Performance/Recovery/System Freeware Utilities :

1. backup/restore the gconf database : cp / tar (command line)
2. burn/create CD/DVD iso image files : built-in / brasero
3. capture all text written to screen : script (command line)
4. completely wipe/delete a file : shred (command line)
5. completely wipe/delete a hard disk : shred (command line)
6. defrag the hard drive : defrag (command line)
7. display CPU information : system monitor
8. display TCP/UDP endpoints and applications using them : lsof (command line)
9. display all file activity in real-time : fwatch (kernel package)
10. display all processes running : system monitor
11. display hard drive status information : system monitor
12. display system information : system monitor
13. display/edit gconf entries neatly : gconf-editor
14. find which program has a particular file or directory open : lsof (command line)
15. monitor bandwidth usage : system monitor
16. optimize TCP/IP settings : sysctl (command line)
17. remotely control another computer : ssh (command line) / TS client
18. scan IP/ open ports : nmap (command line)
19. tweak security settings : bastille
20. view/kill running tasks : system monitor

This is a list of tools that are available in, at least, Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn).

Ubuntu amazed me this weekend, when my desktop started and everything was as much as loaded a pop-up appeared at the lower right corner;

A nice warning about the battery level of my wireless mouse, I didn't have to do anything to get or enable this feature. It is just there, no fuzz, no hassle, a default feature!

So you installed the latest Ubuntu, enabled the 3D effects you've been seeing on YouTube and find that it runs dog slow on your PC. It appears the default install has some swapping settings that have a negative effect on desktop performance, luckily they are easily solved.

sysctl -w vm.swappiness=10

This should speed things up for you (you could even set it to zero if you like), keep the change permanent by adding it to '/etc/sysctl.conf'.

First there is Gartner, which in a new report tries to reduce the openness of documents used in EU countries. A new published report advices to open up to 'recognized' standards. Luckily there is a website available were you can sign a petition and has contact information available for European Commission. Don't hesitate and put your digital signature on the list.

Next, we have a troublesome report from the BSA. In this document they list the best countries for IT development & innovation. We all know that the BSA contains a bunch of closed source, proprietary software vendors. In one topic of the report they mention that the US has wonderful worked out IP protection laws and that they have the best software patents system of all countries. Naturally they are dissing China and India for the same reasons. All OSS fanatics know how innovative patents can work.

Amazing, on some sites you could read about the doubts most of them had that Nintendo would gain something from this years E3. There was nothing new on the horizon, what could they ever announce that did not make us yawn.

And yet, they managed to walk away with the most innovative gamer thinking of all the 3 tenors. The WiiFit is causing as much buzz as last year, when the Wii was shown in action.

Rejoice, the GPLv3 and LGPLv3 have been released! This also means I'll have to order new T-shirts, ah well. A big thanks to the FSF for all the hard work they put in updating the GPL. You might think they are a bunch of radical freaks, but just keep in mind that without their philosophy 'Free Software' wouldn't be where it is today.

In the recently released Ubuntu, you will not only find VMware Player, which was available from the previous Ubuntu release, but VMware Server is right their in the repositories as well (it does require a free license key from VMware to complete the install).

Qemu now has the kqemu module available in source format, meaning that you need to recompile it each time there is a kernel upgrade. In contrast, VMware Server modules are supplied in binary format and their packages are updated each time a new kernel comes along.

That's great for VMware users, but lets hope Qemu can get the same treatment in the next Ubuntu release.