Ubuntu 8.04 first impression

After backing-up all my data and also used Clonezilla to mirror the whole hard disk, I finally installed Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron to my laptop. For the last 2 versions of Ubuntu, I installed them on my test box before the go ahead on my main working laptop, perhaps I have become so comfortable with Ubuntu that I decided to just install.

Very similar to Gutsy (7.10), the installation process is smooth, and completed without any hiccups. There are only very slight changes in the installation process, but one change that I find very significant is the hard disk partitioning part. In Feisty and Gutsy, it was a guessing game when you try to move the slider, which side is for Windows, and which is for Linux? I made mistake on this once and shrank Windows to minimum resulting in unbootable Windows. This time there is an indication on which is which, and this will help greatly for new users who would want to configure a dual boot system.

I have not been exploring much on Hardy yet, and realize only a few changes, the 'thrash" naming is different now, and it has an additional folder inside the thrash bin holding information of the deleted files.

Next, Ubuntu will now auto-mount my SD-Card! I have an SD Card inserted to the computer, in Gutsy, I will have to remove and insert it again for Ubuntu to recognize and mount the card. It is now done automatically upon boot up. Nice!

There are a few applications changes which don't affect me as I am not a media guy and do not play music and DVDs on my laptop. The Brasero CD burner is a nice addition I would say, I have used Xubuntu on another PC and Brasero is standard CD burner on it.

One last minor thing I have noticed on my laptop, is the Intel wireless card does not require restricted driver now. I remember there were 2 restricted drivers that I needed to turn on during my first Gutsy boot-- the nVidia graphics and Intel wireless drivers, it seems like I need only to turn on the nVidia this time round. I have yet to check whether the wireless is working on Hardy, if it had worked flawlessly in Gutsy with just a click on restricted driver activation, I have great trust that the wireless will also work in Hardy.

So much for my first look of Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron, and by the way, it could be just my imagination, I feel that my computer runs faster now as compared to Gutsy.

Choosing the Distro

I will continue on talking about Linux Distro today.

As a new would be Linux convert, how to pick the "right" distro? My personal point of view is since the launch of Ubuntu, most distros are slowly catching up and are moving towards the ease of use and installation direction. There are definitely differences behind the desktop screen, however, if you are just a normal user from Windows environment like me, you will not notice the difference and whether it is a Fedora core, Debian base, or Mandriva doesn't matter to you. All you want a general purpose distro which is easy to install to run your applications.

You can try this link to help you decide which distro is suitable for you.

What I personally think is more important for a new convert (especially from Windows & Mac) is the GUI desktop that you will feel comfortable with. There are quite a number of GUI desktops available and the most popular being GNOME, KDE, and xcfe.

Let me explain a little on what is a GUI desktop. You see, Linux OS and the desktop interface are 2 entire separate entity. You can have the same engine, and load different Desktop on it. In the example of Ubuntu, you can have Kubuntu using KDE desktop, Ubuntu running GNOME, and Xubuntu on xcfe desktop-- all are having the same Ubuntu engine but different interface, and you can even switch from one to another if you want to. If you have used computer long enough, just imagine DOS + Windows 3.11 where the 2 things are separate.

I do not want to start World War III by commenting which desktop is better, and the followings are ENTIRELY my personal opinion:

1. KDE. This is the preferred desktop of Linus Torvalds. It looks nice, and have arrangement very similar to Windows XP. It uses an application called Konqueror to explore the system files and internet just like the Windows Explorer in MS Windows. I have very limited exposure to KDE, and couldn't comment much, but I do find it a very powerful desktop that allows many hardware configurations to be done from a GUI environment. I have read that new users from Windows environment are generally more comfortable with KDE as compared to the other desktops, especially the power users who like to tweak and tinker with the OS.
   


2. GNOME is suitable for users who prefer a simple Mac-like desktop. It may look plain in its barest form, but is highly configurable to make it an eye-candy like a Mac. Power users from Windows environment may not like it, as many functions are hidden or not available from the desktop environment. If you find Windows is full of things you hardly touch like control panel & system management, and prefer a simpler approach, Gnome is for you. I personally am using Gnome and xcfe most of the time and I do not find it difficult to adjust to after 15 years of Windows.


