TechSource: Is Steam the Big Breakthrough Gaming for Linux Need?

---

Is Steam the Big Breakthrough Gaming for Linux Need? Posted: 31 Dec 2012 01:02 AM PST For many gamers, Steam is the most banked-upon tool in their gaming inventory. You can purchase, gift and play games using the software and also you can communicate with other players. Led by Gabe Newell, Steam is widely appreciated for being one of the nicest gaming companies around. For years, Steam was available only on Windows. Then, of course, Valve Corporation decided to branch out to other platforms as well leading to the release of Steam for Mac OS X in 2010. 2 years later, Steam brought good news for many Linux fans and gamers alike. This year, Valve released Steam Beta for Linux, a fully native port of the amazing gaming software bringing world-class gaming to this often-overlooked platform. With the release came the announcement of porting of Left 4 Dead 2 on this platform. Apart from making many Linux-loving gamers happy, Steam has thrown light on a platform that is very often overlooked, especially in terms of gaming. Gaming on Linux has always been something that has kept many Windows users from switching over. Though things in the gaming department might not change overnight, it still is a big boost to the operating system's already soaring popularity. So, as the wheels are turning, many Linux users and supporters are wondering if this is the big breakthrough Linux gaming needed. Steam for Linux: What will it bring? Steam for Linux, at first, won't be as good as its Mac or Windows counterparts. However, 3-4 years down the line we might see Linux becoming an unmissable gaming platform. As of now, Steam will bring a dozen of good games and a horde of gamers to this platform. Also, gamers from other platform will notice the growth of the Linux gaming scenario and might want to try it out. That said, apart from games, popularity, and more users, Steam will bring growth to Linux as a platform. As gaming improves, hardware manufacturers like NVIDIA and ATI will be more proactive in releasing updates for Linux. Also, Linux developers themselves will start focusing more on improving the performance of the OS for gaming. Overall, it's a win-win situation for Steam as well as for Linux. Why Linux as a gaming platform? After the lukewarm response that Windows 8 received, Microsoft's dominance seems to be waning day by day. With the presence of other platforms, and of course Ubuntu's growing popularity, users and developers alike are moving to greener pastures. Coming to gaming though, what makes Linux so amazing as a gaming platform is that it delivers better performance than Windows and that too at a really low cost. If you are an ardent gamer, you know how expensive it is to build a good gaming rig. With Linux, you can save a lot of cash by cutting out the cost of the operating system. How will it change the gaming scenario? The introduction of Linux as a platform into the gaming world won't change things that quickly. However, if it works for Steam as it expects it to, then other gaming companies might start focusing on Linux as well. One can't expect the gaming scene to shift completely to Linux's favor, at least for the next 5 years; it will still make the open-source operating system's presence felt amongst the masses and the classes. So, what are the hurdles? Steam, and even gaming for Linux in general needs a lot of work. Firstly, graphic drivers for this platform should be at par with their Windows counterparts. This itself is a big step. Secondly, there need to be more commercial games on this side of the town. Another thing Linux will come across is the established popularity of Mac as a gaming platform, and also the general decline of PC gaming. Conclusion Steam's introduction to the Linux world, is after all one of the best things that has happened to the open-source operating system. Having said that, things won't change overnight and gaming on this platform has still a long way to go. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for now.

