Linux + GNU = Humans Enabled

How To: Fix Samsung Galaxy Nexus MTP File Transfer for Ubuntu GNU/Linux 11.10

2011-12-18T00:46:00.000-08:00

So I've been so lucky as to have a spankin' new Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone with Android Linux "Ice Cream Sandwich" version from Verizon bestowed upon me! Yeah!

I have to tell you, I am thoroughly enjoying this phone! I'm loving it! I really like the big screen, the great on-screen keyboard, the snazzy new Ice Cream interface, and most of all the 4G Internet speed.

There was only one little surprise for me with this new phone: Having to use the Media Transfer Protocol "MTP" ( ms ft technology), and/or the Photo Transfer Protocol "PTP" to transfer files to/from the device instead of USB Block mode. Both of my previous phones, the Moto Droid and then the Droid Incredible, used USB block mode instead.

The way USB block mode works is that when you plug the device into the USB port with the cable it is simply detected as an external USB drive. This is nice because no additional applications or proprietary frameworks are needed to access the drive.

With the Samsung Galaxy Nexus however, you have to install some additional software so you can mount the device using "MTP" Media Transfer Protocol. I think it would be nice if you had the choice of using whichever one you want.

MTP works with GNU/Linux, but it requires the installation of some extra applications to get connected to the device. One such application is called gMTP by Darran Kartaschew (aka Chewy509).

The gMTP program is a graphical utility that lets you add/delete/copy/make folders/etc. to your device via MTP. gMTP is available in the Ubuntu Software Center.

The only problem I had with gMTP, which depends upon libmtp from sourceforge.com, is that the latest libmtp hadn't been updated on my Ubuntu (11.10) yet. So, since I had the older libmtp, I was experiencing a bug where trying to copy files onto my Samsung Galaxy Nexus wasn't working properly. At least one other person was having this problem, according to this post on sourceforge.com. To make a long story short, I posted my complaint on G+ and then magically.. +Paul Eubanks suggested that I should check into installing the newer libmtp to fix the problem. This hit the nail on the head! Thanks Paul!

Eventually, probably within a few weeks or months, libmtp will be updated for Ubuntu, and then you won't experience the bug I did.. But until then, here are the instructions for installing the newer libmtp, after compiling it from source.

Step 1. Install the libusb-dev dependency package so you can build libmtp

sudo apt-get install libusb-dev

Step 2. Download the latest libmtp tar.gz from here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/libmtp/files/libmtp/

Step 3. cd into the same directory where you downloaded the new libmtp*.tar.gz and extract the tar package:

tar xvf libmtp-1.1.1.tar.gz

Step 4. cd into the libmtp directory you just extracted , then compile and install using configure/make/make install:

cd libmtp-1.1.1/
./configure --prefix=/usr
make
sudo make install

Step 5 (maybe optional). Not sure if I needed this step or not, but if everything in the last step went well, you'll now have the 69-libmtp.rules file in the current directory, and you can copy it to /etc/udev/rules.d to ensure you can access the phone through the USB.

sudo cp 69-libmtp.rules /etc/udev/rules.d

Step 6. Install the handy gMTP Graphical MTP file access utility:

sudo apt-get install gmtp

Step 7. Try to run gMTP and see if it connects to your device. If not, then refresh things by unplugging your phone, rebooting the computer, then plugging in your phone again. Then, try to launch gMTP from the Unity/Gnome menu again, see below.

Step 8. You should see something like below when you click connect. Also you should be able to copy files to and from the device with ease.

If you want to check to ensure your computer has the newer libmtp, run this command:

ls -lah /usr/lib/libmtp*

You should see something like below.. notice the libmtp.so.9.0.1 and file date there


svanwagner@ubuntu-scythe:/usr/lib$ ls -lah libmtp.*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 725K 2011-12-18 01:12 libmtp.a
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  921 2011-12-18 01:12 libmtp.la
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   15 2011-12-18 01:12 libmtp.so -> libmtp.so.9.0.1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root   15 2011-12-18 01:12 libmtp.so.9 -> libmtp.so.9.0.1
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 256K 2011-08-09 06:10 libmtp.so.9.0.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 611K 2011-12-18 01:12 libmtp.so.9.0.1

Here's an extra tip: The gMTP program version 1.2.0 has the root of the filesystem "/" set for the "Download" control (by default). So if you launch the program normally, when you select a file and click "Download", you'll get an error because the program will have tried to save the file to "/", which unless you run your computer as root - is not writable by regular users. To fix this problem, you should open Edit > Preferences for gMTP, then place a checkmark by "Always show Download Path", as shown in the picture below. With this setting enabled, you'll be prompted for a location to store the file when clicking "Download", and you can pick something like Desktop or your Documents folder so you can get your files.

That's it! Now you can move files on and off your Samsung Galaxy Nexus device with ease!

Update: @seankenefick pointed out how the libmtp update does not help the problem with connecting the Nexus to Banshee or even Rhythmbox.

To have Banshee see your Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Android):

Close out of banshee completely
Plug in your phone and open the root folder (select open folder on plug-in prompt)
Create an empty file, rename it to ".is_audio_player" (no quotes)
Open the Banshee Music player and it will see your device

To have Rhythmbox see your Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Android):

Simply enable Debugging Mode on the Phone, then attach it to the computer

Credit:
http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/01/banshee-doesnt-show-android-fix/
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/banshee/+bug/896376

Want to try a different way? See here: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/12/how-to-easily-mount-the-galaxy-nexus-on-ubuntu-11-10-via-unity/

If you'd like to leave a comment, please do so below.

Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner
12-18-11

How To: Cisco Systems VPN with Ubuntu 11.10 / 10.10 GNU/Linux

2011-12-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

What you'll need:

gateway DNS name or IP address for the VPN
username/password for access to the VPN server
group name/password for the VPN settings

Special Note - these instructions are for connecting to the VPN using the Cisco Systems VPN client. If you are looking for instructions related to using the open source alternative to the Cisco AnyConnect client (openconnect), have a look at my post entitled: How To Connect Ubuntu Linux to Cisco VPN with openconnect (anyconnect-capable alternative)

First, install these packages to extend the functionality of the graphical network manager in Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install vpnc network-manager-vpnc

At this point you can try restarting your session (ctrl-alt-backspace if you have it configured via keyboard>Layout Settings>Options>Key Sequence to kill the X server), but it may take a full reboot of the computer for the settings to take effect.

Now, open the network manager, hover over VPN Connections, then click Configure VPN..., then click Add, select "Cisco Compatible VPN (vpnc)".

Enter your username, groupname, group password (set the dropdown to save the group password if it is very long ).

Ubuntu 11.10 Example:

Ubuntu 10.10 Example:

Click Apply to save the connection settings. To connect, simply click the Network Manager icon in your panel, hover over VPN connections, click your connection, then enter your VPN password when prompted. Easy, peasy.. That's it!

Shannon VanWagner
14 December 2011

How to install Bugzilla with HTTPS on Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS Server

2011-12-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

So after a quick search, I couldn't find any one site with specific instructions on how to install Bugzilla 4.0.2 on the Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS GNU/Linux server.

Since I spent some time and worked out the problems myself, I thought I'd post what worked for me. If you have any suggestions to make this writeup more accurate, or more secure, please leave a comment below with your wisdom. Thanks!

Things that you might need:

hostname for the server
username password for the bugzilla server
ip address to use for the bugzilla server (static is suggested)
root password for your mysql
password for your self-signed SSL cert
password for the bugs user
email address / name / password for the admin user

First, install Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS Server version. There is nothing special about this step besides I recommend you use a strong password for the user you create and perhaps you can select 'Install security updates automatically' at the manage upgrades prompt. Also, don't select 'LAMP server' during the software installation step as we'll put in just the specific packages we need in the steps below. Although, if you want to remotely manage your server using ssh, do choose OpenSSH server to install (I'll put in some instructions for disabling root login to ssh later**). Once your Ubuntu Server is installed and ruuning, login and switch to root. From here on out, you'll perform the installation steps as root. To become root:

sudo -s

Run updates for the box. This will get you setup for the next step of installing packages.

apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y

Note: this step may require a reboot to fully complete the update if the kernel was updated. Tip: At this point, if you're setting up your server in a virtual machine this is a good place to make a baseline snapshot so you can revert to it later if things go all wrong. I used Oracle's Virtualbox, the Open Source version. I installed Virtualbox with the terminal command: sudo apt-get install virtualbox-ose If you have a specific (static) IP address for the bugzilla server, set it up on the box with this:

vi /etc/network/interfaces

Then comment out this line by putting # in front like this:

#iface eth0 inet dhcp

Then add these lines (apply specific values for your environment):

iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.100
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.1

Then reset the networking on your server with the command

/etc/init.d/networking restart

Now we'll install the baseline packages for the bugzilla webserver using apt-get:

apt-get install libnet-ssleay-perl apache2 libapache2-mod-perl2 libapache2-mod-auth-mysql mysql-server mailutils gcc mysql-server libappconfig-perl libdate-calc-perl libtemplate-perl libmime-perl build-essential libdatetime-timezone-perl libdatetime-perl libemail-send-perl libemail-mime-perl libemail-mime-modifier-perl libdbi-perl libdbd-mysql-perl libcgi-pm-perl -y

Note: Set the password for your mysql-server root user during the setup of mysql during installation. Also, by installing the packages above, you will also get the ssl-cert package, which will automatically generate a self-signed cert for your https server. At this point you should be able to open http on your website. e.g., http://192.168.1.100 (per the example configuration above) should show a page that says "It works!". Very simple eh? Now we need to enable ssl in Apache2 by running this simple command:

a2enmod ssl

Now, since we'll be using HTTPS for the site, we need to link the default-ssl website profile in the /etc/apache2/sites-available to the /etc/apache2/sites-available using the a2ensite command:

a2ensite default-ssl

This is basically the same as running the command: ln -s /etc/apache2/sites-available/default-ssl /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/default-ssl Now restart the apache2 to refresh the running apache2 server configuration:

service apache2 restart

At this point you should be able to open http on your website. e.g., https://192.168.1.100 (per the example configuration above) should show a page that says "It works!". Note: By default the "snake-oil" self-signed cert is being used from the ssl-cert package for your https capability. If you don't have a remote machine to test access with, use this command from the server itself to test connectivity.

telnet localhost 443

Note:You should see something like below (notice it says connected to localhost):

Trying ::1...
Trying 127.0.0.1
Connected to localhost
Escape character is '^]'.

So now that we have Apache up and running, let's configure our http page to automatically redirect the user to https (this uses mod_rewrite), and then enable CGI for the bugzilla. Enable mod_rewrite - so we can redirect http to https

a2enmod rewrite

Now modify the http configuration file at /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default for redirect to https. Simply add the redirect to HTTPS lines noted in /var/www section as shown below:

vi /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default

<Directory /var/www>
 #Enable redirect to HTTPS - added 3 lines below
 RewriteEngine On
 RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
 RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} 

 Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
 AllowOverride None
 Order allow,deny
 allow from none
</Directory>

Now, since we are modifying the apache2 configuration, let's modify /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default-ssl to enable CGI script capability for the bugzilla website. See below.

vi /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default-ssl

<Directory /var/www>
 Options +ExecCGI Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
 AddHandler cgi-script cgi pl
 AllowOverride Limit
 DirectoryIndex index.cgi
 Order allow,deny
 allow from all
</Directory>

Then restart apache2 with

service apache2 restart

Now let's harden mysql and do some other database admin stuff. Run the command

mysql_secure_installation

Be sure to remove the guest user, disable remote access, and remove the test database. Then, create the database for bugzilla:

mysql -u root -p

Note: Your mysql root password will be required at this point.

mysql>CREATE DATABASE bugs;
GRANT ALL ON bugs.*
TO bugs@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'bugs';

mysql>quit

Now let's make some needed additional configuration points for mysql:

vi /etc/my.cnf and add:

[mysqld]
# Allow packets up to 4MB
max_allowed_packet=4M
# Allow small words in full-text indexes
ft_min_word_len=2

Ok, restart mysql to load the my.cnf changes:

service mysql restart

Now download/install bugzilla. Download the bugzilla package:

wget http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/webtools/bugzilla-4.0.2.tar.gz

Extract it:

tar xvf bugzilla-4.0.2.tar.gz

Move it (and hidden files) to the /var/www directory:

mv bugzilla-4.0.2/* bugzilla-4.0.2/.??* /var/www

Set ownership of /var/www to the www-data (apache2) user/group

chown -R root:www-data /var/www
chown -R root:www-data /var/www/.??*
cd /var/www

Now enable perl modules for bugzilla

perl -MCPAN -e install

Or you can use this (much longer) method:

/usr/bin/perl install-module.pl --all

Check to ensure modules are enabled for bugzilla - some will show as not loaded.

./checksetup.pl --check-modules

Now run the setup for bugzilla, for the first time, to create the localconf file in the /var/www directory

.checksetup.pl

Now make some changes to /var/www/localconfig for bugzilla: Enter a password for $db_pass in /var/www/localconfig Ensure $db_driver in /var/www/localconfig shows mysql Ensure $webservergroup shows www-data (this is the Ubuntu group for apache2) Now Configure mysql for bugzilla use: Login to mysql with your root password - mysql -u root -p Set the permissions for the bugs user

mysql> GRANT SELECT, INSERT,
       UPDATE, DELETE, INDEX, ALTER, CREATE, LOCK TABLES,
       CREATE TEMPORARY TABLES, DROP, REFERENCES ON bugs.*
       TO bugs@localhost IDENTIFIED BY '$db_pass';
mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Set the password for the bugs user:

mysql> SET PASSWORD FOR 'bugs'@'localhost' = PASSWORD(' some password');
mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
mysql>quit

At this point you should move or delete the index.html in the /var/www so that bugzilla doesn't complain about it. I chose to move it.

mv /var/www/index.html ~

Now run the setup for bugzilla for the second time and it should add a bunch of tables and prompt you for the admin-email/password/name.

.checksetup.pl

Now bugzilla should be up and running. Test it out in your web browser. If you need to reset your admin password for bugzilla, do so with:

./checksetup.pl --reset-password=user@domain

If you need to create an admin user for bugzilla, do so with:

./checksetup.pl --reset-password=user@domain

Finally, to setup email for your bugzilla, run this command:

dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config

Select OK to continue, then follow the prompts and make the selections for the way you would like to have your bugzilla server email you. **To disable root login for your bugzilla OpenSSH server (so you have to login as a regular user, then sudo -s for root), simply set 'PermitRootLogin no' in /etc/ssh/sshd_config and then restart the ssh server with service ssh restart. That's it! Hope this helps someone. Shannon VanWagner 12 December 2011

You can test email functionality from the server with:

echo "This is a test" | mail -s "Test email" working-email-addr@your-valid-domain.com

If email is not working, try this diagnostic test:

exim -bt working-email-addr@your-valid-domain.com

If the above step produces an error, e.g. /var/log/exim4/mainlog shows "Unroutable address", and your bugzilla server is inside a domain with local DNS, check to ensure your MX records are configured correctly on your DNS server.

How To Create Music CDs From MP3 in Ubuntu 11.10

2011-12-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

In this post I'm going to show you how simple it is to create music CDs From your MP3 music in Ubuntu 11.10. I decided to write this post in response to some information posted by Sarkis Dallakian, Ph.D pertaining to cd burning programs on the wintarded operating system. You can see the original post here: http://tinyurl.com/7p27gxn

What I used in this demonstration:

Ubuntu 11.10 GNU/Linux on my computer
Some sample tracks of legally obtained MP3 music
1 Blank CD-R disc of the 700MB, 80 min (imation 1x-52x is what I have)
MP3 support in Ubuntu - Terminal command: sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

First, insert a blank CDR into the drive. If you get the application launch prompt as shown below, simply click Cancel to close it. See below. Note: We could click through and add the Brasero application as a default to the drop-down shown here but that's another topic.

Next, click the Ubuntu Launcher icon in the Unity menu... or hit the wintard button (that's the one with the wintard logo on it), then type in brasero and click on the Brasero disk burning utility icon to launch it. See below.

Next, Click the "Audio project" button to begin a new music CD compilation. See below.

Next, simply click the "+" button, and add your music files to the compilation (hold the ctrl button to select multiple non-contiguous files, or hold shift to select a range of files). With the music files selected, click the Add button to add them to your compilation. Make sure the drop-down control near the bottom of the dialog shows the blank CD you inserted(as opposed to an image file name), and use the progress bar that appears there to monitor when the space for the CD is used up (will be between 10-20 music tracks depending on their length ). See below.

When you are finished adding music tracks to the compilation, Enter a descriptive name for the CD in the field provided(optional), then click the Burn button. Wait about 5 or ten minutes as the program "normalizes" the tracks and then burns them onto the CD disc.

That's it! Wasn't that easy! Now you can take the CD out to your car (or other standard CD player) and enjoy your music.

GNU/Linux - Freedom with a Universe of Free Software that comes with it. Get yours! See www.distrowatch.com or www.ubuntu.com for more information.

Humans Enabled - That's what Technology is for!

Shannon VanWagner
12-03-2011

Ubuntu GNU/Linux Used by Technologists on Home Makeover Extreme Edition

2011-10-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

Ubuntu GNU/Linux in the Background at 22:09 on Home Makeover

So my biggest daughter comes to me and says, "Daddy, they're using Ubuntu (GNU/Linux) on (ABC's) Extreme Home Makeover Edition".

So then we go onto hulu.com and she points me to the time section where Brent Bushnell the Son of Atari founder Nolan Bushnell is talking about a robot they're making for the show and sure enough - there in the background is a large computer monitor with the unmistakable colors of Ubuntu GNU/Linux as the desktop background.

So apparently they are using Ubuntu GNU/Linux to make the software controls for their Robot on the show. Sweet!

GNU/Linux is the Universal Operating System, even for awesome projects featured on Home Makeover Extreme Edition.

Yep.
Shannon VanWagner

Tether Android to Ubuntu / Fedora Linux

2011-08-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

(Update 11-15-11 - CLICK HERE for the automatic setup script - Now Just 296KB! sha1sum: f3b79c2e191baf8060367681bae27ac75fab9886 ). Based on reader comments, I've added the functionality for the script to use either yum or apt-get (Fedora or Ubuntu). Includes updated Azilink by Charlie Snider - for Android 2.3.x. READ the install instructions here (e.g., PLUG YOUR DROID INTO THE USB FIRST!)) Let me know how it works for you in the comments.)

So if you're like me you recently picked up the fabulous Verizon Droid Linux-based phone, and now you're one happy camper.

I've been cruising along with my Droid (Android Linux based device) for a month now, and I'm happy as a clam. I have to tell you... The Verizon Droid is quite a fine Linux-based device indeed.

So now that I've used the Droid for awhile, I set out in search of a piece of functionality that I hadn't yet replaced from my Blackberry days. That is: The capability to tether my Droid as an Internet modem to my Ubuntu GNU/Linux 9.10 machine using the USB cable.

On the Blackberry, this was as simple as, a.) provisioning the data service through Verizon(yes, this does cost extra), and then b.) setting up the "Berry4All/BBTether" script (by the extravagant Mr. Thibaut Colar) on my Ubuntu Linux box.

In my search for a solution, the first place I checked for a tethering application was in the Android Market. And while there are many other applications, the only app I was able to find for tethering, required for my phone to be "rooted". And so instead of jumping right into that, I went looking for an easier solution, and voila! - I found it.

What I found are some easy tethering instructions by the masterful Shwan.c (link at ubuntuforums.org) using James Perry's azilink (modified for Android 2.3.x by Charley Snider) from Google Project Hosting, GNU+Linux, and the FOSS program openvpn. So now there was only one problem: I'm using the Verizon Droid, not the HTC Magic. The good news is that the process is generally the same, except for a difference in hardware id information for the udev rules settings in Ubuntu.

So after some minor changes, I've now successfully tethered my Verizon Droid via USB as a modem for my Ubuntu GNU/Linux 9.10 machine(Works with 10.04 too - only difference is that you may have to uncheck "Work Offline" in Firefox after connecting (Thanks to Gene for mentioning this)). Update:06-04-10 - I've tested these instructions and they work successfully with both the Motorola Droid and the HTC Incredible Android phones.

So here are the easy steps to get you up and running with using your Droid as a USB tethered modem (and a big Thanks to Shwan.c for posting the original idea):

1.) Download the current Android SDK (for Linux (i386)) from: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

Update(thanks for comments!): 12-13-10 adb does not come with the new SDK by default so you have to add it via the Android SDK and AVD Manager.