3. xcfe. I have used xcfe desktop (Xubuntu--> xcfe + Ubuntu) for quite awhile on an old P3 system and currently Mythbuntu on another PC. It is a lightweight desktop and usually bundles with fully functional lightweight applications as well. It is also a very simple desktop just like GNOME. If you like to have fast boot/ load/ shutdown, or running Linux on a very old computer, xcfe maybe the way to go.


4. Others. There are a few other desktops available, like Fluxbox, Enlightenment, and etc., I couldn't comment on any as I have not tried them personally.

So, remember to research into which desktop the distro is bundling by default as well to ease your transition from your current OS. Anyway, frankly, if you are the adventurous type and familiar with using mouse clicks, all desktops are easy to use and need less than a week to get accustomed to.

Ubuntu 8.04

Just downloaded the Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron a few days ago. Have not installed into any boxes yet, as I am so comfortable with Gutsy. Before the release of Hardy, I was thinking of loading it to my main working laptop and keep it that way till the next LTS or end life of the laptop, whichever comes first.

However, I love Gutsy. Perhaps another reason is Gutsy just works with this laptop, Dell Inspiron 1420, without any sort of tweaking and configuration, unless you consider activating the restricted drivers as tweaking.

Well, let me think for a few more days, perhaps I will do a back-up over the weekend and install Hardy Heron to the laptop.

Mission Critical

An interesting quote from an article found at linux-watch.com, reporting the events at the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit held a few weeks ago.

"The bottom line: Linux is continuing to become the life's blood of many businesses. Or, as in the case of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, an early Linux adopter, it already is. A representative of the Exchange at the Summit said, 'We're already doing a trillion dollars of trades on the exchange.' What part of mission-critical ready do you not understand?"

You can read the full article here.

Linux Distros Family

I wrote about what is a Linux distro a few weeks back, and this is a follow up article that hopes to give you a better understanding of the vast number of distros.

First thing first, here's a link to the "family tree" of the Linux distros. Of course it is already outdated as the moment you read this blog, another 5 new distros are borned :-)

Some distros are developed for specific purpose, eg., Knoppmyth and Mythbuntu are 2 distros that focus on configuring your hardware to be a Home Theathre PC (HTPC). There are also some distros that are bent on squeezing the last drop out of the CPU without much concern on ease of use; while some general purpose distros aim to be Windows replecament.

Here is a popular website that keep track of the top 100 most popular distros and news about releases. Ya, sometimes too much choices can be a bane for would be converts, chose the wrong distro, and will drive the person away (probably forever).

I will write more to talk about on how to choose a distro, stay tuned.

Back to Vista

I bought a Toshiba U3 thumbdrive recently, and installed thunderbird, firefox, opera, and tons of other applications on it. I want to carry my browser favourites, settings, and emails with me to different offices & sites.

Laptop is not an option, besides being too heavy to lug it all day, it is a highly restrictive item in some of my customers' premises. If there is one reason for me to stay with Windows, it is this portable applications. I have grown so much in love in it, so much so that, I booted up Windows Vista for the first time in months at home.

Ah... reminded me why I abandon it in the first place. Incompatibility.

Just like you can't blame Linux for lack of software, you can't exactly blame Vista for this, the software has yet to catch up with it, thus contributing part of the numerous issues. Some still need administrator priviledge to run, and I believe many users are turning off UAC and thus back to the security hole.

I looked at Vista for another moment. It is pretty. Much prettier than XP and Linux. The gadgets graphics is so much nicer than those found in Gnome desklets. What lies beyond the superficial look? The WGA, the DRM, and the dirty tricks like the recent OOXML case. All these are Microsoft's own doing, you can't blame anyone else.

I shut it down for another time, sorry Vista. I walked away a little hardened on my decision to drop Microsoft products, and to evangelize Linux whenever I have the opportunity.

What is Linux Distro?

So you are keen to explore Linux, but where to start and what is this distro thingy people are talking about?

Distro is short for Distribution, make more sense now?

There is a humorous article on bbspot.com that makes fun of the number of Linux distributions surpassed the number of Linux users. While one can brush it off as humour relief, there is a some truth to it, that is, there are really many different Linux distributions.

