Aug 152010
 

A DNS server resolves domain names into IP addresses. So when you request “google.com” for example, the DNS server finds out the address for the domain, and sends your request the right way.

You can run a DNS cache on your computer. This will speed up the process of looking up domain names when browsing. The difference is about 30-60 ms for me. Multiply that difference by the number of websites you visit a day for an approximate estimate of the speed improvement. Of course, all this would be worth it if it weren’t for the fact that setting this up is way too easy.

The following instructions are for someone with a cable (broadband) internet connection, where the computer gets it’s local IP address using DHCP from the router in your house/office:

Read it all at here

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Aug 142010
 
linux.comOriginal article-  LinuxCon Day 3: Now Get Out There and Do Something!

At the end of a conference, most people have two feelings. The first is a feeling of wanting to get out there and do something. After last year’s LinuxCon, especially after listening to Noah Broadwater of Sesame Workshop, I wanted to go back to my office, take a chainsaw to my IIS installations, and tear out my Sharepoint system. But I am pretty sure that feeling is felt by many of us on a daily basis without attending LinuxCon.

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Aug 132010
 

cloud

Working with 3 computers that run 5 operating systems, I often get bits of information found only on a single PC, a url that I bookmarked for a very useful site, or a TXT file used to take a quick note (the equivalent of a post-it on the monitor).

When I had to move information from one PC to another, I usually sent myself a note via email–not so comfortable, in fact. But while I was installing the new Ubuntu 10.04, something enlightened me: “Ubuntu One.“ Canonical started his project for a personal space on the clouds where you can store files, take notes, store your contacts or bookmarks, or just read. I thought, “Finally, I can solve my problem,” and so I discovered Tomboy.

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Aug 122010
 

In Forrester analyst Jeffrey Hammond’s keynote today at LinuxCon he outlined the trends of OSS adoption in the enterprise.  (You can download the slides here.) According to Hammond, open source software has crossed the chasm and is firmly entrenched in enterprises around the world. That wasn’t a surprise to the 800 people in the LinuxCon audience. But his data did uncover something interesting: IT operations people are choosing Linux not just to lower costs but also to fuel innovation and support growth.

Read it all on Amanda McPherson’s Linux Foundation blog

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Aug 112010
 

sudoroot / sudo
If you are reading this you are likely aware that the administrator on Linux/Unix systems is referred to as root. The root account is the account on which all system processes run and should be the only account that can write to the main filesystem.

Because most of us started our computing lives out using Microsoft Windows there has always been a notion that it is better to be the administrator of the system. Unfortunately this is one of the major causes of insecurity in computing and opens up your system to instability. As most Linux users will tell you, only log in as root to perform maintenance on your system and never log in to a graphical or desktop session using root.

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