In brief, I’ll see if “Karmic Koala” — the soon-to-be-released version of Ubuntu Linux — passes the ease-of-use test for novices. There are conflicting reports, but either way I’m keen to see the changes. Here’s one video report from the BBC.

Ubuntu

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I recently backed up my home computer, reinstalled Ubuntu Linux and decided the terabyte-sized external hard drive was a must. (I recall my younger self backing up with floppy disks. A quick calculation suggests it would take 7510 pounds of those old disks for my current data. And I’m nowhere close to using up that terabyte.) So I’ve taken all my CD and DVD backups and am making one grand version of my data. This will take a while to clean up.

Among those files, I have collected more than 4,000 unique PDFs. Surely some are of use to my reader, so as I review them, I will post them if they’re in the public domain, or point to where you can download them if not.

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Notes from my scanning workflow from yesterday.

I’ve had my Epson Perfection 3490 Photo scanner for years — a gift from Hubby, Christmas 2003 or 2004, I think — but it never played happily with whatever Linux set-up I had at the time. But there’s a maxim that Linux distributions (editions) work better with older equipment, so I decided to give it another try. (The maxim, however, is breaking down as manufacturers begin supporting Linux.) Even now, I needed a proprietary driver from Epson.  Entries 46 and 59 of this thread at Ubuntuforums.com was all I needed to get my scanner to work.

Now for software. I’ve never liked the xsane frontend — it’s too dang hard to use; through thanks to the developers for leading the way — so I immediately sought an alternative.  Installed and tried and tried to make GNOME Scan (flegita) work. PDG images came out fine, but when attempting to scan for PDFs, I could only get my scanner to make a little fragment of the selected area. Fail. With Gscan2PDF, which you can add the usual way, I had a winner — a surprise to boot: integration with tesseract-ocr, an optical character recognition system. And not just any one: the system that Google Books uses, and which now Google supports.  If you’re running the Intrepid Ibex (8.10) version of Ubuntu Linux, get tesseract-ocr in universe; grab language support, too: tesseract-ocr-eng for English.

Started gscan2pdf — it’s in the main Applications menu under “Graphics” — and selected “Scan” using either the menu or icon. This pulls up a dialog box. Under the “Scan Options” tab, I found “Paper Size”, which I edited to create a new size for the opened Liberala Himnaro, with the sizes in millimeters. This saved scanning and cropping time.  Back to the “Page Options” tab, I selected for “Post processing” a rotation of 90 degrees (because that’s how it fit on the scanner) and “clean up”.   Then I scanned all the pages.

The Save dialog allowed different color (color, gray, line art) and resolution options and I tried a few until I got both a  file of a manageable size for sharing and a robust one for archiving. Note: this is a pretty slow process.

There was an option for OCR under “Page Options” which  didn’t use since Esperanto isn’t a supported language. But I’ll rummage through my archives to find a scan — and perhaps an OCR — worthy of my readership.

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My favorite lightweight distro (edition) of Linux is Philip Newborough’s young CrunchBang Linux, an unofficial variant of Ubuntu Linux using the OpenBox window environment. Now that it’s moved past its wobbly fawn phase, Newborough’s moved it from his CrunchBang blog to crunchbanglinux.com. Bookmark and savor.

But who would make the most of this distro? Perhaps someone who already knows his or her own way around Linux desktops: some of the settings need to be made in text files, with skill equal to someone who maintains a simple Web site. Perhaps someone who has a spare old (but not antiquated) computer that needs to be pressed into service and needs to be more than an Internet appliance. Someone who demands a desktop have a certain aesthetic cachet. A CrunchBang machine might act like the resurrected Lazarus, but ought not smell like him. It might become a no- or low-cost gift in the spirit (or necessity) of a recessiontide Christmas. Or a job-hunting workhorse for a fellow church member who otherwise might be tempted to go into debt for a computer, provided you’re willing to help if bugs rise up.

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Fascinating. Announced today:

We are really pleased to announce Ubuntu Open Week!

Ubuntu Open Week is a week of IRC tuition and Q+A sessions all about getting involved in the rock-and-roll world that is the Ubuntu community. We organise this week for the beginning of a new release cycle to help new contributors get involved.

IRC — Internet Relay Chat — is an old (pre-Web) conferencing model, like IM for groups. Chat rooms, if you’re of a certain age. So we’re talking about opt-in lessons at what I’m thinking will be low cost.

Check the calendar. It reminds me of General Assembly in a way, which would be a plus, even if you intend to go to Salt Lake City.

Later. This is post #2500.

