The content of this magazine is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. For more information visit user http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 TM Issue #2 - May 2009 EDITORS DESK ................................ 2 COMMUNITY NEWS ........................ 3 REPLACING THE ARCH INITSCRIPTS ......................... 5 DISASTER PREPARATIONS: HOW PARANOID SHOULD YOU BE? ........ 6 GAMERS CORNER ........................... 9 TIPS AND TRICKS ........................... 10 LIVING AT THE COMMAND LINE .... 11 PIMP MY ARCH ................................ 12 SOFTWARE REVIEW ....................... 13 Q&A ................................................... 15 EEDDIITTOORRSS DDEESSKK Arch User Magazine Issue 2 Released! ARCH USER STAFF Daniel Griffiths (Ghost1227) ........... Editor ell, obviously Issue 2 has been released... You're reading it, right? Our first David Crouse (Crouse) .......... Contributor issue was met with overwhelming success. In the first two weeks alone we Denis Martinez (Denis) .......... Contributor W pulled in almost a thousand downloads! Those of you who read Issue 1 Kevin Eldridge (LeoSolaris) ..... Contributor might recall my promise that as long as interest was expressed, I would continue to write. I'd say that we far surpassed expectations. So what do we have in store for you this month? For starters, our friend David Crouse has given us another article in his series "Living at the Command Line," this one featuring a nifty little tool he wrote that many of you may find useful (I know I did). Denis Martinez has contributed his two cents with an article on a little project he has been working on called ArchInit, and Kevin Eldridge prompts our loyal readers to be prepared for when disaster strikes. We also have a bonus for you this month... check out page 8 for details. My only issue is that while we have had a great response from the community in terms of downloads and commends on the wall, no one has yet to use the forums or submit any suggestions for us. We have a great staff, but they can only come up WHAT IS ARCH LINUX? with so much. Without your help we aren't likely to last long. Hence, I must plead Arch Linux is a lightweight, flexible Linux® for your support in whatever small way you can contribute. Stop by our forums and distribution that tries to Keep It Simple. leave us an idea or two and I'll be happy. Our strong community is diverse and I hope that you all enjoy this months issue of Arch User Magazine, and I look helpful, and we pride ourselves on the forward to putting together yet another fine publication next month! range of skillsets and uses for Arch that stem from it. Please check out our forums Daniel Griffiths (Ghost1227) and mailing lists to get your feet wet. Also Editor, Arch User Magazine glance through our wiki if you want to [email protected] learn more about Arch. 2 NEWS CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY NNEEWWSS Is Linux Use Suspicious? "[The accused] uses two different operating desktop Linux applications. Weighing in at systems to hide his illegal activities. One is a tiny 48MB, xPUD still maintains binary Believe it or not, this may actually be a the regular B.C. operating system and the compatibility with most major Linux valid concern for Linux users everywhere. other is a black screen with white font distributions. Recently, Boston College Campus Police which he uses prompt commands on." siezed a significant amount of personal Although under heavy development, xPUD property belonging to a Computer Science I don't know about the rest of you, but this is an interesting project which enthusiasts major under the guise of searching for sounds a little like a witch-hunt to me. should definitely keep an eye on! evidence of "Obtaining computer services by Fraud or Misrepresentation" and Source: Source: "Unauthorized access to a computer http://eff.org/deeplinks/2009/04/boston- http://xpud.org system." college-prompt-commands-are-suspicious But where do these charges come from? EVO - Open Source Gaming The student implicated was accused of sending an email to a school mailing list Streamline Your Desktop? US-based developer Envizions Computer identifying another student as gay. Entertainment Corporation has announced Unethical? Yes. Illegal? Probably not. But Although Linux is all about choice, it seems that its Advanced Open Source Game the Campus Police saw it differently and that nine out of ten new Linux distributions Console, called EVO Smart Console, has filed a search warrant application citing the are nothing more than a remastered copy been released for purchase by developers, following allegedly suspicious behavior: of an existing distribution. However, a new resellers, earlier adopters and potential player has recently appeared on the scene software partners. Envizions began "[The accused] is a computer science which caught the attention of our staff. This distributing the 100 available beta units on major who is considered a master of the upstart distribution is called xPUD, and April 10 at a cost of between $279 and trade amongst his peers." boasts an average boot time of about ten $350 per unit. The beta will run until June seconds. But what makes it so special? 