Gimp 2.6 Cookbook

Gimp 2.6 Cookbook. Over 50 recipes to
produce amazing graphics with the GIMP.

I've been using graphic photo manipulation software programs for nearly 20 years. After using several, I've come to the conclusion that all of them are quite similar in features, bells, and whistles. The main difference comes in how they carry out the task at hand. That is to say, the menus, tool bars, and commands are laid out differently from program to program. So, migrating from one program to another isn't difficult, it's just that you need to learn (or relearn) the “moves” and menus in order to get the application to respond to your input.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you already know that my graphics application of choice is the Gimp (current version 2.6). The Gimp is a free, open source software application available with the Linux operating system. Gimp is also available for Windows and Mac.

After cutting my teeth on many other software programs on the Windows platform, I moved over to the Gimp when I switched to the Linux operating system. The minor challenge for me, as noted above, was relearning some of the moves in order to get the Gimp to do what I wanted it to do.

This is why I LOVE the Gimp 2.6 Cookbook by Juan Manuel Ferryera so much! How I wish this book was available when I made the switch to Linux and the Gimp! It would have made the transition much easier. A lot of my questions would have been answered in one place rather than spending countless hours on Google trying to track down some of the information I needed.

The Gimp 2.6 Cookbook is a terrific combination of step by step tutorial along with being an introduction to The Gimp and all its features. The book, when followed sequentially, chapter by chapter, gives the user a good foundational understanding in how to use the Gimp. You build your understanding of how to use the program from the ground up.

The challenge in using The Gimp sometimes comes from not having enough good instructional books available to learn the program.  It's important to learn the moves, so to speak. Once you know some of the basics, you can build on doing more and more complex projects.  The Gimp 2.6 Cookbook - Over 50 recipes to produce amazing graphics with the Gimp does just that!  It's a wonderful resource manual to learn the Gimp! I love this book!

Juan starts you with simple tasks, increasing the level of difficulty with each chapter. As the difficulty increases, you're introduced to new tools and methods to accomplish the task.  In this way, you learn more about the program.  You learn where the tools and filters are located and how to incorporate them into the various tasks.

Juan also encourages the user to experiment. That's where the fun in using Gimp comes into play. Juan recognizes that there are many approaches to achieving the same result. He shows you the most common and fundamental path. By encouraging experimentation, the user can teach themselves new ways to to achieve a desired result. In so doing, the power of the Gimp is really unleashed. It becomes a continual process of uncovering new tools and methods to reveal a new way to edit an image.

Many times, while using this book, I've said to myself, “Oh! So THAT's how you do it!” Which means, I’ve learned a new process from Juan or realized that there's a better way to editing an image than the one I've been using.

The book shows you how to use color, paint tools, cloning, filters, effects, text, fonts, photo manipulation, etc. The Gimp 2.6 Cookbook covers all the bases!  It shows you how to achieve professional results, step by step! It gives you a great start and, as you go through each lesson, you can actually have some finished pieces to add to your portfolio.

With the Gimp 2.6 Cookbook,
learn cloning basics to
transform the top photo
into the bottom photo!

Whether your a beginner or seasoned pro, Gimp 2.6 Cookbook is incredibly helpful. Even after 20 years of using graphics editing software, I've learned some new techniques and methods, and gained a new understanding in using Gimp. I know I'll be pulling this book out from time to time as new photo editing/cartooning projects come along.

The Gimp 2.6 cookbook is available from Packt Publishing.

IE Bugged By Bug.

Microsoft recently admitted that a critical new bug affects all IE browsers.

"Microsoft said research confirmed that the bug is within all its browsers, including those it currently supports -- IE5.01, IE6 and IE7 -- as well as IE8 Beta 2, a preview version that the company doesn't support through normal channels.

Users running any of those browsers on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 or Server 2008 are at risk, Microsoft said."

Okay, do you want your Windows system to be more secure than it is right now? Do you want to reduce the risk? The solution is simple. Run the Firefox browser, not IE.


Firefox 3 is faster, safer and smarter.

Do you REALLY want to be more secure than ever? Get Linux! Linux isn't prone to Windows viruses, Trojans or bugs. And Linux already has Firefox pre-installed!

Get a better Browser. Get a better operating system. Get Firefox. Get Linux.

I Want One!

The Google Phone.  I want one!  Why?  Well, its operating system, Android, is based on Linux.  So, it's an open source phone.

