In a previous post, we talked about Linux iptables firewall, and some people asked about authentication. Today we will talk about the powerful framework in Linux used for authentication which is Linux-PAM. PAM or Pluggable Authentication Modules are the management layer that sits between Linux applications and the Linux native authentication system.
Soon after Ansible turned five, version 2.3 was released. There are a lot of new features in this version specifically related to networking. Like, Persistent connections framework, network_cli connection plugin and netconf connection plugin.
There are 280+ new modules available in Ansible 2.3. Below is the list of some exciting new modules which can help you to automate certain task and also decorate your playbooks.
This week in Linux and OSS news, Edward Snowden explains why he thinks proprietary software is very risky, SNAS.io Project joins The Linux Foundation, & more! Read on to stay in the open source know!
1) The infamous United States NSA hacker, Edward Snowden, was interviewed via remote video at OpenStack Summit Boston. He spoke on his personal use of technology and why that doesn’t include proprietary software.
4) A new software project under Hyperledger is “aimed at creating a collaboration tool for building blockchain business networks — or smart contracts — and their deployment across a distributed ledger.”
Up until recently, the official Ubuntu Linux included the in-house Unity desktop and a sixth recognized flavor existed: Ubuntu GNOME — Ubuntu with the GNOME desktop environment.
When Mark Shuttleworth decided to nix Unity, the choice was obvious to Canonical—make GNOME the official desktop of Ubuntu Linux. This begins with Ubuntu 18.04 (so April, 2018) and we’ll be down to the official distribution and four recognized flavors.
For those already enmeshed in the Linux community, that’s some seriously simple math to do—you know which Linux desktop you like, so making the choice between Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Mythbuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, and Xubuntu couldn’t be easier. Those that haven’t already been indoctrinated into the way of Linux won’t see that as such a cut-and-dried decision.
To that end, I thought it might be a good idea to help newer users decide which flavor is best for them. After all, choosing the wrong distribution out of the starting gate can make for a less-than-ideal experience.
And so, if you’re considering a flavor of Ubuntu, and you want your experience to be as painless as possible, read on.
Ubuntu
I’ll begin with the official flavor of Ubuntu. I am also going to warp time a bit and skip Unity, to launch right into the upcoming GNOME-based distribution. Beyond GNOME being an incredibly stable and easy to use desktop environment, there is one very good reason to select the official flavor—support. The official flavor of Ubuntu is commercially supported by Canonical. For $150.00 per year, you can purchase official support for the Ubuntu desktop. There is, of course, a 50-desktop minimum for this level of support. For individuals, the best bet for support would be the Ubuntu Forums, the Ubuntu documentation, or the Community help wiki.
Beyond the commercial support, the reason to choose the official Ubuntu flavor would be if you’re looking for a modern, full-featured desktop that is incredibly reliable and easy to use. GNOME has been designed to serve as a platform perfectly suited for both desktops and laptops (Figure 1). Unlike its predecessor, Unity, GNOME can be far more easily customized to suit your needs—to a point. If you’re not one to tinker with the desktop, fear not, GNOME just works. In fact, the out of the box experience with GNOME might well be one of the finest on the market—even rivaling (or besting) Mac OS X. If tinkering and tweaking is of primary interest, you will find GNOME somewhat limiting. The GNOME Tweak Tool and GNOME Shell Extensions will only take you so far, before you find yourself wanting more.
Figure 1: The GNOME desktop with a Unity-like flavor might be what we see with Ubuntu 18.04.
Kubuntu
The K Desktop Environment (otherwise known as KDE) has been around as long as GNOME and has, at times, been maligned as a lesser desktop. With the release of KDE Plasma 5, that changed. KDE has become an incredibly powerful, efficient, and stable desktop that can stand toe to toe with the best of them. But why would you select Kubuntu over the official Ubuntu? The answer to that question is quite simple—you’re used to the Windows XP/7 desktop metaphor. Start menu, taskbar, system tray, etc., KDE has those and more, all fashioned in such a way that will make you feel like you’re using the best of the past and current technologies. In fact, if you’re looking for one of the most Windows 7-like official Ubuntu flavors, you won’t find one that better fits the bill.
One of the nice things about Kubuntu, is that you’ll find it a bit more flexible than any Windows iteration you’ve ever used—and equally reliable/user-friendly. And don’t think, because KDE opts to offer a desktop somewhat similar to Windows 7, that it doesn’t have a modern flavor. In fact, Kubuntu takes what worked well with the Windows 7 interface and updates it to meet a more modern aesthetic (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Kubuntu offers a modern take on an old UX.
The official Ubuntu is not the only flavor to offer desktop support. Kubuntu users also can pay for commercial support. Be warned, it’s not cheap. One hour of support time will cost you $103.88 cents.