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

TechSource: How to Give your Android Smartphone the Jelly Bean Look

---

How to Give your Android Smartphone the Jelly Bean Look Posted: 22 Dec 2012 02:28 AM PST While you might be drooling over the latest features that Android 4.2 has come up with, only the lucky few are getting a taste of the real thing. Even my neatly preserved Nexus S won't be upgraded beyond Android 4.1. While I don't lament that as much as other users, I still wish I could get the best features Jelly Bean has to offer on my device too. Android 4.2 (also called Jelly Bean) comes with interesting set of features. First of all, the biggest change users will find is that Android now supports multiple user accounts. That means you can share your tablet computer or smartphone with your siblings, grandmother and almost anyone with a valid Google account. Secondly, you'll find that Google Now has improved a lot and is almost as good as Siri. And among other great features, another interesting addition is the Swype-like keyboard that lets you slide your fingers across the screen to type. Though you might not be able to fully enjoy all those features right now on your device, some of the UI features can be imitated by installing some apps to make your not so old smartphone look like it is running Jelly Bean. Here are some of them: Jelly Bean GO Locker Theme One of the most striking changes in Jelly Bean is the lock screen. With this GO Locker theme, you can recreate the same effect on your pre-4.1 smartphone without making any big changes to your device.  DOWNLOAD HERE Jelly Bean Launcher To make things even more authentic, you can download the Jelly Bean launcher. It supports the 4.1 search bar, home screen gestures, all static and live wallpapers and much more. Basically the launcher will give you an almost exact look and feel of Jelly Bean. This is definitely something you should try. DOWNLOAD HERE Jelly Bean Keyboard If you are in awe of the Jelly Bean keyboard (without the slide), you can grab this great app for free. Once installed, you'll get the Jelly Bean keyboard on your smartphone. It looks and functions similar to the Jelly Bean keyboard. DOWNLOAD HERE Wallpapers: Nexus 4 Dot Live Wallpaper: This is Nexus 4 live wallpaper that you can install on your smartphone and brag about it to your friends. Note that live wallpapers consume a lot more battery than a static wallpaper. DOWNLOAD HERE Jelly Bean Live Wallpaper: Another Jelly Bean live wallpaper that gives you a nice effect that is reminiscent of the latest update. DOWNLOAD HERE Jelly Bean Wallpapers Set: If the live wallpapers aren't enough, you can make your smartphone more Jelly Beanish by adding the default set of wallpapers to your repertoire. These wallpapers will help you recreate the look of Jelly Bean especially if you have ICS already. DOWNLOAD HERE Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

[HowtoForge] Newsletter 12/20/2012

HowtoForge Newsletter 12/20/2012
================================

*** Version 1.3 of the ISPConfig 3 Manual ***
=============================================

The next update of the ISPConfig 3 Manual is available in PDF format (version 1.3 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.4; Date: 10/25/2011).

Version 1.3 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.4 (Date: 10/25/2011)
Author: Falko Timme
333 pages

The manual can be downloaded from these two links:

http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-3-manual/
http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual


*********************************************
*********************************************


ISPConfig Monitor App for Android Phones
========================================

With the ISPConfig Monitor App, you can check your server status and find out if all services are running as expected. You can check TCP and UDP ports and ping your servers. In addition to that you can use this app to request details from servers that have ISPConfig installed; these details include everything you know from the Monitor module in the ISPConfig Control Panel (e.g. services, mail and system logs, mail queue, CPU and memory info, disk usage, quota, OS details, RKHunter log, etc.).

Download/Usage
==============

For download and usage instructions, please visit http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-monitor-app-for-android/ .


*********************************************
********************************************


*** HowtoForge Now Has Its own Facebook Page ***
================================================

We at HowtoForge are proud to announce that our new Facebook page is now available under http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge. As most of you probably have a Facebook account, we want to use this additional channel to post updates and get feedback from you. Therefore we would like you to "Like" our page, share it with your friends, post comments, etc.

http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge
********************************************************************


New HOWTOs:
===========

* VBoxHeadless - Running Virtual Machines With VirtualBox 4.2 On A Headless Ubuntu 12.10 Server
* Using ATA Over Ethernet (AoE) On Ubuntu 12.10 (Initiator And Target)
* Using ATA Over Ethernet (AoE) On CentOS 6.3 (Initiator And Target)
* Creating An NFS-Like Standalone Storage Server With GlusterFS 3.2.x On CentOS 6.3
* The Perfect SpamSnake - Ubuntu Jeos 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin
* Debian Squeeze LDAP Server With OpenLDAP And phpLDAPadmin

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

VBoxHeadless - Running Virtual Machines With VirtualBox 4.2 On A Headless Ubuntu 12.10 Server
=============================================================================================

This guide explains how you can run virtual machines with VirtualBox 4.2 on a headless Ubuntu 12.10 server. Normally you use the VirtualBox GUI to manage your virtual machines, but a server does not have a desktop environment. Fortunately, VirtualBox comes with a tool called VBoxHeadless that allows you to connect to the virtual machines over a remote desktop connection, so there's no need for the VirtualBox GUI.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/vboxheadless-running-virtual-machines-with-virtualbox-4.2-on-a-headless-ubuntu-12.10-server




Using ATA Over Ethernet (AoE) On Ubuntu 12.10 (Initiator And Target)
====================================================================

This guide explains how you can set up an AoE target and an AoE initiator (client), both running Ubuntu 12.10. AoE stands for "ATA over Ethernet" and is a storage area network (SAN) protocol which allows AoE initiators to use storage devices on the (remote) AoE target using normal ethernet cabling. "Remote" in this case means "inside the same LAN" because AoE is not routable outside a LAN (this is a major difference compared to iSCSI). To the AoE initiator, the remote storage looks like a normal, locally-attached hard drive.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/using-ata-over-ethernet-aoe-on-ubuntu-12.10-initiator-and-target




