Linux hits the world
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 Gary Charpentier     Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30638 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 
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VIM forever! 
ID: 1068241 ·  |
OzzFan  Send message Joined: 9 Apr 02 Posts: 15691 Credit: 84,761,841 RAC: 28
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I have to admit, after finally getting around to playing with the latest edition of Kubuntu 10.10, I'm fairly impressed with its polish. I still have a fair share of UI complaints, but it is pretty nice. Too bad Ubuntu/Kubuntu is mostly shunned by the rest of the Linux community. I'm still waiting for a usable "real" Linux distro*. (*Yes, this is from my own perspective. Everyone is obviously free to disagree with me and attempt to claim their views as empirical over my own, but I still give the most weight to my own views and will continue to think for myself). ID: 1068391 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20 
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I have to admit, after finally getting around to playing with the latest edition of Kubuntu 10.10, I'm fairly impressed with its polish. I still have a fair share of UI complaints, but it is pretty nice. That's an interesting start. Are the UI 'issues' due to the desktop not being 'Windows', or something more general for usability? Too bad Ubuntu/Kubuntu is mostly shunned by the rest of the Linux community. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is certainly controversial in some ways, but then again it is sometimes good to be different. The latest controversy with them for doing things differently should be good for the mobile/portable devices market. Whether their idea for a desktop will extend all the way from small mobiles all the way up to HD-res PC desktops is going to be an 'interesting' adventure. It could yet be good! Regardless, it is good choice. It is certainly being genuinely innovative to push in that direction. I'm still waiting for a usable "real" Linux distro*. So... What is your 'wishlist'? (Please do not include the requirement for 'telepathy'! ;-) ) Cheers, Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1068400 · |
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OzzFan Send message Joined: 9 Apr 02 Posts: 15691 Credit: 84,761,841 RAC: 28
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My core complaints against Linux haven't changed. You're free to come to whatever conclusion you wish about that statement. ID: 1068440 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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My core complaints against Linux haven't changed. ... Is that against the OS and applications, the (bewildering) choice, or the ethos behind the development of Linux? Or other? Note that even Microsoft has contributed code that is in Linux... Sorry, long time since we last touched on this one. Memories fade and ideas and context change... Keep searchin', Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1068518 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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Might Linux 'hit the world' by 'default'?... 2011: Is Microsoft Drifting Into Insignificance? Microsoft has developed a very special talent to shoot itself in the foot and I am wondering what happened to the company that has commoditized computers with passion and unusual ideas for the future of computing? I do not want to turn this into a rant and uncontrollable discussion about Microsoft products that are, depending on your view, either great or simply suck. However, since Steve Ballmer's keynote at CES 2011 earlier this month I have been wondering whether Microsoft has turned into a black hole for great ideas. What was the latest great idea of Microsoft that truly departed from what we are used to in the mainstream anyway? ... ... Extending Kinect to Windows to use apps such as Google Earth or telepresence environments seem to be a natural evolution. However, at least SoCal Sam does not believe that anyone would want to use Kinect with Windows or Linux. I am not sure if he was kidding about that. If he was, I am wondering if a company that quashes and dismisses efforts to explore quite apparent usage models (free of charge to Microsoft) can be setting trends or if it is losing significance? A few weeks ago, I discussed with some analysts whether Microsoft has just become to stale and old to be able to move in ways companies like Google or Facebook do. There is no doubt that Microsoft will be around for a long time, but... And this is the 'best' of "Microsoft Marketing"?! Slagging off competitors with skoolyard untruths does noone any favours... At least it isn't throwing mud (fud) at Linux for a change... Microsoft Points Out iPad's Enterprise Weaknesses So the iPad isn't perfect for businesses. We all knew that, right? Apple's got the lead on the tablet market right now, mostly thanks to the company's being first to market with one that's finally been able to