Linux Mandrake 8.2 Released

Mandriva, Mandrake, Lycoris 17 Comments
From the press release: "MandrakeSoft is proud to introduce Mandrake Linux 8.2 as the most feature-rich, multi-purpose Linux operating system ever made available to the public. New server features include the ability to use an encrypted filesystem for protecting sensitive data; "kernel-secure" adds important security features to the default Linux kernel; and an "Enterprise" kernel delivers SMP and Hi-memory support (above 1024 MB) for high-end servers. Mandrake Linux 8.2 also introduces a quick and efficient way to set up printers and scanners; a new file sharing feature for easily sharing files and directories in a networked environment; and improved "hot-plug" support that lets users install new devices quickly and painlessly without having to reboot the system. A new remote desktop utility, RFBdrake, is extremely useful for controlling machines remotely within a LAN or securely through the Internet."
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A Penguin’s-Eye Look at Apple’s OS X

macOS 34 Comments
"When Steve Jobs introduced Apple's new iMac in January 2002, the spotlight was focused entirely on the physical architecture of the first mainstream computer that fully defied the term 'box'. The new iMac is a white dome with a flat screen that floats on the end of a chrome arm. It looks like a cross between a Luxo lamp and a makeup mirror. Jobs called it 'the best thing we've ever done'". Read the rest of the MacOSX review at LinuxJournal.
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Lycoris Desktop/LX Review

Mandriva, Mandrake, Lycoris 47 Comments
Many companies tried to create a truly easy-to-use Linux distribution, but as they say in Greece "they reached the well, but weren't able to drink water". Corel, Mandrake, Lindows, Xandros, Stormix and many other distros tried or are still trying to bring Linux closer to Windows' ease of use and the millions of the desktop-oriented users. One of the new distributions that has many people impressed so far, is Lycoris (formerly known as 'Redmond Linux'). OSNews tested the latest Lycoris Desktop/LX and here is what we experienced.
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Mac Market Built on Sand?

Apple 29 Comments
"Remember Steve Jobs' "sand" concept for the creation of personal computers? About the time he lent his star power to the creation of the original Macintosh back in the early '80s, Apple's founder famously described his dream factory: an oceanfront site that would haul raw beach sand in one end, cook up its own silicon and deliver fully configured PCs out the other end. This vision of vertical integration and rugged self-sufficiency is a cornerstone of Apple's culture that has informed the company's every move during Jobs' two tenures there. (It's telling that the only time Apple ever seriously toyed with opening up its hardware and software specs - porting the Mac OS to Intel processors and allowing a short list of third-party vendors to create a tightly controlled roster of hardware "clones" - was during Jobs' exile in the late '80s and early '90s.)" Read the rest of the editorial at ExtremeTech.
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German Team Distributes a BeOS Release as “BeOS 5.0.4”

Haiku 40 Comments
Be, Inc disolved the company and stopped public trading on Friday. They now sell the www.be.com domain name as well. The company will still live on for at least 3 more years (without employees, but with a Board of Directors in charge), therefore their trademarks are still active. However, this did not stop a team of BeOS German enthusiasts, BeOSOnline.com, to release a 230 MB bootable ISO distribution of BeOS and name it "BeOS 5.0.4". Users should not confuse this release with any official means, as it is a plain BeOS 5.0.3 with additional developer tools and applications as found freely at BeBits.com.
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Python and C# Bindings Expand KDE Languages

KDE 16 Comments
From dot.KDE.org: "Adam Treat released the initial version of Qt bindings for C#, which consists of 476 Qt classes converted to C#. The bindings work with the Mono compiler, runtime environment and class libraries, enabling a fully Open Source implementation of C# for Qt. While not yet ready for a real application, Adam has managed to write and execute a Hello World! program (screenshot). KDE bindings are on the drawing board. Shortly thereafter, Phil Thompson, Jim Bublitz and theKompany.com released KDE 2 and KDE 3 bindings for Python. Together with the Java, Objective C and C bindings in the kdebindings module, as well as the Ruby bindings, KDE is providing developers a broad gamut of application development languages."
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Ruling Questions Protected Use of the Name Windows

Linspire 10 Comments
"Windows, one of the best-known trademarks in the world, may not be a name Microsoft Corp. can own and use exclusively, a federal judge ruled yesterday. In a narrow, preliminary ruling that could change at trial, Chief U.S. District Judge John Coughenour wrote that there are "serious questions regarding whether 'Windows' is a non-generic name and thus eligible for the protections of federal trademark law." This probably means that Lindows won the case and they would be able to continue use the Lindows.com name. Read the report at NWSource.com.
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Microsoft Windows CE .NET Device Emulator and Related Projects