Using ATA Over Ethernet (AoE) On CentOS 6.3 (Initiator And Target)
==================================================================

This guide explains how you can set up an AoE target and an AoE initiator (client), both running CentOS 6.3. AoE stands for "ATA over Ethernet" and is a storage area network (SAN) protocol which allows AoE initiators to use storage devices on the (remote) AoE target using normal ethernet cabling. "Remote" in this case means "inside the same LAN" because AoE is not routable outside a LAN (this is a major difference compared to iSCSI). To the AoE initiator, the remote storage looks like a normal, locally-attached hard drive.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/using-ata-over-ethernet-aoe-on-centos-6.3-initiator-and-target




Creating An NFS-Like Standalone Storage Server With GlusterFS 3.2.x On CentOS 6.3
=================================================================================

This tutorial shows how to set up a standalone storage server on CentOs 6.3. Instead of NFS, I will use GlusterFS here. The client system will be able to access the storage as if it was a local filesystem. GlusterFS is a clustered file-system capable of scaling to several peta-bytes. It aggregates various storage bricks over Infiniband RDMA or TCP/IP interconnect into one large parallel network file system. Storage bricks can be made of any commodity hardware such as x86_64 servers with SATA-II RAID and Infiniband HBA.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/creating-an-nfs-like-standalone-storage-server-with-glusterfs-3.2.x-on-centos-6.3




The Perfect SpamSnake - Ubuntu Jeos 12.04 LTS Precise Pangolin
==============================================================

This tutorial shows how to set up an Ubuntu Jeos based server as a spamfilter in Gateway mode. In the end, you will have a SpamSnake Gateway which will relay clean emails to your MTA. You will also be able to view your incoming queue, train your SpamSnake and carry out a few more advanced operations via Baruwa.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-spamsnake-ubuntu-jeos-12.04-lts-precise-pangolin




Debian Squeeze LDAP Server With OpenLDAP And phpLDAPadmin
=========================================================

This tutorial will show you how you can set up an LDAP and webinterface to manage the LDAP server on Debian Squeeze.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/debian-squeeze-ldap-server-with-openldap-and-phpldapadmin


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You can now support HowtoForge by becoming a subscriber:

HowtoForge Subscription
=======================

*** New! We now accept RBS WorldPay payments in addition to PayPal. ***

For a monthly fee of 5 EUR or 25 EUR for half a year, you can become a HowtoForge supporter and help us cover our costs (servers, bandwidth, etc.) and support ISPConfig development. In return, you receive the following benefits:

1. Download the ISPConfig 3 Manual (from http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual).
2. Access the whole HowtoForge web site without any ads.
3. Download the results of our tutorials as VMware images (where available) (a list of downloadable VMware images is available here: http://www.howtoforge.com/list-of-downloadable-vmware-images).
4. Download our tutorials as PDF files.
5. View our tutorials as printer-friendly pages.
6. You will be marked as a "HowtoForge Supporter" in your forum posts.
7. Plus, you support the ISPConfig development.

If you have the free VMware Server or Player installed, you can import our VMware images and start playing around with the results of our tutorials immediately. It's a great way to track down problems with your own setup or simply to save time. ;-)

More details can be found on http://www.howtoforge.com/subscription.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Best Regards,

Your HowtoForge Team
Email: info@howtoforge.com
URL: http://www.howtoforge.com

To unsubscribe or update your records, click here: http://newsletter.howtoforge.com/howtoforge/user/update.php?email=matrixunix.ubuntu@blogger.com&code=d8531959c7da2982ec3a7f8f82a13961

