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Issue 151 (December 2011) - Conquer the command line

Click here to get the DVD via BitTorrent

Click here to get just the source code used in tutorials

Be the boss of your computer, diagnose and fix problems, expand your Linux skillset, and get real work done fast

Mandriva 2011 - the distro that started a thousand users is back

LibreOffice vs Word: get them to play nicely together

On the 4GB DVD: Mandriva 2011, a superb distro for newbies. Plus CAINE, FlightGear, development tools, games, guides and more

Tutorials on file encryption, Android coding, Arduino hacking, Arch AUR...

 Features

Conquer the command line

Immense power is at your fingertips - you just need to know how to use it. Here's how to get to grips with the CLI... (Jonathan Roberts)
 Click here to read!

Recycle old kit

Neil dusts off some ancient PCs and discovers there's plenty of life left in them yet. (Neil Bothwick)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

18 steps to better Data Security

The jewel in your computer's crown isn't the OS, or the hardware - it's your data, some of which might be irreplaceable. Here are some safety tips. (Neil Bothwick)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Inside Mandriva

Sacked developers, financial headaches and technology trials - it's been a tough year for Mandriva. We investigate... (Mayank Sharma)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Dr Brown's Administeria

Server rollouts striking a bad chord? Let Ubuntu Orchestra bring some harmony back into your life. Plus: getting started with virtualisation. (Chris Brown)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Interview: Chase Douglas

Canonical's user interface coder spills the guts on squeezing multi-touch into Ubuntu... (Mike Saunders)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

 Coverdisc

Mandriva 2011

Polished and refined distro for new users and experienced Linux fans alike. Plus: CAINE digital forensics distro, Puppy Linux, FlightGear, GParted Live, game, guides and more. (Mike Saunders)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

HotPicks

Skrooge, Potrace, Pstoedit, Miro, Sigil, SlowmoVideo, GnuPG, TripleA, Triplane, Nethogs, ZoneMinder (Nick Veitch)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

 Tutorials

File encryption: keeping secrets

Got a super new business idea you don't want your competitors finding out about? Here's how to lock down your computer. (Jonathan Roberts)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

LibreOffice: The way with Word

Make incomprehensible fonts and bizarre layouts a forgotten footnote with these tips and advice on document harmony. (Ben Everard)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Arch: Master the User Repository

We tackle one of the best aspects of the ever popular Arch distribution and show you how to install the latest cutting-edge software. (Graham Morrison)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Arduino: Build your own board

Tired of inadvertently blowing up hardware? Nick decides to have a go at putting together one of his own - and finds it's easier than he thought. (Nick Veitch)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

XBMC: Set up a media centre

We can't supply the giant HDTV or the top-of-the-range surround-sound but we can help you build the digital media hub to plug it all into. (Simon Quain)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Build your own firewall

You could protect your system with any old firewall but it's much more fun to construct a bespoke Linux-based installation. Here's how. (James Litton)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

 Coding Academy

Modern Perl: Track your reading

Modern Perl makes it simple to write a database program - say, for example, to keep tabs on your books - without using SQL. (Dave Cross)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Back to basics: Using conditionals

Any non-trival program needs to make decisions based on circumstances: We explain coding ifs and buts. (Mike Saunders)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Python: Make custom tooltips

Build a simple working music player and add custom tooltips to the file list. Nick is the man who knows how. (Nick Veitch)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Android: Music on the move

In the first of this two-part tutorial, we look at MediaPlayer and get a basic MP3 player up and running. (Juliet Kemp)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

 Reviews

Mandriva 2011.0

Has a change of ownership saved Mandriva or should we rely on the community fork? We find out what a difference a year makes. (Bob Moss)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

FlightGear 2.4.0

Alex clips on his epaulettes, downs a quick whiskey, and straps himself into the cockpit for the latest instalment of this classic indie flight sim. (Alex Cox)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Qt Creator 2.3

A major IDE update gives Graham one less excuse for resurrecting KAlbum. (Graham Morrison)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

RawTherapee 3.0

The camera mat not lie, but it can be obstinate with the truth. We discover the most terrifying way to torture images into confession. (Adam Oxford)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Email clients

On test: Evolution, KMail, Thunderbird, Claws Mail, Zimbra Desktop (Shashank Sharma)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

 More

News: Ubuntu to go monthly?

Canonical dev suggests revitalising distro's release cycle. Plus: Ubuntu developer portal; KDE gains from Summer of Code; Microsoft moves to lock out Linux with UEFI; Casio pays Microsoft for right to use Linux; Red Hat reveals staggering growth. (Andrew Gregory)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

Distrowatch: Mandriva 2011

An old kernel, a new RPM and a strange desktop characterise the new-look distribution. Plus: Arch Linux 2011.08.19, Fedora 16, KDE 5 coming up. (Susan Linton)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.

What on Earth: Do Not Track

Discover how to keep advertisers off your trail with the latest browsing privacy feature. (Jonathan Roberts)
Available as a PDF to subscribers.