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26
Jan

ClearOS Community and Professional

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

With the release of ClearOS 6 drawing closer, we'd like to update the community on the continued evolution and direction of ClearOS.

ClearOS 6 marks a significant step forward on two fronts to engage developers and ISV's currently outside the ClearOS community to develop on the ClearOS 6 platform:

  • the new webconfig framework
  • ClearCenter's Marketplace.

Webconfig Framework

The re-factoring of the ClearOS 5 webconfig code to utilize a more modern, secure and extensible PHP/UI framework (CodeIgniter and Jquery/JqueryUI was chosen) will assuredly make new developers to ClearOS feel more 'at home' and be productive faster than learning a completely custom API.  In addition, significant resources were allocated towards documenting the development process and creating tools to lower the barrier to entry to new developers and OSS projects/ISVs interested in integrating into ClearOS.

 

 

 

ClearCenter's Marketplace

Modules (renamed apps in ClearOS 6) in ClearOS 5x essentially originated from a very small pool of developers - 95% of which worked for ClearCenter.  With the new ClearCenter Marketplace, a framework exists for developers and companies outside the core development team to easily (and very visibly) have their contributions adopted by the ever-growing ClearOS install base.  Marketplace not only abstracts away from the developer the tasks of marketing, downloading and installing apps - it also provides a variety of business models in which to do so.  The Marketplace will have both free and paid apps, supported and unsupported, all at the discretion of the developer/vendor.

The Future of ClearOS - Two Versions Today - More to Come!

With a common framework and Marketplace in place, the ClearOS platform can evolve towards markets currently being under-served.  For example, a Home Edition has been discussed on the forums in numerous threads but the lack of apps specific to home use (media servers, home security, home automation etc.) have yet to warrant a separate image (i.e. ClearOS Home Edition).

The team at ClearCenter (the single largest commercial organisation supporting ClearOS) feels now is the right time to differentiate the solution specific to ClearCenter's focus - small/distributed business, education, NGOs and government.

To accommodate and future-proof against these changes, ClearOS Enterprise Edition 5x will be renamed ClearOS Community Edition in 6.x and beyond, to more aptly reflect the development model and support processes in play.

At the same time, a second product ISO will be launched by ClearCenter, named ClearOS Professional.  This image will share much of the same code-base and OSI licensing as the Community Edition.  The main differences (explained in more detail when ClearCenter officially announces the release) will be the 'built-in' commercial support and a Marketplace that includes all the apps in the Community Edition in addition to half a dozen or so apps that will be exclusive to the Professional Edition.  In addition to simplifying the messaging and providing more clarity to new users of ClearOS, this change was necessary to adequately support and maintain the apps focused on installations where there is a business-case to do so.

To existing users...rest assured no functionality is being removed in the move from version 5 to version 6.  All apps entering the Professional Edition Marketplace are new features that represent time invested by the ClearCenter team and/or partnerships ClearCenter has made with ISV's (i.e. Google, Kaspesky, Zarafa etc.).  Those apps are:

Active Director Connector
Google Apps Syncronization
Kaspersky Antimalware (for file, email and gateway)
Zarafa Small Business
Central Management

A forum thread for further discussion on this topic has been created and available here.

Cheers,

Ben

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22
Dec

ClearOS Enterprise 6.2.0 Beta 2 Release Information

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

ClearOS Enterprise 6.2.0 Beta 2 has arrived!  Hey, what happened to the version number - wasn't it version 6.1.0?  Well, the latest ClearOS release is built on source code from a prominent North American Linux vendor.  This upstream vendor released their 6.2 update earlier this month and we quickly followed suit.  For the curious, you can find more information on ClearOS version numbering here.

Along with the release of more than a dozen new apps, this release continues the process of creating a stable base system: installer, RPM packages, users, groups, system tools, LDAP, network, firewall, framework, and Marketplace.

You can find download information for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions in the Release Notes.  Enjoy!

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23
Sep

ClearOS Enterprise 6.1.0 Beta 1 Released

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

The ClearOS Enterprise 6.1.0 beta 1 release is here!  This release will kickstart the process of creating a stable base system: installer, RPM packages, users, groups, system tools, LDAP, network, firewall, framework, and Marketplace.  At the same time, we will start rolling out more apps like Web Proxy and Web Access Control found in this beta 1 release.

