Showing all newswire headlines

Ever wanted your own bootable CD? Something personalized for your users and complete with all of your own Linux-based software and configuration? You may have heard of Knoppix, a free Linux bootable CD, but in this article, Matt Lesko will show you how to modify Knoppix to include exactly the software you want and need. From rescue discs to demo software, a custom copy of Knoppix could be exactly what you are looking for.

Nearly half of European local government bodies are using open source software while nearly a third don't know that they are using open source at all.

IT distributor Rectron says the time is right for open source software and it is throwing its weight behind the growing Linux movement by adding SuSE-based desktop machines to is product lineup.

Upon reviewing the news of the OpenOffice.org 2.0 launch, I ran across an interesting opinion on OSDir about the Mozillarization of OpenOffice.org. The piece looks at the similarities between OpenOffice.org and Mozilla, cutting down a piece of software to its “open source” core, then spinning it off as some cool and alternative branded project. After reading this article, it will be interesting to follow the launch and marketing of OpenOffice.org 2.0 and to see if there are any similarities between the “community grassroots marketing” feel of its launch and the successful Spread Firefox program.

When you install an application package in a Debian-based system, sometimes prerequisite application packages are unavailable. These missing packages are known as broken dependencies. Left unresolved, they can cripple your system's ability to install new packages. They're a disaster that isn't supposed to happen in Debian, thanks to the Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) and the scripts contained in Debian packages. That makes broken dependencies all the more devastating when they happen. Some users have even been known to reinstall the whole operating system, despairing of otherwise having a functioning package management system. However, depending on how the broken dependencies arose, you have several options to try before you consider reinstalling.

When faith-based organizations start looking for libre software alternatives, The Freely Project offers a turn-key solution that will serve their needs well. While aimed at Christians, this solution should work well, no matter what your organization's religious beliefs.

Earlier this week Microsoft's Nigerian representatives said that Africans lack the "expertise" to use open source software and that the cost of software was not an issue on the continent. Alastair Otter takes issue and explains why he would be prepared to pay for software that is truly free.

Ian Charlesworth writes: "BEA used the Czech Republic leg of its grand BEAWorld tour to publicly announce its plans for "blended BEA WebLogic management and deployment technologies". In practical terms this means that the vendor will offer customers the ability to manage and control popular open-source software products using BEA WebLogic Server."

Editor's Note: BEA should consider changing to an open-source license.

In this two-part series I shall offer sage advice for women interested in becoming more involved with FOSS (part 1) and lists of excellent online communities and resources aimed at women in computing (part 2).

EMS Software Development has announced the new major version of EMS SQL Query 2005, the utility for building SQL queries for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, Interbase/Firebird and DB2 databases. EMS SQL Query 2005 lets you quickly and simply build SQL queries to several databases. Visual building as well as direct editing of a query text is available.

After roughly 12 years of work, the Wine Project is about to take its widely used Windows translation layer to a place it has not been in all that time: beta.

Open-source software is gaining ground in Europe and the developing world, with users attracted by lower costs and accessibility, according to a recent study and industry observers.

Macromedia is to acquire Mobile Innovation, a privately-held design and integration house in the UK with around 50 staff, for an undisclosed sum.

The size of the round reflects SugarCRM's status as the most successful open source enterprise application in the industry

Best-selling author Steve Johnson did, and said business people can learn something from the ant's organizational skills.

Johnson delivered the keynote address at the "ExecUtech" breakfast series presented by the Tech Valley Executives Council of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Multimedia producers and artists will have the power to fully customise their own tailored GNU/Linux environment on a bootable CD with the release of Dyne:bolicII by the end of the year.

Several online stores are accepting pre-orders for an inexpensive handheld Linux gaming device expected to ship Nov. 30. The Gamepark Holdings GP2X-F100 features dual ARM9 processors, USB 2.0, a 3.5-inch color LCD, support for both native and emulated games, and a Linux SDK (software development kit).

The first step toward planning and designing an IP telephony solution is assessing the capabilities and limitations of the existing data network. Understanding the current infrastructure and the traffic running on it can help frame important future decisions.

Novell may lay off 10 to 15 percent of its staff as early as Monday, according to sources close to the company. It appears that one or more of the larger shareholders in the company are becoming worried about Novell's future.

We promised to dedicate a column in this series for talking strictly about servers, and the time has come.

A few reports that compare the cost of Windows with Linux state that even with the administration overhead and learning curve, Linux is still more cost-effective than paying for Windows. There are, of course, conflicting reports too. For beginners, Windows makes it possible. Should beginners really run your servers though?