04.08.11
Posted in Europe, Free/Libre Software, GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Windows at 12:56 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Romania wants access to the source code of Windows, but it might as well just use GNU/Linux and encourage its use
Romania could have GNU/Linux, but for reasons that include corruption this is not the case. For a bit of background, see posts such as:
A Romanian reader has informed us that the Romanian authorities negotiate access to Microsoft source code (original in Romanian or automated translation to English), proving of course that availability of source code is beneficial. So why don’t they just use GNU/Linux, which requires no such negotiations and also permits modifications?
In the coming week I’ll be writing a lot of Free software (walking the walk, not just talking about it), so Techrights is likely to be more quiet again. Please consider sending us article contributions for publication. Techrights is increasingly a group effort and more people have just approached us offering translations to other languages. █
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Posted in Microsoft, Search at 12:43 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Microsoft workers who speak out against their employer these days
We wish to thank Jan for bringing to our attention this important item which we missed last month. It’s titled “Birth and Death of Microsoft Bing” and it is written by a B0ng employee, starting as follows:
I worked at Bing back in 2008 and I’ve seen it at the peak of its power. This story is about an amazing group of technologists, where were on a task of solving the hardest problem in the world – Attacking Google at it’s home territory. Let me say that again: Attacking a market incumbent on an area of it’s core strength – It’s hardest in technology companies. Time and again people have tried doing it and failed, and it’s not just about the money.
A blogger who supports us, Penguin Pete, has also just declared that “Microsoft’s Monopoly Is Now So Bad That Even Microsoft Employees Complain”, citing Microsoft staff:
I’ve never seen anything like this story, and I don’t think there’s ever been a precedent in history. A story summarized at Electronista seems to show a Microsoft employee complaining that the company actually has smaller monopolies within itself destroying it from the inside. What can happen when a single corporation does the closest thing to enslaving the entire human race that any entity has ever done and goes unchecked, unchallenged, and uncontrollable for so long? Its empire fragments into a bunch of warring sub-monopolies, that’s what.
To make matters worse, only a minority of Microsoft employees approves Ballmer's reign, despite all the Kool-Aid. These are all signs of a rogue company. █
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Posted in Patents at 12:26 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Errata and clarifications about Groklaw
Groklaw is one of the best sites on the Internet. In part, Shane and I got our inspiration from Groklaw, which had provided spin-free analysis (free of corporate masters) of GNU/Linux matters. This is important for many reasons; for example, the Microsoft-funded Gartner Group has just unleashed more FUD against open source, having made the same noise in the past, then proven to be wrong later. Over the years we have cited Groklaw a great deal and we also raised concerns when our opinions did not overlap with Groklaw‘s. In this post we’ll address a few of the points in turn, hoping to clarify our position.
We are always careful when interpreting one’s opinions and not misattributing or distorting them. But sometimes we make mistakes, as any site which posts in high volume might occasionally do. For example, our snide remark about Groklaw and patents turns out not to be truthful. To say that Groklaw has ever been anything but 100% against software patents is incorrect. Someone who posted a comment in Groklaw misled us and it’s reasonable to assume that we read this claim in Groklaw and some other site at one stage or another. Like the alleged DDOS attack on Sys-Con, this is not correct and we apologise for propagating the false claims without checking/verifying the facts with Pamela Jones herself.
So basically, just to set the record straight, Groklaw (and maybe Jones too) has always been against patents. There was no change of heart.
Here is the latest good article from them:
SCO has now filed its Monthly Operating Reports for January. They have some inscrutable and/or cynical items and some I don’t recall seeing before. Accounts Receivable = $246,754. Cash on hand at the beginning of the month = $804,709.00. Disbursements = $456,100. Wow. Remember that SCO got a $2M loan not that long ago, yet cash at the end of the month? $601,752.
Novell is having its account emptied by SCO, over time. Guess who is funding all the sides? █
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Posted in GNU/Linux at 11:34 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Por Brad Rodriguez
Original en: http://www.goodbyemicrosoft.net/news.php?item.633.4
(ODF | PDF
El mes pasado opiné[http://www.goodbyemicrosoft.net/news.php?item.625.4] que si usted está implicado en activismo político de cualquier clase, usted necesita utilizar Linux — porque sus opositores pueden apuntar a su PC. Ahora FotB (amigo del blog) Charles Curley proporciona la confirmación[http://www.charlescurley.com/blog/archives/2011/03/12/political_activists_need_linux/index.html], ligando a esta historia del 12 de marzo en el Register[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/12/windows_bug_target_google_users/]:
Los atacantes por motivados políticos están explotando un defecto sin parche en todas las versiones apoyadas de Microsoft Windows para realizar ataques apuntados contra los activistas que usan Google, el equipo de seguridad de la compañía advirtió.
