Adventures in Linux

So, I’ve been hearing a lot of stuff about openSUSE lately. Apparently it’s very good....

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:29:36 -0400

So, I’ve been hearing a lot of stuff about openSUSE lately. Apparently it’s very good. But before I jump on the openSUSE bandwagon, I’m dying to know: is it really that good?

Hello Again

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:50:34 -0400

Wow, it’s been a while, hasn’t it. Let me tell you what I’ve been doing in this time (computer-wise):

I left Linux Mint after a faulty hard drive caused insane amounts of computer errors and I had to get a new computer. I installed Ubuntu 12.10 on it, simply because I need something to pass the time until they finally come out with a new version of Elementary. However, the computer I’m using, which a friend just sort of hacked together for me, is also faulty (he thinks it’s a fan problem) and is causing internal errors all over the place, and causing both Chrome and Chromium to crash for no reason all the time. (Probably? I’m not sure what else could be causing it.)

In the mean time, I’m saving up for a new laptop. I’m thinking of maybe something from System 76, which comes pre-installed with Ubuntu. I figure it’ll be cheaper than paying an addition hundred dollars or so for an operating system I’ll never use (coughWindowscough).

Also, expect some more reviews in the future, once I get my desktop situation sorted out. I probably shouldn’t be reviewing anything while my desktop is throwing up errors everywhere, since I don’t want to give something an undeserved bad review.

Thoughts and/or suggestions?

Have you ever tried the real light versions of Ubuntu? - that is Xubuntu and (especiallly light) Lubuntu? Many freezing problems are hardware-resource related. You might see a computer completely rejuvenated in Lubuntu.

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:57:49 -0500

My freezing problems definitely were not hardware-resource related, I was using a fantastic computer that had never had problems before. But, as it was, it was a hard drive issue. If only I had known about the problem back then, I could have gotten a new hard drive while it was still under warranty…

Ah, summer. Long days of nothing, spent messing around on my computer. I was so blissfully ignorant back then.

I see you had problems with Ubuntu. How it's Linux Mint going since? All problems in Ubuntu are in my opinion related to possible upgrade mishaps or hardware compatibility. I use Ubunu/Lubuntu to the limit and each time I nearly distroy it I can easily put it back on track. The best thing about it is the community support on askubuntu webpage. You get answers in munutes. I hope mint has something close to that.

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:56:01 -0500

It was indeed a hardware problem, and eventually even Linux Mint was all messed up. Apparently there was a manufacturer defect in the brand new hard drive I just bought over the summer, and the warranty ran out in September so just had to get a new hard drive. Thankfully getting a new one wasn’t that bad, and now my computer is functional again. I’m currently using Ubuntu 12.10 while I wait until Elementary Luna comes out of beta, and I have a bad feeling that it’s going to take forever to get out of beta. Possibly even enough time for me to try out Ubuntu 13.04 when it comes out.

What about SMPlayer? I guess VLC is the only non-mplayer video player in Ubuntu. Totem and Gnome Player are just fronts, just like SMPlayer, which is more modern, more stable, with many more settings than Totem and Gnome Player. The feature of stoping video upon click is one of the many possible settings in SMPlayer. Subtitles support is much more advanced. SMPlayer is the only real rival to VLC.

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:44:25 -0500

Personally, I never liked SMPlayer. I’m not really sure why, I think it was something to do with the look of it? And it just never worked as cleanly as the other media players I ran.

Chronicle of Higher Ed Gets it Right

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:20:47 -0400

Chronicle of Higher Ed Gets it Right

So, I’ve been using Linux Mint for a day now, and so far it hasn’t crashed, it...

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:42:10 -0400

So, I’ve been using Linux Mint for a day now, and so far it hasn’t crashed, it hasn’t frozen, it hasn’t broken out of my computer and stabbed my through the heart, and it hasn’t been laggy at all. The only issue I’ve been having is a weird thing when I try to install programs, but it feels like the kind of problem that will disappear if I just bothered to reboot the computer.

In summation, I am very pleased with my spiff new (except not really that new) operating system.

Sorry, Ubuntu fans, but I’ve been successfully converted.

Although when the new version of Elementary OS comes out, I might switch to that, just because it looks sweet.