Windows 3 Comments
The Microsoft Windows CE .NET Device Emulator is a tool that allows you to view an Emulation Project Kit. An Emulation Project Kit contains an operating system image for a Windows CE-based platform. The platform is designed to run in the Device Emulator. The Device Emulator provides a viewer that allows you to run the Windows CE .NET OS on your desktop computer without specialized hardware. The Device Emulator makes it possible to download and view a Windows CE .NET-based device without acquiring additional hardware. They are sample platforms, each with a custom skin to showcase some of the capabilities of Windows CE .NET. The Microsoft Windows CE .NET Emulation Kit Creator is a tool that allows you to create an Emulation Project Kit for your Windows CE .NET-based platform. The Windows CE .NET Driver Development Program (WCEDDP) enables independent hardware and driver developers to get to market faster with free grants of Windows CE .NET.
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Wind River Announces Plans for Its BSD/OS

BSD & Darwin 2 Comments
Wind River Systems announced the release of version 4.3 of BSD/OS, the company's commercial UNIX-based operating system, and detailed roadmap plans for the product. Version 4.3 of BSD/OS is available now. Future releases of the operating system will target server appliances, security and traffic management appliances, network attached storage (NAS) devices, and telecom application processing blades as part of Wind River's strategy to provide end-to-end development platforms across the entire spectrum of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and embedded market segments.
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Sun Releases New Workstation and Graphics Accelerator

Oracle and SUN 21 Comments
Sun has released the new Sun Blade 2000 Workstation, featuring either 2x 1GHz or 2x 900MHz UltraSparc III CPU's. They have also launched the XVR-1000 Graphics Accelerator which puts Sgi square in their sites, when it comes to the 3D vizualization market. What's interesting to note, is not only the first more than 1GHz uSparc III processor, but that the XVR-1000 board is based off Sun's new MAJC processor, with 2 VLIW cores, on-board. Let the VLIW/CISC/RISC discussion begin!
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Vesta Releases First LGPL Version

General Development 10 Comments
Many are the developers who prefer Perforce in favor of CVS. There is a new player in the field now though. It is called Vesta and it is a replacement for both CVS and 'make'. It handles source revision control and automated construction. It is the result of over 10 years of research and development at the Compaq/Digital Research Center. Just last August Compaq gave the 'ok' to LGPL Vesta and since then the 4-member team worked hard to finish up the port to x86 Linux (prior to that, Vesta only worked on Alpha and Tru64 systems). Now, the first Free version is available for download. For a summary of some of the features that make Vesta interesting, see this page.
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Netscape Deserves to Lose

Legal 51 Comments
"The loser in the browser wars has filed a private antitrust suit against Microsoft. But the company doesn't deserve to win. It isn't fair. Netscape gave us a revolutionary product that has touched the lives of everyone in America, and in exchange we took away its market and made the company a minor subsidiary of AOL Time Warner. But we can't fix things by exchanging the rule of law for a popularity contest. I know that if it were me I'd be mad as hell -- but nevertheless this is one fight that Netscape deserves to lose." First of a two-part series editorial on the legal battle between Netscape and Microsoft. Update: Second part is online: "Microsoft should be punished".
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Apple Releases Remote Desktop Application

Apple 28 Comments
From the press release: "Apple today announced Apple Remote Desktop for MacOSX software, which enables users, teachers and administrators to remotely manage other Mac desktops anywhere on a local network, AirPort wireless network or across the Internet. With Apple Remote Desktop, teachers can view students computer screens, perform group demonstrations and help individuals with real-time screen-sharing, text chat and the request attention command. System administrators can provide remote assistance, get comprehensive system profiles, reconfigure system settings and quickly and easily distribute software applications across hundreds of computers all from one central location over both Ethernet and AirPort wireless networks."
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Caldera Fights it Out in the Stock Market with Reverse Split

SCO 11 Comments
"Remember when people fought over getting Linux company stock options? Today, it's the Linux companies fighting to keep their stock prices above water. Caldera, in danger of being delisted by Nasdaq thanks to a stock price lurking around 50 cents a share for months, is taking the radical step today of a reverse stock split. For every four shares of Caldera International, stock owners will now receive one pumped-up share." Read the rest of the story at NewsForge.
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