Ubuntu, another choice

Ten factors that make Ubuntu 11.10 a hit

2012-01-30T16:45:00.000+12:00

Ubuntu 11.10 is important because of one major issue: Unity. When Ubuntu 11.04 arrived, the Unity shell interface for the GNOME desktop environment seemed to be a step backwards — at least on the Ubuntu front. It was buggy, based on dated libraries, and showed little promise.

But with the release of 11.10, things have taken a turn for better. Here are the 10 factors that I think have given Ubuntu a fresh impetus.

Ten factors that make Ubuntu 11.10 a hit

gPodder, a free podcast aggregator for Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, Maemo and MeeGo

2012-01-13T11:23:00.000+13:00

Not a big fan of bash-based apps? The gPodder Linux podcast software offers a GUI-ed approach to Linux podcasting. Installing the program is easy, as gPodder is in all likelihood already in your Linux distribution’s package manager. Search for gPodder and you should be good to go, but if not there are downloads over at gPodder’s home page.

Start the program and you’ll be presented with a list of default podcasts to choose from, including three of my favorite shows on NPR: Car Talk, This American Life and Science Friday. Pick any podcasts here that you’re interested in and you’ve got a good start.

Adding podcasts is basic: hit “Subscription” followed by “Subscribe to a new podcast URL.”Then you need only paste the feed and you’ll be asked which new episodes you want to download.

A neat feature of this program is the ability to add any YouTube channel as a podcast. The “Search For Podcasts“ has a YouTube tab; simply search for your favorite channel and you’ll be good to go.

Looking for a funny YouTube Channel to follow? Tim’s got some recommendations for you, and I’d also add the excellent AutoTune The News.

gPodder, a free podcast aggregator for Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, Maemo and MeeGo

Linux powers the fastest computers on the planet

2011-12-27T12:51:00.000+13:00

Once upon a time, supercomputers used special vector model processors to achieve their remarkable speeds. Then, at the dawn of the 21st century, people began working out how to achieve record-breaking computer speed by linking hundreds or thousands of commercial microprocessors running Linux and connected with high-speed networking in MPP (massively parallel processor) arrays. The supercomputing world has never been the same. Today, Linux rules supercomputing.

The latest "Top 500 supercomputer" list of the fastest computers on the planet makes that abundantly clear. Broken down by operating system, this latest ranking has 469 of the top 500 running one kind of Linux or another.

To be exact, 391 are running their own house brand of Linux. Sixty-two are running some version of Novell's SUSE Linux, including such variants as UNICOS/lc and CNL (Compute Node Linux). Red Hat and its relatives, including CentOS, come in second with 16 supercomputers.

As for the non-Linux members of the fastest computer club, IBM's AIX Unix, with 22 computers, is the only serious competitor. Microsoft and Sun, with Windows HPC 2008 and OpenSolaris, are barely in the running, with fives supercomputers for Windows and a mere pair for OpenSolaris.

Linux isn't just setting the standards; it's breaking the record books. The fastest of the fast is now the Cray XT5 supercomputer, known as Jaguar. Jaguar, which runs CNL, didn't just take first place; it blew away the competition with a top speed of 1.75 petaflops per second, leaving the previous record of 1.04 petaflops per second in the dust. (A petaflop is 1,000 trillion, a quadrillion, floating point calculations per second.)
What's even more amazing is that the IBM Roadrunner, another Linux system, which has held the top record, had only broken the petaflop barrier in the summer of 2008. Or perhaps it isn't so amazing when you consider that, with Linux leading the way, the slowest member of this new list can do 20 teraflop (trillion floating point calculations per second). In other words, this list's slowest system would have ranked No. 336 in the last Top 500 list from six months ago.

Linux and improvements in Linux-based MPP programming techniques can't take all the credit. Jaguar, which is located at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, was upgraded from quad-core to six-core AMD Opteron processors. After this upgrade, Jaguar is running almost a quarter of a million CPU cores. In theory, Jaguar can reach a peak speed of 2.3 petaflop per second.
Between the continued improvements in multi-core processor speeds, network fabric throughput, and Linux performance, we can expect to see supercomputers gaining speed at this remarkable rate for quite some time to come. At this rate, we may see a Linux-powered exaflop (one quintillion calculations per second) computer by the early 2010s. That's not just a theory: IBM is already working on the design for such a supercomputer monster for the Square Kilometre Array telescope project. The proposed operating system? Linux, of course.

