Machines like Linutop can make a rather neat mini server which you can use to host virtually any application base on the LAMP stack (Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP). The problem is that turning Linutop (or any machine for that matter) into an application server involves setting up the required servers (e.g., Apache and MySQL), manually modifying configuration files, and tweaking application settings. Fortunately, the BitNami service provides a more straightforward way to install a number of LAMP-based applications on your machine. BitNami offers so-called stacks — a preconfigured bundle containing a specific application, all the required components, and a graphical installer. A list of the available BitNami stacks includes MediaWiki, WordPress, phpBB, Joomla, Drupal, DokuWiki, and other popular Web-based applications. Installing a BitNami stack is as easy as it gets. Fetch the BitNami stack you want and run the downloaded .bin installer in the terminal. For example, if you downloaded the Tracks pack, you can start its installer using the following command:
./bitnami-tracks-x.x-x-linux-installer.bin
The installer then guides you through the setup process. At the end, the installer generates an uninstall script which you can use to easily remove the stack when necessary.
![BitNami](http://www.linutop.com/news/images/BitNami.png)
Once installed, you can start, stop, and restart the stack using the ctlscript.sh in the tracks-x.x-x directory, for example:
./ctlscript.sh start
./ctlscript.sh stop
./ctlscript.sh restart
You can access the running application by pointing your browser to http://localhost:8080/tracks/. Besides being easy to install and deploy, BitNami offers other advantages. Since each BitNami stack installs as a self-contained application, you can have multiple instances of the same stack installed on a single machine. The installed stack doesn’t affect other services running on the machine, so you can still run separate Apache or MySQL servers without interfering with the BitNami stack, provided they don’t attempt to run on the same ports.
December 10th, 2008 - Tags: apache, lamp, Linux, mysql, servers, webapps
Posted in English, Linux, Tips & Tutorials | 3 Comments »
I’ve heard that Linux is for geeks. Is that true?
Not at all. It might have been the case a decade ago, but today you’ll find many beginner-friendly Linux distributions. They use graphical desktop environments like KDE, Gnome, or Xfce that don’t require any particular skills beyond point-and-click. In fact, there is even a book with that title.
Linux distributions, KDE, Gnome, Xfce? I’m confused!
OK, let’s start from the very beginning. Linux is an operating system that manages your hardware and allows you to perform basic operations using the bundled tools. The base system is too technical for most users, so on top of it often sits a so-called graphical desktop environment that shields you from the complexity of the underlying system. The most popular graphical desktop environments include KDE, Gnome, and Xfce. Installing the Linux system on your machine, then adding a desktop environment, and finally installing the applications you need sounds like a laborious and time consuming process. Fortunately, you can get everything you need in one neat package called a Linux distribution. A typical Linux distribution (or distro) comes with one or several graphical desktop environments, a user friendly-installer, and a collection of utilities that can help you to configure your system. Often a Linux distro uses a specific graphical desktop environment as its default. For example, Ubuntu prefers Gnome, while Mandriva favors KDE. Virtually every Linux distribution comes with configuration tools that can help you to set up your computer. Using them, you can tweak your desktop’s appearance, connect to a printer, configure a network connection, etc. Moreover, any distro worth its salt comes with an assortment of applications, so you can use your computer for pretty much any task — from browsing the Web to editing your photos — right out of the box.
Read the rest of this entry »
December 5th, 2008 - Tags: beginners, Linux
Posted in English, Linux, Tips & Tutorials | 2 Comments »
If you usually work on several machines (e.g., a desktop machine at home and a notebook on the move), the Dropbox service can help you to keep your files and documents in sync with minimum fuss. For example, I use Dropbox to keep documents on my Linutop in sync with my Eee PC. That’s all fine and dandy, but if you visit the project’s download page, you’ll discover that the packaged version of Dropbox is available only for a handful of distros. You can compile Dropbox on your system using the provided source code package, but there is an easier way to make the software work with your particular distro. First, head to Dropbox’s forums, grab the latest build (0.6.427 at the writing moment), and unpack it into your home directory. The result should be a hidden .dropbox-dist directory. Now launch the terminal and run the following command:
~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd
This launches Dropbox and starts the registration wizard. Follow the instructions to link the machine to your Dropbox account, and you are all set. While the described technique allows you to install Dropbox on virtually any Linux distro without going through the rigmarole of compiling the software, it does have one drawback: it doesn’t add status icons to files and directories. But that’s a small price to pay for the sheer convenience of the described installation method.
