Open source systems management: Two conferences, two talks
I had the privilege of giving not one but two talks at the Red Hat Summit, both about open source systems management topics. A good deal of this content was also shared with a different audience at FudCON, the Fedora Users and Developers Conference. This was a great trip to Boston, and a fantastic chance to talk with users, administrators, and developers of all types. The first talk I had a part in was Func, which I co-presented with Adrian Likins.
Post-Gates: Microsoft, Competition and the Semantic Web
Microsoft achieved its dominance on the desktop in part by adding more and more features into Windows and Office - for free - that others wereselling as standalone products. The result was to not only wipe out their competitors, but innovation as well. Now Google is offering more and more services for free to help sell ads. Withe the shoe on the other foot, will it fall now to Microsoft to ensure that competition and innovation continues in these areas?
How To Setup Debian / Ubuntu Linux IPv6 Tunnel Using tspc
You can easily configure IPv6 Tunnel under Debian or Ubuntu Linux to browse IPv6 ready websites and use IPv6 utilities. If your ISP is not ready with IPv6 native transport, you can easily set IPv6 tunnel under Debian or Ubuntu Linux using tspc (tunnel setup protocol client). tspc provides a mean to configure a tunnel obtained from a tunnel server which is compliant to the tunnel setup protocol (TSP).
How To Setup Debian / Ubuntu Linux IPv6 Tunnel Using tspc
How To Setup Debian / Ubuntu Linux IPv6 Tunnel Using tspc
Maemo 4.1 bring mail and packaging improvements to Nokia's Linux-based tablets
Nokia released version 4.1 of it's Linux-based Internet Tablet platform Maemo last month. 4.1 is a minor update to the operating system, but it boasts two important features that answer long-held complaints: an improved open source email client, and migration to a package updating system more like that of a desktop Linux distribution. Tablet owners can download the update for N800 and N810 devices by visiting tablets-dev.nokia.com. As with previous releases, a valid device ID is required to download a firmware image. Upgraders can make a backup of their settings onto one of their tablet's memory cards, including a list of installed applications, which can be automatically reinstalled following the update.
Google Open-sources Data Exchange Language
Google has open-sourced its protocol buffers, the company's lingua franca for encoding various types of data, in order to set the stage for a wave of new releases, according to official company blog posts and documents. "Practically everyone inside Google" uses protocol buffers, states a FAQ page. "We have many other projects we would like to release as open source that use protocol buffers, so to do this, we needed to release protocol buffers first."
Linux for housewives. XP for geeks.
The computer proletariat is rising up - and computing will never be the same. Tiny, sub-$500 â??netbooksâ?? like the Asus Eee are the hottest thing going in notebooks today. And some surprising things are happening. Like housewives on Linux. Asus is forecasting worldwide shipments of 10 million 7 to 10 inch screen netbooks this year! And a billion in 2018.
It's Time to Thank Felton
In his latest blog post, helios called for positive letters to the residents of Felton, California. I am also offering a place where people can write as well due to helios having to deal with spam bots, which is never a fun thing.
ReiserFS Dev Leads Cops to Wife's Body
Hans Reiser has led authorities to a body believed to be that of his estranged wife in the hills of Oakland, Calif. The area where the body was recovered is less than a mile away from where Reiser lived. She disappeared in 2006; he was found guilty of her murder in April.
Will Alienware Ship Linux-Based PCs?
Alienware, the PC manufacturer known for their high-end gaming notebooks and desktops, has been evaluating the business opportunity in providing a Linux OS option for some of their products. Phoronix reader Ahmad Yasser had contacted us to remind the Linux community that Alienware is running a Linux-based system survey to "gauge the level of interest consumers like you have in buying a new computer that features a Linux-based operating system."
