The second edition of 'Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change' explains how and why to use XP. But where to start? XP Explained uses the analogy of entering a swimming pool to describe how organizations get started with XP. There are toe dippers, racing divers, cannonballers, and all manner of variations in between. In this paper Kent Beck and Cynthia Andres characterize these styles.

To celebrate the release of WinUAE v1.0 and the new versions of AIAB and AmigaSYS packages I have updated my guide for WinUAE accordingly. Screenshot of AIAB r10.5

Mandriva engineer Claudio Matsuoka questions in his journal if the recently touted problems in Debian Sarge upgrade are a result of package dependencies in distribution getting too complex, even for APT. Has the time come for the next generation of package managers, led by Smart?

As the first Debian release to use the new installer, version 3.1, a.k.a. Sarge, goes a long way to detonating the myth that Debian is hard to install. Moreover, because it includes -- for the most part -- up-to-the-moment software while conforming to strict free software guidelines and offering better than average security, 3.1 is easily the most accessible version of Debian ever released.

In late-night sessions this week, Apple developers have been getting their first look at how much work they have ahead to convert their programs to run on Intel-based Macs. Also game developers react to Intel switch. Update: More developer opinions here.

Many virus attacks aren't really exploiting weaknesses in your operating sytem: they're simply tricking you into telling the OS to do things that it shouldn't do. The OS is just doing its job, executing code when you say so. Researchers at HP Labs are working on a solution to this problem using the Principle of Least Authority, or POLA -- "limiting the rights of each program to only the ones needed for the job the user wants done"