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Microsoft will offer 3 flavors of Linux in the Windows Store
Microsoft made headlines at last year's Build developer conference when it announced that it would build support for the Bash shell and Ubuntu Linux binaries directly into Windows 10. Doing so enables devs to run command-line tools while building apps as well as allows power users to run limited instances of Linux directly on top of Windows without installing a virtual machine. Today, at this year's conference, the company one-upped itself and announced that it's expanding Linux support to include OpenSUSE and Fedora distributions.
Fedora 20 targets enterprise and mobile with improved ARM and virtual machine support
On both desktops and servers, Fedora has seen popularity slip behind relative Linux new comers like Ubuntu and Mint. But Red Hat knows its strength lies in the enterprise, where its impressive security features have found love in the arms of sysadmins all over the globe. While we wouldn't say the release of version 20 (Heisenbug) is putting it ahead of the curve, it's certainly a valiant effort to future-proof the distribution. As the world preps for an explosion of ARM-powered servers, Fedora is finally adding support for the RISC-based processors to it's official channels. Until now support for ARM chips has been provided by unofficial community developers. Going forward, ARM will receive the same level of support that x86 chips from the likes of Intel and AMD have enjoyed for years. It also preps the distro for a market flooded mobile devices that emphasize form factor and battery life over raw processing power. In another nod to its business customers, the OS has greatly improved virtualization support through both a new visual interface and the addition of virtual images crafted specifically for cloud computing services like Amazon Web Services and OpenStack. There, of course, are updates to desktop environments like GNOME and KDE, too for those more likely to install it on a home PC. Whether you're setting up an ARM server or just appreciate Red Hat's nod to Breaking Bad, you'll find full details of the Heisenbug upgrade at the source links.
Trojan targets Linux desktop users, steals web banking info
Malware certainly exists for Linux, but it's more frequently targeted at servers than everyday PCs. Unfortunately, regular users now have more reason to worry: a rare instance of a Linux desktop trojan, Hand of Thief, has surfaced in the wild. The code swipes banking logins and other web sign-in details, creates a backdoor and prevents access to both antivirus tools and virtual machines. It's known to work with common browsers like Chrome and Firefox as well as 15 Linux distributions, including Debian, Fedora and Ubuntu. Thankfully, Hand of Thief is partly neutered by its limited attack methods; it relies on social engineering to fool victims into installing the software themselves. Even so, the trojan is a reminder that we shouldn't be complacent about security, regardless of which platform we use. [Thanks, Dreyer]
Fedora 19 Schrodinger's Cat released with 3D printing, Developer's Assistant, paradoxes
Fedora 19 Schrodinger's Cat may have a name that suggests it's both alive and dead, but there's no uncertainties about its release -- the finished Linux distribution is now available on Fedora's servers. The oddly-nicknamed OS mostly improves content creation. It beats Microsoft to the punch on 3D printer support by including object design and printing tools; budding programmers will also like Node.js support and a Developer's Assistant that simplifies learning new code languages. While there's many more updates than we can list here, it's safe to say that Fedora 19 is a big update for many Linux fans, whether or not they appreciate Schrodinger's quantum mechanics. You can grab the new build and its release notes at the source links.
Fedora 18 Spherical Cow brings Linux fans a taste of Cinnamon, new installer
Fedora's Linux distribution may be competing with Ubuntu for the title of silliest update name, but that doesn't diminish the impact of what are often significant revisions. See the just-launched Fedora 18 as an example: while it's called Spherical Cow, it introduces both a simpler installer to replace an aging predecessor as well as the option of using the Gnome 3-based Cinnamon desktop we recently saw in Linux Mint 13. There's also FedFS, a file system that provides unity between multiple file servers, and newer versions of both Sugar and XFCE for those who prefer different interfaces. If these and many under-the-hood updates can overcome the giggling over rounded bovines, Fedora 18's download and release notes are ready at the source links.
