Linux Journal

Linux Journal Ceases Publication: An Awkward Goodbye

Kyle Rankin — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 01:55:28 +0000

IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM LINUX JOURNAL, LLC:

On August 7, 2019, Linux Journal shut its doors for good. All staff were laid off and the company is left with no operating funds to continue in any capacity. The website will continue to stay up for the next few weeks, hopefully longer for archival purposes if we can make it happen.

–Linux Journal, LLC

Final Letter from the Editor: The Awkward Goodbye

by Kyle Rankin

Have you ever met up with a friend at a restaurant for dinner, then after dinner you both step out to the street and say a proper goodbye, only when you leave, you find out that you both are walking in the same direction? So now, you get to walk together awkwardly until the true point where you part, and then you have another, second goodbye, that's much more awkward.

That's basically this post.

So, it was almost two years ago that I first said goodbye to Linux Journal and the Linux Journal community in my post "So Long and Thanks for All the Bash". That post was a proper goodbye. For starters, it had a catchy title with a pun. The post itself had all the elements of a proper goodbye: part retrospective, part "Thank You" to the Linux Journal team and the community, and OK, yes, it was also part rant. I recommend you read (or re-read) that post, because it captures my feelings about losing Linux Journal way better than I can muster here on our awkward second goodbye.

Of course, not long after I wrote that post, we found out that Linux Journal wasn't dead after all! We all actually had more time together and got to work fixing everything that had caused us to die in the first place. A lot of our analysis of what went wrong and what we intended to change was captured in my article "What Linux Journal's Resurrection Taught Me about the FOSS Community" that we posted in our 25th anniversary issue.

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The DevOps Issue

Bryan Lunduke — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 15:00:00 +0000

by Bryan Lunduke

Every few years a new term is coined within the computer industry—big data, machine learning, agile development, Internet of Things, just to name a few. You'd be forgiven for not knowing them all.

Some of these are new ideas. Some are refinements on existing ideas. Others still are simply notions we've all had for a long time, but now we have a new word to describe said notions.

Which brings me to a topic we cover in depth in this issue of Linux Journal: DevOps.

Not sure what DevOps is? Need it explained to you? It's okay, I was in the same boat. Start off by reading "Experts Attempt to Explain DevOps—and Almost Succeed" to get a high-level explanation of what this whole DevOps brouhaha is all about.

Once you've got the concept of DevOps firmly implanted in your brain, it's time to dive in and look at how specific parts of DevOps can be implemented, starting with "Continuous Integration/Continuous Development with FOSS Tools" by Quentin Hartman, Director of Infrastructure and DevOps at Finalze.

Next, turn to Linux Journal's very own Editor at Large (and senior performance software engineer at Cray), Petros Koutoupis, for a look at how to install and utilize Ansible to deploy and configure large numbers of Linux servers all at once. It's a nifty tool to have in your toolbelt, especially when looking to do things "The DevOps Way".

Okay, you've got the idea of DevOps, and you know some of the tools you can utilize with it as you build out a big, expansive online service. But what does a truly excellent system really look like? What components does it consist of? How does one go about selecting said components?

Luckily, we've got Kyle Rankin's aptly titled "My Favorite Infrastructure" to answer those questions. Linux Journal's illustrious Tech Editor (and Chief Security Officer at Purism) gives a tour of, what he considers to be, the best infrastructure he ever built. Including details on the architecture, configuration management, security and disaster recovery.

Oh, but we're not done! Ever want to build an OpenStack implementation on top of Fedora, openSUSE or Debian? John S. Tonello, the Global Technical Marketing Manager at SUSE, walks through exactly that with the help of free software tools like Kolla, Docker, qemu and pip. It's a veritable smorgasbord of Linux server-y goodness.

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The Command-Line Issue

Bryan Lunduke — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 15:00:00 +0000

by Bryan Lunduke

Summer. 1980-something. An elementary-school-attending, Knight Rider-T-Shirt-wearing version of myself slowly rolls out of bed and shuffles to the living room. There, nestled between an imposingly large potted plant and an over-stocked knick-knack shelf, rested a beautifully gray, metallic case powered by an Intel 80286 processor—with a glorious, 16-color EGA monitor resting atop.

This was to be my primary resting place for the remainder of the day: in front of the family computer.

That PC had no graphical user interface to speak of—no X Window System, no Microsoft Windows, no Macintosh Finder. There was just a simple command line—in this case, MS-DOS. (This was long before Linux became a thing.) Every task I wished to perform—executing a game, moving files—required me to type the commands in via a satisfyingly loud, clicky keyboard. No, "required" isn't the right word here. Using the computer was a joy. "Allowed" is the right word. I was allowed to enjoy typing those commands in. I never once resented that my computer needed to be interacted with via a keyboard. That is, after all, what computers do. That's what they're for—you type in commands, and the computer executes them for you, often with a "beep".

