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11/15/2007 -- In an odd quirk of timing, it seems like every major Linux distribution has a new release coming out right about now. While new releases are commonplace with Linux, it's somewhat surprising to have so many coming out at around the same time.
While one column can't possibly do justice to every update, here's an overview of some of the changes that are popping up.
Online Desktop
One of the biggest features in Fedora 8 is the integration of the GNOME Online Desktop, the goal of which is to provide a desktop suitable for running applications directly from the Web and storing information online. This lets the desktop be the window to applications like Facebook, Gmail and others.
Figure 1 shows the Online Desktop, which, by default, opens the Firefox Web browser when started. It also includes a sidebar on the left side of the screen that lists some popular online applications.
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| Figure 1. Fedora includes the Online Desktop. |
Embracing SELinux
A trend is afoot to make SELinux integration seamless to adminstrators, and again I turn to Fedora 8 as a good example of this. The menus automatically include SELinux options, and it's implemented as the default choice during installation.
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| Figure 2. Configuration and administration of SELinux is now simplified. |
Figure 2 shows the SELinux administration tool, while Figure 3 gives a view of the troubleshooting tool.
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| Figure 3. The troubleshooter allows you to quickly identify problems. |
More Security All Around
Distributions that don’t turn on tight security by default are running the risk of becoming extinct. Figure 4 shows an example of the firewall configuration interface.
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| Figure 4. Configuring the firewall is now as simple as checking a few boxes. |
GNOME 2.18 also includes Seahorse, a front-end to GNU Privacy Guard. Seahorse lets you digitally sign or authenticate documents and works with OpenPGP and SSH keys. More information on it can be found here.
Solid Open Source Versions
At one time, it was thought -- rightly or wrongly -- that there was an enormous difference between the OS versions that a company marketed (sold) and those that it made available for free (through downloading).
If such a difference ever existed, it's now long gone. You can do just as much (except request support) with openSUSE and Fedora as you can with their sold counterparts. In fact, with the development attention being focused on the open versions first, they're infinitely more fun to experiment with and try in the lab environment.
Better Auto-Detection
Recent improvements to auto-detecting and mounting removable devices have meant that you can simply insert or plug in devices, such as flash drives, to have them detected, mounted and displayed.
Multimedia Support
Some Linux distributions are more multimedia-friendly right after the install than others, with most of them making great efforst to get there.
An example of this is Freespire, which comes pre-loaded and is able to support Flash, Java, MP3, Real, QuickTime and Windows Media files the minute the installation completes. This can save a great deal of time trying to track down licensing issues and resolve problems. What isn't included with the installation, such as DVD playback support, can be found at www.cnr.com.
Fedora, starting with version 8, is including Codeina, also known as FeatureCodecBuddy. This adds the support needed to make MP3s work and be properly licensed.
Much Better Suited for Desktop Users
One of the issues I often waffle on is whether Linux is appropriate for desktop users. With each release, however, my waffling episodes have been getting better, as not only the OS, but GNOME and KDE have all become more solid and user-friendly.
But I am often annoyed by the lack of commercial software applications, especially in comparison to the Windows world.
In the Oct. 1 issue of Computerworld, however, Michael Gartenberg makes a statement you can't help but agree with:
"The latest and greatest hardware still arrives without Linux driver support. Until a vendor is willing to take a gamble and build fully optimized Linux systems, most IT shops simply won't bother to make the costly transition."
As much as I may not want to admit it, he's right. And that's why these latest releases are better-suited, but still not ready, for primetime.
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