Linux Links

Linux : Opinions : Linux and the laughing shepherd
Posted: ( Thu 16th Aug 2001 11:30:06[PM] UTC )
Linux advocates have an advantage - logic and reason are on our side. We can dispel the myths, deflect the fud and rattle off the many reasons why our favourite OS is the best choice for most situations. We have all the facts at our fingertips and can use them to reply to any question. Any question that is, until we are asked "if it's so good, why isn't everyone using it?" We all know that Microsoft has used tactics, many unethical, some illegal, to keep the sheep together; but even knowing this the sheep follow each other and stay in the pasture. Perhaps there is an explanation, one that will at least help us to understand why the shepherd has such power. But first we must consider an example of sheepish behaviour, one that will show clearly why the shepherd is laughing. The case that follows is just an overview for the purposes of brevity.

Linux : Opinions : Will Open Source lose the battle for the Web?
Posted: ( Tue 14th Aug 2001 01:38:58[AM] UTC )
This article argues that the shift towards Web services has reduced the attractiveness of the current generation of Open Source Web products. The only solution is for Open Source to adopt a Web services architecture, and fast. Fortunately, there is one at hand, and it's not dotGNU! Can the Open Sourcers wake up and save the world before it is too late? Read on to find out.

Linux : Articles : Secretaries use Linux, taxpayers save millions
Posted: ( Tue 14th Aug 2001 12:57:46[AM] UTC )
"Walk into the Largo, Florida, city hall and look at the two computer screens behind the reception desk. Instead of the typical Windows "Start" button in the lower left-hand corner, they have a KDE "Gear" logo, as do almost all of the 400-plus monitors on Largo employees' desks. Receptionists, administrative assistants, and division fire chiefs here all use Linux instead of Windows, and most of them don't really notice one way or the other. But the elected officials who are responsible for Largo's IT budget certainly know about and notice Linux, because using Linux instead of Windows is saving the city a lot of money," writes in Robin Miller.

Linux : Howtos : Installing ReiserFS on a second hard drive
Posted: ( Sun 12th Aug 2001 11:22:44[PM] UTC )
"Today, we'll take a look at what is involved in adding a 2nd hard drive to your system. I'll assume, fair or not, that your setup is like mine. You have a hard drive that has ext2 on it as your 1st hard drive and that it is on /dev/hda. I'll also assume that, like me, you began running out of disk space and said "Hard drives are very inexpensive these days, let me go grab one that has about 25 gigs on it and I'll put Reiser File System on it so that I don't have to wait an hour for the file system check to happen."

Linux : Howtos : Learning with nmap
Posted: ( Sun 12th Aug 2001 11:17:56[PM] UTC )
It is important to carry out a scanning of your own network, and look for vulnerabilities. There are several scanning tools for this purpose. Here we look at nmap. Nmap is among the most complete scanners and security tools. It allows the system administrator to scan the networks in order to know which servers are active and which services they offer. For this purpose, nmap offers several scanning techniques. This article will work on a limited number of them, reviewing (maybe teaching?) some aspects of TCP protocol."

Linux : Howtos : So your monitor died
Posted: ( Sun 12th Aug 2001 11:08:26[PM] UTC )
If you are running Linux, or most UNIX variants, and you have taken appropriate precautions, you probably have a simple workaround. This workaround is also useful for the times when your X server crashes, and you need to clean up the carcass. I am writing this on my desktop computer in spite of the fact that my monitor just died. I'm using my laptop as an X terminal. The purpose of this note is to tell you how to do that.

Linux : Reviews : Slackware Linux 8.0
Posted: ( Thu 9th Aug 2001 02:49:45[AM] UTC )
Even with most current OSes moving to a more automated method of installation and maintenance, Slackware has always maintained its simple, hands-on approach. This helps the user learn Linux commands and configuration quickly, and learn them correctly. This is quite possibly the reason Slackware has lasted so long. Slackware takes a completely different perspective and focuses on learning through practice -- or just using that power if you're a more advanced user. Which is maybe the thing that makes Slackware so popular. It is well-known within the Linux community that Slackware takes pride in simplicity. Slackware 8 is no exception to this rule, as it assures you'll be up and running with the likes of XFree86 4.1.0 and kernel 2.4.5 in no time.