When you cross over to the light, you will find that you are suddenly overwhelmed by the vast variety of choices; you will also find that there is no Linux Operating System per se, but a whole full list of the variants (or we call it distributions, in short, distros). You can do a Google search or visit Wikipedia for more detailed history of Linux or the GNU/Linux. Here's a brief:

Linux, like Mac OSX, is an UNIX like operating system. It was originally created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Most worked done by Linus and gang at that time was limited to the kernel (you can view kernel as the engine of the operating system). Almost parallel to the Linux development, there was another free software movement started by Richard Stallman on another free UNIX OS called GNU, which had already completed many of the UNIX utilities and applications, but without a kernel. The two projects decided to merge and thus forming the framework of today's GNU/Linux.

Due to Linux's Open Source nature, it attracted many developers, and some packaged it with more applications and distribute the new "packages" under different names. Some early distibutions include Red Hat (commercial release), Debian, and SLS. These distributions in turn spawned many other distributions. Eg., Debian Linux spawned some popular distributions such as Ubuntu and Knoppix; and Ubuntu in turn acted as a spring board for many other distributions such as the gOS and Linux Mint. You can create your own distribution if you want to, and no one is going to stop you :)

Let me use an analogy to help you understand Linux and the various distributions:

Imagine GNU/Linux as a car engine maker such as Honda, BMW, Mercedes, Ford & etc. The distribution such as Redhat is a car maker who designs the car, and use the engine from Linux --> some Protons use Mitsubishi engines. There are other distributions that are built ontop of another distribution, example, Ubuntu is based on Debian. You can consider Ubuntu as AMG who tunes and modifies Mercedes Benz or Mugen who tunes Honda cars.

Upgrading to Windows XP

Have you upgraded yet?

Excerpt:

To be honest there is only one conclusion to be made; Microsoft has really outdone themselves in delivering a brand new operating system that really excels in all the areas where Vista was sub-optimal. From my testing, discussions with friends and colleagues, and a review of the material out there on the web there seems to be no doubt whatsoever that that upgrade to XP is well worth the money. Microsoft can really pat themselves on the back for a job well done, delivering an operating system which is much faster and far more reliable than its predecessor. Anyone who thinks there are problems in the Microsoft Windows team need only point to this fantastic release and scoff loudly.

Read full article here.

Well done Microsoft!

Are you ready for the ride of your life?

So you want Linux? Wait... Not all computer users are lucky enough to be suitable for the red pills today, and here is a brief run through to to see whether Linux is for you:

Case 1: You'd better think THRICE

1. Heavy gamers especially those that command state of the art kind of graphics. Currently there are only a limited number of games that supports Linux natively, and configuring top end graphics card on Linux can be a challenge.
2. Run a lot of special applications that do not have Linux port. For example, your company's ERP system, customized accounting packages, and so on.
3. You have a piece of special hardware that you need absolutely and there is no Linux driver and work around for it.
   
4. You absolutely hate changes, and you are even too lazy to install Firefox in Windows (or have absolutely no idea how to do it).
   

Case 2: Linux has your name on it

1. If you use your computer mainly for internet surfing, chat, email, bit torrent, music, documents, spreadsheet, presentation slides, and etc.
2. If you use more applications than above, but have an appetite to tinker around. In other words, you are an explorer, someone who loves challenges, and who doesn't give up easily.
   

Case 3: What are you waiting for!

1. You hate Microsoft.
2. You want more control of your own PC.
3. You do not want to keep paying for upgrades that you do not need.
4. You are tired of keep spending money on firewall, anti virus, anti spyware, have all these loaded, bogged down your system performance, and scan your system from time to time. In other words, you are sicked of PAYING MORE for GETTING LESS!
   
5. You want to go legal on ALL of your software.

In any case, you do have the option of dual booting or install Linux on an old PC to enjoy the best of both worlds :) I would say try it, dual boot Linux with Windows if you are not comfortable with leaving Windows entirely. Start using Linux for your internet acitivities which is way more safer than Windows, and use Windows for games, and those special applications which have no Linux ports.

Internet Explorer 7

An interesting read I found on the net:

Excerpt from the article:

"What do you call a program that gets loaded in surreptitiously and without your approval, has the potential to lock down your computer so you can't get access to it, takes up significant system resources and promptly crashes upon running. Normally, I'd call it a virus, except for the last part, viruses are usually stable (and well written) once they start. On the other hand, it's a perfect description of Internet Explorer 7.0."

