The state of Linux

Dear Readers

* (Linux is a term I chose to use. Please don't start with me philosophy debates regarding naming conventions. Besides, I'm sure everyone who reads this will understand).

I'd like to challange a little the Linux community. In all recent press, me, my friends and many other people I know are reading about Linux all sorts of information. There's one article talking about winning some deal, where Linux shines and outperfomes Windows. There's another, where we finally "Get the facts" where Windows gets the win hands down. And then there are more, where Mac is better than Windows and Linux is better than Mac, etc...

This, of course, is an endless list of PR (public relations) and other commercial stuff. (Yes, I said Linux and commerce in one sentence, and I meant it so). Each vendor shows all the cases he wins over his competitors and we know that.

But here's the thing. I'm sure it happens all over the net, but I mainly read Unix/Linux news and not Windows ones. I'd say, that in an average day I see the same number of those messages from public press on all three major operating systems. Even more than that, news about less known ones like *BSD, Solaris, etc are also pretty much at the same level.

Here what I'm trying to say: with regard to my own field of expertise, I'm saying that all 3 operating systems (and even few more) are valuable and existing choices, all offer the same features and all can do the job. Customer chooses the solutions to his/her likings and he's happy.

Let me elaborate on this.

All ... operating systems... are valuable choices. What I mean by this, is that when I as customer am coming to a vendor, and explain to him my problem, I at least expect that I will get all the possible solutions. In almost all cases (except in OS-specific problems) I want him to provide me with Windows choice. Not that I think it is the best choice (it may not be), but because I like choice. It makes me feel better and more comfortable. And also, I'm saying that all operating systems today offer similar features, so I can solve almost anything in any of them.

With all this, I come to main point. We often talk about how Linux is ready (or not), it's on Desktop (I even wrote a piece about that as well), or on server, and how its better than Windows because ....... (fill in your favorite), and how its more open than MacOS, etc. What I'm saying, its this:

Linux is ( and already for some time) ready.

It's ready for Desktops. Ready for servers. Ready for embedded. Ready for everything.

Ready for competition.

I'm saying its ready, because the community is ready. Customers are ready.

Linux stake in OS business is ~3%, and this serves (surprisingly or not) as the reason for many people to ignore it. Well, too bad. Apple has the same share, but it is hardly ignored. Solaris has probably even less, but no one ignores Sun.

So, I'm calling to a Linux developers out there (and application developers): stop worrying. Keep going. You're doing a great job. Your product is better than other ones. Keep doing what you do, because the fruits of your labor are being used by millions and this number will only keep growing. I'm handing off my hat to all of you.

There's no point in bashing other operating systems. Linux holds its place. It will get even better. But competition is good for us. It keeps us all in shape and prepared. It makes us go over the edge. It makes us think.

And want to know what is the best thing of all? The community. It will overgrow companies. That's why Linux (and other open OSes, and applications) will thrive.

Linux is ready. Welcome to Linux state.

Microsoft works against itself?

Well, that at least what Matt Asay believes in.

I'm, in fact, disagree.

He argues, that "Get the facts" way of campaign is against the vendor itself. But on the contrary, they do not say that their product Gen1 sucks, they're just saying that in comparison, Gen2 product is much better.

You have the same thing with everything else. Car manufacturer will say his cars are much better than the competition, and then its new model is much better when compared to a previous one.

I can keep the list going on:
...New clothes are so "new" and those you bought last season are so "retro"...
...New cleaner detergent washes everything that a previous one (the one without those blue and red balls - it had green ones, and we all know blue and red are so much more than greeen) could not...
...You new cell plan is so much better than one you had! And you get a phone as a gift!...

During the days when we all loved AMD for their much better and cheaper CPUs than Intel's, Intel never compared their product to AMD (which AMD did thoroughly all the time). They just showed how much their new product would benefit their customers in means of price, performance, compared to an old one.

Matt: don't panic. No need for laughing (albeit ironic) at big vendors. It's just called marketing.

Nothing more.

-A

Innovation is total crap

Dear reader. I want you to know, that I intend to piss of a lot of folk by writing this, but this is intentional. I have nothing personal against you. I just want to say things that bug my mind.

I'm saying that innovation is total crap. It exist in extreme cases only.

Hear me up dear reader. Let me tell you about myself first, so you know why I think so:
I've started using a computer when I was at age seven or eight years old. It was a 16K memory Soviet computer, which was connected to my home TV with an analog cable with zillion connectors. It was connected to a tape, which produced funny voices like the TX terminator in T3 when she connected to a police computer.
That was the time when I've understood that my life is going to be around the computers and technology. I was much more interested with practical use than details of electronics.

Fast forward 20 and so years later. We now use computers with 16G memory (which is a factor of million). I have a cellphone which is much more powerful than my first computer. So, will someone tell me which innovation lead to this? How have we become so obsessed with this weird word "innovation"?

I find, that the use of this word is so ubiquitous, that it is used everywhere all the time. New software product? Innovative. New service? Innovative. New technique? Innovative.

Total crap.

If I went and created a teleported, someone would call it innovative. Others would say, "Teleporter? Come on, those Sci-Fi writers have said that for more than 50 years! I've seen Capt. Kirk using one!".

