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Back in October '08, I wrote "[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3288.html"]5 Things I Wish Linux Had[/URL]" but never realized that it would inspire the heated debate (Read the comments) that it did. I also didn't realize that it would inspire an actual operating system. One of my readers commented briefly that he would take …
[URL="http://www.intel.com"]Intel[/URL] acquired [URL="http://www.windriver.com"]Wind River[/URL] for $884 million to boost Linux adoption in the Intel Atom market. Obviously Intel sees Wind River's embedded Linux market as new opportunity for its Atom processor family. There's also buzz about multi-core processor offerings from the two in the near future. I see this as …
[URL="http://www.linuxfoundation.org"]The Linux Foundation[/URL] notified me a few days ago about some new member benefits and I'm excited to tell you about them. For starters, you receive discounts on their training courses and entrance to their conferences--which translates to several hundred bucks to those of you watching your budgets. Want more? …
I received a newsletter from [URL="http://www.rpath.com"]rPath[/URL] concerning Lean IT and it occurred to me that Linux is the keystone in each one of the elements listed in it: Virtualization, Cloud Computing and Cost reduction mandates. As more businesses work toward saving money, they'll look for ways to save on IT …
Perhaps it's my role as the family computer guy that's leading me in this direction today but it seems to me that there should be Linux distributions that are age-oriented and age appropriate. Seldom do I see my parents-in-law playing a heated game of [URL="http://www.quake.com"]Quake[/URL] or doing any kernel tinkering, …
Strange but true, usually the best of enemies it would seem that [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4331.html"]Microsoft[/URL] and the [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4219.html"]Linux Foundation[/URL] are in full agreement over something for a change. What is more, they are working together in order to find a solution as well. According to Horacio Gutierrez, the Microsoft Corporate Vice President …
I wonder if the [URL="http://www.linuxfoundation.org"]Linux Foundation[/URL] is prepared to go to task for us, the Linux users, the Linux supporters, the Linux developers and the Linux Foundation members? I wonder if they are our [URL="http://www.nra.org"]National Rifle Association[/URL] (NRA)? I wonder if the Linux Foundation is prepared to meet the challenges …
As I've written before ([URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry2335.html"]here[/URL] and [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4177.html"]here[/URL]), the Linux desktop in danger of extinction. If operating systems could be placed on the Endangered Species list, I'd lobby for it. Perhaps this is a legitmate task for the [URL="http://www.linuxfoundation.org"]Linux Foundation[/URL]: Preserve the Linux desktop. I'm not quite ready to give up …
I read a [URL="http://tech.yahoo.com/news/infoworld/20090403/tc_infoworld/131038"]news story[/URL] by Paul Krill about how Linux OS Server shipments have and will continue to slip by double-digit margins in 2009. Windows Server shipments are hit hard as well but almost 5% less so than those of Linux. The original report came from IDC. The IDC …
[URL="http://www.ibm.com"]IBM[/URL] CEO, Samuel Palmisano, announced at 12:01 am EDT that IBM has completed the purchase of Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds for $4.6 Billion in cash and stock. This unprecedented human purchase by a corporation is being met with shock and surprise within the Linux and IT communities. Palmisano said …
Almost a year has passed since I wrote, [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry2329.html"]Novell CEO Disses Embrace of Desktop Linux[/URL] where I told you how Ron Hovsepian, Novell CEO, totally slammed Linux as a desktop operating system and now another major CEO comes out publicly against Linux on the desktop. Red Hat's CEO, Jim Whitehurst, …
Everyone from techie bloggers to technical journalists to stay-at-home moms are talking about today's big news: [URL="http://www.ibm.com"]IBM[/URL] is trying to buy [URL="http://www.sun.com"]Sun Microsystems[/URL]. Big deal. What's in it for Linux? As a matter of fact, it is a big deal. And an even bigger deal for Linux. Sun owns MySQL, …
A little while ago, a friend of mine tapped me on the shoulder--virtually speaking--and asked me why there isn't an easier way to install software on a Linux computer. He asked innocently enough why we can't have a Universal Package Manager (UPM) to handle the software regardless of distribution. Ha! …
Is there a stimulus package on the way for those who use Linux and Open Source Software? You bet there is but it might not come from where you'd expect. Too many wasted stimulus dollars have already rained down upon those who wasted their own money but this time it'll …
Cisco in the server hardware business? With VMware? Using Linux? Has the world gone topsy-turvy while I wasn't looking? If you think about it, Cisco's forte--routers--are lightweight computers that do one specific job--routing packets from one network to another. So, their foray into the dark realm of higher-end server systems …