"Google has since announced that all parts of the OS will be released under the Apache License where applicable and under the GPL elsewhere."

And the really slick thing about the phone is that it syncs up with your Google account and all your Google apps.  So, if you ever break your phone, your contacts, email, calendar, etc. are always available.  Because they're on the web in your Google account!

But the thing that will really make this phone take off is the open source approach. Developers from all walks of life have developed (and are developing) apps for the phone. You can, too!  You can get download the Andriod SDK (Software Developer's Kit) here. 

Check out this video of an app one developer came up with (Montan State college student Jeff Sharkey).  It's called "CompareEverywhere" and allows the user to shop for the best price for a specific item.

You can also view other developers' videos here.

Because the phone is taking the open source/Linux approach, I expect big things.  It's going to be exciting to see this phone grow and develop.  It already has a list of great cutting edge features:

Touch Screen
QWERTY Keyboard
One-Touch Google Search
Real Web Browsing
Easy Access to Google Apps
3G Network and Wi-Fi Access
IM/Text/E-mail
3.2 Megapixel Camera
YouTube™ Videos
Music Player
Android™ Market
Customizable Home Screen
Colors Options

You can see all the features here.


I think the slide out keyboard is a real plus.  It certainly makes typing easier for searching on the web or texting messages.

The G1!  It's Linux, Google, and open source! You can't go wrong!

Get Linux!

Back up! Back up! Back up!

Sooner or later, it happens to all of us in the computing world.  We lose an important file or piece of data.  it could be a report, graphic file, video home movie, accounting file, etc.  It can happen due to our system becoming infected with the latest Windows virus.  Or, a freak  accident  occurs (ie: a power spike, lighting strike, etc.) and your hard drive gets zapped.  If anything, if we become the victim of lost data, we should learn a valuable lesson and that's to always backup your data! 

Backup! Backup! Backup!  I can't say it enough.  The simplest way to do this is to just buy a USB thumb drive. 

Thumb drives are becoming quite inexpensive. They cost anywhere from $8.00 on up.  (I got the one pictured above from MicroCenter for free as part of an in store promotion!)  Just plug it into your computer and move your important files from your hard drive to the thumb drive.

There.  You're now backed up. 

I also find myself doing multiple backups. I back up to more than one USB drive.  I also move files to other Linux computers I own. 

Since I work with digital tools to create my cartoons, I need to make sure I always have the files in a safe place.  This is another reason why I run Linux. Because Linux is free of Windows viruses and malware, it's one less thing I need to worry about when storing and accessing my digital files.  I know they won't get trashed or infected or become the victim of a hard dive that won't boot due to a Windows virus.

This is not to say something else (like a power spike) can't happen.  This is also why I do the multiple backups.

Luckily, Linux has a really neat utility for automatically backing up your system and important files. It's called Keep.

Keep is very easy to use.   ow it works is very clearly stated on its website, "Keep is a backup system for KDE. The behavior is quite simple: you choose the files you want to backup, you set up the frequency and the number of backup you want to have, and Keep will backup them automatically."

You can see additional screen shots of Keep here. This gives you a great overview at exactly how easy it is to use.

Keep is available in Linux Mint.   now youhave one more resson to tryLinux.Automatic backups of your valuable data! 

So, get Linux, stay secure, and Keep your data!

You're Never Too Old For Linux!

Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Dick Clark, and I all share the same birthday on November 30th.  And this past November 30th was a milestone birthday for me!  I hit the big Five-OH!  Fifty!  At left is a birthday card my nephew Tommy drew for me.  It's a spot on caricature of me at work at my drawing table. (Check out the shirt.  Go Buckeyes!)

This 50th birthday made me realize that you're never too old to learn something new.  I was well into my forties when I first switched over to Linux. I've never regretted the move.  It was easy to make the switch and when I did run into a minor bump or two in the road, I had the help and support of the Linux community to help me through it.

Don't be afraid to make the move to Linux!  I know folks in all age groups who've switched to Linux!  In doing so, they've freed themselves of the malware, spyware, viruses, and Trojans that have plagued their Windows systems all these years.

The best way to start with Linux is to download it for free, burn it to disk, and install it on a Windows system that you no longer use.  Just know that during this installation, you'll be wiping Windows from the entire hard drive and putting Linux in its place.  Then, you'll be able to do your own side by side comparison.  You'll find that  you'll be using the Linux system more than the Windows system.

