Posts by khess

Do you need to connect your Linux Desktops or Servers to Microsoft's Active Directory (AD)? If you do, now you can learn how to do it straight from the source at Microsoft's TechNet site in the article: Authenticate Linux Clients with Active Directory.

Do you wonder why you'd want to do this? It may not be intuitively obvious but there are IT shops out there (maybe even yours) that use Windows exclusively because of Active Directory authentication. Linux is, or was, often excluded because of its inability to integrate successfully with AD. There are a few products like LikeWise Software's Active Directory product and Quest Software's One Identity Solution that provide commercial solutions for Active Directory integration.

The TechNet article only uses free software for the solution which is kind of shocking considering that it is a Microsoft article. So far Microsoft doesn't supply any Linux software so they have to use what's freely available like the rest of us.

One note about AD integration products and AD integration in general is that once you've connected your Linux machine to an AD domain, you may be in "for life" because I've had a great deal of trouble totally removing my Linux systems from AD. It seems to really mess up the works, so to speak, and from my experience--it's easier to install than unstall, so proceed with caution.

Yes, rbuilder is cool, though I've never successfully created anything with it.

That's right, create your own Linux virtual appliances with VMware Studio. 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 a virtual machine (VM) image that runs in VMware Server, VMware Player, and possibly their other products. To use the Studio, download and boot the VM. Instructions on how to access the web-based interface are displayed to you on the VM's console.

The appliance-building process is simple but requires that you have some advanced knowledge of Linux. VMware's Studio is a tool that is really more suited to ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) who want to supply an appliance that hosts their application or service. When you build your appliance, you can add in an update repository so that your appliance users can easily download and install updates from your repository with minimal effort--a great feature for ISVs.

There are a few glitches with the VMware Studio system but they are relatively minor and should be fixed in the next release since VMware is aware of them. If you need to build an appliance or always wanted to build your own distribution, this is the tool for you.
Novell also offers a tool called SUSE Studio (still in alpha) that fills the same needs as VMware's Studio. I find that SUSE Studio is …

Perhaps you're right Tracy Anne. I should give them a PC with Linux on it to see how they fare. At least virus and spyware calls would be down to zero with them. ;-)

Actually, TELinux46, I have done exactly as you suggest in a post not too long ago: http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3357.html

About a month ago, research firm IDC released a report summarizing personal computer (PC) sales and their projected growth over the next few years. Included in the report are Desktop computers, Server computers, and Laptops. The boost in sales and projected growth are due to the upsurge in consumers purchasing low cost portable computers (Netbooks) like the Asus Eee PC and others. You'd think that increased sales of these low-cost, ultra-portable computers would lead to greater adoption of Linux but the opposite is actually true. In fact, the return rate of Linux Netbooks is about 4 times that of those equipped with Windows XP according to a Laptop Magazine interview with MSI’s Director of U.S. Sales Andy Tung.

What? 4 times the return rate of Windows XP Netbooks?

This actually doesn't surprise me. People buy a low-cost Netbook thinking it has something they're familiar with and when they get it home--it doesn't. So instead of learning to use this new fangled thingy (Linux)--they opt to return the unit for one with Windows on it. It isn't that they are too dumb to use Linux. It isn't that Linux doesn't work for them.

The answer is familiarity.

People use what they have become familiar with and that with which they are comfortable. The majority of people just want things to work and look like they always have. It may surprise those of you who like Linux to know that there are people who …

Since my "5 Things Every Good Linux Administrator Knows" post the other day, I've received some indirect feedback from friends and readers alike, that admittedly, leaves a little egg on my face. I left out three very important things that every good Linux administrator should know. I appreciate the feedback and I'm glad that my readers and those close to me feel enabled to let me know when I'm in error or at least falling short of a full delivery.

The 3 additional things that every good Linux administrator should know, in no particular order, are--

1. Backups - O Great Spirit, how could I have sinned such a great sin to forget this one (perhaps most important of all) issue? I do have an excuse: I work in a very large enterprise where people do specific jobs. It is a team environment where each team works as a spoke on a wheel--each as important as any other and all supporting the whole. I forgot backups not out of neglect but as something, that currently, is not part of my immediate concern. Backups and the ability to restore are of highest importance and priority to System Administrators (SA), users, and corporate management.
Perform daily backups. Test your backups by restoring a few innocuous files on a regular basis. If it isn't your job, it is still your responsibility to make sure that it gets done anyway.

2. Scripting and Automation - Most job descriptions require …

There are 5 things that every good Linux Administrator knows. Do you know what they are?
They are in no particular order of importance:

1. Users are a Necessary Evil - Do you ever wonder why System Administrators seem so annoyed by you and your questions? It's because you are, in fact, an annoyance to them. Don't be insulted by this--it's just fact. You are generally the reason they exist but life would be easier for them if you didn't exist or ever need anything from them.
Take a deep breath and realize that you have a symbiotic relationship with your users. They probably don't like you either.

