In 1999, Linux founder Linus Torvalds joked about plans for world domination. But as the Linux kernel
celebrated its 20th birthday this year, Linux, and open source in general, have achieved a limited version of world domination. As we reported in August, Linux in its many forms now powers a majority of the world's supercomputers. Apache web servers running on Linux and other Unix operating systems serve up the majority of the web sites on the Internet, and Linux powers some of the biggest sites on
Earth—including Facebook, Google and Wikipedia. And embedded versions of Linux are part of the explosion of network-connected consumer devices, most notably as the basis of Google's Android mobile OS.
But there's still at least one place where Linux hasn't achieved the dreams of Tux the Penguin t-shirt ...

Many Linux users who have been GNOME fans for years find themselves in a sudden quandary. GNOME 3.0 has completely abandoned the desktop experience we've come to love during the years. That's not to say change is bad, it's just that many folks (even Linus Torvalds) don't really want to change.

As an Ubuntu user for several years, I'm accustomed to how well Canonical makes Linux on the desktop "just work". Unfortunately, Ubuntu's alternative to the GNOME 3 switch is Unity. I want to like Unity. I've forced myself to use it to see if it might grow on me after a while. It hasn't. And, to make
matters worse, version 11.10 won't have a classic GNOME option, which means I either need to bite the bullet and get used to Unity or go with an alternative.
...

The end of licensing for operating system distributors to ship Oracle's Sun Java JDK packages, combined with October's announcement of a number of critical vulnerabilities in that software, has led Canonical to announce that, for security reasons, it will be disabling the Sun JDK browser plugin immediately. The Sun JDK is currently distributed through the company's "Partner Repository" and is often downloaded and installed by users who find that the default OpenJDK is not sufficiently compatible or stable enough when running their Java applications. As Oracle withdrew the DLJ ("Operating System Distributor License for Java") in August, Canonical are unable to ship any updates and were already expected to stop distribution of the Sun JDK.

Canonical says that, as it is known that October's vulnerabilities are being exploited in the wild, the disabling of the plugin will mitigate the risk. Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx), 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) and 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) will be affected. ...

Ubuntu is undoubtedly one of the most user-friendly Linux-based operating system. Yes, user-friendly is a relative term. For a home user who is not very well versed with technology Ubuntu can be extremely easy. However, Unity changed (?) something.

The lack of customization of the Unity shell has put people off. Even I, a long time Ubuntu user, is playing with openSUSE/KDE along with Ubuntu. There is a clear line drawn between Unity users and Gnome 3 shell users. On our Facebook page 97% fans preferred Gnome 3 Shell over Unity. The reason is simple -- Gnome 3 Shell does offer quite a lot of customization and brings back the features users are used to. Quite a lot of users are returning to Ubuntu thanks to the Gnome Shell extensions website, which makes it easier for Ubuntu users to install Gnome Shell extensions with greater ease.
...

KDE har nu 3 olika skrivbordsmiljöer, Plasma Desktop, Plasma Netbook och Plasma Active. Plasma Active är enbart för touchscreens.

Citat:>
While Gnome meta-morphed into a tablet/touch based desktop environment, which initially created some ripples, KDE has adopted a more mature approach. The free and open source project is working on what is called Plasma Active.

With Plasma Active, KDE project has shown how you can take customize the DE for different class of devices -- while traditional desktop users can use the 'future' perfect and advanced Plasma Desktop, space restricted netbooks can take full advantage of Plasma Netbook, the Plasma Active emerges as a great solution for touch based devices.
...

Det är egentligen 2 stycken listor, en lista med kommersiella appar och en med fria appar. Sammanställningen kommer från http://developer.ubuntu.com/ så jag tar för givet att listorna är helt korrekta!

Citat:>
November is over and we’re moving fast into the Christmas season. Time for a quick recap of the top 10 list of apps downloaded from the Ubuntu Software Centre last month!

Top 10 commercial apps

Braid – Braid is a platform game in painterly style where you manipulate the flow of time to solve puzzles. Every puzzle in Braid is unique; there is no filler. Braid treats your time and attention as precious, and it does everything it can to give you a mind-expanding experience. Get Braid from the Software Centre ›
...

