Kickin around the backyard.

Ever wonder out into your back yard, take it all in, oooh, what's that?? The to-do list suddenly comes into play. Ubuntu has an assortment of apps that are pretty good but, on closer inspection (if you care to look) not up to my fussy work habits. It's a good thing it is so easy to add or remove programs. Also there are a good assortment of other programs that just might to the job. First on my list is F-Spot photo manager. What I don't like about it is the way it could generate multiple copies of photos, folders, ablums etc. Maybe I didn't spend enough time to understand how it works but, I shouldn't have that impression in the first place. So I removed F-Spot and installed digiKam and showFoto in its place. These apps are from the KDE side and are a little more predictable in how they work. DigiKam doesn't have it's own file management system, it uses the folders and such that are already in place in the system file manager. You can attach your camera and download pics, no problem. ShowFoto has all kinds of tools to tweak and fix photos. So while you folks are still figuring out F-Spot, I'm done. Then there is the famous and highly regarded Gimp. The Gimp is wonderful but not so easy to understand. So I installed Krita and mtPaint and Xara Xtreme along side it. Krita is from the KDE side, is easy to use and does a few things that Gimp does not. MtPaint is like MS Paint but for Linux and Xara Xtreme is like Adobe Illustrator. It is time consuming to get into the depths of any application and unless you really have a need or interest in using these apps you will be a hit and run user like me. Tutorials are a big help else I'd be returning to pencil and paper. One of the big lacks in graphics on the Linux desktop is CAD. Computer Aided Drafting/Design on the Linux desktop is always under development and there is none with the reputation, market presence and user base that matches AutoCad on the MS Windows platform. Linux has a load of niche market successes in various graphics industries but has not been taken seriously as of late. This is really strange because larger engineering firms all had mainframes that ran Unix and there are a number of engineering softwares that run on Unix. The engineering workstation, once supplied by mainframe application and file servers have mutated into desktops that locally host applications in MS Windows or Linux. It is hard to believe that Unix softwares were ported to the more regarded MS platform instead of Linux, the close cousin. And like with drivers and utilities, companies that develop CAD software for the MS platform refuse to develop Linux counterparts. Money is talking here but they always say "if the user base was there". Me, I've been an electrical draftsman for years, using AutoCad and have hoped for a Linux version or the ability to run the latest in Wine and am now looking at the virtual machine. I think a memory upgrade is in order. But the biggest roadblock is the price of AutoCad, it's staggering. Then, why buy the big AutoCad package with all the bells and whistles when they are not required in electrical drafting. There are less expensive alternatives and more electrical oriented applications but, AutoCad somehow hangs on as the standard. A curious thing, in the field of printed circuit board design and IC chip design, there are some very good Linux applications that have been around for years. In engineering and in my geographical area, mechanical drafters/designers are common and electrical is kind of rare. As Cad applications go, mechanical is the focus and electrical an afterthought in the whole Cad world. New electrical engineering applications strive to consolidate the whole design work flow, elimanating the number of people required. Today an engineer can design and model, prove and test and then generate all the documentation, schematics, wiring diagrams, physical wire routing and packaging, in one or two applications, no need for a string of subordinates and staff like in the old days. The only thing that saves my job is time. Most engineers don't have time to do it all. On the other hand it is kind of cool to be able to use just a few applications to get the job done. It is a terrible thing to move files from one application to another then to another, things can happen, stuff can get mangled or lost. I am very much at the crossroads career wise, draftsman or techie or both in some mutated mind melt. I am use to wearing a number of hats, being multi focused, running more that one operating system, yet I still find it difficult to multi-task and store/recall endless info and facts on demand. I'm glad I have this here backyard to kick around in, size things up, think things over. Who knows what will be the next Linuxville adventure?

Be at peace with your preference!

There are so many kinds of Linux users, newbies, fanboys or fangirls, fanatics, distro loyalists and a gamut of others. Some insist the distro they use is better, strive to prove it and push with arrogance and narrowed persuasion until you submit or at least agree. The turn around is when they attack another distro because it's more popular, has more press or more hype. I compare this to our car buying habits. At one time if you didn't buy American you were thought of as radical, not normal or elitist or even sophisticated or had discriminating taste. When foreign cars became more accepted, the perceptions changed. One thing was certain no matter what car you buy, it had to be drive worthy on American roads and not lacking in what American buyers want. In Linuxville, users tussle over the desktop, the utilities and all the options. They try their best to apply the market mentality to Linux. Most users think the distro with the most users, wins. So far Linux provides too many choices to sift out a clear and decisive victory for any distro. Ubuntu comes in many flavors, like Lifesavers candy. Just when Ubuntu has raised the bar, Kubuntu stands up. The difference between Ubuntu (Gnome) and Kubuntu (KDE), little things. The out of the box looks though different often fade as users tweak to a more personal look and feel. The change is inevitable because you can change it. MS nor Mac simply don't offer the ability to change the look and feel of the desktop to the degree that Linux gives to normal users. So these last few Linux years have been a call of the wild with compositing desktop effect addons becoming integrated into the GUI. Added to this is the improvement of management programs and each distro finds a following of invigorated users. But Linux is Linux like a car is a car. Of all the choices you find something you are comfortable with, usually the first one you struggle to understand. You discover your way around it, do what you can with it and announce to the world how cool it is. Dirty little secret, cheese for different markets might be cut off the same block. A grille choice and interior fabric choice might differentiate standard from luxury on a car line. What about Linux? Try one on, wear it for a while, get to know it, change it if you must. Be at peace with your choices. If folks are making other choices, that is their choice. Changes usually find their way into almost every distro because Linux is not one distro or another. What would be really helpful is if Linux users would spend a small part of their bandwidth exploring and explaining the various applications. So what if Linux can be as supple as a chameleon for looks, but what is and how to use Krita, Neverball, Lphoto or VLC? The homepages for these say little and docs only get you started. What do you say about these? Make webpages, do you use Bluefish or Kompose or are you locked in with Dreamweaver? I reported I had to give up wobbly windows to use VirtualBox. Is that a software and/or a hardware limitation? How about a PC hardware book that assumes Linux instead of just Microsoft or a networking book that explains networking with Linux? This generation likes to be on the cutting edge, but things on the edge come and go. Step back from the edge a pace, things are a tad bit more clear, more defined. There is a Linux that is in regular use and users are finding Linux can be used for daily work. In Linuxville there are visitors and there are residents. I do Ubuntu, a neighbor does Suse, another something else. Once you settle in, sameness and difference are features of the same Linux. When Linux becomes practical, show and tell has substance and the GUI becomes a way to get to the applications, the real thing Linux is good for. I reiterate, be at peace with your Linux choice.

As if I was new to Ubuntu, again.

Went to the Ubuntu Linux class last night. We demoed copying and burning a live-CD in Nero (on XP). Then we booted from the CD into Ubuntu 7.10 and explored the 3 big necessities of computing, namely internet, productivity apps and games. In Ubuntu, Firefox is standard and there are a few others available, like Flock, Seamonkey (Mozilla Suite formerly Netscape), and Opera. These we didn't cover. I have said before, it is the file format that matters. I'm talking to you folks stuck with MS Works and refusing to buy MS Office. The office suite OpenOffice.org is free and functually equivalent to MS Office. If you must have the proffessional suite, by all means buy MS Office, but if you are a casual user, don't waste your money, get OpenOffice.org. Then we looked at Evolution, the email/news client. You could also use Thunderbird, Seamonkey or several other Linux email clients. These all have PIM (personal info management) bells and whistles. And lastly the one no one can do without, games. It has been said that Linux does not have any games. That is one statement that needs to be revised. Do you actually think that the "techies" who write Linux software could survive without games? Linux does not have many Microsoft games. There are hundreds of games of all types. They may be similar to games you already know, some not familiar at all. But also some games of Microsoft vintage might be ported to the Linux platform. I really don't know, I am not a avid gamer. Anyway for folk who casually game, the assortment is kind of mind boggling. I myself like Billard-gl, a 3d pool sim, Neverball, Neverputt, SuperTux, like Mario Bros, and Frozen-Bubble. If you are a first shooter fan, there's a bunch of them. For fanatics, please get an X-Box. Linux has got all the bases covered. Linux is not an overnight sensation. The Linux/Unix lineage goes back before Microsoft and Apple ever existed. A new or different computing platform does take a little time to learn, but you have to realize, if it were just like Microsoft or Mac it would be a clone. What would be the point in that? So, you got your work cut out for you, a world exist out there to explore. Like another neighborhood or city or country, somethings are the same, many things different. Come for a visit or move in.