attract consumers. ... Cue howls from the crowds as the fans see the ball(mer)s fumbled? All just my own humble personal observations and comments as always! Happy crunchin', Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1071317 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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Might Linux 'hit the world' by 'default'?... There's quite a bit of a follow-on from that: No Jobs, Schmidt deleted: Microsoft can't fail, can it? From the GUI to the iPad, Microsoft has been in a race to copy and catch up with Apple. On the internet, Microsoft's love of the desktop helped Google surge ahead in search and ads, leaving Microsoft to struggle uphill with Bing. So, we wonder, is there a silver lining for Microsoft in the interruptions in leadership at the top of two of the company's toughest competitors? ... Meanwhile, it's the same old all-too-regular story from Microsoft: Microsoft issues temp fix for serious Windows security bug Microsoft has warned customers to apply a temporary security fix to protect against a serious, newly discovered security bug in all supported versions of Windows. ... ... Attackers can exploit the weakness to run malicious scripts that steal sensitive information, spoof trusted websites or carry out other actions not authorized by the user. Internet Explorer is the only attack vector for the vulnerability, which resides in the Windows implementation of the MHTML protocol. ... And now other OS users are being scammed with what so far as I know are uniquely Windows-only problems: Cold call scareware scammers aim to bring Mac fans into the fold Scareware cold-callers are adapting their tactics in order to target users of Mac machines as well as Windows PCs. Over recent months many prospective victims in the UK and elsewhere have received unexpected calls falsely warning them that malware had been detected on their PC. ... Meanwhile, over in the Linux world: Linux Vendors Teaming Up For An App Store There seems to be no end to the momentum propelling Linux into the mainstream these days, and this week news came out that's surely among the most exciting developments yet. ... many of the biggest Linux distributions are teaming up to create a unified "Application Store" format that would span those distributions, making it easier for users of the free and open source operating system to find and install applications in a consistent way, regardless of the particular distribution they use. "More and more people in the Linux world realize that a nice application installer (Application Store) is needed to make the Linux platform more attractive for normal users and third party developers," ... Linux is right up there at the cutting edge of graphics: AMD supports OpenGL 4.1 for Windows and Linux AMD has announced its support of Open GL 4.1 on Microsoft and Linux platforms in its latest driver release for a number of its graphics cards. The driver release, available on the AMD website for the ATI FirePro, ATI FireGl and AMD Radeon cards, will support OpenGL 4.1 for Microsoft’s Windows 7, Vista, XP, as well as Linux. "AMD has a long tradition of supporting open industry standards, and with the announcement of support for OpenGL 4.1, we continue to demonstrate that commitment," said Janet Matsuda, general manager, AMD professional graphics. ... And over at the other extremes of power: Fanless 3-watt PC with Dual Core ARM CPU, HDMI and Linux Now, Intel's Atom also has competition from ARM in the desktop PC arena. Israel's CompuLab has presented the Trim-Slice, a tiny, fanless PC using NVIDIA's Tegra 2 platform. The System-on-Chip (SoC) has two ARM Cortex-A9 CPU cores with clock rates up to 1 GHz, offering roughly the same computing power as an Intel Atom. But the multimedia equipment is even better. Two HDMI ports are provided, and Tegra 2 also includes an HD video accelerator. ... And going with one of the big names: Dell joins Linux alliance for software appliances LINUX JUST GOT another supporter in the world of corporate networks, as Dell has joined the SUSE Appliance Programme. As a member of the programme, Dell can deliver applications as ready-to-deploy virtual or hardware appliances powered by SUSE Linux Enterprise. SUSE Linux is owned by Novell ... I wonder if that is because Microsoft also (directly or indirectly) sells Linux? Yet... There is always the little hurdle called change: Switching to Desktop Linux? 