Fedora performs a Beefy Miracle, releases version 17
It took a bit longer than initially anticipated, but Fedora 17 is finally here with its rather unfortunate code name in tow. Beefy Miracle delivers a pretty healthy assortment of improvements over version 16, including support for GNOME Shell even in the absence of 3D acceleration. The project has also embraced the coming tablet revolution by adding multi-touch support to the OS and moved to a unified file system. Otherwise, the changelog is primarily a pedestrian list of performance improvements, bug fixes and package upgrades. To download it and try it yourself hit up the source link. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump
The good news is that Raspberry Pi's highly anticipated teeny-tiny Linux computers are on sale now, just barely making the promised February launch window (good thing it's a leap year). The better news, is that the $25 Model A version has gotten an upgrade from the planned 128Mb of RAM to 256Mb matching the Model B, which still throws in an extra USB port and an Ethernet hookup for $10 more. Unfortunately there is some bad news as well, while the Model A is going into production "immediately", cheapskates will have to hold off a little, as the Model B is the only one on sale right now. Built on a Broadcom BCM2835 700MHz ARM11 processor, they're intended as a cheap computing option that require only a keyboard and RCA or HDMI-connected display to give a full desktop experience including gaming and HD video playback . The team also announced it has secured manufacturing and distribution agreements that should guarantee a steady supply, without the previous limitation of 10,000 at a time batches. Need more technical details? Hit the FAQ page below, or put down a few Hamiltons -- they can be ordered directly from distributors Premier Farnell / Element 14 and RS Components -- and find out how it runs (Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux are currently supported) for yourself.Update: It appears the servers of both retailers are completely crushed by traffic at the moment, and we're told RS will ship in the UK only. Good luck in your struggle with that most difficult of questions: Keep mashing F5, or get some sleep and try again in the morning? Raspberry Pi's Twitter account reports Farrell appears to have already sold out, so keep that in mind. A press release and video demo from the BBC follow after the break.
Tranquil PC Skinny Ripper is a slim music-archiving server
If you've been avoiding ditching your CDs because ripping them all to an easily digestible and streamable format has proven too much of a hassle, then Tranquil PC might have the answer for you. The Skinny Ripper is a slim, fanless server with an optical drive that automatically rips any disk you insert and saves the contents to the internal 1TB drive. The embedded version of Fedora also has Subsonic music streaming app preinstalled so you can playback your collection from any smartphone or computer with a browser. You can order one now at the source link, starting at £665.83 ($1,051).
Fedora 16 now being served, with large side order of cloud
What happens when 24,000 geeks contribute to a single open source project? Fedora 16, that's what. The watery 'Verne' update is based on Linux kernel 3.1.0 and comes with a bunch of enterprise-friendly improvements, including better support for cloud-based processing and storage systems, more flexible desktop virtualization using SPICE USB, and version 3.2 of the Gnome desktop, which -- aside from being pretty -- offers greater scope for storing and managing user accounts online. There's some fun stuff too, including Firefox 7.0.1, a Rhythmbox app for music, and Shotwell for photo management. If any of this might make your life easier or more fulfilling, then explore the PR after the break and then head to the source link to download. [Thanks, Jarrett]
Lineo's Warp 2 boots to Fedora on Atom in 4 seconds, MPC Data's SwiftBoot warms up embedded Linux in an instant
Alright, you caught us. We're suckers for speedy, unrealistically optimized boot times. The fine folks at Linux for Devices just highlighted two major players on the horizon: Lineo's Warp 2, which is about to launch; and MPC Data's SwiftBoot, which is now available. Both of them are less of a "boot" and more of a "wake from hibernation" sort of thing, but most of the issues are the same -- you still have to boot a kernel, whether or not you're gonna populate the system with a saved state when it's ready. Lineo is booting up Fedora Linux 12 on an Atom Z530 machine, and has just hit the 4.06 second mark -- compared to a 54.72 second "normal" boot time on the system. Meanwhile, MPC Data is going after much more of a niche, but doing it well: its SwiftBoot tech can get Linux up and running an actual application on an embedded device-ready Renesas SuperH SH7724 processor in under a second (0.982 seconds, to be precise). This one has to be seen to be believed, so check out the video after the break. Sure, it won't help you love your pokey PC or Mac any more (though Apple's doing its own work on this problem with its misnomered "instant on" feature on the MacBook Air, which wakes the computer from hibernation in a few seconds), but it's a nice glimpse of what's to come.
