Wed 16 Jul 2008
There has been a very startling and disturbing bug within Ubuntu bug tracker. Please help the team out if you can.
Linux
Archived Posts from this Category
Wed 2 Jul 2008
Open Source has been a major player in the evolution of software for years. Had it not been for projects like Linux and PHP (among many others) computing would still be back in the early 90’s. Luckily this phenomenon has revolutionized the way we go about business. To counter this argument I will be doing another post on how Open Source hurts businesses and the economy. Lets get started. Here are 5 ways Open Source has has helped the business world:
- Software has evolved at a rapid pace due to community involvement. Contributors from all backgrounds can participate in the development and making it possible for businesses to do things not possible only a few years ago.
- Open Source Software is generally free. Most companies only need to pay for support, making it more affordable for the smaller companies to be just as technologically advanced as fortune 500 companies
- Vibrant communities are great for support. You, in many cases, are more likely to find help online since there are so many contributors. This free support fits well into next years budget.
- With some software like web browsers and operating systems there is a wealth of plugins and ad ons that allow you to customize your software to your need. This isn’t limited to Open Source, but compare Firefox to IE.
- If it doesn’t work the way you want it to, change it. Open Source means the source code is openly available. If you need a little extra functionality it doesn’t cost you a thing to change it yourself, something that will cost you and arm and a leg with proprietary closed source software.
I will be following up with the cons, so don’t get ahead of your self. There are plenty of reasons for not using Open Source. But Hey, why not, its free?
Mon 30 Jun 2008
Over at arstechnica there is a glimpse at the new Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex. A few screenshots show that Ubuntu is still going dark. The direction they are headed is not very clear. Even by scanning other user’s comments it appears its not a very popular idea, and I agree 100%! Here are 5 reasons a dark theme will only hurt Ubuntu:
- If they’re trying to prove a point that dark themes are pretty, I think they’re just going to satisfy the ones who already love dark themes,.. in which case those users probably have a custom theme they enjoy already. They’re not going to get the votes of mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa, who until they satisfy, Linux in general will always be an underachiever.
- The darker theme, no matter how great the graphics, will only be eye-popping on higher end machines, thus going back to number one, only satisfying those true computer nerds who they’ve already captured their vote.
- Its a proven fact that dark colors are more depressing. Although it may be easier on the eyes, after a while people want to see vibrant colors.
- Dark colors are not suitable for the work environment. Businesses and schools will be hesitant to adopt such dark themes, partly because it appears “Unbusiness like” and also back to number 3, depressing workers.
- It hurts the visual integrity of applications and websites running within it. Applications need colors that make them stand out, not so dark and smooth that they all blend in.
I think other approaches should be taken first to improve desktop appeal before the theme, take a look at OSX for instance, they’ve done really well with they’re organization of the desktop, and more linux distributions are starting to reflect what they’ve done because it works so well.
Its understandable that brownish/orange is Ubuntu’s color, but there’s no need to be obsessive with it, for god’s sake make it vibrant and beautiful!
Sun 18 May 2008
I wasn’t aware myself there were issues with using sudo when using graphical applications, however a commenter refered me to an artical on Running Sudo Graphically. After reading over the article it’s points seem to be pretty clear, that when you use a command like:
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
issues can occur by running the application as root but with the user’s configuration file. It explains that you should use gksudo (gnome) or kdesu (kde) in place of sudo if you need to use X applications. Also an easy command line editor to use is nano in place of gedit when you need to edit files with sudo.
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Anyway, I recommend reading the article as it does a more thorough job explaining it than I do
Mon 28 Apr 2008
For the average Joe very little is pre configured for everyday needs like Java, Flash, mp3 codecs.. It is understandable that some of these can’t be installed by default for legal reasons, but why isn’t there a “Kick-Start” program on a users first login to set up all these common utilities?
This is yet another obstacle Ubuntu must overcome to gain wide spread use to the every day user. It is understood that there are other “alternative” technologies being developed to avoid these issues but the fact of the matter is they’re just not up to par at this time. Ubuntu no doubt has one of the easiest installs ever, but it may be necessary to run this sort of quick program on the first boot to get the user completely ready.
By the way the image above is not an actual program, but a quick mock up using QT 4 Designer. I must admit they’ve done a nice job with their User interface tools and can’t wait for the Webkit integration!
Mon 21 Apr 2008
While constantly doing websites I find myself always needing to work from the root web address. The problem is there is only one localhost. Well we can always create subdomains off of localhost in Ubuntu and Apache very easily(I’m sure other linux distro’s are very similar to do as well) I will walk you through it but there is also another tutorial on ubuntuforums.org.