6 Ways to Ease the Migration With all the many compelling reasons for a company to switch to Linux on the desktop, it's no wonder that businesses large and small are increasingly relying on the free and open source operating system. After all, it's free, flexible, reliable, and highly secure--to name just a few of the most attractive features. No matter how good your reasons for switching from Windows to Linux, however, the fact remains that most of us don't like change. That -- more than anything else -- is why migrations of any kind can be painful. ... Yet... Such a change can be less of a problem than migrating across different versions of Windows... I've certainly had my share of fun and change in the past, which is where a few months into WinXP I instead moved over to run what I found to be a much more friendly OS :-) All just my own humble personal observations and comments as always! Certainly interesting ongoing changes... Happy crunchin', Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1072016 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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Certainly interesting ongoing changes... Linus Torvalds Never Imagined the Current Linux Ecosystem In a magazine interview in the late 1990s, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was asked whether he, Steve Jobs and the other early minds behind the Macintosh ever envisioned what their technology, and personal computers in general, would become. He responded that nobody on the original team at Apple had any inkling of the impact that arrays of different application types, and the Internet in particular, would have. In fact, he said that the early Apple team viewed early personal computers as simply a smarter way to do word processing, with snazzy efficiencies such as cut-and-paste. In some ways, the success that Linux is having on smartphones and non-PC platforms is running in parallel to what happened to the original Apple team. Now, none other than Linus Torvalds seems to confirm that fact. The OMG! Ubuntu! blog has an interview with Torvalds posted. In it, he talks enthusiastically about ... As ever interesting stuff. Unfortunately, there's always the backdrop of competing pressures as highlighted in this comment from a reader: Another admirable area in which Linux is shining is in the desktop. Yes, pundits will throw tired statisitcs that show something like a 1% market share, or some other meaningless number. One must remember, that while Microsoft has spent millions of dollars to successfully quel and vanquish inovative OS vendors (BE, OS/2, et. al.,) and yet, the company has failed misserably to erradicate what it called a "cancer". Linux in the desktop is a marvel. This tiny ecosystem has proven as indelible as is indestructible- here to stay regardless of what the bloodthirsty Redmond giant does. Meanwhile, 'behemoth' Microsoft hits the headlines as ever: Microsoft warning over browser security flaw Microsoft has issued a "critical" warning over a newly-discovered flaw in Windows. In a security advisory, the company warned of a loophole that could be used by malicious hackers to steal private information or hijack computers. The bug potentially affects every user of the Internet Explorer web browser - around 900 million people worldwide. Microsoft has issued a software patch to defend against attacks, and said it was working to develop a long-term fix. ... All good fun! Happy crunchin', Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1072825 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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An interesting review for Mandriva 2010.2: Mandriva 2010.2 makes Linux easy Mandriva Linux's latest release is testament to the work done by developers to make it one of the easiest to use Linux releases ever. That version is a polish-up of the previous release and is intended as a stop-gap before a radical remake for the next version for 2011. Interestingly, some of the very latest software is going to be included as updates to 2010.2 whilst the next release is being put together. I'm running Mandriva 2010.2 and it works well. I've also added some of the very latest cutting edge features and so far it just works. Usual minor quirks for the more wild personal customisations, but then that is the case for any distro or any other OS. The fun is in being able to do what you want with your OS! All good fun! Happy crunchin', Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1074766 · |
skildude  Send message Joined: 4 Oct 00 Posts: 9541 Credit: 50,759,529 RAC: 60 
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Man and machine tied in 'Jeopardy' game-show match NEW YORK — In the "Jeopardy" battle of man vs. machine, man and machine were neck-and-neck on Monday.  In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face. Diogenes Of Sinope ID: 1077518 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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A bit of an eclectic mix for the week... Some rather weak tid-bits of how Linux is used to help Windows systems: Save your PC: bootable Linux rescue tools Linux is now a respected, mature operating system that's free and open source, so it shouldn't be surprising that it has a generic role as a platform for tools for the repair and rescue of both Linux and Windows operating systems. ... Why You Need to Have a Linux LiveCD As a longtime fan of Linux, I'm a big believer that most business users would benefit greatly by dumping Windows and switching over to the open source operating system instead. It's stable, it's reliable and it's highly secure, among many other advantages. What many people don't realize, however, is that even if you choose not to do that, there are still many