Articles about Open Source

"We really should stop getting hung up about what open source means," a statement repeatedly made by those for whom a lack of understanding of open source is advantageous. Generally those who don’t want to meet the standards that are set out in the Open Source Definition (OSD) which all Open Source Initiative approved license must meet, including the requirement that open source software must be usable by anyone for any purpose. And usually they are in denial of the requirement for open source licenses to be usable for any purpose, which includes commercialization. This really sits at the heart of open source.

In a commercial context open source means enabling your competitors with your own innovation. In a world where companies are driven by shareholder value this simply would not happen if it did not come with clear and measurable advantages, like collaboration, creating a defacto standard or building an ecosystem around it, and where equivalent or greater value than the proprietary royalty model is generated.

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The sixth annual Call for Code Challenge launched back in February with a focus on developing AI-powered technology projects that address sustainability to help fight climate change.

Today sees IBM, United Nations Human Rights, and the Linux Foundation announce the winners in the challenge's three categories -- Developer, University, and Independent Software Vendor/Startup.

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Open Source contributed 27 percent of the UK tech sector's Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022, according to a new report from OpenUK, the non-profit organization representing the UK’s open technology sector.

The report finds that there are 3.2 million GitHub accounts in the UK and 8,200 UK contributors to open source projects in the past year. There have also been1,700 new contributors to open source projects in the last 12 months, representing 20.7 percent growth.

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Many people choose to browse the internet using a VPN because it offers a number of benefits including privacy and safety, and this is true whatever operating system you use.

With the launch of an all new app for Linux, Proton VPN is offering users of the open source OS greater functionality and a more intuitive interface. The Proton VPN Linux app natively supports Proton VPN's core security and privacy features.

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A new survey of over 280 developers and technical decision makers finds two-thirds dealing with major flaws in homegrown authorization efficiency, security, and app performance. As a result, most organizations (83 percent) plan to invest more into policy as code as a solution.

In case you're unfamiliar with the concept, policy-as-code is an approach to policy management in which policies are defined, shared, updated and enforced using code rather than relying on manual processes.

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The annual Ubuntu Summit is where people who love Linux and open-source software gather to see what’s new. This year, it’s happening in the lovely city of Riga, Latvia, from November 3-5, 2023. And guess what? Microsoft, the big name we often connect with paid software, is joining in. This new partnership hints at more teamwork between big tech companies and open-source communities.

Microsoft being part of the Ubuntu Summit 2023 shows that it's warming up to open-source software. Those attending the summit, in person or online, will get to hear from Microsoft experts. They’ll talk about cool stuff like using Linux on Windows, creating apps with .NET 8 on Ubuntu, and how Microsoft’s Azure can work smoothly with Ubuntu's snapshot service.

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Interconnected digital technology advances at a rapid pace, and so do the tactics and strategies employed by malicious individuals, criminal groups, and even nation-states. The World Economic Forum predicts global cybercrime will reach $10.5 trillion by 2025, forcing businesses and governments to look for next-generation solutions against emerging digital threats.

Unfortunately, deliberate criminal activity is only part of the challenge in this data-driven era. Costly leaks of sensitive data might happen due to simple human errors -- in September, Microsoft’s data was leaked two times, not only disclosing the company’s plans for the next-gen Xbox but also exposing private employee data. As we already know, at least one of these events happened due to an accidentally misconfigured URL link.

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Do you hate Mondays? Yeah, me too. Thankfully, we have some exciting Linux news on this particular Monday. You see, MX-23.1, the latest update to the MX-23 series, has been released today!

This update to the operating system brings a bunch of fixes, new features, and application updates, making the experience smoother for its users. If you already have MX-23, the good news is you don't need to reinstall anything. The new packages are available through the usual update channels, making the upgrade process a breeze.

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Today is a special day for the Linux community as Ubuntu 23.10 (code-named "Mantic Minotaur") is finally released. Yes, folks, following a fairly short beta testing period, the Debian-based operating system can be downloaded now.

