Best Linux Software

I ran across this great website that lists 100 awesome Linux applications to help you explore the spectacular open source world of Linux. They divide the software into categories and some they even give a full review to. They also list 20 of the best Linux flavours for every user. Linux Mint get’s my vote.

They also list a number of other best of lists. They do a good job of listing 40 of the best WordPress plugins that will help you improve your site. They also list 100 of the best Chrome extensions and 50+ Firefox plugins to boost the potential of Firefox. And lastly I want to mention that they list 100 best apps to fill your Android mobile device with. Check them out at the link below.

LINKS
http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/the-best-of

Review of Linux Mint 13 MATE Edition

After reading a number of positive reviews I finally decided to switch my main system from Ubuntu 10.04 to Linux Mint 13. I did a fresh install. The installation went without a problem. Because my graphics card is limited, I installed Linux Mint MATE version from a DVD I burned.

Well I have pretty much installed everything. I decided to switch a few programs that were the default in Ubuntu 10.04 to the current Linux Mint default programs. For example I am using pluma instead of gedit, Banshee instead of Rhythmbox, and Picasa instead of Shotwell (though Picasa isn’t the default program). One big surprise is that there is no Seamonkey. I am playing around with Bluefish Editor and KompoZer to replace it. I am using Google Chrome for my browser instead of Firefox, and I am using Evolution for my email instead of Thunderbird.

So far it is awesome. I highly recommend Linux Mint 13, it is now my desktop of choice. On slower computers I recommend Xubuntu 12.04. Both are long term serve releases. Linux Mint 13 with be good until April 2017.

I am still upset with Ubuntu and the whole Unity desktop thing. Canonical made a horrible error in forcing Unity on the community. Many of us have left. I no longer run Ubuntu on any of my system. It is sad to finally say a complete goodbye to Ubuntu. But I am happy I finally have an alternative to recommend without reservation.

Links
Download Linux Mint 13 Maya

On Corporate Control of the Internet

Noam Chomsky on Microsoft and Corporate Control of the Internet.
An interview by Corporate Watch.

As long as the Internet was under control of the Pentagon, it was free. People could use it freely [for] information sharing. That remained true when it stayed within the state sector of the National Science Foundation. As late as about 1994, people like say, Bill Gates, had no interest in the Internet. He wouldn’t even go to conferences about it, because he didn’t see a way to make a profit from it. Now it’s being handed over to private corporations, and they tell you pretty much what they want to do. They want to take large parts of the Internet and cut it out of the public domain altogether, turn it into intranets, which are fenced off with firewalls, and used simply for internal corporate operations.

“They want to control access, and that’s a large part of Microsoft’s efforts: control access in such a way that people who access the Internet will be guided to things that *they* want, like home marketing service, or diversion, or something or other. If you really know exactly what you want to find, and have enough information and energy, you may be able to find what you want. But they want to make that as difficult as possible. And that’s perfectly natural. If you were on the board of directors of Microsoft, sure, that’s what you’d try to do.

“Well, you know, these things don’t *have* to happen. The public institution created a public entity which can be kept under public control. But that’s going to mean a lot of hard work at every level, from Congress down to local organizations, unions, other citizens’ groups which will struggle against it in all the usual ways.” — Noam Chomsky

Genealogy Software for Linux

So I have been doing some research into my family history. So I decided to look for genealogy software for Ubuntu. GRAMPS is just such a genealogy program. It helps you organize your family tree, and is capable of exchanging datawith other programs using the GEDCOM standard.

I started my research with SharedTree. It claims to be the Internet’s first completely free, completely online family history and genealogy application. What I like is that they adhere to strict opensource principles. I can export my work using the GEDCOM standard.

LINKS
http://www.sharedtree.com
http://gramps-project.org/ 

Linux Mint releases Cinnamon

Sick of the new GNOME 3.0? Sick of Ubuntu’s Unity desktop? While let me introduce you to Cinnamon. Cinnamon is the first stable version of Cinnamon created by Linux Mint. It is designed to look and feel like the old GNOME 2.0 interface.

Now I was hoping I could tell you how I like it, but I can’t. It doesn’t work on my virtual machine and I am not brave enough to install it on my production machine.

I can tell you that I will run Ubuntu 10.04 LTS until I have to choose. I will not stick with Ubuntu if the old GNOME 2.0 is no longer available. By then I hope that Cinnamon has worked out all the bugs.

I have, however, been able to run Mate in my virtual machine. It is at least an option. Worst case scenario I will move to Xubuntu. It is at least a workable alternative at this point.

LINKS
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/linux-mint-releases-cinnamon-gnome-2x-style-desktop/10220
http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/

Thoughts about Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot

Before you switch to the new and not improved Ubuntu, you should know that Unity is now the default desktop. There is no Gnome classic version. So like it or not Unity is what you will get. On newer systems you can run the 3D version, on older systems you will default to the 2D version.

So what’s wrong with Unity? In my opinion it is taking several steps back. It takes away so much of the flexibility and usefulness of the old Gnome desktop. In all fairness to Ubuntu, the real problem is up-stream. The Gnome Project made some major changes and it has effected everyone down stream. Even Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, hates Gnome 3. So Ubuntu has decided to create their own shell to run on top of Gnome 3.

Honestly, in my opinion, both shells suck. I have got to the point where I can use the new Ubuntu Unity desktop, I just don’t like it. However, I can see how it would work fairly well on a touch screen device. And this is what I think they are really aiming at. But in the process they are leaving us desktop users behind.

