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Links 3/8/2013: Calligra Suite 2.7, New Benghazi Leaks





GNOME bluefish

Contents





GNU/Linux



  • Server



  • Audiocasts/Shows



  • Applications



  • Desktop Environments/WMs



    • K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

      • Microsoft Office alternative Calligra Suite 2.7 released
        There are many free and open source alternatives of Microsoft Office including LibreOffice and Calligra Suite. The Calligra team has announced the release of version 2.7 of the Calligra Suite, Calligra active and the Calligra Office Engine.


      • New KDE Media Center Inches Closer
        A new media center for KDE 5 / Plasma 2 has been in the works for a while and today Sinny Kumari posted some tangible details. With the release of a new beta, users can try it out too. Of course, it has that "smartphone" look, but it still works as a desktop application. Plasma Media Center 1.1 Beta introduces several cool new features besides a ton of bug fixes.


      • Now Open for Donations
        We've been asked many times how to contribute to Kubuntu financially so we are now open for donations. Your donations will help finance project expenses such as hardware, travel and cloud computing.


      • In Conversation with Andreas Raninger
        I'm living in Sweden.I'm currently working as a IT-Technician in a company called IT-Hantverkarna. Painting in my free time.


      • Calligra and Krita Release 2.7
        Maria Far today announced the release of Krita 2.7 with "a lot of cool new features, bug fixes and improvements. Soon to come to a Linux distribution near you." The transform tool was rewritten and said to be "hugely improved." A new line smoothing ink function was highlighted, as well as "greyscale masks and selections."


      • Call for Recordings: American(US) English.
        Hey everyone! As we, the Artikulate team, are targeting to release Artikulate this fall, we would like to invite more and more contributors to come help us with the project (which is aimed at helping users with their language learning/pronunciation skills). :-)


      • KDAB at Qt Contributor Summit
        The program of the Qt Contributor Summit was mostly determined by who was attending and what the important topics at the time were. KDAB attended the summit with strength, and participated in many relevant discussions.


      • AudioCD. Week 6.


      • Okteta ported to Qt5/KF5


      • Project Neon 5 daily builds, Ubiquity Wireless Setup
        Project Neon is a fantastic resource for KDE developers giving daily builds for KDE software. It's maintained by the lovely Kubuntu community on the lovely Launchpad infrastructure. KDE developers can install the various bits they need to develop their part of KDE without having to worry about compiling everything themselves. It installs everything into /opt so it doesn't touch your normal software installation.




    • GNOME Desktop/GTK

      • GUADEC 2013, Day 1
        GUADEC 2013, GNOME's annual European Conference, kicked off today in a warm and sunny Brno (Czech Republic). This is the main GNOME event of the year, and there are hundreds of contributors here for 8 days of talks and working events.


      • New Wikis for Ubuntu GNOME!
        Ali Linx (almost Linux ;)) from Lubuntu is the new Head of QA in Ubuntu GNOME (UG) and he is asking for your help to test 13.10 release. Furthermore the cool guys from UG community have some new wikis!






  • Distributions

    • What was your first Linux distro?
      Foss Force has the results of a poll of their readers that asked about their first Linux distro. Wow. Talk about taking me back a long, long time! I haven't thought about how I got started with Linux for ages.


    • Parted Magic 2013.08.01 Features More Than 100 Application Updates
      Parted Magic, an operating system that employs core programs of GParted and Parted to handle partitioning tasks with ease, while featuring other useful software, is now at version 2013.08.01.

      Parted Magic 2013.08.01 integrates a large number of updates, but the developers also chose to fix some old problems and add some new features.


    • And Your First Linux Distro Was…
      Back on June 23, when we asked you to name the first Linux distro you ever used, we pretty much knew that the choice “Other” would take the day.

      That’s because we wanted to be completely neutral, so the ten choices we offered besides “Other” were just the top ten distros from the Distrowatch “Page Hit Ranking,” which meant that those who started their Linux life with something other than Debian or SUSE in the pre-Ubuntu era were not represented.


    • Zorin OS 7 "Lite" Review: Beautiful and functional LXDE operating system
      Zorin has a history of creating pretty refined Ubuntu spins specifically targeted to newcomers. Their recent release Zorin OS 7 is based on Ubuntu 13.04 and it has 6 months of support. I earlier reviewed the Zorin OS 7 Core (with GNOME desktop) and found it to be very good in terms of functionality, stability and aesthetics. Zorin, as a tradition, first releases the core or GNOME distro and follows it up with "Lite" and "Educational Lite", two lightweight Zorin OS variants with LXDE desktop. Both are actually Lubuntu 13.04 spins. I, myself, am a big fan of LXDE desktop as it is possibly the most efficient of all fully featured DEs. However, LXDE requires the users to have a little bit of expertise in Linux; simple things such as autologin, adding programs to start up, setting up compositing manager, etc. are easier in other desktop environments (DEs) like XFCE, KDE & GNOME. However, of late, I saw LXDE control center in PCLinuxOS and ROSA which actually makes these things easier for the users.