I'm sorry dear reader if I hurt your feelings. You know what? Everything is innovative these days. New color for default theme? Innovative (5 years ago we've called it themes or skins). New window borders? Innovative (well, 10 years ago Windows were innovative, so what? 10 years until new innovation?). New sounds in the system? Innovative (well, we had 16bit sounds ages ago, haven't we? Now its polyphonic and in stereo!).

So what is innovative after all? Let me tell you. It is what you like. My dad, who brought me that first computer of mine, thinks blog is innovative. My mom barely knows how to use a wordprocessor. You can call them obsolete - I call them my parents and my usability tester. Whichever they call "hard" - I believe it is hard, and keep working on it. Innovation is like a breath of fresh air. If this air smells like a bad fish, it's not an innovation.

I'm sorry to bring it up, but no one innovates in business. Well, maybe they do, but I rarely find anything new these days.

There are out-standers. Let's call them incremental innovators - they are improving the existing stuff, and their "fresh" versions appear so cool to us - it like that fresh air I was talking about. An ipod was like that.

So I'd call all the vendors of the world (including those of Open Source base) to stop shouting yet another buzz word. I'm seek of it. I'm tired. I can't bare it any longer. I call your innovation "crap" until proven otherwise. Can you prove me you innovated? Can I be sure I won't find your "innovation" anywhere else (like Microsoft's "the world's first no-ball mouse" which appeared in 2000's, while we had an optical SUN mouse in our old unused and dusty pile of crap since, like 1994)?

Let me decide on your innovation. I can speak for myself you know.

One more thing for business oriented out there: I've never seen "innovation" as the major sales point.

"Hey boss, I've chosen that vendor because he's so more innovative that 5 others we have considered! Yes, he's pricey, but he's so innovative!".

This crap would make me laugh. This crap would've caused someone to lose a job.

That is all, dear reader.

Just my opinion. You can have your own.

Feedback is appreciated.

Technorati : Google, Linux, Microsoft, technology

Google Killing Microsoft?

I just read a digg story, titled "The Google Product That Could Kill Microsoft". It mainly says this:

Office isn't the only Microsoft hegemony that Google Gears could help destroy. One of the defining differences between Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux is the application lineup. That's given the crew in Redmond, Wash., tremendous power. But
technologies like Gears render the operating system irrelevant.

My first response was this.

So, here I am, thinking about it bit more. I will go over this in a little more detail:

1. Google will "kill" Microsoft.
   While not really arguing with this argument, I'm not that sure what "killing" Microsoft means. There were aplenty cases in the history, when something buried by others is still pretty much alive. For such a huge entity as Microsoft, not only from software point of view, but economically - I'm not sure anyone can explain how can it "die". I'm not saying that disappearance of Microsoft is not possible - it is. But Microsoft has so huge impact on technological way of life in our world, and especially on world's economy (Microsoft's software, hardware, platforms, intellectual property - and I mean in its pure logical sense of inventions, its financial base) - that I believe its almost a stand-alone machine which needs no human interaction to function. Too much effort and resources are put in it. So much, that its "death" seems to be possible only as a result of sudden unexpected surprise (like aliens invasion). So, yes, Microsoft will (I'm sure of it) loose its hold on a desktop and in business. But that doesn't mean it will die. It will shift its act into other areas, and as any other meta-organism it will keep fighting for its life. So, Microsoft's death? Not visible on my radar.
   
   
2. Google applications
   Yes, Google has a lots of useful applications. I use Gmail and Google Reader myself. Even documents sometimes. But it really scares me that I might use everything online. While this may not be a security issue (say I'm keeping my sensitive information with me all the time), but in a Big Brother kind of thinking. Trusting Google with all the things I do online? To be able to track each and every step I do? To be able to say at any moment with high success probability what my internet usage patterns are? That's scares the hell out of me. So I'd use Google apps, even in offline mode, but I do want a control over my computing needs. Paranoia, anyone?
   Now, while the argument here is being online and that the importance of operating systems installed locally is diminishing (which I've been saying for a long time). I agree to this statement, but why would anyone mentally healthy think that Microsoft would do nothing about it? (But that I suggest that Microsoft will also develop a platform for online applications).
   
   
3. Online service
   That is the most unwise argument in whole the story. If being offline is that matters, why would Google beat Microsoft? Because sometimes I will be without the net access and still be able to do my work? Then why would I need Google for that? I still have my OS (be that Windows, Linux or Mac), and I don't really have to use Google, right? So here I see 3 possible choices:
   
   • Google develops offline tools for their applications, allowing offline work. Microsoft get caught unprepared and dies off.
   • Microsoft develops online tools for many of their "offline" applications. Google get caught unprepared. Nothing happens to it.
   • Both Google and Microsoft provide online as well as offline applications, and competition is going on for the benefit of all customers.
   Which one seems more probable? I leave it for you to decide.
   
   Besides, in a few years the whole world will be online anyways anytime. Offline? Say what?
   
   
4. All the other stuff
   As I've already said, there are so many areas where Google and Microsoft do not even compete, at least not yet. And these are pretty hefty areas with much money in them. How would Microsoft be killed by Google again?
   

In other words - Google killing Microsoft?
Maybe, but I'm not holding my breath yet.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, Ubuntu, Microsoft, Google

Spice up Windows - replace it! [with Linux]; part 5

In my few previous posts I've stated that I'd like to help people to spice their system and move from Windows to Linux. But we all know that it cannot be done in an instant. I started to explain the process in last posts. I hope that to this point you got used to those applications I've suggested before. If not, just have another week or two using them, until you're comfortable enough with them.

