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DistroWatch reports - includes all official updates released until 25-Mar-2006; OpenOffice.org 2.0 (Hebrew version from official project with hspell and Culmus); removed KOffice; the full range of desktop applications are now installed as default; Ehad desktop, boot and LILO theme; local packages: ehad-media (define software repositories with ease) , ehad-guide (a guide for Israeli Internet Connectivity), ehad-radio (Hebrew Internet Radio launcher), hocr (Hebrew OCR), hdate (Hebrew calendar), Anka (new type-1 font from 'culmus fancy' series).

OSDir had a look at the latest Ehad in their Ehad 2006 Screenshot Tour.

Today I upgraded all Debian machines in the company. The reason for doing so was mostly because of dsa-1017, which describes vulnerabilities in the actual 2.6.8 kernels (of Debian “Sarge” aka stable). We are using an apt-proxy, so all in all it took me less than an hour.

DistroWatch reports - We are pleased to announce that DesktopBSD 1.0 is now available from our download mirrors and via BitTorrent. Changes include: upgrade to KDE 3.5.1; update to FreeBSD 5.5-PRERELEASE; user-friendlier package manager; printing fixes; hardware event notifications; many smaller improvements.

OSDir took a peek at the first stable version of DesktopBSD in their DesktopBSD 1.0 Screenshot Tour.

A renewed bid to register the word "Linux" as an Australian trademark must meet an early April deadline or face defeat.

In Part 2 of this series, Rob Reilly steps parents, guardians, and "geekparents" through the basic steps of exploring the vast Internet using open source tools. What comes naturally for us may not be so easy for younger kids, so remembering the basics is a good place to start.

On last year’s Linuxtag I was bugging some HP staff about the laptops they planned to offer without the usual Redmond tax. Plus I did so later on the phone. On this weblog, I asked why they cancelled producing and selling our Deskjet 6840 printer without further notice. Plus I asked more or less all hardware vendors to increase their support for free (libre) and open source software.

Free and open source software can help save the world. That was the point of Seattle's Penguin Day, which brought together nonprofits and FOSS advocates looking to support this other community.

Microsoft is going to major extremes, as expected, to fend off the EU's antitrust case. Unfortunately they've decided to coerce ex-EU judges to assist them.

   This time it's patents that will ensure the downfall of GNU/Linux and with it, the entire world of open source. But before hanging up your certified geek propeller-hat and retraining as a dental hygienist, you might want to consider the following brief history of Microsoft's use of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) as a weapon against GNU/Linux.

New multi-OS software comes with a hidden bonus. But licensing fixes are needed.

Ubuntu uses only open/free formats, so it doesn't include playback support for formats such as MP3, Windows Media Audio (WMA), and Audio Video Interleave (AVI) that may have some restrictions. If your country has no such restrictions or legal issues with these formats, the Restricted Formats article on the Ubuntu wiki can help you install software that plays such files. Or you can do it they easy way, with EasyUbuntu, a Python script that gives Ubuntu users access to commonly used applications and codecs through a neat graphical user interface (GUI).

Free software is software that anybody can use, copy, modify and redistribute freely without having to ask for authorization from anyone. Some companies think that using the open source label will fool the unsuspecting into believing they're part of the community. Just try redistributing their software and see what happens.

Syscon writes: Ousted Massachusetts CIO Peter Quinn (pictured) simply won't leave the stage, it seems. Months after his controversial tenure in The Commonwealth, which ended in the wake of his controversial effort to place open source on 50,000 desktops throughout state government, Quinn was recently in the news with remarks he made about "sandals and ponytails" at the inaugural Linuxworld Australia event in Sydney.

Peter, I take back anything nice I ever said about you.

Starship Systems plugs into the geek obsession with robots, launching a competition to program the Robosapien V2 with its own Java software development kit for the cute little electronic critter. The best program wins lunch with the father of Java, James Gosling.

The local authority claims its biggest challenge was encouraging its staff to accept alternatives to Microsoft Office, with staff assuming that 'if it's cheap it must be nasty'

This tutorial was written to help set up a dual boot on a SATA drive but it will also work for PATA. In order to have a fully functional Windows/Linux dual boot system it is preferred that Windows is loaded first. After that you can load Linux and easily dump the boot configuration on Windows NTLDR file (comparable to Linux boot file).

This tutorial was written to help set up a dual boot on a SATA drive but it will also work for PATA. In order to have a fully functional Windows/Linux dual boot system it is preferred that Windows is loaded first. After that you can load Linux and easily dump the boot configuration on Windows NTLDR file (comparable to Linux boot file).

Thoggen is a new DVD ripper/backup-tool for Linux that encodes video into the free Ogg Theora format. Unlike its rivals, Thoggen is easy to use, and its built-in support for the Theora codec instead of the patent-restricted MPEG-4 and derivatives makes it worth looking at.

OSDL is soliciting contributions for a fund that will give awards to programmers working on underfinanced projects.

Ruby on Rails is out with a new release of its open source Web framework with a promise: making it even easier to develop AJAX (define)-based, Web 2.0 applications.

So what's going on at LinuxWorld 2006 in Boston next week? PCBurn has an overview of the event, who's going to be speaking, and what's new this year.