Linux

Windows is in the news lately, in a big way. Windows 7 has been released. As I was one of the very disaffected users of Vista, which indeed prompted me to try Linux one more time, I had tried Linux on a number of occasions before, I did make the switch finally, now more than a year ago.

I had been a loyal Window user since the release of Windows 3 (1990) That is a long time ago. In fact having been a software developer since the late sixties I often found myself in the minority of Windows users in large software projects development. I wish I had made the switch sooner.

Well, having a little bit of time on my hands, about a month ago, I decided to start playing with Linux and I installed a dual boot Linux Ubuntu 8.10 on my laptop.

This was so easy, and so different from the last time I looked at Linux (15 years ago).

I firstly installed it on a boot-able memory stick, to wet my feet. It was unexpectedly so easy that it only took me an hour or so of playing with that to decide to go ahead with a dual boot installation.

To start a year with a denial!

No, ZuNOB has nothing whatsoever to do with Zune (Microsoft). In fact ZuNOBers are considering suing Microsoft for the appropriation of a massive cultural heritage for commercial purposes.

To make it very clear: ZuNOB has not failed at the end of 2008. There is nothing wrong with ZuNOB software, or non-existent firmware and hardware. Their very non-existence guarantees that ZuNOB will continue working and not fail, unlike Zune.

We will not be forced to re-reimburse all those many non-paying users of ZuNOB.

I have Ubuntu 8.10 (Ibex Intrepid) installed on my PC as, finally, a move from Windows to Linux.

I have had a few problems, no show-stoppers that didn't, or couldn't, get solved. I still have a few issues, some that won't get solved any time soon, I am sure, and some that I will solve as I find them.

I have had a few difficulties with SWF objects in particular, videos especially, that didn't work, or render properly in Ubuntu. I think I have resolved this problem now, by disabling the GNash package and switching to SWFdec instead.

The way to do this was as follows: