The Ubuntu Bloggerette

Play with Linux (without Leaving Windows!)

2009-09-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

Jumping into Linux is a big step for most people. Why not use any of these 10 easy ways from Download Squad to get your feet wet?

I recommend VirtualBox and the LiveCD. Those were the two easiest and most cut-and-dry methods for testing Ubuntu that I found.

CyanogenMod vs Google

2009-09-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to keep up with the really shitty Google lawsuit against CyanogenMod and feeling really awful for Cyanogen. To say he sounds pessimistic is an understatement. I'm a Google fan, and I'm an open source fan and the really innocent naive part of me just wants Google to embrace and accept the Mod for their Android phones. Unfortunately, the cynical side of me knows that above all Google is a business and they do not play nice with the "little guys."

I don't use an Android phone, but reading about the suit and reading what Android phone users have to say about it makes me feel absolutely terrible.

Lucid Lynx

2009-09-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx coming next year.

I can't tell you how many names I came up with trying to guess the name of Ubuntu's 10.04 release. My wager was on Laughing Llama. Though I think Laughing is a better adjective than Lucid, a lynx is a decidedly better animal than a llama. After all, lynxs are cute, cuddly, and have big feet. Llamas only stand around and bray.

That being said, I can't stand the way Ubuntu names it's releases. It should just be "Ubuntu 10.04." Those names only confuse the end user. And furthermore, what happens when you get to X?

The Atlanta Linux Fest

2009-09-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

My husband and I attended this year's Atlanta Linux Fest this weekend, and I must say it was the most informative conference I've been to all year. Not only did I hear great talks, but I also got to beta test Ubuntu 10.04 -- and got some killer swag, too!

First, I sat in on Rikki Kite's talk, "Her PR Problem/Tooting the Horns of Women in Open Source." Her thesis was two-fold. She talked about "impostor syndrome," which I had experienced before but never knew there was a name for. Basically, "impostor syndrome" is a feeling of inadequacy at your job. Usually, the woman (and it happens to men too -- but this was a women-centric talk) feels as though she got her job based on luck and not knowledge, leading to her keeping silent about her accomplishments at her job in fear of being "found out." It happens to everyone -- women and men -- in any industry. To combat impostor syndrome, Ms. Kite gave positive affirmations to say each day, affirmations that I'm going to take to heart on the career path and in college. The strongest affirmation was "I know my shit." Those are four very powerful words that have already inspired me to stop feeling so inadequate and timid. I will speak up at meetings and I will be eager to make suggestions because I KNOW MY SHIT. Ms. Kite introduced us Tiffany B. Brown's blog, a woman in tech who created these affirmations.

She also brought up the difference between being aggressive and assertive. And as I've seen before, it's very difficult for women to be assertive without being labeled a "bitch." It's hard for the women in question, and it's hard to get out of that mindset.

Later that afternoon, we attended a talk called "Multi-site Drupal Management" so we could get more information on Drupal as a CMS. We've been looking for a good CMS for our business website, and we're thinking Drupal might be the one. =)

The keynote speech was called "Standing Out in the Crowd" given by Kirrily Robert. It centered around women in open source and the "leaky pipe" theory -- that from childhood to adulthood, technology is a pipe that leaks women. She spoke at length about how open source projects do not have an equal ratio of women working them as they do women using them. Her argument was straightforward: if your user base is 50% women, your project should be make up of 50% women. She also gave great examples of women-dominated open source projects. One is Dreamwidth, a web-journaling site based off Livejournal code that features no advertisements and has an open community of web developers (baby devs included!). Another is Archive of Our Own, which is a sanctuary for fan fiction writers that don't have to worry about unnecessary take downs (a la YouTube, Livejournal, etc).

(I overheard on Twitter and at the conference that a lot of people did not like the keynote because they did not find it important enough to be considered a keynote. One person at lunch boldly decreed that "it was women's [sic] fault that there weren't a lot of women in tech." That immediately sent the hairs on the back of my neck erect. Right, because all women are quiet, shy little wallflowers just waiting for men to notice them. According to this guy, that's true.)

And this brings me to my latest idea. Inspired by the women-centric atmosphere at the conference, I'm going to be expanding the focus of this blog to include all things open source, as well as women in tech. Though I will continue to blog about Ubuntu and Ubuntu-related topics, I realize that it's more important to include open source in general as well. Furthermore, the topic of women in tech is too important not to discuss and debate. =)

For The Record

2009-09-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

In interest of full disclosure, I did buy an iMac this week. And I love it and I'm not ashamed of that. =)

However, that does not mean I'm abandoning Ubuntu. I'm not. I'm going to use it all the time. It will be my OS of choice for the netbook we are setting up. That should be a really fun process and I hope to have a detailed review of what we set up and how we did it in the next few days.

