Learn about Linux
Download Linux
Get Linux helpSpecial Offers
NewsVac: News from around the Web
-
Deliver Linux high availability with a Xen virtual server
2 hours, 38 minutes ago
Get step-by-step details to implement Xen virtual server high availability. In this article, the authors walk you through all the steps, from prerequisites and setup to troubleshooting -- everything you need to get started delivering Linux virtual high availability capabilities. -
First dual-monitor LTSP 5 set-up?
6 hours, 38 minutes ago
DisklessWorkstations says one of its thin clients now supports dual monitors, when used with LTSP 5 (Linux Terminal Server Project v5). The Troy, Michigan based thin client vendor claims to be the "first to release how to configure dual monitors using LTSP 5." -
Understanding Unix spells and curses
10 hours, 38 minutes ago
IBM's DeveloperWorks has published a tutorial on Unix pipelines, redirections, operators, and other "strange characters" inhabiting Unix's command line netherworld. "Speaking UNIX: !$#@*%" aims to teach intermediate Unix and Linux users a better understanding of the symbols used by system administrators in both interactive and non-interactive shell programming. -
Tools vendor touts low-cost Linux BSPs
14 hours, 38 minutes ago
Timesys is offering low-cost, bare-bones Linux BSPs (board support packages) aimed at helping developers evaluate their apps on ARM development boards. Available for ARM9, ARM11, and ARM Cortex A8 based boards, the "Linux ReadyKits" include a pre-configured kernel, drivers, cross-toolchain, and minimalist RFS (root file system) built against glibc. -
Debugger supports multi-core MIP64 chips
18 hours, 38 minutes ago
Abatron announced that its Linux-friendly hardware debug probe now supports the on-chip debug interfaces in the newest multi-core, multi-threaded MIPS64 chips from Raza Microelectronics, Inc. (RMI). Specifically, the Abatron BDI3000 probe and associated debugging applications now supports RMI's XLR and XLS system-on-chip (SoC) families, Abatron -
Webinars tackle VxWorks-to-Linux ports
22 hours, 38 minutes ago
MontaVista will host two free educational webinars on porting VxWorks applications to embedded Linux. Led by MontaVista founder and CTO Jim Ready (pictured), the Oct. 23 webinars will offer tips on code migration, including how to know when it's best not to port. -
Twin POS systems for Linux
1 day, 2 hours ago
NEC announced two new POS (point-of-sales/service) computers that run Linux. The TwinPOS 5500 and 3500 feature integrated flat panel touchscreens, resistance against dust and liquids, and optional MSRs (magnetic stripe readers) and customer-facing displays, says the company. -
Bash Extended Globbing
1 day, 6 hours ago
Wildcards in bash are referred to as pathname expansion. Pathname expansion is also sometimes referred to as globbing. Pathname expansion "expands" the "*", "?", and "[...]" syntaxes when you type them as part of a command, for example: -
New Pitch For Microsoft to Buy Yahoo
1 day, 10 hours ago
A small Yahoo investor proposed a new deal on Thursday to sell the company to Microsoft for $22 a share, a 74 percent premium to the Web pioneer's current stock price. -
Canonical Confirms MSI's Linux Return Rate Statement
1 day, 14 hours ago
Sunday we reported on an interview with an MSI manager, who stated that internal research had shown that the return rate for the Linux version of MSI's Wind netbook was four times as high as that of the Windows XP version. He claimed that the unfamiliarity of people with Linux was the culprit. This claim sparked some serious discussion around the net, but now MSI's statement is being repeated by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu. -
Linux 2 6 27
1 day, 18 hours ago
The 2008 Linux Kernel Summit was held September 15 and 16 in Portland, Oregon, immediately prior to the Linux Plumbers Conference. LWN, as always, has excelent coverage of the event. You can download here all the papers of the conferences in two PDF files. LWN also has coverage of the Linux Plumbers Conference. -
Debian postpones Lenny, calls for help
1 day, 22 hours ago
Debian, the granddaddy of Linux distributions, is in trouble. Its planned September release date for Lenny - its latest release - has come and gone and there is still no sign of the new product. It seems the Debian team is battling “too many release critical bugs” to make Lenny viable. And now the team is calling for help from the community to squash the remainder of these bugs. -
The Ohio LinuxFest webcast, by NOOSS.org
2 days, 2 hours ago
The Northeast Ohio Open Source will be webcasting live from the floor from of the Ohio LinuxFest this Saturday, October 11th. As in past years, there will be many interesting people to listen to with random visitors stopping by and chatting during the day. Plus, the occasional presenter and possible linux guru or two will likely stop by during the day to impart their wisdom. -
Hackles: Funniest Comic Strip About Hacking and Linux
2 days, 6 hours ago
With all those sad news about the global economy, it's hard not to be affected psychologically. However, if you know how to laugh in the face of danger, everything's going to be OK. -
Linux For The Masses: Are We There Yet?
