10.26.13

Even If Coverage of GNU/Linux Declines, the Development of GNU/Linux Keeps Its High Pace

Posted in GNU/Linux at 2:39 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

In an underdog’s world, altruistic promotion inversely proportional to the widespread popularity as established brands can market themselves

Summary: Distinguishing between the reduced enthusiasm around GNU/Linux and the actual development or maintenance of GNU/Linux distributions

ADVOCACY of GNU/Linux is on the decline as the operating system became somewhat of a household name, a bit like Colgate for toothpaste. Fewer people bother doing this voluntary promotion, perhaps because GNU/Linux no longer need it. The audiocasts which are centred around GNU/Linux are seen as mostly declining, with some that remain active in various [1,2] sites [3,4] that deal [5,6] with specific areas [7-9] (no longer just GNU/Linux as a whole). This is okay and it may be a sign of maturity. There are dozens and dozens of good distros [10] and we no longer to concentrate on the whole or on a few “major” ones collectively.

“Fewer people bother doing this voluntary promotion, perhaps because GNU/Linux no longer need it.”In other news, Barry Kauler retires again from Puppy Linux [11]; long post sheds light on what this means. Patrick Verner, who releases a new version of Parted Magic, makes the distribution non-gratis (must pay to download) for personal economic reasons relating to his family [12]. It’s a good distribution that’s a Swiss army knife for partitioning; some would surely pay for it. I have had it burned for years as it’s a handy tool, still. There are some decent new distros lined up at the scene [13,14], with some beginners’ needs [15] being addressed by the likes of DoudouLinux [16]. Other new distros [17-20] show that there is no crisis in new releases of GNU/Linux distros, it’s just that coverage of them becomes somewhat scarce. They look more modern and advanced than before [21,22]. They promise to keep up with the needs of different users — those to whom the freedom of GNU/Linux permits deviation that answers individual needs.

GNU/Linux does not need to be promoted for the system’s long-term survival. Once upon a time, the term “Open Source” was also on everybody’s lips; now that it’s so mainstream and often the default choice, advocacy around “Open Source” (or Free software. which is in essence the original term) is somewhat unnecessary. The main problem right now is those who fake freedom and “openness” [23].

As one who engaged in very persistent advocacy of GNU/Linux and Free/Open Source software for several good years I know that the reason for reducing such activity is that with platforms like Android and RHEL both of the above became the market leader, whereupon the priority became to defend them from patent attacks. Advocacy could then also progress to trying to reduce corruption, promote justice, and spread freedom further than just the software. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. Betting on Linux | CR 71

2. The Ubuntu Situation | LINUX Unplugged 9

3. Burning Circle Episode 135

4. Burning Circle Episode 134

5. Linux Outlaws 321 – You Just Turned This into a Bloodbath

   Settle in for a massively long show as we recap the Linux and security news of the last month or two

6. Linux Outlaws 320 – A Little Bit Rusty

   We are back in the saddle and tell you everything that happened to us since the show went off the air temporarily

7. Episode 269: Beagleboard

8. mintCast 178 – We Tried Hurd To Like It!

9. S06E33 – Pulp Ubuntu

10. Dozens and Dozens of Distros: Is It Too Much of a Good Thing?

    Well it was another relatively quiet week here in the Linux blogosphere, despite the arrival of a certain Saucy Salamander in town.

11. Puppy Project in Peril as Founder Retires

    It’s been over a week since Barry Kauler announced his retirement (again) and the Puppy project’s future is now very unclear. Saying Woof and Puppy are now in “maintenance mode,” where essential fixes are made, Kauler stated no new features or releases will be planned. Instead, he’d like to develop for the Ubuntu phone.

12. Have You Tried Parted Magic?

    In my humble opinion, Parted Magic is simply the best multi-purpose tool-kit anywhere. I know there are competitors if you want to call them that. And they comprise some pretty good tools themselves. But Patrick Verner takes this project to a whole new level. Boot this tool one time and you will see what I mean. The interface is clean, simple and effective. The most used tools are on the desktop and the rest in a simple menu tree categorized by function. Parted Magic will boot on both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. One of my favourite features is its ability to run completely in RAM, but has several other boot options. The ISO can be burned to a CD or run from a USB drive. You will find instructions to do both on the website. One more item I like is that the Linux kernel will be very close to the most current release. This one fact should be a clue to anyone that some real work is behind this project and that the kernel will be providing the latest innovations available.

