Bonum Certa Men Certa

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



GNOME bluefish

Contents





GNU/Linux

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




  • Desktop

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

      [...]

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

      [...]

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

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


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

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








  • Server

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


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


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






  • Kernel Space

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






  • Applications

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


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


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

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


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








  • K Desktop Environment







  • Distributions

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


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




    • Debian Family

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


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


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








  • Devices/Embedded

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




    • Phones

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


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


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








    • Sub-notebooks

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


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










Free Software/Open Source

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


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




  • FSF/GNU

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

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

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

      [...]








  • Programming

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








Leftovers

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






Digital Tipping Point: Clip of the Day



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



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

Recent Techrights' Posts

Growing Proportion of Linux Commits Being Made by LLMs Not a Sign of LLMs Working, It's a Sign of Linux Development Being Shifted From Community to GAFAM and Other Slop Pushers
antagonist became apologist
Worse Than "Taking Your Job", the Slop Pyramid Scheme Will "Take Your Pension"
This will not end well
Rumours of Further IBM Shutdowns
IBM is going out of existence
Many Anniversaries
Many anniversaries in quick succession
 
Alternate Data (Not IBM's Headcount) to Show Mass Layoffs' Effect at IBM (Despite Many Acquired Workers Via M&A)
mass layoffs at Hashicorp and at Confluent this year (media did not cover either).
Big Blue's Quiet Axe - Poem Regarding IBM "RAs"
No idea who posted this, but it is profound
Abundance of Fake (Sometimes Paid-for) 'News' About IBM Will Discredit the Media as a Whole
In 'the news' today
Microsoft is Trying Vapourware Again (to Keep Developers and Gamers From Fleeing)
For XBox, the main thing over the horizon is additional layoffs
statCounter Reckons 12.33% of Web Traffic in Gambia Can be Attributed to GNU/Linux, Even 15% If Adding ChromeOS
Will this be sustainable?
Reminder: The Pedophilia Problem Comes From the Accusers
Attacks on Richard Stallman are a distraction; his accusers are themselves the culprits
SLAPP Censorship - Part 139 Out of 200: Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Needs More Public Scrutiny (New Management Changed Nothing, It's Costing a Lot of Taxpayers' Money)
millions or maybe billions of pounds wasted
Brigading Against Women - Part II - Threatening Women Using the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) and Then False Threats Miscarrying the Name of a Court
In this series we intend to show the threats, the outcomes of those threats, the response to those threats
Collapse of MElon Companies a Taste of What's to Come for Slop Bubble and GAFAM (Trillions in Debt, Justified as Slop "Investments")
One good example of this was SpaceX
The 'Hyperinflation' in Hardware Dooms Video Hosting (Very Large Files)
a terabyte of video files would be expensive
Rumours of Silent Layoffs in Microsoft This Month (August 2026), PIPs and Global Voluntary Separation Agreement (GVSA), aka "Buyouts"
Will any investigative journalism follow or just shallow puff pieces and LLM trash from slopfarms?
Links 04/08/2026: "Framework for Musician Burnout" and Alexa+ "is a Buggy Embarrassment"
Links for the day
Signs That XBox as a Console is Coming to an End, Windows Gaming Will be Called "XBox"
"XBox" is the next "Surface"
Microsoft's Share in Search Falls Sharply in Europe
The layoffs at Microsoft's Bing will carry on
Romania: GNU/Linux Reaches 4% (Less Than EU Average)
We expect this same upward trend to carry on
Microsoft Sites or Sites Sponsored by Microsoft Angry That GNU/Linux is Gaining
The Microsofters cannot easily dismiss reports of GNU/Linux growth as "bots" or just allege that statCounter alone is wrong
Ableism in the Free Software Movement Typically Comes From GAFAM Operatives and Proprietary Software Apologists
And their hired guns
Afghanistan: GNU/Linux Steadily Rises to 9%
Windows is steadily declining
IBM Innovation: It Has Invented New Methods of Silent Layoffs or Secret RAs
How IBM disguises mass layoffs now
LLM Slop Won't Replace People and Jobs (in the Long Run)
At the end of the day, people who know their job offer more useful information, whereas LLMs waste people's time (typically an 'externality' to the entity deploying chatbots)
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, August 03, 2026
IRC logs for Monday, August 03, 2026
Over 3,500 Known Gemini Capsules Accessible and Active According to Lupa
It finally happened this morning
