Linux1.01

Linux is a generic term referring to the family of Unix-like computer operating systems that use the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed, both commercially and non-commercially, by anyone under licenses such as the GNU General Public License.

Linux can be installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from mobile phones, tablet computers and video game consoles, to mainframes and supercomputers. Linux is predominantly known for its use in servers.. However, desktop use of Linux has become increasingly popular in recent years, partly owing to the popular Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, and openSUSE distributions and the emergence of netbooks and smart phones running an embedded Linux...

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Linux Mint "Debian" Cinnamon Review

(Note: This is a review of the Linux version we have linked on the right for download)

by arindam sen March 23, 2013 mylinuxexplore.blogspot

Debian simplified and offers impressive performance!

 One thing I really like about Linux Mint is the refinement and completeness they render to each and every release. I have been using Linux Mint since 2009 and except for the repetitive art-work, I have never been disappointed so far. Normally Linux Mint releases mimic Ubuntu and mostly require fresh installation...

Emerge GTK 2.x Theme/Style

This time with the release of 201303 LMDE update, I thought of trying out the Cinnamon version. LMDE is available in both 32 and 64 bit versions - I downloaded the 1.3 GB 32-bit version... The 201303 update comes with Cinnamon 1.6, Linux kernel 3.2.0, and Gnome shell 3.4.2. Nemo 1.1.2... is the default file manager.... For this testing, I used my Asus K54C laptop with 2.2 Ghz Core i3 processor and 2 GB RAM...

 As always, Linux Mint is refined and looks extremely professional, starting from the system font to integration of applications to the overall system theme. LMDE also has the usual, more colorful, Linux Mint 14 wallpapers, if you decide for a more playful interface.. >>MORE (mylinuxexplore.blogspot)

(We recommend Mint (Debian) instead of Ubuntu because of Ubuntu's lack of privacy policy)

Lowest Cost Raspberry Pi Microcomputer Now On Sale In The U.S. — $25 Model A

Suited For Battery/Solar Powered Projects
by Natasha Lomas March 31,2013 Tech Crunch
The Raspberry Pi microcomputer prides itself on being affordable, with its tiny $35 price-tag for the original Model B Pi. But now its lowest cost board — the $25 Model A — has gone on sale in the U.S. The Raspberry Pi Foundation confirmed to TechCrunch that Model A can now be purchased in the U.S. via reseller Allied Electronics (which currently appears to have 70 units in stock).

What does $25 buy you? Enough processing power to use it to run a home media centre if you so desire, according to the Foundation. But the Model A was conceived with lower power consumption projects in mind, perhaps battery or solar powered, as Model A consumes around a third less power than Model B. It also has half the RAM of the second revision Model B, plus only one USB port and no Ethernet connection — to keep costs down... >>MORE (Techcrunch) photo:GijsbertPeijs

Ubuntu 12.10? Please read!

The October 2012 release of Ubuntu (the most popular Linux distribution) 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) introduced the display of contextual advertising in Dash, the file manager component of the default desktop environment, Unity.

Responding in September to criticism, Canonical owner Mark Shuttleworth argued that "We’re not putting ads in Ubuntu. We’re integrating online scope results into the home lens of the dash." Canonical staffer Jono Bacon described the advertisements as "suggestions", arguing that the revenue they generate for Canonical is necessary "to continue to grow and improve Ubuntu".

What is Ubuntu?

 That's bad, this is worse- in its default configuration, version 12.10 also assumes that users have agreed to allow Ubuntu's parent company Canonical to collect user search data and IP addresses and to disclose this information to third parties including Facebook, Twitter, BBC and Amazon, drawing criticism from privacy advocates.... >>MORE>

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How to Dual Boot Windows 7 and Linux

You don't have to quit using Windows (or Mac- but this is for Windows) to start using Linux. You can configure your computer to give you a choice of using Windows or Linux when you boot it up. Here's a short 5 minute tutorial on how to do just that for Windows 7 from Avoiderrors at Youtube. He's using Linux Mint, the Distro we've linked above for download. This probably isn't a good idea to try if you aren't comfortable with disk partitions and allocating disk space.

