thattommyhall.com » Ubuntu http://www.thattommyhall.com A Random Walk Through Idea Space Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:13:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Ubuntu is great. Ubuntu is Debian? http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/19/ubuntu-is-great-ubuntu-is-debian/ http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/19/ubuntu-is-great-ubuntu-is-debian/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:07:24 +0000 tom http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/19/ubuntu-is-great-ubuntu-is-debian/ I have run Linux systems for about a decade, but not always as my main OS though. Whereas I used to enjoy the learning curve linux forced on you, at some point it was both more interesting and easier to use than windows. The selection of packages in Ubuntu is superb and there is no show-stopping apps that I need to run windows for. With all the compiz niceness we are winning the eye candy wars, and of course it increases my productivity… marginally. The installer is unbeatable, people who think windows is easier are mad or deluded by the fact someone else did it for them. Hardware support is brilliant in Linux in general and particularly in Ubuntu; even if you dont like binary drivers, having stuff work is what you want.

I have been amazed at how well Ubuntu works on my laptop (a Dell D430), every device works, I have Compiz on my Intel graphics card, the USB DVD-RW works, the docking station works, all the function keys work, everything works. The only slight niggle was attaching a projector the other day, I had never done dual monitors and Fn-F8 seemed to work but I had to change my screen resolution to match the projectors, I could not get it to work in dual monitor mode (I only tried a few mins as the pressure was on to get an image up)

Ubuntu is Debian. I have said this to people before, possibly to be controversial but I think there is a point to be made. Ubuntu is Debian at least in the way Debian is GNU + Linux + X.org + …, it would not exist without the work of the Debian developers. It is distinct enough that I will never state that identity again, I was over egging the pudding. I like the idea of them selecting a core of packages from Debian testing/unstable, QAing them, adding apps not found in there and tweaking the settings. I spent an awful long time trying to do that single handedly in the past, using apt-pining and loads of 3rd party repos, and it was a pain and certainly not as stable as Ubuntu is. I like that they recompile Debian packages and make them available in Universe and Multiverse, but think they are a bit coy about saying where they come from, “a snapshot of the free world” or something I think they say. I think people perhaps need to be a bit more thoughtful when giving credit, hard work by Debian, the kernel guys, Gnome and pick_your_favorite_app will make Ubuntu look better, as of course will all the good work the Ubuntu guys do. I think I will continue to use Debian stable for servers for some time though, Ubuntu LTS does not seem as safe a bet to me.

]]> http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/19/ubuntu-is-great-ubuntu-is-debian/feed/ 0 Screenshot tool for Gnome http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/17/screenshot-tool-for-gnome/ http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/17/screenshot-tool-for-gnome/#comments Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:29:01 +0000 tom http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/17/screenshot-tool-for-gnome/ Desktop Data Manager is superb tool; providing a clipboard manager, a screenshot taking app that allows you to select regions and a reasonable download manager. I mainly use the screenshot tool at the moment.

From their page:

Clipboard Manager

  • Clipboard history for a customized number of entries
  • Separate list for CLIPBOARD (Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V) and PRIMARY (Middle Mouse Button)
  • Displays text and images inline
  • Converts HTML/FTP/… links (in fact any link that is supported through GnomeVFS) to images which can be pasted into any application
  • Images can be pasted as a new file by simply using Ctrl+V
  • Customizable keyboard shortcuts
  • Extensible through plugins

Screenshot-Taking Applications

  • Take screenshots of single window, single subwindow, selected rectangle or the whole desktop
  • Seamless operation with the clipboard manager

Download Manager

  • Continuation (Pause and Continue downloads)
  • Threaded/Segmented downloading
  • HTTP/HTTPS/FTP protocol support
  • MD5/SHA1 checksum calculation
  • Downloading from multiple mirrors

What sets DDM apart from Klipper/Glipper/…

  • Inline display of images
  • “Creators” enable Copy and Paste for files and their content in both direction (see screenshots page for details)
  • Screenshot-Taking Application enables copy of mages out of e.g. a PDF files directly into any other application or in a file
]]> http://www.thattommyhall.com/2008/02/17/screenshot-tool-for-gnome/feed/ 0 Bittorrent In Linux http://www.thattommyhall.com/2007/11/09/bittorrent-in-linux/ http://www.thattommyhall.com/2007/11/09/bittorrent-in-linux/#comments Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:03:25 +0000 tom http://www.thattommyhall.com/2007/11/09/bittorrent-in-linux/ Azureus is crap in Linux.

That is to say neither the Ubuntu package or the download from the webpage worked for me straight away.

Deluge on the other hand is working a treat though. It’s written for Gnome in C++ and Python so I may be able to get my head around the code too.

Now I can continue downloading more stuff than there is hours in the day to watch it.

]]> http://www.thattommyhall.com/2007/11/09/bittorrent-in-linux/feed/ 0 How to get a solaris kernel and GNU userland http://www.thattommyhall.com/2007/11/03/how-to-get-a-solaris-kernel-and-gnu-userland/ http://www.thattommyhall.com/2007/11/03/how-to-get-a-solaris-kernel-and-gnu-userland/#comments Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:43:43 +0000 tom http://www.thattommyhall.com/?p=6 I love the SunOS kernel. ZFS, Dtrace, Zones all make it desirable. But OpenSolaris is a code repository, not a distribution and you have to go elsewhere if you want a free distro. Nexenta looked the most promising, but then went quiet for a while (at least on their webpage) after shifting their focus to a smaller package set they called Nexenta Core Platform. I was very pleased to see an offer of collaboration from the Debian project leader in their forums and now Nexenta.com has released a new NAS package (not free though) and at the same time Suns “Project Nevada” seems to be bearing fruit after hiring Ian Murdock (the chap who started Debian)

OpenSolaris Developer/Community editions pale in comparision to Ubuntu for range of packages and usability, perhaps Nevada can sort it out. I am hopeful that Nexenta get it together and be the GNU/Solaris distro I really want (see here for some screencasts by Martin Man showing how cool it already is).

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