Linux News for Mar 18, 2009

• The Squirrel portable shell and scripting language (Mar 18, 2009, 23:32)
  IBM Developerworks: "If you don't want to commit to the idiosyncrasies of a specific shell running on a particular platform, try the Squirrel Shell. The Squirrel Shell provides an advanced, object-oriented scripting language that works equally well on UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows systems. Write a script once, and run it anywhere."


• Red Hat Certified Engineer program turns 10. Certs matter. (Mar 18, 2009, 23:02)
  Netstat -vat: "There was a time when having an IT certification was the key to getting a job -- that time may be here again."


• Linux Command Line Terror! But....Why? (Mar 18, 2009, 22:39)
  One of the strangest mind-benders these days is hearing Linux users going all Barbie and vowing "I will never touch the command line! You'll pry my GUI from my cold dead hands!" Where are these strange people coming from? Why are they using Linux if they don't want to learn anything new?



• Database Security (Mar 18, 2009, 22:32)
  Realeyes Technology: "If all goes well you can make SQL injection very difficult or even impossible . The reason I say difficult, because it all depends on how well the SQL injection is crafted."


• Thread-happy telecom chip gains CG Linux (Mar 18, 2009, 22:02)
  LinuxDevices: "Amid rumors that Sun may be acquired by IBM, Sun announced a port of Wind River's Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) to its multi-threading UltraSPARC T2 processor. Sun says Wind River Linux 3.0 is available on several Sun UltraSPARC-T2 systems."


• World's greenest PC? (Mar 18, 2009, 21:32)
  Desktop Linux: "CompuLabs is a month from shipping what may be the smallest, most energy-efficient PC ever. The Fit-PC2 is based on an Atom processor up to 1.6GHz, and can be ordered with Ubuntu 8.04 pre-installed on a 160GB SATA drive or SSD."


• Cloud computing with the Android Linux software stack (Mar 18, 2009, 21:02)
  IBM Developerworks: "Designed to be highly efficient on battery-powered devices like the T-Mobile G1 smartphone, at heart, Android is Linux, and there are several layers to the Android programming model that permit the creation of secure applications tailor-made for cloud computing."


• Open Source Hadoop Cloud Gets Commercial (Mar 18, 2009, 20:32)
  InternetNews: "Scaling systems on a distributed basis to handle petabytes of information is no easy task, though it's one that the open source Apache Hadoop project delivers for such big names as Facebook, Google and Yahoo."


• Sun Launches 'Open Cloud' as Merger Rumors Swirl (Mar 18, 2009, 20:02)
  Enteprise Storage Forum: "Sun announced today that it has tapped open source backup provider Zmanda to provide data backup and recovery services for the Sun Cloud, Sun's public cloud service. Sun Cloud Storage Service and Sun Cloud Compute Service will be at the core of the Sun Cloud, which will also be based on Sun's Java, MySQL, OpenSolaris and Open Storage technologies."


• Managing your log files (Mar 18, 2009, 19:32)
  Tux Radar: "If so, it's important to monitor the health of these machines, and the log files are perhaps your first port of call. Log files can tell you if things are misconfigured, alert you to break-in attempts, or simply reassure you that all is well."


• The quiet Ubuntu Netbook revolution (Mar 18, 2009, 19:02)
  The Open Road: "Revolutions don't always roil and boil toward a noisy, violent fracas. Sometimes they don't even ripple the surface. Such is the Ubuntu Netbook revolution, which makes waves in the Linux community--and really nowhere else."


• Ten obscure Linux applications you need to try (Mar 18, 2009, 18:32)
  ZDNet: "With thousands of Linux tools available, it is inevitable that some of the best ones get lost in the crowd. Jack Wallen introduces apps that more admins should know about."


• Vote early, vote often: Linux Foundation "We're Linux" voting begins (Mar 18, 2009, 18:32)
  Community, Incorporated: "The Linux Foundation "We're Linux" contest is entering its final stages. This weekend, the submission phase wrapped up and now it's time for the larger community to do what it does best: Submit the work to as many eyeballs as possible to find the best entries."


• Open source digiKam hits 0.10.0 for KDE4, Windows (Mar 18, 2009, 18:02)
  TechWorld: "After months of development and hundreds of bug fixes, the open source photo manager digiKam has reached a significant milestone with the 0.10.0 final release for KDE4 and Windows."


• Configure Bacula for Open Source Backups (Mar 18, 2009, 17:32)
  Enterprise Networking Planet: "Since we covered installation and a very basic initial run the last time we looked at Bacula, let's look at some of the more specific configuration options and capabilities this time."


• The rise of the Blue Sun: IBM and Sun (Mar 18, 2009, 17:02)
  Cyber Cynic: "The news broke this morning, March 18th, that IBM is talking to Sun about buying the company. Sources from both companies tell me that such a deal is in the works and it may be completed as early as this week."


• Play Games Inside Your Linux Terminal (Mar 18, 2009, 16:32)
  MakeUseOf: "Feeling bored? How about some command line games? Yep, there are some oldies but goldies you can delve into for a little recreation on the terminal."


• Will half-baked Ubuntu Linux netbooks ruin the OS for consumers? (Mar 18, 2009, 16:02)
  The ToyBox: "What he doesn't like, however, is Dell's in-house version of Ubuntu that came installed on the machine."