Linux powers the fastest computers on the planet

A Migration Story – Windows to Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) « Blogternals

2011-12-20T10:25:00.000+13:00

So, you have decided for one reason or another to give up Windows and switch to Linux. One of the problems is that most people don’t know how to accomplish this and those who do understand have already done. Human nature dictates that most people, once they learn how something is done become sensitized as to how hard it was to gain that knowledge. I decided to think back and then document exactly what one needs to do in order to migrate successfully from Windows to Ubuntu. When I say successfully I mean completely including getting flash and Java to work in Firefox, installing the most needed codecs for your Media Player files, MP3s and DVDs. Also perhaps setting email and for a good measure a few tips and ticks. During this guide I will be showing you how use what is provided by the default Ubuntu install and only installing minimal applications. I will not be showing you how to install what I think are the best applications for doing things, I’ll just be showing you how to get things working and installing the minimal apps to get things working.

One problem you may or may not have considered is all your files and settings. Now I am not trying to talk you out of moving to Linux just making you aware of troubles you will be facing when trying to migrate over. If you opt to re-size your Windows partition and install Ubuntu in a dual boot environment, the Ubuntu installer will prompt you to transfer your files and settings over from your Windows installation. If you are going to opt to obliterate Windows all together you will want to back up your files and settings before you begin (I would back up my files in either case). Make sure you back up your Internet Explorer bookmarks or FireFox bookmarks or both as the case may apply to you. Ubuntu will be able to read from (and even write to) Windows partitions, so copying files from a Windows partition to your new Ubuntu file system is possible. So if you are just choosing to use a new Hard drive then you will not need to back up your data before hand. If those files are on a server (shared), you can get to them via smb (included by default in e.g. Ubuntu’s nautilus file browser). In this case, you will have to log on to that server with a user account known to that server, and with the necessary permissions to at least copy files and directories, but that’s easy to set up.

OpenOffice will open MS Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations, Visio and MS Projects clones work towards compatibility with files created with the Microsoft products, pdf’s are not problem, Adobe even releases a Linux version, … But your mileage may vary as so things still don’t port but this will be the exception I promise.

If you were already using Firefox on Windows, this is going to be pretty straightforward. We already know we can copy between the two file systems, and Firefox keeps all settings inside a user profile so moving thins around will be easy. If you are using IE I suggest you install FireFox right now and then import your IE bookmarks to FireFox and then continue this will make life so much easier for you.

As for the rest of your media you will just need to copy things over and then learn the new applications you are going to use to read, listen, or view them. Pretty straightforward here.

OK, lets get our hands dirty, The first thing you need to do is print this article out so you can have it own hand or at the very least write down the URL or bookmark before you begin installing Ubuntu. You should have already downloaded Ubuntu 9.04 and burned it to a CD, if not you need to do so now here is a link if you need it, for those not sure you need the Desktop version. OK, go ahead and install Ubuntu. If you need help with that here is a link.

So you have Ubuntu installed now this is where I enter with some very useful information that is missing in most manuals when you switch to Linux. The reason most install guide leave you here is because Linux is about choice, and they expecet you to make your own choices, but what about the simple everyday things we use our computers for. Media, mail, and the Web (This is where flash and Java come in). They are most likely not working at this point an most Linux distro and there is of coarse a reason for that as well. Now, I am not going to dive to deep into the legalities of why codecs are missing and things don’t quite work but just understand that there are legal ramification for the maintainers and they have to watch out for their own interests.

OK, So I am going to give you a little bash script here to run from the command line. This should get your Shinny New Ubuntu running with all the restricted stuff installed, Flash Working as well as Java.

A Migration Story – Windows to Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope)

Making the Evolutionary Leap from Meerkat to Narwhal | Linux Magazine

2011-12-18T16:38:00.000+13:00

If you're using Maverick Meerkat (Ubuntu 10.10) or an older distribution, Natty Narwhat is a whole new animal.

