Finding an OS for an Eee PC

Recently I have come to possess an Eee PC 1000.  This is the same Eee PC I had setup for a friend last year.  At that time I changed the OS from Asus's version of Linux to eeebuntu 3.  Eeebuntu 3 work well until Ubuntu 9.10 was released eeebuntu 3 updated and became a strange cross between eeebuntu 3 and Ubuntu 9.10.  This of course caused confusion on the part of my friend.  Long story short I know have the Eee PC and have settled on a OS for now.
While looking for an OS I tried out several different Linux Distros.  These included EB 4.0 beta, Easy Peasy, Moblin, and Ubuntu 9.10.
EB 4.0 beta is now based directly on Debian Unstable (Eeevolution) and as the beta tag shows still in beta. I loaded up into the live disk and looked it over then tried to install it.  The installation failed it was a known bug with work around but I decided to move onto the next Distro.  Easy Peasy is currently at version 1.5.  I downloaded it and setup a USB stick so I could look it over.  After booting to the USB stick I quickly looked Easy Peasy over.  Basically it looks like Ubuntu's Netbook Remix rebranded as Easy Peasy.  I had tried Easy Peasy when it was called Ubuntu Eee, at that time it had provided Eee PC support that Ubuntu did not have.  At this time I am not sure what advantage Easy Peasy has over UNR.  I personal am not a fan of UNR so Easy Peasy was out.  I then moved on to Moblin.  Again I booted from my USB stick.  I was not able to figure out how to install Moblin on the Eee PC it self.  I how ever did like the idea behind Moblin.  Now Moblin has joined forces with maemo to become Meego.  I will keep them in mind for the future.  Meego might be a great OS for Grandmothers, Mothers, and other people who fear their computers while also meeting the need for a Linux OS the general public can use without needing to learn the terminal.  Finally I decided to install Ubuntu 9.10 and set it up just the way I liked it.  Ubuntu 9.10 works great for what I need and want.
There are many more choices out there for Linux OS's basically it comes down to what do I like and what do I want.  If you have an Eee PC with Asus's version of Linux and feel it is lacking try some of the other great options out there.

Inside Apple's iPad: Adobe Flash

"Apple's new iPad is being criticized for lacking the capacity to render interactive content built using Adobe's Flash platform, but the company shows no sign of reversing course."
Very interesting read about Apple's stance on Adobe Flash.  The author's take on Apple's stance is it is a Freedom of the Web issue.  Read the full article at appleinsider.com.

GetDeb.net

I use GetDeb.net to easy the install of applications such as SongBird in Ubuntu.  After installing the GetDeb repository run update manager for the latest updates provided by GetDeb.  You can then search Synaptic Package Manager for applications you want that were not in the official Ubuntu release.  If you are lucky GetDeb will have what you want.

GetDeb is an unofficial project with the mission to provide the latest open source and freeware applications for the current Ubuntu Linux release, in an easy to install manner.

The GetDeb repository extends the official repositories by providing latest versions and new applications. Unlike the official packages, GetDeb packages do not have a predefined release schedule - new software versions are provided as they become available from their authors. There is a short and limited testing phase instead of a full testing cycle to ensure packaging quality, however it is less strict than Ubuntu's official requirements.

The Problem with Ubuntu

The problem with Ubuntu is it is fun.  So many things to try so many things to install.  The other day I was setting up Ubuntu on an old Laptop and was all most done, ready to return it to the owner when I decided to try one more thing.  I had never installed the Enlightenment desktop manager in Ubuntu but had recently read about it.  Following the directions from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Enlightenment I soon had e17 installed.  I logged out the logged back in after choosing e17.  Everything had worked.  After playing around with it for a while I decided to remove e17.  Not taking the time to find out how to remove it correctly I type sudo apt-get remove e17. After restarting the computer I was surprised to find I could not get passed the Ubuntu login screen. Turns out I had removed necessary packages for all my window managers. I was not even able to drop to the shell and try and fix the problem so another install was in the work.
Ubuntu allows me to do things I would not even think of doing on Windows or OS X. I just have to remember not to experiment on my production machine or life could get hard.

Unixmen - Recover from a frozen system with the magic SysRq key| Tips | Unixmen

Unixmen - Recover from a frozen system with the magic SysRq key| Tips | Unixmen

There has been times when Ubuntu has locked up on me and not knowing what else to do I did a hard power off.  I will keep this guide in mind the next time I hard a lockup.

Gnome Do

As a Mac user one of the things I love is the ability to quickly launch applications using Spotlight.  Command + spacebar brings up Spotlight, type the first few letter of the application name,  usually the first item will be the application, then hit enter and the application is launched.  When I started using Ubuntu I missed Spotlight.  In the course of time I heard about Gnome Do.  Finally I decided to see what Do was all about.  Do is great.  After adjusting Do to my liking in Preferences, I now hit the key and spacebar and up pops a simple put elegant search bar. (The key is the one with the Ubuntu, Windows, Apple symbol on it.)  As I type a picture of the application and it name shows up, hitting enter launches the app.  Do is more the an Application launcher it can be used to find photos and documents, play songs, start e-mails, define words, add numbers and much more.  For those of you who use OS X Do is very similar to Quicksilver.  For more info and easy to follow instructions read the Gnome Do Wiki: http://do.davebsd.com/wiki/Main_Page

Bj's Laptop and Ubuntu Stickers

The folks at System76 offer free Ubuntu Stickers. Free Ubuntu Stickers

Ubuntu Netbook Remix

Recently I traded my older laptop for a brand new Lenovo Idea Pad S10e. Needless to say, I was quite thrilled by the deal. However, Windows XP on a brand new 10" netbook seemed like a lame idea. Interestingly, it seems that Lenovo understood that to some degree as the netbook came preloaded with a seperate partition containing a Linux quick access area that would allow you to do basic things like web browsing without booting into Windows. I decided to take things a little farther, downloading Ubuntu 9.10, I reformatted the hard drive and installed a substantial version of Linux. 

