Linux Archive

"Linux is at risk of suffering a similar fate to that suffered by Unix. That risk is the danger of splintering into multiple distributions, each of which is sufficiently dissimilar to the others that applications must be ported to each distribution. The bad news is that the rapid proliferation of Linux distributions makes this a real possibility. The good news is that it doesn't have to, because a layer of standards called the Linux Standard Base has already been created, through an organization called the Free Standards Group, that allows ISVs to build to a single standard, and know that their applications will run across all compliant distributions. And happily, all of the major distributions have agreed to comply with LSB 3.1."

Greg Kroah-Hartman has announced the availability of a Linux Device Driver Kit; a CD image with a copy of the "Linux Device Drivers" book, pre-built copies of all in-kernel docbook documentation, and a copy of the Linux kernel source to build external modules and to take a look at the source. In coordination with the FreedomHEC, the attendees at said conference in Seattle will get a free copy.

Network attached storage allows using TCP/IP network to backup files. This enables multiple servers in an IDC to share the same storage for backup at once, which minimizes overhead by centrally managing hard disks. The protocol used with NAS is a file-based protocol such as NFS or Microsoft's Common Internet File System. Both of them allow storing backups using UNIX and Linux systems. NAS are not just common in IDC or offices anymore, you can use them for file sharing and backup at home. You can purchase 200+GB NAS for less than $200. However, many new Linux or UNIX sys admin or home users find it difficult to use NAS for backup and sharing purpose. This tutorial covers how to access NAS from Linux using various methods.

"The success of Mozilla's Firefox and Openoffice.org's productivity suite has breathed life into people's aspirations about Desktop Linux. As a result, the vast majority of articles published today focus there and ignore the strides made on the Linux server. Unlike the Linux server of the past, today's version supports rocket science and its gains far exceed those of the Desktop."

"Can the ordinary computer user ditch Windows for Linux? The question came up when I decided that my six-year-old version of Microsoft's Windows operating system had to be replaced. My Sony Vaio computer was still too young for the trash heap. And I was hesitant to spend $200 on the Windows XP operating system, especially with Microsoft planning to launch XP's replacement, Vista, in January. So, I decided to give the operating systems that run on Linux technology a try."

Six months ago, architects from two dozen desktop-oriented Linux projects gathered in Portland to work together on creating the best possible Linux desktop. Thus was born the Portland Project. Now, in Mainz, Germany, the expanded group is meeting again on May 8 and 9 to see how far it's come and to look at what's ahead.