Issue 97 (October 2007) - Building a better Ubuntu
Gutsy is approaching - how does the Ubuntu team keep its status as the world's favourite distro? Exclusive info from developers, plus a build-your-own Ubuntu guide
If your servers are struggling under a heavy load, we show you how to Slashdot-proof your systems with performance-enhancing tips
What price freedom? We consider the compromises we have to make as Free Software fans
On our 4GB DVD: classic distro Slackware 12.0, plus super-speedy ZenWalk 4.6 and Ubuntu 7.10 preview. Also: 60 pages of Roundups (PDF), GnuCash 2.2, KDE 4 Alpha 2, Paragon NTFS trial, and over 100 problems solved
Tutorials on calendaring, the Bash shell, Python file organising, filters and pipes, encryption in Mono and writing Gentoo ebuilds
Features
Building a better Ubuntu
Gutsy Gibbon is almost here - but how does the Ubuntu team make sure it's still the world's most popular distro? We investigate... (Mike Saunders) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
How to Slashdot-proof your server
Your web server is sick of trundling along at two requests per second. We show you how to set it free... (Paul Hudson) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
What price freedom?
Living with free software is often a life of compromise. We look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of open source development, the choices many of us face, and the effects on our favourite operating system - Linux. (Graham Morrison) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Interview: Louis Suarez-Potts
He's the Community Development Manager and Community Lead for the vast OpenOffice.org project. But what's he doing at the Libre Graphics Meeting? (Nick Veitch) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Coverdisc
Three full distros
Classic Slackware 12.0, super-fast ZenWalk 2.6, and an Ubuntu 7.10 development snapshot. Plus: 60 pages of Roundups (PDF), GnuCash 2.2, KDE 4 Alpha 2, Paragon NTFS demo, 100 Linux problems solved, SuperTuxKart and much more. (Mike Saunders) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
HotPicks
Wiki on a Stick, Zero Install, Herrie, JSCoverage, Slingshot, Thunder & Lightning, Segatex, Bitswash (Paul Hudson) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Tutorials
Control: Getting Things Done
A cure for some ills of the modern world (apart from using less fossil fuels) would be better organisation. Andy is a man with time on his hands... (Andy Channelle) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Bash: Using the command line
Part 2: Want to spend more time at the command line? We introduce grep and pipe, plus other must-have power user commands. (Rachel Probert) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Manage music files with Python
Fed up with misleading tags and silly filenames? Don't put up with problems; code them out of existence with some Python magic. (Nick Veitch) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Filters and pipes
Grab your snorkel and flippers, and join us in an exploration of the murky underwater world of filters and pipelines. (Chris Brown) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Mono: Encrypting your files
Just because you're not paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not following you. Paul makes a government-strength file encrypter, while he still can... (Paul Hudson) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Gentoo: Write your own ebuilds
Need the latest and greatest software that's not in portage yet? We show Gentoo Linux users how to track down an ebuild or write your own. (Neil Bothwick) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Reviews
Google Desktop 1.0
Desktop search was all the rage twelve months ago. We wonder whether Google may be a little late to the party as far as Linux is concerned. (Graham Morrison) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Yellow Dog Linux 5.0.2
With Apple's switch from PowerPC to Intel CPUs, the future looked a bit dim for Yellow Dog. But it may find an unlikely saviour in Sony's PlayStation 3... (Graham Morrison) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Mail Enforcer 3.0
Something must be fairly and squarely targeted at the enterprise market when Graham manages to shoehorn the word 'leverage' into a review. (Graham Morrison) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
eSys ePC basic
It's not quite the $100 laptop, but this PC proves that the concept is getting closer every day. We investigate an option that's too good to be true, surely? (Nick Veitch) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Paragon NTFS for Linux 6.0
Need to write to Windows XP or Vista hard disks from Linux? We test the only potential solution if you need NTFS compression support. (Neil Bothwick) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Desktop vendor heads closer to enterprise stack-dom with Scalix purchase. Plus: Oracle 11g a Linux exclusive? Pyro web desktop, IBM opens up more patents, Democracy Player becomes Miro, GPL 3 finally arrives (Andy Channelle) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
Distrowatch: Released soon...
As the popularity of desktop Linux grows, distributions such as OpenSUSE, Ubuntu, Fedora and Mandriva compete on features. Which will you be using in 2008? Plus: Webconverger, Yoper Linux 3.0, exotic distros (Ladislav Bodnar) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
What on Earth: OpenMoko
Whether you believe Charles Bourseul, Philipp Reis, Antonio Meucci or Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, the controversy rings a bell with Nick... (Nick Veitch) Available as a PDF to subscribers.