In addition, you'll be SAVING MONEY!  And how important is that nowadays?  You can download Linux for free, and when it's installed and running, never worry about Windows viruses and malware.  So, you won't have to shell out extra dollars for a Windows anti- virus/anti-spyware program.

Linux is stable, secure, and simply the better choice.


Get Linux. You're never to old to make the switch.

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.

PC Ton!c. Another Great Linux Blog!

PC Ton!c is another great Linux blog! It offers information, news, and other resources for Linux users. The blog's creator, Ashutosh Mishra, is also a contributor to Kioskea.net.

PC Ton!c is a wonderful, cutting edge resource for Linux, but also offers tips and tricks for Windows users, as well.

For instance, here's a really useful post on how to run Linux within Windows. PC Ton!c really covers all the bases and I'm happy to recommend the blog to OCL readers.

OneClickLinux and PC Ton!c. Two great blogs for Linux users and PC users in general.

In Paris? Attend the Linux 2008 Solutions Exhibition!

Is there any chance you'll be in Paris, France on January 29, 30, and 31? Well, if so, take a moment and visit The Linux 2008 Solutions Exhibition!

It's billed as "The Linux Solutions, Open Source & Free Software Exhibition for Business, Administrations and Communities." Many of the more notable Linux players will be in attendance. RedHat, Ubuntu , Mandriva, Novell, Oracle, and many others! 206 companies dedicated to Open Source solutions!
Save Now
kit's a great opportunity to see everything new in Open Source software and Linux!

If you're not a Linux user (and fan) now, after visiting this event, you soon will be.

My 2008 Prediction!

Just about everyone makes predictions for the new year. More than likely, none of the predictions you hear from the pundits are positive in nature. They tend toward the negative. and you hear the whole gamut of doom and gloom: earthquakes, economic recession, war, famine, etc.

Well, I'm going to make a positive prediction for 2008! This prediction will bring you great happiness and peace of mind. Ready? This year, your computer will be VIRUS FREE!

However, you have to do your part. All that is required is to simply get Linux. You can either download it for free or purchase a Linux system from any number of reliable Linux builders (see the top right of this blog's main page).

Linux is immune to viruses, spy ware, and malware that plague Windows systems. With Linux, you'll have a safe, secure, and stable computing environment with thousands of free software programs! so, not only will your Linux system not get infected, you'll save hundreds of dollars in software costs!

My prediction will come true, but only if you get Linux.

Scribus Greetings!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, each year, I create my own Christmas card to send to family and friends. This year, I created the card entirely in Linux using the free Open source desktop publishing program Scribus.

Scribus is incredibly powerful and gives you the tools to do everything all the other desktop publishing programs can do.

The interface is very straightforward. Simply create a text box and start typing or import text. You can drag images, text, shapes,etc. anywhere on the page. You can also drag objects off the printable page and move back on to another page. Scribus allows you to set up master pages,as well, so certain elements will automatically appear on each new page that is created.

One feature that I love about Scribus is the "Collect For Output" option. When creating a publication, Scribus links all your fonts and images. When you invoke the "Collect for Output" function, all of these images, fonts, etc. are collected and saved into one directory. This allows you to copy this directory (folder) to a thumb drive and move your publication project to another computer.

This came in quite handy when I created this year's card. I was able to use this option and take the project from my studio to the office where I had Scribus on my office PC.

This year's card design wasn't a folding card, but rather a strip reprint on one side and my contact information on the opposite side. I was then able to print three-up, cut to size, and then enclose in a business size #10 envelope.


You can see more screenshots of Scribus on this page. Scribus comes pre-installed on many Linux distributions.

Or, buy a Linux system for the holidays and turn Scribus loose and create your own holiday card.

Get Linux and get creative!

The Green PC

One the biggest Linux items to come along in some time is the Green PC. Also known as (informally) "The Google Computer" , or more simply, "gOS ." It's created a lot of buzz mostly because it's a Linux system being sold at the rock bottom price of $199.00. You can pick up one of these online at Walmart's web site.

But should you spend $199.00 on an easy to use Linux computer?

One reviewer doesn't seem to think so.

The reviewer writes, "The gPC was slapped together to sell to Web-savvy people who have very little pocket money. My advice to these people? Save up for just a little longer and buy something for at least $450 that runs Windows Vista,..."

While I agree that, for a bit more money, you can get a computer with hardware that is more robust, I disagree with getting one with Vista. (He does mention a Linux based laptop as another alternative).

