FreeBSD and PC-BSD release new version
The FreeBSD project announced the release of version 8.2 and 7.4 on 24 February. Both bring many new features and bug fixes. FreeBSD can run on a variety of architectures, and is still regarded as one of the most stable and hardened systems available. The most user friendly derivative, PC-BSD, also saw a new release on the same day.
The FreeBSD Project publishes two versions of its popular BSD clone line. 8.2 and legacy 7.4 published at the same time with many of the same improvements. You have 2.32.1 GNOME and KDE of 4.5.5. asynchronous logging queue support has been improved, to variable-length messages is set to allow execution of flags for more flexibility. Sysctl has been improved to allow more current updates and large free range in memory management and several new virtual memory variable options. Other memory improvements were seen in the areas of detection and reallocation of shared memory blocks. Now supports GUID partition table and partition table and header checksum verification has been fixed. Number of disk and network improvements and bug fixes have been implemented at the kernel level, as well as in user-space applications. Many network and graphics driver improvements and additions have been implemented. Different filesystem support elements have been improved across the Board. The security fixes are a bzip2-integer overflow and multiple vulnerabilities in OpenSSL. And, of course, all of your favorite applications have been updated as well as.
Updating existing installations is supported and FreeBSD comes in multiple install media formats. CD and DVD ISO images are frequently, but other methods such as such as network installed are also supported.
Not to exceed, PC-BSD published their latest and greatest on 24 February to. PC-BSD is sometimes known as the Ubuntu of * BSD. It embody many of the same elements as most Linux distributions. Nice and simple easy to use graphical installer, an attractive and useful desktop out-of-the-box, practical applications, and a graphical Software Manager.
Based on FreeBSD 8.2, many of the same improvements in your PC-BSD 8.2 are inherited. BC-BSD 8.2 features things like KDE 4.5.5, xorg 7.5 and nvidia driver 260.19.29. The standard installation with software such as GIMP, ImageMagick, digiKam comes in addition to a number of KDE apps. If you are installing, can an extra software including FireFox 3.6, 3.2.1 OpenOffice and VLC 1.1.5 select.
Download-PC-BSD 8.2 for 32-bit or 64-bit computers. See the release notes and ChangeLog for more details.
Linux distro: Linux console
The strangely named Linux console seems to be designed, work just as well as a live distribution as well as a permanent installation. It offers a LXDE-based desktop in addition to a collection of standard applications. It could be used as a typical desktop Linux distribution, but I have a feeling that type operations could see some use than front end with appliance, that must be a bit more of a typical desktop layout as some of the kiosk or media player distributions. However, I'm not quite sure what actually aims to this distribution.
Linux console is derived from one of the main distributions. Diversity is the hallmark of the Linux scene, and it is a blessing for the choice of distro can adjust to a given situation. However must be in such a crowded field that provide smaller distributions different functions and a niche, a peek value.
Hard disk installation occurs from the boot menu, if you install from the CD. There are two ways an autoinstall that performs the installation without any questions on issues and a typical Linux distribution that does. Installations that continue to prompt without the user are useful because be interrupted to answer some questions, is boring if you want to install more than one computer. I wish more distros an option marked as.
Automatically installed, but potentially dangerous and Linux console's solution to this dilemma has its good and bad points. On the plus side it halts installation if it anything at all on the hard disk. It prompts the user to open a virtual console and command-line Fdisk run to wipe the partitions. The problem with Linux's standard Fdisk program is that it's not very easy to use. It's a shame that given what I suspect to be that developers together could have tapped the anticipated audience for this distribution no Ubuntu style partitioning tool led.
By default Linux console provides a LXDE-based desktop with some media player and a few other applications. The standard launch bar feature to start an icon to the Firefox Web browser or Thunderbird e-Mail client, but in fact, these options download and install the latest version. If you run Linux console as a live CD, repeat the procedure after a shutdown. In practice, this is a big problem, as it takes less than a minute to install Firefox in this way. Speaking of which, boots Linux console quickly thanks custom architecture from a CD, no doubt.
Conclusion
The most important aspect is that the Linux console is stand out from the crowd, it brings a custom distribution, and this both advantages and disadvantages. For example, a positive feature is that all operations from package installation to boot from CD or hard disk are noticeably faster application launch.
