Monthly Archive:: December 2007

"While Ubuntu Linux continues to grow - in both popularity and new advancements for the Linux ecosystem - and dance in the limelight, it isn't the choice for everybody. For those that may still be searching for their right Linux mate, Zenwalk 5.0 is a distribution worth trying out. Previously we have referred to Zenwalk as an unsung hero among Linux distributions and with the forthcoming 5.0 release it asserts a very well rounded Xfce desktop."

"The browser that helped kick-start the commercial web is to cease development because of lack of users. Netscape Navigator, now owned by AOL, will no longer be supported after 1 February 2008, the company has said. In the mid-1990s the browser was used by more than 90% of the web population, but numbers have slipped to just 0.6%. In particular, the browser has faced competition from Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which is now used by nearly 80% of all web users."

"The Debian project is pleased to announce the second update of its stable distribution Debian GNU/Linux 4.0. This update mainly adds corrections for security problems to the stable release, along with a few adjustment to serious problems. Please note that this update does not constitute a new version of Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 but only updates some of the packages included. There is no need to throw away 4.0 CDs or DVDs but only to update against ftp.debian.org after an installation, in order to incorporate those late changes. Those who frequently install updates from security.debian.org won't have to update many packages and most updates from security.debian.org are included in this update."

"Trolltech has released the Qt 4.4.0 technical preview, a pre-release that allows software developers to begin experimenting with the new features that the company has implemented for the next version. I compiled the technical preview release from source code and tested it on my desktop computer with Ubuntu 7.10. For testing purposes, I experimented with several of the new features, examined the included demo applications, and created a few simple programs of my own. The 4.4.0 technical preview adds a new concurrency framework, enhanced XML support, the Phonon media framework, and an integrated HTML renderer widget based on WebKit. This release is also the first to include support for rendering widgets on a GraphicsView component - a feature that will enable Qt developers to create richer and more dynamic user interfaces."

From the OSNews team, we'd like to wish everyone a merry Christmas (it's Christmas Eve in my country already), or a happy whatever other holiday you might celebrate; it so happens that Hanukkah and Eid ul-Adha have already passed, so my best wishes are in retrospect if you practice the Jewish or Muslim religion. These matters are always like tight-rope walking on the internet, but I'd like to say one thing: please, emphasize not our differences, but celebrate our similarities. And yes, even if you are not religious (like myself), I'd still like to wish you very happy holidays. Enjoy the food, but realise this.

"There are literally dozens of window managers that you can use with your favorite desktop environment to get a beautiful and appealing desktop. If you want to fine-tune your window manager, here are two programs that can help you control everything from application window size to pinning an application to all workspaces to fixing a position for your application windows to resizing desktops. One, wmctrl, works with any window managers that adheres to the Extended Window Manager Hints, while Devil's Pie is a window-matching utility, which means it can configure application windows based on defined rules."