CrunchBang - Code, Design & GNU/Linux

openSUSE 11, a quick look

A couple of days ago I installed openSUSE 11 [GNOME version] on my casual use laptop. I only installed it out of curiosity as I was interested to see how it compared to my regular Ubuntu set-up. I was not really expecting to be as impressed as I have been, openSUSE is really nice.

The good stuff

Here is a short list of features I like about openSUSE:

• The default look and feel is really professional and very slick. I know it is only a cosmetic issue, but first impressions count, or so I have been told.

• The single GNOME panel and main Slab menu make for a good combination. I did not think that I would be overly enamoured with it, but I found myself liking its simplicity. It only took a few minutes to make myself familiar with how it operates and when it is used in conjunction with the next impressive feature, it works well.

• GNOME Do is installed by default. I have been loving the speed advantage this application has given me, to quote the website, GNOME + Do = Crazy Delicious :)

• Both Compiz and PulseAudio are integrated into the desktop environment. I did not have to install any additional packages to make the most of Compiz as CompizConfig Settings Manager was installed by default.

The not so good stuff

Unfortunately, my time spent with openSUSE has not been all good, here is a short list of stuff I noticed which is not so impressive:

• During the installation I was unceremoniously dropped to the console and presented with a login prompt. This was slightly disconcerting and I nearly rebooted as I thought the install process had failed; then, just as I was about to restart my system, X popped back to life and the installation continued. I am not sure what that was all about?!

• I have experienced numerous application-level crashes. Banshee seems particularly unstable on my system and often disappears from my desktop without so much as a bye-your-leave — most disappointing as I was expecting good things from Banshee :(

• openSUSE's package management is fine, but it is not APT. I miss APT.

Conclusion

I have not been using the system long enough to make any solid conclusions; however, from what I have experienced so far, openSUSE 11 is definitely worth a look. If I was not so attached to APT, I would maybe consider keeping it installed. Having said that, it really is not too difficult to set-up Ubuntu to mimic and take advantage of the features I like in openSUSE.

Excellence is

I found the following words pinned to a noticeboard at work:

Excellence is:

• The result of caring more than others think is wise
• Risking more than others think is safe
• Dreaming more than others think is practical
• And expecting more than others think is possible.

While I am not normally suckered-in by corporate spiel, I thought these words were pretty cool. Somehow they remind me of the Ubuntu community.

Contractions, Waffle, Mrs Briggs & Data

For the last month or so I've I have been attempting to eliminate contractions from my blog posts. Initially I found the process quite difficult and I'd I would often find myself struggling with basic English. One word which troubled me was, "cannot", which for a while at least, existed in my head as two separate words; I can't can not cannot imagine why? Anyhow, I think I'm I am finally beginning to get the hang of it.

I'm I am not entirely sure why I decided to stop using contractions; maybe it's it has got something to do with my need to experiment? Or, maybe I'd I had previously read somewhere that contractions cause issues with non-human translation services. Either way, I'm I am quite enjoying the experience, although I fear that it doesn't does not aid the flow of my written gibberish.

While I'm I am on the subject of my poorly scribed waffle, it's it has got to be said that writing doesn't does not come naturally to me. The reason my writing isn't is not often easy to read isn't is not entirely due to my recent sans-contraction experiment, no, I believe it's it has more to do with Mrs Briggs, who was both my secondary school English teacher and the biggest distraction throughout my secondary education. Actually, that's that is not completely true, the distractions were her long legs, short skirts and fancy knickers [don't do not ask]; which in my humble opinion, isn't is not suitable attire for a secondary school English teacher. Maybe I should've should have said something at the time? Thinking about it now, I'm I am glad I didn't did not say anything because I'm I am sure she'd've she would have flipped out; besides, no normal hormonal teenage boy is going to complain about such things.

Anyway, back to the subject of contractions; if you're you are wondering how all this relates to Data, well, it's it is a known fact that Data's Data has got issues with verbal contractions in ordinary speech, which is amusing when you consider he's he has got a total linear computational speed rated at sixty trillion operations per second, yet he can't can not cannot say, "can't". Silly android.

P.S. I thought it'd it would be fun to write like this, but to be honest, 'tisn't it is not. 'tisn't It is not going to happen again ;-)

Aenigma Fonts for Ubuntu

Last October I packaged some free fonts for Ubuntu and made them available from my PPA on Launchpad. More recently, I have received some emails asking if I am going to update the package for Ubuntu Hardy Heron. As it happens, last month Martin F. Krafft kindly offered to help out with the package and sponsor its upload to Debian.

With Martin's guidance I have worked on the package and fixed numerous issues; though unfortunately, we have now hit a stumbling block regarding the package/fonts license. As a result of this, I am currently unsure if the package will pass Debian's strict quality control and make it into the repositories.

Still, as a result of this work, the package has been updated and is now available for Hardy.

Examples

The package itself contains a collection of over 400 fonts. The fonts were created by Brian Kent, who kindly agreed to let me package them for Ubuntu. There are numerous different types of fonts in the collection, see some examples below:

Embossing Tape:

Hack & Slash:

Hassle:

Licorice Strings:

Line Dings:

Stagnation:

Swirled:

Technique:

Unlearned:

Some more examples can be seen on the original post, 465 Free Fonts for Ubuntu.

