Linux Fanatics

Is Windows 7 Really Easier To Install?

Matt Hartley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:26:27 +0000

I have been using Ubuntu full time for a few years now and Linux as a whole, for much longer. So realize I am writing this as a guy who uses the desktop - not a Windows using hack trying to stick up for Windows 7.

The above being said, Ubuntu us not really something that I would point to for bragging about ease of upgrades. Myself personally would say it’s about 50/50 with regard to doing an upgrade successfully from PC/release to PC/release.

I do agree with the piece however, that out of the box, there is much more software readily accessible to the end user. And the hardware compatibility is pretty darned good as well. So would I say it is easier to install than Windows 7? Yes, but which it easier to configure depends on your point of view I think. I found Win 7 to be a fairly smooth setup overall. But not enough to fork over that kind of cash for an OS.

Could Skype Really Go Open Source

Matt Hartley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:25:08 +0000

Skype is one of those applications available for Linux that I love to hate. It’s annoying because of its proprietary nature. So when it craps out, too bad. Yet at the same time, it remains the best VoIP app I have ever used.

But it appears that there may be a new day for this telephony software after all. I discovered that there is very serious talk of Skype going open source. Perhaps not with the protocol, but with the client itself. And to me, this makes a lot of sense as it has in the past been the client on Linux that has provided some frustration.

Do I care that Skype is not using something like SIP? No, if I wanted SIP, I would simply using one of the available SIP clients. To me, the news of the otherwise problematic client is going to be a good thing. After all, it took them all this time to get the Ubuntu client working reasonably well with pulseaudio.

Microsoft Linux?

Matt Hartley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:23:24 +0000

It sounds impossible at first pass. Yet as you read on through this article, you slowly begin to realize something. Drivers made for specific hardware is done largely for the benefit of Microsoft’s OS. Same goes for software. But what about proprietary software, Linux doesn’t allow it? Hogwash - I use proprietary programs on Linux all the time. They simply are not bundled.

What is truly frightening is not who made the statement that Microsoft ought to consider going further into the open source realm, but that they are pointing out that it eventually, may have to happen anyway.

Whether the business models of the future for an open source OS from MS is running proprietary or open source apps, must likely a combination of both, remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, Microsoft BSD would be a home run and Microsoft knows damned well it would be, too. It would allow them to create, the next OS X if they put their noses to the grind stone and left the idiocy that is NTFS and the Windows kernel.

Ubuntu Five Years Later

Matt Hartley — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:12:46 +0000

I remember the first time I used Ubuntu. Already being a Simply Mepis and Linspire user at the time, the jump to Ubuntu was only odd based on the use of the GNOME desktop over that of KDE. A few weeks of use later, I found myself loving GNOME vastly more than my info overload with KDE.

Personally, I cannot name any one thing that would provide a reason for Ubuntu success. That being said, I think there are a number of reasons for Ubuntu success. Among them has to be in part to their frequent release schedule, bundled with using the latest cutting edge improvements from Debian testing.

Five years later since Ubuntu first rolled out, I am still amazed at how people still don’t get it. Rather than enjoying it for what it is, they bitch about it and exclaim that Windows is still easier. Yes, so is sitting on your butt and collective welfare. This does not mean that it’s the wisest approach though. Just something to consider. In the end, I am all about people using the right tool for the job. If that is Windows or OS X, awesome. But use that instead of complaining about something that was not a good fit for you. It would be like me complaining about OS X, which I detest by the way. It gets me nowhere.

Seeking Linux Support Over VoIP

Matt Hartley — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:07:18 +0000

For many new and even some existing Linux users, finding the kind of support they are looking for is a bit of a challenge. Not that it is unavailable, rather if it is being offered in such a way as meeting the needs for someone that wants support beyond email.

The idea is a common request for help via VoIP. And honestly, the technology there. SSH X forwarding and various VoIP apps such as Empathy or Skype. So the technology is there. Now it is simply a matter of making remote support more in-tune with the functionality most people want.

