The dangers of software patents for free software have always been a hot issue. But with the news that Red Hat and Novell are being sued for alleged patent infringement by IP Innovation, the matter has moved from theory into practice. In fact, in the battle against software patents, it turns out that the open source world already has a rather powerful weapon in its armoury – even if it's one that few people know about.
I am Katherine, the relatively new webmaster (or webmistress if you prefer) here at LinuxJournal.com, and this entry begins my new blog about all things web, design and development. However, I will start by welcoming you all to the new version of LinuxJournal.com.
When people talk about computer gaming these days, they invariably mean commercial games running on a Windows platform. Few people realize that Linux can be more than just a very good Web or file server. Even fewer people are aware of the many open-source or otherwise freely available games available for Linux.
Exchanging business cards is a rudimentary form of networking (the people, not the server kind). However, to get the most out of the exchange, you need a card that attracts attention and reflects the image or values you want to project.
Welcome to a new on-line column here at LinuxJournal.com, "Linux Products Insider". I'm James Gray, Products Editor at Linux Journal. After the spam has been deencrusted and hucksters repelled, I'll use this space to update you on the latest and greatest products and services that I find using my secret channels. This week, I had the chance to take part in a press conference with Mark Shuttleworth, Founder of Ubuntu. Read on to learn why Shuttleworth's is so fired up about the new Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon" (available this week), as well as why he thinks Ubuntu is so darned successful.
Development of native Linux audio plugins and softsynths may not be so relentlessly rapid as it is in the Windows and Mac sound software worlds, but new things do appear. This week I profile a cool new (well, relatively new) Linux softsynth, William Weston's Phase Harmonic Advanced Synthesis EXperiment, also known as Phasex.
October 13th is the first-ever Ontario Linux Fest. John Van Ostrand and Richard Weait, both long-time FOSS advocates, have gathered a great organizational team, and are modeling this after the long-running Ohio Linux Fest of last month.
Last Wednesday, I went to a pub with some people from work. I wore a t-shirt I picked up at Linux World Boston in 2003. As my co-workers left one by one, I moved to the bar to strike up a conversation with the bartender. It was a quiet night and serving drinks slowed down as everyone left.
Twice each month, Linux Journal's Off the Shelf provides editor's picks for Linux products of the week that are new, note-worthy, time-saving, great deals or just plain cool.
Off the Shelf is available as a free Linux Journal eNewsletter. Sign-up today.
