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AMD has released "the fundamental Linux code" needed to develop open-source 3D-acceleration drivers for its R600 and R700 ATI graphic-processors series. This is good news not only for those wishing to create drivers for those potent GPU series - known to non-AMD watchers by their marketing names of ATI Radeon HD 2x00, HD 3x00 (both R600), and Radeon HD 4x00 (R700) - but also for the legions of non-coding Linux-lovers who are lusting for access to the R600/700's 3D powers.

This week I'm your straight reporter bringing you news of of updates, upgrades, and new releases in the world of Linux audio software. Development in this world is continuously productive, so I'll present only a selection of the Linux sound and music applications and utilities announced in the month of November in the year 2008.

It is general resolution season at the Debian Project. As was discussed here in October, Debian seeks to resolve two questions: one regarding types of developers in the project, and one being the perennial firmware debate. As of this writing, the first vote is done, while the second remains open. But it has become clear that, regardless of the outcome of the firmware vote, this issue has stressed the Debian community, perhaps to the breaking point.

LinuxPlanet Classics: Bruce Byfield reviews his choices for the top general-purpose Linux distributions, and their strengths and weaknesses.

Canonical's Ubuntu Server Edition is off to a relatively slow start, but a promising relationship with Amazon.com could help to accelerate Ubuntu's server momentum, reports WorksWithU, the independent guide to Ubuntu. Here's why.

Last year we had looked at The Greatest Linux Innovations Of 2007, and as this year ends, we have compiled a similar list of what we believe were some of the greatest Linux innovations or achievements of 2008. Among the innovations named this year were KDE 4, NetworkManager 0.7, new hardware companies standing behind open-source support, and the Video Decode and Presentation API for Unix.

Dan Kaminsky, front man of the DNS attacks band the middle of 2008, has delivered a retrospective at the 25th annual Chaos Communication Congress (25C3) on the background and process of DNS vulnerability. But he also set his sights on the future. And outside-the-box thinker Dan J. Bernstein also had a thing or two to say.

Many public administrations already use open source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to let citizens look at public geographic data trough dedicated Web sites. Others use the same software to partially open the data gathering process: they let citizens directly add geographic information to the official, high-quality GIS databases by drawing or clicking on digital maps.

Some say Linux's .rpm and .deb installation packages uninstall cleanly, so there is no need for any registry cleaners like CCleaner for Windows. Here are a few counterexamples to the myth and the application to remedy the situation.

It seems like every other operating system and desktop environment has some form of widgets, except Ubuntu. Luckily, you can change that quite easily.

The past year has seen strides in open source's place in the industry, cementing its role as a major force in the enterprise — with several key players and stakeholders rising to the top. Just what do they have planned for the next twelve months? Also this year, the breakneck pace of development in networking technology continued apace. With concerns about security and energy consumption at an all-time high, there's still a great deal of work that must get done. And quickly.

There isn't much mystery to why a little-marketed computer known as the Eee PC has lately seized the top spot on Amazon's laptop best-seller list. The machine, a three-pound ugly duckling made by the Taiwanese company Asus, has a 10-inch screen, a nearly full-size keyboard, and offers what almost everyone wants in a portable computer: It's tiny and, at $390, very cheap. Of course, the Eee PC is missing some other things people tend to like in laptops—an attractive design, a DVD drive, a fully full-size keyboard, and enough processing power to run multiple demanding applications at the same time. But hey, these are tough times, and did I mention you can buy this machine for less than you're planning to blow on New Year's Eve?

I sat down with Brenda and began writing out some things she needed to know and asked her about any particular filters she might want on the system. It wasn't five minutes into our talk when Arlene pulled at my sleeve. "Which one is the DVD burner?" I looked at her then over at the computer. Evelyn had already found K3b and had hooked her Ipod to the machine, using Songbird to manage the sync. The computer had been on less than ten minutes. What many adults must go into forums and ask, these kids figured out in minutes and without a bit of help. And some wonder why we do this thing we do...Pictures of this family can be seen on this blog.

These Easter eggs are all pretty cool, but the bunny's staying home ;) Today, since it's just past Christmas and almost New Year's, I figured this would be a great time to trot out some Linux and/or Unix Easter eggs. Actually, it doesn't make sense at all, but if you can put aside your burnt-in sense of the chronological order of the holidays, these can still be fun.

As the end of 2008 approaches, people's thoughts naturally turn to 2009, and what it might hold. The dire economic situation means that many will be wondering what the year will bring in terms of employment and their financial situation. This is not the place to ponder such things, nor am I qualified to do so. Instead, I'd like to discuss a matter that is related to these larger questions, but which focusses on issues particularly germane to Linux Journal: will 2009 be a year in which openness thrives, or one in which closed thinking re-asserts itself?

Sun explains the importance of quality assurance in OpenOffice.org

When you buy a new computer, you may first think about its operating system — is it PC, Mac, Linux? Smartphones have those same operating systems and others. But the OS isn’t likely to be the No. 1 issue for many consumers even though it’s playing an increasingly important role. Smartphones — which can handle e-mail, Web browsing as well as audio and video in many cases — have seen strong growth this year as more consumers opt to have their cell phones do double and triple duty.

Newly appointed CTO of the Linux Foundation and kernel developer Ted Ts'o is appealing to the Debian project to adopt a more pragmatic attitude about its Linux distro. The provocation for his advice is the current controversy over Debian's next 5.0 "Lenny" release.

This is WFTL Bytes!, your occasiodaily FOSS and Linux news show for Monday, December 29, 2008, with your host, Marcel Gagné. This is episode 41. In today's stories, we get to speculate about the coming year (that would be 2009) for Linux and FOSS, make lists of things we thought were pretty cool (or will be), and look back on where we went wrong, and reflect on just how pointless it is to make predictions.