Installing the fonts

You can grab the package directly from my PPA, or follow the instructions below to install:

1. Open your apt sources.list file for editing with the following terminal command:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

2. Add the following line to the bottom of the file:

deb     http://ppa.launchpad.net/corenominal/ubuntu hardy main

3. Close gedit and issue the following terminal command to update apt:

sudo apt-get update

4. Still in the terminal, enter the following command to install the package:

sudo apt-get install ttf-aenigma

5. Enjoy your new fonts!

Note: You can also browse and download Brian's fonts directly from his website.

License

Package and fonts are released under the Artistic Licence 2.0.
http://www.perlfoundation.org/artistic_license_2_0

Progbox, citizen media at its best!

On its homepage, Pete Savage introduces and describes Progbox as:

Welcome to pr0g80X.vid, an almost monthly show about technology, Linux, open source and many other topics. The format of the show usually contains a news section, book review, showcase of small open source project and two large tutorial/howto sections.

While Pete is not wrong in describing the show as such, I would like to point out that Progbox is so much more. For me, Progbox is a shining example of citizen media at its best; somehow, Pete has managed to produce a show which is not only entertaining and easy viewing, but preferable viewing over anything currently shown on regular UK television.

Having said that, I know I do not represent your average television viewer, my absolute distaste for what currently passes as Saturday evening viewing [excluding Doctor Who!] lends proof to that; still, if Progbox represents the future of user created media, I am going to be a happy man, looking forward to a time when there is enough of the same quality viewing material to turn on, tune in and drop geek out whenever I like.

Why the praise? And why now?

I think it is all too easy to undervalue/underestimate exactly what is involved in creating something like Progbox. Having recently attempted to create a small screencast myself, I have acquired a new found respect for anyone who manages such an undertaking, it is incredibly difficult; not only do you have to deal with the technical details, but there are also the personal performance hangups to consider [and Pete also has the added complication of styling his hair!]

Finally, not only does Progbox advocate Free and Open Source Software in its content, but also in its existence; Progbox is developed with FOSS on Ubuntu.

So, congrats Pete, you are creating something which you should be exceedingly proud of!

Meme: When zombies attack

I could not resist this meme, it features zombies!

You are in a mall when zombies attack. You have:

1. One weapon
2. One song blasting on the speakers
3. One famous person to fight along side you.

1. Excalibur; because it never runs out of ammunition.
2. Where's your head at - Basement Jaxx.
3. Uma Thurman; because two swords are better than one ;)

Your turn.

Skipping Photoshop? It's easy with Linux!

There is an interesting post on 37signals about why they skip the use of Photoshop to create user interface mock-ups; instead, they favour moving straight to HTML and CSS. Myself, a Linux-only user trying to make a living as a web designer, I find this conversation both interesting and amusing.

The interest and amusement is probably fed by the fact I cannot natively install Photoshop on my Linux systems, which totally negates the decision to skip designing UIs with Photoshop. Of course, if wanted, I could always use GIMP, which by the way, is perfectly capable of creating mock-ups.

Also, surely the decision as to whether or not a UI needs a graphical mock-up is determined by the actual design brief of the UI, as opposed to being a designer's personal preference? In which case, what is all the hoorah about? Designers, heh.

Linux Podcasts Roundup

I have been working pretty hard lately, mainly coding some personal projects. I always used to listen to music whilst coding, these days I tend to listen to podcasts. Is that sad? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I thought I would post a list of Linux and Ubuntu related podcasts which I listen to on a regular basis [the list is presented in no particular order]:

• LugRadio — one of my favourite podcasts and probably THE podcast which got me hooked on listening to podcasts. LugRadio is released every 2 weeks and is currently in its 5th season. The production quality is always excellent and the content can be very thought provoking. Note, the LugRadio presenters are somewhat notorious for their use of colourful language, therefore it is probably not wise to listen to this podcast while at work [without headphones], or in the company of minors ;)

• The Linux Link Tech Show — again, another personal favourite, and again, a podcast which is not particularly safe for work. TLLTS is released every week and is normally over 2 hours in length. It is also probably [?] the longest running of all Linux related podcasts. Production quality is not always the best; however, the show is presented in a down-to-earth manner and the content is varied and interesting. The presenters often interview influential members of the Open Source community.

• Ubuntu UK Podcast — a fairly new podcast, [just released episode 6], but a very good one; IMHO, it could quite easily become the official Ubuntu podcast. The presenters apply the Ubuntu Code of Conduct to the show and therefore it is safe for work. Production quality is excellent, as is the content; Mark Shuttleworth has already been interviewed twice! Hopefully the presenters will be able to continue to push out this level of quality. The show is published every 2 weeks.

• Launchpod — again, another fairly new podcast. Launchpod is not strictly speaking a Linux podcast, still, due to Launchpad's close ties to Ubuntu it is interesting to hear news from the Launchpad developers. Production quality is fair and content ranges from Launchpad specific news to interviews with Launchpad users. There does not seem to be a set release schedule [very un-Ubuntu like]. Note, listen out for the funky bass!

