News

A Face Lift For The MPL

Justin Ryan — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:30:30 +0000

As Phyllis Diller would attest, a face lift isn't necessarily a bad thing. Most things — legalese included — can use a good going over from time to time, and that's just what the good people at Mozilla will be doing this year. more>>

Sudo Axes Escalation Glitch

Justin Ryan — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:41:43 +0000

Among the important benefits of Linux's permission hierarchy is its ability to keep untrusted users from running amok. The all-or-nothing nature of root access, however, can present headaches when users are trusted, but only so far. That is a problem the sudo utility attempts to solve, and does so fairly well — except for the occasional glitch. more>>

iPlayer On, iPlayer Off

Justin Ryan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:37:24 +0000

The BBC's iPlayer has long been a thorn in the side of the Open Source community. Since it entered public beta in mid-2007, the BBC has consistently flip-flopped between completely ignoring FOSS users, serving them third-rate pacifier versions, and begrudgingly granting access to what Windows users have had all along. And the flipping continues. more>>

Collaboration Summit Coming Up Quick

Justin Ryan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:04:57 +0000

For the past four years, the "brightest minds in Linux" have come together at the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit to "tackle and solve the most pressing issues facing Linux today." The opportunity to solve is coming up quickly, and those who want in on the tackling had better move fast. more>>

Linux Fund Brings Spend-and-Support Model to the UK

Justin Ryan — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:21:19 +0000

Last July, the Linux Foundation hit on the bright idea of combining many geeks' favorite activities — supporting Linux and buying geek gear — with a Tux-themed Visa Card that donates back to Open Source advocacy. The Linux Fund has been offering their own card since 2007, and as of Friday, is extending the opportunity to the UK. more>>

Maemo + Moblin = MeeGo

Justin Ryan — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:19:11 +0000

When it comes to distributions, many or few is an eternal debate within the Linux community. While that debate will likely continue as long as Linux does, the balance in the mobile market has swung just a bit with the announcement that the Maemo and Moblin projects will unite to become MeeGo. more>>

Sign Up for a Spot at LinuxCon 2010

Justin Ryan — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:18:53 +0000

The 2010 conference season is already underway — having launched auspiciously if not officially with last month's linux.conf.au — and it's safe to expect that attendees will quickly begin registering, presenters will begin proposing, and before you know it, live-from-the-floor reports will be rolling in. Though the latter will have to wait, as of last week, the registering and proposing is on for LinuxCon 2010. more>>

We're Linux, Again

Justin Ryan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:17:23 +0000

The Linux Foundation is always on the move, looking for new ways to promote Linux and Open Source adoption. From Linux.com to credit cards bearing a smiling Tux, there is always something new on at Foundation HQ. At the moment, it's the return of a good idea, as last year's Linux advertising contest turns up for Round II. more>>

Symbian Opens Up

Justin Ryan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:08:18 +0000

When Nokia bought Symbian in 2008, nobody had any reason to believe their thoughts were anywhere near Open Source — particularly given that just weeks prior, its Open Source chief declared that when it came to FOSS, the company wasn't "ready to play by the rules." Nevertheless, Open Source was exactly what Nokia had in mind for Symbian, and as of today, the process is complete. more>>

Pass the Bug, Collect $500

Justin Ryan — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:22:27 +0000

Bugs are a reality of software development, and a pain for both coders and users. Security bugs are a particularly nasty variety, and in an effort to kill as many as possible, Google is now coughing up cash for catching Chrome and Chromium glitches. more>>