To get the full potential of Vista, a computer needs a heckuva lot more memory and hardware upgrades. You can read more in this blog post. And here, you can learn how you need not even buy a Linux computer if you don't want to. Simply get a used Windows PC that no one wants, download Linux, and install. Bingo! New computer!

My point is, there are a lot of really great Linux alternatives out there besides the gOS. Why is it assumed that because a Linux distribution under performs (in the opinion of one reviewer) that the choice automatically becomes Vista? Vista suffers greatly from under performance due to not having top shelf (and more expensive) hardware installed. And needing this hardware upgrade increases the price of a Vista computer considerably.

Rather than simply suggest Vista, I really wish the reviewer would have recommended the many other Linux computer makers(and distributions) out there on the web.

For instance, check out kiowalinux.com. The folks at Kiowa Linux have a sale going on. A Kiowa Linux desktop computer (with some nice hardware and 512 megs of RAM) can be purchased for as little as $169.99. They also have some terrific moderately priced, and quite powerful, Linux systems.

All one need do is type "Linux computers" in Google and a number of Linux computer makers are listed. Alternatively,simply visit a Linux forum and ask where one can buy a good Linux desktop or laptop at an affordable price. The community will respond with many suggestions and recommendations.

The reviewer wraps up by saying, "Aside from being cheap and unaffected by Windows viruses, there's not a lot to recommend in the Everex gPC."

Oh, really?!

Not being affected by viruses,Trojans, spy ware and malware is more than enough reason to purchase this Linux computer over Windows.

Linux App Finder

When switching to Linux, the first thing you need to understand is that Linux is not Windows. Sure, Linux is more stable and secure than Windows. and Linux runs faster than Windows. This is because Linux isn't bogged down with a lot of software running in the background (anti-virus, pop-up blockers, etc.) on the lookout for a possible virus or Trojan infecting the system. Linux is immune to Windows viruses.

But Linux is set up to run Linux software, not Windows software. So if you're using, say, a desktop publishing application in Windows, you're going to have to abandon it for a Linux alternative.

Luckily, Linux has thousands of software programs available and many are top notch! In many cases the Linux alternative is better than the Windows program you're currently using.

A great place to see which Linux program will replace your current Windows programs is Linux App Finder.

Linux App Finder lists Windows programs in the left hand column. In the right hand column, it lists those Linux applications that will replace the Windows program. In many listings there are several Linux apps to choose from. So, if one doesn't quite feel right or give you the desired result, simply move on down the list to the next offering.

The only other thing you should be aware of when moving to Linux software is relearning some"moves" in the app's interface. Just stick with it. You'll find it'll become as easy and familiar as that program you were using in Windows.

And yes, if there is that one Windows app you really need, there are ways to get it to run in Linux.

But take that first step. Get Linux. Or get a Linux computer. There are thousands of Linux software programs waiting for you. It's a fun computing adventure!

Fix Windows for good! Get Linux!

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I enjoyed creating the above comic strip. It's an innocent little poke at holiday spending. And, at this time of year, we all enjoy going out (or online) to do a bit of holiday shopping.

It's the unforeseen expenses that give us headaches. The things we don't budget for. A home plumbing repair, new brakes for the car, and possibly, repairing the family computer due to some virus or related problem.

And speaking of repairing computers, I'm amazed at the number of businesses that have sprung up claiming to be able to fix your Windows computer problems online or through phone tech support. Have you noticed the same? Just turn on your radio and give a listen. Companies advertise a "Quick Fix Online" and all will be well. They'll scan your Windows computer though the Internet and then pinpoint the problem and fix it...provided you hand them your credit card. And the charges for such a service can be quite hefty. Upwards of $100.00.

I'm going to show you how to avoid spending hundreds of dollars repairing your Windows system of viruses,Trojans and other Internet nasties. It's simple. GET LINUX! For the cost of a blank DVD or CD (About a buck), you can download Linux for free, burn the iso file to the disk and install on your PC (I outlined the process here).

Then it's goodbye to Windows and goodbye to Windows repairs. You'll no longer need anti-virus software or online repair services. Your computer will be stable and secure. You won't run into unforeseen crashes and problems due to Windows viruses.

An even better solution is to take that $100.00 you'd be spending to fix your Windows PC and simply put it toward a brand new Linux computer system (After all, it is Christmas). I recommend Kiowa Linux.