2.) Extract the SDK, run the "Android SDK and AVD Manager", then to get the adb tool, install "Android SDK Platform-tools, revision 1":

tar xvf android-sdk_r07-linux_x86.tgz

cd android-sdk-linux_86
tools/android

In the Android SDK and AVD Manager, expand "Available Packages", put a checkmark by "Android SDK Platform-tools, revision 1", click "Install Selected" and follow the prompts to complete the download/installation of adb into your SDK folder (screenshot below).

3.) Change Directory into the "platform-tools" directory, then copy the "adb" application to your Ubuntu /usr/bin directory (sudo privs needed)
#From the extracted "android-sdk-linux_86" directory:
cd platform-tools
sudo cp adb /usr/bin/adb

4.) Create/edit/save a rules file for udev to allow your machine to see your device
sudo vi /etc/udev/rules.d/91-android.rules

Put the text below into the file(using "i" to enter "insert" mode and hitting the escape key to return to "select" mode before saving.. C'mon, what fun would Linux be without using vi? If you really don't like vi, you can substitute with something like gedit, or nano, or kate, or etc.), replace USERNAME with your Linux username, then type ZZ to save the file from vi.


SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="22b8", SYMLINK+="android_adb", MODE="0666", OWNER="USERNAME" 
If you have an HTC Android phone - use this rule instead of the one above:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0bb4", SYMLINK+="android_adb", MODE="0666", OWNER="USERNAME" 
If you have the Samsung Galaxy Android phone, use this rule instead of the one above: 
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="04e8", SYMLINK+="android_adb", MODE="0666", OWNER="USERNAME"    
If you have the Sony Ericsson X11 Android phone, use this rule instead of the one above (Thanks to Steven from the comments): 
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0fce", SYMLINK+="android_adb", MODE="0666", OWNER="USERNAME"If you have the LG Optimus V(Virgin Mobile) Android phone, use this rule instead of the one above: 
 SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="1004", SYMLINK+="android_adb", MODE="0666", OWNER="USERNAME"

5.) Set the appropriate permissions to the rules file you just created.
sudo chmod a+r /etc/udev/rules.d/91-android.rules

6.) Restart udev to load the new rule.
sudo restart udev

7.) Enable "USB debugging" on your Verizon Droid via Settings | Applications | Development

8.) Connect your Droid to the computer with the USB cable and then use the following adb command to check for your device.

adb devices

example:
$ adb devices
List of devices attached
040364FA0901E011

9.) Install openvpn on your computer so you can connect to your device with it.
sudo apt-get install openvpn

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart
sudo /etc/init.d/network-manager restart

*For Fedora and Yum, replace the commands above with this:

sudo yum install openvpn
sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

Note for those without Internet: If you need to install the openvpn package (and dependencies) separately, these packages are what you will need: (liblzo2-2 libpkcs11-helper1 openssl-blacklist openvpn-blacklist openvpn). It's best to use the package manager to install openvpn because it will automatically install the dependencies, but if you can't get your Ubuntu machine onto to the Internet, then you can download the above packages (in .deb format) to a separate medium (i.e., USB drive, CDR, etc.)separately and then install them in the order listed to achieve the same result as installing from the package manager.

10.) Install openvpn on your Verizon Droid. Note: the line "adb install" actually installs the azilink application on your Droid device. After azilink is installed, an icon that looks like a flying insect will appear on your Droid in th applications area.

cd /home/Downloads/
mkdir azilink
cd azilink
#Manually download the Azilink-debug.apk - fixed by Charley Snider for Android 2.3.x from

#http://code.google.com/p/azilink/issues/detail?id=43#c15
adb install -r Azilink-debug.apk
wget http://azilink.googlecode.com/files/azilink.ovpn

11.) Create a replacement resolv.conf file to be copied over to your /etc directory at run-time:
vi resolv.conf

#Type in the text below(hit "i" for insert first, then ESC after the insert, before saving) and then hit ZZ to save

domain lan
search lan
nameserver 192.168.56.1

12.) Now create a very small script to start the modem
vi start_modem

#Type in the text below, then hit ZZ to save

adb forward tcp:41927 tcp:41927
sudo cp resolv.conf /etc/
sudo openvpn --config azilink.ovpn

13.) Set your new script to be executable.
chmod 755 start_modem

14.) On your Verizon Droid, launch the azilink app and place a checkmark by "Service active" so it can receive the connection from your Ubuntu machine.

15.) With your wireless connection in Ubuntu "unchecked"(via right-click of the Network manager applet), launch the the connection script you just made in the Terminal:

/home/Downloads/azilink/start_modem

You should now be able to surf the Internet, using your Verizon Droid as a tethered modem. When you're finished - hit ctrl+c at the Terminal from which you started the connection script. Then uncheck "Service active" in Azilink on your Droid.

Here's a Speedtest (courtesy of speakeasy.net/speedtest) of the connection from Seattle, WA:

Download Speed: 1448 kbps (181 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 281 kbps (35.1 KB/sec transfer rate)

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

Here's a quick video of the setup script in action:

If you're trying to set this up on CentOS and it's not working, checkout hughesjr's post on droidforums.net

(08-14-2010) For Gentoo GNU/Linux users, checkout "Tether your Motorola Droid on Gentoo Linux (USB Version)" on the Faction Clash blog

For those looking for similar instructions for Mac OSX, checkout the article "Tethering Your Android Phone to OS X via USB" on droidie.com.

Haven't replaced your iphone with the Android yet? Checkout Ashton Mills' article at apcmag.net to tether your iphone to Ubuntu GNU+Linux.

For the windows version of these instructions, see "How To: Tether Windows to the Internet via your Android"

Update: 08-31-10 - Just received the Android 2.2 (froyo) update for my Verizon Droid Incredible. Tethering works perfectly for me after the update.

Friendly Note: All references to Linux are intended to mean GNU/Linux.

Shannon VanWagner
Updated 08-19-11

Google+ Here's my invitation to you (about 150 of you actually)

2011-08-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

For those who haven't signed up to Google+, I extend my invitation (about 150 of them actually).

http://goo.gl/X5zCf

With Google+ you get:

Circles - control who has access to what, where messages get sent, etc

Hangouts - Video Cam chat with several people at once (also share youtube videos in the main area)

Games - Addicting, fun, Destined to waste your time.. Awesome!

Sparks - follow/share/collaborate about your interests

And, the reason I like it best:

Data Liberation - Download all your input to Google+ at any time (in zipped format) (yes, unlike fb)

Plus - so much more...

Cheers!

Shannon VanWagner

"Immutable" ( chattr setting ) - When You Can't Change a File in GNU/Linux

2011-08-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

So today I learned about a little thing in the GNU/Linux filesystem called "chattr" and making files "immutable". Basically you can have a plain text file that you think you have full permissions over and then not be able to modify it, rename it, delete it, etc. This nifty (and possibly maddening) trick can be setup with the "chattr" command. See my examples below...

Create a simple text file

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ echo Linux Rocks > testfile

Check the permissions of the file you just created:

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ ls -l testfile 

-rw-r--r-- 1 shannon users 12 2011-08-10 23:47 testfile

Note that in the above state, I can write to the file, `mv` the file to a different name, `rm` it, etc. Now, for the magic (Or "basic commands" for a "novice" type stuff, according to http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/basic.html )

Use chattr to set the "immutable" attribute to the file.

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ sudo chattr +i testfile

Notice how nothing special shows in `ls` for the file:

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ ls -l testfile 

-rw-r--r-- 1 shannon users 12 2011-08-10 23:47 testfile

And yet, magic ensues.. I can't edit the file, mv the file, rm the file, etc (even as root):

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ echo Say it Again >> testfile 

bash: testfile: Permission denied

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ sudo echo Say it Again >> testfile 

bash: testfile: Permission denied

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ mv testfile testfile2

mv: cannot move `testfile' to `testfile2': Operation not permitted

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ sudo mv testfile testfile2

mv: cannot move `testfile' to `testfile2': Operation not permitted

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ sudo rm testfile 

rm: cannot remove `testfile': Operation not permitted

Amazing!

So now to stop the madness:

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ sudo chattr -i testfile

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ mv testfile testfile2

shannon@ubuntu-star:~$ ls -l testfile2

-rw-r--r-- 1 shannon users 12 2011-08-10 23:47 testfile2

So if you ever find yourself not being able to edit a file, and if you already know the partition you're working on is not set to read-only, and if you already know that you have full permissions to change a file - maybe "immutable" is your problem...

Setting the immutable property is only one of the options for the chattr command, run `man chattr` to read about other things you can do.

So I learn something new with GNU/Linux every day. Is this awesome or what?

PS: If you've ever wondered what chmod 753 means, here's the answer:
7 - "owner" gets to read/write/execute
5 - "group" gets to read/execute
3 - "others" gets to write/execute

Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner

Help When Your Microphone is Not Working in Ubuntu

2011-07-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have an Ubuntu GNU/Linux user friend that was trying to get her microphone working for Google Voice and Video Chat and she couldn't figure it out. So I recorded a short video that talks about changing settings in Ubuntu "Sound Preference" to get your microphone working.

With a little bit of faith and tinkering, you should be able to get your microphone working perfectly. Most of the time we have problems with these types of things because we are used to what the controls look like. In this video I show you where to change the settings for the microphone and get it working in Ubuntu GNU/Linux 11.04 Natty/Narwal. Hopefully this helps someone.

Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner
07-17-2011

How to install Evernote in Wine on Ubuntu 11.04 GNU/Linux

2011-06-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

Evernote has the "Platinum" rating at http://appdb.winehq.org , which means this windows program runs awesome sauce on GNU/Linux. Wine is an awesome program that lets you run windows programs in GNU/Linux - there's also a commercially supported version called crossover by codeweavers, check it out here.

In this tutorial we'll be installing Evernote 4.4.1.4892 in wine1.3 from winehq.org on Ubuntu 11.04 GNU/Linux. See the install steps below the video.

Here are the steps (Easy Pleasy):

1.) Go to http://evernote.com and download the Evernote for windows version
2.) Install wine1.3 in Ubuntu 11.04 with these commands (thanks to Scott Ritchie for the ppa):
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa
3.) Update your Ubuntu with the new ppa repository data and install wine1.3
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install wine1.3
4.) Right click on the Evernote installer that you downloaded in step 1, then left click "Open with Wine Program Loader".
5.) Follow the on-screen instructions to install the Evernote program.

That's it! Double click the desktop icon for Evernote, login with your Evernote account and away you go!

Leave a constructive comment if you like.

Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner
06/29/11

Install GIMP 2.7.x on Ubuntu 11.04 using PPA

2011-06-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

GIMP is an awesome Free Open Source Software photo editing program which is arguably comparible Adobe's Photoshop.

GIMP does not come preinstalled by default on Ubuntu 11.04 GNU/Linux anymore but you can easily add GIMP 2.6 by installing it from the Ubuntu Software Center.

Despite the program's greatness, the "text tool to be clumsy and restrictive as compared to Photoshop" according to Tony Bradley on his "Ubuntu Linux, Day 27: Working With GIMP" blog post (see pics below for examples). But this is something that's getting revamped in the newer "beta/development" version of GIMP (version 2.7.x) and the future 'stable' release GIMP 2.8.x.

But until the new release is available, you can easily install the newer 2.7.x version of GIMP (with the great new features) thanks to the 'matthaeus123' PPA for Ubuntu.

(New text tool in Gimp. (top - Gimp 2.6, bottom Gimp 2.7.x))

Here's how to upgrade GIMP using the 'matthaeus123' PPA for Ubuntu:
Note: This assumes you already have GIMP installed

#Add the 'matthaeus123' PPA for Ubuntu to your software sources (using the Terminal):
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:matthaeus123/mrw-gimp-svn

#Run this command to update GIMP to the newer version.
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade gimp -y

#While you're at it, you might as well install the gimp-plugin-registry as well
sudo apt-get install gimp-plugin-registry -y

That's it! Enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment about your experience if you like.

Shannon VanWagner
06/28/2011

How to Add Music to a Video with OpenShot(FOSS)

2011-06-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

This post is a response to Tony Bradley's article entitled: "Ubuntu Linux, Day 20: Editing and Making Movies" where Tony mentions: "I still couldn't find an easy way to mute the sound from the original video clip so the song could play as a solo soundtrack for the video montage."

I've created a quick video to show how to mute the sound for the video and have the music play instead for the entire compilation.

I've also included the written instructions for this task below.

From OpenShot:
1.)Click the plus (+) and add your video
2.) Click to select the video in OpenShot, then right-click, then click Add to Timeline(+), then click Add
3.) The video now shows in the Track 2 position on the lower portion of the OpenShot interface, click the small speaker-volume icon on the clip to disable the sound for that track
4.) Add your audio track and import it, then drag it to Track 1 on the bottom of the OpenShot interface

Enjoy!
Shannon VanWagner

How to search for content in LibreOffice.org (+ OpenOffice.org) Docs using Loook

2011-06-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Today's post is a response to Tony Bradley's post on pcworld.com entitled: "Ubuntu Linux, Day 19: Using 'man' and 'grep'". In his post, Tony describes his woes when trying to use 'grep' to search for content in LibreOffice documents.

First of all, in my experience, grep does a lot better job at finding things in files that are "plain text" rather than looking for stuff in "binary" files. LibreOffice documents, while saved in open and ISO standard formats, are stored in binary as opposed to plain text files.

So, to address Tony's problem, I've been looking around trying to find a way to search for content in ODF files and not having much luck. Surprisingly, there doesn't seem to be this type of functionality built into Ubuntu GNU/Linux by default (at least not that I have ever noticed).

However, there's a posting out there on ooofourm.org that mentions the problem, how additional development is needed for this specific feature to be added, and some suggestions for what to use until the functionality is built into Ubuntu GNU/Linux. The recommended tool that I've had success with is named "Loook", by Daniel Naber at danielnaber.de/loook.

Loook is a lightweight, python-gui-based, FOSS program that enables you to search for content in your LibreOffice (and/or OpenOffice) files, and it works great!

Using Loook in Ubuntu 11.04 takes just a bit of setup. Here's my writeup on how to do it:

1.) Ubuntu GNU/Linux 11.04 has Python 2.7.1+, and so you need the version of Loook for Python 2.x(not 3.1), which is currently 0.6.5.
So download Loook the version of Loook for Python 2.x from:
http://www.danielnaber.de/loook/

2.) Extract the loook.zip file.

3.) Loook needs python-tk to run, which is not installed on Ubuntu 11.04 by default. But don't worry, installing this package is easy. Just enable the 'universe' repositories from the Ubuntu Software Center, then either install "python-tk" from the gui or install it by using the Terminal command:
sudo apt-get install python-tk

4.) To run: Double click the loook.py file that was extracted in step 2 above, then select "Run". You'll be presented with a dialog where you can enter "Search Terms", the "Search path", and the "Viewer" (insert /usr/bin/libreoffice here). Click search and Loook will find the documents containing the text you inserted. You can then double click on any result in the "Matches:" section and that will launch the document for you to peruse.

Power User Tip:
If you want to go a step further, you can create a "launcher" shortcut for the Loook.py program. Simply move the Loook.py file to somewhere where it can stay put (e.g., your Documents or home directory), then right click the Desktop, select "Create Launcher", leave "Type" as Application, enter the name "Loook", then enter the absolute path to the loook.py file (e.g., /home/dude/Documents/loook.py - in my case). With the Launcher, you can also add it to your panel or Unity bar with drag and drop. Note: you may want to set a better looking icon for your launcher before adding it to your panel. This can be done by opening your newly created Loook launcher *.desktop file in gedit (e.g., alt+f2 for Run, then type or paste "gedit ~/Desktop/Loook.desktop", no quotes), then change the name of the icon to use to something like "eog" (it's an icon for the "eye of gnome" program - looks like a search icon). Save the change and you should see the nice eog icon for the launcher.

Example Loook.desktop contents:

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Icon[en_US]=eog
Name[en_US]=Loook
Exec=/home/dude/Documents/loook.py
Name=Loook
Icon=eog

So, while the functionality to search for content in LibreOffice/OpenOffice documents does not appear to be built into Ubuntu by default, it is a very easy thing to do with awesome Free Open Source Software programmers like Daniel Naber and his great project Loook.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have one.

Cheers!

Shannon VanWagner

Sample Script to Report /home Directory Usage

2011-06-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

So, awhile back, I created this simple script to monitor usage of the /home directory on a GNU/Linux server. I've been working on it a bit more lately and I figured it's time to share it. The script is configurable to check for "certain" files in a user's directory (i.e., .iso, .mp3, .etc), has a minimum reporting threshold setting, and outputs to a file.

Keep an eye out for crazy numbers because I'm seeing differences in the way the find and du commands report, depending on their versions. So if you see some weird reporting situation, let me know so I can address the problem.

Using user quotas on server would probably be just as effective but what can I say, I like a challenge.

Note: before you light your torches, I don't claim to be a bash scripting expert (not yet anyways). So if anyone has any "constructive" criticism, please feel free to leave a comment.

The script is GPL (of course), so please feel free to use any part of it (or the whole thing) as you wish.

Here's a link to download the file:
UserUsageReport.tar.gz
sha1sum: eba4b49a75602240659ac45a5f4eef3e14d7f402

Enjoy.

Shannon VanWagner

Setting to Automatically Extend Your Screen onto External Monitor in Ubuntu Linux w/Nvidia graphics

2011-06-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

Setting to Automatically "Extend" Your Screen onto External Monitor in Ubuntu Linux w/Nvidia graphics

Just a quick write up with a fix for those who are having problems saving their "extended" monitor configurations when using their notebooks with and without the docking station.

For a long time I would use the nvidia-settings utility to manually set up my external monitor after docking. This required several clicks of the mouse. Now I've found a way to make a minor edit to my /etc/X11/xorg.conf file that will keep the "extended" setting when docked and revert to the single screen without issue when not.

Here are the 2 steps to to configure Ubuntu GNU/Linux to allow you to a.) automatically "Extend"your display onto the external monitor, set the external monitor as "primary"(configurable), set the external monitor to be to the right of the built-in one(configurable), and autoselect the best resolution for the monitors as necessary. Note: these steps only need to be performed once:

1.) Backup your current xorg.conf, then modify the current xorg.conf (note: gedit is a graphical text editor, starting it with gksu is like starting it as admin, this is required because it lives in system space (not user space))

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.beforenvidiaclonesetting
gksu gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

2.) Now, find the section entitled 'Section "Device"' and insert the following lines (Make sure to add the text below between 'Section "Device"' and "EndSection", see example below), save the file, then close gedit.

#Enables the "extended desktop" setting
Option "TwinView" "1"
#Set which screen gets to be primary with TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder
Option "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"
#Set the position of each monitor
Option "TwinViewOrientation" "CRT-0 RightOf DFP-0"
#Autoselect the best resolution for the monitors
Option "MetaModes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select, DFP: nvidia-auto-select"

Here's is an example of what the specific section of the xorg.conf should look like:

Section "Device"
     Identifier "Default Device"
     Driver "nvidia"
     Option "NoLogo" "True"
     Option "TwinView" "1"
     Option "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"
     Option "TwinViewOrientation" "CRT-0 RightOf DFP-0"
     Option "MetaModes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select, DFP: nvidia-auto-select"
EndSection

That's it! Logout and back in with your external monitor attached and it should work as an "exteneded" external monitor (with normal resolution settings and primary being the attached monitor).

Should you need to roll back from the settings, simply run this terminal command, then logout/login:
sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.beforenvidiaclonesetting /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Setting to Automatically "clone" External Monitor in Ubuntu Linux w/Nvidia graphics

2011-06-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

Automatically "clone" External Monitor in Ubuntu Linux w/Nvidia graphics

Just a quick write up with a fix in response to the configuratin problem Tony Bradley(PCWorld.com) describes in his article entitled "Day 7: Lessons from the Unity Trenches"(June 7th, 2011).

Tony was having problems getting his external monitor to show up as a "clone" of the notebook monitor(with correct resolution), having the setting stay after reboot, and being able to shut the lid of the computer without breaking his configuration.

