Posts by khess

I would boot up in safe mode, remove McAfee and then install avast antivirus.

There's no news yet on McAfee's website about what happened today when their famed antivirus program went bonkers and froze computers by misidentifying a common Windows file as a virus. If it's an actual virus hack, it's a pretty darn clever one--to make the antivirus program think a system file is a virus so that the computer halts. This might be the first time I'd ever actually applaud a virus creator. I usually prescribe some sort of cruel and unusual punishment for such mongrels who write viruses and then unleash them upon the world's innocent but this time is different.

I hope it's just a glitch in McAfee's program. A virus signature update that went bad but I fear that it isn't. McAfee isn't likely to make such a mistake.

Don't worry, I'm neither lauding the virus writer nor McAfee over this but, as a virus, it's pure genius.

I haven't liked McAfee's antivirus program in at least a decade. It used to be such a simple program, a little TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) application with its cute little "V" icon in your system tray.
But then, about ten years or so ago, they (McAfee) started getting weird like some other virus companies by adding a whole bunch of other stuff to their awesome antivirus programs. The result was a system that ran as slow as stagnant pond scum on a calm day. And, that is pretty darn slow.

I sought out …

You can already get a good Linux-based laptop from Lemote or from System76.

My Frugal Tech Show co-host, Jason Perlow, and I spoke with Canonical CTO Matt Zimmerman early this morning about the upcoming Ubuntu 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 about but I can read between the lines.

Jason and I quizzed Matt about all sorts of technical and non-technical aspects of the Ubuntu Linux distribution, upcoming releases, Mark Shuttleworth's vision and his position. But, it wasn't until I asked him specifically about the business end of one of Mark's blog entries, did he stop short of tossing out some breaking news about what they have up their sleeve.

I asked him about a particular quote from Mark's blog:

"We want to put Ubuntu and free software on every single consumer PC that ships from a major manufacturer, the ultimate maverick move."

Matt told us that it was the original goal of the Ubuntu project to put Linux in the hands of the consumer. He said that he couldn't elaborate on details of that aspect of the business that wasn't already public but adding that I should, "keep my eye out" in that area.

As the great Stan Lee would say, "Nuff said."

I think that you'll see a partnership form between Canonical and a major PC manufacturer, possibly announced in …

It might sound strange to you that something called Google Sharing 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 Google, you essentially block information from being delivered to Google. Why would you want to block information from Google or to give it false information on your Internet habits? Privacy.

From the Google Sharing Team:

"They know who your friends are, where you live, where you work, and where you spend your free time. They know about your health, your love life, and your political leanings. These days they are even branching out into collecting your realtime GPS location and your DNS lookups. In short, not only do they know a lot about what you're doing, they also have significant insight into what you're thinking."

Is this just paranoia?

Or could it be as Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, states it?

"If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place."

This Firefox plugin makes your information anonymous thereby ruining Google's attempt to spy on your movements around the web.

You don't want someone looking over your shoulder at the ATM when you're withdrawing cash. You don't want a keystroke logger collecting your login information to any site. These are both legitimate concerns that have nothing to do with …

Do you consider yourself to be fairly familiar with the Debian 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 Free Software movement, uses a Debian derivative (gNewSense) for his own personal computer. There's one significant piece of the Debian puzzle that I didn't know about: Its Constitution.

It has a Constitution and well-defined leadership roles. It also has well thought out rules of engagement, problem resolution and overall structure. I sincerely applaud the creators and successors who've pushed Debian into the mainstream for the past 17 years. Yes, 17 years--can you believe it?

When I first heard about Debian, I was working in a small IT support group for about 400 developers and their support staff. I ran an early version of Red Hat Linux on a clandestinely obtained computer in my cubicle. About three dozen of the organization's hardcore developers had access to it. They did some of their development with it and requested, through their management, that I construct and deploy some real server hardware for them using Linux.
Red Hat was OK with them but one java developer preferred something called Debian.

I said, "What is Debian?" To which he responded, "Well, if you think that Red Hat is the Porsche-driving rich kid, then Debian is sort of …

Intego announced today that there is an actual virus threat to the invincible Mac: HellRTS.D Backdoor. Yep, that's right, a Mac virus just waiting to take control of your iThis and iThat. It would have been funnier if the virus had a better name, but hey, virus writers aren't necessarily all that clever. But it's a real virus and a real threat so you'd better watch out Mac addicts lest some evildoer takes over your iThingy and surfs over to some naughty site while your girlfriend is updating her Facebook page.