2. The Biggest Security Risks are Internal - As any good security expert will tell you, most security issues arise from inside a corporate network not from the outside. Most port scans, virus attacks, hacks, password stealing, and stolen data occurs from within your own ranks. Linux Administrators have the advantage of using a Unix Operating System that is inherently secure by virtue of the limited ability of users to damage the system.
Local users still pose the biggest security threats to a system through the download and use of rootkits, port scanners, and password crack programs.
Create Use or Terms of Service Policies that describe acceptable use and behavior. Make hack attempts a terminable offense.

3. Network Services are System Doorways - Any network service provides access to your system--which means service to your users and …

You don't have to use the shell to install programs. Use Synaptic or the KPackage program.
I'm glad Macs have a shell now...less annoying than before. And now more than one button on the mouse...sheesh!

I read an article on Yahoo Tech yesterday that I have to share with you. The title is "Microsoft says next Windows won't be as annoying". It's funny that Microsoft realizes, and admits, that Windows Vista is a tremendous blunder. They don't say it as strongly as I just did but they should. Like Windows Me, Vista is a terrible mistake.

It isn't just me because as one Gartner analyst, Michael Silver, put it in the article, "The real hurdle is to get Vista's reputation behind them." Funny stuff that.

In the article, a Microsoft VP said that some of Vista's features seemed like a good idea to developers but weren't tested on users. WHAT? Microsoft has developers producing commercial applications with features that are never fully tested on actual users? OMG! Ok, stop laughing and keep reading--it gets even better.

Microsoft is also showing off some lighter versions of its Office Suite--and there's a hint of web-based versions. So now Microsoft is also putting some bank into the Cloud that I've been harping on for some time here and in my Virtualization column at Linux Magazine.

So what?

I'll tell you what: Microsoft realizes that Desktop Operating Systems, especially the annoying bloated types are dying off--rapidly. Windows 7 reportedly works well on less powerful systems where Vista choked and died--or wouldn't start at all.
Microsoft people are not stupid and they realize that we aren't either. They know that we know …

Mainframes (MF) in the news again? Can it be or did I just wake up in 1980 all over again? It's true (the Mainframe part not 1980) that we are now looking backward for our future in virtualization and Cloud Computing using Linux as the delivery system. Mainframes have a 40-year history with virtualization--in fact, the IBM System z's z/VM is a Type-1 hypervisor--like VMware's ESX and Xen.

Something old and something new.

Melding the two disparate worlds of Mainframes and Linux is an exciting undertaking. Linux is the Operating System new kid on the block with its x86 orientation and a unix filesystem and command structure. It's also the favorite of many who use virtualized infrastructure, including Cloud-based infrastructure. Linux is an essential part of Cloud Computing because of its cost, agility, customizability, and use in supercomputing.

What does this mean for you?

What it means is that you'll use the Cloud for applications, services, and possibly even your Desktop interface.

And it means that all the buzz, and worry, about Cloud Computing may be at an end. There's a lot of naysaying going on these days with techies and CEOs alike railing against Cloud Computing because of your lack of control--or more importantly--Security. The security question is no longer relavent since we're now talking Mainframes. Mainframes have the highest level of security of any system--and always have.

z/VM fully supports Linux as a Guest OS or image in …

Thanks Yoramn! It sounds cool, I'll check it out. I may even review it.

PCLinuxOS is pretty neat but when I installed it last time, there were a lot of apps, including Konsole that wouldn't open so I had to leave it out. I did a review of it in Linux + Magazine (www.lpmagazine.org).

There are three Linux distributions that didn't make it into my top 10 list of best Linux distributions but they are ones to watch. These three distributions are all aimed at the Desktop, are simple to install and use, and they're free.

Linux Mint, gOS, and OpenSuSE are the three distros (distributions) to watch. (I reviewed 2 (gOS & Linux Mint) of these 3 in a Linux Magazine article, "Spawn of Ubuntu.")

Linux Mint - From Freedom Came Elegance - The tagline for this distribution holds true--Linux Mint is an elegant twist on its Ubuntu parent. Linux Mint installation is very similar to Ubuntu's--giving the user simple, easy-to-follow instructions along the way. Since Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu (whose parent is Debian) you use Synaptic (graphical) or apt-get (command line) to update your system and install new software.
Linux Mint is also suitable for commercial users as well as personal Desktops. Commercial support is available for corporate adopters. I recommend Linux Mint for a complete and enjoyable Desktop experience for the beginner and the guru alike.

OpenSuSE - Get It. Discover It. Create It. - I know what you're saying, if you've read my top 10 Linux distros post, "Hey, you totally dissed Novell's Linux--including OpenSuSE." "What's up with that?" It's true that I'm not a huge fan of Novell's commercial offerings but I find OpenSuSE somewhat intriguing. It is more on par with other …

On July 31st, I posted the announcement: Linux Contest That You Can Win for the Will Linux Work? Contest sponsored by Plat'Home, maker of the OpenBlock S and OpenMicroServer server appliances.

