Carla Schroder

Although using public key authentication instead of passwords is a great method for increasing the security of SSH transfers, transferring SSH identity keys can be a royal pain. First, you create your key pairs; then, you copy the public key into the correct locations on all the machines you want to log into. The keys […]

Webcams are everywhere these days: they’re standard on a lot of laptops, LCD monitors are starting to incorporate them, and decent standalone USB webcams can be had for less than $40. In this two-part series we’ll set up a Webcam on Linux, and then use it to perform a number of amazing and fun tasks. […]

I’m running Kubuntu Gutsy Gibbon (7.10) on one of my main workstations. As with its sibling Ubuntu, it’s an endlessly-entertaining blend of really nice stuff and really irritating stuff. The nice stuff is nearly-current releases of fast-moving applications like KDE, Digikam, Krita, KWord, and other apps that I use a lot, easy-on-the-eyes graphics, a good […]

VoIP was supposed to bring cheap and easy videophones and video-conferencing to the masses. Webcams are all but free, and TV shows love to tease us with full-screen, full-color, perfect video calls. If you’ve tried it yourself, you know the reality isn’t quite so pretty. You get a tiny little screen that is updated every […]

The VoIP industry has been preoccupied with making things work right, adding polish and functionality, expansion, and keeping customers happy. So there hasn’t been a lot of talk about security issues. But the wise admin remains current on potential security problems; being surprised by nasty stuff is dreadfully unpleasant. So we’re going to review some […]

Fonality has become the first open-source-based VoIP provider to strike a deal with a Tier 1 computer vendor. Starting this February, customers will be able to purchase fully provisioned Fonality VoIP Phone System servers from computer maker Dell. The Fonality VoIP Phone System will come installed on Optiplex 330 PCs, according to Fonality CEO Chris […]

OpenOffice is the darling of the FOSS office suites, and it is a nice suite. It’s cross-platform, and OpenOffice Writer is a first-rate word processor with a lot of advanced features. But it’s not the only good option for Linux users: Abiword and KWord are excellent lightweight word processors with good feature sets, and both […]

gOS, the hot new Linux distribution, has been generating a lot of buzz because it comes with the Everex Green PC, sold at Wal-Mart for $200. Linux reviewers are totally in love with it, and are praising it to the skies. Naturally, I had to find out if it lives up to the hype. gOS […]

Everyone knows they should make regular backups of their data. But hardly anyone is as diligent with backups as they should be. So in this two-part series we’re going to learn some nice simple methods for making regular backups on single PCs or small networks. Part 1 covers external backup media, and bending udevto your […]

In the beginning was the circuit-switched voice network. Every call was given a dedicated connection for the duration of the call, like a train on a track, and life was good. Then came the Internet, and lo! bearded geeks did rampantly stuff data packets over analog circuits, and the result was like a crowded freeway […]