Remote desktop options such as NoName already exist, now let’s get the Linux desktop onboard with a solid, integrated VoIP option while repackaging SSH solutions for desktop control to make the process of sharing easier while still being secure.

Citibank Lives In The Past

Matt Hartley — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:04:44 +0000

My bank, along with other banks out there fully realize the importance of being accessible to their customers. And this means not actively blocking Linux users trying to login to your banking website!

Not even sure how businesses are still getting away with this, but thankfully there are a couple of easy options to get around it. The first option, is to simply inform the bank that you will be closing out your accounts and using any one of the other banks out there that do support Firefox and IE8, regardless of OS.

The second and much less intense option, is to use the Firefox extension “User Agent Switcher.” This is going to translates into you being able to keep your existing online banking setup while still maintaining your operating system dignity.

Is Ubuntu The Defacto Windows 7 Alternative?

Matt Hartley — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:08:21 +0000

With the proper know how or at least a willingness to take a day to learn about a new operating system, yes, Ubuntu is a solid alternative to Windows. But not without taking time to get yourself out of the Windows mindset. I have used Ubuntu and Linux in general, for years. Today I use it exclusively.

It’s not a matter of being better or worse, rather the fact distros like Ubuntu lack a singular way to do any one thing. This tends to get people frustrated. See, I can broadcast with my webcams using WebcamStudio, snipe eBay auctions jBidder, use Twitter with various options and use OpenShot Video Editor for video editing as I know which apps are best. It was not even really a matter of learning to use them, as the UI for each is not that complicated. No, most people are under the false impression that there is a serious lack of software for Linux - nothing could be farther from the truth.

The trick, is getting out of the provided software repositories and discovering alternatives sources for apps. GetDeb.net, among others, make locating and installing new Ubuntu Linux software very simple. But because of the lack of cohesive cooperation within the community, only some users ever hear of these great options. How do you Google something specific if you don’t know what it is? This does, present an issue here.

Adobe Likes What Now?

Matt Hartley — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:04:35 +0000

Assuming you buy into this article’s statement that somehow Adobe likes Open Source, you might find yourself wondering why everything they produce seems to be proprietary! Flash, Photoshop, you name it, it’s not open source.

Despite my skepticism, it does look like on the back end of things, Adobe does have some open source code rolling along after all - “who’d thunk it”? But Adobe remains steadfast in not making Flash open source.

Why can’t we see Flash migrating over to the open source side of the fence? According to Adobe, one of the biggest issues is the patents surrounding Flash’s use of codecs. So that pretty much kills that idea. No, the best bet is likely going to be HTML 5.

Is Linux It’s Own Worst Enemy?

Matt Hartley — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:29 +0000

Purists must be screaming at their screens when watching Shuttleworth explaining why he thinks that in many ways, desktop Linux holds itself back significantly. Despite highlighting progress made, he is still bent on Ubuntu being more like the Mac.

Better cooperation is certainly a fair statement to consider, but is making things feel more like OS X really the way to go? Are things really that bad? Well, I tend to feel like the two main desktop environments tend to either over simplify or over complicate. GNOME being overly simplified and KDE having options ontop of its options.

In the end, I would agree there is work to do. And yes, leaving the shell for troubleshooting is definitely where most people want to find their desktop operating systems. But at the same time, it should be a choice of each end user as to which approach to take.

IBM Ready To Make Ubuntu Your Default Desktop?

Matt Hartley — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:27:05 +0000

At first I thought the news of IBM and Canonical working together to deliver cloud based Linux desktops to the businesses out there sounded like a great idea. But then I remembered just how awful Lotus really is. Do we really want IBM doing anything with software these days?

My objections aside with regard to IBM, I am also not really too into my recent use of another cloud based product put out for Ubuntu called Ubuntu One. Based on the DAYS of it being DOA on all my PCs, one might as well refer to it as Ubuntu Offline as I have yet to get it working. And I am hardly the only one.

