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Links 16/8/2011: Linux Mint 11 LXDE, Peter Brown and Stormy Peters in Software Freedom Conservancy



GNOME bluefish

Contents





GNU/Linux

  • Ryan MacDonald, New Director of Technology at A Small Orange
    MacDonald was previously the lead system and network administrator at a small hosting company based in Michigan. However, he is best known for his contributions to the Linux open source community. MacDonald has written and continues to maintain a number of popular software applications used by web hosts including Linux Malware Detect (LMD), Advanced Policy Firewall (APF), Brute Force Detection (BFD), System Integrity Monitor (SIM), and a half dozen other applications through his website, R-fx Networks (rfxn.com).


  • Desktop

    • Has Microsoft defeated Linux?
      I'm not saying that Linux will be number one next year or anything. However, I am saying that Linux is just as capable of taking on Microsoft as it has ever been. Probably fifty times more capable, and I don't see it weakening one bit.




  • Server

    • Toshiba Expands Its New IPedge Line
      IPedge accommodates multiple unified communications EP via a single Linux server. The new EP version is designed for SMBs, supporting 40 users per server.






  • Kernel Space



  • Applications



  • Desktop Environments

    • North Sea suffers worst oil spill for 10 years - video
      Shell says there have been two leaks at the Gannet Alpha platform, just over 100 miles east of Aberdeen. The first was discovered on 10 August, and has already spilled about 1,300 barrels of oil into the sea - more than the amount spilled across the whole of 2009. It claims that the first leak is 'pretty much dead' and the second is minor


    • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC)

      • Release Team Changes
        During the Desktop Summit in Berlin, we had a session in which we had a good look at how KDE’s release team performs, which points we can improve on, how, and who will implement these changes.


      • Wireless sharing with Plasma NM 0.9


      • Back from Berlin


        One of the highlights of the conference was the panel discussion about copyright assignment. It's a complex topic, but the panelists brought up good arguments and lot of food for thought. Mark spoiled his argumentation a bit at the end by introducing his generosity concept. This certainly has its place when talking about motivation in a community, but in the context of legal agreements with companies it's very questionable, if generosity should be a dominant concept. My takeaway from the panel and some other discussions I had at the summit is that KDE e.V. is in a very good position here with the Fiduciary License Agreement, we optionally provide for KDE contributors. This provides a good balance of the different interests and adds safety for contributors and community.


      • Installing Plasma Active on the ExoPC (“WeTab”)
        If you own an ExoPC, and you’re eager to know how to get Plasma Active, our new workspace and set of applications for consumer devices to run on it, this blog article will help you get going.






  • Distributions

    • PCManFM-Mod To Be In Parted Magic 6.7


    • Installing Linux on a 386 laptop


    • Debian Family

      • Debian GNU/Linux Still Growing Strongly


      • Derivatives

        • One time around the Bodhi Tree


          So bodhi is a Pali/Sanskrit work that loosely translates to "enlightenment". They seem to make heavy reference to this lineage in their artwork and as well as their naming. For example, they have two recommended software sets: Nikhila (meaning entire/all in Hindi) - their full featured software collection Pratibha (meaning light in Hindi) - their lightweight software collection

          Bodhi Linux itself is very new (first release, 1.0.0, was out March 2011). Version 1.0.0 was based off of Ubuntu 10.04LTS as was their update 1.1.0, which was released in May, but with the 2.6.39 kernel and Midori 0.3.6. According to their website, they are targeting only the LTS (long term support) Ubuntu versions, which come out every 2 years. They will have quarterly updates to keep their software fresh in between. I don't have much interest in bleeding edge, but 2 year release cycles are a bit much. I haven't even gotten anywhere yet and I'm already questioning my decision.


        • Canonical/Ubuntu



          • Flavours and Variants

            • LXDE edition of Linux Mint 11 arrives
              Linux Mint 11 LXDE has been released, offering a number of improvements in the UI, a faster update manager, better overlay scrollbars and more. The release comes just under three months after the release of the main version of Linux Mint 11. In the LXDE version, Mint 11's Software Manager has been made more visually attractive with larger icons and a better layout and the Mint-X theme works better with more applications. What's New in Linux Mint 11 has screenshots and details of these and other changes in the Ubuntu-based distribution.












  • Devices/Embedded

    • GENIVI Alliance Announces Fifth Compliant Offering
      The GENIVI Alliance, an automotive and consumer electronics industry association driving the development and adoption of an open In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) reference platform, today announced that the Linux Foundation's MeeGo IVI Project has been approved as GENIVI compliant.


