Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10 Tribe 1 - A Review?

Writing by admin on Friday, 8 of June , 2007 at 6:48 pm

Back to some Linux and open-source news! A couple of days ago, the first alpha (Tribe 1) of Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10 (successor to Feisty Fawn 7.04) was released. Please be aware that this is by no means even close to what the final product will be as there are 3 more alphas to be launched before the first beta release. In spirit of my Linux passion, I figured I would download the Gutsy and see how it performed on my laptop. I realize that in my review of Linux Mint 3.0 I said that I would be hesitant to format…well…I did!

With Gutsy still being in the early alpha stage I figured a review would not be fair anyway whatsoever, thus this is more of a brief discussion of Tribe 1. First, if you decide to download the Tribe 1 image, do not install and expect to have a stable machine.

As far as the installation is concerned, the LiveCD booted as usual and installation performed just as in Feisty, however, it did take about 40 minutes versus the usual 20. Upon boot I was promoted to install some updates, most notably a new window manager, Compiz (Beryl was a branch of Compiz, but the two are joining back together). I was unable to install the restricted drivers for my Nvidia 4200 Go video card, which I never had a problem with before, but it was not a big deal since Gutsy was going to be on my machine for only a few hours. I did not experience any ill-effects while using Gutsy, but I was only browsing the web using Firefox. One more note on Tribe 1, Pidgin has replaced GAIM as the instant messenger (as expected) and the OpenOffice Draw application was added.

Well, there you have it, nothing exciting thus far, but really, do not expect much before the beta release in September. I will probably give the remaining 3 alphas a try when they are released and post about what appears to have changed (please note that I am not looking “under-the-hood” with these releases). The official release of Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10 is scheduled for October, 2007.

For the official release notes on Tribe 1, please checkout this website.

Cole

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Category: Linux, Ubuntu, Tech news, Review

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Automatix - A Review…sort of

Writing by admin on Monday, 4 of June , 2007 at 12:10 pm

For those of you who use Ubuntu and have not heard of Automatix, stop reading and go get it! If you do not use Ubuntu, Automatix does support Debian Etch, Mepis, and Pioneer. Sorry, but other Linux distributions are out of luck, hopefully the team develops installers for other distros such as PCLinuxOS and Mandriva in the future. For those who use Windows or a Mac, well…continue reading to support Shift+Backspace!

Straight from their website, Automatix is:

“a graphical interface for automating the installation of the most commonly requested applications in Debian based Linux operating systems.”

Automatix contains many dozens of applications that help make the initial Ubuntu set up so much easier. While it does not contain some of the applications I commonly use (ie. Nvu and Amarok), it does contain 24 applications that I do install immediately. The most useful of which are:

• many multimedia codecs

• Java JRE with Firefox plugin

• Flash player for Firefox

• Extra fonts

Of course I install many other items from Automatix, but these specific ones make the transition much easier. For the Ubuntu beginner, the Flash player and Java JRE are extremely necessary and particularly difficult to install without Automatix. I also believe that the extra fonts package is a fairly recent and very welcomed addition as installing fonts one-by-one was getting to be a little tedious. For those who want to see what the program looks like, here are two screenshots:

Warning for Americans

The easy-to-use interface

Automatix is the first application I install when setting up Ubuntu and if you use Ubuntu, it may very well be the first for you as well. Currently, Automatix also offers some commercial applications such as CrossOver Office and Data Architect; this list should continue to grow after this announcement on May 8th:

“Automatix is collaborating with Technalign Inc. to bring a lot of new and exciting commercial software to Automatix users. An updated list can be found here.“

I look forward to seeing further development on this project and hopefully we will all see some releases for other non-Debian-based distributions. Unfortunately, Automatix may get some competition when CNR.com goes live. Once again, you can read more or get Automatix, here.

Cole

PS. Did I mention Michael Dell uses it? Because he does.