Here are the 2 steps to to configure Ubuntu GNU/Linux to allow you to a.) close the lid of your laptop and not have the action change anything, and b.) automatically "clone" the notebook display to the attached external monitor (note: these steps only need to be performed once):

1.) Set the laptop lid close option to do nothing:
Hit alt+f2 to bring up the Run Dialog box
Type or paste in the command below and click OK or hit enter to set
(Note: should all be on one line):

`gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/gnome-power-manager/buttons/lid_ac "nothing"`

2.) Backup your current xorg.conf, then modify the current xorg.conf (note: gedit is a graphical text editor, starting it with gksu is like starting it as admin, this is required because it lives in system space (not user space))

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.beforenvidiaclonesetting
gksu gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Now, find the section entitled 'Section "Device"' and insert the following lines (Make sure to add between 'Section "Device"' and "EndSection", see example below), save the file, then close gedit.

Option "TwinView" "1"
Option "TwinViewOrientation" "clone"

Here's is an example of what the specific section of the xorg.conf should look like:

Section "Device"
     Identifier "Default Device"
     Driver "nvidia"
     Option "NoLogo" "True"
     Option "TwinView" "1"
     Option "TwinViewOrientation" "clone"
EndSection

That's it! Logout and back in with your external monitor attached and it should work as a cloned external monitor (with normal resolution setting). Next, close the lid on your computer to make sure it doesn't make anything funky happen.

Should you need to roll back from the settings, simply run this terminal command, then logout/login:
sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.beforenvidiaclonesetting /etc/X11/xorg.conf

How To Connect Ubuntu Linux to Cisco VPN with openconnect (anyconnect-capable alternative)

2011-06-09T23:36:00.000-07:00

For Ubuntu Linux, Cisco provides the anyconnect VPN client. But why not connect with the simplistic, FOSS, and Network-Manager-integrated, "openconnect" and "network-manager-openconnect" packages from the "universe" repository instead? I've used this method with much success for quite some time now.

Special Note - these instructions are for connecting to the VPN using the open source alternative to Cisco AnyConnect client (openconnect). If you are looking for instructions related to using the open source alternative to the Cisco Systems VPN client (vpnc), have a look at my post entitled: How To: Cisco Systems VPN with Ubuntu 11.10 / 10.10 GNU/Linux

You can install these packages easily with using either of the two methods below. Also, you may need to enable the universe FOSS repository first (see the "****" note below for enabling the "universe" repository):

Method A.) From the Ubuntu Software Center (see image below).

Simply click Applications > Ubuntu Software Center > then search for and install "openconnect" and "network-manager-openconnect" (see image below)

Method B.) From the Terminal(hit alt+f2, type or enter "gnome-terminal", hit enter), type or paste in these commands:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install openconnect && sudo apt-get network-manager-openconnect

After you install the two required packages, reboot your computer to finalize the settings. When you login again, you should see the "VPN Connections" setting to appear on the Network Manager applet(same place where the other network connections are found). Next, click the Network Manager > VPN Connections > Configure VPN > Add. (see image below)

Next, select "Cisco AnyConnect Compatible VPN (openconnect)" and click Create. (see image below)

Then enter the gateway IP address or DNS name to connect to (this comes from your IT dept) > Enter a name for the connection > check "Connect automatically" > (optional depending on your company network) Enter the internal DNS servers and Search Domains for your company network(IT dept for this) on the IPv4 Settings Tab. (see image below)

(optional)For split tunneling (allows you to go out of your regular connection to the Internet as opposed to through the VPN) From the IPv4 tab, click Routes > check "Use this connection only for resources on its network" > click OK > click Save> click Close (to close Network Connections) and voila, you're all set.

To connect, establish your regular Internet connection first, then click the Network Manager > mouse over "VPN Connections" > click the name of the VPN you created. If all went well, you'll be presented with place to enter your anyconnect username/password and you can connect. Whey you see a small lock in the Network Manager - that means VPN is connected and you should have access to your network.

**** To enable the universe repositories:
Launch the Applications > "Ubuntu Software Center" > click Edit > click "Software Sources" (see image below)

Then from the "Software Sources" dialog box: Click System > Software Sources (authenticate) > In the software Sources dialog, check "Community-maintained Open Source software", oh and now's a good time to select a faster repository source > set "Download from:" to something like samaritan.ucmerced.edu, or ubuntu.osuosl.org(example only) (or use the tool there to find the fastest server near you). The default source of "Main Server" is typically slower than what's available elsewhere.) Click close, reload the sources (this is the same as sudo apt-get update) and now you'll have the universe repository enabled and available for use. (see image below)

Feel free to leave a comment if you like.

Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner

How an operating system should work, vs. a software system that is broken.

2011-05-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

Here's just a few words on how an operating system should work, vs. a software system that is broken.

GNU/Linux - All software that is installed from the package manager is updated as soon as the updates are available, and via one single non-intrusive interface. There's no waiting for security patches or feature additions in the GNU/Linux system. This includes the flash player, adobe reader(if selected), system security updates, office software, the system kernel and tools, and all other software installed by default on the system. As for having to reboot, only about 1 in 5(or more) system upgrade batches asks you to reboot. Also, since there is no game to make the user pay more money at intervals for "upgrades" to the system with GNU/Linux, our systems have undergone 8 full major system version updates in 4 years, or 1 every 6 months! Not that any of the updates are mandatory, but one can take advantage of the free updates as they become available if they choose.This is because Ubuntu GNU/Linux is a very fast moving system. Very Exciting!

Windows - Since 1998 there have been 4 major system upgrades, that's 1 every 3 years or so, if spread out evenly..... And that doesn't account for the idea that vista has been widely thought of as a failure. But then, since people have to shell out hundreds of dollars and face the fact of buying packaged CDs and making an upgrade and "activation" to their systems, perhaps it's ok to wait longer... so long as you're ok with what you get.... But remember, msft will try to kill the older versions by not making their newest browsers work with it and other tricks and so forth... And then there are the upgrades for the software on the system... Patch Tuesday... many system updates, and reboot required for just every batch of them... So then you think you're good to go and safe right? Wrong... So now it's time to update your programs, like adobe reader, flash, java, your antivirus "protection" and any other software that isn't the property of microsoft(yes, it may be your computer, but microsoft still owns their software). Oh, and don't expect to update these things all at the same time, the windows system won't let you do that. And, since all of these update processes are not helped along by the operating system, what you get is a very slow-to-login system (yes this is still broken even windows 7) where a lot of little "notification" icons are popping up in your task tray to let you know to update. As a computer expert of almost 15 years, what I see is that people throw their hands up and don't do the updates at all... At which point I get to make some money because their systems get exploited by malware and the systems have to be taken to a professional(as in me) to be cleaned. Yes, this is even with the expensive "antivirus" software that they have loaded. It's a very broken system indeed, and very sad actually.

And you may think that I like to make money cleaning viruses, but actually I think it's a waste of everyone's time, and very belittling to users everywhere. And so I'd much prefer to make money helping people see the future of technology, which brings me back to GNU/Linux. Are you ready for your install?

But don't take my word for it. There's already GNU/Linux computers all around you, whether it's Android mobile phones or all of the websites and services that you use everyday (i.e., Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc., etc.), so why not enjoy some of this goodness on your personal computer as well? We do, and we love it.

Humans Enabled - that's what technology is for! Get your GNU/Linux on!!

GNU/Linux - A Very Bright Future Indeed

2011-04-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

GNU/Linux - The Exceedingly Vibrant, Future Enabling, Technological Liberator for Humankind.. Score: All Time High

As a GNU/Linux aficionado for years now, I marvel with delight at the specter of this glorious phenomena of technological freedom and advancement that is GNU/Linux. The profound effects of this philosophy of GNU/Linux has brought our Technological world a vehicle with which to collaborate, evolve, adapt, overcome, celebrate, and advance at a rate previously unattainable. Did these wizards of free open source software (i.e., Richard M. Stallman, Linus Torvalds, Ian Murdock, Mark Shuttleworth, and the so many who have similar histories of contributing to Free Software and GNU/Linux) ever fathom the effect their humble, yet magnanimous, efforts would bring to our world (and for 20 years now)? Unreal.

GNU/Linux is all around us.. It’s truly amazing just how much is done by this remarkable operating system, and often, without mere mortals even knowing it! Time to crack it open, and share.

For instance, I see many people every day using Google’s Android (GNU/Linux) based mobile phones. People from all walks of life, all ages, and of widely varied degrees of perceivable technological savvy. Thank you Google, for bringing GNU/Linux outside to walk around on the street, secured to the hip or carried in purses by people who willingly, if unknowingly, support the cause and culture of using an operating system that was borne of, and advances, the free will of people, the enabling of humans with technology. And like Ubuntu GNU/Linux - the fastest growing Desktop GNU/Linux yet.. currently at the Natty Narwhal release of 11-04.

And for all the other gazillions of applications of GNU/Linux in our Technical world, like Amazon.com, Yahoo.com, (basically *.com), entire stock markets, groundbreaking scientific research, and so, so much more.. we can all share in the glory. Thank you to all who make it possible!

This is a very brilliant time for Technology and Humans. For these are the times for GNU/Linux; The Future is very bright indeed. Get your GNU/Linux on! Viva La GNU/Linux!

Shannon VanWagner
04-29-11

Netflix Cancelled, Moved to Hulu Plus & Amazon Prime for GNU/Linux Client

2011-01-30T21:04:00.000-08:00

Every so often, you have to rearrange things to keep them working right. It's kinda like the fork of OpenOffice to LibreOffice. Well, up until tonight, I was streaming Netflix to my Roku box. Not anymore. Tonight, I cancelled my Netflix account and opened Hulu Plus account instead.

I know that Hulu Plus is more geared towards providing TV shows whereas Netflix is movies and TV shows. And I pretty much liked Netflix, except that they refuse to even acknowledge the desktop GNU/Linux operating system. Here's where Hulu.com is so much better than Netflix. Unlike, Netflix, Hulu.com provides their "Hulu Desktop" application for GNU/Linux. To me, Hulu.com's actions of providing a GNU/Linux client for their streaming service shows their good corporate citizenship, respect for Technology as an Enabler for Humankind, and(perhaps most importantly) their willingness to give something back to the community that provides so much in terms of Free Software.

Free Software and GNU/Linux power devices and technology all around us. From the majority of our great Internet, to the Android and Chrome OS operating systems, to TVs, to embedded devices. GNU/Linux/FOSS also provide the building blocks for countless other applications, software for devices(yes, even the Roku), and other scientific and technological works.

As with many of my technology choices, tonight I used my dollar-vote to send Netflix the message that because we are living in the year 2011. I expect technology companies to include support for the most universal of operating systems: GNU/Linux. There's absolutely no good technical reason at all that Netflix cannot provide a streaming client for GNU/Linux. And after Netflix's recent hypocritical article "Why we use and contribute to open source software", I've decided that I was giving my money (and support) to the wrong company.

So after writing my response to Netflix's blindness for open source, entitled "Netflix Supports Open Source? Really? Where's the Linux Client?", I've put my money where my mouth is. I've cancelled Netflix from my credit card.

So there it is. My subscription is a mere $120 per year for Netflix. But hopefully my actions can trigger others to help out. This is, afterall, how good open source software works. Humans working together to remove restrictions from Technology and provide something for everyone to use, extend, modify, and share to the world over. GNU/Linux/FOSS will help us cure disease, take care of our planet, advance us to rewarding futures, and take us to the furthest corners of space.

In closing, I have to mention Netflix's blindness to users - that Netflix's cancellation questionnaire doesn't even provide a field for telling them how you feel in your own words. Instead, you are given some radio button choices as to why you've cancelled. And of course, none of the pre-selected answers say "I cancelled because you don't support GNU/Linux" - Unbelievable! So I've written it here for you Netflix. Take heed, and rethink your future strategy.

Good Bye and Good Riddens Netflix. And unless you're ways change, here's hoping your more open-Interoperable-Technology providing competitors eat your lunch!

UPDATE 02-22-11- Here's another reason to dump Netflix: "Amazon Prime Members Now Get Unlimited, Commercial-free, Instant Streaming of More Than 5,000 Movies and TV Shows at No Additional Cost"

Humans Enabled - That's what Technology is For!

Shannon VanWagner

01-30-10

Netflix Supports Open Source? Really? Where's the Linux Client?

2010-12-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

Netflix Supports Open Source? Really?

Could have fooled me. Because, despite the recent blog entry entitled "Why we use and contribute to open source" by Kevin McEntee, VP of Systems & ECommerce Engineering at Netflix, Linux users everywhere are still left out in the the cold, clientless, and not able to enjoy Netflix like everyone else.

How can Netflix claim support for open source software while not providing a Netflix client for the most widely used open source operating system on the planet? If they're backers of open source, how is it that can Netflix shun the crown gem of open source projects, the most versatile, universal, dynamic, and successful GNU/Linux operating system?

I'm truly at a loss for what to call it, other than FAIL. It's simply not possible to take Netflix seriously when they pick from open source to use it for their bidding with one hand, and then smack down the GNU/Linux operating system as the abused step child with the other. If you're going to "support" open source, then it only seems fair that amongst your greatest contributions, would be to include access to your product for GNU/Linux. C'mon Netflix, what you're doing is poisonous to the open source community, and it's just not right at all. If you're going to tout open source, than please support it, for real, with a Linux client for Netflix.

Besides, being bad juju, there's no valid technical reasons that Netflix can't provide clients to Linux, Android, Chrome OS, or any other open source operating systems. Hulu.com has a desktop client for Linux. Even full episodes from ABC/FOX/CWTV have switched from the non-Linux friendly movenetworks player to the truly cross-platform-friendly and "works with Linux" Adobe Flash player. Any company that denies the technical ability to provide a client for the "Universal Operating System" GNU/Linux, is doing so only for political or other selfish reasons.

Actually, I'm quite glad that Mr. McEntee posted this blog entry. Because by doing so, he brought some much needed attention to the idea that when companies use open source, and even tout "supporting" it, that they should also backup their words by providing Linux clients and cross-platform-compatibility for their service.

Oh, and just so you know, I didn't come up with this idea myself. There has been quite the buzz on the Interwebs about this issue recently. From wildly popular articles like the FLOSS expert Joe Brockmeier's blog entitled "Netflix touts open source, ignores Linux", which is being re-tweeted on twitter.com by the thousands, to over 9,840 signatures at petitiononline.com asking for the Linux client. Plus, there are 24 pages of Angst at the post entitled "Netflix streaming on Linux?!" over at the ubuntuforums.org site.Not to mention all the other stories and social media fare about the subject out there. And actually, this problem has gone unsolved by Netflix for over a year , as pointed out by Ken Stark's 'The Blog of Helios' entry entitled "NetFlix, Where Art Thou?" posted back in May 2009. Finally, with the Chrome OS Linux due to arrive on netbooks within a few weeks Netflix's delivery methods are going to cause them to miss out on yet another opportunity to support open source operating systems.

So as a GNU/Linux user and enthusiast, I know that feedback works (as demonstrated in my blog post entitled "Feedback Works! ABC, FOX, & NOW CWTV Full Episodes Linux Friendly"). So if you want to help the situation, please take a moment to let Netflix know that they should support open source by providing a Linux client for Netflix. Blog about it, post comments online at Mr. McEntee's blog entry (noted above), and contribute your voice to make it happen. Yell it from the rooftops! The promotion of GNU/Linux isn't driven by a profit machine, but by people that care and do something about it. From what I've seen, the community can be more powerful than any marketing machine out there.

So what do you say Netflix? How about a Linux client to show that you truly do support open source?

Shannon VanWagner

12-26-10

Call To Action: Make a GNU/Linux Coalition Against Patent Trolls And Monopolists

2010-11-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

Amidst the great success of GNU/Linux and FOSS, now is the time to band together and protect the community that provides the future of technology for all of us.

There are companies out there, including coercive monopolists that aim to put an end to the "community FREE software" that is GNU/Linux/FOSS. Why? Because it obliterates their business model by being better.

Certain companies, especially those who are THE ONLY CHOICE at your local computer store, are busy forecasting that the wave of planetary-scale of community driven, FOSS/GNU/Linux software will crush their restrictive ways forever. These closed-minded, greed-driven control-artists are using last ditch efforts to SUE their way to success and remain in monopoly control of certain markets.

It's a signal for the rest of us, who are steadfast in our dedication to Technology and the future of humankind to stand united in the fight against restriction. Now is the time to act! Now is the time to band together, and crush those who seek to clamp down on the movement of technology, and thus retarding progress for all of us.

What will take us from this spaceship (the earth) to a new one and beyond? Technology, that's what. And with companies who want to restrict the flow of progress to that which compares to a sand trickle in an hour glass, they must be pushed aside!

How many companies/institutions/organisations/groups/individuals out there use GNU/Linux/FOSS to deliver information/solutions/results/cures? Many, the world over.

This is an open letter to anyone who has ever benefited from the collective effort that is GNU/Linux/FOSS, stand up and join the group!! Fight against those who are trying to patent musical notes, mathematics, and progress!! Create a coalition to put these large, aggressive, monopolistic companies at bay so that technology can achieve the level necessary to take humans beyond planet earth.

GNU/Linux/Foss has come a very long way thus far... It must be protected against the onslaught of privatization, greed, and monopoly! It's time to expire the business model of market control by monopoly over technology. Influence progress, level the playing field, advance competition and achievement over trickery and abuse of our patent system! Your help is needed. The time is now!

Time For a New Computer? With Linux Maybe You Don't Need It.

2010-09-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

According to this article on wikipedia.org, "As of the end of August 2010, Windows XP is the most widely used operating system in the world with a 53.1% market share".

Now that's a lot of computers! And as a technology expert, I know my way around computers, and I also know Windows XP. And something else I really know, is how SLOW any Windows computer gets over time. It's like this disease sets into the Windows(often in a matter of just months) that just sucks the life out of it. This is a very nasty, and terribly debilitating disease. It can slow your progress to a stand-still, and it can add excruciating pain to your digital life. Logging in takes forever, programs are slow to start, the task-bar and startup process become riddled with junk, and your system becomes a real dog.

While often this terrible performance is just the rot that Windows suffers over time, in a significant number of cases - the slowness can be caused by other means - like malicious activity. Consider this for a moment... How would you like to find out that your computer has been a spam-spewing email server, controlled by evildoers from the other side of the planet? Sound good? Your Windows computer could be, right at this moment, being controlled remotely as part of a botnet of hundreds, or perhaps thousands of other zombie computers that are used by the world's best crackers to attack other computers all around the world? Or, perhaps the malicious software installed on your machine right now, is recording your every keystroke, passwords, private messages, everything - with a keylogger. Sound nice? Sound like something you bought your computer to be used for? Not to me it doesn't. Not no but HELL NO! I'm not trying fear monger here, really, I'm not. But this nightmare can be true, particularly and statistically and especially if you are using Windows as your operating system.

Now you could go to your nearby computer store, and purchase some type of system utility or anti-malware software to try to fend off the bad guys. But as a computer professional of more than a decade, I don't recommend it. In fact, I believe this software is a wast of your hard-earned money. Especially with the advent of zero-day viruses and rootkits. There is a better way... and guess what? It's FREE!

Ever noticed how windows takes so long to boot up, and so long to login? With GNU/Linux, you will not have that problem anymore. The latest Ubuntu GNU/Linux is built to boot up very fast, and to get you up and running ASAP.

Most people who experience this end up thinking, "well, I guess it's time to buy a new computer". But this can be expensive. And I bet that even if you buy a new computer, it will come preloaded with a bunch of crapware that will slow down your computer, similar to what your last computer started off with.

I'm here to tell you, there's a better way. There's a better way to make your OLD computer faster, to run your computer without having the malware infections and remote hackers controlling it, to get back the speed that you once enjoyed, and to take ownership of your computer back. The better way is GNU/Linux. GNU/Linux is all around us, from Google.com(and most of the web) to your local school library, from TVs to Cars, from Scientific Research to Hollywood (e.g., Shrek (and many more)).

So hold off on buying that new computer. Give GNU/Linux a try first. Go to ubuntu.com or fedoraproject.org and download the latest "LiveCD". Then, download infrarecorder, a FOSS iso buring program, and burn your new Linux distro to a cd disk. If you'd rather start with a USB thumb drive, checkout unetbootin.

Boot your old computer to the Linux LiveCD of your choice, check to see if everything works, and if it does shut it down and start planning your next steps. First of all, take a good backup of your important data to usb drive, or cd disk, or even upload it to Ubuntuone, Dropbox, or other free online storage. At this point, with Ubuntu - you could even install it inside windows - just pop the disk in after you have logged into windows and run the setup. Otherwise, if you are all set to move forward with your regular GNU/Linux install, see my next blog entry for some considerations and an overall plan.

