Ubuntu Linux in test

I just installed Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn on my desktop and i'm running some test drives, this post is being written with 'Blog entry poster', an application i just installed from the big pool of extra software available.

You will read more soon, stay tuned :-)

New Puppy Linux release.

Puppy Linux Community Edition 2.15 has been released, i being a Puppy fan had to give it a test drive, so i downloaded and tested the live cd on my 'new' guinea pig, an old Clevo notebook 800Mhz/128Mb Ram/6Gb HD.
First impressions? Gorgeous looking desktop (something i did miss in early Puppy releases) the clear icons are simply fantastic, after trying many applications while running live i decided then to perform a HD install, this of course was a breeze (you may need some basic knowledge if you need to partition/format your HD) in some 10 minutes the install was complete, and of course being Puppy, it work incredibly fast on this system, here is a screenshot from the default desktop with the VistaBlack theme, I've always customized my desktop, either with another WM, another background and/or different icons... but i can't get away from this one! simply beautiful, great work Puppy community.

A lot more information about Puppy Linux here.

Linux for everyone?

Can Linux really be for everybody? I read not long ago about a family father who wanted to make all his family windows free and use only Linux... whether they wanted it or not.
Should everyone become a Linux-only user, should we, the Linux community talk everyone we know into using Linux instead of windows?
My answer is: NO! Linux is much more than an operating system, and free software is not only a bunch of programs you can download on the Internet for free, both have a strong non-technical or economical context: they show us what an individual without being controled or monitored can achieve and show that not only commercial software works or can get things done.
For these reasons (and many more) i'm simply fascinated about Linux -and i would use it even if it was the world's technically worst operating system.- Which is of course not, but it isn't either a replacement to windows, but an alternative: it does the job in a different way -and many times better- although different. Linux gives the user total control over his system, which is a Pandora's Box effect, in the hands of an unexperienced user this can have catastrophic effects on the health of the operating system, this i think is one of the main reasons that makes the transition to Linux difficult for many people.
Some people even think of Linux as a windows-wannabe with less functionality, integration and much more complex.
So how do you talk these people into trying Linux?
First by waking up their curiosity, by showing them under windows what many free alternatives to commercial software exist: The Gimp, the Mozilla Suite, Open Office, etc.
Explain them what free software is, that is free as in freedom and not free as in beer (sorry couldn't help myself:) )
By showing them what a Linux OS looks like, by explaining how things work and most important by supporting them and answering their questions.
I used these steps to talk a few people into trying Linux, many of them stuck with it, others got back to their safe point-and-click windows enviroment, that's just the way it is, after all, they have the freedom to decide.

Linux powered subnotebook.

Asus presented in the Computex in Taipei a project they've been working on together with Intel, the EeePC is powered by a Intel mobile processor, has 512 MB of DDR2-400 memory and comes with a choice of between 4 and 16 Gb flash drives.
Although the EeePC is windows-compatible, Asus has decided for a self-developed Linux operating system (Hooray!) The EeePC's main target will be the comunication market (web-browsing, e-mail, office work and digital communications) in order to achieve this, is equipped with a fast-ethernet port, 802.11b/g WLAN and a 56k-modem, in the multimedia department has a 3 megapixel webcam, hi-fi audio and microphone, the smaller model with a 7" screen will cost around 199$, while the 'big brother' with 10" screen will start at 299$ (hardware specifications and prices are from press releases)
Asus plans to start producing the EeePC in August (and so do i), will be looking forward getting my hands on one.