Posts by Peter Snow

Mark Shuttleworth: Canonical leads Ubuntu, not 'your whims'

I install Kubuntu for newcomers to Linux

I have to say that I've never spent more than half an hour playing with Unity. I was convinced pretty quickly that it wasn't right for me. I switched from Gnome to KDE at that time.

Since then, I've introduced several newcomers to Linux, who came from Windows. For them, I also installed Kubuntu, because the menus, out of the box, work in a way that a Windows user might expect and it should be possible for them to learn to find their own way around.

I did the same for my wife last week and haven't needed to show her anything yet and she's the kind who can't create message filters in Thunderbird, etc, but no problems with KDE.

I think overall I'm happy with Ubuntu, so long as nothing comes between it and KDE. I like the stability, I like the fact that most software distributors provide software compiled for it, I'm happy with the vast amount of free and easily installed software in the software center.

If I were to move to Fedora, for instance, I would lose those benefits. It's beginning to sound though, as if Mark doesn't want KDE users. We'll see.

Gnome cofounder: Desktop Linux is a CHERNOBYL of FAIL

Re: Good riddance to old trash...

I stand corrected Jordan, thanks. I appreciate the insight on OS X.

As I mentioned, I did try to have a dig in it to find out what lies beneath but drew the wrong conclusions on what I found.

Good riddance to old trash...

Honestly, I'm not surprised he's come to that conclusion if he's been using Gnome desktop, developed by him! Personally, I might have done the same if I didn't realise that we have choice. I use KDE and have never suffered from any of the problems that Miguel claims to have suffered from.

I transferred to Linux in 2010 and have loved it ever since. Never had any trouble with drivers or hardware support and the speed improvement is outstanding.

I should also point out that according my findings while installing OS X in a VM ( so I could checkout how my websites look in Safari on OS X), it seems to me that Macs are using Linux anyway!

OS X is using the Linux kernal (albeit a well outdated one) and what looks to me under the hood, to be a complete Linux operating system in every way. If I'm not mistaken, Apple have just made their own Window Manager, of which there are already many to choose from for Linux and they have locked it down where possible to prevent the user from being able to change it.

They have also disabled the standard built in package management system and replaced it with their own library of commercial applications, removing still more choice.

If he feels that hardware support has improved in OS X, that is just a fallacy caused by the fact that you can only run it on Apple supplied hardware, for which they provide the drivers pre-installed. Try changing some of the components inside the box and see if you can still claim that hardware management is easier!

I wouldn't be surprised if he has some commercial reason to provide such an inaccurate picture of Linux and Apple.

Google: Our 'freedom of expression' should trump punters' privacy

Shoot the messenger!

Seems to me like this is a case of "Shoot the messenger".

Surely if someone has an issue with some content, then they should raise it with the publisher of the content. If the publisher subsequently removes it, fine, then so too should Google, until that time though, it's fair game.

I think Googles privacy practices suck, but isn't really about that. At the same time, it doesn't seem to be to do with the "right to be forgotten" which I was under the impression was concerning the right to force a company to delete data that they hold about you when you leave or close your account. I could be wrong about this though.

Report: Over 1.5 million UK drivers will have hydrogen cars by 2030

What do you expect from an OIL COMPANY?

Are their products so green?

Why not just convert your existing car?

What doesn't make sense to me, is that a certain famous Daniel Dingle in the Philippines (see his story on Google) has been running his modern standard production cars on hydrogen for more than 30 years. Several Philippine President's even rode in his vehicles.

He was generating the hydrogen on-demand using simple electrolysis, extracting the gas from natural water. The cars engine was almost un-modified.

A certain Steven Meyers in the US (find his story on Google too), also perfected this but was killed while trying to turn it into a commercial interest.

The yahoo group "Watercar" has many members, all people busy developing and using the technology themselves, most though are careful not to say, when they have it working, for fear of a similar end to Mr Meyers.

So why would we pay for Hydrogen? The modifications to the engine are so minor that almost all who read this will be able to do it themselves with items available at their local hardware store.