Reality Check

Time to do a reality check before we proceed further.

Operating System is just a platform for our work and entertainment, well, unless you like tinkering and take that as an hobby. It should not cause major frustrations and affect your normal routine. You do not want to end up screwing your one and only PC, and unable to work on an urgent report and get fired as a result of that. Therefore, if you are happy with Microsoft Windows and do not mind the "force down the throat" kind of attitude from them, WGA, DRM, and etc., by all means continue to use it. You can still use many Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) on MS Windows such as OpenOffice & IBM Symphony, as many FOSS applications are cross platforms.

Linux, like Mac OSX, is just another option opened for you, and the good thing about Linux is, most distribution is completely free, well, not entirely, you still need to pay for a blank CD to burn the OS though.

Linux is a completely different operating system started out as a hobby by Linus Torvalds. Just as Mac OSX will not run your PC game, you cannot expect the same on Linux (though it is possible to run MS Office and games in Linux, that's another story). When you switch over to Linux, do expect you are going to do things a little differently and use very different applications to accomplish your tasks.

Here's a list of some alternative applications:

MS Windows ---> Linux alternatives

• MS Office ---> OpenOffice/ IBM Symphony

• Internet Explorer ---> Firefox/ Konqueror

• Outlook ---> Evolution/ Thunderbird

• Media Player/ iTune ---> Amorak/ Quod Libet/ Totem Movie Player

• Adobe Photshop ---> GIMP

Be mentally prepared for changes-- the familiarization of the menu systems, OS, and applications will take anywhere from a couple of days to weeks. Basically, modern desktop Linux is mainly GUI driven with little need of typing commands in terminal. As you progress and get more comfortable with Linux, you will probably be using the terminal more and more as it provides a direct, efficient way of control & configuration.

I will end this post with an article: Linux is NOT Windows, and will talk more on Linux Suitability Test in the next post.

Is Linux the only other OS option?

So you want to get away from Microsoft for whatever reasons, does that mean Linux is the only other choice? Nope, you have 300+ of Linux flavors to choose from :-D

"I mean other than Linux..."

Ok.

If your main reason to jump ship is because you are sicked of the virus and security issues, and just out of hatred of Microsoft, Mac OS looks like a viable option for you.

Benefit of using a Mac is, cool hardware design, easy to use desktop, pretty interface (a fully configured Linux desktop can achieve this too), work flawlessly with your ipod & iphone, and there are some Windows applications available on the Mac platform.

However, if the reason you are getting away from Microsoft is due to DRM and OS lock down, Apple is worse than Windows in this respect. Not only the OS is proprietary, the hardware is as well (even though they are using Intel platform nowadays). You probably have to spend a lot more money on hardware using a MAC. The OS is also full of DRM controls, and the only good thing out of this as compared to Windows is Mac OS does not have draconian piracy protection like the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA).

"How about other OS?"

There is another fairly popular Free OS, FreeBSD and its variants, based on UNIX, and which many believed Mac OS is built on. It is rock solid stable and efficient, making it an OS choice for some web severs. The downside of FreeBSD is less hardware and software running on this platform as compared to Linux. If you have problems with Linux in this respect, it is worse on BSD.

"More?"

There is one called React OS, which looks promising as the objective is to build a Free and Open Source OS based on Windows NT. I am not sure how usable is the current version, you gotta try it out yourself. There is another, called Syllable OS, which has a stable release.

"Any verdict?"

Apple is a very viable alternative for most if you don't give a hoot to DRM and have some money to spare; whereas Linux is recommended if you want to continue on the PC platform, and you want to have Freedom and make use of the abundance of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).

For the rest of the OSes such as Free BSD, React OS, and Syllabus, give them a chance and try them as a secondary (or tertiary) OS if you have time to tinker, the hardware and software support on them is less as compared to Linux which makes them less suitable as a main general purpose desktop replacement for most users.

Mythbuntu!

Finally, I manage to get Mythbuntu to view and record the local channels in Singapore! Made a silly mistake as I thought the tv tuner port on the Hauppauge PVR 150 card is S-video port -.-

At least it is working now and I will get a remote control next to set it up before transferring the whole set up to a HTPC casing.

