Linux and Unix Forum

Want to buy a Dell machine loaded with Linux? Shame, as it appears that Dell Europe would really rather you bought a Windows-powered one, despite having a website devoted entirely to selling Dell Ubuntu laptops. And, oh boy, does it use some strange arguments to dissuade you from becoming a …

It's hard for me to admit it but there are things, ten things to be exact, that I really hate about Linux. Sometimes I think it's just me but I do see other people stating a few of these in the forums so I'm at least not alone with some …

According to [François Beaufort](https://plus.google.com/+FrancoisBeaufort/posts) who is a French 'Happiness Evangelist' at Google (and no, I didn't make that up), Chromebook users will soon be able to choose what operating system they want. In a publicly shared post from last week, Beaufort states that "in order to support installing and testing …

A 22 year old vulnerability, yes you read that right, has been discovered which some security experts suggest could be bigger than Heartbleed. The bug, reported as '[CVE-2014-6271:remote code execution through bash](http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q3/649)' relates to how environment variables are processed: with trailing code in function definitions being executed independently of the …

Every week, Stephen Coty [writes about](https://www.alertlogic.com/resources/blog/) interesting exploits that have caught his attention as chief security evangelist at Alert Logic. This last week (in a currently password protected posting) [he mused about](https://www.alertlogic.com/blog/exploit-monday-a-few-interesting-ones-to-be-aware-of-7/) a 'JournalCtl and Syslog Terminal Escape Injection' zero day which could be of interest to the Linux gurus …

News headlines screaming that yet another Microsoft Windows vulnerability has been discovered, is in the wild or has just been patched are two a penny. Such has it ever been. News headlines declaring that a 'major security problem' has been found with Linux are a different kettle of fish. So …

System Administrators (SAs) have a tough job: Dealing with users and user accounts, security, patching, updates, upgrades, disk space, performance and other miscellaneous tasks often known as "other duties as assigned." For some SAs, the day never ends. Despite the challenges, pitfalls and occasional irate user; system administration is a …

This week I'll be at InterOp Las Vegas looking for the latest and coolest Linux-based technologies that InterOp exhibitors have to offer. My favorites are certainly the "new innovators." New innovators are small companies who've developed their own products and are trying to get noticed in the high-tech space. These …

The world's largest technical support, software and hardware companies use Linux on a daily basis for a variety of tasks and solutions. This post gives you an overview of all the ways in which large companies use Linux. Most don't use Linux on the desktop but do use it in …

I've had several people ask me what I think the best, top, most user friendly, ultimate, and so on distribution is--so now I'm publishing my Top 10 Linux Distributions in reverse order of preference. Ease of installation, commercial support, community support, updates, administrative tools, stability, performance, and to a lesser …

If you thought, or indeed hoped, that the Google Chrome OS would be a thoroughly modern marvel running web apps only then you are about to be disappointed. It would appear that even the brave new future of the OS cannot escape from the legacy of Windows. According to a …

A new version (9.0) of [URL="http://www.postgresql.org"]PostgreSQL[/URL] is in beta and ready for public testing. If version 9.0 lives up to its proposed [URL="http://www.postgresql.org/about/featurematrix"]feature list[/URL], then it is serious competition for MySQL. PostgreSQL proponents have long suggested that PostgreSQL has always enjoyed superiority over MySQL. I beg to differ but that …

My "[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story229382.html"]10 Best Linux Distributions of 2009[/URL]" list drew a bit of disdain from some of my readers, so I thought I'd make it up to them by posting a list of Linux distributions that [I]they[/I] like to use. Since I have no way of knowing which of these distributions …

On the 11th September a customer of the [URL="http://www.pcworld.co.uk"]PC World[/URL] computer superstore in Colliers Wood, London took his laptop back for an under warranty repair. The computer was only a few months old, and a crack had appeared near the left hinge which is indicative of an internal joint failing. …

A specialist mobile software management company, [URL="http://www.redbend.com"]Red Bend Software[/URL], has today announced what it claims to be the first Linux based mobile phone complete with fully over the air customizable software. The breakthrough has been made possible by partnerships with companies such as Digital Airways, Opera, Synchronica, Trolltech and Zi, …

I stumbled across an interesting interview with Linus Torvalds over at [URL="http://apcmag.com/7012/linus_torvalds_talks_about"]apcmag.com[/URL] in which the man himself would appear to be confirming that there will be no Linux kernel 3.0 The first hints are given when he responds to a question concerning why the 2.6 kernel has been around for …

Time to enter the Wayback ([URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WABAC_machine"]WABAC[/URL]) Machine to an experience I had with a new Linux user and compare it to today's more tech savvy audience. The year was 1997 and I had settled in for the evening with my [URL="http://www.guinness.com/"]favorite beverage[/URL] and a bit of channel flipping, when I …

