ubuntu

Programmers have released the first beta version of Ubuntu Linux with new flash technology--in two senses of the term.

First, Ubuntu is finally following leading Linux versions from Red Hat and Novell that include snazzy 3D graphics in the user interface. Specifically, the version 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon" beta uses Compiz Fusion, software that uses OpenGL graphics technology to make windows transparent, map desktops to the faces of a cube, let windows wobble as if made of JELL-O or zoom them for quick magnification. Various 3D effects can be downloaded and plugged in. Some folks find this eye … Read more

A list of major open source players that actually makes sense

Most lists of "up and coming" open-source companies are somewhat flimsy, essentially bought by PR firms. But this one from iTWire actually took some thought, and I think it gets things mostly right. The companies/projects profiled are Google, OpenMoko, rPath/XenSource, and Red Hat/Canonical (Ubuntu).

I thought the article's commentary on Google's Summer of Code was particularly enlightening, being a sometime Google critic myself:

What's most astonishing about the Summer of Code is that Google really do not clearly appear to benefit. Instead, they are using their own money to fund development of clearly defined and external open source projects.… Read more

How much is Microsoft's patent protection worth?

I was reading Dave Rosenberg's commentary on Novell's patent deal with Microsoft and got to thinking about how much "protection" there actually is in the relationship. Novell has been selling this protection hard to its Suse prospects ("Linux is scary because Microsoft might sue. But we have a deal with Microsoft..."). Extortion? Sure. But for some it seems that integrity has a price.

For those who can't be bought, just how much protection are you missing? Not very much, it seems to me, and to a range of open-source legal experts I e-mailed to solicit their opinions.

I asked them to weigh in on the matter. Here's what I heard.… Read more

Why Microsoft must abandon Vista to save itself

While Vista was originally touted by Microsoft as the operating system savior we've all been waiting for, it has turned out to be one of the biggest blunders in technology. With a host of issues that are inexcusable and features that are taken from the Mac OS X and Linux playbook, Microsoft has once again lost sight of what we really want.

As we're more than aware, Vista Ultimate comes at a premium. For an additional $160 over the Premium SKU price, Ultimate gives you a complete backup and restore option, BitLocker Drive encryption, the ever so popular Windows Fax & Scan, and the "Ultimate Extras." But what started with a promise of "Extras" by summer, quickly turned into an apology from Microsoft and the eventual release of DreamScene and Windows Hold 'Em (among others) today. And while each of the "Extras" runs just fine, Microsoft's "Extras" blunder is just another reason why the company must abandon Vista before it's too late.… Read more

Linux and its identity crisis

If you've been following the current rift in the Linux community between Linus Torvalds and his minions squaring off against Con Kolivas and the mainstream Linux fanatics, you probably know that it's getting quite heated. You also probably know that these two entirely different ideas could create three possible paths Linux can take for the future: stay geeky and appeal to the advanced tech guru in all of us; go mainstream and leave the advanced functionality and reliable kernel behind to compete with Microsoft and Apple; or face a "civil war" that could lead to total Linux annihilation.

Those that have followed the path of Torvalds are trumpeting his stance in saying that Linux is "the best" because it sticks to its core values and doesn't sacrifice usability to appeal to grandma. On the other hand, the mainstream group thinks Linux is in a unique position with Ubuntu to capitalize on the consumer market and make it a more viable alternative to Mac OS X and Windows for the average user.

And while I agree that some Linux distributions are ready for the "big time," they're typically not the best and they lose sight of what makes Linux great: security, advanced functionality and outstanding usability.

Linux shouldn't go mainstream--it should embrace its roots and stay Linux.… Read more

What to do when open source is not good enough

The obvious answer is "Use something else." Some, however, don't like simple answers to obvious questions, so I'm now going to spend 1,000 words or so saying, "Use something else." You have been warned...

For a variety of reasons, I've been thinking lately about what to do when open-source software is not good enough for a given set of needs/requirements. There are some who believe that we should use open-source software, even if it's rubbish. I'm not among that group.

Fortunately, this is less and less an issue as open-source software becomes better--even superior, in a growing number of instances--to proprietary software. I use Adium (open-source instant messaging application) because it's better than Apple's iChat (though I turn to iChat when I want to do video chat because, well, Adium doesn't offer this feature). I use NeoOffice (OpenOffice for the Mac) increasingly because I actually prefer its presentation program to Microsoft's PowerPoint, but I have to head back to PowerPoint when I want to embed video in a presentation.

And so on.

For those who think that open source is something to impose, I disagree. I believe that open source can carry its own arguments. When it can't, I don't use it, but hope for people to come along who will fill the void. They almost always do.… Read more

More food and football with Mark Shuttleworth

Back in April I was fortunate to host Mark Shuttleworth at an Arsenal game and then dinner. Today, we repeated the day with an amazingly fun day at the Arsenal vs. Tottenham match, coupled with an exceptional dinner at Asia de Cuba (fantastic food). This time the day was made even better by the addition of my good friend, Bryce Roberts, of O'Reilly Alpha Tech Ventures.

We had a great conversation in the Tube and over dinner, which I'll report below. But it's first worth mentioning the match.

It was INTENSE. We were seated right on the fault line between Arsenal and Tottenham supporters (in the Tottenham seats), and the energy there was negative and wild. You get a slight taste for it in this video that I took with my camera after Arsenal's first goal:… Read more

Ubuntu's desktop not ready for primetime, declares Walt Mossberg

Let's be very clear: nobody but Apple gets much desktop love from Walt Mossberg's influential consumer tech column in the Wall Street Journal. Not Windows. Not Linux. Not anything except OS X.

Part of this is because of his audience ("This column is written for mainstream, nontechie users of digital technology"). Part of it is because he simply prefers the Mac or other Apple technology to just about anything.

Whatever the reason, it's not all that surprising that Mossberg largely pans the Ubuntu desktop in a recent article, as CNET's Stephen Shankland notes on his blog.… Read more

Mossberg's Ubuntu Linux verdict: Nope

Walt Mossberg, the influential Wall Street Journal reviewer who strikes fear into the hearts of computing and gadget companies, has weighed in on Ubuntu Linux.

And it's bad news for Linux fans.

Despite Dell's endorsement of the Canonical-sponsored software and its decision to sell PCs with it installed, Mossberg thinks Ubuntu isn't ready for mainstream folks.

His conclusion: "Even in the relatively slick Ubuntu variation, Linux is still too rough around the edges for the vast majority of computer users. While Ubuntu looks a lot like Windows or Mac OS X, it is full of little … Read more