Linux

Recently, I've heard a lot of people talking about the Everex TC2502, a $200 Linux PC that's now selling at Walmart, and it's probably not because "TC2502" is such an awesome name. By most standards, it's a pretty slow system. What's different is that it's packaged and sold with Ubuntu Linux and Google's various desktop and web-based office applications. This is a pretty cool thing, and hopefully a lot of non-technical, every-day computer users are going buy these things and have a pleasant Linux+Firefox+web-app experience, sans viruses, spyware, and other Windows genuine advantages.

One thing which hasn't been nailed down in all the reports about Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s expected mobile phone announcement is exactly what operating system will run the thing. Turns out, it could be Linux.

That'd be a huge boost for the open-source OS. Reports that Linux would be at the heart of Google's gPhone first surfaced this August, in a report out of Asian by Jennifer Tan of Anian Research. (Tan's article is no longer extant, but LinuxDevices.com has the story.)

Are you geek enough for Linux? Though it first earned a reputation as a platform for hobbyists and hackers, Linux has come a long way since Linus Torvalds cobbled together the first kernel as a student project. A modern Linux desktop is a sophisticated, user-friendly GUI environment, with features and applications to rival any proprietary OS. In fact, when compared to the mainstream alternatives, there are lots of compelling reasons to give Linux a try:

In 13 Reasons why Linux won't make it to a desktop near you, we reviewed Linux as a marketing case study. In this column, we take a good look at the product to find out why it has thrived despite its troubled childhood.

A couple of years ago, the Linux desktop was a pimply adolescent with half-baked ideas. Today we see a handsome, well-dressed grown-up who handles a range of tasks with confidence and even performs fancy tricks. No longer need we make allowances for his dress sense or his strange habits.

Ubuntu 7.10 arrives Oct. 18, and not long after that Dell will start shipping that version of the Ubuntu Linux desktop on its laptops and desktops.

"We will offer Ubuntu 7.10 preinstalled on our systems soon," said Anne Camden of Dell corporate communications, in an e-mail interview. "For customers who are interested in updating their existing Ubuntu systems, we advise them to visit the Ubuntu 7.10 page on our wiki, which will go live [Oct. 18] after the official launch."

Sometimes it's nice to have a secure and familiar OS that you can use from any machine. Puppy Linux is just that: a really lightweight, CD-based Linux distribution, designed for maximum portability. If you're using a PC, you simply boot and run Puppy Linux from a CD, storing your settings and changes to a file on your hard disk or flash drive. What's awesome is that it's so compact, you can fit an emulator, the CD ISO, and the save state files all on a flash disk or SD Card, making it one tiny little OS package that you can carry in your pocket.

After 3 months, Linus has released Linux 2.6.23.

What's the best desktop Linux? For me, it's SimplyMEPIS 6.5, soon to be replaced by 7.0. But this is both a dumb question and a dumb answer. The real question is: What's the best desktop operating system for you?

If I told you the best 2007 car is a Mazda MX-5 Miata, I'd also be right, according to Consumer Reports. But what's right for me, a middle-aged gent with a lovely wife and no kids at home, is not what's right for a family of four. For them, a Honda Accord or a Toyota Sienna makes more sense.

There is an interesting article here, which states that by 2009 a derivative of Linux - with the strange name of Russian OS - is going to be installed in all schools in Russia. This article is also currently being discussed on Slashdot. The article states two main reasons for the decision of the Russian authorities to do this:

1. More independence from foreign, commercial software.
2. Avoiding tying young users to the products and platform of one company.

For years, Apple has provided solid and seamless synchronization from your computer to your palm, in the form of your iPod. However, while Linux users had no access to iTunes, clever hackers made it possible to sync their iPods to software such as Amarok and gtkpod.

Linux users will be sad to hear that Linux is no longer supported for the new iPods. Apple has locked down the song database on the newest generation of iPods, meaning the iPod nano, classic, and touch.