I’m very happy with Ubuntu as a desktop operating system. I’ve used it for years with no significant issues. In fact, Ubuntu excels where other disributions fail. Even Linux arch rival Windows, is often left in the last century compared to the innovations perpetrated by the Canonical group. But what about Natty Narwhal? Is the hype worth the effort? I’d have to say, “Yes.” Although, I’m not 100 percent sold on Unity, I’m impressed with its boot speed, shutdown speed, and snappy performance. Oh, and there’s that little matter of The Launcher.

This article describes my personal experiences with upgrading Ubuntu 10.10 to Ubuntu 11.04 via the Ubuntu automatic notification and online update method.

Making the Evolutionary Leap from Meerkat to Narwhal

Living the Linux Lifestyle — Datamation.com

2011-12-13T16:21:00.000+13:00

Why do some people choose to run Linux as their PC platform of choice while others opt instead for other ways of running their computing experiences?

Is it market share, perceived ease of use, slick marketing overtures, users wanting to use what they already know? This list might explain why people might choose OS X or Windows.

But what approach to computing (and life) prompts a person to use a Linux box on a daily basis? I’ll share my insights based on personal experiences and other observations accumulated over years of living the Linux lifestyle full time.

Software buyer's remorse has gone M.I.A.

I haven't spent my hard-earned income on software in years. I own one single (legal) copy of Windows XP Pro that I use for work purposes (software testing) in VirtualBox.

Does this mean that I choose not to spend money on Linux then? Not at all. I do in fact, donate money to specific Linux-related projects on a regular basis.

Full article here: Living the Linux Lifestyle — Datamation.com

How to Create Your Own Customized Ubuntu Live CD

2011-12-08T17:10:00.000+13:00

We love a good live CD, but what if your favorite one doesn't quite have every application or tweak you need? Here's how to roll your own Ubuntu Live CD, with all the packages you want, and some nice customizations, to boot.
The tool that we're going to use is called Reconstructor, which is a free webapp that lets you roll your own Ubuntu and Debian live CDs.
We've mentioned Reconstructor in the past; below is a step-by-step for using it.

Getting Started

The first step is to sign up for an account at Reconstructor. Click the Sign Up link and fill out the form that appears. Confirm your account by clicking on a link that will be emailed to you, and then log in.
You'll be greeted by Reconstructor's main interface. To create your customized Ubuntu CD, click on the Create Project button in the left column.

Fill out the basic information about your project. In our case, we're going to customize an Ubuntu 9.10 Live CD, to include some useful utilities.

How to Create Your Own Customized Ubuntu Live CD

The Perfect Desktop - Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)

2011-10-17T07:38:00.000+12:00

This tutorial shows how you can set up an Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge.

Ubuntu 11.10 will by default start the new Unity desktop which requires that your hardware supports 3D acceleration, however you can also switch to Unity 2D mode in the log on screen. If your hardware does not support 3D acceleration or you don't like Unity, you can still download the Ubuntu Classic GNOME desktop, what I will do later in this tutorial.

I want to say first that this is not the only way of setting up such a system. There are many ways of achieving this goal but this is the way I take. I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!

The Perfect Desktop - Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)

How To Migrate From Evolution To Thunderbird In Ubuntu

2011-10-14T13:11:00.000+12:00

While Evolution is a useful email client for Gnome desktop, it is just not as extensible and flexible as Thunderbird. For those who are facing unpleasant incidents with Evolution and wish to migrate to Thunderbird

How To Migrate From Evolution To Thunderbird

Ubuntu 11.10 Ocelot Heads to the Cloud

2011-10-14T13:02:00.000+12:00

Released today: version 11.10 codenamed the Oneiric Ocelot.

The new Ubuntu release includes new technologies for the cloud, server and desktop users.

"11.10 continues Ubuntu's proud tradition of integrating the latest and greatest open source technologies into a high-quality, easy-to-use Linux distribution," Ubuntu Release Manager, Kate Stewart wrote in the official release announcement for Ubuntu 11.10.

The 11.10 comes six months after the 11.04 Natty Narwhal release. Among the key new items in 11.04 is a tech preview of the OpenStack open source cloud platform. In the new 11.10 release, Ubuntu has made OpenStack a fully supported technology and is shifting to it as the basis for the Ubuntu Enteprise Cloud (UEC). Previously, Ubuntu leveraged Eucalyptus for UEC. Although Ubuntu is throwing its support behind OpenStack, Baker noted that existing Eucalyptus users can stick with that technology, if they so choose.