For a kid, this was empowering—taking my rudimentary understanding of language (aided, at first, by a handy DOS command cheat sheet) and weaving together strings of words that commanded the computer to do my bidding. It was like organizing runes to enact an ancient spell. It was magic. And I was a wizard. Did I miss not being able to "double click" or "drag and drop"? Of course not. I'd seen some such, mouse-driven user interfaces (like the early Macintoshes) but—from my vantage—that wasn't how computers really worked. I viewed such things as cool-looking, but not necessary. Computers use words. Powerful, magical words.

But this isn't 1980-something. In fact, it's barely 2010-something. (Did anyone else just realize that it's almost 2020?) For better or worse, how people use—and view—computers has changed dramatically since the days of Knight Rider. Modern operating systems are, often, belittled if they require users to interact with the machine via a command line. The graphical user interface is king. Which is, perhaps, the inevitable evolution of how we all interact with our computers.

Yet the value of the command line (or terminal, shell and so on) is still there. For many, it makes using computers more accessible. For others, it provides streamlined workflows that a mouse or touch-driven interface simply can't compete with. And, for others still, the blinking cursor provides a bit of nostalgic joy—or an aesthetically simple, and distraction free, environment.

This issue of Linux Journal celebrates the cursor—that wonderful blinking underscore and all the potential that it holds.

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Linux Journal ASCII Art Contest

Bryan Lunduke — Mon, 13 May 2019 20:34:30 +0000

by Bryan Lunduke

Do you have l33t ASCII/ANSI art skillz? Your work could grace the cover of Linux Journal!

That's right—your ASCII art on the cover of the longest-running Linux publication on the planet.

What the artwork is depicting is, really, up to you. But, since this is Linux Journal, here are a few good ideas:

Something involving Tux the Penguin.
Something involving Linux in general.
Something involving terminals or computers in general.
Something else entirely, so long as it makes us think, "Gee, Linux is awesome."

How to submit your entry:

Make sure your ASCII or ANSI artwork is saved as an image file (jpg or png) that is roughly 1600 x 1600 (give or take—larger is fine as well).
Email that image, along with how you want your name to appear, to ljeditor@linuxjournal.com.
Make sure it's postmarked (yeah, I know, that's not really a thing with email, but I felt like using that word today) by June 1, 2019.

FAQ:

Q: Should my ASCII/ANSI art use colors?
A: Up to you!
Q: Should I also include the raw text version of the ASCII art when I submit it?
A: Sure! That'd be groovy!
Q: How awesome will I feel when I see my ASCII art on the cover of Linux Journal?
A: Very.

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The Kernel Issue

Bryan Lunduke — Wed, 01 May 2019 15:00:00 +0000

by Bryan Lunduke

How much do you know about your kernel? Like really know?

Considering how critically important the Linux kernel is to the world—and, perhaps just as important, to our own personal computers and gadgets—it's rather amazing how little most people actually know about it.

There might as well be magical hamsters in there, pushing 1s and 0s around with their enchanted hamster gloves of computing power. How do kernels (in a general sense) actually work, anyway? How does one sit down and debug a specific Linux kernel issue? How does a kernel allocate and work with the memory in your computer? Those are questions most of us never need to ask—because Linux works.

Me, personally? Never submitted a single patch to the kernel. Not one.

I mean, sure. I've looked at little snippets of Linux kernel source code—mostly out of idle curiosity or to investigate a topic for a story. And I've compiled the kernel plenty of times to get one hardware driver or feature working. But, even so, my knowledge of the inner-workings of the kernel is mostly limited to "Linux power user" level.

So, it's time for a little kernel boot camp in this issue of Linux Journal to get a bit more up to speed.

Let's start with the basics. What is a kernel, and how, exactly, does a person go about making a brand-new one? Like...from scratch.

Linux Journal Editor at Large Petros Koutoupis previously has walked us through building a complete Linux distribution (starting from the very basics—see Part I and Part II). Now he does the same thing, but this time for building a brand-new kernel.

What tools are needed? What code must be written? Petros provides a step-by-step rundown of kernel building. In the end, you'll have a fully functional kernel (well, functional enough to boot a computer, at any rate) that you can build on further. Plus, you'll have a better understanding of how kernels actually work, which is pretty darn cool.

Moving back to Linux land, Frank Edwards gives a rundown on how the kernel handles memory: how virtual memory works and is structured, how the kernel reports memory usage and information to userland applications and the like. If you've ever wondered how the memory in your system is structured and interacted with by the applications and the kernel, give that a read.