I will compile some Singapore specific settings and post here.

Busy with Mythbuntu

Have been very busy with installing Mythtv, decided probably easier to install a packaged system such as Mythbuntu, KnoppMyth, and MythDora.

I am glad I did not buy a special HTPC case, and all other specialized HTPC hardware. I am having a hard time configuring MythTV, at least on the part of setting up the channels because there is no xmltv in Singapore.

Gee.. I might abandon the project or put it KIV, all I want is to able to watch and record some tv programmes, I do not need the all the nice features built in.

Why Linux? (part III)

Because Linux has a cute mascot called Tux! On more serious note, here are some advantages of using a GNU/Linux:

1. Low cost of ownership. Some Linux distributions do charge, but the price your pay is miniscule comparing to MS products. Most are Free anyway :-)

2. Linux is more secured unless you do really stupid things. Even if you are unable to use Linux fully, it is good to install it into a spare computer or another partition for internet purpose, especially for younger kids who might not be security conscious.

3. You are Free. There is no complicated End User License Agreement to worry about, and you can copy as many copies, distribute to as many people, and install on as many computers as you want. Did you know that your OEM Windows License (license that comes with the computer), does not allow you to install that onto another computer? The license is meant for that computer only! With the introduction of Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) in XP and Vista, swapping components in the same computer may deactivate your computer!

4. Abundance of Open Source Software. Your favourite and old software may not run on Linux, but there are many replacements available, some of these are available on Windows as well, eg., OpenOffice, GIMP, and Firefox. There are a lot more software exclusively on Linux, and it really provides you a chance to explore, play, and use many applications which is not possible in Windows environment unless you burn an extremely big hole on your pockets.

E.g, Kompozer to design web page vs paid MS frontpage or Dreamweaver; GIMP for simple to advanced graphics design vs Adope Photshop (professionals may still prefer Photoshop though); OpenOffice vs MS Office; GanttProject vs the expensive MS Project, and the list goes on.

5. Linux is powerful. You can use it as a normal desktop OS, or you can stretch it to run as a webserver, without ever have to worry about paying for additional licenses. All the applications and tools are available to you free or minimum cost.

Boycott Trendmicro!

Trendmicro is suing Barracuda Networks who uses ClamAV a free and open source anti-virus software, for patent infringement. The patent in question is virus scanning at the email gateway, which might not stand as they were many prior arts before TrendMicro's filing in 1995.

You can read more here.

What does this whole episode mean to you? If you use ClamAV to scan your email gateway, you might be the next target to pay up. Even if you are not a ClamAV user nor a Linux user, but in the course of your work or home usage, you have most likely use some Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) such as Firefox, OpenOffice, Thunderbird mail, some zipping utitilities, and etc. If the lawsuit is successful, it will encourage more "bogus patent abusers" who are not the inventor but patented some obvious and/or prior arts for the purpose of profiteering to do the same.

Stop this madness!

New HD 1080P TV

Just bought a brand new Philips HD 1080P TV. Didn't remember seeing any MS Vista certified logo on it. I am curious to purchase a HD movie online and play it via my Vista/Ubuntu notebook, see if Vista really block the HD content...

Wonder if Ubuntu will play the "DRMed" movie as well.

Why Linux? (part II)

"The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around. What do you see. Business men, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system, and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it." Morpheus, The Matrix

You are probably 1 of the 90% (albeit getting less day by day) of computer users-- using Windows without giving much thought to it. You might think it is ok, I will pay whoever that gives me the best product, but are you really getting the best? And do you really have a choice? And what if the control and circle of influence by MS products expand to cover other areas of your life? Such as, music you listen, internet content you access, and movies you watch... and so on.

The success of MS is a legend, the combination of perfect marketing with strong arm tactics have created a giant that it is today. If you have started using computers about 15-20 years ago, you will probably remember Worperfect & Lotus 123. How did they vanish from the computer scene? Netscape, the company that popularized the Internet browser, where is it now? The list goes on and on... You did have a choice many years back, but MS inherent "advantage" or should I use their own words, "leverage on the monopoly", due to their control/ bundle of the operating systems have forced many out of the business. This practice dated as far back as the good old DOS days.

