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Linux and Open Source
Selena Frye
TechRepublic Staff
Selena Frye

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Using version control with the LyX document preparation program
Scott Reeves introduces the LyX document prep program with a GUI front-end that makes formatting easy.
Posted by Scott Reeves | May 14, 2012, 1:00 PM PDT
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Games, Sputnik, and robots: The week in open source
It was a fairly exciting week for Linux and open source. Jack Wallen shares some of the highlights, from games, to robotics, to servers.
Posted by Jack Wallen | May 14, 2012, 8:28 AM PDT
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Project Sputnik: Dell plans Ubuntu laptop aimed at developers
Dell, in partnership with Canonical, has announced a serious effort to create an Ubuntu-based ultrabook aimed specifically at developers.
Posted by Selena Frye | May 10, 2012, 12:46 PM PDT | Latest comment by sonicsteve
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Is the 'perfect desktop' attainable?
Jack Wallen found many people had strong opinions about his claim that Ubuntu 12.04 nailed the desktop to near perfection. As a result, Jack questions whether the "perfect desktop" is attainable.
Posted by Jack Wallen | May 7, 2012, 8:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Netweezurd
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Automatically analyze text with these simple, command line tools
Marco Fioretti suggests some free tools you can use to check and improve your own writing style as well as analyze other types of text. Here are some tips on how to use them.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | May 1, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT
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Ubuntu 12.04: Desktop perfection within reach
Jack Wallen is wowed by Ubuntu 12.04. Just how close to perfection is this latest release from Ubuntu? Read Jack's take and find out if it's enough to make you want to give Precise Pangolin a go.
Posted by Jack Wallen | April 30, 2012, 9:06 AM PDT | Latest comment by avivme
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How to automatically find and download videos from YouTube (or anywhere else)
Marco Fioretti shows you how to install two free SW utilities and supplies a sample script to use with them that will allow you automatically search for and download online videos matching the...
Posted by Marco Fioretti | April 24, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by mfioretti
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Record and share your terminal session with shelr.tv
Jack Wallen stumbles across an incredibly handy command line tool for recording your command-fu. If you're looking for interesting ways to train users on the Linux (or Mac) command line -- shelr...
Posted by Jack Wallen | April 23, 2012, 9:50 AM PDT | Latest comment by eCubeH
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Using iwconfig to configure settings on wireless cards
Scott Reeves shows you a command that allows you to set and change parameters of a wireless card, including changing the bitrate.
Posted by Scott Reeves | April 17, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT
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Microsoft's new open source initiative
Microsoft has formed the Microsoft Open Technologies arm and is ready to help facilitate the relationship between open source and MS. Are you ready to don your tinfoil cap? Here is Jack Wallen's take.
Posted by Jack Wallen | April 16, 2012, 8:24 AM PDT | Latest comment by sicurobts
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How and why to use KAlarm from the command line
Marco Fioretti describes ways of using KAlarm to automate and customize alerts on your desktop from the command line.
Posted by Marco Fioretti | April 9, 2012, 12:23 PM PDT
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How Canonical's next moves could repaint the Linux landscape
Jack Wallen highlights how Canonical and Ubuntu are going to totally revolutionize the Linux landscape in the upcoming months. Will mass acceptance follow?
Posted by Jack Wallen | April 9, 2012, 8:23 AM PDT | Latest comment by shyisc
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How to set up web filtering solution on Squid Proxy
Guest contributor Rafael Akchurin of QuintoLabs presents this how-to article on setting up web content filtering on Squid Proxy.
Posted by Guest Contributor | April 5, 2012, 10:21 AM PDT
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Ubuntu's HUD: Light-years beyond any menu system
Ubuntu continues to take Unity into the future of desktops, and with its new HUD system, the desktop has now gone boldly where none has gone before. Jack Wallen introduces the Head-Up Display.
Posted by Jack Wallen | April 2, 2012, 8:31 AM PDT | Latest comment by HAL 9000
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Four of my most-used CLI commands
Scott Reeves lists four of the commands in Linux that he uses most often along with some examples of how he uses them. What are the commands you can't live without?
Posted by Scott Reeves | March 28, 2012, 1:51 PM PDT | Latest comment by anil_g
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Portable wikis: Seven tips to get started with one
Marco Fioretti describes a portable wiki and shows you how to get started with one that he recommends -- Wiki on a Stick (WoaS).
Posted by Marco Fioretti | March 26, 2012, 12:09 PM PDT
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Ubuntu Unity 5.8 seriously impresses
Jack Wallen gives Ubuntu Unity 5.8 a go and is seriously impressed. Read about the improvements and why Jack is so willing to admit his mistake when proclaiming the Ubuntu desktop dead.
Posted by Jack Wallen | March 26, 2012, 8:30 AM PDT | Latest comment by bobc4012@...
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How to install Adobe Photoshop CS5 on Linux with WINE
Jack Wallen shows you the steps to install Adobe Photoshop CS5 on Linux with WINE when the GIMP toolbox just isn't enough.
Posted by Jack Wallen | March 22, 2012, 8:43 AM PDT | Latest comment by PauloCH8
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Windows 8 and Linux: The perception of change
Jack Wallen sees the changes in Windows 8 and wonders if the Microsoft community will react with the same displeasure that visited the open source community when GNOME 3 and Unity came on the scene.
Posted by Jack Wallen | March 19, 2012, 7:55 AM PDT | Latest comment by PCDoc90
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SourceForge says no to Anonymous-OS project
SourceForge has yanked an Ubuntu-based, security-cracking distro called Anonymous OS for a lack of transparency, calling it a "substantial risk."
Posted by Selena Frye | March 16, 2012, 1:34 PM PDT
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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 balticbloand
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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@...
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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 r.foersom@...
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How the Chromebook succeeds beyond all other Linux distributions
The Chromebook has taken off. It's a Linux-based device that has one key thing in its favor. Jack Wallen explains what he thinks it is.
Posted by Jack Wallen | May 13, 2013, 1:00 PM PDT | Latest comment by emenau
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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 nareshf
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How Linux found its home in the enterprise
Linux is uniquely suited to meet the demands of large-scale, enterprise computing. Jack Wallen traces its evolution and impact on enterprise systems.
Posted by Jack Wallen | May 6, 2013, 8:52 AM PDT | Latest comment by Sagax-
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Linux 101: File permissions from the GUI point of view
For new users to Linux, there might be times when you need to change the permissions of a file. Jack Wallen shows you how this is done without having to touch the command line. With just your file...
Posted by Jack Wallen | April 22, 2013, 11:08 AM PDT | Latest comment by The_Real_BSAFH
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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
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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
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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
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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@...
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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@...
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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@...
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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
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How to join Ubuntu to a Windows Workgroup
Do you need to join your Linux workstation to a Windows Workgroup? Believe it or not, it isn't a challenging task. In this Open Source blog, Jack Wallen walks you through the steps so that your...
Posted by Jack Wallen | November 2, 2010, 5:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by BrightLibra@...
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How do I... Connect a Mac OS X machine to a Samba share?
Working (or living) within a Linux-based network is become more and more commonplace. And with the popularity of Mac OS X rising, Apple-based computers have to play well inside a Linux network....
Posted by Jack Wallen | February 26, 2008, 12:22 PM PST | Latest comment by pauljunior.jeanmarie

