SWG invites you back and offers gifts if you stay
Did you have a Star Wars Galaxies account and were just itching to try out the Galactic Civil War content? Maybe the interviews with Tony Tyson or Lydia Pope made you consider trying out the new Witches of Dathomir content? Now is your chance! If you had an active account between January 1st, 2008 and September 15th, 2010, then you are eligible to log in for the free week of SWG, which started yesterday November 23rd and goes to November 30th at 4 a.m PST. All week, those players will receive a whip decorative item and a fedora decorative item. These items are replicas of the items worn by Indiana Jones from another LucasFilm franchise: Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film starring Harrison Ford is coming up on its 30th anniversary, and the current LucasArts MMO is giving away the fedora and whip in-game items to celebrate. As an added bonus, if you choose to renew your subscription before midnight (PST) December 31st, you will be given the option to make the whip and fedora wearable items. Check the official website to find out how you can take advantage of this offer, and may the Force be with you, always.
Fedora 14 now available for download, complete with MeeGo trimmings
Ubuntu may be the Linux distribution of choice for many these days, but it's hardly the only game in town, and one of the other big players has now gotten an update that might just sway some folks back to its team. That comes in the form of the Red Hat sponsored Fedora 14, which is aimed specifically at "developers, system administrators and open source enthusiasts." If that includes you, you can expect to get a slew of mostly behind-the-scenes updates, including a new software framework for Spice desktop virtualization, a range of new debugging features, an updated tech preview of the GNOME shell environment that will be part of the upcoming GNOME 3.0 release and, of particular note, some software from the MeeGo community that promises an "enhanced experience on netbooks and small devices." As with previous Fedora releases, it's also available in a number of different "spins" to suit your tastes and needs and it's, of course, completely free. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and hit up the link below to download the OS.
Sugar on a Stick hits 3.0, teaches us about a new kind of fruit
Strawberries go great with shortcake. Blueberries? They make one heck of a pie. But, when we learned about the latest release of the Sugar Learning Platform, we had to go look up just what a Mirabelle is. Turns out it's a small, orange plum that really has nothing to do with Sugar's Fedora underpinnings, but certainly sounds healthier than Google's versioning schemes. Mirabelle has just been given the Sugar on a Stick treatment, and as with previous releases this one can be loaded to DVD or thumb drive and booted to give a taste of XO without requiring any repartitioning. Sugar on a Stick is now an official Fedora spin, distributed on the Fedora site in both 32- and 64-bit flavors at the other end of that source link below.
Synaptics extends multitouch Gesture Suite to Linux, Chrome OS included
Well, it had to happen at some point. After eons of watching Mac OS and Windows users swiping away nonchalantly on their touchpads, Linux laptop buyers can now also join the multitouch fray. Synaptics has announced official Gesture Suite support for a wide range of Linux-based OS flavors -- Fedora, Ubuntu, RedFlag, SuSE, and Xandros get name-dropped, while future support for Chrome OS is promised -- which will all benefit from its set of multi-fingered touch and swipe responses. The infamous pinch-to-zoom is quite naturally included in the Suite, which will come bundled with new installations of those operating systems. We're not seeing any mention of a downloadable update as yet, but we imagine that'll be corrected in due course, whether by the company itself or the resourceful Linux community. Full PR after the break.
Older PS3s losing 'install other OS' option in Thursday's firmware 3.21 update
Bad news, Linux fans. The older PlayStation 3 consoles are losing one of the features they could tout over their Slim successor. Firmware 3.21 is coming out this Thursday, April 1st, and its major raison d'être is to kill the "install other OS" option. (This is "not an April fools joke," as the PlayStation Europe blog clarifies.) "Security concerns" is the cited reason, although we're sure that doesn't make you feel much better -- no one likes the loss of a feature, even if it wasn't being used. Those who wish to keep Yellow Dog or Fedora running can opt to not upgrade, but skipping out means losing the ability to access PlayStation Network and play games online, among other things. DARPA enthusiasts notwithstanding, we can't say we know many people still running Linux on their console, but if you count yourself among the few and proud, our condolences. Them's the breaks, but hey, at least some of you still have PS2 compatibility.
