Prakash Advani's Blog

I compared the hardware requirements of a popular Linux Desktop: Ubuntu 9.10 with Windows 7  both of which were released last month.

Ubuntu 9.10 remained a modest 265MB memory with 300MHz computer. Also Ubuntu can run on lesser hardware as well, if you have 128MB Memory, you can still use Xbuntu (a variant), or if you have 64 MB you can use LTSP and run Ubuntu off a central server.

Now Windows 7 demands 1GB Memory with 1GHz computer.

While Windows 7 required 16GB of space to install, Ubuntu can be installed on on less than 4 GB of space.

Some people may argue that hardware is getting cheaper by the day, however there are millions of PCs around in the world which won’t be able to run Windows without an upgrade. If the use Ubuntu, they will save on upgrade costs and hurt the environment less by not having to throw away their old computer.

Some interesting findings: Ubuntu’s hardware requirements has not changed in the last 8 releases over the last 4 years.

Even thought Vista Basic  claimed that it requires 512MB RAM and Vista Business claimed 1GB. Both crawled on 1GB of RAM and required 2GB to run effectively with 15GB of disk space.

Sources:

Ubuntu Release Notes
Windows 7 System requirements.
Windows Vista System requirements.

What’s a plug computer?

• Small ARM Based Computer
• Runs Linux and other OS: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Gentoo and FreeBSD
• Consumes just 2  watts of power
• Can be kept always on to run those long nightly downloads such as Torrents
• Can you used for any application that requires an always on computer
• Access through browser or shell
• Has USB, Ethernet and SD Card.
• And yes costs $99

More photos

For more information check plugcomputer.org

Vyatta is providing a Linux based Networking routers and equipments to compete with Cisco. All their software is open source and they have very competitive pricing. Seem to also have an impressive customer list so far including Toyota, Rackspace and Boeing.

Forget what Microsoft wants you to believe, Linux is a success on Netbooks. The cat is out of the bag.

ABI Research is projecting that in 2009 Linux will represent 32 percent of netbook sales, far higher than the seven percent figure claimed by Microsoft, says a report. ABI also estimates that Linux will overtake Windows on netbooks by 2013, largely due to sales in less-developed countries.

Read More

Ubuntu that it launched last week, to penetrate markets such as India where an impending launch of third generation (3G) services is expected to make cloud computing accessible to individual users.

I have been quoted in this article in The Mint:

Prakash Advani, partner and manager, central Asia, at Canonical, said once broadband connectivity improves through 3G networks, Ubuntu’s built-in cloud capabilities will popularize it among computer users as well as businesses.

Read the complete article.

IT budget cuts, an improved ecosystem and more maturity have boosted the demand for open source applications in Indian enterprises.

Read this article.

I have been quoted in this article.

It’s benefits like these that have changed the attitude of enterprises towards open source solutions. Opines Prakash Advani, Partner Manager for Central Asia, Canonical, “Initially there was a certain amount of resistance (towards open source) due to user resistance to change, but this has changed in the recent past.”

Ubuntu is an increasingly popular version of Linux today, and it seems easier for new users to sink their teeth into this free operating system with each new release.

I have been quoted in this article in the Hindu:

It is this focus on the ease-of-use factor that has contributed to Ubuntu’s popularity. Prakash Advani, partner manager, Central Asia at Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, said a survey conducted last year revealed that India accounted for the largest number of Ubuntu server users among the various countries surveyed.

Read the complete article.

Prof. Rahul De of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore has carried out this study.

Economic Impact of Free and Open Source Software – A Study in India.

The study has reached out different organisations and has documented to total amount that they saved after moving to Free and Open Source software.

Ubuntu 9.10 is finally available for download. It’s faster to install from a USB pendrive then installing from a CD. After downloading the ISO, to create a bootable pendrive in 9.04, go to System-Administration-USB Startup Disk Creater.

As always, the recommended way to download is Torrents, as the download servers would be busy for the next couple of days.

Here are the download links for the torrent.

Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala i386 (32-Bit).

Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala (64-Bit)

Download the CD Artwork:

CD Face Artwork

CD Wallet Artwork

For people who still prefer to download directly:

Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala i386 (32-Bit).

Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala (64-Bit).

Mirrors in your region, this may be faster for you.

