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Submission + - Programmers Tools Group Test: Linux Text Editors (linuxvoice.com)

Submitted by jrepin
jrepin writes: In this group test Mayank Sharma of Linux Voices looks at five humble text editors that are more than capable of heavy-lifting texting duties. They can highlight syntax and auto-indent code just as effortlessly as they can spellcheck documents. You can use them to record macros and manage code snippets just as easily as you can copy/paste plain text. Some simple text editors even exceed their design goals thanks to plugins that infuse them with capabilities to rival text-centric apps from other genres. They can take on the duties of a source code editor and even an Integrated Development Environment.

Submission + - Google, Linaro develop custom Android edition for Project Ara

Submitted by rtoz
rtoz writes: Google is working with open-source development organization Linaro to develop a special edition of Android for the Project Ara customizable smartphone.

A special edition of Android had to be created for the unique customizable design of Project Ara, said George Grey, CEO of Linaro.

  Android can already plug and play SD cards. But Grey said additional OS functionality is needed for storage, cameras and other modules that are typically inside smartphones, but can now be externally added to Project Ara.

A lot of work is also being done on UniPro transport drivers, which connect modules and components in Project Ara. UniPro protocol drivers in Android will function much like the USB protocol, where modules will be recognized based on different driver “classes,” such as those for networking, sensor, imaging, input and others.

Some attachable parts may not be recognized by Android. For those parts, separate drivers need to be developed by module makers through emulators. “That will be need to be done in a secure system so the device can’t do damage to the system,” Grey said.

Project Ara is a very disruptive concept, and it turns around conventional thinking on how to build phones, Grey said.

Submission + - When Metrics Go Wrong - how to avoid bad metrics in open source projects (redhat.com) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Good metrics should lead to action, but if you're not careful, you can end up with results you didn't intend. (This is called "The Cobra Effect".) And typically there are three ways that metrics can cause these unintended results.

Submission + - Reglue: Opening Up the World to Deserving Kids with Linux Computers (linuxjournal.com)

Submitted by jrepin
jrepin writes: Today, a child without access to a computer (and the Internet) at home is at a disadvantage before he or she ever sets foot in a classroom. The unfortunate reality is that in an age where computer skills are no longer optional, far too many families don't possess the resources to have a computer at home. Linux Journal recently had the opportunity to talk with Ken Starks about his organization, Reglue (Recycled Electronics and Gnu/Linux Used for Education) and its efforts to bridge this digital divide.

Submission + - PJ rides again (groklaw.net) 2

Submitted by thorpie
thorpie writes: There is a new headline link on Groklaw, from July 22 2014 — U.K. Cabinet Office Adopts ODF as Exclusive Standard for Sharable Documents.
Is she back? or is it a one off?

Submission + - GNU Guix 0.7 released (gnu.org)

Submitted by davexunit
davexunit writes: GNU Guix, the purely functional package manager and distribution of the GNU operating system, has made a new alpha release. This release features an installation disk image of the GNU system for i686 and x86_64 platforms, 130 new packages, and an improved developer's API.

A description of Guix is provided in the full release notes:

In addition to standard package management features, Guix supports transactional upgrades and roll-backs, unprivileged package management, per-user profiles, and garbage collection. It also offers a declarative approach to operating system configuration management. Guix uses low-level mechanisms from the Nix package manager, with Guile Scheme programming interfaces.

Submission + - U.K. Cabinet Office Adopts ODF as Exclusive Standard for Sharable Documents (consortiuminfo.org)

Submitted by Andy Updegrove
Andy Updegrove writes: The U.K. Cabinet Office accomplished today what the Commonwealth of Massachusetts set out (unsuccessfully) to achieve ten years ago: it formally required compliance with the Open Document Format (ODF) by software to be purchased in the future across all government bodies. Compliance with any of the existing versions of OOXML, the competing document format championed by Microsoft, is neither required nor relevant. The announcement was made today by The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude. Henceforth, ODF compliance will be required for documents intended to be shared or subject to collaboration. PDF/A or HTML compliance will be required for viewable government documents. The decision follows a long process that invited, and received, very extensive public input – over 500 comments in all.

Submission + - Inside Linux creator Linus Torvalds' home office (linux.com)

Submitted by LibbyMC
LibbyMC writes: Linux creator Linus Torvalds has given a personal video tour of his workspace, filmed by the Linux Foundation. It also includes behind the scenes laughs and footage, as well as a closer look at what he keeps on his desk and what he does between kernel releases.

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Thus spake the master programmer: "After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless." -- Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"

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