News Archive - 2007
Ogg in HTML5; BBC iPlayer; Google Knol
Thursday 27th December 2007
Category: News
First up is the somewhat controversial removal of Ogg Vorbis and Theora from the HTML5 spec, with many blaming Nokia and Apple. Plenty of others have also argued against the reasoning behind this.
Naturally, although Ogg's inclusion in the spec would be a boost to the format, far more significant is the potential of being able to visit a website and have audio and video just work. Without including some sort of specific codec, the situation will be exactly the same as today - even with specific tags for audio and video, you'll still have to use whatever codec the web developer has decided is best. Yes, even if they are included in the spec, other codecs could still be used - but with some browsers already supporting Ogg Vorbis/Theora, it becomes much simpler to stick to those formats to make your website play nice with the browser. Just think of images - there are loads of image formats you could use, but people stick to JPEG, GIF and PNG because its what browsers support.
Next is the news that the BBC iPlayer is now in Flash form, allowing it to be used on many more Windows versions, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and anything else that supports Flash. Naturally, a 'freer' solution would be nice, but this is a definite improvement on "Got Windows XP? No? Tough."
Google is planning what appears to be a competitor to Wikipedia, namely Google Knol. Unlike Wikipedia, single authors will pen entire articles, with users able to rate and comment on the article. Of course, this comes at a time when Wikipedia's image of democracy is under attack. Frankly, as useful as a source for everything is, the idea is fundamentally flawed - a single resource will ultimately have a few select people that are responsible and, in some fashion, in control.
Going back to the poor old W3C, some that are dissatified with the way the CSS Working Group is, or rather isn't, working have proposed changes, which has prompted a response to the suggestions made and the wider issue.
There's also a look at Java one year after it has was GPLed, the release of Movable Type 4.0, the first version to be open source, and a post stating Programming languages are not like hand tools, contrary to the frequent statement "Choose the language according to the task".
GNOME's Interface; DRM by Western Digital; Eee PC
Monday 10th December 2007
Category: News
Firstly, an GNOME's interface warts and it's future, which restates the ever-present problem of how to fix important but boring bugs.
Next is Western Digital's software to allow you to share files from their external hard drive. Unfortunately, WD Anywhere Access now has DRM included, meaning it will prevent sharing of files with certain extensions, such as MP3 or AVI.
Finally, the author of Distrowatch writes a little about the Eee PC. The Eee PC is so interesting because it's being sold widely and runs Linux by default. Admittedly, I'd prefer a distribution besides Xandros, but work is progressing in getting everything running smoothly on other distribution.
IBM PC; GNOME Online Desktop; Perfect Code; Adam Curtis
Sunday 2nd December 2007
Category: News
First up is the Register going all the way back to 1981 to visit the IBM PC, complete with a 4.77MHz processor. Speedy.
Next up is a tour of the GNOME Online Desktop, which presents a different way of using GNOME. Some of the features seem handy, especially those related to package management - anything that helps users pick packages from the multitude out there is heading in the right direction - although I'm not sure that I'd enjoy using the sidebar. Of course, the sidebar is not obligatory, and there are plenty more parts to the Online Desktop that will hopefully work well.
There's also the question of whether perfect code exists, and the Register interviewing Adam Curtis.
Biscuits, Fedora 8, and Linux at the BBC
Saturday 17th November 2007
Category: News
First up is the story of a eighty-year-old biscuits being sold for a few grand, which is to become an attraction in a few days time. Personally, I wouldn't sample them. I have this funny rule about not eating food older than me.
Next is an interview with Lennart Poettering, discussing PulseAudio, the new sound package for Fedora 8. It brings plenty of new features, so it will be interesting to see how long it is until other distributions follow suit.
Finally, the poor chaps at the BBC have decided that the BBC News website only gets 600 Linux visitors daily. Ho hum.
Gimp 2.4 Released
Saturday 27th October 2007
Category: News
Perhaps the most well-known FLOSS graphics tool, the GIMP, has finally reached a new version with the release of the GIMP 2.4.
Of course, there've been plenty of other interesting articles on the Internet in the past month or so - here a few that have been rotting in my list for far too long:
- Clever croc has its own version of sat-nav
- PC superstore puts Microsoft on sale for under £150
- A380 touches down in Oz
- Who really won in Microsoft vs. the EU?
- AMD 8.42 Driver Brings Fixes, AIGLX!