13. SolusOS: A Linux Distro Stands Its Ground…

    We’ve all heard the term, “Standing on the shoulders of giants.” In the Linux world, it’s more of a rule than an exception. I mean, a lot of Linux distros use another distro to base upon.

14. Semplice 5 review – High Hopes

    Sometimes I come across a distribution that looks interesting and I want to see how good it is and whether it brings anything new to the table. That’s why I decided to take a quick look at Semplice, a desktop distribution based on the unstable branch of Debian.

    Its name is said to derive from “simple” and that the developers subscribe to the “KISS principle.”

15. Which Distro Is Best for Beginners?

    So, “what’s the best distro for beginners?” was the team’s question in a recent Open Ballot poll.

16. Introducing Kids to Linux Using DoudouLinux

17. Reviews: First look at Tiny Core Linux 5.0

    What it really came down to this week was I used Tiny Core Linux and was very impressed with the achievements of the developers. Tiny Core is about as tiny as we can get and still have a point-n-click interface. The tools all seem to work well and we have easy access to software modules. But, apart from being impressively tiny, there wasn’t much to the distribution. It is a great base, an excellent foundation, I’m sure, for building other things. Tiny Core appears to be less of an appliance and more of a workbench. It seems to be a good workbench — small, fast, flexible and stable — but, as the project’s website points out, this is not a “turnkey” distribution for general purpose use. It’s a small, powerful tool and an interesting experiment in just how small a Linux-based operating system can be while maintaining a friendly interface.

18. First impressions of Semplice Linux 5

    Semplice Linux is a distribution based on the Debian GNU/Linux project. Specifically, Semplice is built using software from Debian’s Unstable branch. The Semplice developers use the software packages in the Unstable repository and combine them with a custom graphical installer. The project’s website also mentions that the distribution comes with support for encrypted LVM volumes and that Semplice is focused on being fast, light on resources, “rock solid” and elegant. This is accomplished by combining the Unstable Debian base with the Openbox window manager. The distribution is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit builds and the ISO provided on the website weighs in at approximately 620 MB.

19. Distro Astro 1.0.2

    One of the great things about Linux is that there really is a distribution for everybody, even astronomers or folks who would just like to learn a little bit about astronomy. If that’s you then you’ll want to take a peek at Distro Astro 1.0.2. Distro Astro is all about learning about our solar system and the universe itself.

20. Manjaro 0.8.8 Pre2 Is Now Based on Linux Kernel 3.11.4

    Manjaro 0.8.8 Pre2, a Linux distribution based on well-tested snapshots of the Arch Linux repositories and 100% compatible with Arch, has been released and is available for testing.

21. Ramone 0.97

22. Dax OS 2.0.2

23. Don’t be fooled by phony ‘open source’

    Companies that try to use some mutant form of open source to generate a contributor network effect are deluding themselves

    A number of attempts have been made recently to define open source models — even new licenses — that limit the freedom of anyone but the project instigator to benefit from the full range of rights to the software. Proponents believe they can generate a “network effect” of adoption and contribution without providing the same software freedoms to all.

    They are deluding themselves.

    [...]

    Newcomers to open source are often astonished to find great, complete, actively maintained software available free of charge. Some assume this is because of the selfless philanthropy of others “giving their work away free.” Some even assume this is naivete on the part of the developers; indeed, one business leader has concluded that the best way to deal with the threat of open source to his business is to be parasitic: “If an open source product gets good enough, we’ll simply take it.”