Plat'Home announced the winners and the winning projects this morning. Out of over 3 dozen detailed proposals, the following projects were chosen as winners.

• Winner #1 lives aboard a trimaran in New Zealand and needs a small, low power device to record positional data and monitor the engine, fuel reserves and rate of consumption. The OpenMicroServer will be put to the test against constant motion, vibrations, a sweeping variety of temperature conditions and the risk of electrolysis from lack of proper grounding and presence of salt water.

• Winner #2 will use the OpenMicroServer as a controller for amateur radio repeaters in an unheated container on a 4200’ hilltop. He will also use Asterisk (open source VOIP solution) and modified USB audio dongles to interface with the radio.

• Winner #3 will use the OpenMicroServer as a home utility automation device to be more efficient with energy usage. The system will monitor heating zones, hot water and air conditioning system cycle times to allow extracting daily information and plan strategies for fuel and cost savings. Advanced versions of the system will allow for time-of-day scheduling to take advantage of variable utility rates.

• Winner #4 will use the OpenMicroServer as an irrigation control system. He has developed software to …

The ominous 13th entry in my ongoing Crystal Ball Sunday series highlights a somewhat controversial and oft misunderstood computing space known as Cloud Computing. As I explained in my I'm Smarter Than Larry Ellison entry, Cloud Computing allows applications to be hosted in leveraged environments such that you neither know nor care where they're coming from.

Linux's place in Cloud Computing is, or should be, obvious: It is a cheap, viable Operating System that can be customized for any purpose--Cloud Computing being one of its easy triumphs. Linux is adept at serving applications either as a virtual host Operating System or as a primary application host. And for SaaS (Software as a Service) applications, its commodity status promotes it into front runner status in those Cloud Computing Data Centers.
Can you imagine using 5,000 Windows Servers in your Data Center to deliver applications? What would your customers have to pay for that service in order for you to make a profit or for them to afford it? Do those same calculations with no Operating System cost attached.

My prediction for this Sunday is that the future of Cloud Computing and SaaS, as well as XaaS (Anything as a Service), depends on Linux and its specific development for Cloud-based applications and services. Linux will be the choice for future Cloud development and implementation.

Cloud Computing, using Linux of course, will be the basis for a gaggle of new SaaS-oriented companies that will result in the …

I think it's funny that the name of the person who conducted the study is Anita Borg. Maybe it's just me.
If it's any consolation, where I work, and you know where that is--there are so many women in power positions that some refer to it as the "vaginocracy." So it may be just where some women find themselves and not the whole industry.

Well Wine version 1.0 is out. It's been 10 years in beta. I don't particularly need anything to run in Wine but there are other people who would like their games, Quickbooks, and other stuff to run on whatever they have.

I wrote an article on Wine at linux-mag.com.

After posting 5 Things I Wish Linux Had, I did some mulling and gathered comments from readers and compiled this additional list of items that I wish Linux had. I've also included one thing that I wish Linux didn't have. These are part of my 2009 Wishlist and are more focused on the future direction of Linux. Most of them will move to my 2010 Wishlist but I think they're important enough to begin work on immediately.

1. Current Software Compatibility - Many would be Linux users won't make the switch because they have made considerable investments in Windows-compatible software. Regular users don't want to reinvest in all new software if it doesn't make sense to do so. They want their current programs to work in whatever they use. Additionally, they don't want to use something like Wine to make them work or sort of work.
We need to have some true emulation, compatibility layer, or way to convert those apps for the end user--or perhaps even Linux ones that are available by trading in the Windows version.

2. A Face - Linux needs a public face. We need a Maytag Repairman, a gecko, William Shatner, or even little Tux to be our collective spokesperson for Linux. We need this kind of recognition in the public eye to associate something with Linux besides Data Centers, uber geeks, and technical obscurity.

3. Commercials - We need commercials on TV, radio, and newspaper. Windows has them, …

The other day, I saw an article on Forbes.com named Ellison Shoots Hole in Cloud and just had to read further. I did read it. The whole thing. I was puzzled, then I laughed, and finally I was mystified by his comments. The article made me wonder just what the hell is wrong with Larry Ellison and made me compare my intellectual prowess to his.

The "Cloud" that everyone is talking about is just a bunch of servers that are usually spread out geographically but logically connected and load balanced to act as a single entity--one big server system that never goes down.
Cloud Computing allows this Cloud to host applications so that there is high availability, redundance, and a lot of computing power to serve thousands of simultaneous users. Think of it: Applications, your applications, where ever you go, whatever device you have. Yeah, bad idea--we wouldn't want that. Thanks Larry for making me realize that this sort of thing is a passing fancy--kind of like horseless carriages, aeroplanes, and that www.com nonsense.

