Wicks Linux

Ubuntu Feisty Fawn -- Ubuntu 7.04

2007-04-20T20:46:00.000-05:00

This has been a big week for Ubuntu. Feisty Fawn has been released. Way to go Ubuntu team.

In the last two days I have read several postings on the new version of Ubuntu. My interest has been peaked. I am looking forward to updating my pc. The following blog postings will help me get the new version and configure it.

http://www.sharkspace.com/blog/ubuntu-version-704-feisty-fawn-released/ has a list of several mirror sites for getting Ubuntu.

The Perfect Setup - Ubuntu Feisty Fawn (Ubuntu 7.04)

Unofficial Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) Starter Guide

Howto upgrade from Ubuntu 6.10 to Ubuntu feisty fawn 7.04 Linux

Programs for the new Ubuntu user

2007-02-23T20:44:00.001-06:00

I have seen several posts about "must have tools" for Ubuntu. Here is a summary of the tools I have seen so far. Any additions?

Torrent
- deluge

Music Player
- amarok
- xmms
- vlc
- mplayer

Running Windows porgrams on Linux
- wine

Eye Candy
- betyl

Chat / irc
- amsn
- xchat
- irssi

Games
- kobo
- driod battles
- Nexuiz
- OpenArena
- Termulous
- Frozen Bubbles

FTP
- gftp
- FirtFTP (Firefox add-on)

Development Tools
- kdevelop
- Eclipse
- Anjuta
- kate
- Code::Blocks
- Geany IDE
- Monodevelop

Image Editting
- Gimp

Browser
- Firefox
- Swifterfox

Office
- OpenOffice

Text Editor / Editing
- vim
- emacs

Misc
- Automatix
- Envy

Utilties for Linux/Unix

2007-01-14T22:02:00.000-06:00

Rich Burridge has post on his blog entitled "I Want A Freeware Utility To..."

I am not crazy about the title of post. When I hear Freeware a shiver goes up my spine, I had a lot of bad luck with Freeware back in the DOS 6 and Windows 3.1 days. The software turned out to be more trouble for the price. Today, I am interested in open source and have had a lot of good luck with open source software. After scanning the list, it appears Rich is using the term Freeware in the sense of free software.

I have used a few of the utilities on Rich's list with good results. I will have to keep an eye on the list to see how it grows and changes.

352 Linux Distributions

2006-12-17T21:30:00.000-06:00

Wow. 352 Linux distributions on a single page.

Free (As In Free Beer) Linux Class

2006-11-23T10:31:00.000-06:00

LinuxBasic.org is offer a free 'Introduction to Linux Basics' class.

The course's study guide will be "LBook," an edited version of Introduction to Linux: A Hands on Guide by Machtelt Garrels, which is distributed under the GNU GPL open-source license which you can get from their website.

I have done a 5 minute scan of the of the book. There is a lot of good material here. I will have to add the book to my reading list.

Ubuntu Link Fest For June

2006-07-02T20:57:00.000-05:00

To wrap up June here are several articles about Ubuntu that I found interesting.

Four alternative operating systems

2006-06-16T17:40:00.000-05:00

Site: NewsForge
Post: Four alternative operating systems

The NewsForge article show cases four lesser know operating systems. I find it interesting what each OS focused on and what applications they include.

Linux or UNIX password protecting files

2006-06-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

Site: nixCraft
Post: Linux or UNIX password protecting files

The posting covers the commands gpc, mcrypt and openssl to encrypt or decrypt a file.

Bash Shell Shortcuts

2006-06-09T17:38:00.000-05:00

Site: All About Linux
Post: Bash Shell Shortcuts

I love keyboard shortcuts. There are over 40 shortcuts presented.

Ubuntu Link Fest

2006-06-08T21:09:00.000-05:00

I have been collecting posting about Ubuntu for the past several days. Here is the results of my efforts.

The Pepper Pad: open alternative to Microsoft's Origami

2006-06-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

Site: Mad Penguin
Post: The Pepper Pad: open alternative to Microsoft's Origami

Mad Penguin has a review of the Pepper Pad. The review gives me a lot to thing about. I have been thinking about replacing my PDA with a TablePC but the Pepper Pad may be a better alternative.

How to install ANYTHING in Ubuntu!

2006-06-01T21:36:00.000-05:00

Site: Monkey Blog
Post: How to install ANYTHING in Ubuntu!

