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Links 9/11/2011: Firefox 8 Launches, Linux 3.2 RC 1





GNOME bluefish

Contents





GNU/Linux



  • Server

    • Linux, Open Source Still 'Money' in Financial Services
      Linux and open source software are spreading out -- cloud computing, mobile computing, supercomputing -- and an increasing number of use cases large and small. One area where Linux and open source have history and continue to remain strong is banking and financial services, highlighted by the latest open source messaging technology in the space: the new OpenMAMA middleware messaging project and the AMQP messaging standard, recently released in version 1.0.

      This strength of open source software, similar to what we've seen in cloud computing, bodes well for Linux and open source in a number of other key verticals, as well.






  • Kernel Space

    • Linux 3.2 rc1


    • Linux 3.2-rc1
      So it's been two weeks since 3.1, and you know how it works by now.

      I have to say, this wasn't my favorite merge window ever. I really wanted to take only things that had been in -next, but verifying it was fairly painful, since a lot of the trees had been rebased, and the ones that hadn't been rebased often had some extra patches that still showed up when I did my "git log linux-next..FETCH_HEAD" thing.

      On the whole, most of it was all good, and I didn't really end up complaining to people. I'm pretty sure that there were trees I shouldn't have let through, but the majority really had been in -next.


    • Exclusive Documentary, Interview Of Linus Torvalds Released
      We met Linus Torvalds at LinuxCon Europe 2011 and did a long interview. We covered sevaral topics including his stand on Secure Boot, Patents and Copyrights. What he thinks of Apple without Steve Jobs and how influencial Steve Jobs was in Apple. He also talks about his differences with FSF and GNU GPL v3. We also talked about Android and the contribution of Amazon and Google. The lighter topics included what is his primary language, what his kids use at home -- Windows or Linux.




  • Applications



  • Desktop Environments



    • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC)

      • more plasma workspaces 4.8 news
        Compositing window management in 4.8 can be built with support for OpenGL ES. This means hardware acceleration using a more modern revision of OpenGL and one that is supported on mobile devices.

        During development of this feature, Martin Gräßlin did a lot of clean up to the existing code bringing performance enhancements to how effects are handled and windows are painted. The blur implementation also received a significant improvement to its performance thanks to improved caching written by Philipp Knechtges; this provides quite noticeable results on many systems. In all, many fewer cycles are spent rendering and displaying the beauty that is the Plasma Desktop.






  • Distributions

    • Out of Ubuntu’s Bed to Hairy Arch Linux in a Dark Alley
      My first thought was to give Arch Linux a whirl. The amount of noise and adulation people generate about it borders on the cultish. They consider themselves “advanced”, which is nice. They seem to consider themselves advanced because it takes a certain amount of tinkering to successfully run and maintain Arch. Interestingly, many Arch users also claim Arch is easy. C’est la vie, and I’ve learned it almost always takes getting naked and swimming for yourself before you make any judgments.


    • New Releases

      • 5 November 2011: GParted Live Manual 1.0
      • Chakra 2011.11
      • Clonezilla 1.2.11-18
      • SystemRescueCd 2.4.0
      • CDlinux 0.9.7 released


      • Elastix 2.2
        Now available Elastix 2.2 and the elastixWorld 2011 attendees were the first to witness the improvements in this new Elastix stable version. In this version you will enjoy a new and improved interface and the upgrading of Asterisk among other additions such as:


      • Announcements concerning Scientific Linux
        With a little delay I can announce the release of Scientific Linux 5.7 LiveCD/DVD.

        Scientific Linux Live CD/DVD 5.7 can now be downloaded for 32 and 64 bit:

        ftp://ftp.scientificlinux.org/linux/scientific/livecd/57/i386 ftp://ftp.scientificlinux.org/linux/scientific/livecd/57/x86_64

        Public mirrors of Scientific Linux 5.7 LiveCD/DVD can be found here https://www.scientificlinux.org/download/mirrors


      • Major release: IPFire 2.11


        It’s already been four years since IPFire 2 was released for the first time. There has been huge progress until today, the release of version 2.11.