Larry Ellison, in his finite wisdom, thinks it's a fad. Really, Larry? So when Bill Gates said that 640K of RAM is all anyone will ever need--I guess you believed it? Wow, Larry, I'm shocked at your short-sightedness. You truly have no vision of what's going on do you?
Cloud computing, grid computing, distributed computing, or whatever you want to call it, is the future--short and …

Thin client technology is far more secure than traditional desktops. If you have a traditional desktop, put something secret on it, give me 30 minutes and I'll know the secret. Here's how: I don't care if your OS has a password or not; I'll simply remove the hard drive, slave it onto my computer or attach it via a USB cable and in a few minutes, I have access to everything on your computer. Not secure.
The only way to secure a local hard drive is to use an encryption technology like PointSec and some secure erase program for files you want removed completely.

It looks and sounds interesting although I think I'd update it to use OO.org 3.0. I may download it have a look. If it's cool, I'll do a review of it.

To txtechdog:

You're right. I should have said oldest "active" distribution. Having attended TAMU, myself, I knew that one came out very early. Sorry for the omission.

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 extent--their ranking on DistroWatch.com.

10. SuSE (SLED, OpenSuSE, etc.) - This bottom spot belongs to Novell's Linux offerings mostly due to the commercial version's lackluster performance and overall updatedness (if that's a word). SuSE Linux seems to be a bit behind the curve for updated hardware drivers. Though it's community-supported OpenSuSE is quite up to date, SuSE takes this last place position with flying colors. Novell's sleeping with the enemy status also helps drop it into the Linux distribution dregs.

9. Slackware - This one is really hard for me to put this low in the list because it was my first Linux love and the oldest Linux distribution (1993). I installed it using 3.5" floppy disks on a Compaq desktop PC in the fall of 1995 leaving out the almost impossible to configure X Window system (would have been 2 more boxes of diskettes). Slackware's Patrick Volkerding and his loyal following have done a great job over the years in keeping the distribution alive but sadly I haven't used it in years due to its lagging development and infrequent releases. It is also only developed for …

All I could get on short notice to post timeline was what is on their site plus talking with an Open SuSE person. There wasn't much else to tell. I have no personal experience with Mono because I don't/won't use .NET technology--I find no reason to do it. I spent 2 years as a .NET developer and hated every minute of it. Part of the time I spent as a .NET developer, I converted some of what had been done to PHP and just added .aspx as an extension in Apache and named my files .aspx so that they would look like .NET but only I knew better.

As I said in the post, Mono 3.0 is forthcoming. I hope it doesn't take them another two years. My hope for them is that they can knock it out in 6 months.

What more would you want to know about Mono? Maybe I can get some answers but realize that, even with Press credentials, I can only get what's publicly available--no one can really get more. If I do get unreleased news, I'm under embargo to hold on it until it is released by the company.

Today the Mono Project released the much-anticipated Mono 2.0 for Linux. After two-and-a-half years in development, Mono 2.0 is finally here and ready to run your .NET 2.0 applications, Windows Forms, ASP.NET content on Mac OS X, BSD and Linux. Mono is multi-language capable--choose your own path from C#, VB, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, Eiffel, F#, Oxygene and more.

Mono is a cross-platform, open source .NET development framework.

Now the question is, why? Why would anyone want to use .NET for anything if you're still using PHP, Python, Java, etc. for development?

Mostly it's because Miguel de Icaza, the Mono Project's founder and leader, liked .NET after checking it out in December 2000. From his interest, the Mono Project was born in 2001. Three years later Mono 1.0 became available.

Another reason for .NET development on Linux is that developers are able to create .NET applications without having to spend money on Microsoft licensing for workstations or servers. Linux is also very stable and runs .NET applications with fewer problems than its Windows counterparts.

Mono isn't perfect, though, for example, if you port from Windows to Linux, you can only expect about 60% of your code to work as is. It certainly isn't drag-n-drop like true cross-platform languages like Python or PHP but it gets you a true .NET platform at no cost.

Novell owns the Mono project which may assist in its further development since Novell and Microsoft have become technology …

And yes, games would also be nice but I suppose there are those who would say run your games in a Windows VM. IMHO, they just need to work better or we need a choice of Linux, Windows, or Mac versions when we install.

Oooo, well said scru, jewelry on a bombshell, I really like that. I may use it later for effect if you don't mind.

I've seen Enlightenment, and you're right, it's very nice. I'd like to see something distinctly different than MS Windows but since I'm not a developer, I can only wish from the sidelines. Actually MS Office 2003 works fairly well in Wine, but Outlook doesn't work at all and forget Office 2007. Most people use Word, Excel, and Outlook in MS Office and I would like for those to work whether it's in Wine or as a native app. Check out my Linux Magazine article on Wine at http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/. You can install IE on it too. ;-)

I'm a fairly prominent member of the Linux Community as a writer, contributor, and longtime evangelist for the cause and there are a few things I'd like the Community-at-Large to consider on my behalf. These are five things that I wish Linux had. Consider this as my wish list for the 2009 development calendar.

