Knoppix 3.8 Adds UnionFS, More Flexibility

Knoppix 3.8 and UnionFS. Wow. Just Wow.
Klaus has released the latest version of Knoppix, 3.8, to the crowd at CeBIT 2005. This version includes the normal round of updates including the 2.6.11 kernel by default, KDE 3.3.2, and Firefox and Thunderbird instead of Mozilla. The exciting news, however, is the addition of UnionFS. UnionFS stacks your Knoppix ramdisk on top of the read-only filesystem on the CD, the effect being that you can apt-get install, and otherwise modify all of the files on the system as though they were all writeable. Here I’ll go over why I think this is going to change Knoppix in a major way.

Of course it doesn’t appear that Knoppix 3.8 is actually available for download yet. I hope it is released soon since it sounds a good idea to build CALIoppix 2 on top of this.

Xen virtual machine monitor

Computer Laboratory – Xen virtual machine monitor
Xen is a virtual machine monitor for x86 that supports execution of multiple guest operating systems with unprecedented levels of performance and resource isolation. Xen is Open Source software, released under the terms of the GNU General Public License. We have a fully functional ports of Linux 2.4 and 2.6 running over Xen, and regularly use it for running demanding applications like MySQL, Apache and PostgreSQL. Any Linux distribution (RedHat, SuSE, Debian, Mandrake) should run unmodified over the ported OS.

Add Structure to Your Blog

Library Stuff
Structured Blogging is exactly what it sounds like: Having more structure to a blog entry (and more importantly, the syndicated feed behind it) in order to go beyond just reading it in your browser or aggregator. It allows people to connect with others in more ways than ever. It allows for more organization (and then manipulation) of blog entries.

I need to take a look at this to see how it goes beyond (or if it goes beyond) categories in a blog. Suddenly meta data seems to be all the rage.

SuSE Pro 9.3 Is Loaded

BetaNews | Novell Packs Apps Into SuSE Linux 9.3
On a high level, SuSE Linux Professional 9.3 is built atop the Linux Kernel 2.6.11, using either KDE 3.4 or GNOME 2.10 as its default desktop environment. As opposed to retail versions of Windows, SuSE can take advantage of the latest PC processors, including the AMD Athlon 64 and Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology.

Novell has provided Linux users with a catalogue of end-to-end desktop applications. Productivity software, Internet tools and multimedia viewers are all included. Reflecting today’s hostile Internet environment, the package also integrates system security: a firewall, spam blocker and virus scanner.

Novell Ships Open Enterprise

BetaNews | Novell Ships Joint Linux, NetWare Server
Narrowly missing its February target release, Novell on Thursday announced that Open Enterprise Server has begun to ship. The server combines Novell’s rewritten NetWare core with SuSE Linux Server 9, providing customers with a central console to manage a mixed environment of NetWare and Linux servers.

Open Enterprise Server rolls file, directory, print, management, and messaging services into a single package. The server is compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server distributions.

SuSE 9.3 to Have Desktop Search

SuSE Linux gets desktop search – ZDNet UK News
"SuSE Linux Professional 9.3 will include Beagle, an open source desktop search tool that makes it easier for users to find various types of files, including documents, emails, IM conversations and code. Novell claims to be the first Linux provider to have packaged Beagle into its desktop application.

"For the first time anywhere SUSE Linux Pro includes Beagle, the innovative open source desktop search tool that can access everything on your desktop," Novell said in a statement."

SUSE 9.3 Pro is due out momentarily.

Halo_Radio: Web-enabled MP3 Streamer

freshmeat.net: Project details for halo_radio
halo_radio is a package for running a streaming MP3 radio station. A usable Web interface, a backend Icecast source daemon, a utility script for populating a MySQL database with your songs, and other clients are included. The Web interface features informational functions, user management features, and search and request functionality. The source daemon can encode multiple bitrates and features an automatic playlist feature that will randomly select songs based on historical user data.

I need something like this to adopt a webcasting module for ClassCaster.

Bring an Aterisk PBX Home!

Kerry Garrison – Building your own PBX
What would it mean to you to have your own full-featured PBX system at your home or small office? What would it mean to you if you could build an entire PBX system (minus the phones) on hardware you probably have laying around, AND that it can probably also save you money on your phone bill? Sounds too hard to believe doesn’t it, but using old hardware and some open source software, you really can build a commercial quality phone system that would normally cost thousands of dollars.

Very rah-rah and very true, but this article skirts some of the serious config and setup issues that go with building an Asterisk PBX. Using Asterisk in your house requires a bit more to it than the article states.

Google Desktop Search Exits Beta

InfoWorld: Google updates desktop search tool: March 07, 2005: By : APPLICATIONS : DATA_MANAGEMENT
Google is set to launch on Monday an updated version of its desktop search tool whose enhancements include the ability to search the full text of Adobe Systems PDF files and the metadata of multimedia files, a Google executive said…

Other improvements in the Google desktop tool, which is free, are support for the Mozilla Foundation’s Firefox browser and Thunderbird e-mail application and for America Online’s Netscape browser and e-mail application. Previously, the product supported only Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser and Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail applications.

The addition of Mozilla and Netscape mail and web cache are great. It also picks up metadata from images, music and video and the content of PDFs. You can grab your copy here.