reasons to keep a copy of Linux close at hand. ... Tickling an ever-present argument as to whether or not a certain uniquely one other system has any 'excuses' for being so vulnerable to malware when compared to Open Source software: Is Open Source Good For Security? A recent security incident with Java and an older one with Solaris both suggest that, given a properly-functioning community, open source helps - a lot. Once Upon A Time, There Was A USB Vulnerability In Linux ... Everything boils down to the level of security. From the 'level of security' point of view, GNU/Linux systems are secure by design so the vulnerability rate is million times lower than that of insecure by design systems like Windows. When it comes to the core system, fixes don't wait for Tuesdays, they come immediately. ... ... This hole was patched in early January and Jon used an 'un-patched' PC to demonstrate the attack. Also, the attack was possible only via USB which means an attacker should have *physical* access to the PC. This attack does *not* spread ... Compare with: Microsoft Finally Turns Off AutoRun in Vista, XP ... In addition to the numerous security updates released on Patch Tuesday, Microsoft finally turned off AutoRun for Windows Vista and Windows XP. Now programs will not execute automatically when loaded from USB devices like external hard drives or flash drive sticks. This prevents disguised malware from automatically loading the AutoRun menu when the USB devices are attached. Unfortunately, this also affects legit programs ... And that is after how long?! Meanwhile, is this a desperate or a strategically 'opportune move' by Microsoft to blunder into the smartphone arena?... Linux firm claims Nokia/Microsoft deal will help open source Wireless Linux group LiMo believes Nokia's decision to enter into a broad strategic partnership with Microsoft to create a "new global mobile ecosystem" will boost the open source mobile software market. ... And is this an alternative observation of the games that Microsoft plays? Is Microsoft planning to upgrade ICT in our schools for free? Microsoft announced a 1000 apprenticeships for youngsters in London last week signalling that they remain committed to education. What will follow will be the Perfect Storm of software upgrades. I don’t want to depress anyone out there more than usual but I must point out that in education computer software is well overdue a complete revamp. Three years ago schools were told by the Government not to upgrade to MS Vista or Office 2007 and the accompanying soundtrack was one of the brakes screeching on. ... ... It’s perfect marketing, Microsoft are the archetypal ‘catch up corporation’ and schools the archetypal ‘catch up’ users. I am so sorry schools but I think the die is cast. It's free but not as in [free] beer [freedom]. It's all our world! Martin (All just my personal comments as ever.) See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1077725 · |
Aristoteles Doukas  Send message Joined: 11 Apr 08 Posts: 1091 Credit: 2,140,913 RAC: 0 
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actually, in vista, the autorun hasn´t worked never. ID: 1079904 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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For the Linux world, a bit of a mixed bag of news recently. There's one particular item that I'm surprised that the Microsoft fanboys haven't seized upon with wild zeal and glee... That of Linux Android making the first splash in the headline news in the newspapers about a malware exploit: More than 50 Android apps found infected with rootkit malware Google acts to remove apps after developer finds 'DroidDream' malware can take over phone and send personal details to remote server Google, to their credit, removed the malware applications within 5 minutes of being notified. They then quickly followed up with blocking all of the malware authors accounts. A good and quick response. Equally quick off the mark has been this article from the anti-virus vendor Sophos who undoubtedly are rubbing their hands with glee at what they will see as a new and big and lucrative market. Note their (fearful?) parallel analogy with the sorry state of Microsoft targeted malware: Aftermath of the Droid Dream Android Market malware attack The most recent malware attack on the Android Market is already well described in several good write-ups, but I wanted to analyse the samples we received in our collection. The Droid Dream attack isn't really unexpected, since the investment to become an Android developer and have the ability to publish applications on the Android Market is quite low. I understand that it is in Google's interest to have as many Android developers as possible, but... ... it seems that the rate of new Android malware is increasing. The openess of the platform and the availability of alternative application markets makes Android-based devices more difficult to secure. The whole situation reminds me of Windows some years ago. One keeps wondering if history is repeating again? Sophos products are detecting all known samples