Linux is an operating system with a very wide range of variants. In the Linux environment, they are called distributions, or ‘distros’ in short. Often enough, the abundance of choice can be as much of a hindrance as a lack of it. This makes it boil down to evaluating yourself for what kind of user you are, your general needs, any specific issues and ease at working in a certain kind of environment. This is what makes choosing a Linux distro an important part of a foray into the Linux environment.

An absolute newcomer can be assumed to have little or no idea about how Linux works. He/she may also share the common misconception that Linux is only meant for absolute technocrats, and entails a great deal of coding. Avoiding such mental blocks can only be made possible by exposing a novice user to the more mainstream (and popular) Linux distros that abound in the tech world. An example of a widely used distro is Ubuntu. It is based on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution and, as is the case with most distros, it can be easily downloaded as free and open source software from the internet. It has been extensively well designed and has a wide range of developers who create apps for it, and offer expert advice on the issues one might face when using Ubuntu. What makes it truly unique is that the consistently high standard advice offered is completely free of cost, and encouraged. This is because the promoted ethic is to make Ubuntu a do-it-yourself operating system for every user, whether he’s a newcomer or an expert. There are other Linux distros that share the same approach as Ubuntu, but lack the same widespread appeal, such as Fedora, Mandriva and openSUSE. However, they have their own plus points, and might appeal to different niches.

A general tip for a newcomer would be to actually experiment with Linux distros using the live CD feature, as a way of finding his/her own feet in the Linux environment. The way to go about this would be to order a CD (Ubuntu is shipped by Canonical Ltd. for no cost at all, subject to availability), or to download an ISO image from the distro’s official site, and to burn it to a CD/DVD. Then, rebooting a computer with the CD inserted into the tray would bring up a set of options for the boot process, of which ‘Boot from CD’/’Use Live CD’ should be chosen. This feature essentially loads up the entire Linux operating system in your computer, letting you work with it and use it according to your wishes. There will be no harm done to your computer (in case anything goes wrong) as your computer will boot as normal after you shut down your computer and remove the CD from the tray. This is a handy way to get a feel of the Linux environment in general, and the distro you’re trying in particular.

As a newcomer, you need to let go of the stigma attached with non-proprietary operating systems, and try to be proactive in the way you approach a new environment. Mainstream Linux distros have incredibly good hardware integration, busting the myth that finding the right drivers on Linux for your printer or modem is nigh on impossible. The consistent advice/support ecosystem, coupled with the frequent and comprehensive updating process, makes mainstream Linux distros an interesting choice for the more adventurous newcomers around!

Free software, or, to be more specific, Linux, has not been as widespread and popular in enterprises as people had expected years back. This has always seemed like an anomaly to the public in general, and only served to further the myth that Linux is not meant to be used by anyone except pure techies. The proponents and supporters of proprietary software operating systems like Microsoft would like you to believe that Linux is very threadbare on actual features. The insinuation is that Linux is at the very bottom of the user-friendliness and convenience scale, and is simply a waste of time in the constraints of corporate life, such as deadlines.

Then again, all the popular doubts and misconceptions are just that – misconceptions. There has been an unfounded extrapolation of minor issues to make a mountain out of a molehill. For instance, as stated above, Linux has an image of being the environment of choice for geeks and hackers. The latter demographic in particular is taboo in a corporate workspace, and due to this sense of attached blame by association, Linux is considered to be the tool of choice for hackers and possibly, corporate spies. You can see where the distinction comes in at the traditional marketing methods employed by Linux distributing companies as against a corporate behemoth like Microsoft.

Microsoft appealed to the decision makers, the businessmen, and in essence, to people at the top of corporate pyramids. Linux distribution companies targeted the base of that pyramid, adopting a bottom to top approach, so that the people who actually needed to work in their environment (the developers and other people in technically oriented back-offices), in the hope that they’d convince their superiors about the benefits of the Linux environment. The latter’s marketing efforts have proved to be misguided, as the decision makers of corporate organizations tried and got habituated to Microsoft’s products, and were either intimidated or knew precious little about any other OS. The top to bottom approach helped to add enterprise after enterprise to Microsoft’s clients, effectively shutting out Linux.

Moreover, Linux needed to make people recognize the distinction between an operating system for desktops as against operating systems for servers. The latter is where Linux completely trumps Microsoft, but their marketing message to enterprises hasn’t been absolutely clear on that front. It has to be admitted that in a desktop environment, the Linux OS still needs a level of polish and finesse that can make it more approachable to basic users.