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Richard Stallman on Lobbying

Posted in TechBytes Video at 1:41 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Direct download as Ogg (00:01:54, 6.2 MB)

Summary: Dr. Richard Stallman, the Free Software Foundation’s founder, speaks about corporate control of politics

Made entirely using Free/libre software, heavily compressed for performance on the Web at quality’s expense

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10.25.13

Richard Stallman on Employment

Posted in TechBytes Video at 4:21 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Direct download as Ogg (00:05:20, 17.8 MB)

Summary: Dr. Richard Stallman, the Free Software Foundation’s founder, speaks about corporations versus benefits, among other related issues

Made entirely using Free/libre software, heavily compressed for performance on the Web at quality’s expense

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10.24.13

CMSWire Article About DRM in HTML5

Posted in DRM at 11:13 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Digital handcuffs in Web standards are discussed in a new article from CMSWire

A week ago, following recent criticisms of DRM in HTML5 (going back to June), CMSWire asked me: “Will the decision by W3C to include encrypted media extensions into the HTML5.1 standard have a positive or negative effect on web experiences?” An article has just been published to address this subject and my take on it (which is in the second page, closing the article) was as follows:

Web experiences are not the sole factor to consider here. Several years ago, Microsoft used such arguments to promote Silverlight and Adobe had promoted Adobe Flash Player by saying it would enhance web experiences. This overlooks a lot of the attributes of the Web, including search/indexing, navigation by standard link structure, universal access, etc. But there are bigger issues here.

In order to effectively tackle the question we need to lay bear what DRM in HTML 5.x would mean. DRM is a mechanism that prevents access to information. It is designed to facilitate a particular business model of particular parties, which are only some of many. DRM denies the majority of people — or bots — the ability to obtain data. This in itself is against the raison detre or the spirit of the World Wide Web. If the Web was motivated by sharing, then it would best serve society by encouraging business models of abundance, not artificial scarcity.

The step taken by the W3C sought to make it easier for conglomerates that advocate DRM to advance their agenda which they had long lobbied for. We already know, based on experience, that many companies embraced a model of open access or open data, only to yield benefits to all sides, maximising access.

To pose this as a problem of “web experiences” is to present a loaded question. Everyone wants a good web experience, but the issue at stake is inherently one of power and control. Do we want to emancipate Web users or further empower the copyright monopoly? Whose interests are we promoting?

This response, quite frankly, was written too quickly, but it hopefully represents opposition to DRM in HTML5 adequately enough. █

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The World According to Forrester’s Clients: Bashing Apache OpenOffice and LibreOffice

Posted in FUD, GNU/Linux, IBM, Microsoft, Office Suites, OpenOffice at 9:55 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: The latest FUD from Forrester and who’s behind it; more on IBM’s Power PR and why it should not be taken at face value

AS we showed in previous years, the marketing company (masquerading as “analyst”) called Forrester is Microsoft’s go-to entity for Free software bashing and GNU/Linux FUD. Microsoft literally pays Forrester to produce reports that belittle GNU/Linux. It’s just a real damn shame that Forrester gets caught doing this and Microsoft’s red-handed actions have them red-faced in the international press.

As one who spent many years working with statistics (common tool in computer vision) I am quite familiar with ways of cheating and Forrester [via [1]] seems to be cheating again [2], in pretty much the same way that IDC cheapted for Microsoft several years ago. If one looks carefully enough at who Forrester has surveyed, it is “a survey of 155 Forrester clients with responsibility for those investments.” Who are those clients and what are their relative roles? It doesn’t say. Forrester is gleefully generalising based on this biased sample (geographically, economically, etc.); classic tactic. ‘Disclosure’ without even names.

ZDNet, the vile tabloid which gave Forrester a blog (conflict of interest), already covers this paid-for propaganda as though it is factual and also “news” [3], claiming (in the headline even) that “Microsoft Office fends off open source OpenOffice and LibreOffice” (no attribution to Forrester even).

“Forrester is gleefully generalising based on this biased sample (geographically, economically, etc.); classic tactic.”Really? Says who? Says Forrester. So is Forrester registering billions of users’ computers and then doing a census? Of course not, see the methodologies. It’s bogus, but Forrester tries to pass it off as “professional”. Well, professional FUD it sure is because it is penetrating the press and is proving effective (FUD well worth the money). Microsoft-friendly press puts that forth as some kind of universal fact, not even scrutinising the methods, the messengers, the funder, the polled population, etc. That’s not real journalism, it’s simply PR relayed via Forrester.