Still in disguise

A friend of mine brought the why MS XP in a window question to me. He never gave me time to answer, so I had time to think about it. My purpose is to access the MS Internet Explorer only web sites that are the rage with government and charity groups. I could have used Wine or similar emulation software. Being a techie/user I do need to keep a finger on what other folks are using, gotta keep my skills up. But in these tough and tight times, let me paint a little picture so you can know what's behind my thinking. First are those people who insist that a Mac is better and easier than MS on a PC. Well, which is better, a Cadillac or a Lexus (where's my consumer's report)?? For the price of either I can buy two smaller, not bad looking, fully decked, fuel efficient Toyotas or other cars. Now, is it status, prestige or other ego driven values that say you must have the high price car. Now, I just can't see stiffing Mr. Gates to pay Mr. Jobs only to be locked into a different but similar deal. OK, in any case you've already invested in MS or Apple, and have to live with it, right? I bought an HP desktop. Included in the package was MS XP with MS Works productivity suite. This Works is incompatible with regular MS Office files and formats. I could not afford or justify buying MS Office for my occasional use. Many, many users I know would shrug shoulders and say, I will use this until I can afford to buy, borrow or steal (secretly) MS Office. The open source movement has provided a free office suite called OpenOffice.org. It will produce documents that can be saved in MS Office compatible files and formats. If you only use it occasionally, like most home PC users, it is more than adequate for you to acquire and use. Your first reaction (typical), "It's not Microsoft, Microsoft is what everybody else is using." The truth is, the only thing that matters is the file format. As long as the software makes a .doc file, that is all that's necessary. Business users might have a tussle if you are prone to using macros and using Microsoft propriety programming, but you, the average home user have the liberty to have your needs met at no expense. There is a web site, http://www.webi.org/ which has a long list of softwares that are open source and free and run on MS PC's. Please don't give me that MS/Mac quality of software argument, you are biased by familiarity. Don't think that today's open source and free software developers aren't also former, present or future, MS/Apple employees. That side of the world is more than you know. And would you hire a guy/gal who made shoddy software before they came to you for work?
Well, many of these open source softwares run on Linux and MS Windows, a few on Mac. Linux offers a stable platform and virtual machines allow MS Windows to run on the same machine at the same time. Linux has a reputation of being complicated and user unfriendly. Reputations "never" keep up with the present reality if it has indeed changed. I would even say Linux is as easy if not easier to use than using a Mac. Mac is a closer cousin to Linux than most will admit, at least a better looking one some will say. We are so swayed by desktop placements, arrangements and all that stuff. Once we get used to one desktop, it's hard to change or consider another. So, if you are committed to living with your MS desktop and your budget is strained and yet need adequate software, look into to free and open source applications. Save your stimulus package money for a hardware upgrade or a new Lexus.

duh duh-duh...........duh

I bet you didn't recognize me.......... I sitting here, it's sunny, near 80 degrees, in a trenchcoat, fedora and sunglasses. Folks in Linuxville know somethings going on, but they just can't say what. The joke of the western movie is that all the store fronts have nothing but cactus and brush behind them. Science fiction and spy movies on the otherhand....... The most intriguing part of any spy movie is the unassuming store front, a secret door and a whole different world behind it. It's the best part of Maxwell Smart or James Bond or Men in Black. What am I talking about, well I've been tinkering with XP as a virtual machine in Virtualbox on Ubuntu. This is what it looks like........

I still LOL, Windows in a window!! Anyway, after you do a normal install within the virtual machine, you can if you choose go through the pain of SP3, anti-virus (AGV) and if you plan on playing DVD's, codecs. I couldn't find a codec for XP I didn't have to pay for, so I turned to open source. I installed VLC which has been ported to run on several platforms. It comes with the needed codecs. So now I can view commercial DVD's and do internet in my secret room. There is still work to do as I've got to find ways to share data with the host system other than burning CD's or a jump drive. Virtualbox OSE or open source edition I found has some limitations with file sharing. I think I need Samba or similar, I will check it out. It would seem a small thing for an operating system, even a virtual one to view and access the whole hard drive that it is on, but no. Even a virtual Microsoft assumes it is the only one on your drive. Yellow tape and fake construction crews are also spy movie stuff. I'll be dressed in cognito as needed and I'll let you in on it, need to know bases, of course.

Virtual virtuosity and other stuff

Suppose you wanted to run several OS's in Virtualbox but you are wary of having all those large .iso files hogging up disk space, though liking the live-CD concept you rather have access also to your main OS while running the guest OS. Virtualbox allows you to run the .iso from off the CD instead of from off the hard drive. If you copy all those .iso files onto a DVD you can satisfy all the above requirements. The live-CD normally boots to takeover the computer, but in Virtualbox it runs as if it were another application on your main system.You could put a whole bunch of these .iso files on a DVD. And yes, the guest OS has access to network and internet I/O through the host OS. Since MS windows doesn't come as a .iso file, I don't think it can be burned to a bootable CD or DVD, but don't quote me on that. Run Mac OSX on Linux? That I know nothing about.

The main things I suggest to all you folks who hang onto older computers (you have your reasons), is that technology advances at the expense of the older technology. "It still works" is no longer a valid reason to keep it. Not only do companies no longer support those things, but the user base moves on to new products also. This means the knowledge of those things wanes and disappears. So, if your hardware is 5 years old or more, consider newer stuff or at least serious upgrading. Todays software requires more efficient CPU's and ample memory. The rule of thumb is to buy as much as you can afford first off, the tendency is not to upgrade unless you are forced to. Even if you get a good middle of the road processor, get 1 or 2 gig of memory. Vista requires 2 gig for good performance, Linux will run well in 512mb but the more the better, especially if you plan to do desktop effects or virtual machine. With memory, more is better.
Another thing to realize is what comes with the computer, I'm talking about wired or wireless.
Desktop users usually get wired but a great, great number of folk only consider laptops. Wireless connections in Linux have been a source of debate, contention and failure on the part of wireless equipment makers. They just can't seem to embrace the idea of Linux support. So, if you are buying a laptop and perchance might have a Linux future, you might want to research Linux wireless support for said laptop. What have other Linux laptop users been successful with?

As for my last piece of advice, "it's the network". I know the economy is sluggish or tight, depending on your perspective, and the cost of aquiring assistance with your PC hardware and software is going up too. Or maybe you just can't find knowledgable "and" helpful folk in the same person. If you own one these new fangle things called a computer, it might be a good idea to consider joining a computer club or user group. I am considering this as I don't know it all and I could use the networking, suggestions, help, resources, etc, etc, etc. The cost of membership is not that stiff and the committment in time is flexible. This kind of networking is good for all sorts of info that's on your level of experience. Older folk seem to do this more than younger folk. In the group where we have the Linux classes, there was a lady who used machine code and paper tape and did business programming, a guy who just bought his first computer and in between guys like me. It all makes for interesting conversations and laughs and support. The connections can help your career and on your resume you are involved in the community and continuing education for yourself. Linuxville has curbside cafes, you can kick back with a cool drink, light snack, wave at passerbys, chit-chat, dream, and explore ideas........

Another day with Ubuntu

You know, users have to have a strange mixture of quickness and patience. Like you got to hit the keys to get at the systems boot settings or wait for stuff to download and install. The skillful can do it without a hint of frustration. It is an acquired skill. Been looking for work lately, which requires much the same skill. In my virtual Linuxville abode, I've also been playing with Virtualbox. This is a great program. It allows you to run one operating system as the guest of another. This means that I am running say XP as if it were an application inside of Ubuntu Linux. I could have used an emulator, but they are limited compared to running the full OS. So, this morning I installed XP as a guest virtual machine in Virtualbox which runs on Ubuntu Linux. I actually installed it 3 times because I could not get the mouse to work correctly. It took 3 times before I realized it was not a problem with XP or with Virtualbox or with Ubuntu Linux. The problem was with the Desktop Effects that I had enabled. I saw this in one of the forums while googling for answers. I turned off the desktop effects (no more wobbly windows) and it all worked fine. I just can't wobble and go virtual at the same time, no big deal. Why do this? I no longer have to dual boot which means using one OS or the other. Virtual machines means both OS's running at the same time. Of course this also means sharing resources, if you have less than 512MB of memory things might be a tad bit slow or not run at all. But, having most of what I need in Linux there are only a few things I want that only run in XP. As much as I do not care for MS Internet Explorer, many government agencies have concluded that MS IE is the standard. These government web sites only work correctly with MS IE. Sorry Firefox fans, your gov does not care for security or your access ability. What's the upside to this? Running XP as a virtual machine means that MS does not dominate my computer, to see it in a small window makes me laugh and I can delete the installation with one click, no harm done. You can even fool your friends by running XP full screen, they won't even know Linux is there.
The other thing here is I got a DVD-rom drive. It doesn't burn but it reads so that is a big upgrade to my system. Ubuntu provides many DVD tools but codecs for reading commercial DVD's are found elsewhere on the internet. I'll leave it too you to haggle over legal or illegal. A number of Linux distributions come as a bootable DVD iso. They contain everything, OS, applications, everything. I will get a burner in the distant future. Why not empty your filling hard drive of vulnerable photo collections and music files onto DVD's for safe keeping.
I guess I got to get back to work looking for work, see ya!

Herding Cats or Care and feeding of users

I have 6 of them, so I know, cats are all the same but different. The cat nature is colored by the individual cat personality. This presents a problem at critical times like when it's time to go to the vet. Cattle are like dumb sheep compared to cats. Computer users are much like cats because though we are all doing the same things we are staunch individualist when it comes to our world in front of the computer. I have required the use of a Rosetta Stone to talk with some users, their colorful way of describing things is another language entirely. I have often been confronted by user arrogance and or frustration because they can't explain it or think the words are stupid and refuse to use them. Try that in another country. And we are talking about another country here, though in the Microsoft PC and Mac worlds we say much the same things, the Linux world can be a different dialect. How easily we can assume because computer words are part of our common language, we think we know it already. In the Microsoft PC and Mac worlds, many things are hidden from the user. If you don't see them you are hardly going to talk about them. In Linuxville there are no hidden rooms, though with the advent of the modern GUI, you can closed the door, somewhat. My point is that things are a little different in Linuxville, a user is required to communicate on a higher level. Knowing what to say, how to say it and what it all means is just part of being in the community of Linux users. This is from where support for your Linux system comes. Believe me, you'll never get your "clicky thingy" fixed if you don't call it a mouse. If you are new to Linux, keep your ears open to how things are said on web sites, forums and techie friends who are trying to help you. In any country, speaking the language opens a whole new world. Learning the local dialect gets you past the front desk, the first cab, the best wine list and winks and smiles from guys like me who wonder where you're coming from. First lesson you learn from herding cats, meows are not a language (neither is barking for dog lovers). Animals tend to communicate with gestures, postures, but with us expressive hand/face movements only emphasize, they don't explain. So, my encouragement to you new to Linuxville is to learn to talk techie, put on the geek words, nerdalize yourself and soon your be talking like a native. Oh yeah, in Linuxville "the finger" is for the mouse button.......

Settling into Linuxville

You know it's really cool to try all the whiz bang and flash of all the latest gadgets but there comes a day when you must settle down and get some work done. I've said before being a distro hopper is not the greatest thing to be. By the time you've tried everything on one end, stuff on the other has changed. When I started blogging compositing was the rage and you had to add special sauce to get the effects. Today much of that flash has been integrated into the desktop GUI, that's progress. Now I don't have to work so hard to get the earth shattering effects that filled YouTube with geekness.
And I get to choose the level of effects so that my work flow is not hampered and in fact is enhanced. So to sum it all up I now dual boot Ubuntu 7.10 with Ubuntu 8.04 and will soon have XP as a virtual machine on Ubuntu 8.04. I think Ubuntu is very solid, the tweaks and upgrades have done their job well. I had problems previously with Xubuntu and Kubuntu 8.04. I think it was the download quality or a faulty burned disc. All is great today. Linux is too broad for distro loyalty to supersede the freedom of choice. But, once you settle in, two things become apparent. Once installed and you learn what you have, upgrade fever goes away. Things that are the rage today become integrated features tomorrow. The other thing is that the GUI is not the focus, the apps are. The apps are the same from distro to distro. You don't have to install the KDE desktop in order to use apps based on KDE libraries, if you are using the Gnome desktop. The proper libraries are installed when you install the program. The same is true for Gmone based apps. This is why Linux is so cool, all the parts can work together.

So, what's hot on my desktop? I am still raving over Elisa Media Center. No, it is not like MythTV. MythTV takes advantage of a TV tuner card and internet streaming and is one big setup. Elisa is focused on what you have stored on your computer. Elisa will play the locally stored picture files, video files, and audio files playlist style and then also does some internet streaming. While Elisa can signal out to a connected TV, it does pretty good on your monitor as well. And besides most use their computer one user at a time, the MythTV setup is overkill for that. MythTV is meant for the home theater or living room. And since most folk don't spend hours on end in front of their computer, Elisa is perfect for those short YouTube videos. I got a good collection of 2 min to 1 hour flash movies.
You are looking at the Blue Man Group on Elisa, normally it's full screen, but just hit "F" and it shrinks, escape to exit. They must have done an upgrade because the quality of video is better. That other window with the see-thru background is the terminal or command line interface. To get the screenshot I used "Take Screenshot" and to shrink it for the blog I used the "GIMP". You can have all sorts of fun if you don't whine about it's not like Macs or MS Windows.
Nobody buys a Chevy and says it's not like a Ford or Toyota. You just got to open your eyes and see what's there, if you don't like it, don't use it, peroid. There's much more adventure ahead, see ya when we get there.

Do you Ubuntu?

I know, I know, there are so many distros out there in Linuxville, why do you Ubuntu. First and foremost, there is the popular interest. People are having a lot of positive experiences with Ubuntu, this means a lot of feedback which stirs up development efforts. Then, the Ubuntu community is putting forth learning materials and documentation. Some distros though great, just don't reach out to that extent. I already mentioned about the well stocked repositories of pre-compiled software, ready to install and with new efforts for drivers and utilities from those propriety hardware vendors, it seems Ubuntu is continually improving at a good clip. It would seem any of the Ubuntu flavors would be a good pick but Ubuntu in particular is well suited for newbie folk and for this distro hopper. I have used Xubuntu and Kubuntu and I liked them with fanboy zeal, but I have to say Ubuntu itself has progressed quite well. At one time it was RED HAT Linux that was the popular learning Linux, now it's Ubuntu. Then you must see there is a whole new crop of interested users that are not maintaining servers or writing software for a living. These desktop users actually want and like using the GUI, so with Linux this is a new school. Now that Linux has made itself ready for the desktop, people are slowly coming to know about it. Here is a shot of my desktop to whet your appetite......
Hey, don't get too excited, this desktop is tame compared to what I've seen. Anyway I went to this Linux learning thing put on by the Lorain County Computer Users Group or LCCUG for short. This group is mainly a MS group, but interest in Linux and open source has created a spark. This is a good thing because in northeast Ohio, the Akron Linux Users Group is the only one not showing signs of giving up. There was a hint of exploring maybe a Ubuntu Linux Users Group in the future. Today we looked at installing Ubuntu on a laptop and pushed around some terminology. The training material is found on the Ubuntu web site. It is based on Ubuntu 7.10. If you are in my neck of the woods on Monday night, come and see. The LCCUG has a web site, www.lccug.com with details. To get you hooked up to Ubuntu go to www.ubuntu.com
Then as a newbie or nubi or nooby, check out www.fullcirclemagazine.org/ and download the mag, real cool.

In the real world and in northeast Ohio, things suck on many fronts. The visionary folks want to create an atmosphere where innovation and technology can flourish. Fighting for thinly stretched resources as it is, everybody thinks they can't do anything. Linux and open source allows us to freely use what we have available to us to compute and develop technical stuffs to keep on going. So we have tools we don't have to pay a lot for and it is up to us to talk about how we can use them. Don't wait for Bill or Steve to rescue us, it ain't going to happen. To bring the Silicon Valley type thing to northeast Ohio, all the technology workers need to talk to each other. The free flow of ideas and exchange of possibilities is regular faire in Linuxville. Even a little town like Bedford, Ohio has an internet cafe. If you want something in Lorain, start with talk........exit the soapbox.

mean while, back at the ranch.....

Curious thing, I installed Kubuntu 8.04 with KDE 3.5.9 and enjoyed the liberty of a free range chicken, but since installing the KDE 4.0 desktop along side, I can't access my whole hard drive, only the booted partitions. Then the KDE 8.04 remixed version came with some nifty Plasma widgets, what I have now has very few. I went on the internet, www.kde-look.org, and folks are obsessed with meters and gauges, very scarce are ones that do things with user files. It would be nice if folks produced some really useful widgets instead of remakes of what others have done already. So, I think I have gone as far as I am going to go with Kubuntu 8.04 and put it on the back burner status. My warning to all is don't be a distro hopper like me, although the live-cd makes it easy, once you settle on a distro, updates usually keep up the newness. It is so tempting to jump on the new feature bandwagon and try out things before they are nailed down solid.

Taking a step back, I installed Ubuntu 7.10 on my main box. What got me was the time it took to update afterwards. Folks have really put out the bug fixes, tweaks and enhancements. It is so so so hard to say which I like best, KDE or Gnome desktop, it's the reason I used Xfce for a while. It was tough for some time because desktop effects were complicated add-ons. Now they are integrated into Gnome, you just have to activate them and woooo, wobbly windows!! Gnome is simpler in many ways and probably more approachable to new users, but I've learned that it's all in the way it's explained. I am willing to bet that people who switched from MS pc's to Macs because they were told Macs are better and easy would find Ubuntu with Gnome even easier and no slouch in quality. What's more it's free!!!!! I can't get over people wanting to stiff Bill and pay Steve. Anyway, I have Ubuntu 7.10 because our local computer user's group is having some Linux learning classes using it and I am going to pick up tips and tricks and share experiences. There has been a steady demise of Linux groups in northeast Ohio. The old guard, mostly server folk and coders are thinning out, the new users, mostly curious mouse manglers, don't seem to care about getting together. Need to consider new kinds of bait to attract new users, forums are cool to a point but, to have face to face with local enthusiast is a real community experience.

Dorothy and the Electro-luminenscent-spiked heeled shoes.

Dorothy is standing with three misfits who defy the odds and come out heroes. She had little clue as to the power of her red sparkley shoes whose obvious undocumented attributes are revealed in time. So when you are in say Linuxville, wearing the said shoes of note or dubious reputation and realizing all actions are dependent upon following exact instructions, please listen. Learn to speak the language and respect the rules. After a whirlwind ride on Kubuntu 8.04 with KDE 4.0 Remixed you get the idea, finally. It is a very exciting and workable concept but it is still short of all the bells and whistles that help you get real work done. As long as you didn't need superuser permissions or you stayed within the point and click realm you are good to go. KDE 3.5.9 is just great and I'm going to explore what Superkaramba is about while I wait for them to perfect KDE 4.0 with Plasma and plasmoids and all that. What would be cool is to switch between the 3.5.9 desktop, the Plasma desktop and say Kuartet or something like it. Innovation is alive and well in Linux........

News flash******
I am startled and amazed, I was playing around with my KDE 3.5.9 desktop and decided to install SuperKaramba and surprise, KDE 4.0 desktop was installed as an alternative choice. I can't retrace my mouse clicks or I'd tell you about it. But what a discovery!! That remixed Kubuntu had me in a bind, so many tools were left out. Now I can see if this thing is worth the effort. See you all down the road, I'm off to play........

