- Follow this blog:
- RSS
- Email Alert
Linux and Open Source
Selena Frye
TechRepublic Staff
Selena Frye
-
Ubuntu 12.10: New features, new levels of user-friendliness
Ubuntu 12.10 is less than two months away from release. One feature in particular stands out as an overwhelming favorite to launch Ubuntu into new reaches of user-friendliness. The future of...
Posted by Jack Wallen | August 20, 2012, 7:43 AM PDT | Latest comment by emenau
-
Quick introduction to SUID: What you need to know
Marco Fioretti explains the suid access right -- why you should understand what it is, why it can be dangerous, and workarounds if you have to use it.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | August 15, 2012, 7:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by mfioretti
-
Does Windows 8 help set the stage for mainstream Linux desktops?
Windows 8 will release soon and this could be the perfect storm the Linux desktop has needed. Couple that with a few missteps by Microsoft and Linux is looking at a big and bright future. Do you...
Posted by Jack Wallen | August 13, 2012, 8:22 AM PDT | Latest comment by Deadly Ernest
-
Really small in the age of big: 50 MB Linux OS gets a refresh
A super lightweight Linux distribution that checks in at just 50 MB might give old hardware new life. Check out the new update of Damn Small Linux.
Posted by Selena Frye | August 9, 2012, 1:29 PM PDT | Latest comment by hillelana
-
Microsoft dips back into the realm of evil with its trusty patent trolling
Microsoft has dusted off their tried and true patent portfolio and taken up Mafia-like bullying once again. The on again, off again love affair with open source is, seemingly, off again. Jack...
Posted by Jack Wallen | August 6, 2012, 7:18 AM PDT | Latest comment by apotheon
-
How to find IP addresses and use them in Linux
Marco Fioretti reviews some basics about IP addresses, tells how to find them, and gives an example of why they're important for some tasks in Linux.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | July 31, 2012, 10:25 AM PDT | Latest comment by pradhikshana
-
Major game players come to Linux and GNOME grasps at relevance
What would you say if I said GNOME was becoming irrelevant and games were coming to Linux? Both seemed improbable. Could 2012 wind up being a milestone year for Linux?
Posted by Jack Wallen | July 30, 2012, 10:49 AM PDT | Latest comment by Slayer_
-
Piling on: More reasons why the Linux desktop doesn't shine in business
Marco Fioretti adds his thoughts on why Linux desktops have such a hard time catching on in business. Here are some of the biggest roadblocks that he has come across in his experience.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | July 27, 2012, 9:33 AM PDT | Latest comment by apotheon
-
Ubuntu Unity now on Fedora: Another win for freedom
Ubuntu Unity being made available to Fedora means more than meets the eye, says Jack Wallen. See why the addition of Canonical's flagship desktop is a huge win for freedom in the land of open source.
Posted by Jack Wallen | July 23, 2012, 8:10 AM PDT | Latest comment by cwarner7_11
-
Add watermarks to all your ODF files automatically
Marco Fioretti shares a script that allows you to add watermarks to already-existing ODF files automatically.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | July 19, 2012, 11:03 AM PDT
-
Why the Linux desktop doesn't shine in business: A perspective
Jack Wallen has drawn a fairly simple conclusion as to why Linux isn't making any headway on the business desktop front. Read on and sound off whether you agree or disagree.
Posted by Jack Wallen | July 16, 2012, 8:58 AM PDT | Latest comment by s_georgiev@...
-
Mozilla does the unthinkable
Mozilla made the jaw dropping announcement they are (sort of) halting the development of the single most important open source email client, Thunderbird. Jack Wallen offers his take on this odd news.
Posted by Jack Wallen | July 9, 2012, 11:25 AM PDT | Latest comment by Deadly Ernest
-
How to create photo slideshows with as little software as possible
Marco Fioretti found an easy way to automate to automate complex, portable slideshows by creating them only once and then running them any time you want.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | July 4, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by mfioretti
-
Apple whines, court caves, Samsung stops sales
Another senseless patent. This time Apple blocks the U.S. sales of Samsung's Galaxy 10.1 tablet. Jack Wallen offers his take on this slippery slope that could tarnish the reputation of the Big A.
