Contents

• GNU/Linux
  • Distributions
  • Devices/Embedded
• Free Software/Open Source
• Leftovers

GNU/Linux

• Audiocasts/Shows

  • Podcast 92 The Perfect Desktop IMHO

  
  
  



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  Kernel Space

  • KVM and the great outdoors

    For the past few days I’ve been working on a paper about virtualization and linux. Today I finally came to the good meaty parts that are beyond just describing what virtualization is and what different kinds we know and I was deeply impressed with the magic that linux supports.

  
  
  

  • Linux Foundation sites still offline after "brute force attack"

  
  
  




• Applications

  • The responsibility of the Linux user: Purchase software

    If there is one aspect of Linux that has frustrated me (and many others) over the years, it’s that the vast majority of Linux users do not, and will not, purchase software. I get it … one of the appeals of Linux is that it’s open source and there are so many free titles to choose from. In fact, one could easily go his entire computing life (on Linux) and never purchase a single piece of software.

  
  
  

  • Manage Files Faster With Thunar

  
  
  

  • Instructionals/Technical

    
    
    

    • Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Login to Classic Gnome2 and Gnome3(gnome-shell)

    
    
    

    • Apache2: How To Redirect Users To Mobile Or Normal Web Site Based On Device Using mod_rewrite

    
    
    

    • How to Prevent Package from Getting Upgraded - Ubuntu Linux

    
    
    

    • Fixing grub-probe error: Couldn’t find PV, check your device.map.

    
    
    

    • Getting Started with SNMP

    
    
    

    • Change Background Color for Emacs and Other Customizations

    
    
    

    • Upgrade CentOS to 5.6 with Ext4 Support

    
    
    

    • Three steps to securing LAMP Servers

    
    
    

    • Recovering Gentoo linux after changing hard disk channel

    
    
    

    • MegaCLI: useful commands

    
    
    

    • Install the Classic Desktop in Ubuntu 11.10

    
    
    

    • Fedora and RHEL network configuration files.

    
    
    

    • GNOME Shell: Make Applications Start On A Certain Workspace

    
    
    

    • A beginners howto to compiling from source on Linux systems

    
    
    

    • Got broken SVG icons/wallpapers in XFCE?

    
    
    

    • Stop Using FTP! How to Transfer Files Securely

    
    
    

    • How to Let a Bash Script User State the Number of Question Fields

    
    
    

    • Removing the Fedora Release Notes from the releases.

    
    
    

    • PhoneGap: Building Native Mobile Apps with HTML, JavaScript and CSS

    
    
    

    • VIM cheat sheet

    
    
    

    • How to Run Multiple Instances of Tomcat on a Single Server

    
    
    
  
  
  

  • Wine

    • Wine Announcement

      The Wine development release 1.3.28 is now available.

    
    
    
  
  
  

  • Games

    • Sakura River Games !

      Sakura River is another visual novel developer that uses the GNU/Linux friendly Ren’py visual novel engine for it’s games.

    
    
    

    • Frictional Update

    
    
    

    • Interview with Jonathan Prior of Gameolith.com

    
    
    

    • Bobby - Wage War on the Green Balls

    
    
    
  
  
  




• Desktop Environments

  
  
  

  • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC)

    • digiKam Software Collection 2.1.0 is out...

    
    
    

    • KDE Commit-Digest for 4th September 2011

    
    
    
  
  
  

  • GNOME Desktop

    • Wally Wallpaper Changer 2.4.2 Released With GNOME Shell Support

      Wally is a cross-platform wallpaper changer which uses multiple sources for getting the images: local folders, Flickr, Google, Yahoo!, Panoramio, DeviantArt, Vladstudio, Photobucket, Buzznet, Picasa, and Smugmug images.

    
    
    
  
  
  




• Distributions

  • A taste of Parsix

    Parsix managed the hardware of both of my test machines very well. I ran the distribution on my HP laptop (dual-core 2 GHz CPU, 3 GB of RAM, Intel video card) and a generic desktop box (2.5 GHz CPU, 2 GB of RAM, NVIDIA video card). All of my hardware was properly detected and utilized. Wireless networking was available with a single click, audio was set at a medium level and my desktop was set to the maximum possible resolution. By default Parsix disables taps as clicks on touchpads, but the option to enable this feature is available (and easy to find) through the mouse configuration app. When running in a virtual environment I found Parsix could boot and run with 128 MB of RAM, though performance started to slowly drop off when memory was set below 512 MB.
    
    When I first fired up the live DVD my impression of Parsix was that of yet another Debian derivative and, to make matters worse, one with an out-dated Ubuntu theme -- not the most flattering of first impressions. The installer didn't exactly do anything to improve my view. However, post-install, Parsix really delivered. It's responsive, it's very light on resources and it comes bundled with a wide array of good applications. The developers have generally stuck to one application per task and it gives the user a lot of functionality without over-stuffing the menu. The distribution has its own repositories so, while it is based on Debian's Testing branch, Parsix users have a small buffer between themselves and upstream. The Debian repository is included in the APT source list, but is commented out by default, so users wishing to get closer to the upstream project need only to uncomment the entry.
    