Are you ready to get a faster computer? With GNU/Linux, you're on your way.

Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner
09-20-10

How To: Tether Windows to the Internet via your Android

2010-09-14T15:45:00.001-07:00

First Things First

The first article I wrote about this subject was for Tethering your GNU/Linux machine to the Internet via your Android. That article has been visited and proven to be useful by many, many visitors, including callout from this story at hak5.org.

As for this entry, I decided to write it for two main reasons. 1.) I wanted to see how easy it would be to use FOSS tools to connect windows to the Internet via the Android, and 2.) Some friends and co-workers of mine have asked for the windows version of the tethering instructions. By documenting this process, IN NO WAY do I endorse using windows as your primary operating system!

Let me be clear... My suggestion is that you use GNU/Linux instead of any other operating system! I say this because GNU/Linux is the only truly Universal Operating System and therefore it’s vastly superior to other operating systems that are available today. And now that I have your attention, please take some time to learn about how you can truly be enabled by Free Software, and by the GNU/Linux operating system by visiting these links: gnu.org | fsf.org | linux.com | getgnulinux.org | ubuntuguide.org | whylinuxisbetter.net | distrowatch.com | makethemove.net | livecdlist.com | thedocumentfoundation.org | ubuntu.com(you can install Ubuntu Linux inside windows). You really should set yourself FREE and be truly enabled with technology. Do this by using GNU/Linux/FOSS! Furthermore - A gigantic THANK YOU goes out to all the wonderful humans in the world for making GNU/Linux/FOSS possible for everyone on the planet to benefit from. Because of you, we truly are Riding Upon the Shoulders of Giants. Your works are immensely appreciated!
-Shannon VanWagner

Now for the details on how to get connected to the Internet via your Android with windows.

Note: This tutorial assumes you are running your computer with administrative privileges, if this doesn’t apply to your situation, you may have to launch the “start.bat” executable (in step 10 below) as a user with administrative privileges for it to work. Also, I’ve only tested this process using windows xp. Feel free to leave any comments about your experiences at the end of this post.

1.) First, install azilink (credit) on your Android by launching the link below from the phone.
Note: you may have to put a check by Settings > Applications > “Unknown Sources - Allow installation of non-market applications” before you can install azilink. If this is the case, be sure to go back and disable that setting after you’re done installing azilink.
http://lfx.org/azilink/azilink.apk

2.) Download the Android SDK Installer for Windows and extract it to a directory (e.g., “%userprofile%\android-sdk-windows” folder) http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

3.) With Internet connected, launch the “SDK Manager.exe” program from within the extracted Android SDK folder from step 2 above. Then click to select “Available Packages” from the “Android SDK and AVD Manager” window. Next, you’ll expand the https://dl-ssl.google.com... site by clicking the “+” on the left of it, place a checkmark next to “Usb Driver package, revision 3”, then click “Install Selected”. Accept the license and click Install to download the usb drivers. This process will create a folder named “usb_driver” in the same folder where the “SDK Manager.exe” is (e.g., “%userprofile%\android-sdk-windows\usb_driver” ). Close the Android SDK and AVD Manager after you’ve downloaded the drivers.

4.) Now, modify the “%userprofile%\android-sdk-windows\usb_driver\usb_driver\android_winusb.inf” installer file per the instructions below to include the Droid Incredible drivers reference (credit) (or other phones, TBD).
In the section labeled [Google.NTx86], add these lines at the end of the section:

;
;HTC Incredible
%SingleAdbInterface%        = USB_Install, USB\VID_0BB4&PID_0C9E
%CompositeAdbInterface%     = USB_Install, USB\VID_0BB4&PID_0C9E&MI_01
;
;Motorola Droid X
%SingleAdbInterface%        = USB_Install, USB\VID_22B8&PID_4286
%CompositeAdbInterface%     = USB_Install, USB\VID_22B8&PID_4286&MI_01

Then, under [Google.NTamd64] Add these lines at the end of the section:

5.) Now, go to your Android and enable "USB debugging" via Settings > Applications > Development, and attach the Android phone to the computer via the USB cable. When prompted to install drivers for ADB, select the “%userprofile%\android-sdk-windows\usb_driver” (android sdk folder from step 2 above) so windows can see the android_winusb.inf installation file. The driver installation will then proceed.

6.) Install OpenVPN onto the windows computer. Download it from http://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html

7.) Place the azilink.ovpn configuration file in the “tools” folder of your extracted Android SDK directory, (e.g., “%userprofile%\android-sdk-windows\tools”)(This is also where the adb.exe file lives). You can get the configuration file from http://azilink.googlecode.com/files/azilink.ovpn, or you can simply create a file in the tools directory, edit it to include the text below, then rename it to azilink.ovpn.

dev tun

remote 127.0.0.1 41927 tcp-client
proto tcp-client
ifconfig 192.168.56.2 192.168.56.1
route 0.0.0.0 128.0.0.0
route 128.0.0.0 128.0.0.0
socket-flags TCP_NODELAY
#keepalive 10 30
ping 10
dhcp-option DNS 192.168.56.1

8.) Now, navigate to your Android “%userprofile%\android-sdk-windows\tools” directory where adb.exe is located, then create a file with the text below and rename it to start.bat. At this point, my suggestion would be to create a shortcut to the start.bat by right-click-dragging it to your Desktop (or quicklaunch), then select “Create Shortcuts Here”. You can then rename the shortcut to something simple like “Tether” or whatever you like. This new shortcut will be what you use to launch the tethering process.

adb forward tcp:41927 tcp:41927
openvpn --config azilink.ovpn

pause

9.) Enable azilink on your phone by launching azilink (it’s the flying insect application icon), then put a checkmark by “Service active” so your Android can receive the tether connection.

10.) To connect your computer to the Internet via your Android, simply launch the “start.bat” executable via the shortcut you created in step 8 above. You will see the command window appear with some stuff happening and then the “Initialization Sequence Completed”. At this point you should be able to access the Internet. Note: in Firefox, you may have to uncheck “Work Offline” via the File menu before you can surf. Note: While the Android is tethered, a command window will be present, don’t close it because that will disconnect you. Simply minimize the command window to get it out of the way.

11.) To end your tethered connection, simply close the command window from step 10 above, then disable azilink on the Android phone.

Disclaimer: I do not offer any warranties for any information on this site, and I cannot be responsible for any damage you do to your computer after using the above steps. Furthermore, it is your responsibility to check with your provider to see if you need to pay an additional fee for using the tethering process covered in this article. By using these instructions, you assume all responsibility for any consequences of your actions. If the above configuration steps are too much for you, perhaps you should try PDANet by June Fabrics instead.

Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner
09-14-10

Feedback Works! ABC, FOX, & NOW CWTV Full Episodes Linux Friendly

2010-08-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

After many feedback submissions and having to use hulu.com as the alternative GNU/Linux users are now finally no longer 2nd-class-citizens in terms of being able to watch Full Episodes of their favorite TV shows on ABC and FOX websites.

Thanks to Firefox and the Adobe Flash Player - GNU/Linux users can now enjoy the full episodes from ABC and FOX just like everybody else.

ABC Full Episodes Example(click to go there):

FOX Full Episodes Example(click to go there):

ABC and FOX are amongst the newest media providers that have seen the light of GNU/Linux and others should follow suite.

Update(08-14-2010) After a concerted effort from Jeff Hoogland(another GNU/Linux supporter), and others, CWTV full episodes are now also working with GNU/Linux as well! Great job on providing feedback and bringing the CWTV forward into the modern age! Together, we will make it happen!

CWTV Full Episodes Example (Click to go there)

One by one, the barriers for mainstream adoption of GNU/Linux continue to be knocked down. Let's work to keep the pace up! If you know of a site that is not GNU/Linux compatible - Leave a comment so everyone can start working on them!

Get your GNU/Linux on!

Shannon VanWagner
April 22nd, 2010 (updated: August 14th, 2010)

Linux - On Desktops Near You; Lexmark Packaging now Shows Linux

2010-04-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

Never say never, that's my motto.

First, ABC and FOX Full Episodes add support for the GNU/Linux-compatible Adobe Flash Player. And now, retailers are selling products that are marked with "Linux" in the "System Requirements" list.

I now expect to see, as I predicted last year, the massive influx to Linux as being the "prominent platform of choice", as well as Linux becoming the Universal Gaming Platform(WebGL may be a hint of this). Amidst all the other problems in the world, technological freedom and advancement continue to flourish.

After years of returning to my local retailer, searching for computer products marked with Linux compatibility, I'm finally seeing it. I'm seeing it on Lexmark printers. See below.

image credit: me with my Droid @ walmart

For those who are interested in a full review of the another new Lexmark printer (the Lexmark Pro905 Platinum multi-function printer - NOT pictured above) see this article at Phoronix.

Not that I'm discounting the efforts of other companies that have long been friends to GNU/Linux. For example,Hewlett Packard has long been a premier provider for Linux-compatible printing with the "HPLIP" resource. Also, Logitech's webcams have community driven drivers, see QuickCamteam.net. Of course there's also vendors like Dell Ubuntu or system76.com, who sell computers with Desktop Linux preloaded (and easily found on their websites), and there are others. These are the vendors who really have the guts to be on the forefront of technology. Truly.

So won't you join me in embracing a new era in advanced and open computing? Let Freedom, and Technology ring - it's been a long time coming.

Shannon VanWagner
04-06-2010

Ubuntu netbook-remix 10.04 or Jolicloud? Hmm.. Decisions, Decisions

2010-04-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

Which one should I choose? Ubuntu 10.04 netbook-remix or Jolicloud? Heh.. One feature with Jolicloud that is really grabbing my attention is the ability to switch from the netbook interface to the desktop - to me, this is big

Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook-Remix (beta) GNU/Linux daily build LiveCD in Virtualbox-OSE

Jolicloud (Ubuntu-based) GNU/Linux LiveCD (04-01-10) in Virtualbox-OSE

Jolicloud (Ubuntu-based) GNU/Linux LiveCD (Switched to Desktop mode)(04-01-10) in Virtualbox-OSE

Shannon VanWagner
04-01-10

How to - Install Google Chrome browser with Flash plugin on Ubuntu 9.10 w/video

2010-02-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

Update 04-05-10 - Since Last week, Google Chrome Browser now comes with Flash built-in (although you may have to add --enable-plugins to the command in the Chrome startup shortcut). Please disregard the instructions below, and get the new version Chrome instead, at http://www.google.com/chrome

How to install Google Chrome browser with Flash plugin support on Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) GNU/Linux

1. Import the GPG key for the chromium-daily PPA repository:
sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 0xfbef0d696de1c72ba5a835fe5a9bf3bb4e5e17b5

2. Edit your sources.list file to add the chromium-daily PPA repository:
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following these lines below the last line in /etc/apt/sources.list , save then close:

 #Chromium Web Browser
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main

3. Update your source repository listing to include the latest change:
sudo apt-get update

4. Install the chromium browser
sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

5. Install the flashplugin-nonfree package. Note: This provides it for Firefox as well
sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree

Note: if you want to add the flashplugin plus other restricted formats capabilities, e.g., mp3:
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

6. Make a symbolic link to the libflashplayer.so in the chromium-browser plugins folder
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so /usr/lib/chromium-browser/plugins/

7. To use the flashplugin in Chrome, you will need to use the command below to start it
chromium-browser --enable-plugins %U

8.(optional) Modify your Chromium Web Browser start button in Applications>Internet
Right-click > "Edit Menus" on the "Applications" menu in upper-left, then click "Internet", click to highlight the "Chromium Web Browser" button, then click Properties, then change the "Command" field to "chromium-browser --enable-plugins %U" (no quotes). Then click Close until you exit the Edit Menus dialog.

9.(optional) Add the newly modified "Chromium Web Browser" button to your panel
Click Applications>Internet>then right-click "Chromium Web Browser">click "Add this launcher to panel"

video made with gtk-recordMyDesktop - find it in the Ubuntu Software Center

Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner
02-28-2010

How To Take a Screenshot of your Droid with Ubuntu GNU/Linux

2010-01-16T20:20:00.000-08:00

After looking around for a way to take a screenshot of my Verizon Droid screen, and only finding the non-Linux instructions here, I figured I'd write up the instructions for Ubuntu GNU/Linux 9.10.

Here's how to take a screenshot of your Verizon Droid (Android-Linux based device) using the USB cable and Ubuntu GNU/Linux 9.10.

What you'll need:
Android Linux SDK
Java SE JRE (already installed with ubuntu-restricted-extras)

Follow these steps to get it all setup:

1.) Download the Android SDK. Ok, so you're using Linux now.. and you could just click the link and download the Android SDK. But you really should use 'wget' from the terminal instead. Why? Because wget is awesome! So assuming you agree to the Android SDK License Agreement(req'd), fire up your favorite terminal program, e.g., alt+f2 gnome-terminal, then run this command:


wget http://dl.google.com/android/android-sdk_r04-linux_86.tgz

2.) Extract the android sdk:
tar -xvf android-sdk*

3. ) Enter the "tools" directory in the newly created android sdk directory (tip: tab completes names in the terminal), and list the contents to ensure you extracted the file:
cd android-sdk-linux_86/tools && ls

4.) Install Sun Java 6 JRE - click here to use apt, or run the command below.


sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jre

5.) Create/edit/save a rules file for udev to allow your machine to see your Verizon Droid device.


sudo vi /etc/udev/rules.d/91-android.rules

Put the text below into the file(using "i" to enter "insert" mode and hitting the escape key to return to "select" mode before saving.. C'mon, as I've said before, what fun would Linux be without using vi? If you really don't like vi, you can substitute with something like gedit, or nano, or kate, or etc.), replace USERNAME with your Linux login username, then type ZZ to save the file from vi.


SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="22b8", SYMLINK+="android_adb", MODE="0666", OWNER="USERNAME"

6.) Set the appropriate permissions to the rules file you just created.


sudo chmod a+r /etc/udev/rules.d/91-android.rules

7.) Restart udev to load the new rule.


sudo restart udev

8.) Enable "USB debugging" on your Verizon Droid via Settings>Applications>Development.

9.) Connect your Droid to the computer with the USB cable and then use the following adb command(from within the tools directory of the SDK) to check to see that your Droid is recognized:


./adb devices

example output:

$ ./adb devices

List of devices attached
040364FA0901E011

10.) Once you have verified that your Droid is connected, run the tool Dalvik Debug Monitor "ddms":

./ddms

11.) Click to highlight your device in the "Name" column(left), then click Device > Screen capture, which should launch a separate window and a screenshot of your Droid (see below).

12.) You can then use the "Save" button to save your Droid screen capture in the .png format, or you can use the "Copy" button and then paste the screens capture into an image editing program, e.g. Gimp.

Note: These same instructions should work for any Android device.. You'll just need to use the "lsusb" command to get the proper deviceid to put in your udev rules in step 5. above.

Droid wallpaper credit: mikemailey.net

GNU/Linux Freedom Rocks!
Shannon VanWagner
01-22-10

Unboxing the System76.com Starling Netbook with Ubuntu GNU/Linux Preloaded

2009-11-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

Being the adventurous type, I've finally made it out to system76.com and purchased a Starling Netbook preloaded with Ubuntu GNU/Linux as a gift for a friend.

When all was said and done, the price for this little computer was about $394 (shipped). This may be about 50 bucks more than some other netbooks, but I've heard very good things about system76.com, and I know that System76 supports GNU/Linux by offering a wide selection of computers with the Ubuntu GNU/Linux operating system sold preinstalled.

This sweet Starling Netbook came preloaded with Ubuntu 9.04 Netbook Remix. Upon receipt however, I quickly upgraded this system to the newer Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Netbook Remix GNU/Linux.

I have to tell you that after using this little bundle of joy for a few days, I'm starting to have second thoughts about giving it up to our longtime friend who is coming to visit us for Thanksgiving. I hope I can do it!

Something to purchase along with this type of computer is a 2GB (or greater) USB thumb drive - this way you can always make yourself a bootable Ubuntu thumb drive for upgrading your system, keep a backup of your files, or even make a clone image of your system with clonezilla.

Here are the specs for this fully capable little machine:
Display: 10.1" LED Widescreen Glossy LCD (1024 x 576)
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Audio Output: Intel High Definition Audio
Networking: LAN (10/100), WiFi
Wireless: 802.11 bg
Ports: VGA, 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone Jack, Microphone Jack, SD Reader
Camera: Built-In 0.3 MP Webcam
Power Management: Suspend & Hibernate
Battery: includes one 6 Cell Lithium Ion
AC Adapter: includes one AC adapter
Dimensions: 10.4" x 7.1" x 1.3" (WxDxH)
Weight: 2.6 lbs.
Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) 32 Bit Linux
Atom N270 @ 1.60 GHz FSB 533MHz L2 512 kb with Hyper-Threading
2 GB – DDR2 533 MHZ x 1 DIMM
160 GB 5400 RPM SATA II
1 Yr. Ltd. Warranty and 1 Yr. Technical Support

I've been using the built-in webcam on this computer for video chat online at tokbox.com. The hulu.com Linux player works fine on this machine as well.

Oh and Check this out, the awesome free 3d online FPS game UrbanTerror by Frozen Sand works great on this little netbook, check it out here:

As the video above shows, there's never been a better time than now for Gaming companies to make their games work with GNU/Linux!! See some of my other posts for more information on this (i.e., here and here, and here).

How about you? Are you ready to get your Freedom on with GNU/Linux?

Shannon VanWagner
11-02-09

Linux at the Workplace Just Got Easier with Evolution's PST import capability

2009-10-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

I use GNU/Linux at home and at work everyday. While at home, I typically use Google(tm)'s gmail via the web and sometimes with Thunderbird. Google(tm) makes using your email client of choice very easy because they let you access your gmail with IMAP and/or POP access for free. It would be nice if more companies and server products would take the "open and inter-operable to everyone" approach(hint, hint). This is the way things are going anyways as far as I can tell. The only other provider that I know of that allows free POP access is inbox.com.

As for work, I currently have no choice but to connect to Microsoft's Exchange Server 2007(r) product (hopefully this will change sooner or later to something like openXchange or Google(tm)). And Despite the lack of openness of the Microsoft's Exchange Server 2007(r), I am able to use Novell's F/OSS Evolution email client(from Ubuntu 9.10 GNU/Linux) with IMAP to get email but I have to use the built-in Evolution calendar/notes/tasks as opposed to the server based versions. This setup is a bit clunky, but it works just fine for me because I'm not a "power" meetings scheduler and so I rarely need to see other's free/busy information and that type of thing. I actually prefer using Evolution because it's light-weight, nimble, has about the same amount of features, and performs far better and faster on my machine than Outlook(r) does. For some reason, the Outlook(r) 2007 version seems very bloated and taxing in terms of system performance. Besides, there's no Outlook(r) client for GNU/Linux and although I like to get lots of Windows(r) programs working on GNU/Linux with wine, Outlook(r) is not one that I would waste my time setting up that way ;*).

Because I work in a mixed-OS shop, we have several types of Operating Systems: i.e., Solaris, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Suse Linux, Ubuntu Linux, Windows(r), and Mac OSX, etc. Having these different OSes work together is made more difficult by vendor-locking server platforms (e.g., Exchange 2007(r)) when they are not supportive of open standards and Inter-operability.

For example, we have some users that have moved from Windows to the Mac OSX and some that have moved to Suse Linux. One thing that's always been a problem is moving a user's email from one OS to another. In the case of Mac OSX, there is Microsoft's Entourage(r) 2008 email program, but make no mistake - this is not the same as the Microsoft Outlook(r) product. Even though Entourage(r) connects to the Exchange Server(r) as an email client should - there's no way to import archived email from Outlook(r) (in the PST(personal storage table) format) directly into Entourage(r). So in order to use PST files with Entourage(r), I end up having to have the user copy all their PST archived email from Outlook(r) into their email account on the server. This causes the user's email account to become VERY large, which is unfavorable to say the least. There are 3rd party products that are said to make PST-to-Entourage(r) transfer easier, but I haven't found one that I deem to be worth it's weight in lead. I find this whole situation to be quite maddening. How is it that Entourage(r) does not import PST email when both Entourage(r) and Outlook(r) are made by the same company? Is it entirely political? It's a shame actually.. Really.

And then comes along Ubuntu GNU/Linux 9.10. Specifically Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic GNU/Linux . This amazing and free operating system includes the Evolution PIM by default. So now we can import PST email archives to Evolution from Outlook(r), and it's very simple to do. What's more is that Evolution, after importing PST, can then export your email to the open *.mbx format, which can then be imported by most other standard email client software.