Why I'm Using Linux Mint

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 19:14:30 -0400

Yep, you guessed it. I upgraded to Ubuntu 12.10. And then my computer proceeded to freeze every time I tried to open a program.

So I tried to install an older version of Ubuntu, but I went through 11.04 AND 11.10 and both times it would be extremely slow, and it would keep crashing on me. So finally I decided to just install 12.10 again, a clean install, everything fresh. Nope. My computer crashed every ten minutes or so.

I can’t even review the new version of Ubuntu because it wont run on my computer. What happened to you, Ubuntu? You used to be so fantastic. And now I’m stuck using Linux Mint because you can’t get your shit together?

I am extremely disappointed in Ubuntu right now. Hopefully, everyone else has had some better experiences?

Well, it’s that time of year again. The new version of Ubuntu came out yesterday, so expect a...

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 12:58:04 -0400

Well, it’s that time of year again. The new version of Ubuntu came out yesterday, so expect a full review soon. For now, let me just say, I’m not hopeful. The last two versions of Ubuntu have been huge disappointments (thanks to the stupid lag thing), and I will be quite surprised if it’s finally been fixed.

For all of you who are already using Ubuntu 12.10, what do you think?

Why You Should (Or Shouldn't) Use Macbuntu: A Review - Score: 7.5

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 01:32:00 -0400

Because it’s awesome. The end.

No, but seriously, it’s actually a pretty solid operating system. It’s basically just Ubuntu 11.04 with a new theme, but since the big problem with 11.04 was the way Unity was set up anyway, it’s actually really sweet.

In case you missed it, 11.04 is the latest Ubuntu operating system that has actually worked for me without any sort of lag (like when opening a program or switching windows or opening the dash). So if you want a stable version of Ubuntu that works really well and looks really spiff, Macbuntu is a really easy option. And it’s just Ubuntu, so you already know how to use it.

Now, of course, you could just go through and just install the theme on your current version of Ubuntu, but I’ve tried it, and it’s a pain in the ass. And you’d have to downgrade to 11.04 anyway if you want the full Macbuntu awesomeness, so you might as well just install Macbuntu instead.

Visual Appeal: 25/25 (That’s kind of the whole point.)

Ease of Use: 23/25 (It’s Ubuntu 11.04, so it’s not exactly difficult to use.)

Out of the Box Readiness: 25/25 (Again, that’s kind of the point.)

Niftiness: 2/25 (Harsh, but there is very little nifty about it. Underneath the polished glam, it’s actually kind of bland.)

Total: 7.5/100

So there you have it. If you want an operating system that looks fantastic, is easy to use, and works with no setup, then Macbuntu is exactly the operating system for you. But if you want something fun, look elsewhere.

nandof: An update is available for your computer Windows:...

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:28:00 -0400

nandof:

An update is available for your computer

Windows: “Oh good… Now I get to wait half an hour for it to start up…”

Linux: “Aw man, I have to restart my computer? Man, what a huge hassle. It’s going to take minutes!”

I think I may be a bit spoiled.

☣LazyWarlock☣: Gaming On Linux sucks.. but there is hope!

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:25:32 -0400

☣LazyWarlock☣: Gaming On Linux sucks.. but there is hope!:

lazywarlock:

It’s been roughly 2 months since I’ve ditched Windows 7 in favor for Linux. Mind you, I haven’t ditched Windows all together. In fact, I’m writing this post on my main computer, which is a Desktop. And there is a big reason why this is the case.

You see, there lies one big…

Crunchbang Rocks Some Serious Socks: A Review - Score: 9.2

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:38:00 -0400

So, I’ve started using Crunchbang off of a USB stick, and let me just say, it’s fantastic. For starters, it’s ridiculously fast, it looks very nice, it worked just fine out of the box, and it’s a lot of fun to fiddle around with.

Now, I know that running it off of a USB stick is different than running it off of an actual hard drive, but I’ve got persistence set up, and so far it’s worked for everything I need it to.

What do I need it to? Well, I need something that quickly loads up, that works well without having to jump through ridiculous hoops every time, something that works well even on older computer, and something that I can spend a few hours messing around with if I have some time to kill. Does Crunchbang provide me with all that? Yes. Yes it does.

