OSnews - Exploring the Future of Computing

GuestPC 1.2 Updater released

Submitted by Al Hartman 2005-03-30 In the News 10 Comments

Guest PC 1.2 has a 2x performance boost on G5s plus better support for dual-headed machines. Serial port support added. It became possible to communicate with serial devices such as modems, PDAs and cell phones. USB-to-Serial adapter is supported as well. Extended peripheral devices support. This feature allows to separately select modem and printer for every virtual computer.

FreeRTOS – A Free RTOS for Small Embedded Real-Time Systems

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-30 OS News 3 Comments

FreeRTOS is a portable open source (GPL) real-time operating system for embedded devices. It offers a smaller and easier real-time processing alternative for applications where eCOS and embedded Linux (or Real Time Linux) won't fit, are not appropriate, or are not available. FreeRTOS runs on a bunch of architectures, both 8- and 16-bit. TCP/IP support is provided either from the uIP software TCP/IP stack (live demo server here) or by using the Wiznet hardware TCP/IP co-processor (live demo server here).

The role of WINE in migrating enterprise desktops to Linux

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-30 Linux 6 Comments

This whitepaper by Codeweavers COO Jon Parshall and CEO Jeremy White takes a detailed look at the potential value of WINE as an ingredient in a strategy for enterprise migration from Windows to Linux desktops. The paper itemizes the requirements for enterprise desktop migration, examines a range of available tactics, and then suggests strategies for making the journey in ways that are "pragmatic, economical, and customer focused," the authors say.

John Carmack’s cell phone adventures

Submitted by Michelle 2005-03-30 Java 43 Comments

John Carmack decides to code a Java game for his new cell phone just for fun and writes about the problems he had with J2ME while doing so.

Poll: Name the New XFce File Manager

Adam Scheinberg 2005-03-30 Xfce 90 Comments

The code-named Thunar project, which aims to develop a new file manager for Xfce 4, has had a bunch of discussion on the mailing list about a possible new name. Xfce developers decided to share some of their favorites with OSNews readers and solicit some feedback.

A close look at the Zeta ‘Venture’ kernel

Submitted by YC 2005-03-30 Zeta 56 Comments

There are a lot of stories going round about yellowTAB and the Zeta kernel. To put an end to this, ZetaNews decided to have a closer look at the latest kernel included in the "Venture" beta of the Zeta OS. We have also tested the kernel on a wide range of new processors.

BitRock InstallBuilder 2.4.0 Released

Submitted by Daniel Lopez 2005-03-29 In the News 11 Comments

BitRock InstallBuilder is a multiplatform installation tool that supports Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, Solaris and, soon, OSX. It has free, fully functional licenses for open source projects. This new release adds Linux PPC and FreeBSD 5.x support.

Sun Plans To Make Java Enterprise System Open-Source

Submitted by kudzo 2005-03-29 Java 56 Comments

Sun plans to make Java Enterprise System available as an open-source product. "That will define us as a company truly committed to open source," Jonathan Schwartz, president and chief operating officer of Sun, told InformationWeek.

The Big Arch Linux Interview

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-29 Original OSNews Interviews 47 Comments

Today we are very happy to feature a huge interview with most of the developer team of Arch Linux, including its founder, Judd Vinet. If you are curious about this young and promising Linux distribution, dig in for more!

Linux Virtually Ready for the Data Center

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-29 Linux 11 Comments

New start-up efforts and maturing commercial and open-source projects promise to make virtualization more powerful and ubiquitous for Linux and the x86 platform. Also, 64 reasons to opt for Linux.

Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger” reaches final candidate stage

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-29 macOS 94 Comments

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Apple Computer's next-generation operating system, is just about ready to wrap.

Life on Mars? Could be, but how to tell?

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-29 Geek stuff 28 Comments

The landscape looked lifeless. But satellite images from orbit identified geological formations containing minerals that microbes sometimes like to nestle in, and scientists dispatched a small rover to look at the rocks up close.

Alan Cox: Linux doesn’t need Linus

Submitted by Matthew Revell 2005-03-29 Linux 38 Comments

Alan Cox chats about life as a Linux kernel hacker, describing the Linux development process as a controlled explosion. He also notes that Linux doesn't need Linus and even names his most likely successor. He also talks about Trusted Computing's affect on Linux and his research in people's desires for desktop Linux.

Distribution migration and binary compatibility considerations

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-29 IBM 3 Comments

Learn about binary compatibility as it relates to the different operating environments that run on Linux on POWER. Learn about new technologies that can provide performance enhancements for a Linux on POWER apps, and follow steps to ensure binary compatibility across multiple distributions in the future.

The reinvention of Progeny

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-29 Debian 15 Comments

In June 2001, Progeny Linux Systems was in crisis. Looking around, co-founder and CEO Ian Murdock realized that the company needed fundamental changes to survive. Four years later, Progeny is back up to its former staffing levels and showing modest profits. It is also one of the few Free/Open Source Software (FOSS)-based companies from that era to survive.

Solaris Express 3/2005 available today

Submitted by Dan Price 2005-03-29 Solaris 27 Comments

Solaris Express 3/2005 (a.k.a. Nevada Build 9) should arrive later today providing improved hardware support, performance, the Network Layer 7 Cache, and new developer APIs. You can obtain a free download. An overview of new features is available.

SkyOS Viewer gets Overhauled

Submitted by Kelly Rush 2005-03-29 SkyOS 104 Comments

In the next beta of SkyOS, users can look forward to seeing a completely re-designed Viewer. The new Viewer will take advantage of the powerful features of the SkyFS (derived from Haiku's BFS), including extremely fast searching and organizing of files, on-the-fly filtering of files and folders within the Viewer, fast insertion of meta-data into multiple files, and more. Update: Screenshots!

Sleepycat CEO Talks About Everything

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-29 Databases 9 Comments

SearchEnterpriseLinux.com recently caught up with Sleepycat Software Inc. CEO Mike Olson to find out what's new with open source Berkeley DB. In these excerpts from that conversation, Olsen talks about where Berkeley DB is positioned in the marketplace, and where it's going in terms of features and functionality. Also, Olson discusses why he thinks ever-evolving attitudes toward open source will make hybrid offerings lucrative. He then runs through an interesting "thought experimentation" to show what would happen if Microsoft ever decided to embrace open source.

Linspire 5.0 Review

Guest post by Michael Valentine 2005-03-28 Linspire 57 Comments

I decided to write this review to provide a quick inside to the new Linspire 5.0 released on March 15th, 2005. The review will determine the use of Linspire 5.0 in a SOHO (Small Office Home Office) Environment. The download was free for me since I'm a current CNR subscriber. UPDATE: Another Linspire review, and the Linspire 5.0 Live CD is now available for free download.

A Preview of Windows Mobile 2005; Opie 1.2 is Out

Eugenia Loli 2005-03-28 Wireless 18 Comments

A beta version of Magneto leaked out: This version of the OS, which is expected to be called Windows Mobile 2005, will have a number of significant changes from the current one. Elsewhere, the Opie Project is pleased to announce the availability of version 1.2 with many new features.