Gemini Links 04/08/2026: Library Cards, Dead Ends in Software Development, and DOS on USB Key
Links for the day
IBM Has Embraced and Rewarded Liars
The IBM culture vanished
statCounter Estimates GNU/Linux at 5.32% in Kuwait, Years Ago It Was Near 0%
Kuwait rose to fame in the 1990s because of a war
Swatting People Who Write About Corruption, Misogyny, Criminal Misuse of Funds
we've given ourselves a decade to cover all those stories
GNU/Linux Rises Above 6% in Colombia
In Colombia, which is a large south American country, GNU/Linux has risen steadily in recent years
SLAPP Censorship - Part 138 Out of 200: Garrett Has Basically "Lost" and It is "Embarrassing" to Them
they just wound up costing hundreds of thousands of pounds
Gemini Links 03/08/2026: Great Exodus, xkcd as Text, and Dead Ends
Links for the day
GNU/Linux Has Surged to 6.3% in Madagascar
Madagascar's adoption of Free software is a subject we covered a lot in past years
Microsoft's Slop Bet is Killing the XBox Even Faster
LLMs destroy almost anything they touch
The Cyber Show on "Weaponised Antisocial Technology"
by Andy
Alexandre Oliva on Slippery Slop (LLMs)
By Alexandre Oliva
RMS Won the Argument and Now GNU Wins Over Computer Users
He can look back at nearly 43 years of GNU and say, "I was right..."
statCounter Corrects GNU/Linux Estimates, Now Measured at 9% Worldwide
Windows has sunk like a rock
GNU/Linux-Centric Blogs Belatedly Pick Up News About GNU/Linux Gains: 4-8% Depending on the Surveyor
more people will get curious and give it a go
Links 03/08/2026: Strike By Flight Attendants (WestJet) and Greedflation
Links for the day
Links 03/08/2026: EU Curtailed Slop, Frank Zappa Recalled
Links for the day
Daniel Pocock on Sky News This Morning
No harm done
Morten Linderud Has Helped Microsoft Put Locks (and Kill Switches) on the PCs of Arch Linux Users
"the first rule of "secure boot" is to disable "secure boot"
In Poor Peru, GNU/Linux Surges From 1% to 5% in a Few Years
Windows is dying
All Social Control Media is a Weapon (Against Its Users, Serving the Real Owners)
That social control networks are weaponised isn't a new concept
Fanning the Flames of Journalism
This week we have several surprises coming
Forcing the Slop Bubble to Implode Fully to Save the Economy From an Even Greater Collapse and Societal Harm
Let's blow up the bubble. The sooner, the better
GNU/Linux at 8% in Croatia
somewhat of a GNU/Linux adoption hotbed
It's Easy to Predict Microsoft Layoffs for October 2026 Because of the Financial 'Results' That Month (More Faking, More Secret Debt and Buzzwords to Perfume This Debt as "Investment")
From what we've read, Microsoft is silently laying off people this month based on LITE, which leads to PIPs
Not Hard to Guess Who Will Pay for IBM's Collapse (Due to False Statements Made to Shareholders), Red Hat May Disappear
IBM's leadership is never being punished for its failures
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, August 02, 2026
IRC logs for Sunday, August 02, 2026
Gemini Links 03/08/2026: Collectibles, Cities of the Red Night, and Lali Lambda
Links for the day
IBM's August 2026 Promotions (Annual Ritual) Can Turn Into a "Bloodbath" (RAs, Layoffs)
IBM Common Stock is set to open in the red (minus) on Monday
Microsoft Culture Explained by People Who Work at Microsoft
"Be ready for politicking and working over time and weekends."
Codes of Conduct Attract Hoarders and Sociopaths, They Are Intolerant Towards Good People
Codes of Conduct (CoCs) are also promoted using violence
XBox is in Trouble, Sunday News Shows How Serious a Problem It Now Faces
it seems impossible to resuscitate at this point
statCounter Observes GNU/Linux at 10% in Libya
this month statCounter finally sees GNU/Linux approaching "double-figures" there
Thailand: GNU/Linux Approaching 15%, Windows in a Freefall
It makes perfect sense for Thailand to adopt GNU/Linux for technical reasons, not just political reasons
GNU/Linux in Bulgaria Back Up
part of a trend in Europe
Cuba Sees Leap in GNU/Linux Usage, as Reported by statCounter
For the ordinary Cuban it makes sense to reduce a dependence on GAFAM
Gemini Links 02/08/2026: Drift, Crawlers in Gopher Space, Purpose, and Python
Links for the day
Links 02/08/2026: Some Large Slop Investors "Crumbling", Russia Intensifies Bombing of Kiev
Links for the day
IBMers Discuss Who Killed IBM (It Impacts Red Hat)
Fedora is fast becoming like another CentOS
GNU/Linux Rises to 6% in Mexico
Did the soccer (football) matches have some impact or just the "unknowns" being deciphered (or omitted) by statCounter?
GNU/Linux Leaps to 8% in Asia
In Asia, is it a bit higher because of GAFAM distrust? Maybe some other factor/s?
Clownflare Web Usage Survey: About 10% in North America Use GNU/Linux, Worldwide 6.7%
surveyors that showed GNU/Linux growth
SLAPP Censorship - Part 137 Out of 200: Discovering That Spending a Million British Pounds (1,348,250.01 United States Dollars) on Lawyers Cannot Take Down One's Critics
just outright bullying and criminality
Steam Survey, analytics.usa.gov, and statCounter All Point to GNU/Linux Gains (Again)
This must be very annoying to Microsoft
GNU/Linux Exceeds 6% in Spain
In recent years the "market share" steadily grew from 3% to over 6%
Brazil: GNU/Linux Record High, 5%
On average, GNU/Linux has evidence of growth in many countries this summer
Amid 2026 Bing Layoffs Microsoft Share in Search Collapses
How much longer before Microsoft throws in the towel or rebrands again?
United Kingdom: GNU/Linux up to 7%, ChromeOS Another 5% (Total 12%)
further significant gains for GNU/Linux this month
Links 02/08/2026: Cheeto "Blurted Out Vile Plot to Censor ABC"; New York Times Fights 'Intimidation'
Links for the day
Why Techrights Will Still be Active a Decade From Now
Techrights will carry on for many years to come
We Are Witnessing the End of IBM
IBM cannot find growth by moving downwards, by lowering standards
The Slop Presumption Rule
Tainting oneself can take one day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, August 01, 2026
IRC logs for Saturday, August 01, 2026
Gemini Links 02/08/2026: Older Books, Esperanto Music History, and Slop Making Things Worse
Links for the day