Now that you know the basics of how to build a kernel, and a primer on how memory is used, let's turn to something directly practical for Linux developers and pro users: debugging Linux kernel panics.

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Party Like It's 1994

Carlie Fairchild — Sat, 06 Apr 2019 14:07:35 +0000

by Carlie Fairchild

THIS OFFER HAS EXPIRED

Issue #1 of Linux Journal was released 25 years ago this month. To celebrate, we're partying like it's 1994! We're offering 1-year subscriptions for—you guessed it—just $19.94. That's almost $15 off our regular price. Unfortunately, this price is not sustainable for us long-run so we can only offer this special rate through April 11, 2019. If you can, subscribe now. It's a great rate for a magazine that has a lot of love put in to it each month. :-D

Follow this link for the discounted rate: https://subscribe.linuxjournal.com/LJ/?PK=M94AN19

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A Big Thanks to Our Subscribers

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 12:30:00 +0000

by Anonymous (not verified)

We asked LJ subscribers to write in and tell us about themselves, so we could feature them in our 25th Anniversary Issue as a way to thank them for their loyalty through the years. The response was so overwhelming, we were able to include only a few of them in the issue, but read on to see all of the responses here and to learn more about your fellow readers. We truly enjoyed "meeting" all of you who participated and are humbled by your words of support.

We asked readers to give their name, how long they've been subscribers and why, their favorite LJ memory and their first distro. Note that submissions have been edited for clarity. Also note that if you sent in a message and don't see it here, we apologize in advance for the oversight. And in some cases, we were unable to publish photos that were too small, so if your photo is missing, that's likely the reason.

Guillermo Giménez de Castro (a.k.a. Guigue)

I've been a subscriber since February 1996, regularly. I've never missed a renewal. I subscribe because I don't find anywhere else a place where Open Source, the Bazaar Philosophy, and Linux itself are better advocated. I have to say that every month I receive the new issue is a joy, with the first quick read to see what is new. But probably my best memory is the picture included here. It was taken during a session for the "Picture of the Month" LJ contest in 2004. My wife shot a few dozens of photos and I sent a different one (and won!!). In one picture, my son Manuel appears with me on top of my printed collection. Now he is in his 20s and is a Linux hacker. My first distro was SLS with kernel version 0.99 patch level 12. I hope to send a similar email 25 years from now. Happy Anniversary!

David Barton

My first LJ was the last print issue published. I subscribe because we all need a way to come up with new ideas. Professionally written articles are an excellent source of both ideas and well described ways to implement them. A single good idea is worth far more than a year's subscription. Also, I like to keep up with my favourite OS! My favourite memory is when you came back, and also when my first article came out. My first distribution was probably Slackware around 1997.

I manage hosting for 100s of custom software databases, and Linux is secure, fast, robust and easy to administer. I also use Linux because it gives me the same power I have on the server on my desktop.

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What Linux Journal's Resurrection Taught Me about the FOSS Community

Kyle Rankin — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 11:30:00 +0000

by Kyle Rankin

"Marley was dead, to begin with."—Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.

As you surely know by now, Linux Journal started in 1994, which means it has been around for most of the Linux story. A lot has changed since then, and it's not surprising that Linux and the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) community are very different today from what they were for Linux Journal's first issue 25 years ago. The changes within the community during this time had a direct impact on Linux Journal and contributed to its death, making Linux Journal's story a good lens through which to view the overall story of the FOSS community. Although I haven't been with Linux Journal since the beginning, I was there during the heyday, the stroke, the decline, the death and the resurrection. This article is about that story and what it says about how the FOSS community has changed.

It's also a pretty personal story.

A Bit about Me

Although it's true that I sometimes write about personal projects in my articles and may disclose some personal details from time to time, I generally try not to talk too much about my personal life, but as it's useful to frame this story, here we go. I grew up in an era when personal computers were quite expensive (even more so, now that I account for inflation), and it wasn't very common to grow up with one in your home.

In high school, I took my first computer class in BASIC programming. This class fundamentally changed me. Early on in the class I knew that I wanted to change any past career plans and work with computers instead. My family noticed this change, and my grandparents and mother found the money to buy my first computer: a Tandy 1000 RLX. Although there certainly were flashier or more popular computers, it did come with a hard drive (40MB!), which was still pretty novel at the time. Every time I learned a new BASIC command in school, I would spend the following evenings at home figuring out every way I could use that new-found knowledge in my own software.

I never got internet access during high school (my mom saw the movie WarGames and was worried if I had internet access, I might accidentally trigger a house call from the FBI). This just made it all the more exciting when I went to college and not only got a modern computer, but also high-speed campus internet! Like most people, I was tempted to experiment in college. In my case, in 1998 a neighbor in my dorm brought over a series of Red Hat 5.1 floppies (the original 5.1, not RHEL) and set up a dual-boot environment on my computer. The first install was free.

