"Engadget turns the design stakes up to 11, Google finally dishes the dirt on Chrome OS, and now you can even download the forthcoming software to have a fiddle with yourself. It's completely free, though you'll need VMWare running atop a Windows, Linux or OS X installation to make the magic happen."
Linux. What is it? You may have heard the term before, but you don’t know quite what it is. No doubt, you know what Microsoft Windows or Apple’s Mac OS X are. Chances are good you’re already using one of them right now. Roughly 87% of end users on Earth use either Windows or the Mac OS X operating systems.
Linux is the other guy. It’s the other, other white meat.Still unclear? Let’s break it down.
Linux is Open Source, meaning that the source code is open to anyone to modify, configure, retool, tweak, and recombobulate however they like. Windows and OS X are proprietary, meaning privately owned and modified. We don’t get to touch the source code as end users. Why is it cool that Linux is open source? You as the end user get to customize it if you feel so inclined. You may also write programs, plugins, APIs, or any other bit of coding you might know.
It’s freely distributable. You’re not supposed to copy Windows or OS X install discs and start sharing them with your friends or putting them on bit torrents. You’ve paid for the discs but that money goes towards the licensing. You’re essentially purchasing a license to use the software contained on that disc. This is not so with Linux. You can make as many copies as you like, distribute them however you like, and give them to as many people as you like. There are no limits.
Need to use Photoshop or Microsoft Word? Linux has you covered. There are thousands of free and open source software (FOSS) titles available to every Linux user. To replace Photoshop, there’s the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). For Word, Excel and Powerpoint, there’s an OpenOffice.org suite of office applications. Need something to help you draw vector illustrations? Give Inkscapea try. There are just too many mainstream application equivalents to mention here.
Here’s another gem. If you really have your heart set on using that Windows only software, chances are, you still can. WINE is software that emulates a Windows layer right in your Linux desktop, giving you the opportunity to install and use actual Windows only software. Cool.
For those really niche software titles that don’t have a counterpart in Linux, you could try using virtualization software such as VMware, or Virtualbox. Basically, it’s like installing another OS on your computer, but as an application. It is what is referred to as a guest operating system. Just install your guest operating system using one of the aforementioned programs, install your niche software inside that guest OS, and you’re off to the races.
Don’t like virtualization? Try dual-booting. This option allows you to install Linux on a separate partition on your computer. When you turn the computer on, just choose which operating system you want to use. If you’re feeling really frisky, try triple-booting!
Linux is a modification of a UNIX architecture, much like Macintosh computers. The UNIX system is used as a backbone for thousands of security and database servers all over the world. If it weren’t secure and robust, it wouldn’t be used to reliably hold important information. Inherently, Linux is a more reliable OS. Typically, it rarely crashes. I heard a story once about a campus computer running Linux as a server and it had an uptime of 20 years. This may be a slight exaggeration, but it’s a testament to the reliability of the coding.
Linux is nearly virus free. And by nearly I mean 99.999% free of viruses. Why? No doubt is has, in part, to do with the fact that Linux is only used on about 2-3% of the world’s home computers and laptops as the main operating system. Who would waste their time coding a virus for such a small minority? The answer is 00.001%. Awesome. The only thing to be mindful about viruses is passing them on to Windows users. Though the virus doesn’t affect Linux due to its architecture, if sent as an attachment in an email it can still infect a Windows user’s computer. Be mindful.
If the above isn’t enough incentive to install Linux on your favorite, or only, computer, try a liveCD. A liveCD or liveDVD is the whole Linux operating system on a single CD or DVD. They range in size from a couple of Megabytes (yes, a couple) to a few Gigabytes, depending on what software is included. Insert the disc into your computer, reboot, and run Linux from the disc and RAM without harming or changing a single file on your computer. It’s a dip-your-toes-in-the-water-before-you-jump-in-and-get-all-wet approach. It lets you test drive the whole operating system, and software, before deciding what you wan to do. If you like what you see, just click on the Install icon on the desktop.
In Linux, there’s only one easy repository for all your software needs. No more searching the internet looking for different .exe files. Just open up your package application and click on the software you want to install. Installation takes just a few moments. Any time there is an update or upgrade to the software, the OS will let you know. Click to upgrade, and voila! Sweet, new features. Windows has something similar, but it will not update all your products, only security updates and Windows software. Same with OS X. Linux updates everything. Boom! Done and done.
For a list of available distributions, shortened to distros, I recommend finding your way on over to DistroWatch. They have a compiled list of the top Linux distributions available, most of which are available as liveCDs. Below is a list of the top 5 recommended distros based on Distrowatch statistics.
+Ubuntu
-#1 Linux distribution in the world and gaining popularity daily.
-Highly user friendly and great for new Linux users.
-Commercially backed by Canonical.+Fedora
-#2 Linux distribution as of this writing.
-User friendly. More bleeding edge software and updates make this a little less useful for new users.
-Commercially backed by Red Hat.+Linux Mint
-#3 Linux distribution, and continually in the top 5.
-Highly user friendly and great for new Linux users.
-A modified version of Ubuntu, including codecs for media playback and extra software specific to the distribution.
-Backed by dedicated individuals in Ireland, with programmers and editors from around the world.+OpenSUSE
-#4 Linux distribution
-User friendly. Very customizable editions now available with the use of SUSEstudio.