The launch of "Silverlight" makes me really wonder what is their real motive, why do they spend so much time & money to create an almost identical product as Flashplayer? A tighter grip over internet perhaps? It is not open source and who can guarantee that it will run on Linux and Macs when Flashplayer is dead? Too late by then? You can read more about Silverlight here and here.

When all competitions is gone, MS will have total grip, whether we like it or not, whether their intention is benign or malign, we are controlled. Chained. Continue to pay and upgrade through our noses even though we do not need it. You can pick many examples easily, and here is just one:

If you want to play the latest DirectX 10 games, you gotta upgrade to Vista since MS is not releasing DirectX 10 for Windows XP; compare to many years back when DirectX was new, you got all updated versions free! (even bundled with the games you purchased no matter which version of Windows you are using) Now MS has gotten all game developers into DriectX instead of the standard OpenGL, consumers are at a losing end! Some have also cited the MS Office incompatibility between versions as a ploy to force upgrade.

Do you really believe that MS is being forced by the media industry to include Digital Rights Mangement (DRM) in Vista? In time to come, who will control the media when MS DRM becomes widespread acceptance? You just need to look at the struggle between Apple and the music industry to see who will be the future "owner" of HD video content over internet. You can read Peter Gutmann's article if you have not done so.

We still have a choice today no matter how high the obstacles may seem to be, but will we even have one in the future? Most importantly, ask yourself: Do you want to be free?

Why Linux? (part I)

I will start this 3 part series by first sharing my own experience.

Micorsoft products came into my life about 18 years ago when I started using the IBM XT computers. Through these years, I have used MS DOS from version 3.3 through 6.0, and all versions of Windows from 3.11 to Windows Vista (skipped Windows ME).

Though I secretly despise the way Microsoft conducts its business, the perception of lack of viable choice has left me using almost exclusively their products. In my previous job, I even approved for full MS Office licensing, MS Project, Visio, and etc., without much evaluation of alternatives.

What really pushed me over to the light (or the "darkside" from MS perspective) was when I received my brand new laptop from Dell loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium.

The excitement of trying out the new OS turned out to be a nightmare-- incompatible software corrupted the OS, resulting in re-installation of the OS & drivers on the first boot. I was also very unhappy with DRM & WGA even though I do not watch DVD on my laptop, and I suppose the OS bundled with hardware is genuine. What right do they have to install spyware on my PC? The computer that you purchased is no longer yours the moment Windows Vista is loaded, it will control what resolution you can view your DVD, and decide whether upgrade of the PC is allowed, and god knows what other information will the OS feed to MS now and the future?

To add salt to the wound, the brand new Office 2007 really ticks me off. Darn, you don't have to change the UI radically to show that it is a new version!

Since I need to learn something new, I might as well learn Linux! Someone in Microsoft must be a Linux spy, they made the new Vista + Office 2007 to up the obstacles of upgrading from XP, and migrating to Linux looks more viable than ever.

I thought it could be a difficult step forward and might take me months if not years to get productive on Linux if I could persist long enough. To be frank, at that time I really thought Linux is mainly command base with some primitive GUIs... To my surprise, Ubuntu is easy to install and use, in fact, it took me less than a couple of weeks to become a 75% Linux user at home, and about a month to become a 90% user.

Today, after 5 months, I hardly boot into Windows anymore at home, I do not see a need to, except maybe to use the Canon digital camera software to stitch photographs, and use the Canon Selphy printer. The home is invaded by Linux, my daughter is happily surfing the net using PCLinuxOS which gives her stable wireless unlike the old Windows 2000, and I bet she still do not know that she is using Linux :-D

4 PCs: 1 running Ubuntu/ PCLinuxOS, 1 purely on PCLinuxOS, 1 Vista/Ubuntu, and another XP/Linux Mint. :)

Microsoft to take over Yahoo!

Microsoft is offering over USD 40 billion to take over Yahoo. This remark from the almighty Mr Steve Ballmer may end up as another hall of fame quotes from him,

"Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisitions...."

Hmm... how hilarious, wonder what will he say about the dominant position of Windows and MS Office, will he even accept a "credible alternative" in the market such as Linux, MacOS, and OpenOffice?

