In some cases training resources for open software are lacking. There aren’t too many books out there on those topices, the manuals are sometimes neglected, but there are exceptions. OpenOffice.org has such a wide ranging community that it is one of the exceptions when it comes to documentation and instructionals. One such how-to is an article at Newsforge Creating Interactive forms with OpenOffice writer
Category: Linux
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Linux in city government
Newforge has a good article about the city of Kenosha Wisconsin and their experience to linux. They started their “test” about 10 years ago starting with a DNS server and or a mailserver. They’ve moved now to a complete server/thin-client setup. They initially saved $100,000 a year with Linux, now that number is higher from reduced staffing costs. They have an IT staff of 1 and 1/2 people (I’ve GOT to see that.) They claim if they had PC’s (Windows I assume), they would have to have twice as many on staff.
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qemu for testing linux livecd’s
I’ve mentioned a few things about linux livecds in the last few days and thought I would also mention a great tool for testing them. QEMU is a program, available for Linux or Microsoft Windows, that allows you to run an operating system within your current desktop. Let me try to clarify, I have my linux desktop fully booted with the editor for this post in the background and open up a run prompt. In the run prompt I type “qemu -cdrom /cdimages/klax-kde-3.4.2.iso” *(quotes are not necessary). This gives it the recent klax-kde-3.4.2 preview livecd as the thing to boot. A window pops up and it’s booting now as I type in the background. I can switch to it, make it full screen and play around with it without the need for a reboot. (more…)
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Try another web browser – Mozilla Firefox
Most people use Internet Explorer for windows and why not? It’s preinstalled on every Windows PC. Well, there are a number of reasons to consider using another product. (more…)
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Making flash animation under linux
According to barrapunto.org, there is a new entry in the toolset of making flash animation under linux. It’s called Qflash and looks as though it’s in the early stages, but supports swf output. This is a category of tool that is sorely lacking under native linux programs and a welcome addition.
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Make your own linux livecd
I’ve had somewhat of an addiction to the different linux livecds. I can’t seem to help but find it interesting to download and try a new one even if it’s just slightly different from another I’ve seen. I guess part of the reason is I think it’s an important and potentially highly useful area. A year and a half ago (maybe a bit longer) I ran across a script for Mandrake (now mandriva) that makes building a livecd fairly easy. livecd.berlios.de
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New Xandros review
There is a review of Xandros 3.0 Business edition up at xyzcomputing
Xandros is a linux distribution designed for Windows users (or at least those migrating from Windows.) The review hits the highlights of (more…)
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KDE 3.4.2 release (Linux desktop environment)
Along about the time I mentioned a beta review of KDE 3.5 it looks as though the latest in the stable line, KDE 3.4.2 was released. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, KDE is one of many graphical user interface environments (desktop environments) in the Linux and *nix family of operating systems. It’s essentially a bugfix release, what really caught my attention in the announcement was (more…)
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Preview of KDE 3.5
I just saw a good review of KDE 3.5 Currently KDE 3.4.1 is the stable release and so 3.5 is what is currently in development. It looks like quite a few nice user interface polish has been worked on. This make me eager to try it out. (more…)
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Different attitudes towards upgrading and developing software
So many times, even in the last few days, I have talked about keeping software up-to-date. For many people that means upgrading to the latest version of windows as soon as it comes out, or Office, or well… fill in the blank. It’s a vicious cycle when you think about it. So, is it necessary to REALLY chase the absolute newest version of anything that you use. The best answer is (more…)