Christmas 1960.

This is a famous photo within my family.   It shows me and my brothers with Santa Claus.  The year was 1960.  And thanks to digital technology, I was able to scan it in and preserve it for years to come.  It's one of my favorite Christmas photos. (There are five boys in my family. This photo was snapped a few years before my kid brother Dave arrived on the scene.) And because I run Linux, I'm able to do some pretty amazing things with this photo.  That's because Linux has a load of free software already bundled and installed. Once you install Linux to your computer, these programs are only one click away.  One of the most powerful programs that comes with Linux is The Gimp. Gimp is the Linux "PhotoShop" offering. And it's powerful and easy to use!

I've blogged about Gimp before, but using the 1960 Christmas photo as an example, I want to show you some of Gimp's "one click" tools. These are the filter effects that you can apply to your own photos.  All it takes is opening Gimp's Filters menu, picking the filter, making a few adjustments to the filter (if required), and clicking.  Done.  The effect will be applied.

Let's add a drop shadow to the photo.  Simply go up to the Filters menu, select "Light and Shadow",  and pick the "Drop Shadow" filter.  A dialogue box opens where you can adjust the distance of the shadow, how transparent you want it to be, its blur (the softness of the shadow's edges), and the color of the shadow.  Click and you're done. You'll get a result like the one at left.

Another fun effect is applying a canvas to a photo.  Again, open the filters menu, select "Artistic" and then "Apply Canvas" from the sub-menu. Adjust the properties (Direction and Depth) as to how you want the canvas applied.  You'll be able to see the result in a real time preview before finalizing.  Click "OK" and the canvas will be applied.

And the Gimp also has animation effects.  These are always useful if you want to add a bit of movement or splash to your web site or blog.  Again, with Gimp, all it takes is a couple of clicks.  I'm going to apply the "Spinning Globe" animation filter to the photo. The first thing I do is crop the photo so it's a perfect square. This way, the globe will be a nice round shape and not an oblong egg shape.  I select "Filters" then "Animation" and then "Spinning Globe."  I select the number of frames I want to create, the direction I want the globe to spin, etc.  After Gimp creates all the frames (as layers) I export as a gif animation file, select the delay time and other options, and my animation is created.  (Click on the spinning globe to see the animation in full size.)

When you get Linux, you not only get a safe and secure operating system, you get thousands of software packages that allow you to do anything and everything with your computer. Linux and Gimp  will unleash your computer's power!

Get Linux.

Linux. There Are No Stupid Questions.

When I first started out in Linux, I was known as a "Noob", or Newbie.   This is slang for "New User."  As a new Linux user,  it's only natural to have a lot of questions.  I remember I went to a discussion group and was greeted by some really nice folks.

As I became more involved with Linux, I found specific community forums dedicated to specific Linux distributions.  The one I really enjoyed was the Linspire forum. the Linspire forum has since developed into the Freespire user forum.  The folks up there are absolutely some of the most wonderful and helpful Linux users around.  I credit them with really getting me up and running with Linux. Why? Because there was no such thing as a stupid question.  The users in the Freespire group never judged me by my questions.  hey were happy to answer my questions regardless of how many times they may have heard them or how "stupid" they may have sounded.

I find this is true with many Linux community forums.

Some of the most helpful Linux community forums are Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Freespire.

There are many other forums which may be specific to the Linux distribution you decide to use.

The Linux community is the most giving, helpful, and patient group I've ever encountered.  They want you get the most out of Linux!

So, go ahead and ask your questions. You'll get answers. 

Get Linux.  Ask questions.  Leave Windows behind.

Yesterday, Browsers. Today, Operating Systems!

Yesterday, I mentioned Stat Counter, the stats package that runs on this blog.  It coounts the numberof visitors that come to OneClicLinux.com and then is able to graphically show a variety of general  information.

As their own site explains, "The idea behind a web tracker is very simple and has been around for many years. Essentially you place a small piece of code on your website, when someone visits your website, that small piece of code is executed and the visitor's public details (ip address, browser, operating system, referrer, page title and url etc) are analysed and stored for reporting to you later."

In short, Stat Counter is taking the general public information and presenting it in a way that can help bloggers respond better to their readers/visitors.

And I came across something that really made me sit up!
 