Sugar on a Stick OS goes to 2.0, gets Blueberry coating and creamy Fedora 12 center (video)
It didn't take long for Sugar on a Stick, the OLPC-free version of the Sugar OS, to go from concept to bootable, and it's only taken a few further months to go from that first version, called "Strawberry," to this twice as fruity "Blueberry" flavor. Updates are evolutionary here, with a core built on Fedora 12 and Sugar .86, adding in Gnash for Flash support as well as a suite of new apps. Most notable is the recently released Open Office 4 Kids, a streamlined version of the suite that probably won't be great for squeezing every character of your resume onto one page but should be good enough to spread a 500(ish) word book report over two. There is a number of other updates included, some demonstrated after the break, all available for your download now. You're just 589MB away from sweet OS simplicity.
Fedora 12 'Constantine' launches with enhanced video codec and power management
Continuing in the time-honored tradition set by the likes of Fedora 10 and Fedora 11, Fedora 12 (codenamed "Constantine"). With this release comes improvements in the realms of webcam support, video codec, audio, security and power management, as well as "bluetooth on demand" and some virtualization enhancements. The only thing absent for the devout Linux fan? A fun alliteration like Karmic Koala. Missed opportunity, if you ask us.
Fedora 11 packs a next-gen file system, faster boot times, all the joys and pitfalls of Linux
Linux just gets sexier and sexier, and Fedora 11 just joined Ubuntu 9.04 in the ranks of super modern Linux distros released this year. Fedora doesn't have all the desktop refinements of Ubuntu, or the wild popularity, but it does act as the underpinnings of Intel's Moblin, and the Sugar OS, and doesn't shy away from the future. Fedora 11 makes the bleeding edge ext4 filesystem the default for installs, which speeds performance and improves data integrity -- Ubuntu offers ext4 as an option, but some application incompatibilities have caused data loss problems, so hopefully Fedora has overcome that. Fedora 11 also has boot times in its sights, with a goal to be at the login screen in 20 seconds, new versions of GNOME and KDE desktop environments (GNOME is default, but KDE 4.2 is looking great) and plenty of other minor and major tweaks. Sure, it's still Linux: most folks who expect to just swap out their Windows environment wholesale are sure to be sorely disappointed, but it's clear the steady march of progress continues unabated -- and hey, it's good enough for Intel and the children.
Sugar Labs debuts "Sugar on a Stick" beta, for LiveUSB-derived diabetes
After offering Sugar for the past while as an interface to run on top of your Linux distro of choice, Sugar Labs is prepping "Sugar on a Stick," a Fedora 11-based LiveUSB distro that boots most any PC from a 1GB+ USB stick and lets a user carry their Sugar environment, files and settings wherever they roam. While the beta is currently up for download, there seem to be plenty of kinks to work out, but as the team expands and refines hardware support, we could see this potentially being more of a boon for education than the XO-1 itself; turning any PC into a Sugar PC, not just the dramatically green ones. It's also nice to see how speedy Sugar can be free from the bonds of AMD Geode -- even Atom provides quite a bit of relative pep. Check out a quick (and slightly hyperactive) hands-on video from OLPC News after the break.
Intel turns Moblin over to the Linux Foundation
If you love something, set it free -- and if it truly loves you back, it will return as the market's dominant MID and netbook OS. We're pretty certain that's what our mom said to us when we were kids -- it's a fairly hazy memory -- and it sounds like Intel's heeding that advice with Moblin, turning over "stewardship" of the fledgling OS to the Linux Foundation. It's an interesting move that seems to be more about politics more than anything else -- Intel still employs all the lead developers, so it'll basically be in charge of things, but companies that want to use Moblin can do so secure in the knowledge that it's formally controlled by a neutral body. Very clever. So -- now that that's out of the way, can everyone get back to work on that insane concept MID we've been drooling over for two years? Thanks.[Thanks, Chris]