Taking into account what Rob Weir (of IBM) says this week [4], “[t]he OpenOffice brand is strong and growing. Over 30% of consumers surveyed had heard of it. Of those who had heard of it, 67% had given it a try.” He also says that “[o]f those who tried OpenOffice almost 78% continued to use OpenOffice.”

Sounds pretty decent, but the IBM-dominated Apache OpenOffice is not to be trusted either. IBM in general is not worth trusting, definitely not with it comes to “trusted computing”. Regarding IBM Power investments, which have had a Linux-themed PR campaign, some say that it’s partly about the NSA: [via Gary Edwards]

The Other Reason Why IBM Throws A Billion At Linux (With NSA- Designed Backdoor)

[...]

Then another boon for IBM. Experts at the German Federal Office for Security in Information Technology (BIS) determined that Windows 8 is dangerous for data security. It allows Microsoft to control the computer remotely through a “special surveillance chip,” the wonderfully named Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and a backdoor in the software – with keys likely accessible to the NSA and possibly other third parties, such as the Chinese. Risks: “Loss of control over the operating system and the hardware” [read…. LEAKED: German Government Warns Key Entities Not To Use Windows 8 – Links The NSA.

Governments and companies overseas paid rapt attention. They’re big customers of our American tech heroes – and they’re having second thoughts, and some are cancelling orders. Tech companies are feeling the heat. A debacle IBM apparently decided not to let go to waste.

This is a story worth exploring in isolation.

What are the true numbers behind OpenOffice and LibreOffice adoption? It’s hard to tell without a census. Free software is being spread vertically and unless it’s improperly designed it also discourages spying that’s needed to count the number of active installations. If Forrester claims to know how OpenOffice and LibreOffice are doing, then it is lying; but on whose behalf? My wife uses OpenOffice at this very moment while I’m typing this. She uses a Live CD, so how can the likes of Forrester count it? They can’t. They can only pretend to be able to. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. Office Productivity Software Is No Closer To Becoming A Commodity | Forrester Blogs

2. Office Productivity Software Is No Closer To Becoming A Commodity

3. Microsoft Office fends off open source OpenOffice and LibreOffice but cloud tools gain ground

   Nine out of 10 firms simply give staff the installed version of Office, with only six percent offering some or all employees a non-Microsoft alternative, according to a Forrester survey.

4. The Power of Brand and the Power of Product, Part 3

   The OpenOffice brand is strong and growing. Over 30% of consumers surveyed had heard of it. Of those who had heard of it, 67% had given it a try. That number is changed little. This is an opportunity for Apache OpenOffice marketing volunteers to improve both of these numbers. Of those who tried OpenOffice almost 78% continued to use OpenOffice. This is a modest increase, but there is certainly room to improve here. Put it altogether, and the estimated user share, the percentage of US internet users who use OpenOffice “sometimes” or “regularly” is 16.1%, nearly a 50% improvement year-over-year.

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Hackable (as in Freedom-Respecting) is Becoming Hip Again

Posted in Free/Libre Software, Hardware at 9:04 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: The ascent of machines that are controlled by their users rather than by companies and sociopaths who may run them

ONCE upon a time, the likes of Bill Gates demonised and ostracised people who had shared code and ‘dared’ to suggest that control over software should be put in the hands of many (the users). But that selfish ideology is quickly eroding. Nowadays, devices that sell well are those which empower users, both at the hardware and software level. Raspberry Pi, for instance, is selling quite well [1] and creating jobs in the UK. The Raspberry Pi Foundation sure is thriving [2] and it is getting support from some large corporations. Arduino too is doing well [3] and it’s hardly alone; this is part of a trend now [4] — something we never saw in previous years.

Software freedom is very important, but it is not enough. If hardware refuses to boot particular bits of code (e.g. TiVoization) or if Free software like Ubuntu indirectly trasmits your search queries to strong CIA partners like Amazon, then freedom is seriously compromised. We need to work at many levels to assure that hackability (as in modifiability) returns to being the norm. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. Baked in Britain, the millionth Raspberry Pi

   For British computing this is quite a day. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has announced that a million of the tiny cheap computers aimed at transforming education have now been made in the UK.

