It’s easy to see what was most on the minds of readers (and under discussion) in the Linux and Open Source blog during 2011. Hot topics included the intra-Linux desktop wars pitting GNOME 3 against Unity, security-minded posts concerning SELinux and implementing Google’s multifactor authentication, Firefox woes, and practical tips.

Review the Top 10 most viewed posts of 2011 from our fine bloggers, Jack Wallen, Marco Fioretti, and Vincent Danen.

1. GNOME Shell vs. Ubuntu Unity: Which desktop wins?

The war is almost on: GNOME Shell vs. Ubuntu Unity. Both have been available long enough to draw the conclusion as to which will rise above and find success. Jack Wallen offers up his take on the battle.

2. How GNOME 3 is besting Ubuntu Unity

Jack Wallen was jonesing for GNOME 3 and discovered the best route to this new desktop was Fedora 15 beta. Can you image how surprised Jack was to find out that GNOME 3 blows away Ubuntu Unity? Read on to find out more.

3. Ubuntu 11.04: Small issues, big win

Jack Wallen recants his original take on Ubuntu 11.04 and Ubuntu Unity. See what happened to make him so drastically change his mind about the upcoming release from Canonical.

4. How to remove duplicate files without wasting time

Marco Fioretti provides some code snippets to streamline the search and removal of duplicate files on your computer.

5. Ubuntu 11.10 brings Ubuntu Unity closer to fine

With the release of Ubuntu 11.10, Ubuntu Unity makes some progress on the desktop front. Is it enough? Jack Wallen offers his take on the state of the desktop from Canonical.htttp://www.techrepublic.com/blog/opensource/ubuntu-1104-installation-stumbling-block-and-post-install-impressions/2465?tag=nl.e011

6. The current (and poor) state of Firefox

Jack Wallen pulls no punches with his thoughts on the current release of Firefox. Will bugs and bloat bring the flagship open source browser to a screaming halt?

7. Practical SELinux for the beginner: Contexts and labels

Vincent Danen gets into some of the basics of working with SELinux. Learn how to work with contexts, which include ports, processes, files, and directories, and labels.

8. Linux shakedown: Testing both GNOME 3 and Fedora 15

GNOME 3 is just around the corner. For those anxious about how it will look and feel you can kill two birds with one stone by testing both Fedora 15 and GNOME 3 on a single Live CD. Jack Wallen fires this alpha release up and gives his opinion on where it stands.

9. Two-factor SSH authentication via Google secures Linux logins

Vincent Danen details the steps of setting up Google two-factor authentication for SSH.

10. Introduction to SELinux: Don’t let complexity scare you off

Vincent Danen acknowledges that some of the complexity of SELinux is intimidating, but if you spend some time with it, the payoff is heightened security and better control of your system.