Notably, Ubuntu 23.10 is compatible with the latest Raspberry Pi 5 and SiFive HiFive Pro P550 from the get go. It is quite impressive to have support for the very new Raspberry Pi 5 on day one.

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This year has seen twice as many software supply chain attacks as 2019-2022 combined and one in eight open source downloads today pose known and avoidable risks.

The latest State of the Software Supply Chain Report from Sonatype, which logged 245,032 malicious packages in 2023, also shows that 96 percent of vulnerabilities are still avoidable.

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Hey folks, we’ve got some cool news from the Linux Mint camp. They’ve just dropped a Cinnamon (Edge) Edition variant of Linux Mint 21.2. Now, this isn’t your regular update; it’s tailor-made for those of us with the shiny, new hardware that doesn’t quite jive with the older 5.15 LTS kernel in the usual Linux Mint 21.x versions. Instead, this “Edge” edition is rocking the newer 6.2 kernel. Oh, and guess what’s making a comeback? Support for Secureboot!

If you’ve been hitting a wall trying to boot or install Linux Mint because your hardware is fresh off the shelf, this “Edge” ISO image could be your ticket out of tech purgatory. Every now and then, Linux Mint throws us a bone with an “edge” ISO image on top of its regular ones for the latest release. This special image is loaded with newer bits to play nice with the latest hardware gadgets and gizmos out there.

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You know, it's often hard to get people to leave their comfort zones. But, sometimes, staying where you're comfortable is the biggest impediment to progress. This is especially true when it comes to operating systems. While Windows 11 has been generating buzz with its new features and revamped UI, let's not forget the other contenders that are pushing boundaries. Linux Lite 6.6 is one such alternative, and dare I say, it's one of the most inviting Linux distributions out there for those looking to make a switch.

The Linux Lite team has really outdone themselves this time around. The 6.6 release is one of their largest since they launched back in 2012. They've added thousands of lines of new code, predominantly to support a vast range of languages. From Afrikaans to Ukrainian, Linux Lite 6.6 now supports a whopping 22 languages, covering areas such as Main Menu, Right Click Menu, Folder Names, and even Desktop Icons. This is an incredible leap toward making Linux Lite a truly global OS.

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What capabilities do IT professionals need for container networking and security? That's what a new study from Tigera has set out to discover.

A survey of more than 1,200 users of the Calico Open Source container security platform finds the capabilities driving their adoption of Calico are, scalable networking (35 percent), security policies (35 percent), interoperability across different environments (33 percent) and encryption capabilities (30 percent).

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The long-awaited Bodhi Linux 7.0 release has finally arrived, and it should make big waves in the open-source community. Built on the solid foundation of Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish), Bodhi 7.0 represents a significant evolution in the realm of Linux distributions. With a strong emphasis on improving user experience, performance, and maintaining its core values of minimalism and customization, this release aims to redefine what Linux can offer to its users.

In a world dominated by proprietary operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Bodhi Linux 7.0 emerges as a breath of fresh air, presenting itself as a compelling alternative. The release boasts an impressive array of enhancements and changes that cater to both newcomers and seasoned Linux enthusiasts.

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I'm almost getting sick of hearing about AI and its ability to change the world for the better, for the worse, for who knows what? But when you get to the heart of what AI is and how it can be applied to unlock value in businesses and everyday life, you have to admit that we're standing on the edge of a revolution. This revolution is likely to change our lives significantly in the short term, and perhaps tremendously so in the medium term.

It wasn't that long ago I felt short-sold by the promise of AI. About eight years ago I saw someone demonstrating a machine's ability to recognize certain flowers. Although impressive, it was a clunky experience, and while I could imagine applications, it didn't excite me. Fast forward a few years, my real moment of surprise came when I found thispersondoesnotexist. My brain couldn't work out why these were not real people, and it stuck with me. My next big moment was podcast.ai and their first AI generated discussion between Joe Rogan and Steve Jobs. But just like everyone else on the planet, the real breakthrough was ChatGPT and the conversation I had with the 'Ghost in the Machine'.

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