Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 Lenny Released

A new release of Debian GNU/Linux namely version 5.0 aka Lenny has happened. The previous release version 4.0 code named Debian Etch was made 22 months ago that is 2 months short of 2 years. Debian is infamous for its long release dates. For example, a transition from Woody to Sarge took a whooping 35 months to happen. Though Sarge to Etch happened in a mere 22 months. But compared to some of Microsoft Windows releases, this time duration can be considered to be fair play. Having said that, Debian is widely respected for rolling out a robust and secure GNU/Linux distribution that supports a broad machine architecture. And the latest official stable release "Lenny" is no different.

Debian Lenny doesn't come bundled with the latest versions of software. For instance, you will not find OpenOffice.org ver 3.0 in it's repositories. And KDE is still at ver 3.5.10, and GNOME at 2.22. But you can rest assured that what you have is a rock solid Linux distribution which will never roll over and die on you.

For the very first time, Debian has rolled out a Live system which you can try without installing it on your computer's hard disk. It is made available as a Live CD, on USB Sticks, or via netboot.

Debian GNU/Linux version 5.0 (Lenny) can be downloaded at Debian.org.

TuxRadar has published an indepth review of Debian Lenny dwelling on its pros and cons. The site also carries an interview with Steve McIntyre, the Debian Project Leader providing us more insight behind the new Debian release.

A fun game for movie buffs who happen to use Linux

With the Oscar fever running high, there is towering expectations all around for all the Oscar nominees. So it was only a matter of time before someone jumped into the fray and created a game featuring all the movies, directors and actors nominated for the Oscar award. The beauty of the game is that it is played exclusively in YouTube - the popular video sharing site of Google.

The game titled "2009 Oscar Interactive Photo Hunt" is simple to play. You will be shown two nearly identical photos (there is just one subtle difference) of the people and movie stills associated with the Oscar Awards and you have to find the difference between the two images. You get 30 seconds to spot the difference and click on it. Once you click on the part you feel is different, you are taken to another YouTube video depending upon whether it is the correct answer or not.

There is only one rule... No pausing of the video at any stage is allowed. There are 30 levels in the game. The first 14 levels are quite easy. But from the 15th level, the solution gets more and more elusive. A fabulous idea, great game surrounding the Oscar theme and intelligent use of a popular free service. The game has been developed by DailyFill.com. To start playing the game, watch the following video and do as you are directed.

If you are unable to watch the preceding YouTube video, in all probability you do not have Flash player plugin installed on your machine. Read the following article to install flash player plugin in Linux.

Google's Bus to Internet Nirvana launched in Tamil Nadu

Google India has launched what is being dubbed the Google Bus. It is a specially furnished bus with Internet connectivity, which will be touring different towns in Tamil Nadu - a state of India. The aim of the bus is to introduce, inspire and educate the general populace on the power of the Internet and how it can benefit common people.

Seeking to attract more people on the information superhighway, the bus will be touring 15 towns in Tamil Nadu over a span of 45 days. India is projected to have Internet connectivity of around 20 million by the year 2010. And perhaps, the Google bus is Google's way of ensuring it gets to garner maximum portion of this pie. Google is providing updates of the bus trip at the specially set up The Internet Bus Project web page.