Some will argue that the amount of electricity necessary to extract the hydrogen is prohibitive, but using a square wave generator instead of an unmodified signal, the amount of current required is significantly reduced to within the scope of a standard car battery and unmodified alternator. The fuel is more powerful and efficient than Petrol or Diesel, causing the engine to run cooler and increasing it's responsiveness.

The exhaust contain zero harmful emissions and is mostly oxygen.

I have the complete plans right here and it really is simple. They can be found online too in varying amounts of completeness.

US military nails 'best ever' Microsoft deal, brags size does matter

Re: So, Windows is...

I helped an organisation do exactly that, successfully on more than one occasion. The trick is having a careful plan and giving it more than 2 weeks.

Our plan was to keep the existing Office software on the PC's for the time being, to open those legacy documents created on it but use LibreOffice to create all new documents and to open them. Most users were very happy with the arrangement and the company reduced it's IT spending over the next two years (and onwards). This paved the way to upgrade most of the departments to Linux two years later. Finance wouldn't budge because the crap software provided by banks for integrating with them, was only designed for windows.

The two companies I'm thinking of no longer need to buy antivirus products or software licenses. They also have reduced their desktop support staff, as no viruses to remove and operating systems simply don't need to be reloaded. The staff are more productive too. There is no rebooting of PC's in the middle of the working day anymore or waiting while updates are applied.

The support is done remotely now and therefore can be achieved on demand as no travelling required.

Since then, they have been spending their I.T. budget on nicer hardware, both out back and on the desktop, making the whole thing even more reliable. Best decision they ever made.

I use Linux at home and nothing could ever persuade me to go back to Windows (I recommend Ubuntu with KDE desktop).

If small organisations can plan this kind of migration, get it right, save money and increase productivity, why can't the US DOD?

Microsoft dragging its feet on Linux Secure Boot fix

Re: Hubris?

I know someone who uses Windows (XP though I think) and I just asked him if the Linux foundation can use his computer to upload the code. He's very willing (can't do it today though because he's reinstalling Windows).

The iPHONE 5 UNDERMINES western DEMOCRACY: 5 reasons why

iphone is a fashion product

I believe the hysteria surrounding the iphone and the reason for it's popularity are probably due to it becoming a fashion accessory.

I notice that iphone users who send emails from their phones (like blackberry users), nearly always add, "Sent from my iphone" to the bottom of their emails? Is that so that we are more forgiving about the nonsense contained in the message or as an attempt to feed their low ego's?

I also send emails from my Nokia E72, but I rarely ever inform the recipient that I'm doing so.

Fashion accessories often achieve market prices above the measurable value of the item being marketed and it would appear that this might be the explanation for the unreasonable price of the iphone (oh, and of course due to the fact that simpletons are like sheep!).

Nokia tears wraps off new Windows Phone Lumias on steroids

Can I call you back? I need to reboot my phone!!

Nice hardware. Very tempting. But I sure as heck won't be touching it if it's running windows. Here's hoping that Nokia start spreading their eggs among different baskets and look at bringing out an Android version.

It would be very interesting if they were to launch an Android & Windows version together in a way in which performance of the phone and consumer appreciation could be measured separately. I wouldn't mind betting though, that they sold their souls to MS and pledged exclusivity to MS.

Still, there's always Samsung, HTC, etc.

Windows 7 passes XP, Mac OS X passes Vista

You don't know what you're missing!

98.9% of computer users don't know what they're missing!

A Linux user.

'This lawsuit is not about patents or money, it's about values'

I'll never buy an Apple product again!

I never liked Apple anyway, a company which continues to control the devices it sells after it sells them. The way they are locked down. The closedness of the software and the uncanny similarities between the ways that they do business and the way Microsoft do business. None of that appeals to me.

This latest game of Apple has just reinforced my resolve to never buy an apple product, either personally or in my company.

I don't think one billion dollars will come close to covering the loss of consumer love that they will experience because of their greed.

Death to Apple!

'FIRST ever' Linux, Mac OS X-only password sniffing Trojan spotted

Call me a sceptic, but it sounds to me like some anti-virus firm just got tired of Linux users not buying their product, so they thought they would write a virus to encourage them!

