05.31.08
Links 31/05/2008: Quick-booting Debian, Siemens Taps Linux and Much More
GNU/Linux
- Touchpanel PC boots Linux in two seconds
Technologic Systems is readying a rugged WVGA touchpanel PC based on a fast-booting ARM9-based single board computer (SBC). The TS-TPC-7390 Touch Panel Computer incorporates the Debian Linux-based TS-7390 SBC, which is equipped with a 200MHz ARM9 CPU from Cirrus and a Lattice FPGA (field-programmable gate array).
- Siemens Develops PC-based Profinet IO Software Controller for Linux Systems
With the “Softnet PN-IO Linux” software controller from Siemens, it is possible to set up open control solutions on standard PC hardware.
- An Impressive Week with Ubuntu
- gNewSense distro frees Ubuntu
So why would someone want to install a less robust Ubuntu clone that most likely won’t work with some widely used hardware? To be perfectly honest, most users won’t want to use gNewSense on a daily basis, if at all. Yet, there are some benefits for developers. Putting the ideological benefits of free software aside (though they can be quite persuasive), gNewSense is the perfect distribution for developers to use to test their hardware for free software compatibility.
- This is release 1.0-rc3 of Wine, a free implementation of Windows on Unix.
- LGP Readies Sacred Gold Beta
Sacred is an action role-playing game originally released on the Windows platform in 2004 with Sacred Gold, which is made up of Sacred, the Sacred Plus expansion, and the Sacred Underworld expansion, in 2005.
- CentOS 5.2
So when can we expect CentOS 5.2 then, well using the same 3,5 weeks we end up with a date of around June 14th 2008. This is of course a estimate it can be later or earlier.
- Could the EEE 900 be the School Computer of the Future?
Despite my own reservations about the eee 900, since I started loaning it out to teachers last week it’s gotten nothing but positive results.
- Dell’s Ubuntu 8.04 Plans
- Ubuntu desktop (LTS) 8.04
- SaxenOS goes PCLinuxOS
SaxenOS from Germany once based on Slackware and Zenwalk-based distribution with the Xfce desktop and designed for older, low-specification computers adopts PCLinuxOS as its base and Xfce desktop
F/OSS
- GIMP 2.4.6 Released
GIMP 2.4.6 is a bug-fix release in the stable 2.4 series. No new features are being added here, just bug-fixes.
- Killing With Kindness
- Do Open Source Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?
Web
- Adobe CTO on the Great Shift From OS-Specific Apps to Web Apps
- Google brews mashier OpenSocial language
Apple’s No-no
- Apple store detains teens for installing iPhone game
- Adobe Users Claim File Corruption After 10.5.3 Update
Security
- U.S. won’t confirm report of Chinese hacking
- Top tech security risks and cash-sappers
- Web 2.0 Sites a Thriving Marketplace for Malware
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
Shane Coyle said,
May 31, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Downloaded the GNewSense Live CD last night, and am very impressed. I had no hardware problems at all on my desktop (a few year old homebrew machine), haven’t tried the laptop yet but I know that won’t go well.
I even tried to play a naughty file format, and just like ubuntu did once upon a time, I was presented a dialog explaining that codecs were required and their potential liabilities, then it offered to install them and then played my song (all on the live CD session).
Actually clearing space from that desktop machine now to install DeltaH permanently, and then some space to fiddle around with Builder and see what I can teach myself now.
Even if you just want to see what hardware is supported by current Free Software and not, the DeltaH Live CD is worth the download. It’s truly impressive what a completely Free desktop can be; given the right hardware combinations, of course.
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 31, 2008 at 12:10 pm
…These are also sold along with preinstalled/bundle PCs now. If people want to support the cause (voluntary labour) of gNewSense, here is where you ought to go:
LAC Now Shipping gNewSense 2.0 Systems (1 May 2008)
“gNewSense DeltaH was released today, and we are pleased to offer preconfigured Workstations, Portable Systems, ThinkCentres, Laptops, and Servers, as well as fully customized Core 2 Duo, Athlon 64, Xeon, and Opteron computers, preinstalled with the latest gNewSense GNU/Linux operating system. gNewSense is a GNU/Linux distribution that is listed as free by the GNU Project.”
I’m not entirely sure if Joshua Gay is somehow behind the push for it.
Shane Coyle said,
May 31, 2008 at 2:39 pm
All backed up and installed, working on the create your own distro tutorial now- I’m just not a Gnome person (not trying to start a flame war, just I like KDE).
One thing I will note, since it comes up here often, is that Tomboy is in here and I believe it is a C#/Mono app, no? So, I’ll assume that Mono is in here, and gNewSense is an FSF-approved distro.
Says something for the Mono project in terms of exposure to liability if the FSF is giving it the thumbs up for distribution, no?
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 31, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I’m not sure about gNewSense, but watch Gobuntu.
http://boycottnovell.com/2007/07/16/mono-cleanup/
Shane Coyle said,
May 31, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Well, I thought that Mark Shuttleworth was giving up on Gobuntu, or did that change? I can’t ever keep up with all of this stuff.
Anyhow, in a few days of tinkering I’ll have created my ‘fork’ with KDE4.1 beta 1 as the default DE. somehow.
And, I don’t use beagle or tomboy, so no Mono for me anyway. Always loved that about Gentoo, just USE="-gnome -mono" and that was all.
I have KDE4 on here, just a few clicks, but it isn’t the new 4.00.80 or whatever that new release is, which I want to try.
I was thinking of calling it FOSSForUs, because in the config file I have to call ‘my’ distro something. Shanix seems cheesy…
Roy Schestowitz said,
May 31, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Well, there’s Schillix for Jörg Schilling.