    Parsix does a good job of polishing up Debian Testing for end users without gumming up the system with extras. Hardware, codecs and Flash all worked right from the start and I encountered no series problems with the distribution. Though the installer is still in development, the rest of the distro is about as close as we can get to "just works". Parsix provides a good modern desktop experience without frills or fuss and my week with the distro was pleasantly uneventful.

  
  
  

  • PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandrake/Mandriva Family

    • A quick look at Mageia 1 and Mandriva 2011

      As first thing i must say that I’ve never used this “line” of distributions, in the past when i wanted to use .rpm packages I used the Red Hat family Distributions, and then I moved to .deb distributions and Gentoo.

    
    
    

    • Codename for Mandriva 2011 has been chosen!

    
    
    
  
  
  

  • Red Hat Family

    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Gets SAP Blessing

      Linux vendor ramps up software certifications for next-generation enterprise Linux platform.
      
      There is now a new choice for those looking to deploying SAP applications on Linux. Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) today announced that its Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (RHEL) operating system platform has now been certified for SAP (NYSE: SAP).

    
    
    
  
  
  

  • Debian Family

    
    
    

    • Derivatives

      • Vinux : Ubuntu For Blind (visually Impaired users)

      
      
      

      • Canonical/Ubuntu

        • Series: Introduction to Ubuntu Development – Part 3

        
        
        

        • Take A Peek At Oneiric’s Updated Installer Slides

        
        
        

        • What's coming in Ubuntu's new Unity Linux desktop

          Unity, for those of you who don’t know it, is based on the GNOME desktop, but it takes an entirely different approach with the desktop shell. Since I dislike the latest GNOME 3 desktop, that’s fine by me. Unity, with its tablet-style interface isn’t designed for hard-core Linux users, although we can use it too. It’s really designed more for casual users who are new to Linux or casual Windows users who want to try something better.
          
          According to Canonical founder, Mark Shuttleworth the next version of Unity, which is due out in October, “Our goal with Unity is unprecedented ease of use, visual style and performance on the Linux desktop.”

        
        
        

        • Canonical taking up ARM

          Baker’s role, therefore, is to make sure Ubuntu is running on any server architecture that can contribute to the Cloud , be it public, private, hybrid or personal Cloud , or any other interpretation of the concept yet to be invented by creative vendor marketing departments. That process does involve second-guessing what approaches to Cloud computing are likely to become popular.

        
        
        
      
      
      
    
    
    
  
  
  




• Devices/Embedded

  • Wind River Unlocks Multi-core Scalability for Advanced Networking Applications

  
  
  

  • Phones

    
    
    

    • Android

      • Report: Android Market Nearing 6 Billion Downloads; Weather Apps Are Makin’ It Rain

        The Android Market continues to explode. Recent statistics published by research firm Ovum predict that app downloads in Android’s marketplace could reach 8.1 billion this year, compared to 6 billion for iOS, with total growth in app downloads expected to be as much as 144 percent this year. Today, mobile research firm Research2Guidance is releasing a report that gives a detailed look into the Android marketplace’s current escalating growth, what’s trending, and what categories of apps are making the most money.

      
      
      

      • UK: iPad Losing Market Share

        That’s huge growth for Android/Linux and I have no doubt that in 2012, Android/Linux will displace iOS on the tablets of choice.

      
      
      

      • Sony Walkman Z Series Gets Detailed, Priced

        Sony has officially announced that the Android-powered PMP prototype shown off at IFA will carry the name of Walkman Z series. What's more, Sony has also provided pricing and a general launch time frame for the trio of devices.

      
      
      

      • comScore: Nearly 1 in 4 European Smart Phones Run Android

      
      
      
    
    
    
  
  
  

Free Software/Open Source

• A community is shared mythology

  Of course, it is easy to be cynical about such things. You might say that the Linux Foundation's publicity, focusing on the twentieth anniversary of the Linux kernel, was spectacularly successful in creating -- at least for three days -- its own reality in a couple of thousand people already open to its marketing campaign.





• Open Source, Open People, Open Arms, an Open World

  You know, you don’t have to give money to contribute to Open Source. You can help by giving your time, your talents, your feedback; you even help by using the Open Source products. If no one used it, what would its purpose be? Wouldn’t it be nice if the whole world could be Open Source?





• Memo to FOSS Force: The VAR Guy Won’t Ignore Open Source





• How Many Open Source Foundations Do We Need?

  Imagine you’re starting something new with a group of acquaintances. You join with them to do some new, brilliant and concrete thing. You all trust each other, know how to work together and have the resources to make that thing happen.