Excel can't multiply
Tuesday 25th September 2007
Category: News
A somewhat serious bug in Excel has been found recently - specifically, that Excel 2007 will multiply incorrectly in some cases. Some of the examples given are:
- =850x77.1
- =5.1*12850
- =10.2*6425
- =20.4*3212.5
- =40.8*1606.25
- =77.1*850
Those with a calculator handy, or far more proficient in mental arithmetic than I, will be able to tell us that the result should be 65,535. Excel 2007, on the other hand, decides that 100,000 is close enough.
News Roundup
Saturday 18th August 2007
Category: News
A quick collection of links from the recent news:
- Matthew Garrett takes a look at Automatix
- Ryan Lortie is excoted about the future of GNOME
- Andrew Morton calls for more kernel testing [linux.com]
- Groklaw on the court ruling of Novell vs SCO
- Linus Torvalds answers questions on efytimes.com
- Oracle claims no Linux ulterior motive [The Register]
- Google joins the Open Invention Network [The Register], a consortium that agree to play nice with their Linux-related patents
- Microsoft Nurtures Linux Silverlight Port [SD Time]
- Nissan rolls out drink-proof cars [The Register]
- Walking to the shops 'damages planet more than going by car' [Times Online]
- New elements in HTML 5 [IBM]
BBC iPlayer, Linux, China, Printers and Dolphins
Friday 3rd August 2007
Category: News
First of all, the Free Software Foundation, understandably annoyed by the BBC, plans a protest against the 'corrupt' organisation.
Next up is Linus' response to claims that kernel developers ignore the desktop - he claims "I've always considered the desktop to be the most important part". In the same conversation, we hear why CFS by Molnar rather than SD by Kolivas was chosen as the new Linux scheduler. Onto the laptop, and we find the ASUS Eee, a cheap machine aimed at similar markets to the OLPC.
Moving onto specific distributions, MEPIS has moved back to Debian as its base, after a flirt with Ubuntu. Apparently, this is due to a misunderstanding over how Dapper Drake was updated i.e. that it receives only security updates. Speaking of Debian, we have a post describing the release goals of Debian Lenny, which is still some way off.
More generally, FLOSS faces many threats. Clearly, one is Microsoft - and it has allegedly beaten Linux on China. Others argue that in-fighting is another problem, although it may be that such projects simply have their in-fighting visible to the public rather than behind closed company doors.
If you work in an office, then the nearest threat may be your printer, due to the various nasties they seem to spewing out.
Finally, we hear that dolphins really are very clever.
BBC iPlayer; Mozilla Thunderbird; ATi Drivers; The F in FOSS
Thursday 26th July 2007
Category: News
First up is the news that the BBC Trust met with the Open Source Consortium over iPlayer, which currently only works on Windows XP. Whether any comes of it still remains to be seen, although I'll keep my fingers crossed.
There's also the perhaps unsurprising news that Mozilla Thunderbird is flying the nest and finding a new home, leaving the Mozilla Corporation with just Firefox.
Now that Dell has started selling computers with GNU/Linux installed, Dell Wants Better ATi Linux Drivers. I could tempt fate by saying that the reports of Linux on the desktop reaching critical mass are finally coming true...
Finally, Eben Moglen had a pleasant chat with Tom O'Reilly about putting the F back in FOSS.
Growth; GPLv3; Stable API for Linux Kernel; KHTML and Webkit
Tuesday 24th July 2007
Category: News
First of all, we learn about the earnings of Google - revenue is up 58%, but this is still lower than expected. Similarly, Microsoft had unspectacular growth - the level of growth appearing to be in line with before Vista was released.
Next up is an article named The 'Cost' of GPLv3 is the Loss of All Threats to Free Software, while elsewhere the Linux kernel gains a stable userspace driver API. While some aren't too fond of proprietary drivers, I hope this will encourage more firms to develop drivers for Linux, which is frequently cited as a requisite for more success on the desktop.
Finally, good news in the form of KHTML and Webkit coming back together again. As marvellous as Gecko is, some more open source competition is nothing to complain about - I look forward to trying out a Webkit powered Epiphany.
Gobuntu; CUPS; Badgers
Tuesday 17th July 2007
Category: News
First of all, Mark Shuttlework has announced a new project called Gobuntu, which exists as a totally free alternative to Ubuntu. I've never studied Ubuntu development in any great depth - but presumably Gobuntu would still use the proprietary Launchpad for bugs? Hmm, perhaps not totally free.
Elsewhere, CUPS has been purchased by Apple (the company that makes Macs, not the Beatles). Interestingly, the latest issue of Distrowatch suggests it may be time for a fork. So long as CUPS continues to be open source and of a high quality, I personally don't see the problem.