The Linux Server also allows a level of flexibility and variation unlike any other enterprise server. But the more you delve into the extra trinkets, the more you need to watch your steps. This means that to fully utilize the true potential of the Linux environment, you need to know the skills you need. It will be unlike the Microsoft Server from a rather basic level. That means that if you want to use the Linux Server for its own merits rather than the features it has in common with the proprietary server you are used to, you will need to know what you want from it. Only then can you make the most of it.

A privileged program in Linux is one that has special access permissions (privileges) to use files or devices that are usually restricted. This can be done by either using the user ID of a privileged user (root based daemons fall into this category), or by a set user-ID-root (which gives the privileged program another identity effectively).

Privileged programs are a potential risk due to their use of restricted resources, and efforts need to be made to mitigate any potential misuse by someone with malicious intent.

A set-user-ID program can be made to only hold special privileges when it explicitly needs them. If the need for the privileges is only temporary, the program should be made to lose the privileges forever after its explicit purpose is served. For instance, if you want the program to drop its special privileges, add a line of code akin to:

orig_euid =geteuid();

if (seteuid(getuid())==-1)

errexit (“seteuid”);

The seteuid call described above will make the program drop its privileges and do the unprivileged work it needs to do. The way it works is that the program’s real ID is made its effective user ID. To restore the saved set-user-ID value back to the effective ID:

if (seteuid(orig_euid==-1)

errexit(“seteuid”);

It will result in the program getting back its ability to do privileged work.

If, however, you’re done with the privileged work and want the program to lose its privileges permanently, add the following:

if(setuid(getuid())==-1)

errexit(“setuid”);

The setuid call described above will reset the entire set of existing user IDs.

You need to remember to drop all privileges before you start to execute another program, as there is a distinct chance that the second program will start with the existing privileges, making any step of reacquiring them redundant. This can be done by resetting all set-user-IDs to their real values before using exec(). Alternatively, calling setuid(getuid()) before exec() will help drop all privileges.

Often enough, a program with upgraded privileges gets access to sensitive parts of the system, like passwords, keys, etc. That makes it all the more necessary to erase any information that is likely to be misused. To rectify this problem, use setrlimit() and set the core Rlimit value to 0, to avoid core dumps.

In case the privileged program has been misused, and your sensitive information has been compromised, damage limitation is the only option left. One of the most useful techniques to secure your information would be to use a chroot ‘jail’. This technique essentially limits the scope of the rogue program, restricting its influence and access to a set number of files only. A malicious user may (intentionally or otherwise) also send random signals to a set-user-ID program. This means that the program needs to be configured to handle unexpected signals at any particular point in a program. Signal handlers need to be simplified and ‘race conditions’ must be avoided as much as possible.

Privileged programs can access system resources that are inaccessible to a normal user. If one isn’t careful, these programs can be misused and an entire system can be compromised. The strategy that needs to be adopted is simple: ensure that privileged programs are fully proofed against malicious intent, and damage limitation in case such programs have been compromised. After all, prevention is better than cure.

Linux is not really the OS of choice for just absolutely nerdy coders. It has a number of hidden features that will get a chuckle or two out of you at the very least, and give you a great way to kill some time too! These hidden features are called Easter eggs, and Linux has a rather funny assortment of them!

1. An alien goat game!

To be exact, it is a game of GEGLs. In case you have absolutely no idea about what that stands for, it expands to ‘Genetically Engineered Goat, Large’. This hidden game in GNOME is called ‘Killer GEGLs from Outer Space’ and has creatures that resemble goats, only with an extra, alien looking paw by their side. All you need to do to start this game is to hit Alt+F2 on your keyboard, and type ‘gegls from outer space’ in the window that comes up. Have fun!

2. Free the Fish

You need to type Alt+F2 on your keyboard to bring up a window first. In the window, you can type ‘free the fish’ to give a pretty goldfish a chance at freedom! You can also hit the ‘F’ key thrice on your keyboard in the ‘About’ dialog to free her. Her name’s Wanda and she will keep floating around your desktop without really intruding with your work. The funny bit is that she has a personality too! She is extremely shy (try getting your mouse near her, for instance). The inside joke here is that it’s a play on ‘A Fish Called Wanda’, a 1995 movie.