    • Phones



      • Android

        • Motorola and Samsung unleash ruggedized Android phones
          Hot on the heels of news that it will be acquired by Google, Motorola Mobility announced a 1GHz, Android 2.3-ready "plus" version of a rugged phone it first released last year. The 3.7-inch Defy+ will go head to head with a 3.6-inch Samsung Xcover announced last week in Germany, since both handsets are said to offer IP67-rated resistance to water, dust, and scratches.


        • 5 Android Apps for Remotely Controlling Banshee, Amarok, VLC, XBMC, Boxee in Linux


        • Tablet and smartphone run on Android-based Grid OS
          Fusion Garage announced a 10.1-inch tablet and four-inch smartphone, both running an "Grid OS" operating system that's based on Android -- and said to run its apps -- but adds predictive features and a grid-like UI. Available for purchase now, the Grid-10 tablet features an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and 1366 x 768-pixel screen resolution, while the Grid-4 smartphone due later this year offers a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.


        • Will Google Build an Uber Android?
          One thing that's clear is that Google will obtain an impressive patent arsenal if its acquisition of Motorola goes through. Among the many things that aren't so clear, though, is what the deal could mean for the development of the Android platform. Will Google maintain a distance from Motorola operations? Or will it use the company's assets to closely supervise the design of an uber Android handset?


        • Android is still safe under the GPL










Free Software/Open Source



  • Web Browsers



  • FSF/FSFE/GNU/SFLC

    • Peter Brown and Stormy Peters Appointed as Directors of Software Freedom Conservancy
      Today, the Software Freedom Conservancy announces the appointment of two new members on its Board of Directors. The new directors, Peter Brown and Stormy Peters, bring even more excellent expertise to Conservancy's Directorship, which includes many substantially experienced non-profit and Open Source and Free Software project leaders.




  • Openness/Sharing

    • The future of management: Is it deja vu all over again?
      The likes of Linux, Mozilla, Google, Amazon, Netflix and eBay all grew up in an online world, and with a majority of Gen Y employees. As a result, they are managed in much more enlightened way than their traditional competitors. And this provides inspiration to others.




  • Programming

    • The Freelance
      Friend: Free software doesn’t cost anything, so they call it “free” Programmer: You’re wrong, young padawan… Programmer: Free as in freedom, not as in “Free beer”… But most people usually misunderstand… Programmer: For example, I did a freelance job in January, but I think they thought that was a “free”lance like “free beer”, because they haven’t paid me yet…






Leftovers



Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft and Windows Have Many Back Doors, But LLM Slop Keep Claiming That Linux Has "Backdoor"
It's another example of LLM slop as FUD amplifier, via slopfarms as well
 
