Linux Archive

Desktop Linux Aims for the Big Time

Thom Holwerda 2005-11-29 Linux 65 Comments

Linux desktops have always faced an uphill battle against Windows desktops. Now, OSDL is calling together architects from over two-dozen key desktop-oriented Linux projects to a Dec. 1-2 meeting at its headquarters to set strategic directions and standards, and find synergies amongst Desktop Linux organizations.

Moving a Beginner to Linux

Submitted by anonymous 2005-11-29 Linux 31 Comments

"I did not write this to say that people who do not know much about computers need to be told what to do, or to assert that Windows is not a good OS for casual users, but rather to point out that Linux is a great choice for this. Advances in desktop Linux have made it a perfect choice for casual and beginning users who don't necessarily have to (or want to) put up with Windows. Whether this is done for ease of use, to save on licensing fees, or to be able to make the best out of an old computer, it makes sense."

Submitted by sebFlyte 2005-11-29 Linux 133 Comments

Following up on their tests to work out which Linux distribution works best for business, ZDNet has taken a look at the wider issue of whether or not Linux is actually ready to replace Windows on the majority of Windows desktops.

Windows Server Outsells Linux: What Does it Mean?

Submitted by Mehta Bhai 2005-11-26 Linux 114 Comments

"The Linux community was left stunned when Windows Server software outsold Linux in the server market. Gartner, Inc. recently reported that sales of Windows systems accounted for nearly 37 percent of all server revenue in the last quarter while Linux accounted for 31.7 percent. Windows has a 5+ percent lead over Linux, which should be the cause for celebration at Microsoft. Is this the downfall or, as they say, the beginning of the end of Linux? Most definitely not. Before the folks at Redmond rejoice too much, there are some things they need to consider."

Linux Desktops Will Get Killed by Microsoft This Christmas

Submitted by LinuxFanBoy 2005-11-25 Linux 128 Comments

"If you want a desktop or laptop and you want to move to Linux then you're cooked. You have very few options and retailers have used low-cost Linux systems to bait and switch users. Unsuspecting PC buyers will be faced with the need to upgrade to Vista in the near future. So, that bargain PC from Dell will probably keep on costing you money. Do alternatives exist? We like to think so."

Submitted by sebFlyte 2005-11-24 Linux 119 Comments

"As desktop Linux becomes ever more professional, and with Microsoft still a year away from shipping its new Vista version of Windows, could now be the time to go open-source on the desktop? Of course, circumstances will vary from company to company, but if you're ready to make the move, there's a good crop of Linux distributions ready to accommodate your needs."

Andrew Morton on Kernel Development

Submitted by Nate 2005-11-21 Linux 9 Comments

Here is a (very) brief interview with Andrew Morton, the maintainer of the Linux kernel 2.6 tree. Andrew discusses the debates behind revision control systems, new kernel features and his own -mm tree.

Wireless Hotspot How-To

Submitted by Falko Timme 2005-11-20 Linux 7 Comments

This tutorial deals with setting up a WLAN HotSpot on a Linksys WRT54GS router using OpenWrt, ChilliSpot, and FreeRadius. OpenWrt is a Linux distribution for Linksys WRT54G. ChilliSpot is a wireless LAN access controller. It is used for authenticating users of the wireless LAN. It supports web based login for hotspots. FreeRadius is a server that manages remote user authentication and accounting.

16 Papers on Real-Time and Embedded Linux

Submitted by anonymous 2005-11-18 Linux 1 Comment

LinuxDevices has once again published the proceedings of the annual Real-Time Linux Workshop. This one, the seventh, was held in France earlier this month, at the University for Science and Technology of Lille (USTL). The papers span a range of topics, from fundamental real-time technologies to applications, hardware, and tools.

New Linux Phone Standards Effort in the Works

Eugenia Loli 2005-11-14 Linux 2 Comments

PalmSource, France Telecom's Orange and several other companies plan on Monday to announce an effort to standardize aspects of Linux running on mobile phones. More info here.

More Effective Use of Shared Memory on Linux

Eugenia Loli 2005-11-14 Linux 11 Comments

Making effective use of shared memory in high-level languages such as C++ is not straightforward, but it is possible to overcome the inherent difficulties. This article describes, and includes sample code for, two C++ design patterns that use shared memory on Linux in interesting ways and open the door for more efficient interprocess communication.