Los atacantes no identificados están manejando una vulnerabilidad seria de la manera que Windows analiza los Web pages que contienen el contenido MIME-formatado. En enero, Microsoft publicó un arreglo temporal para el defecto, que permite que los atacantes roben información privada o delicada, spoof sitios seguros web o realize otras acciones no autorizadas por el usuario. La compañía no ha dicho cuándo la vulnerabilidad de MHTML será remendado.
Un mejor curso de acción es dejar de usar completamente el navegador Internet Explorer, ya que es el único vector para los exploits (explotaciones). (Énfasis agregado.)
Una y otra vez he insistido en el consejo de los expertos de seguridad de computadoras: si usted debe utilizar Windows, no utilice Internet Explorer. Yo iría un paso más allá: si usted tiene alguna razón para creer usted puede ser apuntado para un ataque — debido a sus creencia políticas, o sus actividades económicas — entonces DEJE de usar Windows completamente.
Also, in English: Over the years Techrights have been denouncing how tyrannical governments have been spying on political adversaries or dissidents through the use of Windows. China, Korea, and other repressive
governments have been using new technologies to monitor their citizens.
I have correspondence with many teachers on Latin America and sadly most of them use Windows because they don’t know anything better. I also see over correspondence that they rely on Hotmail for email communications while many of them are teacher’s Unions activists without knowing them that their activities are an open book to their governments.
Latin Americans must never forget the many years they been under military dictatorships with US support, i. e. Chile just to mention one. They also need to remember how the US government in the past was involved supporting dictatorships, the medical experiments with Guatemalan/Hodurean peasants, how they financed the contra-guerrilla by selling crack-cocaine to minorities on LA during the eighties which resulted on an investigation with nobody being convicted.
I hope these two articles by Brad Rodriguez bright light to us Latin Americans so we can dump proprietary garbage like Windows and Microsoft products and to learn and rely on Linux and Free/Libre Software.
Many thanks to Brad for allowing us to translate and publish his posts on our Spanish Portal.
In Spanish:
Durante años Techrights ha denunciado cómo los gobiernos tiránicos han estado espiando a sus adversarios o disidentes políticos con el uso de Windows. China, Corea, y otros gobiernos represivos han estado utilizando nuevas tecnologías para supervisar a sus ciudadanos.
Tengo correspondencia con muchos profesores en América Latina y tristemente la mayor parte de ellos uso Windows porque ellos no saben otra cosa mejor o no han tenido otra oportunidad de aprender algo nueve. También veo en la correspondencia que muchos confían en Hotmail para sus comunicaciones electrónicas mientras que muchas de ellas pertenecen o son profesores activistas de uniones sin saber que sus actividades son un libro abierto a sus gobiernos.
Los latinoamericanos deben nunca olvidar los muchos años que han vivido bajo dictaduras militares con la ayuda de los E.E.U.U., mencionemos Chile como ejemplo. También necesitamos recordar cómo el gobierno de los E.E.U.U. en el pasado estuvo implicado apoyando a las dictaduras, los experimentos médicos con los campesinos guatemaltecos, cómo financiaron al contra-guerrilla nicaraguense vendiendo crack-cocaína a las minorías en el LA durante los años ochenta que resultaron en una investigación que no llego a ningún lado.
Espero estos dos artículos de Brad Rodriguez traigan un poco de luz a nosotros los latinoamericanos para que nosotros podamos deshacernos de basura propietaria como Windows y los productos de Microsoft y aprender y confiar en Linux y el Software Free/Libre.
Muchas gracias a Brad por permitir que traduzcamos y que publiquemos sus artículos en nuestro Portal en Español. █
Translation produced by Eduardo Landaveri, the esteemed administrator of the Spanish portal of Techrights.
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Posted in GNU/Linux, Microsoft at 11:29 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Por Brad Rodriguez
Original en: http://www.goodbyemicrosoft.net/news.php?item.625.4
(ODF | PDF
Si usted no lee los “alternativos” medios de noticias en línea, puede ser que usted no haya oído hablar del escándalo de HB Gary Federal[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/us/politics/12hackers.html?_r=2&hp] que ha ocurrido durante las semanas últimas. Y en general no es del interés de lectores de GoodBye Microsoft, a menos que usted este implicado en cualquie clase de actividad política organizada. Si usted lo está, entonces ustedd mejor esté planeando una migración a Linux muy pronto. Aqui está el porqué.
