Bonum Certa Men Certa

Links 24/7/2012: X.org Foundation, GNOME 3.5.4





GNOME bluefish

Contents





GNU/Linux

  • Rethinking Linux Hardware: Upgrade or Buy New?
    When you come from the proprietary operating system way of thinking, it's difficult to get your mind around the idea of not automatically needing to upgrade your PC hardware every two years. While upgrading is not an absolute necessity, more often than not we feel compelled to, as if to make sure we enjoy maximum compatibility.

    On the Linux desktop, however, it's completely different. You aren't bound to the usual set of rules that come with a proprietary desktop. Generally speaking, peripherals from any time period are going to do well on the Linux desktop.


  • Desktop

    • Chrome OS Beta Brings Major Improvements
      Google has updated the beta channel of Chrome OS to version 21.0.1180.50. This version is available for Chromebooks (Samsung Series 5, Samsung Series 5 550, and Cr-48) and Samsung Chromebox Series 3.


    • Chromebox Review: A Ketchup & Salt Affair
      You will notice that there is no HDMI port on the back. I suppose it would be easy enough to throw a couple of bucks at a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, but even still, the option would have been nice and would have made the Chromebox more complete to more people.




  • Server

    • Fear not, Linux admins: There are TOOLS to help you
      Most Linux distributions have a significant focus on security. This does not mean they are necessarily ready for production out of the box. Tools like SELinux, excellent firewall options, and robust access controls can make Linux exceptionally secure. Despite this, actually deploying a Linux system into production still requires that the systems administrator have some idea what they are doing.






  • Kernel Space



  • Applications



  • Desktop Environments



    • GNOME Desktop



      • GNOME 3.5.4 Comes With a Revamped Nautilus
        The GNOME Project unleashed a few minutes ago, July 23rd, the immediate availability for download and testing of the fourth development release of the upcoming GNOME 3.6 desktop environment.






  • Distributions

    • Airinux 12.05 Screenshots (07/23/2012)


    • Improve Photos Automagically with aaphoto


    • New Releases



    • PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandrake/Mandriva Family



    • Gentoo Family

      • Premade Gentoo Stage 4


      • Gentoo debates recruitment schemes
        First, Gentoo has 280 people with commit rights to the main repository. Numerous experiments have shown that an average human brain can't deal with relationships in a group of >100 peers or so (the size of an ancient tribal band). So some degree of bureaucracy/HR is absolutely required for a project of such size, otherwise you get chaos.

        Second, it's not enough for the answers to quizzes to be discoverable. Much of it is information you need to know by heart, so you don't make mistakes and break user machines or community rules in the first place, instead of merely being able to google for how to fix the mess you had made after the fact.




    • Red Hat Family



      • Fedora

        • Linux 3.5 Debuts as Fedora Gets a Cinnamon Dusting
          There are a few things that keep the Linux Planet spinning, one of them is the Linux kernel itself. This week, we saw a new kernel debut, providing another incremental step forward for performance and stability.






    • Debian Family



      • Derivatives



        • Canonical/Ubuntu

          • Community Leadership Summit 2012
            With a busy week away, I am just catching back up with everything. I just wanted to take a few minutes to talk about the Community Leadership Summit 2012 that happened the weekend before OSCON. You can also read a wonderful write-up from Andy Oram.

            This was the fourth Community Leadership Summit, and I was delighted with how everything went. We had a wonderful turnout with around 280 people joining us, and a fantastic breadth of sessions from our attendees. Topics of conflict, governance, gamification, diversity, collaboration, structural integrity, scale and more all generated great discussions and I think every one of us who joined the event took away some lessons learned.


          • Flavours and Variants

            • Juju: DevOps for Cloud Services
              Ubuntu Linux's parent company, is trying to make Development/Operations (DevOps) on the cloud easy with its Juju framework. The Juju project has been around for a while, but frankly it wasn't that impressive… until now. At a demo at the Open Source Conference (OSCON), Jorge Castro, a Canonical developer relations executive, and Mark Mims, a software engineer, showed that Juju is finally ready for cloud prime time.