This time I will explain the 5th step: Playing around

Note: suggestions in this post should be taken with care as I assume that you've read all previous parts and have a little experience with your new shiny system.

This step will include checking different environments, customizations and applications.

So, after you installed Linux, and your applications are working fine, what's in it for you? What could you gain by all the effort of moving? Well, at least you've gained the following:

• Moving to Linux made your system more stable. While Windows was probably stable enough for you, statistically there's less loss of information on Linux systems I've worked with compared to Windows ones.
  
• Your system is much more customizable now. Not that you should run and change anything, but you could've if you wanted to.
  
• You didn't have to pay a dime to Microsoft for a new version of Windows, to hardware store for a new hardware and yet still you have much better performing system. And the main catch? Its totally legal and free.
  

So, here are those things which can spice up your system even more:

1. Graphical environment - there's a plenty of environments for Linux, which contrary to Windows, provide all sorts of features. All the odds are that if you went with my suggestions in previous posts, you're using either KDE or Gnome. Head over to their sites and read about them! You can customize a look and functionality of those 2 in many unimaginable for Windows XP user ways.

2. Multimedia Library applications - I've suggested to use VLC, but that was just for convenience. There are so many multimedia applications for Linux, take a look:

• Totem
  
• Mplayer
  
• Xine
  
• Banshee
  
• Amarok
  
• Rythmbox
  

And there are plenty more! I suggest you to look at them, play and choose what works best for you.

3. Photo Management application - I strongly suggest trying out F-Spot. It is great application for managing your photos!

And most important part is, of course - play around and have fun!

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, Ubuntu, gentoo, technology, windows

Spice up Windows - replace it! [with Linux]; part 4

In my few previous posts I've stated that I'd like to help people to spice their system and move from Windows to Linux. But we all know that it cannot be done in an instant. I started to explain the process in last posts. I hope that to this point you got used to those applications I've suggested before. If not, just have another week or two using them, until you're comfortable enough with them.

This time I will explain the 4th step: Spicing up Windows!

This would include the following:

• Backing up all you useful data (such as movies, music, family photos and those other photos).
  
• Choosing Linux distribution.
  
• Installing Linux distribution.
  
• Back to work.
  

NOTE: this step will be much easier if some member of your family (or a friend) who actually familiar with computers will be around helping. He or she can save a great deal of time, effort and negative emotions by helping to do all this.

Here we go:

1. In first step, you should definitely back up your stuff. Stuff includes documents, music, video, photos and all sorts of other things we always forget about (such as contacts, bookmarks and other settings which just the way we work - not the real information). I can't say where is this stuff of yours on your computer (except maybe Firefox bookmarks), but computer-literate people can always locate it pretty fast for ya. That's where that nephew of yours becomes handy and should repay for all those candy you've invested in him. You do get candies, toy cars and soldiers for him, right?

2. Choosing the distribution. Oh boy, this is so interesting step. By browsing multitudes of sites, you can find that there are several hundreds(!) distributions in the existence, while one or two more are created each day. So how should you choose? Well, the fact is (and I'm sure many disagree), it doesn't matter! There are only 2 major differences between them all:

• They use different package manager (package is like installation file for a program)
  
• They have different set of chosen defaults for applications, settings and environments.
  

So, anyway, how should you choose? I suggest the following:

1. Choose the one that can easily be installed.
   
2. Use it for a while
   
3. Either stay with it if it fulfills your need, or try another.
   

I'm going to recommend using one of the following for beginners:

• Ubuntu Linux (of course)
  
• Fedora (yes, another 'of course')
  

As I've never used anything remotely as much as I have used Gentoo Linux (not recommended for beginners, but it is the one I use on my systems), I won't suggest anything else. I hope that commenters will suggest other distributions and I will update the post :-)

Another suggestion, is to use Wubi project, which intends to make the installation of Ubuntu Linux much easier for Windows users. (this one thanks to an anonymous commenter on my blog).

3. After (or during) installing Linux, make sure that all the applications I suggested before are installed. Just to make it quick reminder, here's the list:

• Firefox
  
• Thunderbird
  
• Pidgin
  
• Xchat
  
• eMule
  
• Azureus
  
• Skype
  
• Gizmo Project
  
• VLC Player
  
• Picasa
  
• Jajuk
  
• Songbird
  
• Open Office
  
• AbiWord
  
• GnuCash
  
• Grisibi
  

So now, what you're left to do is transfer you stuff to a new shiny Linux computer and get back to work. Using the same application will (supposedly) have no effect whatsoever on your productivity or entertainment.

I hope that these instructions cover the basics. If it doesn't, let me know and I will help you find information you need.

Next time I will explain when will you feel the change and what can be done with it.

Have fun!

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, Ubuntu, gentoo, technology, windows

Comparing Windows to Linux

I've just read a community blog on ZDnet, suggesting to stage a face-to-face run of Windows Server installation with Linux installation on the same hardware.

By getting (supposedly) much better results on Linux side, it claims then that Microsoft's claims about "stolen" intellectual property in Linux or other open source projects will be pointless. After all, using the same technology should provide the same results, isn't it?

