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Today I erased...

by UnEstranAvecVueSurMer Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 10:40:57 AM EST

... MacOs X

That's it. I erased MacOs X. I erased my operating system.

Then, you ask, how am I writing this diary? Well. Until two days ago I didn't know it was possible. But it is: My computer is running a portable version of Ubuntu.

Ubuntu. Yes. To tell you the truth, I have no idea what it really is, but here is what I think. I think that's how they call a bunch of software put together to make an operating system based on linux. Unbuntu, of course, isn't the only "bunch". It loads pretty quickly. It runs perfectly so far, and pages load well. Flash isn't installed by default, so I can't see no advertising. Ok, this last one isn't really new. I had disabled flash in Camino... well, anyway.

Why?

Because a couple of days ago, Itunes asked me, rather nicely, whether I wished to download and install the last update, 7.0.4 or something. I said no a couple of time, as I had other stuff to do with my bandwidth... but then I succumbed to the Siren's call. After all, maybe the update was about loading libraries faster? making the software faster?

So off I download. And I listen to music after that. Well, before, I had to accept a new license agreement, which makes me loose a LOT of time.

Ok, the 'accept' button is just a click away, so it's not really a lot of time, you think. Well, see, I used my computer as an alarm clock, setting it to boot at 9 (i'm a student hehe) and to automatically launch a couple of mp3's in iTunes. So this time, it does launch the mp3s, but iTunes freezes on the license screen... So i missed class.

The following day, for some reason, at some point I am done listening to music. So, naturally I quit iTunes. Oh, but wait, it won't quite just like that. Hum, I frown at this unusual popup. 'iTunes is downloading album artwork. Are you sure you wish to interupt?"

What?

Did I read this correctly? Is iTunes sending content of my music library to an unknown third party with the vile and pernicious intention of polluting my hard drive with useless jpgs... so I can browse my library like on the ads? Is this a joke?

And now, I can't find the option to disable this downloading.

And so that's it. Then I saw the video of the Kid being tazed for being a little deranged. And I decided I should regain some control over what I have around me. The things I use daily, that live their own lives, like iTunes. I decided to regain control over my computer, what it does. It's my belief that we're all, collectively, going to spend more and more time using software and electronic devices in general, and that therefore knowing how to retain some, just a bit of control over what goes on behind you TFT screen, is important, politically sound and responsible.
I can't bear the thought of my computer sending a partial list of my HD's content to a company I don't know. I can't stop thinking that I need a proxy, so that advertising companies can't know from where i'm loading webpages. And it goes on.

So, right now, Ubuntu is being installed on my computer. MacOSX is no more. And it's for the better.

Sure, it's going to crash a bunch of times. Yes, I'm going to spend hours learning basic programming, so I can configure my computer a little bit, use Fluxbox which looks maaaaaad cool... It's going to take time and energy, patience too. But in the end, I will have eradicated proprietary software from my computer.

Oh, Ubuntu too does unexpected popup, like itunes. But check this one:

Installation is complete. You need to restart the computer in order to use the new installation.

Buttons: Continue using the live CD -- Restart Now


Display:
And now for something completly... I mean, this will looks the same to you. But now, on my side of the screen, it's quite different !

Cheers

Rien n'est gratuit en ce bas monde. Tout s'expie, le bien comme le mal, se paie tot ou tard. Le bien c'est beaucoup plus cher, forcement. Celine

by UnEstranAvecVueSurMer (holopherne ahem gmail) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 10:50:32 AM EST
You beat me to it by a week.  I have a disk (kubuntu 6.10), and I'm ready to just wipe out windows.  But...I do have one favour to ask--if you're game.  (Or if anyone else knows the answer.)

Can you read in the pics from a digital camera?  If so, can kubuntu read the install disks that come with a camera, or is something more tricky involved?

I ask because when I said, "Hey, I could just..." do exactly what you've done (but killing windows not MacOSX), I received a nod from my wife, followed five minutes later by a concerned face and the question:

"Are you sure it will still take photos?"

[For any supertech heads, the camera is a Canon DIGITAL IXUS 75]

Like I said, I'm hoping to switch next week (I could try to go dual boot, but like you'd I'm sorta thinking...hey...just wipe the old one off the disk and load the new...and then read the various manuals...)

