Prentice Hall has published the fourth edition of The Official Ubuntu Book, covering the latest Ubuntu 9.04 release. As with previous versions, the fourth edition aims to bring new users up to speed.

The other day, I was engaged in a 'bored out of our mind' discussion with another tech who was sitting at another bench doing an install just like I was at my bench. As we went through the motions, we got to talking about how Linux distros are competing for peoples attention and the lengths they will go to to do it.

Microsoft has released code for inclusion in the Linux kernel, but should it be accepted? Linus Torvalds gives his perspective.

I've come to realize that our community and the people in it, are under attack. We are being disrupted, we are being defamed, we are being lied to, and, in some instances, we are even having our lives invaded.

But even now, despite the apparent popularity of distros such as Ubuntu, and even green shoots of interest from big OEMs such as Dell, desktop Linux languishes with a sub 1% market share. And what growth that is occurring happens at a snail's pace.

But I would feel dirty inside if I let the “12 ideas Ubuntu should steal from Windows 7” slide by without a comment. Keep in mind that part of my problem is that Ubuntu “should” steal the ideas, and that it should be from “Windows 7.”

Gentoo is turning 10 years old. For the last ten years, Gentoo has been committed to bringing the cutting edge source based distro to users that need more flexibility than binary packages can give them. With a vibrant community and over 300 developers, much has been accomplished since the beginning, Gentoo remains true to its origin.

As most people reading here already know, I work for Microsoft as a technology evangelist. However, writing this blog, as well as whatever else I do online in the social media space is entirely my own choice, and not Microsoft’s. Keep that in mind as you sit down, relax, and listen as I tell you a story…