Ubuntu GNU/Linux with Evolution's new drop-in functionality of importing Outlook(r) *.PST email archives makes using Ubuntu 9.10 GNU/Linux at the workplace even easier than before.

I've created a short video to demonstrate the PST import capability of Evolution for your viewing pleasure (see below).

GNU/Linux 3D Gaming Box (no monitor) Get Yours For $269

2009-09-08T19:13:00.001-07:00

Looking for a low cost solution to run your favorite 3d FOSS games (and several popular 3d titles in Wine)? Look no further than the bargains at ascendtech.us and the power of the PNY NVIDIA GeForce 9400GT graphics from tigerdirect.com.

Here's the specs for the machine I purchased from ascendtech.us for only $267 (shipped). Note: prices may vary as they change their specials. Here's a link to a system that is similar to the one I purchased.
Intel Dual Core E2180 2.0ghz 800FSB
MSI LGA775 Quad Core Ready Motherboard
Standard Cooling Fan & Heatsink Combo
2GB DDR2 PC2 6400 800mhz RAM (2x1GB Chips)
160GB SATA 7200rpm Internal Hard Drive
Onboard Nvidia Geforce7100 Video Card Adapter
CDRW Drive
Onboard 7. 1 Audio
Onboard 10/100/1000mbps Gigabit Ethernet
Beige ATX Midtower Case W/ Power Supply

Then pop in a PNY Verto NVIDIA 9400GT PCIE video adapter from tigerdirect.com for just $51.98 (checking back at the site - there's a a $20 rebate available as of 09-09-09).

Here's a shot with the new video card installed.

The PNY Verto NVIDIA 9400GT also comes with S-Video and composite video out. This way you can watch your favorite shows on hulu.com as shown at this link.

Here's a shot of the video bios when starting the computer.

Here's a shot of the system BIOS, 2GB RAM and CPU specs shown.

Booting up to Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04 GNU/Linux. Note: In order for Ubuntu to install correctly, I had to set the "ACPI Aware OS" to "NO" in the BIOS. Note: I've since upgraded the OS to Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10 (Beta) - this is a great new Operating System... I can't wait until it's officially released at the end of October.

$184.99 Complete System
$31.38 Shipping
$51.98 PNY Verto NVIDIA 9400GT Video card
-------------------
$268.35 Total

Drop in a nice monitor (in my case a Dell 19" LCD), kybd, mouse, and speakers and you have yourself a rockin' GNU/Linux gaming machine.

Here's the first of several videos I'll be uploading. The game is called Cold War, and it's available from linuxgamepublishing.com (LGP) for about $35(USD). This is an Awesome FPS commercial game with lots of action! Game installs natively on Linux and works great on this machine.

Fallout 3 by Bethesda Softworks, running in WINE on Ubuntu GNU/Linux 9.10. We installed the game using the PlayOnLinux tool, from here. While very gory, this game is a great FPS(FPF) in the Man vs. Mutant role. Awesome.. This video doesn't really do the game justice.. it's just a basic gameplay proof-of-concept type of video.

And another short video of Fallout 3

More to come...

So far, this new gaming machine has the same capabilities as my Dell Inspiron 530n with Ubuntu Preloaded.

Open Letter to Software/Game/Hardware Makers - Be Linux Compatible

2009-07-11T16:04:00.001-07:00

Evolution of Technology is truly amazing.
In my previous open letter to computer video game makers entitled "Investigate the niche of GNU/Linux compatibility", I wrote about how game makers should investigate the GNU/Linux niche market for computer-based video games.

In the letter, I made a prediction that GNU/Linux would become the predominant platform of choice for computers everywhere within the next couple of years. For this reason, I suggested that computer video game makers port their games to GNU/Linux, or at least take steps to define the demand for games on GNU/Linux and ensure they were prepared to embrace the opportunity of GNU/Linux as the Universal Operating System.

While I still fully stand behind the idea of porting software and games directly over to GNU/Linux, I now realize things are happening faster than I originally predicted. A few examples are: the movement of Linux into netbooks(no this has not failed, despite all the marketing from from the tech-media-puppets), and the announcement of the Google Chrome OS.

So now I'd like to update my message to also include the entire spectrum of computer software applications, computer games, computer peripherals, and of course computer hardware in general. The message is this: Now is the time for you to make your products work well with GNU/Linux! Now is also the time to show that you support GNU/Linux!

As for how to add GNU/Linux support to your product, here are some of the ways that it can be done effectively:

Hardware/Peripherals - Get Free Linux Driver Development for your devices, or you can create your own open source driver initiative (e.g., the Hewlett Packard Open Source page on Sourceforge.net). Also, you should proudly display on your hardware packaging that your equipment works with Linux!
Games - port your games to GNU/Linux, or at the very least - make your games work well with WINE. Also, consider using/improving an Open Source game engine and building your games in cross-platform friendly 3d technologies (e.g., OpenGL). At the
Software Applications - When building your software, think of the bigger picture. Design your software to be cross-platform capable from the start. This will give your software the capability to scale across more platforms and devices. Help to build and maintain the giant upon whose shoulders we ride. Build your software using Open and Interoperable Standards. Also, if your program uses fonts, consider using Open Source Fonts to make porting the software to different platforms less painful. At the very least - make your applications work well with WINE. While some software companies have made massive profits on purposely working against Open Standards. These companies tirelessly weild vendor-lockin, predatory, and destructive practices on computer technology, which are the same actions, along with the willingness of other companies to embrace Open Standards, that will spell defeat and extinction these companies (Good Riddens). Technology is meant to enable humans, people increasingly will not accept companies who destroy innovation, and our technological future. We have arrived at the day when purposley destroying technological interoperability is considered Bad Corporate Citizenship!

Note on Software Applications: Porting everything over to GNU/Linux on the drop of a hat can be difficult or impossible for some companies. So at the very least, make your programs work well with the WINE software. WINE is translation software that enables Windows software to be run on GNU/Linux, MAC OSX, and Solaris. There are many popular games and software that already work well with WINE (78 pages worth of entries), but there's always room for improvement.

Here's looking forward to the exciting future of enabling humans with technology and GNU/Linux!

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Shannon VanWagner
humans enabled

Linux on Netbooks - ALIVE and WELL!

2009-07-11T15:59:00.001-07:00

Doing my part to bring out the truth about Linux on the Netbook.

There's been a lot of buzz lately about netbooks, and many sources out there have not done their due diligence to debunk the myth of "Linux is Dead on the Netbook". C'mon people, don't just jump on the bandwagon and repeat the marketing spew, do some research and tell the truth!

The real problem is that the vendors who are selling Linux on Netbooks are being mum about it, and so there's not much spoken proof of the true figures of Linux Netbook sells.

Well here's what I say: "Linux IS NOT DEAD on the Netbook!". Why do I believe this? Well, simply have a look at the screen-shots I captured TODAY(07-11-2009) at Dell, HP, and Target websites. Yep, every one of them provides a Linux netbook option. Now why would these prominnet computer sellers (and Target) be offering a "Dead" netbook? Doesn't make much sense does it. Here's a hint, because it sells!

Oh and guess what I saw when I went to the nearby Target store in Factoria(Seattle), WA this past Friday - Yep, you guessed it, the Linux version of the Asus EePc, sitting right there on the shelf.

So technology reporters out there... How about we skip all the predatory Marketing and Sales tactics, and start doing some real research before reporting on technology!

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Shannon VanWagner
humans enabled

Open Letter to Logitech - Secure Your Spot as the Premier Linux Devices Provider

2009-06-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Logitech,

As an IT Professional, electronics consumer, and GNU/Linux user, I am continuously looking for Peripherals providers that support the "Universal Operating System" (GNU/Linux).

I'm the guy that you'll find in the nearby BestBuy store, or Walmart, or even Office Depot, hunkered down in the electronics aisle, flipping over boxes looking at "System Requirements" to see if there's any indication of vendors doing the right thing and printing "Works with GNU/Linux"(or perhaps even affixing the Tux Penguin emblem) on their packaging. And although a great number of peripherals and hardware work with GNU/Linux, sometimes it's still a bit difficult to be absolutely positive. With your help, I aim to change that.

Yes, GNU/Linux is perhaps one of the greatest achievements of technologically advanced human beings since electricity itself was implemented in a useful fashion. The truth is, supporting GNU/Linux is not only a great humanitarian effort, it's a great contribution to the advancement of science and technology. Also, by helping to advance GNU/Linux, this is perhaps the most excellent indicator of outstanding Corporate Citizenship. Companies that help GNU/Linux are companies that care about the future of technology, and they should be rewarded with the best business.

When I go to the nearby electronics store I see basically two types of peripherals and related hardware, the type that are made by a company based in Redmond, and Logitech. I would like to see the Logitech type become more prominent.

After doing some research, I see that your company already has the beginnings of being a great supporter of GNU/Linux compatible products. For instance, when I point my browser to http://logitech.com and search for Linux - some results for webcams appear. On the webcams pages, it says: 'Enjoy fast easy setup of basic video calling features on ... and Linux'. I also see that the Logitech inspired website called http://www.quickcamteam.net provides the GNU/Linux drivers for many webcams. The list of Linux capable Logitech webcams is at: http://www.quickcamteam.net/devices

So I'd like to take this moment to extend to you the idea of your company securing its rightful spot as a "Premier provider of GNU/Linux compatible peripherals and hardware", and ask that you proudly display the "GNU/Linux compatible" markings on your product packaging.

Here's to your future as a great company, corporate citizen, prosperous business leader, and premier provider of peripherals and hardware for technology.

Thank You.

Shannon VanWagner
humans enabled

Attention GNU/Linux Supporters - A Call To Action, It's Time for Fight

2009-05-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Ever cheered for the opponent you wanted to win, yelled in encouragement until you're hoarse, and then in a glorious moment.. see your team win? Have you ever seen the underdog team come out of the shadows and strip the victory from the season's statistically best team?

I have. And I'm about to see it happen again, right in front of the watchful eyes of the world.

It's happened all through history, David vs. Goliath, the Normans vs. the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Hastings, the Spanish vs. the French on Cinco de Mayo, the colonial U.S. vs. the British Empire for the Revolutionary War, and other scenarios - time and time again, all throughout history. In each of these instances the comparatively smaller, less anticipated warrior(s) valiantly battled the oppressive giant and miraculously won with an unexpected victory.

Such is proof, it's not the immense number, massive size, or even the high popularity of an entity that wins the battle, rather it's the passion of the ideas, the will power to the core, and the passion of the warriors, that so propels their souls that nothing can stop them from claiming the victory they rightly deserve.

This same story of glorious human will, is the passionate core of the GNU/Linux ideals, and of those who make GNU/Linux a reality everyday. This passion currently embodies the hearts and minds of millions of humans who use GNU/Linux already, and is growing stronger everyday - at a wildfire pace. It's BATTLE ON for the FREEDOM of GNU/Linux.

What's to lose? Everything that is important to any user that seeks to be enabled by the power of computerized technology, every entity that seeks to contribute to the present and future of technology as a vehicle for advancing humankind.

On planet Earth, we face the most difficult challenges in the history of humankind thus far, overpopulation, widespread disease(list includes cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's to name a few), diminishing resources, widespread famine, and the need to expand out into the Universe onto other planets to continue the existence of humankind. These challenges are so immense and complex, they will take the participation of the entire planet to bring through the solution.

These are the challenges that require the GNU/Linux model of human capability and accomplishment. Newton once said that we ride upon the shoulders of giants - technology is the giant and GNU/Linux is the ideal that will make the giant even larger.

These are very exciting times, we are in our best moment. Through our capability to evolve technology, we have begun to recognize and engage the challenges and shortcomings we face as humans. We are presented not only with such immense challenges, but more importantly with great possibilities of accomplishment. Accomplishment through computerized technology and the freedom and power of the GNU/Linux ideals.

So this post is for you, GNU/Linux makers, users, and supporters. Your time has come to be at the front and to take the lead in making computerized technology better and more effective than ever before. Are you ready?

A simple, yet profound example of the power of the GNU/Linux community is shown in the amount of attention these articles received:
http://digg.com/linux_unix/Ubuntu_Causes_Girl_To_Drop_Out_of_College
and
http://digg.com/linux_unix/Update_Girl_drops_out_of_college_because_of_Linux

GNU/Linux users, how can they say you don't count, how can they say you shouldn't get access, because you didn't pay hundreds of dollars for your OS, because you don't believe in paying for something that is legally free(and better), because you don't conform to putting your head down and "just taking it", because you're different? Wel it's time for a reprieve, it's time to put your foot down.

You are a person that believes in open standards by which humans everywhere can share and advance technology, no matter how rich or poor they are. You are about the human essence of adaptation, you are about the future of technology, and a level of accelerated technology that enables humans everywhere.

It's time to stand up and do something about it. It's time to stand up and fight! The good news is... You won't need any guns or swords and you won't even have to have any military training... but if you want to get in shape -that's perfectly all right.

Here's what you can do: Arm yourself with a GNU/Linux livecd, install Ubuntu, get booted into Linux, surf the web, click advertisements that interest you (to show you're coming from GNU/Linux), tell your family, neighbors, friends, everyone you know about the benefits of GNU/Linux. Purchase products that support GNU/Linux. Ask your local retailer "Where's Linux". Demand software and hardware that is compatible with Linux. Make stickers and paste them everywhere, write it down, send people to getgnulinux.org. And for the love of progress... Write letters to everyone who needs to know(like these bogus, puppet-head column writers who call themselves "analysts") - let them know that if they don't support GNU/Linux, they are not supporting the enablement of humankind with technology, let them know that you know how to advance progress with technology using GNU/Linux.

It's time to stand upon the mountaintops and call out to your fellow human beings to bring them to what they deserve...to bring them to GNU/Linux. You owe it to yourself.. and you owe it to the progress of the future of technology.

Humans enabled with technology... that's the way it's supposed to be.

Won't you join me in this fight to win what's right for everyone?

Viva la GNU/Linux!

I support humans enabled with technology.
Shannon VanWagner
Technology Enthusiast and GNU/Linux Supporter

Open Letter to Adobe - Make Flash Player an Open Web Standard for Content Delivery

2009-05-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

May 11th 2009

Dear Adobe Inc.,

I'm writing on behalf of the whole planet of Internet users who benefit everyday from open and interoperable Web Standards. Being open and interoperable is what makes our Internet such the powerful information source that it is.

In this day and age we need more than de-facto standards for sharing data, rather we need documented standards that are rigorously engineered, refined, tested, and most of all proven to be standards-worthy and capable of working on any device that is connected with the Internet. An open standard should allow for future development and use by future members of the community.

We are at a crucial turning point in the Information age, what we do now will profoundly affect the future of computing technology, and we need a media delivery engine that is unbiased, freely adaptable, extensible, and open to the sharing of information in an unbiased way.

In the interests of making media delivery available to everyone on the Internet in a standards compliant way, I am asking that you make the Adobe flash player an open standard so that it can remain the king of the delivery of dynamic content on the Web.

The Flash player in its current form threatens the openness of the web and I don't believe Adobe to be the type of company that is interested in abusing the Internet in such a way. Also, there are competitors of the Flash player that threaten to fragment the Internet standards for content delivery even further. Making Flash the Open Web Standard would prevent the fragmentation from the competitors.

Open standards such as those set forth by the W3C are what make our Internet the immensely successful platform that it is, please consider making a contribution to this effort.

Adobe is well known for including many types of platforms(i.e., GNU/Linux, cellphones, etc.) when developing the Flash player, which has obviously been very successful. Please extend your efforts to the highest degree and consider making Adobe Flash Player an open standard and hold true to being a company that is committed to developing the future of computing technology in the most effective way.

Sincerely,

The Future of the Internet as Seen through the Flash Player

See also:
http://digg.com/software/Adobe_Strikes_Back_Flash_vs_Silverlight_Microsoft
http://digg.com/tech_news/Fans_shafted_as_Major_League_Baseball_revokes_DRM_licenses
http://digg.com/tech_news/Why_baseball_benched_Microsoft_Silverlight_CNET_News

Linux on Netbook a failure? Dell doesn't seem to think so.

2009-04-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

By comparing apples to oranges, hippos to gazelles, and brick-and-mortar sales figures to online sales figures, some (disgustingly biased and greedily financially motivated) characters out there want you to believe that GNU/Linux on Netbooks are being completely eclipsed by the "other" OS.

Well obviously Dell Computer doesn't think so....Have a look at the picture above from Dell's website.

As you can see in the picture(taken 04-23-09) of Dell's Netbook selection page (left) for the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, Ubuntu Linux is just as choice-worthy as the "other" Operating System selection. The choice is 50/50.

Linux on Netbooks is a hit on Netbooks, bank on it. Love it. Enjoy it.

Forget all that garbage that "paid puppets" are trying to convince you about GNU/Linux on the Netbook and it being a failure - it's total political baloney.

Linux is about a gift for you, me, and about about 6 billion others like us. Free yourself, break the glass, choose GNU/Linux.

Note: Also checkout http://system76.com (or some of the links to the right) for more "choice" of Operating Systems for your computer.

Congratulations on your Freedom!
Shannon VanWagner
humans enabled

An Example of a Linux Compatible 56K Dial-Up Modem(PCI) +1 Linux Convert

2009-04-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

So the other day I found out that a neighbor of ours was in need of a "donated" computer system to be able to access her Email and the Internet. I heard about this and immediately I thought, "This is a GNU/Linux convert waiting to happen!"

Being a frugal, retired person, what my neighbor didn't want was a monthly Internet bill. This is where nocharge.com comes to the rescue with FREE 56k dial-up access. What's better is that no software is needed to access the service. Simply plugin your local access phone number, username, and password for your free dial-up service and you then connect right away.

So here's the story of me setting out to make a happy new "Linux Convert" out of my neighbor using a Intel PIII based Linux computer and the PCTEL 56k dial-up PCI modem.

I've seen many horror stories around the Internet of people saying that dial-up is not possible with GNU/Linux, and the truth is -they're lying. Just Kidding...well mostly. I don't mean to call people liars(perhaps some are financially motivated to say bad things about Linux), rather I think the problem is that some people just are not willing dig deep enough to fix a problem they have with Linux. Some of these distraught and non-freedom attaining users end up going around bashing Linux instead. If only they had met someone like me(and many others like me), someone who could help them experience the true Freedom and value of the GNU/Linux!

As for truly great resources for the Linuxer who is seeking to use dial-up Internet access, one of the most indispensable examples of goodness is the Linmodems support page and more particularly the scanModem utility located there.

The scanModem utility is an easy-to-use script that scans your machine to find any modem that is plugged in and then create resources to be used to get your modem driver installed on you on the dial-up Internet.

Using the scanModem utility is easy. It gets downloaded, extracted(can do this via right-click in Ubuntu), set to executable (using chmod 755 scanModem from the terminal), then executed ./scanModem from the terminal. The result will be a newly created directory named Modem, which will contain many resources (in the form of text files) that are created specifically for your machine, which will include information on a download location and/or other instructions for installing and using your modem Linux driver. You would then go about downloading the Linux modem driver that matches your device and then getting it set up.

The quality of the scanModem utility is only exceeded by the willingness to help and technical expertise of the great people at the Linmodems support forum (People like Marv S. for example). If you find any of my instructions confusing, pop over to Linmodems support for more information.

Some modems are easier to setup than others, depending usually on how open-source friendly the OEM was/is with the sharing of the modem driver specifications for Linux programmers to be able to create drivers for the device.

For instance, I had a Conexant PCI modem that I found to be supported by linuxant.com, but the 56k Linux modem drivers came with a fee. So this particular modem wasn't going to do for me, so per the recommendation of the Linmodems support posters, I installed the PCTEL PCI modem instead.

The driver I downloaded for my PCTEL modem was available from the pctel-linux section of the linmodems website. The scanModem utility indicated the PCTEL modem I have is:

134d:7891   PCtel HSP MicroModem 56   PCT 789T       pct789

Before running teh PCTEL modem driver installer (and before compiling any software), I first installed the necessary Linux source code and build tools using:

sudo apt-get install build-essential
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`

After the drivers for the PCTEL were installed, I first ran the wvdialconf program, which detects the modem and creates the /etc/wvdial.conf configuration file.

sudo wvdialconf

I also installed the gnome-ppp graphical dialup utility (using my wireless USB Internet connection):

sudo apt-get install gnome-ppp

I then configured both the gnome-ppp dialer, using the setup button, and the /etc/wvdial.conf configuration file(not sure this is required after the gnome-ppp) with the username, password, and dialup access number.