Wow. The posting explains mutliple ways of installing software on an Ubuntu. Please note that the posting was updated to for the 6.06 release of Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 6.06 Release

2006-06-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

Ubuntu 6.06 was released today

Press Release: New Ubuntu Release Available for Desktops and Servers, with Long Term, Global Support

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Long Term Support) Release Notes

Download / Mirrors / Ordering a CD

Linux Distribution Chooser

2006-05-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

Site: Zegenie Studios
Post: Linux Distribution Chooser

The chooser askes you several questions about your techincal abilities and experience to help determine which Linux distribution is right for you. The chooser includes the following distributions: Fedora Core, Mandriva, SuSE, Debian, MEPIS, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Linspire, Xandros, PCLinuxOS, Yellowdog Linux, Gentoo, Slackware, Knoppix, OpenSuSE and ArchLinux.

Running .Net applications on Linux with Mono

2006-05-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

Site: Linux.com
Post: Running .Net applications on Linux with Mono

I have been meaning to look into Mono for some time now.

The article builds a Hello World program in Windows then moves the resulting exe over to Linux. After a quick rename of the exe the file is then executed and runs. This is really cool. I am curious how a more complex program would work. Does any one have any experience with Mono? Back to the article. The article then goes on to Monodevelop and running a web application on Linux. The side notes in the article have some helpful tips.

Running X window graphical application over ssh session

2006-05-15T22:13:00.000-05:00

Site: nixCraft
Post: Running X window graphical application over ssh session

The article shows you the configuration settings for forwarding the X window graphic application over ssh.

Learning the Shell

2006-05-12T23:17:00.000-05:00

Site: LinuxCommand.org
Post: Learning the shell

I found this posting to be informative and useful. I will have to re-read a couple a few more times to make sure I understand it all. The posting covers several of the basic commands and gives you the knowledge to use those commands.

Scheduling Backup Jobs using at and crontab in debian

2006-05-04T21:44:00.000-05:00

Site: DebianHelp
Post: Scheduling Backup Jobs using at and crontab in debian

This one is for the Linux newbie. The posting covers the use of the commands 'at' and 'crontab'.

Synchronizing your Linux Laptop and Desktop

2006-04-30T15:41:00.000-05:00

Site: Linux Planet
Post: Synchronizing your Linux Laptop and Desktop

This article shows you how to use the commands scp and rsync to keep one or more directories synchronized between two Linux systems. This article has got me thinking I may be able to use rsync as part of my data backup plan. I am thinking by keeping my critical data synchronized between two machines, if something where to happen to one machine I could simply switch over to the other machine to keep working.

Looks like I need to read the man page on rsync and do a little on-line reading. Does anyone have any experience with rsync? How have you used it in your backup methodologies? How you tried using rsync with a Windows machine?

Linux Distributions Bird's Eye View - a Mind Map Version 1 and Version 2

2006-04-30T14:27:00.000-05:00

Site: All About Linux
Post: Linux Distributions Bird's Eye View - a Mind Map

I have learned so much for the the site 'All About Linux' and today is not exception. The mind map that was put together of serveral Linux distorbutions is informative and easy to understand.

Site: All About Linux
Post: Mind Map of Linux distributions - Version 2

Version 2 of the Linux distributions mind map is out. This version includes some color coding and more distributions.

Ubuntu Easter Egg Hunting

2006-04-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

Site: underground high
Post: Easter Egg Hunting

The post shows you 5 easter eggs in Ubuntu. You can get a couple more easter eggs out of the comments. I am always mixed about easter eggs. I like the little bit of comic releif they provide but I am not happy that there is additional code that is usless. The extra code requires more hard drive space and longer to download. I am also concerned if the developers felt it necessary to hide an easter egg what other features are hidding in the code?

picotux - the smallest Linux Computer in the World

2006-04-21T16:49:00.000-05:00

Site: Picotux

Picotux makes the worlds smallest Linux computer which is just a little bit larger then RJ45 connector. The processor for the device is 32-bit ARM 7 Netsilicon NS7520 running uClinux. Just think of the possibilites and flexibility something like this could give your projects. A fully connected world can not be to far behind.

Building a Linux supercomputer using SSH and PVM

2006-04-18T22:26:00.000-05:00

Site: Linux.com
Post: Building a Linux supercomputer using SSH and PVM

I am not sure why I need a supercomputer at this time but having the knowledge can't hurt. In the article, Mark walks you through the general process of installing SSH and PVM on a Debian distribution. There are also some configuration steps.

