Dell Sells Ubuntu Boxes That Cannot Run Ubuntu bitsenbloc: "However, when opening the box I found something suspicious, the DVD provided by Dell was not a standard Ubuntu, but a version that contains a + after the number of the version. This Ubuntu is not free because it is written "Do not distribute" on the DVD." (Dec 31, 2008)
Linux Today Features
Microsoft Sends Its "Partners" to Prison Boycott Novell: ""It's easier for our software to compete with Linux when there's piracy than when there's not." -Bill Gates (2007) " (Jan 3, 2009)
Small Features
MD5 Considered Harmful (and what that means to you) emmajane's blog: "You know the lock icon in your browser that tells you your banking Web site is safe and you are secure? As of yesterday we've learned this icon may be meaningless." Jan 2, 2009
Memo to Dell: Pump Ubuntu Into Your Global Partner Network (Jan 8, 2009, 17:34 UTC) (512 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) WorksWithU: "Pssst: Hey Greg Davis (pictured). You've just been named Dell's global channel chief -- in charge of the PC giant's worldwide partner strategy. What are you going to do next? Here’s one suggestion: Offer some Ubuntu PCs to solutions providers. Here's why."
What Is SMB? (Jan 8, 2009, 01:33 UTC) (1520 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Computing Tech: "Years ago, Microsoft and IBM came up with the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol to compete with Novell's IPX-based file and print sharing. Though it's hard to believe now, there was a time when pretty much all corporate networks were running IPX and Novell Netware servers."
Integrating legacy Windows applications on a Linux Desktop environment (Jan 8, 2009, 00:03 UTC) (1334 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) blog.angulosolido.pt: "In the real world there's people developing fat clients, where a web interface would be the best way. There's people programming in .NET, delivering solutions to the customers that limit their OS choices to Windows. And there are public and private institutions buying without knowing how this may affect them in the future."
SECURITY: Wireshark (Jan 7, 2009, 20:32 UTC) (1212 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) ISP Planet: "Gerald Combs first started developing the open source packet sniffer Wireshark (initially called Ethereal) back in 1997, and released it in the summer of 1998. "I was working at a small ISP in the Midwest, and we were very limited on the tools that they would buy us for troubleshooting--so I decided to write a network protocol analyzer," he recalls."
SECURITY: The Smallest Threat to Open Source in 2009 (Jan 7, 2009, 16:02 UTC) (1185 reads)
(4 talkbacks)
(feedback) TechRepublic: "His thesis is simple: that, because open source software usually lacks any mechanisms for easily updating to the latest security patched version, the growing popularity of open source software will render it more vulnerable to problems than its closed source counterparts."
Upsizing Linux Servers Getting Easier (Jan 7, 2009, 15:02 UTC) (849 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) NewsBlaze: "On Sunday night, we moved NewsBlaze.com over to a new server. A 5405 dual processor quad core with 4Gb ram, running Red Hat Enterprise 5, over at ThePlanet, if you are geekily inclined. Most things went really well, and there were only a couple of php and apache webserver issues."
EMC Acquires Open Source Support Firm (Jan 7, 2009, 13:32 UTC) (668 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Enterprise Storage Forum: "EMC has acquired parts of an open source support company, but the storage giant isn't saying much about its plans for the acquisition.
EMC said in a statement that it has "acquired some of the assets of SourceLabs and has hired a number of the company's employees.""
What Would You Exchange Exchange For? (Jan 7, 2009, 10:32 UTC) (2363 reads)
(5 talkbacks)
(feedback) Linux Journal: "It's long been clear to me that the biggest lock-in Microsoft has, at the enterprise level, is not with Windows or personal apps, but with Exchange Server. And the biggest problem there is this: it's good. Enterprises like it."
7 Best Free/Open-source Backup Software for Linux (Jan 7, 2009, 07:32 UTC) (2824 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Tech Source From Bohol: "If you are using Linux, there are plenty of backup software to choose from. I have here a list of some of the best free and open source backup software that you may want to check out."
Tools for Migrating from Windows to Linux (Jan 7, 2009, 01:32 UTC) (1992 reads)
(3 talkbacks)
(feedback) Datamation: "Taking baby steps to become more familiar with a new operating system can be as simple as revamping the OS already in use on your computer. It begins with unlearning Windows-born behavior to free up your mind for a new way of doing things."
Tech Execs: Can We Stop the Stupidity? (Jan 6, 2009, 22:34 UTC) (1792 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Datamation: "I hate spineless managers -- especially when "executives" make incredibly stupid decisions. I realize that we all have jobs at stake but there's a line that should not be crossed."
