Articles about Linux

Halloween is growing nearer every day. Soon, the streets will be full of children dressed like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Werewolf. More importantly, there will be much candy to eat.

Ubuntu users do not have to wait until October 31st for frightful fun, however, as today the Wily Werewolf starts howling at the moon. Yes, Ubuntu 15.10 is finally here, ready to transform your computer into a powerful monster!

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Linux-based operating systems are wonderful for many reasons, such as being lightweight and secure. One of my favorite aspects, however, is the open and customizable nature. Ubuntu, for example, is one of the best operating systems, but if you do not like the default Unity environment, you can simply choose another -- not so with Windows or OS X.

If you are going to use a Linux-based operating system, shouldn't you have a computer that can be easily customized too? System76 makes wonderful Ubuntu-equipped computers, and today, one of its most customizable machines, The Wild Dog Pro, gets refreshed with Skylake processors. This is the company's first computer to feature the 6th generation Intel CPUs.

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Ubuntu and other Linux-based operating systems are extremely secure, but nothing is infallible. While you are arguably safer than on Windows or OS X, the argument can also be made that a little common sense goes a long way. In other words, all modern operating systems can be rather secure, as long as the user is not lackadaisical in their behavior.

You may be surprised to hear that Ubuntu Phone has a rather nasty security vulnerability. Don't worry, the desktop operating system is not impacted; it is a phone-only affair. Still, it is scary to see something like this fall through the cracks.

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If you have an iPhone, you're stuck with running iOS apps; if you have an Android phone, you're stuck with Android apps. At least that used to be the case. For desktop platforms such as OS X and Linux, tools and emulators exist that make it possible to run software designed for a different platform. CodeWeavers produce CrossOver which enables PC games and applications to run on non-PC platforms.

At the moment, CrossOver is available for Mac and Linux, but there are plans to bring the tool to Android. This means that, ultimately, it should be possible to run Windows software on an Android phone or tablet.

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When it comes to home networking, nothing is more iconic than the classic blue Linksys router. When I worked at CompUSA, I sold a ton of them, and for good reason -- they worked well. Over the years, some of the models proved popular for open-source firmware replacements, making them attractive to tinkerers.

Fast forward to today, and Linksys announces a new open source-friendly router, which builds upon the existing WRT1900AC. With a faster processor and double the RAM, the new model gets an "S" moniker -- reminiscent of Apple's iPhone naming -- as WRT1900ACS. Are you excited for this Linux-powered home router?

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While I am a GNOME fan, I recognize how wonderful KDE is too. If you prefer a traditional desktop user interface, KDE is a smart choice. Not only is it it easy to use for beginners, but it offers a ton of customization options for advanced users too.

There are quite a few KDE-based Linux distros, such as Kubuntu, Linux Mint KDE, and Netrunner, but the lesser known KaOS offers a more pure experience. This distro has a goal of remaining lean, while being fairly bleeding edge regarding KDE packages -- it is a great showcase for the desktop environment. Today, version 2015.10 sees release, and you can download it now.

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If you own a Raspberry Pi, you are probably a really cool guy or gal. Well, actually, I should say that you are cool in the geek community (it probably won't get you a date with a cheerleader). In other words, owning the diminutive maker-friendly computer is a geeky status symbol that indicates you are in-the-know.

While the Raspberry Pi is a fun piece of hardware, it is useless without an operating system. There are plenty of options to choose (including Windows 10 IoT), but arguably, for the best overall experience, you should stick with the Debian-based Raspbian Linux distro. Today, the latest version, code-named 'Jessie' is released to the wild. Does it signal that the Raspberry Pi is losing its way?

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Not everybody, or everything, can be the best. In the Olympics, for instance, somebody wins the Gold medal, while someone gets the Silver. In other words, second place is still rarefied air, albeit less impressive than first, but still celebration-worthy.

Today, the runner-up to Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, celebrates its 5th Birthday. Quite frankly, it is an amazing office suite, offering compatibility with Windows, Linux and OS X. The best part? It is open source and totally free -- like, no money needed. Even if it isn't as good as Microsoft's solution, it is more than enough for the average home user, and it deserves to be celebrated.

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A gift and curse of Linux-based operating systems is the large selection. It is very cool that there are so many operating systems to choose from, but a good amount of them are crap. In other words, you have to sift through hundreds of fringe distros to discover the gems.

One such gem is Manjaro Linux. This Arch-based distribution is well-designed and offers a great out-of-the-box experience. While not ideal for beginners, it is a solid choice for advanced Linux users who don't have the time or patience for a vanilla Arch install. Today, Manjaro reaches version 15.09, code-named 'Bellatrix'.

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If you are thinking of making the switch to Linux from Windows, there are many good beginner-friendly distributions from which to choose. I highlight two such operating systems here. But what if you are a bit more advanced in the ways of Linux?

Fedora is the top choice of many Linux experts, including the father of the kernel, Linus Torvalds. Today, version 23 of the operating system reaches beta status. Will you try it?

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Windows 10 is a wonderful operating system. Every day, I boot a computer running Microsoft's latest operating system to get work done. On the surface, everything is peachy-keen. Sadly, under the hood, there are some legitimate privacy concerns. There is a bunch of information being sent to Microsoft, and you may not even know it. This has caused programs like the wonderful O&O ShutUp10 to be created.

Luckily, Windows is not the only game in town, folks. Actually, there are many wonderful operating systems available to you at no charge. Unlike Windows 10, where it is only free with a prior licence, most Linux-based operating systems are entirely free. Period. If you want to try one of these open-source operating systems, you may be confused as to where to start. Don't worry, I am here to help. Here are the distributions and software you should use.

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Both Intel and AMD produce amazing processors. With that said, the former is currently outperforming the latter in overall performance. Gamers, business users and home consumers are all gaga over the company's processors.

Today, Intel unveils its full family of 6th generation Core processors, codenamed "Skylake". Many consumers have eagerly been awaiting the release of the chips. Best of all, they should run the recently released Windows 10 like a champ. Of course, Intel offers wonderful Linux support too.

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Twenty-four years ago, Linus Torvalds wrote a post on Usenet announcing he was "doing a (free) operating system". He was asking for feedback and suggestions for features, making it clear that the project was "just a hobby".

Jump to 2015 and Linux is driving real innovation in some of the world’s largest and most successful enterprises, including Google, Amazon and Facebook. It is one of only two operating systems (OS) still growing and, with Windows set to grow by just 1.9 percent, Linux is in a league of its own at 13.4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

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Bcache was first announced by ex-Google engineer Kent Overstreet a little over five years ago. Now the Linux kernel block layer cache is being used as the basis for a new open source filesystem. The focus is on speed, but it is also hoped that the file system could be used for servers and storage arrays because of its reliability.

At this stage, Overstreet describes Bcachefs as "more or less feature complete" and says that even at this early stage performance numbers are "good enough to be interesting". At the moment, features such as replication, caching, and compression are supported, and there is the promise of snapshotting in future releases.

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As promised by Gabe Aul just over a week ago, Microsoft today releases Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 3. One of the biggest new additions to this build is native support for Windows Server Containers, Microsoft's take on Linux containers.

Developers have been begging for container support in Windows Server for some time now, and the introduction of this feature could be the start of Microsoft offering up some serious competition to Linux server software. This is not the only new feature to be found in Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 3, there's also software-defined datacenter enhancements and new Nano Server functionality.

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