Well I know I said that Security was next in line but I got a few emails that wanted to know things like what else can I use and where do I find if this works or not so I thought I would post a couple of the more useful links that may answer some of the questions that you folks are asking. But don’t fret, the security is up and coming.

Okay for the first of a handful of helpful links that the new linux user ,or the about to be user, I suggest this site for a great comparison of Windows programs and the many Linux options that are available to the user. This comes in handy when you say to yourself I used IE what is in linux that is the same or close to the same program.

Comparison Chart

I hope that these links will help you folks out and I will see you tomorrow with Linux Security really I will.

This second link is for those I must have windows programs, and the compatibility with Wine.

Wine Database

The third and last for the day is Linux Hardware Compatibility Lists & Linux Drivers, the idea here is so that you can check and see if your computer is on the list or not, so you can foresee any problems that may arise with your new Linux install. And it is also a great source for linux drivers as well.

Linux Drivers & Hardware List

Technorati Tags: Linux

Okay you are getting closer to taking that big step and the one thing that is worrying you is will you still be able to see the grandkids pictures or the home movies you and the missus made last year. Well the answer to that is yes you can and even more if you so desire.

Lets start with the basic digital camera that everyone has these days. Linux comes to the rescue with a handi little programmed called DigiKam. It lets you download the pictures from the camera onto your hard drive so that you can edit or delete them when you get home and want to check out all those pictures you took at the family reunion last weekend. So you have a load of pictures you want view once again there is a program for that and not just one but many of them and I will just mention my favorite not because it is everyones favorite but I like it because it is fast and easy to operate and use. With that said I suggest Gwenview really nice program to not only view them but also repair,adjust,rename it even makes HTML gallery for you if you desire that.Overall a total program so I thnk that I have covered the basics of pictures and if you really need to edit things there is always Gimp a heavy duty editor in the line of Photoshop or Paintshop Pro a little on the overkill for photo editing but I told you about that just in case.

Now you ask what about movies? Well spanky with Kino you can edit your films with just a little learning curve and you will have hollywood beating at your door. Okay maybe not but you will be able to produce fine looking cd’s and DVD’s in no time.

And the last item I want to mention is Audacity one of the best audio editors on the market and once again it is open source program that will not set you back the big bucks that a windows version would run. And yes it can be used to produce PodCasts if that is what you always wanted to get into but had no software to do it.

Well that is all for now and I will be back with more linux replacement software but this should answer some of your questions and maybe start you on the right path the one leading to Linux. And if you have any questions feel free to drop me a note and I will get right on it. Or if you have a topic that you want covered please feel free to ask I am easy on that type of thing.

Next Linux and Security

Technorati Tags: Linux

jcatcw writes “While Firefox is very customizable, many of its settings aren’t in the Options. Each setting is named and stored as a string, integer, or Boolean in a file called prefs.js and accessed via about:config from the nav bar. Computerworld provides instructions on 20 tweaks for speeding up page loads, making tabs behave, reducing memory drain, and generally making the interface act the way you want it to. Customization also comes through the must-have FF extensions (but be sure to skip these).”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

 

Technorati tags: Software, How-To

Source: The Secrets of Firefox about:config

WordPress is a full-featured “personal publishing” platform, but it offers little in the way of traffic analysis. If you’d like to dig into your traffic patterns and have a better idea who’s visiting your site and what they’re coming to see, take a look at the Open Web Analytics (OWA) plugin for WordPress. It’s easy to use, and provides a wealth of information about your site traffic.

Source: Open Web Analytics for WordPress

Create a small program that runs on your desktop. Here is that tutorial that you wanted to see so that you could get started into programming really simple and easy to follow.

Check out the Tutorial

Technorati Tags: Programming

Ah you say this is the part where you can say see linux is not that good! Well while that truth of the matter is nope linux has games that you can run with more being ported to native linux daily, the truth is that the newest games are a pain to run under linux. However I hope to clear up some of the confusion caused by running windows games under linux.
First let me say that the state of gaming in linux is poor for two reasons, First and foremost the creators of the games has forgotten and forsaken the linux user for years now and are just now finding out that we linux users are also gamers. And the second is the lack of hardware support from the video card makers. Nvida has been good but until recently ATI was trailing the pack but is showing signs of coming around.