Of course, you can protect yourself with signature files from Intego's antivirus program. And, I know you have that don't you? No? Oh, that's right, you didn't think your Mac was virus vulnerable. Darn it.

I'd like to write a virus for a Mac that makes the single Mac mouse button emulate a two or three button mouse. Now that would be funny. Apple stores all over the world would be flooded with Mac nerds wondering how their Mac bling kept messing up with multiple clicks and right-click menus. Ah, the pandemonium that would ensue.

I would love to see a mall parking lot filled with Priuses sporting rainbow stickers and the Apple store all abuzz with granola-filled, sandal-wearing vegans in an uproar over the whole thing.

Sorry, just had a Mac fantasy there.

So, if your Mac seems like it has a mind of its …

Google announced that they will soon launch their answer to the Apple 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 time. I foresee it in the $300 to $400 US range so that it's affordable and ready to serve. Are you waiting for it as well?

I want a "pad" computer, an electronic clipboard or however you want to think of one of those little slabs of electronic crack. I want it. I need it. It will make my life complete.

I need for it to have the following extras:

2 USB Slots
1 SD Card Slot
Wireless Networking
Built-in Camera
Built-in Microphone
Built-in Speaker(s)
A Scratch-resistant Shell and Screen
A Long-life Battery (user replaceable)
A Stylus

That's it. Make it so, Google.

And it needs to be under $500 with accessories.

Thanks. Get right on that, will ya?

What do you think of the prospect of a Google Pad computer?

MySQL users listened intently Tuesday, April 13 at O'Reilly's MySQL Conference to Edward Screven, Oracle'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. In essence, Oracle will continue on the same path with the commercial and community versions of MySQL just as MySQL AB and Sun did.

Uh huh. And I have some lovely beach front property in Arizona that I'd love to sell you.

It isn't that I don't believe that Oracle will continue to support the MySQL Community version, it's that I don't think they'll continue to support it at the same level as they do the commercial version. The Oracle database doesn't need community support so why should MySQL?

If you love MySQL but also don't trust what's going on with it and it's still uncertain future, try MariaDB or Drizzle.

MariaDB is Monty Widenius' forked MySQL database product. Drizzle, like MariaDB, is a forked MySQL database and the developers are former MySQL employees. Widenius was the founder of MySQL AB.

The fallout from Oracle's purchase and continued support of MySQL is this: If you want to continue to use MySQL, you'll pay Oracle for the privilege.

I just have the feeling that the privilege isn't going to be worth the price or hassle …

Twitter announced today that it will derive revenue from ads. It's their plan to capitalize on their extreme growth since their 2007 inception. Personally, I think this will kill Twitter and I can't say it will be a bad funeral. Hopefully, someone will start another site just like it that will remain free. There's just no need to monetize every single thing in this world. Tying the almighty <insert your favorite currency here> to this service will surely kill it. So long Twitter and thanks for all the 140 character nonsense.

Here's how it will work: If you search for a word, then the company-sponsored tweets show up at the top of your twitter list. The concept is called "promoted tweets" and it's dumb. Really dumb.

But, I'm glad that Twitter is doing this because I actually hate Twitter. I think it's a silly obsession for too many people--mostly marketing types who'll jump onto any bandwagon they can find to help promote their products. Movie studios have tried to promote their movies via Twitter and research has shown that it's had little effect on attendance or enthusiasm for a movie.

I hate Twitter. If you hadn't gathered that already, I want to make it explicit. In my humble opinion, people who sit and watch Twitter for more than a few minutes a day are poor wretches with nothing better to do with their time. Similarly, Facebook is another big waste of time. People …

Florian Mueller, Open Source Patent Activist, just released the following information. He believes that patents already used by IBM against TurboHercules are also a threat to other major FOSS projects. He now calls on the community for action.