One final configuration point was that after rebooting, the PCTEL modem driver was not automatically reloading. This is because the kernel module configuration was not set to insert the modem driver on machine boot-up. There are a few ways to fix this, some being more procedurally correct than others. The way I fixed it was to edit the /etc/init.d/rc.local script file, using sudo gedit /etc/init.d/rc.local (save a copy for backup first!) and added the following line at the end of the script:

modprobe pctel

Special note for nocharge.com users: If you're using Ubuntu(or similar) Linux, you'll need to comment out the restriction for the dialup username "guest" in your /etc/ppp/pap-secrets file by placing a # in front of the line "guest hostname "*" -"

gksu gedit /etc/ppp/pap-secrets
#guest hostname "*" -

After all configuration points were set, I tested the connection with about 10 connection iterations, and I let the modem stay online for about 30 mins - everything checked out.

Get your PCTEL PCI modem from ebay here: http://tinyurl.com/PCTEL-EBAY

Here's a picture of the PCTEL Modem plugged into a BYO - PIII computer running Ubuntu 9.04 GNU/Linux:

Finally the payoff - I brought the machine over to my neighbor, spent just a little bit of time explaining some of the many, many things she could do with GNU/Linux, and set her on her way to her new found Freedom in computing. She was tickled pink, to say the least.

Another happy GNU/Linux convert!!

Go Freedom!! Go GNU/Linux!!
Break the glass!!

Shannon VanWagner

Linux Compatible: Logitech E1000 USB Webcam - on the shelves now!

2009-03-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

I was at Walmart yesterday - cruising the technology aisle, as I do often. I always make it a point to checkout different retailers to see what, if any, GNU/Linux compatible products they have for sale. This time I was looking through the USB webcams for one that said "GNU/Linux" under the system requirements.

So I didn't find any boxes marked "Works with Linux", but then I saw this webcam (the Logitech E1000) for only $16.88. So then I though to myself, I could buy this webcam, take it home and test it with GNU/Linux, and if it doesn't work, I'll just bring it back and exchange it for another one to try until I find one that works. This is the beauty of shopping at Walmart, lol, they guarantee your satisfaction - even if it means you will swap out one product for another a few times.

Well so I bought the Logitech E1000 USB webcam, I took it home, plugged it in to my Dell Inspiron 530n running Ubuntu 8.10, installed cheese (sudo apt-get install cheese), and guess what? The camera works like a champ!

The lsusb command output for this particular webcam is:
ID 046d:08af Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Easy/Cool

The uname -r command output from my Dell Inspiron 530n with Ubuntu 8.10:
2.6.27-11-generic

Here are some webcam enabled programs that worked for me with this USB webcam.

Cheese 2.24.2 (simple webcam program)

ekiga 2.0.12 (VOIP client)

Camera Monitor 0.2 (Simple Program to Show if the Webcam is on)

gqcam 0.9.1 using this command to make it work:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so gqcam -v /dev/video0

camorama 0.19 using this command to make it work:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so camorama

aMSN 0.97.2 (07/25/2008)

Kopete version 0.60.4 using this command to make it work:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so kopete

Skype 2.0.0.72 using this command to make it work:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
per http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-997807.html

Here's a sample pic from the webcam:

Also checkout the links below for more information on getting your USB Webcam up and running in Linux:
http://www.linux.com/base/ldp/howto/Webcam-HOWTO/framegrabbers.html
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Webcam
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6910868

And for the Logitech webcam users that are looking for some GNU/Linux love:
http://forums.logitech.com/logitech/board/message?board.id=quickcam_software&thread.id=52709
http://www.quickcamteam.net

Here's my example of a "Works with Linux" USB Webcam - Creative VF-0500

2009-03-10T06:42:00.001-07:00

One such example of a USB webcam that works with GNU/Linux is the Creative VF-0500

I tested this device on Ubuntu 8.10 GNU/Linux, - (2.6.27-11-generic)

lsusb | grep Creative output:
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 041e:4036 Creative Technology, Ltd Webcam Live!/Live! Pro

Here are the programs that worked for me:

Skype 2.0.0.72 - must use this command to make it work:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype
per http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-997807.html

Cheese 2.24.2 (simple webcam program)

ekiga 2.0.12 (VOIP client)

Camera Monitor 0.2 (Simple Program to Show if the Webcam is on)

gqcam 0.9.1 - I used this command to make it work:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so gqcam -v /dev/video0

camorama 0.19 - I used this command to make it work:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so camorama

Here's a site that offers a USB Webcam that "Works with Linux" (unverified by me):
http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?M=LOGITECH&ID=3278315&ref=GB

Also checkout the links below for more information on getting your USB Webcam up and running in Linux:
http://www.linux.com/base/ldp/howto/Webcam-HOWTO/framegrabbers.html
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Webcam

And for the Logitech webcam users that are looking for some GNU/Linux love:
http://forums.logitech.com/logitech/board/message?board.id=quickcam_software&thread.id=52709
http://www.quickcamteam.net

Where's all the "Linux Compatible" Branded Stuff Sold at?

2009-02-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

Typically, people who purchase computers systems will eventually purchase peripherals as well. However, with GNU/Linux - sometimes this whole purchasing process can become a bit tricky.

BEWARE! When selecting peripherals for the newly purchased GNU/Linux computer, one must use the "careful" and "researched" approach to get the parts that work (it's called supporting the sellers that support Linux).

Think of it, having to select a peripheral based on an unusual amount of prior research to ensure the equipment will work with your computer system, simply because there seems to be a "Gag order" on companies willingness to print "Works with Linux" on their packaging(even though the majority of hardware out there "Just Works" with GNU/Linux anyway).

Consider this - Mr. Ballmer has acknowledged Linux as a bigger threat to MSFT than Apple. And so here's proof that GNU/Linux is a competing Operating System to the market leader! It's time to acknowledge it. In other words, parts sellers - quit trying to act like GNU/Linux doesn't exist!!

C'mon now, major OEMs sell preloaded Linux on their machines: Asus' Eee Pc, HP's Mi, IBM's thinkpads, and Dell's desktops/notebooks/netbooks (to name a few). So somebody's not doing their job here, and it's the computer peripheral manufacturers and computer parts suppliers!

This is why it's time for us to DEMAND that these slackers start testing their products for, and printing "Linux Compatible" or "Works with Linux" on computer products they are selling!

Now of course you could always buy a machine that has some Linux-compatible peripherals included (e.g., from system76.com, or zareason.com, or others ), but what if you need to purchase a peripheral after the fact? This is why we must have computer parts makers raise "Linux Compatible" awareness.

Users everywhere are enabling themselves with technology by using GNU/Linux, so what's up with these computer parts makers?

I looked at the store the other day and I didn't see anything(I was looking for a webcam) that said "Linux Compatible" on the box. This is an outrage!

We're buying computers that are preloaded with GNU/Linux. Where the heck are the peripherals that go with them?!? Why are you shunning GNU/Linux?!

Here's something for the peripheral makers out there... Stop being lazy! Stop trying to force the "tax" on typical users! Fix this problem!

Despite my frustration, some online companies are actually starting to get the idea... Like http://3btech.net (google search term: linux site:3btech.net) and http://newegg.com (search term Linux Compatible) for instance, but there's still a lot of work to be done. To start, I would like to see a "Linux Compatible" link on the front pages of more computer parts stores.

Here's a challenge: make a USB web cam that's compatible with GNU/Linux, print it on the box, make it reasonably priced, and it will sell!

GNU/Linux is alive and kicking - it's time to make products that say "Linux Compatible" on the box.

If you know of a place that proudly displays a "Linux Compatible" category, let me know about it, leave a comment, and they will gain a new customer.

Congratulations on your Freedom! Go GNU/Linux!

Shannon VanWagner
http://humans-enabled.com
02-25-2009

GNU/Linux As The Platform for the Future of Innovation and Gaming

2009-02-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

Some weeks back, I wrote a blog entry entitled "Game Makers, Please Investigate the GNU/Linux Niche". The article was aimed at computer game developers and asked game makers to investigate whether porting many of their popular games to GNU/Linux might be profitable and successful venture.

I wrote the blog entry because time after time I see clues that indicate computer gaming can easily become a successful prospect on the GNU/Linux platform. Also, I wrote because I would like to see many more games ported to the GNU/Linux platform (well of course!).

The truth is, when I think of real excitement and action in the world of computing and technology, I think of GNU/Linux. Consider this: The GNU/Linux way of thinking has brought an un-compiled, basket case of mix-matched(yet very useful and powerful) parts together to create a Desktop Operating System that has creatively morphed into literally hundreds of specialized distributions, each with a more specific style and application. Think of getting all the parts for an F-22 Talon Fighter Jet from different sources located all over the world, and then having the team capable of doing so, put it all together right in front of your eyes, and then you getting to fly the new Jet wherever you want for FREE!! - that's how exciting GNU/Linux is!

The point here is that within just about 2 years, the parts and pieces of GNU/Linux for the Desktop(notice I have not mentioned Linux in the server role - as that's been popular longer) have come together to create a strong competitor to other major Desktop computer Operating Systems.

So now when I think of computer gaming, and I throw in the inertia and excitement of the GNU/Linux Desktop OS development model, I see a WHOLE NEW world of computer gaming spreading out before the world, and I see so much potential, and it's AWESOME!!

The model for proprietary Operating Systems is dead. Like software license keys, and proprietary document formats, proprietary Operating Systems are just so 1980s. It's 2009. Look around, you'll see that Openness is everywhere - desktop computers, servers, network devices, embedded devices, and even cell phones are either already running Open Operating Systems, or are moving towards using them. As pointed out in the recent linuxplanet.com article: "How Many Linux Users Are There (Really)?", everyone in the modernized, computer using world uses Linux every single day. So now it's time to get gaming on GNU/Linux and on the Desktop computer - no problem, that's what I say.

Why is this, you might ask? Because the Open Operating System allows utmost amount of innovation to grow from the base of it. When an Operating System is Open, it allows for the most state of the art changes to be made to the core of it easily, which allows the Open Operating System to remain in the forefront of technology. The Open model also allows for the maximum amount of advancement because it allows input from a whole planet of humans seeking to be enable themselves with technology versus the relatively small number of employees at a specific company. The Open Operating System creates the solid foundation upon which all other types of good software should be built upon.

But don't take my word for it. There are others out there that want to embrace GNU/Linux, the ones who have the intestinal fortitude that it takes to be a great company. As Ken Starks says in "Linux Gets Gooey for Friday the 13th" We now get the chance to do what we say we are going to do. It's been coming for a long time...now it's here. The "big boys" won't give us games...the little guys will. It's time to say thank you.: . One such example is 2D Boy(Kyle Gabler and Ron Carmel), whom just ported their very popular(Wii game of the year 2008) game "World of Goo" over to Linux and are selling it for $20 a copy.

So there it is. Now you know why I'm pushing for GNU/Linux to be the premiere gaming/computing platform. It's all about Openness, the future of computing, about people getting the most from their computer systems, and most of all it's about humans being enabled with technology.

If you haven't tried GNU/Linux, you just don't know what you're missing (get started by clicking here). Use GNU/Linux, and start on your journey of the phenomenal combination of Freedom and Excitement that computer technology yearns to offer you in the world today.

Shannon VanWagner
http://humans-enabled.com
02-18-2009

Updated Open Letter to Joost.com: Thanks for Changing To Work With GNU/Linux!

2009-02-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

About a year ago, I wrote a letter to Joost.com asking them to update their website to allow access from GNU/Linux. The old Joost.com used a special process to watch the content that didn't work with GNU/Linux.

Well this day is monumental. Because just as good eventually wins over evil, night turns into day, and humans advance with technology, today(02-11-2009) - I see that Joost.com has changed its website and is now accessible using GNU/Linux. Note: Joost.com may have been accessible from GNU/Linux for some time, I simply hadn't checked back until today.

I really appreciate that Joost.com has changed it's original setup. By allowing GNU/Linux access, Joost.com helps to reduce the monopoly of Operating Systems, and more importantly has made a statement to the world that they endorse the use of Open Web Standards, and the advancement of the Internet and technology.

Nice Job Joost.com. Way to play fair. Your actions are an endorsement to Open Web Standards, are a boost to fair competition, and a symbol of human ingenuity. Joost.com, you have now joined the ranks of reputable companies that share the sandbox with others(instead of throwing sand in others' faces) and plays fair. This action is commendable beyond words.

Many people, including those who may have recently purchased a GNU/Linux-based computer from any of the major OEMs, will now truly be able to appreciate all your hard work on Joost.com. This is a beautiful thing.

Joost.com, I look forward to enjoying the content and the advertisements on your site. Thank You!

Congratulations on your Freedom!!

As for my fellow users and evangelists of GNU/Linux:When you find something that doesn't work with GNU/Linux, keep up the writing, the posting, the raising of the awareness. It really does work!!

GO GNU/Linux!! Go Freedom!! Go Open Web Standards!!

Enable Humans with Technology!!

Shannon VanWagner
http://humans-enabled.com
02-11-2009

--Previous Open Letter to Joost.com Rescinded--

How YOU Can Help To Enable Humans with Technology

2009-01-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

How YOU Can Help To Enable Humans with Technology and contribute to the GNU/Linux revolution?

Helping is very simple actually... Just bootup to your favorite GNU/Linux distro, and surf the Internet.

Yes, I said boot to GNU/Linux and simply surf the Internet!

Why does this help? Because when you surf the Internet you leave behind a browser/OS stamp. When your browser stamp says GNU/Linux, you leave a message that says loud and clear "I'm using GNU/Linux and a Web Standards compliant browser - Program your webserver to work with me!!!"

Don't be fooled about the impact you can have with such simple action. Website owners pore over their hit statistics on a daily or even hourly basis. When the website analysts see that you're surfing from GNU/Linux, they will get the message, and you will have helped to maintain open web standards, interoperability, and advancement in computing technology.

Want to go a step further? Be a GNU/Linux advocate. Do you have to be a technology professional to promote GNU/Linux and advancement in computing technology? Nope! All you have to do is be enthusiastic about GNU/Linux, and share your experiences with others. Help someone try out a GNU/Linux livecd, talk to someone about the benefits of GNU/Linux, ask your local computer suppliers to stock peripherals, supplies, and software that is GNU/Linux compatible. Use your voice to help Freedom and GNU/Linux... When you find a discrepancy in fairness, or when you see innovation and competition being squashed by a website, by the media, or by anyone else who seeks to support Monopoly in Operating Systems - Let them know about it!!! Email them, call them, blog about them... raise awareness, and DEMAND open standards and adherence to competitive practices.

Want to do even more? If you are a programmer, consider contributing some of your time to helping make GNU/Linux better. Choose the employment that supports the advancement of computing technology via open standards and GNU/Linux innovation. If you are not a programmer, become one, and consider helping the cause. Another thing you can do is join your local "LUG" or Linux Users Group - these kind souls help others get familiar with GNU/Linux.

Contributing to GNU/Linux doesn't mean that you have to work for free, and it doesn't mean that you have to live in a cardboard box with no money. Contributing to Freedom and GNU/Linux simply means that you have to demand that those whom you associate with professionally adhere to open standards and seek to enable humans with technology(as opposed to restricting them with it).

Finally, if you are the BOLD type(Disclaimer:this suggestion is for those who are aged 18 years or older(or who have appropriate parental permission) only!) - consider getting a LARGE TATTOO or BODY ART that Says "GNU/Linux", and then POST IT ALL OVER THE INTERNET!! Or perhaps you could take pictures of yourself(this is a great idea eh?) in cool places, doing cool things with your new GNU/Linux body art. Be creative, but don't hurt anyone(of course).

Have some more ideas for how to help? Feel free to leave a comment.

There's only one person that can change the world.. and that person is YOU!!

Freedom, it's catching on!
Congratulations on your Freedom!!
Go GNU/Linux and Open Computing Standards!!

Shannon VanWagner
http://humans-enabled.com

Some Ubuntu Kung Fu with alt+f2 (the Run Dialog)

2009-01-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

Here's my short writeup on how to be a more effective Ubuntu GNU/Linux user by using the Run Dialog to quickly start your most favorite programs. I do it all the time.

Using the Run dialog to start xkill can get you out of a pickle. Need to take some notes in gedit real quick? Fire it up with the Run dialog. Need to connect to your Win-Neighbor? Fire up the Run dialog and enter smb://win-box/c$, and with a password - you'll walk right in.

To start the Run Dialog, simply push the alt+f2 keys simutaneously. Doing so will bring up the Run dialog box that looks like this:

To a get a program started from the Run dialog box you can either you can manually enter the command into the field provided and then click Run as shown here:

Or you can click on a program in the "Show List of Known Applications" area and then click Run as shown here:

You can run many graphical programs with the Run command, and you can even Run commands from a file or in the terminal in this fashion(this to be covered in a different article).

Here's a list of programs I typically launch from the Run command(if you have some additional ideas, please leave a comment):


Documents       (Since this dir is in your home dir(~), it will open)
Pictures        (Same as above)
Music           (Same as above)
xkill           (kill a stubborn window)
nautilus /      (open / in nautilus)
gnome-terminal  (terminal application)
gedit           (simple text editor)
firefox google.com (load google.com into firefox)
sol             (Aisle root solitaire)
gcalctool       (Gnome calculator)
baobab          (Disk usage analyzer)
users-admin     (Users Administration)
gnome-system-log (self explanatory)

So there's just a few. You can find many more by adding an application
to the panel, right-click it, check the properties for the "command" - that will be the keyword you use in the Run command to start the program.

Congratulations on your freedom!!
Go GNU/Linux!

Mr. Rose, please add "Linux Games" Section to Digg.com

2009-01-21T23:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. Kevin Rose and Digg.com,

Since there is an increasing demand for games to be ported to GNU/Linux and there are literally hundreds of games titles already available for GNU/Linux, we would like request that you add a "Linux Games" section to the Gaming section of digg.com.

<

This will help to make a centralized, and useful resource for GNU/Linux users everywhere to find information about Linux Gaming on digg.com.

Thank You.

GNU/Linux Gamers and Diggers

Info for the new GNU/Linux user

2009-01-16T12:15:00.001-08:00

So here's my plug for the new GNU/Linux user (biased towards Ubuntu of course):

I am a big advocate of GNU/Linux in general, but I personally use and recommend Ubuntu because it's quite popular(there are several other distros actually based on Ubuntu: gOS, HP Mi, Mint, Ultimate, probably more) , it has a lot of users(which means more users on http://ubuntuforums.org tat), it's based on Debian(which is a rock solid distro used in all types of servers and other devices), it gets security and other updates quickly(but so does the rest of the GNU/Linux ecosystem), and because Ubuntu provides a major distro release every six months(this means cool new stuff comes out at least twice a year). Note: I'm not trying to give Ubuntu all the credit for any of what I mentioned, GNU/Linux and FOSS in general are very active actually.. it's amazing!

Ubuntu is good, but something that might turn new users off to it is the lack of initial multimedia playback capability. That being said, it's actually very easy to enable multimedia playback in Ubuntu(see http://ubuntuguide.org), but some people are surprised by the fact that Ubuntu doesn't ship with the not-licensed-as-free multimedia playback components installed.

If you want to have multimedia and everything working out of the box, perhaps you could try Linux Mint(http://www.linuxmint.com/download.html), or even Ubuntu Ultimate edition(http://ultimateedition.info). These distros(and there are others) should have all the goodies (plus cool games and software) already installed for your use.

There are also many other awesome distros out there(Fedora, Puppy, openSUSE, simplyMEPIS, etc.), checkout http://distrowatch.com for more information. You can also checkout http://livecdlist.com.

Also, what's very cool about GNU/Linux is the LiveCD. You can easily try any of the distros named above before you ever install them simply by booting to the LiveCD. The LiveCD is a fully working copy of the GNU/Linux distro that is loaded and run from your computer's RAM and cd drive without making any changes to your computer. This allows you to try out many distros to see how they work for you without committing to any particular one. I encourage you to try out as many distros as you like. Ubuntu also comes with the wubi, which lets you install Ubuntu inside of Win*** as a program.

To see a(mostly-inclusive) list of the free software that's available to you with GNU/Linux, take a look at these websites(to name a few):
http://osalt.com
http://linuxappfinder.com

I have some more links posted on my blog at: http://humans-enabled.com, and you can look at my digg profile: http://digg.com/users/bicep for more information.

