init6 Technology

I have recently purchased a replacement router for my WRT54GS that I recently deployed for someone. I purchased the Linksys WRT160NL with the assumption that at some point there would be custom firmware for this. It runs on a miniature version of Linux much like the older WRT54GL. It’s based on a different chipset however due to the availability of Draft N wireless.

Many projects are working on creating custom firmware, but here is the one I have been keeping an eye on.

I thought this was a great article over at Gizmodo.

I have to say for the most part, I completely agree with this guy. Just recently I switched to Ubuntu for quite some time and then to a Mac. I had pretty much the same realization, almost everything I do is online now and the OS really doesn’t matter much. All three have their highlights and their low points. Windows does have one glaring problem, it is the most popular which means almost every virus and spyware program is aimed firmly at it. So I would say, why hold the bullseye when you can get out of the line of fire altogether?

GNOME 2.26 was released today.

New features:
- Comprehensive New Disc Burning
- Simpler File Sharing
- Evolution Evolves its Migration from Windows
- Media Player Improvements
- Volume Control Integrated with PulseAudio
- Support for multiple monitors and projectors
- Almost Telepathic Communication
- Location Epiphany
- Fingerprint Reader Integration
- And more

Read about the details from the source.

Tux Radar put up a great article about the Linux kernel explaining what exactly it does. Head over there to take a look.

Here is an excerpt:

The kernel is a piece of software that, roughly speaking, provides a layer between the hardware and the application programs running on a computer. In a strict, computer-science sense, the term ‘Linux’ refers only to the kernel – the bit that Linus Torvalds wrote in the early 90s.

All the other pieces you find in a Linux distribution – the Bash shell, the KDE window manager, web browsers, the X server, Tux Racer and everything else – are just applications that happen to run on Linux and are emphatically not part of the operating system itself. To give some sense of scale, a fresh installation of RHEL5 occupies about 2.5GB of disk space (depending, obviously, on what you choose to include). Of this, the kernel, including all of its modules, occupies 47MB, or about 2%.

Today the people at Ubuntu unveiled the new Alpha 6 release of Ubuntu 9.04. With a final release date of April 23rd, this release is getting quite close to a Beta and even final state. This release of Ubuntu is titled Jaunty Jackalope. I’ve already played with a previous Alpha release and was very pleased. I’ll be trying this new one out shortly, if I can get it downloaded quick enough.

Some features of this release:

X.Org server 1.6
The latest X.Org server, version 1.6, is available in Jaunty.

Font size optimization
Font dot-per-inch settings are now optimized based on your monitor’s capabilities, rather than defaulting to 96 dpi. You can further customize your dpi settings via System → Preferences → Appearance → Fonts → Details…

New style for notifications and notification preferences
Included in Jaunty is a simple menu which can be used to set preferences for notification icons, such as where they pop up on the taskbar. There is a possibility that Ubuntu 9.04 will get a whole new notification system, as shown in the Flash movie below:

http://www.markshuttleworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/jaunty904_notifications_example1_web_092.swf

Ext4 filesystem support
Alpha 6 supports the option of installing the new ext4 file system. ext3 is still the default filesystem for Jaunty. However the Ubuntu team is considering ext4 as the default filesystem for the next release based on user feedback.

Linux kernel 2.6.28
Alpha 6 includes the 2.6.28-8.26 kernel based on 2.6.28.7.

For downloading see below links or hit a local mirror:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/jaunty/alpha-6/ (Ubuntu Desktop, Server, Netbook Remix, and MID)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-6/ (Ubuntu Education Edition)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-6/ (Kubuntu) Kubuntu release notes
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-6/ (Xubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntustudio/releases/jaunty/alpha-6/ (UbuntuStudio)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/mythbuntu/releases/jaunty/alpha-6/ (Mythbuntu)

Beware this is an Alpha release so don’t go installing this on a main system and complaining about instability. However with that said, in the past I’ve found past Ubuntu Alpha releases this far along to be fairly stable. Happy Ubuntu’in?! Is that a term?

Xandros, the linux version of choice on the Asus Eee PC, has taken what they have learned from that market and applied it to a new mini OS called Presto. Presto is designed to be a fully functional linux desktop that you can boot into within seconds and use the most common applications. It’s designed to be installed on a laptop or other hardware on the move where booting into a full version of WIndows can be trying and definitely annoying. The best part of Presto linux is that it doesn’t replace Windows it just installs on top of it. When you turn on your laptop you have a choice of quickly booting Presto linux or instead waiting for your full version of WIndows to load.

Here is a list what’s provided by default:

• Browse the web securely using Firefox™
• Chat using instant messaging (IM)
• Make free Skype™ calls
• Listen to music and watch videos
• View and edit documents created in Microsoft Office™
• Download games, music, videos and more through the Presto online store

The last one on the list is very interesting because Xandros is following the “App Store” idea and working on providing applications for download directly from them. Presto also connects to networks over WiFi, 3G, xDSL, LAN and cable. Additionally, Presto includes a 14-day free trial of Real Player SuperPass to watch TV online and listen to thousands of radio stations worldwide.

Here are few screenshots just for completeness:

The OEM version is available immediately. A consumer download for $19.95 and a free trial version will be made available to the public on April 13, 2009 at www.prestomypc.com (a beta version will be available on March 16).

VMware Workstation v.6.0 Linux CD Type: Emulation Version: Standard Operating Systems Supported: Linux System Requirements: Optical Drive: CD-ROM Packaging: Retail Features: Discover the true power and flexibility of your desktop or laptop computer with VMware Workstation. Reduce hardware costs by 50% or more by running multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single PC. Automate and streamline tasks to save time and improve productivity. Join the millions worldwide who use Workstation to: Host