I just so disagree with this. Understanding that there's so much more to operating system than couple hundred specific technological ideas making me think that implementing the suggested demonstration will not show any effect.

Besides, I probably could understand the reasoning if the difference would become tenfold, but if its consistently about 10% in average? And if Linux system will come worse in some scenarios? It doesn't mean anything at all. Yes, Linux developers may have used (unknowingly of course) some technique "patented" by Microsoft (all the value and meaning of patenting is beyond the scope here), and they even could've implemented it the same way, but then something else in Windows or Linux can cause for one of the systems work slower or faster than the other - and it will have nothing to do with this specific technological issue (patent?).

I just side Linus Tourvalds on this: just let Microsoft show the IP problems, and they will be fixed. If you don't want to show anything, I have nothing to fear about - how do I know you're not bluffing?

Knowing Microsoft I know for sure they bluff a lot.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, Ubuntu, linux, technology, windows

Spice up Windows - replace it with Linux; part 3

In my previous posts I stated that I'd like to help people to spice their system and move from Windows to Linux. But we all know that it cannot be done in an instant. I started to explain the process in last posts. This time I will explain the 3rd step: Spicing up Office/Production applications.

For many, such applications include:

• Word Processor application (for writing documents)
  
• Spreadsheet (for simple calculations such as IRS reports)
  
• Presentation application (for business people among us - for creating presentations for their bosses or customers, for the rest of the crowd - for watching those nice nude vacation photo stripes with great music.
  
• Some graphical tools, for building flow charts, graphs and similar things.
  
• Reading PDF files (and even creating them)
  
• Money/account management utilities.
  

I'm sure there are many others. If you know them, please send feedback to me and I will update this list. We will do our best to cover what we have at the moment.

Here we go:

1. OOO Writer - a very good Word Processor. It is a part of an open source project OOo (openoffice.org), and for many many many people it covers all their needs for an application for creating documents. Whats good, as a bonus, it supports Word's document format (almost perfect), so you could use it for exchanging document with you friends who still not decided to move to better platform.

2. OOO Calc - a very good spreadsheet program. It is also a part of an open source project OOo, and it definitely covers much of the needed features in spreadsheet application. It also supports Excel file format which allows you to work with such files if one of your friends haven't moved to other software yet.

3. OOO Impress - a very good presentation program. It is also a part of an open source project OOo, and it definitely covers much of the needed features in presentation application. It also supports PowerPoint file format which allows you to work with such files if one of your friends haven't moved to other software yet.

4. OOO Draw - is a program for creating sketches, diagrams, and simple graphs. Its a part of an open source project OOo, and it also covers many of the features requires for simple diagrams creating and flow charting. While not much used by home users, it can drive great value to an office user.

5. PDF Reader/Creator - this is one great thing in all systems. Don't mind about reading PDF files too much - they are readable in every system. It doesn't even matter that much, which application you would use, because for general purpose PDF reading is application independent, and can be done in all applications - and it will look the same.

For creating you can use OOO Writer - it can import (save) your document as PDF file.

6. Accounting - I've inserted this here, because it has to do with productivity applications. I personally found that for me actually using a spreadsheet for all accounting is much easier and faster (So you can use OOO Calc). But for many who want to try specific application, I'd suggest checking one of the following:

• Grisbi ( my favorite)
  
• GPF
  
• GnuCash (Windows port completed few days ago)
  

As you can see, I strongly recommend to install OpenOffice suite of office applications. It will give you the benefit of integrated applications, the joy of using open source (and free) software and easy transition from that other application because of similar interface.

In addition, I will just mention that for the word processor functionality, there's another option:
Abiword - it is an open source word processing application. It is also works with Word format files, and it is lite and sufficient for many tasks. I would choose Abiword over OpenOffice if it was the only type of productivity program I needed. It is much smaller and subjectively faster.

I hope that list I gave will cover you basic needs. If it doesn't, let me know and I will help you find the applications that fill the need you seek to fill.

After you install aforementioned applications, use them. It is important to leave older application aside, just in case. But use these new ones to get used to them. I hope you will find those application easy to use and transfer your data to new applications.

Next time I will explain how do we remove Windows with fun.

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, Ubuntu, gentoo, technology, windows

Spice up Windows: replace it with Linux; part 2

In my previous post I started to explain the process of "spicing up" the Windows installation by moving to Linux. This time I will explain the 2nd step: Spicing up Multimedia applications.

I define multimedia applications as applications used for the following tasks:

• Listening to music
  
• Listening to internet radio
  
• Watching movies
  

So, without further due, lets dive in:

1. VLC - is one of the best multimedia applications ever. I use it extensively for music playing/listening, watching movies, and listening to some very cool internet radio stations. It is an open source project, supports replaying virtually all formats and containers in existence (except some exotic ones), supports subtitles, playlists and many more.

In an ideal world, I think I'd just suggest VLC and that would be it. But we don't live in such world, and I will provide couple more applications:

2. Last.FM - this service allows creating "custom" radio stations based on personal choice and preference. It is very similar in functionality to Pandora, but Pandora has recently shut their service outside the United States, so as I live outside the US, I had to find something else. In fact I already have used last.fm more that Pandora, so the "switch" came to me with no big problem.

