Linux and Unix Forum

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? …

It's rare that a company like [URL="http://www.redhat.com"]Red Hat[/URL] would remove a high-end feature from its popular commercial operating system but that's just what it did. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6.0 will ship without the [URL="http://www.xen.org"]Xen[/URL] hypervisor. Instead, it will include Red Hat's own [URL="http://www.linux-kvm.org"]KVM[/URL] virtualization. Has Red Hat done …

Canonical's Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Server Edition features the ideal deployment platform for Linux server workloads and cloud computing Long-term support (LTS) version of popular server operating system generally available on 29 April. [B]LONDON, April 27, 2010:[/B] Canonical today announced the upcoming release of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Server Edition which includes …

[URL="http://www.ubuntu.com"]Ubuntu[/URL]'s Lucid Lynx (10.04) isn't out yet but Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu and [URL="http://www.canonical.com"]Canonical[/URL], and his team look toward the October 2010 (10.10) release they're calling Maverick Meerkat. On his personal blog this morning, Mark wrote, "It’s time to put our heads together to envision 'the perfect 10'." Mark, …

My [URL="http://www.frugaltechshow.com"]Frugal Tech Show[/URL] co-host, [URL="http://blogs.zdnet.com/perlow"]Jason Perlow[/URL], and I spoke with [URL="http://www.canonical.com"]Canonical[/URL] CTO Matt Zimmerman early this morning about the upcoming [URL="http://www.ubuntu.com"]Ubuntu[/URL] releases and a few other selected topics of interest to Ubuntu users. There are some secret goings on in the mill at Canonical that he didn't tell us …

What the hell is up with [URL="http://www.oracle.com"]Oracle[/URL] lately? First, they stopped giving away the Solaris operating system and now they have some big announcement planned for next week at the [URL="http://en.oreilly.com/mysql2010"]MySQL Conference[/URL]. Should we hide our wallets before we listen? To me, Oracle has morphed into [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Microsoft[/URL] II with all …

It might sound strange to you that something called [URL="http://www.googlesharing.net/"]Google Sharing[/URL] could actually protect your privacy rather than compromise it. But that's exactly what Google Sharing does; protect your privacy. By acting as a proxy service when you communicate with [URL="http://www.google.com"]Google[/URL], you essentially block information from being delivered to Google. …

While [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/technology/12slate.html?pagewanted=1"]reports[/URL] suggest that Google is planning an Android or Chrome driven slate computer to rival the [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story273324.html"]iPad[/URL], fuelled by some loose party talk by CEO Eric E. Schmidt, others have a date and price for their iPad-alike machine already. Take the Linux-powered WePad for example. The folk at Neofonie, …

Last night while watching my usual list of recorded television programs, I saw a commercial for [URL="http://www.kgb.com"]KGB[/URL], the company that begs you to text them with your questions. For a mere 99 cents, they'll answer any question that you ask of them. I'm sure that they have their share of …

[URL="http://www.google.com"]Google[/URL] announced that they will soon launch their answer to the [URL="http://www.apple.com"]Apple[/URL] iPad; The Android-based Google gPad. I'm going to wait for it. Sure there are other Linux-based pads available or in the works but I want the gPad or GooglePad or whatever the heck they call it by launch …

Who says you don't get something for nothing? Certainly not the good people over at [URL="http://www.linuxfoundation.org"]The Linux Foundation[/URL] (TLF) who're offering free [URL="http://training.linuxfoundation.org/lp/sign-up-for-the-free-linux-training-webinar-series"]Linux training[/URL]. TLF is doing its part for the worldwide Linux community by offering this free training plus the [URL="http://jobs.linux.com"]Linux Jobs Board[/URL] and all of its [URL="http://www.linuxfoundation.org/programs"]other services[/URL]. …

