Linux Foundation aims to boost membership with new perks

Linux Foundation aims to boost membership with new perks

Author cobster | 15.10.2009 | Category Linux

In an effort to expand its ranks, the Linux Foundation has improved its selection of perks for members. New perks include hardware discounts and the availability of a lifetime e-mail forwarding account at the linux.com domain.

The LF was formed in 2007 when the Open Source Development Labs merged with the Free Standards Group. The organization is responsible for maintaining the Linux Standard Base (LSB) project and also employs Linux creator Linus Torvalds. The group has largely been funded by its corporate sponsors, which include many of the largest companies in the technology industry. Last year, the LF launched an individual membership program, inviting Linux enthusiasts to pay annual dues for various privileges.

Members receive a linux.com e-mail forwarding account and discounts on various conferences hosted by the foundation. The LF obtained the linux.com domain from SourceForge, Inc. earlier this year and has been transforming it into an information hub and social network for the Linux community. The e-mail addresses are not permanent, however, and could disappear if the user neglects to pay the annual dues.

In a bid to increase its membership, the foundation has added several new perks. One of the changes is that users can now pay a flat one-time fee to make the e-mail address permanent. Existing members can get the lifetime e-mail address for $150. New members can get a package of one-year membership and lifetime e-mail for $250. Regular annual dues are $99. Another significant new perk is hardware discounts from Dell, HP, and Lenovo.

I’ve been eyeing Dell’s new 537s with Ubuntu, so I decided to put the new Linux Foundation membership discount to the test. The discount is offered through Dell’s Employee Purchase Program (EPP). Ironically, I had serious difficulty finding the Linux-based computers through Dell’s EPP storefront (you can’t get the discount if you just aim your browser directly at dell.com/ubuntu). “Linux” isn’t included in the “Operating System” filter at the EPP portal (though, surprisingly, FreeDOS is). I eventually found the tiny “Open-Source PCs” link towards the bottom of the left-hand column. The discount from Dell is roughly 7 percent, but it’s a pretty nice deal because it stacks with other discounts and coupon codes.

Members also get discounts on O’Reilly and No Starch Press books, Linux Journal Subscriptions, and some ThinkGeek.com purchases. For Linux enthusiasts who regularly buy computer hardware and other discounted stuff, the $99 membership fee could pay for itself pretty quickly. The lifetime e-mail offering, on the other hand, doesn’t seem all that appealing. $150 is a lot to pay for a mere forwarding service.

As the economic downturn compels people to close their wallets, nonprofit organizations have been exploring ways to entice supporters to continue contributing financial resources. Some open source groups have come up with interesting solutions. The GNOME Foundation, for example, has a special Friends of GNOME program that allows contributors to “adopt” their favorite GNOME hacker by supplying a small monthly donation. The Participatory Culture Foundation, the organization behind the Miro media player, launched a program that allows donors to adopt a line of code. The LF membership program lacks the cuteness and novelty of those approaches, but it makes up for it by offering pretty solid perks.

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Sibyl Systems to Distribute Ubuntu Exclusively

Author JoeDigital | 05.02.2009 | Category Linux, Technology Viewpoint

On Saturday, Sibyl Systems, an IT solutions provider and subcontractor in Central New York State announced that it will be taking over the exclusive distribution of the popular Ubuntu version in all future deployments. Ubuntu, based on the Debian version of Linux, is a desktop-focused, GUI version, and has caught a great deal of positive attention in recent years. Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd., which is owned by entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, a South African billionaire.

“Canonical is a wonderful partner for us. This is a highly capable company with great integrity. They are dedicated, hardworking and they know their products inside and out, unlike other big name software makers,” said John J Rice, president and engineer at Sibyl Systems. “We look forward to exclusively working with them and to help them grow in the Syracuse area and north east US marketplace.”

“Linux is the future of the desktop and server, and unlike its main competitor Windows, the software is constantly updated and improved upon. There are many features that make it a superior choice, those being security, scalability, reliability, and ROI [Return On Investment] just to name a few.” stated Rice when asked why should companies consider a Linux solution opposed to a traditional Windows based solution.

It is yet unclear what effect this partnership will have on Ubuntu’s development, but early speculation indicates Sybil Systems has no interst in building Ubuntu, only getting it to market.