Also: no I have not found a suitable compiler for Ubuntu. I have not given up!

Excitedly Awaiting 9.10

2009-09-04T16:49:00.001-07:00

So you've heard that Ubuntu 9.10 (I refuse to call it by that silly name) is due out this October. I'm excited because I think I'll FINALLY be upgrading then!! (I'm eager to try out Empathy -- I really dislike Pidgin. Sorry Pidgin fans, but it's not for me.)

Until then...I'm having a bit of an issue. I'm taking a programming class and though I have a copy of Visual C++ 6.0 (which is a pretty good program, given that it's Microsoft's), I don't want to constantly move back from my laptop to the PC to code my programs. I tried looking for one in the "app store" but I had a bit of trouble. I used KDevelop but found it to be WAY beyond my knowledge -- remember, I'm just now starting out with C++. So I'm going to try a few more programs, hoping that I find one a bit less complicated for my poor newbie brain, and see how they work.

Unless someone can point me in the direction of a good'un.

25 Linux Tips for Windows Switchers

2009-08-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I really need to find time to do another App Alert -- it's been too long!

Until then, however, enjoy these 25 Linux Tips for Windows Switchers -- it's a very fine little help list for Linux newbies. It's not Ubuntu-specific, but it's general enough that it doesn't have to be. =)

A "Real App Store" for Ubuntu In the Works

2009-08-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

According to this article, Ubuntu will soon come with a "single graphical interface for package management." As it says:

"This will combine the human-readable approach of Add/Remove Applications, the power of Synaptic, and the ease of use of Update Manager. Having a single interface will make handling software easier, socially improve security, hopefully free space on the CD, and provide a prominent showcase for Ubuntu and partner software."

Well, that's odd. =/ Is it really that hard to install new software/programs in Ubuntu? I had absolutely no problem when I first dug into Ubuntu three years ago. At the time I had virtually no technical or computer skills. Ubuntu's Add/Remove programs directory (which I've called the Ubuntu App Store before) made things SO easy. Just search, click, add -- then you're done.

But on the other-hand, I am all for user-friendliness. If the AppCenter gets more people to like and appreciate Ubuntu, more power to it.

In Love with Google Chrome

2009-08-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

This week has been KILLER. So far, I've logged on to my computer, like, TWICE. Both times were to check my email and scan my feed reader for something interesting. In between studying lecture notes and doing my internship, I've had hardly anytime to blog!

But when I do get on, it's with Google Chrome. I've been using it consistently since Monday and though it takes a conscious effort not to click on Firefox to browse, I've been loving it more and more every day. First and foremost, it's fast. Second, it's minimalistic. I don't have to worry about plugins or themes (although there are themes if that's what you like). I can just click on a new tab and browse. I like that it doesn't take up a lot of memory, AND if something fails in one tab, I don't have to shut down the whole browser. I LOVE IT.

Best of all, it works well on Ubuntu too. =)

A Hannah Montana Linux Distro?!?

2009-08-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to say about this other that give a puzzled look and mutter, "A Hannah Montana Linux distro...?" I'm not sure a separate distro was needed to make it (I would have just customized Ubuntu with some purple colors and a Hannah Montana background), but that's beside the point. If someone wants to make an HML, let them. That's the beauty of open source to me. Open source code should encourage people to make their own distros, even if only a few people use it.

As far as the question of "are there too many Linux distros" goes, I'm going to declare an emphatic NO. I like Ubuntu and I hope more people gain an interest in it, but it shouldn't be the only distribution of Linux out there. If it were, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of having pen source code?

The Best Bug Ever!

2009-08-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hee!

My husband had this bug. It was hilarious! Yes, it was a bit odd, but it was fantastic. There are worse bugs to have on any browser.

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Ubuntu Tips for Power Users

2009-08-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

15 Great Tips For Ubuntu Power Users

You can never have too many helpful tutorials or tips for Ubuntu. Whatever helps people is great in my book. That's why I like this like this list. I'm familiar with a few of these tricks, but I could ALWAYS use a command line cheatsheet. I'm very bad when it comes to memorizing keyboard shortcuts. I do happen to adore fonts in all shapes and sizes, so to know how to install them on my Ubuntu-run laptop.

I am NOT a fan of Wine, but that's for a different entry. ;)

KDE 4.3 Delivers a (Sexy!) Social Desktop

2009-08-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hands-on: KDE 4.3 delivers a Social Desktop:

KDE 4.3 was released this week with a number of intriguing improvements. Ars test the new version, which introduces KDE's Social Desktop initiative, an effort to bring social networking integration to the popular desktop environment.

