[Linux Magazine Preview] Issue 181 / December 2015

Linux Magazine Preview Issue 181 / December 2015

Digital Editions:

US / Canada

All other countries *

Get ready for another issue of Linux Magazine! The digital edition is already available for purchase online. The print edition is on its way to your newsstand and will appear sometime around the following dates:

UK: November 7
Europe: November 9
North America: December 4
Australia: January 4

This month we discuss HTTP/2 to find out why the new web standard is different and why it matters. Check out the quick contents summary at our website.

Copies of Linux Magazine purchased at your local newsstand include a free Linux Magazine exclusive DVD featuring Sabayon 15.09 and Mageia 5 KDE4.

As a special bonus for newsletter subscribers, you can easily purchase individual articles from the issue in PDF format. Read on for the contents, and click a link to purchase an article from this issue of Linux Magazine.

* Google Play Magazines available in AUS, CA, FR, DE, IT, UK, USA

In this issue:

Linux Event Calendar

Drinks and Droids:

The commoditization of tech reached new heights this month with the announcement of the Pepsi smartphone, which appears to be a standard Android model. The new phone will only be sold in China. Whether the trend continues and spreads to the West will depend on many factors that would discourage my speculation in a one-page Welcome column.

(more)

On the DVD:

Sabayon 15.09 and Mageia 5 KDE4

(more)

NEWS:

Updates on technologies, trends, and tools.

(more)

Stress Level: Load test your web application with Apache JMeter

Find out how your web server performs under fire with Apache's JMeter testing tool.

(more)

New Web: Why the new HTTP is different and why the world should care

HTTP/1.1 was advanced for its time, but it wasn't designed for today's complex websites. We'll show you why the new HTTP/2 specification provides a solution.

(more)

Tunnel Vision: Peer-to-peer-based VPN alternatives

People wanting to encrypt the network traffic sent over public lines usually use either IPsec, SSL via port 443, or OpenVPN. We look at four alternative tunnel builders that promise VPN using the peer-to-peer method.

(more)

Give me 5: What's new in the latest release of the free LibreOffice suite

The Document Foundation released LibreOffice 5.0.0 at the beginning of August, and the first update 5.0.1 appeared just three weeks later. In addition to several fixes and new features under the hood, Version 5 provides some very visible improvements.

(more)

Virtual Home: VirtualBox 5.0 tested

We look at a number of new features in VirtualBox 5.0, a popular desktop virtualization solution.

(more)

Wrapped with a Bow on Top: Build Debian packages and offer them in PPAs

Is the current package for your favorite Ubuntu program woefully behind the times? No problem: Just a few steps creates an updated Debian package that you can then share with others in a PPA.

(more)

Socket Wrench: Troubleshooting sockets with ss

The unassuming ss utility is easy to understand and easy to type, but it adds some powerful options to your admin toolkit.

(more)

Ask Klaus: Klaus Knopper answers your Linux questions

Klaus takes a look at how Linux handles access to hardware.

(more)

Whiz Kid: The sys admin's daily grind – H2O

H2O is a web server that has been in development for some time but seems to be a baby compared with the long-serving Apache. Columnist Charly sets out to discover what the "new kid" is capable of.

(more)

Camouflage and Skullduggery: ARP protocol attacks and defenses

ARP spoofing can be used to initiate denial-of-service attacks, network hijacking, and man-in-the-middle attacks on the Intranet. We look at how to prevent these incursions.

(more)

Science, Not Fiction: Automatic desktop configuration using Ansible and Perl

The superluminal speed of the provisioning tool Ansible is suitable for configuration and release management of medium-sized server farms, as well as for use at home for restoring adjustments on your Linux desktop.

(more)

Magic Potion: Functional programming with Elixir

Developers will appreciate Elixir's ability to build distributed, fault-tolerant, and scalable applications.

(more)

Speed of Light: Particle photon

Photon, a tiny WiFi development board backed up by a powerful web platform, is a great device for hardware prototyping and all kinds of interesting projects. We help you to get started with Photon.

(more)

Master Key: Keep access data secure with Cryptonify

Keep track of your login information for web services with Cryptonify.

(more)

Media Miner: Automating downloads with FlexGet

Take the strain out of downloading content from the Internet with FlexGet. Thanks to plugins, you can customize the tool to meet your requirements.

(more)

Journaling: Working with systemd journals

Systemd inaugurated a new journal system, journald. We look at how to view and interpret the new system logs.

(more)

Watchdog: Linux and the consumer advocate

"maddog" remembers meeting Ralph Nader and explaining the concept of open source software.

(more)

Smart Stuff:

Tired of waiting for the Internet of Things? DoBots' new product promises to give you a headstart.

(more)

Penguins in Dublin: In the halls at LinuxCon Europe 2015

This year's LinuxCon Europe brought Linux users and developers to Dublin, Ireland, for keynotes, technical talks, and lots of memorable community moments.

(more)

Zack's Kernel News:

Chronicler Zack Brown reports on the latest news, views, dilemmas, and developments within the Linux kernel community.

(more)

Featured Events, sponsored by Linux Magazine/Linux Pro Magazine:

SC15
Austin, TX
11/15/2015 to 11/20/2015

OSMC 2015
Nuremburg, Germany
11/16/2015 to 11/19/2015

AnDevCon
Santa Clara, CA
12/01/2015 to 12/03/2015

Unmanned Systems Institute Conference 2015
San Diego, CA
12/14/2015 to 12/16/2015

CES 2016
Las Vegas, NV
01/06/2016 to 01/09/2016

SCALE 14x
Pasadena, CA
01/21/2016 to 01/24/2016

Fosdem
Brüssel
01/30/2016 to 01/31/2016

FAST '16
Santa Clara, CA
02/22/2016 to 02/25/2016

NSDI '16
Santa Clara, CA
03/16/2016 to 03/18/2016

See our Event Calendar for a comprehensive list.