Ubuntu 11.10 Ocelot Heads to the Cloud

Lubuntu Breathes New Life into Your Netbook Without Sacrificing the Flexibility of a Full-Fledged Desktop

2011-10-07T12:05:00.000+12:00

Netbooks aren't the fastest computers, but they can be useful—as long as they're usable. If you want your netbook to work and feel like a real computer rather than a toy, I can't recommend Lubuntu enough—it makes my netbook feel like a whole new machine.

I bought my netbook hoping it would be the perfect portable companion for those quick jobs when I'm out and about—like updating one of my posts, or touching base with my boss without using my phone. The problem is, those "quick" jobs seemed to take ages on the netbook. Starting up Firefox in Windows seemed to take forever, and forget about opening multiple tabs. Even on Ubuntu, everything moved a little more sluggish than I'd like. Sure, netbooks are always going to be a little bit slower, but when they move at the speed of molasses, it seems to defeat the entire purpose of having one.

The LXDE desktop environment—the environment behind the Lubuntu variant of Ubuntu—aims to be a lightweight desktop that keeps low-resource computers running snappily. It still isn't as fast as your uber-powerful desktop or laptop may be, but you don't feel like every action takes 5 minutes to complete. Everything opens very quickly, and it doesn't waste time or resources with flashy eye candy—though it doesn't look ugly at all.

Full article here:
Lubuntu Breathes New Life into Your Netbook Without Sacrificing the Flexibility of a Full-Fledged Desktop

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2011-10-05T00:00:00-07:00

The countdown to Oneiric Ocelot begins, Ubuntu 11.10 arrives October 13th

2011-10-04T14:20:00.000+12:00

A whole new world? A whole new computer? Those are some pretty epic promises coming from the folks at Canonical, especially since we've seen the most recent beta and Ubuntu 11.10 and, while its packed with welcome improvements over Natty, it's not exactly revolutionary. Still, we're excited that on October 13th the final release of Oneiric Ocelot will be hitting the web with an improved Dash that integrates search Lenses, new default apps, a spiffed-up app switcher and application syncing across multiple devices. There are plenty of other little tweaks and improvements that add polish to the popular Linux distribution -- more than we could possibly cover without inspiring a string of TLDR comments. If you're the adventurous type you can download the second beta now, but we suggest you wait till the timer at the source link reaches zero. If you want to spread the Gospel of Ubuntu you'll also find a printable flyer at the source with a QR code and tear-off URL strips that lead to ThisIsTheCountdown.com.

The countdown to Oneiric Ocelot begins, Ubuntu 11.10 arrives October 13th

20 Must Read HOWTOs and Guides for Linux

2011-09-30T13:17:00.000+12:00

If your a Linux user who enjoys learning new things, I recommend taking a look at the following 20 must read HOW TOs and Guides I’ve gathered over the years. These documents are vital to both new and old Linux users…

20 Must Read HOWTOs and Guides for Linux

Restoring your Evolution configuration

2011-09-28T08:47:00.000+12:00

I regularly reformat my laptop. I do this when the latest Ubuntu release has major changes, such as the KDE4 upgrade and moving to ext4. I also do it after a change (or failure) of hard drive. This last time was the first time since switching to Evolution as my mail client. Imagine my surprise when I learned that just copying ~/.evolution wasn’t enough.

In fact, it seemed to do nothing at all except copy my local mail folders. None of my email accounts were configured, or my settings. It turns out that all of the important settings are stored in gconf, everybody’s favourite bad-idea-from-Windows. The solution was simple:

cd /path/to/backup/directory killall /usr/lib/libgconf2-4/gconfd-2 rsync -av --delete .evolution/ ~tyler/.evolution/ rsync -av --delete .gconf/apps/evolution/ ~/.gconf/apps/evolution/

That restored everything, including settings.

Now if only the Thunderbird people would develop a decent addressbook editor (it really is a pig of late-90′s design), I could move.

Restoring your Evolution configuration from backup

Links for 2011-06-23 [del.icio.us]

2011-06-24T00:00:00-07:00

Pacific Boa Constrictor Snakes (Candoia bibroni bibroni): Babies - finally our own babies arrived - by surprise
Well, we've had a long, strange journey getting here, but finally we have our own, captive bred, baby Fiji boas!