OpenBSD, Xen, VirtualBox, Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite and Kaffe could also face patent infringement assertions -- "FOSS Patents" blog lists patents and explains how those patents may read on other Free and Open Source Software Projects -- "Call to Research" on FOSS community for further analysis and identification of additional issues

Brussels, Belgium, 12 April 2010 -- Florian Mueller, the founder of the European NoSoftwarePatents campaign who recently published a letter in which IBM threatens the Hercules open source emulator with 173 of its patents, has today published an initial analysis according to which a dozen of the patents IBM asserted against Hercules may also read on other major Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) projects, including but not limited to OpenBSD, Xen, VirtualBox, Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite and Kaffe.

Mueller lists those patents on his blog and provides a general description of the programming techniques covered by those patents and inhowfar they are a potential threat to other FOSS programs.

Mueller is not yet aware of any actual assertions by IBM of such patents against other Free and Open Source Software …

If you are a PHP, Zend or IBM fan, today Zend and IBM announce a major release for IBM i-Series Servers. Zend Technologies and IBM are working together to offer PHP solutions for IBM i customers. Today Zend announced Zend Server for IBM i, a Web Application Server for applications running on IBM i and Power System servers. (see attached or click on links below for more)

What’s New from Zend and IBM

Zend Server for IBM i – Runtime and Management Features
· Business-grade PHP – An up-to-date, fully tested, supported and documented PHP stack ensures high reliability and minimal risk.
· Rapid response to problems – Application monitoring and diagnostics enable early problem detection and quick root cause analysis.
· Optimal application performance – Built-in optimization, acceleration and job queue ensure high performance and low resource utilization.
· Leveraging the power of IBM i – A 5250 bridge and PHP toolkit make PHP applications easy to build and run on IBM i.

How Customers Benefit

Zend and IBM combine the power of IBM i with the ease and flexibility of Zend PHP to:
· Streamline web application development and deployment on IBM i.
· Minimize the risk and cost of modernizing applications by choosing PHP.
· Maximize investment in System i infrastructure.
· Leverage Zend PHP solutions for the full application development life cycle.

Read the full press release.

On the heels of my idea from yesterday, "A New Social Media? Instantaneous Messaging" (Yes, I realize that it should be "Medium" not Media--so sue me), I've decided to grace you with another idea that I've had for some time: Drag and Drop Messaging. This idea, that you'd think would have come from the Apple world, is fairly simple...and revolutionary.

Drag and Drop Messaging, as I said, is simple in concept and revolutionary in action but possibly complex in creation.

Here's how it works in my mind:

You want to send an email message to someone.
You write the message in what looks like a sticky note box.
Drag it to a "Mail" icon on your desktop and drop it there.
A popup list of Contacts appears.
You select the Contact(s) you want the message to go to.
The message goes to the recipient(s).

Alternatively, if you have "favorite" contacts (or distribution lists), you can have those as icons or as a short list on your desktop that you drag your messages to for an automatic send.

The other idea is to have messaging tied to an IM client where you can drag your messages to your buddies on your IM list and have the messages automatically send to the ones you select.

I hate having to go through all the gyrations that email requires. I'd like to make it even more "object oriented" and …

I've just come up with something better than Twitter, Facebook, Email, HelloTxt or any of the other so-called social media messaging systems. I call it Instantaneous Messaging. Don't confuse my Instantaneous Messaging with the lamer, last century version called, "Instant Messaging." Instantaneous Messaging is better than Instant Messaging or any other messaging format that's currently available. And, you have me to thank for it. Allow me to describe how this cross-platform idea works.

Instantaneous Messaging employs a simple daemon or stay resident program that you setup with a user name, password and a series of social media outlets that you define in its simple configuration file. Once configured, the program goes to work "watching" your every move on your computer. Which programs you have open, what kind of files you're working on, where you're surfing to and even who you're emailing. All instantaneously as you work. And, it all happens without your intervention.

Sound awesome?

It is.

Unfortunately, it doesn't exist. Yet. I just thought it up a few minutes before writing this post about it.

But, just think about it. A program that watches everything you do and reports on it automatically, without any intervention or chatting or logging into some dopey website to post your innermost thoughts. Everything you do is posted in real time as you work, email, type or surf. And, no this isn't spyware because you configure what you're allowing the program to spy …

It isn't quite Perl version 6 but it's well on its way. Between now and Monday, ActiveState will release version 5.12 of its cross platform, easily installed ActivePerl. Version 5.12 offers more than simple bug fixes; it's a major release that some developers look toward with great anticipation.

