-------------------------------LINUX FOR YOUR Nov 2003 -----------------

Published from India, Vol 1 No 9

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Would you like to contribute articles to LFY? Contact Rahul Chopra below ------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDITORIAL: Star Office & is the latest version of (Sun's) office suite software. We tried it on both Windows and Linux -- and were impressed by its performance and features... Sun has given its battle cry against Microsoft. And, it couldn't be louder. The attach is on three fronts -- the office suite, the operating system and the enterprise server solution. -- Rahul Chopra LFYedit at efyindia.com

* Fedora project updates * Kernel 2.6.0-test8 released * Slackware 9.1 arrives * Knoppix 3.3 is here * Linux device remote-controls UPS * SuSE Linux 9.0 released * New features to keep off worms * Samba 3.0 released * Athlon64 debuts * Mandrake Linux 9.2 launched * Linux-based digital media player rolls out * Novell connects Linux desktop users to MSExchange 2003 * XFce 4.0 lightweight desktop environment launched

Major updates and releases: ClusterKnoppix v.3.2.2003-09-05-EN * DietLinux v0.1.2 * dyne:bolic v.1.0 * GNOPPIX v.0.5.4-1 * Mailman v 2.1.3 * Chandler

IN INDIA a government program in the large state of Madhya Pradesh aims at providing computer-enabled education and teaching basic computer skills to students in primary and middle schools. The unique project harnesses the power of [GNU]Linux-based open source software.

Stellar data recovery tool: Stellar Phoenix is a GNU/Linux data recovery tool that runs from Windows. It does a good job of recvering data, but comes at a price. If you manage a network of Linux desktops, then this is a must-have tool for you.

CONTEST: Offer a good slogan and win a gold-plated watch.

FEW C/C++ competitors exist for GCC in the world of GNU/Linux. Intel's C++ Compiler 7.0 is one such brave-heart. It fails GCC at some points, but by optimising code for faster performance, it has proved its worth.

BhavyaOS: This CD which comes from the magazine promises "all the Red Hat 9 goodies compressed on a single CD". Feedback from users? Some problems have been reported in the past.

INDIA MAY NOT be topping the charts in high performance computing. But with software and hardware costs dipping, a number of research organisations and government agencies are now deploying high performance clusters for innovative applications.

OpenOffice WRITE HAS features that can help you track changes and save different versions of the same document, when you are working on it with others. OpenOffice Calc, a spreadsheet app, is filled with functions. How to use some of these functions is explained here.

* Motorola and Real tie-up for Linux-phones * Samsung to develop Linux smart phones * SuSE to launch US$449 Linux server for small businesses * Criticism leads to Forrester policy change (towards vendor -sponsored research, following publication of a controversial Microsoft-funded study comparing the costs of Linux) * Analyst company disagrees with Sun's Linux strategy * Dell stands up for new Red Hat Linux * Windows developers feel Linux is more secure, as per study * Telstra selects Sun's Mad Hatter (Linux desktop) * Thai schools desert Microsoft products * Tetra Information Services is first partner for Linux Asia 2004 * HP to back Linux byers * Red Hat widens software choice * Linux users furious over Royal Bank SCO investment * Linux not accountable for security, Microsoft's Ballmer says * Ford mulling over change to Linux-based servers * SCO postpones deadline for taking Linux licences * More governments adopt Linux * NTT to link up with OSDL to develop Linux for telecom use INDIAN TRANSPORT sector treads cautiously on the Linux road. Most transport operators acknowledge the role of Linux-based software not only in cost cutting, but also in offering customers a better experience. However, investment costs, lack of support and knowhow are concerns of potential GNU/Linux users in this sector.

IN INDIA, ON THE enterprise desktop front, many enterprises use Linux to manage crucial systems. But no IT decision-maker wants to place it on the desktop of the knowledge worker. Why is it so?

FINLAND WORKS ON AN APPLIED Linux Institute: Three Finnish public institutions, including Linux Torvalds' alma mater, are setting up an institute for applied Linux, so that people can use and share open systems, which could also help create an environment empowering poeple in the North and the South.

BHARTI TELETECH LTD decided to streamline its business processes, and so opted for GNU/Linux. The change not only saved costs but was easier to migrate to. The Bharti Group followed up by upgrading its other Microsoft-run systems to Linux as well.

(CON)FIGURING OUT the IBM Directory Server (hands-on)

SEVEN STEPS to software samadhi: Migration from Windows to GNU/Linux may take some time, but the process will be a great learning experience. And 'muft' (free-of-cost) and 'mukt' (freedom-based) software could be the best reward for your efforts, writes Linux Lingam. Don't ask what the pseudonym means!

TIPS & TRICKS on networking: simple steps that will make you a pro at deploying firewalls, setting up NAT and even working with IP tunnelling. (Elaborate five-page how-to).

GNUWinII CD: FREE YOUR WINDOWS> A review of the GNU WinII CD, which has a collection of free/libre and open source software for the Windows platform. Written by Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay.

PARALLEL PROCESSING using Perl. You can write programs in Perl that run in parallel to carry out computationally-intensive tasks through two models, the process model and the threads model.

KERNEL CORNER reviews the concept of the semaphore mechanism and demonstrates its application in a kernel program. Various kernel semaphore functions are discussed in detail.

BOOKS REVIEWED IN BRIEF: * Assembly Language Step-By-Step: Programming with DOS and Linux, Rs 369 with CD, pp 613 * Linux Database Bible Rs 329 in India, pp 715 * Professional Red Hat Linux 9 Secrets Rs 499 with 2 CDs in India. Pp 1038 * Linux in Easy Steps, Rs 89, pp 186 * Beginning Red Hat Linux 9. Rs 379 with 2 CDs, Pp 570

SHELL CORNER: Learn more script features and functions to better control signals and processes.

JAVA TIPS FOR your Linux PDA. Learn how to load and run a simple Java application on Sharp's SL-series Zaurus, the Linux-based PDA.

FIREWALLING USING ipTABLES: Here's how to use iptables in Netfilter to guard your computer from intruders.

GROPING IN THE DARK: Mastering technology is good, but it's more important to be large-hearted when it comes to sharing it, says the BraveGNUIndia column.

NEWS FROM INDIA includes * Linare Linux Launched * Wind River releases tools for embedded Linux * Oracle rools out entry-level database for SMEs * Sun rolls out StarOffice 7.0 * IBM launches Lotus Notes and Domino 6.5 * Cadence moves PCB tools to Linux * Sun Microsystems launches Mad Hatter * First Indian distro with bio-informatics tools * Cincom Smalltalk VisualWorks environment for GNU/Linux

THE PHD CHAMBER of Commerce and Industry and Tetra Information Services organised an all-day seminar on Linux Readiness: Emergence of a New Era in September at New Delhi.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ LINUX ASIA meets in Delhi on Feb 11-13. See you there... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTACTS: LFY Delhi 26810602 or 26810603 http://www.linuxforu.com