Full Circle THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR THE UBUNTU LINUX COMMUNITY WEB DEV ISSUE #63 - July 2012 LAMP & WEB DEVELOPMENT ) m o c . r k c i l F ( e u S : o t o h P
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full circle magazine #63 1 Full Circle Magazine is neither affiliated with, nor endorsed by, Canonical Ltd. contents ^ HowTo Full Circle Opinions THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR THE UBUNTU LINUX COMMUNITY My Story p.39 Python - Part 34 p.07 Columns
LibreOffice - Part 15 p.11 Command & Conquer p.05 Audio Flux p.52 My Opinion p.41
Amateur Astronomy - Pt1 p.14 Ask The New Guy p.26 Ubuntu Games p.54 Review p.44
Letters p.46 GIMP - Beanstalk Pt3 p.17 Linux Labs p.29 Q&A p.49
Inkscape - Part 2 p.19 Ubuntu Women p.53 Closing Windows p.36 Web Dev - Pt1 p.22 Graphics Web Dev
The articles contained in this magazine are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. This means you can adapt, copy, distribute and transmit the articles but only under the following conditions: you must attribute the work to the original author in some way (at least a name, email or URL) and to this magazine by name ('Full Circle Magazine') and the URL www.fullcirclemagazine.org (but not attribute the article(s) in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you must distribute the resulting work under the same, similar or a compatible license. Full Circle magazine is entirely independent of Canonical, the sponsor of the Ubuntu projects, and the views and opinions in the magazine should in no way be assumed tfoulhl acivrecleCamnaognaiczainlee#nd6o3rseme2nt. contents ^ EEDDIITTOORRIIAALL
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Welcome to another issue of Full Circle!
ull Circle is always expanding, and this month is no exception. We have Copil who is (rather bravely) stepping up as 'the new guy' to take your (easy) questions about Ubuntu and explain them in a manner that'll be perfect for a new user. So, if you've F got an easy question, Ask The New Guy! For anything technical though, you're still best to ask Gord (Q&A). Another new thing is Web Dev. Here Michael Youngblood will be explaining how to set up your own web development setting, beginning this month with the first stage of installing LAMP.
Elsewhere, the usual suspects are all here; Python, LibreOffice, GIMP, Inkscape and the Full Circle Podcast final part of my Amateur Astronomy series. Although I'm explaining how to remote desktop Released monthly, each episode covers all the latest Ubuntu news, a telescope, that same theory will work for any time you need remote desktop access, so opinions, reviews, interviews and give it a read. listener feedback. The Side-Pod is a new addition, it's an extra The Full Circle Podcast has now been successfully revived, and the first episode with the (irregular) short-form podcast which is intended to be a branch new team released. It's a bit longer than normal, but in some parts you do get the added of the main podcast. It's ambience of a diesel train engine in the background. You can grab the MP3/OGG from the somewhere to put all the general FCM site, or click the download button on the right of this page to jump to the FCM site. technology and non-Ubuntu stuff that doesn’t fit in the main podcast. And, just as a reminder, you can get the Full Circle PDF and EPUB from the FCM site, or you can grab the PDF via the Ubuntu Software Centre, or, if you're on the move, you can Hosts: read FCM via Google Currents. The URLs for the Google Currents editions are on the • Les Pounder relevant download page. • Tony Hughes • Jon Chamberlain • Oliver Clark All the best, and keep in touch! Ronnie http://fullcirclemagazine.org [email protected]
full circle magazine #63 3 contents ^ LLIINNUUXX NNEEWWSS
Linux Mint 13 KDE Linux Central To Higgs Commodore OS Uses Boson Discovery Linux Mint EPUB
n unnamed but Finally, we have mobile editions apparently well- of Full Circle on the downloads informed insider has page. At the moment, there are argued that the [CERN] only a couple of issues online, he highlight of this edition A but we're hoping to have back project's use of Linux was more is the latest KDE 4.8 than established convention. issues online shortly. If you've desktop, which features any problems with the epub T the following "I don't see any CERN-related file/formatting, you can drop an improvements: things here, so I want to mention email to Jens at: • Kwin optimizations how Linux (specifically, Scientific ommodore USA who have [email protected] • Redesign of power management Linux andUbuntu) hada vital role in already launched a retro and integration with Activities Big thanks to Jens, and the the discovery ofthe new boson at styled Commodore 64 • The first QtQuick-based Plasma beta testers, for making them a CERN,"said the source on Reddit, Extreme, which has been widgets have entered the default C reality. sparking supporting comments brought up to date and is now installation of Plasma Desktop, from others involved in the field. powered by an Intel Quad Core i7 with more to follow in future Processor. Is developing a new releases "We use it every day in our operating system that will emulate • New display engine in Dolphin analyses, togetherwith hosts of the look and feel of the original. Google Currents • New Kate features and open software, such as ROOT, andit improvements plays a majorrole in the running of The latest version of the new Google Currents has been • Functional and visual ournetworks ofcomputers (in the Commodore OS 1.0 Beta 9 is now released worldwide, so install it improvements in Gwenview gridetc.) usedforthe intensive work available to download and is based on your Android/Apple devices, in ourcalculations,"continued the on Linux Mint, and is capable of search for 'full circle' (in the For a complete tour of the new source. running apps which have been app) and add issues 55-60 to features in KDE 4.8, please visit designed for Mint, Ubuntu, or your app. Or, you can click the http://www.kde.org/announcemen Source: itworldcanada.com other popular Linux distributions. links on the FCM download ts/4.8. page for those issues. Source: geeky-gadgets.com Source: linuxmint.com
full circle magazine #63 4 contents ^ CCOOMMMMAANNDD && CCOONNQQUUEERR Written by Lucas Westermann
n the past two months I've managing data between groups. At or via phone for maximum security. be approved by someone who's in been involved in group work the end of the article, I also run charge. It's also possible to create at university. At first, we had through a few useful tips I've Revision Control a custom server on a personal I to simply organize a group of stumbled upon for This is by far the most versatile network for use with svn or git, for five people (of which, ultimately, learning/practicing Japanese. system I've used to date. You can completely in-house solutions. only three did any work). We use something like Github to managed this quite easily with a The “Cloud” create and manage your Single File Group Work single shared Dropbox folder, and This includes anything like repository, and it is publicly By this I'm referring to (for group writeups) a Google Doc Dropbox, Ubuntu One, Google available for forking (creating a collaboration on a single file, which file (shared with the “anyone with Drive, etc. This is by far the easiest copy of it) for other people to work needs to be (or simply will be) the link can edit” setting). method, and works like a charm for on. Once the changes have been edited by multiple people at once However, as the project groups of 2 to 10 people, in my made, they will be merged back in real-time. For this, I've not found progressed we had to work first experience. Once you're past that “upstream” after which the anything that does it as easily as with a single other group, and then upper limit, or you need to allow repository owner will need to go Google Docs. If, however, anyone is 5 other groups. Meaning at the anyone to access the shared files, through the commits/merges and against Google for such things and end of the project, we were trying it's no longer a viable option. The accept them into the final version. has access to a server, you could to manage 30 different people reason for this is simple – it's Each merge is saved as a version, create an implementation of (and a smattering of operating designed to be user-friendly, and allowing you to easily move back to Apache Wave or Walkaround, systems, and people of varying forgoes some of the more an older revision if necessary. I which are based off of Google degrees of technical proficiency). advanced management features used this to great success last year Wave. They should offer a similar Generally, for any kind of group (robust version control, merging when I wrote a LaTeX-based script real-time collaboration option, but work where multiple people might options, public access with merge- for a mathematics lecture at with a more limited range of edit the same file (likelihood of back capabilities, and so on). university, allowing anyone in the document formats. this increases as more people join class to make changes or the project) you should use Git. For anyone concerned about corrections to the files. By the end Security is on-par with Dropbox, However, this can quickly become security, it's possible to create a of the semester our script was in my opinion. This is especially complex, and requires a certain Truecrypt volume and store it in often more thorough than that of true if you require every level of technical proficiency to the cloud (in Dropbox at least, I the professor himself. collaborator to have an account, as avoid unnecessary management by haven't tested this with any of the opposed to the “anyone with the the repository owner. As such, I others). Offering the passcode for Security-wise I'd list this as one link can edit” option I mentioned thought for this month's article I'd the volume to the other group of the “best” options, simply due above. cover a few ideas I've had for members should be done in person to the fact that any change has to
full circle magazine #63 5 contents ^ COMMAND & CONQUER If anyone has used a program or Human Japanese, albeit for 7,99€. definitely watch it with subtitles, on by the person correcting it. This system that they think deserves to as you can also start linking means that you'll be getting the be mentioned, please let me know Flashcard programs of any sort meanings to phrases. Finding opinion of a native speaker on how via email (address is below), and I'll are extremely useful for Japanese books you find to speak his or her language in the be sure to mention it at the remembering vocabulary. I can't interesting (manga, Shogi books, most natural way. This is a beginning of my next article. name any specific programs, since I novels, etc.) will also help you wonderful option for anyone who Please mention anything like cost, haven't used any recently. improve, once you're capable of doesn't have friends who speak the availability, etc. Trivialibre might also be a valid reading basic sentences. If the language they're learning, don't option for doing this (introduced in book truly interests you, it will help want to bother their friends with Language-learning Command & Conquer from Full balance out the tediousness of constant questions, or who don't Circle Magazine Issue #58). having to read while having a have the option to go to that Programs dictionary close at hand. Also, for country and “jump into the deep For anyone who owns an Book-wise, I've read and used dictionaries I highly recommend end”, as it were. android phone/tablet, I highly Japanese in Mangaland 1 & 2 (and electronic versions (gwaei, for recommend Human Japanese, the corresponding workbooks) by example). The reason for this is As always, I hope you found this which has been one of the best Marc Bernabe. The books are well- simple – they offer stroke-based article helpful. I do realize that the explained introductions to written, and the illustrations help input/searches, meaning you don't two topics I covered in the article Japanese I've read. It doesn't, underscore the main points of need to be able to recognize the are not at all connected. However, however, use any Kanji, relying every chapter. The illustrations Kanji, or even read it, if you can this means that there should be instead on Hiragana/Katakana. The also help your ability to read hand- figure out the stroke order. Paper something in here for everyone. If benefit of this is that you can build written (or at least, the style of dictionaries tend to require both you have any questions, comments, up vocabulary faster (since you writing used in manga) Japanese, these things. or suggestions, feel free to email don't need to tell Kanji apart or which may be useful in the future. me at [email protected]. If you learn them), and also that, if you're The workbooks, as well, help drill Last, but not least, regardless do email me, please put FCM or aiming for a solely verbal the vocabulary and grammar into of what language you're learning, C&C in the subject line, to make communication level, you don't your head. The stories used in the it's a wasted effort unless you use certain I don't overlook it. learn anything unnecessary. It also books are also well-drawn and it! To this end, I present to you offers great tips for tourists when written, for anyone who is Lang-8: http://lang-8.com/. This is a visiting Japan. At the time of interested in that sort of stuff. website where each user gets a writing, it's available in the Google journal, in which they can write Play store for 6,99€. Also worth Listening to as much Japanese entries, in both the language mentioning is that there is a Mac as possible helps to improve your you're learning and your intended Lucas has learned all he knows from OS X version of the same own pronunciation. This can be meaning in your native tongue. The repeatedly breaking his system, then application available in the App either music, audiobooks, or journal is then corrected by other having no other option but to Store, for anyone who owns a Mac. television shows. If you decide on users. Each correction is split by discover how to fix it. You can email Lucas at: [email protected]. Also, the iOS App Store offers the television/movie route, sentence, and can be commented
full circle magazine #63 6 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Greg D. Walters BBeeggiinnnniinngg PPyytthhoonn -- PPaarrtt 3355
his time, we are going to new set of tools to make your GUI come with Kivy, and, next month, and you must always import App take a short detour from programming. All that having been we’ll “roll our own”. from kivy.app. our exploration of said, Kivy is also fairly complicated T Android programming, to deal with. You are limited to the Once you’ve unpacked Kivy into The next eight lines are the and look at a new framework for widgets that they have provided. In its own folder, use a terminal and main application class. The class is GUI programming called Kivy. addition, there is no GUI designer change to that folder. Mine is in defined, then a routine called build You’ll want to head over to for Kivy, so you have to do a GREAT /home/greg/Kivy-1.3.0. Now is created. You will almost always http://kivy.org and download and deal of pre-planning before you try change to the examples folder, have a build routine somewhere in install the package – before to do anything complicated. Also then to the widgets folder. Let’s your Kivy programs. Next we set a getting too far into this month’s remember, Kivy is continually look at the accordion_1.py root object from the Accordion installment. The Ubuntu under development so things can example. widget. Next we create five installation instructions can be change quickly. So far, I haven’t AccordionItems and set their title. found at found any of my test code that has It’s very simple, but shows a We then add ten labels with the http://kivy.org/docs/installation/in broken by a new version of Kivy, really neat widget. Below is their text “Very big content”. We then stallation-ubuntu.html. but that’s always a possibility. code. add each label to the root widget (the Accordion) and then finally we First off, Kivy is an open source Rather than jump in and create As you can see, the first three return the root object. This, in library that makes use of multi- our own code this month, we’ll lines are import statements. Any essence, displays the root object in touch displays. If that isn’t cool look at some of the examples that widget you use must be imported, the window that Kivy creates for enough, it’s also cross-platform, which means that it will run on from kivy.uix.accordion import Accordion, AccordionItem from kivy.uix.label import Label Linux, Windows, Mac OSX, IOS and from kivy.app import App Android. Now you can see why we are talking about this. But class AccordionApp(App): remember, for the most part, def build(self): root = Accordion() anything you code using Kivy, can for x in xrange(5): run on any of the above platforms item = AccordionItem(title='Title %d' % x) without recoding. item.add_widget(Label(text='Very big content\n' * 10)) root.add_widget(item) return root Before we go too far, let me make a couple of statements. Kivy if __name__ == '__main__': is VERY powerful. Kivy gives you a AccordionApp().run()
