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What's the best Linux for beginners? — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Oct. 9, 2006) — I recently received a letter from a computer pro who's nearing 80. He's disgusted by "how [Microsoft] things have developed, and how most software is put out there full of errors and omissions. Help is virtually none existent. One really has to dig to find answers."...
Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad — by Rick Lehrbaum (Oct. 4, 2006) — Like most companies, my employer has a stash of old, "obsolete" PCs and laptops that won't run the latest versions of Windows worth a darn. Naturally, this represents a great source of systems for testing the latest Linux distributions....
Welcoming MS Windows users to Linux — a guest column by Claus Futtrup (Sep. 16, 2006) — This guest column by a relatively new user of Linux takes a look at the typical expectations and challenges of transitioning from Windows to Linux, and makes some sensible recommendations. ...
The Linux killer app: KDE's Konqueror — by Doug Roberts (Sep. 8, 2006) — Recently, I stumbled upon a "People Behind KDE" interview from September of last year with Derek Kite. The interviewer asked, "What is KDE's killer app? And Why?" Kite's answer completely threw me. His answer was, "Konqueror. Because Linux users are first class citizens for this browser."...
Results from the 2006 Desktop Linux Survey — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Aug. 29, 2006) — The results of DesktopLinux.com's 2006 Desktop Linux Market survey are in, and the votes are all tallied. This first article of a series offers a perspective on how the various desktop Linux distributions fared, and why....
An early look at Freespire — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Aug. 2, 2006) — In two weeks, Linspire Inc. will release Freespire, its community Linux distribution. This new distribution isn't just another Linux distro. It will represent the first Linux to include most of the legally licensed and available, third-party proprietary codecs, drivers, and software....
Reincarnating a discarded laptop with Linux — by Howard Fosdick (Aug. 1, 2006) — I recently picked up an old discarded laptop... straight out of a corporate garbage bin, as a matter of fact. Could it be useful? What could it do? As an IT professional, I thought I'd find out....
Hot Topic: The "One Laptop Per Child" project — (Updated Jul. 13, 2007) — The One Laptop Per Child project (OLPC) aims to distribute -- free of charge -- millions of Linux-based laptop computers, complete with their own power sources, to needy children in developing countries around the world....
Logging your kids off your Linux desktop — by Steven J. Rosen (Jul. 21. 2006) — You sit down at your desk for a relaxing session on your Linux computer, only to find that someone is already logged on. Of course, you could start a new session; Linux makes this easy. But you shouldn't have to -- the kids are long gone, to bed or playing, ...
Ubuntu 6.06 is current desktop Linux champ — by Jason Brooks (Jul. 18, 2006) — Canonical's Ubuntu 6.06 LTS is an excellent Linux-based operating system -- so excellent, in fact, that it not only earned an "eWEEK Labs Analyst's Choice" designation but has also become our clear favorite among Linux desktop distributions....
A first look at SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 — Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Jul. 13, 2006) — The newest SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, version 10, is so close to being done that you can almost taste it. Novell released the gold master last week to its partners, and the server version, SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server), based on the same code, is also almost ready for release....
A simple Linux backup method — by Steven J. Rosen (Jul. 11, 2006) — Introduction

This article describes a simple backup method that I use every day to backup my home Linux systems. It's an easy method that non-technical Linux users can use to backup their important data. We'll discuss the decisions you have to make in order to do a thorough backup....
A first look at MEPIS's new Ubuntu-based Linux — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Jun. 28, 2006) — Do you like Ubuntu? Do you like KDE? Would you like to have them both in one distribution, but with more than Kubuntu can give you? If that's you, then SimplyMEPIS 6.2 is your operating system....
Linux desktop distributions headed in the wrong direction — A guest column by Jem Matzan (Jun. 28, 2006) — The impending release of Windows Vista with its fancy Aero Glass special effects, along with the hasty addition of the similar XGL and Compiz technologies to the latest SUSE Linux release, makes me think that programmers have a warped idea of what desktop computing is about. ...
First impressions of Google Earth for Linux — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Jun. 15, 2006) — Only a few weeks after releasing its first Linux application -- the photo editing program, Picasa -- Google has released its second application for Linux: Google Earth for Linux 4....
Installing operating systems the safe way — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Jun. 13, 2006) — So, you want to try out a new operating system. Good for you! But, before you pop in that CD or DVD, there are a couple of things you need to know. Some of these may sound like an unnecessary pain. Trust me. ...
First impressions of Google Browser Sync — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Jun. 9, 2006) — Not everyone runs as many "personal" computers as I have -- 24, at last count -- but many of us have both a PC and a laptop. One of the big problems, whether you run two dozen or two PCs, is keeping your Web browser bookmarks and other settings straight. ...
Ubuntu 6.06 LTS first impressions — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Jun. 2, 2006) — Perhaps the most widely anticipated Linux distribution of the year finally arrived on June 1: Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Long Term Service), aka Dapper Drake....
Making SUSE Linux 10.1 the perfect desktop OS — by Jem Matzan (May 31, 2006) — When you're done downloading and installing SUSE Linux 10.1 OSS, your desktop system is not complete. You might still need support for Java programs, MP3 audio files, and browser plug-ins for Macromedia Flash, Adobe Acrobat, RealPlayer, and Windows Media Video. You may also want to add support for ...
Setting up a Moodle education server — by Mark Rais (May 31, 2006) — This introductory article provides step-by-step instructions for installing Moodle, a Learning Management System, on a Fedora Linux server. The article provides everything necessary to setup a full-powered intranet web-server that can support course listings, event calendars, student/teacher communication, and more. Best of all, a prototype server can be functional within ...
Get ready for the Vista/SUSE smackdown! — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (May 30, 2006) — In one corner, we have the champ -- Windows. Come January, it will come out swinging with what Microsoft tells us is the latest and greatest version ever -- Vista.

In the other corner, we have the challenger -- OpenSUSE 10.1, ...
Singing the OpenSUSE package manager blues — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (May 23, 2006) — My current favorite desktop Linux is OpenSUSE 10.1. I can say all kinds of good things about it, except when it comes to the package manager. Unfortunately, the package manager, which the administration tool YaST uses for adding new programs and updating old ones, currently has serious problems....
Banshee -- the next best thing to Linux iTunes — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (May 19, 2006) — I want an audio player that will do everything that Apple's iTunes does -- including working with my iPod -- and do it natively on Linux. That's a tall order. I've tried many fine Linux programs -- KDE's amaroK, RealPlayer 10 for Linux, Xine, etc. ...
Keeping Thunderbird from breaking — by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (May 16, 2006) — My love/hate relationship with Thunderbird, the Mozilla Foundation's email client, continues. On the one hand, Thunderbird's a very good open-source email/Usenet/RSS client. It's easy to filter, search, and sort messages with Thunderbird -- even with multiple mail accounts. And, unlike Evolution, my favorite email program, ...
Giving desktop Linux a try — by Doug Roberts (May 8, 2006) — Foreword: In this interesting guest column, Doug Roberts, a desktop Linux user for about two years, shares his perspective on switching from Windows to Linux, and what to think about when you decide to take the plunge. After an initial, unsuccessful attempt to install Xandros, Roberts tried a Knoppix live ...

More Articles...

Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.

Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.

Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.

Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.

Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.

Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.

Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.

SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.

Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.

Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.

 

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