Read an excerpt from the 4th Edition of the book Python Essential Reference by David Beazley.

Read an adapted version of chapter 3 from the book The Official Ubuntu Book By Benjamin Mako Hill, Matthew Helmke, Corey Burger.

Read chapter 12 from the book Programming in Python 3: A Complete Introduction to the Python Language by Mark Summerfield.

Once you have a database set up, sooner or later you will want to edit its tables or add a new record. You have four ways to do so.

We're the first to admit that Linux is cool. Just using it is cool, but if you're doing something extra cool with Linux this is your chance to share it with the community. Our Cool Projects issue is coming up quick and we're looking for a few more project articles. We're partial to Cool projects that have a hardware slant, but if you have a Cool software project let us know about that too.

The beginning of the year is traditionally a time to look back, and, for the brave of heart, to make a few predictions looking forward. Lacking the requisite bravery, I'll just quote something that the Economist wrote recently:

Rejoice: the embrace of “openness” by firms that have grown fat on closed, proprietary technology is something we’ll see more of in 2008.

Now, had this "fearless prediction" been made a year ago, I would have been impressed, because 2007 has turned out to be the year when everyone, it seems, wants to be open.