Africa

• http://bw.releases.ubuntu.com/ (Botswana)
• http://ls.releases.ubuntu.com/ (Lesotho)
• http://mz.releases.ubuntu.com/ (Mozambique)
• http://na.releases.ubuntu.com/ (Namibia)
• http://sz.releases.ubuntu.com/ (Swaziland)
• http://ubuntu.mirror.ac.za/ubuntu-release/ (South Africa)

Asia

• http://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/Linux/ubuntu-releases/ (Japan)
• ftp://dl2.foss-id.web.id/iso/ubuntu/releases/ (Indonesia)
• ftp://ftp.corbina.net/pub/Linux/ubuntu-cd/ (Russian Federation)
• http://ftp.cs.pu.edu.tw/Linux/Ubuntu/ubuntu-cd/ (Taiwan)
• http://ftp.cse.yzu.edu.tw/pub/Linux/Ubuntu/ubuntu-cd/ (Taiwan)
• http://ftp.mtu.ru/pub/ubuntu/releases/ (Russian Federation)

Europe

• http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-releases/ (Germany)
• http://ie.releases.ubuntu.com/ (Ireland)
• http://mirror.switch.ch/ftp/mirror/ubuntu-cdimage/ (Switzerland)
• http://releases.ubuntu.igor.onlinedirect.bg/ (Bulgaria)
• http://se.releases.ubuntu.com/ (Sweden)
• http://ubuntu.ipacct.com/releases/ (Bulgaria)

North America

• http://mirror.anl.gov/pub/ubuntu-iso/CDs/ (United States)
• http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/ubuntu-releases/ (Canada)
• http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-releases/ (United States)
• http://mirrors.ccs.neu.edu/releases.ubuntu.com/ (United States)
• http://mirrors.gigenet.com/ubuntu/ (United States)
• http://mirrors.us.kernel.org/ubuntu-releases/ (United States)

Oceania/Australia

• http://ftp.citylink.co.nz/ubuntu-releases/ (New Zealand)
• http://nz2.releases.ubuntu.com/ (New Zealand)
• http://ubuntu-releases.optus.net/ (Australia)
• http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/ubuntu/releases/ (Australia)

South America

• http://mirror.globo.com/ubuntu/releases/ (Brazil)
• http://mirror.pop-sc.rnp.br/mirror/ubuntu/ (Brazil)
• http://mirror.pop-sc.rnp.br/mirror/ubuntu-releases/ (Brazil)
• http://ubuntu.c3sl.ufpr.br/releases/ (Brazil)
• http://espelhos.edugraf.ufsc.br/ubuntu-releases/ (Brazil)
• http://www.las.ic.unicamp.br/pub/ubuntu-releases/ (Brazil)

Enjoy 🙂

If you are looking for replacing Photoshop with Gimp and are finding limitations, here is a nice article:

Handy Tweaks To Make GIMP Replace Photoshop

Some more links.

• 1000 HQ Brushes
• 30 Exceptional GIMP Tutorials
• GIMP Equivalent of PDSTuts
• 17 Awesome Plug-Ins for Web Designers
• 25 Plug-Ins for Photographers
• Official Online GIMP Manual

Happy Gimping 🙂

Here is a nice article on how Kim Cascone switched from Mac OS X to Ubuntu for setting up a Music Workstation using very inexpensive hardware costing a tenth of what a similar solution from Apple would cost.

“The solution to my financial constraint became clear, and I bought a refurbished Dell Studio 15, installed Ubuntu on it, and set it up for sound production and business administration. The total cost was around $600 for the laptop plus a donation to a software developer — a far cry from the $3000.00 price tag and weeks of my time it would have cost me to stay locked-in to Apple. After a couple of months of solid use, I have had no problems with my laptop or Ubuntu. Both have performed flawlessly, remaining stable and reliable.”

Important Bits:

• Runs Linux, so full multitasking and no more crashes 🙂
• 3.5G and WiFi connectivity
• 5-inch resistive WVGA screen
• slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• ARM Cortex 8 processor @ 600 MHz
• 32GB of internal memory, big enough than most other phones.
• MicroSD slot for expansion
• FM transmitter
• 3D Graphic accelerator
• Flash Player
• 5-megapixel camera
• 3.5mm jack

Has it happened to you that you write a nice long email and mention, please see the enclosed presentation and oops forgot to attach? Thank goodness for this extention.

