Final Post

I am going to cease posting about open-source software, mainly because it seems that no one is interested. I apologize for not being a prolific writer or posting things that everyone wants to read. I know that my blog will not be missed so I hope that anyone interested in open-source will find the information that they need. Thank you for your time and patience and , May the Source be with you all!

Our world is changing!

The world of computers and open source is changing. When Linux came out over ten years ago, Windows had a lock on the desktop even if it wasn't very user friendly at the time. Linux wasn't either but that has changed in all aspects. Linux has improved to the point of being easy to install, easy to use on a daily basis and still very stable and virus free. Windows is getting closer to that, especially with the version which will be coming out later this year. But, this post is about open source so, with that in mnd, the next version of Ubuntu will be coming out in April and if it is any better than Intrepid Ibex I don't know what else can be improved upon. Although I am sure the developers at Canonical will find something. Thanks for checking in and I will be posting again soon.

Politically correct or not!

I know that there have been other bloggers who have drawn fire for promoting Linux, but we cannot let that deter us from trying to get the word out about our favorite operating system. Linux and its use by more people will only grow as people get more dissatisfied with other operating systems.

The world at large thinks that, for ninety percent or more of the computers sold, Windows is the computer. For most people that may be, but that can change and it will if we show them another way and teach them how to use it. Mainly, educating them not to attempt to install windows programs on Linux computers. Then they won't be disappointed when their programs don't work!

I know this sounds like an "elitist" attitude but Linux seems to be still a "hobbyist" OS at the moment. I know that there are many others out there that are writing about Linux and singing it's praises, but the only way to get people to use it is to teach them about it and its advantages. I know that being teachers or educators is not what we signed up for when we started using Linux, but if you want more people to used it you have to let them know what it is and that it is available.

If you look at it like spreading the word about your favorite OS, that is the spirit. More people need this, especially those in developing nations. If there was a time that people truly needed a virus-free operating system and one that doesn't cost anything it is now. Our world is changing rapidly in more ways than we know and there are many ways that the Linux or Open Source groups in the world could help. If we just sit back and wait, nothing will change other than one distribution or another will fall by the wayside and nobody will even notice.

Dream Linux, one of the best

I have been trying this one out a while and it is a very good pre-release version at this point. It is still in the RC4 stage so the final product will likely come out soon, but if it is any better it could possibly work its way into the top position at DistroWatch.com.

It uses Xfce as the desktop so it is light on the memory footprint and very responsive. It is a very customized Xfce but it is easy on the eyes, not flashy just functional. It seems to concentrate on laptop use since it tries to load wireless even while using the LiveCD like Ubuntu. It is a Debian based distribution so it is very easy to upgrade and add programs to, so the user-friendly is built in. The reality of this distribution is that it is very multimedia friendly. The easy installer allows you to install all the codecs for viewing movies and listening to mp3's without much more than a push of a button. In time I think DreamLinux could be very popular indeed. I know I have posted about it twice now but it is that good. Give it a try and you will see what I mean.

I don't have any screenshots at this time but if you go to http://www.dreamlinux.com.br/ you will see exactly how it looks and how close it is to being ready. My desktop is using an nvidia ethernet controller that DreamLinux doesn't like and doesn't see so I can't say how it performs on a dual-core AMD processor system but I imagine it will really be fast.

Give it a try, I don't think you will be disappointed. Especially if you like Xfce as a desktop manager.

See ya next time! Happy Holidays!!

Is anyone listening?

Software, especially operating systems should be free of viruses and spy ware. That is the freedom that Linux of any brand gives you. I have been using it for years and it works just as it is supposed to. There are still some rare hardware that is not recognized especially win-modems, but for the most part Linux works better than most for my money.

I know Linux is free (as in cost), but that doesn't make it bad. In most of the computers that I have tried it on, it detects and installs hardware better than Windows does. My main reason for using it and encouraging others to do so is that viruses, spy ware, key loggers, etc. don't work on Linux because they are written for Windows computers.

I am repeating things that have been said many, many times before, but people need to hear it. Open source operating systems and office software IMHO are the best way to go. This message has to get to those who need it. Please, help me spread the word beyond the developer and IT community.

I have tried a new distro

It is called Dream Linux. It is still in the RC1 stage but it is a very useful distribution. Everything is there that you expect and a few things that you don't. The default display manager is Xfce so it is very easy on resources. It has been customized so that it has a bottom dock like a Mac. Each icon zooms when you pass over them and it seems to work really well.

My biggest problem with it is that it didn't recognize my Nvidia controlled Ethernet port on my desktop and it wasn't able to configure the video on an old Dell that I have (an 1100 Inspiron). I am going to give it a shot on my Toshiba Satellite, but so far no Linux distribution has had any trouble with it. I will come back and edit this post when I have had a chance to test it on the Toshiba but it will likely be a glowing report then and maybe I can give you more details.

Stay tuned!

I am posting this from my Toshiba with Dream Linux running from the LiveCD. It does work very well, it detected my wireless card and it does everything any Linux user could need or want. It looks a lot like OS X in some respects but it is Linux. I am looking forward to the final release to see what else they add to it or possibly fix, if there is anything wrong with it. So far, I haven't found much.

If anyone who likes to try new versions of Linux would like to give it a shot, please do. It is a Debian based distribution so it is better than most out there except Ubuntu. Sorry, but I am partial to it. :)

Let me know what you think of it when you have tried it too.

The Open Source Movement

That is what the move toward open source has been called, a movement. A movement is part of a concerto or part of a dance routine, not a move toward a more stable operating system! Granted, "geeks" have been at the fore of the open source initiative as long as it has been happening but open source is so much more than just a "movement".

Software which has been and is still being developed by the community rather than a corporation is open source. When the bugs are found in it, the community fixes them. It is an elegant way of doing things and very efficient, most of the time. I and many others have been trying to get a bug or something fixed in Ubuntu's Intrepid Ibex (8.10) for a few weeks now, with not much success from what I have read on the forums. It seems that the older your hardware is, Ibex can't seem to find the correct solution for the video, whether it is a laptop or some other screen. Before this release, Hardy Heron would not give me a decent resolution for my KDS monitor, but Ibex did. I thought that it wouldn't have any trouble with a laptop which was only four years old, but since it is a Dell 1100 Inspiron it can't even install and use the screen if I use the alternate install CD.

I am waiting for the great community of developers out there to fix this but even if they do it won't make it into the stream until the next release in April of '09. So, I will just have to wait. I am not complaining about this, actually. It is not just Ubuntu, I have tried other distributions and none except Mepis will even install correctly and give me a boot screen to log in to. With the alternate disk, Ubuntu got me to the login but the desktop didn't show up after that. Any ideas?