3. The hidden cow!

Open the Linux terminal and simply type ‘apt-get moo’ there. You will get a funny looking version of a cow (entirely made of ASCII characters), that will ask you, “Have you mooed today?”

4. Firefox Easter eggs

Mozilla’s hugely popular Firefox browser comes preinstalled in almost every Linux distribution. It happens to have a quirky Easter egg or two too!

Type “about:robots” in the address bar and hit “Enter”. Firefox will open a page with a small dialog, and a rather intimidating robot. It says “Welcome Humans, we have come to visit you in peace!” It might just be a gem of a find for a fan of the Transformers franchise!

You can also type “about:mozilla” to get a few quotes in Biblical style, that reference the death of the Netscape Navigator, the domination of Internet Explorer, and the rapid ascent of Mozilla Firefox subsequently. The sheer gravity with which the Book of Mozilla is written makes it an almost legendary Easter egg!

5. OpenOffice games

Create a new OpenOffice spread sheet, and type – GAME(“StarWars”) inside any cell. It will open up a hidden Star Wars game. You can also try entering GAME(A2:C4;”TicTacToe”) in a cell for a bout of cross and noughts when you feel like it.

There is another thing that you can do just out of curiosity, though it isn’t a game per se. Open a new OpenOffice document and type ‘StarWriterTeam’ and hit F3. You will get to see a picture of the team behind OpenOffice on your screen!

This is not an exhaustive list of Easter eggs by any means, and it’s up to you to find more in the Linux OS. The sheer sense of satisfaction at finding one yourself is unmatched!

We all sometimes delete important files accidently. And sometimes we delete a few files thinking that they aren’t important, but later we might realize that we need them. It is best to keep a backup of files so that they can be easily recovered when they are required later. But even if you didn’t keep a backup, it is still possible to regain the deleted files in your Linux system. Let’s see how:

1. Find the partition in which the deleted file was stored. To do this, you can use the pwd command (print working directory) at the shell console.

2. Now unmount the present directory by using the unmount command. This command will limit the chances of overwriting the file while trying to recover it. Be conscious of the fact that this would not be possible if that file is present in the root directory because that directory is always mounted. If that is the case, you will have to remove the hard disk and keep it in some other Linux based computer, and then proceed with the recovery process. Though it’s a risky option, but it is the only available option in such a case.

3. Run the debugfs command. This command can handle almost all major bugs and errors that crop up in Linux. It allows you to fix problems without a reboot or a system crash. Include the path where deleted files are present.

debugfs usr/personal will access the user or personal directory.

4. Once you have started file system debugging, use the isdel command. It shows a series of files that were deleted on the given file system. It can take a long time to list all the files if the cache of deleted files is large.

5. Recover the files that you want, by typing dump <file name>. The first column of the displayed report will show inode number. This command will write the desired files to the present partition, and back those files up.

Notes:

· There are some third party recovery software applications that are present for a number of operating systems like Linux. These applications recover files by either saving backups in a separate partition, or by helping you in recovering them before those sectors get overwritten. But if you are looking for a foolproof way to recover deleted files, you will be disappointed.

· If you haven’t kept a backup of your files, there is no guarantee of getting them back. Sometimes, Linux might overwrite the sectors of your hard disk that had deleted files that you wanted to recover. If that happens, your files are lost forever. So it is best to keep a backup of all the important files.

Once you recover the lost files, make sure you back them up as soon as possible. Backing them up will reduce the chances of them being deleted again. If you have a lot of important information on your system, it is best to buy a recovery tool and use it in case you delete a file accidently.

A UNIX based system like Linux can have multiple file systems. These file systems can in turn have a number of groups, which in turn contain blocks of data and ‘inodes’. Each file system has a descriptor block, which is somewhat like the metadata attached to media files. An inode gives each file a specific identifier in the file system it is in. Each file can extend beyond just a single block of data, depending on its complexity and size.

Inodes

It is a data structure which contains data about a particular file. The ls command followed by –i will tell you about the inode of a file. The inode contains information about the location of the data blocks which contain the particular file you are interested in. It also tells you about the permissions granted to the user for a file, and its physical location.

File types

· Regular files: the kind of files that a user deals with most often. They include text files, compressed archives, config and system files, etc.

· Directories: They are files that may or may not contain files (or to be more precise, file names) themselves, along with their accompanying inodes.

· Socket links: They help to coordinate two or more separate programs together, by providing a sort of communication bridge between them.

