Issue #175 / Jun 2015

A new version of a Linux system used to come with lots of new features – new tools, new capabilities. Of course, the great Linux distros are still evolving, but they don't throw a lot of new stuff in with every version like they used to. The websites often promise "bug fixes" and "enhancements" of things that are already inside.

CentOS 7 and Linux Lite 2.4

Updates on technologies, trends, and tools

An Android smartphone or tablet is a versatile device on its own, but with a bit of work and few apps, you can make it an organic part of your Linux-based working environment.

Have you transitioned from Windows to Linux and then found that you still need the occasional Windows program? You could set up a virtual machine, but CrossOver Linux offers a faster and more efficient approach.

Getting Windows programs to work on Linux is difficult even if you're using the famous Wine Windows-compatibility environment. Fortunately, the PlayOnLinux graphical interface can ease some of the pain.

Quick takes on cool tools for Linux.

Bufferbloat can take a toll on mobile TCP connections. We'll show you a pair of experimental protocols designed to speed up throughput and reduce latency.

Quality Assurance is "like a baker testing his recipe for a cake by trying it once it is out of the oven," says Bernhard Wiedemann, inventor of openQA. OpenSUSE's openQA project is a powerful tool for testing Linux distributions – and even Android images.

Changing default applications, switching BIOS settings for newer distros, running an old Windows application in VirtualBox with a security dongle, and Live distro security with an overlay file.