full circle magazine #63 7 contents ^ HOWTO - BEGINNING PYTHON 35 us. Finally we have the “if grid, and four buttons along the from kivy.app import App __name__” statement and then run bottom of the window. As you click from kivy.uix.label import Label the application. (tap) each of the buttons, the from kivy.uix.gridlayout import GridLayout alignment of the text within the from kivy.uix.floatlayout import FloatLayout Go ahead and run it to see what red boxes will change. The main from kivy.properties import ObjectProperty it does. reason you would want to pay attention to this example is how to class Selector(FloatLayout): halign), You will see that in a moment use and control some of the or two, a window opens up with important widgets as well as how app = ObjectProperty(None) size_hint=(None, None), five vertical bars in it. Clicking on a to change the alignment in your Now the Application class is halign=halign, valign=valign) bar causes it to open up revealing widgets, which is not completely created. the ten labels. Of course, each bar intuitive. In the code above, an instance has the same text in the ten labels, Here the routine select is of the BoundedLabel widget is but you can figure out how to fix Above right is their code for this created. A GridLayout widget is created, once for each of the nine that. one. I’ll break it into pieces. First created (called grid) which has 3 red boxes. You might want to stop the import code (above right). rows and 3 columns. This grid is here and say “But wait! There isn’t The Accordion widget can be going to hold the nine red boxes. a BoundedLabel widget. It just has used for any number of things, but Below is something special. a pass statement in it.” Well, yes, the thing that has always jumped They created a class with no code for valign in ('bottom', and no. We are creating an to my mind is for a configuration in it. I’ll discuss that in a few 'middle', 'top'): instance of a custom widget. As I screen... each bar being a different minutes: said a little bit above, we’ll talk for halign in ('left', configuration set. more about that in a minute. class BoundedLabel(Label): 'center', 'right'): Next we’ll look at the pass Here we have two loops, one In the code block (top right, textalign.py example. It’s not as inner and one outer. next page), we examine the “sexy” as the last one, but it’s a Next a class called “Selector” variable ‘case’ which is passed into good example that gives you some (below) is created: label = BoundedLabel(text='V: the select routine. important information for later on. %s\nH: %s' % (valign,
Before we look at the code, run class TextAlignApp(App): the program. def select(self, case):
What you should see is a label grid = GridLayout(rows=3, cols=3, spacing=10, size_hint=(None, None), at the top of the window, a set of pos_hint={'center_x': .5, 'center_y': .5}) nine red boxes with text in a 3x3
full circle magazine #63 8 contents ^ HOWTO - BEGINNING PYTHON 35 Here, the grid is removed, to folder that holds the .py file, you’ll clear the screen. notice another file called if case == 0: label.text_size = (None, None) textalign.kv. This is a special file elif case == 1: if self.grid: that Kivy uses to allow you to label.text_size = (label.width, None) create your own widgets and rules. elif case == 2: self.root.remove_widget(self. When your Kivy application starts, label.text_size = (None, label.height) grid) else: it looks in the same directory for label.text_size = label.size The bind method here sets the the .kv helper file. If it is there, grid.add_widget(label) size, and the grid is added to the then it loads it first. Here’s the code in the .kv file. root object. def build(self): self.root = FloatLayout() grid.bind(minimum_size=grid.s This first line tells Kivy what self.selector = Selector(app=self) etter('size')) minimum version of Kivy that must self.root.add_widget(self.selector) be used to run this app. self.grid = None self.grid = grid self.select(0) return self.root self.root.add_widget(grid) #:kivy 1.0
Here the BoundedLabel widget
full circle magazine #63 9 contents ^ HOWTO - BEGINNING PYTHON 35 applications to Android. The GridLayout is a parent
I’ve glossed over a few points for now. My intent this time was simply to get you somewhat excited about the possibilities that Greg is the owner of RainyDay Solutions, LLC, a consulting company Kivy has to offer. In the next in Aurora, Colorado, and has been couple of articles, we’ll continue to programming since 1972. He enjoys explore what Kivy has for us, how cooking, hiking, music, and spending to use various widgets, and how to time with his family. His website is www.thedesignatedgeek.net. create an APK to publish our
full circle magazine #63 10 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Elmer Perry LLiibbrreeOOffffiiccee PPtt1166:: IImmpprreessss
great presentation begins with a pleasing and well thought out A slide design. You also need consistency between your the master toolbar appears. The have at least one. Rename lets you Title Area – The title area slides, elements that fit them master toolbar gives you options rename the currently selected contains the title of the slide. together. In LibreOffice, you can specific to editing master pages. master page, and Close Master Think of it as the subject of the use the Master Pages to create the Use add to add a new master page. View exits master page editing. slide. base design for your presentation. Delete allows you to delete the Master Pages become the selected master page. Delete is You have five predefined Object Area – The object area framework for the entire grayed out when you have only one editable areas in a master page: contains the data of the slide, presentation, binding the master page, because you must whether it is text, an image, a elements of our presentation chart, or a table. As you will learn, together. Much of this is the data of the slide is not accomplished through styles, and confined to the object area. You Master Pages are the main style. can add elements outside the You can think of Master Pages object area, but it's a good idea to being equivalent to Page Styles in keep data generally in this area for Writer. consistency in your presentation.
Editing Master Pages Date, Footer, and Slide Number Area – By default, these areas do To edit master pages, you must not show up on the actual slide. To switch to the Master View. Start change, go to View > Header and Master View through View > Footer, and you can change Masters > Slide Master. whether or not these objects will Alternatively, you can right-click appear on the slides. the master page you want to edit in the Master Page section of the Modifying the Master Tasks pane, and select Edit Master. Page When you enter Master View,
full circle magazine #63 11 contents ^ HOWTO - LIBREOFFICE Pt16: IMPRESS We will start with the default area. Insert > Picture > From file. Finally, let's edit the date, footer area. style for your master page. First, Select your picture and Open. footer, and slide number areas let's change the background. Move the image to the position (below). While in Master View, you There's not much to the slide Format > Page. On the background you want it, just below the object can change the size and placement number. You either check it to tab, use the dropdown box and area. You want the image centered of these objects, but actually filling show or not show. When checked, select gradient. In the gradient list, at the bottom. Rick-click the image them with content can be done at the slide number will show up in select Radial red/yellow. Click OK. and select Alignment > Centered. any time. View > Header and the slide number area. This gives you a bright, sunny You also want the image to appear Footer. On the slide tab, there is a background to work on. behind any objects which might go checkbox for each of the three NOTE: The date, footer, and over it. Right-click the image again, areas: date, footer, and slide slide number areas are disabled on NOTE: You can download the icon and select Arrange > Send to back. number. the first slide, the title page. graphic used in this tutorial at http://eeperry.co.cc/resources/mo Now, let's add a line under the Under date and time, you can Click the Apply to All button to dules.png. title. Select the line tool from the choose a fixed date or a variable apply the settings to all the slides drawing toolbar at the bottom of date. You can use fixed date when except the title page. Click the Next, we will add a graphic to the window, and draw a line under you have a presentation that is Apply button to apply it to only the your master page. The graphic will the title area. You can change the presented one time, or you want current slide. show up on all slides that use this line style using the line toolbar. the date to appear in a non- master page. I created a ribbon Change the style of the line, the standard way. Place your date text Impress Styles graphic containing the icons for all thickness, color, and the start and in the textbox beside the variable the LibreOffice applications. We end arrow styles. selection. What you place in the Just like in Writer and Calc, want it to sit just below the object textbox is what will show in the Impress can use styles to keep date textbox on the slide. Use everything uniform. Styles are also variable date when a presentation a time saver. However, styles are a date is unknown, or you will give little different in Impress. Impress the presentation more than once. only has two different style types, Variable will place the current date Presentation and Graphic. in the date textbox. With variable, you need to select a format in the An easy way to think about dropdown. You can also change presentation styles is as the styles the language. related to the master pages. You have styles for backgrounds, For the footer area, you type background objects, outline text, the text you want in the footer notes, titles, and subtitles. You can area in the textbox. Whatever you modify these styles any way you type in the textbox appears in the
full circle magazine #63 12 contents ^ HOWTO - LIBREOFFICE Pt16: IMPRESS want. However, you cannot create toolbar, pressing the F11 key on Switch to the area tab and change presentation styles. The new presentation styles. the keyboard, or by going to the fill to gradient. Select the first presentation styles have 14 Format > Styles and Formatting. gradient in the list (black to white). different tabs, making them very Graphics styles are styles for On the transparency tab, switch flexible. You can create a very objects and text not directly Let's do a couple of the mode to transparency and the professional and visually appealing related to the master pages. You modifications to the presentation percentage to 50%. Click OK, and presentation with these tools. can modify these styles in any way styles to show how they work. you will see the font for the title you want, and you can create new First, enter master view mode, has changed and it has a Next time, we will begin work ones. View > Master > Slide Master, and semitransparent gradient with individual slides. open the Styles and Formatting background. Editing of styles is done from dialog, Format > Styles and the Styles and Formatting dialog. Formatting. Right-click Title in the Now, select Outline 1 in the You can open the Styles and dialog and select Modify. On the Styles and formatting dialog. Formatting dialog by clicking on font tab, select a suitable serif or Right-click and modify. All we want the button in the line and filling slab font. Maybe make it bold. to do here is change the font. Click OK. Switch to Master View and you will notice that the font is changed for all the outline levels. This is because each of the outline levels links to the previous one. You can't change the linking, but you can change each of the levels to be different. This cascade effect can be useful, especially with the font in helping to create uniformity.
In this how-to, we learned about creating and modifying master pages in Impress. Master pages are key to helping create consistency in your presentation. Elmer Perry's history of working, We also looked at presentation and programming, computers styles and how they help create involves an Apple IIE, adding some Amiga, a generous helping of DOS the style for your slides. I and Windows, a dash of Unix, and encourage you to play around with blend well with Linux and Ubuntu. the master page settings and
full circle magazine #63 13 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Ronnie Tucker AAmmaatteeuurr AAssttrroonnoommyy PPtt22
stronomy can be a cold Some (ie: me) will hack something hobby. Sitting out in a up using cardboard and masking field or garden wearing tape (don’t use gaffer’s tape, it will A two jackets and gloves, inevitably spoil your telescope). while trying to read a sky map and Whatever you do, the webcam trying to stop your telescope from must be stable – especially if you becoming airborne can be intend to use it for something of a hazard. If you’re astrophotography. The webcam DIY-minded, you could build does not need to be big, fancy and yourself a small observatory with a HD. sliding roof and a warm room. Or, if you’re a sissy like me, leave your Networking telescope out in the cold and watch things from the comfort of I use my old laptop as my your own home. external brain. It’s linked to my desktop PC via wireless network. your webcam can see, but you’re machines. First thing you want to Webcam You could, if it came to it, use a still out in the cold. Now what? do is go to Extras > Options, and wired network. Either way, you set a password for each machine. When you first load TeamViewer, The first thing you’ll need is a need to have your laptop Remote Desktop you’ll see a unique ID and webcam. This will be your eyes, so connected to the Internet password; that will change each it needs to be securely attached to somehow. The connection we’ll First, you want to head over to: time you load. your telescope or eyepiece. Some make also comes in handy for http://www.teamviewer.com, and folks prefer to remove the wirelessly transferring any photos download TeamViewer (which is TIP: You should probably add eyepiece and put the webcam or videos you may take while (not free for non-commercial purposes). TeamViewer to your list of where the eyepiece should go. quite) out in the field. TeamViewer needs to be installed applications that load on startup. If Some (ie: me) prefer to attach the on both the laptop and desktop TeamViewer isn’t loaded you can’t webcam to the eyepiece to get a machines, and acts as both a server Out In The Cold connect to that machine, and there closer view of things. Attaching (transmitting) and a receiver are times when you may have to the webcam to the eyepiece is (displaying). So, you obviously want So, you have your webcam on send a reboot command to the completely subjective. Some folks to register with the TeamViewer your scope. Your webcam machine you're logged into. will buy a special attachment. application is showing you what website. Then, load TeamViewer on the laptop and desktop
full circle magazine #63 14 contents ^ HOWTO - AMATEUR ASTRONOMY Pt2 Not very helpful since, if you’re without having to remember a ‘X’ in the middle left of the at the desktop machine, you can’t URL/IP. desktop will exit the session. You’ll see the ID of the laptop to log in also notice (in that menu that’s with! But, help is at hand. We’ll So, with the laptop and desktop overlaying the laptop desktop) a register the machines with machine registered with ‘File Transfer’ button. This, as you TeamViewer. Click the ‘Computers TeamViewer they’ll show up can imagine, allows the transfer of & Contacts’ button at the bottom anytime we login to TeamViewer, files to/from the connected right of TeamViewer, you’ll see a and appear in the pop-up window. machines. window pop-up. Simply double clicking one of the entries listed will connect to that This saves you from copying Initially, your pop-up window machine. images/videos to/from USB sticks. won’t list anything in it, but we’ll The window that appears acts like soon fix that. Click the icon second So now (below left) I’m an FTP application where you click from the right, looks like a controlling my laptop from the a file(s) and click which way you’d computer monitor with a ‘+’ comfort of my desktop. I can like the file(s) to go in. So, in the symbol over it. This will let you control it as if I was sitting in front image shown below, I’ve clicked a register one, or more, computers of it. Configure settings, load/exit video on the laptop, and will click with TeamViewer letting you login applications, anything. Clicking the the blue left facing arrow (marked
full circle magazine #63 15 contents ^ HOWTO - AMATEUR ASTRONOMY Pt2
‘Receive’) to transfer the file to my laptop has a webcam in it, you can Although it may seem pointless desktop machine. point the webcam at your mount to have a webcam pointing at the and have that on screen too! same patch of sky for any length of As well as having a webcam time, this setup does come in application running, you can, of TIP: If you leave your handy for astrophotography as you course, have mount controls laptop/desktop set up, and you’re can leave the laptop recording loaded and be controlling your at work, you can log into any of video for several minutes (or mount remotely too while your machines via the TeamViewer hours), and keep an eye on it to watching your camera. If your website (shown below). make sure your camera/mount hasn’t moved or to stop/start a recording – a recording which could be put through one of the image stacking applications I mentioned last month.