    • New Releases



    • Gentoo Family

      • Sabayon is So Pretty and Fast
        I’ve been seriously slacking on the Sabayon stuff, but been hanging with the community on the Official Sabayon Facebook page and watched a thread on a background image erupt into a mountain. It really is amazing at how a small change to a GUI send people running for their pitchforks and torches. I’ve been guilty of this in the past myself and probably will be in the future too. The GUI is very important to us and it’s drastic unchangeable changes really ticks a guy off. Gnome and KDE both felt the feedback when they revamped their GUIs. I abandoned Gnome cause of the gnome shell. Some love the gnome-shell and brag it up and down. Gnome maybe pays them to do it….




    • Red Hat Family

      • This month (July) in Red Hat KDE
        After a couple of really hot days I'm back with a short overview of what kept us[1] busy while working on KDE in Red Hat this month.


      • Fedora

        • Fedora 17 "Beefy Miracle" Is Officially Dead
          The Fedora 17 operating system, otherwise known under the name of Beefy Miracle, is now officially dead.

          It's not uncommon for the developers to stop supporting various operating systems and now the time has come for Fedora 17 (Beefy Miracle), an OS launched a little over a year ago, on May 29, 2012.






    • Debian Family





  • Devices/Embedded

    • Quadruped Linux robot feels its way over obstacles
      The Italian Institute of Technology gave its first public demonstration of a Linux-based quadruped robot for navigating rough terrain. Meanwhile, a new version of the Hydraulic Quadruped (Hyq) robot is under development that can “feel” and step over obstacles using a step reflex algorithm, letting the robot navigate more easily in low-visibility environments.

      Linux-based robots come in all shapes and sizes, from Biorob’s ankle-high Cheetah-cub Robot to the knee-high models that can be built from the Lego Mindstorms EV3 robot kit to NASA’s full-scale humanoid Robonaut 2. In the heavyweight class, we’ve seen Micromagic Systems’ 2.8-meter, 1800-Kilogram Mantis Hexapod Walking Machine. Now, the Department of Advanced Robotics at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology, or IIT), has developed another heavyweight contender in the Hydrolic Quadruped (Hyq) robot.


    • Top 10 BeagleBoard Projects
      Since BeagleBoard was born five years ago, the four open-source BeagleBoard.org platforms (BeagleBoard, BeagleBoard-xM, BeagleBone, and, most recently, BeagleBone Black) have made a deep impact on the open-source world. They have enabled fun and functional projects, including superhero costumes, robots, and home automation gadgets.


    • MinnowBoard: First open-source PC with x86 processor
      The PC, called the MinnowBoard, is basically a motherboard with no casing around it. It was codeveloped by Intel and CircuitCo Electronics, a company that specializes in open-source motherboards, and went on sale this month for US$199 from a handful of retailers.


    • Tiny rugged mini-PC runs Linux on dual-core 1.6GHz Atom
      Aaeon announced the availability of a rugged, Linux-compatible embedded controller computer that measures only 4.9 x 3.0 x 0.73 inches. The AEC-6401 Compact Embedded Controller runs on a dual-core, 1.6GHz Intel Atom N2600 processor, offers an SSD bay, provides gigabit Ethernet, USB, HDMI and serial connectivity, and supports -20 to 40€°C fanless operation.


    • Phones



      • Android



        • Zeebox Serves as Tonto to Second-Screen Lone Rangers
          Zeebox pitches itself as a "TV sidekick" that helps you discover new shows and learn more about shows you're already familiar with. I found the experience similar to that obtained in a Twitter session with a Twitter hashtag, where you follow based on hashtag as the show plays out. One difference with Zeebox is that it has a built-in schedule -- you can see upcoming shows without leaving the app.


        • Samsung at work on dual-screen 'Galaxy Folder' -- report
          The Folder is a flip phone that comes with a dual-sided touch screen, according to a manual discovered on Samsung's site.


        • Android-Ubuntu Edge Superphone: What's Canonical's End Game?
          Is the Ubuntu Edge, the Linux-powered "superphone" that Canonical hopes to develop through a crowdsourced funding campaign, a dying prospect? Maybe. But that doesn't mean the project hasn't already succeeded in significantly advancing Canonical's goals in the smartphone and mobile-device market. Here's why.