Finally, something totally unrelated to technology - an article from the BBC about Basra Badgers, which had the brilliant quote:
UK military spokesman Major Mike Shearer said: "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area.
Will IT Blend?
Wednesday 11th July 2007
Category: News
Apparently, in answer to will IT blend, the answer is yes. And so does an iPhone. Fancy that.
Microsoft and GPLv3
Monday 9th July 2007
Category: News
Microsoft has made a statement on its relationship to the GPLv3. It has decided that it is in no way bound to it - but there is still the paragraph stating:
At this point in time, in order to avoid any doubt or legal debate on this issue, Microsoft has decided that the Novell support certificates that we distribute to customers will not entitle the recipient to receive from Novell, or any other party, any subscription for support and updates relating to any code licensed under GPLv3. We will closely study the situation and decide whether to expand the scope of the certificates in the future.
Hmm. Of course, there's plenty to read about this, such as:
- Microsoft Says It Is Not Bound by GPLv3 [eWeek.com]
- Microsoft tells GPLv3 to talk to the hand [The Register]
- MS: Dancing as fast as it can to try to get away from GPLv3 [Groklaw]
- Microsoft tries evading new GPL grasp [ZDNet Asia]
Red Hat; GPLv3
Thursday 5th July 2007
Category: News
Following in the footsteps of Novell and, more recently, Linspire and Xandros, there are Red Hat will be the next to make a deal with Microsoft, although eWeek went with Red Hat to MS: Let's Talk Interoperability.
There's also an article on The Real Meaning of GNU GPLv3.
Getting Started With QEMU
Saturday 30th June 2007
Categories: Guides, GNU/Linux, FLOSS
QEMU lets you emulate a machine - in other words, you can run a virtual computer on top of your real computer. This makes it perfect for trying the latest release of a distribution, running older operating systems, or just testing.
PC-BSD 1.3
Thursday 31st May 2007
Categories: Reviews, BSD, FLOSS
PC-BSD should make an interesting change for two main reasons. Firstly, it uses a BSD kernel, as opposed to the Linux kernel used in distributions such as Debian and Slackware. Secondly, its main method of installing new programs seems to be closer to that of Windows than apt. So, let's see if its claims of user friendliness are accurate.
Patents, Patents, Everywhere
Monday 21st May 2007
Category: News
One of the big news stories recently is that Microsoft has named exactly how patents free software is supposed to infringe. The magic number? 235. And have Microsoft told us which patents are been violated? Don't be silly. Here are a selection of articles on the matter:
- Microsoft puts a figure on open source 'patent infringements' [The Register]
- Microsoft claims software like Linux violates its patents [CNN]
- Microsoft Won't Sue Linux Users, Company Exec Says [InformationWeek]
- Microsoft patent claims hint at internal issues [washingtonpost.com]
- Linus Torvalds Responds To Microsoft Patent Claims [InformationWeek]
- Sun warns Microsoft - 'You'd be wise to listen to your customers' [The Register]
- FSF ready to battle Microsoft [tectonic.co.za]
In other news, there's some reports that AMD, recent buyers of ATi, will deliver open graphics drivers. Exactly how this will pan out remains to be seen.
Finally, something tasty for you: £21-a-cup coffee. Why so expensive, you ask? Simple - a cat's already digested before you.
Beginner's Guide to Debian Etch
Wednesday 11th April 2007
Categories: Guides, GNU/Linux, FLOSS
Debian is one of the most common distributions in the world. With a possible total of twenty one CDs, it is also one of the biggest. As you may have gathered from the fact that this guide exists, Debian is not the easiest distribution. However, anybody that is relatively competent with computers should be able to use Debian (after all, I am!). This is not a guide to every detail of Debian Etch - instead, it aims to get you going, so you can start tinkering away!
Debian News
Wednesday 11th April 2007
Category: News
The last couple of days have been interesting for Debian. First of all, Debian Etch has been released, which is, of course, fantastic news. Of course, Sarge hasn't been neglected either, with a new minor release of Sarge the day before Etch.
Finally, Sam Hocevar has been voted as the new Debian Project Leader. I'm looking forward to new, Debian sexiness - making Debian more appealing, both through its website and the desktop experience, is, in my opinion, critical if it is to continue its success.
Peacock Linux
Sunday 1st April 2007
Categories: GNU/Linux, FLOSS, Proprietary Software, News
Peacock Linux - the Galactic Operating System - aims to make the best of both worlds. It's the perfect amalgam between free and proprietary.