The major improvements included in this release are:

• Perl’s time functions work beyond the year 2038: With previous versions of Perl for 32-bit Unix systems, it could only represent dates up to the year 2038, after which it wraps around back to 1970.
It is especially important for financial services organizations that
use Perl for applications such as mortgage and insurance contracts
that run for 30 years or longer. This has been updated within the
internal functions of 32-bit Perl 5.12

• Improved Unicode support: Perl now supports all Unicode properties for developers doing globalization work in multiple languages. It includes all the synonyms, loose spelling rules for property names and values, and other areas that have been brought in sync with the corresponding Unicode specification.

• Support for pluggable keywords: Extension modules can now cleanly hook into the Perl parser to define new kinds of keyword-headed expressions and compound statements. The syntax following the keyword is defined entirely by the extension. This feature facilitates the development of domain specific languages (DSLs) within Perl by allowing a completely non-Perl sub-language to be parsed inline, with the correct ops cleanly generated. This feature is …

Try Number 1 above. Download, burn and boot a Live CD and see how you like it. Many have the option to install from the Live CD.

What the hell is up with Oracle lately? First, they stopped giving away the Solaris operating system and now they have some big announcement planned for next week at the MySQL Conference. Should we hide our wallets before we listen? To me, Oracle has morphed into Microsoft II with all of its acquisitions and now its hold on those of us who use Solaris and MySQL. I don't know how loyal I'll continue to be to MySQL, if Oracle does something crazy with it.
Yes, they bought it. Yes, it's theirs. But, don't they have some sort of responsibility to its huge user base to remain faithful to its original charter?

We'll all find out on Tuesday during the conference. I won't be there in person but I'll certainly watch from the sidelines and hold my breath until the beatings stop.

I did recently write, "20 Reasons Why Oracle is the World's Largest Open Source Company." And, yes, they are but they aren't necessarily good stewards of that tremendous responsibility.

Instead of just complaining, I'll tell you what I'd like for Oracle to do.

1. Keep MySQL Free - Offer support as an option but don't require it as a condition of use.

2. Maintain OpenSolaris - OpenSolaris is a fine operating system with enterprise capabilities and features not found on any other system.

3. Fix Java - …

Last night while watching my usual list of recorded television programs, I saw a commercial for KGB, 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 tricksters with questions such as, "What is life" and "What is the air speed of an unladen swallow." But my mind dances to a different beat. And, with my wife's permission, I posed the following question using her cell phone: "Which Linux distribution is the best for new users?"

As a safeguard against theft or silliness, they have an automated response to any query that reads something similar to, "Thank you for texting KGB, our answers are only 0.99 each, please reply and text YES to confirm."

After a few minutes, you'll receive another text from KGB that reads, "We are researching your question and will have an answer for you soon."

It only took another five minutes or so to receive my much awaited answer.

Here is the answer I received, word for word:

"The best one is the one that works best for you. Try something easy like Ubuntu or Fedora. Try different Distros. After all, Linux is free."

OK, the first sentence is a bit silly and not worth the 99 cents. The third and fourth sentences are equally worthless but the second sentence is pure …

@SamuraiArtGuy

I'm totally stealing that "little slabs of electronic crack" for myself. You said "electric" so I'm changing it 20%, which is just enough to make it my own.

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 those of you who want to learn more. I've compiled a list, in no particular order, of ten ways to explore Linux based on my experiences. Linux, for me, has been a path to enlightenment about this Unix-like system on commodity hardware and I hope others find it as fascinating and enigmatic as I do.

1. Live CD - Live CDs are bootable CD images that you burn to a CD or DVD, place in your CD/DVD drive, reboot your computer and enjoy a full Linux-based system without installing, partitioning or altering your current system. Everything runs from CD. Some things don't work well, or at all, but you'll have a first-hand Linux encounter that's easy to use, acceptably fast and fully loaded. Go to LWN's Distribution page and search for "live" to find an extensive list of this type of Linux distribution. Notable Live CD distributions are: Fedora Spins, Knoppix and OpenSUSE.