December 3rd, 2008 - Tags: dropbox, synchronization
Posted in English, Linux, Tips & Tutorials | 5 Comments »
Fonts are like candies: you can never get enough of them. So if you are getting tired of the fonts that come with your system, here is a hand-picked collection of a few open source fonts that deserve a closer look.
The Liberation fonts are designed as drop-in replacements for the widely-used proprietary fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Courier New, etc. The Liberation font pack consists of three sets: Sans (a substitute for Arial, Albany, and Helvetica), Serif (a substitute for Times New Roman) and Mono (a substitute for Courier New, Cumberland, and Courier).
Read the rest of this entry »
November 28th, 2008 - Tags: fonts
Posted in English, Linutop, Linux, Tips & Tutorials | 19 Comments »
Although OpenOffice.org comes with a decent online help, it can only get you that far. But there is a plethora of Web resources, support forums, and books that can help you to get the most out of the productivity suite and solve any problems you might have. And often, you don’t have to pay a dime to get the help you need.
Read the rest of this entry »
November 25th, 2008 - Posted in English, Software, Tips & Tutorials | 1 Comment »
Paris, July 1st, 2008
Linutop is pleased to announce today Linutop 2.2 the latest version of Linutop.
Linutop OS 2.2 now includes :
- FireFox 3.
- OpenOffice 2.4.
- Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron.
Linutop 2 owners can order a USB key upgrade or download it from our wiki.
Linutop2.2 Press release
July 1st, 2008 - Posted in English, Linutop, Linux, Small PC, Software | No Comments »
Linux User (April P18 German edition) : “Green Computing auf dem Desktop”. PC Expert (April P34-41 French edition) : “PCs under 300 euros, basket new balance Green PCs,
March 30th, 2008 - Posted in English, Linutop, Linux, Press, Small PC, Software | No Comments »
A tool that lets you look up any word on a Web page in Web dictionaries and references can come in handy for most Firefox users. There are several Firefox extensions out there which allow you to do just that, but Dictionary Search scores high when it comes to the perfect balance of simplicity and flexibility. Once installed, this extension adds the Search Dictionary command to the context menu. Using Dictionary Search couldn’t be easier: select the word you want to look up, then right-click on it and choose the Search Dictionary command.
![DictionarySearch.png](http://www.linutop.com/news/images/DictionarySearch.png)
By default, the extension uses the Dictionary.com dictionaries to look up words, but you can specify up to three custom references. To do this, choose Tools -> Add-ons and press the Preferences button next to the Dictionary search extension. Let’s say you want to add Wikipedia. First, you have to specify the name of the command in the Text field, for example: Look up “$” in Wikipedia. The $ character acts as a placeholder which is replaced with the word you select in the Web page; for example, if you select the word “monkey”, the command in the context menu will be Look up “monkey” in Wikipedia. Next, you have to specify the query URL in the URL field. The easiest way to figure out the exact query URL for the particular Web reference is to perform a search and note the resulting URL. For example, if you search for “monkey” in Wikipedia, you’ll notice that the query URL is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey. Replace “Monkey” with the $ placeholder and enter the resulting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/$ query URL in the URL field. Press thes OK button to save the settings and close the window. Now select a word in a Web page, right-click on the selected text, and you should see the new Look up in Wikipedia command.
March 17th, 2008 - Tags: dictionaries, extensions, Firefox, languages
Posted in English, Tips & Tutorials | No Comments »
Exhibition and conferences
The 29 , 30 and 31 january 2008
CNIT – Paris La Défense
Opening hours:
29 january 9 am to 6 pm
30 january 9 am to 6 pm
31 january 9 am to 6 pm
Linutop Booth F22
See you there!