Ronnie is the founder, and editor, of Full Circle, an official Ubuntu member, and part-time artist whose work can be seen at: http://ronnietucker.co.uk
full circle magazine #63 16 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Thomas Standiford GGIIMMPP -- RReettrroo PPhhoottoo
n this GIMP how-to, we're Note: To change which channel to going to do some basic curves adjust, select the channel from the adjustments to make this channel drop-down. You can switch I photo have a cool stylized back and forth between channels. retro-type look. All of these curves adjustments should be done in ONE We'll start with the image COMMAND, not a series of four above right, and end with the commands. image shown bottom right. After making the adjustment, Get the Retro Colors your photo should look pretty cool, but we need to tone the contrast Most of the effect for this down a bit. photo is simply from adjusting the curves of each channel (the red, Next, do another curves green, blue, and alpha channels) adjustment like so: like so:
full circle magazine #63 17 contents ^ HOWTO - GIMP RETRO PHOTO Not bad, now if only those hot pink. Add a layer mask to the bubbles didn't disappear in the dramatize layer. process. Using a fairly large and soft brush, carefully brush in a few Using the blend tool, set the spaces of pink and green in each gradient mode to radial, and use a bubble, like so: gradient that goes from black to white. Create a gradient that goes from the center of the photo Now that our bubbles are a outward. Adjust the opacity of the little more visible, let's dramatize layer to something you're happy the photo a bit. with. Here is what I ended up with:
Enhance the Bubbles Final Touches Next month we'll begin a video editing series using Kdenlive. The bubbles seem to have Create a new layer, name it disappeared in this photo. We're Now that we have added the "dramatize", set the layer mode to going to use a combination of color to the proper areas of the Overlay, and fill the layer with selections, and soft brushes to put bubbles, let's change some layer black. some pop back into them. styles and adjust the opacity to make the bubbles look realistic. Create a new layer, name it "bubbles". Set the layer mode to Overlay.
Now we will select the bubbles. Duplicate the layer. Name the Using the path tool, trace around duplicated layer "bubblebrighten". the outer edge of each bubble. Set the duplicated layer mode Once all of the bubbles have to addition. been outlined, right-click on the path in the path menu (located in Adjust the opacity of both the the same window as the layers), "bubble" and "bubblebrighten" and click "path to selection." layer until you end up with something you're happy with. My Set your foreground and opacity settings are set to 23 and background to a lime green and 40 respectively, and they look like this:
full circle magazine #63 18 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Mark Crutch IInnkkssccaappee -- PPtt33
ere's a riddle for you: rectangle, which has had its selection to toggle scale/rotation an ellipse: “...drag inside the ellipse when is a circle not a corners rounded using the small handles.” The status line is telling for arc, outside for segment.” So if circle? More specifically, circle handles. you that clicking your selected you were wondering about H which of these two object will toggle between the Inkscape's seemingly random circles is a circle, and which one Often it's quite obvious what scale handles and the rotation & switching between segments and isn't? type of object you're working with skew handles. arcs, it turns out not to be random in Inkscape, but as your drawings after all. Keep the pointer inside become more complex, and as you In fact much of what has been the boundary of the ellipse if you begin to use more and more tools, verbosely described in the want to create an arc, and outside it's easy to lose track. Some previous two articles can be found if you want to create a segment – features only work with particular written far more succinctly in although you can always switch types of objects, so it's handy to be Inkscape's status line. With the using the toolbar buttons if you able to tell at a glance exactly Circle tool selected you're told to end up with the wrong type of what you've got selected. Inkscape “Drag to create an ellipse. Drag object. They may look the same, but reveals that information – and a controls to make an arc or they're not. If you double-click on whole lot more – in the status bar segment. Click to select.” In this As well as these handy tips, the each of them to make their edit at the bottom of the window. case “drag controls” is Inkscape's status bar also houses a few other handles visible, you can start to Here's the relevant part of the terminology for moving the small things that you should become see a difference. status bar when each of these square and circle handles. A similar familiar with if you want to make “circles” is selected with the Select line when the Rectangle tool is the most of your time with tool: selected suggests you can “Drag Inkscape. At the far left are the fill controls to round corners and and stroke swatches that were resize.” introduced back in the first part of this series. In theory you can click Hovering the mouse pointer and drag on them in order to over the various handles also change their colors, but I've always provides valuable information in found that to be an imprecise and The one on the left is the true From that information it's quite the status line, including this gem awkward approach. Next month circle, created by holding down obvious that the two circles are when you use the circle handles on we'll look at the Fill and Stroke CTRL while drawing an ellipse. The different. But that image has been other is a square, created by edited a little; the text actually holding CTRL while drawing a reads “Ellipse in layer Layer 1. Click
full circle magazine #63 19 contents ^ HOWTO - INKSCAPE Pt3 dialog which is a much better way are all related to layers. I'll be information. Be warned, however, (easy to remember because it to pick colors that aren't present in covering layers in a later article, that Inkscape's choice of the looks a little like a star) or SHIFT- your color palette. but there are three things worth bottom-left of the page as the F9. Dragging out a shape on the knowing about them at this stage: origin point is different to the SVG canvas will produce either a convex The stroke thickness offers an specification's use of the top-left polygon or a concave, star-like, equally useless facility to click and • If you're familiar with layers in corner – it's not a distinction that drag in order to change its value. GIMP or another graphics program, will affect most people, but it does For most quick changes a right- layers in Inkscape work in a similar mean that if you're a programmer click on the number to bring up the way. type who wants to edit the SVG file context menu is a much better directly, these values are almost option. • Clicking the eye button is another useless to you. of the many ways to make your The spin-box labelled with a objects disappear from the screen The last Inkscape-specific cryptic “O:” lets you set the opacity – in this case by hiding the layer widget in the status bar is a zoom polygon. You can switch between of your selected objects. It's shown they're drawn on. The icon changes spin-box which shows you the the two modes using the first two as a percentage, so 100 is the norm to a closed eye in this case and you current zoom level, lets you set a buttons on the tool control bar. for a completely opaque color can simply click it again to display specific value by typing or using whilst 0 will render your objects the layer once more. the up and down buttons or pick Depending on which mode completely transparent. Inkscape from a few standards via a context you're using, you'll see either one has lots of ways to make your • If the lock icon looks like a closed menu. There are so many other or two small diamond-shaped objects transparent, which can be padlock, then your layer is locked zoom tools, including the CTRL handles. These let you adjust the a real problem for new users. You and you won't be able to draw plus scroll wheel and the +/- keys size, rotation and, for concave can set a value in this box by typing anything new onto it. Click the icon which I've described previously, polygons, the spoke ratio. By directly, by using the up and down again to unlock it. that I doubt you'll ever use this holding various modifier keys as buttons at the side, or by right- widget. Finally there's a handle to you move them, you can also clicking to bring up a rather coarse resize the window. adjust several other parameters five-step context menu. I usually (have a look at the status bar for use the context menu, at least as a Let's finish this month by the details) – although I usually starting point, and, if nothing else, To the right of the status text is introducing another drawing tool prefer to change them using the it provides a fast way to get back a pair of fields which show the X to your arsenal: the Stars and spin-boxes in the tool control bar. to 100% opacity when you're in and Y coordinates of your mouse Polygons tool. It's got an icon in danger of losing your transparent pointer, relative to the bottom-left the tool box and can also be The only parameter that can't objects. corner of the page boundary. You activated using the asterisk key be changed via the diamond can't modify these in any way, The eye and lock icons, and the other than by moving your mouse, pop-up menu that follows them, as they're just there for
full circle magazine #63 20 contents ^ HOWTO - INKSCAPE Pt3 handles is the number of corners To go back to the question that on your polygon, but the other started this article, you now have a CCOODDEEWWOORRDD advantage to using the spin-boxes third way to create a 'circle' – draw is that, like the spin-boxes on the Every number in the grid is 'code' for a letter of the alphabet. a convex polygon with a large Thus the number '2' may correspond to the letter 'L', for instance. status bar, they each have a number of corners. It's not a context menu that you can access All - except the difficult codeword puzzles - come with a few particularly good way to draw a letters to start you off with a right-click. These context circle, and it's certainly not menus are tailored to each spin- efficient, but it does reinforce the box separately, with descriptive fact that objects in Inkscape aren't titles to provide you with a little always what they seem. Keep an insight into the effect they'll have. eye on the status text.
The best way to get a feel for Why not use this new tool to the Star tool is simply to play with add some stars to the background it. Try different combinations of of your snowman image from the values in the spin-boxes. If your previous articles. The same tool objects start to get a little out of will also let you replace those control just click the button at the circles that we right of the tool control bar – the used for the eyes one that looks like a small broom – and mouth with in order to 'clean up' the slightly parameters back to sensible randomised defaults. To give you some idea of convex polygons what you can achieve simply by – far more tweaking the parameters for the authentic as Star tool, this image contains six lumps of coal. identical polygons which differ only in the settings in their spin- boxes:
Mark has been using Linux since 1994, and uses Inkscape to create two webcomics, 'The Greys' and Solutions are on the second last page. 'Monsters, Inked' which can both be found at: Puzzles are copyright, and kindly provided by, http://www.peppertop.com/ The Puzzle Club - www.thepuzzleclub.com
full circle magazine #63 21 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Michael R. Youngblood WWeebb DDeevv -- PPtt11
we go. My server is running Ubuntu web site. Pretty easy stuff so far. Now let’s get some config in Server 64bit 10.10. This month we All of your files will be located in there. Go ahead and use the simple will get Apache2 installed and the following directory: sample configuration shown configured. I am also assuming you above. he “LAMP Stack” is know how to edit files using /srv/www/ traditionally Linux, terminal and vi, this is what we will Remember to change I have a feeling that we will Apache, MySQL, and PHP. be using the whole time. Let’s jump example.com to your doman name. want a few different sites to play This is the most necessary right into that. This stuff is kind of boring so I am T around with, so I am going to show portion of any server to any web just going to run through it really you how I set things up. Instead of developer, whether you’re If you are not root (and you quickly. ServerAdmin is for the using the default path and apache specializing in PHP or even mobile shouldn’t be for security reasons), email address of who (or a group config setup, we will use virtual development. You just simply you need to run apt-get commands that) maintains the site. hosts. From here on out, I will use cannot develop a web site or web using sudo, and all my examples ServerName should be the base example.com. You will want to app without a web server. Of will assume you are logged in as a name of the site. Please note, if replace that with your own domain course, there are other flavors of user. Run the following code to your site is a sub-domain then you name. web servers that use other install apache2: will need to put x.example.com in technology, but this is the the ServerName. The ServerAlias is sudo aptget install apache2 Make a new virtual host config standard and will be our starting the full web address that will be file into /etc/apache2/sites- point. going to your site. DocumentRoot By default, now it works. It is available/ with the following is where all of your public files will listening to all IP’s available to it, command: For the sake of this new be held. I took the liberty of giving anything coming to that box on column, I have set up a new Virtual you error log reporting to make port 80 will now go to the default sudo vi /etc/apache2/sites Server to go through with you as available/example.com finding and fixing problems easier
full circle magazine #63 22 contents ^ WEB DEV in the future. Before any of that Next time we will be installing will work, we need to create those PHP and MySQL to complete the directories for real. That, of course, LAMP stack. BBRRIIDDGGEESS is as easy as making directories: An island is shown by a circle with a number in it. Draw bridges between islands so that each island has the mkdir p number of bridges indicated. There can be no more than /srv/www/example.com/public_h two bridges between the same two islands. Bridges can tml only be drawn horizontally or vertically. mkdir /srv/www/example.com/logs
Sweet, now we got some stuff going on. Now let’s activate that bad boy: sudo a2ensite example.com sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 reload
The a2ensite is actually a really cool command. It says apache2, enable site x. There is also a2dissite for disabling. This will use the site config files we made in the sites-available directory and copy them into the sites-enabled directory. Although we could do it ourselves, it is just good practice to let apache handle its own files when it is able. The other Michael Youngblood has been in the statement there is telling apache industry of web design and to reload its configuration files. development for 13 years. He has been working for a world wide wireless tech corp for six years and is Solutions are on the second last page. working on his bachelor’s of science puzzles are copyright, and kindly provided by, Well, that is it for this month. in mobile development. The Puzzle Club - www.thepuzzleclub.com
full circle magazine #63 23 contents ^ HHOOWW--TTOO Written by Ronnie Tucker WWrriittee FFoorr FFuullll CCiirrccllee MMaaggaazziinnee
Guidelines If you are writing a review, REVIEWS please follow these guidelines : he single rule for an Games/Applications article is that it must For a more detailed list of the When reviewing games/applications please state clearly: somehow be linked to style rules and common pitfalls T Ubuntu or one of the please refer to: • title of the game many derivatives of Ubuntu https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuM • who makes the game (Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, etc). agazine/Style - in short: US • is it free, or a paid download? spelling, no l33t speak and no • where to get it from (give download/homepage URL) Write your article in whichever smilies. • is it Linux native, or did you use Wine? software you choose. I would • your marks out of five recommend LibreOffice, but When you are ready to submit • a summary with positive and negative points PLEASE SPELL AND GRAMMAR your article please email it to: CHECK IT! [email protected] Hardware When reviewing hardware please state clearly: Writing If you can't write articles, but hang out in Ubuntu Forums, send • make and model of the hardware us interesting forum threads that There is no word limit for • what category would you put this hardware into? we could print. articles, but be advised that long • any glitches that you may have had while using the hardware? articles may be split across several • easy to get the hardware working in Linux? issues. In your article, please place Non-English Writers • did you have to use Windows drivers? where you would like a particular • marks out of five image to be. Please do not use any If your native language isn't • a summary with positive and negative points formatting in your document. English, don't worry. Write your article, and the proof-readers will Images read it for you and correct any grammatical or spelling errors. Not You don't need to be an expert to write an Images should be no wider than only are you helping the magazine article - write about the games, applications 800 pixels, in JPG format, and use and the community, but we'll help low compression. you with your English! and hardware that you use every day.