2. Virtual Machine - You can experience a Linux-based distribution for yourself without disturbing your Windows system by using any one of the several free virtualization software programs available. Try VirtualBox, Virtual PC …

Now there's a challenge for Apple hardware fans who don't necessarily love the "upgraded" iPhone OS: Install Linux on it. It might be possible but the hard part is getting past the A4 processor. Is there a Linux kernel tweaked for it? Why would you want to run Linux on an iPad? Wouldn't you lose much of the built-in functionality with such a move? And, could you put the original OS back on it after potentially breaking it? $500 is pretty expensive for a paperweight.

It will be interesting to see how well such a hack would work. I'm looking forward to reading about the first early adopter with $500 to burn on it. The aftermath of Apple criticizing such a move will be equally interesting.

I thought it was rather comical to see all those iPhone hacks to break out of the pre-programmed phone network to use any carrier. I'm glad that there are those of you out there willing to take a chance on destroying your new devices on such pursuits. I'd never do it but I'm certainly amused at those of you who do. Thank you.

This idea brings up an associated idea: How about one of you, my loyal readers, installing Linux on your iPad?

The first one to do it gets their story featured here on DaniWeb, by me.

Now, I'm not telling you to go and break your new iPad. I'm just saying that, if you really …

Well, I guess I'm going to wait for the iPad II, which I'm told is on the drawing board already. Even if I don't get one of those, maybe I can get an OG iPad for half the original cost.

As everyone knows by now, the Apple iPad has arrived. I don't have one nor do I want one. Even at $499, you couldn't run fast enough to give me one of the stupid things--as we say in the South. I was hoping for something more when it came to a true "pad" computer. Not just an enlarged iPod Touch with a little iPhone tossed in for good measure. The great sucking sound you hear is the money you paid being sucked from your wallet and the enthusiasm for it being sucked from your soul.

From it's crappy little 9.7 inch display and its fingerprint resistant touch screen, the iPad is a big disappointment.

Sure, it has thousands of applications already available for it and you can play movies in HD, play music, read books, shop, surf, use WiFi or 3G. And, who cares if it has a built-in microphone and speakers?

Who can even use the stupid virtual onscreen keyboard?

It does have an impressive 1024x768 screen resolution and the battery lasts up to ten hours on a single charge.

It's small enough to go just about anywhere and do almost anything but I have a netbook for that.

Apple's sleek design aesthetic and powerful A4 1GHz processor don't impress me much.

And, apparently if you live in Texas or Alaska, you just can't use it since it has an operating temperature range of 32° to 95° F (0° to …

Albert Einstein once said of himself, "If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants." Ed Roberts was one of those giants to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude for our computing technology. You probably have never heard of this great man or his work but I'm about to change all that. Ed Roberts is someone you want to know. He is the "Father of the Personal Computer."

He created the Altair computer, which was a kit-ified computer project. Before I was old enough to afford the $400 for one of his kits, Ed Roberts was making history.

It didn't take long for word to reach from Albuquerque to a couple of young college dropouts in Seattle, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who had created some software that they wanted to try out on this computer. After a couple of tries, it worked and the first personal computer software product, Altair BASIC, was born. The rest is history. Ed Roberts faded into oblivion for most of us.

He left Albuquerque and went back to his native Georgia and became a medical doctor, his lifelong dream. He lived in Georgia until his death on April 1, 2010.

Many who knew Roberts, including Bill Gates, flew to Georgia to pay their final respects to him. They, and we, owe him everything.

I'm sure at the time, he didn't realize the full significance of what …

Ubuntu's Lucid Lynx (10.04) isn't out yet but Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu and Canonical, 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, himself, has a new vision for the upcoming release already knowing that 10.04 is almost "in the can." His new vision is one of lightness-lightness in footprint, in deployment and in support requirements. A grand vision but can he do it?

You already know that I think Ubuntu is the "Ultimate Distribution" but how much better can Ubuntu be?

Mark believes quite a bit better.

"We’ll embrace the web, aiming for the lightest, fastest web experience on any platform. The fastest boot, the fastest network connect, the fastest browser. Our goal is to ensure that UNE is far and away the best desktop OS for a netbook, both for consumers and power users."