[URL="http://www.mysql.com"]MySQL[/URL] users listened intently Tuesday, April 13 at O'Reilly's MySQL [URL="http://en.oreilly.com/mysql2010"]Conference[/URL] to Edward Screven, [URL="http://www.oracle.com"]Oracle[/URL]'s chief corporate architect, while he announced Oracle's grand plan for MySQL. What they heard was that Oracle is interested in MySQL, will invest in it and nothing should change for the community version of MySQL. …

Florian Mueller, Open Source Patent Activist, just released the following information. He believes that patents already used by IBM against [URL="http://www.turbohercules.com"]TurboHercules[/URL] are also a threat to other major FOSS projects. He now calls on the community for action. [URL="http://openbsd.org"]OpenBSD[/URL], [URL="http://xen.org"]Xen[/URL], [URL="http://virtualbox.org"]VirtualBox[/URL], [URL="http://redhat.com"]Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization[/URL], [URL="http://mysql.com"]MySQL[/URL], [URL="http://postgresql.com"]PostgreSQL[/URL], [URL="http://sqlite.org"]SQLite[/URL] and [URL="http://kaffe.org"]Kaffe[/URL] …

"After years of pretending to be a friend of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), IBM now shows its true colors. IBM breaks the number one taboo of the FOSS community and shamelessly uses its patents against a well-respected FOSS project, the Hercules mainframe emulator." Those are [URL="http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2010/04/ibm-breaks-taboo-and-betrays-its.html"]the words of …

Today marks the end of an era for [URL="http://www.sco.com"]SCO[/URL], the embattled company whose officers thought that they owned the full rights to the UNIX code, is no more. Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux, purchased the company for just over $4 million. The company will be renamed to Linsco to reflect …

I learned a little from my dalliances with Apple products. I learned a lot from PCs running DOS and Windows. I've learned the most about computers from Linux. However, productivity-wise, the order goes in reverse. The learning curve with Linux is at least twice as long compared to Windows and …

See SCO keep going. Stop SCO Stop. Seriously Stop SCO Stop. In a seriously OMG moment yesterday, [URL="http://www.sco.com"]SCO[/URL] lost another battle in its UNIX ownership claims. The Utah jury decided that [URL="http://www.novell.com"]Novell[/URL], in fact, did not transfer the UNIX copyrights to SCO when they sold UNIXWare to them years before. …

This just in: [URL="http://www.redhat.com"]Red Hat, Inc[/URL]. just announced today that its Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization (REV) now includes the ability to run Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or VDI. I've been a long time anti-VDI voice but Red Hat just might be the one to pull it off and make it work …

Sony has just put its Linux user base in the dust bin with its newest update that doesn't allow installing another operating system to its popular game console. Thanks, Sony. I'm now making believe that you're going to lose market share because of this. I'm also making believe that this …

Now that [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Microsoft[/URL]'s big operating systems, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, are on store shelves, is it time again for them to pick up the legal sledgehammer and go after Linux? I think the evidence for it is mounting. Microsoft has signed a deal with [URL="http://www.novell.com"]Novell[/URL], penned an agreement …

It's true. [URL="http://www.oracle.com"]Oracle[/URL] is now, with its acquisition of Sun Microsystems, the world's largest purveyor of open source software. Does that surprise you? It did me too, until I started digging and realized that Oracle has a history of supporting free and open source software. Their support didn't start with …

You often hear the terms 'free software' and open source used interchangeably but they're not the same. In fact, true free software zealots launch into a fiery diatribe on the issue should you even utter the words "open source" when speaking of free software. Free software is not related to …

From its [URL="http://www.debian.org"]Debian[/URL] roots to its commercially available support to its overwhelming popularity, [URL="http://www.ubuntu.com"]Ubuntu[/URL] is the ultimate Linux distribution. For me, Ubuntu became a significant force within the Linux community with its 2006 releases: 6.04 and 6.10. From April 2006, I've installed and used every new version and anticipate each …

As a FOSS (Free, Open Source Software) advocate, I find myself in a state of shock over what I've observed over the past ten or so years in this realm. If I asked you to name the most successful open source companies (Companies that derive the majority of their income …