Make 2008 the year you move to Linux. It's easy to do. There is an active Linux community which will help you make the transition. There is also a large number of Linux distributions, to choose from. One is just right for you.

Vista is a drag

It's becoming more widely reported that in order to run Windows Vista at a decent pace on a laptop or desktop computer, you'll need to do a major upgrade of hardware. That means more memory,more graphics memory, etc. And that means a higher cost for that new computer. If you're purchasing a new laptop or desktop, and opt to get something from the bargain bin, you're going to find that Vista really under performs. With the minimum system requirements these cheaper laptops are configured with, Vista does not deliver. Vista drags. It drags on your system's resources and drags on your computing experience.

And Vista isn't cheap,either. You're paying a hefty price for what Microsoft regards as cutting edge technology. In fact, Vista is more of a drain on system resources.

But, consider a laptop or desktop running Linux. With Linux, there's no large demand on system resources. Linux runs just fine with 512 megs of RAM. Most new laptops come with 1 gig of RAM. Linux will run at a very nice clip with that much memory AND give you a 3D desktop (Compiz). For Vista to run it's 3D Aero desktop, you're going to need 2 gigs of RAM for sure. And that means spending more for the laptop in hardware costs and the added cost of Vista.

So, you can get that great priced laptop for under $1000.00. To make it run well, simply get Linux on it!

You're using Linux!

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Right now, you're using Linux. That's right. At this very moment, because you're reading this blog, you are running a Linux machine and experiencing the full power of Linux. How do I know? Well, it's because this blog (OneClickLinux) is powered by Google. And Google is powered by Linux. Don't believe me? Read this article.

Every time you use Google, you're using a Linux machine. Whether it be Gmail, the Google search engine, Blogger, Google Earth, or any other of the many Google services...you're using Linux.

If you use Google on the web, you're using Linux.

Now, if Linux is good enough, secure enough and stable enough for Google, it ought to be good enough for your own home machine.

Get Linux!

Better yet, get a computer pre-installed with Linux. My favorite is Kiowa Linux. I run Kiowa Linux on my laptop.

The clear choice is Linux. Google made the Linux choice. So should you.

A Kiowa Chistmas.

(Click image for larger view)

The wonderful thing about Linux is choice. There are a lot of Linux distributions to pick from. And over the past few years, I've used quite a few. I've either installed them on my hard drive or run them via a Live CD.

With so many Linux distributions to choose, it's like being a kid in a candy store! After trying several Linux distributions, pretty soon, you narrow it down to one and settle in with it.

For me, my absolute favorite Linux distribution, more and more, is Kiowa Linux.

Why? Without getting too technical, Kiowa combines the best of an RPM Linux distribution and a .deb Linux distribution. It's the best of both worlds! If you thought Linux was highly customizable, wait until you see how much more control you'll have over all your hardware and software when you run Kiowa.

Kiowa also comes with the most recent software releases of OpenOffice, Gimp, Amarok, K3b, and other open source software. This means the most cutting edge developments are right there at your fingertips in Kiowa.

Kiowa also allows you to run BOTH KDE and Gnome desktops! No need to install a second or third Linux distribution to see these desktops in action. The latest 3D desktop is also available in Kiowa.

Kiowa also sports a much friendlier version of Wine. In the past, Wine has been a bit confusing to new users. This is why CrossOver Linux (based on Wine) has increased in popularity. Now you can easily run Wine and install supported Windows applications without having to purchase CrossOver. Although, both will run on Kiowa.

The best way to get Kiowa is to buy a computer system preconfigured with Kiowa. Now that the holiday shopping season has kicked off, sales abound! And there are terrific deals on Kiowa Linux computers and laptops at the Kiowa Linux web site! You'll get a great computer system with a great Operating System at a great price. Plus, you'll get terrific support from the Kiowa folks.

If you'd rather ease into Linux, the Kiowa folks can build you a dual-boot system. They'll install Kiowa Linux on half the hard drive and Windows on the other half. This way, you can run both and decide which OS is better. I guarantee you, once you run Kiowa Linux, you'll very rarely boot into Windows. (BTW, I'm writing this blog in Kiowa Linux.)

Get Kiowa Linux. Give a Kiowa system or laptop to a family member and assure them a safe, secure computing experience this Christmas!

Got a question about cartooning with Linux, or Linux in general? Email me at: georgetoon@gmail.com. If I use your question on my blog, I'll send you an original, signed George comic strip!