I'm glad that Mark wants to continue to develop the desktop while others, namely Novell and Red Hat, have all but abandoned the idea. Oh, wait, aren't those two companies the ones that signed major agreements with Microsoft? Yeah, I think they are. And neither wants to put any real development into a desktop system. It's probably just me. I digress.
But just in case you've forgotten, read about

Today marks the end of an era for SCO, 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 its new ownership and new direction. I interviewed Linus via Skype yesterday afternoon about this purchase. The transcript of that conversation, in its entirety, is below.

KH: Hello, Linus, it's great to talk with you on such an auspicious occasion. You bought SCO!

LT: Thanks, Ken. It's nice to meet you too, virtually speaking that is. I follow your columns and writings quite closely.

KH: Yikes, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

LT: (Laughs) It's mostly good. You have an interesting perspective on things, for sure.

KH: Thanks, I think. (Laughs) So, what in the world compelled you to purchase SCO?

LT: Well, it makes sense really, if you consider all that's going on in the market and with Linux itself.

KH: How so?

LT: Purchasing SCO will allow all businesses to be assured that their use of Linux is safe and protected by me and The Linux Foundation.

KH: I see. What about all of the potential lawsuits from Microsoft and the partnerships that have formed with Novell and Red Hat?

LT: Yes, …

See SCO keep going. Stop SCO Stop. Seriously Stop SCO Stop.

In a seriously OMG moment yesterday, SCO lost another battle in its UNIX ownership claims. The Utah jury decided that Novell, in fact, did not transfer the UNIX copyrights to SCO when they sold UNIXWare to them years before. But they're not done yet. Oh, not by a long shot. Just when, three lawsuit defeats ago, we thought we were done with SCO; they're back. Again. My first question is, "Just how long can they keep doing this?" The second question is, "How much money do they have?" Lawsuits are expensive and this has gone on for years. My basic message to SCO is, "STOP IT. YOU DON'T OWN UNIX. YOU NEVER OWNED UNIX. YOU'LL NEVER OWN UNIX." But, they sure want it.

SCO attorney Stuart Singer will ask the judge to transfer those copyrights to SCO as part of the decisions that he (the judge) has to make in this case.

SCO is in bankruptcy.

Darl McBride is no longer CEO.

They've lost every case involved in this matter.

They've made UNIX royalty payments to Novell, which weakens their case. Why pay someone for something you own?

No one with any sense still uses their lame operating system.

Still they remain.

They remain as the technology thorn in our sides.

The only reason they want to own UNIX is to start a massive campaign …

This just in: Red Hat, Inc. 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 with its KVM and the SPICE protocol both of which were acquired in their 2008 purchase of Qumranet.

If any non-container technology can make VDI work sufficiently, it is KVM and SPICE. Although, Parallels still has my highest praise as the only solution that I would personally endorse as a true, workable solution for VDI. Parallels is container or zone technology.

Unfortunately, many companies are sold on, and fully vested in, VMware technology. VMware, like KVM, is what's known as full virtualization. Full virtualization is the technology where you create fully virtualized machines and install operating systems onto those virtual machines as if they were physical systems.

KVM over SPICE has excellent, even shocking, performance compared to that of similar technologies. Red Hat has worked on this solution for almost two years and is as ready as it will ever be for prime time. I'm curious, though, as to which company or companies will bite on it as the test bed for the technology in a production environment.

It would be interesting to see how Amazon would use this technology for their elastic cloud. Right now, they're using …

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 move is another attempt to remove Linux' competitive edge from the marketplace. Your excuse that you, "don't want people tinkering with the system" is bogus. I think I smell a rat. I rat that smells of rainy days, seawater and space needles.

Users are already upset about Sony removing this feature that's marked clearly and distinctly on the box. Some want the option of having some of their money returned because of this feature downgrade.

When large companies, like Sony, make changes that don't make sense, you can almost bet with certainty that there's something else brewing in the background. It's possibly related to my "Another Linux Lawsuit Storm Brewing?" from a few days ago. Sony could be scared off of Linux because they don't want to pay Microsoft to use it.

I think that we'll find out when Sony comes forward with their reasoning on it but until then, opinions mount.