Now on to the actual review part of it. Remember, as always, I am not reviewing this from the perspective of a Linux expert. I am a dabbler, someone who uses Linux as an operating system, but who rarely actually opens up the hood and digs around. And when I do, I usually mess something up anyway.

Visual Appeal: 20/25 (It’s not ugly at all, but it’s not quite as pretty as Elementary OS or Linux Mint.)

Ease of Use: 22/25 (If you don’t want to mess around with it, you don’t have to. Everything you need is right there. And the things you do have to change, it makes a lot easier to find.)

Out of the Box Readiness: 25/25 (I didn’t need to do a single thing to get it in working order.)

Niftiness: 25/25 (It’s incredibly nifty.)

Total: 9.2/10

Well, there you have it. Crunchbang scored 1.5 points higher than Ubuntu 12.04. Although considering my deep seated bitterness at Ubuntu 12.04, it’s probably not that surprising.

easycalm: tonybaldwin: CrunchBang Linux rules. hello from a...

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 16:20:33 -0400

easycalm:

tonybaldwin:

CrunchBang Linux rules.

hello from a happy crunchbang user :)

Okay, I am currently posting this from Crunchbang, which I am running off of a 1 gig USB stick on...

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:11:45 -0400

Okay, I am currently posting this from Crunchbang, which I am running off of a 1 gig USB stick on one of the school computers.

It is fantastic.

It’s really fast, very clean, and looks surprisingly good for a niche Linux operating system.

I’m currently messing around with Conky. What are your configurations like?

I recently came across a startling discovery. There are lots of Ubuntu-based operating systems that...

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:59:19 -0400

I recently came across a startling discovery. There are lots of Ubuntu-based operating systems that look really cool. Elementary, for instance, is something I’m actually considering putting on my computer. I wouldn’t completely get rid of Ubuntu 12.04, since I’m still hoping the next version will be actually usable.

Currently, I’m installing Macbuntu onto a 1 gig USB stick, although I’m pretty sure Macbuntu is too big, but I’m hopeful. If not, I’m thinking Crunchbang.

Anyway, the point is, there are a lot of really nifty OSes out there that are built on Ubuntu, and I don’t think they’re getting the recognition they deserve.

Everyone weigh in! Do you know any good ones?

I was recently going through the Linux tag here on Tumblr, when I noticed that a lot of the posts...

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:06:44 -0400

I was recently going through the Linux tag here on Tumblr, when I noticed that a lot of the posts were spam. So apparently, Linux is a popular enough tag to use for spam posts.

Obviously, these sorts of posts use all sorts of random tags, but Linux made the list! Yay! This can only mean good things. (Unless you dislike scrolling through pages and pages of randomness whilst trying to see what people think of the new version of Linux Mint or what have you.)

oytunistrator: HackedBox under the bridge…

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:37 -0400

HackedBox Console

HackedBox + XBMC

oytunistrator:

HackedBox under the bridge…

AMAGA!: One less reason to use Linux (thanks, Windows)

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 22:36:05 -0400

AMAGA!: One less reason to use Linux (thanks, Windows):

adventures-in-linux:

http://lifehacker.com/5942417/chocolatey-brings-lightning-quick-linux+style-package-management-to-windows

Yes. It’s finally happened. Windows is becoming Linux.

Honestly, I don’t know whether to be pleased or upset. On the one hand, being used to a package manager…

Very true, and all really good points, but I think the biggest effect is going to be when a Linux user tells their friends “Hey, look what Linux can do,” their friends will have already seen something like that for Windows. In all seriousness, I doubt it’s going to have much of a impact at all, it’s just one less thing we can be smug about.

One less reason to use Linux (thanks, Windows)

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:40:02 -0400

http://lifehacker.com/5942417/chocolatey-brings-lightning-quick-linux+style-package-management-to-windows

Yes. It’s finally happened. Windows is becoming Linux.

Honestly, I don’t know whether to be pleased or upset. On the one hand, being used to a package manager might make Windows users more willing to switch to Linux, but on the other hand, that’s one less reason why they should switch.

Either way, this can only mean trouble.