full circle magazine #63 24 contents ^ https://spideroak.com Get 25% off any SpiderOak package with the code: FullcirclemagFans
full circle magazine #63 25 contents ^ AASSKK TTHHEE NNEEWW GGUUYY Written by Copil Yáňez
BACK, YOU GUYS!!1@!!! LINUTZ y high school had a most important bull in the nerd I don’t tell you this story to bore SUKZZZZZZ!!! computer club that herd. Why? you. Although if it did, hey, Mission competed in the Accomplished! No, I bring it up to But just as I played a crucial role annual Computer I was the typist. illustrate a pattern that has been M in the Computer Olympiad, and Olympiad. It was a lot like the with me since grade school and much as a canary was once Olympics – only without the Someone had to enter the informs my experience with Linux. medals, interviews, lucrative string of geek-speak being spouted considered a key component in the coal mining process, I feel I have endorsement deals, doping by my teammates and I happened See, I have always enjoyed the been placed on this earth to play a allegations or fans. Actually, it to have mad typing skills (which trappings of tech-geekery without very special role with regards to wasn’t anything like the Olympics. totally killed it with the ladies, by the underlying comprehension. Linux. Except for the insane amount of the way). I know, I know, I’m every sweating. enthusiast’s worst nightmare. I’m I’d like you to think of me, not Intellectually, on the other the guy who blithely clicks as the fashion-challenged “before” On the designated day, teams hand, I was in over my head. I could CONTINUE at the bottom of every image in a weight-loss of brainy teenagers huddled in a get my name to scroll diagonally screen during an OS install and advertisement, but as an augur for hot cafeteria and worked against a across the screen (again, catnip for then runs around the forums cross- Linux’s arrival. time limit to carry out a given the ladies), but, compared to my posting in all-caps: “LINUTS JUST programming task. Completed buddies, I was a pre-op Charlie ATE MY FILES WHERE IS TEH Let me explain. programs were then judged on from Flowers for Algernon. WINDOWS NOW?!!!?! GET IT relevance, brevity and elegance (no, dressing up your TRS-80 in top The first non-Microsoft, non- hat and tails will NOT get you extra Apple operating system I ever tried points – I tried). was a sexy little number named OS/2. Yes, I know this was initially Our team usually did well. Not developed by Microsoft but I didn’t because we were smarter than the hear about it until the Warp era, by other teams but because we had which time it was wholly owned by something no other team had. IBM so GET OFF MY BACK!
Me. OS/2 Warp was pretty advanced for the time and competitive with That’s right, I was clearly the Windows 95 (arguably much
full circle magazine #63 26 contents ^ ASK THE NEW GUY better). Later versions included market. Which was, like, me and dizzy chasing my cursor around the Java, speech recognition, 32-bit three other people. screen, trying desperately to guess windowing, Internet-compatible where I should click on one side of networking and *yaaaawn* look at So I tried OS/2 Warp on a laptop the screen in order to select the time, it’s getting late. and promptly borked the damn something on the other side. I thing so badly I actually had to would have tried to fix the No, the real genius of OS/2 RMA the machine. I also returned problem but there’s only so much Warp was that it treated operating the OS/2 Warp package and effort I’m willing to put into this systems the way Atari treats promptly invested the proceeds in sort of thing. So, after about eight dragons. When Atari released AOL. minutes, my experiment in Adventure for the Atari 2600, they alternate operating systems was had this graphic on the box: And that should have been the over. Again. end of it. I demanded my money back But then, about twelve years from XandrosBoob98 and promptly ago, I started reading about Linux invested it in Enron. and the wonders of open source (seriously, no one has ever noted And that should have been the how much that sounds like “open end of it. In marketing, you sell the sizzle, sores?”). There was something not the steak. Atari did it with familiar about the breathy But I could still hear the siren Adventure and IBM did with OS/2 promises and cult-like devotion, call and, over the next few years, I Warp. something I couldn’t quite place. started playing with other Linux Whatever, I bought a copy of flavors. I became an open source OS/2 promised: Xandros on eBay and loaded it. slut, willing to have a go with any • BREAKNECK BOOT UPS! Yeah, I bought it. Erm, let’s just say flirty distro that made eyes at me. I • MULTITASKING MADNESS! I hadn’t read all of the open source invited them all over to make out • NUTTY NETWORKING! manifestos that carefully. on the couch: Suse, Debian, Red Hat, Mint, Damn Small, and even a With such breathy promises of Much like my last date with my totally nasty one called #! that operating system sexiness, it’s no first girlfriend, things started well wanted to do stuff I had never wonder that OS/2 Warp cornered enough. And then my mouse even heard of. But when you popped that baby the enthusiasts with few practical started acting hinky (a technical into the cartridge slot, this is how computing skills but a fondness for term referring to an inanimate Each one had its own quirks, its the dragon rendered: being misleadby marketing copy object that becomes possessed by own way of not working, and I the ghost of a paint mixer). I got remained unwilling to make a
full circle magazine #63 27 contents ^ ASK THE NEW GUY lasting commitment to any of but wouldn’t scan documents. virtualization, automation and them. I uninstalled each before personalization. I’ll look at these they started leaving their stuff It. Just. Worked! things from the perspective of a overnight and cluttering up my user who knows what’s cool about home (folder). It was the equivalent of Linux but doesn’t always popping in the Adventure cartridge understand why. The Ubuntu Podcast covers all I finally realized I had a problem and having my eyebrows singed off the latest news and issues facing when a friend caught me by the dragon’s fiery breath! Think of me as the jerk down Ubuntu Linux users and Free downloading a BSD .iso. I had gone the road with a brand new Ferarri Software fans in general. The too far. And I needed help. This is how I know Linux has who doesn’t even know how to show appeals to the newest user arrived. If a guy like me, who wants drive a stick shift. It’s time to look and the oldest coder. Our That’s when I discovered all the flash of a pretty new under the hood. discussions cover the Ubuntu. operating system but can’t be development of Ubuntu but bothered to learn what ‘ls’ at the Am I alone? Anyone else out aren’t overly technical. We are At first, the breathiness turned prompt does, can find happiness, there know how to summon the lucky enough to have some me off. This distro would change then so will most people, most of command line but fear its voodoo? great guests on the show, telling things forever! It could be loaded whom aren’t nearly as criminally Or maybe you get tired of us first hand about the latest on a toaster, ran on air and made lazy as I am. answering the same questions over exciting developments they are you irresistible to the opposite sex. and over for new users. If so, working on, in a way that we can Fast forward to today. I’ve contact me at all understand! We also talk It was the sizzle again, and I was finally settled down with Ubuntu [email protected]. I’ll try to about the Ubuntu community wary of buying the steak. But I had and we’ve had several laptops and answer simple questions or point and what it gets up to. hit rock bottom and the next step one desktop together. It’s a happy out helpful beginner advice from was to sit around waiting for Hurd. home and I love my life partner the perspective of someone who The show is presented by I just couldn’t do it. even though the state of Virginia loves Linux and Ubuntu but doesn’t members of the UK’s Ubuntu doesn’t see our union as legal. speak source code. Linux community. Because it is I downloaded the Ubuntu .iso covered by the Ubuntu Code of and ran it as a LiveCD. And the And now I think it’s time to give Conduct it is suitable for all. most amazing thing happened. It back to the community. I owe it to just worked! Ubuntu after everything it’s given The show is broadcast live every Copil came to Linux via his lifelong me. interest in penguin-on-penguin fortnight on a Tuesday evening I don’t mean it ran my mouse Here’s my plan: I’m going to erotica. His quest for the perfect fart (British time) and is available for but wouldn’t print from PDFs. I figure out some things, learn why joke is chronicled at download the following day. don’t mean it saw my video card some people swear by the yaconfidential.blogspot.com. You can also follow his stream of but wouldn’t run Skype. I don’t command line, explore some of the consciousness on Twitter (@copil). podcast.ubuntu-uk.org mean it connected to the network available options and tools like
full circle magazine #63 28 contents ^ LLIINNUUXX LLAABB Written by Alan Ward MMaakkiinngg **bbuunnttuu 1122..0044 BBoooott FFaasstteerr
Which operating system are you Me: As you can imagine, the end positive factor. But I think we can running? TWEET SCREEN FOLKS: Don’t result of all this is a rising number all agree not all *buntu worry, your half-finished project of happy campers users. However, distributions can get the same hasn’t been abandoned. Charles Teacher: (whatever) it has forced me to take some time speed out of lightweight will return next month to finish off to think out the choice of hardware. Hmmm... that won't be easy. the Tweet Screen. Me: distribution to install on their Care to try Linux instead? machines. Being recent converts, So I wanted to look at some they themselves usually had no hard data before coming out with Will I be able to continue he basic idea for this little Teacher: preconceived preferences, but a public recommendation – my using Office documents? piece actually came from were happy to have me choose. professional reputation being at a real-world situation I Any version of Ubuntu seemed stake, so to speak. Evaluating Why yeah, sure. No problems found myself in this last Me: suitable - mostly for ease of available possibilities meant T with virus, either. finding answers for the following school year. An increasing number installation and maintenance, of fellow teachers are buying though the availability of Catalan questions, a process that I would Suits me! netbooks to use in class and at Teacher: language translations was also a like to share with you here: home. Their rationale includes, A. Is there really a difference in above all, the ease of speed between the various transportation of these desktop managers? Is this a real lightweight computers, though difference, as opposed to merely a lower prices compared to regular perceived difference? laptops certainly do no harm. B. What about the processor and However, their initial enthusiasm motherboard? What influence do tends to diminish slightly over time they really have on computer because of the lower speeds speeds? netbooks offer - which is when C. Notebook hard drives do not they come to me for advice. The have a good reputation. Is it dialogue usually goes this way: important to take this factor into account? Could it be worth the Teacher: I'm very happy with this time and money to upgrade the new computer, but is there some hard drive? way we couldget a tadmore speed out ofit? To reply to all these questions, I
full circle magazine #63 29 contents ^ LINUX LAB - MAKING *BUNTU BOOT FASTER needed a basic experimental class-10 SDHC card and its adapter. responsive system, you may need desktop managers in the following protocol that could compare some relatively serious power order (from slowest to fastest): different distributions and Though the article is aimed under the hood, specifically in the 1. Kubuntu, with the KDE plasma computers, but that at the same mostly at laptop users, specifically graphics card department, desktop manager. time represented real-world user as regards getting the best user otherwise you may need to 2. The Gnome 3 desktop manager. experience. Just measuring pure experience possible with netbooks deactivate some of the more funky It is not, for the time being, CPU speed or hard drive I/O and not-quite-bleeding-edge types desktop effects. This may be a installed by default by any of the performance, as most benchmarks of hardware, I hope it gives the show-stopper for the more *buntu distributions (though it is do, was not good enough. But, on reader some practical ideas that he impatient, who move on to other the main desktop for some the other hand, what different or she can try out in other areas as less beautiful but more speedy versions of Linux Mint). people do with their computers well. Enjoy! desktop managers – been there, 3. Ubuntu, with the new Unity can vary quite a bit. done that. On the other hand, manager. The Desktop Manager Lubuntu is often touted as a more 4. Xubuntu, with XFCE 4. This is why I chose to measure streamlined desktop, suitable for 5. Lubuntu, with LXDE, also a something we all do: boot-up the Though Ubuntu and its older or less powerful hardware. relative newcomer to the machine. That is to say, I measured derivatives have a reputation of playground. in each case the wall-clock time going easy on system resources, The general perception I get – between the moment the BIOS this may vary across versions. For from reading around and my own So, what truth is there in these starts loading the kernel, up to the example, Kubuntu users' practical experience – is that we could user perceptions? I needed some moment in which the user can use experience is that to get a probably classify the better-known hard data to base my decision on. the mouse to navigate through menus and get some actual work The first step was to perform a done. standard installation of Ubuntu 12.04 for i386, update it to the Most of my “experimentation” latest versions of all software has been done with an early Acer packets, and then add the other Aspire One 10" (1GB RAM, Atom various desktops: 1.6GHz CPU), though I made some comparisons with other hardware sudo aptitude install when needed. kubuntudesktop It may be interesting to note The equipment used for testing that the finished system occupied (previous page): a somewhat aging just above 5GB, not that much Acer Aspire, with (left to right) its more than the standard single own internal SATA-1 hard drive, a desktop installation of 3GB. USB 2.0 pen-drive, and an 8GB
full circle magazine #63 30 contents ^ LINUX LAB - MAKING *BUNTU BOOT FASTER
I could then start measuring dentical in all cases, and add up to tweaking for performance, while The Processor And boot-up times. Perhaps it should about 20-21 seconds on my test KDE - with standard effects Motherboard be noted that these times are a hardware. So differences in total activated - is not a fast mover, combination of: boot times are due only to the needing 22s or 73% more time actual window manager. Total boot than Lubuntu to get to the same It seemed reasonable not to - the time it takes the kernel (a give much importance to our CPU vanilla 3.2.0) to load, load initrd, times are shown below left. point of being able to do some actual work. and motherboard, since we cannot and switch roots; easily change them on a laptop: we - the time is takes the init process As can be seen, the short answer is: yes, the choice of Please note that these are in general stuck with whatever to set up shop (go multiuser, load we have. However, since we do daemons, etc); desktop manager is definitely differences are further important as regards speed. accentuated on a memory-starved have some say in the matter when - the time for the Xorg windowing buying a new computer, let's take a system to detect graphics Basically, I obtained the same type computer. I would not recommend of results as have many others, less than 1 GB of RAM for either quick look at the effect these hardware and switch screen mode elements can have on our speed. and resolution; with Lubuntu and Xubuntu variants Gnome or KDE . Boot-up times can of Ubuntu giving rather good easily double with 512 MB of RAM, - finally, the time needed for the I took the same internal SATA desktop manager to load its own results, though with a slight edge and the machine is not at all for Lubuntu. The standard Unity responsive during use. Things are drive from the Aspire, and used it libraries and display the user's GUI to boot a series of computers with environment. desktop was a nice surprise, perhaps not quite as dire for coming in third with a small 6s lag Lubuntu or Xubuntu, though the increasingly powerful processors. The first two were laptops, and the The first three steps are compared to Lubuntu. Gnome 3 difference is still noticeable. still seems to need a bit of last a desktop unit. Boot times are i shown below right.
