Chrome OS conclusion

Ok, all the disputes have died down now about Chrome OS and I wanted to send out a last reminder of what it was all about before we all close the tab and read something else while we wait for 010. When... it will appear drasticly different and well approved, in position and ready to become the sole or secondary OS of all the users worldwide!

Ok, so far, to be blunt(atleast with the version I was running!), Chrome OS is a slow locked down operating system that will not work for my net-book unless I have a network cable!

Obviously I think that! Google released the source code, they asked for help. They did not release a beta and they did not want to send it into war against windows(that's all ther gonna be fighting by te way, Mac will hopefully still sit up there as the high quality OS and the other linux distros will just improve their allready brilliant desktop quality), they were just asking for help.

How can I help? Was actually the first thing I thought. Well, I can't edit the source code or do anything flashy like that, so you can just learn to use JavaScript, Java or flash and develop web-apps.

Well, to set all the lines straight, lets all just wait, develop and change to the next tab in our tab bar!

I'm Runing Chrome OS

gdgt gave away a chrome OS .vmdk so that people could try out Chrome OS as a virtual machine and I downloaded it. Ok, then I got VMplayer as gdgt suggested and tried fiddling around with it(I had never played around with virtual machines before mid you!) I tried a few things with VMware Player and none of them worked. So I tried using VMware Workstation and guess what, that didn't work either. I also tried using them both together and that didn't work either! So, I gave up.

No, not really, otherwise this post wouldn't be entitled "I'm Running Chrome OS", now would it! Anyway, I then went back to gdgt's website and decided to try out the usb version and... It took another few hours to download it. When I finally had it(I had already downloaded about a GB so far all to come to waste so I was not exactly happy!), so I tried the README instructions in  the unzipped 'usb' file. Guess what, they didn't work!

So, I was really giving up now. I then decided to try and turn a .vmdk file int a .iso or .img which I could have then dealt with but... that didn't work! Then, I tried using Virtual Box to run the .vmdk file. It worked! Everything ran smoothly and I am posting this from the chrome OS!

Ok, true review time. In the virtual box, it runs extrwemely slow. But, it works! It has a nice interface and works fine but for the video. I like it and I'm waiting for 2-10!

Google Chrome OS

Google Chrome OS is gonna be the best cloud operating system. Yesterday Google let out some Chrome OS news and I watched and read anything I could find on it. So, my first opinion is that it is completely different.
The main thing about it is that it is extremely cloud integrated. All the apps apart from the slim file manager, notepad and maybe a few other apps are web apps. Google Docs, Mail, Twitter, all web apps.

Now, Google chrome OS is not now, it is in a year's time. I can't wait for it. It's waaaay simpler than moblin and it is absolutely awesome. Now, this gives some questions: Is This going to change the world? OK, you need two things to change the world, a grab on the world(Google, no power? No control? They have already got loads of people's attention so far) and something that can change it, chrome OS, a powerful cloud integrated operating system that is fast, simple and secure.

So, what is gonna happen to Windows 7? Ubuntu? Nothing. They will change and develop but they will not go. There will be two kinds of operating systems: More HD integrated and more cloud integrated.

Web Apps, what are these? G-mail, Docs... I just found several good ones here:

• pixilr - It's like gimp online
• bubbl.us - mind map creator
• mimiclip - games
• and it just keeps going....

Do I really need a password?

People hate passwords. I hate passwords. And we all want to find a way to get by securely without them. Well, the bottom line is, we need security and to have that we do need some passwords, some kind f guarantee that when our PC containing top-secret information(?) get's nicked or the HD goes missing, we will be laughing knowing that the guy who picks it up is gonna be bashing his head against the wall when he hears "Ah, Ah, Ah! You didn't say the magic word!".

So, if you've got Windows and somebody's got your PC who is somehow geeky enough to slave an HD, all your data is not only gone but it's known. Now, if I put puppy on that hard drive and did a heavy encryption, that robber is pretty darn stuffed.

But here's the problem again, I've got to remember my password. Well, here's my advice to that, remember it! Use a Greek travelling trick, stick it on your head, but remember it! Your gonna have to learn how to remember something or other some time!

So, Ubuntu 9.10, is just as secure as puppy now, in the install it gives you an encryption option, now that is good! An encrypted hard disk is as secure as anything can get(unless the password is guessed)!

S, bottom line: Linux is secure for three reasons, you can encrypt the HD, you can't get in without a password and, people don't bother making viruses for Linux because they either know it's impossibly(unless your looking at xandros) or their botting in luxury with Windows 7!

Why Linux Works

When I started out with Ubuntu, I wasn't interested in any of the other linux distros like Suse, Mandriva...

But, as you can guess, I've changed my mind, I do prefer some distros more than others but I pretty much like them all!

Google Chrome OS is gonna drag linux into it's battle gear and well... that's to be found out!

Phun, as entertaining as the name suggests

I found out about phun a good while ago. But it's only once in a while that I actually get to play it again because I always try rather big and unpredictable experiments (that's why I like portable apps!) so programs only keep if they are any good, because I'll only actually bother to get em back if they were any good!

Anyway, so what am I talking about? It's a 2D physics sandbox that is extremely addictive! You can invent something to do anything of nothing, except maybe something that's important! In simple terms, it's a program where you can build thing, press play and the objects that you place will move into action(e.g. if you put a ball in mid air and pressed play it would fall).