Take a look at the graph at left.  Of all the visitors we've had so far at OneClickLinux.com, Linux users and Windows XP users are running neck and neck!  39.45% are running Linux and 39.45% are running Windows XP.  Windows Vista users are a distant second. This tells me that, possibly, two things are happening:

1.)  Linux users (new and established) have found this blog and want information, tips, ticks, etc. to help/enhance their use of the operating system. Well, I'll make sure to respond.  I'll continue to write about Linux, its ease of use, terrific software, and helpful community. 

2.)  Windows users are visiting because they are possibly considering switching to Linux.  I can safely assume that they're looking for information on how to exactly to do this.  Well, I'll make sure to continue to post links to Wikis, forums, news, articles, and other information that will help those wanting to switch to Linux better able to make a smooth transition. I'll continue to write about my own experiences and those things,  major and minor, I come across that make Linux such a terrific OS.

So, my thanks to all who visit this blog!  I appreciate your patronage!  And if you run Linux, bravo!  If you WANT to run Linux, I want to help you get there.

Get Linux.

Bravo, Everyone!

One of the great things about blogging is the amazing number of tools at your immediate disposal. There's everything from gadgets to embedded images and video to active links to stats packages! It's amazing! And it's that last tool, the stats package, that I'd like to briefly discuss.

It's called Stat Counter and it's a free statistical package that allows you to get a count of the number of visitors coming to your blog or web site.  Well, I was interested in how many folks visited us here at OneClickLinux.com, so I installed it.   And happily, it's not at all intrusive.   It collects the same kind of general information that any other website/server logs, except that it presents you with the information in a variety of graphs and pictorial representations.  It's free and quite popular in the blogosphere. 

I just checked the stats package that runs on this blog and was happy to see that over 45% of the visitors use the Firefox 3.0 browser! In addition, 21.18% use Firefox 2.0.

More than half of One Click Linux's visitors (66%!) use the Firefox browser!

This is so great to see! The word on Open Source Software and it's security and stability is spreading far and wide!

If you use Linux, Firefox is the default browser.   So, after you've installed Linux, and when your desktop comes up, double click the Firefox icon and away you go!  If you use Windows, you'll want to switch to Firefox.  It's a faster and safer browser. You can download Firefox 3.0 here.   Once you use Firefox, you'll never go back to Internet Explorer.  And after you experience all the community support for Firefox, the add-ons, themes, and how customizable it is, you'll then want to switch to Linux.  Like Firefox, Linux is incredibly customizable and user friendly.  Linux also has a huge community to help you along...and it's FREE!

Linux and Firefox make web-surfing safe, secure and more enjoyable.

Get Linux. 

Don't Be Afraid To Click!

I recently purchased a Wi-Fi Internet radio. I decided on the Sangean WFR-20. If you're not familiar with Intenet radio, the concept is simple. The radio is tied, via the intenet, to a central database called Reciva.com. This web site collects more than 15,000 radio stations from around the world and places their streaming links in one area where your radio, once registered, can access them all. There's no need to have your computer turned on. Just turn on your radio and dial in the destination ( you do need a broadband connection and wireless router). One moment you can be listening to your local AM broadcaster, the next you can hear a station as far away as the Falkland Islands! It really is amazing! All stations come in crystal clear with absolutely no interference, fade, or distortion. It's like having the ultimate shortwave radio! And the Sangean WFR-20, in my humble opinion, is the best Wi-Fi radio around. This is the one to get! It's featured packed, looks great in any decor, sets up in minutes, sounds great, and is a real pleasure to use. Since getting this radio, my television sits silently in the corner.

The reason I mention all this is because of what I heard just the other night on Virgin Radio (now called Absolute Radio) out of the United Kingdom . I was listening to the Iain Lee Show and he mentioned to a listener that he NEVER clicks on any links he receives via email. Now, I can't say that I blame him. I'm pretty cautious as well when it comes to links emailed to me. There can be a lot of nasty things out there which cold wreak havoc with your Windows system! (Ah, but I run Linux. More on this in a bit).

I've taken a couple of precautionary steps that I'd like to share with you.

First, if I don't recognize the sender, I don't click the link. It's that simple. Why invite trouble?

