The Summer of Linux

This summer was “The Summer of Linux”; we experimented with Linux for the desktop, Linux for the server, and Linux in clustering. We used the Ubuntu distro for the desktop and server. We actually used the Long Term Support (6.06) version for the desktop, the older version of Ubuntu. I learned that the newest isn’t always the best, as version 7.04 would not install on our hardware. I got a chance to ask my questions about LTSP, to a developer on the Edubuntu irc channel, and we were successful in creating a thin client environment. Of course clustering was a great project where we hit some dead ends, but we recovered before the summer ended, having a functional cluster. Although I had some experience with Ubuntu, using it on my computers, this was a very educational summer. We became the admins and got a chance to implement Linux in a test environment, emulating a school computer lab, where we had to make sure the end users would be able to use Linux without any discomfort. We had to cover everything, from managing user rights to making sure every program a school computer would have, would be included in our Linux machines. In addition, we gained some experience in networking; we received some managed and unmanaged switches, configured them, and had thin clients boot over our network.

Linux has become more user friendly over the years. Ubuntu, for instance, has the nice Gnome interface, a GUI. If this were to be implemented in a school, most end users would be able to adjust. Instead of having a list of programs at the bottom, we have everything at the top. Some applications may be different, the OpenOffice suite vs. Office. It may be slightly more difficult for the end user at home installing it on his/her computer, though, especially if you run into problems. However, if one is dedicated enough, solutions to problems are all over the internet, and you can also ask questions on the Ubuntu irc channel. Once you become used to how Ubuntu works, Synaptics for downloading applications, the Linux alternative software… etc, it becomes easier. If you have to do something beyond the basics, though, you may have to use the terminal. For instance, the Grub bootloader wasn’t booting to the correct partition once, so after determining the path looking at GPart and a little bit of guessing and checking, I accessed the Grub file though the terminal. Or, you may want to install something using the terminal. Personally, I think Linux, due to distros like Ubuntu, has become more appealing, because for basic needs, it can be used without much difficulty.

This was a great summer where I was able to test several environments in which Linux can be used. I am thankful to Mr. Birchall who let us have this experience, allowing us to experiment on our own as long as we documented. We were able to finish all our projects with success, and I was glad documenting our experiences has helped people with their own Linux adventures. Linux and distros like Ubuntu with a cost of nothing are very appealing. Although many people begin using Ubuntu because of the free CDs their friends give them, if some loose ends were tied up (like the bootloader attempting to boot from the wrong partition) and marketed more, we could see an even greater rise in Linux usage.

My Trials With Vista and Ubuntu

I would like to begin by stating that I am a user of both Windows (Vista, in particular) and Linux (Ubuntu). Being the computer geek I am, I thought I might as well try Ubuntu. I’ve been using Ubuntu for 1 year now, and I tested Vista during its Beta stages. However, I am now running the full Business version now. I decided to write a small bit on the pros and cons of both operating systems: Vista and Ubuntu.