· Symbolic links: These are files that point to other files, letting you create shortcuts and optimizing the speed of file system operations in general.

· Semaphores, FIFO buffers, etc.

File Permissions

There are three types of permissions possible for a file. They are:

· r: Read access

· w: Write access

· x: Execute access

A hyphen/dash in their places indicates negation, i.e. a ‘-‘ in place or ‘r’ indicates ‘non-readable’, and so on.

The ‘read’ and ‘write’ permissions are rather explanatory by their names alone. The ‘execute’ permission indicates that the file is an application that can be run, or ‘executed’ by the system.

The Linux hierarchy

Every directory in a Linux file system has a link to the root of the system (which is denoted simply by a /). This file system root contains directories like /boot(which contains all the basic Linux kernel files required for the file system to start, or ‘boot’ up. /lib & /bin contain the essential libraries and binaries that the Linux system needs to function./bin in particular works in both single user and multiple user environments. /sbin contains system utilities to rescue it from any particular problem./dev contains the device nodes that the Linux system and kernel frequently require. /usr contains user specific files booted up to a system, without adding any critical functionality. /etc contains files that handle the configuration of the system, making it probably the most important directory of them all! /home contains personalized user data files, which the user handles most often (common documents, media files, application shortcuts, etc.) .

If you look carefully, you will realize that Linux is just like the proprietary operating system you’ve always used and are used to. All it takes to make the transition perfect is to get an idea of how the Linux file system works, and to experiment a bit!

Today while trying to install Gnome-RDP & after adding the universe repository to my list of repositories I kept getting the following error:

W:Failed to fetch gzip:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/ae.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_universe_binary-amd64_Packages Hash Sum mismatch, E:Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

As I am sure I would not be the only one having this error, I have decided to share the resolution path I have took to fix this error.

First step I went to the Ubuntu Software Center => Edit => Software Sources     where I found my  Download from is United Arab Emirates just change it back to Main Servers as shown in the screen shot below:

Now run the following commands:

sudo dpkg –configure -a

sudo apt-get clean

sudo apt-get autoclean

sudo apt-get update

Please leave a command if this post helped you resolve your issue. Thanks.

I have been using Ubuntu 64-bit for about 2 years now, & during that I had came across many 32-bit packages that I wanted to run them where no 64-bit version is provided of the same application. Though when ever I tried to install a 32-bit package on my 64-bit Ubuntu, I was always treated with the following error message:

‘package architecture (i386) does not match system (amd64)’

Many times I was able to avoid the above error by using the following command to install the desired package:

sudo dpkg -i –force-architecture pkgname_i386.deb

–force-architecture <== will tell Ubuntu to allow the installation of 32-bit package on the 64-bit version of Ubuntu.

Although the above worked in some cases, it failed in many others due to missing 32-bit libraries. For that I start by installing the ia32-libs using the below command, then after the ia32-libs installed I will try to re-install the 32-bit package. See example below:

sudo apt-get -V install ia32-libs

sudo dpkg -i --force-architecture pkgname_i386.deb

In Ubuntu Natty Narwhal 64-bit, I have noticed that the above is failing for increasing number of 32-bit packages. For these packages I have discovered YeoWorks Ubuntu Solutions which work like magic in converting 32-bit Packages into a 64-bit packages that install with easy on Ubuntu 64-bit. Further YeoWorks for Ubuntu is very easy to install and use script. Below is the instructions on how to install YeoWorks Ubuntu Solution and use it:

1- Download the YeoWorks Ubuntu Solutions installer from http://yeoworks.cz.cc/YeoWorks-Ubuntu-Solutions-Installer.zip

2- Extract YeoWorks-Ubuntu-Solutions-Installer.zip to your desktop

3- Run the following commands to start the YeoWorks Ubuntu Solution installer:

cd ~/Desktop/YeoWorks-Ubuntu-Solutions-Installer

sh yeoworks_ubuntu_solutions_installer.sh

4- Follow the installer instructions to install YeoWorks Ubuntu Solutions.

5- After the installation complete right click your desktop, from the right click menu choose: Scripts => YeoWorks-Ubuntu-Solutions.sh

6- On the screen showing in the below screenshot choose ‘Convert 32-Bit DEB into 64-Bit DEB’ and hit OK

7- Move your 32-bit Ubuntu Package you want to convert to your desktop then type the name of it in the command line diagram that pop up after hitting OK in step 6 as showing below:

8- Now you will find your 64-bit ready package on your desktop. 64_ will be added to the front of your original package name.

