Archive for the ‘Blegging’ Category

The Freedom-Software Community is more powerfull than Linux Haters!

Friday, July 18th, 2008

By Justin Breithaupt.

Recently I’ve been talking with Richard Stallman for 2 – 3 weeks on the subject of running free-software. ( Richard Stallman is the president and founder of the FSF or Free Software Foundation. ) What I got out of reading Richard Stallman’s writings and e-mails was that free-software as in freedom is software that has it’s source code released to the public and the public is allowed to modify and redistribute that software as well. This does not necessarily mean free as in cost. This includes drivers and firmware as well.

If your running hardware that has non-free software / firmware in it you can’t use it because that’s against the FSF and if that hardware requires non-free drivers you can’t use it according to the FSF.

I did research to find hardware that supported a modern PCI Express video card with 3D that would work with the free drivers. I also looked for motherboards.

What I did find was obsolete and would require me to spend more money to aquire. At the time I was trying to start a business charging kids to play games on my computers. (playing just free-software games would have been ok).

So now we have rulled out free-software only GNU/Linux distributions and hardware out of the picture. What is the alternitive?

Open Source / FOSS is the alternative. Businesses and countless others such as Ubuntu have went to Open Source / FOSS which is the idea that non-free software and free-software can coexist. This sounds great doesn’t it? The problem is that these people get lazy and don’t try to make free-software and become independent of non-free software any more. Instead they get money from big companies like DELL, IBM, HP, ect. to put non-free drivers in their kernels so that the vendor’s hardware will be supported with Ubuntu’s kernel even though it has non-free software in it and it will work on almost any computer. Sounds great Right? But how does this help make us independent from Corporate America and all the non-free software? It doesn’t.

The other problem is companies like NVIDIA are making it harder to use their proprietary drivers. ATI however has the respect of the FSF for now. NVIDIA drivers for newer cards and chipsets don’t seem to play friendly with GNU/Linux distributions unless you download Ubuntu’s latest kernel. Why? Why are all the rest of us left in the dark? Why must we become dependent on Ubuntu and Corporate America?

A perfect example of this is Ubuntu 8.04. It’s kernel is not even up to date enough to support the newest NVIDIA drivers that are out there and in some instances you can’t install it. I based the latest version of Ultumix TM off of Ubuntu. I updated the kernel and guess what it works! But why should you have to update the kernel every month. Any GNU/Linux hardcore hacker will tell you that’s a bad idea and will make your programs and system unstable.

The thing is whenever it’s possible to use free software to do your work you should but you should not be limited to just using free-software all together. Likewise the developers should work harder to create free-software, drivers, firmware, ect. We also need hardware made by companies that support the free-software idea that the drivers and frimware should be free-software.

The other major problem in FOSS is that the different distros and communities fight with each other to get to the top of distrowatch.com and say they are the best.  I’ve heard officials from the Ubuntu community say to me that they believe that their distro is the best one out there and that users should only be presented with Ubuntu. Why I asked? Because of the confusion of choice they answered. Free-software is all about freedom of choice and not a one world takeover. Lets get back to the GPL guys. And worst of all the people who are really in charge of these projects have lost control. Their moderators go wild in the forums and make people angry and ban people for nothing.

So now that that’s all clearly spelled out to you take two tablets of Tylenol as we discuss the solution.

The Freedom-Software Community TM or FSC can and will solve all of these problems if Linux distributions join in. The FSC has not officially or publicly announced it’s presence before. That’s because they are still working on writing it’s philosophy for people to follow.

Here is the basic idea:

You are expected to use free software when:

1. There is hardware that is supported by free-software and the hardware is in no way more restricted than when it’s using non-free software.
2. The abilities of the non-free software that are needed are not met by the free software.
3. When the expenses of using free-software are affordable. Example of when this would not be the case: You want to run the hardware that supports free-software and has all the abilities of similar hardware that only supports non-free software but the hardware that supports the free-software is either obsolete or too expensive for the average consumer.

At any other time you are expected to try and use free-software and even if these conditions above don’t exist you are expected to try to support free-software in whatever way you can.

There are more aspects to the Freedom-Software Community that prevent fighting and arguing and promote unity and community. You will have to wait for the announcement in the news to hear that unless your an active member of the Ultumix TM Project.

The FSC TM is a Trademark of Justin Breithaupt.

