O'Reilly News & Commentary

Four short links: 6 November 2009 - Barcode Scanning, Downloadable Community Book, Gov Hack Day, Android Kludges

By Nat Torkington
November 6, 2009

Red Laser -- "impossibly accurate barcode scanning". Uses Google Product Search to identify products that you scan using the camera on the phone. I remember Rael and I talking to Jeff Bezos about this years ago, before camphones had the resolution to decode barcodes. The future is here and it's $1.99 on the App Store. This and more in today's Four Short Links.

Announcing O'Reilly Answers - Clever Hacks. Creative Ideas. Innovative Solutions.

By Allen Noren
November 4, 2009

We're launching the beta of O'Reilly Answers, and I'm inviting you to be part of it. In brief, O'Reilly Answers is a community site for sharing knowledge, asking questions, and providing answers that brings together our customers, authors, editors, conference speakers, and Foo (Friends of O'Reilly). O'Reilly is at the center of an amazing exchange of knowledge sharing and idea generation, and we want you to join us in changing the world by spreading the knowledge of innovators.

Four short links: 29 October 2009 - Learning Programming, Functional Javascript, Controlling Firefox, Kicking Ass (with SSDs)

By Nat Torkington
October 29, 2009

Anatomy of SSDs -- A teeth-rattlingly technical Linux Magazine article explaining the different types of SSDs (Solid State Disks--imagine a hard drive made of rapid-access Flash memory). Artur Bergman told me that installing an SSD drive in his MacBook Pro gave the greatest performance increase of any computer upgrade he'd performed since he went from no computer to one. This and more in today's Four Short Links.

Linux Netbooks: They're Still Out There

By Caitlyn Martin
October 23, 2009

Back in February I wrote about how Linux had gone mainstream as netbooks became ubiquitous. When my Sylvania netbook died last month and the manufacturer took their sweet time responding to me I was offered a refund by the dealer. Suddenly I was surveying the market again for a good buy on a netbook preloaded with Linux. I found a wide variety of systems with Linux available from mainstream outlets and factory direct, at least here in the United States where I live. While I don't have updated market share figures it's clear, despite claims by Microsoft and their supporters, that Linux remains entrenched in the netbook market and is spreading out from there.

Four short links: 8 October 2009 - DIY Baby Rocker, Unix Systems Glory, Encrypting Ephemera, and Explaining Creative Joy

By Nat Torkington
October 8, 2009

Linux Baby Rocker -- Check out this inventive use of a CD drive and the eject command, combined to create an automatic baby rocker. (via Hacker News) This and more in today's Four Short Links.

Four short links: 14 September 2009 - NoSQL, Gov 2.0 Videos, Linux Conf, Geodata Grump

By Nat Torkington
September 15, 2009

Take a look at the digg engineering team's experience in alleviating confusion over key components of the Cassandra data model. Arin Sarkissian shares the team's definitions of commonly confused terms and includes a PDF download with actual examples to illustrate key points. This and more in today's Four Short Links.

Upcoming Webcasts: Git in One Hour - Meet Experts Online

By O'Reilly Media
August 14, 2009

In this webcast, Git evangelist Scott Chacon covers the basics of the Git source control system. He'll introduce the audience to Git basics: staging and committing snapshots, viewing the commit log, pushing to and pulling from servers, and creating, switching between, and merging branches. Finally, he'll quickly cover a few more advanced features - code annotation, advanced log options and possibly more, time permitting. Attendance is limited for this August 13th event, so register now! More Upcoming Webcasts - Meet Experts Online: Energy Literacy Entity Framework Tips & Tricks Nuclear Energy: Future Directions Check out our Webcast page for on-demand videos of past webcasts and more upcoming live events!

The Future of CentOS and Criteria For Choosing a Business Distribution

By Caitlyn Martin
August 6, 2009

The whole time the dispute between the CentOS developers was in the news development moved forward and patches were released. CentOS was never a one man show. It was perhaps in danger of forking or a name change but it never really was anywhere near point of death.

Is Oracle Getting Ready To Kill Unbreakable Linux?

By Chris Josephes
July 14, 2009

Will Unbreakable Linux be pushed to the sidelines by another open source operating system?

Find your Bay Area Linux User Group

By Marsee Henon
July 14, 2009

Our local Linux groups are getting ready for OSCON and have put together a flyer for the Bay Area LUGs. Regions include the North and South Bay, Sacramento, San Francisco, Peninsula, Santa Cruz, and more. Now is your chance to support your local Linux group by going to a meeting.