Windows to Ubuntu Transition Guide

2006-04-14T23:16:00.000-05:00

Site: PCMechanic
Post: Windows to Ubuntu Transition Guide

The PCMechanic's article starts after you have installed Ubuntu and covers the replacement Linux application most Windows users will want on thier new Ubuntu system.

The article covers the following:

* Configuring and using Synaptic Package Manager to install applications
* Installing common packages with Automatix
* Essential desktop, office, and Internet applications
* Playing movies and music
* Games
* Digital cameras, printing, and burning
* Installing a PHP and MySQL enabled Apache web server
* Development tools
* Installing and configuring a firewall
* Setting up remote desktop connection
* Setting up a streaming music server

How do I find out Linux CPU utilization?

2006-04-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Site: nixCraft
Post: How do I find out Linux CPU utilization?

All good administrators monitor the CPU utilization to determine if the system is experiencing a run away process, determine the load on the box and to see if there is a process running that shouldn't be. The article from nixCraft talks about using the top command to provide a real-time view of the running system. The article also suggests installing the package sysstat to get access to additional commands and detail.

A Concise apt-get / dpkg primer for new Debian users

2006-03-31T17:04:00.000-06:00

Site: All About Linux
Post: A Concise apt-get / dpkg primer for new Debian users

This is another great article from 'All about Linux.' This article shows off the use of apt-get and dpkg. I have found apt-get to vary easy to use. I have not encountered any issues with using the command.

Tips to Secure Linux Workstation

2006-03-31T16:32:00.000-06:00

Site: Ayman Hourieh's Blog
Post: Tips to Secure Linux Workstation

There are several good tips here on securing your Linux box. A few of the tips could be applied to other operating systems.

Getting Wireless to Work in Kubuntu

2006-03-31T16:23:00.000-06:00

Site: Diabolikal
Post: Getting Wireless to Work in Kubuntu

This article takes you through the steps of getting wireless working in Kubuntu. The steps seem simple enough.

With this article I am able to cross one more item off my list. I have been wanting to rebuild my laptop with a Linux distro. I currently use Kubuntu on a desktop.

CLI Magic: Securely deleting files with shred

2006-03-31T16:01:00.000-06:00

Site: Linux.com
Post: CLI Magic: Securely deleting files with shred

The article explains what happens when you delete a file and how to use shred to make sure that a file it truely gone from your computer.

Switching art students to GNU/Linux

2006-03-27T22:27:00.000-06:00

Site: NewsForge
Post: Switching art students to GNU/Linux

Interesting. Vary interesting. The article talks about some free software alternatives to popular art and design software plus some of the challenges a professor faced in switching art students to free software. I have been looking for alternatives to QuarkXpress, Photoshop and Freehand for some time now. I will have to take a look at some of these programs in the near future.

Getting the most out of Wget

2006-03-27T22:16:00.000-06:00

Site: LifeHacker.com
Post: Geek to Live: Mastering Wget

Wget is an old Unix command to retrieve files from the World Wide Web. Gina does a nice job of explaining wget. She gives a couple of examples and warnings about wget. Here is another Unix command I am going to have to take a closer look at.

Bashpodder is a simple and effective podcatching client that uses wget to do all the heavy lifting.

Automatix kicks Ubuntu into gear

2006-03-20T20:47:00.000-06:00

Site: Linux.com
Post: Automatix kicks Ubuntu into gear

Automatix is a graphical interface for installing various applications. This looks like a nice way for a newbie to eaily install software the are going to need on a new system.

Fine-Tuning Kubuntu

2006-03-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

Site: LinuxDevCenter.com
Post: Fine-Tuning Kubuntu

This posting walks you through taking an Ubuntu install adding KDE then customizing it. Looks like there are several teaks I can make to my system.

Know more about the configuration switches of your Linux kernel

2006-03-20T19:42:00.000-06:00

Site: All About Linux
Post: Know more about the configuration switches of your Linux kernel

This posting points to Jason Wies' website kernel.xc.net which maintains a list of various configuration options of all the kernel versions.

Backing Up Ubuntu

2006-03-19T20:45:00.000-06:00

Site: HDDSaver
Post: Backing Up Ubuntu

This article shows you how use the tar command to backup an Ubuntu box.