Linux on ESPN This Weekend! April 19-20 2008

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

Justin Breithaupt | *NIXEDBLOG

You read right! Watch ESPN on the 19th and 20th. Ultumix GNU/Linux will be on ESPN this weekend in Garfield County. As you see here on the Map there are 6 courses. 4 of these races have spectator areas. I will be putting up 2 billboards at each of these spectator areas with the Tux Penguin and ULTUMIX.COM written on top. Click Here To See The Bill Board Design. The Race is known as the Olympus Rally. since they will be driving past 2 spectator spots every day I will be making 4 signs and posting 2 at each of the two tracks each day. I don’t know if I will sell many computers or get any donations but I’m sure that these signs will be worth the $10.00 laminate board I’m putting them on. 🙂 If your in the local area and this race was anything like last year’s race I hope to see you there.

If you would like to help by donating to this cause please go to www.mindblowingidea.com/Ultumix and donate ASAP. Thanks.

To digg this article please go here.

FOSS Advocate Needs A Little Boost!

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

Thomas Holbrook II | *NIXEDBLOG

This article is cross posted, so take note.

I wish I did not have to do this.  I was requested not to make a public spectacle of it, but as it turns out, somebody else has done it for meIn the WE ARE *NIXED blog, I talked about how a certain vehicle’s transmission went upchuck.  They still need to get the blasted thing replaced, but are in need of funds in order to do so.  That is why I am going to make a spectacle of this.

Go ahead.

Laugh at me if you will.  However, I have never seen a person with the passion that they have for helping out kids who need a computer to do their assignments now that many schools down in Texas are requiring one or the alternative….alternate assignments, which can be a humiliating thing.  I have also never seen a FOSS advocate with so much energy.  Yes, I am making a spectacle of this, because there are times when a steering wheel needs to be yanked in times of an emergency.  This is one of them.

Any situation can be assessed as pretty dire when it involves a vehicle that just will not budge anymore.  However, when the wife of the advocate starts pleading for assistance, then that should be an indication of how dire said situation actually is.  I myself have no choice but to follow the orders of helios.  I was asked not to give a single drop in that bucket at this point.  I have no choice, because I am completely broke until Thursday.  However, what I can do will be more powerful than any amount of cash I can drop down in the near future.  By clicking here, you will be taken to the appropriate page for donation purposes.  So please, if you can, help this person out a little bit.

Working on LiGNU…

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

Yup.  You heard it man.  I am working on LiGNU, which is PCLinuxOS with a face lift.  It is an experiment of sorts, and I hope I do a good job on it.  This may even be a good way to spring into tutorials on how to customize certain aspects of any distribution.  The system itself will have menus that are reorganized to where a user migrating from Windows-based technology can better navigate it.  In addition, important desktop shortcuts may be added.  So here is where you come in.  😀

I am also changing the default HTML documentation for all web browsers.  You know, the local page introducing you to PCLinuxOS.  The layout is fine as it is (and well done I might add… bravo).  What I need to change is the text, some links, and the big banner graphic right at the beginning.  The first two are pretty much a done deal.  I can get those myself.  What I am asking is for a banner that has the word LiGNU plastered right in the center of it.  It must be 760×141.  I am asking about this because I am not the best in the world at graphics manipulation.  If there are not any takers, I will give it a shot anyway.  However, I would like to see if anyone else is interested in showing off their creativity.  Any submissions will be copyrighted by the creator of said submissions, so fear not.  Your work remains your own, but you by submitting your work, you allow me to use it in LiGNU itself.  😉

NimbleX Needs You!

Friday, January 11th, 2008

For those of you who haven’t checked it out yet, go to the NimbleX site and check out this *nix distro. It’s quite interesting, but not as interesting as the Custom NimbleX creation utility on the web. It allows you to create your own custom LiveCD. In other words, you have a choice of applications and in some cases, drivers. You can also set your wallpaper and sounds (startup and shutdown). It’s a pretty cool idea if you ask me.

I will warn you however, that the Custom NimbleX page that Bogdan created consumes quite a bit of bandwidth and storage space. Therefore, he is going to need all the help he can get. The widget below will allow you to donate whatever you can to him. If you’re strapped for cash at the moment, there is another way to help out: click the “copy” tab, then the “copy” button. Then paste the code into your blog, site, MySpace, etc…. In other words, spread the word.

FOSS Blogging Has its Perils

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

Oh yeah.  This post is going to be biggie.  Not as in a big deal, but as in the size of said post.  I will not be talking of blogging alone, but blogging FOSS.  FOSS blogging can be quite fun.  Sharing the excitement of having tested another distribution of *nix (or sharing disappointment of wasting said time… depends on the experience) or sharing an opinion on the happenings of FOSS today can be an interesting experience to say the least.  However, blogging is not always without peril.

