Among the new features planned for Ubuntu 12.10, one, a Unity “lens” that generates search results from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), has been stirring a lot of controversy lately — so much that Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth recently responded publicly to what he’s calling “FUD-points” regarding the lens. But what will it take to put users [...]

According to my sources, it’s almost October, and that can mean but one thing: The debut of Ubuntu 12.10 is almost upon us. To prepare, here’s a look at some of the biggest changes to expect in the forthcoming release of one of the world’s most popular open source operating systems. Codenamed (in the Ubuntu [...]

It’s official: OpenStack, the open source cloud platform, has formed an independent entity, the OpenStack Foundation, to promote the project and open source cloud computing more generally. Here’s the scoop, and what it means for the open source channel. Founded in 2010, the OpenStack project has enjoyed broad support from a host of big names [...]

If you run Windows or Mac OS X, you probably don’t think much about multimedia codecs. More likely than not, the vendor of your device figured all that stuff out for you before you bought it, probably using a licensed proprietary solution. But if Fluendo has its way, open source codecs may soon be breaking [...]

It’s a problem as old as the microprocessor: How do you provide important information to users without getting in the way of their workflow? On most open source platforms, the answer to this conundrum currently lies in passive notification popups or bubbles. And while some interfaces get it right, others — especially GNOME Shell — [...]

Running stable software often means sacrificing the latest and greatest software features — especially in the open source world, where development cycles tend to be rapid and bleeding edge code is available to anyone who dares run it. If you want to build a cloud infrastructure on Ubuntu, however, you no longer have to choose [...]

“User-friendly” doesn’t describe too many server-oriented Linux distributions — which are, after all, generally designed to be run by skilled IT professionals, not ordinary people demanding colorful graphical interfaces. But Zentyal, which develops a small-business server, has made ease of use a priority in the latest version of its product. Read on for a look. [...]

Ubuntu’s top priority may be knocking Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) off its pedestal, but the Linux distribution — and the company backing it, Canonical — are increasingly following scripts from Apple‘s (NASDAQ: AAPL) playbook to achieve that goal. Most recently, Ubuntu developers introduced an updated version of the Ubuntu One Music Store. iTunes it is not, [...]

Mark Shuttleworth — the entrepreneur and space tourist most famous for helping to launch Ubuntu Linux — found a new pet project on Tuesday, when he invested $1 million of his own funds in Inktank and the Ceph community. The endeavor may not involve blasting into orbit, but it’s likely to make some big splashes [...]

Canonical’s recent efforts to promote desktop Ubuntu on the workstations of large organizations have focused primarily on the business world. But perhaps the company’s greatest prospects lie in the education channel. That’s where 220,000 Ubuntu-based PCs are now running in Andalusia, Spain. Here are the details, and what they say about desktop Linux’s viability in [...]

The VAR Guy himself recently made the case that the likeliest converts to Linux in the business world are in emerging markets. But that isn’t stopping Linux server manufacturer Zentyal from hosting an upcoming conference in Zaragoza, Spain, targeted at businesses even in “developed” regions interested in migrating to Linux. Read on for a look [...]

The open source channel’s answer to proprietary cloud solutions has become more compelling with the announcement of a new object storage service from DreamHost that offers full compatibility with other popular APIs. It already has some open source partners talking. Here’s why. The new service, called DreamObjects, is based on Ceph, the open source distributed [...]

The openSUSE Linux distribution has faced its share of tumult in the last few months, which witnessed some significant soul-searching by the developers regarding how the project operates. But things appear back on track, with the release of version 12.2 of the operating system. Here’s a look at what’s new in the latest iteration of [...]

You’ve probably heard the promises that desktop Linux is more secure, faster and cost-effective than proprietary platforms. But did you know it can also increase employee satisfaction? So says Canonical in its latest effort to promote Ubuntu in the workplace. Read on for a look at this and other talking points. Admittedly, the suggestion that [...]

Choice is usually a great thing, but it has its downsides. In IT, one of them is the complexity of managing the host of different configurations that arise when users have lots of competing software products to choose from. But software company Convirture has set its sights on this problem with the announcement of a [...]

It took a while, but the era of 32-bit computing may finally be coming to a close. At least, that’s what the Ubuntu Server Team’s decision has implied with its decision to cease providing 32-bit installation CD images for the upcoming 12.10 release of the operating system. Here’s a look at this plan, and what [...]

If you’re like me, you — or your customers — have an excessive number of old PCs lying in your basement or in a storage room. Time to throw those old PCs in the recycling bin? But what if you can’t bear the thought of saying goodbye to those machines forever? Fret not: Using a [...]

Deploying a fully open-source groupware suite on a Linux server became a little easier recently with the release of ClearOS version 6.3, which sports full integration with the Zarafa Collaboration Platform. Here’s the scoop, and how it affects the open-source channel. Based on CentOS (which is itself derived from Red Hat Enterprise Linux), ClearOS is [...]

Since the cloud and open source are supposed to go together like peaches and cream (ah, the joys of summer), it might come as a surprise that Linux vendor Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) lacked an official OpenStack distribution. But that now has changed with the announcement of a public preview of an OpenStack release based [...]

In most cases, “online tours” fall short of seeing the real thing. They’re convenient, but I can’t imagine many people buy a house or choose a college after only visiting them virtually. But when it comes to picking an operating system, online previews can work quite well, as the Ubuntu team’s online tour site exemplifies. [...]