Versión corta: HB Gary Federal es un aspirante a contratista del Ministerio de Defensa que intentó infiltrar la “Anonymous” asociación de hackers informáticos, en su lugar consiguió ser “hackeado” por ellos, quienes obtuvieron 70.000 de sus internos email (correos electrónicos) de su compañía y los publicaron. Entre otras cosas, esos email revelaron que la HB Gary Federal proponía — a una corporación importante, a un grupo de cabildeo importante (lobbyists), y al gobierno de los E.E.U.U. — que, por un honorario, comprometerían las computadoras de los grupos de oposición. Qué hace esta amenaza significativa es que su sociedad matriz, HB Gary, desarrolló viruses, rootkits, y “backdoors” (puertas traseras)profesionalmente[http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/black-ops-how-hbgary-wrote-backdoors-and-rootkits-for-the-government.ars], y dijo tener varias desconocidas e imperceptibles exploits (explotaciones) para Windows. Los emails revelaron esquemas para el uso de “ingeniería social”; para tender trampas para que usuarios de computadoras hagan click en los attachements de emails y así infecten sus PCs.
Esto significa que, si sus actividades políticas son molestas alguien con bolsillos profundos, usted puede ser que sea el objetivo para un cyber-attack.*
Es aquí en donde GoodBye Microsoft viene: casi todas los exploits eran para Windows. Había también para el Flash, Java, VMWare ESX, y (a mi sorpresa) Solaris 10, pero ninguno para Linux. No es que Linux sea uncrackable, solamente que Windows se compromete más fácilmente, y es por tanto son más ampliamente utilizados, ya que son el blanco preferido para los crackers profesionales.
Así pues, este es mi consejo: si usted es un activista político, dondequiera en el espectro, usted necesita proteger su computadora. Y el antivirus no es suficiente. Usted necesita dejar de usar Windows completamente. Consiga Linux, ahora, y aprenda cómo utilizarlo. █
________
* Considere: si usted es incluso amigos con tales activistas, usted puede ser así mismo infectado.
Translation produced by Eduardo Landaveri, the esteemed administrator of the Spanish portal of Techrights.
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Posted in Deception, Microsoft at 11:03 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
(ODF | PDF | English/original)
Resumen: Microsoft está para nada bueno otra vez, este vez con pruebas patrones de Internet Explorer 9.
El post anterior[http://techrights.org/2011/04/05/google-responds-hypocritically/] tuvo un ejemplo de las falsas pruebas patrones de GNU/Linux de Microsoft – es un tema del que escribimos mucho a través de los años[http://techrights.org/2009/06/30/microsoft-invalid-benchmark/]. Microsoft casi fué demandado por ello[http://techrights.org/2009/09/28/microsoft-fabricated-figures/] e Internet Explorer también esta rodeado de fraude en sus “pruebas”[http://techrights.org/2009/09/28/microsoft-fabricated-figures/]. Microsoft apenas no sabe hacer su caso que Internet Explorer 9 trabaja mejor que sus rivales (QUE NO LO HACE). Según esto[http://mrpogson.com/2011/04/03/lab-tests-used-as-advertising/], los pruebas de laboratorio de Microsoft (o los laboratorios a los que Microsoft PAGA para generar mentiras) están siendo utilizando para hacer publicidad . Para citar:
En vez de producir menos bloatware para que las PC funcionen mejor o de producir software que funcione en ARM, orquestraron una prueba del efecto de varios navegadores del internet sobre su consumo de energía. Cuando miro el informe es obvio ellos no supervisaron el consumo de energía con usuarios reales, los que usan los sistemas en panoramas verdaderos, pero varias pruebas patrones específicas de consumo de energía máxima en situaciónes específicas. En la marcha lenta de los navegadores del mundo real.
Aquí estoy con 15 lengüetas abiertas en Chromiun:
promedio de la carga: 0.00, 0.05, 0.07
CPU: 5.6%
y porciones que se encienden.
Así pues, sus pruebas de laboratorio son inaplicables para las situaciones del mundo real. Puede ser que sean relevantes para el vídeo pero no para la lectura y mirar fotos o mecanografiar.
Las pruebas se pueden construir para demostrar cualquier cosa, -el papel aguanta todo- vendiendo la ilusión falsa de que una cosa es mejor que otra. Microsoft ha hecho esto muchas veces, así que es el muchacho que gritó “lobo” realmente. En otras noticias sobre Internet Explorer 9, tiene un agujero para la privacidad, (como si usare Internet Explorer en un ordenador Windows te diera privacidad). Para citar el Register[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/18/microsoft_ie9_tpl_site_blocker/]: Un agujero ha sido avistado en Internet Explorer 9 tecnología de evitar-ser-seguido, y Microsoft dice que es una característica de su producto no un agujero.
“En respuesta a una llamada del gobierno de los E.E.U.U. para la mayor protección de aislamiento de los consumidores en línea, Microsoft agregó una característica de seguimiento de las listas de protección (TPLs) a IE9. Los Netizen (ciudadanos del internet) pueden utilizar una o más listas para evitar que ciertas redes y sitios web de publicidad sigan su comportamiento en línea. Pero cuando el usuario de IE9 baja múltiple transferencias directas TPLs y un sitio es bloqueado en una lista pero permitido en otra, IE9 permitirá el sitio, dejándolos seguir las actividades del usuario.”