Linux : Howtos : Installing and running Tripwire
Posted: ( Mon 6th Aug 2001 09:00:11[PM] UTC )
Tripwire is a little software package available for Linux as well as for other Unix variants and Windows. It is a file integrity tool and can prove to be very effective measure against malicious code, sniffers, trojans or any other software post installed to your system. Tripwire, effective as it is, cannot help you if your system has been compromised prior to the installation of Tripwire. So, in order to use it properly, install it just after you install and set up your system. A howto to help you install and use it.

Linux : Reviews : Python for the PalmOS
Posted: ( Mon 6th Aug 2001 12:56:15[AM] UTC )
Pippy is a port of (a subset of) Python to the PalmOS. With Pippy, Python programmers can create custom applications to run on Palm devices, as well as use Pippy as an interactive environment directly on the Palm. David Mertzevaluates the strengths and limitations of Pippy as a means of implementing Palm applications.

Linux : Howtos : Make your virtual console log in automatically
Posted: ( Mon 6th Aug 2001 12:45:13[AM] UTC )
"The method I'm going to describe for getting your virtual consoles logged in automatically consists of installing some software and changing a few lines in /etc/inittab. Before I do that, I'll take you on a mind-expanding journey through the land of getties and logins to see just how a Unix user gets logged in."

Linux : Opinions : Blackberry messages well?
Posted: ( Sun 5th Aug 2001 10:58:15[PM] UTC )
Linux users tend to fight religious wars over the proper distribution of Linux to install. I don't have time or space for the whole story, but it boils down to this: If you want Linux to do things the way most people do, it's probably easier to get there with Mandrake. Mandrake installs Linux and by default turns on a number of processes. It builds interfaces in a particular way. Most of the installation scripts have been prepared by people with considerable experience. The goal is to get running in a fairly standard way," says Jerry Pournelle.

Linux : Opinions : Leave the front door unlocked, too
Posted: ( Wed 1st Aug 2001 10:39:43[PM] UTC )
Last week Michael Stutz released the "design science license," in an effort to bring copyleft to all copyrighted materials, not just software. But it's a soft-headed idea, argues Powell, who calls it a plan for progressive redistribution of talent that will appeal to the talentless.

Linux : Opinions : The customer's always wronged
Posted: ( Tue 31st Jul 2001 02:22:53[AM] UTC )
"The lesson I take away from all of this is pretty straightforward: Even if everybody used Linux, the support we'd get would continue to be terrible. It's tempting to believe that there's a quiet anti-Linux conspiracy at work in the farmed-out support houses, customer centers, and help desks of the world (some people seem to want to run an OS they perceive as likely to remain marginal in perpetuity), but it seems clear that there isn't: there's just a general problem with customer care and quality in general," says Michael Hall.

Linux : Opinions : FrontPage XP bad, Ricochet good
Posted: ( Mon 30th Jul 2001 02:31:15[AM] UTC )
For his new Ricochet setup, Jerry Pournelle goes with Linux, maintaining that it's the more secure alternative and that support from the developer community is good: "The advantage of Windows 2000 is that it's easy to set up. The disadvantage is security. There are several advantages to Linux. Stability, security and flexibility. The only disadvantage is difficulty in getting the system set up and running in the first place, starting with USB support. Given the alternatives I chose Linux."

Linux : Opinions : Heading for a safe harbor in a rough market
Posted: ( Mon 30th Jul 2001 02:02:27[AM] UTC )
The big question is how to make sure you can survive market downturns until the good times come back again. In this Linux in the Enterprise column, David HM Spector presents some ideas on how to make sure that you're still around, and how you can do this by leveraging your Linux skills.