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Dangerous TLDs, Ballmer’s Linux Love & More…

By Christine Hall on March 11, 2016 |

Community, Copyright, Distros, News, Obits and Security

Dangerous TLDs, Ballmer’s Linux Love & More…Edward Snowden LibrePlanet 2016

FOSS Week in Review

Two big open source conferences are coming up next week, while this week an automaker said it doesn’t have to pay attention to the GPL and the man credited with inventing email passed.

Although Microsoft mainly succeeded in its attempts to hijack the FOSS news scene this week by spreading open source love — better than spreading FUD, I guess — there was plenty of FOSS news happening away from the Redmond campus. Even Microsoft with all its billions, it seems, isn’t large enough to monopolize all of the news in the big, wide and wonderful world of FOSS.

Edward Snowden LibrePlanet 2016
Edward Snowden will be the opening keynote speaker, with Daniel Kahn Gillmor, at LibrePlanet 2016.

For starters, it’s conference season. Well, except for a lull in the dog days of summer, Linux and open source conferences are always in season, but there are a couple of big ones on the slate for next week.

Continue readingDangerous TLDs, Ballmer’s Linux Love & More…
FSF Gives Nod to ThinkPenguin VPS RouterFSF Respects Your Freedom Mark

FSF Gives Nod to ThinkPenguin VPS Router

By FOSS Force on March 11, 2016 |

Hardware, Internet, News and Security

A router designed to ease the use of multiple devices through a virtual private network is the latest hardware project to receive FSF’s official blessing.

The people at the Free Software Foundation aren’t only working to keep software free and accessible, they’re also concerned with hardware freedom as well. We mention this because the FSF announced on Thursday that it’s awarded the Respects Your Freedom certification to ThinkPenguin’s Free Software Wireless-N Mini Router (TPE-R1100). On a post on the FSF website, Joshua Gay, the foundation’s licensing and compliance manager, wrote that the certification has been given to three other ThinkPenguin products, including another router. The certification signifies that the product meets FSF’s standards concerning “users’ freedom, control over the product, and privacy.”

Continue readingFSF Gives Nod to ThinkPenguin VPS Router
LibreOffice 5.1.1 Released With New Features AddedLibreOffice Writer 5.1.1

LibreOffice 5.1.1 Released With New Features Added

By FOSS Force on March 10, 2016 |

News and Software

Version 5.1.1 of LibreOffice includes numerous bug fixes and adds many new features.

The Document Foundation today announced the release of LibreOffice 5.1.1, the first minor release of the LibreOffice 5.1 family, with a number of mostly bug fixes over the last major release, version 5.1.0 which was released on February 10. According to a press release from The Document Foundation, today’s release includes a long anticipated feature in Writer, the office suite’s word processor, that has been requested since 2002. The feature allows users to hide white spaces between pages to provide a continuous flow of text — considered useful for laptop users.

LibreOffice Writer 5.1.1
A screenshot of Writer in LibreOffice 5.1.1 which was released today.
Continue readingLibreOffice 5.1.1 Released With New Features Added
OpenBSD 5.9 Set for May 1 Release; Pre-orders AvailableopenBSD logo

OpenBSD 5.9 Set for May 1 Release; Pre-orders Available

By Larry Cafiero on March 10, 2016 |

News and Operating Systems

Larry the BSD Guy

The upcoming release of OpenBSD’s latest and greatest comes with plenty of upgrades and improvements — plus the sound of music….

First things first: My German isn’t great. In fact, it would be completely nonexistent except for the fact that it interests me that in the German version of Scrabble you could essentially get 238 points with one word without using a double-word score.

openbsd logoHowever, the German online publication Pro-Linux.de this week reported (in German, but Google Translate works wonders) that pre-orders are ready to be taken for OpenBSD 5.9, scheduled for a May 1 release.