Aquí estamos en 2011 y Microsoft todavía finge que la privacidad no importa. ¿Esto sorprende cualquiera dado que Microsoft promueve la vigilancia?[http://techrights.org/2011/04/07/gunning-down-dissidence_es/] █
Translation produced by Eduardo Landaveri, the esteemed administrator of the Spanish portal of Techrights.
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Posted in GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Novell, Patents, SCO at 1:52 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
(ODF | PDF | English/original)
Resumen: Mientras que Microsoft ha defendido sus tácticas para ganar sin realmente ganar (pero cambiando las reglas y torciendo el juego), hay un lugar dejado para que Microsoft apunte cuando no pueda más vender o empaquear sus productos, aún menos hacer dinero de repartos y agresivos pleitos legales de patentes.
MICROSOFT nunca fué una compañía de tecnología, a diferencia de Google por ejemplo. Microsoft no fue creado por tecnólogos, ni por lo menos se centró en ellos. Microsoft sabía como apalancar el trabajo de otra gente, cómo machacar a competidores, cómo pagar los repartos (ayudado por nepotismo), y cómo conseguir seguir burlándose de ley después de haberla infringido en varias ocasiones la ley (también gracias al nepotismo).
Para Microsoft, la subversión de la ley ha sido instrumental en el crecimiento del negocio. Hasta esta fecha, Microsoft confía en derribar la ley[http://techrights.org/2011/03/29/legal-instruments-vs-freedom/], haciendo lo que es necesario (e.g. software que patenta) para hacer su competición ilegal [1[http://techrights.org/2011/03/30/epo-and-nzict/], 2[http://techrights.org/2011/03/30/ffii-vs-epo/]] y obligar a cada comprador de una nueva computadora para pagar a Microsoft un impuesto,(hay intentos de Microsoft para hacer lo mismo con cada teléfono vendido[http://techrights.org/2011/04/03/patent-trolls-vs-rim_es/]).
En algunos de nuestros posts más recientes nos referimos a Microsoft como cabildeaba para las leyes que se relacionan con la falsificación. Microsoft desea devorar esta torta y quedarsela para él sólo también[http://techrights.org/wiki/index.php/Microsoft_and_counterfeiting]. O como un reportero crítico de Microsoft lo puso[http://www.itnews.com.au/News/252526,microsoft-on-supply-chain-anti-piracy-push.aspx]:
Microsoft ha cabildeado a legisladores de estados en los E.E.U.U. para introducir una ley que prevendría un negocio que vende bienes y servicios si encuentran que uno de sus proveedores utilizar el software de Microsoft pirateado.
Permitiría a Microsoft perseguir pérdidas resultando de piratería en el extranjero, como en China, en donde puede ser más difícil traer la acción directa contra el usuario real del software pirateado.
¿Por qué Microsoft que intenta el cambio la ley en el primer lugar? Y porqué hace al gobierno acepte este corporocratism. ¿De quién es él gobierno? ¿A quién sirve, a la gente o los ejecutivos ricos que trabajan en Microsoft[http://www.itnews.com.au/News/252526,microsoft-on-supply-chain-anti-piracy-push.aspx]? El año pasado Tony Whitcomb alegó que Jon DeVaan de Microsoft había incursado en corrupción política y fraude electoral[http://techrights.org/2010/10/02/govt-bribery-nymshifting-allegation/]. Él dijó que DeVaan y su jefe y socios comercial anteriores habían enviado docenas de email desde entonces, alegando las ilegales 2008 contribuciones a la campaña de Obama por Microsoft[http://www.politicalfailblog.com/2011/04/obamamicrosoft-illegal-campaign.html#more]. Cubrimos esto en ese entonces porque las familias de los ejecutivos de Microsoft, incluyendo la familia de Gates y la familia de Ballmer, habían pagado a Obama en privado[http://techrights.org/2008/12/30/obama-takes-it-personally/]. Ése así cómo Microsoft hace negocios. O para ponerlo en las palabras de un nuevo post:
Desde el abastecimiento de esta información confidencial al FBI, desde hace un año, ahora he estado totalmente, así como ahora, bajo las represalias de ambos la administración de Obama, así como Microsoft, así que ahora estoy esperando sinceramente que el Blog Político del Fail, esté dispuesto ahora a proveerme de cualquier tipo de ayuda y/o asistencia, en publicar toda esta información extremadamente importante a nuestra gente americana y a todos nuestros ciudadanos americanos compañeros, que actualmente quizá estén viviendo y/o luchando para nuestro país en el exterior, y yo sinceramente le agradezco por adelantado, todo su tiempo y por sus consideraciones inmediatas en estas materias extremadamente serias, yo sólo les deseo a ustedes nada pero paz, prosperidad, bendiciones y éxito continuos, en todos su actuales y futuros esfuerzos.