For the Dell users, there is a Dell section on the Ubuntu Forums at: http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=256

To see one example of what owning a Dell machine with Ubuntu can do for you, have a look at the "unboxing" article that I put together here: http://www.humans-enabled.com/2008/11/dell-inspiron-530n-nvidia-9400gt-ubuntu.html

Finally, to see how GNU/Linux and FOSS are free, have a look at the Free Software Foundation's website (the FSF was founded by Richard Stallman of GNU) at: http://www.fsf.org . Also, Linus Torvalds, the original creator of the Linux kernel, is a recognized hero - see this article.

So that should be enough to get you started... Let me know if you need more information.

Congratulations on your Freedom!!!

Enjoy!

Shannon VanWagner
http://humans-enabled.com

Open Letter to Game Makers - Investigate the niche of GNU/Linux compatibility

2009-01-11T20:25:00.001-08:00

January 11th, 2009

Dear Respected Video Game Maker;

Sometimes it takes one heck of a company to show enough backbone to explore new and exciting markets for their products. One example of this type of company is Dell. I say this because, by selling Ubuntu GNU/Linux directly to users, Dell has taken a courageous and honorable turn away from the typical supporters of the OS monopoly. This truly does make Dell a power player. If you check around, you will find that many other companies are following Dell's lead to offer what users want, and what they need - technology that enables humans with GNU/Linux.

Over the next 1 to 3 years, and beyond, we are set to see the glory of the GNU/Linux operating system take hold as the prominently used end user platform for computers everywhere.

This is why it makes a whole bunch of sense for you to port your games to GNU/Linux.

But don't take my word for it, checkout the links and information below that I've gleaned from the Internet. You'll find that there are many good reasons you should make a native GNU/Linux version of your games:

Jeff Rosen (a game developer at Wolfire Games - makers of the crossplatform(including Linux) game "Lugaru") outlines 5 good (and profitable) reasons games ported to GNU/Linux will do well:

http://blog.wolfire.com/2008/12/why-you-should-support-mac-os-x-and-linux/

Also see this google search term: world of goo on linux site:digg.com
http://forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?t=15357

This forum at linuxquestions.org has 80 pages of names of games that people would like to see "ported" to GNU/Linux:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-games-33/what-games-would-you-like-to-see-ported-to-linux-105965/

This blog with an experimental test of searching websites with the term "linux" shows that many people are searching for "linux client" versions of games:

http://www.humans-enabled.com/2009/01/proof-gamers-want-gnulinux-ports.html

This site is dedicated to enabling Linux users to use 12,251 proprietary(and other) software titles made for windows:

http://appdb.winehq.org/

See the popularity of this digg article concerning gaming on GNU/Linux as a means for user adoption :

http://digg.com/linux_unix/Games_as_an_alternative_Linux_desktop_strategy

Search google using the following search term and you will find lots of articles concerning porting games to Linux:

port games to linux site:digg.com
linux gaming site:computerworld.com
linux gaming site:slashdot.org
linux gaming site:tgdaily.com
linux gaming site:petitiononline.com

The time for you to expand into the GNU/Linux gaming market is now. Please consider doing it immediately.

If you're apprehensive, and you're looking for proof as to how successful the porting of games to GNU/Linux would be: Please consider making standard links/buttons on your "System Requirements" and/or "Products" pages that say "Vote here to get this game ported to GNU/Linux"or perhaps "Preorder this game for GNU/Linux now... Note: we need (X number) preorders in order to make it available". This way, you can not only get some good numbers as to the business from GNU/Linux users you are missing out on, but you will also gain popularity as being an "honorable" company that recognizes there is more than just one OS out there.

Thanks for Listening.

Here's to your successfull future with GNU/Linux!!

Sincerely,

Shannon VanWagner (on behalf of millions)
GNU/Linux Enthusiast and IT Pro

[I'll be sending this out to as many game makers as I can find. I'll post the list here later]

Proof - Gamers want GNU/Linux ports

2009-01-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

After the buzz about gaming being a new avenue for GNU/Linux platform adoption(even Mark Shuttleworth is talking about it), I decided to run a little experiment to see whether it seemed like a good idea.

I came up with this experiment simply because I wanted to see whether there are others out there(like me) that want more native games for GNU/Linux. I was delighted by my findings.

The Experiment:
The method I used is simple. Using google.com search, I performed a keyword search of a list of individual game provider websites(see the list below).

Here's an example of the search term to use on google.com (replace valvesoftware.com with the gaming site of your choice):

"linux site:valvesoftware.com"

The above example searches the whole website(and sub-domains of) "valvesoftware.com" for the keyword "linux".

Here are the sites that I ran my experiment on (This is just a short list, there are more. Please try it yourself on any gaming website you can think of):

Note: Click on the hyperlink to see the google.com search result for the respective domain.

huxleygame.com
ea.com
ubi.com
lucasarts.com
steampowered.com
blizzard.com
cyanworlds.com
2kgames.com
valvesoftware.com
sierra.com
take2games.com
unity3d.com
e-games.com.ph
americasarmy.com
station.sony.com
wolfire.com
www.gamesradar.com
gameplayer.com.au
cabalonline.com
darkfallonline.com
runesofmagic.com
co.91.com
netgame.com
bioware.com
ign.com
ndoorsgames.com
perfectworld.com
dungeonrunners.com
playrf.com
nexon.net
roseonlinegame.com
playrohan.com
play-earthrise.com
mortalonline.com
quakelive.com
thesims2.ea.com
subagames.com
bethsoft.com
netflix.com

My findings:
What I found was that for EVERY site listed above, there is always someone asking "Where is the Linux version" or something to a similar tune. Also, there seem to be some jobs out there for GNU/Linux people because "Employment Opportunities" show up as well in the results.

Conclusion:
Could it be one person going to every site and posting "where's the Linux support"? Who knows. But given the fact that the trend is consistent across so many sites, it seems to me like there is a niche market out there that is ripe and juicy for the picking, and that market is gaming for GNU/Linux.

Furthermore, the idea of using the GNU/Linux Universal Operating System as a base platform for gaming just makes sense because GNU/Linux can be ported into so many different hardware devices.

Do I think games should all be open source? Not necessarily. But I do think that the platform for PC gaming should be open and available to any other Operating Systems than just the single one that has the greatest market share. It's a framework thing. I say make the framework parts standard, so then all competitors can come in and make the best content, and the content will be able to be used on MANY platforms / Operating Systems.

Who wins?
Everyone (it's a win-win). The end users win because they will get more games on more platforms. The game makers will win because they won't be reinventing the wheel every time they make a new game, and thus will be able to make more games quicker. Also, games won't die off with the platform they were originally made for. When something is made to be compatible with GNU/Linux, it tends to live forever. Finally, companies that port to GNU/Linux gain a new level of industry "prestigiousness" for being FAIR and providing for Multiple Operating Systems.

So what do you think? Are you ready for the GNU / Linux Universal Operating System as the standard platform for gaming? Are you ready to have your favorite games on any and every platform available through the power of GNU/Linux?

Leave your 2 cents (or more) below in the comments if you like.

Go GNU/Linux!!
Congratulations on your Freedom

Dell Inspiron 530n, NVIDIA 9400GT, and Ubuntu GNU/Linux preloaded. One word - AWESOME!!

2009-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

As a technology professional I don't usually purchase OEM systems for my personal use. I usually prefer to customize and build systems for myself instead.

But this time around, I decided to put my dollar vote towards a company that is among those who are paving the way to the future of technology by selling computer systems that are preloaded with the GNU/Linux Operating System.

Enter the future. Enter Dell. Enter GNU/Linux. Dell sells Ubuntu GNU/Linux preloaded on the Inspiron (and other models), click here to see.

Quick boot-up, processing muscle, graphics like silk, configurable beyond the imagination, and over 20,000 free software packages at the fingertips with a click of the button. This is the computer that would show a new GNU/Linux user what it's all about.

Here's the details on the one I bought for about $700 (shipped 2nd day):
Inspiron 530,Intel Core2 Duo processor E4600 (2.4GHz 800FSB) w/Dual Core Technologyand 2MB cache
2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz
Dell USB Keyboard
Dell Optical USB Mouse
Dell 19 inch E198WFP Flat Panel Analog and Digital
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100
320GB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive (7200RPM)
Ubuntu 8.04 with DVD Playback
Mouse included with Keyboard purchase
Integrated NIC card
16X DVD+/-RW Drive
Integrated Audio
Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year
1 Year Limited Warranty and Next Business Day,Desktop
PNY NVIDIA GeForce 9400GT PCIe Graphics card (Purchased from frys.com here and added on)

Unboxing/Setup of the Dell Inspiron 530n

Inspiron 530,Intel Core2 Duo processor E4600 (2.4GHz / 800FSB) w/Dual Core Technology and 2MB cache. Order Date: 11/14/2008, received on 11/20/2008 (1 day ahead of estimated ship date). Our cat(callsign:Fatso) decided to hold down the boxes until I arrived home from work to take the photos.
Box cap: DELL "YOURS IS HERE". "It's a Dell with Ubuntu DUDE!!"
Everything out of the box and onto the table. Notice the Ubuntu restore DVD that came included. Note: No mention of "Vista" or "Windows" anywhere on the box or computer - this makes me happy. On the front of the case, there are four USB ports, audio ports, the DVD Writer drive, a space for another CDROM, a space for a floppy/media drive, and the power button (no floppy/media reader is included by default).
I ordered my Dell Inspiron 530n with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor($90 extra), 2GB of RAM(plenty for Ubuntu GNU/Linux), integrated 7.1 channel audio, and the 19" monitor($20 more than 17"). This is but a slight deviation from the default Dell Inspiron 530n model, which is the low price of only $408. My custom configuration cost around $700 after purchasing the graphics card and shipping with the 2nd day option.
The case is sleek enough to be sexy, and much smaller than my "legacy" computer systems cases, which are solid iron.
Rear view of the case. Pretty simplistic. I hadn't yet plugged in the separately purchased NVIDIA 9400GT PCIe graphics adapter yet. The connectors include, power(switchable for other countries), analog monitor for the integrated graphics, 4 USB ports(added to the 4 on the front, this makes 8 total), RJ45 port for the integrated Ethernet network adapter, and 7.1 channel audio connectors (includes the subwoofer port). Also, as you can see, there is room to add on your favorite PCI or PCI-E x1 card.
Quick shot of the internals. With the heart pumping before me, there seems to be plenty of room inside considering the case is smaller than my other systems. The hard drive placement is different from what I've seen recently though, neato. There's a slot the hard drive fits into that doesn't show in this picture. The Hard drive and DVD/rw are of the SATA2 variety of course. Interesting how the fan on the processor looks like a regular case fan. The two fans make somewhat of a racket, and then slow to whisper quiet when you first turn the machine on (they must blow pretty hard if ever throttled up that high).
This system came with 2GB DDR2 SDRAM / 800MHz installed (2x 1GB chips), and there's 2 slots left for upgrade. Awesome. Thankfully Dell didn't fill all four slots with 512MB to total the 2GB.
Motherboard is a FOXCONN G33M02 with 2 spare PCI slots and a PCI-e 1x slot. For those wanting to see the Owner's manual for the Inspiron 530, see here.
Closer look at the motherboard markings. Sorry, I'm not much of a photographer.
Here's a shot of the power supply model ATX0300D5WB. Output is 300W max.
Here's a shot of the SATA DVD Writer Model TS-H653.
Heres the 320GB (was a free upgrade from 250GB) SATA2 hard drive, Seagate Barracuda ST3320620AS (7200RPM).
Here's a shot of the startup screen BIOS version 1.0.15.
After the Dell EULA(not shown), the Ubuntu mini-setup kicks in (Select Language).
Next screen is choosing time zone. I couldn't find Mars, so I selected Los Angeles instead.
Ubuntu Keyboard layout. Anybody ever use Dvorak?
The Ubuntu create a user screen. Username will be Kickass!
Initial login screen for Ubuntu GNU/Linux. This picture doesn't do it justice at all. I think it's cool how the time and date are shown on the front login screen(for everyone to see, even though no user is logged in), this shows the paradigm of "technology as an enabler of humans", which paired with FREEDOM, is the core driver of GNU/Linux.
Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron desktop, complete with Dell DVD Restore media creator icon. No Crapware of any kind, No Trial-ware, No limited offers!! Hooray!!
Update manager shows 1042 updates available, wow. Who says GNU/Linux isn't secure? Security updates are written and made available for download almost as soon as they are discovered.
Here's the PNY NVIDIA GeForce 9400GT PCIe 3d graphics card. $84 at Frys.com here.
Here's a picture of the graphics card with box contents (includes: s-video/composite external video connector, drivers disk, and manual). Also pictured here is my Chiefmax NKRUSB-400 802.11b Wireless USB Networking Adapter Dongle, which is available from 3btech.net (a similar one is available here. I like to buy stuff from 3btech.net because they sometimes specify whether a piece of hardware is compatible with GNU/Linux or not (here's the "Linux" search results from 3btech.net).
PNY NVIDIA GeForce 9400GT PCIe card closeup.
With the PNY nVidia GeForce 6400GT physically installed, I was disappointed to find out that the GNU/Linux driver was not included on the installation disk. Guess I'll have to email PNY about that. UPDATED: after having problems upgrading to Ubuntu 8.10 with *.run driver script from NVIDIA installed, I recommend installing the "restricted driver" for NVIDIA directly from the Ubuntu repository. This works better because then the driver will be tested to work along with regular Ubuntu updates.
Here's a picture of the Ubuntu supplied NVIDIA restricted drivers enabled (System>Administration>Hardware Drivers)(reboot required).
Dell Inspiron 530n with PNY NVIDIA GeForce 9400GT PCIe plugged in and working.

Now for some fun. Here's a video of the open source game GL-117(website|screenshots) (3d action flight simulator). My camera video doesn't do the graphics justice at all, but at least you see how smooth the game runs.

Here's a video of the open source game TORCS(website|screenshots) (3d racing). Again, my camera video doesn't do the graphics justice at all, but at least you see how smooth the game runs.

Here's a video of the open source game Alien Arena (website) (3d shooter). Again, my camera video doesn't do the graphics justice at all, but at least you see how smooth the game runs.

Here's a video of the awesome 3D game called "Prey". Prey was recently ported to GNU/Linux by Ryan Gordon at this link. Purchase this game in the box from Amazon via this link (about $17 when I bought it), then run a quick script on your GNU/Linux machine here(3d graphics required) and away you go. For more information about the game, see here. This game rocks!!

Here's a video of the awesome and FREE online MMORPG game called Regnum. Many hours of fun await, just signup for your free account, download and install (Windows or Linux), and away you go.

Here's a clip of the awesome online game Savage 2. Also checkout linux-gamers.net for more information on GNU/Linux gaming at its best.

Here's a clip of the awesome game World of Goo, which was recently ported to GNU/Linux by the great guys at 2D Boy. "World of Goo" is a superbly crafted, 2d puzzle game, which is artistically beautiful, features great music and effects, has no DRM, and is a great value at only $20 for a version that works with Linux/Win/Mac/Wii. "World of Goo" was named Wii Game of The Year(2008) by IGN. This game is a perfect example of how gaming on GNU/Linux (both commercial and free) has a very promising future. If you support GNU/Linux, you should purchase a copy of this game!! Note: My short video does the game no justice at all, there are so many more levels, much more scenery, and much better graphic detail in the game.

Here's a clip of the awesome game Halve Life 2. "Half Life 2" is a action-packed, man vs. alien, 3D FPS game that runs on the steampowered.com platform in winehq.org on GNU/Linux.

Here's a clip of the awesome and FREE GNU/Linux-compatible multi-player First Person Shooter game Urban Terror. Get Urban Terror here

Here's a clip of the awesome and FREE GNU/Linux-compatible multi-player First Person Shooter game Assault Cube. Get Assault Cube using these easy instructions for Ubuntu

Here's a clip of the awesome and FREE GNU/Linux-compatible (via Wine) MMORPG game for Kids called Wizard 101. To make this game work with Wine, checkout this tip on the wizard101 site.

Here's a clip of the awesome and FREE GNU/Linux-compatible (via Wine) FPS game called Half Life 2. To make this game work with Wine, checkout this tip on the Winehq.org site.

Here's a video to show the functionality of my 51" panasonic TV as the secondary Monitor connected via the S-Video port on the PNY Verto NVIDIA 9400GT PCIe graphics card. I set this up so I can watch hulu.com and other online channels on my big screen TV... Oh yeah baby!! Also pictured is our shiny new Wacom Intuous 6x8 Tablet(my Son is an artist),for which we used the easy instructions at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wacom to get setup. Go GNU/Linux!!

Here's a clip of the Unigine Tropics Benchmark video that was run at 1024x768 resolution. You can test your machine with this free download as well. Thanks to Vadim P. for mentioning it in the comments.

Final score from Unigine is 270 @ 10.7 FPS. This certainly isn't a hardcore gaming machine score, but for a regular use computer it's not bad at all.

Pros:
Fast System with plenty of RAM (GNU/Linux uses SO MUCH less anyway)
Quick Bootup.
Killer Graphics that flow, beautifully, without hiccups or hangups from other processes.
Plenty of Monitor - 19" widescreen LCD.
Lightning Fast user experience, even with compiz effects enabled.
Bloatware Free - seriously, there's not one single crapware icon anywhere.
Unbelievably Configurable - it's GNU/Linux.. Have it how you want it.
Hundreds of free software titles (all categories) - Internet Connection required.
Here's the best one - Freedom from restriction.

Cons:
Didn't come with free speakers.
Didn't come with free multi-card reader (e.g., camera smart cards and such).

Conclusion:

This Dell is Awesome!! If you're not using a Dell Inspiron 530n with the NVIDIA 9400GT graphics adapter and the 19" monitor, you don't know what you're missing! If you DON'T like for your kids to be interested in, and get on the computer, then DON'T buy this computer. Oh, and if you were thinking about a Holiday gift for your favorite computer user, this is it!!

My next project will be to build a computer from scratch using an ASUS motherboard(perhaps the Asus P5QC Socket 775 Motherboard from frys.com ) with SplashTop and GNU/Linux of course!

Murdered Alternatives - Imagine if the security flawed Internet Explorer were your only choice!

2008-12-17T13:15:00.001-08:00

You're probably saying, "there's no way that could happen". But guess what? Thanks to companies that don't adhere to Open and Interoperable web standards, many users may NOT have a choice but to use Internet Explorer to access their much-needed resource!!

The recent colossal security meltdown of ALL versions of Internet Explorer serves as a magnificent reminder as to just how important it is for websites to adhere to Open and Interoperable Web Standards.

The security flaw in Internet Explorer was so bad that industry professionals went as far as recommending that we "Not use Internet Explorer".

Here are some example headlines of the mayhem(there are many more out there):
"Microsoft Scrambles To Fix Flaw"
"Security Experts recommend avoiding Internet Explorer (for now)"
"Serious security flaw found in IE"
"Users of the world's most common web browser have been advised to switch to another browser until a serious security flaw has been fixed."

Now imagine this: What if you didn't have any other choice but to use Internet Explorer and Windows to access the websites you really need? Wouldn't that make you very mad? It should. Afterall, this is not the way the Internet was intended to be used. The Internet is open and free, why should any company think they can violate this basic premise? Ask some Mac users, or better yet, ask some GNU/Linux users about how bad it is when companies don't follow web standards, you better grab a seat and sit down, cause you're gonna hear it for awhile!

The problem: Some websites don't program their web pages using Open and Interoperable(as in working with any OS) Web Standards. Currently, open web standards are created and maintained by the W3C - The World Wide Web Consortium. "The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential."

Technology and the Internet are tools that a lot of people use. This is why there needs to be an open and accessible set of standards that everyone can follow to be on the same page. Imagine if you went to the store and bought a wrench that was supposed to fit a 10mm hex bolt and you didn't find out until you got all the way home that the 10mm wrench you bought doesn't fit the 10mm hex bolt at all, even though the packaging said it would. This is the same thing that happens when a company buys or builds a website that is only programmed to work in one non-web-standards-compliant web browser. This is very ugly.

In fact, one of the primary reasons the Internet (or World Wide Web if you want to call it that) is so successful is because it is open to a wide array of technology and devices, ranging from wireless devices, computers, cars, servers, appliances, refrigerators, and much more!! Now imagine if your refrigerator was required to have the IE security update in order to not be taken over and having your food spoil by hackers. This is no good.

