Jack Carlson

Tips for Linux Explorers
One of the great things about the World Wide Web is the plethora of sites you can find on almost any subject. The more interest in a subject, the more sites you’ll find.
Web sites devoted to operating systems are among the most numerous. One can only imagine how many sites [...]

Microsoft vs. Linux: Execs Talk Detente
“The often-hostile relations between Microsoft and the open-source community are thawing, and new dialogues appear to be opening between senior officials in both camps” according to this article from eWeek.

EE Times UK - Linux Fans Unleash New Distro Called ‘Puppy’

One of the most frequent complaints new Linux users have is the lack of documentation for the most popular distributions. True, most versions have .man, or manual. pages available to the user, but those can only be accessed once the distribution is installed. Should you need installation instructions, or a good overview of [...]

One of the most frequent complaints new Linux users have is the lack of documentation for the most popular distributions. True, most versions have .man, or manual. pages available to the user, but those can only be accessed once the distribution is installed. Should you need installation instructions, or a good overview of [...]

According to an article published today in PC Magazine, an Australian IT services firm has updated what it says is one of the few fully transparent studies comparing the costs of running Linux versus Windows– and found that Linux is still cheaper.

Internetnews.com reports on a new study which has found that Linux is more secure than most commercial software — results that echo what its proponents have long said.
A four-year study released today by Coverity, reports Linux has a low bug count, making the code more stable and secure. The 2.6 Linux production kernel, now being [...]

Linux on the desktop can be a real challenge for some people. Then there are the truly masochistic who insist on trying to load Linux on their laptops.

From eBCVG, “Organizations today are struggling with how to expand their business and compete in the face of lean IT budgets. Doing more with fewer resources, optimizing systems and revitalizing IT infrastructures for greater efficiency and agility to respond to ever- changing business conditions remain at the top of many business leaders’ agendas.”

On Saturday, August 28, it is possible a new holiday will be born: Software Freedom Day. Organized by grassroots groups, the worldwide event is an effort to promote wider use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).

It’s not very often we get to post anything related to the National Security Agency. There’s a good reason for that. They don’t exactly encourage open discussions of their practices. And this has to be the first time I’ve ever used the terms Open Source and the N.S.A. is the same sentence. [...]

If you’re a geek who loves geek-speak, I’ve got just the thing for you. On the other hand, if you’re simply curious about Andrew Morton and wonder what the man who maintains the Linux kernel is thinking…well, I’ve got something for you, too.

Dave Fancella gets philosophical about the impact of the free software movement on the shareware industry in his NewsForge article.

Linux users have long bragged about the security of their operating system. Detractors usually respond that this is only because Linux does not have 95% of the market using its product. Where ever you stand on the subject, I think we can all agree that when the hackers do start going after the [...]

I was talking with a friend last week about Linux in Europe. We were discussing the recent news stories about European governments and their interest in Open Source software and operating systems. He reminded me that Microsoft does not enjoy the dominance in the marketplace there that it does in the U.S. [...]

Just two days after Johann De Freitas reported on a 30GB mobile device preloaded with Linux comes news of an even bigger drive from the same vendor, LaCie. They’ve announced a 40GB Globe Trotter drive.

Another notable name in Linux circles is Andrew Morton. First, you should know what a maintainer is. That is a person who has taken primary responsibility for the development of some part of a Linux distribution, or in Andrew’s case, the kernel itself. This gives him the final word on what will be [...]

LinuxJournal’s Marco Tabini says, “If PHP is your scripting language of choice when it comes to developing dynamic Web sites, you probably have grown to love its immediacy and power. An estimated ten million Web sites use at least some PHP scripting to generate their pages.” But don’t stop reading there.

If you’re new to Linux, and aren’t familiar with its history, I’d like to introduce you today to one of the pioneers of the entire non-Windows, post-Unix movement, Richard Stallman.

One fact that gets lost in the Windows vs. Linux discussion is that beyond the kernel, there is no “Linux.” Each distribution of Linux is a separate and unique operating system. Each differs in the software packaged with it, and how that software is installed. That last item is often a source [...]