CRM News: Distros

Precise Pangolin: Ubuntu Grows Up
May 09, 2012

The latest edition of Canonical's Ubuntu 12.04 desktop operating system shows considerable maturity. Precise Pangolin is built around the default Unity interface with an optional Heads Up Display designed to keep hands on the keys rather than constantly interrupting the work flow by grabbing the mouse.

Ubuntu Linux 12.04: Microsoft's Worst Nightmare?
May 03, 2012

Well there's a new kid in town here in the Linux blogosphere, and it's already caused quite a stir. It's one of the Ubuntu clan, as its nickname makes clear, but that's as far as the foolin' goes. With five years of support and a scaly, tough hide, this one's here to stay. With time on its side and its eye on the prize, it may just blaze a new trail. Can freedom take hold in a world that's been dominated for so long?

Linux Admin Manual Is a Great Reference Tool That's Not for Dummies
April 24, 2012

Linux Administration: A Beginner's Guide by Wale Soyinka is a hands-on manual for IT staffers who must dance with Windows and Linux. It is a practical guide for network admins who deploy and maintain Linux and other free and open source software. In this Sixth Edition opus, Soyinka provides an extensive update on the latest Linux distros.

Tweaks to Chrome OS Stir Up Existential Questions
April 11, 2012

A new version of Google's personal computer operating system, Chrome OS, was released for developers Tuesday. It adds design elements of more conventional offerings like Windows and OS X. The new Aura interface includes a home screen with a task bar, or shelf, from which you can launch applications.

Canonical's Quest for Greatness
April 10, 2012

Canonical, the commercial developer of the Ubuntu Linux operating system, seems at times to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Some testers and industry watchers alike have praised the company's innovative Unity desktop shell and the Heads Up Display (HUD) bolted on top of it in this month's release of Ubuntu 12.04, the Precise Pangolin. But that praise is not universal.

Red Hat's Billion-Dollar Coup
April 05, 2012

We've all known for some time now that Red Hat would soon be FOSS's first arrival to the billion-dollar club, but somehow that advance knowledge didn't make the official news any less exciting. No indeed! So when the word broke late last week that that much-anticipated milestone had finally been achieved, cheers and fanfare could be heard throughout the land.

What Does One Serve With Raspberry Pi?
March 09, 2012

The ultra-cheap Linux computer on a circuit board has its roots in the classroom. But the bare-bones computer, dubbed "Raspberry Pi," has potential to teach industrial embedded programmers some new tricks. Raspberry Pi, a $35 credit-card-sized computer sold without keyboard or monitor, runs several Linux distros and can hook up to a mouse, keyboard, HDTV and Ethernet.

OpenSUSE, Linus' Daughter, and a Question of Security
March 08, 2012

There's nothing like a rant to get the conversational ball rolling here in the Linux blogosphere, and if it can be a rant from Linus Torvalds himself, well, it doesn't get much better than that. That, in fact, is just what last week afforded in the form of a Google+ post from the father of Linux on the topic of openSUSE security. "I don't think I can talk about 'security' people without cursing, so you might want to avert your eyes now," Torvalds began.

LXDE: This Lightweight Distro Isn't Missing Much
March 07, 2012

It's no wonder that the Linux desktop operating system is not attracting hordes of new users from Microsoft Windows and the Mac OS X platforms. Linux has almost too many desktop choices, and most of them are far from good. One clear exception is the Lightweight X Desktop Environment, or LXDE.

Canonical's Ticking Time Clock
February 28, 2012

"Bug #1 - Microsoft has a majority market share." - Ubuntu bug tracker. Much has changed since Canonical started on its quirky quest to "fix bug #1." Seven years ago Microsoft was seen as stagnant, ripe for plucking. Longhorn was still MIA, and Microsoft users were busy patching XP against the latest threats. Apple? Apple was still recovering from its near-death experience.

Ubuntu's Bold Mobile Gambit
February 27, 2012

After Canonical's Tuesday debut of Ubuntu for Android, it soon became clear that the news had struck some kind of chord with observers far and wide, prompting nothing less than a large-scale reconsideration of the current state of computing. How do we compute today? How might that get better in the coming years? What role should be played by all these myriad devices we have on hand?

The New Face of Ubuntu
February 21, 2012

Canonical expects to start rolling out the first phase of Ubuntu's new heads-up display in the April release of Ubuntu 12.04. But HUD will supplement Unity, Ubuntu's default desktop interface, rather than fully replace it. The move to radically change the desktop's default interface is being made out of necessity, according to Canonical's founder and former CEO Mark Shuttleworth.

Sabayon Succumbs to Cinnamon's Irresistible Allure
February 16, 2012

Tongues pretty much haven't stopped wagging down at the blogosphere's seedy Broken Windows Lounge in weeks now, and these past few days have been no exception. One of the spiciest topics du jour? None other than Cinnamon. Sabayon version 8 just made its official debut -- with a dash of Cinnamon.

The Day Canonical Pushed Kubuntu Out of the Nest
February 13, 2012

Linux fans have had a hard enough time watching the ongoing woes of Mandriva in recent months, so when the news hit last week that Kubuntu was under threat as well, it just felt like too much. "Today I bring the disappointing news that Canonical will no longer be funding my work on Kubuntu after 12.04," wrote developer Jonathan Riddell in a message to Kubuntu developers.

The Trouble With Mandriva
February 09, 2012

Now that Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Mint are enjoying such widespread attention and success, it's increasingly difficult to remember that not all distros are sharing in the same good fortune. Take Mandriva, for example. This venerable distro dates back to 1998, when it was born as Mandrake Linux, but its last few years have been tempestuous.

Amazon May Be Going Small With Retail Boutique Experiment
February 07, 2012

Amazon is planning to launch a retail store in Seattle in the coming months, according to reports published by Bloomberg and Good E-Reader. The endeavor is meant to serve as a pilot project for a possible chain of stores that would sell Amazon Exclusive books, as well as its Kindle Fire tablet, line of e-readers, and related accessories.

Ubuntu's New 'HUD' Factor: A Step Forward or Back?
January 30, 2012

Some of us here in the Linux blogosphere may have hoped for a quieter 2012 than 2011 turned out to be, but so far at least, it doesn't look like we're getting our wish. January appears to have started the year off with a bang. Do we get a little break now that it's the end of the month? No, we don't, thanks to the arrival of Ubuntu's "HUD."

Mint With Cinnamon: A New Sweet Spot for Desktop Linux?
January 12, 2012

Well CES is nearing its conclusion for another year, winding down an event that may well have brought Linux more mainstream attention than any other in the show's four-decades-long history. Ubuntu had its share of the limelight, but it's another Linux distro entirely that's captured many bloggers' attention. Linux Mint, that is -- and its tantalizing new desktop environment, Cinnamon.