Perhaps, though, IBM and Canonical get it right this time? I enjoy my Ubuntu desktop after all, so now all we need to do is get a better handle on the cloud computing aspect of things. Then things will likely work out fairly well from then on out.

Red Hat Out Does Microsoft Stock Price

Matt Hartley — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:26:20 +0000

Investment and reward. It’s a concept that is clearly paying off nicely for Red Hat as their stock price overtook that of Microsoft on one fine day in October. And where Red Hat is playing it smart is by sticking to a proven market that has yielded them a lot of success - enterprise IT.

Microsoft on the other hand, run by an arrogant CEO living with his head in the past, is busy playing master to everyone’s desktop. Hence their enterprise offerings are CLEARLY not getting the attention they need.

Still, there can be no doubt with the release of Windows 7, Microsoft will see its stock beginning to recover and not a moment too soon. Unless Windows 7 and Bing both start showing fruit as we ease into 2010, I see Microsoft in real trouble in the years to come. Not out of business mind you, but a hell of lot less profitable.

OpenShot Video Editor Continues To Blow Me Away

Matt Hartley — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:58:53 +0000

In the past, I have been a fan of video editors such as Kdenlive, Kino and to a more advanced extent, Cinelerra. But to be totally honest, all of them leave something to be desired for various reasons. Kdenlive would be good, if it was not KDE based and not so easy to crash on non-KDE desktops. This led me to falling in love with a new option still under heavy development known as OpenShot.

Where other editors are either terrible to use or so buggy that they can not seriously be relied on, I found OpenShot to be something that I have come to rely on. It’s still under heavy development, but with the recent release of transitions/effects, the editor is quite usable even this early in its life.

Does this mean that you are ready to go an create Hollywood movies with it? No, of course not. But I would say that for most people, it is a great option. And having used them all, I will be looking to rely on it as much as possible.

Remembering Mandriva

Matt Hartley — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:15:37 +0000

I remember when Mandriva (then Mandrake), was THE newbie friendly distro to try merely a few years ago here in the States. Today, most new Linux users have no idea what Mandriva even is thanks to other friendly distros such as Ubuntu.

But it should be noted that we live in a wide world. And Mandriva is actually very popular overseas in places like France, Brazil and in Central America. North America has seemed to largely fall into the Ubuntu or OpenSuSE camps, along with some Fedora among others.

So even as they are ready to release Mandriva 2010, because their US marketing is so… invisible compared to other distros, no here really cares. And that is sad. It’s still a great distro and worth checking out. It is also the base of PCLinuxOS from what I have been told, which should, if nothing else, add to the curiosity.

Eeebuntu Goes Debian

Matt Hartley — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:00:14 +0000

First off I would say more power to it. I think this is great if this is what it takes for the project to continue. Clearly using Ubuntu as a base is not perfect for all projects, so it makes sense to use the tools that best meet the needs of the developers.

As long as the hardware detection is present, including Wi-Fi, I cannot see anyone having any issues at all with the switch from Ubuntu to Debian for the Eeebuntu project.

From here out, the real question is likely to be the next name for the project. As clearly sticking with the existing name is likely dancing on the trademark issue a bit too closely, there have been those who have suggested going with something like Deeebian or Eeebian. In either case, both would be fitting names for the switch.

Guitarix Gives JACK Some Rock

Matt Hartley — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:19:33 +0000

Oftentimes it is difficult to explain the importance of JACK audio to those who are not doing something specific with audio editing. However, Guitarix is one such app that provides a clear demonstration of just how effective JACK can be when it comes to providing a rock guitar amp with your computer.

Definitely not an application for everyone, but Guitarix is very cool for those who are into electric guitar. Functions provided appear to mirror what you might find with comparable software from the proprietary software world.

There are other guitar effects programs such as Rakarrack, however, it is Guitarix that remains in a class all its own by providing actual amp features to the casual musician using the Linux desktop. It’s actually pretty cool stuff.