Jono Bacon on the Value of Good Communities - We need to build good relationships across all of open source.

By James Turner
July 9, 2009

Ubuntu has enjoyed fantastic success over the past few years, becoming one of the dominant Linux distributions, and the distribution of choice for netbooks. Jono Bacon's job is to make sure that that success continues, by keeping the huge Ubuntu developer community happy and productive. We caught up with Jono in advance of his appearance at OSCON, the O'Reilly Open Source Convention, and he was more than happy to talk about the efforts underway to not only improve the Ubuntu community, but also bring together other communities, such as Gnome and KDE, to help them work better together. Jono officially works for Canonical, a company founded by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth for the promotion of Ubuntu and other free software projects.

Low End Linux Netbook Prices Continue To Drop

By Caitlyn Martin
June 29, 2009

It almost goes without saying that you won't find anything that runs Windows at anywhere near these prices. Oh, and no, that doesn't mean that Linux is somehow inferior as Windows fans would want you to believe. It is, however, free of charge.

The MIPS Processor and the $150 Linux Netbook

By Caitlyn Martin
May 29, 2009

Last week I wrote about two different projections claiming that Linux will recapture 50% of the netbook market, either in three years or by next year. Compelling MIPS and ARM based systems are the reason I believe those projections are correct. Current versions of Windows won't run on ARM or MIPS processor based systems at all. [...] Lightweight, optimized versions of Linux are another matter entirely. They run just fine for many applications on the MIPS based systems released so far despite processor speeds ranging from 400 to 800 MHz. If that sounds slow please remember that the original Asus EeePC was underclocked to 600MHz and sold like proverbial hotcakes.

Linux To Regain 50% Netbook Market Share

By Caitlyn Martin
May 21, 2009

The past couple of weeks saw a flurry or articles debating the future of Linux on netbooks. A report in the Taipei Times on May 9th was picked up by LinuxToday but largely ignored by the tech press and the blogosphere. Stephen Lim, the General Manager of Taiwan based Linpus Technologies, made the surprising prediction that Linux will regain 50% market share from Windows on netbooks by next year.

Favorite Linux Book of All Time: Linux in a Nutshell

By Kathryn Barrett
May 1, 2009

The Linux Journal's annual Readers' Choice Awards take the pulse of the Linux community, allowing readers to choose their favorites in a number of categories, and write-ins also are accepted. This year, more than 6,000 individuals voted for their favorite Linux solutions—one of the biggest turnouts in in Linux Journal history. And Linux in a Nutshell won the award for Favorite Linux Book of All Time. Our thanks to everyone who voted for this book. We think it's a classic and we're glad that you do, too!

A Linux Netbook Done The Right Way: the Sylvania g Netbook Meso

By Caitlyn Martin
April 1, 2009

In just over two months of use so far I have been very impressed with the Sylvania g Netbook Meso. None of the issues, hardware or software, that I encountered with the original g Netbook, are seen in the somewhat newer model. The Meso has proven to be an upgrade in performance, in reliability, and most definitely in the area of software.

Linux Performance: Different Distributions, Very Different Results

By Caitlyn Martin
March 10, 2009

I almost invariably get a comment to the effect that all Linux distros are essentially the same: running the same kernel, the same libraries, the same filesystems. Performance should be essentially the same, right? The answer is a resounding no. The performance results of different distributions, even ones running the same kernel version, the same core libraries, and the same filesystem can be very, very different.

Improved Linux Screen Space Management With PekWM

By Caitlyn Martin
March 8, 2009

PekWM offers an additional solution: window grouping. It allows a variety of different applications to be grouped together in a single window. Most everyone is familiar with tabbed browsing by now. Window grouping takes this one step further. When window grouping is used in PekWM the title bar in the window manager is segmented with each section effectively acting like a tab.

Interview with Infoworld's Paul Venezia on the Terry Child's Case

By Timothy M. O'Brien
February 26, 2009

If you are a network engineer, you might want to pay attention to the continuing case of Terry Childs in San Francisco. In this 15-minute interview, Paul Venezia discusses the inconsistencies in the case, and why every technologist should be paying attention to the outcome of the Childs case.

Love and UNIX: An Undying Affection

By Allen Noren
February 13, 2009

Youthful indiscretions, trysts, dalliances? Programmer and writer Thomas Scoville has had them with every OS from VMS, MVS, and CP/M. He even admits to a short-lived infatuation with Windows. But he's always returned to his one true love, UNIX.

