m12 development

Mepis 12 has been on hold while developer Warren Woodford looks into making Mepis work with UEFI-only hardware. Jerry3904 recently posted some some of Mr. Woodford's responses to comments/concerns from members in this Mepis forums thread. Here's what was communicated in the email message from Mr. Woodford to Jerry3904, for those who are interested and want to know what's up (and who don't want to have to dig through the entire thread):

On Saturday, November 10, 2012 02:07:15 PM you wrote: 

> Hi Warren -- 

>

> Doubt if you have been paying any attention to that thread, so here is a

> summary of the Community's reaction to your request:

>

> 1) not a single person currently owns the hardware needed for testing.

Actually,I have been reading the thread and that was my impression. 

> 2) most people believe that it is not actually a show-stopping problem at

> this point, and that an update later could handle what comes 

Go to Best Buy, see all the new computers that are EFI only. The problem
arises when people buy or get a new computer this christmas and then want to
put MEPIS on it. 

> 3) many felt that we should not try to duplicate what Debian itself is

> doing, whose installer (as that link I sent stated) has apparently made

> significant progress 

I agree. MEPIS and Debian have always had different philosophies regarding
installation. It's unlikely that what works for them will easily integrate
with the MEPIS installer. 

Eventually the MEPIS installer will have to be expanded to recognize at least
3 or 4 different installation scenarios. It can be done, but only if testing
is available. 

> 4) a certain number said they would rather see you put your development

> time at this point into getting KDE fully functional so we can get to a

> beta stage.

I would love to do that. And if I stop selling CDs, then it's less of an
issue, if MEPIS doesn't work with EFI. I don't sell enough to matter anyway. 

>
> This comment by a long-standing member is a good summary of the discussion:

>
> "From initial investigations I would say that the UEFI obstacle is

> something that presently will only affect a handful of people (who wish to

> try Mepis/other non m$ OS). No doubt in a year's time it will affect some

> more people, when say some OEM manufacturers ship a load of pre locked

> PCs. Even so, for UEFI to be an issue, secure mode has to be enabled

> already during windows install. It is gonna be pretty easy to disable this

> by either entering the BIOS and doing so there, or using a windows utility

> (cmndlets?!) to help with this.

A lot of new PCs are EFI only. At this time, MEPIS does not support EFI boot
at all. Anyone with EFI only, is out of luck right now with MEPIS.

And even if the PC can be put in BIOS mode, if someone wants to dual boot,
that may not work because their Win install may refuse to work with BIOS mode.
Secure boot just makes it worse. 

> The tricky bit is if you wish to dual boot

> windows and Linux using UEFI as far as I can tell.

Definitely. 

> Not for me but some people might prefer this? It looks like simply wiping

> the disk and reformatting the boot partition should resolve most issues.

>
> Bottom line is we will have to deal with this as it happens as the Linux

> tools to automate disabling of secure boot aren't out there (yet?), so I'd

> say carry on with M12(3?) regardless and lets deal with any UEFI issues as

> they occur."

>
> Another knowledgeable member agreed:

>
> "Full UEFI implementation will only be required for a very small number of

> brand spanking new hardware sets, all OEM preloads of Windows. The MEPIS

> "market" is much larger than that. For now, we (Warren) should play to our

> strengths; we can deal with the edge cases on down the line when the

> tools/solutions become more widely available." 

I see three possible paths: 

1. Ignore EFI and proceed toward beta. 

2. Get an EFI computer and at least get basic EFI install working. 

3. Do 1 for now and resolve 2 after Christmas when prices are lower.
I have never before gone to Beta with such a big issue unresolved.

But I guess the best path is #3. Move toward Beta and resolve EFI before
final. 

Thanks to everyone for their input! 

Best, 

Warren

more than one, please

One of the coolest things about Linux is that it's fairly easy to dual- or multi-boot Linux distros (running a virtual machine is another nice option, but isn't my preferred way to go). Lots of users will stick with one distro, sometimes remaining almost religiously devoted to it; for myself, I see no reason to ever be tied down to any one distro. I didn't like being tied down to Windows; why would I want to do the same thing in Linux?

My approach allows me to run a safe, relatively stable distro like Debian Stable, Ubuntu LTS, or openSUSE as well as something more "cutting-edge" like Fedora or Sabayon. I have a couple of "data partitions" set aside that I can access from any distro.

I like using different distros, desktop environments, and window managers on different days, much like people enjoy wearing different clothes on different days, or changing their desktop backgrounds, or taking different routes to arrive at the same place, or eating different foods. I wouldn't be a gardener who grew only one type of flower or plant.

I guess I'm a "Linux fanboy." Well, a "Linux user," at least. I'm not a "distro-hopper" -- I tend to stick with the same handful of distros for quite a long time. But I can't be a fanboy of only one particular Linux distro. I don't see that happening. Ever.

I'll Check Back Later

I thought Cinnamon looked nice in Fedora 16, but I found myself using GNOME Shell more often. I'm thinking that I'll go back and take another look at the shell in a year or so. I've read that things are progressing well.

I took a look around at cinnamon.linuxmint.com, which is laid out quite nicely. You'll find news there as well as a nice collection of themes, applets, and extensions. The "Download" page tells you how to get Cinnamon on various distros (you might want to check out the latest comments at the bottom of that page).