2 days, 10 hours ago
Every year, every major Linux development, every major distribution release sparks a volley of so-called expert opinion of this being finally the year of the Linux. As they provide arguments and counter-arguments over certain news of Dell/HP/IBM/Asus releasing pre-installed Linux computer; and how this will single-handedly fix every problems and finally allow Linux to take over the world. - More News
Linux.com : Features
Ask Linux.com: Perplexing permissions, beaucoup browsers
This week in the ongoing town-hall debate that is the Linux.com forums, the participants were asked about troubleshooting file permissions, testing Web pages on multiple browsers, and deciding what counts as a low-resource machine. All that, plus your chance at a one-on-one session with unanswered questions.
A baby named Linux
Reader Christian Nielsen wrote from Sweden to tell us he and his girlfriend have named their baby Linux, after the operating system, and attached this darling photo.
Picasa 3 for Linux: A video tour
Google's Picasa is all about photos -- it helps you instantly find, edit, and share all the pictures on your computer. Although it isn't released as open source it is free to download and use from Google's Web site. The new version 3, which is currently in beta, is available for Windows as well as Linux.
VMware Workstation 6.5 consolidates the best of desktop virtualization
Virtualization software can help you run programs that your native Linux distro wouldn't. While Linux users have many virtualization options, none comes close to the all-encompassing VMware Workstation 6.5. Introduced last month, VMware Workstation 6.5 continues the tradition of outshining and outpacing the competition with a host of useful new features, and boldly goes where no virtualization software has gone before -- into the realm of virtual machines with accelerated 3-D graphics. Despite the advances, some of the new features are still in beta, so Workstation 6.5 might not be the best virtualization option for everyone.
The KOffice 2.0 beta, part 2: Graphical and charting programs
Yesterday, I looked at the major applications in the first beta for KOffice 2.0. Now it's the turn of the rest of the beta: The KPlato project manager, KChart, the vector graphics editor Karbon, and the raster graphics editor Krita.
Foresight Kid's can inspire young minds
Foresight Linux is best known by many as the distribution that features the Conary package management system. Perhaps soon it may become known as your child's favorite distro. The recent release of Foresight Kid's Edition 1.0 introduces a new generation to the benefits of Linux and open source software. Not that kids care about that -- they'll just appreciate the unlimited hours of fun at their fingertips.
Clocks for time travelers
Whether you believe that punctuality is "the politeness of kings" or "the art of guessing how late the other fellow is going to be," you can count on your Linux box for information about local times across the globe, so that you can plan a punctual VoIP call, stock transaction, or meeting. Here are some world clocks that work well on the desktop.
KOffice 2.0 beta hints at improved capabilities
KOffice has been trailing the office application leaders for a long time. Despite years of development, it has yet to match OpenOffice.org feature for feature, although its features are complete enough that they have attracted a loyal community. Judging from the first beta, KOffice 2.0 will still not rival OpenOffice.org or other free software rivals, but it should be a major step in that direction.
Security scans with OpenVAS
As important as security is, remaining current with every development is hard, and evaluating possible vulnerabilities across a network can be quite a chore. You need a way to both automate tests and make sure you're running the most appropriate and up-to-date tests. Open Vulnerability Assessment System (OpenVAS) is a network security scanner that includes a central server and a graphical front end. The server allows you to run several different network vulnerability tests (NVT) written in Nessus Attack Scripting Language (NASL), which OpenVAS updates frequently.
