May 16, 2006

Pragmatism and operating systems

If, by now, I've managed to tweak your interest in Linux or, by now, if Windows has pissed you off enough that you've become interested in Linux, you're probably rooting through the applications that you know and love to see if they'll run on a Linux OS. Many of them will. If not, there are usually native Linux replacements that will do the trick just as well. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Excerpt:


I'm lucky enough that everything I do, I can do on Linux. Mind you, I do need to use Wine to run Quicken and iTunes, but other than that, my Linux workstations are Windows-software free.

Many people aren't that lucky.

Novell, as many of you know, is working on trying to talk ISVs (independent software vendors) into translating the most popular Windows programs into Linux. With thousands of users asking for Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, and Adobe/Macromedia Dreamweaver, maybe we'll see native versions of these in Linux sometime soon.

Even so, there will still be other programs that keep users from running a Linux desktop.

Darn it.

As Miller points out, most people and companies can do 90 percent of what they need to do on a Linux desktop. The bad news is that that final 10 percent varies from company to company. For Miller, video's the problem child. For many businesses I know, its accounting software.

Yes, I know about GnuCash, TurboCash, and Lazy8Ledger.

However, the companies I know already have people who are invested in QuickBooks, MYOB, and Peachtree. They're not going to change anytime soon.

Will the change ever come?

Sure.

We've already come much farther along with the Linux desktop than anyone would have ever dreamed.

As Miller points out, when he first tried Linux around in 1996, mounting a CD-ROM and setting up a printer were big challenges. When I started, I was compiling Linux from source code because I had to, not because I wanted to.

In five years, I predict, 90 percent of all businesses will be able to run 100 percent of their preferred software on a Linux desktop. The ISVs (independent software developres) will continue to bring their software to Linux, and open-source accounting programs, perhaps one of ones I've mentioned, will make the jump from niche program to market-power.

Someday, someday soon, most of you will join me in being able to do all your desktop computing on Linux.

I can't wait.

Quicken presented a major obstacle to my being able to switch. Turns out that it runs just fine in Linux if you use Crossover Office. Just an FYI.

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May 10, 2006

Business as usual

So more flaws have been discovered in Windows. What happens this time? Does the screen go blank? Do your files become invisible? No, of course not. Instead, these "new" flaws provide a hacker the ability to gain control of your computer. It's like a Microsoft Groundhog Day that doesn't end by your having sex with Andie McDowell. Instead, it's like french-kissing Helen Thomas.

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May 09, 2006

Moving on to a new OS

I mentioned in the past that moving from Windows to Linux needn't be so painful. However, I'll admit to having been pretty sketchy when it comes to details. Doug Roberts goes where I haven't in this article. Excerpt:


With the hype around Windows Vista about to reach ear piercing decibel levels when Beta2 is released for testing and evaluation, discerning computer users will no doubt be evaluating what upgrade path they want to take from Windows XP.

XP has been a fairly good ride, and a long one. Make that a very long one. In many respects, this powerful general purpose OS has served its time reasonably well, although some would say it has over-served its time. During its five-year-plus reign, a lot of changes have taken place in the operating system landscape.

Year after year, XP has faced an onslaught of security breaches and vulnerabilities. Apple's OS X, on the cutting edge of OS technology, will naturally draw comparisons with Vista. And lately, Linux has been nipping at XP's heels for a place on the desktop. From commercial Linux distributions like SUSE and Red Hat, to community based distros with strange sounding names like Ubuntu, Mepis, and Kanotix, these Linux OSes are challenging XP both on the security front and in terms of functionality. And, did I mention, they are free!

During the many months that I've been using Linux, I've seen my Debian install mature quite rapidly. I've seen a lot of rough edges polished off and features added as I continued to update my system, which started life as a Knoppix Live CD. I've seen the software applications gain in sophistication, too. In fact, it's not a stretch to say that there are many areas where Linux has not only matched, but has exceeded, Windows XP. In short, I like it.