So for you to run games you have 3 options in order to run windows games in linux.

1. Wine
2. Crossover
3. Cedega

Yes one wine comes with every distro out there and while the work they have done is fantastic, I am sorry to say that wine is still behind the curve with the newest games however if you check on the homepage you will find what will work and to what degree. And yes there is a huge list however not everything is there.

The next two are the pay to play offerings. Crossover is more or less targeting the apps more than the games, but while they have some games listed the apps are still far ahead over in this camp.

Now comes Cedega, it has been since it’s inception a true gamers based emulator. And while I do not run it I have been told by many that is works just fine and they keep the selection of games up to date more than the other two options. And as with the other two options they are easy to install and get up and running for the dyed in the wool gamer.

So in closing all I can say is you have options to leave windows behind if you are willing to go out and dip you toes in the open source pond. I say go out and visit some the message boards and forums and sites that cater to the linux gamer and see what they have to say about the different choices and see what is going to work for you. Just remember the answers to your problems are only a click away. So why not give open source a look and see if it is not the cure for the problems that you have with your operating system now.

Technorati Tags: Linux

I figured I would take this time out to help inform others what this ethic is. An error correction from the previous entry though: Information being free is important, but not the very first part of the Hacker Ethic. Let’s take a look at it:

Access to computers — and anything which might teach you something about the way the world works — should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the Hands-on Imperative!

Read the Rest

Technorati Tags: Personal

Joost, the compelling new on-demand P2P video service from the creators of Skype, has attracted considerable attention since the launch of its closed beta program. Last week, we offered 10,000 of our readers the opportunity to join in on the fun. I grabbed an invite myself so that I could put Joost to the test on the open-source Linux platform.

Source: Joost on Linux: it’s difficult, but possible

What is the condition of the Linux today? That is a question that I get all the time and one that is getting easier to answer every day. I always ask the user what do they want out of Linux and that cures some of the woes and worries they have. With todays options with Linux( and yes there really are a lot of them) from Suse and Mandriva available in boxes at Best Buy and other big box stores to the many of downloadable distros, the new Linux user has options.

Lets start with basics you want to surf the web and visit those “in places” like You Tube and comedy central you have the options to use Firefox or Opera or gawd forbid you what to use IE that is always a option that is avaialable to you. And what about e-mail you say well there are options there from Thunderbird to kmail and dozens in between. And with Open Office there is no more reason to fork out a large slab of that valuable cash you have horded away to get a office suite, it comes in most distros or is easily downloadable too.

But wait a second you are saying why would I take a perfect running version of Windows and trash it out by trying to install Linux just to play on the web? Well spanky today the new user has many options there again, with the common use of “live CD’s” you can just download a distro that you want to try burn it and you have Linux running on your machine and nothing was installed, yet. And for those you that want it even easier a lot of the local Lug Groups has install fests or demo days at which they hand out free cd’s with various flavors of linux on them, or you can even order one for just a couple of dollars from over at Distrowatch.

Okay if everything is so great why is windows still around you ask? Simple brainwashing, what is running on every computer you see in the stores? Yup Windows, what was the first machine you bought, yup again windows. The average user has never even seen a Mac or Linux machine up and running and that is the shame of the matter. And that is the reason that myself and others are always talking about Linux to get the word out, and not just for you but for your mother and sister and your friends. Can a average user jump right into linux without problems? Yes it can be done and with a smaller learning curve than you had when you first started with a computer. Would a linux system cure all your problems? Maybe not but it won’t hurt you and it is safer and more stable than the operating system that you are using now so why not give it a try, it is free and easy to obtain what is holding you back?

Technorati Tags: Linux

To one and all a Happy and Safe Holiday, and don’t forget to say thanks to a vet that you may know in your area.