Cute but astute: the new minor version of OpenOffice can do more than ever, such as cast shadows, position chart axes and provide structured conversations through comments.

AVG Technologies has released a new version of its virus scanner for Linux as AVG 8.5. Biggest features are its malware protection, improved virus filter and on-access scanner based on the RedirFS filesystem.

As Debian developer and package manager Aurélien Jarno says in a recent blog, Debian will soon switch from the standard GNU C library to the slimmer EGLIBC.

Open source project Nagios is being forked into the Icinga project. The Netways firm, which specializes in open source IT management services and particularly the monitoring solution Nagios, will be managing the fork.

The new version of the X2go terminal server, code-named Uthörn, is particularly Debian 5.0-compliant. Print requests result in files compressed to about 10% before being sent to the client, and the terminal server now supports a third sound architecture through PulseAudio.

The DVD authoring software has been released in the new 1.8.0 version that promises to keep complex DVD menus under control.

Since the previous Sabayon version came out and included GNOME, the newest version finally includes a variant with the KDE 4 Desktop.

Project Renaissance of OpenOffice.org opened up proposals for "Access Functionality" design changes for its office suite on April 20, 2009. The Impress presentation application was chosen as the Guinea pig. Deadline for submissions is just around the corner: May 4, 2009.