Part 1 of this series introduced arpeggiators in general and profiled the QMidiArp application. This week we conclude our survey with a look at two more arpeggiators for Linux musicians: Hypercyclic and Arpage. more>>

What do you think each Linux distribution is "best for"? You can only pick one selection for each distribution (which, by the way, we know is going to be difficult). We'll compile results and share them in an upcoming article. Make sure your voice is heard! more>>

Each year, the Linux Foundation is responsible for putting on some of the biggest names of the conference season. LinuxCon, the Kernel and End-User Summits, the Linux Plumbers Conference — they all have the Foundation behind them. The next up on the schedule is the Collaboration Summit, and as of last week, attendees can now check the details on the Summit's who, what, where, and when. more>>

As Phyllis Diller would attest, a face lift isn't necessarily a bad thing. Most things — legalese included — can use a good going over from time to time, and that's just what the good people at Mozilla will be doing this year. more>>

For a few years I have been trying to create a "distributed cluster storage system" (see below) on standard Linux hardware. I have been unsuccessful. I have looked into buying one and they do exist, but are so expensive I can't afford one. They also are designed for much larger enterprises and have tons of features I don't want or need. I am hoping the Linux community can help me create this low cost "distributed cluster storage system" which I think other small businesses could use. Please help me solve this so we can publish the solution to the open source community. more>>

In my last article I looked at performance loopers for Linux. This week I begin a 2-part review of similar applications called arpeggiators. more>>

Carlie: Bill Childers is Linux Journal's Virtual Editor. How do you think your editor Jill Franklin came up with that one? more>>

Ahh, poor Palm. Sure, they have their fancy new WebOS toys -- but it wasn't that long ago they were banking on the Foleo changing the mobile world as we knew it. Sadly, they were just a little too early, and a little too lame. Here's the good news, Palm: We're ready now. Let me give you a bit of a vision, and you run with it... more>>

This article is an excerpt from the new 2nd Ed. of Mark Sobell's book, A Practical Guide to Linux Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming, published Nov. 2009 by Prentice Hall Professional, ISBN 0131367366, Copyright 2010 Mark G. Sobell. For additional sample content from a selection of chapters, please visit the publisher site: www.informit.com/title/0131367366 more>>

This week Dave Phillips looks at audio loopers designed for live performance. more>>

From Thursday, March 4, 2010 Washington DC Express print edition: Megan Fox Thinks She's Linux...Or Something Megan Fox has slept with only two men...."My body parts are all I have left now that are only mine -- the world owns everything else." more>>

Carlie: What is it that you do for Linux Journal? Shawn: That's a scary question for your boss to ask... :) Carlie: I meant "Tell our readers what you do for Linux Journal". :p more>>

We're collecting this data to run in an upcoming issue of Linux Journal. We encourage you to leave comments here letting us know why you use the Linux distribution you do. Let your voice be heard! Heads up: we may print your comment in the magazine (if you don't want your comment printed, please let us know that within the comment itself). Arch Linux CentOS Debian Fedora Gentoo Mandriva MEPIS Novell/SuSE PCLinuxOS Red Hat Slackware Ubuntu (any flavor, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, etc.) Yellow Dog Linux Puppy Linux Linux Mint Other (let us know with a comment)

Among the important benefits of Linux's permission hierarchy is its ability to keep untrusted users from running amok. The all-or-nothing nature of root access, however, can present headaches when users are trusted, but only so far. That is a problem the sudo utility attempts to solve, and does so fairly well — except for the occasional glitch. more>>

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Linux Journal Insider - April 2010 by Linux Journal Linux Journal Insider is your monthly peek at what to expect from the new issue of Linux Journal, before it even hits the newsstands. This month we discuss software development! Shawn Powers and Kyle Rankin give you the inside scoop on topics, articles, and geekery in general. more>>

The BBC's iPlayer has long been a thorn in the side of the Open Source community. Since it entered public beta in mid-2007, the BBC has consistently flip-flopped between completely ignoring FOSS users, serving them third-rate pacifier versions, and begrudgingly granting access to what Windows users have had all along. And the flipping continues. more>>

