New Mac OS X Snow Leopard Beta Released, Run to the Torrents
A new version of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard—labeled 10A335—has hit developers. Apple hasn't mentioned any new features or bug fixes, however. The Server version—which was released alongside—does come with an easier to use version of Podcast Producer, new spam mail filters in Mail Server, and other niceties.
KDE 4.3 released with interesting innovations
KDE 4.3 has officially been released. Code named Caizen, this release builds up on the previous release of KDE (4.2) bringing with it new innovations mainly on the desktop, applications and development platform.
Watch the following video to learn more about the fabulous new features in KDE 4.3.
- Plasma has a new theme called Air.
- Now you can have different set of widgets in each workspace.
- Introduced new widgets which connect to many prominent online web services such as Flickr, blogging platforms and social networks (Twitter ...).
- Widgets can now live on the taskbar and many other places other than the desktop.
- Instant file and folder preview feature introduced in Dolphin file manager.
- A more helpful KRunner - The ubiquitous run dialog in KDE 4.
Read the details at the official KDE web site.
SSH Clients – OpenSSH and Putty
OpenSSH and Putty are free SSH clients to connect to a unix or linux server from a computer running windows operating system. Though Microsoft Windows has a built-in client to FTP and Telnet remote systems, it does not have a SSH client to connect to a remote server. OpenSSH and Putty are useful client if you need to SSH and Telnet to a remote computer.
OpenSSH for Windows:
OpenSSH for Windows is a free package that installs a minimal OpenSSH server and client utilities in the Cygwin package without needing the full Cygwin installation.The OpenSSH for Windows package provides full SSH/SCP/SFTP support. SSH terminal support provides a familiar Windows Command prompt, while retaining Unix/Cygwin-style paths for SCP and SFTP. the following are the general features of OpenSSH:
- Windows NT Service Support
- Windows Command Prompt support for SSH Terminal
- SCP/SFTP server support
- Includes Command-line clients
Free download OpenSSH installer from here. The full install of OpenSSH is about 5mb, while installer is under 3mb.
Putty Client:
PuTTY is a free implementation of Telnet and SSH for Win32 and Unix platforms, along with an xterm terminal emulator. Free download Putty from here.
We will see how to use OpenSSH and Putty in our future articles.
Nokia E55 short review
We sniffed out Nokia's new E55 not-a-QWERTY QWERTY candybar phone, which uses a SureType-esque predictive text mechanism with two letters per key, and looks pretty good doing it. Nokia's calling this the "world's thinnest smartphone," quite the feat if it's true, and it might just give Nokia's ultrapopular E71 a run for its money in the "fashionably smart" category. We played with the phone for a brief moment, and though it's running an alpha software build, we didn't have much trouble typing out a quick message.
Unfortunately, while the keys are naturally larger, they aren't very "clicky" or distinct -- not horrible, but certainly not best-in-class. The prediction works well enough, learning new words after one entry, and letting you d-pad up and down through other options if it doesn't get it right the first try. Overall the phone feels on par with quality of the E71, though lighter and smaller, and is insanely pocketable.
All article via engadget.com
Chrome 2.0 beta but no Linux version, yet
Google released a pre-beta version of its Chrome 2.0 browser late last week but has still not made a Linux or Mac version of the browser available.
The 2.0 version of the browser was released to developers and includes a number of new features including the begins of an extension strategy for the browser.
Senior Google staffers said, however, that Linux and Mac versions of the browser would only be made available later this year. CNet quotes Brian Rakowski, Chrome’s product manager, who said that the Mac and Linux versions of the browser were now at the “test shell” stage which meant that they could show web pages but are still in a very raw format.
Rakowski said that versions of Chrome for Linux and Mac would likely be made available by the middle of 2009.
Extensions
Chrome 2.0 pre-beta does include support for some extension scripts, which will pave the way for fully-fledged extensions in the near future. Extensions are among the most requested features from users and is a key part of the success of rival browser Firefox.
Other new features in version 2.0 of Chrome include autocomplete for web forms, full-page zoom, multiple browser profiles each with their own bookmarks and cookies, autoscroll using the mouse centre button and the ability to import bookmarks from the Google Bookmarks site.
Less obvious to users but key to Chrome 2.0 is the inclusion of a new version of the WebKit rendering engine. The new Chrome release uses WebKit 528.8, which is faster and supports features such as CSS canvas drawing for 2D shapes such as lines on maps or custom-generated charts.