Lubuntu
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use desktop that is very fast (so that older hardware will feel like new) and far more flexible than just about any desktop you’ve ever used, Lubuntu is what you want. The only caveat to Lubuntu is that you’re looking at a bit more bare bones on the desktop then you may be accustomed to. Lubuntu makes use of the LXDE desktop and includes a list of applications that continues the lightweight theme. So if you’re looking for blazing fast speeds on the desktop, Lubuntu might be a good choice. However, there is a caveat with Lubuntu and, for some users, this might be a deal breaker. Along with the small footprint of Lubuntu come pre-installed applications that might not stand up to task. For example, instead of the full-blown office suite, you’ll find the AibWord word processor and the Gnumeric spreadsheet tool. Don’t get me wrong; both of these are fine tools. However, if you’re looking for software that’s business-ready, you will find them lacking. On the other hand, if you want to install more work-centric tools (e.g., LibreOffice), Lubuntu includes the Synaptic Package Manager to make installation of third-party software simple.
Even with the limited default software, Lubuntu offers a clean and easy to use desktop (Figure 3), that anyone could start using with little to no learning curve.
Figure 3: What Lubuntu lacks in software, it makes up for in speed and simplicity.
Mythbuntu
Mythbuntu is a sort of odd bird here, because it isn’t really a desktop variant. Instead, Mythbuntu is a special flavor of Ubuntu designed to be a multimedia powerhouse. Using Mythbuntu requires TV Tuners and TV Out cards. And, during the installation, there are a number of additional steps that must be taken (choosing how to set up the frontend/backend as well as setting up your IR remotes).
If you do happen to have the hardware (and the desire to create your own Ubuntu-powered entertainment system), Mythbuntu is the distribution you want. Once you’ve installed Mythbuntu, you will then be prompted to walk through the setup of your Capture cards, recording profiles, video sources, and Input connections (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Getting ready to set up Mythbuntu.
Ubuntu Budgie
Ubuntu Budgie is the new kid on the block to the official flavor list. Sporting the Budgie Desktop, this is a beautiful and modern take on Linux that will please just about any type of user. The goal of Ubuntu Budgie was to create an elegant and simple desktop interface. Mission accomplished. If you’re looking for a beautiful desktop to work on top of the remarkably stable Ubuntu Linux platform, look no further than Ubuntu Budgie.
Adding this particular spin on Ubuntu to the list of official variants was a smart move on the part of Canonical. With Unity going away, they needed a desktop that would offer the elegance found in Unity. Customization of Budgie is very easy, and the list of included software will get you working and browsing immediately.
And, unlike the learning curve many users encountered with Unity, the developers/designers of Ubuntu Budgie have done a remarkable job of keeping this take on Ubuntu familiar. Click on the “start” button to reveal a fairly standard menu of applications. Budgie also includes an easy to use Dock (Figure 5) that holds applications launchers for quick access.
Figure 5: This is one beautiful desktop.
Another really nice feature found in Ubuntu Budgie is a sidebar that can be quickly revealed and hidden. This sidebar holds applets and notifications. With this in play, your desktop can be both incredibly useful, while remaining clutter free.
In the end, if you’re looking for something a bit different, that happens to also be a very modern take on the desktop—with features and functions not found on other distributions—Ubuntu Budgie is what you’re looking for.
Xubuntu
Another official flavor of Ubuntu that does a nice job of providing a small footprint version of Linux is Xubuntu. The difference between Xubuntu and Lubuntu is that, where Lubuntu uses the LXDE desktop, Xubuntu makes use of Xfce. What you get with that difference is a lightweight desktop that is far more configurable (than Lubuntu) as well as one that includes the more business-ready LibreOffice office suite.
Xubuntu is an out of the box experience that anyone, regardless of experience, can use. But don’t think that immediate familiarity means this flavor of Ubuntu is locked out of making it your own. If you’re looking for a take on Ubuntu that’s somewhat old-school out of the box, but can be heavily tweaked to better resemble a more modern desktop, Xubuntu is what you want.
One really handy addition to Xubuntu that I’ve always enjoyed (one that harks back to Enlightenment) is the ability to bring up the “start” menu by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop (Figure 6). This can make for very efficient usage.
Figure 6: Xubuntu lets you bring up the “start” menu by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop.
The choice is yours
There is a flavor of Ubuntu to meet nearly any need—which one you choose is up to you. As yourself questions such as:
What are your needs?
What type of desktop do you prefer to interact with?
Is your hardware aging?
Do you prefer a Windows XP/7 feel?
Are you wanting a multimedia system?
Your answers to the above questions will go a long way to determining which flavor of Ubuntu is right for you. The good news is that you can’t really go wrong with any of the available options.
Learn more about Linux through the free “Introduction to Linux” course from The Linux Foundation and edX.
The Linux Foundation is looking to boost access to real-time analytics with the adoption of the former Open Border Gateway Monitoring Protocol (OpenBMP) platform into the open source community under the new SNAS.io (Streaming Network Analytics System) initiative.
The program is set to provide a framework for the tracking and analyzing of network routing topology data in real-time for operators and enterprises using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). The system taps into data collected from Layer 2 and Layer 3 of the network and includes IP information, quality of service requests, and physical and device specifications.
