Rock star Linux: remixed, unplugged and live, Jun 10, 2008

Ubuntu is on the verge of enhancing its already good name as the most end-user friendly Linux distribution by coming out with its own mobile-optimised release, Ubuntu Netbook Remix. We're on the tip of a revolution and here's why.

Nothing warms the cockles of a Linux lover's heart more than to hear that X or Y big company/city is migrating its desktops to the free operating system. And nothing can evoke more bitter insults than the reversal of any such decision

Regular readers will know that I’ve rallied against Microsoft’s so-called “Get the facts” site for the last fortnight. Rather than give legitimate comparisons facing off Windows servers vs Linux options the site opts for bunkum and hogwash with sensational headlines that have no underlying substance. Here’s the state of play.

Microsoft PR threw down the gauntlet; “see how Windows Server 2008 stacks up versus Linux,” they say. There’s a “Get the Facts” URL being promoted with claims of direct comparisons between the two operating systems. Anyone reading the headlines alone could be fooled into thinking there’s substance to be found.

In many ways the Debian GNU/Linux project is unique among all the distributions that dot the Linux landscape. Apart from putting out a high-grade distribution, it has served as the base for a number of others - Ubuntu and Knoppix, to name just two - which have had a big impact on the growth of the Linux ecosystem.

A Linux v Microsoft security debate at this year’s RSA Conference ended in a draw despite the two opposing experts failing to agree on a concurrent metrics system.

To some people, the increasing number of Linux distributions serves as a disadvante when it comes to attracting new users. To Christopher Smart, it's a plus point - the way he puts it, if he had not been able to roll his own, he never would have achieved the level of understanding of Linux he has today.

Question: Asus makes an innovative cheap little Linux computer that takes the world by storm but decides to fix what isn't broken and make it more expensive, why? The power of Microsoft of course! And so yet another attempt by a Linux purveyor to carve a niche in mainstream consumer computing looks set to fall to Windows. Or will it?

So you’ve got an idea for a great app and you’re thinking of making your own open source project? Here are some items to consider and some sites that will help you on your journey. We’ll also see how some well-known open source teams did it.

Linux has a lot to offer cash-strapped education departments. It’s free, for one thing. It is naturally secure with distinctly non-privileged accounts and it is easily centrally administered. However, the experiences by schools that have gone this route are a mixed bag. Let us investigate some and see what lessons there are.

Linux is a multitasking operating system, running many tasks – or processes – seemingly at once. Every process leaves a footprint on your system. Here are some tools to examine these, and we also work out just what that creepy /proc directory is all about.

Imagine standing on the road. An oncoming car is heading rapidly towards you. You have a choice to move, or to stay. Now consider that in business you need to choose a server platform wisely but often Windows shops become entrenched because it is the status quo. A couple of user experiences show why you ought to think about it more.

There's a still nearly 11 months to go before the penguin sets up camp on the Apple Isle but the wheels are slowly being cranked into motion by the Tasmanian Linux Users Group as they prepare to host the 2009 Australian national Linux conference.

... can the likes of Peru, Mexico, Ethiopia, Haiti, Rwanda, Mongolia and a myriad of other impoverished countries stump up with the cash needed to join the OLPC bandwagon? The sums are not that difficult to do.

Last time, we spoke about the Linux process scheduler and how it runs in the shadows swapping processes in and out of a running state so everyone gets a stab at the CPU. Today we’ll go over how the kernel keeps track of time and just what it means to do something in a jiffy

Seven years ago, Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School, which is situated in a suburb of Melbourne, took a step that made it stand out from other educational institutions.

One distinction between the genders, allegedly, is the ability to multitask. Now, depending on who you speak to either women possess this or men do but I’m not bold enough to join that debate. What I can tell you, however, is that Linux definitely does. And, in fact, many systems may not be taking full advantage of it. Here’s why.

Researchers at a major security vendor are exploring the extent to which Linux systems - especially servers - are involved in the botnet plague.

In a few short weeks, it will be time for national standards bodies to decide whether the Microsoft Office Open XML specification will be accepted as an ISO standard or not.

A few weeks ago a former boss and mentor of mine made my jaw drop by asking me, "Why has open source failed?"