Posted by Jack Wallen | July 3, 2012, 6:30 AM PDT | Latest comment by mizison@...
-
How to convert .doc and ODF files to clean and lean HTML
Marco Fioretti demonstrates a script that allows you to convert files automatically to streamlined HTML versions, ready for the web.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | June 26, 2012, 10:14 AM PDT | Latest comment by mfioretti
-
Ubuntu Unity: Making the desktop seriously efficient again
Contrary to the popular opinion, Jack Wallen has found Ubuntu Unity to be one of the most efficient desktop designs on the market.
Posted by Jack Wallen | June 25, 2012, 10:21 AM PDT | Latest comment by rpr.nospam@...
-
How to search for text inside many OpenDocument files
Marco Fioretti explains how to search inside ODF files from the command line or via a script without manually opening the files.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | June 20, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT
-
Linux grabs its single biggest win
The U.S. Navy and Dept. of Defense have learned valuable lessons that translate to huge contracts for the Linux OS. What does this mean for open source and the community that drives it? Jack...
Posted by Jack Wallen | June 18, 2012, 7:48 AM PDT | Latest comment by paulfx1
-
Txt2tags: A great lightweight markup language for many tasks
Marco Fioretti explains why he favors Txt2Tags lightweight markup language (LML) for many text management tasks. Here's what it can do for you.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | June 12, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Tavis
-
Microsoft now offering Linux on Azure: What does this mean?
What does it mean now that Microsoft is supporting and offering Linux on the Azure cloud platform? Has the operating system giant finally accepted the underdog as a colleague and partner? Jack...
Posted by Jack Wallen | June 11, 2012, 8:29 AM PDT | Latest comment by Deadly Ernest
-
Seven great features of OpenOffice and Libre Office that you probably ignore
Free office suite tools like OpenOffice and Libre Office have more advanced features than you might expect. Here are seven that go beyond the common tasks.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | May 21, 2013, 6:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by wnematollahi@...
-
How to get Netflix streaming on Ubuntu 12.10
It's taken quite some time, but Netflix streaming video has finally arrived on the Ubuntu Linux desktop. In this easy, step-by-step, Jack Wallen shows you how.
Posted by Jack Wallen | December 10, 2012, 7:00 AM PST | Latest comment by Rick1971
-
Best Linux distributions for enterprise computing needs
There are a lot of Linux distributions out there. Out of those hundreds of variations, which are best suited for enterprise-level servers and desktops?
Posted by Jack Wallen | May 28, 2013, 5:45 AM PDT | Latest comment by Knighthawk5193@...
-
How to install GNOME 3.8 on Ubuntu
If you want to try Ubuntu 13.04, but prefer a different desktop than Unity, Jack Wallen shows you how you can install the latest iteration of GNOME Shell (3.8) and why you should give it a try.
Posted by Jack Wallen | April 29, 2013, 8:13 AM PDT | Latest comment by kitico@...
-
A house divided: Linux factions threaten success
Linux is at a major tipping point, yet it faces being undermined from within. Jack Wallen calls for the Linux community to end the fighting between the Linux camps.
Posted by Jack Wallen | June 3, 2013, 8:01 AM PDT | Latest comment by Robynsveil
-
Linux 101: Easy VNC server setup
If you need to remote into your Linux server, VNC might be the best option. Jack Wallen walks you through the steps of setting up a VNC server on an rpm-based distribution.
Posted by Jack Wallen | March 18, 2013, 7:20 AM PDT | Latest comment by maszsam@...
-
Using smartctl to get SMART status information on your hard drives
Vincent Danen has some tips for using the smartmontools package to obtain important information about the health of your hard drives that could provide early warning signs of problems.