Debian Leaders, Old and New, and HTML
Tuesday 20th March 2007
Category: News
First of all, Debian is currently in the process of electing a new Debian Project Leader (DPL). They each have a platform, while Linux.com asked some of their own questions.
Speaking of Debian leaders, the very first, Ian Murdock, gives his thoughts on Debian, as well as joining Sun Microsystems.
Finally, some news that should have some delighted - the World Wide Web Consortium have started work once more on HTML.
World Domination, Warships and Aircraft
Sunday 4th March 2007
Category: News
First up is an article on CNR.com and World Domination, looking at how the tool could help the GNU/Linux community, and what some of the drawbacks might be.
Next up is the good news that AMD have released the source of the BIOS for a Gigabyte motherboard. In case you were wondering, this is not just some dusty old motherboard that somebody picked to get in the headlines - it's a recent board with support for AMD's latest socket, two graphics card in SLI, and all sorts of other fancy stuff.
Some more good news is that something positive came out of a certain somebody leaving Fedora for Ubuntu - namely a speedup in yum. Speaking of code, the open source community has asked Ballmer to show us the code to prove that GNU/Linux has violated Microsoft's intellectual property, rather than just bandying words around.
In the UK, we did get a pleasant response regarding patents from Number 10. The first paragraph reads:
The Government remains committed to its policy that no patents should exist for inventions which make advances lying solely in the field of software. Although certain jurisdictions, such as the US, allow more liberal patenting of software-based inventions, these patents cannot be enforced in the UK.
Its not all good news for Blighty though - our warships are fitted with Windows 2000. Fortunately, the article goes beyond saying, "Argh! Windows! Guns!" and actually addresses what it sees as some of the problems. How valid these concerns are is up to you to decide. Elsewhere in Britain, we get our very own Open Source think tank.
Perhaps controversially, somebody has suggest that Microsoft Should Acquire Linux. I'm not so sure about that myself!
Finally, an article on If Operating Systems Ran The Airlines....
Dreamlinux 2.2
Wednesday 28th February 2007
Categories: Reviews, GNU/Linux, FLOSS
Dreamlinux is one of the lesser known distributions, and certainly does not appear in the headlines with the same frequency as Ubuntu or openSUSE. However, it seems to have been ticking along nicely, with the 1.0 release about a year ago. Today, we're looking at DreamLinux 2.2, based on Debian with bits borrowed from Morphix.
Open Source Alliance, Linus on GNOME and RPM
Monday 19th February 2007
Category: News
First up is the announcement of the new Open Source Alliance, with founders apparently including Adaptive Planning, Centric CRM, CollabNet, EnterpriseDB, Hyperic, JasperSoft, Openbravo, SourceForge.net, SpikeSource and Talend. As ever, it remains to be seen just how much of an impact it will have. Speaking of open source, the question has been posed Can Open Source Apps Find Strength in Numbers?
Next up is a somewhat old topic. Some time ago, Linus Torvalds made some comments on GNOME that weren't exactly favourable to GNOME. Linus Torvalds has now responded with some patches, which hopefully will get looked over properly.
Finally, the news that RPM is finally moving on again thanks to a revamped rpm.org.
Launchpad, Linspire, Dunc-Tank, and ROX
Friday 9th February 2007
Category: News
Firstly, a blog post about Why Launchpad isn't taking off just yet. Although I quite like Ubuntu, the fact that Launchpad is not open source is somewhat disappointing, and is probably stopping some of the problems being fixed by hackers. Speaking of Ubuntu, Linspire have decided to switch to Ubuntu. It's not the first either - MEPIS did so a little while back.
Next up is an interview with Anthony Towns, the current Debian Project Leader, about whether Dunc-Tank was a success or failure. On the topic of Debian, Steve Langasek, one of Debian's Release Managers, has commented on the release date of Debian Etch.
Klaus Knopper, known by many as the creator of Knoppix, has stated proprietary software will kill PC in 30 years.
Finally, an article on the ROX Desktop, while brings back fond memories of RISC OS for me. Worth a look if you fancy a change from the usual desktop environments.
Resilience and Standards
Friday 19th January 2007
Category: News
A couple of interesting articles recently. The first discusses how the LSB has an eye to making life easier for independent software vendors, otherwise known as ISVs. They plan to introduce a cross-platform API to allow software to use rpm, dpkg and others without making any changes.
Elsewhere, Linus Torvalds talks about his surprise at the resilience of the Linux kernel 2.6.
openSUSE 10.2
Friday 19th January 2007
Categories: Reviews, GNU/Linux, FLOSS
Despite being a little late, here is the review of the latest version of SUSE by its community - namely, openSUSE 10.2.