• lottalinuxlinks — a Linux related podcast by Dave Yates, recorded at 75 miles per hour during his drive to and from work. I am not sure it is entirely safe [or legal for that matter] to record a podcast whilst driving, still, I enjoy listening to this podcast as it has character :) Like TLLTS, the presenter has a relaxed, down-to-earth approach to podcasting. Production quality is fair and the content is varied. Released frequently.

• Fresh Ubuntu — an Ubuntu specific podcast which covers news and community happenings. Another podcast which is presented in a down-to-earth manner. Production quality is generally good, as is the content which provides an insight into what is occurring within the Ubuntu community. Released most weeks.

• Linux Basement — "Greetings & Salutations", is how this podcast is commonly introduced, it goes downhill from there :D Just kidding, the Linux Basement is another down-to-earth Linux podcast, although content covers other topics such as Drupal and web development. The presenter, Chad Wallonberg, also entertains by writing and performing songs for the show. Production quality is good and the podcast is released every 2 weeks or so.

• Linux Outlaws — a podcast in which the presenters take a "laid-back" look at Linux and the Open Source scene. The presenters have good chemistry and the show is often amusing and insightful, although not particularly safe for work. Production quality is good and the show is released most weeks.

• The Bad Apples — Linux from the perspective of an ex-Apple user. The show has recently been released less frequently than before; still, when it is released it is often varied and insightful.

• The Talk Show — okay, so it is not Linux related; however, it amuses me to listen to Mac fans. Also, is it not good to mix it up now and again? Released sporadically.

• hashlugradio — a podcast which discusses issues raised by the LugRadio podcast and its community. Has recently been released less frequently than before, when it is released, the quality is good and often amusing. Another show featuring colourful language.

• The Linux Action Show — the Linux podcast presented by Bert 'n' Ernie from Sesame Street. Not :) The real presenters, Bryan 'n' Chris, take an energetic look at the latest Linux related news and releases. Production quality and content is excellent. The show does feature some strong language, though not nearly as colourful as LugRadio. The podcast is released every 2 weeks.

The above pretty much sums up the podcasts I am currently subscribed to. Am I missing any which you think I might enjoy?

Hello Planet Ubuntu

On Tuesday night I became an Ubuntu member. w00t! My application for membership was processed by the new Regional Membership Board for Europe, Middle East and Africa. I will not go into the actual process itself, only to say I was a somewhat nervous about it. Luckily though, my application was approved. Thank you to everyone for their encouragement and to those who supported my application :)

All Twittered Out

I have been using Twitter on and off for several months. Some of the time the service works, the remainder of the time I am reliably informed that "Something is technically wrong." Currently, Twitter is the only web based application I use on a regular basis which breaks just as regularly as I use it.

If Twitter provided an important service, email for example, I would have stopped using it in favour of something more reliable; however, arguably, Twitter does not provide an important service, so I have persevered with its less than reliable service, though I have to admit, my patience is wearing thin.

Should not the Twitter experience be fun?

For me, Twitter has stopped being a fun distraction and has become something which I like to do, but more often than not, I end up feeling frustrated when I do. Problem is, I have become comfortable with keeping a virtual diary of day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute distractions. I also enjoy the sporadic conversations which occur between mutual followers.

Do not misunderstand me, I think the basis of the Twitter service, "What are you doing?", is valid and simple enough to remain being a great idea; however, for fear of stating the obvious, I do not think the Twitter service is currently scaling well enough to cope with the digital populace. And more worryingly [at least for the Twitter developers], I am not sure it ever will, not in its current guise and regardless of the underlying technologies.

Ah b∗ll∗cks!

Also, there is something which has been bugging me about Twitter, the fact that it is hosting my data. The data in question, may on the surface seem unimportant, and for the large part it is; however, on occasion I have found myself wanting needing to refer to my backlog of tweets, only to find the Twitter service lacking, again.

As an example, only the other day, Becky and I wanted to watch an episode of a certain serial drama and neither of us could remember the last episode we had watched. Ah ha! I thought, I will search my Twitter history, I am sure to have tweeted about it. The following conversation went something like:

me: Ah b∗ll∗cks!
Becky: What's wrong?
me: Something technical!

If I was hosting the tweets myself, I feel certain the above short conversation would never have taken place. I would have been able to search my data, find the information I needed and carry on with my otherwise happy existence.

What are you doing?

I am feeling all Twittered out, not with the concept, but with the service. I am going to rectify this by developing my own mini Twitteresque application. The application will provide similar functionality to Twitter, but obviously it will be served from my own hosting account. The application will store my tweets within its own database as well as pushing them to Twitter. Ideally, once the application is running, nobody, apart from myself, should notice any difference as it will appear as though I am Twittering as normal.

Thank you Twitter

Twitter got me hooked on keeping a diary of meaningless events, but then left me wanting. So, thank you Twitter, I now have a new project to keep me amused for a while.

End rant. Start project.