Linux and the Strawman's brain

Well, I am all the way into the KDE 4.0 experience and it is a rad different from 3.5. It's called PLASMA and has a Mac like dashboard that sports "widgets" and can even use Mac widgets that are html based. The stock widgets (plasmoids) so far are pretty cool but few in number. Here's what I think is needed:
1) a video player widget to play video files much like the slideshow picture player.
2) a good snazzy calculator
3) widget for the missing manual for the OS and the KDE user guide or a tip of the day.
4) the fix for the comic strip viewer (I can't get Delbert!?!)
5) an PDA widget to do all the PDA stuff, including sync with actual PDA (actual/virtual)
6) a am/pm digital clock, 24 hour time is bogus for the uninitiated and the stressed.
7) an audio file player (of course)
8) Plasmoid front-ends for existing programs, esp multimedia apps
9) a Trash-bin, recycling hot spot, de-resolution receptacle, black-hole or bit-shredder.
This is my short list, I wish I were able to devise some of these myself, it might be fun.

Then some of the things users like myself might like:
1) mouse-centric users would like kicker icons for obvious keyboard shortcuts. Like Ctrl-F12 for the Dashboard or Ctrl-F8 to show all work spaces. OR that upper right corner hot spot should evoke the dashboard in the widget locked state.
2) give that Kicker bar the ability to appear/disappear (use Tux/Win-key), some transparency would be nice.

The new KDE 4.0 is a mix of old school and new. It is a platform for new things to happen. You could try a number of arrangements and still maintain a basic and familiar jump off point. Compared to KDE 3.5, KDE 4.0 is less flexible and configurable but more focused and functional.
KDE 4.0 and beyond is shaping up well and looks good to this desk jockey.

Now to enhance your Oz experience, the official Linuxville guide gives you words to implant into your deepest conversations:

1) Commercializing and branding doesn't prove an OS is better or more secure or the standard.
2) Linux is actually easier to use and understand than Macs/OS X.
3) Linux has lots of games, just not MS games.
4) Gui's only skin deep, yeah, yeah, yeah!!!!!OS ugly is to the bone.

OK, click your red mouse button three times and chant "There's no place like Gnome"............

Tinkering with the Tin man's heart

You know one of the things that always gets to me is that the folks who design things for the rest of us to use tend to make design concessions on things that matter. I had a '74' Gremlin hatchback and the headlight burnt out. The headlight assembly had screws with five different heads. Should I replace the headlight or the car or trace all over the city to find five different screw drivers? Having been a Linux user for a while, I recognize radical departures when I see it and this new KDE 4.0+ is a change. Ubuntu has this thing about normal user and superuser privileges. In traditional Unix or Linux, you would make two accounts, one for the root or superuser and then a normal user account. The idea was always with security in mind. The root account was for doing administrative tasks on your system, the normal user was for doing regular work. When you are the only user on a computer, do you really need these two accounts? There are schools of thought of course. So, distro developers have devised a way to be a normal user yet invoke superuser privileges. The "sudo" command is always talked about with a touch of distain by Linux oldies, inspite of the handiness of it. What am I fussing about? Well, in Xubuntu 7.10 you could just open a terminal, type sudo, then the program name, and presto, you were into superuser mode while using your selected application. There was ample warnings that you could change or damage your system, but you only needed it for the brief moment anyway. In my case, I just want to make sure I have rights to access the Virtualbox files. In Kubuntu 8.04 with KDE 4.0 there seems to be no friendly way to get to user accounts, add or change permissions and continue on. If you are going to change how the interface handles admin chores, you have to remind the application writers that their applications must adjust for those changes also. If admin chores are a thing of the past (old school), then new apps shouldn't use old school means for installation and maintenance. OR, you must establish a root user account at the Linux install. Then, when you do something that requires root user priviliges, ask the user for the password for that kind of access. Also, in KDE 4.0+, when is a file not a file? When it is on the desktop. Move a file from the file manager to the desktop or download a file to the desktop. Those files do not have drag and drop ability. On the desktop, they are different than simple files, more like the widgets on the desktop. So, in my workflow I need superuser access to change settings, priviliges, move files to secure locations, etc and I need to change my habits so that I can freely move about Linuxville. I think they want to eliminate putting file icons or folder icons on the desktop. Oh yeah, did I mention, where's the trash can? Old habits die hard!! The old dog has just encountered an electric fence, the Tin man needs an upgrade. Again I want to thank all you forum people, your tips and tricks make using any Linux distro very accessible. But things that should be common knowledge among users need to be documented, nailed down. Once you explain it and a user does it a few times, it all becomes so clear and easy. The Tin man, he takes a lickin and keeps on tickin.

behind the curtain in Oz

When and if you ever get to see the wizard behind the curtain in Oz you might be disappointed with the man, but you got to admire his toys!! What I did was install the latest Kubuntu 8.04 but not with KDE 3.5. They have what's called a "Remixed version" with KDE 4.0+. It was kind of scary as I was expecting all sorts of flash and thunder of eye candy that would melt my eye balls and turn my Mac and MS friends Martian green, with their tongues hanging and panting, "Somebody slap me!!"or is it "Somebody stop me!!" Instead I was greeted with coolness, suave, and polish. This approach says that a spinning cube (or tornado) is not needed to bring you to OZ.......and I got here without incident.

OK, here I am in OZ and the stupid yellow street leads in all directions, the short in statue folk are very helpful but only hint at where you might be headed and what will happen to you. Linux is a reality TV show and you need a good GPS, a even better set of ears and a Rosetta stone. Adventure awaits you and Indiana Jones (sounds better than Kansas Jones) type experiences are normal in this neck of the woods ( some call it the cutting-edge, some deforestation). If you have the luxury of owning a pencil, it might be a good idea to write down and document your travels because the bread crumbs found in the forums are not very life sustaining no matter the delight at finding them, thanks folks. Let's see, doctors need med records, lawyers need legal docs, builders need blueprints, and you need a business plan to start a business, but we Linux users have survived and flourished with "the missing manual". "Fahrenheit 19", a classic movie, is a terrible metaphor for storing and retrieving information. If you can not find people of the exact experience you are left to experiment on your own. Are you caught between "Not me man, I'm not going first" and "Yeah, I been there, done that!" in your Linux use? I say all this to point out the importance of the Linux how-to. Linux is not an ego-fest for knowledge experts (a very closed sourced attitude), collaborate, co-ordinate and give us the play by play. Don't tell us to RTFM when there isn't one (yes, Mepis has one).

Where am I?..........
I am here in my laboratory and I have installed widgets on my desktop, yeah, you can do that in KDE 4, but how do you put them on the "Dashboard" so that you can get at them with a key or mouse click and not have them welded to every desktop??? I want to know! OR, where is the how-to?? You are supposed to be able to use OS X widgets also. How do you install them hmmmmm??? I hear music in the background, darts whizzing through the air and a huge boulder with human residue on it coming toward me. Oh, I'm not in Kansas anymore, I'm clicking my sneakers but no lights (unlike the neighbor's kids) and the pages I need in the phone book were torn out by the previous caller. In the phone booth I rip open my shirt, damn, forgot my tux super suit. I dropped my car keys down the grate. Falling to my knees, the yellow dust stains my pants and I cry out, "Stella, Stella". Who's Stella?.......and who decided a 24 hour clock is better that AM, PM???

I could snap out of this with a reboot to another Linux version, but I like this place. Kubuntu 8.04, the remixed version with KDE 4.* is very cool and has potential and polish. What is needed is some documentation to make it "ready for the desktop" (LOL). "If you explain it, they will come", oh, that's concerning baseball. You need a recipie for others to make the cake that you enjoyed making from scratch. The dab of mustard in the batter is better than on the top of the finished cake, don't you think?? So, we got the content (Linux of choice) and the gui (face of Tux), and the finicky, picky, choosey user (me!). Life is sweet in Linuxville!!!!!!

There is only one Linux!!!

When I say there is only one Linux you can imagine the groans and gasps of disagreement coming from every direction. In the software universe it is true there is only one Linux. This one Linux consist of volumes of source code that is compiled and configured to run on different platforms, then lumped together to form the various distributions. Don't blame me for the habit of naming every Linux formulation. But in a way it is like conquering a mountain and putting a flag on it. But you have to thank so many folk who have managed to do this feat, so you don't have to do it yourself. And it still doesn't take away your freedom and right to do this if you want to. The thing to realize is that a distro is the beginning, if you want to change it, you can.

I admit I am a distro hopper and I am trying to find the sweetspot in Linux. You all heard me say there is no one distribution that does it all or has it all. So I am looking for the broadest approach. So far the Debian distro's are winning in my book with special kudos to Ubuntu. Ubuntu's repositories seem to have the widest assortment of applications pre-compiled for easy installation. Besides having a full repository, you want not to have to install Flash and Java apps into Firefox or what ever browser you are using. This is becoming better even as we speak, Linux developers are no longer waiting for Adobe to do the job for Linux. It is a shame for proprietary standards to be in common use and controlled by the ignorance, arrogance and whim of the closed source owners. As long as this is the case there will never be open computing.