        As in every single IPFire release we have made so far, there have been updates that brought new features and despite of that kept the systems always up to date.


      • VortexBox 2.0 released
        With the recent release of Fedora 16 it’s time to release a new version of VortexBox based on it. VortexBox 2.0 is based on Fedora 16 and also includes the new Logitech Media Server 7.7.0. We have added some other fixes and updates as well including new versions of MPD and our built in DLNA server.




    • Red Hat Family

      • Red Hat Announces Cloud Computing Alliance with SAIC
        Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced a collaboration with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI), to demonstrate and deliver innovative solutions that maximize the use of open source cloud computing technologies.


      • Fedora

        • F17 heads up: gnome-shell for everyone!


        • Exploring what's new in Fedora 16
          The new Fedora has an updated set of components as well as improvements in the areas of virtualisation and cloud computing. Fedora now uses different technologies to partition hard disks and when booting.


        • Fedora 16 Released! Pays Tribute To Dennis Ritchie
          Dedicated To Dennis Ritchie

          In its release note, Fedora team has dedicated this version to Dennis Ritchie -- the co-inventor of Unix and the C language. He also co-authored The C Programming Language, a book that taught many programmers just at the time personal computing was exploding. Without Ritchie computing would be nothing like it is today.






    • Debian Family





  • Devices/Embedded

    • Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2011 videos
      One week after the end of the Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2011, we are pleased to release the videos of all talks that took place during this event. We would like to thank the Linux Foundation for allowing us to record those talks and to share freely the resulting videos on-line, and also thank the Clarion Congress Hotel technical staff for helping us with technical details related to video recording.


    • Phones



      • Android

        • T-Mobile offers seven-inch Samsung tablet for $250 'down payment'


        • Google offers Android firms a helping hand
          That message came from Google's chairman Eric Schmidt, who is taking a bit of a tour and making a lot of comments along the way. Earlier while roaming South Korea, Schmidt said that Google's upcoming acquisition of Motorola would not make it a favourite amongst its Android partners, and he criticised Microsoft's litigation against phone makers that are using Android. Today in Taipei, he has gone further. "We tell our partners, including the ones here in Taiwan, we will support them. For example we have been supporting HTC in its dispute with Apple because we think that the Apple thing is not correct," Schmidt told reporters during his first visit to Taipei, according to Reuters.


        • $19/month Android plan is 'unlimited' thanks to Wi-Fi
          Republic Wireless announced a contract-free cellular plan that offers unlimited text, data, and voice for $19/month. The service requires a customized LG Optimus Android 2.3 phone ($199 with one free month of service) that switches automatically to Wi-Fi connectivity whenever it's available, according to the company.


        • More live blogging from AnDevCon






    • Sub-notebooks/Tablets

      • Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime debuts
        Android 3.2 tablet introduced alongside Tegra 3


      • Seven-inch, Android 2.3 tablet is just $149
        Idolian.com announced a seven-inch Android 2.3 tablet for a temporarily discounted price of $149. The MiniTurbo T8 is equipped with a seven-inch, 800 x 480 capacitive display, a 1.2GHz Telechips processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, an HDMI port, and Android Market access, says the company.


      • Review: Samsung Series 5 ChromeBook
        Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is a new notebook powered by Google's Chrome OS, a Linux-based Operating System geared towards mobility and cloud applications. The Series 5 Chromebook comes in a Slick Arctic White or Titan Silver, and offers a 3G or Wifi Model. The design of the Series 5 is smooth and rounded, with a thin form-factor.








Free Software/Open Source



  • How do you solve a problem like Microsoft?
    That said, it is my belief some within Microsoft are embracing open source in a genuine way--but only as far as they can influence the projects in question to their benefit.


  • Events



  • Web Browsers



    • Mozilla

      • Mozilla's mobile browser/OS to be ready in mid-2012
        Mozilla is one of the open source players which is seeking to replicate PC-based success by creating a mobile platform. Earlier this year, the Foundation talked about its plan to develop one of the new breed of browser operating systems, rather like Google's Chrome OS, with its 'Boot to Gecko' project. Now it has published a timeline and published the first images of its planned user interface, with developers able to test the new system as early as December.