Does this mean I'm going to try to convince you to abandon Windows XP? No. I still use it, and would feel like a hypocrite if I told you to do something I have not done myself. I'm dual booting and will be for the foreseeable future, as I have things in Windows I need to do from time to time. I just don't use it online very much. :-)

I'll tell you up front, you may have to give up certain favorite Windows software applications if you start using Linux a lot. The strength of Windows rests, in large part, on some of the really great applications that run on it. It's hard for people to be torn away from old favorites that are as comfortable as old shoes. In my case, it's WordPerfect -- it's hard to say goodbye to it.

But, if you switch to Linux, you are also saying goodbye to constantly running Spyware and Antivirus programs, and never-ending hurried malware updates. You are saying goodbye to Windows licensing fees. You are saying goodbye to disk defragmenters! (Linux's superior journaling file system makes them unnecessary.) You are saying goodbye to reboots after OS updates and software installs. Unlike Windows, Linux does not require these reboots. Finally, you are saying goodbye to OS system crashes. You have to work really hard to make Linux crash. Has that got your attention? Oh, and did I mention Linux is costs less? The community-based distros are even free! :-) I did mention that, right?
...

The GUI environment

Yes, Linux does have a history of being a command line OS. But, that is ancient history at this point. Yes, you can still do a lot in a command console, but it's rarely necessary anymore for desktop users.

For Linux to ever have a chance to move from servers to desktops, it needed a GUI interface like Windows has. One of the best ones is KDE, which I use. It's a richly featured GUI that easily rivals Windows XP. Eye candy is nice up to a point, but I like my desktop to have some function, not just be pretty, so I actually have a lot of KDE's eye candy turned off -- like bouncing icons when programs launch. :-) Bouncing icons? C'mon! I do have my desktop icons set to turn a bright green when my mouse slides over them, though. Green as in "go."

Speaking of eye candy, I suppose you've heard about the new Windows Vista's glass effects. Have you seen the screenshots? Vista will probably get the award for the world's prettiest OS! But, if you switch to Debian with KDE, you can also get some nice "glass" effects, and without having to upgrade to a newer high-end video card that Vista would require. For example, on my system, the task bar on the bottom of the screen is configured to be about 90 percent clear, letting my photo of Red Rock Canyon show through (see screenshot, below). You can even use a slider to vary the clarity or opaqueness. Menus are also translucent, so that you can see what's underneath them.

desktop6.jpeg

...

What about running Windows apps?

At this point, you may be thinking that while Linux does have a lot of desktop software, you have certain Windows software apps that you just can't be weaned off of. I understand; I'm in the same boat. As I said before, in my case it's WordPerfect. That's the reason I keep dual-booting.

But, let's say you really want to use Microsoft Word. Here, you're in luck! You can run Word and lots more Windows software in Linux. How?

On my Debian install, I added a commercial package called CrossOver Office, to run Word. CrossOver Office uses a technology called Wine, which intercepts Windows commands and translates them on the fly into corresponding Linux commands. The result is that Word runs just the same way as it does on Windows, and with no perceived speed difference.

CrossOver Office also lets me run quite a nice variety of Windows games, as well as Windows Media Player 6.4, which pops up when I click on my favorite Bluegrass Internet radio station. It also runs Adobe PDF Reader 5.0, along with all Windows versions of Firefox! The list of Windows software that CrossOver Office lets you run is so extensive that you should be sure to check if it will run a specific Windows software package in Linux.

But, the most amazing news is that I can run Adobe Photoshop 7 my favorite photo software via CrossOver Office. PS7 does the heavy lifting for my photo editing. Now, I realize PS7 may be more than what a lot of people need. Is there a good photo editor/browser out there for the rest of us? Yes, it's called XnView, and it's available in both Windows and Linux formats. Most of my every day photo editing tasks get assigned to XnView, a fast browser/editor.