I found Cinnamon to be a pleasant alternative to GNOME Shell and Unity. The thing is, I no longer use Linux Mint (and have no plans to start using it again). I have some concerns about Cinnamon's "newness," and I'm not sure how well it's supported on distros other than Mint. I figure it would be best to let grow up a bit.

Seems like Cinnamon's reason for existence is to be anti-GNOME Shell and anti-Unity, but I happen to like both GNOME Shell and Unity. Further, Cinnamon's development was a reaction to the end of GNOME 2, which I don't miss at all.

So, I don't feel like I'm part of Cinnamon's "target audience."

I do love using different kinds of environments in Linux, though, so I'll get back around to Cinnamon eventually. For right now, I'm happy going between KDE, GNOME Shell, Unity, Openbox, and Fluxbox.

debian books

A web page containing a nice list of books for Debian users: http://www.debian.org/doc/books

I've already mentioned The Debian Administrator's Handbook (see "handbook"). Checking out
GNU/Linux Desktop Survival Guide right now.

opt out?

If you use Ubuntu 12.10, you may want to opt out of the Dash online search "feature." Here's Canonical's "legal notice" about it:

         Searching in the dash - Legal notice

This search function is provided to you by Canonical Group Limited (Canonical). This legal notice applies to searching in the dash and incorporates the terms of Canonical's legal notice (and privacy policy).

Collection and use of data

When you enter a search term into the dash Ubuntu will search your Ubuntu computer and will record the search terms locally.

Unless you have opted out (see the “Online Search” section below), we will also send your keystrokes as a search term to productsearch.ubuntu.com and selected third parties so that we may complement your search results with online search results from such third parties including: Facebook, Twitter, BBC and Amazon. Canonical and these selected third parties will collect your search terms and use them to provide you with search results while using Ubuntu.

By searching in the dash you consent to:

1. the collection and use of your search terms and IP address in this way; and
2. the storage of your search terms and IP address by Canonical and such selected third parties (if applicable).

Canonical will only use your search terms and IP address in accordance with this legal notice and our privacy policy. Please see our privacy policy for further information about how Canonical protects your personal information. For information on how our selected third parties may use your information, please see their privacy policies.

Online Search

You may restrict your dash so that we don’t send searches to third parties and you don't receive online search results. To do this go to the Privacy panel and toggle the ‘Include online search results’ option to off. The Privacy panel can be found in your System Settings or via a dash search. For a current list of our selected third parties, please see www.ubuntu.com/privacypolicy/thirdparties.

Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, Canonical may change this legal notice from time to time, and at Canonical's sole discretion. Please check this page from time to time for any changes to this legal notice as we will not be able to notify you directly.

How to contact us

Please submit any questions or comments about searching in the dash or this legal notice by contacting us at the following address: Canonical Group Ltd, 5th Floor, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, England, SE1 0SU.

https://ubuntuone.com/13SGu7nK2SuqlgiR8zkmXF

Concerned Ubuntu users may want to drop a line at the address in that last paragraph.

no thanks

Stumbled upon this blog post today:


Sunday, October 21, 2012

"No thanks, I got Linux." October 26th


On October 26th, Windows 8 hits the store shelves.

I've said before that compared to Vista, Windows 8 "doesn't completely suck." I stand by that. Am I going to spend $79.99 (US) for a copy? No. Not me, thanks. See, I got Linux...

It's hard to express what Linux has done for me. I've learned more with Linux than I ever did with Windows. I've been part of dynamic communities that have engaged in passionate arguments, clever discussions, and crazy flame wars. Like family, you take the crazy (um... that would be me) with the funny. Instead of just allowing me to 'try and make things work' on my own, there were those who tried to nudge me along the right path, even when I didn't want to see it. I have undying gratitude for those who were willing to share their time and experience with me, even though I never knew them in real life.

So, on October 26th, 2012, instead of giving Microsoft $79.99 for Windows 8 upgrade, I'm going to donate the same amount to the Linux-distro I use the most.

I invite you to join me in doing this.

I don't really care which distro; we're all family. If you'd prefer, donate to a specific Open Source project, instead. As long as you give something that lets Paypal, Amazon, of Flattr know that something's going on that day. If you can't give monetarily, at least spread the word.

I want the Linux community to show Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle that we matter, we care for each other, and there are a lot more of us than they think. If you contribute, I hope you'll e-mail or tweet whomever manufactured your machines so they'll know you use their hardware running a Linux kernel.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thanks for your support.

-merelyjim

http://jims2011.blogspot.com/2012/10/no-thanks-i-got-linux-october-26th.html

SpaceFM 0.8.1

I'm behind the times.

Last week, I wrote about SpaceFM 0.7.11, without realizing that version 0.8.0 had been released on September 14th.

Version 0.8.1 was announced today: http://ignorantguru.github.com/spacefm/news.html#0.8.1

According to the announcement:

SpaceFM now builds on older versions of GTK2 down to 2.18, including Debian stable ("squeeze"). Thanks to BwackNinja, a new contributor to SpaceFM, who completed most of this portability work as part of his preparation for porting SpaceFM to gtk3, which is well under way (see below). In addition, SpaceFM no longer has a hard dependency on libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 (because in earlier versions of gtk, this is not a separate library).

Good news for Squeeze users!