full circle magazine #63 31 contents ^ LINUX LAB - MAKING *BUNTU BOOT FASTER
As could be expected, a faster computing (browsing the Internet, Since we found that the CPU bus speed (i.e. its connection with CPU does seem to help boot faster. or working with office programs). and motherboard are not that the motherboard), the signaling However, all other variables (hard But they cannot be taken as a valid important for our purposes, our speed the drive and motherboard drive and RAM) being equal, boot benchmark for more CPU-intensive third and final step was to see agree upon, and finally whatever times are not that much faster tasks such as scientific number- what effects the physical drive speed the drive itself is physically between a single-core mobile crunching or gaming – areas where could have. Since GNU/Linux is a capable of. Just to complicate Atom processor and the - in theory CPU speed does make the modular operating system, it is in things, this later number can vary. - more potent desktop dual-core. difference. fact rather easy to boot from For example, flash-based drives are Based on pure CPU computing various media. Basically, if your always way faster reading data power, we should be looking at The Boot Medium And BIOS can boot it, GNU/Linux can than writing it to disk. This is probably use it. For a bit of variety, inherent to the NAND or NOR flash speed increases to the tune of Partition 110% for the Centrino and 260% I used: chip technology they use. for the Dual-core, which is quite - the original internal hard drive, a visibly not the case. SATA 1 unit; This is why the 1.5 Gb/s (about - an external 2.0 USB pendrive; 150 MB/s) transfer speed of the This is in fact an interesting - an SD memory card. SATA hard disk is merely development, since it gives us the theoretical. This is a bus speed, idea that our boot process is Before continuing, that most current spinning-platter limited more by the speed of our perhaps we need to examine laptop hard disks are incapable of disk drive than by that of our CPU. further what these are using up completely (solid state Using the language of high- capable of. The actual speed disk are another matter). All the performance computing circles, we a hard drive is capable of more so in our case, when the would say that our process is “I/O giving us is a combination of Acer's motherboard and the hard bound” (as opposed to “CPU- drive agreed on using the ATA-8 bound”). From this we can tell that signal protocol, or UDMA/100. This it may be more interesting for means we are down to, at most, netbook or mobile users to invest 100 MB/s with this disk. As to in hard drives, rather than in top- physical speed, I have tested the spec CPUs. disk at about 83 MB/s, which is not too bad for a 5400rpm unit. As a side-note, perhaps we should remind ourselves that we On the other hand, the SD card have just been measuring boot-up uses the appropriate reader times. Our results may or may not hardware, which is connected to be extensible to normal light the internal USB bus in a similar way to the keyboard and touchpad.
full circle magazine #63 32 contents ^ LINUX LAB - MAKING *BUNTU BOOT FASTER But not all SD cards are equal in That being said, it is also clear that extended partition may require can hope to double our read speed. This was a class-10 unit, even using the slower SD card (or two seek operations each time a speed. This should definitely help guaranteed to give at least 10 equivalent USB pen-drive), read is requested by the system: shorten our boot times. MB/s in write speed. Since it has a lightweight desktops such as LXDE one to access the primary partition theoretical USB 2.0 speed limit of can still boot within reasonable it is hosted in, and the second to Additional hard drive caddies about 60 MB/s, we can hypothesize times. actually access data. This is are appearing for many laptops that its read speed is about that definitely something to bear in (they replace the CD/DVD combo), figure. To all intents and purposes, What is more interesting is the mind when we partition our drive. and most desktops have space to this format is equivalent to the difference in performance fit in an extra hard drive or three. more classical USB 2.0 external between primary and extended OK, so if having a fast drive and But this is not an option for pendrive. In fact, my USB pendrive partitions on the internal hard a fast connection between drive netbooks, so I had to get back to has a slower write rating, so I drive. We can see that using an and motherboard is good, what the desktop Dual-core machine for concentrated on the SD and left extended partition on the internal could be better? It seemed this step. I used a single internal the pendrive out of the equation. hard drive is not a Good Idea (TM), reasonable to try using two drives, 3.5” SATA-1 hard drive for one set since boot speeds of the internal on two different connections, at of tests, and two identical drives To my mind, the internal hard drive actually drop below those of the same time. If both drives hold with the root partitions configured drive and the SD card represent the SD card. This came as a bit of a the same information at all times – as a software RAID-1 array for the just about the respective best and surprise, and (I think) can be a technique variously known as second. worst physical speeds available for explained only by the fact that the mirroring or RAID level1 – then we our test computer. This is in fact a rather funky setup where you need: At the same time, I also wanted - a small non-RAID boot partition to know if using a primary hard (let's say /dev/sda1) to contain the drive partition (/dev/sda1) or an /boot directory for the GRUB boot- extended partition (/dev/sda5) had loader to read kernel and inirtd file any effect at all. What I got is from; shown right. - a larger RAID-1 partition that combines a physical partition from The basic hierarchy between each hard drive (for example, desktop managers seems to be /dev/sda2 and /dev/sdb1), that will respected in all cases. However, it be mounted as the filesystem root is clear that using a faster drive will / directory. help all desktops boot faster. The gain in speed is not quite If you are interested in this proportional to theoretical line technique, it is probably something speed, but it is there nonetheless. you should play with a bit on a not-
full circle magazine #63 33 contents ^ LINUX LAB - MAKING *BUNTU BOOT FASTER so-important computer before Unity is in fact not a bad choice for C. The key factor in speeding up Internal spinning-platter hard setting up a production machine. a lowly netbook, though if we boot times is simply the hard drive, drives may have difficulties in Anyhow, I got the results shown really need more speed, Lubuntu or rather (and not so simply) the doing this. To take an example of a below right. or Xubuntu are the way to go. combination of hard drive, its bus typical modern high-end laptop connection to the motherboard, drive, the WD Scorpio Blue 1 TB As expected, we can now B. The processor and motherboard and partitioning. (model number WD10JPVT ) has a confirm that faster hard drives are not quite as important for 3 Gb/s interface, but manages to make for shorter boot times. This normal user experience. This is not My takeaway from all this is sustain only 144 MB/s transfer is even more noticeable for the to say we should skimp on either, that it may be worthwhile to take a rate. This is much the same for more heavyweight desktop but rather that the difference in hard look at your hard drive (no most spinning-platter drives. On managers, that seem to need more price between an entry-range pun intended!), and try to optimize the other hand, SSD drives have disk activity to set up. System processor and a faster chip may its speed. Are we booting from a higher effective transfer rates, but responsiveness is also nice and not be noticeable if all we do is primary partition? Which version of still cost a little more. Price crisp during use, so this looks like boot the computer, navigate on SATA does the computer support: differences are decreasing since an interesting path to follow on the Web and do presentations. is it a SATA-1 at 1.5 Gb/s (about spinning-platter hard drives went computers that can contain the Otherwise, things may be very 150 MB/s), or a SATA-2 at 3 Gb/s up over the last few months, extra hard drive we need to do different ... and perhaps you could (about 300 MB/s)? Try to find an however, and it might be possible RAID. do some experimentation of your internal hard drive that can really to find a small (32 to 64 GB) SSD own before choosing your next sustain this speed. hard drive at a competitive price – Conclusion laptop. though whether it is worthwhile to upgrade a lowly $200 netbook After making my poor old with an $80+ hard drive is a choice computers jump though these that may or may not work out for loops, I am beginning to get a you. clearer picture about what is really important to speed up *buntu For laptops with an optical desktop boot times. To sum it up: drive, hard drive caddies that replace the CD/DVD with space for A. Yes, the choice of desktop a second hard disk are becoming manager does make a difference. more common, with prices in the There is less of a gap between the $40 - $60 range. So RAID-1 on your ultra-lite LXDE and XFCE desktops laptop may be a choice, especially and Unity than I expected, which if you already have a spare hard go to show that Canonical's efforts drive lying around. in this sense have not been in vain.
full circle magazine #63 34 contents ^ LINUX LAB - MAKING *BUNTU BOOT FASTER
Quick Review: Taskwarrior. by Calogero Bonasia
There are numerous programs to manage time and "things to do". When working in team, it is not always easy to coordinate the work of everyone, especially if this work should be done on many servers and by different people at different times of the day/week.
Taskwarrior maintains a list of tasks that you want to do, allowing you to add/remove, and otherwise manipulate them. It has a rich list of subcommands that allow you to do sophisticated things. You'll find it has customizable reports, charts, GTD features, Lua extensions, device synching and more. The program can even interact with vim and pcal (to generate calendars), allows sub-projects, jobs and more!
In the last release, attention has also been paid to performance, and file Finally, USB 3 ports with their 5 LXDE at 30s). However, with its I/O, filtering, sorting, formatting, and rendering are all faster. The result Gb/s (about 500 MB/s) line speed distinctly "geeky" feeling, it may is a more consistent, capable and speedy Taskwarrior. are also becoming more common not appeal to all tastes. nowadays - even on netbooks - and The home page is http://taskwarrior.org/projects/taskwarrior, and on allow an external hard drive to the web site you will find many external scripts, distributed separately, boot up a computer at practically because they are not necessarily tied to Taskwarrior releases. the same speed as an internal drive. So it may be worthwhile to How to install Taskwarrior on Ubuntu: choose your next netbook with sudo addaptrepository ppa:ultrafredde/ppa one of these, in the interests of sudo aptget update future expansion. sudo aptget install task
To end on a more personal Alan teaches computer science at You can download and install Taskwarrior on Linux, Mac OS X or Cygwin. note, allow me to present my Escola Andorrana de Batxillerat (high-school). He has given I'm using Taskwarrior as a great example of a product that works, does personal desktop. Using the GNU/Linux courses at the University perhaps ancient - but still beautiful of Andorra, and currently teaches what it does well, and works great with many various user types: ninja to my eyes - FVWM Crystal desktop GNU/Linux systems administration at sysadmin, windows guys who only know "the cool things," and people manager, it makes the Acer boot the Open University of Catalunya who are almost completely PC illiterate but somehow managed (UOC). up at a fast-ish 26s (compare to programmer jobs.
full circle magazine #63 35 contents ^ CCLLOOSSIINNGG WWIINNDDOOWWSS FFiillee//FFoollddeerr SShhaarriinngg though, Ubuntu has made folder Written by: sharing just as easy, but that can Ronnie Tucker (KDE) also depend on which desktop you Jan Mussche (Gnome) use. Elizabeth Krumbach (XFCE) Mark Boyajian (LXDE) Kubuntu David Tigue (Unity) Almost identical to Windows XP in that you right click a folder, choose properties, then click the ‘Share’ tab to gain access to folder sharing.