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Android Installer For Debian Linux

Author JoeDigital | 15.01.2009 | Category Linux

Want to get Debian running on your T-Mobile G1 (The only phone using Google Android, at present)? You do, even if no one has told you, until now. In less than 15 minutes, you’ll have Debian installed, and will have access to the many programs available for Debian, adding a great deal of versatility to any smartphone. And the best part is, even with Debian running, you’ll still have the cutting edge feature of the G1 / Android coupling, as Debian will not disable any of your original functions, including the phone usage itself.

Debian, as most people already know, is a popular open source version of the Linux operating system, used by diehard power users of computers all over the world. If you’d like to see it in action on an Android G1, check out this video.

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Ubuntu Brings Linux To Popularity

Author JoeDigital | 13.01.2009 | Category Computers, Linux

Everyone has heard of Microsoft Windows, and most have head of the Apple OS X, and an even smaller number have heard of Linux (which is actually a group of independent operating system “builds” distributed under different names). Of those, one of the most popular is the version based on a Debian build, Ubuntu. But very few people have any idea that Ubuntu is a major competitor for some of the Microsoft Windows market share.

Created just over four years ago, Ubuntu (pronounced oo-BOON-too) has emerged as the fastest-growing and most celebrated version of the Linux operating system, which competes with Windows primarily through its low, low price: $0.More than 10 million people are estimated to run Ubuntu today, and they represent a threat to Microsoft’s hegemony in developed countries and perhaps even more so in those regions catching up to the technology revolution.

“I think Ubuntu has captured people’s imaginations around the Linux desktop,” said Chris DiBona, the program manager for open-source software at Google. “If there is a hope for the Linux desktop, it would be them.”  A large portion of Google’s 20,000 employees use a modified version of Ubuntu, playfully called Goobuntu. Additionally, Dell started to sell PCs and desktops with the software in 2007, and
IBM more recently began making Ubuntu the basis of a software package.

People encountering Ubuntu for the first time will find it very similar to Windows. It uses an easy to understand graphical interface, familiar menus and all the common desktop software: a Web browser (firefox), an e-mail program, instant-messaging software and the OpenOffice.org suite of productivity software, which rivals MS office in functionality, and is available for use, free of charge.

Microsoft had an estimated 10,000 people working on Vista, its newest desktop operating system, for five years. The result of this multibillion-dollar investment has been a product late to market and widely panned. Canonical, meanwhile, releases a fresh version of Ubuntu every six months, adding features that capitalize on the latest advances from developers and component makers like Intel.

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Aleutia E2 Personal Computer

Author JoeDigital | 11.09.2008 | Category Computers, Linux

The Aleutia E2 - pictured with a Blackberry for comparison

Is your PC a green machine?  Can it function with a solar panel?  Maybe it’s time time to look at the Aleutia E2, the green machine with a lot under the hood.  It operates at 500Mhz, has 1GB of onboard memory, measures 4.5″x4.5″, and can be operated anywhere the sun shines, or using DC or AC current.  And where a conventional PC requires around 200 watts to opearte properly, the Aleutia E2, with an external USB drive connected, only demands around 15 watts.  In normal operation power usage for the PC is only 8 watts. 

It is refreshing, at a time when computer companies are making bold carbon emission reduction claims, to see a machine come to the market which is truly environmentally friendly.  One thing that is quietly not discussed is that the Aleutia E2 must still be connected to a monitor, though.  Even so, this computer is definitely the lowest power comsumption machine yet, and surely heralds things yet to come.  For your monitor choice, here are some facts on monitor power consumption you may be interested in.

Foldable Portable Solar Panels for the Aleutia E2

The Aleutia E2 has optional accessories that include a small, foldable, portable solar panel, a 32 GB solid state drive (very few moving parts, if any), and with integrated Wi-Fi.  It runs on Ubuntu Linux (Windows versions available at an extra charge), and boasts unparalelled plug and play access to thousands of devices, right out of the box.  The sturdy black case and solid state internel design combine to offer a rugged and affordable computer solution for long periods spent in remote locations.  The Linux kernel means that the Aleutia E2 can handle many Linux and Open Source applications, such as Firefox 3, and OpenOffice.org.  There you have it, nearly ten times as cheap to run, capable of handling a full range of office and internet applications, and you can do it all without ever connecting to the grid.

