Linux Archive

Linux Seen Grabbing 10% of Desktop OS Segment in India

Guest post by Kevin Adams 2003-02-26 Linux 38 Comments

"Linux, the cash-saving open source option to costly proprietary operating system (OS) such as Microsoft’s Windows operating system, is now seen to be gaining ground in the desktop market in India. Thus far, Linux has been a dominant force only in the worldwide server market and has grabbed impressive market share from Microsoft and Sun Microsystems." Read more at Business Standard.

How Linux Could Trump Unix

Eugenia Loli 2003-02-26 Linux 19 Comments

"Our CEO has said that the path to Redmond is through Mountain View," Red Hat's Mark de Visser said. "We focus on Unix now, and once we gain the upper hand... we believe we can ultimately displace Microsoft, even on the desktop." Can Linux replace Unix? This question would have seemed ridiculous just a few years ago, even as Linux vendor Red Hat's stock shot toward the stratosphere. Read the article at NewsFactor by Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier.

Vector Linux SOHO 3.0-beta1 Available

Eugenia Loli 2003-02-26 Linux 11 Comments

The first beta version of Vector Linux SOHO 3.0 is now available for download. Some quick features: vlautosetup tool has been integrated to the install routine so all hardware can be configured, namely the mouse, the network card, XFree86 4.2.1, cdroms, and sound are automatically setup and ready to be used upon first boot. KDE 3.1, IceWM, and XFCE are the available window managers/Desktops and OpenOffice.org 1.0.2 Koffice 1.2.1 are included. Screenshots here.

Coping With Choice: The Double-Edged Sword of the Linux Desktop

Submitted by John Gowin 2003-02-24 Linux 36 Comments

"When someone mentions "Microsoft Windows", most experienced computer users have an idea of what the operating system does. Whether it's Windows 95/98, ME, 2000 or XP, Microsoft has managed to maintain an identity for their OS that has translated into a monopoly-sized chunk of the desktop business and home market. Maintaining the look and feel of their desktop OS over several revisions and upgrades, Microsoft has established a standard for most desktop computer users." Read the editorial at LinuxOrbit.

Choosing Between the Big Linux Distros

Guest post by Marcus Vorwaller 2003-02-20 Linux 93 Comments

I'm a web designer and a recent Linux convert who has tried several of the large distros. This article is the summary of my experience over the last few months. I decided to start using Linux a few months ago around the time Mandrake went to version 9 and Red Hat to version 8. With all the hype I figured I'd give it a try.

Yoper RC4 Released

Eugenia Loli 2003-02-18 Linux 18 Comments

Yoper limited announced the fourth public release candidate of Ydesktop. This is the first part of Your Operating System that Yoper Limited ("Yoper") is developing. The distro contains the latest software, which includes Linux-2.4.20, KDE-3.1, Mozilla 1.2.1 and OpenOffice-1.0.2. The CD is optimized for i686 and higher X86 CPU's.

Guest Editorial: What the Linux World Needs Now

Guest post by Marco Zanon 2003-02-17 Linux 69 Comments

When I first got in touch with the Linux world - it was back in 1998 -, I started with an old Slackware distribution. Of course I cannot say it was a wise choice for a beginner, and I soon moved to Red Hat, and then tried various SuSE, Mandrake and Debian flavours; now I am using this good Slackware 8.1. Everyone can see the Linux world has been making giant steps towards usability during the last five years. Applications have dramatically improved, too, both in quality and quantity: OpenOffice, AbiWord, Mozilla, Evolution, Gimp are examples of packages allowing Linux to be used for everyday work. So, is Linus Torvalds' creature now ready to conquer the desktop?

The Greatest Flaw In Linux

Guest post by Kevin Adams 2003-02-16 Linux 66 Comments

"The largest flaw with Linux is not in its ease of use or installation. There's no crisis with lack of software. The hardware support is solid. Actually, I feel Linux is very much ready for the masses. The greatest flaw with Linux is that nobody knows what it is." Read the full commentary at NewsForge.

Vector Linux 3.2 Deluxe Ripped Apart

Eugenia Loli 2003-02-11 Linux 11 Comments

"The developers at Vector have allowed MadPenguin.org a shot at their newest 3.2 Deluxe release. I for one was pretty stoked about the whole thing, as I grew fond of this distribution very quickly." Read the review at MadPenguin.

The Current State of Desktop Linux

Guest post by Mike Bouma 2003-02-10 Linux 46 Comments

Antrix Angler has written an editorial for tuxreports.com in which he takes a look at some of Linux' shortcomings for desktop usage: "What I intend to highlight in this piece are some of the major shortfalls (in my opinion) in the current state of Desktop Linux. The intent is not to belittle or ridicule the efforts that have been made to get Linux on the desktop. Rather, it is in the hope that it will spur development to overcome these shortcomings; because this is the way Linux has developed."