In the past, I stated how I would not promote my own writings on LXer due to being ripped to pieces over an entry that I eventually wound up deleting.  So why did I come out of my exile of sorts with a blog post that made the front page of that news site?  It was inspiration of sorts, which I will go into first.  The second part of this post will take into account Bruce Byfield’s follow up entry to his prior writing on his blog.  Shall we begin?

Flushing Fear Down the Toilet

I will be the first to admit that I do not like being told when I am wrong in any way shape or form.  Who does?  When I spewed a few choice words out of my keyboard concerning James Burgett and the trouble he was having with a state organization, even he criticized me in his own blog over my entry, and rightly so.  Not only that, but I was slammed pretty hard by another reader on LXer.  Then I read the comments concerning Justin Briethaupt’s follow-up on the situation with Newegg…

Before I go on any further, you may want to read this first.  It explains how this blog has multiple authors.  Each author will of course have a different style.  As of right now, there are two active authors: Justin and myself.

I read the comments concerning his newegg.com consumer report, and my mind began to race.  Then I read this entry from Bruce Byefield that I wholeheartedly disagreed with, which resulted in my previous entry.  I began to think to myself, “You know…. it takes courage to endure all those comments against what was posted.”  It was those two moments combined that caused me to realize what an intellectual coward I have been.  Scott Ruecker of LXer said it best concerning Justin’s newegg.com follow-up…

“In order to think critically about something and stand a chance of coming to a accurate decision or stance on an issue or issues you have to be presented with and have access to information that you agree and disagree with.”

I could not have said it better myself.  After all, Justin was trying to do something that I myself was only willing to dream up and talk about for eternity and getting reamed over and over again by the same people, and yet I was too scared to expose myself to criticism from a few readers who can have a different mood at different times?  Intellectual cowardice indeed….

So yes, I am coming out of exile of sorts concerning LXer.  I am limiting myself if I choose not to do so at this point.  The time to hide from everybody’s criticism is over.  Even if I only posted on this blog, it is one thing I will not be able to escape, because unlike other bloggers out there, I don’t axe legitimate comments (ones that are spam however are treated appropriately).   So next up is my response to Byfield’s follow-up post in response to the feedback that others have provided to his writing concerning conspiracy theorists in FOSS.  Prepare to be surprised.

Open Hand to Bruce Byfield

 “With all the people baying for my blood – some of whom, frankly, sound disingenuous in their demands for proof – the entry could easily take over my life, so in the last couple of days, I’ve withdrawn from active discussion of it.”

Bruce,  I certainly hope that you did not perceive me as wanting your hide or anything of that nature.  I was confused when you were making the broad statements in your previous blog entry.  To me, it was like lighting a barn on fire and walking away from it, thus forcing everyone else to deal with said fire.  Perhaps my humor was misplaced or of the wrong variety when I asked those two very sarcastic questions of mine earlier.  Perhaps it was nothing more than an insult.  Either way, my apologies.

Now let us take a look at another tidbit of what Byfield wrote.

“To start with, I notice that Brian Profitt’s suggestion that I was lashing out at some negative criticism I received has been seized on by some commenters as a reason to dismiss what I said.”

Hopefully, I was not one of those individuals who was perceived as having said that.  Also, in my opinion, to suggest that Profitt of linuxtoday.com was suggesting that you were lashing out goes a bit far.  Here is a sample from what Profitt wrote:

“Byfield, who I think is an excellent writer, by the way, may be projecting a little bit of his own defensiveness in this entry. I know he’s been on the receiving end of some harsh criticisms in the past, and I know from personal experience it’s pretty disheartening.”

I know the feeling to a degree myself.  I believe there is a difference between lashing out and being defensive, since lashing out implies (to me) that one is on the offensive.

That’s not to say that I don’t find people’s reactions fascinating – and more than a little intellectually distressing, since I’m an ex-university instructor who once spend his days trying to help people develop their abilities to argue coherently.

Here is another tidbit of opinion from me on the subject of debate and arguing.  There are traditional academic methods and methods that are considered unorthodox and unacceptable.  It reminds me of the beginnings of the Revolutionary War in America, in which the standard rules of war was not followed by the Minutemen who would pick off soldiers from the British army one by one while hiding behind rocks and trees.  During that time, it was considered inappropriate and uncivilized to fight in such a manner.  Suffice it to say that declaring that a position of prestige was once held is not going to sway me very much.  Read on further to understand why.