Heh!

btw, if I get it to work I promise to write instructions for all the non-tech people.

Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.

by rg (leopold dot lepster at google mail dot com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 12:36:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
In theory (and I havent actually tried this so treat this advice with the contempt it deserves :-)

in theory connecting the camera up with a USB cable should allow you to mount the camera as a disk drive. on the other hand, if your laptop has a memory card slot, it should  allow you to mount the card as a drive from there.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:06:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
gphoto?
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:08:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well...

My Canon IXUS doesn't want to talk to my kubuntu, if I remember correctly.

This is down to whether the camera manufacturer is too fucking lazy to implement the USB mass storage standard on their hardware.

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:11:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Did you try gphoto? I thought it spoke camera protocols?
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:15:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
No, I haven't tried gphoto. Maybe I should.

The point is, USB storage devices should speak the darn USB mass storage protocol.

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:16:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's not so hard to buy a generic card reader and use that.

But... I doubt any app on any version of Linux is going to have solid support for camera RAW files across a decent range of cameras.

As usual, most instantiations of Linux seem too busy playing 'Me too' to deal with (slightly) more high end requirements.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:25:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ubuntu actually has top-notch automatic hardware recognition abilities. It's anything but a "me too" distribution.

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:29:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well...I'll have to go web searching it seems.

Should I take the answer to the question: can kubuntu read the manufacturer's disks as a straight "no"?

(Maybe I'll have to go dual boot...)

Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.

by rg (leopold dot lepster at google mail dot com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:37:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
There are utilities to run windows applications under linux. Mac OS is BSD Unix under the hood so it should also be possible to do that. There are even utilities to run windows hardware drivers under linux.

But any of this falls under the "boys and girls, don't try this at home" category.

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:42:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's me-too in the sense that you can sort-of run Office and a browser and an emailer, but you can't run Adobe CS3, Cubase, ProTools, anything from Sonic Solutions, Lightroom, Audition, MaxMSP, Acid, a few hundred VST software synthesizers and effects, or most other serious creative apps under it.

Also, drivers do not exist for maybe 90% of industry-standard professional or semi-pro audio and video hardware.

The me-too apps that exist - like Blender, GIMP, Audacity, etc - are poor imitations of the professional apps they're based on, and lack either the stability or the variety of the tools available for Windows or OS X.

I don't much mind that Linux exists, but exaggerated claims for its ability to slay Windows are clearly nonsense.

(And I don't much like Windows, so if a genuine Windows-slayer appeared, I'd be near the head of the line for it.)

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 02:19:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Er... How is it Linux' fault that software or hardware vendors won't support it?

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 02:34:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Because if it doesn't offer solid apps, no one uses it.

No one wants to pay £££££ for quality apps, and if Linux offered them for free it would be on the receiving end of a stampede.

But it doesn't. At all.

Hence the lack of interest.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 03:17:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's a vicious circle. People are willing to develop hardware drivers for free if only vendors would release the hardware specs or donate the hardware to do the development. Hardware vendors develop windows and mac drivers and applications by themselves. Linux has stable kernel releases that drivers could be made compatible  with.

As for apps... You can cross-compile them with very little tweaking necessary. They're just choosing not to. How much effort do you think it cost microsoft to make IE and Office run on Mac OS? Not a whole lot. And that is BSD Unix compatible.

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 03:34:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The APIs used in Linux and Windows are completely different, so there's a lot more work required than just cross compilation.

From a sales and numbers POV, Linux users count as a rounding error, so there's no way a corporation could make back the cost of cross-development. And even if it could it would either have to run development in parallel, which complicates everything, or have Linux conversions running six months to a year behind the 'official' releases.

But it's also a cultural issue. The me-too aspect comes from the way that current Linux apps are second rate versions of their professional equivalents. And emulators like Wine are always a generation or three behind what's needed to run native Windows apps reliably and successfully.

There is exactly one professional recording studio in the world that (sometimes) uses Linux commercially. But considering how expensive ProTools is, it's not as if there's a lack of interest from potential users. But the community isn't together enough to put together a viable alternative.

The problem is that amateur spare-time development can't compete with full-time cube-farm development with professional project oversight.

Linux will always be me-too until the community realises this and organises itself to put together a BIG showcase prestigious project that's very obviously superior to the equivalent professional app.