Serverless application architecture and the Internet of Things (IoT) have a lot in common: both are emerging technology choices that are introducing fundamentally new ways of managing networks and, as a result, are requiring new ideas around the design and deployment of applications.
Both technology areas have not yet matured, with much of the tooling — especially around security, logging, and deploying at scale — yet to be solved. Both are seeing massive interest from developer communities and enterprise, eager to implement solutions, and both need to learn how to support developers and systems integrators to adopt a fast moving technology with a rapid pace of innovation that means there are new things to learn every other week.
Microsoft made headlines at last year’s Build developer conference when it announced that it would build support for the Bash shell and Ubuntu Linux binaries directly into Windows 10. Doing so enables devs to run command-line tools while building apps as well as allows power users to run limited instances of Linux directly on top of Windows without installing a virtual machine. Today, at this year’s conference, the company one-upped itself and announced that it’s expanding Linux support to include OpenSUSE and Fedora distributions.
What’s really wild is that you’ll be able to pick up any of these three distributions directly through the Windows Store.
The Estimators API in tf.contrib.learn (See tutorial here) is a very convenient way to get started using TensorFlow. The really cool thing from my perspective about the Estimators API is that using it is a very easy way to create distributed TensorFlow models. Many of the TensorFlow samples that you see floating around on the internets are not distributed — they assume that you will be running the code on a single machine. People start with such code and then are immeasurably saddened to learn that the low-level TensorFlow code doesn’t actually work on their complete dataset. They then have to do lots of work to add distributed training code around the original sample, and who wants to edit somebody else’s code?
So, please, please, please, if you see a TensorFlow sample that doesn’t use the Estimators API, ignore it. It will be a lot of work to make it work on your production (read: large) datasets — there will be monitors, coordinators, parameter servers, and all kinds of systems programming craziness that you don’t want to have to dive into. Start with the Estimator API and use the Experiment class.
Have you launched an open source project or are you considering doing so? Making a success of your project can involve everything from evaluating licenses to community outreach. The good news is that there are many free resources that can help you advance and protect your project.
A recent webinar called “Best Practices for Starting an Open Source Project” focused on this topic. Hosted by Capital One, the online event featured Mike Dolan, VP of Strategic Programs at The Linux Foundation, as well as Scott Nicholas, who is Senior Director in the same department and assists in the execution of The Linux Foundation’s annual Legal Summit and other legal programs.
Dolan and Nicholas noted that much of the work in launching a project involves community focus, and they provided advice on key considerations for a project launch including:
How you want your community of developers to build and evolve code
Setting up a decision-making model
Understanding licenses, charter documents, and policies
Creating a usage policy and trademark that fits your code and concept
Dolan and Nicholas both have extensive experience in launching and supporting open source projects. They noted during the webinar that The Linux Foundation has trained more than 800,000 people on open source technologies, and provided the following slide detailing open source milestones:
The Linux Foundation Best Practices
Dolan noted the importance of maintaining independent governance and neutral project assets for open source projects. At the same time, he emphasized that involvement from and dependencies with businesses can keep open source projects healthy and sustainable. For example, many leading businesses contribute to projects ranging from OpenStack to Linux.
Dolan also discussed The Linux Foundation’sCore Infrastructure Initiative (CII) Badge Program. It includes a Best Practices Badge that can showcase an open source project’s commitment to security. Project leaders should look into it.
Scott Nicholas provided a walkthrough of best practices that The Linux Foundation follows with its projects. “Project participants need expertise on how to collaborate with each other,” he said, encouraging meetings and group discussion. He added that governance models and scope for projects should be clearly defined.
“One of the things that is very important to us is separation of business governance and technical governance for projects,” he said. He added that The Linux Foundation builds out charter documents for the open source projects that it stewards. These documents include Inbound Contribution guidelines, Outbound Licensing guidelines, Documentation, and Trademarks.
“Many open source projects will have situations arise where code comes into the project from another project that has a different licensing setup,” he said. “We have an exception policy defined that can help make it easier for code like this to be accepted into a project.” He noted that Contributor Licensing Agreements can help streamline contribution processes and said that The Linux Foundation uses Creative Commons licensing for contributions to documentation for its projects. Additionally, he highly recommended that project leaders document their APIs.
Free Resources
As open source becomes more pervasive, individual contributors and tech and DevOps workers everywhere are building out and overseeing open source projects. And, companies from Google to Netflix to Facebook are releasing their open source creations to the community. You can learn more in the free webcast replay of Best Practices for Starting an Open Source Project, and you can check out the full presentation deck from the event,available as a PDF, which is a very handy reference guide.
As containers have become more important to businesses across the globe, it was necessary to create a system that would allow containers to scale out to meet the needs of enterprise-level deployments. That’s where Kubernetes comes into play.
Unlike Docker, Kubernetes is a very robust ecosystem. Instead of deploying a single container, Kubernetes enables you to deploy multiple containers to multiple hosts, making it ideal for larger deployments and load balancing.
This smart person’s guide is an easy way to get up to speed on Kubernetes. We’ll update this guide periodically when news about Kubernetes is released.