A lot of people, including me, want one but will a true Linux Pad computer ever exist? I've seen some intriguing prototypes over the years and none more interesting than the [URL="http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=RDSMARTBOOK"]Freescale Smartbook[/URL] but will any of them ever go into mass production? Freescale has the best chance of any …

If you've always wanted to create your own Linux distribution (distro), like I have, now you can by using a tool that was originally developed to create Virtual Appliances. [URL="http://www.susestudio.com"]SUSE Studio[/URL] (still currently in alpha) is a web-based tool that helps you create Linux Virtual Appliances and complete bootable distros …

I've seen a collection of articles about computer security breaches originating from China and would like to give a report from the ITYS Foundation. ITYS, for the unaware, is "I Told You So." I've discussed the use of Linux on the desktop for years, touting its security, stability, thousands of …

Beware the Ides of March. I just received the news that one of my most favorite services is shutting down due to the cost of providing the free service. That's right, the public [URL="http://g.ho.st"]g.ho.st[/URL] cloud desktop service closes on March 15, 2010. I loved the Global Hosted Operating System and …

A few hours ago, I posted "[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story263673.html"]Is Microsoft the New SCO?[/URL]" but now I realize, after a little research, that [URL="http://www.amazon.com"]Amazon[/URL] and [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Microsoft[/URL] are in this patent agreement for one reason: so that Amazon can abandon Linux on its Kindle in favor of Windows 7. Crazy? Nope. It makes perfect …

Earlier this week [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Microsoft[/URL] and [URL="http://www.amazon.com"]Amazon[/URL] signed a [URL="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2010/feb10/02-22MSAmazonPR.mspx"]patent deal[/URL] covering Amazon's Linux-based Kindle and its use of Linux-based server systems. Amazon will pay Microsoft an undisclosed amount as a result of this deal. I know it's just me but what the hell is up with that? I don't have …

File under what just happened here? According to a [URL="http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2010/feb10/02-22MSAmazonPR.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Releases"]press release[/URL] issued by Microsoft yesterday, it has entered into a cross-licensing patent deal with Amazon. This covers the Kindle as well the Linux-based servers that Amazon uses, and comes back to the Microsoft claim that a number of Linux implementations …

It's my pleasure to bring you the CTO of Devil Mountain Software, Craig Barth, in this exclusive interview, his first, after the much publicized outting of [URL="http://www.infoworld.com"]InfoWorld[/URL]'s Randall Kennedy. Barth, perhaps best known for his Windows performance expertise, is also a huge Linux fan. Here now, is my interview with …

Responses (from another site) on my recent, "[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story261566.html"]Security Alert: They Should Have Used Linux[/URL]" led me to explore the conclusion that hacking is really only for those seeking the low-hanging security fruit as their prey. These folks, who tout themselves as "Linux Experts" intrigued me so much with their comments …

It isn't too soon to anticipate the next major release of Ubuntu is it? I hope not. [URL="http://www.ubuntu.com"]Ubuntu[/URL] 10.04 has a few surprises up its virtual sleeve in store for you. I can't tell you everything that's in store but you'll certainly have fun discovering some of them through this …

Bjorn Olstad, a Microsoft Distinguished Engineer and the CTO of FAST, has revealed that beyond 2010 there will be no more Microsoft FAST enterprise search products which support Linux and UNIX search cores. In an official Microsoft Enterprise Search Blog posting, [URL="http://blogs.msdn.com/enterprisesearch/archive/2010/02/04/innovation-on-linux-and-unix.aspx"]Olstad states[/URL] that although when Microsoft acquired FAST two …

As promised yesterday, this is my potential solution to the [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story249841.html"]Linux survival question[/URL]: A Linux Commercial--created by you--and it's a contest. Sound exciting? You creative types will now have a chance to create your own short film/video/commercial for Linux. Give Linux a face, a voice, a rap, a song, a …