One of the least understood features of OpenOffice.org is graphics text. People understand vaguely that it differs from regular text, but exactly how it differs or why anyone should care is mostly unknown. However, if you know the distinction, graphics text can work for you in ways that regular text cannot. more>>

It might come as a surprise that terms like Linux and Open Source and epithets like bloody Microsoft and it shouldn’t be this hard are fairly common in my household. And not always spoken by me! more>>

For the past four years, the "brightest minds in Linux" have come together at the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit to "tackle and solve the most pressing issues facing Linux today." The opportunity to solve is coming up quickly, and those who want in on the tackling had better move fast. more>>

After a long weekend at SCaLE 8x with some of my favorite people, Linux Journal's Kyle Rankin, Bill Childers and Shawn Powers, I have officially become a huge fan of the annual Southern California Linux Expo. more>>

Recently I wrote about controlling konsole with dbus. As I've begun to use that script for setting up my konsoles I, like others, have discovered that the tab title that you set with dbus doesn't stick. This short note shows you a workaround to make your tab titles stay put. more>>

Last July, the Linux Foundation hit on the bright idea of combining many geeks' favorite activities — supporting Linux and buying geek gear — with a Tux-themed Visa Card that donates back to Open Source advocacy. The Linux Fund has been offering their own card since 2007, and as of Friday, is extending the opportunity to the UK. more>>

The internet is one thing but you know you've arrived when you see your face on the cover of a tabloid. Although we can't quite offer you that experience, we are bringing back tech-tips in the magazine. more>>

This chapter excerpt is from Citizen Engineer: A Handbook for Socially Responsible Engineering by David Douglas and Greg Papadopoulos, with John Boutelle, published by Prentice Hall Professional, ISBN 0137143923, Copyright 2010 David Douglas and Greg Papadopoulos. For more info, please visit the publisher page: www.informit.com/title/0137143923 more>>

Download in .ogv format. See how I did it. See how Shawn does it.

I've been taking a Java programming course this semester at the local technical college, which has been a wonderful learning experience. The programming course uses the Eclipse 3.5.1 IDE along with the Java Development Toolkit for programming in Java. In addition to using Eclipse, I use Dropbox to save the source code and preferences from my home install of Eclipse, eliminating the need to carry a USB key or email/transfer the files through any other method. This Dropbox storage method also ensures that every machine I use has the latest version of source code files with minimal interaction and fuss on my part. more>>

Have you ever had that question, the one that you just know someone else has solved, but you cannot figure out the right words to put into the query so that Google will spit back the right answer? more>>

Introducing Linux Journal's penguin gallery contest. That's right -- penguins. Real, virtual, 2D, 3D, with fish, without fish, etc., etc. Submit your penguin photo or artwork and be entered to win some pretty cool LJ goodies. more>>

I'm always on the lookout for original projects, and this particular application really took me by surprise. According to its Web site, “Flinks is a text-mode flashing word Web browser. It is intended for speed reading and/or skimming Web pages and text.” more>>

When it comes to distributions, many or few is an eternal debate within the Linux community. While that debate will likely continue as long as Linux does, the balance in the mobile market has swung just a bit with the announcement that the Maemo and Moblin projects will unite to become MeeGo. more>>

When grep and sed aren't enough, gawk may provide the extra horsepower that you need. The following tip contains a sampling of some of the things one might do with gawk. more>>

I have a secret subscription code for anyone who follows me here. By following the below subscription link, you will receive a 2010 Linux Journal Wall Calendar (value $12.95) FREE of charge with your Linux Journal magazine subscription (new or renewal). more>>

Even with all of the high quality software available, sometimes you just have to break down and write a custom application, and usually you don't have a lot of time to devote to it. This is the situation I found myself in when my wife started a new business and needed a simple means of tracking sales leads. more>>