SECURITY:
Security and Your Mother's Linux Box (Jan 6, 2009, 20:34 UTC) (1016 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Tech Republic: "We know, first of all, that the vendors don't have a proper incentive to ship good quality software, because the vendors don't pay the cost of failure; we do."
Pupils Conquer Fear of Computers (Jan 6, 2009, 19:34 UTC) (751 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) BBC News: "Kamal Prasad Sharma, aged 12, a student at Saraswati Secondary School in a small village not far from Kathmandu, was afraid when he saw a computer for the first time."
Destined Incompatibility of OO.o's OOXML Implementation (Jan 6, 2009, 17:34 UTC) (1948 reads)
(1 talkbacks)
(feedback) Chao-Kuei's Notes: "Please say it loudly in your blogs or emails, in as non-technical terms as possible. Then we will turn around and show your opinions to the confused governments and journalists who still believe Microsoft's claim that OOXML is an open format, and put an end to that lie."
An Inside Look at How Microsoft Got XP on the XO (Jan 6, 2009, 17:04 UTC) (2401 reads)
(3 talkbacks)
(feedback) OLPC News: "As part of a small personal project, I've been reading through the court exhibits presented in Comes V Microsoft. One of those exhibits is a chain of internal Microsoft emails discussing how to get Windows XP on the OLPC."
Everyone's free Linux: DeviceVM's Splashtop (Jan 6, 2009, 16:34 UTC) (1195 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Cyber Cynic: "One of the neat things about Linux has always been that you can run it on just about anything: iPhones, xBoxes, PS3, you name it, you can run Linux on it. So, why not, the good people at DeviceVM thought, make a desktop Linux that came bundled in a PC's motherboard: Splashtop."
SECURITY: Five Reasons Why Authentication Still Matters -- and Still Isn't Fixed (Jan 5, 2009, 23:03 UTC) (1304 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Datamation: "Authentication is yesterday's problem, and it's been fixed.
That's the conventional wisdom, at least, but it's a myth. Despite a flurry of new regulations, user names and passwords still rule the enterprise. Tokens and one-time-password generators are making inroads, but it's slow, plodding progress."
How to: Monitor Bandwidth with Tomato Firmware (Jan 5, 2009, 22:33 UTC) (1280 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Wi-Fi Planet: "Looking to track your bandwidth to scope out malware, conform to metering policies from your ISP, better utilize limited resources--or just because you're curious? Our Wi-Fi Guru walks you through Tomato's sophisticated bandwidth monitoring tools."
SECURITY: Intrusion Detection Systems: Sourcefire (Jan 5, 2009, 20:03 UTC) (1095 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) ISP-Planet: "Marty Roesch developed the open source intrusion detection system Snort back in 1998. Three years later, Roesch launched a company, Sourcefire, Inc., to offer a commercial version. "If you think of a car, the engine itself is Snort; the whole car is Sourcefire..."
DTrace Gets Guernsey in New FreeBSD (Jan 5, 2009, 17:33 UTC) (967 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) ZDNet AU: "The FreeBSD Project has released a new stable version of its popular Unix operating system, officially incorporating for the first time Sun Microsystems' flagship DTrace performance analysis and debugging tool."
Kernel Developers Tracking Down New Year's Eve Leap Second Issue (Jan 5, 2009, 17:03 UTC) (1497 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Linux Magazine: "A few server admins had reported Linux crashes right at the New Year's Eve countdown. Linux developers are currently investigating if they had anything to do with the leap second phenomenon."
The Inherent Danger in "Just Working" (Jan 5, 2009, 16:03 UTC) (1629 reads)
(4 talkbacks)
(feedback) OStatic: "And though I like seeing how my hardware and software interact, it is preferable to have things "just work," so I can get what I need done, and then spend the time I saved doing so leisurely poking at my application's innards. There's an inherent danger in the "just works" philosophy, however."
SECURITY: Create an Encrypted Samba Share (Jan 5, 2009, 14:33 UTC) (1215 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) BeginLinux: "Here is a scenario where you have Windows users who need to log into an encrypted directory that is mounted on a Linux Samba share. This provides an interesting option for security."
Seven Reasons Why Linux Will Succeed in 2009 (Jan 5, 2009, 14:03 UTC) (1973 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Ken Hess's Linux Blog: "Linux will continue its soaring success in 2009. Yes, Linux is free and free is good but what about its other advantages over commercial Unix flavors and Windows? Here are the top seven reasons why Linux will continue to smash the competition in the face of the economy, the Cloud, and the smart administrator."