      • Firefox 8 Now Available


      • Mozilla's Boot to Gecko OS accelerates to 2Q 2012 launch
        Mozilla announced more details and a project roadmap for its Android-based, web-centric Boot to Gecko (BTG) mobile operating system, including plans to release a version in the second quarter of 2012. It also announced an updated Firefox 8 web browser for desktop and mobile devices, featuring improved HTML5 support, Twitter integration, and an enhanced password function for Android.


      • Firefox 8 Launches With Twitter Search


      • Updated Firefox browser now Twitter-friendly






  • Databases



  • Oracle/Java/LibreOffice



  • Project Releases



  • Public Services/Government

    • CESG asserts security of open source software
      It is wrong to believe that open source software is implicitly insecure, according to the government's main official on the subject.

      Qamar Yunus, assistant director in the Cabinet Office ICT policy team, made the assertion in outlining the guidance the organisation has produced on the subject at the EHI Live event in Birmingham.

      "There was a myth being circulated around the SIs, saying you can't use open source software in government as it's not secure," Yunus told the conference, referring to the systems integrators that account for large amounts of government ICT spending.

      To counter this, the Cabinet Office asked CESG, the National Technical Authority for Information Assurance, to produce guidance on the subject. The result is already available to users of the Government Secure intranet, and will be published on the Cabinet Office website in the next couple of weeks.

      "That document clearly states there is no difference between open source and proprietary software. That's one myth busted," Yunus said.

      He told the audience that the government is not in favour of open source in all cases, but wants to see a "level playing field" with proprietary software based on total cost of ownership over its lifetime. "I do not believe it is always the best value for money," he said, but added that he wants government ICT buyers – including systems integrators planning technology refreshes – always to consider open source as an option. This should involve software procurements stating an outcome rather than a brand.

      Yunus said that he has carried out extensive research with both departments and integrators. "There was a realisation that neither really understood open source," he said. As a result, the Cabinet Office has established a Government Open Solutions online forum, a model to assess the total cost of ownership of the two types of software, a catalogue of case studies and an asset register of government ICT that will indicate whether a project uses open source.




  • Openness/Sharing

    • Wikimedia UK gets charitable status
      Wikimedia UK – the chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation that covers the United Kingdom – has been registered as a charity by the Charity Commission. Charity law specialists Stone King LLP, who advised Wikimedia UK on the application, described this decision as “a milestone in the development of charity law in England and Wales” as it marks "a significant step toward the updating of charity law to reflect developments in modern communications and the evolution of user-generated content".




  • Programming

    • Tough tests flunk good programmer job candidates


    • Eclipse Xtends Java
      The Eclipse Foundation has quietly launched a new language, Xtend, which it says is designed to address shortcomings of Java without replacing it.

      The aim of Xtend is to create more readable code, to add features that Java needs but doesn’t have, and to offer “a convenient alternative in situations where Java doesn’t shine”.


    • Why You Should Pay Attention to Node.Js


    • Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin coming April 2012


    • New JVM Specially Designed for Linux
      ava runtime maker Azul Systems released a new Java Virtual Machine (JVM) today specifically architected and optimized for the Linux operating system and x86-based servers. The company is billing Zing 5.0, now available, as the most scalable JVM for enterprise Java workloads.

      "Java is the most popular language in the enterprise," said Azul co-founder and CEO Scott Sellers, "and Linux is the most popular operating system. Instead of trying to create a JVM that does all things for all operating environments, as Oracle (and previously, Sun) has done, we decided to get laser focused on developing the best JVM for Linux."