Linux Foundation Membership Keeps On Giving

Matt Hartley — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:07:16 +0000

Say what you will, but the Linux Foundation is nothing if not creative. This latest effort by the Foundation to get new members sounds pretty cool, but I am a bit confused about the companies being promoted.

Dell’s Ubuntu offerings are a joke, both in quality and selection. And HP does fantastic with their all-in-one printer support, but last time I checked, they do not offer much in the Linux compatible area in the realm of desktops/notebooks.

Honestly the only company listed that would even be a consideration might be Dell, as they do have a single mini-tower offering with two notebook choices. Hardly anything to get me thinking about buying from them for any price though. Still, the Linux Foundation does make an interesting case here.

Ghosting With Clonezilla

Matt Hartley — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:01:25 +0000

I have been using Clonezilla off and on for a few years now. And with that, I would put myself into the category of people who are interested in using alterantives to Norton Ghost. For me, Clonezilla fits the bill nicely.

Not this is not to say that it might feel as GUI friendly as say Acronis TrueImage, but the fact of the matter is that for a price tag of zero, Clonezilla is difficult to beat. I mean, how does one argue with free.

Everything considered, the idea is for users to be able to not have to rely on the proprietary Ghost program to image their hard drive and instead, opt for something a bit more open source friendly. Certainly not perfect, but it is certainly worth investigating I think.

Does Linux Attract Trolls?

Matt Hartley — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:24:13 +0000

I have read countless bug reports, forum posts and other rants about how much people hate PulseAudio. And despite only EVER seeing an issue with the now older version of Skype (today’s beta works fine), I cannot help but wonder if the biggest problem PulseAudio faces are the whining trolls that provide no usable info as to why they are having problems?

No mention of which release of the given distro, no clear idea of which applications are creating the problem. And the absolute worst - totally forgetting to share what kind of sound card is in play here. The sad fact of the matter is that I have used Linux audio for years without Pulse and let me tell you…it SUCKS. Not only does PulseAudio give me access to the ability to send audio from one set of speakers to another easily. And yes, being able to play audio from two sources at once is a basic concept. Pulse allows for this. So while I am sure that there are some folks out there have had horrid experiences with past PulseAudio bugs, simply whining about it solves nothing. File a bug, provide some clarification of what you are actually working in forum posts and for the love of common sense - stop trying to “tweak it to death”.

Most of the suggestions in the forums for tweaking PulseAudio are crap. Don’t bother. Either uninstall it or use it. Complaining is not going to help, but asking for help is always okay. Just do it with a little bit of tact.

WINE Is Always Better Aged

Matt Hartley — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:02:14 +0000

I have had a love/hate relationship with WINE for a number of years now. I have watched it mature, off-shoot projects such as Crossover Office make things with WINE easier to use. So when I heard that version 1.1.31 was out, I had to pay my respects.

Despite being a die-hard advocate for simply opting to stay native with my software or use a virtual machine as a Windows guest, WINE does most certainly have a place for many users. And in this latest release, it appears that there are a number of great improvements to behold by all.

The bug fixes alone, are definitely impressive. But I think what will mean the most to many users will be the new features with audio support along with tackling Direct3D for gamers. Clearly gaming, is the one killer app for WINE, perhaps more so than other applications. Many will disagree with this, but Windows gamers are certainly a driving force I suspect.

Open Source That Soda Son

Matt Hartley — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:01:11 +0000

Open source soda pop? Seriously? Yes, there really is such a thing. But unlike its software cousins, OpenCola is clearly not seeing anything close to the level of success seen with the various open source programs out there.

So what do open source apps and drinks have in common? The fact that the recipes/code are totally available to anyone who would like to view them or remix things to meet their own needs. It’s actually a pretty cool idea.

Are there honestly any prospects for being able to build a business around an open source soda? Not too likely I would imagine. No, unless there was a venue available where people could simply mix their drinks to meet their needs. A reverse tavern, of sorts perhaps?

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.