This actually was made official on sunday the 27th of may 2007. A day I will never forget anytime soon if ever at all. The day that a computer vendor made a deal of faith, to ship ubuntu linux pre-installed on their hardware. I’m not expecting the world to start using linux over night but this definatlely will be a door opener of some sort. Things have been put into motion all that is left is the people’s Re-action Sales of systems pre-configured with linux will tell how the market received Ubuntu linux on Dells.

Another thing ran through my mind like lighting searing my brain tissue as the through echoed. What if The pirates in the world in all their arghness start purchasing ubuntu pre-installed systems only to format it and install their illegal copy of windows xp, vista 2000 or as recently brought to our attention longhorn reloaded. Lets hope nothing like this actually happens.

There are 3 systems that dell has decided are fit for usage with ubuntu. Two desktops which are amd core based systems and 1 notebook “e1505n which technically is the same as a 6400″ which is an intel based system. I’ve got the 6400 and it runs perfectly. wireless memory card reader the works.

UME - is what they’ve been calling the mobile os being developed based on the ubuntu linux operating system. I’ve already stated the initial release date in a previous blog entry, I hadn’t realize that it was about the same release date for gutsy gibbons the upcomming release for ubuntu desktops.

A UME mailing list and wiki entry have already been setup on Ubuntu Wiki and they have already started releasing the technical specifications, code and packages for UME. You may read more on the Ubuntu road map here. If your interested in speaking with people to garner more information on the ume Feel free to jump onto #ubuntu-mobile on FreeNode. There is also a detailed developers blueprint for the UME project located here.

First thing I did was run to irc to garner more details. I initially thought that the UME was directly for pda’s and other pocket and hand held mobile devices. Seem I was not 100% correct. After speaking with one of the members of the development team from the #ubuntu-mobile room on freenode I had a better understanding of the project.

See the convo below:

[gotnix] hey. Can someone if possible tell me what exactly will the ume be able to run on?
[gotnix] I’m hoping that it extends to smart phones such as the qtek. and so on
[adilson] gotnix: We are still too in the beginning of the project to be able to tell anything for sure but AFAICT, the idea is to have everything from the desktop.
[gotnix] thats what i thought? which leads me to the question of why?
[gotnix] If there is already ubuntu for the desktop why make another edition called mobile
[gotnix] I’m not against it. I”m very excited about the project.. and have high hopes (hoping it extends to the mobile device market, pda’s etc)
[adilson] gotnix: because the requirements for the hardware are different. The UI has to have specific features like support for small screens and touch. The kernel has to fit those requirements also and so on…
[gotnix] Meaning if that is going to be a possibility it might not be anywhere in the immediate future.
[gotnix] okay… fair enough. Small steps I can only hope Ubuntu will make its way to the pda market eventually
[adilson] gotnix: The schedule is to have the first version lauched at the same time as the next desktop version: october.
[gotnix] yeah i read about simultaneous launching of the ume with gutsy. but I mean for pda’s and so on.
[adilson] gotnix:Our first target are devices like x86 webpads. Things like PDAs are different beasts. Of course we want to cover them also but can’t say right now when.

that clears up a bit for me. Thanks alot again adilson. As soon as the first pda beta is out I’ll test. I volunteer whatever handheld I will own when that time comes.

Oh what a sweet, sweet day it must be for Microsoft. The first worm specifically targeting the open-source office package OpenOffice has emerged. read more on the open office virus

And so what i say.. so what. It might be the first of many to come but long have i stop complaining about that aspect of Microsoft.. It’s operating system being a virus breeding ground. My problem is that i have to pay for it when i have free alternatives that gets the job done just as good.

I have ran Windows for a few years before switching to Linux and in that time frame i can honestly only recall 2 instances were i contracted a virii. only two times. and that was the infamous rpc which would shut your computer down in about 2 minutes or so. (count down box of doom). So just as how i was able to keep a clean computer when i had Microsoft germ fest on my notebook in the same light i will be able to keep a clean Linux operating system in the event that the malicious monsters on the internet decide to use their powers for evil and make Linux virus… (I am not insinuating that virii for m$ is a better idea). Those who wear the dark hat of geek really disapoint me at times. But laugh all you want ms this lil thing will blow over in a few days. There’s gonna be a fix pretty soon and all will be well in the open source community. I’m sure there’ll be more people working to fix things as the source is open for everybody to peek at therefore more people will know how to correct things as compared to your sealed up operating system.