Ubuntu is undoubtedly one of the most popular Linux-based distros out there (yes, I know LinuxMint is creating quite a buzz out there, kudos to the hard working LinuxMint team.)

The reason of Ubuntu's (and LinuxMint's) success is partly in its ease of use. Unfortunately, Ubuntu's move to Unity has changed that. Unity while offers new features, has also taken away what people were used to, and they are complaining.

I don't think Unity is good or bad. It just lacks the customization that was needed or was desired – and Ubuntu team needs to pay heed to user's feedback instead of calling them Unity haters ;-)

Looking at LinuxMint (which has done an amazing job with Gnome 3 Shell, they have showed what can be done with it) we now know that there is great potential behind Gnome 3 Shell. There is something for everyone. You can now customize Ubuntu 11.10 and get the same level of customization that LinuxMint offers. Unfortunately, it can't be done with Unity, it can be very easily done with Gnome 3 Shell.

I am an average user, I am not a developer – but then just the way you don't have to be a mechanical engineer to drive a car, you don't have to be a developer to use GNU/Linux.
...

Det händer saker angående öppen källkod och öppna standarder i Jämtland!

Citat:>
Uppstartskonferens 15/12 - anmälan

Uppstartskonferens om Öppen källkod i offentlig och privat sektor

Regionförbundet Jämtlands län, Dataföreningen Östersund och Mittuniversitetet bjuder in till konferens kring öppen källkod, öppna standarder och öppet innehåll.

Öppen digital verktygslåda

Vi vill tillhandahålla en öppen digital verktygslåda för företagare och offentlig sektor att välja på för att öka den digitala kompetensen och förståelsen för IT. Vi vill bidra till att minska kostnaderna och kapitalflykten från länet för IT-tjänster genom att hålla kapitalet kvar inom länet till gagn till stora såväl som mindre aktörer.

Vad är öppenheten värd?

Fri programvara ses ofta som ett alternativ till sluten programvara. Med sluten programvara menas sådan programvara där källkod, framtida planer, kända buggar och annat hålls hemliga för användaren.
...

It’s been almost a week since GNOME launched a public alpha of their handy ‘extensions’ site – which makes adding extra functionality to the GNOME-Shell desktop a wheeze.

We highlighted five handy extensions before the weekend, but those were taken from the handful of extensions that were uploaded at the time.

Since then even more have been added. Below are some screenshots, witterings and all important download links…

Music Integration

Ubuntu’s slick Sound Menu doesn’t work in GNOME-Shell, but for something similar to it (but a bit glossier) check out the following ‘Music Integration’ plugin.
...

Ärligt talat så förstår jag inte, om de 6 Gnome-tilläggen gäller för Gnome Shell eller för Unity.
Men i vilket fall så handlar artikeln om att locka användare tillbaka till Ubuntu.
Den här sajten heter ju Ubuntu.se, så Ubuntu är förstås huvudtemat. Alltså, när jag hittar en artikel om Ubuntu så får den i regel företräde.
Men som alla vet, så är vi inte på något sätt petiga om vilken dist ni använder eller frågar om.

Citat:>
Gnome 3 extensions have breathed a new life in those disgruntled Ubuntu users who were looking elsewhere due to the lack of customisation of Unity.

The rating jump that LinuxMint enjoyed on Distrowatch was a strong indicator ...

World of Goo är ett kul spel, för min del räcker det med demoversionen på datorn.

Citat:>
We had informed you about the imminent arrival of award winning World of Goo puzzle game for Android based smartphones and tablets few weeks back. Now it's here and it is already getting some rave reviews from users and reviewers alike.


World of Goo for Android is Here!

• World of Goo had been available in Ubuntu Software Center for a long time now and it is undoubtedly one of my favorite games to date.

• Free demo version of World of Goo is available in Android Market so that you can test the game in your Android device before making the actual buy

...

Det är inget jag tänker använda själv men för er som använder nautilus och Ubuntu One kanske det är intressant. Vi har väl alla våra hemligheter, det kan vara en så enkel sak som ens adressbok, jag vill inte att min egen ska komma på avvägar.

Citat:>
Previously, we have shown you how to encrypt your files before upload to the Dropbox server. The method described in that article is using the Encfs method, which requires you to dabble with the command line. While you can use the same method to encrypt/decrypt your Ubuntu One folder, there is a simpler way to do.The Ubuntu One Encrypt/Decrypt script is a simple Nautilus script that allows you to encrypt/decrypt your files and folder from the context menu. It is easy to use and doesn’t require any configuration.

