The most popular of the free Linux distros, the latest release of Ubuntu Linux 9.04, termed Jaunty Jackalope is available for both servers and desktops. Both commercial & free download is available, suitable choice I made was 32-bit desktop edition on a 699MB ISO CD image.

Once I downloaded this, I created a Live CD disk from which it is possible to evaluate Ubuntu without having to make any changes to the host computer. Works just fine, the Ubuntu installer configures the display correctly and also successfully deployed the built-in WiFi adapter.

Once you successfully have booted the LiveCD, it feels just like running Ubuntu normally, only files have to be called from the CD, so made it a lot slower. Installation is piece of cake, the software on disk flows in a graphical navigation and we can safely call this a very easy to follow setup program.

The default desktop manager is Gnome (2.26) which is graphically rich like Windows with enhanced multi-monitor support. The usual tools are there, with exciting add on support for additional 3D graphical effects, which can be attributed to Compiz Fusion.

Firefox 3.0 is the default browser, flash and a number of other necessary plug ins are readily available to be installed to support all the multimedia you need.

Java, however, was not pre-loaded although Firefox offered to download and install a choice of Java plug-ins for us, so there were no real issues there either.

The Linux version of Adobe AIR, is now available. You can download Adobe AIR for Linux.

Adobe AIR 1.5, a key component of the Adobe Flash(R) Platform enables Web developers to use HTML, JavaScript, ActionScript and the free open source Flex framework to deliver Web applications outside the browser. Now with no additional efforts, developers can use Adobe Air application to create compelling software applications that are available on Linux and also window and Mac operating systems.

Using Adobe AIR, millions of Web developers can now be Linux developers  with little effort and no additional costs companies can now target emerging markets and a broad set of new devices where Linux is growing in popularity.

AIR 1.5 includes functionality introduced in Adobe Flash Player 10, such as support for custom filters and effects, native 3D transformation and animation and extensible rich text layout. Offering new features and performance improvements to create more expressive AIR applications, Adobe AIR 1.5 incorporates the open source WebKit HTML engine and now accelerates application performance with “SquirrelFish,” the new WebKit JavaScript interpreter. It also includes a new encrypted database that meets enterprise security compliance requirements while storing data more securely on customers’ computers. It is a key element of the Adobe Flash Platform, a complete system of integrated tools, frameworks, clients and servers to develop Web applications, content and video that runs consistently across operating systems and devices.

Adobe AIR 1.5 for Linux is available immediately as a free download here . It is also available for Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

It’s not even weeks that the Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex was launched and now Canonical has launched the 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Alpha. Since it’s an alpha version so it’s not recommended for downloading. There will definitely be some bugs and the alpha version is directed more towards the developers and testers who want to contribute towards its development.

There is hardly any user-interface changes in the alpha version from the Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex. The layout and the complete feel of the desktop environment is same. There is not OpenOffice 3.0 installed with this version.

I wont recommend everyone except the adventurous lot to download and experiment with the Jaunty Jackelope.

Download Ubuntu 9.04 Alpha

I am not very fond of Facebook but I do use it regularly for networking. I have managed to get around 30 friends so far and that’s because I don’t collect friends like most of people on FB do. The thing why I am writing this is that there is one thing on Facebook called Facebook Chat which you can access from the browser. Now this morning I wanted to talk to some of my Facebook friends on my Ubuntu system without opeing Facebook on my web browser.

Facebook Chat is currently only supported on some chat clients like Adium. Adium however is only supported on Mac but I wanted to do Facebook Chatting on Linux Ubuntu. So after looking here and there I found that you could actually use Facebook Chat by installing a plugin for Pidgin.

You will have to download the .deb file of this Pidgin Facebook Chat plugin.

After downloading this, you can just double click on the downloaded .deb file and the plugin will be installed. On he restart of Pidgin you will be able to add your Facebook account.

That should add Facebook Chat support on your Pidgin.

Compiz fusion is a cool and awesome powerful extension to Gnome. As you can have multiple desktops /spaces in Ubuntu, Compiz can let you can switch between them via a three dimensional cube, which is actually very geekyand highly useful.
I have astonished my friends with Compiz fusion, check what it can do here.

Installing Compiz fusion from hardy Heron is fairly easy. Compiz fusion is already installed in Hardy, but you need access to the advanced settings manager to activate the cube and cube rotation.

You will need to install package compizconfig-settings-manager. Installing it in Hardy is easy - go to Synaptic Package Manager (System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager) and do a search for compizconfig-settings-manager. Check the install box and then click apply.

Now, if you go to System>Preferences you’ll see that a new menu item has appeared - “Advanced desktop effects settings”. Open the menu.

The compiz settings manager will allow you to activate all of the cool tricks. There are so many cool super settings.
After all you have chosen and installed it, then press down CTRL>ALT and the right hand mouse button should instantly zoom you out and display a three dimensional desktop! Mouse around and it will spin up and down and from left to right. Enjoy!

Energy-efficient Linux desktop from Everex priced at just $198, TC2502 Green gPC, was launched at WalMart retail stores day before yesterday. It runs on a 1.5GHz Via C7-D processor and comes with 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, a DVD player, and an Ethernet port. This price is not inclusive of a monitor.

