Fedora 17, code-named Beefy Miracle, was released yesterday for all to download and use. Aside for the main edition, which uses the GNOME 3 desktop environments, installation images for three main Spins were also released. These are for KDE, LXDE and Xfce. Specialized Spins for Security, Scientific-KDE, Design-suite, SoaS, Games, Electronic-lab and Robotics were also released. It is very unlikely [...]

Linux Mint 13 is the latest release version of the Linux Mint, the desktop Linux distribution based on Ubuntu Desktop. This edition is based on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Unlike earlier editions of Linux Mint that shipped with one main GNOME edition, Linux Mint 13, code-named Maya, ships with two “main” GNOME editions. There is Linux Mint 13 MATE, which features [...]

Mageia 2, the second edition of the Linux distribution forked from Mandriva Linux, was released just two days ago. Made available for download, were Live CD installation images for KDE and GNOME 3, and other ISO installation media that allows you to install desktop environments and window managers other than KDE and GNOME 3. One of those “other” desktop environments/window [...]

When the going gets though, as the saying goes, the tough gets going. That is usually a test of character. When it comes to software companies in a financial mess, that old adage can be paraphrased as: When the going gets tough, we dump our software on the (open source) community. It certainly was true of HP/Palm and their webOS [...]

Mageia is a Linux distribution forked from Mandriva Desktop. Mageia 2 is the upcoming release, which is slated to be made available for public download just four days from today. I have been messing around with the Release Candidate, whose installation image comes in a CD- or DVD-size ISO image. During the installation process, I observed that you are given [...]

Apache OpenOffice 3.4, the first (stable) release of the free software office suite since its development was handed over to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), has been released. The announcement was made earlier today. Before coming under the administration of the ASF, OpenOffice.org, as it was known then, was the most popular office suite in the free software community, and [...]

The latest snapshot release of PC-BSD 9, which will become PC-BSD 9.1, has just been officially announced in the developers mailing list. PC-BSD is a distribution of FreeBSD, or to satisfy those who argue that the word “distribution” does not apply to the BSDs, it is based on FreeBSD. One of the most important aspects of a distribution (there goes [...]

Chakra is a desktop Linux distribution forked from Arch Linux. It is a “pure” KDE-based distribution, with a facility to run GTK applications through a Bundle System. The latest edition is Chakra Archimedes, and being a semi-rolling or half-rolling release distribution, Chakra does not need to be reinstalled when new updates become available. (Chakra) Archimedes was first released in February [...]

Gameplay 1.2, a cross-platform, C++ game framework designed for learning and writing mobile and desktop games, has been released. Gameplay is an open source project hosted on Github and developed by Sean Paul and Steve Grenier, both graphics and game developers at Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry® smartphone and PlayBook tablet computer. Aside from the BlackBerry platform, Gameplay [...]

The third and final beta edition of Mageia 2, a desktop Linux distribution derived from Mandriva Desktop, has been released. The first and only Release Candidate is expected on May 2, with the final, stable edition slated for release on May 15. So, what does this release has to offer? Aside from the usual new features and bugfixes, Mageia 2 [...]

ROSA Company has announced the release of ROSA Marathon 2012 LXDE beta edition, following the earlier release of ROSA Marathon 2012 beta, which uses the KDE 4 desktop environment. You may read a review of that KDE edition of ROSA Desktop at ROSA Desktop 2012 beta review. This is the Moscow-based outfit’s desktop distribution that uses the Lightweight X11 Desktop [...]

Fedora 17 GNOME beta, as well as the beta of the KDE, LXDE and Xfce Spins, were released yesterday – almost two weeks past due date. This, however, is not highly unusual for the Fedora project. Unlike Ubuntu, their release schedule is not cast in concrete. They are more interested in getting stuff that works out the door, instead of [...]

After a long developmental period, Calligra 2.4.0, the first stable version of Calligra, has been released. Calligra is a Qt-based graphic and office suite forked from KOffice in 2010. Note: In some quarters, Calligra is said to be a continuation of KOffice, rather than a fork. Besides a complete set of office productivity application that you will find on most [...]

ROSA Desktop 2012 beta is a distribution that I am currently reviewing. It is a desktop distribution derived from Mandriva Desktop. It has all the features that you will find on its parent distribution. It has also a few cool features brand new to it. One of those, KLook, I have already written about. (See KLook: A Swiss Army Knife [...]

It is a joy to come across an application that works so well and combines the features and functionalities of several applications that it is difficult to not want to tell everybody about it. The application I am referring to, is called KLook. That is “look” prefixed with a “K.” If you have not played with the beta edition of [...]

No, this has nothing to do with Linux Mint or Linux Mint Debian Edition. What it is, is an attempt by the Royal Canadian Mint to create an alternative digital or crypto-currency. Think of MintChip as Bitcoin, but backed by a country. Bitcoin is the open source application and project operating under the MIT license with the goal of creating [...]