Second, I run the Firefox browser. Firefox is open source and thus built, maintained, and supported by a community of hundreds of thousands of users. If anything bad is out there lurking on the web, chances are much better that many of the thousands who've developed Firefox will find a fix much sooner than the dozen or so employees working on troubleshooting IE at the home offices of Microsoft. In short, Firefox is more secure.

"An independent study shows that, in 2006, IE users were vulnerable to online threats 78% of the time. Firefox users? Only 2%."

In addition, Firefox also has thousands of Add-Ons which can be plugged into the browser to help enhance and secure your web surfing experience. I use one called Interclue. Inteclue allows you to preview a web page in a pop up window before visting the site.

"Interclue is the ultimate hyperlink multitool. Small icons appear on mouseover to warn you about dead links, Malware or Phishing Sites, etc, and for any valid links Interclue provides compact link previews, relevant extra information and useful next action buttons."

And lastly, I run Linux. Linux is immune to Windows viruses, Trojans, and malware. So even if I do accidentally click on a link I probably shouldn't have, because I run Firefox and Linux, I'm a heckuva lot more secure than Windows.

so Iain Lee,if you're reading this, do yourself a favor and get Linux and Firefox! Then you won't be afraid to click! (BTW, Iain, if you want, contact me and I'll point you in the right direction to get Linux...and a Sangean WFR-20.)

Get Linux.

The Best Gift This Christmas! Linux!

It's so true. The Christmas gifts we remember the most and look upon fondly (and use the most) throughout the years are the gifts that someone either made or invested a good deal of thought into creating.  All too often we run off to the mall or big box store, grab something off the shelf, wrap it up, and give it to someone on our list.  And the gift usually gets tossed to the side.

This year, may I suggest a gift that will pay big dividends for you and the recipient in the years to come?  Give Linux for Christmas!  When you give Linux, you accomplish two things.  First, you learn how to download and burn an ISO file to a CD/DVD.

Secondly, you're giving a gift that will free the recipient of all Windows headaches and problems FOREVER! And lastly, anyone receiving Linux will now be engaged with the Operating System and its community.  In other words, when you run Linux, you get on a learning curve that will actually hep you understand and run your computer BETTER!  Linux will run and be quite easy to use from the get go.  And as you continue to use Linux, you'll actually get under the hood to tweak the system and learn some of the ins and outs.  And this is a good thing.

The Linux distro I'm recommending right now is Linux Mint. Linux Mint is an incredibly complete and stable OS!   Once you install it to your system, you'll be sufing the internet, playing DVDs and MP3 files, editing photis in Gimp,  writing documents in Office, etc.  Linux Mint does everyting Winodws does but at a better price. FREE! and Linux Mint has a wonderfully helpful community.

So, grab a stack of blank CDs (or DVDs), download the Linux Mint ISO, burn it to disk, wrap, and give a gift this Christmas that will keep giving in the years to come!

Microsoft and Vista

Information Week is reporting that Microsoft has recently pledged to continue to support Windows XP through 2014. It appears that MS had hoped users and companies would have moved to Vista by now. But, Vista has not performed as well as they had hoped.

Maybe Bill Gates' answer to the question, "What one product do you wish you could have polished more?" had something to do with this decision. He's obviously referring to the lackluster performance and acceptance of Vista.



As an example, this past Christmas, my niece was given a brand new Vista laptop. Now, six months later, it's no longer able to connect to the family's wireless router. The cause could be anything from hardware failure to a bad router. However, given Windows' track record, my guess is spyware and viruses are causing the connectivity problems. Mainly because, Windows, in general, isn't very secure.

If you want to get rid of these kinds of problems, the solution is quite simple. Get Linux.

Linux gives you safe, secure, and stable computing. With Linux, there's no Windows viruses, spyware or Trojans. Plus, you'll be involved in a wonderful community of other Linux users who can help you discover the full power of this open source operating system.

You can try Ubuntu, Freespire, Linspire, or my favorite Kiowa Linux. (You can additional information on Kiowa at their user forums.)

Get Linux and get rid of Windows problems.

The Big Snowfall!

Northeast Ohio got pounded with a huge snowstorm this past weekend. Everything closed down and I was holed up inside for the duration. When the snowfall had subsided, I was finally able to get outside and dig out. With my trusty Nokia phone, I snapped a photo of the piles of snow alongside the road and captured some video of my dogs romping around in it (video is at the end of this post).