3. Jajuk and Songbird - these two are media management utilities, quite recent but fairly usable. I suggest them in case you have tones of multimedia and you're tired managing it manually. If manual management doesn't bother you (and you're fine doing it), then there's no real need to install multimedia packages. Jajuk is a Java application and Songbird is more of a web browser with vast multimedia features, that allow it to be digital media manager. You all should know though, that I don't use media management applications, so my knowledge in this area is limited, so any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.

Now, I have to mention couple more things:

1. iTunes - while the best in its field for managing multimedia content, I don't suggest using it. Using iTunes would be justified if I were trying to explain the move from Windows to Mac OS, but since I'm trying to encourage people to "stay" with their hardware and just to move to better operating environment, move to Mac OS is beyond the scope of this subject.

2. Photo management - I wasn't sure whether to suggest it or not, and if so, then in which category? I've decided to explain it here, in "Multimedia" context but still apart. For photo management I am suggesting to install Picasa - it is one of the Google's acquired assets. It is in an essence a photo management application, which does a really great job managing photos, but no so great job for adjusting them and making small changes/fixes. So, this one is great for management, and if someone knows great application for "simple"/"minimal" photo manipulations, please let me know and I will add it to this list with links to people who suggested it.

After you install aforementioned applications, start using them. It is important to leave older application aside, just in case. But use these new ones to get used to them. I hope you will find those application easy to use and transfer your data to new applications. Take some time with these applications, say couple of weeks to see how it feels. If it feels good, move to next step, if not - use it for little more. These are all great applications and they all are very usable and there's no reason one should have problem to get along with them.

Next time I will explain how do we install Office/Production applications (and which ones) to make life in Windows more productive (and in some cases - cheaper).

Feedback for everything is greatly appreciated.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, Ubuntu, gentoo, technology, windows

Spice up Windows: replace it with Linux; part 1

In my previous post I've stated that I'd like to help people to spice up their system by moving from Windows to Linux. But we all know that it cannot be done in an instant. I will explain step by step how are we going to do this so it will be easy for anyone to follow.

We will do it in 5 following steps:

1. Spicing up:Internet applications
   
2. Spicing up: Multimedia applications
   
3. Spicing up: Office/Production applications
   
4. Spicing up: Windows (by replacing with Linux)
   
5. Play!
   

So, let's get started!

This time I'm going to explain how to perform step 1 - Spicing up: Internet applications

As I've explained in previous post, Internet applications are used for the following (mainly, of course, and highly subjective):

• Browsing the web
  
• Reading/Writing email
  
• Chatting/IM'ing (using instant messengers)
  
• P2P applications (bittorrent/eMule are the most popular ones).
  
• Internet Telephony
  

In order to spice up Internet applications, we're going to install the following set of applications to answer our needs (which inherently makes our life better!):

1. Firefox - is known as one of the best browsers in the world. It is open source project, and while maybe not perfect on some (in my opinion - poorly written) sites, it is very customizable and expandable through gazillions of extensions. If you're still using Internet Explorer 6 on your Windows XP box, do it urgently. Firefox is much better and secure browser than IE6, and provides much more functionality using fewer computer resources. Your browsing will never be the same!

2. Thunderbird - is known as one of the best email clients in the world. Just as Firefox (and made by the same team), it is an open source project. It handles email delivery in most known protocols (being POP3 and IMAP) perfectly and without any major problems. It has very good junk control (read spam filter) engine and very good rules engine. The new version (which is 2.0.0.0 at the moment of this writing) has new "tagging" feature which allows you to "tag" (categorize) message with any number of tags and then easily find it by tag without searching. This feature makes Thunderbird to be like Google - allowing to find messages by labels. Great stuff! If you're still using Outlook Express, move to Thunderbird now - it is faster, more stable and more secure.

3. Pidgin - is one of the best IM clients around. It is an open source project, and the best thing that I like about it - it supports 3 major IM networks I use, namely ICQ, Jabber (Google Talk), and MSN. It means that I only use one client to be connected to all networks at once, at I'm able to talk to all my friends! Isn't it cool or what?

4. Xchat2 - an IRC client. If you're on IRC, stop using MIRC and move to Xchat! It is an open source project, has lots of customization options and very nice graphical user interface.

5. Azureus - very good, open source Bittorrent client. Written in Java, has a very good interface, stable and fast. Has many features that other clients don't have, which makes it faster when downloading your favorite Linux distribution.

6. eMule - also very good client, but for ED2K network. It is different protocol of downloading (different from bittorrent that is), but also very popular and fast. Many prefer eMule to Bittorrent, so make up your mind and choose an application!

7. Skype - the most know application in the world for free internet conversations. It is free, beautiful an allow free pc-to-pc communication.

8. Gizmo Project - very similar to Skype, but uses different protocol. It is also free and allows free pc-to-pc conversations.

Both Skype and GizmoProject also allow calling to regular landline and cell phones around the world for considerably low price.

After you install aforementioned applications, use them. It is important to leave older (read your previous) application aside, just in case. But use these new ones all the time. I hope you will find those application easy to use and transfer your data to new applications.

Next time I will explain how do we install Multimedia applications (and which ones) to make Windows more fun.

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, Ubuntu, gentoo, technology, windows

Spice up Windows - replace it with Linux - Introduction

I decided to write a series of essays about moving from Windows system to a Linux one. There are plenty resources online that can help with this transition. I just thought to make an easy one and with explaining each step of doing so.

