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Kubuntu has been my favorite Linux distribution since the very first release. It was made specifically for us KDE fans, branded with beautiful Kubuntu-specific artwork and themes, contained the best Qt-based software, and dared to be different. In a world ruled by Ubuntu, it’s given us KDE fans something to root for. Unfortunately, Kubuntu later became known as Canonical’s third wheel, and each release seems to steadily diminish in quality. What’s responsible for its current status, and what should be done to improve it?

Timesys announced that it is providing the first commercial Linux development support for NXP Semiconductors' LPC313x series of ARM9-based microcontrollers. The "LinuxLink for LPC313x" offering enables developers to build custom Linux-based products on the 180MHz ARM926EJ-S-based processor, says the company.

Sun Microsystems is working with partners to make Java telecomsy for netbooks. The company hopes to deliver a modular version of Java Micro Edition (Java ME) "sometime" next year, which would let netbooks running Java offer more of the kinds of features used in cell phones and are currently enabled on such devices through the Java APIs. Currently, netbooks must use Java Standard Edition (Java SE), which is used on notebooks and PCs.

"Whereas GNOME so far made sacrifices to flexibility and power in order to improve usability KDE4 is succeeding in having its cake and eating it too. They merge flexibility with ingenious design to create a desktop environment in which having lots of options to choose from doesn't impair the ease of use and in some cases actually aids it."

I’m taking Stanford’s Open Courseware “Programming Methodology” this semester, but I got stumped early on by the problem of setting up the special Stanford class libraries in my Debian-standard Eclipse installation. The instructions and files available from the website are only available for Windows and Macintosh platforms. The process is not that hard, but if you’re new to Java and Eclipse (and especially if you are new to programming, as the class assumes), you’ll likely be thrown by this. I couldn’t find any documentation on how to do this after extensive searching, so here it is. Read the howto at Freesoftware Magazine.

Eigenlabs, the designers of a major new electronic musical instrument system based around a music controller called the Eigenharp, are planning to release the control protocol and API used with the system as open source early in 2010.

If you think streams and pipes make a Linux expert sound like a plumber, here's your chance to learn about them and how to redirect and split them. This article grounds you in the basic Linux techniques for redirecting standard IO streams.

In this final installment of Paul Ferrill's series on building your own high-powered Linux workstation, it is time to install the operating system. Or actually several operating systems, putting a whole computer lab in a box.

When you're collaborating with a team that's flung across the globe, sometimes you need collaboration software with some heft to help you get the job done. Open source Web-based project manager, Collabtive, might be just the tool you're looking for. It has several features that make it a great alternative to proprietary alternatives like Basecamp.

It allows you to get to the internet in 5 seconds from power up. Thats the good news. There is no mention of Linux anywhere. Thats the start of the bad news. There are upgrades of Splashtop available. Thats the good news. You can't run Linux and upgrade. Thats the bad news.

Even though Ubuntu 9.10 is officially completed, developers managed to slip in the new beta version of Apache CouchDB that stores addresses, notes and bookmarks.

Cornell University undergraduates have developed an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that runs Debian Linux on a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. The 50-inch mini-sub won first place in the 12th annual Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition, and was the first AUV to complete the entire course since 2002.

Game Editor provides a graphical game development environment for Windows (95 to Vista), Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.5 and Linux. The software is distributed under a dual licensing model - the source code is available under version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPLv3), but can - after being compiled by the user - only be used to develop open source games.

I've stayed fairly quiet on the controversy over Mono, the open-source implementation of Microsoft's .NET protocol and C# programming language that's been grabbing a greater share of the desktop in various Linux distributions in recent years and months. ... Although I'm not a developer, this is a very real issue for me, and it should be for all who use Linux/Unix — and especially GNOME — on the desktop. Two of the biggest Linux distributions — Debian and the Debian-derived Ubuntu — are based on the GNOME desktop environment and seemingly have Mono apps taking a bigger chunk of the system with every release.

DD-WRT not only converts those little consumer broadband routers into mighty Linux networking powerhouses, it also runs on any old PC. Eric Geier shows how.

For the past decade, Asterisk has prospered as an open source VoIP PBX (define). Now it's poised for greater traction, courtesy of a new joint effort with IBM. "Asterisk for Smart Cube is a customized version of Asterisk Business Edition, which has administration capabilities built into the Smart Cube Smart Desk GUI," Engler said. Asterisk for Smart Cube includes the software for the Smart Cube x86 platform, and SuSE Linux Enterprise as the underlying OS. The companies are also providing the IBM ISS Proventia Server IPS v1.0 firewall with each system for security.

Digium CEO Danny Windham has a message for networking VARs seeking a new opportunity in the IT channel: Digium -- the provider of Asterisk, the open source IP PBX -- is profitable, growing and seeking talented solutions providers. Here are more thoughts.

In 2008 the Gentoo Foundation ceased to exist, sending rumors of Gentoo’s demise and ultimate death circulating around the Internet. Almost two years on, the distro is still here and celebrating its 10th anniversary. How close did the distro come to disaster, and where does it stand now?

Genuine Amarok fans are still reminiscing about the good old version 1.4, code-named Fast Forward. The new Amarok 2.2.1 should bring back memories.

We've done a number of posts lately on the incredible momentum that the open source Android operating system has. It's being supported by nearly every major smartphone maker, with players such as Acer and Motorola putting huge bets behind it. Acer's new "Liquid" Android smartphone has the trendy Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm built in, a sign that the OS could boost the prospects of cutting-edge new processors. Verizon Wireless recently inked a broad-based deal (GigaOm Pro, sub. req'd) with Google that will mean, since T-Mobile and Sprint are also on board, that U.S.-based Android phone users will have solid choice among wireless carriers. Yesterday, Acer announced that it is going to offer dual-boot versions of its popular Aspire One netbooks that run both Android and the upcoming Windows 7 OS. That could potentially help Android spread to many new users who wouldn't otherwise try it.