Back to my distro hopping, I have done things I swore I wouldn't do. But I see some things have changed, so I took the liberty. Even though I don't have an official "old machine", I have used Xfce desktop, quite snappy and somewhat good looks. I have to admit KDE though large in comparison to Xfce is still nimble enough for me not to complain about speed. And because I am so changeable, I like KDE's ability to change with me. I have tried KDE 3.5 and while still not liking the complexity, found a descent arrangement. Then as I reported that I after being a Xubuntu fanboy for a while switched to Mepis. I really like Mepis but Mepis doesn't have the easy install of applications that I was looking for. Again, the extensive repository of pre-compiled programs is a big draw. Why compile yourself when you can point and click?? So, I revisited the Ubuntu forest and installed Kubuntu 8.04 over my Xubuntu 7.10. I was so pleasantly surprised, the install went very well, no problems like in my previous encounter with 8.04 (Xubuntu and Ubuntu).
The first thing to notice is that the latest KDE has been cleaned of clutter and confusion, even given a little polish. This KDE version 4 is kind of likable. It has elements I have liked in other OS's and Linux desktops. They didn't try to include everything so you might have to add some stuff, but it is a solid base, change or no. KDE is like Macs in some ways and like MS in some ways but these are ways that users are accustomed to seeing and as always if you need to change it, you can. The difference between Mepis and Kubuntu, not much but the pre-compiled software repositories of Ubuntu gives it an edge. Ubuntu, being a more international distro does have the media codec issue to contend with, but additions are easy to get at.

So if you are exploring Linux or are a distro hopper like me, consider these things:
1) There is only one Linux over all, but distro's have been made to narrow down your choice.
2) A full repository of pre-compiled easy to install software is what you want.
3) Make your /home directory a separate partition. If you are a change fanatic like myself you won't have to do constant backups. You can use the same /home partition with any Linux install.
4) A little Linux goes a long way. Upgrade fever is replaced with continual improvement.

Back home in Linuxville

My present tech job is ending and I relish the experience. Even the chance to pick at a few Macs allows me to fatten my resume. But I am still left with some after thoughts. If you have made the commitment to Macs or Microsoft in cash investments I'm sure you are in no mood to change. If you are taking a new direction you might want to add Linux into your figuring things out. Apple has done a good job at convincing people that Macs are easier to use than MS or Linux and you pay the price for the tour guide to stay on the path prescribed. If you stray off the path even a little bit, Macs are no different than Linux or MS other than a more polished interface. Staying with the applications your user experience is indeed something to boast about. If you need to be more powerful than the average computer user you have to deal with a more complex Mac. It is similar to Linux in that respect except that Linux is more understandable than the BSD Unix that Macs are based on (from this user's view). But since most Mac users never venture too deeply into the Mac, it is regarded as a point and click appliance. The truth is that Linux can be that way also. You can point and click Linux and you can script and program also. My great discovery is that what Macs have can be had in Linux for free. The advantage of Macs are some presumed polish and a single company behind it (if that is a real advantage). Linux is really the sum of parts compiled to run on various platforms and configured for targeted purposes and customized for the types of users. While out of the box setups have gotten better, the real treasure of Linux is that it can and most often is customized by the users. Then to top it all off, the Apple people are turning to the Intel PC platform. If you are a Mac user you will slowly see your present Mac hardware get old and obsolete. No upgrade path means you will have to buy new stuff if you want to continue to use the Mac OS. You have to note that Mr. Jobs in order to retain the tight market he has will continue to lock the hardware in some way so that other OS's won't run on the same, now common hardware that OS X runs on. In a perfect world you would buy the hardware you want and also the OS you want and go for it. This is not happening. It is too bad that Linux doesn't have a great marketing machine behind it. In another thought I am glad it doesn't. It is kind of hard to summarize Linux in a defined package. The Linux parts can be compiled and assembled in a vast assortment of combinations. So while distributions may be a company's or a person's choices, along with the naming convention, there are gangs of users who agree with those choices and rave about their superior distro. Marketing people and the tech mags are all waiting for the Linux market to shake out and one distro to take the lead. This is not in the nature of the Linux culture because Linux is not a single trademarked product. As long as folks consider Linux by the same measure as Macs and MS, they will miss the point of Linux. Linux is free, about freedom and about choice. Having made these choices, one is amazed at how it still works together. Then the nature of Linux extends into the community that develops it, supports it and uses it. Linux can be a great break glass emergency tool kit or a full time server or desktop OS, your choice. But, be at peace if your brand name loyalty prevents you from wondering or wandering. The sights, the sounds, the smells and the invitation to Linuxville is waiting here for you, if you choose.

The apple orchard next door

As a techie I get to contend with "other" technologies. Well for the first time I had to deal with Macs. It was a good time to test all the hype surrounding it. Yes the emperor is naked indeed. I had to install some network monitoring software on Macs with OS X 9 and 10.** (Leopard, Jaguar and Tiger) and I got to tell you that some folks are snowed and some deluded to believe the ads. No matter what folks say, Macs are Unix, even Linux like, sorta. It maybe covered by a very attractive wrapper, but you can't deny the truth, if you know. Of course if you were never told this up front it would go right past you. Macs are not more or less intuitive than other operating systems, you still have to learn where things are and how things work, but if you were told how easy this is over and over again, you tend to believe it and repeat it. Thus comes the saying that Linux is too hard and not ready for the desktop. The rub is that when you push past the friendly interface to get at the settings you need to have things explained to set them correctly. The manual comes in handy, how intuitive is that?? So, you are told Macs are easy and that they are the other choice besides MS PC's. If you have to do any power things on your Mac, the Unix comes out. We won't go into how I dislike Mac hardware, the ultimate in vendor lock. As long as it all works, it looks nice and does interesting stuff, this is one case where you do get what you pay for. Then again if it breaks, you pay to get it fixed. There is no thriving open community the likes of Linux to get help when you need it. If you tear that little annoying tab off, the men in white coats will arrest you. My verdict is simple, I can't afford a Mac, period. I don't like the hardware and the support sucks. If it all works for you, you are blessed, in a funny kind of way, sorta. Back in Linuxville I am surrounded by what I know and luv, but it is good to once and a while hop the fence to tinker with the neighbor's toys. I just don't believe his grass is greener because he tells me so.

I'm living in a virtual world, and I am a........

The orange barrels are up in Linuxville and I am really into tweaking and improving things. I have been exploring the virtual machine world and have found gold. In the Mepis docs there is a section that explains how to get and install Virtualbox. It involves typing a few lines into the terminal to install something called linux-headers, checking the repository listing in Synaptic, typing in another line in the terminal to provide an access key, installing Virtualbox and playing with the new software. There were a few curveballs but in all it went well. The first test was with Geexbox, a multimedia front-end that is actually a very small Linux distro. It worked but the video had flickering and jumping. I had to attach the "Guest Additions" to supposedly fix the problem. I applied the fix and it didn't fix it. Then I tried LIMP and Womp, they worked pretty good but because these are other operating systems, they need to be set up to see shared resources on my main or host operating system. I also installed two small footprint Linux distros, DSL and Puppy. They both worked perfectly. Then I did the ultimate test, I installed MS WinXP into a virtual machine. It was a normal install and it runs great, even added service pack 2. Now I got to configure all that backroom stuff, like antivirus, shared drives, internet and network connections. I must say that Virtualbox is a whole lot faster than Qemu, even MS WinXP is pretty snappy. I really have to LOL when I see WinXP in a window and not owning and dominating my computer. May the live-cd or .iso image should become the standard for all operating systems. You could try it and if you like it, install it or virtuallize it and all is well in the world. Perhaps the next big thing in computers is a solidstate drive just for the operating system and installed applications. There are still things to come and Linuxville has a thumb on the pulse.

