Linuxlookup.com TOTW: Using ‘tr’ to translate data –
This week’s tip is about using the “tr” command. The things I’m going to
do with it could also be done with perl, sed, awk, etc. The use of tr
doesn’t seem to be widely known, so I’ll show it here to add to your bag of
tricks. –
link-Anonymous Reader

Computerweekly.co.uk says, “The demand for Java has reached such a crescendo that one recruitment agency plans to place part-qualified Java developers
two to three months before they are ready to hit the workplace.”

LinuxMonth: “In this article I will explain how to make your Linux box secure by taking basic security measures. This article will enable anybody to tighten the
security of a Redhat Linux box.”

LinuxToday has this story: “Upon introduction Transmeta’s Crusoe processor has generated much interest with its promises of strong performance and
long battery life. This, in combination with announcements from well-known manufacturers that they will incorporate
Transmeta’s processors in their notebooks, has led many people to believe that we’ll see substantial improvements in
price/performance levels for these devices. “

From Information Week: “Despite a lack of marketing resources, more
businesses are discovering and deploying
open-source software in their back offices. Support
has improved, and capable tools quickly become the
standard by which commercial products are measured.”

“When most people talk about open source software, technologies such as the Apache Web server, BSD and Linux tend to dominate the conversation.

But open source software is starting to make its presence felt beyond Web servers and operating systems, showing up in a host of key enterprise
network products from network management suites to remote access offerings, including VPNs.” From ITWorld.com.

What a concept! This Seattle Post-Intelligencer story touts the idea that “pure” online retailers who serve obscure niches overlooked by the giants (either online or off) may have a better chance at success than companies that try to be all things to everyone. Sometimes all you have to do is stick to your guns (and your niche) and what was a hot idea, then pooh-poohed, gets hot again. Think about it: NewsForge is a niche news site. We work to cover Open Source like a second skin (with a little bit of other stuff to keep from getting boring) but we do not try to be all things to all people. It’s nice to see this “new” business model finally catching on with the ecommerce crowd, too.

Just in time to whine about misplaced, undelivered or broken holiday gifts, MSNBC tells us (with a story that originally appeared in The Washington Post) about half-a-dozen Web sites that help customers complain about — or compliment — businesses with which they have dealt.

If you have the dialog, gnupg or stunnel packages installed, please check the appropriate security advisory at LWN.net. All three were submitted by Debian’s Wichert Akkerman, but they are not Debian-specific problems.

“North Americans celebrating Christmas might not have much luck
hunting for the Star of Bethlehem in the night sky – but they could
catch sight of something just as dramatic,” says BBC News.