Leftovers



  • PR/AstroTurf/Lobbying

    • CMD's Quick Guide to the Mark Block "Blocktopus"
      The Center for Media and Democracy filed a letter this week requesting that the Internal Revenue Service investigate Prosperity USA, a charity founded by Herman Cain's Chief of Staff Mark Block, for potentially violating the Internal Revenue Code by fronting tens of thousands of dollars worth of Mr. Cain's campaign travel expenses. But Prosperity USA is only one node in a network of charities and nonprofit organizations associated with Mr. Block, the former head of the Wisconsin arm of the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity.


    • How the Koch-Funded ALEC Works to Deny Voting Rights; Brave New Film Highlights Voter Suppression
      A new film from the Brave New Foundation outlines the role of the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council in new voter suppression tactics; the Center for Media and Democracy is one of the voices featured in the film.

      Through the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state and federal laws that govern your rights. The so-called "model bills" of this corporate bill mill--which has been funded by Koch profits and other corporations--reach into almost every area of American life, including the right to vote.




  • Copyrights

    • Ellen Seidler – And Then Came Lola (2009)
      Unfortunately Osgoode Hall is heavily involved on the Corporate side of copyright. This is not surprising, most copyright lawyers are employed by large companies like Warner Music Canada. After the Federal Copyright Consultation a lawyer from Stikeman Elliot wrote an article at IPOsgoode complaining about the consultation. Some of you may remember my satirical answer to him.






Recent Techrights' Posts

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is Being Attacked by Organisations Jealous of Its Principled Stance and Longevity
Nobody is perfect, but imperfection does not instantaneously imply sinister intent
Many Microsoft "Assets" Are Fabricated Baloney (to Game the Numbers)
At times it seems like what we deal with are many weak patents (on algorithms), valuations or speculations based on hype ("hey hi"), and stocks held by Microsoft and its own staff
"Internal Changes at Red Hat / IBM"
It seems like quite a few people are leaving
Confirmed in French Media: Mass Layoffs (10% Culled) in Microsoft France
Now some reports in French
Microsoft in Freefall in Finland
Can Finland eradicate Windows from all its infrastructure, including core operations that are sensitive to sabotage by cracking?
Google's Chrome Passes 70% and Web Standards Are Dying
The Web is quickly becoming devoid of any standards
Slopwatch: Plagiarism and Ponzi Scheme, Bubble About to Burst Entirely, Admits Goldman Sachs
the hype that Google News and The Register MS actively participate and profit from
The Register MS Says "AI Web Crawlers Are Destroying Websites", So Why Does The Register MS Help 'AI' Companies? (Spoiler: Money)
People need to call out The Register MS on its hypocrisy
Slopfarms Already Peaked, They Will Die When Slop Companies Run Out of Money to Borrow
slopfarms will lack an actual "engine"
 