In this tab you can check the box If you don’t see a ‘Share’ tab (and login/password to your network (if required) to share with you’re not asked to do so) you may (and I think you should) this is set Windows, give the share a name, need to install SAMBA using your in K > System Settings > Sharing > allow/disallow guests and whether package manager. to allow full control, read only To connect to a Windows control or deny on a per user basis. Should you need to assign a machine you open Dolphin (the KDE file manager) and click Network (in the left panel), then Samba Shares, finally Workgroup, and you should now see a list of older sharing in Windows available machines to connect to. XP is relatively simple. It’s Double click the machine and you’ll done by right clicking on a see the list of shared folders on F folder to get its that machine. properties then, in the sharing tab, give it a share name and (if Note that above the folders you needed) a comment. see smb:xxxxxxxxxx - that smb Unfortunately it’s not always that means SAMBA and reminds me simple in Linux. In recent years that I’m browsing the network.
full circle magazine #63 36 contents ^ CLOSING WINDOWS Gnome-Shell and Unity Installing is easy, just follow the wizard that guides you through the The Gnome-Shell variant also installation process. uses Samba to connect to other network components. This means Installing Samba has one when you want to share files downside: you need to reboot and/or folders over your network afterwards so the program can you need to have Samba installed. read the config file and knows what to do and how to do it. When you right-click a folder (which you want to share) in the Once Samba is installed and the file manager, a drop-down menu computer has rebooted you can return to the file-manager and appears and one of the possible decide if other users have the right manager, which currently does not right-click the folder you want to choices is Sharing Options. When to create and delete files in the offer direct access to manipulating share. Click Sharing Options again, you choose this item and Samba is share and if non-registered users the sharing properties of files and tick the tickbox “Share this Folder”, not installed, you receive a have access. Finish with the button folders. There is currently a thunar- choose a good name for the share, message you need to install it. Modify Share. shares-plugin project, but it is not packaged for Xubuntu at this time Now it should be possible to so has to be installed from source open Network in the left column of and manually configured, the the file-manager, choose author has not tested it. workgroup and see which computers are online and which Instead, you can install samba folders they have shared. manually and configure it to serve the folders you wish to share. Once shared, the icon of the Alternatively, you can install a file shared folder shows a double manager from Gnome, called arrow indicating data can flow Nautilus, with sharing -- by both ways to and from the folder. installing the nautilus, nautilus- share and samba packages. You Xfce can then launch Nautilus and navigate to “Sharing Options” for The Xubuntu desktop with Xfce the folder you wish to share, just comes with Thunar as a file like you would in Gnome-Shell.
full circle magazine #63 37 contents ^ CLOSING WINDOWS LXDE
Once again, in keeping with the “light-weight" nature of Lubuntu, the default installation does not include the software to facilitate file sharing; however, as with all other “optional" applications in Lubuntu, all the software required to share files (e.g. NFS support, Giver, Samba, etc.) between multiple Linux boxes and/or Linux and other OS’s (e.g. MS Windows, OSX, etc.) is readily available from the repositories. Also, the lightweight file manager that comes standard with LXDE - small and simple Lubuntu Control most other “lightweight” distros) is begin with, you wouldn’t have PCManFM - has no default Center (LCC) application which, “It can change to meet your chosen a “lightweight” distro in the integrated capabilities to allow you among other things, provides a needs”. If you are looking for a first place. But it is important to to configure the sharing of files or very simple and fast utility to “lightweight” distro, then you know that as your needs change folders; however, if Samba is create/manage shared folders. should expect to have a “stripped and you require functionality that installed, then you can access and down model” [of Linux]. That’s is not available in Lubuntu by navigate Samba shares directly You can certainly install LCC why you chose a lightweight distro default, it is immediately available from within PCManFM by typing even without file sharing installed in the first place, right? (The to you via the repositories. This the IP address of the target Samba so that you can benefit from its answer is “Yes”.) But because most “malleability” of Linux is one of its share into the address field in other features; however, if you of these distros (like Lubuntu) greatest strengths and accounts PCManFM. click on the Share icon in the LCC, were made “light” by eliminating for the myriad “shapes and sizes” then a dialog box will pop up lots of “software overhead” and by of Linux distros available. And let’s Also note that if you choose to notifying you that you do not have using utilitarian equivalents to not forget that none of this would install Samba and/or NFS support, file sharing services installed and it basic (and indispensable) be possible without the open then not only can you manage will offer to install one or more applications like file managers and source development model. file/folder sharing with those services for you. web browsers, you are free to packages’ respective management “fatten them up” to your heart’s tools (and from the command line, It should be obvious by now content from the repositories. Of of course), you can install the very that the “tag line” for Lubuntu (and course, if you wanted “fat” to
full circle magazine #63 38 contents ^ MMYY SSTTOORRYY Written by Fredrik Johansson
’ve been a computer user for most of my life. Being born in the latter half of the 80’s, that I is to be expected. The computer was solely for entertainment, and for playing games in particular. In the late 90’s, we got access to broadband Internet, we had dial-up for years before but, due to the cost, I rarely got to use it (and, when I did, I used it to look up gaming guides and cheats). Broadband access changed how I used the computer drastically, napster helped with specifically the synth and tracker thought the first desktop and laptop. that too. I didn’t care that my driven music. I had occasionally few tracks were ok, then track #5, computer was too slow to run the stumbled across a demo or two, Marian, begun playing and So what does Linux, the demo newest games any more (I bought cracktros and so forth, but I never completely blew me away. I still scene, and music have in common? a video game console to satisfy my thought much about it. Music has refer to The Sisters of Mercy as my For me it’s Subsonic. When I lost gaming needs), because I could always been a big part of my life, favourite band. my music collection (except for the explore this whole other world and and I do consider myself as Sisters of Mercy albums which I interact with people in a way that someone who doesn't care about But something else also actually own), I started wasn’t possible for me before. I the genres as long as it sounds happened in 2010. One of my hard downloading all the amazing free was still using Windows however – great (you’ll probably argue with drives gave up, and with it went my demo scene music, and it soon led it took me a long time to get rid of me about that if you have a look at music collection. On the bright me into the wonderful world of it actually. I’ve been running Linux- my collection, though). In the early side, I finally decided that I was net-labels. To this day, I still can’t based operating systems for two years of high school, I was very into done with Windows and I’ve been believe how much incredible years now, and I don’t see myself metal, and I thought that Iron running Linux ever since. I stuck brilliant and wonderful music ever going back. Maiden was the greatest, but, as I with Ubuntu until 11.10, I thought there’s out on the Internet, for matured, so did my musical taste. Unity was awful and switched to free! This is where Subsonic comes In 2010 I fell in love. I fell in love One day I found this album called mint 12, and now I’m running mint in. As my music collection grew with the demo scene, and more First and Last and Always. I 13 64-bit MATE on both my exponentially in size, and the wide
full circle magazine #63 39 contents ^ MY STORY range of different audio formats with it, I felt as if everything I did made it impossible to carry with could be done just as easily (and in me everywhere, I had to find a some cases easier) in a Windows 1166xx1166 SSUUDDOOKKUU solution. With Subsonic, it doesn’t environment, and the terminal matter if the file is an .xm .mp3 scared me. I had picked up some Numbers 0 to 9 and letters A to F are to be filled into the .flac or .aac – it’ll transcode (into a basic terminal commands back in 16x16 grid so that every row, every column, and every bit-rate of my choosing) it all into school (cd .., ls, cat, nano, man, etc), 4x4 box contains 0 to 9 and A - F. something that my Android device and little by little I began exploring can play when I’m out and about. and tweaking config files to my When I’m at home, I use the web liking. My current Subsonic server interface to access all my music, I is running on Ubuntu Server 12.04, have not yet been able to get the a couple of old hard drives in an old right equipment to set something computer running in RAID 5. I have up for the jukebox function. Which sshfs (SSH Filesystem) running on means that the computer running it, so I can use it as my own the Subsonic server is outputting personal cloud storage, and adding the music through its audio ports more music is a breeze. and the playlists are controlled by an external player. So, what do I want to say with all of this? If you’re having trouble Subsonic is free, but with getting into Ubuntu (or Linux in additional features unlocked if you general), think about what really donate, such as being able to play drives you, what’s your passion? your files on an Android device, Chances are someone has written and video support. The installation neat software that will make your process is pretty straightforward, life – and the exercising of that it’s distributed in a .deb package, passion – a lot easier. Don’t be and that makes it easy to install. afraid to use Google or the man And, if you need additional help, command, they’ll be your best then take a look at the forums, a friends. Be prepared to read a lot, lot of great tutorials there. most guides I’ve come across have a good description of what every Solutions are on the second last page. Installing Subsonic as a linux single command and parameter newbie taught me a lot. The first does when they’re executed, that’s Puzzles are copyright, and kindly provided by, few weeks of using Ubuntu, I how you’ll learn. The Puzzle Club - www.thepuzzleclub.com wasn’t sure I was going to stick
full circle magazine #63 40 contents ^ MMYY OOPPIINNIIOONN Written by Eric Porter
Windows XP. found most frustrating, however, than once. I finally settled on was how much it seemed to coddle Ubuntu. It was the highest rated, XP was missing a few of the the user. It looked and felt like it most download, best reviewed, features I liked from '98. It had was designed for toddlers. It and most intuitive distro I found. some new quirks I had to get used forced features on me that I didn't After bouncing around between to. And, until they came out with even want, and those features that the three main desktops (Gnome, “service pack 2” it was rather I did want were gone. Even most of KDE and XFCE) for about a month I unreliable. A few years go by and the desktop customizing tools that finally committed to Gnome they finally get done shaking all I was used to using were now a because it was the most (well most...) of the bugs out of XP ghost of the past. comfortable for me coming from a just in time to release a new Windows OS background. version called Vista. It was Three short months later it supposed to be faster, stronger, crashed. Hard. Total meltdown. It My first full install was Ubuntu and just better in every possible was inevitable, I suppose. It was 7.04 LTS with the Gnome desktop. way. They even beta tested the Windows, after all. So, like a good It was freedom, Baby. I could thing so it had to be good. Right? little MS drone, I set about the all finally make my computer look So, naturally, I ran right out and too familiar task of reinstalling the how I wanted, and act how I indows 3.0 was bought myself a new desktop, set OS. 30 minutes later I get this wanted. I must have completely released in May of it up and hit the power button. I lovely blue screen that read, rebuilt my personal desktop 1000 1990, just one didn't know it at the time, but that “We're sorry, this computer is not times in the last 5 years. My wife is month before I W was the beginning of the end. compatible with Windows Vista.” terribly grateful for her own Login, graduated from high school. Say what now? IT CAME WITH I'm sure, as I am constantly fiddling Previous to this, my experience I could bore you with all the VISTA! Several unsuccessful tries and tweaking and revamping. It's with computers was limited to DOS details about the massive amount later I had had it. I installed XP, so in tune with my artistic nature, operating systems and good old of software incompatibilities, the fired up Explorer, made my way to and the possibilities are seemingly fashioned Tandy Basic, with a BlackICE Defender program that Google, and typed “Windows endless. It's been everything to me smattering of machine code here constantly questioned everything I Alternatives.” that an OS should be. It's intuitive, and there. Needless to say, for me did, the glitches, jams and responsive, logical, and, mostly, it Windows was a godsend, and I downright frustration of it all. But, Thus began my exploration of gets out of the way and lets me do remained a faithful little fan-boy I am sure that many of you have this strange new world of Linux. I what I want. all the way up through Windows experienced them for yourself, so must have tried out 20 different 98, where for financial reasons I there's no real need. I think what I distros and flavors. Some more I've since installed every LTS stayed until the release of
full circle magazine #63 41 contents ^ MY OPINION version of Ubuntu that came out. themselves from new converts them. Gnome accomplished this. Which naturally includes Ubuntu who are used to a Windows style Unity does not. I find it insanely 12.04. I have to say, that it came as interface which has been around ironic that a desktop environment a bit of a shock to me when I saw for 20 years. If we want to attract which causes so much confusion, IT HAS ARRIVED! the Unity desktop come up instead new users, we have to make that disharmony, and division is named of Gnome. At first, I thought I had conversion easy and natural for “Unity.” The Full Circle accidentally downloaded the Podcast Returns! wrong ISO. I hadn't. So, I gave this Photo: Flickr.com - Pitel new desktop a trial run. After all, It may be a new team of there's nothing wrong with podcasters, but the format change, if it's for the better. will be the same. Unfortunately, this wasn't. It was cumbersome, counter intuitive, We'll be talking about Full and slow. I think what I found most Circle Magazine, news, frustrating, however, was how reviews and interviews. much it seemed to coddle the user. It looked and felt like it was Your new team is: designed for toddlers. It forced • Les Pounder features on me that I didn't even • Tony Hughes want, and those features that I did • Jon Chamberlain want were gone. Even most of the • Oliver Clark desktop customizing tools that I was used to using were now a All are members of the ghost of the past... Now, where Blackpool (UK) LUG have I heard this before? http://blackpool.lug.org.uk Don't misunderstand. I'm not Debut episode is kicking Ubuntu to the curb just yet. available from the I've found a desktop that works FCM homepage. o.k. for me (Gnome classic... with quite a few tweaks added). But, I cannot help but question the wisdom behind the move to Unity. By swapping to Unity, they not only alienate their current fan base, but potentially alienate
full circle magazine #63 42 contents ^ full circle magazine #63 43 contents ^ RREEVVIIEEWW Written by Tushar Bhargava ggPPooddddeerr
ost people prefer to separate 'Downloads' tab. You can MTP, file system or bluetooth gPodder supports a wide use their default set various limits on the download based device. These options cover variety of formats including RSS, music player for speed and number of simultaneous virtually all the devices you might Atom, YouTube, Soundcloud, M managing their downloads. On clicking the 'Play' own. This feature, though much Vimeo and XSPF feeds. It allows podcasts. However, gPodder is a button gPodder opens your loved by gPodder users, is missing you to add podcasts from a URL or standalone podcast manager that default music player to play the in version 3x and it is for this to import them from an OPML file. might offer a much better podcast podcast. You can choose which reason that the version in the It enables you to export your own experience. gPodder is an Open media player gPodder calls in the Ubuntu Software Center has not OPML file which makes it relatively Source (GPL Version 3 or higher) 'Preferences' entry of the main been updated. If you want the easy for you to share your podcasts podcast client made by Thomas menu. gPodder also allows you device sync feature stick to the with others or set up a podcast Perl, an Austrian programmer. transfer your podcasts to an iPod, older 2.x version. client on another computer. gPodder was created in 2005 with the modest aim of downloading Despite its simple and easy to and managing podcasts. It was use interface gPodder has its fair earlier written in Java using the share of advanced features that Gtk UI but has since been ported to can be found under the Python. It currently uses the PyGtk 'Preferences' entry in the and Gtk2 UI which gives it a nice 'Podcasts' menu. gPodder allows Ubuntu look and feel. Global Menu you to set an 'update interval' to support gives it an almost perfect check for new podcasts. It allows Ubuntu integration. However, you to set limits on the number of Unity integration is still missing. podcasts per subscription. It also offers various actions to perform if The graphical user interface is a new episode is found. In addition simple and intuitive. The main to this, gPodder allows you to set features are visible at a quick your own rules for 'clean-up' – glance. gPodder offers you the which podcasts to delete options to download, play or automatically (if at all) and which transfer your podcasts. When you to keep. Lastly, gPodder offers choose to download a podcast fairly comprehensive features to gPodder carries out the download sync your device with it. It allows quickly and unobtrusively in a you to select which episodes to
full circle magazine #63 44 contents ^ REVIEW sync and which episodes to remove from the device automatically.