Users want apps. They don't much care what the OS is. Until Linux gives them the apps they want, without compromise, it's always going to be a footnote. Drivers would inevitably follow if the interest were there.

I don't see this happening. It might, but I don't see any evidence that Linux developer culture is focussed enough to pull it off. There's just about enough interest to put together a kernel, but it doesn't seem likely that finding a thousand people would be willing to work together to develop a full-featured video editor.

(To a smaller extent similar issues apply to blogging and activism, IMV.)

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 04:01:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Check Crossover. From CodeWeavers: http://www.codeweavers.com/products/

No recompile. No virtual machine. No memory hog. WINE on steroids. Works for real, all MS Office, IE, etc...

Well worth the price.

Pierre

by Pierre on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 04:13:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I usually just plug my camera (Canon 350D) or card reader into the USB port and then copy the files & edit them with UFRaw. Works fine on Fedora.

(Although now I'm going to have to learn MacOS and Photoshop, since that's what we're using at school.)

You have a normal feeling for a moment, then it passes. --More--

by tzt (tzt) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 02:00:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I went through this with my Canon S1 IS. I think Canon does not directly present your flash card as a drive to the OS (according to whatever the standard is). I never got it connected in Ubuntu. My Fuji and my new Nikon have no issues connecting in Ubuntu.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 02:09:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I'm sorry, this sort of thing is way out of my league. I'm trying to get shockwave running, so I can watch you youtube vids...

Rien n'est gratuit en ce bas monde. Tout s'expie, le bien comme le mal, se paie tot ou tard. Le bien c'est beaucoup plus cher, forcement. Celine
by UnEstranAvecVueSurMer (holopherne ahem gmail) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 09:52:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Just install the firefox flash plugin! It just about installs itself.

Oye, vatos, dees English sink todos mi ships, chinga sus madres, so escuche: el fleet es ahora refloated, OK? — The War Nerd
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Sep 21st, 2007 at 02:17:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I got that far. But Java seems to be needed and there is some unexepected "(" that blocks the whole thing... the weirder thing being that "(" blocks installation on all versions...


Rien n'est gratuit en ce bas monde. Tout s'expie, le bien comme le mal, se paie tot ou tard. Le bien c'est beaucoup plus cher, forcement. Celine
by UnEstranAvecVueSurMer (holopherne ahem gmail) on Fri Sep 21st, 2007 at 10:39:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
You can't find the "Automatically download missing album artwork" checkbox in iTunes preferences?

I surrendered to Mac OS some years ago because I got bored of spending time on dealing with keeping my tools working. Have fun.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 10:58:34 AM EST
I know I could have looked for more than 5 seconds... But the time was ripe for this kind of change.

I'm already having a lot of fun. Nothing works. I haven't been so excited with computers for a looong time.

Rien n'est gratuit en ce bas monde. Tout s'expie, le bien comme le mal, se paie tot ou tard. Le bien c'est beaucoup plus cher, forcement. Celine

by UnEstranAvecVueSurMer (holopherne ahem gmail) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 11:57:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Have an adventure getting there, and there are plenty of people out on the net willing to help so don't get too frustrated if you have problems.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 12:03:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yeah I'm not too worried, even though I don't feel confident enough to try crazy things... Soon I'll be axing C. until then, I have to understand how to install programs... +)

Rien n'est gratuit en ce bas monde. Tout s'expie, le bien comme le mal, se paie tot ou tard. Le bien c'est beaucoup plus cher, forcement. Celine
by UnEstranAvecVueSurMer (holopherne ahem gmail) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 09:56:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You're very brave. I'm not somebody who enjoys trying to work out how something works, if I don't know or there's nobody to ask I just get frustrated. So it's easier to get stuff that works without me having to do anything.

I guess it's how your head works. Until I totally understand an entire system, I feel terrified of even turning something on. It's kinda like the way I hate crosswords, getting inside somebody's head to work out how they're trying to trick you is annoying.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 11:34:30 AM EST
It's true that the idea of mastering... i mean, handling,  somehting is thrilling... But the main trust is getting rid of software that do things with my computer that i don't want them to do.

Although i have to admit discovering the whole thing is quite thrilling!