The downside is that if you get stuck, you are completely at sea because Linux console much like something else not. In contrast many is the time that I succeeded to resolve a Debian, by use of any information surfaced on a Ubuntu Forum, for example. It has even it's own, custom package format, but this is not exactly brimming with installable software.
The other problem is that a custom distro shoots at the gate of out upstream developments of a mainstream distribution on. The Linux console improvements are limited by the available packages and the efforts of the Linux console development team offered.
As I said at the beginning, each distribution has proven successfully carving out a niche for themselves. The question whether the Linux console has a place is complicated by the fact that it offers a confusing mixture of novice-friendly features that in mixed, require the expertise.
In summary, I find it hard to recommend console over other similar distros like Puppy Linux or tiny core Linux. It deviates from the standards from other distributions, but I can't honestly say that it enough benefits outweigh the potential problems that brings offered. However, it is worth a look at a little different just about anything to see. What is so far done well and in the future may go in a way which gives it clearly defined benefit and identity. On the other hand, you might discover that the strange mixture approaches you are looking for the somewhat strange mix of approaches. And, my friend, is a part of the beauty of Linux.
______________________UK based free writer Michael Reed http://www.unmusic.co.uk/ technology, retro computing, geek culture and gender politics writes. His byline has appeared in several technology publications.
VirtualBox 4.0
December saw the release of the latest critical update to VirtualBox, Oracle's desktop visualization tool. In its previous incarnation chose it as our readers so let us look at what has to offer 4.0 preferred VIRTUALIZER.
After starting the new VirtualBox, the first thing that is obvious is the new GUI layout. Long-term VirtualBox users however have to fear little as there is a close relative of the original. In the most obvious addition to the VM management part GUI is, that there is now a thumbnail that is constantly updated view of a running GUI. It seems an update period of about once per second, so hopefully, there is no amount of resources. Having said that, is useful for people who want to just keep an eye on what is running.
Speaking of which, the VM Windows are even now scalable. This means that you run an OS in, say, 1024 x 768 resolution, but scaled could perform in smaller window. This is also useful when you have to keep an eye on things want without sacrificing the space on the desktop, and you can flip back to a full sized screen with a keyboard shortcut.
CLI junkie or GUI monkey? As in previous versions, VirtualBox 4.0 can completely through the GUI or from the command line run but the GUI still somewhat some advanced features are the. Can the new features, insert the disc access bandwidth limitation and the change in size of the virtual hard disk images are accessed only from the command line will be. Port forwarding now has a GUI dialog, on the other. How some features CLI are only, it is important to have good documentation, and the good news is that the 4.0 features manual has already been updated.
Under the hood, there was some changes in the way that the individual VMs you save your settings. The settings file for each VM is stored in the same directory as the HD picture and together with some modifications, makes transfer of VMs between computers easier. In addition, file cleanup is comprehensive, when a machine is deleted.
Conclusion
Some may be disappointed with the volume of the brand new features, because there is a change the major version number is. What offers the latest 3.x release 4.0 is a new GUI and a few other improvements. A look through the release notes, makes it clear that there are a handful of smaller, but also useful new addition to the more remarkable. I suspect that great minor leap from 3.2 to 3.5, would give people have a clearer idea of what actually does the new version. This is a nitpick but when discussing one such piece of fine free software VirtualBox OSE version. Overall it has some nice updates, although it lacks the earth shattering new innovations that people tend to expect from a full version number increment.
______________________UK based free writer Michael Reed http://www.unmusic.co.uk/ technology, retro computing, geek culture and gender politics writes. His byline has appeared in several technology publications.
The new Debian Linux: Irrelevant?
[ Thanks to Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols for this link. ]
"Once upon a time, a new Debian Linux release was a big deal in Linux circles. It still is, but its child, Ubuntu Linux, is the Linux distribution that gets all the headlines. There?s a reason for that. Over the years, Debian has become more and more a Linux just for Linux fanatics while the rest of the Linux family has become more end-user friendly."As I look over the features in the latest Debian, I can see why Debian, while still popular as a building block for other Linux distributions, is no longer as important as it once was. For example, the default Debian distributions won?t include any proprietary firmware binary files. While that will be popular with die-hard free software fans, users who just want to use their Wi-Fi hardware and to get the most from their graphics cards won?t be happy."
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