of this Android malware as Troj/DroidD-A. So... The exploit used is already fixed in the latest version of Android. Also, I very much suspect that Google will be putting a few checks into their "Market" to check for potential malware before it is made available via that route. I've mentioned in that past that the first exploit would hit all of the worlds headlines and would be stopped dead very quickly. That indeed has been the case. A mere 5 minutes to stopping any further spread is pretty quick going! Other troubling news on malware exploits: LSE suffers malware attack The London Stock Exchange has been beset with glitches recently, which do not inspire confidence at a time when the very future of the exchange is up for discussion. Anyone accessing the LSE site for four hours on Monday via specific browsers--Firefox, Chrome and Safari (but apparently not the IE)--were greeted with a note wrongly informing them that the site had been identified as unsafe. The note read: "This website has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked. ... So, good old IE was oblivious?... London Stock Exchange Woes not Linux's Fault The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has had better times. First, it had reoccurring problems with its integration with large-stock market data players... Then, adding insult to injury, Google rightfully flagged the Exchange’s site as a malware danger, thanks to a third-party advertiser that was hosting malicious software. None of this had anything to do with the LSE switching to Linux as the basis of its new trading system. ... ... First the malware problem actually belongs to a third-party ad vendor. If you clicked on this company’s ads on the LSE Web page, or any other Web page, you’d end up at a site bearing Windows malware. ... I too agree that it seems recklessly silly to blithely trust "3rd party advertisers" on a financial website! As for the data exchange problems, I'm sure there is going to be more to that story as to why that worked fine for one big player and not others. Testing testing?... More positively: Impressions from the Southern California Linux Expo 9x If you weren't in Los Angeles last weekend, you missed all the fun. No, not the OSCARS. I'm talking about the Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE). Once again, the SCALE folks put on one of the best FOSS community events on the planet and handled a 20% increase in attendees with few glitches. According to Larry Cafiero, one of the SCALE guys (as well as being one of the "beards of open source," ahem), SCALE drew more than 1,800 attendees. And those are the ones who actually registered. ... Fermilab releases a new version of Scientific Linux For more than 12 years, Fermilab has supplied thousands of individuals in the scientific community with the operating system that forms the foundation for their exploration of the universe’s secrets. The Linux operating system produced at Fermilab enabled the laboratory, and other high-energy physics institutions to build large physics data analysis clusters using affordable, commercially available computers. The newest version of the Scientific Linux is now available. ... Splitting the server atom ... SeaMicro is bucking the trend in using the humble Intel Atom to create highly scalable and remarkably energy-efficient servers. Its first product, the 32-bit SM10000, was launched last year, and now there's a 64-bit version, cramming 256 dual-core N570 Atom processors into a 10U rack unit. A feat which, the company claims, enables it to match the processing power of high-end industry-standard servers, but in a quarter of the space and using a quarter of the energy. ... ... As well as 512 computing cores, there's support for 1,024 terabytes of DDR3 memory ... ... Linux is the officially supported software platform, with SeaMicro claiming to match the computing power of forty 1U dual-socket quad-core servers with its much slimmer 10U solution. ... Splashtop Linux is a free Chrome OS browser-based alternative ... Splashtop Linux includes no native applications beyond the Chromium-based browser, and it boots in seconds directly into a start screen featuring a Bing-powered search box. A raft of core plug-ins are pre-installed, including Adobe Flash. With support for a wide variety of hardware, Splashtop OS sets up easily alongside Windows by automatically importing numerous critical settings from Microsoft's operating system. Web apps, extensions, games and themes can be imported from the Chrome Web Store to personalize the user's experience. "We picked a Linux kernel version to achieve good hardware compatibility with majority of the PCs from the past few years," explains Sheu in a company blog. "2.6.32 isn't the latest and greatest, but is an ideal platform to make both new and old Wi-Fi chips, audio codecs, and other PC peripherals work. We make use of the SquashFS filesystem and special X11 architecture to cut down on the boot time." ... Is that why Steve Ballmer has been and seems to be still highly vocal against Linux?... SCO knew that there was not enough of its code in Linux - But sued anyway Groklaw has found evidence that the anti-Linux bad-boy SCO knew that there was no Unix under the bonnet of Linux long before it began its long and fatal court battle. Windows Live Mesh goes live without support for Linux Why Microsoft's see-no-Linux approach is chasing me away from Windows altogether ... The more Microsoft chases me to other cloud tools and products, the less reason I have not to ditch Windows altogether, an operating system I have used since I left DOS for Windows 3.1. I have no burning desire to move, but like many others, am slowly being lead away. Microsoft Hangs Up the Phone on GPLv3 "I hope this is mostly irrelevant because Microsoft lags so far behind in this market, and this time maybe they can't ramp up fast enough before they're completely out of the game," said Slashdot blogger yagu. "Squeezing out GPLv3 won't help their cause -- how many programmers in this smartphone universe want to learn the ropes of one more dodgy controlling gatekeeper?" Little did we know when Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Jean Paoli uttered the words, "We love open source" late last summer that there would be so many occasions in subsequent months to look back on that statement and scratch our heads in wonder. ... Meanwhile, I wonder what the real story is behind this one: No more desktop Linux systems in the German Foreign Office ... that the government's response was not satisfactory. "The reasons given for the return to Windows are implausible," says Tillmann, "We need the figures." The costs of licensing Windows and MS Office throughout the department would cover the costs of programming a hell of a lot of drivers, notes Tillmann. Oliver Kaczmarek has already announced his intention to take the matter further and demand a clear statement from the government. Pain and Suffering in Germany, or How Linux Lost to XP "This looks like a top-down decision, the kind that gets made when one or more of M$'s salesmen visit the head-office," blogger Robert Pogson opined. "Previous studies showed the GNU/Linux desktops were economical and effective. Suddenly, with only hand-waving as evidence, a contrary conclusion results." ... "It's 'Sad' because Linux is clearly in the discussion with much to offer, and the German office tried it, but then went back to the company that caused 20 years of lock-in issues." ... Curiouser and curiouser as a certain well know character is known for saying. On a more light hearted note: What do geeks do at parties? A Geek In Hollywood: Linux Inventor Goes To Oscar Party ... He and his wife Tove were got a kick out of asking famous stars who they were. Linus apparently didn't realize he was talking to Natalie Portman at one point, and his wife asked Warren Beatty who he was. Twice. As he put it, they were completely out of their depth... All good fun! And it is all what we make it! Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1083369 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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Has all the Middle-Eastern unrest against years of oppression rippled through into the PC world? HP: The Linux Desktop Company Well, I didn’t see this coming. HP CEO Leo Apotheker, according to Bloomberg/Newsweek said that “every one of the PCs shipped by HP will include the ability to run WebOS in addition to Microsoft Corp.’s Windows.†I knew HP was serious about webOS, its Linux-based tablet/smartphone operating system. I didn’t know that HP was this serious. For years, with the exception of Dell, most major PC vendors have been very reluctant to offer desktop Linux. This has been because they were afraid of upsetting the 800-pound gorilla of desktop operating systems: Microsoft. The sales were there. I’ve been told by sources both at Dell and Canonical that pre-installed Ubuntu Linux PC sales alone have been in the millions. That may not be a lot compared to Windows, but given how hard most PC companies have made it to even shop for Linux-powered PCs, I think it’s darn impressive. ... A very interesting bold move. Can Microsoft reply with a riposte to force a netbook-style re-entrenchment?... It's all what we make it, Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1085641 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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Here's an interesting summary of alternative operating systems. There's some rather neat stuff out there... Also interesting is that Linux is excluded (along with Microsoft and Apple) for being too mainstream! 10 best alternative operating systems The desktops with the potential to change computing It's all what we make it, Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1087814 · |
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OzzFan Send message Joined: 9 Apr 02 Posts: 15691 Credit: 84,761,841 RAC: 28