Attachment Reminder for Thunderbird reminds you if you have forgotten to attach a file with your email. It check if you email contains keywords which can be defined by you and will remind you if you missed an attachment. For example If your email says:

“Please see the attached presentation”, and you forgot to attach, then the attachment reminder will remind you.

Attachment Reminder for Thunderbird.

Its been raining extensions 🙂

Microsoft has been harping about the fact that there are more netbook returns of Linux, this is not true.

Speaking at OpenSource World, a Dell executive deflated Microsoft’s enthusiasm for making a case out of the number of Linux netbooks returned by unhappy customers.

The European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS), part of the European Commission, has compiled a detailed repor titled: Microsoft A History of Anticompetitive Behavior and Consumer Harm.

“For more than two decades, Microsoft has engaged in a carefully designed and extremely successful campaign to protect and extend its monopolies. Microsoft has repeatedly made market allocation proposals to its competitors and has used a broad range of other anticompetitive and unlawful tactics to eliminate potential rivals, including tying, predatory product design, and intentional deception.

Microsoft owns several monopoly products, including its Windows operating system and Office suite of productivity applications.  These monopolies are extremely lucrative: Microsoft generates more than $60 billion each year, largely from Windows and Office. It has profit margins of 77% and 65% for these two monopoly products. Over the years, Microsoft has carefully cultivated and expanded the barriers to entry protecting these monopolies.”

Read More.
All the more reasons to use Linux

Its very easy to get a computer with what ever hardware configuration you want, you can go on-line and configure it with all possible permutations and combinations. Except for one.

Its very difficult to buy a hardware of your choice without Windows. What if you want to use Linux? What do you do? You may still end up paying for the Microsoft Tax, even if your Windows partition is just sitting there and doing nothing.

Solution: Buy a hardware of your choice and apply for a refund. Yes its possible, may not be very easy but definitely worthy a try. Venkat Raghavan managed to get a refund on Windows. Read his blog and enjoy your refund.

Now if more and more people start doing that, not that Bill would become a popper but vendors would give us Linux users a choice.

I have been saying this for a while, why Linux is not affected by Viruses

This is Nice article which explains: 5 Reasons why Linux is Secure against Viruses than Windows

Summary, from the article:

1. User Privileges.
2. No Executables.
3. No Registry.
4. No Internet Explorer (IE)
5. Linux is not soo common like windows.

Don’t agree with the last one 🙂 but the rest of them makes sense 🙂

The Neuros LINK a disc-less PC designed to be connected to your TV comes with a wireless “Keymote”to control the unit from the comfort on your couch. Like a PC, it is customizable and expandable:

• 2.8Ghz CPU
• 1GB DDR SDRAM memory (expandable up to 8GB)
• Up to 1080p H.264 video playback
• Support an extensive list of video and audio formats: MPEG2, MPEG4, .vob, .mp4, .avi, .asf, .wmv, .mkv, .mp3, .aac, .ac3, Flac, Ogg, …
• HDMI (max resolution 1920×1200, 1080p), DVI, VGA outputs
• High-definition 6-channel Audio output
• Optical S/PDIF audio output
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 802.11 g/b WiFi, up to 54Mbps
• Software:
  • Linux Ubuntu 8.10 (intrepid ibex) operating system
  • Seamless integration with the free Neuros.TV= service
  • MythTV as a local media player (and, transitioning to XBMC)
  • Open-source video players (MPlayer, VLC, Totem). A comprehensive list of formats, containers and media can be found on the above websites.
  • Transmission BitTorrent client pre-installed with Ubuntu
• 6 USB 2.0 High-speed Ports, 1 Firewire
• Accessories included:
  • Controller: 2.4 GHz wireless keyboard trackball controller
  • Stand
• Housing: 300mm x 90mm x 326mm (11.8″ x 3.5″ x 12.8″)
• Noise: under 27dB

Read the review on ARS Technica.

If you thought PDFs are read only, guess what you can edit them.

To edit PDFs, install this plugin in Openoffice: Sun PDF Import Extension

Once installed, you can open .PDF files in OpenOffice Draw, edit and export back as PDF.

Google has announced a new opeating system: Crome OS. The interesting bits.

– Open Source

– Linux based

– Free of cost

– Working with various partners for bundling

– Designed for Google Crome Browser

Read the rest of the announcement