Wish you were here, virtually

Linuxville is such an interesting place, every knook and kranny has details and depths to explore. Besides being able to take it with you (live-CD's), you can as if you had a computer in your computer, run a second OS to see if the grass is greener. It is called a virtual machine and it is all the rage. There are realities in running virtual machines called sharing resources. So, if you only have 512MB of memory, you would use 256MB of it to run the other operating system. That other operating system would appear to be just another application running but would "Virtually" be another computer (with less resources) running at the same time as your main OS. The effect is that things respond slower depending upon the load. It is not that bad if you have a lot of memory and a higher CPU speed. So, why on earth would you want to do this madness? What is the reason you might want more than one OS anyway?? Well, if the Wine emulator isn't working for you, you could install MS Windows as a virtual machine and run window's apps. Or like I said you could see if other Linux distros are better than what you have now. It is actually more cool because you don't have to burn a CD, just download the ISO file and run it virtually.
Virtual Machine software comes in various packages and depends upon your distro if you can easily use them. VMware is probably the oldest, most well known, then there is VirtualBox which is new and very nice to use. It is a wrestling match to install Virtualbox in Mepis but I will make the effort and tell you all about it. What I am using now is Qemu and it is so slow as I only have 512MB of memory and using KDE eats up a lot of that. But, Qemu is very easy to use. OK, here is one thing in Linux I really want and virtual machines is a big part of it. I want one application that allows me to play or view all the media files on my system. The separate programs are wonderful, but one "front-end" to manage and view it all would be great. I have raved before about Elisa Media Center as being a good looking application for this purpose. I have had terrible luck installing and getting it to run on my Mepis system, no problem in Xubuntu. I have discovered a few more apps that will do the job. They happen to be mini-Linux distros. The first one is called Geexbox. It has quirks but works on my system. Then there is LIMP which also works and Womp which works too. These distros are tiny and are just meant for playing media. I will have to see if they are fit for my needs as I don't need them to stream video or drive a TV tuner card, just view and play what I already have on my computer. Then to have the ability to use or play with all those small Linux distros is great fun. DSL or Damn Small Linux, Wolvix and Puppy Linux and several more are all great to explore. I can save my CD's for permanent collections. Those big distros I'd rather just use the live-CD, they seem to run better. The bottom line is that having as much system memory as you can afford is useful for any OS. Use older hardware if you must but realize how hard it is to support it. You will end up running older versions of Linux to do the job. Please let go of your 8088 and your 386, even 486 cpu's are a trial to support! I would consider a serious upgrade if your stuff is hitting 6 to 8 years old. Then you can enjoy all the modern gadgets and widgets.
Here is another edition of "Linux Truths", this time with a question attached. There is no one Linux that does it all because developer groups tend to focus on certain out comes, so that you can have an out-of-the-box experience. Which Linux distros seems to have the most extensive assortment of popular applications in their repositories, allow app installation without extra steps and have all this without resorting to a DVD size ISO? I ask this because .deb's compiled for one distro might not work in another. Is there a distro that has the depth and breath? Don't say Debian because I know of many applications I can't find in Debian, you have to compile them from source yourself to run in Debian. Ultimately compiling source code allows you to have custom distros. That is the very mechanism that makes software run in your distro, on your computer, specifically. To have software compiled to the "Debian" standard is a general specification. If Ubuntu, based on Debian, is designed differently than Debian, you can't actually expect all software compiled for Ubuntu to run on Debian and vice-versa. The differences might be small, but are just enough for stuff to not install or run. This is why distros usually stock repositories with software compiled to run in their distro. Same source but compiled to run in a different situation. I want to tell all you standardization cheerleaders that it is not a Linux flaw, it's a feature. This is why the same "Linux" can run on so many different types of hardware.
Does this take the fun out of Linux, no, we just see what other folks are using and experiencing. Then we try it, if we have problems or success we share it, voice it, blog it for others to be warned or encouraged. In Linuxville we call that community!!

Life after Home Makeover in Linuxville

Ever wonder how life goes on after Home Makeover has left and the rush from so much newness and people and cameras and hugs have faded. You might have to gather yourself and try to find how your old life can cope with the new environment. You yourself haven't changed, but now there are all these possibilities. After some time you might even get the boldness to change something or add something. While the gift of newness is wonderful, it begins to sink in that the tastes and choices they made on your behave are not truly reflective of yours. Eventually the custom designed themed bedrooms, though exciting, need changing because the kids grow up. Growth and change are fluid yet constant and rarely consistent and always enviable. The out-of-the-box experience, though a great impact statement is still just the beginning. Wait now, I am getting to Mepis! What I am getting at is that each distro seems to have there own ways of doing things. This is partly why some .deb packages compiled on one Debian based distro will not install correctly on other distros also based on Debian. Files are put in different places so when programs run and they ask for a file in a certain location, it is not there. Sometimes it is a matter of dependencies which are not in the repositories or that you have to add the URL of repositories and security code keys to access them. It is not very open if you ask me, but you must protect your assets and your access, these days. Standardization is a nasty word in Linuxville. And Linux mechanics will fight you to keep the freedom to devise different ways of doing things with Linux. But in my humble opinion, just a little standardization might be a welcome tonic for users. A .deb package should be a .deb package and just work on Debian based distros, no matter the flavor. Or a converter program is needed to insure a .deb package will install in that distro. Maybe even something like Alien which converts from one package system to another (.deb to .rpm) could do the job. Oh, we already got this, it is called compiling!! Yeah, we do, but then you have to teach the world to sing and with 95% of us off key too! So, maybe there should be one giant repository for .deb files and every distro have a compliance converter to insure that .deb's install properly in that distro. Maybe Synaptic needs built-in compiling tools and be distro aware. Does the compiling process need to be streamlined then put behind a front-end (a GUI)?? Why is it that some distros have full catalogs of pre-complied software that fit their distro and some do not? Standardization of some sort could combine resources or locations of resources, then common tools to access them, then modules added for specializations, exceptions, uniquenesses, differentiallities, quirks, radical departures, etc, to insure the .deb file installs in the particular distro. Every distro might come equipped with the "Universal Linux Package Distro Compliance Converter" so that you can throw any Linux package at it and it will make that package fit any distro. Standardization need not mean sameness, just better resource management and deployment. You have to ask if the different packaging systems amount to closed systems within the open source arena?! Packaging is a standard and it has to be or Linux is hindered. The Alien software program crosses the package barrier, what will cross the distro barrier? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to put compiling on the desktop in a way that is fully accessible. To find code and dependencies, compile it, install it and run it, should be an effortless workflow in Linuxville. To sum it all up, in Linuxville we all wear shirts, different shirts, but shirts. Different styles, colors, materials, shapes, sizes, still shirts (or blouses). Do we continue to endure the sweatshops? (to make shirts or command line compiling) or do we utilize more friendly and accessible tools to do the same job???? There is lots to argue about but that is what Linux communities are all about, throwing minds at problems. Life goes on!!!!
Mepis is just fine and the blurb above is a concern encountered upon installing apps in Mepis that were a breeze in Xubuntu. Ease of use and user friendliness are two different qualities. You need two mints in one if you intend to relieve user frustration. OK, you got the car with all the toys, but it has a standard shift. Multitasking behind the wheel just became complicated. Some will say that this is closer to the real Linux, requiring savvy and skill. Even Slackware had to address dependency hell and make software installs more friendly. If the Debian software catalog is more extensive than the rpm or the tarball ones, why can't some Debian based distros use all those .debs?? Within the open Linux world are closed, distro and cpu architecture dependent systems. I understand cpu architecture differences, but not distro differences. I mean so different that you have to resort to compiling from source code to make it run on your distro. I'm starting to repeat my anguish. We all are searching for the Linux sweet spot. The cries from the Linux choir are worst than a rampage of used car salesmen. There is no one Linux distro that is all things for all people, does all things well or is so able to run on mainframe or laptop, server or desktop, new or old hardware and accommodate skilled and unskilled users. Linux is the ultimate in customization and can be made to fit the hardware, the process and the user. But there is still room for improvements. Even in Linuxville, the streets are paved with orange barrels, at times.

Home Makeover comes to Linuxville

In Linuxville there is always the opportunity to re-evaluate your whole situation and change it if necessary. One of the best ways to do this is to have a separate partition for your /home directory. This way when you change your linux install you can better preserve your user files and data. In practice though, you shouldn't have to change anything for years. In fact the hot OS idea is counter the practical design of Linux. Once you have a distro installed, you should be able to upgrade portions of it as necessary be it the kernel, the libraries or the whole distro. I've become a "distro hopper" and it has got to stop. Is there really a better Linux distro just around the corner?? Does having the latest and greatest and being on the cutting-edge of things really matter?? Will I fall behind if I don't have the newest?? My hardware isn't getting any newer and the applications haven't changed significantly, why am I striving so hard to be first on my block?? A Linux OS is meant to last a long time, just like that gum they advertise on TV, where they beg you to chew a second piece. With the incremental improvements you don't have to get upgrade fever. The server folks have known this for ever and we in the desktop crowd should not be overcome by this sickness either. Linux choice is about considerate choosing of appropriate tools, reasonable look and feel and ease of use. To market Linux based on wallpaper and screensaver experiences is not a good thing.
Well, one thing leads to another and in Linuxville you get to see and experience a lot. Trying stuff is what keeps this whole thing interesting. Not having a business, I don't have to have a locked down user environment. Sameness is more maintainable from a system admin point of view. So, you heard of my love for Xfce desktop and how much I am weary of extreme eyecandy. I want to hip you to a couple of things I think are striking enough for serious thought. The first is a desktop called Kuartet. Kuartet is a desktop that runs on top of KDE and uses something called Superkaramba. Superkaramba allows you to design desktop wigets and gadgets, you know, clocks and gages, status bars, etc, etc, etc. Kuartet escapes the menu metaphor with info screens and desktop hotspots. It is cool looking and functional. The catch is that it is a project that has escaped notice and did not catch on (ahead of it's time??). If Oprah can promote books, I can promote this. We should consider a Kuartet revival and proceed to push the envelope of the desktop. The second thing before me is the window manager Fluxbox. I've played with it before and now have it on AntiX, the Mepis spin. Fluxbox is a looker and you can change the look with a flick. Fluxbox is simplicity inspite of requiring a little tweaking to set it up. Fluxbox is swift. If you want to turn in your SUV for something greener, Fluxbox is the one. Sorry, you can't just install Fluxbox from Synaptic and run it. Fluxbox is not a desktop environment like Gnome or KDE or Xfce. It is a window manager that requires the help of other apps to fill it out (you get to choose, yeah!!!). In the Mepis docs is a Wiki on how to install Fluxbox, configure it and what to put with it so you have a complete desktop. I will try it all out and report it here, live, for your enjoyment and deployment.
Another Linuxville truth!!! There is no Linux expert or single person who contains all there is to know about Linux. This is why user groups and forums are so cool. If you have a question or concern, you can inquire within the Linux "social network", "community", "distro docs" for the benefit of our combined knowledge and experience. Excuse us if our "mouse-side manner" (user hand holding technique) needs work, but ask. Life in Linuxville is fun and challenging.