First we need to add our domain to our hosts in Ubuntu. Todo so go to System -> Administration -> Network. Then click on the Hosts tab. Click the localhost entry and Properties. On a new line add your new aliases(subdomains).
Now on to Apache. We need to open up our httpd.conf file and add an entry for the new virtual host( sudo gedit /etc/apache2/httpd.conf )
Finally we should restart Apache and visit our new domain. Make sure the directory exists where you point your subdomain as well. To restart apache: sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
Fri 18 Apr 2008
I ran across Navicat’s Postgres Administration tool the other day and just out of curiosity I decided to install it on Ubuntu (the lite version). Uhho, there’s no linux version! Well as any linux fanatic would do I grabbed the Windows version and tried to install with Wine, and well,.. it worked. After clicking around a bit I don’t foresee myself switching from pgAdmin(it actually looks a lot like pgAdmin III), but it does have a few pro’s and con’s. They also have a MySQL counterpart, but there is a linux version available for it.
Of all the database admin tools I’ve used however I’ve found none as nice as.. yes, I’m going to say it.. Microsoft’s SQL Server Management Studio. I think the biggest thing Management Studio has going for it is the very clean interface, and the fact that every button doesn’t pop open a new window and it’s a one stop shop for user administrator as well as data manager. MySQL has the two separate applications, other than that I love their query browser as well. Are there any other great database admin tools out there that are reasonably price??
Wed 2 Apr 2008
The next Ubuntu is almost here. I can’t wait and I’m sure you can’t either. Something about that automatic update that makes me dislike Windows, I don’t know why..
Tue 18 Mar 2008
I have to admit, I’ve tried a few different distros of linux lately, but none compare to Ubuntu. It is borderline capable of completely replacing Windows, but there are some limitations that are holding it back. You first off have to give linux in general a round of applause for its overall stability and security. You also have to admit the package managers and update managers like the ones found in Ubuntu are also far superior to any other operating system. There is a package for about anything you want to do with a computer, just check the box and click install. Brilliant! But they still seem to be skipping the most important aspects of today’s users.
User Interface and Multiple Monitors/Video Cards
I know the last couple releases have attempted to address these issues, and at the same time some of these issues may be more gnome related than Ubuntu related. These issue’s won’t stop me from using Ubuntu, I can work around most of these issues myself, but for the average joe, they will be lost, and more so dissapointed they reformatted their Windows machine with Linux. Many people and many businesses these days use multiple monitors. Non-tech related fields are falling into this trend quickly. This is a weak point with Ubuntu. Multiple monitors has improved dramatically, but multiple video cards is still a nightmare. I have to admit though Ubuntu did automatically find the nVidia driver, which was very convenient. Finally, the user interface in my opinion is not suitable for commercial use or the general public. It is too dark and the window chrome is too thick(plus its brown…). Most of this can be changed, but first impression means a lot!
I have to admit I would love to see the day Linux was the #1 Operating System, while still maintaining its strength, stability, and community support. I think the day is near that it becomes a legitimate competitor and a house hold name even for the average Joe.
Thu 31 Jan 2008
Being a curious mind kills a developer with a timeline. This is half of my everyday battle. The other half is the financial situation to afford many tools we all love(Photoshop, ColdFusion, Apple). So we’re stuck with a small budget but need to perform at our best. This is why I love Open Source software. My question to other developers is this: What low budget solutions get you through the day creating a website from design to database and everywhere in between?
First off I have to say my current development computer is running Ubuntu and couldn’t be happier with that. My editors are Komodo Edit and gEdit. I will use CFeclipse when doing ColdFusion, but thats normally my 8-5 job. Since I’m not a stand out designer I use strong CSS and fewer images, but Gimp does most of my image work. I look to possibly buy Fireworks though as soon as I’m able.(I want to learn Photoshop, but I’m more comfortable with Fireworks). For databases I depend on MySQL, but since they were recently purchased by Sun, I am now exploring Postgres since I’ve always heard great things about them and I’ve been learning Django which also recommends Postgres.
Programming languages is never set in stone. Although very fluent in ColdFusion, I can’t afford a license, and no Open Source CF solution is up to par just yet so I have been doing most of my work with PHP. Django looks promising with the exception that a lot of their framework is changing(new forms), and server set up can be a booger. For javascript I like them all! jQuery, Mootools, Prototype, etc.. they all have their uses.
So a quick recap:
- Ubuntu
- Komoto Edit/Gedit
- Gimp
- MySQL/Postgres
- PHP/Django
Again these are my “at home” tools on a limited budget. What tools get you through the day?
