Practical Technology

for practical people.

May 21, 2010
by sjvn01
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Has ASUS abandoned netbook Linux?

It wasn’t even three-years ago that Asus took the concept of a cheap, small notebook and turned it into a revolution: the Linux-powered netbook. Today, netbooks continue to sell well. Indeed, Linux netbook sales forced Microsoft both to fire employees and to bring XP back from the dead. But, now, without any fanfare, Asus seems to have closed down its Linux lines at least in the United States.

I found out about this annoying development when some readers wrote to me to say that they’d been trying to get new Asus Linux-powered netbooks and that they’d gotten no-where. Some of the more persistent ones kept pestering Asus and this is what they heard from Asus sales:

“I show that this model is still in production and should be available to purchase through some of our online vendors such as Newegg, Tiger Direct, Zip Zoom Fly, Etc. Also we have just become retail and you may find our units in Target, Fry’s Electronics, Best Buy, Etc. I apologize I don’t have more information about what stores have how many units, but at least you know that this model is still in production. Thank you and have a great day!”

How nice, except it turned out that none of these retailers actually had any Linux-powered ASUS Eee PC 1000 line for sale. Or, any other netbooks with Linux pre-installed.

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May 19, 2010
by sjvn01
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Novell launches SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SP 1

Novell launched SLE (SUSE Linux Enterprise) 11 SP 1 today, May 19th. At first glance, this major update to both SLED (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) and SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server) is quite impressive.

Technically, SLE 11 SP1 is based on openSUSE 11.2, the Novell community Linux distribution, which was released in November, and the 2.6.32 Linux kernel. OpenSUSE 11.2 is an outstanding distribution in its own right, and its commercially supported big brother is a worthy successor for business users.

From a corporate viewpoint, I see several important advantages. First, the new SLES is going to continue to support several kinds of virtualization.

While Red Hat has turned its back on Xen, Novell is continuing to support the Xen 4.0 hypervisor. In addition, SLE also includes support for KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine), Linux’s built in open-source virtualization hypervisor.

However, unlike any other Linux, it supports integration with Microsoft’s Hyper-V hypervisor. SLE also includes SUSE Linux Enterprise Virtual Machine Driver Pack, a set of drivers which improves the performance of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual guests. The last, according to Novell’s PR manager, Kerry Adorno, is the fruit of Novell continuing to work closely with Microsoft.

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May 18, 2010
by sjvn01
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The Five Best things coming in Fedora 13 Linux

When Fedora 13, Goddard, is released on May 25 it’s not going to be your usual Fedora Linux release. In the past, Fedora has been seen as a great Linux distribution… for Linux experts. Paul W. Frields, the Fedora Project leader, told me though that this release is much new user-friendly and that it’s no longer just for experienced Linux users. Based on my early look at this Red Hat community Linux distribution, I agree.

You will be able to see it for yourself soon. After several delays, Frields has no doubt that this time the Fedora final will be available for download soon. Frields explained to me that the delays were because Fedora has adopted much more “detailed and fleshed out release criteria. In the past, we would release releases when it felt right. Now, we have criteria that make the process both more transparent to the community and provide strong release guidelines.”

The specific problem that put Fedora’s release schedule off its stride this time was a bug with an obscure way of installing Fedora. Frields said that that, in the event, the problem didn’t turn out to that bad. But, “So long as they were at it, there was a silver lining: the developers had time to fix more bugs. So, it was the delay, since we want to provide as strong a release as possible.”

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May 18, 2010
by sjvn01
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Linuxcare returns with focus in the cloud

Back in Linux’s early days, Linuxcare emerged as the first important Linux support company. In 1998, the company made headlines not just in the technology press but in mainstream business publications like the Wall Street Journal as the company that would help businesses switch over to Linux. It was not to last. Poor top management decisions led Linuxcare to lose first its way, and, then, years later, to quietly vanish. Now, one of its founders, Arthur F. Tyde III, has brought Linuxcare back from the grave and made it ready for the 21st century.

As Tyde told me, “A few years ago I bought the assets of Linuxcare; it seemed like a shame to let the Linuxcare vision rot away in some file cabinet in the dungeons beneath Silicon Valley Bank. At the time it was more the sentimental move of an ex-founder then anything else. Some good friends of mine however (a few even with the original LC crew) wanted to take a run at restarting it as a service, not support play.” So it is that Linuxcare has been reborn.

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May 18, 2010
by sjvn01
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What To Do About Missing Windows 7 Restore Points

For some reason, we still don’t know why, some Windows 7 installations are deleting Windows 7 Restore Points. Here’s what we know and what you can do about it.

One of the few original contributions to operating systems that Microsoft can claim is its Restore Points feature. First included with Windows XP and the now-forgotten Windows ME, Windows automatically creates copies of system and application files, at stated intervals or before changes are made. If a new program installation or other “learning experience” wrecked the user’s system, these backed-up file collection and system settings, called Restore Points, could be used to restore a PC to a working state. What makes Restore Points different from a mere automatic back-up system is that it doesn’t touch documents and other user work files. To say, “This was much appreciated” is an understatement, especially when it’s your work that was saved.

Restore Points — and System Restore, the program behind them — worked well… until it didn’t. It turns out that many users are having serious trouble with Restore Points in Windows 7 . Whether the Restore Points are made manually, automatically by the system timer, or invoked by installing new software, they may vanish after any system reboot like morning dew on a sunny day.

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May 17, 2010
by sjvn01
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Facebook Privacy remains as bad as ever

I think it’s become pretty darn clear that if you’re going to keep using Facebook, you can forget about Facebook helping you keep your private life private.
That all hands Facebook meeting about privacy? The results appear to have been a big fat zero.

To be exact, Facebook did introduce two new security features. Too bad they don’t work that well and neither of them addresses privacy concerns.

The first of the new Facebook security features lets you set up “Account Security” so that if you select to turn this on, you’ll be asked to name and save each device you use to log into Facebook. So, for example, I used it to sign on with my main Linux desktop, my iPad Touch, and my SUSE Linux-powered ThinkPad.

But, think about it. If someone steals any of those devices, this doesn’t stop the thief from logging into Facebook. Or, if someone manages to snatch my login ID and password, they can add their own device to the list. I don’t see how this really makes any more secure than I ever was.

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