Luckily, I had power and was able to log on to Kiowa Linux Beta 3 and surf the internet for weather updates and just use this great operating system. And Kiowa really performed well! Despite the fact that this is a beta release, it's incredibly stable! I talked with Kiowa's founder Matt several times during the weekend and he alerted me whenever a new package came online in Kiowa's repo. Pidgin Messenger works wonderfully well! XMMS is simply great! But the big attraction for me is how terrific Kiowa's version of Wine is!

If you've never used Wine, or are unfamiliar with it, Wine acts as a translator of sorts so you can install a needed Windows application. The absolutely great thing about Kiowa's Wine is how it works invisibly in the background. Just pop in your disk, find the Windows .exe file needed to install, double click, and Wine takes over. The software installs just as if it were on a Windows system!

Now, I'll caution you that not all applications are going to work. You'll have to check the Wine application database to see which applications work and which are still being worked on. But PhotoShop 7 installed in a snap! As did the compression utility Expander and Dropstuff (for when my Mac friends send me a stuffit file).

I've used a few versions of Wine and have found that Kiowa's version of Wine is by far the easiest to use. Get Linux, get Kiowa and get Wine. Then say goodbye to Windows.

Linux For Mom.

As many readers of this blog know, I absolutely LOVE Linux. Mainly because it really is so easy to use and the price simply cannot be beat. And, of course, the Linux community is just an email or forum post away if you need help.
But you probably ask yourself if Linux really is that easy and if others in your family would be able to make the switch. The answer is YES! And there are so many resources on the web to help you and your family make the switch.

For instance, the folks over at VirtualHosting.com have a wonderful article titled: How to: Create a Linux Box for Your Mom (50+ Resources).

The article gives links to popular Linux Distributions, software, and How to Guides. In no time, you'll be armed with valuable information which can help you set up a Linux box for mom or any family member. It's worth the visit and the read.

You can also search my blog for other ideas in getting a Linux box set up.

Above all, get Linux, get involved with the Linux community (an example would be the Kiowa Linux forums ore.the Freespire Linux forums), and move away from Windows and it's viruses and spyware.

My thanks to Amy S. Quinn of VirtualHosting.com for emailing me about their article.

A better Sound Mixer

I'm continuing to explore Kiowa Linux Beta 3 and am delighted by all the neat features the GNOME desktop offers. In the above screen shot, you can see Kiowa's sound mixer application (GNOME Alsa mixer) . Now, compare this sound mixer with the ones you've used in Windows XP. You can clearly see that Linux is head and shoulders above Windows. Every aspect of sound control can be tailored and tweaked to your heart's content. You can control each and evey nuance of the sound eminting from your PC's speakers. need more 3D control? Simply check the box and adjust the mixer settings giving your music a more spacious feel. Easily adjust surround sound settings if you have these kinds of speakers set up. Does your sound card support 5.1? There's an adjustment for this, too! Adjustments for microphone, video, center speakers, etc. It's all there! In addition, if your PC is equipped with two sound cards, GNOME Alsa Mixer can select either card right from the file menu. It gives you total control!

And this is the great strength of Linux. It's totally customizable to YOUR liking and tastes. From the desktop tool panels, sound, video...all aspects of the Linux operating system can be customized and tweaked to your exacting standards. With Linux, you no longer have to rely on Windows' "one flavor for all" approach. Linux is real computing power!

Get Linux. Get Kiowa!

LinDVD for Kiowa!

If you're new to Linux, one of the first things you're likely to do is pop in a commercial DVD and attempt to play it. You'll find that, just like Windows, unless you install a legal DVD player on your Linux system, you won't be able to play the disc's content.

Here in the U.S., circumventing DVD playback is in violation of the DCMA. and Windows and Mac have legalmethods to bring DVD playback to their desktops. this is something Linux has worked towards for the past few years.