“But I think my favorite response was from a commenter who assumed the responsibility of giving me elementary advice about how to write. I’m always willing to learn, but, considering that last year I sold roughly a quarter million words about free software, now I know the spirit in which Lauren Bacall responded a few years ago on hearing that she had been voted one of the sexiest elderly women in film. ‘That will certainly pep up my career,’ she said (or something to that effect). ‘I can’t wait to tell my agent.'”

Look man, I could care less if you were on the New York Times best seller list.  When it comes to blogging about anything, including FOSS and discussion of technology in general, all the titles of prestige, all the accomplishments of the past, no matter how great, are stripped away.  At that point, the only thing left is people talking to one another (and in some cases, at another).

“No more working out of ideas publicly for me – from now on, I need to make sure that I state my assumptions clearly, and address opposing views in more detail, and not publish on certain subjects until my ideas are fully developed.”

On the other half, it would help.  However, not working out an idea publicly is something I disagree with to a degree.  While Justin Breithaupt’s consistent stream of criticism was the ignition switch for my mind, it was your situation that cranked my mind over, thus causing me to realize that I should not be so afraid of criticism from others.  Listen.  There is a way to work out ideas publicly.  In the title or at the beginning of a blog entry, indicate that it is a rough draft of sorts (or a brainstorming session).  I believe that WordPress also allows the creation of categories, so things can be tagged under something such as “brain storms” or “sand box.”  Whatever tag labels you want are up to you.   Of course what I am saying are merely suggestions as well.

I disagree with closing things down in a sense.  Why not open up a bit more instead?  To me, that is an excellent way of learning from each other, and if there is that constant nagging person who constantly annoys the dickens out of you, then you always have the option to ignore them at that point.

Overall, I would like to thank you for acknowledging a lesson that I am still learning today.  When it comes to blogging, you are never going to be without feedback, even if it comes in the form of a spam-bot or an individual who vehemently  disagrees with you.  I know that I do not know enough about you, but I still want to share my views with you.  So please, keep sharing yours with me and everyone else.

Komputer4Kids Winter Drive!

Thursday, December 27th, 2007

I am attempting to do my part in helping Komputers4Kids out.  How?  See that widget below?  You can either donate through said widget or using the widget itself, you can copy the widget onto your site, blog, MySpace, etc…..  Take a look at the newly created fund raiser page as I will be adding more and more campaigns.  😉

Come On. Please, pretty please! Help a Guy Out…..?

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

It’s only a mere few days away from the 25th of December.  I can imagine it now.  Opening the presents, eating that special dinner, and spending time with the family.  Computers are among the finest gifts as they can promote learning and enrichment of the mind, especially for children.  There are those who can’t afford to get their kids a computer for Christmas, and Austin, Texas is no exception to this.

I read over at the blog of helios how an attempt is being made to help out some kids.  In the double digits mind you.  What Komputers4Kids is doing is amazing.  They’ve been able to pull off miracles thus far, especially with the help of other wonderful, like-minded individuals.  The amount they’ve managed to obtain is useful for nothing more than a little gas money to deliver said machines to the homes of those kids.  So I am asking… no…. I’m begging anyone who reads this to drop by, and donate a buck or two.  Make it at least $5 or more if you can.  I know people over the holidays are strapped for cash.  I understand that.  I just can’t sit idly by as Ken Starks does what he does best: putting the younger generation above everything in his own life, which can have some pretty devastating consequences at times.

Anyone can go to the Lobby4Linux website and in the left-most column can choose an amount to donate.  Keep in mind that if $1 is entered, an extra few cents will be tacked on to cover the PayPal fee.  I know another colleague has had issues with PayPal, but now is not the time to get into it.  Just know that the Lobby4Linux crew has never been screwed over by PayPal (probably won’t be either).

This isn’t about getting a younger generation hooked on FOSS.  It’s beyond that now.  There are kids in Texas who badly need a computer of their own so they can obtain more knowledge at a faster rate.  Has a large corporation such as Dell, HP, Gateway or any other stepped up to the plate?  I don’t think so.  I’ve donated $5 myself.  I wouldn’t be begging of any of you otherwise to help out Ken and his crew.  Let’s show him that we do care.  Think about it.  What if it were your own kids and you yourself couldn’t get them a computer for Christmas or whatever other holiday you happen to be celebrating?