Articles about Open Source

Windows 10 is a pretty good desktop operating system. Unfortunately, that OS is very far from perfect. The most glaring issue, of course, is the confusing privacy settings. Plus, let us not forget the arguably shady tactics Microsoft is employing to get users to upgrade to the operating system. While Windows 10 is more focused than its predecessor, there is still a lack of consistency, such as having a Settings Menu and separate Control Panel menu.

Meanwhile, in the land of Linux, Ubuntu hit 15.10; an evolutionary upgrade, which is a joy to use. While not perfect, the totally free Unity desktop-based Ubuntu gives Windows 10 a run for its money. Does this mean I think Linux will soon rule the desktop? Absolutely not. Windows will still be dominant in number of installs for the foreseeable future. With that said, more does not always mean better. Here are 5 ways Ubuntu bests Windows 10.

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Microsoft’s blog editor Windows Live Writer has been revived with an independent open-source fork, Open Live Writer.

OLW’s first release allows you to create blog posts, add photos, videos, maps or more, and publish them to your website.

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Perhaps it never really caught on, or at least didn't go big, but Windows Live Writer is a solid tool for blogging. This isn't Word, which is what many writers use, but it's still a capable weapon in the arsenal of any author.

The new program is called, quite simply, Open Live Writer and it's being released now. It has also been contributed to the .NET Foundation. It allows writers to edit and publish stories directly from within it.

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Linux is not only the future, but the present too. Even if you do not directly use an operating system based on the kernel, there is a good chance that it impacts you every day. Much of your precious internet traffic is routed through servers that run Linux. Many set-top boxes and devices are powered by the kernel and you may not even know it. Of course, Android is one such Linux-based operating system that millions upon millions of people use daily.

With that said, careers in Linux could be ready to explode. Believe it or not, 97 percent of surveyed hiring managers are looking to add Linux professionals, according to the 2015 Linux Jobs Report. Seriously, if you or someone you know has an interest in computers, yet don't know which direction to take in school or career, it is something to explore. While it may not be a good fit for everyone, it is worth your attention -- even Microsoft is hiring Linux professionals nowadays. In fact, today, that company announces a partnership with the The Linux Foundation for a special, Microsoft-issued, Linux on Azure certification.

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There’s a lot of talk about encryption these days. Often the issue arises when moving data to the cloud, using solutions like Dropbox or Box. We start to wonder if our information will be safe if it’s no longer stored locally on computers in our offices. We are confident that Dropbox and Box store everything in a secure way -- we have little reason to believe that they don’t, right?

Next, we think, "OK, what happens when information leaves or enters the cloud? Is our communication safe? Maybe that information should be encrypted, too". Actually, there’s no question about it. Data should be encrypted when it moves in and out of a network and when it’s stored in the cloud.

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At JSConf US Last Call in Florida, Microsoft today announced that ChakraCore will be open-sourced. This means that the core components of the Chakra JavaScript engine used in Microsoft Edge -- as well as Windows 10 -- will be made available for developers to tinker with as they see fit.

The ChakraCore repository is expected to hit GitHub in January, and Microsoft envisions it being used to power the Internet of Things as well as cloud services. The company says that it will be working with the likes of AMD, Intel and NodeSource to help develop a Chakra community as it aims to drive the progress of the 'modern web'.

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Nowadays it can feel like kids are more interested in social media, emojis and video games than math and sciences. Look, I was a kid once, and I know school can feel boring, but knowledge of STEM is important; not only for the children, but for all of society. It is imperative that something is done to motivate students to create and make so the world can continue to advance.

Luckily, there are many initiatives in place to increase interest in STEM. One of the most popular is the 'Hour of Code', which is described as a "one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics". Today, The Linux Foundation announces its support.

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One by one, companies are starting to embrace open source more and more. Microsoft has been a proponent of Linux and other open source solutions, surprising many in those communities.

Now, it is Apple's turn. Today, the company run by Tim Cook announces that its Swift programming language is now open source. No, this is not Apple's first embrace of open source, but it could be one of its most significant.

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A huge proportion of the web is powered by WordPress -- more than a quarter, in fact. As a CMS it's incredibly flexible, and today the company unveiled not only a new look for WordPress.com, but also a desktop app for easier site maintenance.

It has taken a long time for a desktop app to appear, and this is something that's all the more surprising when you consider that mobile apps are already available. To start with, it's Mac users who are treated to WordPress goodness, but Linux and Windows versions are on the way as well.

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I'm a Gmail user. You are probably a Gmail user. Hell, I bet your dog uses Gmail. Here's the thing though -- unless you are really young, you probably didn't use Gmail as your first-ever email account, right? Right.

If you are like me, you probably pre-date web-based email, and got your messages from an email client. In fact, many people -- especially in businesses -- still do, using such software as Thunderbird, Outlook or Evolution. The unfortunate thing, you see, is that those old emails aren't available and searchable in your Gmail account. But what if they were? What if you could import your archaic email archives (if you were smart enough to save them), saved on zip disks in a closet, into Gmail? That would be neat, right? Well, with the power of open source, you actually can -- maybe.

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Docker has unveiled some additional security features during the keynote speech of its DockerCon Europe conference.

The open source program will boast improved container safety without compromising developer workflows.

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While Microsoft may be looked at as the enemy of open source, it actually does contribute to the cause. In fact, I am comfortable saying that the company embraces open source; although closed source ideology will always be its "bread and butter".

Today, the Windows-maker announces that it is making yet another one of its projects open source. The Distributed Machine Learning Toolkit seems quite interesting and could prove valuable.

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As we've seen with IBM's announcement earlier today, APIs are flavor of the development month at the moment.

Now the The Linux Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux and collaborative development, is announcing the launch of an Open API Initiative to promote and facilitate the adoption and use of an open API standard.

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Not all Linux distributions are created equal. The focus of its maintainers can vary wildly, leading to very different experiences. I still insist that there are too many distros, leading to confusion and resources being spread too thin, but c'est la vie.

Today, my favorite Linux distro, Fedora -- which is also the operating system of choice for Linus Torvalds -- reaches a new milestone. Yes, Fedora 23 is finally here and it comes with Linux kernel 4.2. If you are a fan of open source, security, frequently updated packages and free-software ideology, this is the Linux-based operating system for you.

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There was a point in time where Microsoft was viewed as the giant closed source monster; the enemy of the Linux and open source communities. While that may have been true at one time (and some would argue still true), Microsoft has actually embraced open source lately, choosing to evolve rather than dissolve.

Now, Microsoft is showing its commitment to open source technologies -- particularly on Azure -- by seeking to hire Linux and open source professionals. Seriously, the company has hundreds of open positions just waiting to be filled. Will you apply?

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