Top Stories by Mark R. Hinkle
Last Monday at the Desktop Linux Consortium Conference at Boston
University’s Tyngsboro, Massachusetts Campus there was a lot of talk about
a “UserLinux” distribution. The topic was sparked by remarks by Bruce
Perens who voiced a need for a distribution that was designed to meet
community needs for a desktop operating system based on the Linux community
favorite Debian distribution.
I contacted Bruce who has been kind enough to interject some comments to my
own text. They are marked [thus].
The thought of UserLinux sparked my thinking. The thing I like about Linux is
that it’s infinitely customizable to meet the needs of almost any
situation. However, for it to be a viable desktop for the masses there seems
to me that there has to be some common features that a large nu... (more)
Mark R. Hinkle: "Linux is ready for the desktop"
In my view, Linux on the desktop is a viable operating system.
It offers many features that are more innovative than commercial solutions.
Virtual consoles, secure remote access solutions, true multi-tasking, and the
ability to use robust journaling file systems all come to mind. Despite these
advanced features, I have also noticed some paral... (more)
Thin-client computing is alive and well...and thriving in early-adopter
environments. In this article, Dr. Migration explains why thin-client systems
are showing up everywhere from POS applications to classrooms, and why you
might want to consider a thin-client solution for your own organization.
Almost every desktop computer user today is familiar with the PC computing
model in which use... (more)
In Part 1 of this series (LWM Vol. 2, issue 4), Dr. Migration analyzed some
common Linux distributions with the goal of helping you figure out which is
right for you. This month, he takes a look at some of the major vendors'
Linux desktop offerings and begins to explore the Linux laptop.
I have been a loyal consumer of desktop PCs, laptops, and servers from one
vendor for almost 10 years.... (more)
Many people feel that if they get something for free there is no real value
in it, but that's not always the case. Free doesn't always equate to low
quality or "cheap." Especially when it comes to open source and free
software.
I am often fascinated by the caliber of the many open source and royalty-free
applications available and useful to a variety of organizations, from
business to g... (more)