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Category: Ubuntu, My Computer, Review

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(Mis)adventures

Writing by admin on Thursday, 31 of May , 2007 at 6:09 pm

Yesterday afternoon I realized it was time for me to change my main Linux distribution in hopes of learning more about a different offering. At the time I was using Ubuntu Feisty Fawn (7.04) and was considering 2 other flavours of the Ubuntu code-base:

• Kubuntu (KDE version of Ubuntu 7.04)

• LinuxMint 3 Cassandra (based on Ubuntu 7.04)

As with any Linux distribution it is possible to make it whatever you want, as interface and software packages. Before installing I did to create two rules to ensure that I was choosing a sustainable flavour. After default installation (little, if no tweaking necessary) the distribution had to:

• run natively in 1680×1050 resolution

• run Beryl with no extra configuration of xorg.conf

Yes, both of these requirements involve my video card, but that is because I use an ATI X800XL and Linux has always had poor support for ATI vide cards (mostly due to ATI not supporting the open-source community; however, it looks like that will be changing shortly). Before Ubuntu Feisty Fawn, I was never able to configure these video drivers properly and easily spent many days trying to get acceleration to function. This is why I want them to work out-of-the-box.

Kubuntu 7.04. I decided to give Kubuntu a shot because I have always found myself using GNOME and thought it would be nice to give a go to the KDE desktop environment. I popped in the LiveCD and was immediately concerned about driver issues as my screen was at a low resolution of 1024×768. I continued on as I thought this may just be due to the use of the LiveCD and that after installation everything would be great. I was wrong. The resolution remained low, but I thought it should be working so I tinkered for a half hour and managed to get the resolution back to 1680×1050.

After that, I installed Beryl and gave it a run. Oh, it is not working! More issues with my video card configuration. I really wanted to give Kubuntu a shot as one of my friends swears by it, so I thought I would at least play around (without the goodness of Beryl). I was not as impressed as I had thought I would be. The menu seemed so cluttered with application after application starting with “K” (I realize why they do this) and installing .deb files was not nearly as clear as when using GNOME. I gave Kubuntu the axe (for now) and moved on to LinuxMint.

LinuxMint 3 Cassandra. LinuxMint is known for being a complete “out-of-the-box” distribution of Ubuntu. What do I mean by this? While Ubuntu is lean on the applications included (with such a large user base this is necessary), LinuxMint focuses on users that do not want to install additional, and common, applications after loading the operating system on their computer. Such software includes Java, Amarok, Pidgin, Azureus, Envy, Beryl, and the list goes on. Mint also uses the SLAB menu by default, which I find is particularly useful. So, LinuxMint is now installed and the same video issues exist. Once again I was able to get back the 1680×1050 resolution, but Beryl refused to work.

At this point I was frustrated, not at these wonderful distributions, but at the fact I am using an ATI video card. Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and LinuxMint all work great on my laptop at native resolution with Beryl working like a charm, even with the old, but Nvidia, video card. I realized it was time for me to return to Ubuntu and the commonalities provided by the GNOME environment and a functioning Beryl. But wait! Those Ubuntu discs I received in the mail have the exact problem Kubuntu and LinuxMint had with the video card. I kept trying to figure out why Feisty was working so well before without any video card configuration needed, then it hit me. I had always been installing the release candidate of Ubuntu Feisty Fawn.

I returned to my RC version of Ubuntu (which easily updates to the full-release edition) and I was able to have Beryl working as easily I had hoped it would be with Kubuntu and LinuxMint. Now, all I have to do is wait for AMD/ATI to release some open-source drivers that actually work or wait for Ubuntu to return to whatever driver they used in their release candidate of Feisty Fawn.

There you have it! Let me finish by saying this is by no means a review of these 2 other distributions, but a tale of my misadventures with my video card. I definitely believe that LinuxMint will have much success in the future because of the “bundle” they offer to users.

Cole

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Category: Linux, Ubuntu, My Computer

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Get Ubuntu on CD (with FREE stickers!)