Lots of good information. As I've mentioned before, give the Live CD versions of Linux a try before you make the leap. Knoppix is a great place to start, but you need to find the one that's right for you.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 11:57 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Free computer books

For a limited time, In Pictures will allow you to download copies of their textbooks. The books use more images than words to help teach you the how-tos of many different software applications and operating system. Here are the available downloads:


computer basics

Windows XP
Mac OS X Tiger
Linspire Five-O

Palm Devices

microsoft office

Access 2003
Excel 2003
PowerPoint 2003
Word 2003
Publisher 2003

openoffice.org

Base 2.0
Calc 2.0
Impress 2.0
Writer 2.0

web layout

Dreamweaver 8
FrontPage 2003
HTML & CSS

web graphics

Photoshop CS2
Fireworks 8
Photoshop Elements 4.0

web programming

MySQL Basics
PHP Basics
PERL Basics

Check them out if you're so inclined.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 08:29 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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May 03, 2006

Revving up Firefox

There are some websites that I visit where Firefox does not work, which forces me to open IE. That might be a thing of the past. Excerpt:


Even die-hard Firefox fans often surf with an Internet Explorer window open, just for those holdout sites that require IE to function. IE Tab is a Firefox extension that makes it a little easier to reduce your IE dependency: It lets you open a Firefox browser tab that runs sites intended for IE.


To download IE Tab, you must visit the Mozdev.org page and install the extension directly into the Firefox browser. After restarting Firefox, you'll see a new entry for IE Tab Options in the Tools menu. It opens a dialog box that lets you list the Web pages to open with an IE rendering engine--but in a Firefox tab. When you next open those pages in Firefox, in most cases they'll behave as if you'd opened them with IE. It's not perfect--for instance, I had trouble making some forms work properly--but IE Tab does obviate the need for an always-open Internet Explorer window.


If this extension looks familiar, that's probably because it's based on IE View, which opens a separate IE window from Firefox. The main difference is that IE Tab does so entirely within Firefox, instead of opening a separate window.

IE Tab is free of charge. Its Taiwanese developers, who go by the names PCMan and yuoo2K, don't provide a method for accepting direct donations. If you'd like to encourage this project by sending money to someone involved, consider donating to the Mozdev Community Organization.

You'll find other cool stuff in the article. Check it out.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 05:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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May 01, 2006

Easing the transition from Windows to Linux

I know that some of you are ready to make the leap from Bill Gates' creation to some version of Linux. There are probably at least two things holding you back:


  • Inability to run Windows-based applications on a Linux platform
  • Inability to migrate -sometimes- years of data from your current Windows environment

While I've made mention of WINE in the past as a solution to the first problem, I've had no real answer to the second. Until now:


Versora announced April 27 the release of its Progression Desktop for Turbolinux, a migration tool that helps users to transfer files and settings from their Windows system to a Linux system. Progression Desktop for Turbolinux moves critical data, application settings, email, calendar entries, contact lists, desktop settings and directory structures via a "Click-Next-Next-Finished" interface, according to Versora.
...
"People don't want to recreate their files and settings or risk losing them altogether -- it's one of the most common reasons people are hesitant to switch from Windows to desktop Linux," added Versora CEO Mike Sheffey. "Versora's Progression Desktop makes the migration process easy and provides immediate value to those making the move to Turbolinux."

How it works

Information from Windows XP programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, are moved to the equivalent Linux application (such as Mozilla's Thunderbird or Evolution), Versora said. Similarly, the tool will migrate a user's settings from Internet Explorer to the Firefox Internet browser, Microsoft Word files to OpenOffice.org, and Instant Messenger buddy lists to the Linux IM client Gaim. A full list of migration applications and their Linux equivalents is available here.

To accomplish the transition, Progression Desktop provides software that runs on both the source (Windows) and destination (Linux) systems. Once the Versora software is installed on Windows, it walks the user through simple steps to create the migration file (called a .pnp, or "Platform Neutral Package"). Once the Versora software is loaded on Turbolinux and the migration file is saved, the files and settings are automatically integrated in the corresponding programs, which are selected by the user.

So, what are you waiting for? This might be a good time to finally give Linux a chance.

Update: On a somewhat related topic, there's a new book out that provides some useful information: Linux Annoyances for Geeks. If you've ever been stuck trying to recover a lost root password, then this book is for you.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 02:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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