After a few days of using Ubuntu 9.10 on my netbook, I realized that while I could do most everything there were a few issues to work out. The netbook has a weird and slightly random screen size of 1024x576, most programs are formatted for a different sized screen. Many dialog boxes for system settings would simply go off the screen. To apply settings, I'd have to do lots of tabbing and guessing. 
 

Ubuntu Netbook Remix to the rescue. Netbook Remix is available as its own distro which you can download from http://www.ubuntu.com/GetUbuntu/download-netbook however, for folks like me that already installed Ubuntu on their netbook, a better solution is available. Just go to your Synaptic Package Manager and add Ubuntu Netbook Remix to your system.

The great thing about UNR is that it is basically just a different way to handle menus and screen size on a netbook. Everything else is the old Ubuntu you have grown to know and love. You still have all the functionality you had before, but now you have even MORE! Finally, I can see all the dialog box screens. This is what UNR looks like on my machine. 

Icons get super-sized, and you get a nifty menu on the right hand side of the screen. I do have some complaints though. If you like your wall paper, well then this is a bit of a downer... There is no apparent way to make it all disappear and readily come back. Perhaps there is a way and someone will clue us all in. The other nifty feature is in the fact that Ubuntu UNR starts all programs full screen to help you utilize all of your netbooks tiny screen real-estate. Below I have opened four-in-a-row and you can see how it has engulfed the screen. 

So, if regular old Ubuntu isn't cutting it for you anymore on your netbook, give Ubuntu Netbook Remix a try!

Laptop Comparison MacBook/Darter Ultra

I have been a Mac user for almost 5 years and have been using Linux for almost 4 years.  The other day I was wondering how an Ubuntu Laptop would compare to the MacBook if I was in the market for a new laptop.  I put together a quick comparison of the Darter Ultra built by System 76 and MacBook.  The Darter has a lot more options to configure, I chose the Darter because I wanted the smallest laptop offered.

MacBook Display: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen (1280 x 800) Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics Networking: 0/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector), WiFi, Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Wireless: 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible Expansion: none Ports: MagSafe power port, Mini DisplayPort, Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps), Audio in/out Camera: iSight camera Security: Kensington lock slot Battery: Built-in 60-watt-hour lithium-polymer batter (7 hour claim) Dimensions: 13.0”x9.12”x1.08” Weight: 4.7 pounds Processor: 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor Memory: Apple 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x1GB Storage: 250GB Serial ATA drive @ 5400 rpm 8x slot-loading SuperDrive Price as configured: $934.59 macmall.com

Darter Ultra Display: 12.1" WXGA Glossy LCD (1280 x 800) Graphics: Intel X4500HD Audio Output: Intel High Definition Audio Networking: Gigabit LAN (10/100/1000), WiFi, Bluetooth Wireless: 802.11 agn Expansion: Express Card 34/54 slot Ports: VGA, 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone Jack, Microphone Jack, S/PDIF Output Jack, SD Reader Camera: Built-In 2.0 MP Webcam Security: Fingerprint Reader (beta), Kensington® Lock Battery: includes one 4 Cell Lithium Ion Dimensions: 11.8" x 8.7" x 1~1.4" (WxDxH) Weight: 4.1 lbs. Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.53 GHz Memory: Memory 2 GB - DDR2 800 MHZ x 1 DIMM Storage: 250 GB 5400 RPM SATA II CD-RW / DVD-RW Price as configured: $887.00 system76.com

Cairo Dock Screencast

Cairo Dock is a OS X style dock for any Linux desktop.  I installed it using Ubuntu Tweak.  The theme shown is call Tux-N-Tosh I installed it from the French version as it does not show up in the English version.  To use the French Version run cairo-dock -S themes.cairo-dock.vef.fr in the Terminal. I am also using the unstable release of Cairo Dock.  



(The latest update now includes tux-n-tush plus several more themes)

Ubuntu Gnome Themes from the Bisigi Project

Check out the Bisigi Project for a number of great looking and easy to setup themes for the gnome desktop.  Here is a short screencast showing off three of their themes.

bisigi-project.org Install their repository for easy installation and automatic updates.  With their latest release of the airline theme they have 13 great themes.

MacSword 2

MacSword is a free and open source Bible program for OS X.  MacSword is also based on the Sword Project making it compatible with all the texts the Sword Project has put together.  When I became the owner of a Mac computer the first thing I looked for was replacement for E-Sword.  In my search I found MacSword 1. Version 1 work well for reading but lack many of the features that made E-Sword such a great program.  As some have said "beggars can't be choosers" so MacSword became my default bible app even with all it lacked.  Last May I discovered MacSword 2 was in the works and from then on I used the Beta builds of MacSword 2.  Finally MacSword 2 was released but still it lacked a nice note taking feature.  January 8th saw the release of 2.1 this release includes Notes. 

If you are looking for a Bible application for OS X you will want to check out MacSword.  If version 1 left you disappointed I think version 2 will make up for it.  The developer has put together a nice tour showing off all the features.  The tour includes a screencast and many screenshots.  Take the tour here: http://www.macsword.com/tour/