Behold I bring you more Ubuntu-ness for your mental stewing. Ubuntu has announced a mobile and embedded version of the operating system. What does this mean.. This means that i will sell my qtek 9100 which is supported by Microsoft’s windows mobile operating system (version six currently codenamed crossbow). While ms mobile is very much usable. It does not serve me much as it is not friendly with my Ubuntu driven notebook.
My stance on switching does not only originate from my Linux activist cranial quadrant but. I honestly would love to see what Ubuntu Linux could bring to the mobile operating system table. Ubuntu has already taken the world by storm. focusing on simplicity and efficiency as the main goal for the operating system and with each distribution release there are vast improvements and the community grows bigger as more people begin saying. (thank god they’ve fixed x problems. now i can use Ubuntu). Hopefully this will be the same for the mobile version of Ubuntu as well as the embedded.
I honestly wonder what wacky version Ubuntu will tote for the mobile operating system.. Ubuntu mobile moped, wandering walker?. I also eagerly await to see which open source applications will be ported to the mobile operating system. Keep your eyes peeled for this in October 2007, Just a few months off.

I’ve been a web application developer for several years and I have began working systematically as of late (finally). There are a few things that without them I feel lost as a developer and need them for debugging and testing my web applications before deployment. These tools are mostly available through firefox or rather real web browsers, (ones that use the gecko engine).

1. Web developer tool bar - the masterer plugin of the lot. With this you can easily disable java, javascript, manage cookies, view css, edit css, manipulate forms (auto form fill - because we know manually filling out forms for testing is the pits). manipulate images, outline tables for debugging, and tonnes more.. You must have this if you are a web developer or hope to be one.  Get the web developer toolbar extension for firefox
2. Css Viewer - Very nice css overlay tool which shows a overlay box with all the properties of whatever you hover your mouse over, showing the title of the class applied to it as well as the class’s details. Get Css Viewer extension for firefox
3. Colorzilla - This plugin allows you to suck the color from any page element. See a color like it want the hex color code for it. You click on color zilla click on the color and double click the color zilla icon and there’s the hex value. Sadly there is some situation with this plugin and linux or rather ubuntu (from my experience). It was working at one instance but since dapper drake I have had no luck with it. Get colozilla extension for firefox
4. Measurit - What dimensions should i make a banner to fit into this space on that web page. Measure it gives an overlay over the page where you can measure spaces in rectangular / square units and get exact pixel dimensions. A very handy tool. Get Measure extension it for firefox
5. I.E tab- I honestly wish this extension didn’t have to exist (see stance on internet explorer here). However.. sigh.. this extension allows you to preview the developed page using internet explorers rendering engine from within firefox. Therefore you can ensure that your pages render properly and looks the same in both browsers. Get Ie. Tab extension for firefox

That is the end of my tools i utilize from firefox relative to web development.

On the actual development side of things get a copy of php, mysql and apache. You may download these separately from php.net mysql.com and apache.org , install them individually then get them talking to each other in unison. If you are a windows user you may chose to get an installer which does that for you. example of popular ones are wamp and appserv. If you are an ubuntu linux user you may simple open a terminal and run this command

sudo apt-get install apache2 php5-mysql libapache2-mod-php5 mysql-server

supply your password and this will download and install and configure thh applications for you.

These will both setup php, mysql, apache and also another useful tool phpmyadmin which makes it easier to administer your mysql databases. The great thing about these webdevelopment tools which i have discussed is They are all 100% open source Free for usage :D. After installing using which ever method you so desired open your web browser (hopefully firefox) and type local host or 127.0.0.1 to access your local web server.

With relation to coding. I use bluefish as my weapon, I have messed around with nvu on small occasions but I tend to use bluefish most of the time as nvu generally encodes my html entities meaning <?php becomes < and so on. In days long long ago in a land not so far away when I was a windows user I would typically use edit+ or dreamweaver as my coding tool.