The Aleutia E2 can be mounted on the back of a flatscreen monitor

Designed for its hardiness, cheapness to mass produce, and low power consumption, the E2 is aimed in large part at rural Africa.  The hope is to bring low cost technology into impoverished areas at a minimal environmental effect.

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Google Embraces Linux Open Wireless Solutions in gOS

Author JoeDigital | 08.08.2008 | Category Gadgets, Linux

Netbooks and UMPCs will soon have bundled or easily accessible access to many of Google’s online applications, thanks to the low cost and adapability of the Linux kernel.   Since Google offers web-based applications, accessing them through the limited resources and battery life of mini PCs makes good sense.  And Linux is already becoming a first choice for wireless devices of all sorts, owing in large part to its Open Source architecture.  being able to operate applications, such as word processors or spread sheets, on the internet instead of on the machine allows multiple projects to be handled through the use of browsing software, such as another popular Open Source project, Mozilla Firefox.  This reduces CPU intensive operations, which can dramatically increase use-time for the device.  They recently collaborated with a Beijing firm to provide their mini applications as well as access to thousands of Google Gadgets, small desktop applications that perform system and internet functions.

Microsoft’s Vista, and Mac OSX also make use of Google Gadgets and web applications.  This collabortation is seen as little more than another of Google’s efforts to promote cross-connectivity to all operating systems.  They are also involved with projects such as WINE, the most popular Linux emulation for Windows, which is written and supported entirely as Open Source.

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NPX 9000 Laptop Fits Any Budget

Author JoeDigital | 30.07.2008 | Category Computers, Consumer Electronics, Linux

At a cost of only US$130, this is probably the cheapest laptop we’re going to see in the next year or two.   It has earphone and microphone connects, a triple USB port, a VGA port, and a mini-USB port,and has an option USB-to-LAN adapter.  Manufactured in China, the downside is that you have order 100 of them to get the great price.  the NPX 9000 operates at 400Mhz, has a 7 inch screen, and 1GB of onboard RAM, but will accept SD memory cards, and the 80 key keyboard is going to take a little adjusting to.  For software, it has Linux installed, and comes packaged with some basic tools, such as a paint program and a word processor, and has utilities to allow viewing of traditional document format.  It’s a far cry from a high-end machine, but makes an excellent device for students or situations which incur a high risk to digital devices.

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The New Firefox 3 Browser Is Available

Author JoeDigital | 18.06.2008 | Category Computers, Linux, Mac/Apple, Telecommunications, Windows, World Wide Web

In case you haven’t heard, Firefox version 3 was released on June 17th, and by June 18th over 8 million copies had been downloaded. It may take a week or two for the results to be in, but estimates say this may set a Guinness World Record for the most downloads of a single software package to ever take place in a day, by more than 3 million! Some estimates say that’s a 4% market share of browsers on the first day of its release, and nothing has ever done that before in the history of the world wide web.

If you missed the grand opening,
download Firefox 3 from Mozilla.org.

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Linux

Author JoeDigital | 09.01.2008 | Category Linux

Linux is known to be very efficient with a computer that is just new and out of the box.

There are also ways known to make Linux run faster, meaner and leaner in your desktop. All that is required is a little bit to knowing how things work and little willingness towards running few commands in terminal and definitely a mind towards efficiency. This will help to get the very best of even the last bit of power from your box containing Linux or even get much from your desktop that is older. The safest and easiest way will be to free up some memory that are being occupied by unnecessary programs and processes running at the background. Right after that, make your system remember the same settings. It is also suggested to run faster and lighter applications as there are always applications that run heavy on memory available but wise option is not to opt for them.

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Mobile Linux

Author JoeDigital | 04.01.2008 | Category Linux

Linux for Mobile Phones are released from the Linux Standards for Phone Forum (LIPS).

 This specification forms the interface for the user and form factor for the Linux reference phone design. The specification details also the telephony APIs, calendaring, scheduling and messaging, presence, interface services for the user, voice call enablers and address book. It is crucial that Standard based interoperability exists for the global telecommunications marketplace success. LIPS follow the path that is clearly blazed by TCP/IP, WiFi, GSM and all other standards which enable device type’s communication along their brands across markets that are regional and over networks of multiple operators. The starting point is the specification but LIPS will build the advanced services API enablers and device management APIs for functions and multimedia. The industry players had set up the LIPS which include telecom from France, Huawei and Orange technologies in order to promote Linux over mobile devices in wide range.

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