So, I like many others, was excited to hear the good news! Kiowa Linux has legal DVD playback! Kiowa founder Mathew Portner made the following announcement on the Kiowa Linux forums:

"We are pleased to announce legal DVD playback for Kiowa! We have made available LinDVD to be purchased through our new site. Till then, if anyone wants to purchase a license before the new site is live we can surely make it available. Just PM (private message) me. The license fee will be $29.95 per unit and comes with 1 year LinDVD support Via Kiowa support Help desk (coming soon!)...and the forums still of course! LinDVD for Kiowa how exciting! Works very well and has been fully tested."

And I can attest to the last statement. LinDVD is a rock solid, stable DVD player that plays wonderfully well on Kiowa. It's a fantastic, full featured DVD player with such features as time compression playback (speed up the video while maintaining the audio's proper pitch), bookmarks, step frame, full audio support (dolby Surround, 5.1, etc.), full screen playback, parental controls, and much, much more!

If you've ever used WinDVD, LinDVD is very similar, easy to use, but runs on a much more stable platform, Kiowa Linux!

So, if you were worried about Linux and legal DVD playback, worry no more. Get Kiowa Linux, LinDVD, and sit back and enjoy the show!

Kiowa Linux and Gimp 2.4

The Great thing about Linux is how cutting edge it is. And a majority of it is due to a community of people working together to produce not only an advanced OS, but some of the most advanced software for your desktop computer. And, the majority of this software is free!

An example of this, is the latest and greatest version of Gimp. Gimp 2.4 boasts some amazing tools! One of these tools is shown in the Google video above. Perspective Cloning! Perspective cloning is available in PhotoShop CS, but that program costs $600.00 or more. Gimp is Free. and the perspective cloning tool is awesome! There are other new tools in Gimp 2.4 and these are quite remarkable, as well. You can see video demos of these at the Gimp's site.

Now, the great part is, Gimp 2.4 is availble in Kiowa Linux! Kiowa Linux is striving to make sure the latest and greatest Linux software is available in each new release.

Kiowa is getting ready to release a new beta of its Linux OS. I highly recommend that you get involved in the Kiowa community and give this Linux operating system a test drive. You'll love it! and you'l also have the latest stable version or Gimp, Firefox, Thunderbird and more!

I'm running Kiowa Linux onmy laptop and already have been creating neat images qwith Gimp 2.4

Get creative, get Kiowa, get Linux, and you'll have Gimp 2.4.

Overheating

I've been having car problems. I have a 1999 Oldsmobile Delta 88 sityh 187,000 miles. I bought it for $2500.00 with 91,000 miles. It looks brand new and runs like a top! It was a real steal!

Lately, though, it stalls while I'm driving. I could be clipping along at 55 MPH and the engine will just stop.

I have it in for service. After speaking to the service manager, they think it may be an Ignition Module problem. Basically, this is the car's onboard computer. In layman's terms (and if there's a mechanic out there, feel free to correct me), as ignition modules age, they develop more heat and run hotter. They overheat and fail. Since all points,plugs, wiring, etc. run into this module, all the processes needed to run the engine are cut off and the car stalls.

Why do I mention this? Because it's similar with computers. Whether you're running Windows or Linux, if your computer shuts down without warning, it may be a bad cooling fan. Your processor needs to be cooled. A fan is mounted atop a heat sink which sits on top of the Intel or AMD processor chip. thsi fan is constantly turning and moving the hot air out and away from the chip. If this fan no longer works, heat builds, the chip runs hotter, overheats and your computer shuts down.

So if you're computer is exhibiting this kind of behavior, before you try an anti-virus program or re-installing your OS, check your cooling fans. Open the box and make sure all fans on your computer are turning and doing their job. Swapping out a fan is easy and inexpensive. A guide on how to do this here. But do a Google search for "Replacing CPU Fan" and you'll have more results to choose from. If you'd rather not do this yourself, any computer shop replace your cooling or CPU fan, even while you wait if necessary.

Then, after you get that fan replaced and your system running, get Linux.

A Linux Eclipse

Last night, the lunar eclipse was visible here in the northeast Ohio area. I was able to get outside and enjoyed a terrific view of it. Conditions for star-gazing were simply spectacular! The skies were clear, but the temperatures were near zero degrees! So, my viewing time was only limited to five or ten minutes. After the dogs and I had had our fill (and our toes were sufficiently frozen), it was back inside to the warmth of the house.