Linux Gaming

Though most of the latest 3D games are released in Windows only, it does not mean Linux has to be boring...

Some of your favorite online games come with native Linux clients such as Second Life, Dofus, and EVE online. Others such as World of Warcraft can be played via emulators in Linux.

If you prefer LAN and offline games, some games such as Counterstrike, DOOM, and Quake is known to work on either natively or through emulators, and you may or may not know that there are open source Linux games around too. You can try some of these games without installing Linux to your computer, they run from the DVD directly:

linuX-gamers.net


Here is a link to Linux games and how do you play some of your favorite games such as Never Winter Nights on Linux.

Here is a link to tuxgames online store selling native Linux games, and here is a review of some free Linux games, enjoy!

Leave no prisoners!

I will stop writing about Linux today and talk about Apple.

Microsoft Zune is still getting a slow start despite the release of version 2, you know what? It will still dominate the market no matter how badly it is doing today. No doubt about it. Apple supporters beware, iPod is going to face a tough battle.

When Xbox was launched, I sighed, the "dawn" of a new era...

If MS couldn't succeed by slashing prices and losing money, they WILL somehow sweeten the deals with the studios or even investing in a couple, "inconveniencing " iPod... Don't believe me? Look at the current state of the gaming industry.

What can we do to stop the MS machine?

P/S Be wary of its successors, the Zune 360 and Zune Live!

You have been using Linux!

What? I have never seen Linux in my life! But do you access to your company's file server? Have you Googled? Or play an on-line game?

When a web page arrives onto your web browser, there is a high chance that it came from a Linux web server.

Linux is also embedded into many smaller devices like phones, PDAs, and even your household appliances.

When you step on the accelerator of a Sega arcade game machine, you are very likely to be interacting with Linux too!

Did you know that Sony originally planned to have Linux in PS3? In fact you can install Linux to it now if you want, and turn it into a console to play games, watch movies, surf net, and do some of your work!

Did you know Linux can even run on Xbox?

You sure this is Linux??

Linux Desktop (Ubuntu):
















How about effects which make Vista Aero looks primitive?

Click here and here for some video clips from Youtube.

It takes a geek to install...

Windows. Yes, you heard (or read?) me right, it takes a geek to install Windows.

Don't believe me? Read on.

Windows Vista vs Ubuntu 7.10 on my Dell 1420 laptop
- Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0 Ghz processor
- 2 GB RAM
- Intel wifi adapter
- Dell 355 bluetooth adpater
- nVidia 8400M graphics with 128MB RAM
- Integrated sound

1.) Installing Vista
The installation process is smooth as per all of my Windows installation experiences so far, and it took about 30 mins or less to complete the installation. After the installation, I loaded about 5-6 drivers drivers from the driver CD, and had to download the Bluetooth adapter and sound drivers from Dell website.

I suspect the Dell CD is a generic one for all 1420s, and it contains a few drivers for the same device. You have to know your hardware well in order to load the correct one.

The whole process including the OS installation took about 1 1/2 hour and I have a ready system.

2.) Installing Ubuntu
The installation process took about the same amount of time as Vista. After the installation, the system boots up and asked whether I want to enable 2 "restricted drivers"*-- one for the Intel wifi, and the other for the nVidia card. Clicked "enable" and reboot, and I have a fully functional laptop.

Note the words I used for both setup: Vista-- "ready system"; Ubuntu -- "fully functional"
By fully functional I mean this: all drivers are up, security up, and common applications are installed. In Vista, one have to first install all the necessary firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware, update all the definitions, then install the Office 2003/2007.

Verdict: Your grandma can probably install Ubuntu and starts using it immediately; whereas in Vista case, you will probably have to spend half a day to set up a fully functional Windows Vista system for her.

Not convinced yet? Here's another installation that I have done recently.

Windows XP vs PCLinuxOS 2007 on my daughter's Dell Desktop

- P4 2.8 GHz
- 512 MB RAM
- Integrated graphics and sound
- External USB wireless adapter

1.) Windows XP
Windows XP took quite awhile to install on this computer, I lost track of the time taken, because while it was installing, I changed my son's diapper, cleaned his bum, turned on another computer and customized the Ubuntu desktop... All in all probably about 45 minutes?