The next step is going to be releasing Linux laptops that will have 12.1-inch to 17-inch screens and would run on GOS version of OS, built with Ubuntu Linux 7.10. It will include icons providing one-click access to Web sites like Facebook and multiple Google Web applications. They are planning to price it starting from $300. This is Real

Everex also has plans to introduce other mobile devices like ultramobile PCs. The Linux notebooks will be introduced in the first half of next year. The company provided no additional details, other than saying the mobile devices will be competitively priced.

Bigger section of buyers seeking to buy $198 Desktops, will not know Linux. Windows have spoiled the low cost computer market. Thats a problem.

As reported on Infoworld.com, Everex has studied the Lindows and Microtel PCs and is confident its $198 PC will succeed. GOS Linux brings familiar Google icons and applications to users, which earlier PCs didn’t have, Everex’s Kim said.

With its Google-friendly interface, this PC is a good test for Google OS, if rumors of one being under development is true, Paterson said. “It’s a perfect way to launch Google OS in a mistake-OK world,” Paterson said.

The Everex TC2502 Green gPC desktop will be available in about 600 stores on a test basis, a Wal-Mart spokesperson said in an e-mail statement.

Motorola has used Linux on the RIZR Z3 and have renamed it to ROKR Z6. It seems Z6 is the first phone that runs on Motorola Java-Linux OS and will get launched in USA.

Motorola has kept many elements from its previous OS in Java-Linux, including customizable home-screen shortcuts on the D-pad that can be displayed as icons in the center of the home screen.

ROKR Z6 has menu on the left soft key that gives you quick access to a variety of commonly used functions such as starting a new text message or changing the ringer profile, rest of the menu features and navigation are very close to the latest version of Motorola’s older OS seen on phones such as the RAZR V3xx.

Z6 is powerful enough to play music in the background no matter what other task you might be doing. If the music player is open, even if no song is playing, a mini-player is shown on the Z6’s home screen. Just like the Z3, the Z6 is designed to be held horizontally like a camera when taking pictures.

I am looking forward to see how does this Linux Device do in the market.

One of the leading developers of the Samba system, Jeremy Allison, has resigned from his job at Novell in protest of the agreement the company has with Microsoft.

Allison, who worked on the Suse Linux distribution at Novell confirmed that his beef is with the patent agreement that allows the two companies to collaborate on technologies that will allow interoperability between the operating systems.

He believes that until the patent provision is revoked, Novell will be seen by the industry as “pariahs”.

In his letter to management and the industry he said: “My main issue with this deal is I believe that even if it does not violate the letter of the licence it violates the intent of the GPL licence the Samba code is released under, which is to treat all recipients of the code equally.

“Whilst the Microsoft patent agreement is in place there is *nothing* we can do to fix community relations. And I really mean nothing.” Allison said that he hung around at Novell waiting for the agreement to be changed, but as it has not been altered he has opted to say goodbye in protest.

Novell today has released openSUSE 10.2, they claim that this latest version will become the most usable Linux distribution ever produced.

“The openSUSE project promotes the use of Linux everywhere, and openSUSE 10.2 is the world’s most usable Linux distribution,” said Carlos Montero-Luque, vice president of product management for open platform solutions at Novell.

OpenSUSE 10.2 features more than 1,500 software packages including redesigned KDE and Gnome interfaces and Wink tutorial creation software.

It also ships with the OpenOffice.org office suite, the latest Firefox 2.0 web browser, Beagle desktop search, Gaim instant messaging client, multimedia tools and graphical software. 

The OpenOffice.org application allows interoperation with Microsoft Windows and Office, as it reads and creates files compatible with Office, including via a Visual Basic macro interpreter.

Users can also use PDF, RealMedia and Flash files in openSUSE and employ the automatic Linux-Windows dual-boot configuration for flexibility.

OpenSUSE 10.2 is available now for free download at Opensuse.org. The retail edition will be available at Shopnovell.com later this week, as well as in retail shops.

It delivers the same packages as the downloadable version on an installable DVD and CDs, along with a user manual and 90 days of installation support for a suggested $59.95 price tag.

The patent cross licensing deal unveiled by Microsoft and Novell on 2 November will be incompatible with the GPL3 licence and is likely to be incompatible with the current GPL2 licence, according to law professor and open source activist Eben Moglen.

Section seven of the current General Public Licence (GPL2) prohibits people or corporations from distributing the GPL code if they have entered into any agreements that contradict the conditions of the licence.

“If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this licence and any other pertinent obligations, you may not distribute the program at all,” the GPL licence states. 

The provision would prevent Novell from making it mandatory for users to pay a licence fee for its Linux distribution if Microsoft had required this as part of the patent agreement.

Microsoft and Novell unveiled a broad-ranging partnership around Novell’s SuSE Linux distribution on 2 November.

The two companies have signed a patent cross licensing deal that will protect users and developers of SuSE against patent claims from Microsoft.

Both companies also vowed to work on interoperability between the two operating systems, and Microsoft will distribute up to 70,000 copies of SuSE to its customers through a coupon programme.