After 2.0 release, Miguel de Icaza reflects on Mono's past and future
Few free and open source software projects have attracted such a range of reactions as Mono. On one hand, as an implementation of Microsoft's .Net that's sponsored by Novell, it has been vilified both for the company it keeps and as a possible source of patent claims, should Microsoft choose to get nasty. On the other hand, Mono has been the platform of choice for such major projects as Second Life, which uses it to increase the efficiency of its servers. This week, as the Mono project reached version 2.0, Miguel de Icaza, the project's founder and maintainer, talked with Linux.com about the history of the project, its application and the criticism leveled at it, and where the project goes from here.
In search of bigger, stronger calculators
If I had had SpeedCrunch or Qalculate! during high school, finishing homework really would've been child's play. From breaking down complex algebraic equations, to solving your calculus problems, to performing geometric computations and providing statistical answers, SpeedCrunch and Qalculate! are tools that offer quick solutions to difficult questions.
Monitor your network with GroundWork Monitor Community Edition
A reliable network monitoring and management solution must accurately detect network devices such as routers, servers, and client workstations. It must be able to display a map of the whole network, monitor the health and performance of each device, and have a way to notify someone of a problem by email, text message, or other form of communication. It should be able to fix a problem by restarting services or running specific programs. It should generate detailed reports that you can analyze easily to help prevent future incidents. Finally, a decent monitoring system must be easy to use, deploy, and customize according to your monitoring needs. Let's use these standards to see if GroundWork Monitor Community Edition is up to the task.
Sidux grows on you
Sidux, a relatively new desktop Linux distribution, is based on Sid, the unstable developmental branch of Debian. The developers strive for an easy-to-install and easy-to-use modern Debian derivative, and pride themselves on remaining true to the principles and values of the Debian project. Despite a few inconveniences, I like Sidux a bit more each time I use it.
Become a multimedia pro with the Vector Linux Multimedia Bonus Disc
Many audio, video, and graphics professionals would like to make the switch to Linux, but don't want to deal with the hassle of figuring out multimedia on Linux or are scared off by the purported lack of such tools. I created Vector Linux Multimedia Bonus Disc (MMBD) to address this problem and perception. It's a complete multimedia creation and production system that contains hundreds of the best multimedia applications available on Linux.
Five outliners for Linux
The first essays of the school year are coming due, and with the essays comes the need to outline and plan. GNU/Linux users are fortunate to have a number of outlining applications from which to choose. True, some outliners have become obsolete, and you will be lucky to get programs like GNOME-Think or the once-popular KnowIt to run on a modern distribution. But you can still choose among OpenOffice.org, TuxCards, NoteCase, Emacs, and VimOutliner for doing your planning.
NPX-9000 UMPC is inexpensive but underpowered
The wave of cheap netbooks, mini laptops, or ultra-mobile PCs has crested with the cheapest yet, the NPX-9000 from Carapelli. Though it was announced in July with great fanfare at a price of £65 (or $110), it has yet to appear on the vendor's Web site. But we got our hands on one of the first units to escape from the factory and put it through its paces. We found that you get what you pay for -- if that.
PC-BSD 7 is a mixed bag
FreeBSD is a Unix-like open source operating system that can trace its ancestry back to the original Unix. It's well known and well respected in the server marketplace, but until recently FreeBSD lacked an easy-to-use desktop version. In 2005 the PC-BSD project was started to provide just that. This month PC-BSD version 7 was released. I downloaded and installed it to see how it squares up to user-friendly Linux distributions like Ubuntu. I came away a little disappointed.
FUEL: An initiative in language standardization via collaboration
FUEL (Frequently Used Entries for Localization) aims to solve the problem of inconsistency and lack of standardization in computer software translation in a new and unique way. Initiated by Red Hat, the project is trying to give a better experience to end users of a localized desktop by resolving the issues of standardization and inconsistency.
New Manju project plans to redraw desktop art
Most free software projects produce applications for users. A minority, however, produce specifications or libraries for developers and other contributors. An example of this second type is the recently announced Manju project, whose goal is to make themes easier to create. The project's goal is to write the specifications and scripts for using scalable vector graphics (SVG) files to store widget and other theme-related information that can be used on a variety of toolkits.
Areca and plan/b offer Java-based backup for Linux
Everyone needs to back up their computers, but when you have machines running on different platforms and different operating systems, it can be annoying to have to learn several interfaces. Areca and plan/b are two Java-based backup solutions that can run on any platform, including Linux, Windows, and Unix. Although maintenance has been discontinued for plan/b, both apps are worth a look.