[URL="http://aws.amazon.com"]Amazon Web Services[/URL] (AWS) uses it. [URL="http://www.elastichosts.com"]Elastichosts[/URL] uses it. [URL="http://www.google.com"]Google[/URL] uses it. Yahoo uses it. [URL="http://www.engineyard.com"]Engine Yard[/URL] uses it. [URL="http://www.facebook.com"]Facebook[/URL] uses it. "It" is Linux, of course. But what else do all these companies have in common? If you said "cloud technology," you're correct. Perhaps the best known of all …

I just read an article called: [URL="http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/life-after-windows-what-happens-tech-if-microsoft-dies-551?source=footer"]Life after Windows: What happens to tech if Microsoft dies?[/URL]" The article made me think of what it really would be like without Microsoft. I didn't like it. We need Microsoft over there competing with us. No matter what happens to the economy, to …

Hey Windows fans, would you like to take Linux for a spin to see what everyone's buzzing about? It's easy to do in just five easy steps. You can test Linux for yourself without having to setup multibooting, worry about partitioning or installing over your current Windows system. That's right, …

Do you use [URL="http://google.com"]Google[/URL]'s Chrome Browser? Apparently, a lot of people do. So many, in fact, that it has now [URL="http://www.pcworld.com/article/199961/googles_chrome_passes_safari_in_us_browser_share.html"]passed[/URL] [URL="http://www.apple.com/safari/"]Safari[/URL] in the web browser popularity poll. Is this a big surprise to anyone? The article states that Chrome now has just under ten percent of the market share …

Any list of best or worst will have its opponents and proponents and I foresee that this list of worst Linux distributions will be no different. There were, at last count, almost 300 Linux distributions and they all can't be great. But, this list of Linux distributions are, in my …

I saw this article yesterday titled, "[URL="http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20090220/tc_pcworld/studyfederalgovtcansavebillionsinitspending"]Study: Federal Gov't. Can Save Billions in IT Spending[/URL]," and feel compelled to comment. The gist of the article is that by switching to open source software, like Linux and OpenOffice.org, the federal government would save billions of dollars in IT costs. This is …

What do you get if you combine a computer company with a group of Vegans and someone who used to present a popular children's TV show? The less than obvious answer is a Linux computer designed especially for old people. But there you have it, and according to the press …

When I started exploring Linux back in 1994-1995, there were very few resources available and many of the problems I experienced didn't have solutions. That was a long time ago. The situation has changed for the better. These days, there are plentiful resources for those new to Linux or for …

Do you consider yourself to be fairly familiar with the [URL="http://www.debian.org"]Debian[/URL] Linux distribution? I thought I was familiar with it enough to know its origin and history, how its name was derived and that Richard Stallman, the Father of the [URL="http://www.fsf.org"]Free Software[/URL] movement, uses a Debian derivative ([URL="http://www.gnewsense.org/"]gNewSense[/URL]) for his …

That's right, create your own Linux virtual appliances with [URL="http://www.vmware.com/appliances/learn/vmware_studio.html"]VMware Studio[/URL]. Appliances are small, single purpose servers that provide a service to users. Some examples are Content Management Systems (CMS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, web servers, mail servers, DNS servers, database servers, and so on. VMware Studio is actually …

Jim Whitehurst, [URL="http://www.redhat.com"]Red Hat, Inc.[/URL] CEO, believes that [URL="http://www.vmware.com"]VMware[/URL] is its biggest competition in the virtualization and cloud computing space. In a [URL="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/199870/red_hat_ceo_vmware_our_biggest_competitor.html"]PCWorld article[/URL], Whitehurst stated Friday at the Red Hat Summit that "When you start thinking about who is defining cloud-based architectures, it's us and them [VMware]," he said. …

[URL="http://redhat.com"]Red Hat[/URL] Enterprise Linux now comes with built-in virtualization ([URL="http://linux-kvm.org"]KVM[/URL]) but is Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization (RHEV) about to go to the virtual mat with [URL="http://vmware.com"]VMware[/URL]? If you look at their [URL="http://www.redhat.com/v/swf/rhev/demo.html"]RHEL video[/URL], you'll come away with a resounding 'Yes' to that question. Red Hat purchased [URL="http://www.redhat.com/promo/qumranet/"]Qumranet[/URL] in 2008 to …

Gentoo has long been a distribution aimed towards the power Linux user. It allows users to foray into the inner workings of their computers, emphasizing total customizability for optimal performance and minimum size. It is not for users who are looking for an operating system as soon as possible. Installations …

In the latest episode of the [URL="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9179007/SCO_appeals_ruling_in_Novell_case"]story that never ends[/URL], [URL="http://www.sco.com"]SCO[/URL] filed an appeal in the [URL="http://www.novell.com/prblogs/?p=2153"]closed[/URL] case against [URL="http://www.novell.com"]Novell[/URL]. Everyone in the Linux and Open Source Communities thought the case was finally brought to a close when the judge declared that Novell is the owner of UNIX copyrights. The …

There's big news in the software patent front from none other than The U.S. Supreme Court. In the case of [URL="http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=167db2c8-5a72-4f52-8c22-6ae54ff16062"]Bilski vs. Kappos[/URL], handed down yesterday, is a major blow to the anti-patent movement, specifically the [I]no software patent[/I] groups. [INDENT]Florian Mueller, founder of the anti-software patents movement (NoSoftwarePatents) in …

