More Open Source In Depth

Computerworld continuing coverage of Hadoop

Latest news, features and more on Hadoop.

Open-source cloud frameworks: A work in progress

Here's a look at the growing list of open-source platform-as-a-service providers and how IT managers can decide where the technology fits best in their organizations.

Wide-Open Search

With the explosion of unstructured data, companies are looking for more options for enterprise search. Here's a look at the benefits and limitations of open-source search-enabled applications.

Look Before You Leap Into Hadoop

Analysts and early users warn that companies should move slowly if they want to take advantage of the open-source Hadoop technology, noting that it requires extensive training along with analytics expertise not seen in many IT shops.

What's the big deal about Hadoop?

Hadoop is all the rage, but it requires expertise that's beyond the ken of many IT shops, customers say.

The Grill: Doug Cutting

Hadoop creator Doug Cutting says he expects the surge in interest in the big-data storage and analytics framework to continue.

Look Who's Discovered the Virtues of Openness

The company's embrace of openness does not mean that it's forgoing profits.

Image gallery: Alfresco -- an open-source ECM alternative for SharePoint

Microsoft's SharePoint ECM system can be expensive; companies may be able to find an alternative in Alfresco, or make do with simpler document management systems.

Alfresco: An open-source ECM alternative for SharePoint

Microsoft's SharePoint ECM system can be expensive; companies may be able to find an alternative in Alfresco, or make do with simpler document management systems. Insider (registration required)

'Big data' prep: 5 things IT should do now

Ready or not, big data is coming. Here are 5 things IT managers can do today to prepare for the data deluge of tomorrow.

SUSE Linux top exec: Interoperability is key

In an exclusive interview, SUSE president and GM Nils Brauckmann talks about strategic partnerships, building clouds, and whether the economic downturn presents an opportunity for open source. Insider (registration required)

Why Big Data Is a Big Deal

Like 'the cloud,' the concept of 'big data' is the subject of a lot of hype and means different things to different people. Here's what it really means, who's really doing it, and what it could mean for the future of data mining.

7-Zip Compresses Files Efficiently

When people talk about file compression, they usually mean ZIP. In fact, they often make it into a verb--much like we "Google" things on the Internet, we "zip" files before sending them over email. But ZIP is just one compression format, and it isn't necessarily the best. Free, open-source utility 7-Zip supports ZIP, but also the much-improved 7z compression format. It's available in a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version.

Wearable Android

This image gallery accompanies the blog post Wearable Android? New platform promises futuristic Google gizmos

DoD debuts brand-new, security-focused Linux for telecommuters

With all the hundreds of Linux distributions already available for practically every niche and purpose, users of the open-source operating system are accustomed to having a wealth of choices. Recently, however, the set of options got even bigger thanks to a brand-new, security-focused Linux distribution from none other than the U.S. Department of Defense.

Immerse Yourself in Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup

Free RPG Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is one of a class of games known as roguelikes, after Rogue, the first such game. The ancient legacy is apparent. Although this open-source game has a graphics mode, it can also be played in straight ASCII, where your character is an "@" and the monsters are various letters or symbols. The "tiled mode" provides simple 2-D graphics.

The HP TouchPad's best feature is Linux OS

It's a strong testament to the power of Linux that HP has chosen WebOS as the platform for many upcoming phones, tablets, printers and PCs.

Impersonator, a different kind of virtualization

Gibbs' quest to resurrect an old Windows 98 game ends in success with an emulator that isn't.

Has Unity knocked Ubuntu off of its pedestal?

It's no secret that the new Unity interface in Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" has been less than entirely successful at pleasing some fans of Canonical's free and open-source operating system.

Putting VirtualBox to the test

The free virtualizatin systems scores high, as does a new PC maintenance tool Slimware. The Syllable operating system, not so much.