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I became aware some time ago of conky, a minimalistic utility that can display these--and many other--types of helpful information under differing window managers or desktops and, though I'd seen screenshots of it configured to run as a sort of panel, most conky configurations I've come across actually have it display on the desktop background--not something particularly desirable for me since I tend to run applications full-screen on my evilwm desktops. But lately, I somehow came across information about another utility--Xmobar--that can display the sorts of system information I want but which seems to be configured to run mainly as a panel. So I decided to have a go with it. I was able to configure it to my liking fairly easily and decided to offer in this entry a further description of the program and to post the configuration I am using. That information follows.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is seeking input from the software industry about the performance of the patent system. A pair of February "roundtable" events—one in Silicon Valley and the other in New York City—will give members of the public an opportunity to comment on how to improve the quality of "software-related patents."

In the week ending 5 January - News from the 29C3 conference, Ubuntu for phones, Awesome 3.5, Samsung readying a Tizen smartphone, and Nouveau support for GeForce chipsets

Problems have struck Fedora 18 again, causing yet another delay for the distro

This week, we look at how to find gems in your software development log files, Ubuntu smart phones and managing IT on a cruise line.

IPv6 has begun to pick up a bit of steam. What was once just fancy talk of the new Internet has now started to take shape and really become a focal point of the Internet. There are VPS (virtual private server) companies out there now that offer IPv6 only. One of the greatest (and possibly worst) aspects about this is that those with IPv4 only are not able to access such servers.

[d0x3d] is a boardgame designed for informal security education, this is an incredibly fun game that proactively teaches about network integrity and the security of information. Inspired by Forbidden Island, d0x3d! and is released under an open source license. It requires only a small number of people but packs a very powerful lesson. Incorporating it into internet security curriculum provides an enjoyable lesson for sure. This game has proven to be an invaluable teaching tool since people tend to learn better when shown by example, and it’s proven that a real hand on approach has a lasting impression.

The Free Software Foundation Europe is claiming that recent changes to the Google's Android Software Development Kit licensing terms has made the SDK into proprietary software. But if you look closely, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Could one radio be all you ever need for data, cellular calls, wifi and more? Software defined radio holds that promise. Andrew Back looks at how free software is one of the enablers in helping to put the technology into the hands of consumers.

The Semplice project is pleased to announce the immediate release of Semplice Linux 3.0.0, the first stable version of the 3.0.x 'pulse' series. Semplice Linux 3.0.0 contains: Openbox 3.5.0, the window manager used in Semplice; Linux kernel 3.2.35, bringing the latest and greatest drivers and performance; Chromium web browser 22.0.1229.94 based on the WebKit rendering engine; Exaile 3.3.1, a music manager and player for GTK+ written in Python; GNOME MPlayer 1.0.6, the power of MPlayer combined with a friendly interface; AbiWord 2.9.2 and Gnumeric 1.10.17; Pidgin Internet Messenger 2.10.6, a graphical, modular Instant Messaging client; Guake terminal 0.4.3, a GTK+ drop-down terminal.

The Bodhi Team and I are very happy to present to you our 2.2.0 release - the first Bodhi images to feature the stable E17 desktop. This release is exciting for a number of reasons.

At the end of August I wrote a short post about an important reform that modified the rules for software adoption within the Italian public administration.

Going forward to my previous document on setting up a Qmail Server with Openldap, I am now sharing a doc on how we can set up Openldap in multi-master replication mode. So If you want more than one ldap-server for redundancy here we go.

The big news in the tech world yesterday was the announcement by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that it was terminating its review of Google’s business practices without requiring significant changes to the search giant’s advertising practices. But a very important aspect of the FTC’s settlement has received little attention – Google’s agreement not to seek injunctive relief in the future in connection with any “standards essential patents” (SEPs) that it owns

The Fedora developers have postponed the release of Fedora 18 yet again. More work needs to be done to remove blocker bugs that still exist in the code base

Everyone has a cell phone these days. Out here in my little corner of the world, in a county that competes with the neighboring county for the poorest in the state, everyone can somehow afford smartphones with generous data plans. I have no idea what people's eye colors are anymore, or if they even have eyes, because all I see are the tops of their heads as they are bent over their tiny screens. This stuff is not cheap-- I don't know anyone whose monthly bite is under a hundred dollars. Which is why I have a cheapo TracFone, because I refuse to pay that much. Plus I like hoarding minutes, so I turn it off. I don't have to be in constant contact with my eleventeen bestest friends at all times.

Semplice’s graphical interface is powered by Openbox, and is touted as needing less than 400 MB to boot the live system. Its development is led by Eugenio “g7? Paolantonio (from Italy).

How do you resolve to be more open in 2013? Contribute to an open source project Take an open source course Be an open source mentor Recommend open source books to friends Other (tell us in the comments) It's a new year, with new opportunities for the open source way to change and innovate life, education, government, business, health, and law. For each of us as individuals, 2013 is a chance to resolve to be more open.

There's a lot of confusion out there about what's what with Ubuntu Linux on phones. Here's some answers for you.

While I continue to use Gmail for my “work” e-mail — a decision now enforced by my employer’s pending move to Google Apps for Business, I’ve been seeking solutions for my “personal” e-mail that include less work and more flexibility -- plus no spying/marketing -- for yours truly.