Linux

Mozilla Firefox trademark and Debian

Quite a battle is currently raging on the Debian Bugzilla about the status of the Firefox package.  The dispute is over the use of the trademarked Firefox logo.  From the article: When most people think about the Mozilla Firefox browser, they think of it as being open source and free.

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IBM Adopts Open Patent Policy

I.B.M., the nation’s largest patent holder, will publish its patent filings on the Web for public review as part of a new policy that the company hopes will be a model for others.  From the NY Times article: The policy, being announced today, includes standards like clearly

Linux

Munich Begins to Switch Windows Out for Linux

A follow up on a story we haven't heard much about in a while.  It looks like Munich is finally moving forward with its plan to migrate most of their desktop computers to Linux.  A couple quotes from the article: Munich has begun its migration to Linux on

Linux

Kernel developers' position on GPLv3

It's a well know issue that Linus is not a fan of the new GPLv3 (previous GPLv3 coverage here, here, here and here).  A group of kernel maintainers have now released a document, entitled The Dangers and Problems with GPLv3, that explains their position. Here is the document

Linux

LWE UK Bound

I just booked my flight so it's official - LQ is LWE UK bound.  If you'll be in or around London on October 25 or 26 make sure to stop in the .Org Village and say hello.  From the looks of things we are going to

Google

Google testing Sun's OpenSolaris

It looks like Google may be experimenting with OpenSolaris, according to a couple sources.  From the article: Google runs a stripped-down version of Red Hat Linux specially modified by its engineers. But another source, a Solaris systems administrator who recently interviewed for a job at Google, said he was told

Linux

Managing Gentoo - a study in quotes

The announcement about seeds lead me to this LWN article.  I often talk about the advantages and strengths of Open Source here, so it's only fair that I also talk about where it is weak and can use improvement.  Now, we know that Open Source produces better code.

Linux

Dunc-Tank To Help Meet Debian Etch Deadline

The Dunc-Tank is an experiment to see how targeted fund raising can improve Debian.  From the article: The brainchild of Debian project leader, Brisbane, Australia-based Anthony Towns, Dunc-Tank is an experimental project that seeks to find ways of funding Debian development. That money will then go into paying people to

Linux

The Post You Never Think You'll Have to Make

There are some posts you simply aren't prepared for and think you'll never have to make.  This is one.  One of our mods passed away far too young.  David, mcleodnine on LQ, was a long time member and one of the very early mods (he was

Linux

Flashforward Linux Demo

A quick Flash 9 on Linux status check, as my previous posts on the topic drew many requests for continual updates.  The Flash 9 plugin is now in good enough shape that they are showing it publicly.  No exact ETA yet, but a public beta should be along "real

Linux

Microsoft Re-Re-Releases IE Patch

Microsoft has recently released, for the third time, a patch for MS06-042.  From the article: According to Microsoft's security bulletin, the IE patch was updated September 12 to fix another remote code execution vulnerability in IE's handling of long URLs from Websites using HTTP 1.1

Linux

Microsoft Releases New "Open Specifications Promise" on 35 Web Services Specifications

From a post at consortiuminfo.org: Microsoft has just posted the text of a new patent "promise not to assert " at its Website, and pledges that it will honor that promise with respect to 35 listed Web Services standards. The promise is similar in most substantive respects to

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Quickest Patch Ever

As was guessed in the original article, Microsoft was able to patch the issue quite quickly. In fact, quicker than most security fixes.  From the article: If you really want to see Microsoft scramble to patch a hole in its software, don't look to vulnerabilities that impact countless

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Ex-Microsoft Security Strategist Joins Mozilla

You read that right.  Mozilla has announced that "Window Snyder is joining Mozilla to lead the company's effort to protect its range of desktop applications from malicious hacker attacks."  As you may have guessed, many people are having a field day with this one.  Comments like

Linux

10 common misunderstandings about the GPL

Here's a decent article regarding common misunderstandings about the GPL.  My single bone of contention is #1.  The GPL most certainly is viral.  Not in the way they indicate in the article, but saying it isn't (when it is by design) in an article meant to

Apple

Eric Schmidt Joins Apple's Board of Directors

Apple has recently announced that Google CEO Eric Schmidt will be joining the Apple board of directors.  People seem to think this will mean more support for Mac OS X in Google products, but it hasn't exactly worked out that way for Oracle or Intuit (Larry Ellison and

Google

Google Apps for Your Domain

Today Google released Google Apps for Your Domain.  From the release page: Now you can offer private-labeled email, IM and calendar tools to all of your users for free*, so they can share ideas and get things done more effectively. You can design and publish your organization's website,

Linux

APC Chris Nicol FOSS Prize 2007

Just ran across this and it seems like a fantastic commemoration.  From the article: The APC Chris Nicol FOSS Prize recognises initiatives that are making it easy for people to start using free and open source software (FOSS). The prize is awarded to a person or group doing extraordinary work

Linux

FairUse4WM strips Windows Media DRM

It was just a matter of time before something like this happened.  Interestingly, engadget has written An Open Letter to Microsoft - Why you shouldn't kill FairUse4WM, but I wouldn't be surprised if this one gets fixed before the next patch Tuesday hits.  For regular readers,

Linux

Flash9 on Linux Update

A quick follow up to this post about Flash 9.  It looks like things are progressing nicely, which is good as a number of sites that I'd really like to use are now requiring Flash > 8.  Whether you like Flash or not, some cool things are happening

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Microsoft patch opens users to attack

Microsoft has spent a lot of time and effort trying to improve their security image.  Part of that was gaining mindshare among admins, so that patches would be trusted and deployed in an expeditious manor.  It seemed that the Microsoft vision went as far as to wish everyone simply enable

Linux

Fresh Rumors Erupt over Red Hat-Oracle Buy

After multiple rumors that Oracle would offer Red Hat support, the new rumor seems to be that Oracle will simply acquire Red Hat. While Oracle certainly has the cash to do this, I can't see the logic from either side.  The rumor includes numbers as high as $6b

Linux

Open source guru advocates ideological shift

I have to admit I was a bit surprised after reading this article, which include the following: Eric Raymond has told the community that painful compromises are needed to the way it deals with closed source platforms and formats to avoid losing ground on desktops and new media players. Raymond

Linux

Real to plug Windows media support into Linux

RealNetworks will release open-source software this year that will let Linux computers play Windows Media files.  No word on if Real will ever open its own codec unfortunately.  This deal is "a result of a licensing deal RealNetworks signed with Microsoft and its settlement of an antitrust suit against

Linux

IBM takes potshots at OpenSolaris

In a trend that seems to be increasing, IBM recently took the time to deride Sun on OpenSolaris.  While I'd agree that Sun has been a bit skiddish at times and has certainly waffled more than any of us would have liked, saying that "OpenSolaris isn'