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I don't have to argue here that the FOSS community has been the victim of FUD tactics a number of times. To name a few myths: no support, open to attack, unprofessional, viral licenses and so on. Each and every time the community has answered in a appropriate, accurate and responsible way. But how effective has that been? Well, not. We're fighting it every day.

[I could not agree more. - Scott]

This is a brief synopsis of the PVR for Linux that is MythTV. It also contain a number of useful links which help in setting up MythTV in a simple manner.

As much as I love the 3D Compiz/Cgwd, there is one thing I can do without: Wobbly menus. When you pull down or pop-up a wobbly menu, hitting the right menu selection is like target practice. It's even worse if you have to drill down to a sub-sub-sub menu selection because each sub-menu wobbles, too. Here's how to turn off this behavior in the most recent installation of Compiz.

Major open source projects like GNOME, KDE, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, and Apache all have something in common -- they all have Planet feed reader sites set up to aggregate developer blog feeds. The Planet software was developed to power Planet GNOME and Planet Debian, but now it's being used by dozens of open source projects. With just a few simple steps, you can set up a Planet aggregator to watch your favorite blogs or to help publicize your favorite project.

If you look at the font of all wisdom - no, I don't mean Wikipedia, but Amazon - you will find stacks of books with titles likeThe Corporate Blogging Book,Blogging for Business,Blog Marketing and the rest.  Whatever the title, the basic message is the same: if you're in business, you've got to be blogging.  Because if you aren't, you're not"having the conversation" with your customers, which means, in turn, that you're not getting your message out or valuable comments back. In many ways, an open source project is just like a business. 

Win Enterprises is sampling an inexpensive Linux-based hardware appliance aimed at IP PBXs (Internet protocol private branch exchanges), VoIP (voice-over-IP) routers, and other "converged" applications. The Converged Application Platform (CAP) is based on an Intel reference design that Win Enterprises helped develop, it says.

To getXgl working well, it is essential to harness the 3-D rendering capabilities of your graphics card and setup the plug-ins with the composite window manager,compiz This excerpt is from Chapter 3: Using SUSE Linux on Your Desktop, from the bookSUSE Linux By Chris Brown PhD, published by O'Reilly Media. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Network File System (NFS) has been part of the world of free operating systems and proprietary UNIX flavors since the mid-1980s. But not all administrators know how it works or why there have been new releases. It is important to know about NFS simply because the system is vital for seamless access across UNIX networks. Learn how the latest release of NFS, NFSv4, has addressed many criticisms, particularly with regard to security problems, that became apparent in versions 2 and 3.

Jollitte, who was presenting a paper at the Highway Africa conference, said countries like South Africa have developed a lot of software in different areas using open source, but have been prevented from making further improvements because of copyright laws.

Ichthux.com states - Ichthux is an operating system aimed at Christian users. It is based on Kubuntu in order to provide the best desktop environment of the moment, together with Christian programs and settings. The name Ichthux comes from the Greek word ichthus, which means fish. The ichthus fish, drawn with two crossed arcs, is a long-used symbol among Christians... OSDir has some cool shots of Ichthux 6.09 in the Ichthux 6.09 Screenshot Tour.

It is now 22 years since a fast-food concern showed a crusty old lady peering between a burger's buns and asking "where's the beef?" And as new approaches such as open source continue to arrive, we continue to ask, where's the real-world value?

You might expect the article "Why Desktop Linux Will Not Take Off, and Why You Don't Want It To," by self-styled "former Linux evangelist" Martin Girard, to simply be a troll. Girard likens Linux to early transistor-radios with clear cases, enabling users to see their intricate inner workings.

[Sheesh! I should think the more accurate comparison would be one of those dual-mode 4-wheel drive vehicles. They normally drive in 2-wheel drive mode, but you can stop and turn the knob on the wheel a notch to put it in 4-wheel drive mode. Some of those things even let you switch modes from inside the vehicle these days. The additional capability is there if you need/want it. If not, don't use it. That shouldn't be so confusing. - dcparris]

A group of Princeton computer scientists has published a study that examines flaws and vulnerabilities in Diebold's AccuVote-TS voting machines.Complete with a video that demonstrates the ease with which the electronic voting machine can be compromised, the study provides chilling insight into the serious risk of election tampering and fraud created by modern voting technology.

Commoditization of Web mapping tools compels Autodesk to release the source codes of its once-proprietary MapGuide software.

[Cool! - dcparris]

Independent Music Online, a music service based on FLOSS, recently started offering the online lectures of a North Carolina State University Professor. On campus, there has been a mixed reaction by both the University and the Students.

[There's a note on the music site that the professor has, for the time being at least, removed the lecture files. Keep your eyes peeled. - dcparris]

A recent poll asked to compare the quality of open source and commercial software development tools. And the winner is... not obvious ;o)

There is nothing more frustrating for Macintosh users or those who use the Firefox browser than going to a video site and hitting a wall demanding Windows and the Internet Explorer browser. But when the Associated Press’ Online Video Network first launched last spring in conjunction with Microsoft, the requirements for users were just that: Windows and Internet Explorer. The idea behind the OVN is that Microsoft provides the video hosting, technology and ad sales; AP provides the video content; and small and medium news site partners show the videos on their sites for a split of revenue with Microsoft and the AP.

[Fine. Firefox users and Mac users benefit. What about GNU/Linux users? - dcparris]

A Linux-based NASA lunar rover is on maneuvers -- and Internet webcams -- this week in the Arizona desert near Meteor Crater. The K-10's maneuvers are related to a NASA project tasked with building extra-vehicular activity (EVA) hardware and developing EVA procedures for planetary surface exploration.

[I wonder if they would send up a stuffed penguin and let the robots drop it off? - dcparris

Open source platforms offer flexibility and faster time to production if your team is adept at hand coding and working with command lines. LogicBlaze, sponsors of an open source SOA distribution, released an Eclipse-based development environment last week that is designed to do some of the heavy lifting for you.

Red Hat has released its Xen-enabled Enterprise Linux 5 code into beta testing but won't likely ship the final code until early 2007.