Links for 2011-06-12 [del.icio.us]

2011-06-13T00:00:00-07:00

GT Popping: Kadavu GT Popping Update
We had an unusual summer of popper casting for GTs with the La Nina weather paterns making for unfavourable conditions and sometimes a very poor bite by our standards.

Trim Slice Tegra2 ARM Cortex-A9 "Chromebox" Starts at $199

2011-05-24T08:55:00.000+12:00

Chromebook prices start from $349. Can you make it cheaper ? Well, we have an answer for you. Trim Slice is a Tegra2 ARM Cortex-A9 “Chromebox” Starts at $199.

Trimslice

This is primarily for developers who wants build things on top of various operating systems including Chromium OS, Android and Ubuntu. However, if you want to try Chromium OS and have a monitor and keyboard & mice, this might be interesting for you.

Chromium OS on Trimslice

The device is rich in hardware support and will suit for many purposes. It even has two HDMI ports !! NVIDIA Tegra 2 @ 1 GHz and 1GB DDR RAM is what runs this nettop. So, anyone who ignored the Chromebook and fancied about Chromebox during the launch, this one is for you !

Chromeslice !

For specs and prices, click here. More pictures of Trimslice running Chromium OS, click here.

via ChromeOSsite and trimslice.com

40 Best Open Source Graphic Programs

2011-05-14T17:13:00.000+12:00

Following the great success of the 45 Best Freeware Design Programs and attending requests of more open source apps, here is a new extensive list of Open Source Graphic Programs that you may take into consideration for production use. There is a lot of technicalities when we talk about The Open Source movement, and we are not covering them here on detail, so please forgive with me if I am not being formal enough with all the terminology.

You will find the name of the project, a lovely screenshot (who doesn’t love screenshots?), the Development Status (I’ve included from Beta to mature ones) and the supported platforms. Please notice that some of the projects may have restricted license use; before using a particular software, check first if the intended use is allowed. Most of this list allows commercial use, but that may or may not change in the future, so check first with the site before using it.

As I said before, maybe they won’t replace your commercial apps, but some of them are worth keeping and eye on, since they are on constant evolution. Which is the great thing about open source: due to their nature, everyone can contribute to its growth.

I know I know we are designers and most of us don’t do code (have met only a few who code and design beautifully, blessed ones) but many of us have great can’t-chose-even-the-right-font coders friends that might be interested

40 Best Open Source Graphic Programs

Links for 2011-05-01 [del.icio.us]

2011-05-02T00:00:00-07:00

New Great Barracuda Record
With a little help from Halco we have all the ingredients to challenge ALL the IGFA ultra-light wahoo records. The latest rods are currently being tested on the Southern Bluefin Tuna and proving more than capable.

ubuntu 11.04 out today!

2011-04-29T12:02:00.000+12:00

The Latest version of the most popular open-source Operating system forPC's is out.

The new version adds some very interesting UI changes

How to install Firefox 4 in Ubuntu 10.10

2011-03-26T18:24:00.000+12:00

First of all you are recommended to remove the older version of firefox(probably 3.x). In synaptic package manager search for firefox and mark the box for removal.Wait for few minutes until the package is removed; then follow the steps given below -

step #1 : Open Synaptic Package Manager and add the Firefox PPA to the software resources. Go to Settings->Repositories->Other Software and click on Add button; enter this ppa address -

ppa:mozillateam/firefox-stable

step #2 : Click on reload button to update the software Repository information.

step #3 : Now,search for ‘firefox 4′ and mark the check box for installation.

step #4 : Next, click on Apply button to begin installation. Then wait for the installation to complete.That’s all!

From: Firefox 4 for ubuntu 10.10

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2011-02-26T00:00:00-08:00

Matava wins Environment/Local Sustainability Award at AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2010 | Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort
Matava wins Environment/Local Sustainability Award at AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2010

Links for 2011-01-26 [del.icio.us]

2011-01-27T00:00:00-08:00

Gamefishing Fiji: GT Popping Season Update
Scott and Tim stayed here at Matava Eco-Adventure Resort last year and landed some monster dogtooth tuna aboard Bite Me but this time round they brought Jim...who missed the trip last year.