First of all, the main issue with the series: it is not intended for the following audience:

• Gamers
  
• Video/Audio professionals using specialized tools
  
• Photo professionals using Photoshop
  
• Professional artists using specialized tools for their work.
  

I believe that these posts will be helpful to the following minorities of users:

• Internet users (mainly browsers users, IM/Chat users, email users, internet video/internet radio users, p2p users)
  
• Writers (including bloggers)
  
• Office/Production workers without specially customized Microsoft Office applications.
  
• Music, video and movies consumers
  

I will explain each step in the process and provide information about it.

Good luck you all!

-A.

Update: here are these articles:

1. Part 1
2. Part 2
3. Part 3
4. Part 4
5. Part 5
   

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, Ubuntu, gentoo, technology, windows

Choosing a platform for work.

After meeting a friend yesterday and talking a bit about technology with him, and after reading a review today, I had an idea.

I recently understood that most of my "computer"-related work is either already done or can be moved to be totally online. Such a thing would lead me to one of the following (or combination of them):

1. I'm totally online. I never loose my data because I have it online all the time. The only moment when its not there is that split of a second I loose my wireless connection and my data not uploaded yet. I can do my work (or entertainment) anywhere, anytime.
2. I'm totally "dead" without internet connection. My powerful computer has no use for me. I can't access anything. I can't do anything. I'm so addicted to being online, that I have problems figuring out what are computers for. Although my movies and music are local and with me, I have no wish to "consume" them - after all, I can't access my email (don't tell me its unrelated! It is. I am not addicted).
   

Then I've thought about it even more.

We have an internet connection nowadays everywhere. I walk around my neighborhood and I catch easily 10 open WiFi spots. Many can check their email with 3G mobile phones, or even use them to connect to the "real" Internet. Many of those phones are good enough for Internet by themselves. WiMax us promised to come in couple of years give or take. So we have connectivity problem solved. That, probably, also solves me the "problem" with an Internet addiction usage. This means, I can work virtually everywhere anytime.

Now, what bothers me at this point, is the computer itself. I mainly use browser and email. I use simple editor for documents/blog writing. I use simple photo management application. I use somewhat more advanced pictures editing application. I use multimedia players.

These all are hardly resource intensive tasks. But my computer starts to crawl when I open more than 2 apps at a time. Besides, when I'm thinking about installing applications and maintaining the computer, I wonder: why should I invest so much time in it?

So, I know what I want. I want a TV-like usability computer - something that just works. I want a "work" appliance. I want an appliance which is lite, small, convenient, has a long battery life, and fast and responsive. I want to know what it does and how it does it. I want to be able to customize it. I want my computing everywhere with me.

Just like an OLPC with a larger screen and battery life.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, Linux, OLPC, Ubuntu, apple, technology, windows

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

Speeding up computer; dropping swap.

As I've written in few posts before, I use IBM Thinkpad T42 for my day to day work. The "forced" operating systems installed is Windows XP Service Pack 2. Unfortunately, the laptop has only 512M of memory, and this often leads to a large "swapping" exercises. We used to "swapping" almost since first hard drives appeared (IBM Winchester was my first one), and we all know how and when it happens.

But this is exactly the problem I'm having - all I do is read email, browse the web, and create documents; sometimes I happen to watch a short movie (or YouTube clip) or listen to music - hardly the most intensive stuff in computing. But it really bugs me to wait for any application to load. Sometimes an applications such as Firefox or Outlook take upto half a minute just to start! And that's on almost idle system where one or two lite (such as PuTTY or IM) applications are running. This is very irritating, and bugs me more as a current state of things in all systems and in all applications rather than waiting itself.

I'm sure that this behavior while better in other operating systems, is similar in all of them.

So this got me thinking. Today's memory is cheap. Today's system are fully capable of handling 4GB of memory. What if I were creating "virtual" volume in memory and mount swap space in it? After all, I use swap for swapping only when system is up. I don't need it when system is off.

So, I'd equip my system with 4GB memory, giving 2GB of it to the OS, and using the other 2GB as swap space. The intention being eliminating hard drive access as much as possible. Would that work? Would this speed up my system?

Tell me what you think.

-A.

Technorati : Gentoo, 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

Tagging everywhere

Hi all

After I wrote about 'tagging revised', I just came down to earth a little bit. To using "normal" tags.

I wrote in that post about tagging used in different applications. A special one, one which is close to my heart, is an email tagging. At the time of writing of that post, I noted that there's a one desktop application which tags email, and there's of course, Gmail.

But none of them works in corporate and enterprise environments at this moment. Not because they are not good. Both application are very good on their own, and provide very good user experience. But I don't see them replace Outlook fast on the corporate desktop. And here's why (albeit questionable):

There's currently one king of enterprise messaging. It is a MS Exchange Server. While the reality is being slowly rebalanced with other software, there are features that only Exchange server can provide, and those features are very important in a business world. Please don't start argument with me about how "the other" or "alternatives" are better. I know what are they better at, but still, all of the alternatives try to provide the very same list of features, just make it "better", "easier", "safer", etc.
Now, the best client for MS Exchange server is Outlook, and there's no point in arguing about it. I'm working with Outlook for a long time, and I came to conclusion, that it is one of the best collaboration applications out there. Why do you think Evolution looks the same? Because feature-wise, it is the same, and it aims after Outlook.