Los pagos hechos a Obama por Microsoft (con la expectativa de favores como éstos[http://techrights.org/2011/01/14/gates-buffett-politicas/] sean devueltos) son probablemente menos interesantes que los pagos hechos por Microsoft a otras compañías, con la expectativa de que estas compañías atacarían Linux. Recuerde la situación de SCO y de Norris [1[http://techrights.org/2008/08/24/microsoft-shills-index/], 2[http://techrights.org/2008/08/23/sco-money-from-me-inc/], 3[http://techrights.org/2008/05/06/microsoft-hires-from-sco/], 4[http://techrights.org/2008/02/26/general-wesley-clark-sco/], 5[http://techrights.org/2008/02/16/stephen-norris-and-sco/], 6[http://techrights.org/2008/02/14/sco-stephen-norris-capital-partners/], 7[http://techrights.org/2008/10/25/intel-feeds-sco/], 8[http://techrights.org/2009/09/27/sco-steven-norris-etc/], 9[http://techrights.org/2011/02/16/stephen-norris-and-bankruptcy/]] y también recuerde el Fondo de Buitres como Elliot e Icahn, quienes trabajaron con Microsoft. Qué sabemos como un hecho real es que SCO recibió millones de Microsoft después de su pleito legal contra Linux, después consiguiron $30 millones por poder de Microsoft a través de (Baystar), y el padre de Bill Gates hizo después que su firma visitara a SCO para ocuparse de las ediciones financieras. Ésta es la manera cómo Microsoft hace negocios. Es sombrío, él es reservado, él es corrupto. Y ahora la empresas financiadas Bill Gates Intelectual Ventures[http://techrights.org/wiki/index.php/Intellectual_Ventures] extorsionan a los rivales de Microsoft.
Mientras tanto, según lo explicado por Groklaw, SCO es SCO morphed en UnXis:
El comercio de acciones de SCO se ha suspendido. Aquí está el comunicado de prensa del SEC. Parece que el no archivaje por un par de años consigue la atención del SEC eventualmente, incluso si no hace nada:
La Comisión suspendió temporalmente el comercio en las seguridades de estos catorce emisores debido a una carencia de la corriente y de la información precisa sobre las compañías porque no han archivado informes periódicos con la Comisión durante los dos últimos años.
Asi que una suspensión temporal. Mientras tanto, uno presume que ha sucedido la venta de substancialmente todos los activos de SCO a UnXis. El juez el 7 de marzo dio a Novell 14 días a la súplica, si lo eligían, y no lo eligieron.
Es bastante interesante que Novell no apeló y dado que Novell está ayudando a Microsoft actualmente[http://techrights.org/2011/04/05/novell-acquisition-delay/], e.g. dándole patentes, ésto no es enteramente impactante (Groklaw esperó que Novell apelara). Microsoft está haciendo negocio escogiendo las compañías como SCO y Novell para librar sus propias batallas y haciendo una oferta. Pobre “perrito” . Debe incorporarse quizá a los Buitre de Fondos y al negocio de cabildeo. Éso es que algo Microsoft ha dominado por décadas. █
Translation produced by Eduardo Landaveri, the esteemed administrator of the Spanish portal of Techrights.
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04.07.11
Posted in News Roundup at 6:18 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Contents
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While Yahoo isn’t as big as it used to be, it still, according to Dummer, has 100,000s of servers, 640-million users, and over a 1 billion visits a months. According to Netcraft’s list of the most popular Web sites in the world, that’s still good enough to put Yahoo in as the 13th most popular Web site on the globe, or the fourth if you count all the international Google sites as one. In other words, Yahoo is still a player.
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Just for fun, I isolated the GNU/Linux-adoption algorithm
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Recently however I came across a bad situation with Windows 7 64-bit and the Intel 82567/82568 network card, which is present in a lot of desktops and laptops. The issue? Well, there are a few issues actually, but the main problems are the NIC dropping its connection at random and also not linking to some switches right away which causes the Windows 7 logon process to lag.
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Server
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The customer that opted for the 10,000-core cloud cluster was biotech company Genentech in San Francisco, where scientist Jacob Corn needed computing power to examine how proteins bind to each other, in research that might eventually lead to medical treatments. Compared to the 10,000-core cluster, “we’re a tenth the size internally,” Corn says.
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Google
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The first day at a new job is an exciting and stressful time. Thankfully, Google’s new CEO already has a pretty firm grasp of the company’s workings, having co-founded the company 13 years ago with Sergey Brin. Larry Page and Brin served as co-presidents for the search company until 2001, when they recruited former Novell CEO, Eric Schmidt.
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IBM
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IBM may have made the open source Linux OS a staple of its software line, but the company is keeping its own DB2 database proprietary, a company official said on Wednesday afternoon.