Build a Six-headed, Six-user Linux System

2006-03-19T20:00:00.000-06:00

Site: Linux Gazette
Post: Build a Six-headed, Six-user Linux System

This posting shows to build a multi seat Linux box. This allows you do more with less hardware and it also helps reduce the noise level. You need a video card, monitor, mouse and keyboard for each seat. The rest of the article goes through the configuration changes that are needed to get the system running.

nixCraft: Free Antivirus for Linux Desktop available for download

2006-03-06T23:06:00.000-06:00

Site: nixCraft
Posting: Free Antivirus for Linux Desktop available for download

Grisoft now offers a free version of their anti-virus software AVG for Linux. This article also give four reasons why a Linux user should use an anti-virus software.

Really Linux: Linux Works Even for Total Newbies

2006-03-06T22:56:00.000-06:00

Site: Really Linux
Posting: Linux Works Even for Total Newbies

This is the story of one Linux user who guided another to Linux. With today's Linux distributions there is no reason why a person should not give Linux a try. Linux has made great strides in the last few years to enrich the new user experience without giving up the flexibility and power experienced Linux user have come to know and love. I still count myself in the newbie category even though I have Linux installed and running on 3 older PCs. I am also making plans to convert my laptop over to Linux.

One of the biggest problems that I see with Linux is the lack of general knowledge people have about Linux. I my opinion most computer users do not know that other operating systems exist and you don't have to use the OS that came pre-installed on the computer.

Suso.org: SSH Tutorial for Linux

2006-03-05T21:25:00.000-06:00

Site: Suso.org
Post: SSH Tutorial for Linux

I am going to have to re-read this article in the near future. I know that SSH is a powerful tool that allows me to securely connect to another computer. I was unware that SSH could be used with X.

Ubuntu Forums: Kernel Compilation for Newbies

2006-03-05T20:29:00.000-06:00

Site: Ubuntu Forums
Post: Kernel Compilation for Newbies

This short HOW TO walks you through compiling a new kernel for Ubuntu. After reading this HOW TO, I may have to give building a kernel a try. I have an open box that I don't care if it gets messed up for a few days if something goes wrong. This would also allow me to try several build options out. All I need now is a good reason to build a kernel and some free time.

The R Zone: Hardening a Linux server in 10 minutes

2006-03-02T22:14:00.000-06:00

Site: The R Zone
Post: Hardening a Linux server in 10 minutes

The post outlines two steps in hardening a Linux server. The first step is to turn off all unneeded services. This is great but as newbie Linux user I don't know which services I need and which ones are extra. This is a small but important detail. Can anyone help me out here but point me to the correct documentation? The second step it to limit access to running services using iptables. This article makes editing the iptables sound trivial. This article makes it sound easy to harden a Linux box. Is it really this easy?

I know that hardening a Linux is something you want to do if the box is going to be exposed to the internet. I am interested in learning to harden a server to expand my basic knowledge server administration. Who knows may be one day I will set my own server on the internet.

Linux Journal: Using Wikis and Blogs to Ease Administration

2006-03-01T21:57:00.000-06:00

Site: Linux Journal
Post: Using Wikis and Blogs to Ease Administration

Ti Leggett makes an interesting case for using wikis and blogs to record administration activities and communicate important system information to users.

William Kessler's World: Top Ten Benifits for Owning a Linux Box

2006-02-28T22:58:00.000-06:00

Site: William Kessler's World
Post: Top Ten Benifits for Owning a Linux Box

William gives us his top 10 reasons for owning a Linux box. The list includes some the standards like Total Cost of Ownership and high security. My problem with the list is that there is no supporting links to his claims. Does anyone have any supporting material for William's claims?

nixCraft: How Do I Forcefully Unmount A Disk Partition?

2006-02-23T21:43:00.000-06:00

Site: nixCraft
Post: How do I forcefully unmount a disk partition?

The posting shows you two methods of forcefully unmonting a device.

An Introduction To Services, Runlevels, And rc.d Scripts

2006-02-20T21:10:00.000-06:00

Linux.com has a posting entitled 'An introduction to services, runlevels, and rc.d scripts.' This article covers just what the title says. You get a quick intro to services, runlevels and rc.d scripts. As a newbie Linux users I am always trying to expand my basic knowledge of how the system works. This article has increased my knowledge.

