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Monthly Archive:: April 2007

The Myth of Apple’s Insecurities

"In case you missed it, there's a virus for the iPod. Yep, that's right, your MP3 player is a veritable hotbed of virus activity - but only if you're running the iPod Linux distribution, and only if you take great pains to make the virus function, since it doesn't really work. We can argue about whether or not this code actually constitutes a virus, but that's not the point I'm trying to make. The point here is that if it has a CPU, hackers will try to break it, and virus writers will try to write a virus for it. Given that there are probably only a few hundred - maybe a thousand - iPods running Linux out there, the fact that someone took the time to write this virus, or malicious code is an example of why Apple detractors clamoring that Macs aren't a target due to the lower market share are all wet."

Linux, Solaris Face Off

"One reason that people might choose to miss out on OpenSolaris is because we're (in general) a conservative lot and a lot of people have had bad experiences with Solaris (and, dare we say it, also with Windows and Linux) in the past. No matter how much software and UI improves, it takes ages for the community to accept this. A reputation that took years to build can be lost with one bad release - but won't be quickly reinstated with one good one. So there will always be people who resist change - and why not, if what they have now works for them. However, various people pointed us at Ubuntu and 'an OpenSolaris-based distro focused specifically on developers'. So perhaps things have improved for Solaris lately and, as I said in the original article, it's now worth another look."

Bill Gates on Making ACPI Not Work with Linux

"It seems unfortunate if we do this work and get our partners to do the work and the result is that Linux works great without having to do the work" said Bill Gates in 1999 (pdf). While we don't know if he actually managed to do just that (creating problems to other OSes to work well with ACPI), but if he did, it is a good explanation why ACPI has been flaky on the majority of x86 computers with anything else other than Windows (the older, APM standard, seemed more compatible with alternative OSes).

Vasper Starts Work on Haiku-Based Max Edition

Vassilis 'vasper' Perantzakis, of BeOS Max Edition fame, has announced that he will start work on WalterOS, the Haiku-based version of BeOS Max. "All code developed for this OS will be given to Haiku with the same MIT license 1 month after release at the latest. 50% of all income generated for us from any activity related to this OS (selling of CD and possibly memorabilia) will be donated to Haiku. Donations will not be accepted, please donate to Haiku." The name is not final yet, so feel free to add your own proposals.

Apple Delays Leopard Until October 2007

Apple conceded that it will be unable to release its next generation operating system in June as previously planned and now says it anticipates launching the software in October. In a statement released after the close of the stock market, Apple said its highly anticipated iPhone has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned. "We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is," Apple said. "However, iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price - we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our WWDC in early June as planned." Update: New Leopard screenshots.

The Road to KDE 4: Strigi and File Information Extraction

"After a short delay due to a heavy dosage of 'Real Life', I return to bring you more on the technologies behind KDE 4. This week I am featuring Strigi, an information extraction subsystem that is being fully deployed for KDE 4.0. KDE has previously had the ability to extract information about files of various types, and has used them in a variety of functional contexts, such as the Properties Dialog. Strigi promises many improvements over the existing versions."

Google Summer of Code Results Published

"Accepted student applications for Google Summer of Code have been announced! We accepted over 900 student applicants from a pool of nearly 6,200 applications. All the mentoring organizations that will participate in Google Summer of Code 2007 are listed. You can learn more about the accepted students and their projects by visiting each organization's 'about' page."

Ubuntu vs. OpenSUSE

"I must say that both of these distros have pleased me a lot and completely suffice my requirement of a home desktop system. Both automatically detected all my hardware and had installed the drivers required. However, when it comes to comparing the two, I get a little biased towards the more polished distro." Elsewhere, it is reported that Ubuntu's new Linux version sports a debugging tool.

Windows XP To Be Phased Out by Year’s End Despite Strong Demand

Computer makers have been told they'll no longer be able to get Windows XP OEM by the end of this year, despite strong ongoing demand for the OS. Analysts and computer makers are wondering if the move is premature given Vista's ongoing performance and compatibility issues. Dell recently said it would reintroduce XP on a range of machines due to customer demand but Microsoft will only allow this until the end of the year.

The True Nature of Open Source

"In the beginning... open source was pure and unadulterated. Over time, the idea of community-build software that is free and unfettered by sticky licensing terms and fees caught on with IT buyers, and the disruption of the old order began. Now, open source (Linux, Eclipse, Java, etc.) is mainstream, with many companies giving away valuable software for free and looking to gain profits from their largess."