2. The Raspberry Pi Foundation aims to make a Pi for the internet of things

   The creators of the $25 credit-card-sized microcomputer Raspberry Pi didn’t intend to start a hacking revolution — they just wanted to encourage a new generation of young computer users to learn how to program.

3. Arduino boards to run full Linux thanks to TI’s new ARM-based chip

4. Hackable DVR dual-boots Android and Linux

   A Shenzhen-based startup called Wizarm has launched an Indiegogo campaign for a hackable media player with DVR recording, HDMI pass-through, Miracast support, and video overlay capabilities. The Wizarm device dual-boots Android and Linux on a Samsung Exynos 5250 system-on-chip, and offers SATA storage and extensive I/O including USB, HDMI in/out, DisplayPort, and S/PDIF.

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John Carmack’s Name is Once Again Misused to Bash GNU/Linux

Posted in FUD, GNU/Linux at 8:45 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: What John Carmack actually said about GNU/Linux and what the press is trying to claim that he said

A RELATIVELY short while ago John Carmack spoke about about SteamOS [1] and some Web site said in its headline that “John Carmack thinks the Steam Machine’s biggest problem is Linux” (untrue). I was at first fooled by this headline. Others were too, and moreover they propagated this lie/distrotion. Having seen, not too long ago, how Carmack’s words had been warped by the anti-GNU/Linux camp to gather some malicious rhetoric, I decided to look closely at what he actually said [2]. Here is the complete quote: “I’m afraid that I might be at that same point right now where I’m like “making your own console OS? Are you crazy?” Maybe ten years from now they’re going to look like they’ve made billions of profits again with it. It still seems a little bit dicey to me, getting everything moved over to Linux, pushing from that side of things, but given their track record I’m a little hesitant to… if it were some other random company I would be pseudo-scornful but it’s Valve so I’m not.”

From the sound of it, the challenge — not the “problem” — is getting everything ported. That’s a very different thing from what the headline above insinuates. Moreover, as admitted by Carmack himself, the size of Valve makes him doubt somewhat any issues associated with feasibility. Carmack was misquoted when it comes to GNU/Linux before; he may be an ActiveX apologist at times, but don’t let his famous name (he is widely respected in his area) be misused by Microsoft boosters.

If people want to see some real GNU/Linux bashing, they look no further than the latest rant from Mr. Torvalds himself [3]. As someone said to me some hours ago: “I hope this inspires Fedora to get involved with Hurd and other kernels. This reliance on one kernel is a bit worrying. LT wrote a kernel, not a complete OS, nor does he roll out distros – but he doesn’t seem to give a shit about that side of things and their problems. On the other hand he takes the money of the big corporations such as intel, ibm etc.. Yeh, he has a contract which says he can do what he wants..” █

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. John Carmack on SteamOS “if it were some other random company I would be pseudo-scornful”

   At Nvidia’s Montreal conference, when asked for his opinion on Valve’s recently announced SteamOS and Steam Box, John Carmack initially called the plans “dicey”. Expanding on that he said “if it were some other random company I would be pseudo-scornful but it’s Valve so I’m not.”

2. John Carmack thinks the Steam Machine’s biggest problem is Linux

   Ever since Valve announced its three-tier approach to bringing PC gaming to the living room — Steam OS, the Steam Machine, and the Steam Controller — people have been divided on whether or not it’s a sound idea. John Carmack, a man who changed the face of PC gaming at Id Software, thinks the Steam Machine’s odds of succeeding are “a bit dicey.”

3. Linus Torvalds Smashes the Fedora Project, Calls Them Stupid

   Linus Torvalds posted a very simple and direct message on Google+ addressed to the Fedora people. What followed next involved accusations and various veiled insults.

   The father of Linux had a very simple question: how come the Fedora developers were not regenerating the distribution images with newer kernels and packages?