Host Websites On Your Local Machine Using Apache Websever

2006-02-20T19:22:00.000-06:00

'All about Linux' has another great article entitled 'Host websites on your local machine using Apache websever.' The article goes through configuring you Apache for mutliple websites.

Automated Distributed Backups For Laptops

2006-02-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

The site 'Debian Administration' has an article about seting up automated backups for laptops.

Programmers Get Their Own Search Engine

2006-02-11T22:56:00.000-06:00

Linux Watch has the article 'Programmers get their own search engine.' It sounds like Krugle could be a really useful tool.

A collection of books, howtos and documentation on GNU/Linux for offline use

2006-02-11T22:51:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the title is all you need. A collection of books, howtos and documentation on GNU/Linux for offline use.

Effective Partitioning - The How and Why of it

2006-02-11T22:28:00.000-06:00

'Effective Partitioning - The How and Why of it' from the blog 'All about Linux' goes into why it is important to partition a hard drive and what major considerations you should give to partitioning a hard drive. It would have been nice to have this article when I was setting up my first Linux box.

Debian Package Administration Commands

2006-02-11T22:16:00.000-06:00

Debianhelp has a neat article (Package administration commands) on the apt commands.

KlamAV - Bringing The Power of ClamAV To The KDE Desktop

2006-02-07T21:54:00.000-06:00

The site BSD Linux Gangster has a posting on KlamAV. KlamAV is an anti-virus program for KDE enviornment. The article opens with why a Linux or BSD user should install an anti-virus program on their system. I know that the risk of a Linux or BSD system getting a virus is really low. I think it is just a matter of time before Linux gets hit with its first virus.

KlamAV - Bringing The Power of ClamAV To The KDE Desktop

Ubuntu's Missing Batteries

2006-02-03T19:44:00.000-06:00

PCWorld.com has an article entitled 'Ubuntu's Missing Batteries' by Matthew Newton. This article covers installing and using Automatix, a graphical interface for installating additional software.

Everything Your Professor Failed to Tell You About Functional Programming

2006-02-03T19:29:00.000-06:00

Linux Journal is running this interesting article 'Everything Your Professor Failed to Tell You About Functional Programming.'

Collaborative Portal Server

2006-02-03T19:18:00.000-06:00

Today I came across the CPS Project. Collaborative Portal Server (CPS) is collaborative web content management system. You can use this to implement collaborative protals. CPS Project includes, collaborative work and publication spaces, document versionning, roles management, skinable portal interface, and notifications of events.

This looks like the open source competitor to Sharepoint. I wish I had a project to test CPS out on. I will have to try to keep this tool in mind.

Festival - A Text to Speech synthesis software in Linux

2006-02-02T22:25:00.000-06:00

The blog 'All About Linux' has an interesting post on 'Festival - A Text to Speech synthesis software in Linux.' I think I will have to give Festival a try. There are several books I just don't have time to read. I should be able to listen to a book and play with my three year old at the same time.

Freeware Tools For Linux

2006-02-01T22:25:00.000-06:00

Debianhelp.com has a large list of 'Freeware Tools For Linux.'

Why Is There A Difference In The Amount Of Freespace Reported By DF vs DU?

2006-01-30T21:02:00.000-06:00

NixCraft has an explanation of why df reports different amount freespace the du. I have been curious about this for some time now but never taken the time to find out why. According to the article 'FreeBSD: Why command df and du reports different output?' points to file descriptor as the main cause.

How To Use Regular Expressions The Easy Way

2006-01-30T20:51:00.000-06:00

'Learn how to use Regular Expressions the easy way' from the blog 'All about Linux' is a quick primer on Regular Expressions and the KDE tool kregexpeditor.

The best way to learn Regular Expressions is to start using them where every you can. I have saved myself a good 20 hours of work just by using Regular Expressions.

Jump To Debian

2006-01-30T20:45:00.000-06:00

Free Software Magazine has an article 'Jump to Debian GNU/Linux! A guide to why the Debian distro is a good choice.' The

I am currently using one of the Debian derivative Ubuntu. So far I like what Debian has done for the linux world. The apt-get feature is a nice way to install software.

Book Writing Applications In Linux

2006-01-30T01:43:00.000-06:00

Update - 2006.01.29
NewsForge has an interesting article 'Creating a book with OpenOffice.org Writer.' The article shows you how to work with templates in OpenOffice Writer. Since I have no experience of writing a book I can not determine how helpful this would be. As for writing papers, this template gets you started on a good foot.