...

Extensions seem to be the way to go with GNOME 3, as Linux Mint 12 recently demonstrated to the rest of us. This hasn't really been a secret to loyal users and now GNOME is catching on as well. Anytime anyone complains about a missing or lacking feature, they can now be directed to the new GNOME Shell Extensions Website.

http://extensions.gnome.org is a new online repository for GNOME 3 Shell extensions, which usually adds features or changes the way a feature functions. A one-stop location for most of these little applets brings more than a new level of convenience. Users can now also feel a bit more secure. All extensions submitted will be screened for bad and malicious code.

...

Börjar inte Canonical/Ubuntu gapa över lite väl mycket?

Att försöka få en bit av marknaden för smarta mobiler och pekdatorer det kan man förstå. Där omsätts mycket pengar, dels för att många vill ha den smartaste mobilen och försäljningen av appar måste vara en guldgruva för den som har en appstore.

Citat:>
Could you imagine running Ubuntu as a smart TV platform in your living room?

According to Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth, there are a few developers who want to develop such a platform and have met in a chat to nail down some of the priorities of a Ubuntu-TV project. ...

The first alpha release in the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS release cycle is now available for download.

Installing the Alpha release is not recommended due to its early yet rapid developmental stage.

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is scheduled for release in April 26th 2012.

What’s New?

There isn’t an awful lot to ‘see’ in this Alpha because of how early in the development cycle 12.04 is.

That said there are a number of package changes and updates that are worth mentioning: -
...
...
Download ...

After a fairly routine release with Linux Mint 11, the team is back with a new look and a lot of changes in the offing. As with any release with a major overhaul, Linux Mint 12 has some hits and misses.

We took an early look at Mint 12 after the team pushed out the first release candidate. As far as the look and feel goes, there's not been a lot of changes with Mint 12 since the RC. But now that the release is final, let's take a look at some of the changes and see whether you should be rushing to upgrade or install Mint 12.

Desktops Galore

One thing is certain, you can't criticize the Mint team for lack of choice. ...

Alien Arena has hit the version 7.52 which brings new features, levels and bug fixes. Alien Arena is one of the most popular 3D games on the GNU/Linux platform.

You can install the game in Ubuntu via Software Center. If you are using Fedora, you can install it from the Add/Remove tool. If you already have the game installed just run this command:

su -c 'yum update alienarena'

Alien Arena 2011 is an online deathmatch game with over 30 levels, seven modes of play, loads of mutators, built-in bots, multiple player characters and weapons (with alt-fire modes).
...

Ännu en artikel om vilken dist som egentligen är störst, den här gången från Muktware.
Jag brukar säga att Debian är den största disten, inräknat alla dess derivat.
Då är både Mint och Ubuntu mindre än Debian, eftersom de är delmängder av just Debian.

Citat:>
Some publication stirred the bee's hive when they cited Distrowatch ratings as an indicator that Ubuntu is losing it's popularity to LinuxMint and other Linux-based distributions.

One needs to be extremely careful while taking into account Distrowatch's ratings because that is not the 'goal' or 'purpose' of Distrowatch. It provides info about the latest releases. Period.

Ladislav Bodnar, the founder of DW has clearly stated that, “I'd like to believe that there is some truth in the figures, but in all honesty, they really don't mean all that much and should not be taken very seriously.”
...

Jag har bara kollat som hastigast på Bodhi Linux tidigare, men nu när jag har en dator som klarar Virtualbox utan att fläkten brummar så ska jag ta och testa det igen.
Det svåra är gränssnittet Enligthenment (E17) om man själv vill förändra något, iallafall för mig. Men om jag ger det lite tid, så kanske jag lyckas. För att sedan använda Bodhi Linux på min lågpresterande netbook.

Citat:>
While reading the Ubuntu weekly news, I came across a link to some comparisons of various versions of Ubuntu that drew my attention because an old friend of mine, who is now living in Australia, had mentioned in email that he finds both Apple MacOS and Microsoft Windows to be inadequate in many ways that are irritating to him. I recommended that he try a version of Ubuntu on an old computer. ...