   “Is there some basic reason why you never regenerate the install images? Right now the F19 install images use some ancient 3.9-based kernel. Which means that they may boot on most machines, but it’s missing wireless ID’s for new laptops etc, so making it useful is unnecessarily painful,” said Linus Torvalds.

   The problem is that, if you have a new laptop and an old kernel, you might not get full functionality from it, especially if the wireless module is unrecognized by the kernel.

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GNU/Linux Desktops Continue to Multiply to Appease Users

Posted in GNOME, GNU/Linux, KDE at 5:13 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: GNOME is ditched by Cinnamon, which is yet another example of users and developers taking control in the interest of users

DEALING with varying user requirements is hard. There is no one-size-fits-all paradigm when it comes to desktop environments. Just as we require many types of vehicles (trucks, vans, motorcycles, etc.) we need to facilitate a variety of needs, which vary from person to person. Microsoft and Apple ignore this and they try to shoehorn people into their own restrictive environments. GNU/Linux is different. Development of KDE, the world’s most advanced desktop, carries on [1,2] and documentation improves as well [3]. The KDE Community Forums turns 5 [4] and new users come to KDE [5], which is — although it is debatable — better than GNOME when it comes to applications but not as a desktop for new users [6] (KDE is very advanced, too much for some). Cinnamon 2.0, in the mean time, is forking GNOME [7] and even ditching it [8]. It is now available in Ubuntu 13.10 [9], which is Mirless [10]. Many distributions still use classic GNOME [11] or modified GNOME [12], but what’s clear overall is that over time we are left with more choices of desktop environments. KDE itself has been forked to satisfy those who wish to keep the KDE3 experience. This is a strength, not a weakness. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. KDE Commit-Digest for 6th October 2013

2. KDE Commit-Digest for 29th September 2013

3. Plasma Active Handbook released

   The Projectsite of the handbook is placed under: http://pactivehandbook.sf.net. There you can download a PDF in the english or german language. Also a XHTML version of the book is available in both languages there.

4. 5 Years of KDE Community Forums

5. Installed KDE via Kubuntu v13.04 – My First Thoughts

   I moved to Kubuntu early Sunday morning, and it was not without a few minor perils. I wanted a clean install, thus formatting /home was a must. I was coming from Linux Mint 14 XFCE to Kubuntu 13.04 which of course uses KDE as the default desktop manager. I really didn’t want any cross contamination in /home nor did I want to dual-boot. It was all in or nothing. So I chose the all in and I am glad I did.

6. KDE vs GNOME: Settings, Apps, Widgets

   Video: While one desktop appears clearly superior to the other, its rival offers some better apps for key uses.

7. Cinnamon 2.0 Desktop Is Readied For Release

   Linux Mint’s Cinnamon 2.0 desktop fork of the GNOME Shell has been tagged and is being readied for release.

8. Cinnamon 2.0 Ditches GNOME, Features Enhanced User and Window Management

   Cinnamon, the desktop shell using in Linux Mint, has finally released v2.0, which features new window tiling and snapping, along with enhanced user management options. And there are lots of other changes under the hood too, including a new backend that no longer requires GNOME.

9. Cinnamon 2.0 in Ubuntu 13.10 Screenshot Tour

   Cinnamon 2.0, a fork of GNOME 3 desktop environment, developed by Clement Lefebvre, the father of Linux Mint, has been released to critical acclaim and now you have a chance to see it working in Ubuntu 13.10.

10. Not so Saucy after all: Ubuntu reveals Mirless Salamander… and what, no Britney?

11. First Look at GNOME 3.10 on Arch Linux

    After approximately two weeks of testing, the Arch Linux developers promoted earlier today, October 7, the recent GNOME 3.10 desktop environment to the stable channels, allowing users to upgrade their six-month-old GNOME 3.8 installation.

12. SolusOS 2 Will Use a Custom GNOME 3.10 Desktop

    Thanks to a leaked screenshot on Google+, we’ve recently discovered that the upcoming and highly anticipated SolusOS 2 Linux operating system will have a darkish and highly modified version of the recently released GNOME 3.10 desktop environment.

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