The Linux user and switcher blog http://www.itwire.com Mon, 12 May 2008 16:09:03 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.itwire.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.itwire.com The Linux user and switcher blog http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18160&Itemid=1141 With Ubuntu 8.04 now on the streets, it’s time to catch a breather and reflect on just why Ubuntu gets all the hype. Why is Ubuntu the hottest brand in Linuxdom at this time? Why is it the distro most frequently advocated? I posed these questions to readers and LUG members; here’s the feedback from real-life Linux users. Sun, 11 May 2008 11:27:54 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18100&Itemid=1141 As we know, static HTML web sites are passé. Yet, Java applets never turned out to be the killer online application platform they possibly could have been. The modern introduction of Ajax has undoubtedly improved the web experience but it’s not a panacea. Here’s how to get started using the Moonlight development technology from the Mono Project. Wed, 07 May 2008 09:11:12 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18046&Itemid=1141 Regular readers will know that I've railed 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. Sun, 04 May 2008 21:47:44 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17988&Itemid=1141 I've been combing through Microsoft’s “get the facts” web site this last fortnight. Here Microsoft promise to reveal the “facts” on Windows vs Linux solutions. They cite company after company that abandoned Linux because it was slow and unreliable and generally hopeless, but opted for Microsoft servers and found unsurpassed profits, efficiency and general happiness. Yet, the headlines have little relevance to the case study. Microsoft’s PR department are insulting their audience. They are lacking in integrity. It’s time for the site to be pulled down. Here’s why. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:07:53 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17883&Itemid=1141 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. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:05:52 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17816&Itemid=1141 Ubuntu 8.04, dubbed Hardy Heron, is out this week and Linuxophiles worldwide are excited. It’s not hard to see why, but is this really the much-fabled year of the Linux desktop? Will the Heron match the unmet hype of predecessor Gutsy Gibbon? And let me tell you just how spectacular and cool Wubi is. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:51:59 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17764&Itemid=1141 The Redmond giant’s PR spin has gone into overdrive to warn budding potentials away from the evils of Linux and open source. The messages are consistent: Linux may be free, but there’s a catch; it has a higher total cost of ownership, a lower return on investment, less support and is a less sound platform. I declare bunkum. And here's why a Microsoft implementation at Video Ezy was a bad choice. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:39:22 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17684&Itemid=1141 Google, the monolithic empire which once could do no wrong, has churned out another new product for its web 2.0+ conga line. This time Google App Engine gives the great promise of letting you serve your own applications to the world using the grunt of Google-powered machinery. However, it’s not the saviour it purports to be, perverting the open source way. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:03:38 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17626&Itemid=1141 The findings from the fourth-quarter 2007 Open Source Industry and Community survey is out. The authors say the results show open source is effective in combating trade deficit and that IT professionals involved in open source earn more than their more proprietary colleagues. Let’s check it out. Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:42:25 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17625&Itemid=1141 The findings from the fourth-quarter 2007 Open Source Industry and Community survey is out. The authors say the results show open source is effective in combating trade deficit and that IT professionals involved in open source earn more than their more proprietary colleagues. Let’s check it out. Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:42:24 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17581&Itemid=1141 Some exciting new software items are on the verge of release. This includes an update to the core Linux kernel itself, a new release of Ubuntu, and a brand new Firefox. Here’s the low down on each and why the immediate future is all good news. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:37:58 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17496&Itemid=1141 Micro Linux laptop maker, ASUS, have released an open source software developer’s kit – or SDK – for their popular ultraportable, the Eee. Now the Eee is yours to command. Heck, you don’t even need an Eee; the SDK includes a VMWare image dump letting Windows users see just what all the fuss is about. Here’s how to do it. Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:46:08 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17452&Itemid=1141 One of the exciting new features coming up in the impending release of the brand spanking new Ubuntu 8.04 is the uncomplicated firewall known as ufw. This system will allow straightforward configuration of firewall rules and will also intelligently integrate with the rest of Ubuntu. Here's all there is to know about driving it and why it's a good move by Ubuntu. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:17:11 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17380&Itemid=1141 It wasn’t long ago that Gutsy Gibbon was in the news; Ubuntu’s last release was touted as the easiest and most reliable Linux ever. Yet, some found it pretty gutless, or even just gusty, with hardware compatibility still a major bugbear. Linux 8.04, Hardy Heron, is now on the horizon. Does it look any better? Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:26:19 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17336&Itemid=1141 This week, the covers were lifted on North Bridge Venture Partner’s annual Future of Open Source survey. The results present a clear picture where pundits expect open source to make huge inroads as well as where proprietary software is likely to retain dominance. Other interesting insights came up. Here’s what the future of open source looks like. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:44:57 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17271&Itemid=1141 A lot has been said of late concerning the way Apple slipped in a brand-new Safari installer into the Apple Software Update used by many hundreds of thousands of iPod-wielding Windows users. Let me offer a new perspective, from the open source point of view - why what Apple did was bad, and why open source developers wouldn’t do it. I'll also cut through the FUD and deliver the truth about what the installer really does! Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:11:14 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17232&Itemid=1141 Grok is a word that you may not know, but it has been in use since the 1960's. It is commonly taken to mean understand but it is so much more than that. Do you grok open source? The word is the key to understanding why talented developers give of their time. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:22:22 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17172&Itemid=1141 Software is only as good as the people that work on it. All of the great open source projects had great project teams. If you want to be the next big thing in open source a good team is essential. Here's the low down on getting a gang together as well as the non-coding roles you'll want. Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:22:41 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17113&Itemid=1141 Nobody wants to lose their e-mail. So, for Gmail users, G-Archiver seemed like a great buy. For $US 29.95 this shareware app will make a duplicate of your Gmail account on your hard disk, for as many accounts as you like. What its users didn't count on was that G-Archiver's authors helped themselves to your Gmail username and password too. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:19:57 -0600 http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17049&Itemid=1141 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. Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:28:54 -0600