Xenon Web Desktop Alpha2 Released

The web desktop Xenon released version Alpha2 today. The release announcement from the website reads:

"Changes from Alpha include many security fixes (including SQL injection), the addition of the Chatroom app, Pictures app, width autoscaling, new tab launching, easier installation and various visual tweaks.

Please either use the https://web.archive.org/web/20100107134808/https://xenon.kevinghadyani.com/ (edit 2021: archived), or ddownload to your server at xenon.kevinghadyani.com/xenon_alpha2.tar.bz2 (edit 2021: not archived). Please help by submitting bugs, patches, new apps, icons, etc to xenon@dandart.co.uk. Thank you."

Xenon is a web desktop, which means that all your applications, work and settings are stored on the web. It can be run from any Internet-connected computer by browsing to the Xenon server or from your own server (in the case that you want a private instance, or want it installed into a netbook in the case where you do not have Internet connectivity). Eventually syncing support will be brought in which allows you to sync your settings and files to and from your local instance and the main server. Other features currently available include:

Audio player (featuring HTML5 Vorbis audio)
Video player (featuring HTML5 Theora video)
Picture viewer
Email (including within Xenon and outgoing email)
Blog
Chatroom (Public, open to all on the same instance)
Notes application
Friends application for social features
My Files, to upload various types of file
Wallpaper switcher

Upcoming features include:

Settings syncing and importing
A small footprint netbook/touchbook operating system to run on
Many others

To try the system out for yourself, you can try the demo (edit 2021: archived) or download the software at xenon.kevinghadyani.com/xenon_alpha2.tar.bz2 (edit 2021: not archived) to your server.

Please send patches, icons, ideas, apps, et al to xenon@dandart.co.uk

The project's website is at https://xenon.kevinghadyani.com (edit 2021: archived) or a shorter version: https://hackerlanes.com (edit 2021: archived)

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Xenon Alpha released!

Permalink | Author: Dan Dart | Published: 2009-12-29 13:20:00.001 UTC | Tags: ajax api apps cloud css desktop fast gui html html5 javascript linux networking operating system os php social sql xenon

An alpha version of the Xenon Desktop has been released. A description of the project follows.

Xenon is a portable web or browser based desktop for netbooks and thin clients, designed to be the easiest desktop ever.

The desktop includes a new GUI stepping away from traditional menus and is optimised for touchscreen and small devices.

The system integrates social networking features and standard desktop features into one software package.

Being browser-based, it is cross platform and cross architecture. It is built on HTML5 and PHP components, and can be run on extremely low-powered machines, allowing for cheap distribution and devices.

The backend can be run online (for users to access their data everywhere), on a personal LAN server, or on a small device, so the system can work offline, or if there are concerns about cloud storage.

An API is available at xenon.kevinghadyani.com/wiki/index.php/Developing_Apps (edit 2021: page not archived), so anyone can start developing apps to distribute in Xenon's upcoming App Store.

The project's homepage is located at https://hackerlanes.com (edit 2021: archived) including the online desktop, ready for instant testing and a download of the alpha image for your server. The actual small footprint OS that will run on netbooks will come later.

We encourage contributions to the project, in the form of code (the languages currently used are (X)HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and MySQL), art (eg icons, backgrounds, GUI concepts) or even just ideas.

To send any requests or contributions, or to join the project, please email the head developer at dan.dart@googlemail.com. Thank you!

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Linux Myths Debunked

Permalink | Author: Dan Dart | Published: 2009-09-20 09:33:00 UTC | Tags: debunked linux myths operating system security trojan virus windows

"You can't run games on Linux.". This is one that annoys me. People claim that Linux does not provide the necessary gaming requirememnts. But look:

There is a list of Linux games at s//icculus.org/lgfaq/gamelist.php which includes many famous and popular games such as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Quake 4 and the Unreal Tournament series. These have either been ported from the originals by independent game companies or originally programmed for Linux (as well as many other operating systems). They often run faster on Linux than Windows as the old ETQW system requirements page showed (required 2.8GHz for Windows, 2.0GHz for Linux). For games that are not supported on Linux, there are API layers (NOT emulators) for Linux that can run Windows programs, often faster than Windows can, due to memory usage. Examples are Wine (free libre/gratis), Cedega (subscription) and CrossOver (subscription). I have successfully run many Valve games on Linux such as Half-Life 2, and many mods of it, using the Windows version of Steam under Wine, and they ran great. Also check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_video_games for many more cross platform free games.

