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LXer feature Sometimes as a Linux user, you wish you could buy any computer with Linux preinstalled, or if that's not possible, just without an operating system, but that's not the reality. If that isn't possible, is it possible to buy any computer with Windows pre-installed, and then, return the unused Windows, and ask a refund for it? That's a question many non-Windows users ask themselves. The answer however, isn't clear to consumers. There's only one way to find out: ask your hardware manufacturer. Or do they neither know the answer? Time to find out.

Open source must in some way present itself as a bit of a dichotomy to Adobe, now that it has acquired Macromedia. It is generally accepted that open source solutions foster innovation and adoption. However, with an open file format and a free player, is it possible that some projects could eventually challenge Flash's own role by creating competing tools?

In this interesting interview with Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL AB, TxtEdMacs finds the kind of information many people want to have but simply don't know how to ask.

For example, Marten says: "We are not competing with Oracle, because they are the kings of existing database applications. But when it comes to new development and new paradigms, that's where MySQL fits in".

  LXer feature

Fabio Marzocca represents a new class of innovators in the twenty-first century. He's living proof that talented people can make a contribution to global technology even when the corporate maw would eat them up and spit them out. In what other era of human endeavor would such an individual be allowed to make a difference?

Fabio: Ubuntu developer, but also member of the Italian Ubuntu LoCoTeam, father of two children, and for his employment, dealing with company management and reorganizations.

LXer interviewed him, and asked him questions about his personal life, his view on Linux and Ubuntu in particular, and about two applications of which he is the developer and maintainer: the BUM graphical Boot-Up Manager, and the Baobab graphical disk-space viewer.

We invite you into his life to see what the future may bring.

What is the future of Linux and Free Software? A rigid little cult that accept only the Right People? Or a community that truly practices "Free as in Freedom"?

  LXer Tutorial

People of faith need a way to study the scriptures. BibleTime is a KDE-based application that is both mature and popular. Don Parris shepherds users through installing Sword and BibleTime from RPMs and source on SUSE Linux 10.0. If you think compiling a program from source code is akin to walking on water, just start walking and you'll see Don calm the geeky waters.

Libervis is a community for those who are interested in free culture. We believe in freedom, cooperation and sharing. In this article we will review what happened in our community in 2005 and unfold our plans for 2006.

  LXer Day Desk: 12-07-2005

Lately, many signs exist showing how Microsoft's monopoly power extends to government and media. We can add a new example to this list: The “Vienna conclusions”. It seems, their power even extends to distorting findings in official UN documents. The story contains all usual elements: Sponsorship, not willing to participate in public discussions, a conflict of interest of one of the members of the committee, and a Microsoft PR worker making a ridiculous statement. After that, of course, Microsoft denied most of it and ignored the rest.

Penguin values can turn the Christmas season into something worthwhile, instead of a stressful greed-fest that leaves you broke and exhausted.

According to accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers, open-source firms raised $144 million from venture capital and other private investors in the first three quarters of 2005, more than double the same period the year before.

Bloggers around the world have been talking about the latest Firefox extension, even though it isn't yet available.

Here are 5 new year resolutions you can take which will go a long way to get Linux on the desktop of more and more people using computers.

Linux was designed originally for the X86 platform. One of the core legacies of that platform was its openness. Will that legacy last?

Last month inSaving the Net, I sounded a warning about the carriers' threats to restrict the flow of"content" in the Net, to serve their own purposes, as well as those of the"content industry".

Now Intel is not onlypushing Viiv as a new platform, butlaunching a new branding strategy, substituting"leap ahead" for its"intel inside" slogan. Both signal a re-alignment with the content industry, and a shift of core mareting interest away from the computer industry. Are they changing sides, from Silicon Valley to Hollywood?

THE GRASSROOTS community of users, programmers and advocates who refuse to embrace Firefox and instead prefer the old approach of an integrated "suite" comprised of e-mail client, html editor and web browser -a combination still more powerful to some of us, released last week the first beta version of "SeaMonkey".

There are hundreds of firefox extensions on the web. Which ones do you use? Here is my attempt to collect the 50 best and popular firefox extensions which make your browsing, downloading and navigation in Firefox as easy as possible, while harnessing the full power and features of Firefox.

2005 in review We're all pinko now

Hidden among the by lines of newspaper articles today you may find a story here and there about the connections between former Preston Gates lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay. The articles allege that one of DeLay's foundations, the U.S. Family Network, received money from corporations, failed to live up to its charter and provided favors for contributors.The reports also allege the foundation kept the donor list secret.

Another of DeLay's Charities was also financed by corporations, the DeLay Foundation for Kids, include the Gates and Dell family foundations as donors who contributed at least $350,000 to Mr. DeLay's charity since 2001 reports CREW.

I won't be posting updates to the KernelTrap front page through January 8'th as I'll be away on a short vacation. All the many tasks that have been keeping me too busy to maintain the site regularly the past few months are finally wrapping up, so the new year should see much more frequent updates again. Until then, be sure to visit theforums andjournals which continue to be updated.

A couple years ago, I decided to start a Web-based tea business. My hardware decision was already made -- I had an old iMac at home, which was going to become the main business computer. Software was more of a worry. I realized that if I wanted to keep the business on a shoestring, I was going to have to find creative ways of cutting back expenses. For me, the answer was open source software. Many of the open source programs I use are maturing fast, and can now be used as full-featured substitutes for similar proprietary software.

Recently, we witnessed the power of Microsoft's political machine when one of the champions of free and open source software, Peter Quinn resigned as CIO of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In my opinion, Microsoft just blinked and everything went south. Other writers have also commented on the chain of events in Massachusetts. For example, Andy Undegrove writes a farewell piece in his blog to the maligned public servant. Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols also writes an article about this issue in Microsoft Wins, Open Standards Lose. Steven writes: "CIO Peter Quinn's story tells us that if you go up against Microsoft, you can expect everything and the kitchen sink to be thrown at you." Well Steven, as much respect and admiration as I have for you, Microsoft didn't even breathe hard. They looked in the direction of bean town and people started doing their bidding. That's what happens when you own a country.