TechSource: Best Free and Open Source Forum Software

---

Best Free and Open Source Forum Software Posted: 18 Dec 2012 07:28 PM PST If you run a website, or have build a software application, you'll need to have a certain amount of interaction with your users. One of the best ways to facilitate that is through forums. Forums not only allow seamless communication between users and developers, they also let companies provide support for their users. On the Internet, you'll find millions of forums dedicated to various issues. From teenage problems to geriatric care, forums bring people with similar tastes or issues together and let them communicate effortlessly. One of the best things about forums is that they have been an indispensable part of the FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) culture. Be it the then-fledgling Ubuntu forums that helped desktop neophytes with installations and troubleshooting or the WOW forums that brought millions of gamers together, forums have been an integral part of the Internet since its inception. For a FOSS lover though, everything should be open source and free as in freedom. So, forums too, for us, need to be in that open realm. If you are looking for the best free and open source forum software for your site, here is the big list: phpBB phpBB is one of the most popular open-source forum software out there. Written in PHP, this free tool supports multiple database engines and lets you extend it using various plugins and tools. phpBB has a huge community backing it and has been used widely by many software publishers and website owners. Currently in its third major version, the forum software comes with a modular design, high-security, and a multiple-language interface. Feature-wise, very few software come close to phpBB. It comes with features like attachments, styles, data management, search system, notifications, and also caching. On the security front, phpBB comes with various anti-spam features like CAPTCHA confirmation, flood warning, post approval and more. You can even mark a post or a private message as spam. Vanilla Forums Vanilla Forums is one of the coolest and the most stylish forum software around. It gives you nice-looking forums that are more community-based rather than being just tools for user support. You can customize your forums with various themes and also measure engagement by using statistics. Unlike phpBB wherein you get a plain-looking forum, Vanilla gives you a lot of control over the appearance, allowing you to make your forum site really look good. What's more, there's an official iPhone app for the software. Worth a try if you're looking for something cool and new to try out. OSQA OSQA is a free and open-source software forum that is more suited for FAQ-style forum. You can create a forum that is similar to AskUbuntu or StackOverflow with this software. OSQA gives its users points and badges based on their interactions and their contributions to the community.   bbPress bbPress comes from the makers of WordPress. It is an open-source forum tool that is both easy to set up and simple to use. More than just creating a forum, with bbPress you can create an entire social network. If you've worked with Wordpress.org or .com before, you'll find bbPress very easy to use. miniBB miniBB is a free and lightweight forum tool for building your own forum. More often used by small-site owners and bloggers, it can serve as a great discussion board for a selected number of users. You can even test the forums at this page: http://minibb.org/minibb-test.php? Though miniBB doesn't offer anything aesthetically pleasing, it is, nonetheless, one of the best forum tools if you're looking for something simple and lightweight. FluxBB If speed is your priority, then FluxBB might be the right one for you. Light, user-friendly, and of course, fast, FluxBB comes with a clean admin interface and easy installation and setup. Once installed, you can modify permissions very easily. Also, FluxBB supports both PHP4 and PHP5, allowing it to be installed on most of the web servers. Another notable feature of FluxBB is that it is very secure as compared to other forum software, making it a great choice for new users as well as experienced ones.

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

TechSource: Ubuntu for Android: Features and Expectations

---

Ubuntu for Android: Features and Expectations Posted: 16 Dec 2012 06:18 PM PST Ubuntu for Android is one of the most eagerly awaited projects in the open-source community. Brainchild of Mark Shuttleworth and the Canonical team, Ubuntu for Android project has started getting a lot of attention lately. The main reason for this is that Canonical is attempting something unique by merging two of the most popular open-source platforms around. Hoping to provide a bridge between the desktop and mobile, Canonical is heavily banking on this project. That said, there are many doubts and speculations whether this project will succeed or not. Ubuntu and Android are established brands; however, whether their marriage will be a triumph or a disaster remains to be seen. We know that you too are excited about this project as much as we are and hence we've come up with a list of features and expectations for the upcoming project. Ubuntu for Android: What is it? Ubuntu for Android is an Android application that would allow you to use your smartphone as a full-fledged computer. All you need is a dock, a monitor, and a keyboard-mouse set. Once you have that, any Ubuntu for Android-enabled phone can be used as a computer. All you have to do is connect your phone to the dock and the system boots up perfectly. Not only can you use the apps you have on your smartphone, you can also use the traditional Ubuntu desktop apps like Thunderbird, Firefox, and LibreOffice on the same desktop. So, you won't be surprised to find WhatsApp and Rhythmbox both existing in your launcher. As your smartphone is connected to the dock, anything that happens on the phone can be viewed on the desktop. So, if you wish to receive important calls, messages, and more, you can do so even while the phone is locked. Who is it for? Ubuntu for Android is for everyone. Canonical is trying to broaden Ubuntu's reach by putting the open-source distro in the hands of every Android user. Any Androider with a dual-core smartphone can basically install the software and use it with the dock. Ubuntu fanboys will surely love it, but Android users who once were hesitant to switch to Linux operating system on the desktop might take the leap. Will it work? If Canonical implements it perfectly, and it works as it says on the tin, then there is a huge chance that this will work. The market is huge, and, being an innovative product, there is almost no competition. Of course, Apple or Microsoft might do something similar; however, if Canonical manages to penetrate the market first then it will have the upper hand in the game. As for the doubts whether it will work or not. Only time will tell. Ubuntu for Android as seen in the ad might turn out to be quite different once it gets in the hands of the users. Canonical has to ensure that it gives its users top-notch quality software and hardware so that they'd gain trust in the Ubuntu brand. Limitations Well, Ubuntu for Android looks great in the adverts; however, one of the biggest limitations of the software is that it runs only on dual-core Android devices. Many users, especially on the Android platform, use a single-processor device. So, the market reach is limited to consumers using high-end Android handsets. Secondly, you'll need a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse to use it. Not that people don't have it, it's just that connecting the keyboard, mouse, and the monitor to the dock, then reconnecting it to the CPU seems to be quite a hassle. Also, many people use laptops these days, thus ruling them out of the list of potential consumers. Should you buy it? Ubuntu for Android isn't out yet; however, once it's out, many people might be a bit hesitant to buy it. I'd suggest that you wait for reviews before spending your hard-earned cash. Ubuntu for Android is an ambitious endeavor that can either fail terribly or can succeed like no other FOSS project. Let's keep our fingers crossed till it's released and hope that it's worth the wait. Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