It's easier to see the details if you click the "full screen" icon on the lower right.  

Linux1.05: What about Linux & Gaming?

Currently, many Windows games can run on the Linux platform with minimal problems in a compatibility layer called Wine. The Wine project hosts a user-submitted application database (known as Wine AppDB) that lists programs and games along with ratings and reviews which detail how well they run with Wine. Many games are rated as running flawlessly.

FreeCiv, a well known remake
of the popular Civilization Series

In July 2012 game developer and content distributor Valve Software announced a port of their Source engine for Linux as well as stating their intention to release their Steam digital distribution service for Linux. The potential availability of a Linux Steam client has already attracted other developers to consider porting their titles to Linux... More>>

 Click below to see 60 + free games available for download right now! >>

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Stallman: Ubuntu spyware makes it JUST AS BAD as Windows

Urges users to give it stern shunning

By Neil McAllister 7th December 2012 theregister.co.uk

Free Software Foundation founder and noted weird-beard Richard Stallman has called upon Linux advocates to reject the Ubuntu distribution, claiming the latest version contains dangerous "surveillance code."

In a lengthy post to his FSF blog, the GNU Project creator slams Canonical, the company in charge of Ubuntu, for including a search feature in the latest version that sends packets to Canonical's own servers without alerting the user.

First introduced in Ubuntu 12.10, the "Home Lens" unified search feature inserts product recommendations from Amazon into the search results, irrespective of whether the user intended to search the web or local files.

"This is just like the first surveillance practice I learned about in Windows," Stallman says, recalling how a friend first noticed the Microsoft OS phoning home with search queries.

That type of behavior is a strict no-no to the free software maven, who lumps it in with DRM and hidden back doors as malicious practices that should result in the offending code being treated as malware... >>MORE (theregister.co.uk)

Website Upgrade and Redesign

We have upgraded from Joomla 1.5 to 2.5. Our site doesn't look much different on the outside,  but the framework is a total re-write. You can see the biggest feature in the animated gif below:

The framework adapts to any size browser available today- and tomorrow. Now viewers using cell phones and tablets won't have to sidescroll on a single page. You can see it work: Mouse over your browser window border until the cursor turns into a double arrow, click and hold, then move the border to the centre. You can see the different layouts change as the window moves.

There are other features too- like Language packs that allow our

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Linux1.02: Comparison- Windows & Linux

Comparisons between the Microsoft Windows and Linux computer operating systems are a long-running discussion topic within the personal computer industry. Throughout the entire period of the Windows 9x systems through the introduction of Windows 7,

Windows has retained an extremely large retail sales majority among operating systems for personal desktop use, while Linux has sustained its status as the most prominent free software operating system. After their initial clash, both operating systems moved beyond the user base of the personal computer market and share a rivalry on a variety of other devices, with offerings for the server and embedded systems markets, and mobile internet access.

The comparisons below reflect three families of Windows operating systems: Windows 9x (legacy), Windows NT, and Windows Embedded. Each family has its own code base and design. The focus of these comparisons is mainly on the NT family...

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Ubuntu Linux developer squabbles go public

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols March 11, 2013 (ZD.Net)

Summary: It's no secret that Linux and open-source projects have fights over the direction of a project, but it's unusual for Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu, to publicly fuss with programmers via his blog.

Ubuntu, the popular Linux distribution, like all Linux and open-source projects, has had its share of internal battles over the project's directions over the years. Recently, though, Mark Shuttleworth, founder of both the operating system and its sponsoring company, Canonical, has taken the latest squabbles public in his blog.

It all began when Rick Spencer, Canonical's Ubuntu engineering director, proposed on the Ubuntu developer mailing list that, since Canonical is porting Ubuntu to smartphones in the coming months, "Ubuntu should drop non-LTS [long-term support] releases and move to a rolling release plus LTS releases right now".

In a rolling release, major changes and improvements are released to users as soon as possible. As Spencer proposed it, new releases would come out monthly. The advantage is that users get best-of-breed modifications very quickly. Spencer then proceeded to make the case for this change. This wasn't the first time that rolling releases had been proposed for Ubuntu... >>MORE> (ZD.Net)