Preparations for Our 19th Anniversary Have Already Begun
When we get back we'll probably sort out some balloons and venue for the next party
Pleased After 2 Years With team.blue
Moving from a Content Management System (CMS, dynamic) to a Static Site Generator (SSG) was a wise decision that made life so much easier
If You Reject the Google Verdict in the US, Then You Should Also Reject the "Modern" Web (Do Something About It)
Gemini Protocol is still open; it cannot be hijacked or subverted because it's frozen by design and by intention
Open Source Initiative IRS Filing: Almost All the Money is Corporate, Stefano Maffuli (Executive Director) Takes About a Quarter of That Money for Openwashing of "AI" Ponzi Scheme
OSI is currently little but a PR/marketing agency of Microsoft
Many People Are "Leaving" Red Hat, Even High-Level Managers
Something is definitely going on at Red Hat
Techrights Has Been Subjected to Calls of Violence (and Death Threats), It Never Condoned Violence
I have no sympathy for people who call violence "free speech" and then get in trouble
Condoning Violent Behaviour and "Free Speech"
perhaps Microsoft Lunduke lost touch with what constitutes violence
Takeaway From the Google Verdict: GAFAM Has Too Much Control (Even Over the US Government and Courts With Government Appointees)
Many people feel disappointed but hardly surprised by the verdict
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) Turns 40 in One Month
As noted a few days ago, several times in fact, many people now recognise the importance of the FSF's mission, even if most people don't know what the FSF is
"Voluntary" Layoffs at Microsoft (to Game the Numbers, Sugar-Coating a Crisis)
"Employees interested have until the end of October to volunteer."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, September 02, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, September 02, 2025
Links 02/09/2025: Oligarch Tech and Text Encoding Concerns in Ada
Links for the day
"People on LinkedIn Saying That They've Left Red Hat."
We already saw signs of it a month ago and named some of the people
Gone With the BRICs (or BRICS): "Linux 8" in Cuba
GAFAM must be worried
Telecompaper Reports Microsoft to Reduce the Workforce by Another 10% (in France)
Imagine what this will do to staff's morale
India is Back to Windows 8 (Market Share Down to 8%) as Android Soars to a New Record High
For Microsoft, India is a runaway market
Links 02/09/2025: SCO Summit and Russia Suspected Of Jamming GPS
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/09/2025: Mediterranean Marriage and Staying Connected at 35,000 Feet
Links for the day
Links 02/09/2025: Attacks on Unions, Microsoft TCO, and DDoSing a Growing Problem
Links for the day
Why We Publish Information About the SLAPPs (But Not About the Legal Process), an Abuse of Process by Americans Trying to Silence Critics of Their Employer, Microsoft
It doesn't take thousands of pages to explain something simple
Internet Relay Chat Didn't Fall Off a Cliff
IRC will turn 40 in less than 3 years from now
The UEFI 9/11 - Part V - This is Not a Drill (Disable "SecureBoot" Now)
A "9/11" Coming
There's No Obligation to Speak to Anybody
The very fact that "bkuhn" is till spending time in social control media says a lot about his poor judgment
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 01, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, September 01, 2025
Microsoft Trying to Force People to Resign (Amid Mass Layoffs) a Strategy That Takes Its Toll
Microsoft seems to be circling down the drain and the "final flush" will be the moment the "hey hi" (AI) bubble implodes completely
Google Simply Cannot Be Trusted
Only fools would trust GAFAM
Admission That a Third Party (or Parties) Funds the SLAPPs Against Techrights
This can end up costing them over a million dollars
Modifying and Writing One's Own Computer Programs is Not a Crime (or: Google Proves That Stallman Was Right)
We're generally gratified to see so many positive mentions of him
Why We Stopped Publishing Videos (for Now)
We'll probably get back to videos one day, but it's hard to say when or to what extent
What Animal Rights Activism Teaches Us About Sympathy and Focus
It's possible to believe that the planet is warming, that we must do something about it, and still eat eggs and butter
When You Turn Web Sites About Tech Into Political Sites
A lot of people fall into the trap of catering only for particular groups
Gemini Links 02/09/2025: ROOPHLOCH 2025 and Lagrange 1.19 Released
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/09/2025: News Corp. WSJ and A Month With NixOS
Links for the day
“Sideloading” Never Killed Anybody
There are many online discussions this week about the misnomer "sideloading"
Slopwatch: Google News as FUD Vector Against Linux and Plagiarism Enhancer, Serial Slopper (SS) Uses LLMs to Googlebomb "Linux"
Slop destroys the Web not just by screwing with search engines and helping plagiarists. It's also responsible for de facto DDoS attacks...
Links 01/09/2025: "Attacks on Science" and China's "Soft Power" Grows
Links for the day
Links 01/09/2025: Fresh Backlash Against Slop and "Norway’s Electricity Crisis is About to Hit Britain"
Links for the day
Writing and Coding Isn't Always Enough
Last year we had to assume a role we didn't have before: litigants
Links 01/09/2025: Catching Up (Mostly via Deutsche Welle), "Windows TCO" Effect in UK
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/09/2025: Linguistic Barriers and "Web 1.0 Hosting"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, August 31, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, August 31, 2025
Autumn Has Come
Autumn should be exciting in all sorts of ways; it'll also mark our anniversary
The UEFI 9/11 - Part IV - External Interference
They all seem to be playing a role in crushing Software Freedom and self-determination for users