You can find download information for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions in the Release Notes.  Enjoy!


Web Development Services

Shopify Development Services

PHP Development Services

API Integration Services

YII Framework

Ecommerce Development

Laravel Development Services

Node.JS Framework

 

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07
Jul

ClearOS Enterprise 6.1.0 Alpha 1 Released

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

The ClearOS Enterprise 6.1.0 alpha 1 release has arrived!  This alpha provides a small window into what's in store for the upcoming release.

For end users, Marketplace, the fast web interface engine and usability improvements are the highlights of this release.  The Marketplace is up and running and a small set of apps can be installed.

For developers, the new ClearOS App Framework is now stable and ready for use. Whether you want to develop a free tool or a paid app, the environment for building new features for ClearOS is much improved.

For translators, the process of translating ClearOS Enterprise can get underway. Please contact developer@clearfoundation.com if you would like to participate!

Please keep in mind that this is an alpha. Some parts of Alpha 1 are quite polished, while other parts (ahem) need work.

Release Notes and Download Links

 

 

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29
Jun

ClearCenter Marketplace for ClearOS Enterprise

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

With the ClearOS Enterprise Alpha (and shortly thereafter, Beta) image nearing release, there are bound to be questions on one of the major features making its debut in the upcoming release - ClearCenter's Marketplace.

Simply put, ClearCenter's Marketplace is an online store featuring apps and services (both free and paid) for ClearOS Enterprise.  For those using or familiar with Android smartphones, there is a good analogy that will help clarify the direction we are taking.  Let's start with the following two premises:

1.  ClearOS is to Server, Network & Gateway what Android OS is to Smartphones.

2.  ClearCenter's new Marketplace is to ClearOS Enterprise (the platform) what Google's Android Marketplace is to Android OS.

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16
Jun

There's no place like home...

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

A couple years ago we were trying to decide the organizational structures of ClearCenter and ClearFoundation. We knew that we had a business to run but we also knew that the open source components that made Clarkconnect unique needed greater community incubation. This is the reason for placing ClearOS Enterprise into ClearFoundation and ClearSDN with ClearCenter. We knew it would be trivial to create ClearCenter but ClearFoundation was a bit different. Let me explain.

Michael Proper introduced me to Clarkconnect when I was working at his Managed Service Provider company. He was doing due diligence to try to find a low cost office solution for small businesses. In the course of his search he discovered Clarkconnect and introduced it to me. I had the same reaction that nearly every Linux admin has, "Well, it's great and all but I can set all that up too." Michael's response to me changed my view and opened my eyes. He said something to the effect of "Yeah, but can you create this same configuration a hundred times, all the same, and then support them?" It was this scalability and the 'set it and forget it' aspect that won me over.

Next door to this company was a little outfit engaged in a lawsuit with IBM by the name of SCO. As our involvement with the Clarkconnect team grew tighter and tighter, we realized that to protect something that is fundamentally protected by copyright alone (as it should be) we needed to keep it safe and untainted. In our search we considered some great places like Canada,  Australia, Switzerland, Singapore and even the Principality of Hutt River. In the end we decided on New Zealand. Over and over this island nation has proven a rational understanding of innovation in software as something that can and should be copyrighted but not patented. Additionally, it grants freedoms to businesses better than nearly any other nation. So, we give a shout out today and cheer to New Zealand. Let those that would seek to implement software patents there join the ranks of those that have decided to back down. Long live New Zealand, home of ClearFoundation! Hip Hip Huzzah! And thank you NZOSS and NZCS for all your hard work.

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13
Jun

ClearOS Core vs. ClearOS Enterprise ... what's the diff?

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

If you are confused, it is my fault. I take the blame and I'm sorry. The recent releases of ClearOS Core is causing some confusion and I know why. If you have read every post on all the forums then it is easy to see what is going on but a cursory glance will lead to confusion so I will attempt to spell it out simply. ClearFoundation is releasing a completely different distro (ClearOS Core) and to make matters worse, we are calling nearly the same name as another existing product (ClearOS Enterprise). This was done for strategic, long term consistency between multiple product lines and makes way for yet another goal, ClearOS Home.

