DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD.

The bewildering choice and the ever increasing number of Linux distributions can be confusing for those who are new to Linux. This is why this page was created. It lists 10 Linux distributions (plus an honourable mention of FreeBSD, by far the most popular of all of the BSDs), which are generally considered as most widely-used by Linux users around the world. There are no figures to back it up and there are many other distributions that might suit your particular purpose better, but as a general rule, all of these are popular and have very active forums or mailing lists where you can ask questions if you get stuck.

Choosing a distribution is not an easy decision, the best path is really trying out first. Still forewarned is forewarned and these reviews give the important information about distribution suitability for different purposes. Well worth a read.

Welcome - TheOpenCD

TheOpenCD is a collection of high quality Free and Open Source Software. The programs run in Windows and cover the most common tasks such as word processing, presentations, e-mail, web browsing, web design, and image manipulation. We include only the highest quality programs, which have been carefully tested for stability and which we consider appropriate for a wide audience.

A useful CD to have on file as part of the setting up Windows routine. Also a good way to find other free software that you weren’t previously aware of.

Latest Ubuntu delivers on the promise of Open Source | Ubuntu

Ubuntu 7.04 desktop edition includes a ground-breaking Windows migration assistant, excellent wireless networking support and improved multimedia support.

I’ll be looking at this over the next few days, the Windows migration sound very exciting.

The download page is here

eXcito - Your files anywhere, anytime…

Accessing your files where ever you are - that’s freedom. Being able to place your server in a small drawer, always running - that’s freedom. Not being bothered by constant fan noise - that’s freedom.

I’m very excited about this. Partly because it runs Linux but mostly becuase it appears to be a rock solid solution to the problem of where to keep files when I move between more than one computer at home. It’s also relatively cheap too which is always a good thing.

How to Install PHP and MySQL Under Windows XP, from Technical Enterprises - White Papers, Webcasts and Case Studies - ZDNet

MySQL, for database functions and PHP for server-based scripting. While many books and articles describe how to install these open-source tools under Linux, this paper shows how to install these products under Windows XP.

Happy as I am to run Linux when I’m working on CMS websites and templates there are times when it is quite inconvenient. I never thought I’d ever say this but a quick read through confirms my experience that this may be easier in Linux but this is a thorough guide and essential reading.

A big question this one, especially when trying Linux for the first time. I was lucky that I had a good experience with Mandrake (as was then) but a bad experience could have put me off for life. I know from reading forums that this is a common question. Someone suggested the Linux distribution chooser website so I had a go.

The first choice was OpenSuse, which is my distro of choice after a reasonable amount of experimentation so it seems fairly acurate as far as I am concerned. The questions were also sensible and not offputting for the first timer.  Definately worth a look

» Vista Hands On #13: Connect to a shared folder on a Linux machine | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com

As I noted earlier this week, I’ve been trying to get a Linux box installed on my network so I can explore interoperability issues between Windows and Linux. I can now report that I have succeeded in installing Ubuntu Linux 6.10 and it seems to be running well. First problem I ran into was that the Vista machine couldn’t access shared resources on the Linux box and vice versa. I had no problem passing files back and forth between the Linux box and one running Windows XP. This post deals with the first problem, connecting to the shared resources on the Linux box. (I’ll tackle the issue of connecting to a Vista share in a follow-up post.)

Of all the challenges of running Linux I’ve come across, sharing files has always been the greatest. So any help is worth reading and sharing

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Linux community dealt a blow by GPL 3.0 - vnunet.com

Proposed changes in version three of the GNU general public licence (GPL), which governs the use of open-source code, could split the open-source community, according to experts.

I suppose I’m as guilty as everyone else that I tend to skim though licence agreements and not pay much attention to them. Those days might be over, or at least there may be trouble ahead. Perhaps I should be looking at which side of the fence I want to find myself on now.

Flaw Fixed in Unix-like Systems

A buffer overflow vulnerability caused by an integer underflow in the file_printf function in Unix-like operating systems has been patched

Patches by Red Hat and Ubuntu were released more than a week ago for users of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and 5 as well as Ubuntu 5.10, Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, Ubuntu 6.10 and corresponding versions of Kubuntu, Edubuntu, and Xubuntu. OpenWall GNU/*Linux and Mandriva have also released updates to address the issue.

Time to double check for online updates methinks…..

Reduce your Linux memory footprint

A much-touted benefit of Linux is that it is more efficient than Microsoft® Windows®, and will therefore perform better on less than cutting-edge hardware. This performance makes Linux a very attractive upgrade for the many people who have old Windows 98-era boxes still sitting around that are no longer being treated to the latest and greatest software (particularly security patches).

Quite techie this one, but worth a read if Linux on older hardware hasn’t been what you thought it was cracked up to be.