Holy crap, this is SEXY lookin'! I've always loved how KDE looked, though I could never get Kubuntu to run correctly.

App Alert: KOrganizer

2009-08-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

In my quest to be more organized and more digitized, I've been keeping a look out for a good program or application to help me out. Being an Ubuntu fan, I'm more inclined to look toward the applications I already have. That brings me to KOrganizer, a nifty but powerful little organization program.

With KOrganizer, you're not just shuffling through events. You also have a to-do list and multiple calenders, categories, and even a journal. It reminds me of iCal, which I've used and liked before. It also integrates with KAlarm and Kontact for a quick, simple way of adding events. My favorite feature, however, is the webpage export function, which turns your events into an HTML file that you can share with your friends, clients, contacts, or family.

Why KOrganizer over other programs, like Evolution? Why an Ubuntu app over a web app, which can be accessed online (and thus from any computer or phone handset). This is all a matter of personal preference; I prefer KDE based apps because they're aesthetically more pleasing than others, and I'm not always in an area where I can get an internet connection. In fact, that's why I prefer paper-based organization to digital, simply because of the immediacy. I'm now trying to carry around less paper (though I'll never completely go paper-less) and will hopefully get used to digital organization for my last semester.

Here's hoping I do well!

(Also -- if you're still not convinced of KOrganizer's prowess and want something online, I recommend Notely -- especially for students.)

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Ten Good Reasons

2009-08-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

I came across this well-written, informative list this afternoon, you should give it a read:

Vista was going to be the operating system you would never notice. Instead, Vista refused to NOT let you notice. And Windows Me was going to take Windows 98 and make it far more simple for the average user. What did it really do? Remove nearly every actual functioning system in the operating system, leaving little more than a browser and an email client.

(I'll be honest, I've never used Vista. I don't want to; it frightens me.)

Game Alert: Tetravex and Supertux

2009-07-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ubuntu isn't without it's share of games. Some are better than others, but at least there are enough to keep you busy when you're bored.

My favorite game is Tetravex. The premise is pretty simple: put the numbered and colored sides of each square together to complete the bigger square. The execution, however, is pretty tough. It's very easy to assume one side matches with another, but do the other sides match with other sides? You play against yourself in time trials: my quickest time is 24 seconds and I CANNOT get it lower!

The most recent game I've found is SuperTux. It's exactly like Super Mario, a platform game where you jump on enemies and punch blocks for prizes. SuperTux, I'd say, is HARDER than Mario: the levels are longer and it takes me multiple tries to get through them. Also, I've had a lot of trouble with the "jump" key -- no matter what I set it to -- actually making my little penguin (Tux) jump. I'll be on a cliff needing to jump across a gap, but wind up walking right off it. The game also maximizes and minimizes at random times, even when the game is the only program running. The bugs are annoying, but the game is a lot of fun. There aren't too many side-scrolling platform games for Ubuntu, so I'm pretty happy to have found SuperTux. =)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Switching Things Up

2009-07-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've decided to change a few things around here. As you know, I blog on Squarespace, Blogger, and WordPress using Posterous. I love that and that will not change. But I think I need to make blogs a bit more streamlined. That is, I need to keep my blogs to one or two topics. For instance:

My WordPress.com blog will return to its original focus of non-personal content like web apps, books, politics, movies, etc. Nothing personal here, just blog stuff.
The Ubuntu Bloggerette will continue being about Ubuntu.
And finally, Blog-Her run on Squarespace will from now on just be personal posts.

And that's it!

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Turn on Your Weather

2009-07-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

I activated the weather alerts on my desktop clock last week. It's simple: just click on your Ubuntu clock, expand the Locations submenu and click "Edit." From there, add your city and sure enough your local weather will appear right next to your date and time (with more information on mouse-over) along with an adorable little weather icon. Take a look:

Ok, maybe I enjoy cute icon sets a little too much. =D

What's in Your Quick Launch Bar?

2009-07-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

I'm calling all Ubuntu bloggers to take a screen shot of their quick launch bar and describe what you have.

