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Curt Brune writes about a Google Map application he created that maps the IP addresses contained in a "traceroute". On a world map this shows you the path that IP packets take across the Internet.

[ED- Nothing to do with Linux or FOSS but fairly cool -bstadil]

The US-CERT's list of vulnerabilities make it very clear that nothing is quite as misleading as IT statistics, especially when it comes to comparing Windows and open source software.Here Jason Norwood-Young does some quick analysis and comes to a completely differerent conclusion.

Welcome to this year's second issue of DistroWatch Weekly. We had a quiet week, only disturbed by new releases from Arch Linux and DragonFly BSD. We'll take a critical look at the latter, especially from the perspective of a desktop user, but don't expect much praise for the new version. In other news, the Fedora project has started testing its new rescue CD, Gentoo has published a HOWTO on creating a Gentoo LiveUSB, and Puppy is preparing for the launch of Puppy2, a major update. Among the distributions newly included on DistroWatch we have three live CDs: ArcheOS for archaeologists, Arudius for penetration testers, and Xenoppix for the fans of the Xen technology. Happy reading! Join us at irc.freenode.net #distrowatch

There was a loud bang, a nasty smell (think burnt cabbage) and a lot of smoke billowed out from the hole where the CD-ROM used to be. Then Nothing. At this point, the idea occurred to me that maybe my computer was broken.

"Why not use this opportunity to try this 'Windows XP' I keep hearing so much about."

LA Times (original source News Day a Long Island, NY paper) readers introduced to DSL Linux and how to get it running with some words of warning: " ... left out the first rule of DSL Linux as it pertains to inexperienced computer users: It may not work with your hardware. All companies that manufacture printers, mice, video and sound cards - pretty much everything that gets plugged into a computer - also create drivers, little chunks of software that make the hardware gadget work with an operating system. In most cases, that operating system is Windows XP."

[ED: So be polite. if you cannot be helpful yourself do something better than "RTFM" that is known to have endeared many new users to Linux. Stories like this will do more to get some to try to escape miind control. So just remember the problems you had as a newbie or turn them over to someone less skilled than yourself that has social skills that you lack - HC]

Book review Whether it’s IDEs like Eclipse, build tools like Ant or testing tools like the xUnit family or even entire languages like Perl, Python or PHP, there are plenty of developers who have added open source software to their toolkit. Moving open source to IT infrastructure or onto the desks of end-users is a different kettle of fish entirely. All of a sudden there are support, maintenance and licensing issues that have to be addressed, often by decision-makers who lack the geek-factor that developers have in abundance.

[ED: How MS is going to Win the Linux Wars, not quite there yet but with these wise words of warning how cannot they not Win? - HC]

"Raising the caution flag:

Linux is still a maturing platform, and with youth comes uncertainty. "The [Microsoft] value proposition is always a good sell, but it doesn't hurt to back that up with a really long hard look at what the risk factors are," notes Tim Beamer, technology ... "

[ED: Be assured Windows is rock solid, and when it's not it gets fixed, and when it's fixed late it's fixed mostly right, and when it's not right it's done over until it's done right! Who could ask for anything more? Windows is a mature insecure system. It will be even better when it's fixed per incident fee - HC]

"Competing with Linux once filled Microsoft partners with dread, but now many are taking on the open source operating system with growing self-confidence -- and success. Here are the tactics for winning the fight."

[ED: Even here they note they are not winning every battle, so they buck up the troops letting know of all the Linux shortcomings and how they can Win with Win(dows). They cite some big independent sources, e.g. Gartner, etc. It's always good to know your enemies plans - HC]

This is a detailed tutorial about the steps to set up a Ubuntu based server (Ubuntu 5.10 - Breezy Badger) to act as file- and print server for Windows workstations in small workgroups.

For all the good the Open Source concept has done, perhaps we need to start thinking about more restrictive terms. I just rejected an article from IT Week that demonstrated the depths to which people will go to get on the train. The writer seemed to praise Microsoft's UNIX Services as a step toward killing Linux by bridging the gap.

That's why I believe it's time for a culling as GNU/Linux and the Open Source Craze draws proprietary companies to take on the brand.

[ED: Here is an author that has caught a lot of flak due to his errors reviewing Ubuntu/Kubuntu in the comments section when his review appeared on LXer. Since he is one of the few that seems to "get it", as a matter of fairness, he deserves his chance to reply - HC]

I've been receiving a fair amount of e-mail from people who are sure that I don't know Linux, but their notes are really showing me that they don't know reviewing. I don't hold that against them. Few people know how reviews really work.

Read on.

Friday, January 06, 2006: Google has unveiled the Google Pack beta which is a free collection of safe and useful software. The Google Pack includes software from Google and other companies that help in improving the user experience online and on the desktop. The software will enable users to easily discover, install and maintain software to surf the web faster and safer, communicate better, and effectively manage information in just a few clicks.

Saturday, January 07, 2006: Considered as the most complete and integrated release to date, Yellow Dog Linux v4.1 supports Apple's latest PowerBooks and G5 PowerMacs with dual-core CPUs. The new release offers support for backlit keys, PCMCIA cell phone and modem and Atheros wireless cards.

Yahoo Inc. says it will release software to give people access to its e-mail, map guides and other services from TVs and mobile phones.

The world's most-visited Web property and its chief rival, Google Inc., may not make computers or DVDs, but they want to be an integral part of how people use their devices in the rapidly emerging age of digital, portable media.

  LXer Feature: 5-Jan-06

LXer editor, Don Parris, responds to Scott Bekker's article, Seven Reasons Not To Bar Windows From the Enterprise". Bekker's article considers a general mistrust of Microsoft, along with more "practical" (read technical) reasons why Microsoft has not earned a spot in the enterprise workplace. If you're an enterprise customer, there is one solid reason to bar Windows, Office, and Microsoft in general from your business.

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