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Kernel Space
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According to Jim Zemlin, the Executive Director of the Linux Foundation, Linux is now moving beyond just being a server operating system.In Zemlin’s view, Linux has become the fabric of modern computing.
In an effort to help nurture the continued growth of Linux, the Linux Foundation today announced the formation of a High Availability Linux working group, as well as the release of the Yocto 1.0 embedded Linux project.
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It was 20 years ago this summer that Linux was born. Over that time Linux has transformed both itself and the IT industry.
According to Jim Zemlin, the Executive Director of the Linux Foundation, the same core fundamentals that have helped Linux to reach its current stature will help to propel it forward for the next 20 years.
“Linux itself really has no roadmap or grand plan persay, it sort of has a direction in which it is blowing,” Zemlin told InternetNews.com. “What makes Linux so great is that there are so many self-forming communities around Linux that use a single kernel to address so many different market segments.”
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The Linux Foundation is celebrating 20 years of the famous FOSS operating system, Linux — or GNU-slash-Linux, depending on how hard-line a fossie you’re talking to — with a slew of special events, both online and IRL. Linux enthusiasts can check out the official anniversary site for details.
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Applications
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Since time immemorial, I’ve been using the LastPass service and browser extension for managing all my passwords. It worked well for me, but gradually I grew uncomfortable with the idea that all my passwords are managed by a third-party service. So I’ve finally decided to do what I should have done a long time ago: migrate to the KeePassX password manager. This rather handy utility stores all data in an encrypted database file, and the tool offers a handful of useful features to boot.
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Proprietary
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The crew in Oslo keeps plugging away at Opera 11.10, and the latest snapshot build includes a number of improvements to Opera’s built-in email client — as well as HTML5-related additions.
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Since we first introduced Opera 11.10 “Barracuda”, you have seen a couple of new features, countless bugfixes, and lots of snapshots. The result of all this work is soon about to culminate in the final release of Barracuda.
Today we present you with a Barracuda Release Candidate.
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Instructionals/Technical
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Games
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It is a source of constant amazement to me that the Linux community will celebrate the joys of diversity and in the very same breath slam anything that tries to do anything new.
Take, for instance, today’s release of GNOME 3, which has been five years coming and is now available as a Live-Stick Fedora or openSUSE tryout version. This is, by anyone’s estimation, a radically different graphics enviroment, from the new GTK+ 3.0 library to the new user interface.
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Rand Miller, co-founder of Myst and Riven creator Cyan Worlds, said this week in a statement that Myst Online: Uru Live is now open source, following an extended wait.
Cyan originally announced in late 2008 that the game would go open source, allowing users to modify the game’s code and assets, and to run their own servers. But a lack of resources slowed Cyan’s progress in bringing the game to open source status.
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After years of waiting and gamboling, Myst Online / Uru has opened the source to their client and 3d max plugin. At the same time, an open source replacement server has also been made available, so it’s basically the whole package, minus the artwork.
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Desktop Environments
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GNOME Desktop
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…is surprisingly low. Unlike what some people would make you believe, GNOME Shell & friends don’t eat 883 MB of RAM. As you can see below, baseline memory usage is under 120 MB… And you know what? That’s less than the amount of memory that GNOME 2.30 uses on startup on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (127 MB+ even if you cut down on some useless services).
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GNOME 3 is out and of course I was very curious to give it a spin. As the GNOME developers claim they care a lot about usability and have given the new desktop design a lot of thought, I was pretty excited, since I care about these things as well. Haiku still has a lot of usability issues that we need to sort out. Maybe we can learn a few things. So what are my impressions? To be honest, I have pretty mixed feelings.
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I like the GNOME 3 fallback desktop better than GNOME 3 itself.
Amid all the attention given to the new GNOME 3 with its overview page, you don’t hear much about the fallback. Nor are you likely to stumble across it on your own, since it’s buried in Applications -> System Settings -> System Info -> Graphics -> Forced Fallback -> On, a location that’s both obscure and deep.
However, you might want to search out the setting if your computer lacks the hardware acceleration needed to run GNOME 3. Set it to On, and the next time you log in, you’ll be using the fallback.
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It was predicted since canonical announced unity…
It was anticipated since people tried and disappointed on unity…
It was desired since people saw, tried and experienced gnome 3.0 and its new shell…
It was inevitable since shuttleworth commmented that no classic desktop for ubuntu 11.10…
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In conjunction with the release of GNOME 3, the GNOME Project has opened the GNOME Developer Center to help new developers find their way around the desktop environment’s technologies. The centre includes instructions on how to install tools for GNOME development, along with “ten minute tutorials” for C, C++, JavaScript, Python and Vala, covering the creation of, as examples, a guitar tuner, image viewer, WebKit-based Message board and a Clutter-based Image viewer.
