As in 'out of existence'. Is The Onion missing a writer?. This from yesterday:
"The Free Software movement is dead. Linux doesn't exist in 2007. Even Linus has got a job today." Controversial statements from the head of Microsoft's Linux Labs, Bill Hilf.
Not much more to be said about the alleged copyright infringement, is there? And why does Microsoft even have a Linux Lab again?
A few notes on where to look for new apps, especially if using the search function on Synaptic Package Manager or apt-get in the command line is not to your liking: for GNOME apps, there's this site; if you are using Kubuntu, or just like to add KDE stuff to your GNOME desktop, then there's this site; for art in Gnome, check here and here; the KDE equivalent is here.
The good news just keeps pouring in for Ubuntu and Linux; Linspire's Click 'N Run Warehouse is slated to go online any day now; the supported distros will be Debian, Ubuntu, Freespire, Fedora, OpenSuse, and of course Linspire. Screenshots are available here. While Ubuntu and Freespire users will get first shots, the rest will get in sometime in September or October.
While I still haven't had time to actually use Ubuntustudio, the servers have cooled off enough that you can visit their homepage, or the semblance of a home page; it's mostly a link to the DVD ISO files and the torrent file; once again, do not install from the DVD if you are using a restricted driver! Otherwise you will lose functionality of that particular bit of hardware. The best way to get it is to install on top of an existing Feisty Fawn install. If you don't care about that, then here is the torrent. Yay! And finally found some screenshots of Ubuntustudio; actually it's a full-on walkthrough of how to install it from the DVD ISO.
If you're a Debian fan (like I am) then you might want to take a look at the Sidux; it's based on the unstable branch of Debian (thus the 'sid' in the distro's name) and includes the latest kernel, which happily includes support for some of the newest wireless cards, including the intel pro wireless 3945, the Ralinktech 25xx brand of cards, as well as the Realtek rtl8187 and adm8211(?).
The bit that's the most interesting about the new kernel support of those cards is that it also includes encryption, including WPA/WPA2, through something called iwlwifi, which will be a part of all kernels from here on in. Debian stable should get it in, oh, about 2025 or thereabouts. As someone who's just too darned lazy to actually compile anything recently, this is good news indeed.
Some other interesting tidbits, Ubuntu related: XBox Media center is being ported to Linux;
here's an account of someone who loves Ubuntu maybe more than I do; and here's someone who prefers Mandriva 2007 Spring and hatesUbuntu. Ouch, that hurts. And here's the final insult --claims to have had his laptop trashed by Ubuntu.
Switching to/trying out Linux may mean some things are unfamiliar or don't go perfectly right off the bat; if I quit the first time I had any problems with my first experience (OpenSuse 10.1, broken YaST), then I would still be where I was, unhappily locked into iTunes. As it was, I stuck with it, and am now trying several distros' worth of liveCDs a week; still looking for the perfect fit. Ubuntu is it for now, but who knows? The freedom to choose, and tweak, and just get things the way I like them have made computing fun again. And that makes any minor hassles I face well worthwhile.
I used to love this game; Torus Trooper on elive: