Acer has put the source RPM packages and a recovery DVD for its increasingly popular Aspire One Linux netbook online for free download. Sources for the kernel and further components are also available.

The FreeBSD Project has released version 7.1 of the BSD Unix-based operating system. The release comes without any spectacular changes.

The Android OS from Google is optimized for ARM processors and smaller displays, but, with some adjustment, can also run on netbooks.

The Compiz project, which makes a free compositing window manager, suffers from a lack of participants, direction and leadership, at least according to developer Kristian Lyngstol.

The Debian-based distro Sidux will shortly have a new version, code-named Pontos, that will concentrate on getting the Kernel 2.6.27 changes integrated error free.

The Sabayon project has released its version 4.0 of the multimedia friendly Gentoo derivative just in time for the Holidays and calls it the "next big thing."

Newly appointed CTO of the Linux Foundation and kernel developer Ted Ts'o is appealing to the Debian project to adopt a more pragmatic attitude about its Linux distro. The provocation for his advice is the current controversy over Debian's next 5.0 "Lenny" release.

It didn't quite make the planned 200TB, but with 175BT in 30 hours, openSUSE 11.1 has again set a new download record.