1. Built-in Paravirtualization - I want a distribution that is paravirtualized--that is to say, a distribution that comes out of the box ready to give you the virtualization you need as a hypervisor OS. I know there's projects like JeOS and ProxMox but I want a major company like Red Hat or Canonical (Ubuntu) to give me their VirtOS. It would install as a hypervisor and be ready to go virtualization. Did I mention that it needs to be free? I have a very anemic budget for such things.

2. Applications on Demand - Instead of installing all the applications I want, or think I want, up front, I'd like to have the opportunity to install applications on demand. I want the icons already there as options but when I click the icon for the first time, the application installs, with all its damn dependencies and I have my application. The other side of this coin is that applications that I never, or rarely, use--they should uninstall and await my next summons via the waiting icon. Why waste the disk space if I hardly …

I think Stallman needs a day off. Cloud Computing, by whatever name it's known, is the future of computing.

Thanks for the feedback. I think this is truly a new market and some clever people could make a good living installing and servicing these systems. Who doesn't want a Jetson house?

Howdy and welcome to Crystal Ball Sunday #12: Built-In Home Entertainment and Automation . Linux is the perfect medium for set top boxes (aka Set Top Units or Personal Video Recorders (PVR)) because of its customizability, optimization features, and no cost status. Whether you know them as Set Top Boxes, Set Top Units, or PVRs; you may know these generic names better by the brand name: TiVo. These Linux-based PVRs are not TiVo but they do what TiVo does and much more. With a PVR, you can watch, record, pause, and rewind live TV, watch movies, create your own home theater system, and so on.

The two best known projects for creating PVRs on Linux are MythTV and LinuxMCE.
MythTV is the classic PVR with features such as: Live TV Manipulation (Pause, FF, Rewind, Record) and advanced features such as: RSS Feeds, Emulator Front Ends for Classic Game Consoles, a Weather Module, DVD Ripper, Image Browser, and Program Information via xmltv.
LinuxMCE has most MythTV features plus it is a "whole-house" media system where each family member's media follows him, built-in Network Attached Storage (NAS) for centralized storage and backup of media, all device control, home automation, communications, and security features.

The Prediction:

As home builders become more tech savvy, features such as built-in wired and wireless networks, communications, and entertainment will be included in the home design as standard. With packages like LinuxMCE, it's easy to see how this one …

Have you ever heard of or considered using Linux? Here are five reasons to give it a look for your desktop or server.

Over the past 15 years or so, Linux has gained worldwide acceptance as a first-rate server operating system but do you know why? It's because Linux can also be used as a Desktop operating system, like Windows, on your personal computer at home or in the office. This article gives you a look at the five biggest reasons why you should take a look at Linux for yourself or your business.

1. Linux is Free.

That can almost stand on its own but I'll elaborate on this point a bit. Linux is free to download, customize, use and even redistribute as long as you comply with its licensing caveats in the Gnu Public License (GPL). This one fact makes it thousands of dollars cheaper than any commercial operating system.

2. Linux is Stable.

Linux never needs to be rebooted unless you upgrade the kernel (the core of the operating system). You can install or remove software, stop and start any service or peripheral, change network addresses, and just about anything else without a single reboot. Updates are free and automatic and work completely in the background. Linux is a stable multi-user, multi-tasking operating system which means that even your home computer could support dozens of users simultaneously with no affect on its stability.

3. Linux is Loaded with Free Software.

…

I guess no one ever asked before--maybe no one cares--or maybe it just isn't discussed. While at VMWorld, I asked a major virtualization vendor representative if they had implemented VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) in their Enterprise. The answer I got is shocking to me. Maybe someone should have asked before.

Maybe their answer is the right answer.

In my latest Linux Magazine Virtualization Column entry, I have drawn the analogy between automotive manufacturers who issue horses to their employees instead of cars to that of virtualization vendors who don't implement the technology they're trying to sell you. How do you feel about this? Does it bother you that vendors don't use their own products? Did you also know that Microsoft doesn't use Exchange for their email system?

Apparently, I'm behind since I'm told that there is terminology for this sort of thing: Not eating your own dog food or "dogfooding" and I find it absolutely unthinkable. Maybe I'm the one that's naive and I just don't understand how technology companies work but I do know one thing: If they don't use it, I'm not using it.

