The latest installment of the DR16 series, Enlightenment version 0.16.6 has been released. Significant new features in this version include full support for the freedesktop.org Extended Window Manager Hints (EMWH) Specifications. This means that E now works excellently with both KDE 3.x and Gnome 2.x desktops and their applications. Automatic menu generation updated to work with Gnome 2.x and KDE 3.x menus. Support for software cursors in XFree86 4.3 or higher. Numerous bugfixes including focus issues, Epplets and more.

Debian is widely considered the Linux distribution with the best package management tool, APT and one of the largest software bases (>13,000). However, the installation horror stories kept me away. Nevertheless, eager to try it out, I failed to install various other Debian GNU/Linux based distributions. Some failed to boot even after I tried to reinstall for the fourth time, and others just couldn’t detect my hardware. While Knoppix is highly recommended, I decided to stick with hard-drive based distros (Although it is the distribution of choice for LiveCDs). Then came Libranet.

Red Hat isn't worried about Novell's move into the Linux space because, marketing VP John Young said, Red Hat is secure as the No. 1 server Linux distributor. Update: "Novell prepares for major battle with Red Hat", TechWeb says.

Is Microsoft's new version of Windows a radical innovation or a return to the company's winner-take-all software strategy from a decade ago? Read the report at News.com.

After a few coasters because of the bad quality CDs we bought at Fry's for 8 bucks some time ago (avoid the "GQ, Great Quality" brand at all costs, they only seem to work well with selected burners no matter the burning speed used), I burned and installed Fedora Core 1 successfully. Update: Get mp3 support for your Fedora's XMMS 1.2.8 from here (mirror). Also, here are four screenshots:

Microsoft's acquisition of Connectix's assets is beginning to bear fruit on the Windows side of the market. The software giant Monday plans to announce the release to manufacturing of its newly branded and enhanced Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, formerly known as Connectix Virtual PC.

"I like REBOL for many reasons. In this article I'll focus on one, the integrated GUI system, and I'll show you how to build a front end for a small email-based survey and feedback system." Read the article at OnLamp by Gregg Irwin.

Red Hat plans to push a similar open-source infrastructure stack as part of its recent debut of Enterprise Linux 3. However, the Raleigh, N.C.-based company, which did not offer comment on the Novell-SuSE merger, lacks a global channel and a scaled-up technical-support organization of Novell, whose NetWare networking software continues to serve more than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies, Novell executives said. Read the report at Yahoo! news.

"The amazing thing about the free vs. proprietary software race is that free software is in it at all. With all the resources larger proprietary software companies have at their command, you'd think their products would be unfailingly easy to use, virtually bug-free, and priced so low that no one would mind paying for them. But this is not the case. Why isn't it?" Read the article at NewsForge.

Get details on the over 140 sessions presented at PDC 2003, including slides and source code downloads for many of the sessions.

The first release of Fedora Core is now available. Download from here or use BitTorrent. Changelog.

Here is your almost daily dose of different views on the subject of Linux desktop readiness: "Linux is Desktop Ready", "Why desktop Linux can't succeed in its present state" and "Is the Age of Desktop Linux Approaching?" Enjoy the diversity!

The new presentation subsystem in the next version of Windows, code-named "Longhorn," offers powerful new capabilities to developers. This new subsystem, code-named "Avalon," allows developers to take advantage of its capabilities through a language—Extensible Application Markup Language (code-named "XAML"), as well as through modern object-oriented programming languages such as C#. Because most applications written to Avalon will probably be a mix of XAML and programming code, this article discusses XAML tags used to control page layout along with the procedural code written to respond to events.

"Linux: A new balance of power" an analysis at ZDNet is titled, while eWEEK has a report on Novell, SuSE execs detailing their plans.