Luckily, my brother Jim is an astronomer. He emailed me a link where I could view the eclipse online.

so, I comfortably sat back and booted my Kiowa Linux Laptop. I opened Firefox and enjoyed a clear, warm view of the lunar eclipse. I also "grabbed" a couple of shots from the website. I did this in Firefox by right clicking the image and selecting "Save Image As." Firefox did the rest by automatically downloading the jpeg image to my desktop.

Firefox is a terrific web browser! It's fast, lightweight and can be customized in any number of ways through additional add-ons and themes. It's the default web browser found in almost all Linux distributions. It's also available for Windows and Mac users in many different languages.

Once you use Firefox, you'll quickly say goodbye to Internet Explorer. And I hope that, simply from using Firefox and seeing how great it is, you'll make the next move and get Linux.

BTW, if you want to get a great view of the next astronomical event, check out Sky Window. Our family business manufactures this item under the direction and watchful eye of Jim. Sky Window really does a wonderful job of enhancing the world of binocular astronomy. An in-depth review can be found here.

My First Computer

I was surfing the web and came across this site which chronicles the history of computers through ads and other archival information.

I searched their site and happened on the Texas Instruments TI 99/4A. Here was my very first computer. I looked over the photos and ads and a flood of memories came back to me. Compared to todays' technology, the TI-99/4A wasn't much. But it allowed the user to program using the BASIC computer language. And using these simple commands, I was able to create, believe it or not, a few early computer games and other moving graphics.

Well, I was immediately hooked on computers ever since. And through those years, I toyed with other early PCs running MS-DOS.

Then the day came when my brother Dave mentioned that we should "go halves" and purchase a Windows PC. And Dave really wanted to get the best cutting edge technology that was currently available. To tell the truth, I was happy using a PC Clone (Leading Edge Computer) running MS DOS. I already had email and early internet access through the community based Cleveland Free-net). I didn't want to shell out the cash for a new computer. I wanted to wait for the next leap in technology.

I'll never forget what Dave told me. He said, "Mark, if you don't get on the learning curve now, you'll fall farther behind."

How right he was! I immediately saw this bit of wisdom. GROW with the technology. Learn along the way and as things develop.

As a result, we plunked down $2700.000 and purchased a Windows 3.11 Pentium 75 Computer with a 15 inch monitor, printer and HP flatbed scanner. Soon after, we had an AOL account and I was purchasing software for graphics, desktop publishing and web building. It was clear that a whole new way of computing had developed.

If the TI-99/4A opened up a new world, this Pentium system opened the universe!

And, right now, the same thing is happening with Linux. Linux is starting to explode on the computing scene. It's running desktop computers, cell phones, web sites and other devices and technology. Linux is being adopted by city governments, schools, and businesses around the world. Even top notch Hollywood effects and animation studios run Linux!

Get on the Linux learning curve now! Get Linux and grow with this dynamic and exciting Operating System. And the wonderful thing is, it'll cost you a lot less than the $2700.00 Dave and I paid to get on the first computer learning curve.

Linux Is A Community.

Folks always ask me if it's easy to make the move to Linux. I tell them it is. It's very easy to move to Linux. But, the big key to getting any Linux Distro to work well for you, and to make a successful and smooth move, is to get involved in the Linux community. This is not unlike what folks were doing when they first purchased Windows.

In the early Microsoft days, when Windows gave the new user a problem, a phone call was made to a friend or family member for a solution. That friend or family member was another Windows user. Thus, a community of established Windows users usually helped the new user through some of the rough spots.

The same thing is happening online in Linux communities all over the web.

The only reason why I use Linux and have had such a great time using Linspire, Freespire, and Kiowa is due to the folks in the Freespire/Linspire community. They've been here with me every step of the way. Not only did they get me up and running, but advised me on the kind of system to buy so I could continue to run Linux better and faster than ever. That system came from a community member, Mr. Gigabytes of Gigastrand International. From this community I met folks like Matt (Elinux) and got involved with his Kiowa Linux distro. Heck, I bought a Kiowa Linux laptop! I absolutely love it!

But it all happened because I logged on, introduced myself, and asked questions. And the folks up there have been more than willing to help. Everyone wants to see Linux succeed! We want to see it in the hands of more and more users every day.

It's probably the number one piece of advice I give readers on this blog...Get involved! Join a community, ask questions, help others,etc.

