OSnews - Exploring the Future of Computing

Is There Room for Mandrake in the Enterprise?

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-07 Mandriva, Mandrake, Lycoris 31 Comments

One contributing factor to Mandrake's minimal presence in the enterprise is its unusual business model. After legions of Linux salespeople have educated corporate buyers into the open-source methodology -- buying low-cost software, but expecting to pay for services -- Mandrake persists in taking the opposite approach. Read the article at Enterprise-Linux-IT.

Xandros 2.0 Review at CahTech

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-07 Oracle and SUN 18 Comments

The intention of the Xandros team is to provide users a distribution that bridges the gap between Windows and Linux. Read the review at CahTech.

Configuring the 2.6 Linux kernel

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-07 Linux 23 Comments

LinuxDevices.com has published an article by veteran Linux author William von Hagen about changes to the configuration process in the 2.6 Linux kernel. The article is the first in a series of articles that will discuss using the Linux kernel and device drivers, etc., in embedded devices. However, the article is generally relevant to servers and desktops, too. Be aware, the author did not mention on the "migration from kernel 2.4" section of the article that you will need to download the latest module-init-tools (and the new 'udev', 'hotplug' packages if you were using these too) in order to fully & correctly migrate to 2.6.

A Guide to Writing Efficient C Programs

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-06 General Development 25 Comments

This guide mainly focuses prime issues that are involved in writing professional code, which is very efficient both in terms of space & time as well as be easily ported to other systems with small changes.

A Noobie Spends Quality Time With Linux (YDL 3.0 To Be Exact)

Submitted by Katherine Keller 2004-02-06 Linux 42 Comments

The goal of the project was to use YDL 3.0 and included software for about a month to do the more ordinary things the author does with her iBook and G4: write articles, edit html, surf the web, print, listen to music, play some QuickTime or Real Media files, and transfer some files to/from a server. Read the full review at GUILinux.

yellowTAB Expands Internationally

Kevin05 2004-02-06 Zeta 17 Comments

yellowTAB has announced that they are expanding internationally. They will be opening offices in Canada and Italy, in order to reach users and markets around the world. yellowTAB North America will be opening it's own store, Zelect.com. In other yellowTAB news, recently an educational edition of Zeta RC2 was released.

Sun Shows Off 3D Desktop

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-06 Oracle and SUN 61 Comments

Sun Microsystems is experimenting (as we have reported in the past) with a three-dimensional desktop interface that could alter the way users see their screens--without the dorky glasses. First demonstrated at LinuxWorld in January, the "Project Looking Glass" initiative is a 3D Java-based, open source desktop that runs on Linux.

Stupidest Moments in Tech: 2003

David Adams 2004-02-06 Humor 13 Comments

Business 2.0 has compiled a list of shameful shenanigans from last year that should give you a chuckle. Test your tech savvy. Do you remember: the iLoo, the Segway hype, the swastika font, Shift key "hacking" (and a weak attempt at using the DMCA to prevent Shift key use)?

Retail Software Sales Way Down

David Adams 2004-02-06 In the News 53 Comments

According to recently-released market data, retail software sales have decreased by 4%, or by 10% by units sold. That difference in numbers is a telling fact. Though demand is slackening, prices are rising. And this does not include mail order or download sales. Should it be any surprise that people are not buying software at their local Wal-Marts anymore? And the growing disaffection with the upgrade treadmill and the increasing availablity of free alternatives may be having an effect too.

Introducing the Robotic Operating System

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-06 OS News 5 Comments

The Robotic Operating System, or ROS (download), is intended to operate at the center of behavior-based robotics systems. ROS is an operating system within an operating system, running as a normal program on UNIX-like systems and acting as an operating system for a set of other normal UNIX programs and scripts. ROS is used only to start, stop, and provide other services to behaviors, but without behaviors would perform no function. While a behavior might, technically, run without ROS, it would not fit into a system of behaviors and so would not be useful.

Review: A Slackware User Looks at LindowsOS

Guest post by Tarmo Hyvärinen 2004-02-05 Linspire 50 Comments

Lindows.com offered LindowsOS Developer Edition free for one day, GoogleDay (Whatever that is, I don't know, google's birthday perhaps?) so I decided to test it. My favorite distribution this far has been (and still is) Slackware Linux, which has always, well, just worked. I've been using Linux for some years now, I use Solaris at work (I work as software designer). Trying out Lindows after Slackware was totally different world, and here's some of my toughts after trying out Lindows.

First Alpha Release of WebCore for GNUstep

Submitted by Andrew Munkres 2004-02-05 OpenStep, GNUstep 20 Comments

Stefan has released an alpha version of his GNUstep port of WebCore, the KHTML-based renderer used by Apple's Safari web browser. The code includes a simple browser program.

Mandrake Set to Emerge from Bankruptcy Protection

Submitted by Matt Whipp 2004-02-05 Mandriva, Mandrake, Lycoris 25 Comments

Mandrake has applied to come out of the French equivalent of bankruptcy protection: 'declaration de cessation des paiements'. Some of the new features of Mandrake 10 that MandrakeSoft will be pinning their hopes on to make succeeding quarters more profitable. "There will be many new features in Mandrake 10.0, but it's a bit early to say more. There will be new improvements on the ergonomy side, the integration of a groupware solution, and of course the inclusion of Linux 2.6.x kernel as default which provides better performance."

An Introduction to Virtualization

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-05 OS News 5 Comments

The purpose of this document can be informally stated as follows: if you were to use virtualization in a an endeavor (research or otherwise), here are some things to look at.

iChatAV 2.1b adds AIM Video Conf Support; Bluetooth 1.5 Update

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-05 Multimedia, AV 24 Comments

Macminute reports that Apple today released a public beta version of iChat AV 2.1, an update to its instant messaging application that adds support for video conferencing with those using AOL Instant Messenger 5.5 for Windows (also released today). Apple has released Bluetooh Software 1.5, the latest version of the short-range wireless connectivity technology for Mac OS X. Version 1.5, available via the Software Update preference pane, provides support for Bluetooth-enabled headsets and printers.

C++ GUI Programming with Qt 3 Sample Chapter

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-05 Qt 16 Comments

This official Trolltech guide to Qt 3.2 programming covers all you need to build industrial-strength applications with Qt 3.2.x and C++. The free CD offers an exclusive version of QT 3 compatible for Windows users worth more than $2000 (more info on this). Download a sample chapter in PDF format: "Layout Management".

OSDL Releases Linux Enterprise Guidelines

Submitted by Joseph Childrose 2004-02-05 Linux 3 Comments

Open Source Development Labs, one of the main groups promoting the business use of open-source software, released its standards for using Linux in enterprise applications. Read the article at C|Net.

GNOME Desktop & Developer platform 2.4.2 Released

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-05 Gnome 13 Comments

Gnome 2.4.2 is a new point release from the stable series of the 2.4.x tree. Download, release notes.

Gentoo 2004.0-20040204 Development Release

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-05 Gentoo 51 Comments

DistroWatch reports that a new development set of Gentoo Linux live CDs and stage tarballs has been released to mirrors for testing.

Spyware Cures May Cause More Harm Than Good

Eugenia Loli 2004-02-05 Privacy, Security 48 Comments

Web surfers battling "spyware" face a new problem: So-called spyware-killing programs that install the same kind of unwanted advertising software they promise to erase. Though the companies that fail to disclose this practice are facing an outcry from consumers and watchdogs, there is little people can do to defend their systems, security firms say.