MySQL AB (now Sun's Database group) established a multi-pronged
business model long ago: support contracts, dual licensing, and
proprietary add-ons all play a role in making them one of the biggest
success stories in the area of open source business. Today their
MySQL Query Analyzer
adds another brick to that edifice.
The analyzer can do simple things such as tell you how long a recent
query took and how the optimizer handled it (the results of EXPLAIN
statements). But it can also give historical information such as how
the current runs of a query compare to earlier runs.
Perl is a great language for processing text and automating tasks. It's also a fully-capable modern programming language, with effective modularization and object oriented capabilities. Though that sounds scary, they're easy to understand (and even easier to accomplish, through shiny modern tools such as Moose and Mouse).
The struct module includes functions for converting between strings of bytes and native Python data types such as numbers and strings. Here's how to use it.
Greg-Kroah Hartman discusses why he believes the Linux kernel supports more devices than any other operating system ever has, why binary-only drivers are impractical, immoral, and illegal, and how the kernel development process contributes to the inevitable world domination of free software.
We haven't quite found the sweet spot for deploying apps to the cloud; the dependence on traditional databases and relatively complex environments make something like dropping a Pylons app on some random service pretty troublesome.
Most potential buyers of Building Embedded Linux Systems don't know about the contributors' impressive credentials. Here are some of the people who brought you the second edition.
Pundits of all kinds love to preach that the free desktop needs this feature or that software to succeed. They may be right for certain audiences, but they often miss the single essential feature which gives free desktops an amazing evolutionary edge.
One thing that most people don't realize with virtualization is that its not the actual virtualization layer that is important. It works, they all do. The important part is in the management tools and that's something that's been sorely missing from the Open Source arena for too long.
Since dep-hell is something I haven't seen in years yum just sort of keeps on updating my packages, installing new ones, etc. Other apps like PackageKit (a gui updater) have come along, but I've largely ignored them. Now I've discovered how useful yum plugins can be.
Jim Zemlin's job with the Linux Foundation is almost the equivalent of Steve Ballmer's job with Microsoft -- and he does it in the style of Steve Ballmer. That includes loud, outrageous, and sometimes incorrect claims that are easy to refute.
After stripping away the marketing hype the net result is that SOHO is once again free. I also have to wonder if there was some push back from the community when SOHO, which was free for download when version 5.8 was current, was moved to a paid-only status.
Arjan van de Ven is a Linux kernel hacker and the author of PowerTOP and LatencyTOP. His goal is to fix problems in the Linux desktop to save power, respond more smoothly, and to run faster. This interview explains how.
Recent discussions about who contributes to the Linux ecosystem have singled out certain companies as freeriders. That almost makes, but misses a greater point: it's their responsibility to contribute to the health of upstream projects.
The Linux Standard Base (LSB) is the Rosetta Stone for Linux distributions, it establishes a common set of libraries and tools that any Linux application can use safely, and be assured of running correctly. The Linux Foundation is the keeper of the LSB, and recently we spoke with Theodore Tso, who helps tend the LSB, about what goes into keeping it healthy, and how it benefits ISVs, distribution maintainers, and end users alike.
Everyone seems to be in a huff about the EULA that Mozilla is displaying when you start Firefox under Ubuntu. There are even calls to pull Firefox out of the distribution altogether. But in reality, it's a tempest in a teapot, a waste of valuable energy, and harmfully divisive. Here's why.
