Man-Eating Seals of Antiquity

Nose picker moment...

LINK

I can't wait for distros to start integrating this...

Windows 7 - Day (whatever)

I had to reimage...

Three things that killed it for me:

a) the Windows key just... didn't... work. Nothing. Nada. Zip. WTF?

b) the key would start RANDOM applications. Random. Like one time it started Windows Media Center. Then it was Chrome. Then note-freakin-pad.

And the best for last:

Everytime I would start up a Linux virtual guest through the "Virtual Machines" application (OpenSolaris, Ubuntu, Suse, Centos), my host (Windows 7) would either: blue screen or freeze all other applications.

I think this is starting over however I'm not counting the days any longer. If I fall into any of the issues above again, back to Linux I go...

PCLinuxOS 2009.1 - A Taste of an Old Friend

Much time has past since I ventured away from the *buntu namespace for my home Linux adventures. I converted to Linux from Windows XP/Vista/whatever about a year ago. The main stay for me moving to Ubuntu 8.10 was the inclusion of and easy configuration of:

• Wireless for more than WEP, specifically WPA Enterprise
• Dual-monitor support
• DVD/CD burning software that REALLY worked for my two different types of burners
• External media
  
• Better USB support - this is specifically for my cell phones. I really (REALLY) require my computer to be able to natively charge my cell phone through my USB cable
  
• Printing support - I love the fact that I connect my HP to Linux and the printer fully detects not only the printer, but the scanner as well
  

I have used, in the past, Kubuntu and Xubuntu. I have always fallen back to Ubuntu because the Gnome interface just makes more "sense" to me. The layout is, well, more intuitive and enjoyable (IMO). Although, I am not the biggest fan of the default panels at the bottom and top.

After checking out the details on the latest build of PCLinuxOS, I decided to play with the LiveCD of PCLinuxOS 2009.1. My goal was to check on what was new in this distro but not necessarily to fully replace my installation of Ubuntu 8.10.

Here is the link to the distro site:
http://www.pclinuxos.com/

After about 10 minutes in 2009.1, I could not double click the "Install" icon on the desktop fast enough.

Some key items that pushed me over:

• I decided KDE may be ok to "push" through... force myself
• Dual-monitor support was EASIER than Ubuntu
• Wireless was EASIER to get setup than Ubuntu
• Software packages were more up-to-date. An example is Open Office - 3.0 instead of 2.4
• Flash was all set
• Java as well
• Wallpaper - I dig being able to select different wallpaper for each of my monitors... that adds to the cool factor
• Konqueror - I am liking Konqueror more and more (I wish I could get this up and running on Windows)

I'll continue to post information about the distro and my experiences. Such as "this doesn't work" or "that". Things I find cool... whatever.

64 bit Heron

I think Canonical is just about there...

http://www.ubuntu.com

I have been running 64 bit Heron for 2 days and have been able to successfully able to overcome the past issues.

• Dual monitor support
• Wireless
• Codecs and multimedia

Now, not everything is on Ubuntu. The maturity of open-source software is astounding to me. In short periods of time (beyond even parallels of Moore's Law), technology can drive innovation to great levels.

Dual Monitor Support
Some quick searches got me to xrandr and the appropriate settings to actually satisfy my basic needs. Since I am on the Intel chipset, no fancy desktop settings for me. The cube effects are not available.

Wireless
The Broadcom and any other wireless chipsets I have tried out with Heron have been pretty good. Personal WEP and WPA have been stable. Enterprise WPA is, well, still in the need as far as I am concerned. The complexity around my work's Enterprise WPA is a pain. I can connect...and then...nothing...and then...connected. Whateve...

Codecs
Codecs in Ubuntu have been pretty good...always have. The advances around such players as VLC and Totem make the distro a good player in the multimedia field. MP3s, AVIs, and Quicktime work out of the box, with quick downloads and configs of course.