New OpenStack Ocata stabilizes popular open-source cloud

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Usually, it would be another couple of months before the open-source OpenStack Foundation cloud released a new version of its cloud software. This time around the OpenStack community released the latest version, Ocata, on a one-time, shorter cycle. This release is focused on improving stability, scalability, and performance of the core compute and networking services. Ocata, the new OpenStack release, … Read More

SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7 Now Available!

Jonathan MathewsPublic

With OpenStack revenues looking set to reach $5 billion by 2020, here’s how you can grab your piece of the pie with SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7. Key highlights: SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7 is an enterprise-grade private cloud solution that enables your customers to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and reduce costs With SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7, your customers can quickly and … Read More

Windows wins the desktop, but Linux takes the world

Jonathan MathewsPublic

After a nearly decade-long project to move away from Windows onto Linux, Munich has all but decided on a dramatic u-turn. It’s likely that, by 2021, the city council will start to replace PCs running LiMux (its custom version of Ubuntu) with Windows 10. Going back maybe 15 or 20 years, it was seriously debated as to when Linux would … Read More

NethServer 7 Linux OS Released with Nextcloud 10 Support, Based on CentOS 7.3

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Softpedia was informed today, February 8, 2017, by NethServer Community Manager Alessio Fattorini about the general availability of the NethServer 7 Linux-based operating system. Based on CentOS 7.3, NethServer 7 launches with the ability for the Linux server OS to act as a Samba 4 Active Directory controller, replacing a Microsoft Active Directory domain controller. This is possible by implementing … Read More

Blockchain: The Invisible Technology That’s Changing the World

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Blockchain isn’t a household buzzword, like the cloud or the Internet of Things. It’s not an in-your-face innovation you can see and touch as easily as a smartphone or a package from Amazon. But when it comes to our digital lives—every digital transaction; exchange of value, goods and services; or private data —blockchain is the answer to a question we’ve … Read More

Communities Over Code: How to Build a Successful Software Project

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Healthy productive FOSS projects don’t just happen, but are built, and the secret ingredient is Community over code. Purpose and details are everything: If you build it will they come, and then how do you keep it going and growing? How do you set direction, attract and retain contributors, what do you do when there are conflicts, and especially conflicts … Read More

Meet OpenStack big tent projects Storlets and Tricircle

Jonathan MathewsPublic

OpenStack’s big tent has expanded to include two projects: Storlets and Tricircle. We’ll give you a quick overview of them and find out how you can get involved from the project team leads (PTLs) ahead of the Project Teams Gathering (PTG). Storlets What Storlets enables a user-friendly, cost-effective scalable and secure way for executing storage-centric user-defined functions near the data … Read More

KDE Plasma 5.9 Desktop Launches with Global Menus, Better Wayland Support

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Today, January 30, 2017, KDE had the great pleasure of announcing the release and general availability of the KDE Plasma 5.9 desktop environment for GNU/Linux operating systems. The development cycle of KDE Plasma 5.9 took only a few months, but considering the fact that it’s not a long-term supported (LTS) version like KDE Plasma 5.8, which is the recommended version … Read More

If you want privacy you need to run Linux

Jonathan MathewsPublic

I recently bashed Windows for being too darn snoopy, but you know what? It’s not just Windows. Ever since Yosemite came out, Apple’s macOS has been just as untrustworthy. As for Chrome OS, Android and iOS, come on! They’re all built around cloud services; by design, they share everything you do with third-party services. What’s the answer? Desktop Linux. With … Read More

RaspAnd Now Lets You Run Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Kodi 17 RC4 on Raspberry Pi 3

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Arne Exton is informing us about the immediate availability for purchase of a new build of his RaspAnd operating system for Raspberry Pi single-board computers (SBCs), now based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. RaspAnd Nougat 7.1.1 Build 170127 is an operating system that you can run on your Raspberry Pi 3 or Raspberry Pi 2 device, shipping with many attractive applications … Read More

MongoDB ransom attacks continue to plague administrators

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Earlier this month, Salted Hash reported on a surge in attacks against publicly accessible MongoDB installations. Since January 3, the day of that first report, the number of victims has climbed from about 200 databases to more than 40,000. In addition to MongoDB, those responsible for the attacks have started targeting Elasticsearch and CouchDB. No matter the platform being targeted, … Read More

4 ways to improve your security online right now

Jonathan MathewsUncategorized

The last few years have seen a massive jump in the frequency of reports about digital security breaches and personal privacy issues, and no doubt this trend will continue. We hear about scammers moving to social media, nations using cyberattacks as part of coordinated offensive strategies, and the rise of companies making millions tracking our online behavior. Feeling apathetic about … Read More

Ubuntu 17.04 Wallpaper Contest Begins, Submit Your Astonishing Artwork Right Now

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Ubuntu member Nathan Haines is informing Softpedia about a new installation of the Free Culture Showcase movement, this time for the upcoming Ubuntu 17.04 (Zesty Zapus) operating system. Yes, you’re reading it right, a new Ubuntu 17.04 wallpaper contest is upon us, and it’s time to go out and take the best photographs for inclusion in the next major release … Read More

An executive’s guide to containers

Jonathan MathewsPublic

Discussions with IT leaders about “containers” can often be summarized as this: As a CxO, I face the constant challenge of doing more with less. IT budgets continue to decrease and I have less resources, yet the amount of work to deliver is greater than ever before. I spend far too many hours dedicated to resolving budgetary constraints. In addition, the IT landscape … Read More