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PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandrake/Mandriva Family
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After spending a week using PCLinuxOS I can say that this is definitely a distributions to rival all others. PCLinuxOS is maintained by the staff and volunteers of the PCLinuxOS Magazine. When you grab yourself a copy of this nearly flawless operating system be sure to stick around their website and freely read through the PCLinuxOS magazine archives to learn Linux while your at it. The endless variety of options when using PCLinuxOS seems to be an important focus of the project. This distribution comes in many desktop versions including Gnome, Gnome Zen Mini, XFCE, LXDE. KDE, and OpenBox. Thats not all, PCLinuxOS is available in 85 languages using the Addlocale tool, and has over 12000 packages available from the repositories. The sleek and minimalistic interface definitely improves workspace efficiency. PCLinuxOS 2010 Enlightenment 17 would be a great choice for Linux newcomers.
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Debian Family
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Today I want to discuss backing up your computer in case of major problems or when your hard drive conks out. Because ALL hard drives will eventually fail, often without much warning. Backing up your computer data (photos, music files, documents), system settings and software preferences is something we should all do on a regular basis so your information and precious memories aren’t lost. And if you like to install different operating systems from time to time like I do, or just to do a clean install of a newer version of your operating system, having a recent back-up is indispensable.
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Canonical/Ubuntu
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GNOME 3 introduces “GNOME Shell”, a new window display and activities management interface that uses the Mutter compositing window manager.
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One thing is certain though, the Fallback Mode is more productive and useful than the standard, default Gnome 3 session. You don’t get the full repertoire you may expect, but there’s progress, good, healthy progress. In one fell stroke, you gain some 50-60% of your expected desktop functionality, which restores a bit of sanity and hope. Theoretically, you could get your old desktop back with some careful work on extra features, backward compatibility and a dab of visual polish. Experienced Linux distribution developers could pull this off easily, rebranding the skeleton looks with their own unique touch. Once again, we go back to Linux Mint, which has shown the art of subtle visual transformation many times over in the past.
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Fortunately for GNOME, their latest version of their popular desktop environment manages to break very few eggs, if any, and still magically makes omelets regardless of that. GNOME 3 designers and developers have had a lot of time to think and plan about the design of the latest desktop and it shows very clearly in several areas. Some refinement and improvement could come in future releases (and that is actually being worked on right now), but for now I am loving the GNOME 3 desktop as it stands today just fine. Why? I’ll give you 10 reasons:
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This is part one of what will be a multipart blog series: how tremendously exciting, eh?! In all seriousness, with GNOME 3 imminent, I thought rather than do a review of the desktop it would be much more interesting to talk about it from the perspective of a relatively hardened Linux enthusiast actually using it within a business environment.
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After a lot of preparatory work, the GNOME project has released the first version of the third generation of GNOME. With its modern design approach, subtle graphics effects and fresh UI concept, the new version presents itself much more modern and sleek than its predecessor – but it also needs to be handled differently.The GNOME Shell showed no sign of stability problems during our tests. Our primary test systems were a desktop computer with Radeon HD 4350 and a notebook with Intel’s G965 chip-set; both systems were running preview versions of Fedora 15.
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Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal Beta 1 is released and it brings in some much needed UI(User Interface) improvements. I was impressed by the changes so much that I decided to install this beta release as my new default operating system instead of Ubuntu 10.10.
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Earlier today, Ivanka Majic tweeted a link to the map of where Ubuntu Servers are being used around the world and I thought that was pretty cool so I wanted to find out a little more about how this information was gathered.
According to the website, the application shows Ubuntu logo over each city where Ubuntu Server is used and the data is collected through volunteers who visit the application and agree to add their city to the map. Also stated on the site is the fact that personally identifying information is stored in the application database. Those who visit the application website can choose to add their information using their IP address or just see where Ubuntu Server is already being used.
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Canonical has not yet built an Ubuntu Linux distribution for tablets and will continue development of the OS for PCs and netbooks, company executives said.
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So that’s Ubuntu 11.04, and its somewhat bold step forward, and somewhat away from other distributions. What do you think of it, in looks alone or after using the beta a bit? Give us your take in the comments.
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If this amount of change had been incorporated into a release some years ago, when Ubuntu was two or three years old, it is unlikely that people would have noticed and commented as much as they have. Change takes place in the early stages of development of just about anything.
When change of this magnitude comes after six years and a half – more than four lifetimes in the tech industry – then people start to ask why.
Is this the end of the road as far as radical design changes for Ubuntu go? Or is there more hidden up the sleeve of the Canonical founder, changes that will make it look more and more like a Dinky Toy than a serious operating system?
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Flavours and Variants
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What, another Ubuntu-based Linux distro? Yes, but Elementary OS is meant to be something more than just an Ubuntu spin with a different wallpaper. We take a brief look at the new distro to see whether it lives up to its original promise…
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Elementary OS won’t replace Ubuntu on our machines just yet, but we will definitely keep a close eye on the project.
