If you use Windows software on Ubuntu 10.04, chances are you’ve encountered the new feature in Lucid Lynx that prevents .exe files from being run without the executable bit set.  This might be good and well for some users, but is it really the best approach to security?  Here are some thoughts.

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Free-software hackers like to brag about the robustness of their code.  But a less-celebrated area where open-source programmers also shine is coming up with names for their applications.  Developers don’t often receive the credit they deserve for the clever and fitting titles they apply to their software, so here’s a quick and lighthearted look at some of the more adroitly named applications familiar to Ubuntu users.

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Mark Shuttleworth made some interesting comments recently about the role of the Wine compatibility layer in fostering the migration of Windows users to Ubuntu.  Shuttleworth views Wine, and binary compatibility with Windows applications in general, as a distraction from the real goal of making the free-software world “thrive on its own rules,” not those borrowed from the proprietary ecosystem.  I disagree.  Here’s why.

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As most Linux followers know, Wine allows you to run many Windows programs on Linux. But how does Wine work with Ubuntu and where is it heading? Our quest for answers led us to Ubuntu community developer and Wine expert Scott Ritchie, known by many peers as YokoZar. Here’s our interview with him.

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There’s been some discussion lately about promoting Linux as a gaming platform in order to win the struggle against proprietary operating systems.  It’s an interesting idea, but I don’t think it meshes well with reality.  Here’s why.

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