Writing by admin on Monday, 28 of May , 2007 at 5:46 pm

There are many computer users throughout the world that either do not have access to the internet or do not own a CD/DVD burner. In the past, this has made acquiring Linux, or more specifically, Ubuntu, very difficult. Of course, you could always ask your friend for a copy of Ubuntu or use a neighbours computer to burn the image, but lets assume you have no friends and no neighbours. Basically, if you live in an area where there is postal service you can ask Ubuntu to send some discs to you!

I decided to take advantage of this opportunity. While Ubuntu states that it normally takes 4-6 weeks for delivery, I sent away for the discs on May 9th and received them today, May 28th. Why would I want Ubuntu discs when I already have the burned myself? Well, I am hoping to convince friends to convert from Windows and I feel that giving them an official CD shows that Ubuntu (and all Linux distributions) are serious contenders in the operating system arena. The discs, and their packaging, also have notes all over them asking users to “Pass it on!” to others as each copy can be installed on an unlimited number of computers, encouraging sharing. Selfishly, I also wanted the 4 free Ubuntu stickers that come with the discs.

I was very impressed with both the CDs and the stickers. Curious about the packaging and what the stickers look like? Check out these images I took earlier today:

The whole package

Disc art

Interested in requesting some discs? Order them here.

Time for some food,

Cole

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Unable to Boot Linux After Installing Windows - A Solution

Writing by admin on Monday, 28 of May , 2007 at 12:21 pm

So, you had Linux running perfectly in a dual boot with Windows, but then Windows became “junked-up” and you needed to reinstall. You went through the agony of spending nearly an hour with the Windows setup and then many more hours installing drivers and software. Everything in Windows was now working appropriately so you decided to boot back into your Linux flavour of choice only to find that you could not boot it! Why? Windows took over the master boot record (MBR).

Allow me first to qualify why some Linux users still use Windows occasionally. Some games still do not run well in Linux even with the development of Wine and Cedega. For me, Battlefield 2 installed and ran using Wine; however, online play was not working properly because of the need to use PunkBuster. For this reason I must have a Windows installation on my PC.

When installing Linux after Windows, both GRUB and LILO boot loaders recognize that Windows exists and offers a menu during startup to select the operating system you wish to boot. Windows, on the other hand, believes it is the only operating system around and does not recognize a Linux installation exists and therefore does not offer a menu during the system boot. When I first came across this issue many years ago I figured there was nothing I could do about it and ever since have been installing Windows followed by Linux (however, I often feel my Linux installs do not require being reinstalled).

The solution

The current Windows XP install on my machine was once again slowing down, possibly due to driver conflicts, but the reason is neither here nor there. I simply wanted to reinstall Windows as many Linux users would like to. I decided this time to find a solution so I would not have to ruin my near-perfect installation of Ubuntu. Venturing to the Ubuntu forums, I quickly found a thread offering a tutorial on accessing the Ubuntu installation. Basically, the issued is resolved by restoring GRUB (or LILO) and then pointing GRUB (or LILO) to both the Linux and Windows partitions, thereby allowing selection of the operating system of choice during boot. You can read the thread here.

Another excellent article on editing GRUB can be found on the tuxmachines.org website, here.

Until next time,

Cole

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Category: Linux, Ubuntu, Windows

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Ubuntu going Mobile

Writing by admin on Friday, 11 of May , 2007 at 1:51 pm

Earlier this week it was announced that Ubuntu and Intel will be working on getting a new embedded Ubuntu onto net-enabled cellphones. This is a great step in getting the Ubuntu name out to the rest of the world who have not experience its beauty. Smartphones and other such devices have been abandoning their proprietary operating systems and instead using systems such as Windows Mobile 6. Hopefully the embedded version of Ubuntu will be able to increase the open-source marketing share (on cellphones) over the current 6%.

The new mobile operating system is expected to be launched along with Ubuntu 7.10 in October.

Read more here.