        • Cheaper Moto X in the works says Motorola CEO, will it be Moto X Mini?
          According to the current industry trend, smartphone makers are releasing a cheaper, ‘Mini’ version of their flagship devices. We had HTC One Mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, now Motorola is said to be making a cheaper version of the Moto X that was released yesterday, will it be the Moto X Mini?


        • Say hello to PiCast, the open source solution to Chromecast using a Raspberry Pi
          There is a lot to love about the Chromecast. It lets you stream your browser, your desktop, and a number of apps directly to your TV with little more than a $35 dongle that plugs into HDMI on your TV. However, lately, a few problems have arisen. For one, it’s really difficult to find one unless you’re willing to wait weeks for the next stock to come in. Additionally, the root method that was discovered over at XDA has since been patched. So Google isn’t letting everyone play fast and loose with their new dongle. It’s still a great device, but it’s not perfect and now there is an alternative called PiCast.


        • Moto X on AT&T and Verizon will have locked boot loader
          If you were planning to get a wooden phone, whole boot loader you can unlock without using an axe, you are going to get very very disappointed.


        • Nvidia Shield: shipped, praised, critiqued, dissected
          Nvidia began shipping its Nvidia Shield handheld gaming console, which runs Android 4.2.1 on a 1.9GHz Tegra 4 SoC, for $300. Early reviews praised the device on just about every level except for its weight and price, and the lack of decent Tegra-optimized Android games, while an iFixit teardown found an internal design unlike anything it had ever seen.


        • Android's seven best new security features and one lingering security problem
          Android 4.3 added significant new security features, and Google has also added two other new security features to older versions of Android. Now, if only the carriers and OEMs would patch the Bluebox security hole every Android user would be happier.


        • Facebook Brings Home’s Lockscreen Replacement To Their Main Android App — A Bad Sign For Home?
          Four months after the launch of Facebook Home, which aimed to turn every Android phone into the long-rumored Facebook Phone, the company is starting to bring certain Home features into their primary app with an update today. In other words, bits and pieces of Home are coming to the main app… without requiring anyone to actually download Home.


        • Black Hat: Android Master Key Vulnerability Makes Us Safer
          Today at the Black Hat Security conference, Forristal delivered a talk that detailed precisely what the Android master key vulnerability is all about. As Forristal explained, Google's Android had multiple vulnerabilities in how the operating system verifies JAR/ZIP/APK files, which run on Android devices.


        • The new Moto X is 'always listening' - and so is the NSA!
          New phone, new spy-software






    • Sub-notebooks/Tablets







Free Software/Open Source



Leftovers



Recent Techrights' Posts

Links 09/05/2026: "Grand Theft Oil Futures" and Mass Layoffs at Verizon
Links for the day
 
