Ubuntu Productivity

This is a simple, yet effective tip to get the fastest/closest repository server automatically using Synaptic. It amounts to simply selecting a new “Download from:” server and choosing “Other” Then click the “Select Best Server” button. Go here for a quick overview with screenshots.

I upgraded my 13″ MacBook and 24″ iMac from Ubuntu 8.04 to Ubuntu 8.10 (still in beta) this past week. My favorite part of Ubuntu 8.10: the tabbed file browser! The upgrade to 8.10 is remarkably simple just open your terminal and type:

update-manager -d

There should now be an “Upgrade” button in the Update Manager window. Press it and let it run…the process was long, but painless.

On my 13″ MacBook everything upgraded well and it works better than before. On my 24″ iMac I was pleasantly surprised to find its wireless internet now works (it never did in Ubuntu 8.04). But the sound is now off and I cannot figure out how to get it working again.

I like dark themes, so I tried the new dark theme that came with 8.10. It works well, but I am really liking the Intrepid Ibex theme based on Willwill’s mockup. Here is a screenshot of my 24″ iMac and 23″ Cinema Display running Ubuntu 8.10 and willwill’s dark theme.

Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex with willwill100's custom theme running on a dual-head 24" iMac and 23" Cinema Display

This is a response to an article asking why people switch from Windows to the Mac OS instead of Ubuntu. The author concludes “So why are people not going over to Ubuntu? Beats me.” He even resorts to calling these switchers stupid: “Is it the snob value or stupidity that make people consider a Mac over Windows and not Ubuntu?”

I started this blog in July as a public exploration of my experimentation with Ubuntu. In that time I have tried to use Ubuntu as my default OS in replacement of the Mac OS because I wanted to see how feasible it was. While the simple answer to “can if be done?” is “yes,” it’s really not very easy. So my comments below come from someone who truly enjoys using Ubuntu Linux (I still use it daily) but who has come to appreciate the finer nuances of the Mac OS.

While the author of the aforementioned article does make a few good points about how far Ubuntu Linux has come he fails to recognize a few very basic advantages of the Mac platform that I have come to appreciate during my experiment:

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If Ubuntu Linux had not won me over yet then it certainly has now. Ubuntu Netbook Remix is a fantastic set of tools for running Linux on small screens and boosting productivity in a limited workspace. The official description of the project says:

Ubuntu Netbook Remix is a ‘remix’ of the standard Ubuntu Desktop 8.04 release to enable it to work better on devices with small screens, such as Netbooks (sub-notebooks), although these packages will work on any 8.04 installation.

The Remix instantly captured my attention because of its focus on small screens. I have a 13″ MacBook laptop. Its 1280 x 800 screen can feel cramped sometimes, especially compared to my dual-scren iMac setup at work.

Given that my entire Ubuntu experiment is about productivity I had to give it a go. I have grown fond of how easy Linux makes experimentation. I knew that I could very easily install the Remix, test it, and just as easily uninstall it when I was done. But I’m keeping it. Here’s why. Read the rest of this entry »

I have really grown attached to Picasa as a photo manager. Since I have been using it more frequently I have been seeking ways to better integrate Picasa into the Ubuntu desktop.

Nautilus as Picasa’s default file manager

I found a great tip at the Ubuntu communities Picasa page demonstrating how to use the Nautilus file manager as Picasa’s default.
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You’d better hurry—I’m not sure how long this offer will last!

I found an awesome deal this weekend. The book entitled “Ubuntu Unleashed, 2008 Edition” from Sams comes with a free upgrade to Ubuntu 8.10! I found this at the local Barnes & Noble.

But don’t fret if there’s no Barnes & Noble in your area. The listing at Amazon states that it “Includes a DVD with a full Ubuntu Linux distribution, plus a free upgrade to Ubuntu Linux 8.10 once it is released.”

Simply amazing…can you believe there just givin’ this stuff away?

Really...is this necessary? A "Free Upgrade to Ubuntu 8.10" sticker on the book "Ubuntu Unleashed, 2008 Edition" from Sams.

The "Free Upgrade to Ubuntu 8.10" sticker

I thought this would be valuable to some of you that are new to Ubuntu. Being rather new to this Ubuntu Linux thing myself, I have struggled to get the terminal commands for fixing the .dmrc permissions issue just right.

The problem

When logging into Ubuntu 8.04 I would see this error message. It explains that the permissions on my user’s hidden .dmrc file and home directory are wrong.

A photo of the .dmrc permissions error I was getting when logging into Ubuntu 8.04

Hehehe. This is soooo true.

View original comic at xkcd.

Ahhh…that day has finally come! I just got my Dropbox invite for the linux alpha

I have been using Dropbox on my Mac for a few months now—it’s fantastic! There are three features that the service offers: backup, syncing, and sharing. It is the second feature, syncing, that I am most impressed with. Any file inside the Dropbox folder is continuously synced with the server. Every time I change the file Dropbox quietly and adroitly sends the changes, and only the changes, to the server.
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The moment Yojimbo was released I grabbed a copy. I have used it daily ever since. Yojimbo is a very nice tool for quickly collecting bits of textual data in a searchable, taggable, and secure manner. But it has its limitations. Most notably—it only runs on Mac OS X. But it also suffers from a lack of export features

As I have move my life over to linux (and open source software in general) I have been in search of a suitable alternative. My favorite, thus far, has been the simple Tiddlywiki. Incollector is a close runner up, but it fails the cross-platform test (it only runs on Windows and Linux, not the Mac OS.)
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