Netbook Nightmare: My Experience With the Sylvania g Netbook

By Caitlyn Martin
February 13, 2009

I would have rated the hardware in this unit highly if it hadn't failed on me on two consecutive systems. I understand that two units is hardly a scientific sample and that I may just have had really bad luck. Unfortunately the software proved to be a disaster as well.

O'Reilly Week in Review for January 26, 2009

By James Turner
January 28, 2009

This week's podcast has excerpts from interviews with Craig Newmark of Craigslist and Linux Device Driver Guru Greg-Kroah Hartman. There's also a audio tour of the O'Reilly web site, and a new podquiz that can score you a book from...

MadTux Closes Its Doors

By Caitlyn Martin
January 2, 2009

After eight years in business California-based MadTux, an online retailer specializing in systems preloaded with Linux, has closed.

First (well, sort of) O'Reilly podcast

By James Stanger
December 25, 2008

Below is my first podcast for this page. It's technically not my first podcast for O'Reilly, because a couple of years ago (Summer, 2006), Andy Oram and I sat down and created a podcast about the LPI Linux in a...

The Lawsuit Ain't Over Til the Fat Lady Sings

By James Turner
December 1, 2008

Last week, the final judgment was issued in the SCO v. Novell lawsuit. Later in the week SCO filed notice of intent to appeal. We thought it might be a good time to check in with the chronicler of all things SCO, Pamela Jones of Groklaw, and see just where things stand.

Fedora 10: Upgrading an Earlier Version Still a Bad Idea + Adobe AIR Doesn't Like 10

By Todd Ogasawara
December 1, 2008

Updating Fedora from one release to another is still a bad idea even with Fedora 10. But, the biggest issue for me is that Adobe AIR for Linux Beta 1 doesn't install on it.

How Linux Supports More Devices Than Any Other OS, Ever

By chromatic
October 29, 2008

Greg-Kroah Hartman discusses why he believes the Linux kernel supports more devices than any other operating system ever has, why binary-only drivers are impractical, immoral, and illegal, and how the kernel development process contributes to the inevitable world domination of free software.

An array of embedded Linux expertise

By Andy Oram
October 27, 2008

Most potential buyers of Building Embedded Linux Systems don't know about the contributors' impressive credentials. Here are some of the people who brought you the second edition.

First Impressions of My New Android Phone

By Brian Redfern
October 23, 2008

The Android isn't the same as the iPhone. Its got a different philosophy behind it.

The Sine Qua Non of the Free Desktop

By chromatic
October 16, 2008

Pundits of all kinds love to preach that the free desktop needs this feature or that software to succeed. They may be right for certain audiences, but they often miss the single essential feature which gives free desktops an amazing evolutionary edge.

oVirt, Open Virtualization Done Right

By Mike McGrath
October 9, 2008

One thing that most people don't realize with virtualization is that its not the actual virtualization layer that is important. It works, they all do. The important part is in the management tools and that's something that's been sorely missing from the Open Source arena for too long.

Yum Plugins - security

By Mike McGrath
October 7, 2008

Since dep-hell is something I haven't seen in years yum just sort of keeps on updating my packages, installing new ones, etc. Other apps like PackageKit (a gui updater) have come along, but I've largely ignored them. Now I've discovered how useful yum plugins can be.

OSCON moves to San Jose

By Allison Randal
October 1, 2008

The official word is out, OSCON 2009 will be moving from Portland, Oregon to San Jose, California. We've received significant positive feedback on the move, and messages of welcome from Bay Area open source contacts, but also some messages of disappointment from the local Portland open source community, and from non-local attendees who enjoyed visiting Portland every year. We're also...

Solaris Nowhere Close To Death

By Chris Josephes
October 1, 2008

Jim Zemlin's job with the Linux Foundation is almost the equivalent of Steve Ballmer's job with Microsoft -- and he does it in the style of Steve Ballmer. That includes loud, outrageous, and sometimes incorrect claims that are easy to refute.

Vector Linux SOHO Is Free Again

By Caitlyn Martin
September 29, 2008

After stripping away the marketing hype the net result is that SOHO is once again free. I also have to wonder if there was some push back from the community when SOHO, which was free for download when version 5.8 was current, was moved to a paid-only status.

How PowerTOP, LatencyTOP, and Five-Second Boot Improve Desktop Linux

By chromatic
September 24, 2008

Arjan van de Ven is a Linux kernel hacker and the author of PowerTOP and LatencyTOP. His goal is to fix problems in the Linux desktop to save power, respond more smoothly, and to run faster. This interview explains how.

