And now for something completely different . . .

For those of you who follow this blog religiously — and that would be only about four of you — you know I don’t normally write anything unless I have something to say. Normally, I have lots to say, but having the time to put it down in this blog is a luxury that, sadly, escapes me.

But I did want to put down a couple of things on this quiet Sunday evening, nearly Monday morning, while I’m still thinking of them. Like

Open Source and Free Software Reporter is making a comeback. Starting this week, a more streamlined version of my former news Web site will be released to the reading public again. You have been warned. Or not.

I’ve taken on some media responsibilities for the Southern California Linux Expo (SCaLE 8x), which takes place next February. It’s an honor to be working with the crew that puts on what I used to say, in an unofficial capacity, was the best Linux show in the country. But now I can say, in an official capacity, that SCaLE is the first and most important show of the year.

It was great to see that the Oregon State University Open Source Lab taking a more proactive approach to tooting its own untooted horn at OSCON this year. They asked some folks who use the OSL if they’d post a sign at the booth — and we complied at the Fedora booth, of course — stating that this project uses the OSU OSL, and it goes without saying that they really didn’t have to ask. For all they’ve done for Fedora, and a variety of other projects, the debt of gratitude goes beyond posting a simple sign. You guys and gals have been silently behind much of the FOSS world for so long, and it’s about time you took some credit for your work.

I did some housecleaning below on the buttons. Some that have been there for years are now there no longer. You’ll have to figure out which is which, if you’re that interested.

It’s getting ready to be Monday and, perhaps, I may write more later.

(Fedora ambassador Larry Cafiero runs HeliOS Solutions West in Felton, California, and is an associate member of the Free Software Foundation.)

LFSG at Caltech

An announcement: Larry the Free Software guy will make his lecture debut at Caltech tomorrow (Thurdsay, July 9) from 7-9 p.m. in 107 Downs on the Caltech campus.

Okay, so while I climb down from the lofty pedestal that I’ve built for myself, it’s not really a lecture, it’s more of a talk about Fedora 11 to the monthly San Gabriel Valley Linux User Group meeting.

But if you find yourself in Pasadena, or nearby, and feel like listening to me testify about how great Fedora is, come on over.

[And thanks to SGVLUG for allowing me the honor to speak on the hallowed ground of the Caltech campus.]

(Larry Cafiero runs Redwood Digital Research in Felton, California, and is an associate member of the Free Software Foundation.)

The Three Faces of Fedora 11: Epilogue

During the course of the week, I had been asked the following question in various forms (the “forms” being a mangling of the desktop’s initials): “What about LXDE? Are you going to discuss the ‘fourth face’ of the Three Faces of Fedora 11?”

Well, the answer is: Not right away. Though very appealing and a desktop that has piqued my curiosity, LXDE was not part of the Fedora 11 constellation this time around (key words here: “this time around”) — neither was it an offering on the regular distro nor was it a “spin” (the spin list is here). However, I have the instructions on how to get going with LXDE, and I promise to take it for a test spin in the next couple of weeks.

Watch this space.

As for the “three faces” blog series, it’s always a joy to do blogs like this because a.) I get to play with software I normally wouldn’t fiddle with, and b.) I get to find out a lot of stuff that I didn’t know in the first place (look up “lifelong learning” in the dictionary and you’ll see my picture).

For those of you who are curious, and even if you aren’t, I think I’m going to break ranks with my GNOME roots and primarily use KDE on Fedora 11.

(Larry Cafiero runs Redwood Digital Research in Felton, California, and is an associate member of the Free Software Foundation.)