Linux is not just an OS. It's a community of users who are helping one another, building technlogy, and forging relationships.

I'm a Linux user. I'm a product of this helpful, generous Linux community.

Get Linux and get involved. Join your Linux distribution's forums, user group, or other online community. You'll meet some wonderful, helpful Linux users, have a safe and secure computing experience, and leave Windows headaches far behind.

Frank's Corner

I recently stumbled upon a fantastic "Windows to Linux" web site! Frank's Corner is a site offering help, advice, and "how-to" for running Windows applications and games in Linux through the use of WINE.

Three is a multitude of helpful tips and ticks, Quickstart guide, FAQ, and an additional support resources.

Franks Corner can be found at:

http://frankscorner.org/index.php

Frank's Corner will help you to get Wine up and running in Linux and also help you get some of the more popular Windows applications running.

So, you now have one less reason to stay with Windows. Get Linux.

Top 50 Programs.

I was surfing the internet and came across this website. It lists the top 50 programs that are closed sourced, expensive, and well, drive you crazy due to those costs and licensing restrictions.

But the great thing is, the site also lists open source alternatives to these restrictive programs.

Overall, I found the site to be a fair and informative review of open source software. It gives a balanced look at these open source programs,their strengths and weaknesses, and the likelihood you can reliably move to them and still complete your tasks.

Almost all of these open source software titles are available in Linux.


So, get rid of high priced, restrictive software. Get Linux and get cutting edge, powerful open source software.

Nine Ways To Wipe Out Spyware?

I've been a longtime subscriber to PC magazine. Over the years, the magazine has given me a lot of helpful tips. Of course, this was back in the day when I only ran windows. Now that I run Linux, I've found that most of the Windows information provided by PC magazine is irrelevant.

As an example, PC Magazine is running an online article called, Nine ways to Wipe Out Spyware. You can view this article at: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2255857,00.asp

These articles often catch my attention. Because, although they are quite helpful to folks struggling with Windows problems, the real solution is quite simple. Get Linux. Linux is immune to Windows viruses, Trojans, and spyware. with Linux, you won't need to purchase a third party software program to constantly scan your system and remove these nasty annoyances.

Linux is stable, secure, and wonderfully easy to use. The software is free and the license allows you to share it with others. And best of all, you won't need to spend hundreds of dollars in spyware scanners, anti-virus programs and subscriptions.

Get secure without breaking the bank. Get Linux.

More Gimp Image Fun.

Since I've moved to Linux, one of my favorite software applications is The Gimp. The Gimp does it all!
Why buy PhotoShop when you have The Gimp?

For instance, one neat photographic effect is illustrated above. It's a grayscale image with a splash of color for emphasis. The image was completely edited and created using The Gimp. And it was an easy process. It takes only a few steps. By the way, if you want to try this yourself, the above image ( along with others) is available at the web site of my Alma Mater, The Ohio State University! Go Buckeyes!

1.) Open up your color image.
2.) Duplicate it be selecting Image>Duplicate in the menu
3.Now convert this duplicate image to grayscale by selecting Image>Mode>Grayscale. Now you have an image with all the color removed.
4.) Convert this grayscale image back to a color mode image. Once again, select Image>Mode>RGB. We now have a grayscale image in RGB mode.
5.) Now, we need to copy the entire grayscale image to our klipboard by using Select>All, then Edit>Copy.
6.) Go back to the color image and select Edit>Paste. Now we have a new layer (the grayscale image) on top of the color image. (In Gimp, in the Layers menu, remember to right click on "Floating Selection" and select New Layer.)
7.) Now the fun begins. On this new layer, simply take out your eraser tool and carefully erase away the gray material (the flag) to reveal the color below! You can use a variety of selection tools to speed the process, but I simply used different size eraser brushes with soft edges to eliminate hard edges and blend things to achieve an overall nice effect.

To save your project with all the layers intact, select File>Save As and choose The Gimp's native file format, Gimp XCF image (.xcf).

The Gimp is easy to use and every bit as powerful as PhotoShop or any other graphics editing program. But the great thing is, Gimp is Free with Linux!

Unleash your creativity with Gimp and hundreds of other free, powerful software tools! Get Linux!