Source: http://www.tectonic.co.za
Acer to ship 10-inch Aspire One with Linux
Despite earlier announcing that it would only ship a Windows XP version of its 10-inch Aspire One netbook, Acer now says it plans to release a Linux version as well.
A company spokesman said this week that the 10-inch Aspire One would soon be available with Windows XP or Linux and a choice of a 160GB hard disk drive or a 16GB solid state drive.
Acer’s original Aspire One had an 8.9-inch screen and a choice of Windows XP or Linupus, Acer’s customised Linux operating system. The Aspire One 10-inch is expected to be released in mid-February internationally.
Reports of pre-orders in the US pin the Aspire One 10-inch at $349. SA pricing and availability are not known at this point.
Linux-ready XScale net board ships
Gateworks Corp. is shipping the second of its power-sipping Cambria Network Platform boards. The Cambria GW2350 ships with an OpenWrt Linux-based board support package (BSP) and optional dev kit, and targets enterprise and residential network applications, says the company.
The Cambria GW2350 is a lower cost ($211 in volume) version of the Cambria GW2358-4 board that was announced in August, and offers a single Type III Mini-PCI socket instead of the GW2358-4's four slots, says the company. The Cambria GW2350 is targeted at customer premise equipment that requires "a rugged, small form factor network processing engine," says the company.
The board incorporates an Intel IXP435 XScale processor clocked at 667MHz. The IXP435 integrates an XScale core with a pair of network processor engines (NPEs) -- programmable processing elements with their own instruction and data memory.
Except for the difference in price and the number of Mini-PCI slots, the GW2350 appears to be identical to the GW2358-4. It offers 128MB of DDRII-400 SDRAM and 32MB of flash, with a CompactFlash socket for expansion. The board also includes two Ethernet ports, two USB 2.0 host ports, a serial port, and a variety of other I/O. A GPS receiver and an additional serial port are optional. The GW2350 typically consumes only six Watts, and supports power-over-ethernet (PoE), says Gateworks.
The board is touted for its broad 8-48VDC input range and its reverse polarity and transient protection, which together are said to support applications ranging from automotive devices to solar and battery-powered wireless installations. The Mini-PCI slot can be used for 802.11ab/g, 802.11n, or WiMAX radios, says the company.
The GW2350 is preloaded with the open source Redboot boot loader, and OpenWrt, a community-supported Linux distribution. In addition, a hardware/software development kit is available as a separate option. The Cambria Dev Kit (pictured above, right) adds a USB JTAG flash programming interface, a passive PoE power supply/injector, a cable set, and a Linux development CD that includes the OpenWrt-based BSP.
Availability
The Cambria GW2350 is shipping now from stock, with prices starting at $211 in OEM quantities, says Gateworks. Customized versions are said to be available for volumes as low as 100 pieces. No new price was provided for the Cambria Dev Kit, but in August it was said to cost $410 per unit. More information may be found here.
For more information on the GW2350, including a detailed spec list, please see our coverage of the almost identical GW2358-4.
Wrist-Worn Linux PC demoed at military tech conference
Eurotech's U.S. arm, Parvus, will demonstrate the company's innovative wrist-worn PC at a military technology conference June 19 in Washington, D.C. The Zypad WL 1000 runs Linux or Windows CE, and features hands-free operation, wireless networking, GPS tracking, and patent-pending power management technology.
The device targets emergency search-and-rescue, healthcare, homeland security, maintenance, law enforcement, logicstics, transportation, and defense applications. The Zypad WL 1000 is based on a Raza Microelectronics 32-bit MIPS-based AU 1100 processor (formerly offered by AMD) clocked at 400MHz. It has 64MB each of flash RAM and flash ROM, with expansion available through an SD card slot.
The Zypad WL 1000 has a 3.5-inch QVGA (240 x 320) touchscreen with automatic contrast adjust. It also features an 11-key backlit keypad.
Network interfaces include 802.11b/g, GPS, and PAN Bluetooth class 2 (32 feet), each with integral antennas. The device also includes USB 1.1 host and device ports, along with stereo audio I/O.
The Zypad WL 1000 comes with a 2200 mAh 3.6 V Li-ion removable battery pack claimed to offer up to eight hours of life, depending on usage. An external power supply and car adapter will be available separately.