            • Linux Mint 13 now in KDE, XFCE flavours
              Get the latest, greatest Linux Mint, now with even more community loved desktop environments


            • Linux Mint 13 Xfce released: Installation tour
              Not just a refuge for those disillusioned with Gnome and KDE, the Linux Mint 13 Xfce distribution stands on its own merits












  • Devices/Embedded

    • D-Link MovieNite Plus review
      Although Apple’s and Roku’s streaming media players are the darlings of “cordcutters” seeking freedom from cable TV costs and restrictions right now, several other companies are angling for a slice of that rapidly emerging market pie. This review takes a look at D-Link’s most recent streaming player, the DSM-320 MovieNite Plus.


    • Power Strip's a Penetration Testing Tool in Disguise
      The Power Pwn "is similar to a 1.2 GHz ARM-based processor running Linux," M. Anthony Hughes, customer development manager, told LinuxInsider. It runs well-known open source tools including MetaSploit.


    • Phones



      • Android

        • ZTE launches N880E smartphone with Jelly Bean in China
          ZTE. the worlds fourth largest mobile manufacturer, according to a recent Garnter Report, has launched its first smartphone with the latest Android OS, Jelly Bean, in China. ZTE made the announcement in a press release.

          The ZTE N880E smartphone will run on Jelly Bean and is the third Android 4.1 smartphone. ZTE said that planned to also launch other handsets with Jelly Bean.

          The press release said: “ZTE has an excellent relationship with Google and this, combined with our extensive R&D capabilities and our experience of customising devices for partners around the world, means we are able to bring new technologies to market very quickly,” said Mr. Kan Yulun,Vice President and CTO of the Handset Division, ZTE.“Our aim is to provide the best quality customer experience for the best value, and the N880E is a great example of this.”






    • Sub-notebooks/Tablets

      • Review: My Sordid Fling With The Nexus 7
        I will give Google credit, their propaganda hype machine is starting to rival that of Apple Inc. I’ve had the Nexus 7 for two and half days now and I must say I am far from impressed. Don’t get me wrong, I love Android and have been a user of the ecosystem since day one back in 2008, but I am not in love with, nor would I date this device. I am sure some of you will think I am nuts, but just because you put the name Nexus on it doesn’t make it the best thing since the advent of the wheel, and if you’re still reading this I will explain why.








Free Software/Open Source



Leftovers



Recent Techrights' Posts

Why the Microsoft People Who Started SLAPPs Against Techrights Could Very Well be Sent Back to Prison
White-collar crime is also a crime
 
