LXer Weekly Roundup for 09-Oct-2011

LXer Feature: 10-Oct-2011 In the Roundup this week we have Linux on a flash drive saving the day, Larry the Free Software Guy goes deep into the heart of TexOS, Helios wants to know if you can name that app, My Linux Rig profiles our Publisher Bob Whitinger and Carla Schroder asks do volunteers write better code? Enjoy!

Flashdrive Linux Saves the Day: As I have mentioned previously on this blog, I never go anywhere without a bootable Linux flashdrive. The fact that Linux is so portable is one of my favorite things about it. I have at various times kept Fedora, Linux Mint, and Puppy on my flashdrive, but for the last couple months, my mobile distro of choice has been Knoppix.

Announcing X2: Rock Computing have released their new text editor for UNIX like systems, with a next generation interface that alludes to simplicity and power rather than hundreds of features X2 is neither just a text editor or a fully fledged IDE but something in the middle.

Virtualization is not evil. It's sarcastic.: If virtualization were truly evil, it would be a lot more popular than it is. Unfortunately, Linus Torvalds thinks virtualization is evil. Evil technology should be made of sterner stuff.

Deep in the heart of TexOS: Larry the Free Software Guy, a Californian, likes to poke fun at his friends from Texas when it comes to the Golden State's superiority in most things. But he'll eat some crow here with some salt, washing it all down with a Lone Star, on the issue of getting Linux/FOSS into the hands of everyday folks, since Texans lead the way here. Move over, Ken Starks and the HeliOS Project in Austin: TexOS, the Texas Open Source Project, is providing Linux/FOSS boxes and instruction to kids up the road a spell in San Angelo.

Why Do Volunteers Write Better Code?: Volunteers write better code, and maintain it better. At least that's what Michael Meeks, SUSE's desktop architect and senior LibreOffice developer says. I spoke to Mr. Meeks and Italo Vignoli of The Document Foundation, which is the non-profit organization that manages LibreOffice, and learned a lot about what's going on behind the scenes in LibreOffice-land. Condensing our conversation into an article is a task for tomorrow; today I want to talk about why volunteers write better code.

Can You Name This App?: Many of you know that I've raised he!! over goofy, hurtful and esoteric software names in Linux. While many think little of this, many more have stepped forward to agree that if Linux is to even think of gaining market share, we have to think more in lines of Market instead of Me. Well the shoe's on the other foot now.

What do Different Directories mean in Ubuntu: Unlike Windows, Ubuntu has a very unusual directory structure. Everything in Ubuntu is stored under directories and there are no partitions. Users who are new to Ubuntu may find it mind-numbing or confusing to locate their information within the complex structure of directories. Here, in this article, we try to explain the Ubuntu directory structure and dig into each commonly used directories.

Chaos feared after UNIX time-zone database is nuked: The internet's authoritative source for time-zone data has been shut down after the volunteer programmer who maintained it was sued for copyright infringement by a maker of astrology software.

My Linux Rig: Dave Whitinger, LXer: For me, computers are a means to an end. A tool that enables communication and development of tools that enrich peoples’ lives and help them connect with like-minded individuals around the world. My ideal Linux setup is one that gets out of my way and lets me get my work done.

Open Source: Why Military Forces Should Use Linux: Why? Because the level of skill required to crack a Unix-like OS is much higher than that needed for a Microsoft OS. Further, properly configured Unix-like systems are much more robust than Microsoft systems. Were Military forces using properly configured and properly secured Unix or Linux systems we would not see items like these below being reported.