When The Register MS Says "Linux Backdoor" It Actually Talks About Malware
The leading story in The Register US/MS this morning is Microsoft
Microsoft Windows Fell to 19% "Market Share" in Montenegro
Microsoft must be well aware of this trend
Why We Also Include Gopher Links in Our Gemini (Protocol) Links
There are still many people who use Gopher to relay their messages (like blog posts). They're mostly technical people.
Shouting is an Indication of a Lack of Convincing Argument
Beware what they are attempting to distract from
Mongolia: Microsoft Windows at All-Time Low
in 2009 when Windows was at 99.45% in Mongolia the company was "worth" less than 200 billion dollars
About a Quarter of Today's "linux" News in Google News Came From One Domain and It's a Slopfarm
Not kidding!
Gemini Links 05/08/2025: Zombie Threat and Switching to NixOS
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, August 04, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, August 04, 2025
ChatGPT in Trouble
Watch out for the newer buzzwords
The Register MS Links to the Wrong statCounter Page
They link to older data
Dr. Andy Farnell Explains How Google Turned From "Librarian" Into "Oracle", Telling Us What to Think Instead of Where to Look
Google was always a lousy librarian
Microsoft Layoffs Continue in August 2025
If Microsoft is doing so well, how come about 10 rounds of layoffs in about 7 months in 2025?
In Many Countries Vista 11 Adoption Stalled or Became Negative
Not just because people move to GNU/Linux
Microsofters' Lawyers Are Name-calling and Insulting Microsoft Critics, Even Their Spouses
How not to win arguments
Flagging or Tagging Slop That We Find Online
Right now we use ImageMagick
Links 04/08/2025: Very Bad Weather and Travel Restrictions in China
Links for the day
Gemini Links 04/08/2025: Misiamisia and Mobile Linux
Links for the day
Microsoft's Stock is Like a Religion, Microsoft Goes Into 'Hiding' (From Shareholders)
like a religious person or devout believer, the media just parrot anything Microsoft says
Links 04/08/2025: 80 Years Since Last Nuclear War, IPv6 in China
Links for the day
Groklaw Static Site Relaunches With New Theme, But Many Pages and All the Comments Are Missing
We suppose that's still a lot better than the site being offline, as it was for several months
"For Five decades; For freedoms; For all users" (Original EMACS Turns 50 Next Year)
Linus Benedict Torvalds was only 6 when EMACS started
In Spain, Microsoft's Search Engine Market Share Fell to 2%
16 years have passed since Bing was introduced
Protecting GNU/Linux-Centric Journalism From Serial Sloppers
Unoriginal slop is taking away traffic from the people who did all the real work
It Looks Like Managers at Oracle Now Use LLM Slop to Write Blog Posts
Did he cheat by prompting LLMs for mindless text "filler"?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, August 03, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, August 03, 2025
Gemini Links 04/08/2025: Qubes OS and Curious crypto case of certificates (CCCC)
Links for the day
They Tell Us That "Cloud Storage" is Safe and Robust to Incidents Like Fires
Do you have backups? Where are they and who controls them?
"Allowing SDL to default to Wayland caused a number of customer issues so keep the default at X11 for now"
2025 is another year of Wayland ambitions. It's also a year of self-fulfilling prophecies.
In The United Kingdom (UK), Microsoft Search (Bing) Falls to All-Time Low
Grow? What grow??? It's collapsing.
GNU/Linux Reaches 5% in Oman
Some GNU/Linux distros are made in Oman
Google's "AI Mode" is a Pathetic Joke Prematurely Introduced in the UK (Like "Bard", Which Sank the Company's Shares)
what Google "thinks" about PCLinuxOS
What the Free Software Foundation Started Four Decades Ago is Becoming Mainstream
"Four decades; Four freedoms; For all users"
Doing a Better Job at Labelling Slop Images
we'll label screenshots that contain slop, typically with red-coloured text overlay
Social Control Media is Out of Style
What's your excuse for wasting time on (or in) it?
Maldives: GNU/Linux at All-Time High, Windows at New Lows
data from statCounter shows a reassuring trend
Efficiency is Good, So Why Won't Governments Cull LLM Companies Using Stronger, Stringent Policies?
Like every bubble that ever existed, including some recent ones, an end will come
The Defunct Site LinuxConfig Has Published a Fake Article About Richard Stallman Using LLM Slop, Which Stallman Calls "Bullshit Generator"
Worse yet, it is writing using a "Bullshit Generator" (the term used by Stallman) about Stallman's health
Microsoft Windows Falls to All-Time Lows in Morocco and Algeria
About 70% or even less
StopGenAI in the Cyber Show (C|S)
covering a theme that we too covered a lot lately
Gemini Links 03/08/2025: Once-a-Decade Couch Shopping and Blessings in Disguise
Links for the day
Links 03/08/2025: Political Catch-up, Global Warming, and Hunger
Links for the day
Brittany Day Entered LLM Slop Into LinuxSecurity.com and Something Hilarious Happened: The Site is "Exploited"
The brainless, effortless copypasta of "slop artists" shows its limits
Links 03/08/2025: Microsoft Exchange 0-day Exploited and Avoidable Nuclear Escalation
Links for the day
Next Month 'New Techrights' Turns Two
Next month, on the fourth week, it'll be 2 years since the migration
Definitely Not a Ponzi Scheme
Bitcoin v Microsoft
Online Safety Act Tries to Accomplish the Impossible
All I can say is, "good luck with that!"
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is a Billionaires' Lobby
Billionaires that control tech companies
Microsoft Borrows 3 Billion Dollars Per Month, a Company Truly Worth Trillions Would Not Do This
if Windows (and Office) "market share" fell from about 90% to barely 30%, how come Microsoft is now "valued" at 20 times more?
It's Even Worse Than Microsoft Lunduke Puts It; GNOME is SLAPPing Journalists
In our experience, GNOME is so malicious - some elements of it in particular - that it would launch multiple simultaneous SLAPP campaigns not only against journalists but also their spouses
GNU/Linux Adoption Reaches All-Time Highs in Chile, statCounter Indicates
This month marks 4 years since Vista 11 came out (as a fake "leak") and some surveys still measure its adoption at less than 40%
Slop Will Not Change the World
Some of us grow up sooner and leave that nonsense behind (or altogether avoid/skip it)
Gemini Links 03/08/2025: Nostalgia and TOFU
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, August 02, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, August 02, 2025