A case for text-based DVD rippers
At a time when graphical DVD rippers and encoders propose to make the backing up of your movies just a click away, a text-based application may actually be the best tool for the job. I've tried graphical rippers such as AcidRip, dvd::rip, thoggen, and RippedWire, with varying degrees of success. However, I've also had my share of headaches. Most times, any crashes or problems I experienced were related to the graphical components of the application or the desktop. It's not pleasant (to say the least) to leave your computer eating electricity all night, only to find in the morning that the ripping and encoding of a DVD failed because of an error purely related to GTK+ or Qt. It's even more frustrating when you realize that most of these applications are front ends to command-line programs.
Testing the Virtual Waters: The School of Second Life
Washington State University bookkeepers scratched their heads this spring when David Cillay submitted an invoice, for about $50, for an island. It was awhile before they learned he was buying land in Second Life, the online immersive virtual world where WSU has begun offering courses for students from across the globe.
Protecting against evil code fragments with HTML Purifier
HTML Purifier is a project that helps you ensure that HTML is valid and does not contain cross-site scripting attempts or other nasty attacks. With HTML Purifier you can allow users to post HTML content without letting them insert nasty code that will run in the browser of anyone viewing that HTML. An assortment of plugins let you use HTML Purifier with CodeIgniter, Drupal, MODx, Phorum, Joomla!, and WordPress. To get an idea of the cleanups that HTML Purifier can perform, head over to the demo page.
Intellectual Property Regime Stifles Science and Innovation, Nobel Laureates Say
The basic framework of the intellectual property (IP) regime aims to “close down access to knowledge” rather than allowing its dissemination, Professor Joseph Stiglitz said at a 5 July lecture on “Who Owns Science?” Stiglitz, a 2001 Nobel Laureate in Economics, and Professor John Sulston, a 2002 Nobel Laureate in Physiology/Medicine, launched Manchester University’s new Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation.
How To Block Spammers/Hackers With mod_defensible On Apache2 (Debian Etch)
mod_defensible is an Apache 2.x module intended to block spammers/hackers/script kiddies using DNSBL servers. It will look at the client IP and check it in one or several DNSBL servers and return a 403 Forbidden page to the client. This guide shows how to install and use it with Apache 2 on a Debian Etch server.
Tell Felton
This is a new concept for anyone who's spent their computing life running Windows. We are going to introduce them to our world and that being so, I would like you to tell Felton just how important this decision is. Write a one or two paragraph "welcome" letter. Tell the people of Felton why this decision is important to them and how much better operating their computer will be. Now..this may sound odd coming from me...
How Should Mozilla Execute Its Vision?
The announcement by the GNOME Foundation that it is appointing Stormy Peters as its Executive Director confirms a suspicion that I've harboured for a while: that we are witnessing the evolution of major open source projects into new kinds of players in the computing world, ones that require full-time staff not just to run them, but also to articulate what exactly they are trying to do *beyond* the code. The pioneer in this field is obviously the Mozilla Foundation, which has grown from an apparently doomed attempt to hack the original Netscape Navigator code into something half-usable, to a high-profile, media-savvy outfit that is not just winning market- and mind-share, but starting to frame many of the most important discussions within the open source world.
Is Red Hat VP Attempting to Rally Investors?
Tom McCallum, VP of investor relations at Red Hat, on July 7 wrote a blog that attempts to clarify Red Hat's recent quarterly results. Is McCallum trying to tactfully rally investors around Red Hat? Check out The VAR Guy's analysis.
Double Spacing In Awk, Perl and Shell on Linux and Unix
A small tutorial on how to use awk, Perl and the shell to double space between lines. Hopefully this answers all requests for additional material :)
An Introduction to IRC on Linux for Beginners
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a protocol for text-based internet chat created by Jarkko Oikarinen in 1988. Ever since it was developed, IRC gained more and more popularity and currently it's one of the standard ways for projects and distributions to provide online help, for developers to meet and discuss aspects regarding their work.
The Swiss Army Distro - Might Someone Finally Be Getting It?