I came across the book Unix Text Processing. You can download it for free. The book is has a 1987 and 1988 copyright dates. I did a quick scan of the book and there appears to be some useful information.

Original - 2005.12.21
Over at OSNews there is a posting entitles 'Book Writing Applications in Linux' by Alcibiades. This article does a great job of explaining what a writer needs in a book writing application. The article then goes on the look at the strengths and weakness of various tools like Lyx, Leo, Kate, Treeline, Open Office and KWord. The article concludes with a summary of the tools and the author's opinion of each.

I have been kicking around the idea of writing some articles and books. I will need to take of few of these applications out for a spin.

My Sysadmin Toolbox

2006-01-29T23:58:00.000-06:00

Ben Browning's article 'My sysadmin toolbox' over at linux.com it worth a read. Ben is a systems administrator for an ISP. He shares his thoughts about the tools he uses everyday.

It’s an Ubuntu world

2006-01-29T23:47:00.000-06:00

Free Software Magaize has a quick posting 'It’s an Ubuntu world. A look inside Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Edubuntu.' The posting is a high level overview of Ubuntu and its sister programs Kubuntu and Edubuntu. If you are already a Ubuntu user you can skip the article there is no new informaiton here.

Linux Distribution Screencastings

2006-01-25T16:19:00.000-06:00

LinClips.com has short video clips of multiple Linux Distributions.

GhostWriter LiveCD

2006-01-19T16:18:00.001-06:00

GhostWriter is a Linux Live CD for writers. This CD provides a small number of tools for writers of short stories, novels, and screenplays. The major applications on this CD include: LyX, for writing and typesetting documents; The GIMP, for creating illustrations; gv, for viewing the PostScript and PDF files that LyX produces; and the Dillo Web browser, which is used to view the GhostWriter online help.

CLI Magic: Learn To Talk AWK

2006-01-19T16:18:00.000-06:00

Linux.com has a posting entitled 'CLI Magic: Learn to talk awk.' This is article is a quick little tutorial on awk and its capabilities. It looks like I am now going to have to learn awk.

Unofficial Ubuntu 5.10 Starter Guide

2006-01-19T16:17:00.000-06:00

EasyLinux.info has setup a wiki for Ubuntu. There is a lot of good information in the Start Guide.

Linux Newbie Administrator Guide

2006-01-17T16:17:00.000-06:00

Linux Newbie Administrator Guide is a website just like their name implies. There is a lot of good information here. The authors mostly RedHat and Mandrake users. You will need to make minor tweaks for your distro. The section Learning with Linux (commands for more esoteric work or programming is what originally attracted me to the site. This section has a list of common linux commands.

AlienDrive Live CD

2006-01-13T16:16:00.000-06:00

Came across an interesting looking Linux Distro called AlienDrive. This distro has be released as a Live CD.

You can find addition screen shots at LinShots.

AlienDrive Live CD is part of the larger world called AlienDrive System. AlienDrive System is a computer based 24 track digital recording studio.

Add Windows Media Support To A Linux Install

2006-01-09T16:16:00.000-06:00

AllYourTech.com has an article on how to 'add Windows media support to your Linux box.'

Build Your Own Linux Distro

2005-12-29T16:15:00.000-06:00

rBuilder Online allows you to create your own Linux Distro with the packages you want. There are just 8 simple steps or you get one of the distros that is already built. For that last two months, I have been unhappy with all the Linux distros I have tried. They either don't contain the packages I want or they included so many packages that I needed to download 3 or more ISO's. I will have to give this a try.

Zenwalk Released

2005-12-29T16:02:00.000-06:00

Update - 2005.12.29
I missed the several announcements. Zenwalk 2.0.1 was released on the 3rd of December. You can find OSNews Review: Zenwalk Linux 2.0.1 on there site.

Original - 2005.10.17
Zenwalk 1.3 was released on Saturday, Oct. 15. This linux distribution is built on 2.6.12.6 kernel.

Linux Magazine's Tip Of The Day

2005-12-28T16:02:00.000-06:00

Linux Magazine's Tip of the Day is list of command line tips. There are some great tips here. I am going to have to put a few the of tips to use soon.

Execute Commands On Multiple Linux Or UNIX Servers Part I & II

2005-12-28T16:01:00.000-06:00

Over at nixCraft there are part I and part II on how to execute commands on multiple linux or UNIX servers. This article shows how setup SSH to help issue command against multiple servers.