Posted by Vincent Danen | March 30, 2010, 5:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by jack6666
-
Better than BackTrack? Kali Linux offers new brand of pen-testing tools
BackTrack Linux no more. The popular open source package of penetration testing tools now has a new platform and a new name.
Posted by Selena Frye | March 25, 2013, 2:22 PM PDT | Latest comment by iT_BANDiT
-
Lightworks video editor: Another missing piece for Linux
Lightworks has ported its video editing product to the Linux platform, and although it's still in beta, it shows some serious polish and potential.
Posted by Jack Wallen | June 10, 2013, 11:09 AM PDT | Latest comment by emenau
-
How to tag all your audio files in the fastest possible way
Marco Fioretti shows you his method for tagging MP3 files with as much automation as possible so that you can impose a little order on music or other audio collections.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | February 23, 2012, 9:00 AM PST | Latest comment by egamingpark
-
Chroot users with OpenSSH: An easier way to confine users to their home directories
With the release of OpenSSH 4.9p1, you no longer have to rely on third-party hacks or complicated chroot setups to confine users to their home directories or give them access to SFTP services....
Posted by Vincent Danen | June 24, 2008, 6:07 AM PDT | Latest comment by infam0us1
-
Best open source HRM and ERP solutions
There's a reason why enterprise companies "get" Linux and open source. It's not just because of the security and reliability -- it's for the software. Check out this list of best in breed tools...
Posted by Jack Wallen | May 20, 2013, 7:27 AM PDT | Latest comment by mutisokimanzi
-
Set up easy file sharing with NFS on Linux
Particularly for Windows-less environments where Samba is not needed, NFS is an easy and reliable way to share files between Linux and UNIX systems. Vincent Danen takes you through the setup.
Posted by Vincent Danen | October 26, 2010, 6:25 AM PDT | Latest comment by techrepublic@...
-
Encrypting and decrypting files with GnuPG
GnuPG, the open replacement for PGP, is an excellent tool to manage cryptographic signatures to files or e-mails for validity and integrity, as well as a tool to encrypt and decrypt sensitive...
Posted by Vincent Danen | February 15, 2008, 12:00 AM PST | Latest comment by jack6666
-
How to set up an OpenVPN server
Vincent Danen shows you how to set up OpenVPN and takes you through some of the tricky configuration steps to get you up and running quickly.
Posted by Vincent Danen | October 12, 2010, 6:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by tsepty
-
Tweak Ubuntu Unity: Get a dock-style launcher and Unity Dash
One of the biggest criticisms of Ubuntu Unity is the inability to move the Launcher. After having an epiphany, Jack Wallen illustrates one way you can have the best of both worlds.
Posted by Jack Wallen | June 17, 2013, 6:48 AM PDT | Latest comment by Ajax4Hire
-
Create your own yum repository
Vincent Danen explains how to create your own yum repository with the createrepo tool. One thing it allows you to do is to distribute specialized packages within an organization.
Posted by Vincent Danen | May 11, 2009, 1:30 PM PDT | Latest comment by gigi.mathew-1@...
-
How to set up a Linux OpenVPN client
Vincent Danen follows up his tip on setting up OpenVPN server with these steps to set up a Linux client on OpenVPN.
Posted by Vincent Danen | October 18, 2010, 5:00 AM PDT
-
Configure Apache to support multiple SSL sites on a single IP address
With Apache 2.2.12 and support for the SNI (Server Name Indication) extension to the SSL protocol, you can configure name-based HTTPS sites, just as you can name-based HTTP sites. Vincent Danen...
Posted by Vincent Danen | October 19, 2009, 6:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Lunfa
-
Arch-based Manjaro Linux touts user-friendliness
Looking for a new Linux flavor to try? The Manjaro team targets newcomers and pros alike, promising ease-of-use and performance.
Posted by Selena Frye | May 15, 2013, 1:21 PM PDT | Latest comment by cvarin