It was exactly one year ago today that I published my original "[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story219749.html"]The 10 Best Linux Distributions[/URL]" and it's time to put forth a new list for this year's best. Without looking at the old list, I've decided to compile this one from scratch. This 2009 list takes several factors …

Today, June 22, 2010, The [URL="http://www.openinventionnetwork.com"]Open Invention Network[/URL] (OIN) [URL="http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/press_release06_22_10.php"]announced[/URL] that [URL="http://www.canonical.com"]Canonical[/URL], the company that owns and produces the [URL="http://www.ubuntu.com"]Ubuntu[/URL] Linux distribution, joins its ranks as the first Associate Member. Florian Mueller, founder and former director of the NoSoftwarePatents campaign and the founder of the [URL="http://fosspatents.blogspot.com"]FOSS Patents Blog[/URL] had this …

Is it true that, if you speak up for GNU/Linux on the Desktop, you get flamed? I just had a virtual conversation with someone who claims that this assertion is fact. I've never experienced this anti-Desktop Linux sentiment or maybe my memory has failed me. I don't think the Linux …

I know it sounds crazy but the Linux Desktop isn't dead, it's just pining. It's pining for the correct platform--a tablet computer. And, I'm not referring to some cheap imitation tablet that will merely satisfy a few observers and nerdlets who use Linux. I'm thinking of a tablet computer for …

Two headlines grabbed my attention today. The first proclaiming that Linux sucks while the second announced it was possible to boot into a full Linux OS in less than a single solitary second. Paul Rako [URL="http://www.edn.com/article/CA6720353.html"]reports[/URL] that one company, an embedded-Linux specialist called MontaVista Software, has gone step further than …

This Memorial Day weekend reminds us all of those who sacrificed their lives for freedom and to protect a way of life that is based on freedom. While considering the brave men and women who stood up for what is right over the past 250 years, it made me realize …

This post is a summary of a conversation I had the other day with an acquaintance of mine. It started out with him asking me what I do for a living and ended up with me having to choke back tears of laughter. I hope you have the same reaction …

I've run across ten new Linux distributions inspired by current news stories. Some, of course, are better than others and a few just have no practical use or purpose whatsoever but still are worth a mention. These ten distributions are in no particular order of my preference or relevance. Maybe …

OK, you two, stop fighting. These little spats of yours are getting old. A [URL="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20100602/tc_nf/73685"]rumor[/URL], heard yesterday, that [URL="http://www.google.com"]Google[/URL] is not going to use [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Windows[/URL] internally in their company might be just that: rumor. And, a bad one at that. It's interesting to note that, while such a rumor stirs …

It's a cell phone for crying out loud. Do you get it? A cell phone. You know, you make and receive phone calls on it. It's a telephone that you carry around in your pocket. Who gives a rip whether it's equipped with a web browser, a file editor or …

I recently upgraded a friend of mine to [URL="http://www.ubuntu.com"]Ubuntu[/URL] 9.04 Desktop for his five-year-old [URL="http://www.acer.com"]Acer[/URL] laptop with 512 MB of RAM. I removed Windows 2000 after backing up his precious documents, pictures and browser favorites. I installed the latest stable version of Ubuntu, restored all of his settings, Internet connection …

To you, my loyal readers, I must offer up a sincere apology for my recent post, [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story254705.html"]Five *nix Myths Busted[/URL], and am posting this full retraction for that post. To fully drive home my retraction and refute any myths about my competence with Linux or Unix, I am going to …

It looks like [URL="http://www.yahoo.com"]Yahoo[/URL] has reinstated the [URL="http://news.yahoo.com/technology"]Linux/Open Source[/URL] link on their Tech News page. Perhaps it was just a fat-fingered mistake or an accident of some sort that the link was removed from the main link bar but it certainly raised my hackles. And, frankly, my hackles don't need …

OK, I'm not sure what's going on in the minds of the geniuses over at Yahoo but just today they removed the Linux/Open Source link under News/Tech is gone. Its replacement? Social Media. Thanks Yahoo. That's really clever. NOT! In the realm of things dumb, that takes second place right …

The topic of certification surfaces every so often in technical circles--especially when job seekers face tough job competition. The value of such certifications comes into question versus that of years of experience. For experienced technicians and engineers, the opinion is that experience is the most important for landing a job. …

Earlier this evening, I had a conversation with a friend and colleague in the IT business. He runs his own independent computer consulting firm and we were trading war stories about customers, hardware vendors and work sharing. Work sharing, also known as "farming out" work that you can't do yourself …

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse in the world of software patents, a reliable source sent me this response from Steve Jobs about a patent pool that's forming and aiming to nail the open source codecs projects. It's enough to make the weak at heart go weak …

The latest MessageLabs spam index reveals that relative to its market share, any given Linux machine is five times more likely to be sending spam than any given Windows machine. But what are the facts behind those headline grabbing numbers and can Windows really get off the hook that easily? …