January 15th, 2008 - Posted in English, Green IT, Linutop, Linux, Small PC, Software | No Comments »
Paris, January 1st, 2008
Happy New Year
Feliz Año Nuevo
Ein Gutes Neues Jahr
Bonne Année
Onnellista Uutta Vuotta
Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
Gott nytt år
Felice anno nuovo
Godt nytår
January 1st, 2008 - Posted in English, French, Linutop | No Comments »
![Linutop V1.2](http://linutop.com/images/linutop-mounting-bracket-backs.jpg)
Paris, December 12th, 2007
Linutop is pleased to announce today a new accessory: The linutop mounting bracket, it allows the linutop to be placed on the back of a flat pannel. A nice and stylish way to save room on a desk.
With Linutop, you can now have an all in one PC.
Totally silent and energy efficient, Linutop can display your most valuable information from the Internet or simply display high definitions pictures or a video.
The linutop mounting bracket:
- Allows the linutop to be fixed on a VESA compliant monitor 7.5cm or 10cm.
- Easy to set up.
- Hide your linutop behind a screen.
- Keeps USB ports and audio connectors accessible..
- Screenshots
- Pictures
December 12th, 2007 - Posted in Digital Signage, English, Linutop, Linutop OS, Small PC | No Comments »
![Linutop V1.2](http://linutop.com/images/Linutop_dvbt_bfmtvs.jpg)
Paris, November 7th, 2007
With Linutop, you can now watch TV, videos or access the Internet on the same screen. Totally silent and energy efficient, Linutop provides a new user experience to access digital contents.
The new software package V1.2 includes:
- New graphic drivers allowing full screen video.
- A new set of drivers for USB DVBT dongles (Digital TV).
- Ability to play video files from or Web TV.
- Network accessibility to Windows shared folders.
- Ability to broadcast digital video or audio streams to any computer on a network.
Other enhancements:
- PXE boot
- Shorter boot time
Linutop V1.2 Digital TV Press Release(English).
Linutop V1.2 Digital TV Press Release(French).
- Screenshots
- Pictures
November 7th, 2007 - Posted in Digital Signage, English, Linutop, Linutop OS, Small PC | No Comments »
![linutop Award](http://linutop.com/images/TIC21_logos.jpg)
30th and 31st October, 2007 – Valenciennes
TIC21 was founded with the conviction that new technologies and the information society are major levers in generating a development respecting the people and the natural resources.
With 400 participants, 100 renowned speakers and international specialists, the International Forum is a leading event amongst the meetings organised by TIC21, and its partners. Bringing together businesses, local authorities, institutions, associations, NGOs, the media, universities, researchers and analysts, the TIC21 Forum will produce an unprecedented gathering of different groups.
October 31st, 2007 - Posted in Digital Signage, English, Green IT, Linutop, Linux, Press, Small PC, Software | No Comments »
![Linutop V1.1.5](http://linutop.com/images/linutop_V1.1.5s.jpg)
Paris, October 3rd, 2007
+VLC media player for audio and video playback
+Web pages slide show with a timer
+Photo viewer for high definition pictures display
+Flash player
- Network Parameters back up (DHCP, Fix IP,Wifi)
- Backup tools
A detailed list of changes is available on our wiki
October 3rd, 2007 - Posted in English, Linutop, Linutop OS, Small PC, Software | No Comments »
![AMD](http://linutop.com/images/logo_AMD.jpg)
Paris, July 2007
AMD Embedded Solutions.
- AMD 15x 50 initiative for emerging countries and Internet access for all
Linutop is based on AMD Geode LX series.
Geode processors are optimized for low power consumption and low cost while still remaining compatible with software written for the x86 platform wikipedia.
July 16th, 2007 - Posted in English, Linutop, Press | No Comments »
![Linutop in PC Expert July](http://linutop.com/images/linutop_PC_expert_fr_tops.jpg)
Paris, June 21st, 2007
On the cover page: “Linutop le PC de poche : sans disque dur, avec OS sur clé USB, silencieux et économique”. Linutop a pocket size PC, diskless with OS on USB key, silent and affordable. Inside (P50): A full page gives readers an overview of Linutop energy efficient new technology and its trade-off …
March 21st, 2007 - Posted in English, Linutop, Press | No Comments »
![Linutop V1.2](http://linutop.com/images/linutop_outoftheboxs.jpg)
Paris, January 1st, 2007
Welcome to our new web site.
January 1st, 2007 - Tags:
Posted in Digital Signage, English, Green IT, Linutop, Linux, Small PC, Software | No Comments »