Why do you think Sony made this radical change? Did you know that if you don't accept the update that disables the use of Linux that you can't use the PlayStation Network, play newer games and Blu-ray movies, view copyright-protected videos or …

@tzs

Thanks.

Then why would Red Hat, Amazon, Novell and others enter into agreements with Microsoft? And why is IBM named in the SCO suit? No, there's no Linux to sue but there are plenty of companies that use Linux that Microsoft wants out of the way.

And, just so you know, the GPL doesn't prevent anyone from being sued. The reason is that Microsoft says it owns patents to technology that is being used in the Linux kernel and other programs. I'm not saying that they are correct but if I lift code that you own and put it in my product without payment or acknowledgement of any kind, you can sue me. You can, in fact, sue anyone for any reason. There are no rules.
Whether you win or not is a different story entirely. So, it isn't FUD, it is reality. In fact, the SCO vs. Novell case is still raging in Utah about the ownership of Unix.

@TKS

Microsoft has twisted the arms of several companies by suing or threatening them. Did you read the related links?

Now that Microsoft'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 Novell, penned an agreement with Red Hat, sued and won against TomTom, signed a secret deal with Amazon, has lost costly suits against Uniloc and VirnetX and lost an appeal in its case against i4i. But this time, they're going to go for the jugular with a broad and sweeping patent infringement suite against major Linux adopters that haven't signed indemnification deals with them.

I'm not going to say directly who I think Microsoft is sharpening its legal blades for this time but you can bet that they are big names in the IT industry and they use a lot of Linux.

This next wave of suits will make the SCO suits look even more petty and ridiculous than they already were.

Will they win?

Who really wins in such law suits? The lawyers.

Who loses? Everyone including Microsoft and whomever they set their sites toward.

Microsoft hopes that these companies will want to settle peacefully, which ultimately means that the defendants will have to cough up millions of dollars in "licensing" fees. Their clever strategy is fight us in …

@cbleslie
I'm not discounting your work. It's just that for beginning users, Mac is most productive followed by Windows and then by Linux. But, that is changing rapidly with Fedora 13 and Ubuntu 10.04. It won't be long until Linux surpasses the competition for learning and productivity.

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 many times longer compared to Mac. If deep understanding of computer architecture, programming and operating systems is important to you, start with Linux and enjoy the others as curiosities or productivity tools.

Back in 1986, when I first acquired (as a gift) a used Apple IIe, I was thrilled. It didn't take long for the green text-based screen and two full-height 5.25" diskette drives to wear me down to the point of needing something more powerful. Several of my friends bought what's now known as a Mac Classic that could talk, do graphical things, play games, run a nuclear power plant and much more. They were cool but expensive. I didn't learn much from that Apple IIe. I learned almost nothing about computers from my friend's little Macs. I also could never figure out what was happening with a Mac or where exactly I am within the system.

To this day, it still confuses me when I open a word processor on a Mac and it does nothing except change the menu bar at the top of the screen. They seem to work in reverse to Windows and Linux, which further contributes to my utter distaste …

Would you mind providing a link to the website?

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 Freescale Smartbook but will any of them ever go into mass production? Freescale has the best chance of any that I've seen so far but should it go into production, will it pose any real competition for Apple's iPad? I also have said that I didn't think Apple would ever produce such an animal and, if they did, it would be too expensive for your typical consumer. With the consumer release of the Apple iPad just a breath away, I have to admit that I was wrong about the Apple one. A Linux Pad is, however, a different story.

I want a Linux Pad.

I want it to be just smaller than the size of a standard sheet of paper (8" x 10"), thin (0.5" or less) and inexpensive (<$400 USD). And it should be Moblin-based. Is that too much to ask?

Maybe.

I fear that wholesale component costs will make the device reach into the $500 range, which means that such a device would have to cost consumers close to $700. Much like the iPad.

And it isn't just cost that provides a barrier. The size needs to be decent and such that you can view a more normal amount of text without constant scrolling or paging. …

@simontag

But I haven't used that version since the next newer one came out. I know how the releases go but just forgot that one glitch.

I used to use Mandriva, when it was Mandrake. But, it's French. Ewwww.

Kidding, just kidding. Ubuntu is so good because everything just works out of the box: wireless, sound, USB devices. It's impressive in its hardware discovery, easy setup, twice yearly updates and user thoughtfulness. Having Debian as its parent is a really good thing too.