Europe Has an 'Exit'
Let's see what happens the rest of this year
El Presidente Talks, Canada Walks (Away From Windows)
GNU/Linux rising
Cities in France and Germany Move to GNU/Linux and statCounter Detects Big Differences
Will governments lead by example?
Microsoft Lost Its Foothold in Africa
How many of these are "old" Windows machines converted to GNU/Linux? Probably a lot.
Led by Europe, GNU/Linux Makes Big Gains This Month
statCounter started showing new/fresh stats
Links 02/07/2025: Massive Microsoft Layoffs About to Commence, "Tesla's Robotaxi Program Is Failing"
Links for the day
The Company Run by Former (and Last Proper) Red Hat CEO, Promoting Microsoft Mono, Faces Shock as Senior Partner Jailed for 33 Sexual Offenses Including Pedophilia
"As reported by The Oxford Mail in April 2025, the offenses include rape, sexual assault, engaging in non-penetrative activity with a child, and more."
Microsoft Lost 29% of Windows Users, Based on Microsoft, Now Come Massive Layoffs
Microsoft collapse is today
Slopwatch: Google Serves to People Linux Slop and Linux FUD (Made by Bots)
"Slopwatch" finds it difficult to ignore Google's role in encouraging LLM slop
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, July 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, July 01, 2025
"Wayland People" Behave Like the Googles and Microsofts of This World
Published yesterday by Igor Ljubuncic
Gemini Links 02/07/2025: Arch Linux and Fulfillment in Gemini
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2025: "Independence Day in Taiwan", Bounties on Software Patents
Links for the day
What Happens When Your Law Firm is Preoccupied With Harassing and Trying to Extort a Humble Couple in Manchester, Even on Behalf of Violent Microsoft Staff From Another Continent
It's good to see that law firms which operate in bad faith are perishing
Lawyer X, Law Firm X and Elon Musk's X: scandals linked by Old Xaverian
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 01/07/2025: Distraction-Free Writing and Hytale Mismanagement
Links for the day
Links 01/07/2025: "Beauty of Blogging" and "Etiquette of Collapse"
Links for the day
Microsoft Uses LLM Slop to Defraud (or Rob) Shareholders
Microsoft is basically defrauding its shareholders by LLM slop
The Web is a Dead End
We need to adopt alternatives
When Words Lose Their Intended Meaning
examples of words that, at least in the technical spheres, don't mean what they sound like
People Who Disagree With You on Technical Matters May or May Not Agree With You on Political Things (But Usually They Do)
What bothers me a great deal is seeing left-leaning people accusing other left-leaning people of being "nazis"
"Too Much Choice" and "Too Many Programming Languages"
What IBM and its apologists aim for was attempted in the 1930s and it failed
Microsoft Lost 400,000,000 Windows Users, According to Microsoft
more people adopt smaller computers and many people replace Windows with GNU/Linux, as they don't really need a new computer
The "Davos Effect": Tarnishing the Reputation of Places Not by Overtourism But by Oligarch Infestation
The last Venice needs is an affiliation with Venetian oligarchs
Half a Year Gone, What's to Come Next
In the second half of 2025 we expect to be done with the Microsoft SLAPPs
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 30, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, June 30, 2025
People at the Very Top of Microsoft Know How Bad Things Really Are
There's no product that can replace the former profitability of Windows licensing and stuff that went on top of Windows
Gemini Links 01/07/2025: Mid Year and a Tour of Old Languages
Links for the day
EPO Presentation Bemoans Misuse of Slop in Decision-Making on Patents and in Classification (Which is Likely Illegal Too)
We habitually mention failed use cases of LLMs on the Web
Mass Layoffs at Microsoft Confirmed, "XBox Hardware Is Dead"
It's possible that over 20% of the staff will be laid off
Links 30/06/2025: Kyrgyzstan vs Media Freedom, Dalai Lama Succession
Links for the day
Gemini Links 30/06/2025: Backend Programs in Gemini and Dynamic Content Without The Scripting
Links for the day
Links 30/06/2025: Zuckerberg’s Tax-Evading Scheme Harms Kids, US Copyright Office Lacks Leadership
Links for the day
Microsoft Isn't Laying Off Tens of Thousands to 'Invest' in Slop ('Hey Hi'), It's Laying Off Tens of Thousands Because It's Running Out of Money (and Willing Lenders)
the layoffs are a sign of the business failing, not "hey hi" (whatever that is) replacing staff
Intel Lays Off 20% of Its Workforce, Microsoft is Doing the Same This Year
Like a yoyo, whatever goes up will come back down
Microsoft XBox Layoffs: Almost 2,000 Layoffs Became "Over 2,000"? (Over 20% of the Staff)
over 20% of staff will be let go, not counting staff that leaves voluntarily
GNU/Linux Rises to New Highs in Angola, Africa in General is Abandoning Windows
Western media barely covers Microsoft layoffs in Africa, but in recent years Microsoft culled the workforce and even shut down entire operations
Summer Plans in Techrights and Elsewhere
massive layoffs at Microsoft
Destination Geminispace (in the Age of LLM Slop and Slop Images That Infest the Web and Social Control Media)
Geminispace isn't vast, but at least it is - on average - a lot "cleaner"
GNU/Linux Growing in Sierra Leone This Year
Based on what statCounter is seeing, this year there are more and more people there who adopt GNU/Linux
Serial Sloppers Gonna Slop
More sites out there ought to call out the cheaters
Quartz (qz.com) is Spam and a Slopfarm
It used to be OK. Then they fired the staff.
Links 30/06/2025: US Economic Woes, Extreme Heat
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 29, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, June 29, 2025
Gemini Links 30/06/2025: "The AI Hype" and New AuraGem Ask
Links for the day