More adventures with Mepis

Had a real busy day, the battery in my car which is supposed to put out 600 cold cranking amps only kicked out 21. It is a wonder the car still started, but Chevy's turnover fairly easy anyway. The 30 minute replacement operation turned into a couple of hours. I called a friend to assist me and we got it done. Things don't usually go as smoothly as we'd like. I had better luck with my computers. As you know I made the switch to Mepis 7.0 and it just works. I am learning to like KDE desktop, it has so much stuff, but I miss Xfce. So, I installed Xfce as an alternate desktop and am in the process of setting it up. To see all the tools Mepis offers in Xfce is making me feel I made a good choice. Mepis does something that other distros should pick up on. Instead of the missing manual that nobody provides anymore, Mepis comes with a desktop link to a manual installed on the live-CD or your hard drive. Not an internet link to a web site or a help file. It is clear it is the manual, you don't have to look for it. Then I read that Mepis uses Ubuntu repositories, but the truth is that it uses some, not all. Mepis is compiled from Debian "Etch" which is the latest stable version. So a better choice is to seek out the Debian repository sites. I am not clear which Ubuntu versions Mepis 7.0 is compatible with. Some Ubuntu based .deb packages will not work properly on Mepis.
My second machine, a 32 bitter took a major change, I removed Mepis 7.0 (is this guy fickle or what?) and swapped and reformatted the drives. In the Mepis camp, there is this distro called AntiX. It is Mepis, but very skinny. It reminds me of Wolvix, small with lots of tools and apps. It is just over 350MB in size and is full of light weight stuff. It has Fluxbox and Icewm for the desktop and looks great. As a hit and run live-CD it is adequate for rescue work or an office you take with you. And as I will use it, to manage files on my network and explore and tinker and tweak and general geeking out. What happens to all those other live-CD distros stacked on your desk? I like to from time to time revisit neighborhoods I have known and do demos for friends. Promoting Linux is not easy as one distro is good at somethings but not at others. The coolness factor depends on how much Linux you understand and appreciate. Eventually you get past all the flash and want the functionality too. Mepis and AntiX are an interesting combo.

the Linuxville Mepis report

Linuxville has it's quirks, one being that distros become the brain-child of groups of developers. One distro might have a better way (at least to you) of doing a thing. Similar distros might feature that unique way compared to another distros. Then some distros are popular inspite of lacking better ways of doing things. Wouldn't it be cool if all the best stuff showed up in one distro? Well I have found that what works well and easy in one distro is a trial in another. There is not usually a problem with the common applications but a few refuse to work even when nudged. This is all in the realm of learning Linux. How is Mepis on my desktop? Mepis is getting a workout as I find out how to do all the stuff I want. While I don't have a single interface to view all my pictures and videos (like Elisa Media Center), I do have several video and picture viewers that do the job well. The saying in Mepis is that it just works, this has been my experience. Not as flashy and exciting as my trek into Ubuntu, but a very good experience none the less. Mepis is very solid and the just works thing takes the edge off many newbie concerns. My only complaint has been the KDE menu which takes time to get use to. So, the trade off is finding where the application or tool is over hunting it down and making it work. Actually, I haven't progressed much beyond the out-of-the-box Mepis as some like whirling and blinking displays as proof of their geekness. Most users don't have the time or the interest to tweak till you geek. Mepis is pleasant to look at from the get. There is a lot to like. Mepis is not on the cutting-edge, not in the back of the pack, not funded by millionaires, not pushed by fanfare and stigma fighters. It is sort of like my Chevy, dependable, capable and reliable, looks good and rides nice.

The awlful truth about Linux

The awful truth about Linux is that there is more than one way to do things. So, when you change from one distribution, say Xubuntu, to another, Mepis, you gain some things and lose others. This is like the days of my youth, combing through a Boy Scout catalog and seeing a Swiss army knife. My dad buys me this other knife. It was twice as big and had three times as many tools. It did the job and then some, but was hard on the pockets. Xubuntu is slim in function, though you can nudge it to do anything. Mepis on the other hand has all the stuff and just works. Mepis is very impressive but I can see that certain applications are not in the repositories and might have to be compiled to run on my system. This is unfortunate for a point and click guy like me. I might have to learn something new. There is a lot to be said about simplicity. I bought a Pontiac car a while back. It had a lot of dashboard dials and buttons for extra stuff. Sort of made you feel you were in an airplane cockpit. They were not really needed to drive the car, but boy was it cool looking. I am working my way around KDE desktop. It looks spiffy but it is hard to settle on what I like, I keep tweaking this and that. I have a status panel on the top and a application icon panel in the bottom, that disappears. Not radical but very workable. I noticed that Mepis doesn't have quite the web presents that Ubuntu has and perhaps a smaller community too. But the Mepis forums are not filled with minor new user questions either. This is because Mepis just works for most people. Hey, it worked for me. Another truth is that the applications that matter are available for most distributions leaving the awkward installs for those projects that aren't so popular. Yeah, yeah, I could have moved to Ubuntu or Kubuntu but due to the compromises needed to make a distro popular, I don't think I would have gained as much. So, if you have a lean machine, give Xubuntu a try but don't expect to control the world without some work. Mepis is full-bodied and robust. The KDE menus are a bit much to remember where things are kept. The icon panels help out a lot. And so far I didn't have to install flash on the 64-bit Firefox, it just worked. And the video downloader extension installed and works too. Mepis is a little less work than Kubuntu and I like that.
Now, Elisa Media Center is not a convenient install on Mepis and I am looking into have it or something like it on my computer. But as I go around tweaking and adjusting my system, I will eventually will find a solution. Stay tuned, you'll hear it from me.

To all you purest, loyalist and devotees of Linux

One of the hardest things to deal with in Linuxville is distro love. Often you hear of folks who swear by a particular distribution of Linux. We get so personal with our connection to the distro we are using as if it has the ability to do all and be all. These are of course good and confident feelings and my intent is not to discourage them but to insist on a little reality. While most distros seem well thought out it is obvious that not all can do things exactly the way we wish. Choices and compromises and decisions have been made to produce something so that you might have an out-of-the-box Linux experience. We should not expect that provided solution to be optimum for everyone. This is why so much attention has been spent on being able to delete and install portions of Linux. Then the GUI desktop itself has become a large part of what is provided in the distro. The major desktops are based on a particular library, Gnome and Xfce use the gtk and KDE uses the qt libraries. Then developers have written similar solutions from those libraries that integrate well with the desktops also written from those libraries. Of course you can use a mix of these solutions in your installation of Linux with various degrees of success. So you can be GUI focused which reveals that different distros function the same when sharing the same GUI. Or a name brand loyalist, pushing and recommending a particular distro. Or a mix of the extremes. You have to ask the question, if the new car out of the box experience is so great, so satisfying, why do you see fuzzy dice, new hub caps, seat blankets, beads, knick-knacks, tissue boxes, trim lights, hood scoops and assorted stuff in the new car by the first weekend of ownership ? The out of the box thing may be a great concept for business transport but the drive to personalize and accessorize makes it mine. Being able to cover all of the user choices in one distro is near impossible, but you should always have the feeling you can personalize and accessorize. I drove Ford cars for years, I now own a Chevy. I've had 4 station wagons in a row, I now have a sporty sedan. I have had Slackware and Red Hat, now I have Debian. Eventually you discover what works for you, what you are willing to deal with and who supplies what you need? My moto, "It's all Linux inside."

My latest move is SimplyMepis 7.0. It uses KDE desktop and the Ubuntu repositories. It has good looks and feels solid. Similar to Kubuntu? Yes, but lets not split hairs. I am looking away from the millionaire's OS's to see what else is out there. Mepis has the coolness factor without the political/social philosophy thing Ubuntu has. Gosh, what people do to sale cars!

New developments and winds of change

Well folks, in my personal Linux adventure, I was tortured by the question of wither to install a full featured Linux distro or a small trimmed down one. Is it better to delete redundancy or install what's needed. I still can't answer that question. But my computing needs did indeed change and I find that Xubuntu does not stand up to the challenge. When inquiring about my new direction, the response was good but not clear cut as I had hoped. To accomplish the things I want and have to use all sorts of command line tweaks and such is not the kind of person I am. Some of you kind and helpful folks really like to dig into the flesh of Linux and make it work. My self, for the purpose of pursuing a more "popular" Linux, prefer to see application and GUI solutions. While I root for the Ubuntu crowd, I have had trouble with the new Hardy Heron 8.04 on both of my machines. The 64-bit one works but web browser extensions are problematic. On the 32-bit one, the install failed a number of times and the desktop settings did not hold once I did get it installed. This was with Xubuntu and with Ubuntu (with Gnome). The 7.10 versions worked without a problem. I wonder what are the underlying causes of these problems, but I really don't have the skills to probe them or the interest to use work-arounds. Oh, I did not mention Kubuntu, I really don't care for KDE desktop but, this has become a part of my new direction. So, you can guess that I am not a true distro loyalist, not a make it work or die kind of person. I have loaded a distro called Mepis onto my second machine. While I don't like the KDE menu or the extensiveness of the tweakability of KDE it does look and feel just fine once you become accustom to it. Mepis is Debian based and does use Ubuntu repositories. I don't know what it has in comparison to Ubuntu but when I installed it, it worked, period. You can't ask for more than that. I of course am looking into the background of Mepis as I want to know about the support community and such things. Then this KDE thing is interesting for one reason, I want the tools to do what I want. Xubuntu lacks networking apps and the path to gather which tools are useful, to download, install and configure is not so clear. You system mechanics might holler "what's the problem?" and "you can do it like this!". This is fine but it is probing too deep into the inner workings of Linux and I really don't have the inclination to 'figure it out'. Back to the question of full or skimpy distro, Mepis has the tools to do everything and to my taste I might have to uninstall a few things and add others, but the tools are there. What I need to do is see my network, share files and remote. I shouldn't have to make it work, from my perspective. I guess the idea of a single computer using Linux is fine but being part of a network is different. And it is not a dedicated server and I am not a Linux system mechanic, so I look for simpler, more complete and accessible solutions. To sum this all up I would say that the new Hardy Heron needs work, is not as cool as the previous version. The KDE desktop, which I am not rah-rah over is not that bad to deal with (takes time) and while Ubuntu enjoys the spotlight, is not all there is to Linux. I am tipping my hat to the Mepis crew. Mepis or SimplyMepis as it is called, uses the KDE 3.5 and I wonder if the new 4.0 would be better but at this point it does not matter, it all just works. That is the point!

