Issue 29: Innovation: Peek Into the Future of Linux

The big news of the season is Microsoft cuddling up to Linux. But, how sincere is all this love really?

After several boring-in-a-good-way versions, Canonical has shaken things up with the new LTS edition of the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution.

For a while, it looked as though GNU/Linux was playing catch up to proprietary software. Now the tables have turned, and Linux is a leader in innovation.

Testers constantly encounter new trends in the experimental branches of Linux distributions. I look at who drives Linux forward and how the future is shaping up.

Clear Linux is an innovative cloud operating system optimized for the Intel architecture.

Bedrock transparently combines virtually any number of distributions with different architectures, package management, and init systems under a filesystem.

The replacement of the X11 windowing system by Wayland is imminent. It is easy to see how far development has progressed by looking at the Debian-based RebeccaBlackOS.

Many of the slim distributions available for older computers are primarily intended for beginners. Those users who want to use new technologies on old, single-core processors and are not fazed by command lines should look at Void Linux.

Pinguy Builder gives you a simple way to create an image of a preconfigured installation as a backup or for distribution to your circle of friends.

Proofreading, wordsmithing, and finalizing the layout are all steps in the final editing phase of a document. LaTeX used with additional software can help you master these steps.

SQLiteStudio, a compact graphical tool, lets you complete everyday tasks relating to SQLite databases quickly and easily.

You can find plenty of spreadsheets offering a multitude of features. The Python-based Pyspread demonstrates that a sophisticated spreadsheet application can also be newcomer-friendly.

With a few tools, you can adjust the Ubuntu Unity desktop exactly to your liking.

We compare seven free video editing programs, including Cinelerra, Flowblade, Kdenlive, Kino, Lightworks, LiVES, and Shotcut.

In today's world, making a video clip using your smartphone or a low-cost digital camera is easy. The video editing programs Pitivi and OpenShot let you put together a film out of individual clips.

Light pollution and cloud coverage often obscure views of the night sky and stars above. Enter Stellarium for the PC; this free, open source program can make even distant galaxies visible to the user.

Ubuntu 16.04 offers almost no changes to the installation process. But, in case you are new to Ubuntu, we'll walk you through upgrading or installing the latest release.

With NetworkManager, you can access the Internet during the Ubuntu installation process. The first step is to download updates to make your system more secure.

The new Ubuntu Software app lets you install just about anything, including free software, purchased apps, and games.

You can watch movies, play music and place calls over the Internet with ease with Ubuntu. You just have to load the right software packages onto your computer. We present some of our favorite multimedia apps.