Now a twofold call to action:

First, contact your favorite vendors and ask them if they use their own technology that they are selling to you. Do Apple employees use iPhones? Do Microsoft employees use XP or Vista and what about Outlook and Exchange? Do Linux vendors use Linux for their Servers and Desktops? If not, why? …

Day four at VMWorld was short for me due to poor planning on my part--my flight out of Las Vegas at noon. I entered the show early yesterday when it was mostly just the vendors hanging around waiting for the hoard to arrive. I walked through the floor with the goal of seeing a couple of vendors I hadn't seen earlier in the show. What I overheard while walking through was a gaggle of buzzwords: Cloud, VDI, Appliances, Infrastructure, Refresh, and numerous TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms).

I sighed and rolled my eyes when I heard some of these--I'm guessing just to entertain myself because there was hardly anyone else around. People use these terms often without a clue as to what they mean or their origin--they just know they're supposed to say them.

It drives me freakin' crazy!

The next time I hear some technology repackaged into some ridiculous buzzword, I'm going to walk straight up to the culprit and ask, "Can you explain <buzzword> to me?" I'll then stare at them with childlike innocence whilst they fumble for words and start to paw at their documentation or even perhaps tell me that their "expert" just walked away.

These terms remind me of corporate speak where old terms are repackaged to sound modern and techish. Here are some of my favorites:

Soup to Nuts
End to End
Technology Refresh
Strategic Partnership
B2B
Agile
Cloud Computing
The Cloud
…

VMWorld's third day came complete with discussions of the pros and cons of VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure), Virtual Appliances, and the biggest party I've ever seen at the Las Vegas Speedway.

VDI is this year's hot topic at VMWorld but I suspect that it's embers will die before VMWorld 2009. No matter how you slice it, VDI is still a heavy technology using bloated, full-blown operating systems, network bandwidth hungry protocols, and performance that is lackluster. VDI is just a way to sell more server hardware and to lock in companies to Windows operating systems. If you opt for VDI, in the traditional sense, a thin client (hardware), a Virtual Host machine, and a Virtual Guest OS (The Desktop Install); you may find that you really aren't saving much money, if any, at all and you're binding yourself for 5 or more years to Microsoft.
To find out the long-term solution for this problem, go to my Linux Magazine Virtualization Blog/Column.

Virtual Appliances are another hot topic. Everyone is using them or building them or both. Using SuSE Studio and VMware Studio, you create your own Virtual Appliances and upload them to their respective community sites for all to share.
Several companies offer a physical hardware appliance and a virtual appliance with the same functionality as the physical device. There are appliances for firewalls, intrusion detection, intrusion prevention, virtual machine management, web-based applications, and so on. To see some of the possibilities, go to …

As promised, here's the big news hot off the pressroom floor. Cisco and VMware announced at VMWorld 2008, in Las Vegas that they are entering into a partnership that highlights three main areas:

** The Cisco Nexus 1000V Product will be available as an add-on module for VMware ESX.

** Cisco WAAS (Wide Area Application Services) is now available for VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure).

** Collaborative Professional Services

This partnership fully engages Cisco into the areas of Desktop and Server virtualization from an Operating System perspective. The Cisco Nexus product, if purchased as an add-on module, will replace VMware's native Virtual Switch offering.

The most important part of this announcement is the VDI performance boost from Cisco's WAAS. WAAS improves and optimizes WAN protocol speeds up to 65% over that of RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol).

The two companies are also combining forces in the Professional Services (consulting) area to deliver fully virtualized network infrastructures to customers.

Here is the big announcement I promised you from VMWorld. MokaFive, a Desktop Virtualization company, originally created Desktop VMs (Virtual Machines) that reside on a USB flash drive. Now, MokaFive takes Desktop virtualization to the next level: Your Desktop on your phone.

MokaFive specializes in mobile desktop virtualization – meaning, you can both virtualize your desktop and take it on the road with you, loaded onto an iPod or USB stick. These mobile virtual desktops, known as LivePCs in MokaFive lingo, have the ability to self-heal on every reboot and to self-destruct with unauthorized use. MokaFive runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, and provides a Mission Impossible-like "poison pill" function that self-destructs unauthorized (lost, stolen, inactive) LivePCs for heightened security and user monitoring.

MokaFive will be moving onto mobile phones soon, and is offering a free software prototype, called the iPhone Sentinel, allowing a portion of the flash storage on an iPhone to essentially function as a removable drive for Windows and Mac OS users. The company has plans to introduce additional smartphone prototypes in the future.

The iPhone Sentinel...
- Allows a portion of the flash storage on an Apple iPhone to be dedicated to storage for computers you plug into.

- Allows the storage to be viewed as a normal Removable drive on the Windows and Macintosh platforms

- Improves the performance of the storage through smart caching and write-buffering

- Allows for a the iPhone to be unplugged without …

Next week, September 15-18, brings us the biggest Virtualization event in North America and your Linux guy will be there with bells on. I'll be there in my new freelance reporter capacity as Linux Magazine's Virtualization Columnist/Editor.