• DIY Laptop v2 (Mar 18, 2009, 15:32)
  Chris Fenton: "This project was born of a desire to see how far I can push the lowly Picaxe microcontroller. A friend of mine likened it to "spending over a year to reinvent the square wheel.""


• Linux File Systems: Ext4. Btrfs. Do we understand what we need? (Mar 18, 2009, 15:02)
  Another day in development... "What frustrates me about all these articles is the lack of understanding in what the file system is attempting to accomplish/address. You have file systems that are catered to Flash devices, to desktop usage, enterprise class computing while others resort to compression methods as a space saving technique."


• IBM Sun acquisition : Good for Unix. Good for Linux. Bad for HP (Mar 18, 2009, 14:31)
  Netstat -vat: "IBM is reportedly in talks to acquire Sun for a whopping $6.5 billion. At this early stage, its not known whether this is a fact or just a rumor."


• 5 Technologies that will shape the future of Linux (Mar 18, 2009, 14:02)
  Handle With Linux: "Following a small list of 5 technologies that will in my opinion shape the future of linux:
  1. The rise of the MID"


• Where Ubuntu Fits Between Apple and Microsoft (Mar 18, 2009, 13:32)
  WorskWithU: "The experience reminded me: Ubuntu fills a growing niche where (A) Apple won't compete on price and (B) Microsoft hasn't competed on quality."


• How to Lie with Maps: When Open Source and National Security Collide (Mar 18, 2009, 13:02)
  Linux Journal: "On Friday, I received an article that was published by C|NET and reprinted on CNN entitled California lawmaker wants to blur Google Earth. I spent the weekend driving around my county with a set of maps and a GPS device, plotting and ground truthing a variety of sites where we can put operators for an upcoming drill...it really has me wondering if Assemblyman Anderson has taken leave of his senses."


• Top 10 Reasons I'll Never Use Ubuntu (Mar 18, 2009, 12:32)
  Ubuntu Productivity: "It’s too fun. Computers were never meant to be fun. When they become fun they become dangerous."


• PuTTY: Extreme Makeover Using PuTTY Connection Manager (Mar 18, 2009, 12:02)
  The Geek Stuff: "PuTTY CM displays multiple PuTTY sessions in Tabs. In this article, let us review in detail the 5 powerful features of the PuTTY Connection Manager that will make PuTTY more enjoyable."


• Record Installed .deb Packages In A Text File (Ubuntu/Debian) (Mar 18, 2009, 10:32)
  HowtoForge: "This short guide shows two methods of recording all your installed .deb packages in a text file that you can then use on another computer to install the same packages there. This is useful if you want to install the same set of packages on more than one computer."


• Securing Your trixbox Server (Mar 18, 2009, 09:02)
  Packt: "Any access to system services, such as HTTP or SSH, should only be done via a VPN or using a pseudo-VPN such as Hamachi. The best designed security starts with being exposed to the outside world as little as possible. If we have remote extensions that cannot use VPNs, then we will be forced to leave SIP ports open, and the next step will be to secure those as well."


• Scalable Vector Graphics and bitmap rendering using Flex (Mar 18, 2009, 07:32)
  IBM Developerworks: "Making SVG work with bitmap data requires an understanding of complex concepts like matrix rotation, transparency, and so on. Enter Flex. This article introduces you to the fascinating world of SVG in Flex. Create custom graphics and build appealing flashy components just by vector drawing."


• Weekly Ten (3-16-2009): Jon Stewart Exposes Apple, Rocket Scientists Shoot Mosquitoes, more (Mar 18, 2009, 06:02)
  Tech Source From Bohol: "...Jon Stewart of the Daily Show continued his warpath aimed at irresponsible financial reporting by CNBC, specifically calling Jim Cramer out for his comments on how easy it was to profit from misinformation aimed at Apple."


• Gran Canaria Desktop Summit Call for Participation (Mar 18, 2009, 04:32)
  Gnome Foundation press release: This year's conference represents the first time that Akademy and GUADEC will be co-hosted, the core theme of the conference is "the Free Software desktop".


• TOYA Boys Fight Linux Flow (Mar 18, 2009, 03:02)
  Blog of Helios: "It's perfectly understandable for companies "with some skin in the game" to get defensive, but what about those villagers who rally to Castle Redmond's defense? Sure they are Microsoft Windows users but what point is there in them trying to stop others from at least trying Linux?"


• Two Cow Jokes: The Science Fiction ones (Mar 18, 2009, 02:11)
  Practical Technology: "Harlan Ellison - You have no cows, but you must moo."


• Knoppix 6.0 on Netbooks Redux (Mar 18, 2009, 01:32)
  Linux Magazine: "Although Knoppix detected all key hardware components such as the webcam, the wireless cards, and the microphone, there were a few things that needed tweaking to make this distro run smoothly on the netbook. So here are a few simple tricks that can help you to get the most out of Knoppix on your Eee PC."


• Linux Printing Tips (Mar 18, 2009, 00:02)
  Linux Today Blog: "I've always liked CUPS, the Common Unix Printing System that is the standard printing subsystem for Linux, though a lot of my geeky friends rail and grumble against it, and pine for the olden days of LP and LPR. (Right, and hauling water from the creek is another long-lost pleasure.)"