doing some yard work in Linuxville

Here in Linuxville you don't need a builder's permit to do that special project that's going to upgrade your property, but then again you are not assured to have all the stuff you need available to do the job. I have dubbed it "the land of not". As a big fan of Xubuntu, I was expecting to have what was needed to do some expansion work, not!! What I was wanting to do was setup a MS Windowless network consisting of two Xubuntu computers, a router and a DSL modem. Yeah, I got it physically wired alright, but the software side is "not" happening. Not only does Xubuntu not have adequate network tools, but there is not one how-to that explains it in a simple, step by step way so that the average Joe or Josephine could understand it. If you use Samba, which I think is for connecting to MS Windows computers, there is lots of info. If you have only Linux machines, there is zilch. Then to top it all off, Xubuntu does not come with a network browser. Sure, if you are a techie who enjoys digging into the inner workings behind the GUI, you can make it all work. But if you want Linux to be the fairly popular desktop that might rival MS Windows, you have to have clear cut GUI ways to access these things. That also means that system mechanics need to swallow their savvy and condense the complicated path they took to make it all work into point-n-click simplicity. Xubuntu, Xubuntu, Xubuntu, you have it going for you and yet you come with missing parts. To be able to connect to a network is a simple thing. A network browser is not too much to ask for, even if it is an application that can be installed later. I have heard it from techs but the point is I shouldn't have to know so much to be able to do this. Every little detail requires an explanation and those explanations are scattered across the internet. I realize that Linux distributions tend not to do everything well, which is why folks try out many different ones. Alas, even I, must join the ranks of folks who say Linux is crap because something does not work on "my machine". No, Linux is evolving and growing and is better than previous versions, that is for sure. But, in the explanation of things, certain assumptions have been made. My complaint is that my particular needs have not been addressed and my skills have not progressed to where I can do-it-myself without help. My project is to have two Linux computers, share one internet connection via a router, see each other, have one remote into the other, share folders and a printer. In MS Windows, these things are not so complicated. Why are they so hard to do in Linux which was designed with networking in mind? Again, I am looking through Xubuntu glasses. This is like typical yard work at home, I can see what I want but don't have a tool to get it done easily and rightly. I mow, then it rains, the dandelions stand up like soldiers, 'ya missed me', where is agent orange when you need it? I call tech support, I want to install a "package", then point-n-click and get it done.
Somewhere, deep in the heart of the urban jungle of Linuxville in a small obscure curio shop with dusty shelves, strange lights and noises come from a back room, a couple of surviving machine code wizards motion to their young protege, faces still glowing from the ancient CRTs on the table, "oh, you can do that in Xubuntu can you?", "yeah, but can you manage it with a mouse and make a simple how-to anybody can use?" I wish........

Linuxville bragging rights revisited.

When you get brand new software it always is a concern as to if it is a finished product or if you are the second rung beta tester (guinea pig). I guess I could have taken the upgrade path where you install the new software on top of the old, but that does not work so cleanly all the time. So I, as you will recall, installed the new Ubuntu 8.04 on my older machine and it hung. I tried three times and the third time (the charm) it loaded with no problems. Now I have on my main box, Xubuntu 8.04 and 7.10. My older machine sports Ubuntu 8.04. Being a Xfce fanboy, I am a bit biased toward Xubuntu but, Gnome does have some points. It is a solid desktop with some things I like. I really like the snappy windows in Xfce, Gnome sort of fast fades in and out. I am not a slow motion kind of guy, I like the crisp popping in and out of my windows. I think fades and hesitation promotes an un-assured feeling when working the desktop compared to a crisp response. But don't get all click happy, we must learn patience, computers still don't provide the swiftness of mental agility. Ubuntu 8.04 is on a 32-bit machine so I don't expect any problems getting web browser extensions to work. Gnome is like a whole new neighborhood, similar to Xfce but different enough to notice. In Xfce, the Icon panels or tool bars are more configurable. You can in Gnome add fancy icon bars that rival the one on Macs, but I really hate adding to the overhead of the desktop when the point is to get to the programs. You might think otherwise and that is your right. What do you do with two computers when you are the only real user in the house? If I had some money I'd get a couple of large hard drives and use one computer as a server to the other. But the truth is that my needs are not that great and I don't tend to collect stuff I don't use. I do intend to try out networking and remote desktop and virtual machines and all that sort of thing. I was considering installing MS XP as a virtual machine but I can't think of any software that runs on MS Windows I must have that doesn't run in Wine on Linux. Yes, I am practically MS free.

One of my latest interest is multimedia as I am impressed with a little item, the digital picture frame. Just sitting there on the mantle or desk, flicking scene after scene is so cool. Then I installed a program called Elisa Media Center. It is wonderful as it allows one interface to all the media on your computer, it is very sweet. I'm not much into the MythTV kind of thing, the computer/TV connection is there but, I'm still hedging about putting a computer in the living room, I guess it could happen. Like the days of the hifi stereo setup, TV and computer arrangements tend to get techie. Does Elisa need anything? Yes, it allows you to explore YouTube, but only YouTube and there is no search function so you can only see the most viewed and tagged stuff. To be able to load any internet video source site and have search criteria would make it even cooler. In the meantime, you can download videos to the hard drive and watch them that way at your leisure. Also to be able to download the stuff you find while in Elisa would be nice. Maybe combine Elisa with some Flock browser type functions would be cool. The future is so bright, I gotta wear shades!!

Standing room only and somebody yelled 'Fire!!'

Yes folks, the mad rush to download the new Ubuntu 8.04 is on and I jumped into the fray. Of course I used bit torrent like a good boy and it all went smoothly. I installed the 64-bit Xubuntu on my main machine, an HP Pavilion desktop, 2.20 ghz AMD Athlon 64, 512kb memory and 80gig HD and Nvidia Geforce 5200 video card. It is not extreme at all and the install was slow but perfect. Like I said previously, there were some typical 64-bit issues with Firefox and Flash but they are being worked out. I am now able to view flash movies but still I can't download any. In the Ubuntu repositories, there is Gnash and swfdec, which are the two Flash choices available, but I don't know if they are 64-bit or 32-bit. I do know that if they are 32-bit, they require a nspluginwrapper to let them work in a 64-bit Firefox browser. I installed them and don't recall installing the wrapper. I will have to peek inside to see what was installed. Anyway, at least the video watching problem is solved. I still don't understand why the download extensions for Firefox don't work. I even installed SeaMonkey, which is the Mozilla continuation of Netscape browser (very nice). Download extensions won't even install for SeaMonkey. Alas, so much mystery!!
My second computer is one I pieced together, a 850mgz AMD Duron, 256mb, 20gig HD and ATI Radeon 7200 video card. For it I downloaded Ubuntu 8.04 and wanted to see just how long it took to install. I can't tell you because it hung. When the install reach the point of configuring the locales, it hung and I had to go to work, so I shut her down. The saga continues..........
The trauma fuels a discussion as to whether it is more worthwhile to install 32-bit over the 64-bit versions, even on 64-bit hardware. Opinions vary but in reality 32-bit hardware is slowly being replaced by 64-bit, even though many, many 32-bit softwares are not changing over. In this mix, backward compatibility is built-in but I wonder at what cost.
More adventures are coming, stay tuned.

Linuxville's critic's corner

You all know the thrill of getting a shiny new car only to find a few flaws that spoil the allure. I wonder what was the rush to get Hardy Heron on my computer was all about. This is the latest Xubuntu 8.04 and it indeed was sweet for a while. Being a 64-bit kind of guy, I was braced for some trauma and I wasn't disappointed. But what troubles me is a deeper concern, I now can not download videos, the helper extensions won't install in Firefox. I even reinstalled an earlier Firefox to no avail. The combo of new Xubuntu and Firefox 3 beta 5 does not play well together. I also tried Mozilla Seamonkey browser and suffered the same fate. I also went throught a bought of browser crashes which seems to have subsided. I was having MS like flashbacks and wondering if my install CD's were corrupt. I did an original install instead of an upgrade, I still have Xubuntu 7.10 and it works just fine. There are a few other things that bother me about this 8.04. I don't have access to my whole hard drive. I can't even see my 7.04 installation. From within 7.04 I can see the 8.04 partitions just fine. Actually that's not too bad, just two items out of all the stuff I could complain about. I will see what other citizens are saying in the forums and perhaps return some sweetness to Xubuntu. I am wondering if the 32-bit crowd is hurting also. Anyway, it's back to the dealership and I'm glad I still have my old ride.