the Bloat Brigade
        “7″ will demand higher licensing fees and not ARM. The competition, using ARM + Android will take over just as they have in smart-phones. The “partners” had better find a new partner, Google. Then they will be able to compete with the real world and not Apple. Even Apple uses ARM and so will have weight/power advantages so “7″ on tablets will go down the drain and squander huge resources in the process. If the OEMs put “7″ on tablets and retailers stock shelves with them, this will be another “Vista” moment, a moment of clarity when the world sees the emperor has no clothes.








Free Software/Open Source



  • 55 Open Source Replacements for Popular Networking Tools
    Setting up and maintaining networks used to be something that only "super-geeks" did. Network engineers and administrators at large enterprises usually have a lot of in-depth technical knowledge about how systems work and how they communicate with each other.

    But these days, lots of people have small networks at their homes and small businesses. They usually don't have the same sort of specialized knowledge, but they still need to be able to set up and troubleshoot the inevitable problems.

    Fortunately, developers have created plenty of open source tools to help both groups accomplish what they need to get done. Open source tools can help you design, test, deploy, manage, monitor, or secure your network, and some can even help you build your own appliances, routers, or other hardware.


  • Databases

    • SkySQL will try to drive MySQL fork, Oracle's ouster
      The community simply doesn’t trust that Oracle will be a good steward of open source software and is acting quickly to preserve top open source projects.

      SkySQL, which will provide alternative services and support for the MySQL database, is playing it safe for now. It is not helping found a new open source foundation to sponsor an official MySQL fork, and is not declaring open war on Oracle.




  • Oracle

    • New Chart features in OpenOffice.org 3.3 Beta (part 3)


      And here are some more Chart features in OOo 3.3 Beta:

      Several defaults were changed to allow a faster creation of a pleasant looking and readable chart. So the diagram size is now larger with 9x16cm wide screen. That allows also for larger fonts at the axes, data labels and legend entries. We have 10pt here now. The somewhat outdated comic style with black borders around all the data points and symbols was left behind in favor of a modern clean look without borders.




  • FSF/FSFE/GNU/SFLC





Leftovers

  • The Future of Personal Computing
    With that, everything else is the network. We need more bandwidth, for video, audio, graphics and software. There are servers all over the world nearly maxed-out in connection delivering software and updates. If GNU/Linux is to “succeed” and assume a full share of IT, this is the next bottleneck right after a breakthrough in retail. Here, GNU/Linux is limited mostly by folks using dial-up. I can update their machines at 10 MB/s anywhere in the building but in their homes they are three orders of magnitude slower, unacceptable. I last used dial-up with GNU/Linux around 2002. It is just not acceptable any longer.


  • Defence/Police/Aggression

    • Real Life ‘Pre-Crime’ Technology
      We live in an age of wonders. We can talk and see our friends in the world over the Internet. We live in an age of horrors. Third-world dictatorships are working on atomic bombs. And, we live in age where new miracles and terrors are only a research project away.








Clip of the Day



Kdenlive Vs OpenShot



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Credit: TinyOgg

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