• Events

  • Draft schedule announced for linux.conf.au 2012

  
  
  

  • Photos From XDC2011 Chicago (Day 1)

  
  
  




• SaaS

  • Cloud Foundry Makes Good Progress

  
  
  

  • Bitcasa: Cloud Storage Startup Seeks to Change the Game

    It's no secret that cloud computing is one of the biggest trends on the technology scene, and one that is profoundly affecting the open source arena. As more and more companies, organizations and individuals leverage the cloud for applications, data storage and more, they are also changing the way storage itself works. Just consider Amazon and the enormous amount of data that it deals with in the cloud via Amazon Web Services. There is a new startup making waves with a very different approach to cloud storage: Bitcasa. It claims to offer infinite storage for $10 a month, and it is getting noticed.

  
  
  




• Oracle/Java/LibreOffice

  • Open source rushes in where Microsoft fears to tread

    LibreOffice launches repository for user-developed templates just weeks after Microsoft pulled user-submitted Office templates

  
  
  

  • LibreOffice launches extension and templates repository for public beta test

  
  
  




• Business

  • Do We Need a Covenant for Open Source Businesses?

    The company continues to release the code under an open source licence, typically the GNU GPL, in order to tap into all the good things that free software can provide - user feedback, bug fixes, code suggestions etc. But as the copyright holder, it is also able to release the same, or similar, code under a non-open licence. This might be so that third parties can include the software in their closed-source products without triggering the GPL, or simply because customers' lawyers are uncomfortable with open source licences (although it's hard to believe many can be so clueless these days....)

  
  
  




• Public Services/Government

  • UK: Department for Transport embraces open source platform and cloud-based hosting environment

    The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has signed a new contract to support its migration to a more flexible and cost-efficient cloud-based open source (OS) platform, it was announced on 5 September 2011.

  
  
  

  • Cablegate: “Linux is popular in Argentina due to its low cost”

    
    
    Well, I find it interesting that the government of the USA is so intent on knowing about GNU/Linux usage around the world but I am concerned that the resources of the US government seem to be providing intelligence that benefits M$. They seem to have “separation of church and state but not separation of M$ and state”…

  
  
  




• Openness/Sharing

  
  
  

  • Open Hardware

    • Ford Partners With Bug Labs To Develop Open Source Platform For In-Car Innovatin’

    
    
    
  
  
  

Leftovers

• Russian President Medvedev asked to fund Windows clone

  A free, open-source Windows "clone" - ReactOS - that has been in development for over a decade has caught the eye of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
  
  A student at a Russian high school the president visited recently gave Mr Medvedev a brief overview of the project - and asked him for 1m euros.
  
  The system's developers say it runs all Windows programs, but is much faster than its Microsoft equivalent.





• Defence/Police/Aggression

  • Reporter Claims TSA Agent Would Speed People Through Security For $10

    Phil Mushnick at the NYPost has an article telling about his own recent experience flying out of Newark, in which a TSA agent appeared to let people cut to the front of the security line for a "tip" of around $10. The actual amount wasn't entirely clear, other than that she got quite upset -- publicly -- when only given $5. Basically, she walked around offering people a wheelchair, which she would use to bring them to the front of the line, the whole time letting them know that she expected something in return.

  
  
  




• Cablegate

  • No retribution for WikiLeaks outing Chinese sources

    Being outed as a “source” for American diplomats is not such a big deal after all, perhaps, even in China.
    
    Two weeks after WikiLeaks posted unredacted versions of a quarter of a million U.S. diplomatic cables, revealing the names of American embassies’ local contacts around the world, there are no signs of repercussions for Chinese sources, according to people who have themselves been “outed.”

  
  
  



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  Finance

  • Summer Rerun: A Conflict of Interest is Not a Conflict of Interest If It Involves Goldman

  
  
  

  • Central Bank fines Goldman Sachs

    The Central Bank of Ireland has fined Goldman Sachs €160,000 following an investigation into regulatory breaches at the investment bank.

  
  
  

  • Goldman Sachs’s Pay Plan Hurts Shareholders, Lawyer Contends

    Goldman Sachs, the fifth-biggest U.S. bank by assets, has lost $50 billion in market value since 1999 while the company has paid out billions in compensation to the firm’s 31,000 employees, including Blankfein, its chairman and chief executive officer, John Harnes, an attorney for investors who have sued over the pay plan, argued today.

  
  
  

  • The People Suffer While Goldman Sachs People Profit

  
  
  




• Copyrights

  • Hotfile Sues Warner Bros. For Copyright Fraud and Abuse

    The Florida-based file-hosting service Hotfile has sued Warner Bros. for fraud and abuse. Hotfile accuses the movie studio of systematically abusing its anti-piracy tool by taking down hundreds of titles they don’t hold the copyrights to, including open source software. Among other things, Hotfile is looking for damages to compensate the company for the losses t