Visit the George Store for all things George!

Amazing Linux Desktops!

This is a screen shot of my Linux desktop. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, most Linux distributions use the KDE desktop. it's pretty much the standard Linux desktop GUI (Gnome is a close second). And the Linux distributions I run use the the KDE desktop. KDE stands for Kool Desktop Environment. Some say the "K" in KDE doesn't stand for anything. But, for me, it stands for "Kool" because it really is cool! And the advantage it has over Windows is that the user can customize his/her desktop in an infinite number of ways.

If you take a good look at the screen shot, you'll see that I have toolbars on the top and bottom of the desktop. I have a couple of SuperKaramba widgets running, as well. One widgets displays local weather conditions and forecast and the other widget is a quick search bar for Wikipedia.

I also have a THIRD toolbar (in Linuxland we call them "panels"), sitting atop the bottom toolbar (panel). This third panel displays a ticker which updates the latest Linux news headlines. the second half of this panel is a dictionary.

I can hide these panels at anytime simply by clicking on the arrows at the right or left I can also drag these panels to any edge of the screen.

All this is incredibly easy to do! The best way to see this customization is action is to simply GET LINUX!

Download any of the distributions, bun to CD-ROM, and run it as a Live CD. You can then experiment with how easy it is to customize your KDE desktop.

Believe me, you'll be amazed at how much you can personalize your desktop compared to Windows.

When it comes to customizing, hands down, Linux wins!

(By the way, did you notice from my desktop that I'm running a couple of Windows applications in Linux? That's thanks to WINE! More on that in later posts! Stay tuned!)

Got a question about cartooning with Linux, or Linux in general? Email me at: georgetoon@gmail.com. If I use your question on my blog, I'll send you an original, signed George comic strip!

Top 10 Windows Headaches

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If you're reading this, it's probably because you've had many a problem with Windows (and you're looking for information on alternative Operating Systems). Here's my list of the top 10 things wrong with Windows. Do these sound familiar?

10. Slow system performance. As Windows writes, rewrites, and saves files to the hard drive, the system slows down over a period of time. In order to get an increase in performance, you need to defrag your hard drive. Defragging a Windows hard drive could take all night. Linux never needs to be defragged!

9. Repeated Cost. You have to buy Windows over and over again. When you purchase a new PC, you're buying Windows, yet again. You're not allowed to take that copy of Windows and install it on a second or third PC without first paying Bill and company, yet again. Linux is free. and once you own it, you're permitted to install it on as many PCS as you and your family own.

8. Pop-ups and Spyware. Windows is susceptible to so many internet nasties. Pop-up ads and spyware can easily burrow onto your system simply by visiting a web page. Linux is immune to spyware and pop-ups are few and far between thanks to the FireFox browser and its built-in Ad blocking.

7. Internet Explorer vulnerability. Internet Explorer is a great big hole in your Windows system. it allows hackers and others a portal to all your critical data. It's because Windows and IE are so tightly integrated. Linux uses Mozilla based browsers (Sea Monkey, FireFox, etc.) that run independently of the core operating system.

6. DRM (Digital Rights Management) trap. DRM is a way of keeping your songs locked onto one computer system. It doesn't give you the freedom (or limits your freedom) to move your digital music to other computers or playback devices. Linux is free of DRM and utilizes the free, open source .ogg file format which has better sound and compression than MP3.

5. Third party utility software slowdown. This is software has has to constantly run in the background looking for viruses and other attacks. This requires the use of system resources and results in slower system performance. Linux does not need firewalls, anti-virus or other scanning software. Linux is immune to Windows viruses.

4. Administrator Mode vulnerability. All Windows users default to an administrator account. Meaning every user has access to the entire system, data, documents and other files. f something infects one user account, because all accounts run at the adminisration level, everyone's account becomes infected. Linux requires everyone to run in user mode. No one runs in administration mode. If a user damages their account in some way, it it limited to their account only. They cannot access another user's documents or data.

3. Crashing and Freezing. When a software application in Windows crashes or freezes,the entire system crashes or freezes. Windows is so tightly woven into its software and GUI, that when something goes wrong in one area, it affects the other area. Linux is built on layers. The core OS is separate from the GUI and independent of software applications. If an application in Linux crashes or freezes, the operating system and GUI continue to run. Simply terminate the frozen program start it up again.