Metered computing: Another great argument for open source in 2009 (Jan 4, 2009, 12:04 UTC) (2445 reads)
(2 talkbacks)
(feedback) Community, Incorporated: "Metered computing, as outlined by Microsoft in a patent application, isn't the worst idea I've heard -- but it ranks up there with other spectacular failures like the original DivX, AOL dial-up, and the 2008 Detroit Lions."
How Linux admins can avoid common pitfalls (Jan 2, 2009, 08:03 UTC) (2962 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) ZDNet: "For many, migrating to Linux is a rite of passage that equates to a thing of joy. For others, it's a nightmare waiting to happen. It's wonderful when it's the former; it's a real show stopper when it's the latter."
The Best of 2008 : Help For Linux
(Jan 2, 2009, 00:03 UTC) (3496 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Help For Linux: "1. 5 GIMP Tricks Everyone Should Know : Our most popular article this year, even Lifehacker featured this one."
2008: A year of the Linux Distillery in review (Jan 1, 2009, 08:04 UTC) (1829 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) The Linux Distillery: "As 2008 draws its final breath let's reflect on some of the highlights of the year. There were major new FOSS releases, battles with Microsoft, arguments to further the cause of Linux as a viable server and desktop platform and more."
Editor's Note: Linux Needs Fewer Friends (Dec 31, 2008, 22:03 UTC) (3908 reads)
(36 talkbacks)
(feedback) It's a cliche, but it's an apt one: "God save me from my friends - I can protect myself from my enemies." Theodore Ts'o wrote an anti-Free Software rant this week that could have come straight from the massive, never-sleeping Redmond FudMachine, Debian, Philosophy, and People. He seems to blame Free Software for Debian's ills.
SECURITY: PGP's Universal Server Provides Unobtrusive Encryption (Dec 31, 2008, 13:47 UTC) (1344 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Enterprise Networking Planet: "Over the last couple of weeks we've looked at the theory behind public key encryption and public key infrastructure. But how is all of this pulled together into a product that enables you to send or receive encrypted e-mail messages?"
An OS from India (Dec 31, 2008, 11:34 UTC) (2940 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) IT Examiner: "Father of free software Richard Stallman is visiting Hyderabad to oversee the migration of thousands of computers to a new "Indian" operating system."
Dell Sells Ubuntu Boxes That Cannot Run Ubuntu (Dec 31, 2008, 10:04 UTC) (5988 reads)
(10 talkbacks)
(feedback) bitsenbloc: "However, when opening the box I found something suspicious, the DVD provided by Dell was not a standard Ubuntu, but a version that contains a + after the number of the version. This Ubuntu is not free because it is written "Do not distribute" on the DVD."
17 Telecommuting Pet Peeves (Dec 31, 2008, 02:34 UTC) (2243 reads)
(1 talkbacks)
(feedback) CIO: "Telecommuting is great. I've been doing it full time for most of 20 years. But it isn't perfect. Working at home has its own set of irritations, some of which aren't well understood—particularly by those who don't telecommute."
Great Linux Innovations Of 2008 (Dec 30, 2008, 22:47 UTC) (2316 reads)
(1 talkbacks)
(feedback) Phoronix: "Among the innovations named this year were KDE 4, NetworkManager 0.7, new hardware companies standing behind open-source support, and the Video Decode and Presentation API for Unix."
Will 2009 Be Open or Closed? (Dec 30, 2008, 21:17 UTC) (1255 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Linux Journal: "Instead, I'd like to discuss a matter that is related to these larger questions, but which focusses on issues particularly germane to Linux Journal: will 2009 be a year in which openness thrives, or one in which closed thinking re-asserts itself?"
SECURITY: 25C3: Dan Kaminsky Invokes DNSSEC (Dec 30, 2008, 19:02 UTC) (1180 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Linux Magazine: "Dan Kaminsky, front man of the DNS attacks band the middle of 2008, has delivered a retrospective at the 25th annual Chaos Communication Congress (25C3) on the background and process of DNS vulnerability. But he also set his sights on the future. And outside-the-box thinker Dan J. Bernstein also had a thing or two to say."
Windows to Unix With PuTTY and Xming (Dec 30, 2008, 16:03 UTC) (2089 reads)
(0 talkbacks)
(feedback) Tip of the Trade: "Using PuTTY (the best Windows SSH client going) and Xming (a free X Window server for Windows) enables you to log in from a Windows box to your Unix box, and then run an X session remotely."
