Digital Issues

Issue #211: Mycroft – Can an open source personal assistant compete with Alexa?

You can't get more sci fi than a little box that listens to your instructions and talks back. Most of the leading personal assistants come in very opaque little boxes, but the open source community is hard at work finding its own solutions. Mycroft is an open source assistant that comes on a hardware device, but you also can download the software and install it on a Linux system.

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.

Issue #212: Internet of Things – Tools for home automation

The Internet of Things revolution is tailor-made for Linux. The ultimate hacker system is certainly well suited for automating the home.

This month we report on some tools and techniques for Linux and the Internet of Things. You'll learn about ioBroker – a universal tool for managing different types of devices from a single interface. You'll also take a tour of the Eclipse IoT project, a collection of libraries and frameworks with the common goal of keeping the Internet of Things open and free.

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.

Issue #213: Mapping Tools – Create and edit digital maps with QGIS and QMapShack

This month's issue looks at Linux applications for viewing and customizing maps. You'll learn how to access and edit geospacial data with QGIS and QMapShack.

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.

Issue #214: Systemd – Getting more from the elusive new Linux init system

The Systemd init system is here to stay. You probably know it is running on your system somewhere, but have you gotten inside and explored what you can do with it? This month we take a close look at Systemd.

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.

Issue #215: Privacy – Stop snoopers and protect your identity

This month we study some tricks for improving privacy on your Linux system. You'll learn how to turn off the webcam and mic when they are not in use, and we'll show you some extensions and advance configuration settings for dialing up your privacy in Firefox.

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.

Issue #216: .NET Core – Running Microsoft's flagship framework on Linux

Many in the Linux community don't put much trust in Microsoft, but a new guard in Redmond has been changing its ways. This month, we look at .NET Core, a piece of the .NET framework that Microsoft released under an open source license in 2014.

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.

Issue #217: Innovative Distros

Public discussions of Linux often focus on the same few distros – Ubuntu, Fedora, SUSE, RHEL – but the FOSS space is home to hundreds of other worthy Linux distributions, and all were created for a reason. This month we examine some promising alternatives, including these hidden gems:
* Bodhi – A simpler enlightenment
* Heads – Anonymous surfing even on old hardware
* Nitrux – UI designers get creative with KDE
* Qubes OS – Lockdown security with the focus on isolation

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.

Issue #218: Navigation – Free services that extend OpenStreetMap

A free mapping service is a wonderful thing, but you might not find all the information you need in OpenStreetMap's standard view. A number of other free mapping projects extend and enhance OpenStreetMap data to add new features and services. This month, we tour some useful mapping tools based on OpenStreetMap.

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.

Issue #219: Customize the Boot Menu – Clean up your startup for clarity and fewer mistakes

That drab default boot menu on your Linux computer isn't just boring; it also could be confusing users and obscuring important boot choices. This month we show you how to add clarity and visual appeal to the GRUB boot menu with GRUB themes and the Grub Customizer. And while we're on the subject of GRUB, check out the Command Line column this month for a closer look at GRUB 2 passwords and encryption.

DVD contents are not available with the digital version of the magazine.