If you are used to using ClearOS Enterprise and you remember the days of Clarkconnect then by now you know that sometimes we mix things up and it can cause to some confusion. For example, ClearOS Enterprise used to be paid and now it is free like Clarkconnect Community Edition, which was free but now no longer exists, much like Clarkconnect SOHO or GS (which you probably never heard of). Back then the question was, "Wait, why are you getting rid of the Community Edition, man!" The answer was "Well Enterprise is now free!". To which the reply was, "But I like the Community Edition." ... good times.

For existing users familiar to the interface, ClearOS Enterprise is the only thing you need to concern yourself with. ClearOS Enterprise is a continuation of what most people consider 'ClearOS'. So if you are looking for a server, network and gateway platform that is managed through a web-based interface, ClearOS Enterprise is the tool for you. The alpha release of ClearOS Enterprise should be available as a VM shortly.

So what the heck is ClearOS Core? For a long time we have been anticipating the release of open source code from CentOS which would allow ClearOS Enterprise to move forward with a better kernel, improvements to the driver stack and other bits that make geeks chitter with glee, bob their heads in approval, and strum their fingers together signalling imminent world domination. Sadly, our primary source of this code has not been forthcoming in a manner that met our expectations. Our answer to this was to bypass them and go further upstream. We have retooled our development resources to handle this mammoth project and decided to give it away as well. The end result is a vanilla multi-purpose Linux distribution that is not easy to manage but is great for Linux hobbists and elite Linux admins. A CentOS replacement. With nothing better to do than to confuse our patient fans we decided to call it ... ClearOS Core! I realize now that this is akin to U2 calling the followup to their smash hit album, "The Joshua Tree Leaf". I'm sorry for confusing anyone.

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06
Jun

ClearOS Core 6.1 Alpha1 released

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

ClearFoundation announces the release of ClearOS Core 6.1 Alpha 1. This release is intended for testing and proof of concept for new line of operating systems for servers and workstations. To download the torrent please visit the download section or visit linuxtracker.org.

ClearOS Core is an enterprise Linux distribution for server and desktop environments. It is a free and open source rebuild of a prominent North American Linux distribution. The goal is to provide near binary equivalency and functionality that exists in the upstream distribution, including bugs. Additionally, ClearFoundation strives to release versions, updates and patches in a timely and professional manner (the goal for updates is 48 hours or less). Most of the source code in ClearOS Core is GPL. ClearFoundation reserves all rights on its own service marks, trademarks and graphics not specifically designated as open source.

ClearOS Core is the result of the hard work of many individuals worldwide who have given their time and talent to open source. ClearFoundation is grateful for the dedicated efforts of our upstream sources provider. ClearFoundation is not affiliated, associated or supported by the company which produces the upstream prominent North American Linux distribution or the Fedora™ Project. ClearOS Core is built from publicly available and open source SRPMS and as such it is an alternative and not an exact replacement to the prominent North American Linux distribution.

ClearOS Core is the base for ClearOS Enterprise. It is intended for advanced Linux administrators who want a high level of scalability and control over their Linux environments.

 

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01
Jun

Request for ClearOS Mirrors

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

With the release of ClearOS Core the ClearFoundation will need global mirrors (see the TBD section) to help with the distribution effort. We are looking for sites with 100GB available that have a 100Mbps connection, 1Gbps preferred. We hope to be pushing content during the coming month. Sign-up here to help. 

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31
May

Michael Proper & Dave Loper To Appear On TWIT’s Floss Weekly Show

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

Michael Proper, ClearCenter CEO and Dave Loper, ClearFoundation President, will appear tomorrow on This Week in Tech's (TWIT) FLOSS Weekly Show to discuss some of the upcoming features in ClearOS and ClearCenter offerings. You can watch or listen to the show’s taping live tomorrow Wednesday, June 1 at 9:30 a.m. PST at http://live.twit.tv or you can download the show at http://twit.tv/FLOSS a day or two later. TWIT has an IRC chat room that can be reached directly at http://irc.twit.tv channel #twitlive if you'd like to ask questions for Michael or follow along with commenters during the live show.

TWIT's FLOSS Weekly is hosted by Randal Schwartz and a rotating panel of co-hosts every Wednesday as they talk with the most interesting and important people in the Open Source and Free Software community. Visit http://twit.tv/FLOSS for more information.

