Apr 17, 2017 GMT
This is my last blog for Linux Pro Magazine. It is also the 387th blog of what has been a long and varied tenure. I leave pleased that I have covered some interesting topics that other sites have never mentioned, but also looking forward to what comes next.I first began this blog in March 2009. I called it "Off the Mark," partly to parallel my private blog, which I call "Off the Wall," and partly to suggest my intention to write about unusual topics and opinions -- before, with any luck, anyone else did.In pitching the blog, I described it as "a selection of news, reviews, and commentary about what's happening in the free and open source software community,"...Off the Beat: Bruce Byfield's Blog
Apr 06, 2017 GMT
Unity, Ubuntu's default desktop environment, has always been ironically named. Begun after conflicts between Ubuntu and GNOME, Canonical Software and Ubuntu developed it as a solo effort after other projects ignored Mark Shuttleworth's famous challenge to develop an interface to rival Apple's. Moreover, with less than a six percent market share in the 2016 LinuxQuestions survey, it remains among the least popular of Linux desktops.Under these circumstances, the only surprising aspect of Shuttleworth's announcement that Ubuntu was dropping Unity in favor of GNOME is that the decision took so long. Still, it's a gutsy decision that allows Canonical to concentrate on servers and OpenStack,...Mar 28, 2017 GMT
Does the Free Software Foundation (FSF) have internal conflicts? An answer is hard to find, because people prefer not to talk about the possibility. However, there are increasing indications that the FSF is having trouble adjusting to modern activism -- and that part of the problem might be growing differences between FSF supporters and its founder Richard Stallman (RMS).I sympathize with those reluctant to speak. Richard Stallman's pioneering work shaped free software as we know it, and the temptation to forgive any possible lapses on his part can be strong. In fact, that is exactly what many people appear to have been doing for the last few years. Yet, at the same time, ignoring the...Mar 22, 2017 GMT
The other day, a high school class mate of mine posted a comic piece about the problems with new software systems. The unspoken assumptions were that computers always caused problems, but that nothing much could be done about the situation. I smiled, but I realized that I no longer shared this attitude -- and that free software was the reason why.Helplessness in front of the computer is probably part of the general anti-intellectualism in North American culture. More specifically, though, I blame the computer industry. For decades now, proprietary operating systems have been constructed so as to encourage what I call the grimoire approach to problems -- that is, collecting magic formulas...Mar 09, 2017 GMT
The initial announcements of Flatpak and Snap presented them as the solution to all of Linux's packaging problems. These claims soon proved to be ahead of actual development, but they linger in the minds of many users. A few weeks ago, for example, someone on Google+ was complaining about how long their distribution was taking to package LibreOffice 5.3. They looked forward, they wrote, to the day when one universal package manager or another would eliminate such delays. However, while universal package managers might one day simplify maintaining a distribution, whether they will ever have the effect that the complainer anticipated seems doubtful -- for which we can all be thankful.I...Mar 01, 2017 GMT
Should decisions about free software be determined by the needs of developers or users? This recurring question has become relevant again in LibreOffice 5.3, which is dropping support for Type 1 fonts.Type 1 fonts, also known as postscript fonts, were one of the first font formats for digital typography. They have been superseded by TrueType (TTF) and OTF formats, but, unlike many earlier formats, have remained adequate for design work. As a result, many designers have continued to use them, since over the years they have a significant investment in Type 1 fonts, particularly from Adobe. At an average cost of US$35 per font family, replacing a collection made over a decade or more could...Feb 25, 2017 GMT
Forget, for a moment, how open source seems to be the solution to business problems. Instead, return to basics and think of how free software helps to provide computers for the impoverished, and to reduce technological waste by extending the useful life of older hardware. These are among the ideals that attracted many of us to free software in the first place, and for years, Ken Starks and Recycled Electronics and Gnu/Linux Used for Education -- better known as Reglue -- have been on the front lines of such issues. Now, Reglue faces a significant shortfall in operating costs unless it can raise another $7000 in its current fundraising campaign in the next few days.Why should you care?...Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
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News
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TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
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XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
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Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
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Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
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Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
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Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
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Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
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Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
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New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
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Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.