So there it is, short but sweet. Tell the owners of websites you frequent most to program their websites using Open and Interoperable Web Standards. Accept nothing less!! This way you will have a choice in working around the security meltdown of a particular web browser. The bottom line is that computer users everywhere should not be putting up with this type of non-standards non-technology-compliant nonsense, and it's up to YOU to do something about it.

Here's what you can do:
If you experience any website that gives you an error message saying "You need to install Internet Explorer to use this website" or "You need to have Windows to run this website" or even sometimes the website will just not work at all(especially if you're using another OS besides Windows), then take a moment and find a way to contact the "webmaster" of the site and provide some "feedback" for them to fix the problem. Just let them know that their website is not complying with Open Web Standards as set forth by the W3C, they'll know what it means.

Stop the Tax!!

Want to know more? Checkout these stories:
"Browser campaign slams IE"
"Planning to dump IE? Think again"
"Websites that Don't Work in Firefox"
"Why Internet Explorer 7 Will Break the Web"

Prey Awesome 3D game - ported to GNU/Linux by Ryan Gordon

2008-12-16T20:53:00.001-08:00

Here's the screenshots of the setup of the awesome 3D game called "Prey". Prey was recently ported to GNU/Linux by Ryan Gordon at icculus.org.

Purchase this game in the box from Amazon via this link (about $17 when I bought it), then run a quick script on your GNU/Linux machine to setup the game (3d graphics required), and away you go.

Below is the desktop of my Dell Ubuntu machine. As you can see, I've inserted the first Prey cdrom(icon shown on Desktop), and I've downloaded the Retail version GNU/Linux Prey installer from Ryan Gordon's website here. The screenshots below show that Ryan's installation script is very easy to use, so you can be playing Prey on GNU/Linux in no time.

After Prey is installed, there will be a shortcut in the Applications > Games section (In Gnome) to start the game. Note: You will need to enter the Game Activation key from the Retail version box to run the game.

Voila, up and running. Here's a screenshot and video of game play.

Thank you Ryan Gordon for making this possible!!!

Desperately awaiting The Orange Box (Half Life 2) games for GNU/Linux

2008-11-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

Open Letter to VALVE, the makers of the awesome Half-Life games:

Hi there. Hope things are going well in Valve/Steam-Land. You guys have some awesome products... nice job!!

I wanted to tell you that I was reading an article about how you may release the steam engine to us GNU/Linux users. This way, we too can enjoy your games as well as the Win-users do.

I know, I know... I also see that it's relatively easy to run VALVE games on GNU/Linux using Wine, but that doesn't interest me, because in my eyes that supports monopoly.

Personally, I think all games should be native to GNU/Linux FIRST, because GNU/Linux is the Universal Operating System and is not restricted from being installed inside any other Operating System as an engine for the application. Many other types of technology use the GNU/Linux Universal Operating system this this way, so why shouldn't computer games? Why should I have to pay a tax to Microsoft? I don't use their OS at home. I wrote a small blog entry about how GNU/Linux would be the ultimate gaming platform.

So today I was checking out the Steam Store, and I was very impressed with the reasonable prices you are offering your games for. These games seem like a great value.

I was SO CLOSE to buying some of your Half Life 2 games... But sorry, I didn't buy them.... I just couldn't bring myself to paying the Wind0ws tax by supporting a game that is native to it. Also, I truly don't believe Monopoly is a good thing for anyone.

I have a computer that can run 3d games, I just recently purchased a Dell Inspiron 530n and added in an NVIDIA 9400GT 3d graphics card... see my writeup of it here.

Now I just need to purchase some 3d games for the holidays for my shiny new computer.

I would really like to purchase Half Life 2 for GNU/Linux. Please let me know when this is available.

In the meantime, I guess my dollar vote will instead go to the GNU/Linux native 3d game Yo!Frankie from the Blender Institute.

Thanks! Cheers! and here's looking forward to the Future of GNU/Linux and VALVE!!

Shannon VanWagner
GNU/Linux Enthusiast and Technology Professional

Looking to help out? Sign the petition to get Steam available for GNU/Linux here. Also, checkout any other GNU/Linux related petitions here. If we can organize the millions who use and promote GNU/Linux, we can get it done.

Congratulations on your Freedom!!

The Best PC Game Platform Ever (GNU/Linux)

2008-11-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

As an avid GNU/Linux user and IT Professional, I have personally observed how versatile this magnificent Operating System can be.

GNU/Linux drives a multitude of different hardware ranging from embedded devices, to various types of networking devices, to small computer systems, to servers, to supercomputers, and beyond.

GNU/Linux truly is a Universal Operating System, not only because it can be installed on just about any type of hardware, but also because of the freedom(in license) it offers to use, modify, and redistribute it to humans everywhere.

So, today while having a "trip and bump my head" moment, I thought of an idea that would make it possible to deliver more games to more users than ever.

Here's the idea: All PC Games should first be built to work with the GNU/Linux Universal Operating System. Then, since it is relatively easy, the game would simply have an installer that would install GNU/Linux on the host platform and to enable the gamer to be played on the host. An example of this "GNU/Linux installed as a program" system is already being used in Ubuntu, it's called wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer). The wubi enables users to install GNU/Linux as a program into the Windows OS.

Since GNU/Linux is Universal, this could open up the game to just about any platform because the user would simply use the game installer to install GNU/Linux along with the game to their system.

Running games in this fashion would put an end to the need for PC game makers having to port their games to different host Operating Systems because all games would be built to work in the GNU/Linux Universal Operating System.

Using this type of system would revolutionize the PC gaming industry, and broaden the market for the game because it could run on many different types platforms. Increasing the availability of the games would equate to increased sales of the games. It's sort of like the example of RAMBUS RAM vs. SDRAM. Since SDRAM was a more open standard than RAMBUS, more hardware mfgrs were able to make SDRAM and so it became cheaper and more widely used to the point that it snuffed out RAMBUS alltogether. Another example would be Henry Ford's mentality of making cars more affordable and selling many more cars than when they were only available to the rich.

This method of making games would also help to protect gaming systems from becoming obsolete, which would be beneficial for both the gamer and the game maker.

Imagine the possibilities that can become reality if games weren't tied to one specific Operating System and instead were run from the GNU/Linux Universal Operating System.

So perhaps GNU/Linux should be renamed to (GNU)niversal Linux Operating System.

Go Freedom!! Go GNU/Linux!!

Also shared the idea with:
Mark Shuttleworth
Collabra
Dell Ideastorm here

Office Online is a farce - it's Office for MS-OS only

2008-10-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing all this hoopla about "Micr$oft Office Comes to the Browser" and "Office to be Available for Everyone Online" and what not.

But LOOKOUT!! IT'S A FARCE!!

What the headlines should really say is that Office Online comes to the browser ONLY on Operating Systems provided by Micr$oft.

Check it out for yourself. Fire up any GNU/Linux operating system, open Firefox, go to http://home.officelive.com.

What you'll see is this irritating message:

So don't be fooled.

Yes Micr$oft is putting products in the cloud.

But, NO NO NO, they are not making the products be truly Inter operable with a 1/3 of the OS Markey share. Yes, I'm saying that GNU/Linux is #3 of the top 3 Operating Systems out there.

I say hooray for the Internet. Because the Internet uses standards that can be used by a variety of Operating Systems.

Office online DOES NOT use web standards.

It's another dirty trick to hook you into paying the Micr$oft OS tax.

Don't buy it!!!

Keep your sanity, get Google docs or Openoffice.org instead.

Updated(06-10-09) This is preposterous.. How come I can't see the (LIVE) speech from the USA President online just because I'm using GNU/Linux?

2008-09-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

UPDATE (06-10-09) - Apparently CNN received my message and changed their website so that now CNN Live works great with the Flash Player on Ubuntu GNU/Linux 9.04! You can get to CNN Live by clicking the "Live Video" link at: http://www.cnn.com/video

Great job CNN!! Way to support diversity in operating systems. Enjoy your new GNU/Linux viewers.

This is what I see when using an Open Source Operating System to view (LIVE) PUBLIC information that is disseminated from our American President!!

Is this America or what? Why should I BE REQUIRED to use a PROPRIETARY OPERATING SYSTEM to see what our Government (and current PRESIDENT) is trying to deliver via press conference to me, an American? If this is required, where is the Microsoft/Apple federal tax, that will at least give back to America for the restrictions it provides? How is this Freedom in the United States of America??

I was so ticked off by this that I sent an email to the Antitrust investigation department of our Federal government (email address: antitrust.complaints(at)usdoj(dot)gov). Here's the email I sent:

This link doesn't work for GNU/Linux (tested on Ubuntu 8.04):
http://www.cnn.com/video/live/live.html?stream=stream1

How come I can't watch what our president has to say (LIVE) just
because I use GNU/Linux?

Please look into this. There's no reason that people using GNU/Linux
should be restricted from news that is delivered by our President.

Parties involved that are creating a monopoly: Microsoft and CNN.

Thank you.

Shannon VanWagner
American Citizen and Veteran

So what do you think? Am I uninformed, or do I have a legitimate complaint? Why should AMERICANS be restricted from seeing messages from our American government, just because we may CHOOSE to use an OPEN SOURCE operating system such as GNU/Linux?

This is not FREEDOM, this is Baloney. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS NOW!!!

I propose a CLASS ACTION lawsuit against Monopolistic agencies that seek to BLOCK THE AMERICAN USERS OF GNU/LINUX from taking part in Main Stream Media.

Seriously,

Shannon VanWagner
GNU/Linux Evangelist and Veteran

(UPDATE: 19:15 09-24-2008 - I'm now watching the President's speech at: http://www.cnn.com/video/). However, I still believe that we should not be blocked from LIVE government video for using GNU/Linux.

(UPDATE: 09-27-2008 - CREDIT due: After checking out http://www.cnn.com/video, I see there are many videos here that I can play in Ubuntu 8.04. Thank you CNN for making these videos available)

Open letter to wireless carriers: Give us Android phones!! Let FREEDOM ring!!

2008-09-24T10:05:00.001-07:00

OPEN LETTER TO WIRELESS CARRIERS (Verizon, ATT, Sprint, et. al.):

Please give us Android phones ASAP!!

HTC and T-Mobile made mobile phone history yesterday(09-23-08) by providing us all with the Open Source Android Operating System on the elegant HTC G1 handset.

DON'T GET LEFT BEHIND!!

It would be too bad for you if all of us started switching over to T-Mobile just to get the Android phone, but this move may become a reality if you don't catch on quickly to the Android phenomena, and start providing this awesome phone very soon.

So that's it, GIVE US ANDROID AND Let FREEDOM ring!!

Good day.

Shannon VanWagner
GNU/Linux Evangelist

Checkout dragonfable.com - Cool Flash based Game - Works with GNU/Linux!

2008-08-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here's something my 11-year old son ferreted out by using GNU/Linux:

So you're looking for a cool online RPG game that will work with GNU/Linux?
Then you should checkout:
www.dragonfable.com

dragonfable even has a special player in it named "Linus", here's his bio: "Your tiny penguin pal, he gets confused alot and likes cleaning... but will not do Windows"(see screenshot below).

GNU/Linux gaming is alive and advancing!

Go GNU/Linux!!

Open Letter to D-Link - Please help Linux users by providing .inf and .sys files (instead of Setup.exe)

2008-08-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

So recently I was working on a computer for a customer of mine who wanted to replace Vi$ta on her computer with Ubuntu GNU/Linux Hardy Heron. The customer really, really doesn't like Vi$ta, and I don't blame her, but that is a story for another day.

The real reason for this posting is to hopefully alert the D-Link company to a problem that us GNU/Linux users are faced with when using their products, in this case the D-Link DWA-130 Ver:A1 USB wireless adapter.

First of all, I believe D-Link products are good products, I really do. However, for some of the D-Link products to work on GNU/Linux, we are forced to use the ndiswrapper because there are no Linux drivers available(yet). As for using the ndiswrapper, the ubuntuforums.org says we can use the ndiswrapper for the DWA-130 here.

Using the ndiswrapper is not a big deal to me, since I simply fire up the sudo ndisgtk utility to then load the *.inf (win) driver.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS D-LINK DOES NOT LET ME DOWNLOAD THE *.inf and *.sys files directly, and instead I have to download the Setup.exe driver package, which I am not able to extract on Linux (if someone has a way of easily doing this, please post a comment).

So this problem creates a situation where you have to have WinXP to install the Setup.exe file, thereby extracting the needed *.inf and *.sys files to the Windows directory. You can then copy the files over to your Linux machine and use the sudo ndisgtk command to load the required oem9.inf (Mrvw243.sys &MRVW245.sys) files.

DEAR D-LINK COMPANY: PLEASE PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE RAW *.sys AND *.inf DRIVER FILES FOR YOUR NETWORKING PRODUCTS SO THAT WE LINUX USERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO FIRST LOAD YOUR DRIVERS ONTO THE WINXP MACHINE BEFORE WE CAN USE THEM ON LINUX. TO REQUIRE WINXP TO GET YOUR DRIVERS, THIS IS SUPPORTING A MONOPOLY OF OPERATING SYSTEMS AND YOUR COMPANY SEEMS FAR TOO REPUTABLE TO SUPPORT AN OPERATING SYSTEM MONOPOLY. PLEASE HELP!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, GNU/LINUX USERS EVERYWHERE.

As for loading the drivers for DWA-130, here's how I made it work, but this is a bad way of doing it because it requires WinXP here

Sincerely,

Shannon VanWagner
GNU/Linux Enthusiast and IT Professional

Digg+Google equals Awesome Knowledgebase!

2008-07-29T06:54:00.000-07:00

Digg is a vast database of really, really good stuff. Imagine an Army of Diggers, by the thousands, scouring the Internet everyday, finding the best stories and submitting them to digg. This is a massive, massive resource of information.

Unfortunately, if you're like me, you haven't had much luck with the search tool on digg. So of all the awesome information that's available on digg, it's a shame we can't search through it better, or can we?

That's where our good 'ole friend google comes in...

We can use google.com to search for key terms only on the digg.com site, and reap the benefits of the best information that's submitted to digg! It's easy, check out the examples below. Just paste the search term into google.com, or click the link provided, and you'll be amazed at how easy you'll find what you're looking for.

Click some of the examples below to see how it works.

how to reset windows administrator password site:digg.com
best file recovery utils site:digg.com
install linux site:digg.com
smile site:digg.com
get a job site:digg.com
workout site:digg.com
lose weight site:digg.com
be happy at work site:digg.com
this will make you laugh site:digg.com
computer guru work site:digg.com
improve computer performance site:digg.com
best websites site:digg.com
linux vs windows site:digg.com
cool wallpapers site:digg.com
best admin tools site:digg.com

As you can see... the possibilities are endless!

Thank you digg.com for keeping your vast article database searchable with google(this is very open source like)!!

Thank you google.com for being an awesome search tool!!

Enjoy.

Shannon VanWagner
Linux Enthusiast and Digger

Why the Linux Desktop isn't the most popular(yet), and how you can help

2008-07-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

As an avid Linux user and promoter, I am frequently faced with the pessimistic viewpoint of the minuscule market share that the Linux Desktop occupies.

And although Linux on the Desktop will continue to move in positive direction of a mainstream Desktop Operating System, I'd like to share my view as to why this process has not been the Mushroom Cloud of expansion that us Linux lovers would like to see it be.

The problem is very simple actually.

The Linux market share is currently limited by the lack of support for it from computer hardware makers.

That's it. Plain and simple.

Since hardware makers do not help make drivers for GNU/Linux, the GNU/Linux community has to use a lot more time to "catch up" in the development of drivers. And if playing "catch up" isn't bad enough, In some instances, the hardware makers make it even harder for Linux, by using some wonky tactics to store pictures on a flash chip for instance (enter the world of Professor Theodore Kilgore and trying to decode the storage patterns of the Jeinlin 'Kidz-Cam'). This lack of fluidity in the availability of some drivers for Linux makes the game makers and many other software makers(it's a trickle down effect) choose Windows because they know that with Windows, a driver will be developed for the hardware, and fast.

So there it is. If you support Linux, you need to let all makers of computer hardware know that they should support Linux as well. And unfortunately this means you MUST BE VERY VOCAL about it! Emails, word of mouth, t-shirts, billboards, airplane banners(hmm, I gotta try that), etc. LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU'RE USING LINUX! DEMAND SUPPORT!

Here's a very simple example of how you can help. Go to your favorite electronics store(i.e., Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's, etc.) and ask them, "Do you have hardware that supports Linux? And if so, is it printed on the box?". This simple action will start something. And although you may not notice it right there, you have triggered an avalanche. Your words will meet the computer hardware makers, eventually.

Go GNU/Linux! Go Freedom!

Disagree? Bring it(by leaving a comment)!

Shannon VanWagner
HTTP_USER_AGENT: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/2008061015 Firefox/3.0

(note: the use of the term "Linux" in this article actually means "GNU/Linux" and all respect is meant for both terms and their origins)

Posted Jul 16th, 2008

Open Letter to WebCam Makers - It's time to Include Linux Drivers and show it on your packaging!

2008-07-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was making my routine perusal of the computer merchandise at my local retailer (OK so I admit it, I was at Wal Mart).

While walking through the aisle of peripheral devices I was thinking to myself, what is the most problematic device to get working in GNU/Linux? And that's when it hit me... it's USB WebCams.

Linux is arguably the most compatible operating system for just about any type of typical computer hardware out there. What this means is that a great number of all types of devices already work with Linux, ranging from a multitude of CPUs/Motherboards, to wired/wireless networking, to disk drives/RAID controllers, to external drives and media, to audio/video/playback devices, and the list goes on and on. With that being said, when I think of what type peripheral device that is comparatively lacking in functionality and drivers for GNU/Linux, it is the USB WebCam.

So after I inspected every USB WebCam available on the shelf at Wal Mart, the "system requirements" for every one showed Windows, none with GNU/Linux support.

This DOES NOT make me happy as a Linux user!!! These hardware companies KNOW that Linux exists, I'm absolutely sure they do!! SO WHY NO LINUX SUPPORT!!

How long would it take for a USB WebCam manufacturer to make a Linux driver? About a week or so? We're not talking about reprogramming the space shuttle here. What if the WebCam makers recruited the help of the GNU/Linux community?

This much I know for sure. Had I seen a reasonably priced USB WebCam that stated "Linux Compatible, driver on CDROM" in the "system requirements", I would have bought it right there on the spot! Does this mean anything?

There are more people out there just like me. I'm sure of it. It's why Ubuntu Linux is being sold at Best Buy.

Windows is not the only Operating System for the desktop, it's time that companies realize this, and profit from it, and provide more hardware that works with Linux.

So I'll be sending emails to Logitech, Phillips, Microsoft, and any other WebCam maker I can find to ask them to see this blog entry, and more importantly to make their hardware compatible with Linux (and showing it on the box).

Please leave a comment to show support or if you have an idea as to how to get these USB WebCam makers to see this.

Shannon V.

Office Depot Infiltrated by Ubuntu Linux

2008-07-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever cruised by Office Depot to checkout the new PCs only to findout that the Vista login screen is password protected?

Suffer no more my friend! Follow the steps below and it'll fix you right up...

First, Arm yourself with any Linux LiveCD (checkout http://livecdlist.com), then head over to your favorite computer store, put the cd in any computer that has a cdrom, and reboot the machine to Linux!

The pic above was taken at my local Office Depot around midday.

The cherry machine in the picture has a great monitor, which I was very impressed to see boot right up beautifully.

So I was hanging around playing chess/mahjong/solitaire/etc and then when I was finished, I simply left the Ubuntu Linux up on the screen for the next shopper to enjoy. The Office Depot guy walked by a few times but I guess he didn't quite realize what was really going on.

I am a good samaritan, and kind administrator, and I wouldn't want to leave the next poor soul to experience Vista with a locked screen! Actually I wouldn't want the next poor soul to endure Vista at all for that matter.

So there's my good deed for the day. That was pretty easy.

Of course I didn't click on "install" or delete any files from the native NTFS "hp_factory" partition, doing that would just be uncool (even though Ubuntu would install alongside Windows anyway).

However, I would like to see the salesperson's face though, when he realizes his aisle cap machine with the biggest screen has been visited by the Ubuntu God!

Go Linux! Go Freedom! Go GNU!
(pic credit: Treo 650 - taken by Shannon V.)