Well, fine, we can't change Outlook to something else fast enough. I get it. And here lies my problem: I believe I desperately need tags in email. I need tags in Outlook.

Hence, I've been trapped in this situation: on one hand I do use Outlook (we do have an Exchange server in our organization), and I want to use the tagging feature that Outlook doesn't support. Categories in Outlook are not the same, they won't allow me features I require and that I can get from tags.

As a result of this problem, I made a search around for an add-on to for Outlook which could help and introduce me tags to Outlook. Recently I have found one: it is an application with connects to Outlook, called SideFinder.

This application would allow me to use tags the way I want. It would allow me to put my email in multiple folders. It would allow me fast finding of my items. It would allow me much easier work with my information.

There's no product available for direct download, but one can sign to beta program. I'm already signed, and will get it soon enough. And then I will be able to see whether I've found the application I need.

Great day to you all.

Computer for gradma and world domination

This entry was inspired by latest entry in LinuxToday, but refers to such topic as "Computers for gramma" or "Linux on a desktop" in general.

These topics have history now, and they've been "refurbished" at least once per few weeks. The major points of those are twofold (althouth highly interconnected). Those points are being:

1. Whether my {favorite non-technical member of the family} can easily use computer?
   
2. Is Linux ready for desktop?
   

Please allow me to explain, why those 2 are interconnected.

Well, the first one is well understood. In last 15 or so years, computers transformed from geaky toy to a "in any home" appliance. We do many of day to day tasks with it: We send and read our mail. We read, see and listen to a news. We listen to a music/radio. We watch movies (and sometimes TV). We record music, speech and TV. We play. We talk.

So, if my grandma can operate a TV/VCR, why can't she operate a computer system? Of course she can. In the matter of simplicity, I'll ask anyone who is familiar with computers, to perform the following tasks:

• Check/Send an email
  
• Read/check news on favorite website
  
• Listen to a music
  
• Watch a movie/DVD (all legal, don't worry)
  
• Write a simple document (such as you shop list)
  

I'd believe that anyone who's been using a computer for at least a month, would be able to perform all these tasks.

Now consider the following: the "Alex computer system" that I asked to perform those tasks on has nothing but pretty picture on the desktop, with the following icons:

• Mail
  
• Internet
  
• Documents
  
• Music/Movies
  

Wouldn't you agree, that using only common sense performing the aforementioned tasks would not be too hard? Say, Mail would present some pretty interface to email (or Gmail, Yahoo or anything else - all our email interfaces are alike and pretty self explanatory), Internet would fire up Firefox (or any other browser; and all our browser interfaces are alike and self explanatory), Music/Movies would start something like "media center" application (like Windows Media Center/Tivo/MythTv/Telly, or any other similar application) which is pretty straight forward to use and self explanatory, and Documents will start simple document editor, either local or browser-based (they do have similar interfaces anyway, except MS Office 2007, of course).

Now, I still believe, that no age-related neither intellectual issues have been discussed here yet. It is all very intuitive and common sense.

Just like the TV.

So, at this point, considering all I discussed before, could you answer the following question, please, :

Do you know which operating system "Alex computer system" runs? And more important, does it matter?

This is what I've been trying to explain. I sustain, that there's sincerely and absolutely no importance in which operating system powers the all-powerful "Alex computer system". This, as great result, leads me to the following:

For any such general-purpose computing, Linux-based OS (all you zealots, I know the difference between GNU/Linux and Linux, but I don't want to go into politics for a moment) is completely ready for massive desktop usage, as long as it can be installed and maintained in a way that makes sense to a general public.

Please, note the "common sense" part. I don't think that working with "Start" (or "applications" or whatever) menu is very intuitive (although I have to agree that "Applications" is much better than "Start"). To watch TV, one has to press an "on" and that's it. To play a movie on a VCR one presses "play". That's common sense. That's intuitive.

So here's my initial suggestion to all those aspiring to "prove" to everyone that Linux is ready. Create an application with the following features:

1. Create a very beautiful GUI with pre-defined tasks, such as those mentioned above.
   
2. Make sure it works as stable and as predictable as TV.
   
3. Make sure that interface is consistent thorough the applications.
   
4. Try it on your not so technical {member of your family} to see whether it is intuitive enough.
   

Until now, we've been preparing to world domination. Now the final part:

When they are asleep, swap the OS to Linux. Enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Heh, that would be fun and easy. Wouldn't it?

Technorati : technology

QA in Gentoo, and Microsoft vs. Linux

Diego,

I'm totally agree with you on the matter. I was actually talking with Patrick about QA awhile ago, and if you hold the same stance as he does on the matter - that is great. I think one should take apart the 2 definitions about application quality: the one is being made with high quality, and the second is being working stable as specified.

The first one is regarded in software as "code style policies" and such, which means the rules and choices made when creating products (such as variables/function names, code styles, etc). It is sometimes even implemented by using automated tools for creating skeletons in code, and running automatic parsers to check the usage.

On the other hand, Quality Assurance means testing created products for bugs, features and stability, and generally speaking has nothing to do with coding policies - as long as product is stable and performs as expected.

So for Gentoo, I would believe that the main things that QA team should always check, are the following:

1. Package can be built.
2. The result can be ran/executed/used.

If 1. doesn't pass in at least some 50%, package cannot be unmasked or even added to the tree.