You can expect blog posts and possibly some breaking news from the conference as I receive it. I'm anticipating at least one major announcement from this conference concerning company mergers, partnerships, or buyouts. You may remember my prediction from August 22nd where I said something may be afoot with Microsoft and Novell. I'm not saying it's going to happen but if it does, you heard it here first. You may also hear some announcements from the Sun and Microsoft camps as well so stay tuned and keep your browser pointed to DaniWeb for the latest.

Desktop virtualization, green computing, and cloud computing are all hot topics for this year's conference. Of those, I suspect that desktop virtualization is going to garner the most attention from attendees and exhibitors.

Watch for my Monday posting about a hot new product for you high-end cell phone gadget freaks. This little gem is worth watching out for but I can't give you the scoop before the company makes its product announcement on Monday. Trust me, you'll be impressed.

If you're going to be at VMWorld, try to find me. I'd love to meet as many of you as possible. See you there!

Desktop virtualization got a boost last week when Red Hat, Inc. purchased Qumranet, an Israeli Open Source company that specializes in virtualization solutions. Its product offerings include KVM (Kernel Virtual Machine), Solid ICE, and SPICE. This acquisition brings Red Hat into head-on competition with such virtualization vendors as VMware and Citrix (Xen).

The significance of this purchase may not be immediately apparent but under the surface, Red Hat knows exactly what it's doing.

Desktop virtualization is the next big thing in corporate computing and Qumranet's high-performance products are ushering in this new age of virtualization. Say goodbye to traditional desktop computing and welcome back those thrilling days of yesteryear when terminals and mainframes ruled the planet. Thankfully, today's solutions are not as primitive as those dinosaur days of computing.
Contemporary terminals are smart terminals with a tiny embedded brain that does more than just snag an available IP Address and an X session. These new devices allow you to select from a pick list of hosts to which you connect at will. Many run embedded web servers that allow easy remote configuration. There are several on the market but the most of them are the new Wyse thin clients and the Panologic Desktop device.

The KVM virtualization scheme, designed and optimized for desktop virtualization, has the highest density virtual machine per server ratio currently available. Using standard architecture, you can configure a dozen or so virtual …

This week my crystal ball tells me that Linux is due for a major makeover and not just another pretty theme: A real makeover. It's time for Linux developers to stop following the Windows and Mac Desktop deveopers and get creative on their own. I understand the argument against this change in direction. The argument goes something like this: Make Linux look and act like familiar OSs so that migration to it will be easier for end users. My argument is to make Linux better by creating an intuitive interface that doesn't look or act like Windows or Mac.

KDE and GNOME, the leading Linux Window Managers, mimic the look and feel of Windows and older versions of the Mac OS with customizable themes, desktop icons, cascading menus and so on. The Enlightenment Window Manager is interesting and is on the right path but still falls into familiar territory for my taste.

But what about a look that's distinctly Linux?

If I want to use something that looks and acts just like Windows, I can, in fact, use Windows. If I want to use the Mac OS, I can spend an extra thousand dollars or so for a Mac computer and have the Mac OS. Am I forever destined to stick with a terminal window because all the window managers are too somebody else?

Perhaps the biggest problem with Linux desktop adoption is that there isn't enough of a perceived difference between Windows and Linux or …

The New Dell Inspirion Mini 9 may well become my best friend. I noticed today that Dell is previewing their new line of Mini Notebook computers and they are impressive. The Dell Inspirion Mini 9 is Dell's entry into the mini notebook market at a very low price point: $349.

What do you get for your $349 and why is your Linux guy looking at this little gem while wiping the beads of sweat from my covetous brow? It comes standard with Ubuntu Linux, a 4GB SSD (Solid State Drive), and 512MB of RAM--that's why. The Ubuntu version is a custom Dell-ized interface but underneath it is Ubuntu 8.04.
Standard features include: Built-in WiFi, a 32W long-life battery (Up to 4 hrs.), Intel® Atom Processor® N270 (1.6GHz/533Mhz FSB/512K cache), Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950, a 9" (8.9" to be exact) LCD screen at 1024x600 resolution, a one-year warranty, and 2GB of free online storage at box.net.

Miscellaneous Features: USB 2.0 (3), Integrated 10/100 LAN (RJ45), 15-pin VGA video connector for an external monitor, Audio jacks (1-line out, 1 mic-in), and 3-in-1 Media Card Reader.

If you want to upgrade your Mini, you can add built-in Bluetooth capability ($20), an integrated 0.3 Megapixel webcam ($15) or a 1.3 Megapixel webcam ($25). It comes in standard Obsidian black or you can have it in Alpine white for an extra $25.

Yes, you can have Windows if you want it. For an additional …

No, I just didn't want to leave anything blank because all fields are required. It doesn't take much energy to use the pulldown.