Here's my contribution:

As you can see, I use fifteen (!) programs -- most of them at least once a day. From left to right:

1. Firefox: My main browser.
2. Evolution: An email client that also works as a calendar and task manager too. I don't use those features, but it's handy if you do.
3. Picasa: For editing and uploading pictures.
4. Text Editor: The default text editor for Ubuntu. I don't need anything fancy when it comes text editors. This one does what I need it to do.
5. Dictionary: I don't use this for spelling, really (the red, squiggly line helps me with that). This is more for looking up definitions of words that my husband and I are currently arguing about. =)
6. Terminal: Always need to use the terminal!
7. Last.fm: Ubuntu comes with a Last.fm scrobbler in its app store. I love to listen to music while I'm working!
8. Gcolor2: I use this for web design when I need the specific HTML code for a color. (Helps at sites like Kuler.)
9. Twhirl: An Adobe AIR client for Twitter. I use this over Tweetdeck because I have three different Twitter accounts that I need to keep track of.
10. MePing: Another AIR client, this time for posting to multiple social networks/microblogs at the same time.
11. Cheese: I've been using this for recording my presentations and taking pictures of myself making silly faces. =)
12. Flock: It's been on the backburner since Chrome came out, but Flock is very important for social networking.
13. Chrome: I'm falling in love with Chrome. It's just so damn easy. No plugins, no extensions, no frills. It just IS.
14. Calculator: Even with a digital calculator, I'm still bad at math! -_-'
15. And this is Rhythm Box, which I talked about it this post. (I'm still on the lookout for new podcasts!)

What's in your quick launch bar? Hell, what's on your dock, even?

App Alert: Stopwatch and KAlarm

2009-07-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Stopwatch (no website, otherwise I'd link to it) is a cute, helpful little program that, well, works as a stopwatch. Keep track of your total time and lap time at the same time. =)

I've been using Stopwatch to time the presentations I've been giving over the summer. Keep in mind, this is not a timer or alarm clock which will alert you when a specific time limit has passed -- if you're looking for something like that, I'd suggest using KAlarm:

(As you can see, I don't have any alarms set -- oops!)

Funny, I had KAlarm installed, but it wasn't in my Applications menu. If you know you have an app installed and can find it by calling it in the terminal, then adding it to your Applications menu is no sweat. Simply right-click on the Applications menu and select Edit Menus. Select the submenu where you want to place your app from the left frame (in my case, I chose Accessories for KAlarm) Click the "New Item" button on the right. In the Create Launcher that pops up, enter the name of your app and a short description if you wish. For the command field, just enter the command you used to call your app in the terminal (again, in my case I just used "kalarm," all lowercase, no quotes). Ubuntu should immediately find the app AND the apps icon. Click "Ok" and you're done!

Ubuntuzilla

2009-07-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Have an older version of Ubuntu? Want to run the latest version of Firefox, but the Ubuntu libraries won't let you? Never fear, Ubuntuzilla is here!

This is the home of the Ubuntuzilla project, which is a python script that allows the user to install the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla SeaMonkey, and Mozilla Thunderbird on Ubuntu Linux. It also works on other Linux distributions that are derivatives of Ubuntu.

I'm still running 8.04 (thought I'd be upgraded by now, but I've been busy with things that require my computer). I wonder if that's why I haven't been able to run FF 3.5. =/

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Getting Thing GNOME

2009-07-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

Lifehacker reviews Getting Things GNOME!, a GTD program. I've never used it -- in fact, I've never been one to use anything electronic for productivity. Pen and paper works well enough for me. But, if you're more digital than analog, I suggest giving GTG, or any other GTD program, a try -- especially if you're an Ubuntu user!

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Turn Ubuntu into Mac

2009-07-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is pretty neat: Transform Ubuntu into OSX

It requires that you install the Mac4Lin Gnome theme and follow the instructions, which seem pretty straight forward. I've actually seen this done before -- not sure if they followed this site's instructions or if they did some tweaking of their own, but their Ubuntu desktop looks EXACTLY like OSX, right down to the drop-shadowing.

And speaking of Macs, a friend of mine (total Mac user) just installed Ubuntu 9.04...and LOVES it! Behold the power of Ubuntu!

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Ubuntu User Magazine!

2009-07-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Oh my! Looks like I canceled my subscription to Marie Claire just in time! Take a look at Ubuntu User magazine!

Ubuntu User is the first print magazine for users of the popular Ubuntu computer operating system. The power, style, and simplicity of Ubuntu is winning followers around the world.Ubuntu User offers reviews, community news, HowTo articles, and troubleshooting tips for readers who are excited about Ubuntu and want to learn more about the Ubuntu environment.

A free DVD included with each issue provides an easy way for experienced users to upgrade to the latest version. Each issue also comes with a complete support package for curious beginners who are looking for a first taste of Ubuntu. The Live DVD lets the user boot from the DVD drive without disturbing the existing installation, and the comprehensive Discovery Guide included with each issue serves as an easy reference for installing, configuring, and exploring Ubuntu.

Who says print is dead?

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Technorati Claim

2009-07-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different -- my Technorati claim: cmbfq3s875

WTF Dell UK?