I’ll start with Vista. Vista is pure eye-candy…It has awesome graphics and I use Aero more than I have to. During the beta stages, some of my drivers didn’t work, for example, I had no sound. However, it seems to work fine now. If you are used to the interface of previous Windows Operating Systems, you should be able to maneuver easily through this new version. Although I’ve heard much of the code is new, the interface remains somewhat the same. You’ll be able to access Internet Explorer for the internet (or Firefox if you download it), and keep your stuff organized in Documents, Pictures, and Music (remains the same, but just dropping the ‘My’ Documents). You can change settings through Control Panel, and it’s fairly intuitive. What was Network Places and all that is now under Network and Sharing Center. It is somewhat different, but not impossible to figure out. I had one concern, though. I have not only made my network secure through a WPA key, but I also made it hidden. In Vista, they aren’t so hidden. They appear as Unnamed Network. One must still provide the SSID, the name of the network, but I still had my concerns. Another thing, which I know bugs me along with many other users of Vista is the UAC, The User Account Control. Before you try to make some sort of change, such as installing software or changing a setting, it pops up as a box. It can be turned off, though. It is meant as a means of protection so unauthorized changes do not occur, as from a malicious program. In addition, just before it pops up, your screen goes black for a second. There is a supposed fix for the blackout, but it makes the system less secure allowing malicious programs to still run. If you are interested, it can be found here http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/make-user-account-control-uac-stop-blacking-out-the-screen-in-windows-vista/. Vista supposedly hogs system resources; my tablet with a dual core processor at 2.0 GHz and 1 gig of Ram, even with integrated graphics, runs Vista Business fine. I have a feeling running the features for Vista Home Premium or Ultimate may require more resources (HP recommends 2gigs of RAM for those versions). I’ll be getting Ultimate soon, so I’ll write more about its features later. To sum up, Vista should be easy to get used to if you have used XP or a Windows Operating System. The good thing is, almost everything you will need is available for PCs, and thus will work in Vista.

Ubuntu is a distribution of Linux. Ubuntu is great in the sense in that it has a somewhat intuitive interface, and has many important features built in. It comes with Firefox to surf the internet, and OpenOffice, the free equivalent of Microsoft Office. You are pretty much all set software wise. If you need to download other tools, you can find them in Synaptics, a package manager. You can search for something, and if you find it there, just click on it and select download. In addition, although you can download a firewall and antivirus, it is not necessary; Ubuntu and other Linux distributions are built on UNIX which is very safe. There are also some PC games and programs, such as older versions of Office and Internet Explorer which can be run in an emulator called Wine. It can be a bit tricky to set up, though. In addition, if you need to do anything more advanced, you may have to be good with the shell, the “command prompt”. For example, I wanted to use BlueJ for computer science. I could not find it in Synaptics, so I downloaded it off the BlueJ site. However, it was in a .jar file and I wasn’t sure how to install it. Thankfully, I know some people who are good in Linux. However, not everyone has that kind of person to guide them in the beginning. There are forums and IRC channels to help, though. One of the coolest things with Ubuntu is what you can do with the graphics. You can download either Beryl or Compiz, and get a cube desktop that you can rotate through, and cool effects such as flames when you minimize a window. It just may be cooler than Aero. However, the greatest selling point of Ubuntu is, it’s completely free! It comes with everything you need, but not everything may work, and you may have to search through forums or google problems as they come up. If you want to try Ubuntu, you can download the Install CD, and try it in LiveCD mode. It is slow because it is off of the CD, but it gives you a sense of how it works and looks. For more, visit www.ubuntu.org

Where Ubuntu is free, Vista can be quite costly. With Vista, everything will work for the most part, though, with Ubuntu, you may get a headache every now and then. Linux was generally reserved for the tech geeks. Ubuntu may still be to a point, but packaged with the essentials, more people can use it more easily. It just depends how much new you are willing to embrace.

Update

Hello readers. I apologize, I have not really posted anything in quite a while. Yesterday, I posted a History project, imitating Best Week Ever (a VH1 show), except, parodying the Renaissance. I have been doing well, just flooded with work, and activities including robotics. My internship ended a few days before school started; Brian and I accomplished a good deal of work. We set up the 110 freshman flash drives, after much testing and research. By that time I had fallen behind in posting. However, I will continue to post more frequently now.

My internship was fun; I worked at school and helped the Tech Department. I had a great boss, Mr. Birchall, and I learned quite a bit from him. I enjoyed the things I did, and I had a great summer. I played tennis during the summer as well, and that’s always fun.

In addition, a few days ago, I finished building my first computer. For the hardware geeks out there, it goes as follows: Core 2 Extreme X6800| Asus P5N32 SLI SE Deluxe| 2x 1GB Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400| EVGA 7950 GT KO| 150 GB Raptor| 320 GB Barracuda w/ Perpendicular Recording| Lite-On DVD Burner with Lightscribe| Coolmax 850W PSU|.