One of the things that's bothered me to no end for quite a while is the ridiculously huge number of Linux distributions out there. 350+ active or semi-active and nearly 200 dead distros is rather pathetic in my opinion. I understand that some of this comes from the open source mentality of "if they won't change, then we'll fork the code and do it ourselves." That's where we got Gnome and KDE from, Compiz and Beryl, Debian and all of its derivatives, Xorg and XFree86, and many other forks and splits within the FOSS community.
A look at KOffice 2.0 Alpha 8
One of the release goals of KOffice 2, is to make the package run on Windows and Mac OS X in addition to Linux. KOffice 2.0 Alpha 8 is the first release with binary packages for all three OSes.
Microsoft says EU court's fine "excessive"
Microsoft has told a European Union court that an antitrust fine of 899 million euros ($1.4 billion) against it is both excessive and disproportionate, the Court of First Instance said on Monday. On February 27 the European Commission found that Microsoft used high prices to discourage competition, failing to carry out sanctions imposed against it as part of a long-running case. Microsoft is appealing against the fine imposed in February.
Wine, Bordeaux ship
The open source Wine program for running Windows applications in Linux shipped in final version 1.0 form, followed by the release of a commercial version. The Bordeaux Group has announced Bordeaux for Linux 1.2, which adds support for Microsoft Office 2007 and six months of tech support. The Greenville, South Carolina-based Bordeaux Group offers its $20 Bordeaux for Linux as an add-on to the free Wine (Wine is not an emulator), adding email support and a claim of easier configuration.
Getting graphic with PHP
Imagine creating Web-page graphics dynamically using just code. Creating and manipulating images is yours for the doing with the power of PHP. This tutorial steps through using the GD library, showing you how to create and alter images on Web pages. It starts with the GD construct, and then builds on it to showcase graphics techniques.
Automating the creation of slide shows in OpenOffice.org
Why do you need an article on building slide shows in Impress? You don't, in one sense, because the application is simple enough for anyone who has ever seen a slide show to figure out. If you want, you can just plunge in and learn by doing. However, if you take the time to learn, you'll find that OpenOffice.org has two tools to help you organize and automate the process -- and, ultimately, to help you save time.
Training Tips for New Linux Users
At my college, I have volunteered to teach faculty, staff, and students the advantages of using Linux. After doing it for a couple of years, I have come up with a few tips that others might find helpful when showing new Linux users the ropes. Here's a look.
Looming IT talent shortage sidesteps FOSS folks
A Gartner study from earlier this year suggests that a skills shortage will leave companies scrambling in vain to find qualified help. However, open source developers say there's an adequate supply of potential employees with the skills they have. "The difficulty is not so much if they exist. It's finding the right people," says Jon Masters, a Red Hat Linux kernel engineer who also works on the real-time kernel team and helps support third-party drivers on Enterprise Linux distributions. He says that the supply of competent Linux and open source software types will be enough to meet the demand.
Developers load Android onto Nokia device
Developers have created an easy way to load Android, Google Inc.'s mobile phone operating system that is still in the works, on Nokia Corp.'s N810 open-source handheld devices. The development is of interest to people who are trying to build applications for Android rather than to general users. "So, from the point of view of someone who just wants to use his N800 and doesn't necessarily want to experiment for the sake of experimenting, what does running Android get me?" one person asked on the Internet Tablet Talk Web site that is sharing the technique for loading the software on the devices.
Statement by Yahoo Responding to Icahn Letter
Yahoo! Inc., a leading global Internet company, today issued the following statement in response to Carl Icahn's latest open letter to Yahoo! stockholders:..
The Difficulty Divide Redux: Linux vs. Windows, Part II
Previously, I introduced my theory of the Difficulty Divide. Itâ??s a concept that Iâ??ve used for several years when talking about why I use Linux, and why some people may give up on it. I also promised that I would present on how Iâ??ve modified it in recent years to reflect the current state of things. Before I do that though, I think some clarification is in order. Take a look.
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| Message Board | Who | Last Post |
|---|---|---|
| LXer Meta Forum | jdixon | Jul 1, 2008 10:08 PM |
| Linux | clowncoder | Jun 16, 2008 6:14 PM |
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