2. High cost of repair. When Windows becomes corrupted and things stop working, taking it to a computer shop for repair can potentially cost hundreds. If it's been infected with a virus, there's no guarantee the problem will be completely eradicated. Linux has a wonderful community of fellow users who are always on hand to help you through any problem you may have. In addition, some Linux distributions will sell you support at a very modest cost.

1. Virus and Trojans. If a user isn't careful, Windows can become quickly infected with a virus and, in many cases, render the system useless. Linux is immune to Windows viruses.

So, the only way to really get rid of your Windows headaches is to get rid of Windows and Get Linux.

Got a question about cartooning with Linux, or Linux in general? Email me at: georgetoon@gmail.com. If I use your question on my blog, I'll send you an original, signed George comic strip!

Visit the George Store for all things George!

Gimp tutorials are everywhere!

Well, let's say you've finally loaded Linux onto your computer. You boot the system, log in, and are greeted with the KDE (or Gnome) desktop. You start to explore the menus to test drive some of the applications. One of the main applications you'll undoubtedly want to try is The Gimp, the free, open source image editing program that comes pre-installed in Linux.

Now, I absolutely love using The Gimp. But I will admit, the interface is a bit different and takes some getting used to. Trust me, it's an easy adjustment to make.

Even though The Gimp is as powerful and feature rich as PhotoShop, PhotoImpact, Paintshop Pro and others, you'll find that you may need just a bit of help in navigating the toolbar menus and keyboard commands.

Luckily, the web is chock full of Gimp tutorials. My Linux buddy Matt passed along these links to Gimp tutorials, help manuals, and forums. (Thank you, Matt!)

http://gimp-tutorials.net/

http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

http://www.gimp-tutorials.com/

http://tutorialblog.org/gimp-tutorials/

http://www.gimptalk.com/

http://www.gimpguru.org/Tutorials/

http://www.pixel2life.com/tutorials/Gimp/All/

In addition, there is an extensive help manual for Gimp located in your Linux distribution's repository (usually called gimp-help-en. "en" for English, "fr" for French, etc.)

But, if you're more inclined to use a book, Amazon.com is loaded with Gimp manuals. Simply enter, The Gimp in the search bar. The most widely known Gimp manual (which will come up in the search results) is called, "Grokking The Gimp."

If you don't want to wait for the book to be delivered, Grokking the Gimp is available for free as a web site.

So, once again, you can see how open and generous the Linux community is with information about the Operating System and its applications.

When was the last time Microsoft gave you any help without first reaching into your wallet?

Got a question about cartooning with Linux, or Linux in general? Email me at: georgetoon@gmail.com. If I use your question on my blog, I'll send you an original, signed George comic strip!

Visit the George Store for all things George!

Music! Music! Music!

(Click image for larger view)

One of the biggest developments to come to home computers has been the digital music revolution. MP3 Players, online music services and music players for your computer desktop are now driving the recording industry. And Linux gives you so much more freedom in the digital music realm than Windows!

If you have a lot of music files, you may want to consider using the free, open source format called .ogg. Also known as Ogg vorbis, this format has better compression and sound than MP3. .Ogg Vorbis was developed when its founder discovered that a royalty was gong to be charged for using the MP3 audio format. Folks are quickly discovering the advantages of using .ogg.

.Ogg is available for Windows. But, if you run Linux there are a multitude of free music players that support .ogg (and many of these support MP3, as well). With Linux, you have the best of both worlds!

My favorite Linux music player is Amarok.

Amarok is incredibly feature rich. Like other players, Amarok allows you to create play lists. But it ups the competition in this area. Amarok looks at your music habits and creates play lists for Most Played, Never Played, Newest Tracks, Random Tracks, etc. You can search your music by artist or title on the fly by simply typing in the first few letters in the search bar.

Amarok's neatest feature is its link to Wikipedia. So, if you were playing, "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra, Amaork scans Wikipedia and displays the lyrics and biography information on Old Blue Eyes. Like the Beatles? Whenever you play a Beatles song, you can ask Amarok finds the lyrics within Wikipedia's database.

Amarok can also sync up to your MP3 Player so you can take your music with you.

Amarok is head and shoulders above any other music player out there. it's free, feature rich and exclusive to Linux.

Get Linux and then you'll have Amarok. Amarok. Rediscover your music!

Got a question about cartooning with Linux, or Linux in general? Email me at: georgetoon@gmail.com. If I use your question on my blog, I'll send you an original, signed George comic strip!

Visit the George Store for all things George!