A virus which you have to install and chmod +x is not "Proof of Concept" it's more like proof that it won't work!

Stories like this make me feel ever more confident that I don't yet need to run anti-virus software on a Linux desktop.

Arctic ice shrinks to ‘smallest in satellite era’ - NASA

...yeah, yeah, yeah...

Stallman: Did I say Jobs was evil? I meant really evil

I agree with Richard Stallman

Sounds spot on. I can't believe it when I see supposedly I.T. professionals brandishing iPhones.

Apple is so incompatible with the aims of I.T. in general (the free moving of information, freedom of speech and freedom of choice).

My current phone is a Nokia E72 but with Nokia giving up on Symbian and partnering with Microsoft, that only leaves me with a semi-evil Android phone (maybe from HTC) but take that away and then what's my choice?

I'm beginning to think that there is a big business opportunity for a company to make a truly Open Source phone. I'm sure that any company that does that, will grow quickly and that is the only way to combat those who would enslave us to expensive proprietary software (along with all the privacy concerns that brings with it as well).

HP, Microsoft dumped from Dow Jones 'green' list

From nice safe sugar, to yucky tasting cancer inducing apartame!

Quote: PepsiCo, cited for its commitment "to increase the amount of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy in its global portfolio"; and its decision "to eliminate direct sales of full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools by 2012"

And replace those with what exactly? Low sugar alternatives containing cancer causing aspartame. Still, at least that will keep the drug companies busy with a constant flow of cancer victims!

Nokia gives up predicting sales

Windows? - Wrong Call.

"In a statement Stephen Elop, Nokia's CEO, said the company must "accelerate the pace of our transition" and that he remained confident that Nokia would have Windows Phone handsets out this year."

What makes Stephen Elop, so sure that I would trade my E72 running Symbian S60v3 for a Window's phone? No thanks Nokia, looks like my next phone will be running Android, maybe on an HTC handset, since Nokia won't be supplying Android.

CPS: We won't prosecute over BT/Phorm secret trials

Who made the CPS, Judge and Jury!

Who made the CPS, Judge and Jury!

They have no right to decide, if it is debatable (and it obviously is), then it should be debated in court..

I think it should be escalated to the European Court on Human rights. We might as well get something for all the millions of pounds we pay to be a membership of the wretched EU!

Voting chaos in not-fit-for-purpose electoral system

No to Electronic Voting

The author (Jane Ozimek) appears to be favouring an electronic voting system. I would like to explain why I'm against that.

1) Any system has to be administered by at least somebody, if not somebodies. In order to administer such a system, these people need to have access to it, by means of some kind of authentication. If someone has access to it, it can never be declared as 'secure'. It can always be tampered with and the administrator can then edit the logs to remove his traces. Hi tech is an advantage most of the time, but in an instance like this, 'low-tech' is the solution.

2) The existing system, despite an outrageous failure on this occasion is not significantly broken. It needs some minor adjustments to ensure that elections return to the smoothness that the British electorate have grown to expect.

It should be noted that this system has served the country well for many years and has gained Great Britain a good reputation world wide, for it's smooth elections.

The minor adjustments that I mentioned above, I would suggest include a flexible closure time for the Polling Stations, where they are required to remain open until 10PM or after there has been no voter for at least 5 minutes, whichever is later.

As I see it, this simple rule above could be implemented at a moments notice without any expense or disruption to the existing system and would have solved all of the problems experienced in this election.

An electronic election system would probably cost millions of pounds investment, take many years of planning, be open to corruption and even after all of that, look whats happening here in the Philippines as they try to implement their first ever electronic general election on May 10. I'll be amazed if the Philippine election is not declared a failure (that's if it still goes ahead at all on the day planned a year ago)!

Riot police raid birthday barbecue for 'all-night' Facebook tag

What do you expect in a Police state?

That's why I left the UK. Who wants to live in a Police state? This is just the beginning. That's why I live in the Philippines now.... yeah, they're backward here, but means it will take longer before that style of leadership catches on, and even then, it will be less organized!

So did hundreds of gatecrashers turn up during the evening?

Repetitive beat huh? Ok, Maybe he'd of got away with it if he called it an Abba party!