Additional touted features include:
- Comfortable weight distribution, even over clothing
- Tilt and dead reckoning system -- can determine if a user is motionless or has fallen down, and initiate radiosonde beacon
- Patent-applied-for switch initiates standby mode when users arm hangs down beside the body
- Claimed battery life up to 8 hours
Mike Southworth, marketing director, said Pavus is optimistic about the marketplace prospects for the unique wrist-worn PC. "The WL 1000 is a great platform for systems integrators and OEMs to build products on. The types of projects expressing interest in the defense space include healthcare systems that provide treatment information and patient history to field paramedics. There's a Navy program that calls for such devices in the thousands of units."
Availability
The Zypad WL 1000 is being manufactured by Eurotech in Italy, according to Southworth. Parvus currently has demo units, and expects to have the product "on the shelf" in late July, priced at $2,500.
Eurotech's Wrist-worn PC roadmap also calls for an ARM-based model by year's end, Southworth said.
The Zypad WL 1000 is being demonstrated at the Armed Forces Communication Electronics Association's 2006 TechNet International Conference held today in Washington D.C.
What is Linux?
Note: You may want to start with our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to see answers to some of the most common queries we get about Linux. If you're thinking about switching to Linux, you may want to read How to Become a Successful Linux User . Also, the page: So You Want to Use Linux? provides some more information about Linux migration.
Linux is an operating system that was initially created as a hobby by a young student, Linus Torvalds, at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Linus had an interest in Minix, a small UNIX system, and decided to develop a system that exceeded the Minix standards. He began his work in 1991 when he released version 0.02 and worked steadily until 1994 when version 1.0 of the Linux Kernel was released. The kernel, at the heart of all Linux systems, is developed and released under the GNU General Public License and its source code is freely available to everyone. It is this kernel that forms the base around which a Linux operating system is developed. There are now literally hundreds of companies and organizations and an equal number of individuals that have released their own versions of operating systems based on the Linux kernel. More information on the kernel can be found at our sister site, LinuxHQ and at the official Linux Kernel Archives. The current full-featured version is 2.6 (released December 2003) and development continues.
Apart from the fact that it's freely distributed, Linux's functionality, adaptability and robustness, has made it the main alternative for proprietary Unix and Microsoft operating systems. IBM, Hewlett-Packard and other giants of the computing world have embraced Linux and support its ongoing development. Well into its second decade of existence, Linux has been adopted worldwide primarily as a server platform. Its use as a home and office desktop operating system is also on the rise. The operating system can also be incorporated directly into microchips in a process called "embedding" and is increasingly being used this way in appliances and devices.
Throughout most of the 1990's, tech pundits, largely unaware of Linux's potential, dismissed it as a computer hobbyist project, unsuitable for the general public's computing needs. Through the efforts of developers of desktop management systems such as KDE and GNOME, office suite project OpenOffice.org and the Mozilla web browser project, to name only a few, there are now a wide range of applications that run on Linux and it can be used by anyone regardless of his/her knowledge of computers. Those curious to see the capabilities of Linux can download a live CD version called Knoppix . It comes with everything you might need to carry out day-to-day tasks on the computer and it needs no installation. It will run from a CD in a computer capable of booting from the CD drive. Those choosing to continue using Linux can find a variety of versions or "distributions" of Linux that are easy to install, configure and use. Information on these products is available in our distribution section and can be found by selecting the mainstream/general public category.
Additional Information
If you're interested in learning about Linux, need help with some aspect of its use or are enthusiastic about it and want to help foster its adoption, you may want to get in touch with a Linux User Group in your area. There are groups in practically every country, region and city in the world, so there is likely to be one near you.
Each day, Linux use is increasing in every sector of our society. We have information about Linux deployments in government, industry and the arts.
Linux has an official mascot, Tux, the Linux penguin, which was selected by Linus Torvalds to represent the image he associates with the operating system. Tux was created by Larry Ewing and Larry has generously given it to the community to be freely used to promote Linux. More information on use of the image can be found on his webpage. More links to variations on the image and alternative logos can be found on our logo page
Many people are not sure of the pronunciation of the word Linux. Although many variations of the word exist, often due to native language factors, it is normally pronounced with a short " i " and with the first syllable stressed, as in LIH-nucks. You can hear how Linux creator Linus Torvalds pronounces the word in Swedish and in English .
More information on Linus Torvalds, can be found on our short biography page.
If you're interested in the history of Linux, we have a timeline page that features important milestones in the development of the operating system.