The November election brings with it the promise of changes, new beginnings, and hope for those who've endured the past 8 years with less than an enthusiastic attitude. The choice of President and Vice President means far less to most of us than the people they choose for Cabinet positions. Their choices for these positions affect your daily life more frequently than do either of the country's top positions.

My hope is that those all-important choices are ones who have at least entertained the idea of using Open Source and Linux in government. Lowering costs and tax burdens should be high on the list for the new regime--not business as usual.

Everyone is talking green these days but what the government needs is some accountability for the "green" it spends on technology. I think that political party, to a degree, may have something to do with these choices.

To see if I'm correct, I've setup a survey on one of my websites that attempts to measure the embrace of Linux and Open Source vs. Political Party. The survey is only 5 short multiple choice questions to gather your information as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Please submit answers one time only. They are being recorded into a database from which I'll compile the results and post on my Blog next week (September 10) -- one week from today.

Thanks for your participation and your continued readership. To view any of my blog entries, …

<sigh>

I guess you didn't read my response to the other comment. Yes, in fact, they can be sold. You don't understand money. It doesn't matter if it is community supported, developed or not; the fact remains that some limited number of people have created a corporation to support it and they can sell all or part of an entity.

Actually, it is you who is incorrect. Please read the About pages for the distros mentioned. For example, CentOS is owned by CentOS, Ltd., Debian is owned by Software in the Public Interest, Inc., and Slackware is owned by Patrick Volkerding and is also a registered trademark of Slackware Linux, Inc.

Welcome to the 10th installment of the Crystal Ball Sunday series. This is an exciting time to be involved with Linux because the temperature is right for some Linux vendor consolidation. In my August 22nd post, Microsoft and Novell: Buying In or Selling Out, I subtly predicted that Microsoft would end up buying Novell due to its overwhelming and somewhat odd major investment in Novell.
My prediction hasn't come true quite yet but on the horizon for 2009 you'll see Linux company consolidation. I think several of the more popular distributions will be absorbed (assimilated) into the larger distributions.

Why, you ask?

Simply put: Market share.

Red Hat is looking for converts. Novell is looking for converts. The only place to get converts is to persuade current Windows or Mac OS X users to come to their team or to purchase another company's loyal fan base. I seriously doubt that Apple will sell Mac OS X or allow it to exist in any large way on clone computers. That just isn't the way they operate. I foresee Red Hat and Novell battling it out for market share over the next 18 months by purchasing fan bases.

Now, the big question: Which Linux distributions are ripe for the picking?

Linspire? Probably.
Slackware? No.
Ubuntu? Never.
Debian? Likely.
Gentoo? Likely.
Mandriva? Definitely.
CentOS, Knoppix, PCLinuxOS? All possibilities.

There are numerous Open …

Not only do the French have a different word for everything, they also have a strong Open Source leadership position. The French have done much to foster the growth and acceptance of Open Source software--especially Linux. The Mandriva Linux distribution was born and raised in France (now in its 10th year), the French government offers tax incentives to encourage more Open Source development, and more 175,000 memory sticks with Open Source software were given to Parisian high school students last year.
More USB sticks will be distributed each year as an ongoing step to alleviate costs associated with the purchase and distribution of notebook computers and costly proprietary software.

Vive la France!

French companies, like Talend, an Open Source Data Integration vendor, use and distribute Open Source software for the following reasons:

It’s open source, and thus commands a much lower “acquisition” price and TCO than competing products.

It’s open source, and thus it’s open. For users, that means essentially extensible. Want to add lookups against an industry repository, or public domain information? Yes you can. Want to customize the solution? Yes you can. Try that with proprietary solution, whose bread and butter consists of selling you add-ons to connect to this or that.

It was grown from the same code base as our DI platform. That means that DQ can actually be embedded into DI (by design and not as an afterthought). And since it’s the responsibility of the …

A few days ago, Red Hat, Inc., announced that an intruder had broken into some of their systems and possibly compromised some important software packages. The most significant among them is OpenSSH--a secure method of connecting to a remote Linux system.

Red Hat quickly took the systems offline to investigate the damage and found that one of their Fedora systems had been breached. This server is used to sign packages for distribution amongst the various mirrors and networks for download. Package signing assures the end user that the package is genuine and free of harmful code.

Thus far, Red Hat has found no conclusive evidence that any of their package signatures were compromised and are confident that their packages are safe to use for your systems. To strengthen their position, they have created updated OpenSSH packages that are certified as safe and secure and free of any malicious code.

Several major Linux distributions are based upon RedHat Linux including Fedora, CentOS, Lineox, PieBox Linux, StartCom Linux, WhiteBox Linux, X/OS Linux, Scientific Linux and others.

CentOS, based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux source RPMs, checked their code for vulnerabilities and found none. CentOS runs their own distribution network and provides independently checked software for users. Security and stability are high priorities for the CentOS team.

Earlier this year, CentOS announced that there was, in fact, a security breach …