<sigh>

Umm, apparently Oracle doesn't know because that's where I got the info. Check the link: http://oss.oracle.com/ and take it up with them. When they list software as FOSS, I assume they know how they're licensing their software.

@sheldon

No problem. It's just that it was 4 years ago and their cycle is .04 and .10. I didn't recall that it was June. That, of course, was the odd one. Not that big of a deal. It was a memory lapse and an unintentional error on my part. Thanks for pointing it out but I don't think it has anything to do with my credibility which I think is the scathing bit that you're getting. If I could correct it, I would. I don't just work with Ubuntu exclusively, I have all kinds of distros up and running. Right now, I have a Debian 5 and Proxmox 1.5 running for two other articles I'm working on for other sites. Some things just get lost over time.

LOL, I'll sacrifice a fatted calf for it. I grovel in your general direction.

Not really a credibility thief--anyone can make mistakes. That was a miss and you are correct. However, other than that release their release cycle is always April and October. Sorry about that.

Shows what going from memory can do to you. I should have checked their release page but, as I said, other than that one, it's always April and October.

From its Debian roots to its commercially available support to its overwhelming popularity, Ubuntu 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 new one the way a child anticipates toys on Christmas morning. But, have you ever wondered why is Ubuntu the ultimate Linux distribution? Why is it so popular? Why did Canonical choose Debian as its distribution template? And, why did Mark Shuttleworth believe in Linux so much that he chose to create Canonical to support it?

Let's take a look at Ubuntu Linux and see if we can figure out why it is, in fact, the ultimate Linux distribution.

Debian GNU/Linux is Ubuntu's parent distribution which firmly places it at the top of any list of excellent distributions. Debian's apt-get (Advanced Packaging Tool) package maintenance system is absolutely the best available process for keeping your systems updated and secure.
Debian also uses the GPL for its licensing and only uses free software in its main distribution. The GPL and the use of free software is a major selling point for many would-be adopters because of the freedoms it bestows on the user. Free software is less restrictive than software licensed in other ways. The basic premises of free software are given below:

* You can install the software on as many machines …

@nunojob and odoepner

It doesn't say Oracle 10g. It says Oracle 10g Express Edition. And yes, they (all listed projects) are open source. They are listed in their site as open source. I do know what it means and so do they.

@penguinator

Interesting observations. I've always wondered why those two didn't team up.

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 from open source software), which ones would you name? Red Hat? Novell? MySQL? Canoncial? Those are all great answers. These three are perhaps the best known and most successful of all the companies that derive their incomes from open source software. Now, what if I asked you to name the most successful software companies in the world--closed or open source? Would your answers change? Yes, unfortunately, they would. In fact, the ten most successful software companies in the world are closed source ones.

I know that "success" is a relative term but I'm talking about success as measured in revenue dollars, stock prices and number of customers. You won't find one open source company among them.

Here are the ten in alphabetical order:

1. Adobe - Just about everyone who has a computer has used an Adobe product by choice or by need. The ubiquitous PDF (Portable Document Format) uses the Adobe Reader to do its presentation. Adobe features other development software such as the old Macromedia lineup and coldfusion.

2. Apple - Apple, the seductress of the computing world, is one of the …

It's true. Oracle 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 their purchase of InnoDB, MySQL or Sun. It goes back into ancient times--Internetly speaking, of course.

And, yes, I know that I've taken my share of shots at Oracle and the wonderful Larry Ellison but I also have to own up to the fact that they are good open source stewards and citizens (netizens?). It almost pains me to admit it but I do. Oracle has done much for the FOSS community and it appears that their commitment to it rivals that of IBM.

Here are 20 of Oracle's open source initiatives that prove their dedication to the concept, the goal and the future of open source software. These are in no particular order.

1. MySQL - OK, this one might take the first spot because it's my personal favorite open source project. MySQL is the world's most popular open source database. It powers hundreds of thousands of websites, web applications and data engines for the world's largest companies.

2. OpenOffice.org - Microsoft Office's closest competitor also enjoys the grand Oracle umbrella of protection now. This is the project that made us all believe that Microsoft's …