Gemini Links 09/05/2026: Liberation, The Nocturnals, Rediscovering Internet Radio, and More
Links for the day
Links 09/05/2026: Kremlin’s Biggest Day of the Year and FBI's Attack on the Media (to Save Face)
Links for the day
Google is "Bullshit"
Fix your slop, Google. It's broken.
SLAPP Censorship - Part 71 Out of 200: 5RB Barristers Made Tens of Thousands of Pounds by Changing From Plural to Singular for Microsoft's Graveley and Garrett
Could not even get the client's name right
Gemini Links 09/05/2026: Inkscape "Copy Text Style" and NomadNet
Links for the day
The Corrupt Lecture the Non-Corrupt - Part XVII - European Patent Office (EPO) Management Not Sharing Responsibility for Financial Resources
For those who wonder, EPO strikes are still going on
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, May 08, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, May 08, 2026
Gemini Links 08/05/2026: Slop Falsely Marketed to Greedy Administrators and New Official Maintainer of Antenna Confirmed
Links for the day
Links 08/05/2026: French Prosecutors Seek Charges Against MElon, Europe Wants Young People Without Skinnerboxes (Smartphones)
Links for the day
2,000-4,000 More Layoffs Expected at IBM's Kyndryl, Some Say Over 10,000 Layoffs
They use euphemisms like "restructuring" or "rebalancing"
Social Control Media and GAFAM as National Security Threats (Domestically and More So Abroad)
"Algorithms control messages, swayed 2024 presidential election"
Gemini Links 08/05/2026: Dissociated Pride and Prejudice, Smallnet Protocols Roundup
Links for the day
Links 08/05/2026: Slop Profiteer NVIDIA (and Circular Financing/Accounting Fraud Leader) May Be Liable for Mass Copyright Infringement, Kyndryl (IBM) Layoffs
Links for the day
Outgoing OSI Chief Was Paid by Microsoft to Advocate for GPL Violations (Using the OSI's Name). Now, Inside OIN, He Says GPL Violations Are 'Freedom'.
It seems like only compromised people can be "allowed" to run today's OSI
SLAPP Censorship - Part 70 Out of 200: Microsoft's Graveley Injunction Request 100% the Same as Garrett's (Pure 'Copy-paste', Not Even a Word or Single Character Changed!)
Not so funny at all
Over 97% of the 'Linux' Foundation's Budget Goes Not to Linux
There is a term for this: mission creep
Cloudflare is a Giant Pile of Debt, Now There Are Mass Layoffs and Media Coverage About This is Churnalism, Sometimes by Slopfarms (False Excuses)
If Cloudflare goes under, it'll be great news
NDAs as a Price Tag on Criticism (or Honest Expressions of Opinion)
What ever happened to accountability? Suppressed by reverse bribes (via NDAs)?
Internal Microsoft Communications Confirm: "Buyout" Offer Worse Than a Year's Salary and Microsoft Offers "Retirement" to Young People Who Cannot Retire
Does that sound like a good offer or marching orders?
It's Not a GAFAM World Anymore and There Are Far More Operating Systems Than Google's, Apple's, and Microsoft's
we're not getting the full picture of what's happening
Site Overhauls at Cybershow and at analognowhere.com (Less is More!)
They seem to be replacing the heavy PHP backend with static HTML pages
Microsoft's XBox is Going Away Like Microsoft's Skype (Slowly But Surely, Then All at Once)
XBox is dying rapidly
Codecs and Software Patents - Part IV - Things Got So Bad That Some Laptop Sales Got Banned in the EU (Over Software Patents!)
If software patents lead to such severe outcomes, shouldn't the media pay closer attention to the problem?
The Corrupt Lecture the Non-Corrupt - Part XVI - EPO Had Data Breaches, Covered Them Up, Now Lectures Staff That Didn't Do It and Didn't Cover It Up
Imagine what would happen to staff if (non-anonymously) blowing the whistle on management leaking and then covering up EPO data breaches
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, May 07, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, May 07, 2026
Mass Layoffs at IBM's Kyndryl, Slop Won't Save Kyndryl
Kyndryl is a "done deal". It's done. It's finished.
Kyndryl Holdings Inc Falls Almost 15% in 2 Days, What Does That Tell Us About IBM?
The "Big Blue" 'shell game' isn't working
Companies That Say They Are "Hey Hi" (AI) Leaders Don't Really Do Well, They Have Mass Layoffs Because Hype and Storytelling Won't Live Up to Shareholders' Expectations
Microsoft's investment in slop is not going well
Gemini Links 07/05/2026: Unicode and "RSS 4 Noobs (Getting Started)"
Links for the day
During IBM's Annual Event/Bash IBM's Stock Fell to (Almost) Lowest Level in a Year, Insiders Explain "IBM is on the Brink of Collapse."
Anthropic - like IBM - pays the media for puff pieces, exaggerations, and obvious vapourware
Servers Became "Cloud", VR Became "Metaverse", Now Bots Become "Agents" (of Slop)
Changing the name of things won't prevent rejection, only delay the negative reaction some more
Links 07/05/2026: "The ‘Perfect Storm’ Hanging Over Britain’s Public Debt" and "Internet Shutdowns Spread in Africa"
Links for the day
OSI Partners With Microsoft to Help Pretend Proprietary (GitHub) 'Celebrates' Open Source
And a Microsoft operative announced this as well
Links 07/05/2026: "Most Vibe-coded (Slop) Tools Are Not for You" and "Prepare for the PCB Shortage"
Links for the day
SLAPP Censorship - Part 69 Out of 200: Microsoft's Graveley Strangles, Gets Arrested, Charged, Then Asks for Apology From Those Who Reported It by Recycling Garrett's Plea for Apology
Garrett realised that his "funny" lawsuit wasn't so funny anymore
Codecs and Software Patents - Part III - AOMedia Video 1 (AV1) and Antitrust Issues
As we'll show in later parts, this already results in bans of some hardware sales in Europe
The Corrupt Lecture the Non-Corrupt - Part XV - Talking About Responsibility and Accountability While Failing to Hold Themselves Accountable
what outlet is there for justice or for the Rule of Law?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, May 06, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, May 06, 2026
Gemini Links 07/05/2026: Dissociated Jekyll And Hyde, New Antenna 2.0.0
Links for the day