Install Google Earth in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat | Liberian Geek

2011-01-19T12:29:00.000+13:00

This quick tutorial will show you how to easily install Google Earth in Ubuntu Maverick or Lucid. If you’re currently using Google Earth in Windows and want to do the same in Ubuntu, then this tutorial will show you how to install it. There are many ways to go about installing Google Earth, but this is how to like to do it.

Getting started:

To get started, go to Applications –> Ubuntu Software Center.

Then search and install the package below:

googleearth-package

After installing, go to Applications –> Accessories –> Terminal. Then copy and paste the line and press Enter:

sudo make-googleearth-package --force

After downloading all Google Earth Packages, go to Places –> Home Folder.

There you’ll see Google Earth Deb package. Double click it to open Software Center.

In Software Center, click ‘Install’ to begin installing.

After installing, go to Applications –> Internet –> Google Earth.

Enjoy!

If Google Earth will not launch after installing, go to Applications –> Accessories –> Terminal and run the command below, then try again.

sudo apt-get install lsb-core

Thanks for reading and please come back soon.

Install Google Earth in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

The Linux desktop may soon be a lot faster

2011-01-13T12:50:00.000+13:00

Linux is fast. That's why 90%+ of the Top 500 fastest supercomputers run it. What some people don't realize is that Linux is much better at delivering speed for servers and supercomputers than it is on the desktop. That was by design. But over the last few years, there's been more interest in delivering fast desktop performance. Now there's a Linux kernel patch that may give you a faster, much faster, desktop experience.

The patch by Linux kernel developer Mike Galbraith adds a mere 233 lines of code to the kernel's scheduler, but it cuts desktop latency down by a factor of ten. That's impressive — it's almost like getting a new computer.

In the Linux Kernel Mailing List, Linus Torvalds himself praised the performance boost he gets from the patch. Torvalds wrote:

I'm also very happy with just what it does to interactive performance. Admittedly, my "testcase" is really trivial (reading email in a web-browser, scrolling around a bit, while doing a "make -j64" on the kernel at the same time), but it's a test-case that is very relevant for me. And it is a _huge_ improvement.

It's an improvement for things like smooth scrolling around, but what I found more interesting was how it seems to really make web pages load a lot faster. Maybe it shouldn't have been surprising, but I always associated that with network performance. But there's clearly enough of a CPU load when loading a new web page that if you have a load average of 50+ at the same time, you _will_ be starved for CPU in the loading process, and probably won't get all the http requests out quickly enough.

So I think this is firmly one of those "real improvement" patches. Good job. Group scheduling goes from "useful for some specific server loads" to "that's a killer feature".

The scheduler patch works by simply enabling the system to automatically create task groups per TTY — an archaic term that comes the days when Teletype style terminals were used for computer interfaces. In Linux and Unix, TTY are used for real and virtual input/output devices.

You wouldn't think that such a simple patch could make such a big difference, but the proof is there. I've tried it myself and I was impressed. You can see for it yourself in these before- and after-the-patch Phoronix videos.

Between this and Fedora and Ubuntu moving to Wayland for a far faster graphical front-end, by this time next year we may see some blazingly fast Linux desktops. That sounds great to me!

The Linux desktop may soon be a lot faster

Setting Up Evolution with GoDaddy

2011-01-03T12:43:00.000+13:00

THE BEST DESCRIPTION OF HOW TO DO THIS ON THE WEB!

I have to admit I spent a few hrs screwing with Evolution to try to make it work with GoDaddy to no avail. I followed this word for word et voila! ALL GOOD!

To Set Up Evolution

From the Edit menu, select Preferences.
Select Mail Accounts, and click Add(+).
In the Account Management screen, enter a name to identify this account and click Forward.
In the Identity screen, enter your full name, email address and any optional information you want to include and then click Forward.
In the Receiving Email screen, select POP from the Server Type list and complete the following fields. When you are finished click Forward.
- Under Configuration, in the Server field, enter pop.secureserver.net as your incoming server name.
- In the User Name field, enter your email address.
- From the Authentication Type list, select Password.
In the Receiving Options screen, set your preferences and click Forward.
In the Sending Email screen, select SMTP from the Server Type list and complete the following fields. When you are finished, click Forward.

Under Server Configuration, in the Server field, type smtpout.secureserver.net.
Under the Authentication list, select Login and enter your SMTP user name (full email address).