gPodder has one final ace up its sleeve – its seamless integration with gPodder.net. gPodder.net is a podcast web service that not only allows you to discover new podcasts but also share your favorite ones. It allows you to remotely manage your gPodder subscriptions and provides a place to backup your subscriptions. It also makes it very easy to set up gPodder on another computer.
gPodder is widely considered as one of the best podcast clients. It has received mainly positive user reviews and has a 4.5 star rating in the Ubuntu Software Center (at The Good player the time of writing). It was also • Extremely easy to use with a • No Unity integration listed by Lifehacker as one of the simple and clean GUI • No system for rating episodes 'Five Best Podcast Managers '. • Lightweight and fully native to Ubuntu NOTE: gPodder also works gPodder is a cross-platform • Powerful advanced features for flawlessly in KDE (shown above). application that is available for power users Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, Mac OS • Device sync (not available in Don’t forget to add the Full X and mobile devices like the Nokia version 3.x) Circle Podcast, whichever N810, N900 and N9 (which run • gPodder.net integration makes podcasting client you use: Maemo or MeeGo). An managing and finding podcasts MP3: experimental version for Android easier http://fullcirclemagazine.org/ Tushar Bhargava is a 16-year-old is also available. Get gPodder at category/podcast/feed Indian who loves Ubuntu and FOSS. He likes to program in Java and C++ http://gpodder.org/. Happy OGG: The Bad http://fullcirclemagazine.org/ and enjoys writing. Contact him at podcasting ! [email protected]. • Lack of built-in music and video category/podcast/feed/atom
full circle magazine #63 45 contents ^ Every month we like to publish some of the emails we receive. If you would like to submit a letter for publication, compliment or complaint, please email it to: LLEETTTTEERRSS [email protected]. PLEASE NOTE: some letters may be edited for space.
system as the one installed to the You Want Game Lulu address for the book is: Join us on: Reviews? http://www.lulu.com/author/conte HDD. With 4 GB RAM, some 1.7 GB nt_revise.php?fCID=12986866 to 1.9 GB additional free space could be made available. goo.gl/FRTMl ust thought I'd inform you Art Schreckengost of a book/presentation I This way, I can run tests without facebook.com/fullcircle have been working on for any risk of leaving any waste on my magazine J the past couple of years as installed system since, after twitter.com/#!/fullcirclemag a side hobby. It covers roughly 400 rebooting with the Live DVD, I games found in USC and Synaptic have a clean system again. Based linkedin.com/company/full- PM (none of the fatties, just the Quick DVD Backup on the results of the tests, I can circle-magazine usual suspects). then be confident that the tested ubuntuforums.org/forum ay I suggest a trick programs will also install and run display.php?f=270 Couldn't publish it as an epub that delivers a correctly on the HDD system. because it didn't fit formatting properly installed rules (over 800 pages and in PDF and clean Ubuntu – Using this approach, I can installed on my Ubuntu operating instead of docx or odf), so I packed M otherwise it could contain a lot of successfully try some Amateur system (and refreshing its it off to lulu.com as a cheap $1.50 waste after repeated program Radio programs, both .deb database from the Internet). book. In addition, due to included installs and uninstalls. extension Linux and .exe extension screenshots, it came in at over Windows ones (among them SSTV, I was using an older computer 15MB. After installing an Ubuntu PSK31, etc.). without a built-in HDD, and the distribution with all necessary computer was used exclusively There are about 550 games in components and cleaning the Moreover, I can surf the with a Ubuntu Live-CD and with a USC, but some don't work or are surplus ones, I use the remastersys Internet without any risk of broadband internet connection. actually old hangers on that have program to make a system backup infection since the DVD is write This was the less expensive been given new names and posted ISO file, and burn it to a rewritable protected and the RAM memory computer I had! elsewhere. I hit maybe about 60% disk to make a Live DVD with will be empty after shutting down of the games out there. Oh, and I username and password, but the computer. If I download any András Szabó should clarify that I did it via without personal data. file then it can be saved directly to LibreOffice Impress, so it's one a pen-drive or to an external HDD page containing a screenshot and This Live DVD could be used for after checking it with the "Clamav" one page with the URL, general experimental program anti-virus program already info, and USC rating, if any. installations, while using the same
full circle magazine #63 46 contents ^ LETTERS My Bad! Sort Of... with the latest Intel architecture. installed Mint on two other high the tablet is not going to last in the Meanwhile, I will get started on spec laptops and... so far so good. market. have to apologize for not those reviews I promised. sending in those reviews I Now on to the Unity-Windows 8- Allan Hambidge promised, here’s the reason Dougn Redhammer Tablet debacle, so clearly why. After I built my new pc described in the FCM60 article by I Art Schreckengost. I can system – moving from an AMD cpu to an Intel Ivy Bridge – I then understand why Canonical is going installed 12.04 LTS, and, long story the Unity route as this is the way short, it was a complete disaster. Unity, Mint and Tablets. Windows 8 is heading. It is aimed at tablets, touch-screen computers Robin reported 12.04 instabilities Oh my! on his blog a few weeks ago, at the and TVs. I have an HTC Android time I was on a AMD 64-bit build mobile phone, which is great and My Sad Inbox have been using Linux Ubuntu and had no problems. The moment very convenient, with its touch for about 4 years and do not I switched to an Intel system it was screen, but I cannot see myself My inbox is looking rather use a Windows dual boot. I do problems galore with random swiping the screen of a laptop. On empty again folks. Surely you have a Windows machine for a freezes, crashes, etc from nautilus I several trips to computer and have something on your mind couple of programs, but have to firefox, chrome, gwibber – even mobile phone shops, I have that you want to say. Doesn't “almost” managed to eliminate this the software center would crash! checked out the non-Apple tablets need to be just about Ubuntu. necessity with Wine. You can read more about it here on the market. The tablets on sale It can be about any of the (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubunt are very confusing as some have a other *buntu's, in fact, it can I was using Ubuntu up to u/+source/xserver-xorg-video- USB port, some don't. Some have be about anything Linux. version 11.10 with the Classic intel/+bug/993187). So, for a few Bluetooth and some don't. They all login. The Classic login works on weeks I could do nothing more have a reduced storage capacity Whether you've written an Laptops/Desktops, but you are than browse the web trying to and memory. Some are cheap but app, need help with stuck with Unity if you have a net- figure out what was wrong before in general they are very expensive. something, have a quick (non- book. I have an Asus Netbook with the system went crazy – and I had As someone who is somewhat of a technical) question, or just 2GB RAM and a 250GB hard disk. I already given away the AMD gadget freak, the tablet is one want to show us something use this a lot while on the move, system. Please post the solution to piece of technology that I have not you've done, this is the place and got enticed to Linux Mint 12 this rushed out to buy. Why buy a for it. from articles in other Linux (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubunt tablet, with reduced magazines. I installed Mint on my u/+source/xserver-xorg-video- characteristics, when you can get a Send it to: netbook and it even recognized intel/+bug/993187/comments/91) high spec netbook at a better [email protected] the extra touch-pad button to turn for people who may be price. My netbook does all that my it on and off. Ubuntu did not experiencing the same problems laptops do, with the addition of an recognize this button. I also external DVD drive. In my opinion
full circle magazine #63 47 contents ^ Register Now & Save 20% with code FULLCIR
full circle magazine #63 48 contents ^ If you have Ubuntu-related questions, email them to: Q&A [email protected], and Gord will answer them in a future Q&A Please include as much information as you can about your problem. Compiled by Gord Campbell issue.
When I tried to install keep going though the HDMI Have a look at this How can you remove a Sopcast in Mint 13, the devices. (HDMI/Display Port 4 from page: program and all the files? Q repository was not Sound Settings -> Output was http://www.openshot.or Q I did: found. what worked for this laptop.) A g/ppa/ Run this command: sudo aptget purge remove I have just installed I have a 4 page PDF, I quassel Ubuntu 12.04 on a Dell need to delete pages 2, Latitude 2100. I installed 3, and 4. (Thanks to papibe in the A Q Q Ubuntu Forums) the Broadcomm driver gksudo gedit and configured my hidden wireless 'remove' conflicts with /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ferra network. All is well. However, if I Try PDF Shuffler. You 'purge'. You need to use mrobertosopcastmaya.list A run the netbook on battery the can get it from the just the 'purge' option. wireless network speed decreases In the first line, replace "maya" Ubuntu Software drastically. Center. with "precise". Save and exit. In A Will UEFI kill Linux? Synaptic, reload the sources. (Thanks to taylorkh in the Ubuntu Forums) The Thanks for your help, but Q solution was the second I have a Samsung R580 my network has a WEP suggestion on this web key, do you have to write laptop running Ubuntu A Q UEFI is OK. Secure Boot page: 12.04. When I plug in my something different if Q http://askubuntu.com/questions/8 you have a WEP key? is one of its features, HDMI cable to connect it 5214/how-can-i-prevent-iwconfig- and it may become a to the TV, I can't get the sound power-management-from-being- problem for some Linux through the TV. (Thanks to Chili555 in A turned-on the Ubuntu Forums) Yes: distros. Have a look at: http://blog.canonical.com/2012/06 From the volume you log on to your router and change it to /22/an-update-on-ubuntu-and- control in your panel, A secure-boot/ How can I install the run Sound Settings. WPA2. WEP is about as secure as latest version of the Select the Hardware or putting your credit card in a A Openshot video editor? shoebox on the front porch. Secure Boot might even be Output tab. Select one of the Q beneficial, if it reduces the number HDMI devices. If that doesn't work, of "here today, gone tomorrow,"
full circle magazine #63 49 contents ^ Q & A Linux distros. Open a terminal and (Thanks to Coffeecat in what those are, enter this command: the Ubuntu Forums) - there's a driver issue, and Upgrade to 10.04, and everything Billy knows about How can I turn off the A A grads is in the drivers no longer applies. overlay scrollbars in repositories. Ubuntu 12.04? gksudo gedit I have a good friend who knows Q /etc/modprobe.d/alsa a lot about computers; over three base.conf decades, he has used them, sold This web page tells all: them, written about them. When I Add the following line at the http://www.liberiangeek suggested that he would need to end: Tips and Techniques .net/2012/03/disable- go into the BIOS settings and ubuntu-overlay- "change the boot order," so his A options sndhdaintel Why Can't Billy Install Ubuntu? scrollbars-in-ubuntu-12-04-precise- model=dellm41 computer could boot from CD or pangolin/ flash drive, that was the end of any I respectfully suggest that this talk of trying Linux. He's not sure then reboot. is an education issue, and how to do it, and he has been technology can only solve a bit of How can I have multiple warned that he could really mess it. VPN connections at the I installed a game in up his computer by changing BIOS same time? settings. It's true, too. Stroke a Q Wine, and it put about 30 Here are my top three reasons bunch of random keys and select Q icons on my desktop. Billy can't install Ubuntu, or any "save," and you might need to take other version of Linux: See this page: the computer back to the dealer, - the computer is set to boot from https://www.facebook.c just to get it to run. Move the installer the hard drive, and Billy can't or om/pages/Ubuntu- program from Desktop won't change this, Problems/18184928189 If someone asks me how to A to another folder before - installation requires changes to 5067 change the BIOS settings, I can't A you run it. "partitions," and Billy has no idea Downloads/nameofgame is a good choice. In Ubuntu 12.04, after upgrading to the 3.2.0- Q 25-generic kernel, I no I have a webserver which longer have any sound. is running Linux Ubuntu Hp pavilion dv6. Q 8.04.4. I would like to install the grads service.
