News Bytes

By Michael Conry

Contents: Linux Links News in General Distro News Software and Product News

Selected and formatted by Michael Conry

Submitters, send your News Bytes items in PLAIN TEXT format. Other formats may be rejected without reading. You have been warned! A one- or two-paragraph summary plus URL gets you a better announcement than an entire press release. Submit items to bytes@linuxgazette.net

---

Linux Links

Configuring the GIMP to look and act a bit more like Adobe Photoshop

The Linux Box Show, recorded in glorious audio for your listening pleasure.

Linux Makes Granny Cry.

Interesting Open Source perspective analysis of CeBIT 2005, and the opportunities missed.

Linux Medical News is 5 years old.

Richard Stallman interviewed on the state of GNU/Linux.

Waiting and Sleeping on the command line.

---

News in General

---

Linux Kernel

The newest iteration of the stable 2.6.x series of Linux Kernels is now available: Linux 2.6.11.6.

Also new, is the April release of version 2.4.30 in the previous stable series.

As always, you should download kernels and patches from your nearest mirror.

---

Intel License

Intel has tentatively proposed eliminating the Intel Open Source License, substituting for it the more common BSD license. This would be a small contribution to reducing the proliferation of licenses that has occurred in recent years.

---

TUX Magazine

TUX Magazine is a new Linux magazine aimed at beginners. Coming from SSC, publishers of Linux Journal, TUX will be a monthly online magazine distributed in PDF format. NewsForge has published a report on the new publication.

---

Distro News

---

Yoper

Yoper Linux has been profiled and reviewed at NewsForge.

---

Ubuntu/UserLinux

LWN has reported on the release of experimental UserLinux metapackages for Ubuntu Hoary.

---

Puppy

Puppy Linux is a flexible and small-sized GNU/Linux distribution. You can read a brief review at LinuxInsider.com.

---

Arch

OSnews has published a lengthy interview with the developers behind Arch Linux.

---

Software and Product News

---

Firefox

Firefox appears to be making measurable inroads into Microsoft Internet Explorer's market share. The Microsoft browser offering now accounts for less than 90% of the browser sector.

---

Nero

Nero, the popular Windows CD/DVD burning software, has recently been released for Linux. NeroLinux is a closed source application, and is available free of charge following registration on the Nero website.

---

Adobe Reader

Adobe has released a new version of its PDF reading software, Adobe Reader 7.0, for Linux. The software is available for free download, and has been profiled on DesktopLinux.com.

 

---

Mick is LG's News Bytes Editor.

Originally hailing from Ireland, Michael is currently living in Baden, Switzerland. There he works with ABB Corporate Research as a Marie-Curie fellow, developing software for the simulation and design of electrical power-systems equipment.

Before this, Michael worked as a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College Dublin; the same institution that awarded him his PhD. The topic of this PhD research was the use of Lamb waves in nondestructive testing. GNU/Linux has been very useful in his past work, and Michael has a strong interest in applying free software solutions to other problems in engineering.