-Based in Germany
-Commercially backed by Novell.+Mandriva
-#5 Linux distribution
-Highly user friendly. Feels as much like windows as any Linux distro can. Great for new Linux users.
-Based in France.
-3 million worldwide users, according to their site.My personal recommendation? Choose Linux Mint. It’s based on the most widely used Ubuntu, but it includes many more codecs and features. It’s been said that it’s Ubuntu done right. I agree. Don’t let the fact that it’s based in Ireland scare you. Nearly every Linux distro have translators that allow them to distribute their OS in many different languages, all at the same time. I use Linux every day and look at me now!
Posted by Matthew M. Zeller at 06:00 PM | Permalink
This was my first blog post ever. It was completed as an assignment for the Center for Information and Communication Sciences.
Am 27.10.2009 kam die neue Version von VMWare zur Virtualisierung unter Mac OSX heraus (http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/). Die ganze Featureliste will ich gar nicht hier nieder schreiben, die kann man auch unter http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/features.html nachlesen.
Was aber aus meiner Sicht nette neue Features sind, möchte ich einmal kurz nennen:
- Unterstützung von Windows 7 (vielleicht komme ich ja doch mal in den Zwang, irgendwie mit Windows7 was machen zu müssen)
- Integration einer netten Menubar-Software, von der man auch direkt aus Mac OSX heraus Programme strarten kann
- Modifizierung der Festplattengröße einer Virtuellen Maschine. Damit kann man recht einfach die vorhandene Festplatte einer Virtuellen Maschine vergrößern und braucht keine neue Festplatte "einbauen"
- Verbesserte 3D-Grafikunterstützung (OpenGL 2.1 und DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3 graphics). Damit sollten auch recht aktuelle Spiele unter Windows in einer Virtuellen Maschine spielbar sein.
Noticed it available, upgraded from 2.0 and downloaded it online ($40). Took about 15 minutes to download.
This is a howto for setting up SNMP on VMware vSphere ESX4 to work with ITAssistant, written because there's precious little documentation on the matter and what documentation exists is quite often misleading or plain wrong! Vmware in their wisdom have completely changed the way SNMP is configured in vSphere ESX4 (note not ESX4i which is a completely different kettle of fish and covered elsewhere). This means (young padawan) you have to unlearn everything you knew and any documentation for pre-vSphere can be pretty much thrown out of the window. The version used was 4.0.0 but should apply to future versions too.
Install Openmanage 6.1.x or higherThis is done the same way as on older vmware servers or linux systems.1) download and unzip the Openmanage redhat package (OM_6.1.0_ManNode_A00.tar.gz) from the dell website to someone on in your vmware service console. gzip -d OM_6.1.0_ManNode_A00.tar.gz##############################################
Server Administrator Custom Install Utility
##############################################
Components for Server Administrator Managed Node Software:
[x] 1. Server Administrator Web Server
[x] 2. Server Instrumentation
[x] 3. Storage Management
[ ] 4. Remote Access Core Components
[ ] 5. Remote Access SA Plugin Components
[ ] 6. All
Enter the number to select a component from the above list.
Enter q to quit.
Then select i to install3) start the Openmanage services
/usr/sbin/esxcfg-firewall -o 1311,tcp,in,OpenManage
Make sure you test it so you know openmanage is working and can see your hardware. If you can see the disk systems, memory, cpus etc, then fix openmanage first.Setup passive polling from ITAssistant Passive monitoring is where the ITAssistant polls the server at a regular interval. Supported methods in ITAssistant are CIM, SNMP and IPMI. SNMP with the "get" string is the usual method and what this howto covers. The ITAssistant documentation recommends creating a new readonly string for use with ITAssistant. 1) Edit the snmp conf fileAdrian Colyer
CloudFoundry Demo - Chris Richardson
SpringSource Tool Suite
Cloud Types
Virtualization in the data center?
How does this add value to my enterprise Java apps?
But do apps perform well on vSphere?
VMware today announced the October 27th launch of VMware Fusion 3, a significant update to the company's virtualization solution that allows Mac users to run Windows applications right alongside OS X applications. The new version reportedly brings over 50 new features and improvements, including Snow Leopard optimization and full Windows 7 compatibility.
Key highlights include:
- Optimized for Snow Leopard. Built from the ground up for the Mac, VMware Fusion 3 leverages Mac OS X Snow Leopard's advanced architecture with a new 64-bit core engine and native support for the 64-bit kernel, delivering even better Windows on Mac performance.
- Ultimate Windows 7 Experience. VMware Fusion 3 will be the first to enable the full Windows 7 experience, side-by-side with your Mac, complete with Windows Aero and Flip 3D.
- Switching Made Easy. VMware Fusion 3 will make it easy for users to bring their entire PC to their Mac in a few easy steps - wirelessly or with a simple Ethernet cable - allowing customers to protect investments in existing Windows software, and to keep using the programs they still need.
- Best-in-Class 3D Graphics. Support for OpenGL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3 will enable users to run their favorite 3D Windows games and applications - all without rebooting.
VMware Fusion 3 is now available for pre-order at a suggested price of $79.99, with upgrading pricing of $39.99 available to current VMware Fusion users.
What this means for the average user is improved performance for both
the host and guest operating systems.