When 1. is OK, and 2. is almost OK (say, it runs but some problems exist), package can be marked ~.

I only believe there are 2 cases when package can be marked stable:
1. The 1. above has near 100% positive result for all the deps.
2. The 2. from the above is considered positive, when tested by multiple users for given period of time (say at least a week) and no problems are being reported.

Thats the way I think QA issues should be handled in Gentoo.

Regarding your resignation - although I'm sure it is a lost for the official Gentoo, I hope you still stick around and help to people in need. I also believe that everyone is free community is entitled to personal wishes, and if you want to resign - its your right to do so, I don't understand why people bother you to explain yourself (like you own them or something.)

Now, to the Microsoft vs. Linux issue.

As Daniel de Oliveira already mentioned, Microsoft has created a new site, (currently down by the way), where they explain their potential partners and salesforce, how to win the sales case against Linux offerings.

I personally think it is important, because it is not blatant "Get The Facts" campain. It is a very business-case oriented, detailed and organized guide to winning businesses.

You do such guides only when you consider your opponent very serious contender, and that requires you to concentrate on important stuff. It also means, that Linux (I mean OS here, not just kernel), is considered by Microsoft very serious, and its not "only for ..... people anymore" (fill the blanks on your own; may I suggest "supergeeks"?).

So, I'd say that Ubuntu bug #1 set by Mark Shuttleworth, is being slowly but surely resolved.

Wouldn't you ?!

Patents on .....gas pedals and software; posting from Google Docs

OK, this is the first time I try to publish directly from Google Docs.

This is interesting, because it seems that most of my online work is being moved to Google. Which is both good and scares me a little.

Good is being that me, as a sorta advanced user, moving to Google means that they have pretty good products. Search, mail (and especially spam filtering), Blogger (beta), RSS reader, analytics and now docs are all Google products which I now seem to use more. I do think they are good products for the type of usage I use them for, and they are good in more generic sense.

But what scares me in all this, is the thing that all my actions on the net, or at least many of them, go through one same central place, which is being Google, which in reality gives them all the info about my habits online, and also a lot of information about me as person. That, in fact, scares the hell out of me - if Google becomes evil one day, they could hurt many people as me. And what if they require a payment for all these? I don't believe this will happen, but it might.

Now, to the matters. I've found interesting article, about some obscure patent, given for ...."gas pedals, the kind that make trucks go when drivers step on them...".
Apparently, the outcome of the trial may serve as a precedent for other patent issues, so many companies, including Microsoft and Johnson&Johnson, tried to override the courts' decision.

But, what's to gas pedals and software licenses?

Quote: "Alliteration aside, we’ll defer that question to somebody with a law degree or at least a working knowledge of patent law. But, it’ll be worth following how the Supreme Court treats this case given that Microsoft is playing both sides of the fence here -- dangling the patent sword above the head of Linux while at the same time politely asking the Supreme Court to make it harder for patent squatters to hit tech companies."

Link to full article is here .


Feedback is appreciated.

Novell vs. Microsoft, Gnome 1.x removal, cokehabit and stuff, 14-21 Nov 2006

Well, the day for weekly stuff.

There are few things are going on. Some of them Gentoo, some are not, so lets get started:

1. I would start with Novell-Microsoft deal. Albeit not news anymore, this one caused a lot of stirring in FOSS community. If you have missed the deal, then in a nutshell: Novell will pay ~40M $ to Microsoft, and Microsoft will pay something to Novell. What is it for we do not know, but it will allow Novell to claim idemnification for its clients from MS, and also MS already started telling that Novell pays for Microsofts' intellectual property used in Novell Linux products.
While intriguing where will this thing go, I really don't think its a good idea for any linux distro to pay for "intellectual property" which is possibly used in Linux based OS. And I agree on this with Red Hat's people, saying to Steve Ballmer, "show us the violating code, and it will be removed".
That's why, by the way, Jonathan Schwartz said all those things about OS importance. He just reacted to this deal....

2. Gnome 1.x removal caused more hateful fan-mails than even xmms procedure. Which is strange, especially because of xmms removal issue. I noticed plans to remove Gnome 1.x and friends couple of weeks before, and all that despite the fact that I occasionally visit forums. I mean, that somehow information did came to me, so I don't understand how people pissed by xmms removal do not pay attention to what is happening, and then complain again about Gnome. Thats childish and unfair, BUT I do understand their behavior.
   Besides giving notification, or in addition, some other kind of warning/notification system may need to be developed to announce such things. But people should also cool their spirits and try and understand both sides - understand developers why do they decide to retire packages (trust me, its not to screw you for fun), and understand users that do not enjoy dealing with removal problems.
3. Finally!! User representatives meeting had place last weekend, and it was very cool to catch up will all of them missing in action (yes, there was some timeout as it seemed). Loki99 suggested to have a long meeting in 3-days span, which came out really great. Some of the things that were discussed were CMS system for gentoo-userreps.org (which is not very operational at the moment), and also my ideas about userdays and video docs.
   I really like hanging around those guys, they are very cool. And I have an opportunity to learn a lot there.
   
4. cokehabit was demoted as userrep. I can't (and won't) get into the details why did it happened, enough emotions get around this one as it is. I hope that userrep project will still do great and that users and developers will benefit from it.

Thats all for now, more will be here as it comes :-)

Feedback is always appreciated