It's not open source, but it's free and build for Linux, Mac, and PC(notice the order), the Linux version runs dead slow so I use wine and run the windows version(bizarre, isn't it!).

If you have any interest in physics(or Phun) or just something creative, try this.

The Future of Ubuntu

I found out about ubuntu a few in 2007 when I was experimenting with an old 'piece of junk'(now a good speed useful machine) and I was quite impressed that something with an open system had almost reached Microsoft's standards.

So, I left that old 7.04 on that machine using it once in a while for the odd experiment. Never updating or looking into linux. A while lat somebody else asked if I could help putting it on their home machine(the previous xp died of virusation(or whatever you call it)). So anyway, that got me back to the ubuntu site and I realised how much the OS had developed in two years.

So, I put jaunty on that old machine and used that instead. Then I heard about karmic, in three months it would be coming out. Many bloggers and tweeters were saying "Oh, Karmic, yet another release. Six months, PSHAW!". I didn't listen. I just waited impatiently for Karmic. So, when it finally did come out two weeks ago, obviously I got it (15 min after the release!). I put it on my eeepc 900 and viola, I had ubuntu back(I had forced myself to stay with xandros until the release).

So, what did I think. I liked the background, everything worked(excluding the USC repos) and I was running ubuntu again. It wasn't as much as I expected(I was expecting a vista7 anyway!), but it was exactly what should be expected. Anyway, straight after, I read posts on Lucid Lynx, and what it was coming with. This time I looked at it with slightly less enthusiasm than Karmic.

Anyway, down to the big question, what is the future of ubuntu? Faster boot, better speed integration... a version of Linux ready to top all the other distros and show Microsoft the true power of the open source world(STAR WARS!). No, not exactly. Ubuntu has taken a risk with Karmic, getting into low level code did mess up a few things. And I think the Lynx is gonna be the same. Then, the M(oon?) may tip the boat a little more. But by then, gnome 3'll be there, the bugs would be cracked and the N(est?) will be the best version of linux out there(assuming that techology doesn't take a truly dramatic change that'll catch ubuntu of guard, but even then...SUSE?). And not just ubuntu, the open source world won't stop growing!

Stallerium, a real-time star watcher

Some people think astronomy is a waste of time. Well, if you are reading this post and you have that opinion, get over it! Astronomy is a good interesting science!

Anyway, when I started looking into astronomy software, I found out that 99% of it was open source, and obviously Linux compatible.

So, I found two programs, Celestia and Stellarium. Celestia is a program like Google earth but for the whole universe and Stellarium is for viewing the stars at any time or place. At the time, I preferred Celestia. Now I prefer the well improved Stellarium which is in the screenshot on the top left of this post.

It has a more sleek, improved and out of the way interface(It's in full view in the screenshot though!) and now, you can view from any moon or planet in the solar system(and I think a little more)!

So, if you have any small interest in astronomy live in a place that is really cloudy, try out this!

I've a new blog

www.tecreation.blogspot.com is fully up and working now. Have a look to see what it's all about!

Google Sketchup

Ever since I got my little EP-900, I'd been wanting sketch-up in it and now I Ever since I got my little EP-900, I'd been wanting sketch-up in it and now I have it! It's not SK7 but so what! I have it working and so I'm as happy as an angel.

Here is the fix and here is my smile! have it! It's not SK7 but so what! I have it working and so I'm as happy as an angel.

Here is the fix I used. I hope that'll help you get it working for you!

(This post was kinda scrunched up with a DELETE utton but I think I've partly got it back now with the google 'cached' feature!)

Sweet Home 3D

I just found out about and it, I was browsing around and I found a website about linux versions of windows apps. One of the ones on the list was something called 'Sweet Home 3D', I clicked on it an it led me to the website. it looked like Google sketch-up(my favorite CAD program!) so it got me interested. I downloaded the Linux version, uncompressed it and ran it from the file.

The 'Sweet Home 3D' splash screen showed up and then it went into the program. One reason I was impressed was the fact that it 'just worked'(like Opera). Anyway, It's an interior design program with 2D and 3D views of your floor(there's one problem, you can't stack the floors!).

It's not as flexible as sketch-up, but in one aspect that is good, because it limits you to interior design and makes it easy to view. A clever program that I liked straight away!

I really think you should try this app if you have any interest in architecture or interior design.

Picasa

For a while I have used Picasa, it's like a google version of Photobucket that comes with a free program. Originally, it was just for Windows, but then Google made a linux version using wine hacks. It works well and it is well integrated into linux.

On the right, you can see me running it in ubuntu karmic koala. It automaticly picks up any file in your user folders, it can be reconfigured (as I did) to auto-scan the whole file system or removable devices.

Compared to F-Spot, Picasa is a Brilliant Photo-Manager with crop, zoom, filters and several other good image tweaking tools. In linux, the movie feature does not work but the blog, upload, college and all the other features work.

If you want something like F-Spot that with more flexibility, tools and sleekyness, picasa is distributed freely by Google for, Windows, Linux and Mac.

Safari in Ubuntu!

Using playonlinux, I managed to get Safari working. It didn't work perfectly but it did work with the cool blue loading bar and the shiny style which I liked! Try playonlinux, it works with popular windows games aswell!