Be the next big thing in open source, Mar 10, 2008

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.

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

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.

I have one. I’m just one in ... well, quite a few thousand, really – but nevertheless, their supply has been surpassed by the demand. Yes, I’m talking about the ASUS Eee PC, the diminutive priced highly popular subnotebook which has brought Linux to the masses. Here are my complete first impressions and experiences, from the box through power on.

... here’s some views on why Linux isn’t just technically smart, but also a sensible business option too. These should help you put forth a case that will keep your chief financial officer happy.

People are a funny lot. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And one person’s primary means of instructing a computer is met with disdain by another. There’s a perennial battle between mousers and keyboard jockeys, and “what’s in” appears to go in cycles.

The world is on the verge of something stupendous: recent times have seen the launch of two customised Linux distros which just plug and play. Everex released the gPC, running gOS, based on Ubuntu, and well-known hardware vendor Asus unfurled the Xandros-based Eee subnotebook. Want to get in on the action? Here’s how to make your own special PC.

TCP/IP, the lingua franca of the Internet, was developed on UNIX systems. As such, Linux has benefited from this heritage by naturally fitting in to any TCP/IP network. Yet, sometimes you still need to deal with computers whose operating system has distinctly non-TCP/IP legacy networking components. A case in point is sharing your printer to Windows users.

A look through most department store catalogues reveals a bevy of alleged “deal” laptops; you know the type – cheap and cheerful, sub-$1,000 – but far from bleeding-edge specs. These may be naff at resource-hungry Windows apps but can be a great Linux machine for no extra cost. But can you check out any hardware gotchas prior to purchase, and be sure the Penguin will run?

One key driver of free and open source software is the LAMP paradigm – cleverly named after the systems it embraces – Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. This powerful combination delivers high powered data-enabled web and intranet sites with a minimum of fuss. Here’s how to get started with PHP.

Mark this Saturday, September 15th, in your diary. It’s Software Freedom Day and it’s coming to you. That's "free" as in "free lunch" but also "free" as in liberty.

Linux has long been held in mystique as an operating system for hard-core techies or hackers. Yet, this is far from true for today’s distros. A modern version of Linux is as easy to setup and use as the Macintosh is legendary for. Here’s reasons why people stick to Windows and how those factors can be solved in what we like to call a ‘gentle’ approach to Linux.

There are many good reasons to be concerned about security and privacy online. For example, Internet banking can be at risk if there is any possibility of malicious software on your computer's hard drive. Banks even expressly warn that before using their systems you should ensure you have taken steps to ensure your personal security.