Lightweight Podcatcher For Linux

2005-12-21T15:58:00.000-06:00

I have been using BashPodder for several months now and really like it. It is lightweight, fast and easy to run. So when I saw the posting the posting 'Lightweight podcatching client targets Linux users' from DesktopLinux.com I figured great there is another lightweight client I should check out. It turns out that the posting is about BashPodder.

Common GNU/Linux Myths

2005-12-20T15:58:00.000-06:00

The Jem Report has the article 'Debunking Common GNU/Linux Myths.' The article tackles nine common myths; is there SCO UNIX intellectual property in the Linux kernel, if I switch to GNU/Linux, I can't use Microsoft Office anymore, does Windows really have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than GNU/Linux, Open-source programs have hundreds of different versions because there are so many people working on the project, Open-source programs are less secure because hackers can see the code, You get what you pay for, so free software must be bad, Free software is Communism. Free software promotes a gift economy and is anti-capitalist. Free software will kill the software industry and hurt the economy, no one ever got fired for recommending Microsoft and GNU/Linux is hard to use; Windows is easy to use. There are some excellent points and I will have to use a few of them in the future. I really enjoyed Jem's comments about 'no one ever got fired for recommending Microsoft.

How Much Memory Is Enough Memory?

2005-12-15T15:55:00.000-06:00

The blog 'All about Linux' asks the questions 'How much memory is enough memory?' The short answer is there is never enough memory.

Linux Shortcuts and Commands

2005-12-12T15:54:00.000-06:00

Over at UnixGuide.net the have a short list of 'Linux Shortcuts and Commands.' The guide is for the newbie.

Hacking OpenSUSE

2005-12-12T15:53:00.000-06:00

I like the linux distro SUSE. I have found it easy to use and comes with a lot of packages to customize the system to your needs. Today I stumbled across an article from DesktopLinux.com entitles 'Hacking OpenSUSE' by Jem Matzan. The article focusing on configuring Yast to get its source information from the internet instead of the local CD or DVD drive. The article then goes on to showing you how to install additional software on your SUSE system through YaST. This is going to save me some time installing core tools.

GoboLinux

2005-11-04T15:47:00.000-06:00

Today I came across another Linux distribution called GoboLinux. The first feature that jumped out at me was Gobo choose not to follow the traditional Unix directory tree. Gobo is using a much simplier structure. There is only one CD ISO to download to get the distro. They are using a LiveCD configuration. If you like Gobo you can then use the installer program to install the distro to your hard-drive.

Linux.com has a good write up on Gobo entitled 'Introducing GoboLinux 012' by Rui Lopes. The article highlights the directory structure and the package system of Gobo. After reading the article I am vary interesting in giving Gobo a spin.

Windows vs Linux: Security

2005-10-24T15:46:00.000-05:00

The Register is an interesting article entitled 'Security Report: Windows vs Linux.' I don't want to spoil the article for you so please take some time to read it. There are several points in the article that I will be using in my discussions with other technology professionals. The article has also given me several items to consider while I am coding the next project. I really liked the Windows vs Linux Design section.

A Couple Of Unix / Linux Resources

2005-10-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

The first resource is 'Newbie's Top Ten Commands.' This articles covers the command ls, tar, permissions suite, RPM, locate, grep, cat, pico/nano, man and apropos.

The other resource is from UnixMages.com they have the PDF 'Unix for the Beginning Mage.' This PDF using the metaphor of using spells and mages to teach the basics of learning Unix command line.

Hot-Plugging USB on Linux

2005-10-18T15:44:00.000-05:00

The article 'Hot-Plugging USB on Linux' from Linux Magazine is a quick read on USB on a modern linux distribution. I recently configured a USB storage device to work with Slackware 10.1, this article would have been helpful then.

Linux Professional Institute (LPI) exam prep

2005-09-12T15:42:00.000-05:00

I came across a series of tutorials to learn Linux fundamentals and prepare for the administrator certification. You will need to register. Just glancing through the list of tutorials there appears to be some really good information.

Little Linux Secrets - Utilities You May Not Know About But Should

2005-09-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

In the Octover 2005 issue of CPU (Computer Power User) is running the article 'Little Linux Secrets Utilities You May Not Know About But Should.' There are some neat little tools here. These tools will go a long ways to improving my linux knowledge.

