full circle ISSUE #33 - January 2010 CCRREEAATTEE AA MMEEDDIIAA CCEENNTTEERR WWIITTHH UUBBUUNNTTUU,, AANN AACCEERR RREEVVOO && BBOOXXEEEE full circle magazine #33 contents ^ full circle Ubuntu Women p.28 Program In Python - Pt7 p.08 Ubuntu Games p.31 My Story p.19 MOTU Interview p.24 Read how Ubuntu is used in public education, and why one man made the switch to Linux. Ubuntu, Revo & Boxee p.13 Command & Conquer p.05 The Perfect Server - Pt3 p.15 Review - Exaile p.23 Letters p.26 Top 5 - Sync. Clients p.35 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 #33 contents ^ EDITORIAL This magazine was created using : Welcome to another issue of Full Circle magazine. ast month, Andrew gave us his Top 5 Media Center applications. This month I've written a How-To on using Ubuntu on an Acer Aspire Revo to create the foundation for Boxee. For under £150 I've created a fantastic media center L which not only looks great, it's fully customizable! That's my media center story, but don't forget to read the My Story articles which this month focus on Ubuntu, Linux and open-source in public education, as well as how one man went from using old (modern at the time) computers, to using Ubuntu. Another advertisement this month! But don't panic, it's only for this month and it's Ubuntu is a complete operating our way of trying to bring more attention to SCaLE 2010. February sees the eighth system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. annual . Unfortunately I can't attend, but if anyone does Whether at home, school or attend, we'd love to hear what it was like, who was there, what happened, so fill us in! work, Ubuntu contains all the applications you'll ever need Don't forget to read the Ubuntu Women interview, on page 28, with Jane Silber the including word processor, email application and web browser. COO at Canonical. As most of you will know, Jane will take over from Mark as CEO on Ubuntu is and always will be free March 1st. of charge. You do not pay any licensing fees. You can And finally, Robin Catling, the man of many words, is considering resurrecting the download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school FCM podcast. Care to help? - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1380948 or business, for absolutely nothing. Enjoy the issue, and keep in touch! Once installed, your system is ready to use with a full set of productivity, internet, drawing and graphics applications, and Editor, Full Circle magazine games. [email protected] use the new 'contents' link to jump to the contents page from any other page! full circle magazine #33 contents ^ NEWS Ubuntu - version 10.4, dubbed Music Store objective as such: Ubuntu Firefox shuns Lucid Lynx and due in April - Ubuntu Primes Music Google for Yahoo! search Yahoo! will be the default Service " engine in the search box in the The next release of Ubuntu will top right-hand corner of the Although it is not yet official, scrap Google as the default Ubuntu's next release looks likely Firefox browser bundled with search engine on its Firefox to include a music store service the OS, and Yahoo! search will browser in favor of Yahoo!, similar to Apple's iTunes. be the browser's default thanks to a new revenue- homepage. The first hint that Ubuntu sharing deal between Yahoo! developers were considering a and commercial Ubuntu backer music store came in September Canonical. last year when Canonical chief Mark Shuttleworth announced With regulators set to approve plans for Lucid Lynx, the next As is typical with Firefox, users Yahoo!'s search pact with version of Ubuntu. At the time will have the option of Microsoft, this means that Shuttleworth made vague changing the search box references to an Amazon- and Redmond will power the future " default. This means they can iTunes-like music store for the of Firefox on Ubuntu, a change it back to Google, and next release. According to the specifications combination with decidedly thanks to another Lucid Lynx users will log into the music store anti-Redmond connotations. change announced by Since then the noise around an using their existing Ubuntu One The ultimate irony is that Ubuntu music store has grown Spencer, doing so will also username. [...] Already a Microsoft will essentially be into a coherent direction and a Rhythmbox plugin for the Ubuntu switch the browser's paying people to build a Linux number of details suggest that One Music Store is listed in homepage to Google. If you the Ubuntu One Music Store is on distro. Ubuntu's blueprints. choose a search provider other track for possible inclusion in than Google or Yahoo!, Lynx Lucid Lynx which is scheduled to : mybroadband.co.za Canonical's Rick Spencer may or may not update the be released in April this year. announced the Yahoo! revenue browser's homepage in similar deal on Tuesday, with a post to The most obvious clue to the fashion. Canonical has yet to the Ubuntu developer mailing Ubuntu One Music Store is the sort out the situation involving list. wiki page outlining plans for the other providers. product. Among other details, the wiki explains the Ubuntu One With the next release of : theregister.co.uk full circle magazine #33 contents ^ COMMAND & CONQUER ow that we've windows). This feature is can set up the commands to covered the If you were looking through especially useful if you're the run, detach the Screen, and introduction to GNU my configuration file last kind of person who regularly disconnect from the SSH Screen last month, month, you must have noticed uses certain CLI-based server. If you want to re- Nwe're ready to advance into the following two lines at the programs (mutt, irssi, midnight connect and get the info back, slightly more useful end of my .screenrc: commander, etc.), and want to all you have to do is re-attach configurations. I'll be covering have them readily available in the Screen session. I only a few aspects of Screen # autostart screen sessions one easy-to-access window recommend detaching before that I use and find useful, but screen -t Zsh 0 /bin/zsh without opening a horde of disconnecting from SSH, but screen -t IRC 1 terminals. Screen should automatically they are by no means as /usr/bin/irssi advanced as they get, nor are detach and keep the Screen they the only aspects worth The lines there add a new If you're an SSH user, you've running when the connection using in Screen. I'd be happy to window (the number after the probably run into the problem closes. This is useful for system have readers send in their title) to Screen with the title where you access a machine, administrators who may need favourite configuration/setting (specified after the “-t” flag), and run a command, and you to run a script to update for Screen. I can post them at and the following command. end up losing your connection, permissions or whatnot, and the start of Command & So, the .screenrc launches and then frustrate yourself by will save them the need to Conquer each month, so that Screen with window 0 running having to re-run the command send the process to the we can learn something new my Z-shell, with a title of since you lost the output. This background, or to keep the SSH from them. The things I'll be “Zsh”, and window 1 with irssi is why I, personally, feel that connection open the entire covering in this article are the running, and a title of “IRC”. Screen (or another terminal time. If I remember correctly, following: automatically Screen will default to the multiplexer) is a must for any you can even configure the starting windows with newest window, so my Screen SSH users who will be SSH shell to automatically run commands, using Screen over sessions always start in IRC, connected for longer than a Screen for any SSH login, SSH to daemonize commands, since that's what I'll most likely few minutes, and who may meaning you're always going sharing Screen sessions, use. I don't know if there is a need to run more than one to be in a Screen shell. splitting the window, and the limit to how many windows command. Even if you're one benefit of Screen over TTY Screen can have, but I would of those one-command and a Another extremely useful screens or a normal shell. So, recommend not having more few-minutes users, Screen feature of Screen is the ability lets get started and fire up our than the number of shortcuts might still be a very useful to share sessions. This is great Screen sessions, and our to quickly switch between thing for you.