Hope this helps. Be not affraid to ask via comment if shrouded by darkness is your understanding.

Directly from the source that is starcraft2.com

Will StarCraft II be available on Mac simultaneously with PC?

As with all of Blizzard’s recent releases, StarCraft II will ship on both PC and Mac simultaneously.
Will StarCraft II take advantage of DirectX 10? What other graphical goodies are included?

The game will be compatible with DirectX 10, and we’re still considering whether there will be exclusive DirectX 10 graphic effects, but the graphics engine will also be very scalable to ensure that a wide range of different systems will be capable of running StarCraft II. The new engine is also capable of rendering very large units, as well as large numbers of units on screen together. Havok physics have been integrated into the engine for added realism as well.

Now with that said it seems there is a possibility for starcraft 2 to be ran on the linux platform (back flip). It seems the mac version will be running on opengl as its render-er-er-er. Good news for me.. No need to emulate an entire windows install to play starcraft 2. Just thougth I’ls share the news to other linux activists and advocates.

Knowing deep down you really are a good guy, but still embracing the darkness within because that’s all that’s left…

I know you know Ubuntu of have at least heard the name from the lips of a nix activist *me*. Its a fairly aged Linux distribution still young in terms of Linux years but a bit old in human terms. It has already been through about 5 versions with name progressions such as : warty warthog, breezy badger, dapper drake, edgy eft and the current release feisty fawn with and there is the upcoming release in October  for gutsy gibbon which will revolutionize the installation process of Ubuntu, making it monkey simple. a thought from from Marc Shuttleworth’s inner mind itself.

Ubuntu since its initial release had very good user reception. The people loved it the look the feel, the DEBIAN PACKAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM no more disgusting dependency trees to resolve on your own. Ubuntu changed it up. As the distribution progressed it only got better. upgrading the aesthetic side of things as well as the functionality. Hardware compatibility is also great. People all over the world and internet are happy because they install it and it just works. everything just worked. I haven’t really seen a Linux distribution gian this much popularity in such a short period of time.  This surely means something. Ubuntu Linux may be the neo of the nixorld. The Savior so to speak who has really come to save the desktop from the scourge that is windows. Micheal Dell already has given consent to the movement and has dell pc’s and notebooks being shipped with Ubuntu Linux. This is only the beginning of a wonderful future for the open source community

Red Hat was the distro of choice back in the day when it was free for all to use, It had a large user base and all was well then red hat stabbed its grass root users in the face and became an enterprise distribution. A fork was made for the open source community to continue using ‘fedora core’. It was disappointing to see the direction that red hat went.
Ubuntu on the other hand had displayed by far the most closed family relation ship with its user base, It listens  to its users, It sends the distribution to its users for free, NO distribution has treated its people in this manner in history. Ubuntu is here to revolutionize the Linux and open source community

How long I have waited for these times. the implications that this may have on the information technology industry is immeasurable. The revolution has begun.

Since the dawn of linux in my life I’ve been a gnome user. Its slickness, clean-ness,, just the gnome-ness is what gets me.
Its tones lighter than the popular alternative “KDE” and gets the job done just as good. The file manager “nautilus” is wonderful as well. basic stuff like copy and past work.. I remember the first time i tried to copy and past with KDE terrible disaster it was it only copied the file paths and not the actual files.
KDE 4.0 code named ‘Knut’ makes its way into the midst of things featuring a fully modified or remake of the file browser, the blight that is konqueror. The new FS browser is called Dolphin I’ve only seen one screen shot so far. see below.

Kde 4.0 Features a few more key features to set it appart from previous version:

A new visual appearance through Oxygen
New frameworks to build applications with, providing vastly improved hardware and multimedia integration (through Solid and Phonon), spelling and grammar checking, to name just a few
New applications that focus on a smooth user experience, such as Dolphin, the file manager, and Okular, the document viewer
Hopefully these upgrades will result in kde being a faster file browser many users I know complain that gnome is ugly.. (they need glasses) and would prefer to use kde but complain of its sluggish behaviour