9- You can now install the newly created 64 bit package just as you would normally do with any Ubuntu package just by double clicking it.

A video showing these steps can be seen below:

I hope the above instructions help many of you in getting your 32-bit packages that you already used to working on your 64-bit Ubuntu even if no 64-bit package of that application exist. Please note if the software vendor offer a 64-bit version, then you better off obtaining that else then the above procedures should be of a good help.

Please leave your feedback in the comments area below.

Before I start I should mention that what I am doing here is not supported by VMware, nor anyone else. Further if you follow it the normal rules for any of my posts go, you are on your own. If you mess up your computer or get sued or anything its nor me nor anyone problem, its your problem so please proceed with caution at your own risk.

If you follow VMware View news, then you will know that VMware View has a PCoIP client for both Windows & iPads. In addition there is different VMware View Clients that run on Linux/Mac/Android by VMware and third parties, but all of these do not support PCoIP and run only RDP. Trying both RDP and PCoIP I can tell you that PCoIP is much better of a protocol specially over WAN. Therefor if you are running any OS that PCoIP VMware View Client has not been released for, you might be looking up and down to find out away around it. I run Ubuntu myself and has finally succeeded in getting VMware View Client that support PCoIP to run on it natively, and decided to share this will all other Ubuntu fans that want to use PCoIP. I believe the same steps shall give a head up for other Linux/Mac users. Below Video should give you a larger hope seeing it running before you try it your self.

It took me over a month to figure out how to do this on Ubuntu 11.04 (Ubuntu Natty Narwhal) 64-bit, though I have got it to work on Ubuntu 32-bit much earlier. Below I will document how to do it on both Ubuntu 32-bit & Ubuntu 64-bit. Further, I have extracted and fixed both packages for easy installation. For those of you are in rush to get this up and running and don’t care how I got these packages or how its made (Some time I am on this side when I want an app up and running asap) then follow the shortcut procedure. If you are the type who like to discover the full story & how to come up with the same on your own then follow the Full Procedure section. Further, if you are using another OS beside Ubuntu I believe the Full Procedure section might be a good start for you to get things working for your specific OS.

VMware View PCoIP on Ubuntu How to (Short Cut Version)

1- Uninstall the VMware Open View Client if was installed before using the following command:

apt-get remove rdesktop tsclient

2- Download the “VMware View PCoIP Client for Ubuntu.zip” Package including both the 32-bit & 64-bit installers (Sorry was lazy to upload two separate packages beside its only about 12MB in total) from one of the below mirrors:

Mirror-1:   http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PBY86CI9

Mirror-2:   http://www.mediafire.com/?zrvxj5blhr0ouvv

Mirror-3:   https://rapidshare.com/files/883074570/VMware_View_PCoIP_Client_for_Ubuntu.zip

3- Right click & Extract the “VMware_View_PCoIP_Client_for_Ubuntu.zip” compressed files.

4- Browse through the folder you extracted the package to and depending on the architecture of your machine browse to the 32bit or 64bit folder

5- Double Click on the “64_hptc-rdesktop_1.6.0-1.27_i386.deb” package if running 64-bit Ubuntu else Double Click on “hptc-rdesktop_1.6.0-1.27_i386.deb”, You will get a warning and an option to “Ignore and Install” as showing in the screen shot below. You already guessed it hit the Ignore and Install as this package was not perfectly built, but hey it does work :). Just wait till the installation of this package complete.

6- Double Click on the “64_vmware-view-client_4.0.1-235010_i386.deb” package if running 64-bit Ubuntu else Double Click on “vmware-view-client_4.0.1-235010_i386.deb”, You will get a warning and an option to “Ignore and Install” as showing in the screen shot below. You are almost there – hit the Ignore and Install button. Just wait till the installation of this package complete.

7- Your installation is complete and you are ready to run your View Client with PCoIP support, just type vmware-view on the shell and the PCoIP VMware View Client will start as showing in the below screenshot:

8- Just proceed with the connection settings just as you would do on a normal View Client.

For those of you who took the easy way congrats, now you have a fully operational VMware View Client that work impressively with PCoIP running natively on your Ubuntu Box. Though USB Redirection still does not work for you and the below error is expected:

“/usr/bin/vmware-view-usb was not found; disabling USB redirection.”