TechSource: Why Google Plus is Good for Business

---

Why Google Plus is Good for Business Posted: 13 Dec 2012 06:09 PM PST We've covered Google Plus a lot in our previous articles. The social extension to the world's most popular search engine has seen tremendous growth in just a year after its launch. As of now Google Plus has over a 100 million active users and the number keeps on growing day by day. Unlike Facebook wherein the whole world is a customer, Google Plus is just starting out. The social service is just spreading its wings and it's not doing that bad. Of course, nothing beats a giant like Facebook; however, Google Plus is a palpable threat to Zuckerberg. Google Plus, though lagging behind Facebook, has quickly become the hot choice for many brands. With big celebrities and leaders like Barack Obama and Dalai Lama using Google Plus Hangouts to interact with their fans and followers, G+ is something that cannot be ignored. Many brands are making the most out of the amazing features that this fledgling social network offers. Furthermore, the clean, ad-free interface appeals to every FB hater. So, if you're a small business owner, and are on the fence about creating a G+ page for your brand, think again. We've listed below, the smartest ways you can use Google Plus to promote your business. Google Plus Pages Google Plus Pages is much like Facebook Pages. If you own a business, a website, or even a little book club, you can use this neat little feature to gain more exposure. You get a page for your business wherein you can post latest updates about your products and even interact with your customers and fans. Encourage your fans to write or talk about your products by posting shareable links on your G+ feed. This will help spread the word about your business. Additionally, you can share videos, photos, and other details about your business that will help new clients get to know your brand better. As with any Google Plus account, you can add your customers, friends, and family in your Circles, and they, in turn, can add you back. Once you are in their circles, your updates will show up in their home feed. The other advantage, which is not available to everyone yet, is that you can create vanity URLs for your brand. URLs like plus.google.com/+toyota or https://plus.google.com/+hughjackman help give your business a page that everyone can remember and can visit anytime.  You may visit our Google Plus Page HERE. Google Plus Events If you are hosting a party or are revitalizing your business, Google Plus Events is a great feature. Functioning pretty much like Facebook Events, this feature lets you plan out almost anything whether your clients are or not in your circles. Compared to Facebook Events, its Google counterpart has one big advantage that it can sync with the trusted Google Calendar. This makes it easy for Android users as well as other Google Calendar users to look up and get reminded of those events easily. What's more, if your business has just started, you can even create an event for the launch and try and invite as many people as you can.  Google Plus Hangouts Google Plus Hangouts is one of the coolest features in Google Plus. This one lets you video chat with up to 10 people at once making it easier for you to connect with your clients. You can even host a business meeting with your employees using this feature.  Google Plus Local Google Plus Local is probably the most important feature for businesses. Once your business is on Google Plus Local listings, users will be allowed to review it. They will 'check in' to your business, write anything about it, and even post pictures of it.  So, if your venture is good enough, make sure that you remind people who visit your shop, to check-in via Google Plus. Maybe a small banner, or a QR code will push customers to do that. Google Plus Local, if used to the fullest, can be very beneficial for your business, especially for gaining more local exposure.

You are subscribed to email updates from TechSource To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610