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Ubuntu Linux 8.10, codenamed “Intrepid Ibex”, is due out tomorrow, October 30.

Even though it doesn’t have tons of new features — and won’t include OpenOffice.org 3 by default; it came out too late to be included, but can be added by end users — I’ll be sure to upgrade it tomorrow. (The last edition, 8.04 LTS, “Hardy Heron” was a long-term supported release and made bigger changes.)

In some places, Ubuntu Linux local communities (LoCos) have release parties. Not D.C., it seems. So a little virtual celebration here.

Are you upgrading or installing Intrepid tomorrow? Have been using the beta? And what would it take for you to make the jump? Perhaps an easy, no-risk way to try (Windows)?

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I got my laptop secondhand, so I wasn’t entirely sure what I had.

The following command not only details my hardware, but creates an HTML (web page) file for reference, which you can then read in a browser like Firefox.

Which is good news for me: turns out there is lots of room for more RAM to make the software work better. A kind of upgrade that’s inexpensive — always a plus — and makes the computer last longer.

That command?

$sudo lshw -html > your-file-name.html

Type (or cut and paste) everything after the $ in a terminal window (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and supply your password.

Note: if you’re not sure what you’re doing, don’t run commands beginning with sudo or su. You can really mess your machine up. And never, ever run “sudo rm -rf” — that’ll wipe you’re computer clean — ’cause it’s a terrible, malicious trap for new Linux user. But this command worked fine for me.

Now to get that RAM . . . .

Hattip to (and at details) Ubuntu Blog.

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It’s no secret I have little patience for the Episcopal Church of late, so I wasn’t looking out for the theme of the 2009 General Convention. The Topmost Apple, an Episcopalian blogger I follow, presumably has more patience for the Episcopal Church, but little regard for the theme, which is “Ubuntu: I in You and You in Me.”

These days, ubuntu — a Xhosa and Swahili philosophical concept of reflexive humanism — is better known outside southern Africa as the namesake for my favorite version of Linux. Not opportunistic branding that, but an understanding of the mutually upbuilding and worth-identifying relationships that brings so many people to make a gift of their work.

Oh, and while I’m at it: I hate the logo chosen to depict ubuntu. Looks like a throw pillow. The logo for Ubuntu Linux is at least as relevant and more evocative.  Oh, and the subtitle sounds ripped fresh from the Beatles song “Come Together.”  How, ugh, hip.

Two lost opportunities, I think.

For more about the General Convention, see this article in Episcopal Life Online.

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A word to my Windows-using readers. You know I love Linux, and use Ubuntu Linux at home and work. I hope you would give it a try but would understand if it doesn’t appeal to you, or (at least) you get enough value from a Microsoft product to stay put.

But there’s still a good reason to have a copy of an Ubuntu Linux Live CD — which allows you to run the operating system without installing it, and which when removed returns to what you had before — and that’s file recovery. One of the problems I had with Windows it that it would crash and take all of your data with it, which some Microsoft users treat like some kind of unavoidable natural disaster.

Running Ubuntu Linux with a Live CD would allow you — with another piece of software you can download freely — to recover most or all of what you would have otherwise lost. Ubuntucat shares several such laments, and points back to an earlier set of article that tell you how to rescue your files.

So I suggest: print out those details and file them with a Live CD copy of Ubuntu Linux and file them away against disaster. And keep your backups up to date.

A bonus: I’ll send a Live CD copy of Ubuntu Linux to the first person with a United States address (APO/FPO included) who asks. Contact me.

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I have an odd set of interests, or odd enough to seem distinct. But the Internet is a big non-place and finding a parallel is inevitable.

I’m terribly fond of a blog — UbuntuCat — described as “Random musings from the radical feminist Christian antiracist left – some having to do with Ubuntu.” If you like this blog, you might like it, especially if your interest is more technological.

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Last week, Michael Horowitz, writing his Defense Computing column for CNet makes the case that Linux — specifically vanilla Ubuntu Linux — is a more intuitive next step for Windows user than the Mac is. Using screenshots, he shows what a first-time Ubuntu Linux user would see and how it jibes with what a Windows user would expect.

“Introducing the Linux user interface” (July 8, 2008)

Good timing, too: Canonical, the for-profit business behind Ubuntu Linux, has announced a partnership with a software distributor to put boxed copies of the operating system in Best Buy stores. For about $20, you get the disk and manual. Admittedly, you could get the software for free online and there’s plenty of online documentation, but for a lot of people, something in a box with a manual is going to see more real. (I’m only a little worried that the low price-point is going to make some people suspicious of the quality.)