full circle magazine #63 50 contents ^ Q & A provide a good answer, unless I they are, but does your cousin? have a computer identical to Billy says, "You want me to make theirs. I've been lucky; turn on my three new partitions, but there's computer and press Delete, and no space to make them in!" My I'm into the BIOS settings on every friend knows about partitions, and computer I have owned. On other he knows that they are called C:, D: computers, you need to press ESC, and E:. At least, there is lots of a function key, or something else. online information about There is no industry standard! partitions, and even step-by-step Many computers do not display instructions about how to deal what key to press, nor does the with them -- but they're not information appear in the manual. something Billy will understand in the first hour. Once you're into the BIOS settings, you need to read what I've been "lucky," I don't have screen, again, and we're not used problem today. appears on the screen to figure driver issues with my computers. to doing that. Then you type out what to do next, and you often Well, "lucky" isn't quite accurate; I something which isn't a word, and And yes, technology could help need to press the "down" key and bought hardware which would press the magic key... with network adapters. However, read what appears, until you work in Linux. Billy might recognize the education part is to let Billy discover the magic. Even the that he has a driver issue, and he Really? OK, technology could know that, instead of searching for method to change the boot order, knows what the next step is: find help with this one. A lot. the driver CD, he should be getting once you get to the correct screen, the CD which contains the drivers -- an exact identification of his is not standardized. except when he's trying to install Finally, there's the network hardware, then firing up Google. Linux, with one significant driver. Many (most?) wireless If I had information about your exception. network adapters "just work," (I've I would really like to get your computer, at a grotesque level of been "lucky.") Some will work after thoughts on this: detail, I could write a program to The first driver issue which a bit of effort, some are really [email protected] make it boot from CD or flash might come up is the video driver -- horrible, (you need the driver CD!) drive. However, I couldn't write a and often, it's because the video but they eventually work, and then program to make every computer device is too new! There's a work- there are a few which are hopeless. boot from CD or flash drive. There around, and it works every Tuesday Even wired Ethernet adapters can After a long career in the computer are just too many of them, and when there is a full moon -- or be a problem, if they are brand industry, including a stint as editor of new ones appear every day. that's what it feels like to Billy. You Computing Canada and Computer new in the market. "It will work Dealer News, Gord is now more-or- need to determine the perfect next year" isn't a wonderful less retired. I'm not going to explain moment to press this key, and then solution to a person who has a partitions here. You know what you have to read what is on the
full circle magazine #63 51 contents ^ AAUUDDIIOO FFLLUUXX Written by Nicola Cappellini
know all you loyal readers She’s real, by The Luddites feed your secret and insatiable and sure to get your party moving. were waiting in titillated free download at: appetite for surf-rock. Remember One of those choruses that you anticipation for my ardour http://tinyurl.com/d6x83w3 to clear your browser history if you want to scream along to while I tutorial, but unfortunately A spoken don’t want anyone else to know... pumping your index fingers into because of poorly timed hardware word song the air. failure (is there ever a good time?) describing a Sunshine, by Little Dragon it won’t be this month. In the person at a listen at: meantime here is some new ear club, you http://tinyurl.com/bn84hmc candy for your listening know, THAT Great vocals enjoyment: person. Funky bass and guitar riffs by Yukimi layered under noisy brass and a Nagano over Franklin’in Karsilamasi, by loud nostalgia for Frank Zappa, or a deceptively Ansambl Mastika am I thinking of Mingus? Whatever. transparent free download at: A great group that mixes styles. mix. Lots of http://tinyurl.com/bopqa8p Very refreshing and never a dull interesting Have you moment, as in: great bass clarinet sounds ever sat in an solos (see “The Bronx”)! going on here. Just sit back and armchair and prepare to get grooving. Band is so wondered Ninguém segura os Beach tight, everything is placed just what would Combers, by Os Beach Combers where it needs to be and nothing happen if Free download at: more that shouldn’t be there. the Grateful http://tinyurl.com/chb9rf6 Dead, slap The title Soul Killing, by The Ting Tings bass, and the geopolitical region of track of the listen at: Europe called “the Balkans” had a newest LP http://tinyurl.com/c64gzfq child? Me too! Well, this is the (no, Makes you answer. Great instrumental seriously, want to interactions between the band they shake your Nicola is a freelance musician, members, how do they keep in released it on vinyl) from the Rio shoulders translator, and web-whiz. He can be time? Great find. de Janeiro surf band Os Beach back and seen on the stage, behind the scenes, Combers. Freaky, and flangey, forth. Lots of and in the zone - for whatever task is perfect for listening by yourself to instruments at hand.
full circle magazine #63 52 contents ^ UUBBUUNNTTUU WWOOMMEENN Written by Elizabeth Krumbach
Ubuntu community is a need for it depends on a lot of factors, read blogs of official Ubuntu gaining new experience and mostly me. My current dreams are: members. What I mean to say is, meeting new people. I mean, I have Work one day for Canonical, make that every Ubuntu member is been in the Ubuntu world since education for pupils/students working on some project/part of 8.04. It is still my favourite edition much more interesting and fun (at Ubuntu, and every now and then because I started with that distro – least in the area of Informatics they are asking for volunteers – but not like an everyday user. I had since that is my profession). while offering to help them to get a bachelor thesis "Characteristics involved. What more do you need? of Ubuntu operating system". EK: Have you hit any barriers with When I started I didn't have a clue getting involved, and what can you I even wondered where could I get what I got myself into. As time recommend to newcomers? official mentorship from went by, I became more No barriers really. You have been Canonical... Then I told myself: "Ask Elizabeth Krumbach: Can you tell comfortable and I have loved so approachable and helpful. I official members of the Ubuntu us a little about yourself? Ubuntu since then. I must add that thank you a zillion times for that. project where you want to get Jasna Benčić: Hi to everyone. My all these years I've been watching yourself involved." name is Jasna and I come from you guys on Youtube (UDS, etc..) I would recommend to newcomers: Croatia. Currently I am a graduate and now I actually want to meet If you are in the Ubuntu world, and EK: What other things are you student at Faculty of Organization you and work with you. you want to gain more experience, interested in outside of open and Informatics, (still working on do not hesitate to ask official source and Ubuntu? my master’s thesis). Recently I had EK: What are your roles within the members to join in. There are a lot Related to my profession: a chance to join: Croatian Linux Ubuntu community, and what plans of projects to get yourself involved Informatics in education, Users' Association as a vice do you have for the future? in. You never know what kind of education psychology and president, Muktware Linux and JB: Currently I am working as a opportunities you might get. methodology. Free Software Magazine team as summary writer/editor at Ubuntu an editor/contributor, and Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter. Plans :) There EK: Is there anything you feel the Everything else is a mixture really: Weekly Newsletter team as a is a saying: "Don't talk about your Ubuntu project could improve on 3D (Blender), foreign languages, summary writer/editor. plans because there is a possibility when it comes to new folks coming cooking, stand up comedy, you won't accomplish them." to the project? education through whole life. To EK: What inspired you to get JB: Nothing really. Maybe I am too conclude this answer, there are a involved in the Ubuntu community? I'd say that I have dreams subjective but, ever since I started lot of things I'm interested in JB: Well, I wouldn't call it an considering Ubuntu and everything with the Ubuntu Weekly because I have a curious inspiration. What drove me to the else. Will those dreams come true, Newsletter, I’ve had a chance to personality.
full circle magazine #63 53 contents ^ UUBBUUNNTTUU GGAAMMEESS Written by Dougn Redhammer NNEEWWSS
n video is Gabe Newell http://www.gameolith.com) is about Steam on Linux moving to include Windows and (http://bcove.me/g5ny Mac games in their catalog, as well O ak0b). Valve have as Linux. posted news on this recently as well as what game(s) that will be Croteam the studio behind the released with the client. Left For Serious Sam FPS games has posted Dead 2 in this case. The client will on their Facebook wall a be released sometime this year, screenshot with the caption and the first Linux test platform "Serious Sam 3: BFE - running on for the client will be Ubuntu. For Linux!". Serious Sam 3 is the latest more, see: game in the series that was blogs.valvesoftware.com/linux. released about 5 months ago on Windows using their new in house And, just so you know, 3D game engine. No other Gameolith (an online Linux game information has been released but perhaps producing games for Linux Linux since Serious Sam 3 is store at it looks like another developer is that will be sold via Steam for essentially a steamworks game.
full circle magazine #63 54 contents ^ UUBBUUNNTTUU GGAAMMEESS Written by Jennifer Roger
cPixel is a point-and- There are six levels in each level in a row. But the warning at The first reaction to McPixel click adventure game batch that you have to clear before the start of the game should not usually elicits a lot of WTF’s and in which you have unlocking the next batch. If you fail be ignored - after a long session, it general confusion, but don’t let M twenty seconds to a level, you just move on to the can be really frustrating trying to the outrageous, juvenile style of prevent things from blowing up. next one until you’ve beaten them figure out what to do next. So it’s a humor fool you - it is a very well Sounds easy enough, right? But all. If you clear three levels in a good idea to take a break before polished game that’s extremely wait - there’s pot smoking aliens, row, you unlock a special bonus it’s your mind that is about to enjoyable to play. You can try out snakes on a plane, and many more level. You have just one chance to explode. the demo, or purchase the full ridiculously funny things keeping figure out what to do before it DRM-free game plus the you from saving the world! Since abruptly ends, bringing you back to The soundtrack is good, but I soundtrack for $9.99 from its inception as a Ludum Dare 21 your trippy adventure. did find it to be a bit repetitive mcpixel.net. submission, McPixel has really after playing for a while. The retro blown up (pardon the pun) and Being a point and click, the style pixel graphics are crisp and Pros: with good reason. It now boasts mechanics are simple and the smooth, and each level is quite • clever and hilarious levels with 100 levels, free DLC updates, and a gameplay is straightforward. But imaginative. In general, the nice retro style graphics level creator for those who want to the silly humor and task of finding environments have enough to keep • plenty of levels and extras for the make even more crazy levels. And all of the gags keeps you coming the gameplay fresh, and there’s quality and price it’s very, very addictive. back for more. For those who want always something that will have a real challenge, Endless Mode you giggling like a 13 year old boy. Cons: McPixel has a penchant for allows you to play every single • it can be truly maddening after kicking people in the crotch and playing for a long time urinating on fires, but this quasi- • soundtrack can become hero has to use unorthodox redundant methods to solve each puzzle. Thinking of dousing the bomb with water? Nope! Maybe just throwing it out the window will do? Wrong again, pal. What seems like the obvious solution is often a dead end, leaving you charred and Jennifer is a fine arts student from the Chicagoland area. You can follow moving on to the next round until @missjendie on Twitter or visit her you complete them all. blog at missjendie.com.
full circle magazine #63 55 contents ^ Your chance to show the world your desktop or PC. Email your screenshots and MY DESKTOP photos to: [email protected] and include a brief paragraph about your MY DESKTOP desktop, your PC's specs and any other interesting tidbits about your setup.
My computer is a rather old (in computer years) Dell Inspiron Attached is my Ubuntu 10.04 LTS desktop that I use for work 1200 running Lubuntu 11.04 (soon to be upgraded to 12.04). It and leisure. I run all three major operating systems (Linux, has a 1.4 GHz Intel Celeron processor, a 40GB HD and 241 MB Mac & Windows) in various forms. I like Linux the best for two memory. main reasons: 1) it's free, and 2) it has a low requirement for hardware - even on this old Dell D630 laptop with 4GB of At the beginning, the limited memory of this laptop wouldn't RAM, Linux runs circles around my MacBook Pro 8GB let me install Ubuntu 10.04, hanging somewhere after setting RAM/2.66GHz laptop when it comes to operating system up the keyboard during the installation process, so I installed responsiveness. I'm never left waiting with Linux. Lubuntu 10.04 instead and later upgraded to newer versions. Thanks Linux developers! Keep up the good work. The wallpaper is from a picture taken by me or by my wife lying on the sand at Maracas Bay beach, Trinidad and Tobago. Dan Juarez
Rainer Parrales
full circle magazine #63 56 contents ^ MY DESKTOP
Here is a screenshot of my desktop. The wallpaper is a fire truck from the Austrian company Rosenbauer, and can be I 'm using Ubuntu 11.10 64-bit with 3D Unity on my laptop. As you found at http://www.autogaleria.hu/kl.php?kid=68919- can see I have made many improvements with Ubuntu Tweak 0.7 Rosenbauer-Mercedes-Atego-918-Feuerwehr-2005 To make my monitor look bigger, I changed the size of the unity I have an Acer Aspire 5742G with i5 480M, Nvidia Geforce icons to 32, and opacity to 0. I use Radiance Gtk theme along with GT 420M, 500GB HDD and 4GB RAM. Currently, I use Faenza-Blue-Dark2 icons 'cause I think they are very COOL. The Ubuntu 11.10. For the look I changed some values at the wallpaper is live photos of Earth every 1 minute with xPlanetFX. ambiance theme at /usr/share/themes. Everyone familiar with web-programing can do it too, because it´s just simple I also use three conkys: one for system monitoring, one for the CSS and the name of the color says what it´s used for. For weather, and one for knowing who's celebrating every day. activating the theme I used Ubuntu Tweak http://ubuntu- tweak.com/ System specs Dell Inspiron 1564, i3 CPU M330 2.13GHz For those who want to use the theme I published it via RAM 4GB Ubuntu One HDD 500GB http://ubuntuone.com/7f6WQPM3VTbaJqQ96GP6S1 15.4 led monitor - 1366 x 762 resolution. Hope you like it. Theo Sven
full circle magazine #63 57 contents ^ PUZZLE SOLUTIONS S E G D I R D B R O W E D O C U K O D U S
Codeword and 16x16 Suduko puzzles are copyright, and kindly provided by, The Puzzle Club - www.thepuzzleclub.com
full circle magazine #63 58 contents ^ Full Circle Team
HHOOWW TTOO CCOONNTTRRIIBBUUTTEE Editor - Ronnie Tucker [email protected] Webmaster - Rob Kerfia We are always looking for new articles to include in Full Circle. For article [email protected] guidelines, ideas, and for issue translation, please see our wiki: Comms Mgr - Robert Clipsham http://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuMagazine [email protected] Please email your articles to: [email protected] Podcast - Les Pounder & Co. [email protected]
Editing & Proofreading Mike Kennedy If you would like to submit news, email it to: [email protected] Lucas Westermann Gord Campbell Send your comments or Linux experiences to: [email protected] Robert Orsino Josh Hertel Hardware/software reviews should be sent to: [email protected] Bert Jerred Questions for Q&A should go to: [email protected] Our thanks go to Canonical, the many translation teams around the world Desktop screens should be emailed to: [email protected] and Thorsten Wilms for the FCM logo. ... or you can visit our forum via: www.fullcirclemagazine.org Deadline for FCM#64: Sunday 05th August 2012.
Release date for FCM#64: FULL CIRCLE NEEDS YOU! Friday 31st August 2012. A magazine isn't a magazine without articles and Full Circle is no exception. We need your Opinions, Desktops and Stories. We also need Reviews (games, apps & hardware), How-To articles (on any K/X/Ubuntu subject) and any questions, or suggestions, you may have. Send them to: [email protected]
full circle magazine #63 59 contents ^