I've had the pleasure of taking a special [URL="http://www.debian.org"]Debian[/URL] 5.0 [URL="http://ftp.utexas.edu/debian-cd/5.0.0/i386/iso-cd/debian-500-i386-xfce+lxde-CD-1.iso"]distribution[/URL] (Debian 5.0 i386 XFCE LXDE) for a recent test drive as a virtual machine in [URL="http://www.citrix.com"]Citrix[/URL] XenServer 5.0. This single CD distribution comes with two selections for a graphical interface, [URL="http://www.xfce.org"]XFCE[/URL] and [URL="http://www.lxde.org"]LXDE[/URL]. XFCE works great and is very …
I've read almost a dozen articles in the past week about Netbook computers and am sorely disappointed with some of the news about them. The general consensus is that Windows dominates the Netbook space. The info was gathered from sales reports by [URL="http://www.asus.com"]Asus[/URL], [URL="http://www.msi.com.tw"]MSI[/URL], [URL="http://www.dell.com"]Dell[/URL] and [URL="http://www.sylvania.com"]Sylvania[/URL]. This news is …
Here's some good news for a change: Linux-related jobs are on the rise. According to the freelance marketplace, [URL="http://www.odesk.org"]Odesk[/URL], the number of Linux jobs has increased more than 1,400% since 2006. This sharp increase as raised some eyebrows over at [URL="http://www.linuxfoundation.org"]The Linux Foundation[/URL] and they're responding appropriately. The Linux Foundation …
Everyone is talking about how open source technology is the answer to budget cuts and belt tightening in the workplace. There's no denying its use is on the rise and, in fact, the Linux server market is predicted to extend into the tens of billions over the next few years. …
Do my eyes deceive me or did [URL="http://www.redhat.com"]Red Hat[/URL] just deliver its own smackdown on the virtualization community today? I was wondering when they were going to offer a solution that combined their new acquistion, Qumranet and the KVM product. I don't have to wait any longer. The products, including …
I'm seeing a trend towards hardware, software and operating system commoditization in our new cloud-based world. I think that within 5 years applications, including your beloved desktop operating system will be completely hosted. This brings me to pondering whether or not at some point there will be multi-level marketing (MLM) …
HP will most likely not be taking part in the '[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3825.html"]I'm Linux[/URL]' marketing campaign then. In fact, it would appear that HP will no longer be providing customers in the UK with a Linux option for the new HP Mini 1000 netbook. Which is not the case for the US …
It's time to embrace change in the IT world. Linux, for many, is ushering in a new age of reason. Its cost, stability, and open licensing make it a clear choice for those wanting to save money or shore up their service offerings. Companies, large and small, are turning to …
Linux may never gain widespread success, that we, the Linux fans want it to, because it's just too complex for the average computer user. Sure, we now have [URL="http://www.kde.org"]KDE[/URL], [URL="http://www.gnome.org"]GNOME[/URL], [URL="http://www.xfce.org"]XFCE[/URL], and other fancy graphical user interfaces that attempt to mimic [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Windows[/URL] and the [URL="http://www.apple.com"]Mac OS[/URL] but underneath the shimmering …
Those of you who follow the state of Linux may realize that Linux is now at the precipice or "jumping off place" as an operating system. Linux, to others, is viewed as being at the crossroads for success. What's the difference, for Linux, in teetering at the precipice and standing …
I'm not talking about openssl, PHP, or even the Linux kernel but all the above plus every other program or bit of code on a Linux system. It's vulnerable. It's hackable. It can be changed at will by anyone because the source is open and freely available (the definition of …
Everyone knows that Linus Torvalds '[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3825.html"]is a Linux[/URL]' but did you know he is also a born-again gnome? An Australian interview with the [URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/20046/53/"]often outspoken[/URL] creator of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds, has revealed that he is a gnome once more. Well, OK, that he is a GNOME user once …
Ah yes, another significant victory for Linux as the Russian government [URL="http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/22094"]decides[/URL] that there will be a national operating system based on Linux. This new operating system will be deployed in Russian schools sometime this year. The Russians plan to rid themselves of the capitalist opression of Microsoft--or something like …
What's more stable than a rock, faster than a spinning disk, more powerful than a Windows system twice its size, and able to leap platforms like no other operating system? Surprise! It's Linux. It's also recession proof. Can that be true? Yes, and here are the 5 reasons why: [B]1. …
Apple has had marked success with the '[URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/20808/53/"]I'm a Mac[/URL]' advertising campaigns, and Microsoft is back banging it's head against a seeming brick wall of indifference with the ongoing 'I'm a PC' marketing drive that has featured both Bill Gates and [URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/20745/53/"]Steve 'Monkey Dancer' Ballmer[/URL]. Now, it would appear, that …
There's only one company that doesn't use Linux for its server virtualization platform. Can you guess which one it is? If you guessed [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Microsoft[/URL], you're correct. [URL="http://www.microsoft.com/virtualization"]Microsoft[/URL] is a newbie in the virtualization space but wants in and may make significant dents in the already well-established market that is significantly …