Cole

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Ubuntu vs. Vista

Writing by admin on Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 8:12 pm

This is probably not quite the comparison you are looking for but I thought it was quite funny. I am in the process of a guide comparing Ubuntu and Vista, however, it will probably be a few weeks before that goes live. Enough of my blabbing, go check it out if you want a laugh. BBSpot has always been a fantastic website!

Cole

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Category: Ubuntu, Windows, Funny

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Dell + Ubuntu

Writing by admin on Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 1:46 pm

It’s official! Dell has picked Ubuntu 7.04 as their Linux distribution of choice for offering an alternative to Windows with select computers. It appears as though Ubuntu will be offered and supported by Dell on a few offerings including both desktops and laptops. A Dell spokesman told CRNtech:

“We are finalizing some final details and will provide an update in the coming weeks as to which products will be available. We will offer Ubuntu 7.04 on select Dell consumer products with a range of configuration options.”

You can read the full article here. DesktopLinux.com also posted an article with speculation regarding the specific models that will initially have the Ubuntu option. DesktopLinux followed this with another article about Dell’s move to offering Ubuntu means to the Linux community.

“Dell also is saying something else that’s equally important about the desktop world. It’s saying, for the first time in more than a decade, that standard x86 PC users have a choice. For the first time since OS/2 mattered, users have a choice again. No more are users stuck with Windows. No more are they forced to pay the Microsoft tax.

Even users who never intend on using Linux should be glad to see Microsoft’s iron hand finally lifted, albeit just an inch. Just as the arrival of Firefox forced Microsoft to improve Internet Explorer, the arrival of Linux on a mainstream desktop will force Microsoft to make significant, rather than cosmetic, improvements to its own operating systems.

This isn’t just a big day for desktop Linux users. This is a red-letter day for all PC users.”

-Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols of DesktopLinux.com

It makes me happy to see that Linux advocates are not trying to push Linux operating systems on users but are pointing out the benefits competition has on existing (specifically Microsoft) products. As the Linux and open-source software market share grows, classical software companies will need to adapt to, embrace and flat-out accept the demands of the consumer.

The revolution has begun!!

Cole

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Category: Linux, Open-source, Ubuntu, Tech news

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Ubuntu 7.04 - Feisty Fawn

Writing by admin on Friday, 20 of April , 2007 at 12:17 am

I apologize for the lack of activity on the site the last few days. As some of you may know, the latest installment of Ubuntu was released today (April 19th). However, on the 16th the release candidate version was released and I jumped on this opportunity to get Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn installed on my desktop.

I am happy to say that since the installation I have not even once booted into Windows Vista. This was, by far, the simplest installation and configuration in all of my experience will Linux. Now I have spent the last 3 days playing with configurations and settings but that is because I have been playing with so many new features and added functionality from better hardware support. In the past I have had the hardest time getting and Linux distribution to function with accelerate support from my ATI video card. I always spent days trying new techniques but not once did I ever get my card to work with the wonder that is Beryl (I had no issues when using the Nvidia card in my laptop). The first time I booted into Feisty Fawn I was presented with the option to use the open-source ATI drivers currently in use or to use the proprietary drivers. I tried using with along-side Beryl but got the best performance out of the default drivers and have been using them ever since.

What else did I like? Well, the Feisty installation has a “Windows migration tool” which recognizes that you want to perform a dual boot and asks you if you want to pull bookmarks, wallpaper, etc. over from your Windows installation! I thought I would give this a shot and guess what? It worked.

Unfortunately a lot of computer users are unwilling to switch to Linux because of the lack of gaming support. This is actually the main reason I required Vista to remain on my machine. However, I was actually able to install the system-heavy Battlefield 2 by using Wine (allows installation of many Windows programs in Linux).

Possibly the coolest thing I have done so far is customize the desktop. I am getting close to perfecting the look but am not quite there yet. Here is a sneak peak. I will be posting an article with the sources I used to perform this transformation along with more screenshots and hopefully a video showcasing the power of Beryl (read previous article for more on Beryl).