Knoppix — a Bootable, one-CD Linux

Submitted by Shellie and Datschge 2003-02-08 Linux 34 Comments

Shellie writes: "If you've ever needed a functional Linux setup that is portable and runs the same way on any hardware, then take a look at this article at IBM's developerWorks Linux Zone. Knoppix packages a specialized and highly useful Linux distribution on a single, bootable CDROM. Whether you're packaging up demo programs or need a consistent hardware test environment that fits in your pocket, Knoppix is a small distribution that solves big problems."

The Linux Kernel’s Next Incarnation

Eugenia Loli 2003-02-07 Linux 42 Comments

According to Brian Stevens, Red Hat's director of engineering, version 2.4 is limited to 2 terabytes of storage, but the 2.6 Linux kernel will push the envelope much farther. Read the article at NewsFactor.

Quick Review of the Vector Linux 3.2 Release

Eugenia Loli 2003-02-07 Linux 18 Comments

A short review of the newly released Vector Linux 3.2 was posted at MadPenguin.

Linux Beyond the Desktop

Eugenia Loli 2003-02-06 Linux 14 Comments

In this DesktopLinux.com guest column, Gregory S. Hopper takes Linux beyond the desktop. Declaring the 'PC is the Model T' of today, Hopper makes a convincing argument that disruptive technologies and changing business models will dictate the PC market of tomorrow. By adopting a one-size fits all approach, the market has not yet fully realized the opportunity that open source, Linux, and the GPL offer to a dynamic user base.

Vector Linux 3.2 Released

Submitted by Tony Brijeski 2003-02-05 Linux 2 Comments

Vector Linux announced the release of version 3.2. The disto is now fully Slackware compatible and LSB compliant. It is based on the linux kernel 2.4.20 and Glibc-2.2.5. Several new additions to the software mix have been added such as CDRW support to burn cd's, faster web browsing via Dillo and the latest Opera , autopkg to keep things up to date, checkinstall for easy source installation, and additional security updates. Antialias font support is in both the available window managers. New in version 3.2 are new and enhanced configuration tools to make installation and hardware detection even easier.

Industry Leaders Launch Desktop Linux Consortium

Submitted by Jill 2003-02-04 Linux 35 Comments

Responding to the overwhelming interest in Desktop Linux, representatives from key firms and organizations today announced the formation of the Desktop Linux Consortium, or DLC. The vendor-neutral association will promote interests and raise awareness of the emerging role and benefits offered by GNU/Linux on the desktop. Consortium members comprise both commercial companies and open source organizations that are developing and shaping the technology that will speed the adoption rate of Linux to the desktop.

The Rise of the $99 ‘Consumer’ Linux Distribution

Eugenia Loli 2003-02-03 Linux 23 Comments

"$99, give or take $20, seems to be the new price point for full-featured, consumer-level Linux distributions. This is a great deal for non-technical users, since most of the new-wave consumer Linux products give users a much prettier and easier experience than traditional, all-GPL distributions tailored for a geeky user base. Whether or not the current explosion of Linux use by ordinary people is "good" is still open to question, but I suspect the answer depends more on who is doing the answering than any other factor." Read the editorial at NewsForge.

RoxOS Discusses the Possibility of a New Linux-based OS

Submitted by Simon Porter 2003-02-02 Linux 115 Comments

No, this is not a traditional "Linux distro". The RoxOS guys are feeling like innovating today, even by breaking legacy and some compatibility at places with other Linux distros or Unix. RoxOS is a desktop OS which is evolving by using existing tools (Linux kernel, X11, ROX Filer, gnu etc), but somewhat modified (e.g. new filesystem hieriarchy and dependancy on filesystem's metadata). Most apps will probably need repackaging or altering in some way in order to run on RoxOS. Join the discussion or the project. This project was made known to us after the long discussion we had the other day about innovation and on creating a new OS, but by re-using existing tools and extensively modifying them, in order to cut production time and to easily get hardware support (via X11 & Linux or FreeBSD's kernel).

Embedded OSes: Is Linux Free?

Eugenia Loli 2003-01-31 Linux 9 Comments

Independent consultant Thomas E. Besemer writes for Embedded.com: "Is embedded Linux viable? You bet. Is it free? No way. If time-to-market matters, you get a lot from companies like Wind River with stable environments, or perhaps the current embedded Linux vendors." The December's article is accompanied by a number of insightful comments, and an additional response by the author.

Building Your Own (Minimal) Operating System

Guest post by Steve Mulder 2003-01-31 Linux 69 Comments

Why, you might ask, would anyone want to build their own operating system? It's really about being in control and knowing what's going on.In the next few paragraphs I'll explain what motivated me to take on this project, the recipe I used, and what I like about it.