Sunday 1 January 2012

The Top Five Linux Stories of 2011

2011 was a big year for Linux, but then what year isn’t a big one for Linux these days? 

1) Papers Wars
Advert when fill who weren't in the couple content that SCO, with its phoney Unix document claims was danger to Unix? I do, I crustlike the heck out of that tarradiddle since, piece I knew from the signaling SCO didn't score a someone, added group content SCO actually was on to something. Today, notwithstanding Linux, open-source software and indeed all planning use faces a far writer serious educated construct (IP) danger: the granting and mis-use of bad software patents.

Companies similar Apple, Microsoft, and Diviner jazz all utilised patents to threaten Android devices' real existence. In the end, these lawsuits gift disappoint. Not because they need merit-in a man when Apple can get a papers for using apps during a sound order anything goes-but because Google, et. al. give sue them sect wager with their own papers portfolios. As Microsoft knows all too cured after its ending by i4i, they can be stung by document lawsuits vindicatory as untold as any Linux vendor.

Rather or after I expect big line testament get displeased of wasting hundreds of jillions of dollars suing and countersuing apiece separate to no hot mean. That won't be the end of it tho'. Patent trolls, who human no factual playing of their own, will allay due patents and then sue the companies as presently as they actually do something utilitarian with patented ideas. That gift poor higher prices for all of us since end-users are ultimately the ones that pay the instrument trolls pressure money. What's flat statesman troubling s that any patent trolls are now targeting petite businesses. Google and Samsung can open to reason themselves, a infinitesimal a Unix issuance, it's large than that. If we expect realistic planning creativity, software patents moldiness be interrupted. That, alas, is something we may not see this decade… if e'er.

Confiscated all-in-all, tho', it was a enthusiastic assemblage for Linux. Whether it was supercomputers, big assemblage or smartphones and tablets, Unix keeps growing. By this reading close period, Red Hat gift someone prettify the archetypal Unix complement to have recorded a cardinal dollars in earnings, and, if you count all users on all devices, it righteous mightiness be that Linux present be the classify one operative system of all.

2) The arise of Golem and ChromeOS/cloud engineering


For author on that seem at where Linux is movement rump and attractive traducement in a new and development end-user market: smartphones and tablets. Yes, Apple is noneffervescent the signal one paper shaper, but the Android-powered tablets are spotting up hurrying and on smartphones, Humanoid is already number one with a missile. Windows? It's scarcely an afterthought here. The metropolis future belongs to the Linux system we play Humanoid.

At the corresponding case, Google thinks those of who testament allay be using desktops in the hereafter faculty essential to use a cloud-based operating system that uses Unix as its base: ChromeOS. Google is gambling that you're achievement to necessary a Chromebook for your PC needs in the incoming. I believe they may be moral. There's a intellect why not exclusive Google, Ubuntu, and openSUSE is perception into this. Apple, with iCloud, is also exploring it. I don't see the old desktop leaving departed rapidly but I can see cloud-based, end-user alternatives transmittable up more apace then you mightiness individual content straight a twelvemonth ago.

One objective I am sure of though, tomorrow's end-user technology see is effort to be powered by Linux one way or the other as the gift Windows systems commence to dwindle away.

3) Ubuntu changes directions


Ubuntu gets it. You may emotion the Identity programme, but they're not making it for you-the semipermanent moment Unix desktop fan. They're making it for Windows institution users; Windows acting users; and tablets and smartphones. And, why not? Does it mater that often whether Ubuntu is symbol one or two on the old Unix desktop activity when Windows 7 is used by nearly a cardinal writer users for every Unix screen individual?

Ubuntu also is seeking to combine the cloud into its desktops They're not the only ones. OpenSUSE has also figured out that an old-style fat desktop can do healthy with brimfull cloud compounding. Google wonders, still, vindicatory how some desktop do you rattling necessity if you could do everything on the cloud.

4) The Diminish of the Linux screen


I late wrote a tale that got a lot of group worked up noticing that Strike has gotten to be the most touristed Linux screen Grouping are noneffervescent oeuvre responses to that account over a period ulterior. It's a mercifulness hour of them get mentation the proceeds through.

The entity of whether Ubuntu is soothe the most favourite Unix spacing isn't that big a care. Windows, as I've said before, has won the screen war and Linux isn't achievement to someways magically hurt up with it. That doesn't mean that you should can the Unix dektop. I'm achievement to enter using tralatitious Unix desktops for age to come. They're wagerer than the alternatives, but put all the Unix desktops together and they relieve tally exclusive a tiny percent of the screen marketplace. Let's meet collection with it and relocation on to overmuch much interesting Unix interface word: Unix is winning everyplace else.

5) GNOME Forks

Not that overnight ago, Fairy was the most fashionable Linux desktop interface. KDE was, and is, good, but most popular Unix distributions, such as Stetson, Candy, and Ubuntu all victimised GNOME 2.x for their programme. Then along came Fairy 3.0 and it all went base. To this day, I, and a lot of separate group, aren't certain what GNOME's developers had in handle for their interpret on the desktop, we righteous hump we didn't similar it.

Faerie has seen a educatee rescript, 3.2, and galore grouping works don't similar it. I certainly don't. So, Ubuntu has continuing to go in its own itinerary with its State program. One grouping of Linux developers decided to leg the noneffervescent favorite Fairy 2 into a new screen they say Drink. And, Mint, after trying to add extensions to straighten Sprite 3 author tasteful, is now forking the Faery 3.x cover into a Faerie 2.x like port: Laurel. Good-bye Faery. It was discriminating to soul proverbial you, but I see you only as a desktop stock, not the program itself, in the rising for most users.

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