Responsive computing required!

Hey all. Thanks for spelling me out the obvious by commenting on my previous post - using swap out of memory is useless.

But I still want my computer to be faster and swap less. I know that today's userspace apps suck and use much unnecessary computer resources, but all I want for my computer is to be responsive!

I remember in DOS days, with much slower computers I didn't have to wait for it. Computers perform tasks much faster that people, so I want to use this tool and I want it to be usable. I don't want to wait for it to do something it "thinks" it needs to. I want it to respond in half of a second to any of my actions.

Is that too much to ask for?
Is it possible to be easily done? Without the suggestion to buy more hardware? If so, how?

-A.

Technorati : Linux, Ubuntu, technology, windows

Standard Linux - is it possible?

I've read a post by Dana Blankenhorn, who "has been a business journalist for nearly 25 years and has covered the online world professionally since 1985".

Here's a trackback to a story.

He's talking about running a "standard" Linux distribution. Not choosing one, but rather, using one.

I like his way of thinking actually. If mostly used distribution is Ubuntu, doesn't that makes it "standard"? Wouldn't it be easier for all to create and distribute products that would work with this vendor? Wouldn't it be great to optimize ourselves to work with/on it the best way possible?

Well, yes and no.

Yes because all Linux distributions (and Ubuntu in particular) are built alike. All of them include the kernel (it is a kernel what makes Linux after all), basic software, X server system (with great graphics support), management tools and software, which is generally the same on all of them. So, when an application or product is "ready" for Ubuntu, is will not be daunting or hard task to make it work with almost any other Linux distribution.

And no because it seems to me we already been in this scenario. Just imagine: a real alternative to Microsoft's and Apple's OSes, and a good one. It is so good, that many vendors start creating a products for it and based on it. Hardware vendors provide drivers and optimize their hardware. Accessories are made. Software is getting better. Ain't it great? The world, where at least one distribution becomes as good as commercial operating systems?

But that is exactly the world we're trying to change. We don't want the "lock-in" on a single vendor. I don't want to be forced to use something I don't choose by myself. We already have such vendor in our midst. Wanna guess who that is?

Isn't that the reason we do what we do with free software in the first place?

I'm all for innovation. I'm in favor of competition. I am in favor of trying to achieve high goals.

But I can't stand a choice forced on me. Even with best intentions in mind.

Technorati : Linux, Ubuntu, technology

OLPC article remarks

Wow, what a ride!!

This blog entry of mine made it to groklaw and linuxtoday. Thanks for submitting, people; I don't know who that was, but it brought ~ x100 times traffic to my blog than usual.

Now, my dear commenters:
Thanks for warm words. I really just said what I believe in, and I'm glad to see such positive response to it. It is nice to know, that I'm not the only one to think that way, and more than that - that I probably get this issue right.

Notes to commenters:
Jim, I'm not sure that 160 ms is the wakeup time, but indeed, 63ms is the hardware limit. Said that, I'd still be glad if my T43 with Windows XP would wake in 15 seconds (instead of about 2 minutes it takes now)

Jürgen, I get you point about the thought of being "feeling guilty". But nevertheless, given we both are born in more or less wealthy countries, can't we truly and sincerely want to contribute something to other people? With no second thought behind the idea? I mean, I don't believe we're trying to justify any other things we do in life, right?

I truly believe for a good in people, and I hope that the idea behind the project is a true and altruistic one.

For those who think its a financial scheme created to make a lot of money:
You're wrong guys/girls. While it is imaginable, I don't really see how it can be done considering the boundaries created for the project. Considering lot of Open/Free software developers/proponents are participating in this, I suspect that if any other cause would be possibly found in this, these brilliant but free people would leave the project.

On the other hand we see that this laptop would cost ~$100 to produce (eventually; and maybe even less in the long run). Given, that governments will get those units, I don't really see the way for MIT lab to profit from this (financially of course. All the technological benefit is there for all of us).

Some other ideas came to me while I was thinking a little more about the issue and reading all sorts of comments online.

Someone wrote (forgive me author, I don't remember who you are): GUI provided on OLPC is not all that good and relevant, because someone will find a way to override it and use the device as usual laptop.

At the beginning, I was a little agitated by this post, and wanted to explain myself better; but then I though a little more about it.

I decided that it would be great actually if that happens. Just imagine, a linux laptop, with very efficient hardware/software, long battery life, lightweight. Why wouldn't anyone want one?

But wait, there's more.