Linux Scheduling and Kernel Synchronization

Eugenia Loli 2005-11-13 Linux 9 Comments

The Linux kernel is a multitasking kernel, which means that many processes can run as if they were the only process on the system. The way in which an operating system chooses which process at a given time has access to a system’s CPU(s) is controlled by a scheduler. This chapter covers the Linux scheduler, preemption in Linux, and the Linux system clock and timers.

PCWorld: Everyday Linux Gripes

Eugenia Loli 2005-11-11 Linux 67 Comments

"As you already know, if I have to sit down in front of a computer, I want it to be running the Gnome desktop on Linux. I've watched it mature from a downright ugly, needlessly complex playground for geeks, to an attractive, simple interface that holds its own against commercial alternatives. And yet, every day I still encounter rough edges that make me think there aren't nearly enough folks out there hacking away at this stuff. I'd like to watch." Read more at PCWorld. Warning: While some of the author's gripes can be fixed by installing third party applications or plugins, or by tweaking Alsa etc, the point remains that his default distribution and/or Gnome did not come with these conveniences by default. Most people don't like tweaking stuff, they want things that "just work".

Submitted by sebFlyte 2005-11-11 Linux 16 Comments

Linus Torvalds has threatened that if developers add 'last-minute things' to the next version of the Linux kernel he will 'refuse to merge, and laugh in their faces derisively'.

Forget Munich’s Linux Migration, It’s Already Done by Extremadura

Guest post by Xavier Calbet 2005-11-10 Linux 24 Comments

At the end of October I attended the Alantejo Linux congress and LAN party, which was held in the city of Évora. Évora is a marvelous UNESCO World Heritage city which has from Roman ruins to 18th century buildings, not to mention the superb food. It is well worth the visit if you happen to travel to Portugal. At this meeting a conference was given by José Antonio León Moreno from the "Center of New Initiatives" in Extremadura (Spain) about the Linex project where he stated mildly that the Spanish region of Extremadura is using Linux on the desktop in the PCs used by the public administration civil servants of the region of Extremadura.

IBM, Sony, Philips Form Linux Alliance

Submitted by Josh 2005-11-10 Linux 6 Comments

Three of the world's biggest electronics companies - IBM, Sony and Philips - have joined forces with the two largest Linux software distributors to create a company for sharing Linux patents, royalty-free. The Open Invention Network, as the new firm unveiled Thursday is known, could mark a breakthrough in resolving how to protect vendors and customers from patent royalty disputes resulting from freely shared Linux code.

Is This the Dawn of the Linux Worms?

Thom Holwerda 2005-11-09 Linux 88 Comments

"The Luppi worm is blazing a trail with great potential for attackers. We might learn a lot about how secure Linux systems are in the next few months. While the authors are clearly still feeling their way around, there's no reason to believe that this will be a real biggie. But if someone writes a well-designed 'grab bag' worm to exploit the various bugs in PHP and other products common on Linux servers, we could have a problem on our hands."

A Year Without Windows

Submitted by LinuxFanBoy 2005-11-08 Linux 74 Comments

It's that time again, folks. "I realize the title might mislead you to believe that I've been trapped in a dank, dark underground dungeon for a year. In reality, though, I have been without Microsoft Windows for over a year. On November 1 of last year I blew away my old Windows 98/SUSE Linux 8.0 Professional dual-boot installation, and loaded SUSE Linux 9.2 Professional, by itself, on my box. While I know others have been Windows-free for much longer than a year, others simply cannot imagine doing without it. Here's my experience." Be gentle.

Submitted by oGALAXYo 2005-11-08 Linux 20 Comments

A new initiative by the Brazillian government will see low cost KDE based computers on sale throughout the country from next week. The Computers for All scheme will bring "cheap and accessible" computers following a recent law cutting taxes and encouraging affordable financing for low income buyers of computers preinstalled with Free Software operating systems. Several companies are involved in the scheme with most using KDE desktops.

One-Click Installation with Klik

Thom Holwerda 2005-11-07 Linux 75 Comments

"Simplifying software installation is a popular pastime for Linux developers. It has given us useful tools like Synaptic, YUM, checkinstall, and autopackage. A new kid on the block, Klik, approaches the problem differently, by avoiding the installation altogether."