The 2010 conference season is already underway — having launched auspiciously if not officially with last month's linux.conf.au — and it's safe to expect that attendees will quickly begin registering, presenters will begin proposing, and before you know it, live-from-the-floor reports will be rolling in. Though the latter will have to wait, as of last week, the registering and proposing is on for LinuxCon 2010. more>>

Working on a little script the other day I had the need to determine if the input to the script was coming from a pipe or from the terminal. Seems like a simple enough thing to determine but nothing jumped immediately to mind and a quick internet search didn't help much either. After a bit of pondering I came up with two solutions: the stat command and using information from the proc file system. more>>

The Linux Foundation is always on the move, looking for new ways to promote Linux and Open Source adoption. From Linux.com to credit cards bearing a smiling Tux, there is always something new on at Foundation HQ. At the moment, it's the return of a good idea, as last year's Linux advertising contest turns up for Round II. more>>

Shawn Powers shows us a very quick way to take screenshots using Compiz under Linux. Yes, there are plenty of screenshot tools available for Linux, but Compiz allows for a literal one click method.

You may have noticed something different about LinuxJournal.com today. I am very pleased to share our newly redesigned site with you, and I'd like to tell you a little bit about some of the new features. I hope you'll take the time to register, if you have not already, so that you may take advantage of all of the new features we have added and will continue to add. more>>

When Nokia bought Symbian in 2008, nobody had any reason to believe their thoughts were anywhere near Open Source — particularly given that just weeks prior, its Open Source chief declared that when it came to FOSS, the company wasn't "ready to play by the rules." Nevertheless, Open Source was exactly what Nokia had in mind for Symbian, and as of today, the process is complete. more>>

Every few weeks, I like to browse the OpenOffice.org Extensions site to see what is available, and what people are using. New extensions that are both useful and well-designed seem to be getting few and far between. However, if you search patiently, you can still find extensions worth trying. more>>

Bugs are a reality of software development, and a pain for both coders and users. Security bugs are a particularly nasty variety, and in an effort to kill as many as possible, Google is now coughing up cash for catching Chrome and Chromium glitches. more>>

Some time back I wrote about creating a number of konsoles automatically using dcop. Although we were at the time well into the KDE4 era I had not yet upgraded since there were still things that weren't quite working with KDE4, most of these have now been fixed so I've upgraded some of my systems to KDE4, which means it's time to update the original code to now use dbus. more>>

I don't usually write book reviews, but this one is special. My friend and colleague Daniel James has written an introduction to the world of media production with Linux, or as the subtitle describes it, "A manual for creative media on a modest budget". I'll put the spoiler right up front: This book is wonderful and is an essential read for all artistically-inclined Linux users. Read on to find out why I think so. more>>

For those that have been waiting patiently for the Amateur Radio articles from the January 2010 edition to be available on line, your wait is over! You will find a permanent link to them in the Linux Journal Virtual Ham Shack, but for your convenience, I will put them here too: more>>

Linux Journal Insider is your monthly peek at what to expect from the new issue of Linux Journal, before it even hits the newsstands. Shawn Powers and Kyle Rankin give you the inside scoop on topics, articles, and geekery in general. read more

A little less than a year ago, the Linux Foundation launched a program to provide a variety of training opportunities for Linux professionals. Just a few months later, the Foundation moved the program online, offering web-based sessions of select courses to reach a wider audience. On Tuesday, they took it one step further, announcing the free — as in beer — Linux Training Webinar Series. more>>

There are many dialog programs out there, Zenity, Kdialog, xdialog, etc. I love programs like these. They make it so easy to spice up a shell script with a little GUI action. Today I'm going to go look at a dialog program called gxmessage. more>>

Audio processing and synthesis plugins are always a lively topic for musicians. Many contemporary music-makers rely completely upon their plugin collection for all their sound sources and processing routines, and it is not at all uncommon to discover that some of these composers have never learned to play a traditional instrument. However you feel about audio plugins they are a fact of life in modern music production. more>>

Are web sites today so complicated because they have to be or because they can be? I am sure if you are a web site designer, you believe the former, but as an end user and part time designer, I am really beginning to wonder. more>>