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So many computers head for landfill when they are still able to carry out useful work. However, some organizations and individuals do what they can to put these machines into the hands of people who can use them. Naturally, this is an ideal application for Linux, and having had a quick look at it, I suspect that wattOS would make a good choice for refurbishing older computers.
wattOS is derived from the current version of Ubuntu, giving it an advantage when it comes to hardware support. Another good thing about being tied to one of the big distributions is that there’s less of a chance of being stuck for a application that you need.
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Phones
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Nokia/MeeGo/Maemo
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Nokia has admitted that its “open and direct” Symbian source code is not open, proving – once again – that the word has been stripped of all discernible meaning.
Late last week, a little over three months after the Symbian Foundation shut down its web servers, Nokia returned the Symbian source code to the web. It announced the move with a blog post entitled “We are open!”, and the post was penned by Petra Söderling, the “Head of Open Source” for Symbian smartphones.
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The first Qt Contributors’ Summit is scheduled to be held at the ParkInn Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany on June 16-18, 2011.
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Android
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Google’s motivations in protecting its Honeycomb source code are understandable to Slashdot blogger and consultant Gerhard Mack, who notes, “they are worried their code won’t be stable on other devices. Unfortunately, they are underestimating what the community could do for them if they opened up the code. There are plenty of hobbyist programmers who absolutely love to mess with phones and would check in fixes as needed.”
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Fear ye not, Linux faithful. Thy software is no more susceptible to patent or copyright attack than any other piece of closed source software.
That’s according to Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin, who told penguins gathered as his group’s annual Collaboration Summit on Wednesday not to believe the FUD – fear, uncertainty, and doubt – claiming that violations are unique to their beloved Linux or open source in general.
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But the challenges to Linux and open source aren’t just coming from the likes of Microsoft. They’re coming from inside the Linux camp too. Foundation member Oracle, the world’s biggest database maker, is taking fellow Foundation member Google, the web’s number-one search company, to court, saying that Google’s smartphone operating system violates its Java patents. It’s a claim Google has denied and is contesting.
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Writing in a blog, he said : “As I write this the Android team is still hard at work to bring all the new Honeycomb features to phones.
“As soon as this work is completed, we’ll publish the code.
“This temporary delay does not represent a change in strategy” .
While admitting that Google was placing limitations on those seeking to ship devices with Google apps as well as tighter restrictions on entry into the Android Market, Rubin said these were always in place from the inception.
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Sub-notebooks
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2011 Year of the Arm Netbook
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Oregon State University issued the following news release: The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Oregon State University is partnering with Intel to expand experiences for undergraduate students in open-source programming.
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Events
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Web Browsers
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Mozilla
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Now, I’m a big fan of Thunderbird, but I do wonder where Mozilla is going with it. Hiving off messaging hasn’t worked, so the organisation needs to come up with a new strategy in this sector.
Unfortunately, quite what that should be isn’t at all obvious: the patterns of online communication are changing dramatically, and coming up with a way for Mozilla to meet people’s needs is going to be hard. Perhaps it should explore whether its new Web apps approach could be applied here too….
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Mozilla’s Engineering Project Manager, Christian Legnitto, has detailed the release schedule for Firefox 5, 6 and 7. If all goes to plan, Firefox 6.0a1 will be released next week, April 12, and Firefox 7.0a1 in the middle of May. The final build of Firefox 5 should be released on June 21, exactly three months after the release of Firefox 4.
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Oracle/Java/LibreOffice
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CMS
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FSF/FSFE/GNU/SFLC
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Here’s a list of pre-release checks I’ve found useful over the years. Most of them should apply to any package, but they’ve been used for a C library (“libfoo” in the examples below, with exported header files foo/*.h and source files src/*.c).
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The Free Software Movement campaigns for computer users’ freedom to cooperate and control their own computing. The Free Software Movement developed the GNU operating system, typically used together with the kernel Linux, specifically to make these freedoms possible.
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Programming
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The release of GIMP 2.8 is now managed by the new tool too. According to it GIMP 2.8 should be ready in late October 2011. On the website you can see the open tasks that block 2.8 and the time (=the “Size” on the website) needed to accomplish each task, where the number of the size is a working day for a developer.
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Hardware
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Are two screens better than one? In recent years, device makers have been exploring this question with mixed results.
Lenovo sold a notebook less than a year ago with a slide-out second screen, but no longer offers such a model. There are similar notebooks which incorporate slide-out dual screens, though these clunky devices are not readily for sale in North America.
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Security
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Censorship
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Brian McCarthy ran a website, channelsurfing.net, that linked to various sites where you could watch online streams of TV shows and sports networks.
Richard Stallman – What can individuals do?
Credit: TinyOgg
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