Here comes the trouble-- I do not have the original Dell driver CD anymore, and without the driver, I could only get 640 x 480 screen resolution, luckily, being a computer geek, I went into "Device Manager", forced the hardware detection for graphics from there, and Windows found a driver for it, and I can finally get an acceptable 1024 x 768 resolution.

While at the device manager, I saw quite a number of "?" on the devices. Darn! I either have to repeat the process, or I have to visit Dell website and download the drivers. Skip that for now, because I have to install the driver for the external USB wireless adapter before I can connect to internet, and before I can connect to internet, I have to install firewall, anti-virus, and anti-spyware...

2.) PCLinuxOS 2007
Boot up the Live CD, it asked whether I want to enable network, clicked "yes", select "wirelss", select "network", key-in the WEP code, and when Live CD was up and running, I have an Internet connection!

Click install, and 15 minutes later, I have a fully functional system with 1024 x 768 resolution! It even copied the WEP code I entered while in Live CD session, and configured the wireless connection for me automatically in hard drive installation! Now that's call impressive!

Verdict: Your grandma will make you her favourite for giving her PCLinuxOS; on the other hand, she will probably leave you out of her will if you pass her a copy of Windows XP for her old PC.


Final note

The above examples are my real life experiences with installing Linux (Ubuntu & PCLinuxOS) and Windows onto my home PCs and laptops. While the results are a little too good to be true, Windows installation, in all fairness, is pretty consistent. That is to say, as long as you know how to install drivers & applications, and armed with some basic troubleshooting skills, you can replicate the experience on "n" numbers of computers that meet the installation requirements.

On the other hand, Linux installation experience can vary depending on the distro and hardware specifications, and some can be a nightmare due to the drivers support especially the wireless, webcams, and graphics drivers. I have used 2 of the easiest Linux distros as demonstration, therefore, the installation process is pretty out of the box.

The purpose of this post is to eradicate the myth and FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) that Linux is difficult to install, and it takes a geek to do it. In reality, Linux has come a long way since the day Linus Torvalds, the founder of Linux, released it to public in the 90s, and it has caught up with Windows in many areas and surpassed it on some.

*restricted driver is the term Linux used for drivers that are non opened source. There are different camps in Linux, some will not install non-opened source drivers in fear of breach of security. In the middle ground, such as Ubuntu, it will have the restricted drivers for you but not installed by default, you will need to activate it by clicking "enable". On the other end of the scale, there are distros such as PCLinuxOS, where restricted drivers are used more liberally, and hence the system will auto configure everything for you.

Hello & Welcome

A very warm welcome!

If you happen to drop by, it means that you are probably a Linux user or interested in Linux :-) Well, hmmm... maybe, or are you a staunch Microsoft supporter who can't wait for any opportunity to bash Linux, and label Linux users as geeks?

Anyway, welcome.

Linux is not for everyone, you must be curious, you must be determined, you must be adventurous, you must NOT be afraid to blow things up, and last but not least you must NOT be afraid to be different! If you do not possess one or more of these characteristics, go back and continue to pay the Microsoft Tax. Just kidding.

I started exploring Linux about 4 months ago with absolutely no idea what I am getting into, today, I would say if I can install Linux onto my office computer, I will probably be a 95% Linux user, with the remaining 5% computer time helping Windows users to clear virus and spywares :-D

On a more serious note, unless you are using your computer only for internet surfing, emails, and document editing, and do not play with hardware much, it is not going to be smooth sail all the way.

I have to refer to the forums and websites for a lot of help and tips, and unfortunately I am a pretty forgetful person nor can I understand much of the Linux command syntax, so I would just copy the commands and instructions blindly from forum and websites, and I do write down a whole list of instructions & site addresses so that I can refer to them if I need to.

After some thoughts on how to organize those notes for easy reference, I thought why not create a blog so that I can have an easy access anywhere and at the same time share with fellow new users or would be convert, and so here I am!

Before I go further, here are two interesting links to read:

1.) A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection by Peter Gutmann. Long article but very insightful read.

2.) An article on a patent that Microsoft applied, and may reveal the future of MS Operating Systems. Basically just pay and pay!

Hope you enjoy these articles. Cheers!