If you don’t require USB Redirection you can stop here, though if you want to fix USB Redirection then just close the VMware View Client & run the below command:

$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib/vmware/vmware-view-usb  /etc/vmware/usb.link

VMware View PCoIP on Ubuntu How to (Full Version)

For those of you who would like to know how I got to these packages, and just a working installer is not enough info for them then read the steps below:

1- Download the HP version of the VMWare View Client with PCoIP, which is found at: ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp46001-46500/sp46024.exe

2- Install the downloaded executable on a Windows Machine or using wine.

3- Copy the following two files to your Ubuntu machine: hptc-rdesktop_1.6.0-1.27_i386.deb  & vmware-view-client_4.0.1-235010_i386.deb

4- For 32-bit Ubuntu you can install the copied packages in step 3 and follow the installation instructions in the short cut version

5- You might wonder where is the 64-bit packages, yes that where I suffered the most as the 32-bit version did not work on my 64-bit version of Ubuntu and I had to find a way to convert it to a 64-bit packages. The way I have done that after few weeks of research by trying everything you can think of and installing all the 32-bit libraries on my machine I have finally came across the ‘YeoWorks Ubuntu Solutions’, which worked as magic in converting the 32-bit into a 64-bit package nonetheless the warning it gives while installing it works as charm. The way ‘YeoWorks Ubuntu Solutions’ work is documented in my following article if you care to find out the details.

6- From here you can follow the VMware View PCoIP on Ubuntu How to (Short Cut Version) to complete the installation.

While searching I have came across another way of doing things for the 32-bit version, and although not require and not sure if it work for Ubuntu I believe it give a good start for those trying to get things to work on Mac or other Linux variations. If you are not using Ubuntu, then the following post might be worth reading: http://blog.offenders.org/?p=75

I hope this help, and you will enjoy a non precedent experience when connecting using PCoIP when compared to the deadly slow RDP :). Please post your success stories and comments in the comments area below.

This Article could help not answer only the question in the title, but few other questions showing below that many people will be having when getting any new Linux Distro.

Where is Open Office in my new Distro?

Why LibreOffice has replaced Open Office in RedHat, Ubuntu, & other Linux Distros?

After what have been happening with Oracle and Open Office lately, its clear that Oracle was highly cheated when they thought they have bought Open Office. As at the first try to control the community & developers of Open Office they had the best of the bread developers of Open Office branching of it and creating LibreOffice. It seem the non clear intention of Oracle for Open Office, & their try to monetize it as much as possible has pushed off most of the project developers to start LibreOffice and compete with Oracle Open Office which was originally produced by these same developers.

The pain to Oracle of starting to lose control on Open Office was obvious when they started losing these talented developers at a speed of light to the just started LibreOffice. Actually LibreOffice was started as a reaction to Oracle non clear intention to Open Office. Though the battle has just went much faster than Oracle expected when LibreOffice came to life with more capabilities than Open Office in just few months. Though what has killed all Oracle hopes to control Open Office is that most Linux Distros have decided to drop Open Office and adopt LibreOffice in their latest releases for the past two months. This is not a single or two Distros, but most of the large Linux Distros has adapted the new LibreOffice including Ubuntu & RedHat as they were all doubting what Oracle will do with Open Office.

Although everyone has expected Oracle to drop Open Office as a whole, & just provide the code, name, all products rights to LibreOffice. Oracle has decided to drop the commercial version of Open Office, but they decided to keep control of Open Office and just move it to a community own project. Many Linux experts all over the web have been wondering why Oracle insist to Continue with Open Office being just a brand name lately with no real value due to the fast spread of LibreOffice which has almost fully replaced Open Office in all new Distros out there. I believe it will not take Oracle too long to drop Open Office, but I hope they do it the right way and share with the LibreOffice developers/community all they require from OpenOffice to ensure that LibreOffice keep growing and get to be the best Office Suite ever out there and show the power of Open Source to everyone.

To be honest, I was surprised to see LibreOffice replacing Open Office in my Ubuntu 11.04 when I downloaded it about 1 month ago but it did not effect me much. Actually LibreOffice have already had improvement over the last Open Office that I had in Ubuntu 10.04, so I had no problem with the it. In the other hand, I was curtious why the shift took a place. After digging in, I found out the Oracle story with OpenOffice and though to share as I am sure many of you will wonder why it has happened as soon you get your new distro.