Linux Archive

LinuxHardware is featuring a review of Vector Linux 2.5 Soho Edition. However, Vector Linux is available now with version 3.0. In the meantime, the Lehigh Valley Linux Users Group has partnered with a startup nfp called Computers for Kids (cfk) which is refurbishing donated computers, setting them up with Vector Linux, and providing limited, ongoing training and support.

"One of the things that's probably going to start happening this year - or start happening in a much bigger way - is Linux on the desktop. I use Linux for the desktop, I never use it for big server stuff." Torvalds on AustraliaIT.

AddABoy features a review of ArkLinux, the new desktop distro from ex-Red Hat employee, Bero. Update: Five new screenshots from the brand new version 1.0.0-alpha6 are available. Its control panel is essentially the same as in Lycoris. Fonts and their rendering look below par though. Update2: The conversation on our commenting section seems to have get around usability and UI again, so here are my two suggestions, including a mockup for the Control Panel used by Ark and Lycoris: suggestion here, mockup here.

Dell CIO says Linux killing Unix: "Unix is dead," said Randy Mott, CIO and senior vice president of Dell, in a keynote address on Thursday. Sun still sees Unix promise though. In the meantime, Linux targets the desktop as well as the server space. Reports here and here.

"The Linux computer operating system is coming of age. Nurtured since the early 1990s by software hobbyists and adopted more recently by giant computer companies led by International Business Machines, it is on the verge of becoming a mainstream technology in the corporate world. Its maturation has potentially far-reaching implications for the software industry." Read the article at FT.com. AustralianIT has a similar article too.

A ZDNet article covering the opening of the Linux World trade show also has a thorough "state of Linux business" overview. Some highlights: Big firms like HP, IBM, and Microsoft(!) will have a big presence; it seems like Linux willl continue its rapid rise in adoption, though it will still be difficult for firms to make the huge profits that companies like Microsoft have made because Linux resists lock-in; enterprise software vendors like BEA will continue to support Linux; and hardware vendors are embracing it more.

With the emergence and popularity of Knoppix, a universal "run-from-CD" Linux distribution, it is too easy to forget about all other Linux-on-CD projects. And there are plenty of them. Some are designed to demonstrate the power of Linux to unsuspecting users of other operating systems, while others are highly specialised projects useful even to experienced Linux gurus. They range from emergency rescue and system diagnostics CDs to multimedia oriented projects that transform a diskless or OS-less computer into a full home theatre. Each of these projects has a unique feature, a merit and a niche to fill. Let's take a brief look at each of them.

The first step in improving Linux performance is quantifying it, but how exactly do you quantify performance for Linux or for comparable systems? In this article, members of the IBM Linux Technology Center share their expertise as they describe how they ran several benchmark tests on the Linux 2.4 and 2.5 kernels late last year. The benchmarks provide coverage for a diverse set of workloads, including Web serving, database, and file serving. In addition, we show the various components of the kernel (disk I/O subsystem, for example) that are stressed by each benchmark.

DesktopLinux.com, the driving force behind the upcoming Desktop Linux Summit, scheduled for February, is withdrawing its support, after changes Lindows.com did without asking the Advisory Board which was formed a few months ago.

Linux will emerge as the dominant operating system in corporate data centers, according to a new study by Goldman Sachs. According to the study, IT buyers will use Linux to take advantage of lower-cost, higher-performance Intel-based servers -- and to avoid "premium-priced proprietary systems." Eventually, systems running Linux will displace systems based on Unix and RISC processors.

The Intel Xeon processor introduces a new technology called Hyper-Threading (HT) that makes a single processor behave like two logical processors. The technology allows the processor to execute multiple threads simultaneously, which can yield significant performance improvement. But, exactly how much improvement can you expect to see? This article gives the results the investigation into the effects of Hyper-Threading (HT) on the Linux SMP kernel. It compares the performance of a Linux SMP kernel that was aware of Hyper-Threading to one that was not.

Frank alerted us to the new cartoons IBM presents on their website. Though generally out of character for OSNews.com, here's a little weekend humor. Linux Animations (requires Flash or Realplayer).

zhopon writes "DesktopLinux.com speaks with Andreas Girardet, Founder of Yoper, a New Zealand-based Linux distribution...Girardet relates the goals of the new company, explains what makes Yoper unique, and his philosophy about the emerging desktop market" You can read the rest at desktoplinux.com.

"What is an embedded device? Is it simply a low-resource 'PC', so all you need is a scaled down Linux and off you go? Not really. In this article, a few thoughts on principal differences will be brought up that may need direct addressing by the embedded Linux community to foster the use of Linux in the embedded market." Read it at LinuxDevices.