So, fear not, I have not forgotten this blog. I will continue to write about the various things that cross my path.

Entrepreneurs…

Sorry, its been a while since my last post, as my laptop is gone and tennis has begun, I do not have much time. However, here is the second post, from Lucky or Smart?

Entrepreneurs are born, not

Info

Just so you know, this was my work blog, along with my personal blog. My work blog has been moved to jayminatwork.wordpress.com. if you wish to see work reports, they are there. This is now only my personal blog.  

Smart, Lucky, or Smart enough to realize…

Okay, so the book I have been promising to write about…Lucky or smart? by Bo Peabody. First, let me explain who he is. Bo Peabody, when he was 19 decided to create a service online to help college students. That was the idea, and he took the help of one of his professors. However, that was not to be the destiny of what he called Tripod. As he was not the most computer savvy person, he decided to hire a team of programmers, whom he referred to as long haired, multi-pierced, tattooed, smart hacker hooligans. He, however, was smart enough to let them be, and accept they were odd. They created something completely different from his original plans: they created a homepage builder where anybody could have their own page on the internet. Eventually, he accepted an offer from Lycos, and he sold out for $58 million in stock. The majority of his shares were already sold by the time the bubble crashed…he came out with a lot of money, to put it simply. Now, he invests in the restaurant business (Mezze, Inc.), and a venture capital firm (Village Ventures, Inc.) In the book he states how he achieved such success, and I will share what he stated along with my views in around 12 posts (a daily infusion of wisdom).

Chapter 1: Lucky or Smart

He starts off: be able to differentiate between being lucky, and being smart. Do not take credit, and assume you are a genius, if it is luck. You can create luck however, with this formula; create a business that is fundamentally innovative, morally compelling, and philosophically positive. You have to convey these traits in the mission; it does not matter what the business model is. You just have to convey it so more and more smart people will come…and as he said it, serendipity ensues. The good things that will occur, are luck…therefore, you create luck. So another formula; create an environment where smart people will gather, and be smart enough to stay out of the way, let luck happen. He was smart enough to realize, he was getting lucky. Serendipity is luck, which leads to success, and then… money.

 

My Say:

So, what he is saying is that all you have to do is just spread some seeds of a company, and just sit back and let luck happen. I feel these simple formulas are brilliant; you do not need to be a genius to make millions, just have some on your payroll. I will follow this advice, however, the kind of person I am, I want to be one of the smart people. I will let luck happen, nevertheless, I do want to help create what my company will be churning out. I do not want to sit back, and let everyone else come up with the good ideas. I want other people in my company to come out with good ideas, but I also want to release my good ideas as well. I feel that may also foster creativity and passion; the head of the company is on the frontlines with them. I just have to keep my ego and my use of power in check. It is like Alexander the Great. In battle, he led from the front, whereas other leaders protected themselves and commanded from the rear. The troops were energized by his passion and commitment and followed him to the ends of the earth. That is what my company to be: a company that can revolutionize, create, and take over entire industries, conquer unconquerable lands held by once unstoppable corporations. I want to foster creativity, intelligence, and I want no good idea dismissed prematurely.

Check back tomorrow, for more words of wisdom…..

 

Was that a Blue Screen?

I am getting ready to send my tablet in for repair, and am in the process of transferring files to cds. I see that my Vista iso is sitting on the desktop, and once I finish preparing my computer to send in…I decide to just give it a quick try. What could go wrong?

Nerds, Smart People, and Popularity

I recently read an article, at www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html. I feel this is an article for anybody who is a computer geek at school, or just somebody of any age that was unpopular or "uncool"

First Day on the Job

I am sitting next to Brian, and we are the new IT interns. First task at hand: opening boxes. Boxes containing many pieces of hardware that is. We both recieved a camera, extra memory for the camera, battery charger, a flash drive, and two geeky t-shirts. They are coupled with