OStatic

Popular network protocol analyzer Wireshark released a major update recently that's chock full of new features. Wireshark 2.1.0 now has OpenStreetMap + GeoIP integration, a 64-bit Windows installer, improved support for Mac OS X, and more.

Under development since 1998, Wireshark has been lauded as one of the most important open source apps of all time for making network and application troubleshooting more accessible to computer users and administrators. Since many businesses and educational institutions rely on Wireshark to optimize and secure their networks, there is even a certification course aimed at IT staffers.

Even though the economy is rough all over, this really is one of the best times to be working in an open source company. There are advantages for those running the business, and for those using its services. Perhaps the only better arrangement would be along the lines of what Likewise Software has put together -- an open source company developing and offering support services for software that integrates and secures mixed network environments.

There are a lot of mixed networks out in the wild, of course. This is why Likewise has successfully secured a $10 million Series C round of funding, which the company plans to use to pursue growth in new markets and fund the development of its product line.

Late last year, open source network and systems management software vendor GroundWork offered an early look at Groundwork Monitor 5.3 and requested feedback from the community. Now the official update has been released and it contains a number of enhancements, including an increase in the number of devices that can be managed by a single subscription -- all without an addtional price increase.

Last week, Net Applications reported Microsoft's operating system share had fallen below the 90 percent mark on the 40,000 or so websites where it gathers its traffic statistics. InternetNews is reporting that Net Applications made another interesting, if puzzling, discovery.

It seems the statistics gathered from Google.com (this only includes Google employees -- not the public using the search engine) were showing that a third of these users were accessing sites with an unknown operating system. It's more interesting when you consider that proxy servers block all identifying information, but the Google.com unknown systems only had the operating system information obscured.

Theories abound, of course, as to what Google might have up its sleeve. There's the Google is bringing Android to the PC school of thought, and the networking application infrastructure development theory.

On Monday, Michael DeHaan cast his net into Debian/Ubuntu waters, seeking out those who might be interested in packaging and maintaining the Red Hat-centric installation/provisioning server, Cobbler.

DeHaan states that recent additions and improvements added to Cobbler's development branch are shaping the project into a viable alternative to Debian's FAI (Fully Automatic Installation) package.

We've written a number of times about open source security and authentication applicaiton vendor Likewise Software, because they're a quality company with a great product line. Likewise Open supports over 125 platforms and links Linux, Unix, or Mac systems to Active Directory domains in one easy step. Likewise Enterprise allows IT departments to authenticate users, create reports for regulatory audits, and control access to applications and data.

If your IT department has been considering giving Likewise a whirl, the free download of Likewise Open is available for the taking. If you're already a Likewise Open customer, then you'll want to listen up. Tomorrow, the company is formally announcing new ways to upgrade to Likewise Enterprise but we've got the skinny right now.

Pidgin is a great GTK2-based instant messenger application that supports a bevy of protocols, including ICQ, Yahoo!, MSN, Jabber, and AIM. It's a terrific app in its own right, but when you add some of these power tools, Pidgin is even better.

pidgin-hotkeys - Use this plugin to assign global hotkeys to quickly perform regular tasks like fetching messages, toggling the buddy list, or opening the preferences pane. Also available in German and Swedish.

If you spend a lot of time online then you know how quickly passwords and registration information can pile up. It's practically impossible to remember them all, but thanks to open source password manager KeePass you don't have to. It's developed for Windows, but there are several unofficial contributed builds for Linux, Mac OS X, BlackBerry, Android, and more.

Firefox is a wonderful browser in so many ways but its password management leaves a lot to be desired. Fortunately, there are several add-ons to help manage your passwords and easily generate new ones in a flash.?

Show My Password - If you're tired of having your password field scrambled even though no one else is around to peek over your shoulder, then try this add-on. It shows your passwords as you type them, making typos easier to catch before they slow down your logins.