Ubuntu, another choice

Once upon a time, supercomputers used special vector model processors to achieve their remarkable speeds. Then, at the dawn of the 21st century, people began working out how to achieve record-breaking computer speed by linking hundreds or thousands of commercial microprocessors running Linux and connected with high-speed networking in MPP (massively parallel processor) arrays. The supercomputing world has never been the same. Today, Linux rules supercomputing. The latest " Top 500 supercomputer " list of the fastest computers on the planet makes that abundantly clear. Broken down by operating system, this latest ranking has 469 of the top 500 running one kind of Linux or another. To be exact, 391 are running their own house brand of Linux. Sixty-two are running some version of Novell's SUSE Linux , including such variants as UNICOS/lc and CNL (Compute Node Linux). Red Hat and its relatives, including CentOS , come in second with 16 supercomputers. As fo...

So, you have decided for one reason or another to give up Windows and switch to Linux. One of the problems is that most people don’t know how to accomplish this and those who do understand have already done. Human nature dictates that most people, once they learn how something is done become sensitized as to how hard it was to gain that knowledge. I decided to think back and then document exactly what one needs to do in order to migrate successfully from Windows to Ubuntu. When I say successfully I mean completely including getting flash and Java to work in Firefox, installing the most needed codecs for your Media Player files, MP3s and DVDs. Also perhaps setting email and for a good measure a few tips and ticks. During this guide I will be showing you how use what is provided by the default Ubuntu install and only installing minimal applications. I will not be showing you how to install what I think are the best applications for doing things, I’ll just be showing you ho...

If you're using Maverick Meerkat (Ubuntu 10.10) or an older distribution, Natty Narwhat is a whole new animal. I’m very happy with Ubuntu as a desktop operating system. I’ve used it for years with no significant issues. In fact, Ubuntu excels where other disributions fail. Even Linux arch rival Windows, is often left in the last century compared to the innovations perpetrated by the Canonical group. But what about Natty Narwhal? Is the hype worth the effort? I’d have to say, “Yes.” Although, I’m not 100 percent sold on Unity, I’m impressed with its boot speed, shutdown speed, and snappy performance. Oh, and there’s that little matter of The Launcher. This article describes my personal experiences with upgrading Ubuntu 10.10 to Ubuntu 11.04 via the Ubuntu automatic notification and online update method. Making the Evolutionary Leap from Meerkat to Narwhal

Why do some people choose to run Linux as their PC platform of choice while others opt instead for other ways of running their computing experiences? Is it market share, perceived ease of use, slick marketing overtures, users wanting to use what they already know? This list might explain why people might choose OS X or Windows. But what approach to computing (and life) prompts a person to use a Linux box on a daily basis? I’ll share my insights based on personal experiences and other observations accumulated over years of living the Linux lifestyle full time. Software buyer's remorse has gone M.I.A. I haven't spent my hard-earned income on software in years. I own one single (legal) copy of Windows XP Pro that I use for work purposes (software testing) in VirtualBox . Does this mean that I choose not to spend money on Linux then? Not at all. I do in fact, donate money to specific Linux-related projects on a regular basis. Full article here: Living the ...

We love a good live CD , but what if your favorite one doesn't quite have every application or tweak you need? Here's how to roll your own Ubuntu Live CD, with all the packages you want, and some nice customizations, to boot. The tool that we're going to use is called Reconstructor , which is a free webapp that lets you roll your own Ubuntu and Debian live CDs. We've mentioned Reconstructor in the past ; below is a step-by-step for using it. Getting Started The first step is to sign up for an account at Reconstructor . Click the Sign Up link and fill out the form that appears. Confirm your account by clicking on a link that will be emailed to you, and then log in. You'll be greeted by Reconstructor's main interface. To create your customized Ubuntu CD, click on the Create Project button in the left column. Fill out the basic information about your project. In our case, we're going to customize an Ubuntu 9.10 Live CD, to include some useful ...