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It appears we have another Linux desktop renaissance on our hands. Back in the late 1990s, it seemed like everyone was creating a new Linux distribution—each with its own unique take on the platform—until there were so many to choose from, one never knew where to begin.

This week in open source news, Automotive Grade Linux is evidence of the auto industry merging with tech entirely, Hitachi steps up its open source game, and more! Read on to catch up on this busy week in OSS tech news.

With Facebook's Parse mobile back end as a service shutting down, developers are in a bind. The vise is squeezing tighter since the open-source Parse Server product released by Facebook, asserts Buddy Platform Limited, was not designed to support high volume, commercial-grade apps from organizations seeking the breadth of the original platform.

MySQL, owned by Oracle since 2009, is the number one open source database for successful startups and Web-based applications, loved by such iconic social networks as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and many others. The database comes in two different editions: the open source MySQL Community Server and the proprietary Enterprise Server. Today, we will discuss the MySQL Community Server, and more specifically the basic security aspects of setting up this DBMS.

In this week's Top 5, we highlight solid state drives in Linux; a new compression algorithm for faster Internet; Python and successive approximation; rsync to back up your Linux system; the shift method and custom functions for shell scripting.

The first rule of Linux server security is to keep your server lean and mean. Only install the packages and run the services that you really need, writes Swapnil Bhartiya in his Linux.com tutorial on making your server more secure. “Even the most hardened servers can be hijacked by exploiting any unpatched or vulnerable component running on that server,” he writes. These and other useful security tips for running your own Linux server, or accessing your server remotely, can be found in the collection of tutorials, below.

PatternAgent’s “thingSoC Grovey” family of Arduino and ESPx-driven IoT hubs connect to Grove and MikroBus Click IoT modules, as well as an RPi or Edison. On CrowdSupply, Portland, Oreg. Based PatternAgents, LLC, has begun selling an open source family of Arduino-compatible thingSoC Grovey boards, adapters, and hubs built around a common “thingSoC” socket system for […]

In the beginner's tutorial, we mentioned that Meld can be used to compare both files as well as directories. Now that we've already covered file comparison, it's time to discuss the tool's directory comparison feature.

Avnet launched a cheaper, single-channel version of its dual-channel PicoZed SDR COM. The Linux-driven Zynq-7020 COM operates in the 70MHz to 6GHz range. Avnet’s PicoZed SDR 1?1 SOM is a more affordable, single-channel version of the dual-channel PicoZed SDR 2?2, a software defined radio version of the PicoZed computer-on-module. This $549, single-channel module supports the […]

Operating systems are like cars: you can get a power-hungry Humvee that guzzles gas, leaving you with a few miles to drive, or you can get a super-efficient smart car that barely sniffs gas and gives you hundreds of miles of range. You can also get a monster OS that devours all system resources (CPU and RAM) or you can choose one that barely sips resources. The only difference between cars and operating systems is that lightweight operating systems, unlike lightweight cars, can do all of the heavy lifting that a Humvee can do.

A YubiKey is a hardware authentication device that can be used for various one-time password (OTP) and authentication methods. This article explains some of the ways to use the the YubiKey4 with Fedora. Other versions may be incompatible or require... Continue Reading →

At last October’s Embedded Linux Conference Europe, Brent Roman, an embedded software engineer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), described the two decade-long evolution of MBARI’s Linux-controlled Environmental Sampler Processor (ESP). Roman’s lessons in reducing power consumption on the remotely deployed, sensor-driven device are applicable to a wide range of remote Internet of Things projects.

In a world where apps, products and devices are all powered by your personal data, creating awareness and enabling people to protect their data privacy is more important than ever. Data Privacy Day is around the corner (January 28) and … Read more

Earlier this month, PulseAudio 10.0 was released. It’s now available from the official Fedora repositories for all users running Fedora 25. PulseAudio is the default sound server in Fedora. That makes it the primary piece of software responsible for sound on your Fedora... Continue Reading →

At ELCE, MBARI’s Brent Roman explained how he trimmed power to keep a Linux-based oceanographic sampling device running for up to six months on D Cells. At last October’s Embedded Linux Conference Europe, Brent Roman, an embedded software engineer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), described the two decade-long evolution of MBARI’s Linux-controlled […]

BitScope’s Blade carrier boards extend the Raspberry Pi in single to up to 40-unit clusters with 9-48V power for HATs and BitScope mixed signal gizmos. Australia-based BitScope Designs, which offers a line of BitScope mixed signal test, measurement and data acquisition systems, has developed a BitScope Blade platform that combines them with Raspberry Pi SBCs. […]

Meld is a feature-rich visual comparison and merging tool available for Linux. In this tutorial, we will be discussing some really useful tips/tricks that will make your experience with the tool even better.

In a previous article, I talked about an add-on card for the Raspberry Pi called the ControlBlock. It allows game controllers to be connected as regular joystick devices, but it also has a really incredible power switch feature.

Joining a new community can be a daunting task for a myriad of reasons. The angst can be especially strong when joining a new technical community, some of which have a reputation for being acrimonious and tough on new members. While it's possible to stumble into a den of iniquity, I think you'll find most technical communities to be fairly reasonable, and following a few simple steps can ease your transition from non-member to member. read more

Backups are an incredibly important aspect of a system administrator’s job. Without good backups and a well-planned backup policy and process, it is a near certainty that sooner or later some critical data will be irretrievably lost. read more