"Linux has bad security". Anyone who knows security will surely agree with me here. It is in fact widely known that Windows has viruses, trojans, worms, malware and various spyware available for it. The makers of these programs assume you have Windows (as the majority of desktop users have at the moment). New malware is being made all the time and if you get a virus, you will likely not know about it until it has done its damage (unless it's quite old, in which case your virus checker will pick it up). Malware has been made for Linux but most past attempts at it have failed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_malware Linux was originally designed for multiple users from the ground up, in contrast to Windows' 1-user original setup. This could factor in too. The password hashes used by Linux can be Blowfish or MD5. These are known strong algorithms, and they are protected by a "salt" to protect against "rainbow table" password cracking. Unfortunately, Windows uses a hash called "NTLM", NT Lan Manager. These hashes don't have salts, and your password is split into 7 digit segments before being hashed. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LM_hash . These keys are significantly easier to crack and don't require much time if necessary rainbow tables have been installed. In the times of Windows XP, no password was set by default for the main user or administrator, Though this has been fixed now, this was a huge security risk. Exploits in Linux and Windows have been widespread, but Windows has had many more serious ones. In fact in 2008, a Windows server could be compromised by attacking the SMB service in an attack called "ms08_067_netapi". This can gain System user level access to the system. Linux kernel exploits have indeed been found but have been patched significantly quicker (as open source usually is, as there are many more developers), and cannot be exploited from the outside. One more reason why Windows computers happen to be less secure is that the users running the system do not know much about security (they are less educated) and as the system is often not tightly locked down enough.
"Linux is hard to use". This is a complete joke in my eyes. I recommend Linux Mint at www.linuxmint.com to anyone to try it. You will find that most if not all of your hardware is auto detected (Windows does not have this, it needs drivers, and the only reason it works for you is that they have been prepackaged along with your computer), and it's simple. To install software all one needs to do is to go to the Install Software or Package Manager button in the menu and search for software. Repositories like this have been checked for malware so there is a very slim chance user programs will do harm. Ubuntu and Mint are world renound for their ease of use, and that means there is no reason not to check them out!
"Linux won't play my media/DVD/etc" It is likely that your distribution does not come with necessary media codecs (for legal reasons). That is why I recommend Mint (to anyone in a country where the software is legal, get the Main edition). This includes software to play DVDs and almost all media formats. Though it is not hard to install it in Ubuntu, the media players prompt you to choose a codec and install it!
"Linux is all command line". Proof enough is this picture:

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Jake (URL) said on 2013-01-16T03:16:15.07Z:

Thanks for defending Linux. You forgot to mention only that Internet wouldn't probably exist by now if it wasn't for linux servers (used most of all by Microsoft sites). Windows security is so "strong" that most self respecting ISPs operates from behind a linux servers.

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Cloud OS

Permalink | Author: Dan Dart | Published: 2008-10-28 16:08:00 UTC | Tags: azure blog cloud computer operating system os windows

I've noticed that a lot of companies have decided the Cloud (applications on the Internet) is the future. For me, I use a fair few to the extent that I don't use OpenOffice any more, just Google Apps. What particularly provoked me is that big companies are now doing it the whole hog. (see www.linux.com/feed/151604 (edit 2021: sorry, page not archived)) So I've decided to make one. It should be: Easy to use Intuitive Aesthetically pleasing Not be anything like today's GUIs

I've gathered a few people to help me with this big task:

From another blog, "5 things I wish Linux had" at https://web.archive.org/web/20090619065522/http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry3288.html (edit: archived) gave me inspiration so I contacted the author to ask him for help with ideas for this OS. He has since made a few more blogs about what Linux needs.

This person's blog is now located at: https://thefrugalnetworker.wordpress.com/

Another blog, "10 Features Ubuntu Should Implement" at https://web.archive.org/web/20120226075352/http://www.kumailht.com/blog/linux/10-features-ubuntu-should-implement/ (edit 2021: now archived but imagegave me yet more inspiration of what to include in my custom made cloud OS.

I'd like anyone and everyone to help make this Cloud system by any means possible, be that advertising, programming, or graphics so please contact me on (cloudos@dandart.co.uk) (edit 2021: change email) if you would like to be involved in this project.

Thank you.

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