Looking to try out a new operating system for your Netbook? MeeGo has just released version 1.0 of their Netbook OS and it looks very promising. With its Moblin like interface it is relatively intuitive and caters to the small form factor that typically makes Netbooks hard to use.
Check It Out> MeeGo via Liliputing
Somehow I missed that BackTrack 4 is now in the “Pre-Release” stage as of June 19. Once I did realize that it was released I waited to post about it because their servers have been getting hammered so hard that it was almost impossible to download it. Now that their servers appear to be up and running (download speeds are at a lovely 60 KB a second) make sure you head on over and get your copy.
For those that don’t know BackTrack is a Linux distribution geared towards security auditing and exploitation. As far as Linux distributions go it is at the top of my Must Have list. It is designed to be a supplemental operating system and as such is typically used in the “Live” format. Version 4 is now capable of being installed and used more heavily which can be very handy in a dual-boot situation.
As with any security tools there is a learning curve. The information and programs tend to be overwhelming with very little to help you sort out exactly what you need. The BackTrack team realizes this and is working on many resources to help you learn how to use the toolset. The first of these resources is a video that shows you how to setup BackTrack 4 and get started with it. The videos will soon be expanded to include using some of the applications and other advanced features.
The previous beta versions have been password protected and if you run into that, the default credentials are:
Username: root
Password: toor
Check It Out> Download BackTrack 4, Videos
When it comes to Operating Systems one of the most important parts is the interface. If the GUI is not easy to use it destroys the entire experience. This is where Windows 7 is excelling over its shunned predecessor, Windows Vista. When it comes to operating systems, Windows does catch the most flak from critics but Linux is starting to receive some as well for one of its most mainstream interfaces, KDE.
I have been a fan of KDE for a long time, in fact pretty much since its original release. It was the first one that I used with Linux and I really enjoyed using it for a long time. Even with this newest release (KDE 4) I was at first happy with it but then something happened, I used Dolphin, KDE’s file manager. I tried quite a bit for the several months to ignore Dolphin and other little quirks with KDE 4 but the more I used it the more I found other things that just grated on me. It even caused me to admit Windows 7 was far superior and to switch to it full time on my primary machine.
In the process of trying to see if it was just me that was having difficulties with it I installed it onto my wifes computer. This was when I knew that there were usability issues with it. She demanded I remove KDE and install anything else except it. She said that she could not explain why she disliked it but that it was just a horrible experience.
Part of me still loves KDE but it does clearly have some issues. So why did I just now decided to write about it? I was reading today over at Toolbox a post by Locutus “Goodbye KDE. Its been nice knowing you”. Granted he is a much heavier user of Linux and KDE than I am, but his experiences are almost identical to my own with KDE. His article expresses his dissatisfaction with KDE 4 and his desire, but inability, to return to KDE 3. In the long run he found himself switching to LXDE and Gnome, abandoning KDE all together. Then continuing to read the comments I saw that every singly commenter had the exact same problem, KDE let us down.
When the Windows 7 GUI was first introduced in the Betas it was blasted by many KDE fans stating that it was a blatant rip off of KDE. After a closer examination it is easy to see that there are few similarities between the two interfaces. IF in fact the Windows 7 interface is taken from KDE 4 then why are people raving about Windows 7 and NOT KDE?
I hope that the KDE team can get back on track and give their fans and users what they want. Competition is good and it would be a terrible thing to see them go away just because they made a few poor mistakes.
Today is the day! Fedora 11 is finally released! Here are a few of the changes that have been made to it. To get the full list, check out the release notes:
While you are at it remember to check out Fedora Revisor which lets you customize your distribution to fit your personal needs.
Check It Out> Project Fedora, Download Fedora, Fedora Revisor
Moblin has been hard at work developing a new distribution of Linux that is attractive but also changes the way that people interact with their Netbooks. Now Linpus is getting on the bandwagon and working on a Moblin based distribution. The version is called LinpusLinux Lite 2 and the new Moblin 2.0 will be center stage for them.
The full details have not yet been released but are expected to be soon. Linpus is best known for being the operating system on the Acer Aspire One. They specialize in computers with slower processor speeds and smaller screens. Linpus will be showing off Moblin 2.0 and their own Instant-On operating system this year at Computex in Taiwan.
Moblin 2.0 is gaining a lot of attention due to their aggressive pursuit of quick boot times and their intuitive user interface. While Linpus is the first one to be publicly known to be distributing it many more are expected to follow in their footsteps.
Check It Out> Linpus via Liliputing & UMPC Portal
