Linux Thread

[JMW IV]

It's really easy in ubuntu, it's right there in the menu.  You can do it right from the live CD even.

I think JMad wanted to do a Puppy USB install, Pen Drive Linux has a how-to for that.

no, I did ask about installing Ubuntu to a thumb drive before. that was a long time ago though, not anytime recent.  surprised Chief remembered.

[PANatsFan]

Wow, DSL embedded + Universal USB install + USB stick = a terminal window in any machine in less than a minute. Badass!

[JMW IV]

say, what are the best sites to go to for Information. to read and learn about Linux.

particularly Ubuntu Variants and the Command Line for now, but really anything to do with Linux in general.

I figure while I am here, snowed in with no work, I may as well try to learn something that might help me gain some employment somewhere. I wonder how the Linux Entry-Level helpdesk job market is......

I suppose Linux Techs work primarily on Servers, which is something I don't know anything about right now. I only know a little bit about the server hardware, nothing about software.

[PANatsFan]

http://books.google.com/books?id=M242s12pV5wC&lpg=PP1&dq=%22linux%20in%20a%20nutshell%22&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Python in a Nutshell is an amazing book, I can only assume Linux in a Nutshell is in the same league. O'Reilly books are generally helpful.

My advice is to get a few old machines and set up your own network with file sharing, user accounts, etc. Manage the security updates and be your own system administrator.

The other advice I would give is to take up simple programming as a hobby.  I don't know what the best language to start with would be, though. I started with BASIC on an crappy Apple II and then I got an 8088 PC with a 10 MB HD that weighed 75 pounds or so - not relevant to 2010.

[The Chief]

My advice is to get a few old machines and set up your own network with file sharing, user accounts, etc. Manage the security updates and be your own system administrator.

This.  We learn by doing.

[The Chief]

How's Xubuntu working out for you JMad?  Give us some glamor shots.  Favorite apps?  Neat tricks you've found?

[HalfSmokes]

The harddrive on my macbook died this week. Since I don't have the original disks and I'm too lazy to go to the mac store and let a mac genuis install macos and I'm too cheap to buy it, I'm probably going to put linux on it when I replace the drive. I haven't touched linux since college, any suggestions for which distribution to go with (its going to be a second computer so I really don't care if it takes me a while to figure out how to use it again)? 

[JMW IV]

How's Xubuntu working out for you JMad?  Give us some glamor shots.  Favorite apps?  Neat tricks you've found?

I'm enjoying it. works very nicely, fast on my machine.

I haven't done much in the way of customization. just switched my wallpaper to my usual, downloaded a few apps.

I installed the Firewall and ClamAV, just incase. I know Linux is virtually virus-free, but I may interact with windows files sometime, and I don't wanna send viruses back to the windows guys, right?

plus I installed WINE, so i may need it anyway. I haven't downloaded anything to use in WINE yet though.

favorite app(besides Chrome, that is)? Vagalume. It's a GTK+-based Last.FM player. awesomeness, integrates right into the interface.

[The Chief]

Did your laptop get stuck at a blank screen for a long time at the end of your Xubuntu install?  I'm tossing it in a spare junk machine here in the office and while I can see the HDD is still kicking, the screen has been blank for about 5 minutes.

[JMW IV]

Did your laptop get stuck at a blank screen for a long time at the end of your Xubuntu install?  I'm tossing it in a spare junk machine here in the office and while I can see the HDD is still kicking, the screen has been blank for about 5 minutes.

nope.

[The Chief]

nope.

Odd.  Guess I'll just wait a bit more and see what happens.  I feel like this happened the last time I put 'nix on this machine, but I can't really remember, and liveCD worked fine.

[The Chief]

Haha, I'm a dumbass.  The install was still going, the monitor just went to sleep.

[Nathan]

The harddrive on my macbook died this week. Since I don't have the original disks and I'm too lazy to go to the mac store and let a mac genuis install macos and I'm too cheap to buy it, I'm probably going to put linux on it when I replace the drive. I haven't touched linux since college, any suggestions for which distribution to go with (its going to be a second computer so I really don't care if it takes me a while to figure out how to use it again)? 

Any of the Ubuntus should work fine (You say MacBook so I'm assuming it's an Intel Mac and not an older PPC PowerBook or iBook)

Haha, I'm a dumbass.  The install was still going, the monitor just went to sleep.

[JMW IV]

Haha, I'm a dumbass.  The install was still going, the monitor just went to sleep.

[The Chief]

The worst part is I remember that happening the last time I installed a ?buntu distro to this machine.  I think I hard reset it that time

[Nathan]

The harddrive on my macbook died this week. Since I don't have the original disks and I'm too lazy to go to the mac store and let a mac genuis install macos and I'm too cheap to buy it, I'm probably going to put linux on it when I replace the drive. I haven't touched linux since college, any suggestions for which distribution to go with (its going to be a second computer so I really don't care if it takes me a while to figure out how to use it again)? 

Oh, and you probably have a broadcom chipset for wireless that you have to install.  I had to enable the CD as a source, and then enable proprietary drivers.  If you have the problem I can do a better step by step.

[HalfSmokes]

Oh, and you probably have a broadcom chipset for wireless that you have to install.  I had to enable the CD as a source, and then enable proprietary drivers.  If you have the problem I can do a better step by step.

I can figure it out- that tends to be half the fun for me

[JMW IV]

what's the deal with Ogg Vorbis? never heard of the format before i started using Linux. is it better than MP3?

I'm converting music files from Windows Media format...should I convert to Ogg Vorbis or MP3?

[Obed_Marsh]

If you want quality, select FLAC. It is lossless.

Converting from mp3 to ogg is a bad idea. You only should convert from source to lossy. Otherwise you get the worst of both worlds.

mp3 supports more devices.
ogg sounds marginally better

If you wish to agonize over the details, lot of them are here: http://www.vorbis.com/faq

[JMW IV]

Converting from mp3 to ogg is a bad idea. You only should convert from source to lossy. Otherwise you get the worst of both worlds.

mp3 supports more devices.
ogg sounds marginally better

If you wish to agonize over the details, lot of them are here: http://www.vorbis.com/faq

unfortunately for me, in the case, i don't have the source, because the source is out of print. I have .WMA files.

[Obed_Marsh]

Leave them alone if you can and convert them if you must; I.E. you device won't play it. Best you can do without the source.

[Nathan]

Ogg is a container like avi, and vorbis is the audio codec.  The common video format with the ogg container is theora.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorbis

It is open source and unrestricted unlike mp3.  I would still use mp3 if you plan on using those files on other devices to ensure they are compatible.

[Obed_Marsh]

Nathan is correct but I am too lazy to type ogg vorbis every freaking team. Stupid name. Nice but not as cool as FLAC. Granted, FLAC devices are rare.

[Nathan]

I wasn't trying to correct you or anything, I didn't see any of your posts, you must have posted while I was pecking out my response on the iPhone

[Obed_Marsh]

No worries I just wanted to make it clear I was referring to ogg vorbis or FLAC not something esoteric like Ogg-FLAC. Good luck finding something to play Ogg-FLAC.