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Eclipse, SQL Server & Debian Based OS: How Microsoft Sells Linux and Open SourceMicrosoft's one way street

Eclipse, SQL Server & Debian Based OS: How Microsoft Sells Linux and Open Source

By Christine Hall on March 10, 2016 |

Business, News, Operating Systems and Software

Microsoft’s use of open source continues to be a one-way street to drive business Redmond’s way.

Microsoft this week continues it’s quest to become respected as an open source player.

I have a colleague who takes exception whenever I use the phrase “open source player” because he thinks we need to stress the concept that open source is a community endeavor. Those who participate in the process, he says, should be encouraged to see themselves as “citizens,” whose work is for the greater good.

Microsoft's one way streetI wholeheartedly agree. However, there are entities like Microsoft whose open source endeavors are based solely on greed and who don’t deserve to wear the mantle of open source citizenship. They’re players, pure and simple. Microsoft only “loves” Linux because it has figured out a way to sell it. Maybe one day…but not today.

Continue readingEclipse, SQL Server & Debian Based OS: How Microsoft Sells Linux and Open Source
New Hope Technology Project Brings Linux to Taylor, TexasWorld of Goo on Reglue Computers

New Hope Technology Project Brings Linux to Taylor, Texas

By Ken Starks on March 8, 2016 |

Community and Operating Systems

The Heart of Linux

Reglue continues to make a difference in Southeastern Texas with its New Hope Computer Technology Project.

It’s said that the wheels of progress turn slowly. That proves to be true to the nth when dealing with any kind of government. Be that as it may, things do happen eventually. This week is a shining example of what can be accomplished when a city and a private group band together for the common good.

World of Goo on Reglue Computers

I am just bustin’-at-the-seams happy to announce The New Hope Computer Technology Project here in my small town of Taylor, Texas. After way too many meetings and committees formed to insure viability, Reglue is fully operational and in the midst of installing computers for people who need them most. To refresh memories here, The New Hope Computer Technology Project is named to celebrate the unselfish and giving doctors who treated my cancer, even when they knew I didn’t have a dime to spare.

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India Nixes Software Patents, Linux Foundation Embraces Diversity & More…Women Who Code logo

India Nixes Software Patents, Linux Foundation Embraces Diversity & More…

By Christine Hall on March 4, 2016 |

Community, Distros, News, Patents and Software

FOSS Week in Review

India again shows sanity by doing away with “software only” patents, and the Linux Foundation continues to move towards diversity.

The old and the new both made big news on the FOSS front this week. Representing the old was what appears to be the ending of the SCO vs IBM case after something like 13 years, which means that Caldera/SCO now gets to go to its final resting place. For the new was the release of the Raspberry Pi 3, which comes wielding a 64-bit ARM processor with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

But that wasn’t the only news of interest to the FOSS world this week…

Barely a month after putting an end to a Facebook supported scheme, “Free Basics,” in favor of supporting Net Neutrality, India has declared software to be not patentable. According to the Software Freedom Law Centre in India, the patent office will now use a three part test to determine patentability:

Continue readingIndia Nixes Software Patents, Linux Foundation Embraces Diversity & More…
FreeBSD 10.3: Third Beta AvailableFreeBSD logo

FreeBSD 10.3: Third Beta Available

By Larry Cafiero on March 3, 2016 |

Operating Systems

Larry the BSD Guy

Now that it’s March, we can look for the first signs of spring. We can also take an early look at FreeBSD 10.3, due to be released later this month, through this beta release.

As far as I’m concerned, the best part of March is Spring Training, and chances are from time to time my undying love for the San Francisco Giants will come out on these hallowed pages.

BSD logoThat personal tidbit aside, another important part of March — especially this month — is that on the road to FreeBSD 11 sometime later this year, FreeBSD 10.3 is well along the way, with the third beta already available, according to a very detailed post by Marius Strobl on the FreeBSD Stable mailing list.

Continue readingFreeBSD 10.3: Third Beta Available