Oz cops turn to wardriving to fight Wi-Fi 'jackers

This part of there Surveillance Operation

What I mean is that unsecured routers pose a risk to the governments snooping on it's own subjects. If IP addresses are not shared, they can monitor all Internet connections via the ISP's logs and hold the homeowner to account if anything illegal or politically upsetting is accessed via that IP.

The problem is that if people don't mind others accessing and using their internet connection anonymously and without asking, this scuppers the governments snooping operation. I'm sure that when IPv6 becomes the standard protocol, it will be made illegal worldwide, to share IP addresses, so that every activity can be monitored.

Tattooed Swedish devil girls sexually molest cyclist

Reconstruction

If the Police want any help with the reconstruction, just count me in. I'm willing to travel!

Must say, this sounds a bit like some guys fantasy!

California skateboard dude swipes Reg logo

I can't find ANY resemblance!

Ask me again when I'm pissed!

Chrome OS: Windows killer?

Who's the idiot?

"I was on the train a few nights ago when some idiot was telling the whole carriage how he had no intention of being forced to upgrade to Excel 2007 when he was perfectly happy with Excel 2003 – and the year is now 2009."

I can't understand why this chap deserves to be branded an idiot for choosing not to do something without a reason, especially when it's probably going to cost him a few hundred pounds - and for what?

If he's an idiot, it must either because he's talking in too loud a voice on a train, or more likely, it's because he hasn't figured out that he can use the most up to date version of OpenOffice absolutely free and still have full access to all versions of his existing office documents.

Kent Police clamp down on tall photographers

Let's not vote labour again!

I'll just vote UKIP next time, at least after reading their policies, I think they have common sense.

Hydrogen motoring too heavy for pundit

Hydrogen Filling Stations?

There are many people around the world already running their cars on hydrogen and there is no need for any filling stations. The name Daniel Dingle comes to mind, who has been running his cars on hydrogen for more than 30 years, in the Philippines.

There is no need for a filling station, because you don't fill with hydrogen, you just fill water. You have an onboard hydrogen generator which is powered by the car's standard electrical system and extracts the hydrogen from the water. It's a very simple process and there is much information online regarding how to convert any vehicle to hydrogen. There are also kits available (although most of them only go half way, in that they allow you to convert your car to a hybrid).

There are online groups and forums for those interested in persueing this. On such group that springs to mind is the Yahoo! group "Watercar".

The technology is available, it's just that car manufacturers won't admit it yet. I beleive the reason for this is political.

EU funds Antipodes-in-90-mins rocketliner concept

Will 747's Still be around in 2075 ?

This kinda suggests, that while the the rest of the world is planning to move on, they suspect that Boeing will still be producing 747's!

I think that would probably set a record for the longest running production of a single aircraft model!

Microsoft's Automatic Update - the way to browser competition?

Only IE Need's Two Rendering Engines

I don't understand why this would force the likes of Opera (and I guess Firefox) to have two rendering engines all of a sudden?

This doesn't change anything for them. They can continue just as they did before, in that already they are standards compliant and able to render most websites correctly. Why should MS's attempt at standard compliance force the others to do anything different? Afterall, the actual websites haven't changed, it's just one of the browsers used by some, to access them.

I do wonder why MS doesn't capitalize on their windows update program by offering software distribution to software companies via it. They could organize it into categories, like Office Software, Browsers, Anti-Virus, etc and charge the vendors for bandwidth and maybe even a commission per download.

Peter Snow

Disabling Windows Autorun - there's a right way and a wrong way

Doesn't work for me :(

Considered installing the patch but it says that it is not necessary for XP PRo SP2 or SP3?

Therefore, why not just offer SP3 instead of the patch? Anyway, just to be sure, I decided to follow the group policy editing instructions, but when I tried to launch the GP snap-in, my PC reported that it could not be found? Perhaps it's not installed, since I'm not on a corporate network?

So then I decided that I would modify the registry key (NoDriveTypeAutoRun) just to be sure, but found that it does not exist at the specified location!

Next I decided to slap my XP Pro installation disk in the drive and see if it autoruns... it didn't!

... go figure!