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Still not thrilled with using a proprietary media format, but first things first. I got it to work. With wifi no less. (And you get to see what my desktop looks like.)

Now, how did I do it? Not entirely sure.

I am using VLC — the Swiss Army knife of media players; available for all the operating systems people really use — with the vcl-mozilla-plugin in place of my otherwise fave MPlayer (wth mozilla-plugin for the Firefox browser). There’s a codec (media decoder) plugin I got somewhere, but where? I’ll note it below when I find it.

Back to Fort Lauderdale. Oh, and while I’ve never liked that chalice, I do like the vortex. More vortex!

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Are there any Unitarian Universalists — or keen open codec advocates who read this blog — who use Ogg Vorbis (audio) or Ogg Theora (video) to play, share, stream or store media? These are free and open-source media formats.

I may have a project.

In related news, I bought a refurb digital audio player (“MP3 player”) that supports Ogg and am enjoying it much. Of course, it takes a bit of work with Linux, but I hope to tell all once I have a successful workflow.

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I’ve been using Ubuntu Linux as my operating system of choice since 2004, and upgraded to the newest version (technically the release candidate) yesterday, also known as “the Hardy Heron”. The proper release is today, and if you’ve never used Linux, I hope you give it a try. It isn’t a radical improvement over the last version; it isn’t meant to be, but be stable and robust.

One added feature, called Wubi, is how Windows user can try Ubuntu Linux without committing to it:

There is a new installation option for Windows users. Wubi allows users to install and uninstall Ubuntu like any other Windows application. It does not require a dedicated partition, nor does it affect the existing bootloader, yet users can experience a dual-boot setup almost identical to a full installation. Wubi works with a physical CD or in stand-alone mode, by downloading an appropriate ISO to install from. It can be found on the root of the CD as Wubi.exe. A full installation within a dedicated partition is still recommended, but Wubi is a great way to try Ubuntu for a few days and weeks before committing dedicated disk resources.

That alone is worth a look. (Let me see if I can find someone who’s translated that quotation into Non_Geek.)

For details about the improvements since the last version, click here.

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I love the Firefox browser — in theory. It’s free and open-source. It’s got tons of extensions . . . and that’s part of the problem. My former favorite browser is a terrible memory hog, at least on the (ahem) low-end machines that I can’t get enough of.

Better to use the browser developed for, and integrated with, the GNOME desktop, one of the main options on Linux desktop computers, and the default desktop for vanilla Ubuntu Linux. (New version tomorrow!) Thus the theologically-appealingly-named Epiphany browser. Its speedy because it doesn’t try to be all things. There are a modest set of extensions, which I added. More about that in a moment.

I had one complaint. When I Control-T’d to create new tabs, the cursor didn’t start in the address bar, so I would have to mouse to it to add an address. The solution is simple, if you know that the term term for starting in the documentation is focusing.

Set you start page as “blank” by going to Edit > Preferences > General tab > Home page > “Set to blank page.” It’ll work now.

But what I really love is the extension that synchs my bookmarks with my del.icio.us account, both from home and work. This allows easier tagging of sites I like and lets me search for saved sites by keyword in the address bar, rather than trying or looking for the URL. I can tell my Google searching has dropped already. (Then again, I have almost 2300 links recorded.)

The downside is that some sites break badly in Epiphany — it has a tiny market share — so I keep Firefox in reserve.

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Two givens.

1. My Day Job includes lots of interaction with software developers.
2. My hobby — effectively — is learning more about my three computers, each with its own variant of Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu Linux, like other free and open source software projects, have a open yet ordered and participatory style of development.

There are days that software is more of vital force than theology. But make no mistake: I don’t write code. There are plenty of basic things I don’t understand. I’m OK with the odd amount of installation, troubleshooting and look forward to helping out with documentation. But I believe in the process and the outcome to want to do my part.

I’ve thought that this attitude is the difference between a healthy church and a sick one.

Given, too, that the Unitarian Universalist Association is moving to an all-congregations, all-the-time format — a mistake on many levels; for one, by what moral authority does it then credential ministers? — but that issue has been examined at more length most recently at Transient and Permanent. So look there, too. (I’ll bring it up again later.)

Thus, it seems high time to (1) use new models of distributed work to (2) share the work that the has been customarily under the umbrella of the Unitarian Universalist Association, but for which there may be little political will to accomplish.

What would you nominate for shared work?  What work models unfamiliar to churches would you suggest?

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Later. Saw “Naked Day”? — it’s been moved to April 9.