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Thank you for that article. KolibriOS, which is written completely in assembly and weighs in around 4.9MB of the entire OS and features preemtive multitasking, email client, TCP/IP networking, and USB support looks very impressive to me. Too bad it's only 32bit x86, it probably won't support all 16GB of RAM on my box (you can argue that I won't need that much anymore, but as long as I have it, it's staying in the box and I want to use it), unless it supports PSE36. I've played around with Haiku and got bored quickly of it. It's a nice OS, but it seems to have very limited appeal. ReactOS seems interesting in concept and I think I'll give that one a try next. AROS could be fun too. I also enjoyed reading the articles 10 OSes you've never heard of (which is a lie because I have heard of half of them) and 5 OSes that time forgot, which I love to reminisce about. [Edit] I must correct the editors of that last article though. Microsoft BOB was not an OS! It was a front-end to Windows 3.1, which in turn was a shell to DOS. Microsoft BOB was akin to Packard Bell Computer's front-end for Windows 3.1 known as PB Navigator, and had all the same metaphors. ID: 1087832 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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Another interesting snippet on the change of play between the behemoths: Internet Explorer 9 review The days when Internet Explorer was so dominant that Microsoft could practically dictate web standards are thankfully long past. For the past five years, Microsoft’s browser has been in something of a tailspin, bleeding market share to Firefox and now Chrome. It remains the world’s most used browser, but for how long?... ... Perhaps more out of necessity than anything else, Microsoft has finally decided to fully adhere to web standards. Microsoft is trumpeting IE9’s support for HTML5 and CSS 3, and it appears to be paying more than lip service to web standards, scoring 95 out of 100 in the now (somewhat outdated) ACID3 tests. Rival Mozilla cites Niels Leenheer’s HTML5 Test as evidence that Internet Explorer 9 is yet to implement much of the HTML5 spec, although Microsoft insists it’s only supporting the parts of the wide-ranging spec that are near completion... So... Microsoft following agreed standards?! Phew! Really?! However, note that there is also quite a spat brewing with Apple's restrictions on Adobe's flash and for other 3rd party web apps. There's also the video codec combat between a patents (Hollywood?) grouping and Google. And Google looks to be dangerously pushing the limits against the Linux GPLv2 "copyleft" license for nefarious stripping of headers in Google Android... Quite a rugby scrum to keep the lawyers happy and rich for years to come! All at our own expense? It's all what we make it, Martin (Just my personal observations as always...) See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1088387 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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Here's yet-another-intro-to-a-linux-distro article. All well and good... (Yawn... :-( ) Interestingly it's in a mainstream (Windows) PC magazine. Curiously, to me there also appears to be undertones that the author is from the Windows world: Ubuntu: a complete guide We reveal everything you need to know - including the questions you were afraid to ask - about installing and running Ubuntu Ubuntu is now head and shoulders above any other Linux distribution in terms of features and ease of use, but it can still appear intimidating to those who’ve been cocooned in the Windows world. ... I don't agree with the list of "top applications". However overall, a fair enough intro but quite a weak article. The comments make for a good giggle. I just wonder if the first is from one of those corporate paid trolls?! What has become noticeable is that the Linux and Android magazines now enjoy greater prominence on the shelves than such as the general PC and Apple dedicated mags. IT's all what we make it! Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1089069 · |
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ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 20258 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20
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From some general surfing around, here's a typical two examples from a strong PC advocate magazine: There's More to Love in Puppy Linux 5.2.5 Back in January I wrote about some of the features of Puppy Linux that make it particularly suitable for use on old and slow computers, but over the weekend a new version of the open source operating system was released with even more reasons to check it out. Tackle Pesky 'Data Execution Protection' Warnings in Windows ... Every time she tries to open one, Windows displays a Data Execution Protection warning, then a Dr. Watson error, and then closes the file. ... If you're into IT support or just general PC fixing, a copy of Puppy Linux or Damned Small Linux can come in very useful for diagnosing and sometimes fixing most PCs. (Also have Memtest86+ to hand as a first quick check that the hardware is ok.) IT's all what we make it! Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) ID: 1093675 · |
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