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21
May

ClearOS Enterprise and ClearOS Core

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

ClearFoundation is excited for the latest release of new upstream sources. We are grateful to hardware providers that enable us to rebuild these sources quickly. Since we are already building sources for our expected release of 6.0 we have merged the newly released sources and have already begun rebuilding our 6.0 tree against upstream 6.1 sources. At the time of this writing, we are already nearly complete in our build from sources. This has turned out to be great timing for us as we will soon be able to place these packages into beta for the community for testing.

We are excited to announce that in conjunction to the release of ClearOS Enterprise 6.0 that we will also be releasing a new distribution, ClearOS Core 6.1. This new distribution strives to maintain 100% package compatibility with upstream sources.  100% compatibility means

ClearOS Core will also contain all upstream issues and bugs.  The only changes from upstream sources will be to remove branding as required.

Beginning tomorrow, we will begin our internal QA process to validate the symbols. ClearOS Core 6.1 will be based on these 6.1 upstream sources. ClearOS Enterprise 6.0 will enter beta using the sources we have previously built against upstream 6.0 sources. During the beta we will 'update' to these new sources and hope to have them merged by the completion of the beta cycle. We expect to release code into beta shortly for both products.

ClearOS Core and ClearOS Enterprise are free and open source platforms. ClearCenter continues to provide paid resources such as support, hardware, and services for ClearOS. Volunteer today!

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27
Apr

Going Back To Our Red Hat Roots

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

ClearFoundation announces the development of an open source application repository to provide pre-built packages for ClearOS and other related Linux distributions. 

ClearOS Distribution Timeline

This application package repository will be used in conjunction with newer distribution models to provide enterprise grade application frameworks for businesses, education, research and homes. This repository will contain packages built from Red Hat Enterprise Linux sources. 

Initially the repository will contain over 2000 open source applications, modules and components. These can be used to build custom solutions based on ClearOS or other related Linux distributions. Packages will range from very foundational Linux code to productivity applications. ClearOS and other open source communities will benefit from the repository by having access to timely updates and quick turn around for sources. 

The ClearFoundation will be seeking developers, maintainers, testers, bandwidth contributors (hosting mirrors) and additional funds for additional build hardware. If you are any of the above and would like to join this important effort please fill out this form.

* Company names, brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.

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15
Mar

New installer slated for ClearOS 6.0

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

With the upcoming release of ClearOS 6.0 there will be a new graphical installer. This installer will be more flexible than previous versions and will support Linux Volume Manager (LVM) and Kickstart. These additions bring greater robustness, flexibility, and scalability to the ClearOS platform. 

Category selection in Graphical interface

LVM allows administrators to grow and shrink partitions. Additionally, partitions can be dynamically manipulated. 

LVM Administration in ClearOS 6.0 installer

Kickstart allows administrators and system integrators to create custom installs to 'preconfigure' ClearOS with parameters, settings, and even third party applications during the install. An example of this would be an unattended VMWare server install or an installation of packages or modifications of ClearOS settings.

Lastly, as we try to improve localization and translation, we will need some new elements created in various languages. If you have previous translation experience, we need you!

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22
Dec

ClearOS Enterprise 6.0 Developer Preview

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

Just in time for the holidays!

As most of you already know, much of ClearOS 6.0 will be built off of source code from the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and CentOS 6 releases.  The new Red Hat version was more than 3 years in the making and was just released a few weeks ago (November 2010).  There are a lot of new goodies in the new release - especially for the enterprise - and you can read about them here.

The CentOS team went to work the day of the Red Hat release and is busy putting together CentOS 6.  Though the base CentOS 6 is not yet ready, that has not stopped us from providing a sneak preview of the new ClearOS 6.0 web application framework! 

Information and release notes

 

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22
Oct

ClearOS Enterprise 5.2 Service Pack 1 Released!

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

October is here and so is Service Pack 1 for ClearOS Enterprise 5.2!  We have added a couple of new features in this release:

  • The ability to enable services (for example, Content Filter Updates) on the fly.
  • The ability to install software modules from the ClearOS community and third party vendors.

The third party software modules integration in the service pack is just a start.  We are working away on the next generation in ClearOS 6.0.