If someone asked to borrow your computer to conduct malaria research when you weren’t using it, would you? I think most people would, and you know I’m not speaking hypothetically. Indeed, if you say BBC World News tonight, you saw a feature story about it. (Malariacontrol.net)

Years ago, there was a distributed computing program to find signs of life in the rest of the universe. This is the same idea, using the same software. Download it here, or if you use Debian or Ubuntu Linux, install boinc-client and boinc-manager as usual. (Had them downloaded before the segment was over. Ticking away even as I type. Doesn’t seem to make my computer slower while I use it.)

Distributed computing is not a new concept, and can make efficient use of resources. But that’s not why I mention it. In social networking settings, you get the same idea in human terms. Take wikis for instance. While most of Wikipedia’s content and editing comes from relatively few hands — which some people believe is proof that it isn’t democratic — a significant amount comes it drips and drabs from many, many people. And that’s important because the barrier to participation is very low and the collective contribution is vital.

Can churches say that? In some ways, perhaps. But institutional control, hierarchy, and professionalism mitigate against low-commitment, low-barrier participation. Indeed, the message is soaked with commitment (and money) and I have to wonder how much of a turn-off that is.

A thought. Comments welcome.

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. . . and because faithful people are more effective when connected freely, I’ve decided to take Michelle Murrain’s suggestion and install Flock, a social networking-empowered web browser, based on Firefox.

To tell you the truth, Firefox has gotten so bloated lately that I was looking for other options, at least for occasional use. Like her, I tried it early on and wasn’t too impressed with Flock. But it seems to have grown up quite nicely.

Version 1.1 is available for download from their site for all the major operating systems. I use Ubuntu Linux so preferred to download the .deb-packaged version, even though it is in the slightly older 1.0.9 version.

Has anyone else used Flock? I’ll be reviewing it in a few days.

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Friday was a noteworthy day at Day Job and included — among other things — a lunchtime round of Guitar Hero. (Don’t ask.) I was very kindly asked to participate but

Then an Office Mate — the same one who sold me his Asus Eee PC — told me about Frets on Fire, an open-source clone of Guitar Hero. (You use your keyboard upended for the controller.) At least that covers my third concern.

Then I noted your can — really, must — upload your own favorite songs, in the open OGG format or as a MIDI. MIDI, really? Because most of the MIDIs I know of are hymns. And while that doesn’t exactly address by first concern, it does mitigate it. (And it’s a goofy enough idea to minimize the second concern.)

A pretend-guitar playing game, on open-source software, pretending to rock out, Folk Mass-style. First, I think that helps establish my geek cred. And it does make the mind wonder and wander.

For Linux of course, but also Windows and Mac OS X (wonky): Frets on Fire

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Not the third fourth day in a row, of course. This little computer has been more of a challenge to use with a version of Ubuntu Linux than I originally thought and that’s taken up my spare blogging time. The problem is I got the lowest spec-ed computer in the line; if you get the 4 gig version, I understand from my Asus Eee’s original owner, you’ll be just fine.

Indeed, he was the one that pointed out the hack that allowed me to install eeeXubuntu, a lighter version of Ubuntu Linux specially designed for the Asus Eee. The key is permanently inserting a 2 (or larger) gig SD flash card — the kind many of you have in a digital camera — and linking it to the main drive, effectively doubling it.

Unfortunately, if you’re not saying to yourself “Jeez, Scott’s really oversimplifying it” then I can’t recommend you try this yourself. That said, the default operating system on the Asus Eee is not bad for most users. It’s about to get a bit geekier.

Shenphen has the hack half-way down on this page.

Worked like a normal Ubuntu install after that.

My next concern is that there wouldn’t be enough room for the applications I want.

Using Synaptic Package Manager, I removed the following and their associated files:

• Gimp
• the games
• Thunderbird
• Gnumeric
• Abiword

Then I added the following, with recommended files:

• OpenOffice.org Writer, Calc and Base, plus its us-help
• pdftk
• xubuntu-restricted-extras
• xubuntu-at-mag (to try to make some use of the screen magnifier)
• xdiskusage

I also enabled Language Support for English and added the volume and weather applets to the menu bar. I also followed these tips to reduce the number of writes to the disk.

Lastly, I added the Medibuntu repository to Synaptic Package Manager and added acroread, giving me the most recent Adobe Acrobat reader.

My only reservations is that I’m not using the ext2 file system to reduce the number of writes to disk, and I’ve not learned the advantage of compressed file systems, like unionfs (with the Asus Eee operating system uses, I think) nor how to do it.

As before, I’ll keep you posted.

Later. I added Miro.

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