Linux Live CD For Developers

2005-08-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

I read 'Review: DevelopGo: A Linux Live CD for Programmers' over at Librenix.com. I am curious if any one has used this live CD? If you have please post your comments here.

Getting Pocket PC To Sync With Linux

2005-08-25T15:39:00.000-05:00

Over at linux.com there is an article 'Sync your Pocket PC with Linux.' It looks like setting up my Pocket PC to sync with Linux will be a snap.

Ghost For Linux

2005-08-12T15:39:00.000-05:00

Ghost for Linux is a tool similar to "Norton Ghost"(c) and (tm) by Symantec. I am going to have to take a closer look at this application.

Free SUSE Linux ebook

2005-07-27T15:35:00.000-05:00

Over at the Novell site they are offering a free ebook on SUSE Linux. The book is targeted at developers who want to get started writing open source application. You can only get chapter one right now and will get notified when more chapters are available.

Linux On A USB Pen Drive

2005-07-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

NewsForge posted the article 'Run GNU/Linux from a USB pen drive.' The article shows you how to install Slax on a USB pen drive. Slax is a bootable distro based on Slackware. Slax offers multiple versions ranging in size from 47 to 188 MB. They also have several modules that can cusomize the distro with.

Minislack - A Linux Distro For The Newbie

2005-07-06T15:34:00.000-05:00

DesktopLinux.com is running the article 'A newbie's introduction to Minislack.' Minislack is a distribution focused on desktop usage. So there are a limited number of programming tools and application software options. This could be a good desktop for the newbie due to the limited number of options.

Minislack is a stripped down version of Slackware. Minislack cut items that were not focused on the desktop. Mini in this case does not refer to micro. You will need to have some hard drive space.

The result of all this is that Minislack...
is simple, compact, fast, secure, and reliable
provides one application for each key task (except editors)
is a complete desktop/development environment.

You can get MiniSlack from their website.

XAMPP

2005-06-27T15:33:00.000-05:00

XAMPP is a project aimed at installing and configuring Apache, MySQL, PHP and Perl on a Linux, Windows, SPARC or MacOS X syste.

A few weeks back I did an install of Apache, MySQL and PHP on a laptop running Windows XP. The install process was not overally difficult but it tool about 6 hours to perform the install and configure the software. Most of my time was spent in reading the documentation and rebooting the laptop.

You can check out the article 'LAMP made easy with XAMPP' on the NewsForge website.

You can get XAMPP from the Apache Friends website.

Breathe New Life Into An Old Machine

2005-06-08T15:32:00.000-05:00

developerWorks has an article how to breathe new life into an old machine. The article is using an old laptop to show off installing linux on old equipment.

Build Your Own Linux Distribution

2005-06-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

Over at IBM's developerWorks website there is a quick article on how to build your own Linux distribtion. The article gives a high level overview and a list of recources to get more information.

Monoppix V 1.0.6.0

2005-05-25T15:19:00.000-05:00

A new version of Monoppix is out. Monoppix is a Live CD Linux distribution built to show case the Mono technology.. It works without installing a thing on your hard drive - it runs completely off the CD and RAM. If you don't want to mess with making a Live CD there is tutorial on getting Monoppix running using Virtual PC.

Mainsoft's Grasshopper

2005-05-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

A lot of ink has been going into this story today. Mainsoft has come out with tool called 'Grasshopper' which allows Visual Studio Developers Jump on Writing Linux Apps.

Windows vs Linux

2005-05-23T15:17:00.000-05:00

In the last couple of days I have seen a lot of postings and articles talking about about which is better, which is cheaper and where to get the "facts." Reseller Advocate Magazone is this to say:
Windows vs. Linux: "The Facts"

Optimizing Linux Desktop Performance

2005-05-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

Check out 'Linux in Government: Optimizing Desktop Performance, Part I' on the Linux Journal site. The article has a couple of tips and short explanation on what and why the tip works.

Evaluating Content Management Systems

2005-05-12T15:15:00.000-05:00

Linux Journal has posted 'Seven Criteria for Evaluating Open-Source Content Management Systems.' The article focuses on Open-Source but you can easily expand it to commercial Content Management Systems.

Basic Linux Network and Hardware Configuration

2005-05-12T15:14:00.000-05:00

Really Linux is running an article on Post Installation Configuration for Beginners. The article shows basic network configuration for Fedora, Mandriva, and SuSe distributions. I wish I had this article when I installed Mandriva at home.