Click Apply to complete the configuration process.

NOTE: "smtpout.secureserver.net" is an SMTP relay server. In order to use this server to send emails, you must first activate SMTP relay on your email account. To do this, log in to your Account Manager and go to your Manager Email Accounts page to set up SMTP relay. If you do not have SMTP relay set up and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) allows it, you can use the outgoing mail server for your Internet Service Provider. Contact your Internet Service Provider to get this setting.

Setting Up Evolution: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

10 things to do after installing Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

2010-12-29T13:15:00.001+13:00

So you’ve downloaded Ubuntu 10.10, made yourself a freshly minted copy and installed it with haste. Now what?

Here is our guide to the top 10 post-install must-do’s that will help ensure you get off to a marvellous start with the Maverick Meerkat.

1. Run Update Manager

Just because you’ve installed the latest version of Ubuntu doesn’t mean that there won’t be some updates and patches waiting for you. Make sure you run the update manager (if it doesn’t update you first) so that you’re benefitting from the latest fixes and features.

2. Enable graphics card drivers for 3D fun

If you want to use advanced desktop effects such as Compiz (3d Cube, wobbly windows) then you will need to enable the “official” drivers for your graphics card.

Ubuntu should automatically detect and alert you that 3D drivers are available. If so, you will see a ‘circuit board’ icon appear on the top panel. Click this and follow the prompts.

If Ubuntu fails to detect any hardware (do be patient as this isn’t always instant) then you can manually run the ‘hardware configuration tool’ from the System > Preferencesmenu.

3. Set up Ubuntu One file sync

Ubuntu One provides all Ubuntu users with 2GB of free online storage space that allows to back up and sync important files, Firefox bookmarks, Tomboy notes and Evolution contacts between computers – as well as any other file or folder you wish.

Head to Applications > Internet > UbuntuOne to get started.

4. Install Ubuntu Tweak and make your life easier

Ubuntu Tweak is a one-stop shop for managing and installing extra applications, tweaking your desktop (such as putting the window controls back on the right and choosing which icons show on the desktop) and allowing you to keep your system in tip-top shape with the built in system cleaning options.

Full list here: 10 things to do after installing Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

Evolution and GoDaddy/smtp.secureserver.net

2010-12-23T16:55:00.000+13:00

I have just spent 2 hours working thru this as I REALLY wanted to give Evolution a go (Thbd is just getting too heavy IMO, they ruined it with TB3!).

Anyway after a lot of trial and error, here is my final solution for Evolution and GoDaddy.

Incoming/Receiving Email

Server: pop.secureserver.net:995
Security: SSL Encryption
Authorization type: Login

Sending Email SMTP

Server Configuration: smtpout.secureserver.net:465
Security: SSL Encryption
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Neowin.net - Ubuntu 10.10 for netbooks to have single menu bar design

2010-12-20T16:12:00.000+13:00

Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu project, this week announced that the next version of Ubuntu will incorporate a global menu bar for all of its applications. The new universal menubar will only be enabled by default on the netbook edition of Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat".

Neowin.net - Ubuntu 10.10 for netbooks to have single menu bar design

Mark Shuttleworth » Blog Archive » A global menu for Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition

2010-12-20T16:11:00.000+13:00

In the netbook edition for 10.10, we’re going to have a single menu bar for all applications, in the panel.
Our focus on netbooks has driven much of the desktop design work at Canonical. There are a number of constraints and challenges that are particular to netbooks, and often constraints can be a source of insight and inspiration. In this case, wanting to make the most of vertical space has driven the decision to embrace the single menu approach.

It’s all about vertical pixels

Netbooks are conventionally small-and-wide-screen devices. A common screen format is 1024×600. There’s plenty of horizontal space, but not a lot of vertical space. So we’ve been lead to explore options that really make the most of the vertical space.

This is important because the main thing people do with a netbook is surf the web. And most pages will fit horizontally in a netbook screen, but they require quite a lot of vertical scrolling. The more we can optimise the use of vertical space, the more enjoyable it will be to spend time on the web, with your netbook.

In the first few iterations of Ubuntu’s netbook-oriented UI, we concentrated on collapsing the window title into the top panel. In 10.10, we’re going to put the menu there.

Full article here: Mark Shuttleworth » Blog Archive » A global menu for Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition

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