Avoiding Downstream Eddies in Free Software

By chromatic
September 23, 2008

Recent discussions about who contributes to the Linux ecosystem have singled out certain companies as freeriders. That almost makes, but misses a greater point: it's their responsibility to contribute to the health of upstream projects.

Theodore Tso: How the LSB Helps You Behind the Scenes

By James Turner
September 22, 2008

The Linux Standard Base (LSB) is the Rosetta Stone for Linux distributions, it establishes a common set of libraries and tools that any Linux application can use safely, and be assured of running correctly. The Linux Foundation is the keeper of the LSB, and recently we spoke with Theodore Tso, who helps tend the LSB, about what goes into keeping it healthy, and how it benefits ISVs, distribution maintainers, and end users alike.

Firefox EULA: Free as in ...?

By James Turner
September 16, 2008

Everyone seems to be in a huff about the EULA that Mozilla is displaying when you start Firefox under Ubuntu. There are even calls to pull Firefox out of the distribution altogether. But in reality, it's a tempest in a teapot, a waste of valuable energy, and harmfully divisive. Here's why.

Finding Linux Systems Where They Never Were Found Before

By Caitlyn Martin
September 11, 2008

Up until very recently every system, desktop and laptop, in their catalog ran Windows and sported a Windows logo in the ad. While the majority still do a half a dozen laptops, all low-end netbooks, are sold with Linux preinstalled and the Tux logo is prominently featured in some of the ads.

Vector Linux Partners With SQI To Provide Support Infrastructure

By Caitlyn Martin
September 9, 2008

SQI is providing and hosting their Incident Manager software, a ticketing system specifically for paid support customers, as well as a blowledge base available to all Vector Linux users. In addition to providing the software for the knowledge base they are assisting with content creation. The new Vector Linux website which was unveiled in July is also hosted by SQI.

Linux Status Page for Chromium

By M. David Peterson
September 4, 2008

For those of you (such as myself) who have interest in Chromium (The foundation of which Google Chrome is built upon) running on Linux, Seo Sanghyeon has created a status page over on the Google Groups Chromium-Dev site. http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev/web/linux-status...

Building V8 On Linux With GCC 4.3

By M. David Peterson
September 2, 2008

via a recent post to the V8-Dev mailing list, the always impressive Seo Sanghyeon provided the following info and patch related to building the V8 virtual machine on Linux via GCC 4.3: Hello, everybody, I had to do the following...

Python for Unix and Linux System Administration Book Arrives At Door

By Noah Gift
August 25, 2008

Jeremy and I both received the first copies of Python For Unix and Linux System Administration at our house's on Friday. It took Jeremy and I close to a year and a half from conception to finish, to write the book.

Just how large was the XML revolution?

By Simon St. Laurent
August 14, 2008

In a talk that he'd contemplated naming "XML as the precipitating factor in the upcoming religious wars," Eduardo Gutentag examined how XML participated in, or even started, a revolution that most of the world didn't notice. Gutentag quoted Jon Bosak...

Slackware 12.1 - The Newest Version of the Oldest Surviving Linux Distribution

By Caitlyn Martin
August 14, 2008

Slackware has a well earned reputation for reliability, stability, and performance. It may also be the least user friendly major Linux distribution on the planet short of building Linux From Scratch.

Linus Torvalds on Linux Distributions

By Caitlyn Martin
July 27, 2008

"And when it comes to distributions, ease of installation has actually been one of my main issues - I'm a technical person, but I have a very specific area of interest, and I don't want to fight the rest."

Vector Linux SOHO 5.9 Deluxe -- Not Just For The Office

By Caitlyn Martin
July 22, 2008

You get all the reliability and stability of Slackware, better performance than vanilla Slack (at least on my hardware) and the features and most of the conveniences users of distributions touted as user friendly have come to expect.

Jim Zemlin at OSCON: The Mysterious Work of the Linux Foundation

By James Turner
July 22, 2008

Jim Zemlin, the executive director of the Linux Foundation, talked with O'Reilly News at OSCON, the O'Reilly open source convention. He demystifies the role that the Linux Foundation plays in helping to promote Linux use, provide legal defense, and broker cooperative work between Linux related projects.

Firefox 3 vs. CentOS 4 Linux

By Todd Ogasawara
June 17, 2008

If you install Firefox 3 on CentOS 4 (RHEL4 clone), keep a copy of Firefox 2 handy. Firefox 3 wants GTK 2.10 or newer and CentOS 4's GTK is 2.4. Read on...

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