So what advice do I give to users? Don’t install Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot! Burn yourself a live CD and test drive it first. Don’t install it unless you are sure you like it.

For those still running Ubuntu 10.04 LTS don’t upgrade. Stay with it for as long as you can. This is what I am doing on my main system. I used my laptop to test the new Ubuntu 11.10. So that is my first recommendation – stay with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS.

For those of you who just have to have the latest and greatest Linux, I recommend Linux Mint. This is my first recommendation to those just beginning to use Linux. In the next version of Linux Mint they are going to try to fix Gnome 3 to act like the old Gnome 2 that we all loved. I am not convinced that they will fully succeed, but at least it is a move in the right direction.

For those who do not have issues with Ubuntu shoving Unity down your throats, there is always the option of one of the alternative desktops. The closest to Gnome is Xfce, but LXDE is also maturing and feels a little more like Windows. Then for the more adventurous there is always KDE. KDE feels a little like Windows 7 to me. It is very flashy and has a very good group of programs that go with it. It is not very good for older machines, but then neither is Gnome 3. If I have to stay with Ubuntu I think I would switch to Xfce, called Xubuntu.

So there you have it, my thoughts on the latest and saddest Ubuntu to date. I went from an Ubuntu fan boy to an Ubuntu hater. Yes I hate where Ubuntu is going and that millionaire Mark Shuttleworth does give a damn about what the users want. He could have fought for the old desktop that we can to trust and love, but he didn’t. He could have forked off a Gnome branch of Ubuntu and let Unity be a separate thing. But no, he knows better than us.

If I had to make the switch today, Linux Mint would be my choice. But I am waiting to see what happens in the Linux world in the next few years. Canonical will provide support for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS until April 2013 for the desktop version. At that point I will have to make a choice. That will give Gnome 3 time to mature to the point where the damn thing might actually be usable. I blame the Gnome project as much as Mark Shuttleworth for messing with a good thing – Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx.

LINKS
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS8745257437.html

What is Linux and Why Should I Care?

Linux is an operating system kind of like Windows. The reason you should care is that unlike Windows there are no viruses in the open for Linux. And although you are not charged for it, companies like Red Hat, Novell, Oracle, and IBM have spent a lot of time and money on it. There are well over a thousand computer programmers who have worked on it. So although Linux is free, it is not cheap.

Linux is also open source. That means that you can see the computer source code, and if you can read programing languages, you can know what your computer is doing. In fact, you can actually change it and make it better if you want. This is great, because there are a thousand eyes looking at what your computer is doing. There have been rumors for years that Microsoft Windows has a back door that allows Microsoft or any government agency to spy on you. There’s no way to disprove it because Microsoft doesn’t share their source code with anybody. It is closed source.

Linux can be shared. Again to compare with Windows, although it’s the same for Apple’s Mac OS X, you can’t share Windows with your friends. I know, we all grew up being told that sharing was a good thing. Well not to Microsoft or Apple. Not only is it wrong, it is criminal. Doesn’t that seem strange to you? Sharing makes you a law breaker. Well with Linux, sharing is not only allowed, it’s encouraged. Make as many copies of Linux as you like and give them to as many people as you like. It’s legal because Linux is copyrighted with those permissions already given to you. It is called the GNU General Public License.

Lastly, Linux will run on older computers. Is Windows getting too big for your computer? Is it running slower and slower? Well Linux can give you back your old computer. (If its really old, try a distribution called Puppy Linux.)

Linux includes over 30,000 free programs including Firefox, Thunderbird, Google Chrome, and LibreOffice. Although many Windows programs would run on Linux, some will using a program called WINE. But even if they don’t run, you will find many substitute programs that work just as well or better.

Actually you might already be running Linux and not know it. Android is a Linux based operating system, so if you have a Droid phone you are running Linux. If it’s good enough for your phone, it might be good enough for your desktop. Worth a try, don’t you think?

So where do you begin? I suggest you begin with a live Linux Mint CD. Linux Mint is a distribution of Linux that bundles together all the programs you will need. The live CD allows you to put the CD in your computer, reboot, and then test drive Linux Mint. This allows you the chance to get use to Linux Mint before you actually install it. Remember to backup all your files before you install Linux Mint, otherwise you will loose everything.

Linux Mint
http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

Celebrating 20 Years of Linux

Twenty years ago this August a computer programmer from Helsinki, Finland started a revolution. His name is Linus Torvalds. He made the bold choice to share his operating system with the world and to do so for free. Later he decided to release it under the GNU General Public License, which guaranteed that it would be free and its source code open. This revolution in computing created the largest collaborative development project in the history of computing. Literally thousands have contributed code to the Linux kernel.

Today the Linux operating system is literally found everywhere. In fact most people don’t even know they are using Linux. Linux is a leading server operating system, which means most of the web is running on Linux. In fact the 10 fastest supercomputers in the world are running Linux. I dare say that most Android users have no clue that they are using a Linux operating system. But it doesn’t stop with mobile phones, Linux is also found on almost 2% of desktop computers as well tablet computers, routers, ATM’s, video game consoles, and can even be found in cars.

The film industry has also gone Linux. The first major film produced on Linux servers was Titanic back in 1997. Since then major studios have migrated to Linux including such giants as Dreamworks Animation, Pixar, and Industrial Light & Magic. The Linux Movies Group says that more than 95% of the servers and desktops at large animation and visual effects companies use Linux.

Today Linux turns 20 years old and many are joining in the celebration. The Linux Foundation will officially celebrate the 20th anniversary of Linux at this years LinuxCon in Vancouver, Canada on August 17-19.