17, 2009 and all beta units will have three "it is not uncommon for [the accused] to months of free phone support and a 30 day appear with unknown laptop computers xPUD was designed to be a fast-booting, money back guarantee for earlier adopters. which he says are given to him by Boston kiosk-like distribution that uses the Mozilla College for field testing or he is 'fixing' Gecko Runtime to display a simple user Being the first Linux-based Open Source them for other students." interface that allows you to launch normal game console, what can we expect from 3 NE WS CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY NNEEWWSS the EVO? The system will support both Easy Peasy Netbook OS released backup solution "Back In Time" digital distribution of content and games employs the use of the wonderful rsync from the Envizions cloud. The physical On April 20, a custom version of Ubuntu command, its easy of use makes it a viable game format will be on compact secure Linux known as "Easy Peasy" was option for less CLI-savvy users. digital (SD) cards. Each game will come released. Designed specifically for use on with a manual, packaging, support, free Intel Atom powered netbooks, Easy Peasy Back In Time allows you to set a custom expansion levels, and cloud game save 1.1 is based on Ubuntu 8.10 and includes automatic backup wait in hours, days, storage. Firefox 3, OpenOffice.org 3, and the months or even years, and gives you the Ubuntu Netbook Remix program launcher. same flexibility for configuring automatic As of now, games are slated to run at deletion of old backups. Since it creates around $19.95, although third party While most of this also applies to the multiple snapshots with only the most developers are encouraged to set their upcoming Ubuntu 9.04 release, Easy recent changes in each, it also saves you a own pricing standards. Additionally, Peasy creator Jon Ramvi says there are good deal of space compared to alternative Envizions has announced an open source plans to incorporate new features including backup solutions. Even its restoration 3D community known as "Our Universe" for better integration with web apps and functions are a breeze to understand and the EVO Smart Console. Expected to go services in Easy Peasy 2.0. activate - simply select a snapshot, choose live in the last quarter of 2009, Our what folder or folders you wish to restore, Universe will allow users to create their Source: and hit "Restore." own avatars and explore a real-time virtual http://www.jonramvi.com/easy-peasy-11- world. finally-released Currently available are two GUIs for Back In Time: one for GNOME, and one for The suggested retail price for the EVO is KDE4. Regardless of which GUI you use, $379.99, and will include nine classic Linux Back In Time all you have to configure is where to save games. Combining a PC, DVR, Gaming your snapshots, what directories you want Hub, Cloud, and Internet TV in an all-in- Those of you who have ever used a Mac to backup, and when backups should take one device, the EVO is definitely a platform might have wondered why Linux never place. that has the potential to revolutionize Linux offered a one click backup solution similar gaming. to Time Machine. Well, that same kind of Source: no-worry, space-saving snapshot http://backintime.le-web.org Source: protection has finally come to your favorite http://www.envizionscorp.com/news.html operating system! Although the recently- 4 RREEPPLLAACCIINNGG TTHHEE AARRCCHH IINNIITTSSCCRRIIPPTTSS BY DENIIS MARTIINEZ Have you ever wanted to speed up boot become significant. Replacing these of the /etc/rc.conf file. But what does this time? Do you find the standard initscripts interpreted scripts with native language mean to you? This means that if your clumsy? If so, you may find it worthwhile to provides better CPU usage, cuts down on configuration resembles the Arch defaults, check out ArchInit. ArchInit is a new boot system I/O, and can even help extend the there is nothing to do. Unfortunately, at the system for Arch Linux, designed with one life of laptop batteries! moment ArchInit will not parse multi-line simple goal in mind: to speed up the boot variables, shell commands (obviously), or process. With Windows, Mac and various WANT TO TRY ARCHINIT? syntaxic details. Linux distributions constantly vying for the title of "the fastest, most stable operating Although readily available through its REBOOT! system," Arch Linux already ranks among website (http://archinit.mupuf.org), the the leaders, thanks to its simplicity.