Rien n'est gratuit en ce bas monde. Tout s'expie, le bien comme le mal, se paie tot ou tard. Le bien c'est beaucoup plus cher, forcement. Celine

by UnEstranAvecVueSurMer (holopherne ahem gmail) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 11:58:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Welcome to freedom.  I've been a linuxer since Slackware 0.99.  I've lived with and fought with and learned to enjoy Slackware, SUSE, Debian, and Knoppix.  Each distribution has been easier and easier to learn and to grow comfortable with.

A couple of years ago I introduced the Momcat to Knoppix.  It was slick enough, and the installation process simple enough, that she gave it a try.  She set up her PC to dual boot Knoppix and Windows and began to learn the ways of Linux.  Over time she settled into Knoppix and booted Windows less and less, but I don't think she ever quite felt at home.

A few months ago, she tried Ubuntu on her own.  It took her all of two days to fall in love.  She has since built her own PC, out of parts she ordered off the net, tailored to her needs and selected for compatibility with Linux.  Yes, the Momcat, about as ungeeky as anyone I know, surfed the net and looked up things and learned what she needed to put together her very own PC.  She has since installed at least two upgrades of Ubuntu.  Now she drops pointed hints from time to time about how much longer I'm going to stick with my clanky old Debian setup.  It's embarrassing.

Pass the word to all your friends who've grown frustrated with Microsoft, or who might be thinking about trying something new and different.  Have a look at Ubuntu.  It's what you've been waiting for.

We all bleed the same color.

by budr on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 01:44:42 PM EST
I've been using Ubuntu since this past January. I have a dual boot setup, though - I still need windows for my music production software and the occasional video game, sadly.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 02:11:20 PM EST
ubuntu.. need even more easy to access piracy programs to crack down those stupid non-open format.....

ejem ejem..s orry  I meant to say taht maybe to make it more user friendly maybe it should be easy to introduce programs that could enhance the reception of multiple types of audio and video formats which unfortuntely are in the ahnds of big companies adn under patents...

An easier way to acces the server will suffice.....

an open suse only in the work guy.. :)

And yet windows XP with service pack 2 is more stable than ubuntu and kubuntu and open suse.... sad state of affairs.... I would like to meet the guy who was in charge to solve the mess that Windows xp was.. how can exist soemone on earth so freakingly smart to fix it and make the worst  operating system in the world.. the more relaible...ever

A pleasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude

by kcurie on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 04:45:42 PM EST
If you install a program called automatix you can get all the "illegal" / proprietary codecs you need, and that includes the keys to watch DVDs. It's basically a 3rd party package installer that isn't really sanctioned by the ubuntu people. Another option is to use VLC media player which has all the codecs included in the program (so it's all transparent to you the end user).

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Fri Sep 21st, 2007 at 05:12:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
don't really understand the point to put Ubuntu on a Mac (i tried),  OSX is quite a wonderful UniX (as certified Sun, i love this point) that fits perfectly with the hardware.

Futermore you are losing the lot of the power management features like put it sleeping nicely.

Linux softwares do not match at all Mac softwares, i couldnt live without NetNewWire, Toast, Transmit, Adobe, Iwork, Itunes, Iphoto and so forth.

i can take the bet safely that you will learn to fully appreciate OSX after your Linux "experience" LOL

by fredouil (fredouil@gmailgmailgmail.com) on Thu Sep 20th, 2007 at 10:55:09 PM EST
i can take the bet safely that you will learn to fully appreciate OSX after your Linux "experience" LOL

Ah, I dunno. After using Linux for a while all the other operating systems just feel so darn clunky and complicated. MacOS, being Unix-based, is of course a lot better than any Windows but still.

You have a normal feeling for a moment, then it passes. --More--
by tzt (tzt) on Fri Sep 21st, 2007 at 02:03:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Windows XP is okay, so long as you're not attempting something wild and crazy like networking, in which case you need to be armed to the teeth. I'd dump it altogether if it wasn't for some software not available in Linux.

Though, AmigaOS kicks the crap out of the lot of them.

"The basis of optimism is sheer terror" - Oscar Wilde

by NordicStorm (m<-at->sturmbaum.net) on Fri Sep 21st, 2007 at 09:11:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
And I'm curious, what are you running it on these days ? a genuine piece of Amiga hardware ?

Pierre
by Pierre on Fri Sep 21st, 2007 at 09:15:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]


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