There are over 1 million Linux system deployments worldwide. No, make that 2 million. Wait, it's really closer to 3 million. Ok, I really have it this time--there are over 3.5 million Linux deployments worldwide as of January 7, 2009. But according to the [URL="http://counter.li.org"]Linux Counter[/URL], there's fewer than 150,000. …
Everyone wants to know what's going to happen in the new year as if anyone can accurately predict these things. However, one can deduce, with reasonable accuracy, that there will be innovations that are designed to get our attention. This is my list of Linux-oriented predictions for 2009. [B]The keyword …
There's a disturbing trend afoot -- particularly if you're a writer -- and it involves the print magazines sys admins and IT managers have relied on for years. Simply put, they're disappearing faster than beer at a frat party. Although no one can be sure exactly why, there's little doubt …
A public beta has started for the latest version of the BBC iPlayer desktop download manager which supports Linux, Mac and Windows. This represents a huge, and hugely overdue, move forward for the BBC which previously only allowed Windows users to download programmes using the iPlayer. The secret is in …
Joe "Zonker"Brockmeier is the Community Manager for openSUSE. He has been involved with Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) since 1996 when he discovered FOSS while a college student and was hooked. For most of his career he has worked as a technology journalist covering Linux and open source topics. …
Asus pretty much invented the whole netbook concept as we understand it today with the Eee PC, and for the longest time it sat pretty at the top of the netbook sales charts. The more astute reader might have noticed the past tense here, because Asus no longer rules the …
I've looked at [URL="http://www.thinkgos.com"]GoodOS (gOS)[/URL] before in two other posts: [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry2802.html"]The Netbook Market Booms with Linux Onboard[/URL] and [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3401.html"]Three Linux Distros to Watch and Use[/URL] but now they've taken the lightweight operating system (OS) one step further with Taiwan-based manufacturer [URL="http://www.gigabyte.com.tw"]GigaByte[/URL]. The GoodOS team created a very stripped down, browser-based …
Miami has hurricanes, Silicon Valley gets wildfires, and Seattle sits at the foot of a volcano. Where should your data center be? How about the heartland of America -- the Midwest -- where a growing number of server farms are springing up instead of corn or cattle farms. John Rath, …
Fedora releases usually generate more yawns than a Ben Affleck movie for me but this time, they've gone the extra mile. I placed Fedora at number 7 in my [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3322.html"]10 Best Linux Distributions[/URL] post but now that I've seen Fedora 10, I may have to reorder the list and place …
It's been a year since [URL="http://www.amazon.com"]Amazon[/URL] released its Linux-based [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-com-kindle/dp/B000FI73MA"]Kindle Ebook Reader[/URL] into its online store and currently more than 200,000 people have purchased one. Are you going to join the fray at almost 400USD or wait for my bombshell? I suggest you wait. There have been several articles surrounding …
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: [URL="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd228986.aspx"]Authenticate Linux Clients with Active Directory[/URL]. Do you wonder why you'd want to …
I know that we as Linux users believe in choice but come on! How in the world does someone who wants to move away from a "closed source" system figure it out. If you type in the word "Linux" in any search engine you will come up with nearly a …
About a month ago, research firm IDC released a [URL="http://idc.com/getdoc.jsp;jsessionid=NR3SD2A2131BMCQJAFICFFAKBEAUMIWD?containerId=prUS21420408"]report[/URL] 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 …
Since my "[URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3451.html"]5 Things Every Good Linux Administrator Knows[/URL]" 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 …
There are 5 things that every good Linux Administrator knows. Do you know what they are? They are in no particular order of importance: [B]1. Users are a Necessary Evil[/B] - Do you ever wonder why System Administrators seem so annoyed by you and your questions? It's because you are, …
I read an article on Yahoo Tech yesterday that I have to share with you. The title is "[URL="http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20081028/ap_on_hi_te/tec_microsoft"]Microsoft says next Windows won't be as annoying[/URL]". 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 …
Hi, I came across a Linux distribution that is portable and persistent called Slax. I have been looking for such a distribution for quite sometime, and I found it. Slax allows you to install the OS on a portable flash drive save changes on the same flash drive. Of course, …
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 [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3340.html"]I'm Smarter Than Larry Ellison[/URL] entry, Cloud Computing allows applications to be hosted in leveraged environments such that you neither know …
After posting [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3340.html"]5 Things I Wish Linux Had[/URL], 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 …
The End.