Desktop Linux in the Late 1990s

If you weren't around during the late 1990s, you may not realize just how different Linux was back then, but hopefully a screenshot of my desktop will help illustrate (Figure 1).

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25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

Robert Young — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 17:59:48 +0000

by Robert Young

Linux Journal's very first issue featured an interview between LJ's first Publisher, Robert Young (who went on to co-found Red Hat among other things), and Linus Torvalds (author of the Linux kernel). After 25 years, we thought it'd be interesting to get the two of them together again. You can read that first interview from 1994 here.

Interview: Linus Torvalds and Robert Young

Robert Young: It is a great pleasure to have an excuse to reach out to you. How are you and your family? Your kids must be through college by now. Nancy and I and our three daughters are all doing well. Our eldest, Zoe, who was 11 when Marc and I started Red Hat, is expecting her second child—meaning I'm a grandparent.

Linus Torvalds: None of my kids are actually done with college yet, although Patricia (oldest) will graduate this May. And Celeste (youngest) is in her senior year of high school, so we'll be empty-nesters in about six months.

All three are doing fine, and I suspect/hope it will be a few years until the grandparent thing happens.

Bob: When I first interviewed you back in 1994, did you think that you'd be still maintaining this thing in 2019?

Linus: I think that by 1994 I had already become surprised that my latest project hadn't just been another "do something interesting until it does everything I needed, and then find something else to do" project. Sure, it was fairly early in the development, but it had already been something that I had spent a few years on by then, and had already become something with its own life.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is not that I necessarily expected to do it for another few decades, but that it had already passed the bump of becoming something fairly big in my life. I've never really had a long-term plan for Linux, and I have taken things one day at a time rather than worry about something five or ten years down the line.

Bob: There is a famous old quote about the danger of achieving your dreams—your running joke back in the day when asked about your future goals for Linux was "world domination". Now that you and the broader Open Source/Free Software community have achieved that, what's next?

Linus: Well, I stopped doing the "world domination" joke long ago, because it seemed to become less of a joke as time went on. But it always was a joke, and it wasn't why I (or any of the other developers) really did what we did anyway. It was always about just making better technology and having interesting challenges.

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The 25th Anniversary Issue

Bryan Lunduke — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:12:59 +0000

by Bryan Lunduke

"Linux is an independent implementation of the POSIX operating system specification (basically a public specification of much of the Unix operating system) that has been written entirely from scratch. Linux currently works on IBM PC compatibles with an ISA or EISA bus and a 386 or higher processor. The Linux kernel was written by Linus Torvalds from Finland, and by other volunteers."

Thus begins the very first Letter from the Editor (written by Phil Hughes), in the very first issue of Linux Journal, published in the March/April issue in 1994...25 years ago—coinciding, as fate would have it, with the 1.0.0 release of the Linux kernel itself (on March 14th).

A quarter of a century.

Back when that first issue was published, Microsoft hadn't yet released Windows 95 (version 3.11 running on MS-DOS still dominated home computing). The Commodore Amiga line of computers was still being produced and sold. The music billboards were topped by the likes of Toni Braxton, Ace of Base and Boyz II Men. If you were born the day Linux Journal debuted, by now you'd be a full-grown adult, possibly with three kids, a dog and a mortgage.

Yeah, it was a while ago. (It's okay to take a break and feel old now.)

In that first issue, Robert Young (who, aside from being one of the founders of Linux Journal, you also might recognize as the founder of Red Hat) had an interview with Linus Torvalds.

During the interview, Linus talked about his hope to one day "make a living off this", that he'd guesstimate Linux has "a user base of about 50,000", and the new port of Linux to Amiga computers.

A lot changes in a quarter century, eh?

To mark this momentous occasion, we've reunited Robert Young with Linus Torvalds for a new interview—filled with Linus' thoughts on family, changes since 1994, his dislike of Social Media, and a whole lot more. It is, without a doubt, a fun read. (We're also republishing the complete original 1994 interview in this issue for reference.)

And, if you're curious about the history of Linux Journal, Kyle Rankin's "What Linux Journal's Resurrection Taught Me about the FOSS Community" provides an excellent—and highly personal—look over the last roughly 20 years of not just Linux Journal, but of Linux and free software itself. He even includes pictures of his ahem "super-leet Desktop from 1999". How can you go wrong?

Then we thought to ourselves, "How do we celebrate 25 years of talking about Linux?" The answer was obvious: by looking to the future—to where we (the Linux community) are going. And what better way to understand the future of Linux than to talk to the kids who will shape the world of Linux (and free and open-source software) to come.

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