2009-07-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Linuxologist points out some startling news: Ubuntu is now a Microsoft product! =O

The Dell UK site STILL hasn't fixed the error, either!

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Best Portable OS: Ubuntu!

2009-06-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Lifehacker just re-listed its best Hive Five lists from March to June, including their Best Portable Operating System: Ubuntu!

Has anyone used Ubuntu as a portable OS before? I haven't had the opportunity -- how do you like it?

Ubuntu App: Rhythmbox

2009-06-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've recently begun taking part in this phenomenon known as podcasting. That is, I'm listening to podcasts, not actually making them. I actually didn't quite understand the point of podcasts until I watched this Common Craft video about podcasting. It makes sense to me now and even though I don't have an iPod I can still listen to my favorite feeds from the comfort of my own laptop.

Because my laptop runs Ubuntu, I use Rhythmbox as my podcatcher (I haven't yet made the jump to putting podcasts on my BlackBerry because I don't listen to enough of them yet). It's incredibly easy to use -- just click "New Podcast Feed" and enter the RSS feed of the podcast. Within seconds, you can listen to the lastest episode of your favorite online web show. Or, if you're not into podcasts, Rhythmbox is a fantastic program to stream music (like Digitally Imported) or play your mp3s. To be honest, I rarely listen to mp3s these days, so Rhythmbox serves primarily as my podcatcher and my internet radio.

What podcasts do I subscribe to? Like I said, not many. Right now, I have three that I've been listening to for the past two weeks or so: I like Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier's SModcast, which is great for a laugh. I also like Leo Laporte's TWiT cast -- I was a fan of his way back in the day of The Screen Savers on TechTV. And that leads me to my final podcast, TWiF, which is an offshoot of TWiT starring Martin Sargent and Sarah Lane (also former TechTV-ers). What I do subscribe to, I enjoy a great deal.

Rhythmbox should come pre-installed with Ubuntu, but you can easily find it in your Add/Remove Programs list if it isn't already installed. =)

Upgrade in the Works

2009-06-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm still running Ubuntu 8.04 on my laptop, but I've been thinking about upgrading sometime this summer. Ubuntu 8.04 is what came installed on my laptop when I bought it from Dell, which makes me hesitant to install a new version (though having used Ubuntu for over three years now, I should know better :) ). As happy as I am with 8.04, I've been noticing a few things here and there that have been reminding me to upgrade.

First of all, my audio/video problems. I fixed the Firefox memory leak/sound issues (that was Firebug's fault) and my sound hasn't had the choppiness it used to. However, every once in awhile I get what I can only describe as "repeater sound" while I'm running FF. Disabling PulseAudio helps, I think -- but I haven't enough experience with it to name it as the source of my audio problems.

I'm also hoping AIR works a bit better with 9.04 than it does with 8.04. Getting AIR apps to work with Ubuntu at all is amazing, but when they do work they cause the video problems that I've been having. I can't run Twhirl or MePing while watching a local video. The video either doesn't play or will play in scrabbled snippets. I'm fully convinced that this is a problem with the AIR apps, but I don't know if 9.04 will work better with them or not.

On Deism

2009-06-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

(This isn't an Ubuntu-y post -- I'm posting this to see what an entry looks like with this layout. Other posts will be Ubuntu-y, I promise. ^_^)

I'm brushing up on deism, after reading a few snippets of Thomas Paine's Age of Reason. I have a lot of respect for Paine and his book, in particular about the differences in reasonable faith compared to Biblical literalism.

Deists fervently deny that they are atheists -- that there was and is a supreme deity (the Watchmaker) who has nothing to do with the order of the world. So I got to thinking about how similar the belief in a Watchmaker is to atheism in spite of what deists claim.

According to deism, a Watchmaker set in motion the events that led up to the creation of the world; however, he/she/it has nothing to do with how the universe runs:

"Most Deists believe that God created the universe, "wound it up" and then disassociated himself from his creation. Some refer to Deists as believing in a God who acts as an absentee landlord. A few Deists believe that God still intervenes in human affairs on rare occasions." - Beliefs, Practices, and Symbols

So, prayer and worship are virtually useless, since God is disassociated with his creation. Wars in the name of god, swearing/taking god's name in vain ("goddamn it!" "oh my god!") is pointless, because god is not exactly paying attention nor care what his creation is doing.

My question is this: if your god created your world and then abandoned it, does he really exist then? I want to use the analogy of an absentee father: he doesn't send birthday or Christmas cards, he doesn't call or write -- he may be somewhere physically, but to his abandoned children he might as well not exist.

(Yes, I am re-posting this. So what? I like Blogger too! =) )