Imagine, all around the world, kids form "hack" communities, each with its favorite OLPC hacks. It will be one of the largest grouped communities around. And it will develope their skills, technical and social. It will develop the OLPC itself, as many [kids] minds is better than few [OLPC staff], not because they are smarter but because they are interested, and they are doing it for themselves.

And you know what?
I'd like such a computer for myself.

As a side note, I'd like to welcome Marco Albanese to our planet. Please join me in welcoming him and wish all the best.

Planet Larry Update

Hi all

Sorry for not updating the stuff for a few days - as a result of Passover, I was practically offline.

So Steven - I hope you like your new hackergotchi better. If not - I suggest you to make the real 100x100 pic and send it over to me again, and will update it.

We still in Passover days until Tuesday, when I'm expected to get fully online again, so expect a little delay in response, as Steve is sorta busy with implementing new ideas for planet, and I'm like having a vacation...

I'll get online from time to time, so you're welcome to leave me a message.

Enjoy life.

Avatars coming in...

Hi people

I'm happy to let you now, that 2 more our users will get their avatars online in a short while:
Paul Chatziditriou and Eddy Mulyono are the new ones.

Thats the spirit!!

Now, whats wrong with the rest of you??

Planet Larry Update - Hackergotchis

This is a planet update.

I'm happy to announce that my blog is being read. At least by 2 people.

From now on, Jürgen Geuter and Daniel de Oliveira have new avatars near their names which makes them more recognizable on planet's feed.

I call all of you who still haven't got an avatar, create one and send it to me!

Have a nice day.

Planet Larry Update - Hackergotchis request

Hello to you all planet readers!!

As one of the planet's maintainers, I decided to write an update.
Currently we have a nice developing planet, well populated by different gentoozens.

But there is something I would like to request you all: you will be more recognizable to the planet (and hence, to the world), it'd be better for you to have a little picture aside your posts. These might be hackergotchi of yourself or someone else or any other avatar of your choice.

It will make our planet more attractive to other reader besides us :-)

In addition, if you are a Gentoo user and still not subscribed - drop me a note. The way to subscribe is described here.

If you are subscribed, but your entries are not aggregated or your feed has changed - drop me a note as well.

On the Gentoo note, there was a voting for a new CoC document last Thursday (at least supposed to be), but I haven't checked what's with that as of yet.

I'll keep it posted.

Please leave me a note if you think we can make something better for a planet.

:-)

FOSDEM friends

Well, I forgot to mention something in my previous entry, but better later than never.

My new friend Rob (aka hyakuhei - he's a gentoo developer), found his laptop broken while we were at Fosdem.

Saturday, the first day of conference began really nicely. We met new people, had crepes, and all was nice and good. Rob left his laptop in his backpack in Gentoo dev room, but when he came back - his backpack was moved and laptop's screen was broken.

So, as a result, Rob had all conference covered by a dark cloud of bummer and unhappiness, as not only he uses his laptop for coding, but since he currently lives in Switzerland and his family/fiancee are still in UK, its his main contact line with them.

Rob, I hope you feel a little better now anyways (even that I know you haven't your computer fixed yet), and that everything will work out for you.

Now, to you all: Please Help Rob To Fix The Laptop Broken At Fosdem !! So, click here to get to his blog and then click on a PayPal link to help out with few bucks. It will be sincerely appreciated.

If you don't have the means or a will to do so, please ask your friends who might.

Rob will also establish a website for easier process.

Thanks on behalf of Rob to all of you who help out either way.

Gentoo, FOSDEM07 and stuff

Well, after not being successfully able to orginize the trip with work, I'm almost decided to go by my own.

So its now 85% chance that I'll be at Fosdem!! I've talked with diox (who's organizing things on Gentoo's part), and I might get help with accommodation, which would be totally awesome!! And then I'll be at the event itself and I hope that I'll catch that beer Friday as well.

As to a more Gentoo-related things, I've been asked by Steve to help him out running this very planet, which I agreed (for a time being at least for foreseeable future). So, until we update the site with our details, you can talk to me if you're experiencing problem with our world.

So, all seem good, some userreps answered my wake up call, and I hope to get us back in short time.

Have a great time all!

Just a short note about GWN

OK, so now as we all just love going over and over recent retirements, something else I've noticed:

Only 3 people were mentioned as retired developers on the latest GWN issue.

If there's a policy to "clean" a workpool from nonactive developers, why keep it secret? Is there an official community resourse announcing retired developers other than GWN?

On the other hand, I noticed how successful (IMHO of course) Planet Larry became. Maybe its time to add to GWN another section, such as "Seen on Planet Larry" (as addition to "seen in the community")?

Wouldn't you agree?