Ok, so we all know that I've been giving [URL="http://www.fedoraproject.org"]Fedora[/URL] a bit of a black eye lately with my [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4448.html"]BaitNSwitch[/URL] and [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4459.html"]Is Fedora Still Relevant[/URL] posts so I've decided to give them some positive press and enter their [I][URL="http://spins.fedoraproject.org"]Spins[/URL][/I] Zone. Spins are live Fedora CD images designed with a specific …

It seems that I caused quite a stir and some arguments among some of my readers with the likes of my [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story254705.html"]5 *nix Myths Busted[/URL] and the ever popular [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story256070.html"]Retraction: 5 *nix Myths Busted[/URL], when I referred to rebooting systems. I never thought that something so benign would cause such …

I will never again refer to the Linux Desktop in any of my writings beyond this post. From now on, it's the Linux User Interface, which encompasses the likes of [URL="http://www.gnome.org"]GNOME[/URL], [URL="http://www.kde.org"]KDE[/URL], [URL="http://www.lxde.org"]LXDE[/URL], [URL="http://www.xfce.org"]XFCE[/URL], CLI and others. These Linux User Interfaces may be used on any Linux-enabled device. These interfaces …

I love mythology and there's nothing like hearing a technology myth to make my day complete. Just today someone applied one of the following myths in a conversation with me. I didn't say anything but it gave me the idea for this post. Here are the five myths related to …

I just read a post on another site from someone who calls himself (herself?), [B]linux guru[/B], and it made me ponder the following question: What is a Linux Guru? I've known many knowledgeable people over the years but never have I met an actual guru. I wonder if people like …

As a current [URL="http://www.gnome.org"]GNOME[/URL] user and former [URL="http://www.kde.org"]KDE[/URL] user, I'd like to know when we can expect some new innovations from either of these desktop environments? I know KDE came out with KDE 4.x just over two years ago but it seems that its popularity has fallen away in favor …

Plagued by duplicate files that clog up your system? Quantum, a company once known mainly for hard drives, yesterday unveiled a new version of its [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StorNext_File_System]StorNext File System[/url] that it says optimizes storage efficiency by implementing automatic data deduplication. It's part of StorNext 4.0, Quantum's high-performance sharing and data management …

Last week, The Linux Foundation [URL="http://www.linuxfoundation.org/node/5716"]launched[/URL] it's new Linux Jobs board and normally, I applaud anything that [URL="http://www.linuxfoundation.org"]The Linux Foundation[/URL] (TLF) does but not this time. And I think it's great that TLF has a [URL="http://jobs.linux.com"]job board[/URL] on [URL="http://www.linux.com"]Linux.com[/URL], however, the execution lacks the luster I've come to expect from …

Did you hear that one of the web's most popular web-based collaboration suites, [URL="http://www.zimbra.com"]Zimbra[/URL], was purchased by virtualization leader, [URL="http://www.vmware.com"]VMware[/URL]? Zimbra customers like the idea of VMware owning the software suite. Industry observers have differing opinions on the topic. Formerly owned by [URL="http://www.yahoo.com"]Yahoo[/URL], Zimbra now has the advantages of VMware's …

This is a plea to all hardware manufacturers: Please create Linux drivers for your hardware. OK, so Linux isn't the Stormin' Norman of the Desktop arena but that doesn't mean its users don't want or need drivers for hardware. I don't blame the kind volunteers that donate their time to …

I have a feeling that the desktop operating system as we know it is on its last leg. The reason I make such a bold statement is that cloud computing will replace our fat, bloated, virus-riddled, failure-prone desktop with something far more agile and elegant: A lightweight browser-based system. This …

While companies worldwide look for ways to reduce costs, shed dead weight from their labor resources and streamline their businesses, it makes me wonder if Linux will survive the global economic meltdown. Oh, I know it will survive in terms of us geeks who use it and tout its goodness. …

This year is not the year of the Linux desktop. Next year is not the year of the Linux desktop. In fact, NO year is the year of the Linux desktop. Every year, there are at least ten writers (Ashamedly, I'm included in that ten) who proclaim that the current …