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30
Sep

ClearFoundation Appoints President Loper

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

ClearFoundation's Community Oversight Committee is pleased to announced today that Dave Loper has been named President of ClearFoundation. Mr. Loper will manage the development and maintenance of the ClearFoundation community. His technology background and expertise will be valuable in defining the future plans and continued flourishment of ClearFoundation and ClearOS.

We would like to thank John Terpstra for his service and involvement with ClearFoundation. We appreciate his continued insight into Linux and the open source community.

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17
Sep

Cast Your Wishes - ClearOS Home

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

Cast your wish for ClearOS Home edition and help focus the scope, features and road map priority. 

 

 

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01
Sep

ClearCenter Signs Simple Soft Products As Exclusive Partner For The Benelux Region

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

Simple Soft Products signs Value Added Distributor Agreement after success with ClearOS and ClearBOX Solutions

San Antonio, TX - September 1, 2010 - ClearCenter, a leading provider of open source Linux Server, Network and Gateway solutions, welcomed Simple Soft Products today as an Exclusive Value Added Distributor in the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) region.

“Simple Soft Products brings the kind of resources, commitment and expertise ClearCenter needs in the Benelux region”, said Michael Proper, CEO of ClearCenter. He added, “The ClearCenter Partner program allows partners like Simple Soft Products to build a valuable business with ClearCenter Linux Server, Network and Gateway solutions. We look forward to working with Jeroen Goorts and his team to bring ClearOS, ClearBOX and ClearCenter services to the Benelux region.”

“Since 1996, Simple Soft Products has provided high quality IT solutions that are simple and affordable for the end user”, said Jeroen Goorts, founder and director at Simple Soft Products. “Appropriate to this mission, we continually look for systems and solutions that fulfill those tasks and find that ClearCenter fits perfectly. We are excited to standardize and deploy ClearCenter services, ClearOS and ClearBOX for partners and customers in the Benelux region.”

Simple Soft Products will inventory ClearBOX servers as well as recruit and train regional partners. Simple Soft Products will also translate the ClearCenter site into Dutch and assist in marketing ClearCenter and ClearFoundation in the Benelux region.

About ClearCenter

ClearCenter, based in Salt Lake City, UT - U.S.A. and Toronto, Ontario - Canada, provides professional products and services for ClearOS, an open source Linux server distribution with Network, Gateway and Server features that can be tailored to the needs of small IT environments that is simple, secure & affordable. ClearOS is installed in more than 140 countries in over 20 languages. ClearCenter updates software, content and services for ClearOS using ClearSDN, a cloud based Service Delivery Network deployed in data centers around the globe. For more information about ClearCenter, visit www.clearcenter.com or call 1+801.851.5555.

For more information about Simple Soft Products, visit www.sspnet.nl

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31
Aug

Quickbooks Enterprise 10 On ClearOS

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

A salesman comes to you and says, 'I have a client that is really excited about using ClearOS and getting rid of their over-complex environment.' Well maybe not this excited, but you get the point.

You start to ask the technical questions and you find out that they are running Quickbooks Enterprise 10 (QBE10) in their environment. As the engineer you start to think of all the creative ways you can get this done, virtualization, running the DB engine from a workstation that stays on, keeping their old Windows Server around ... But for this client, none of them fit the bill as nicely as an integrated solution.

That integration barrier is coming down here at ClearCenter. We have completed phase one of Quickbooks Enterprise 10 integration with ClearOS 5.2. This first phase consists of command line instruction through the ClearFoundation and support of QBE10 through ClearCare. Subsequent phases will include the addition of QBE Server 10 as a module in Webconfig and integrated configuration of the QBE service through its own database screen.

Quickbooks Enterprise 10 is a product of Intuit who has been helping small businesses and individuals with their financial accounting and tax preparation needs for over 25 years.

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16
Aug

The Samba-Microsoft Bug Is Dead

Posted by on in ClearFoundation

Many thanks go out to a number of people who have helped to close a bug which caused an error message to display when joining a Samba domain. What is significant and noteworthy about this bug and the resolution is that it required a team of people to solve it from multiple companies. The bug is described here at this link.

I'd like to thank the partners of ClearCenter who originally reported the bug, the Samba team members who confirmed and tested the bug, and special thanks to the engineers at Microsoft who found the solution.

David Loper

VP Technology, ClearCenter Read more...