Behold! A maiden post from the Unix computer. Notice I used the word Unix more than the name of the OS, which is Ubuntu. This is because Buntu means ‘brain dead’ in malay. Which makes Ubuntu meaning You are brain dead. Just note that when I say Unix, I generally mean Ubuntu. Coz that’s the only Unix distro I’m pretty familiar with.

Ok let’s start the list. Those of you who are of higher prowess over this OS may laugh at my lay-man’s interpretation of this quite misunderstood OS. So laugh on, I don’t care. This is MY review. And I don’t just mean the Bogaman. There are some Unix crazies in my class as well.

Number One: No restarts.

Well, minimum, at least. Most installation goes through without the need of a restart. It’s quite refreshing. Seeing how windows ALWAYS ask you to restart, after messing with your registry and all that. I don’t fully comprehend the Unix way of installation. But I know that it’s mostly unzipping and involves a small set up. Then you’re good to go.

Two: Full Customisability

One person’s Unix will look very much different from another person’s, assuming they both know how to customise. Otherwise, it’ll be that slightly off orange themed desktop. I’m not talking about customising graphics only (although that’s the only thing I know how to do now), but I’m talking customising how every single thing works in your computer.

Three: GRAPHICS!

And a big number three this is. Graphics, yes… when you just installed this OS, it’ll be a simple orange themed desktop. But damn can you turn it into anything you can ever imagine! It may even look like something out of the movies. This is because it’ll fully utilise your graphics card. No matter how weak it is. Windows will use your graphics card only when you’re using graphic heavy software or games. Otherwise, the card sits there rather quietly.

Suadref Studios, Linuxified

Four: Quite stable.

Unix, the one I have installed and customised, seem to be performing exceptionally well. It hasn’t crashed a single time since I had it on, and I’ve played around on it quite mercilessly, to the best of my ruthlessness. Hmm. By that I mean running the OS with so many windows open spanning several desktops… I had so many windows open running so many shits that I lost track of them. It’s also partly because I’m not too familiar yet with the navigation and managing windows back then. But a few days on the OS quickly fixed that. Well, so far, so good.

Five: Desktop… no, DESKTOPS

You’re not restricted to one desktop, or workspace, to say it more accurately. And then you can switch around them with style.

Six: Free Applications

Many many free applications. They’re all rather useful, or at least interesting. I haven’t got much yet, but Buoh is a nice comic reader. Especially good old newspaper comics. However, I still prefer to go to the webcomic page to read webcomics. Buoh is still good to read favourites like Sherman’s Lagoon, Garfield or Wizard of Id.

And you can actually browse through what applications you want to download, like an e-shop, except its free.

Overall Review:

Ok, after saying all those cool stuff about Unix, here’s what I generally think about this OS. (at this point of time, anyways)

It’s a great OS for the average computer user. If you’re using the computer to surf net, use web apps, and use Mircrosoft Office, you can quickly get comfortable with Unix. Or if you’re just using the computer to watch movies, listen to music or any other multimedia, Unix has no problems doing all that stuff.

Which is why I’m putting this comp in the other room for everyone else to use. At the same time, they’ll all be impressed with all that graphic customisations made.

I use it also of course, when I’m just surfing or watching stuff.

But when it comes to work, or my line of work, I’m still more comfortable to work in Windows, even though it irritates me (especially VISTA) with its random crashes.

I know there’s Wine. It’s an application to help run Windows’ applications fully on Unix. But I’m just lazy to explore that alternative. I’ve reached a new comfort level with Unix now, and I’d like to stay here for a while before exploring some more.

So in conclusion, you should all give Unix a try, only if you know how to customise the shits outta Unix. It’ll be cool.

School’s out, but I’ve been quite occupied with web design projects. I really wanted to do a revamp of suadref studios, especially since the code I used in this site is written when I’m still learning CSS & XHTML. When I look at the code, I couldn’t remember which part is for what.

I hate coding, but markup codings I can handle, a bit. So, I tweaked around the design a bit, and check out the alternative suadref studios home page. White actually looks good eh?

However, this won’t be the revamped look. I still haven’t figured out how to re-make this site to be more umm.. modern.

White Concept, in consideration.

Current Dark Concept

Also, I’ve finally installed Ubuntu. And with a GREAT deal of help from Ram, I’ve managed to pimp it up to such a high level, I blow myself away every time i boot up the system!

My desktop, halfway thru pimping. It looks a hell lot sweeter now.

This post is written to remind me to elaborate on these two topics. My update frequency has been really going down. Well, stay tuned for the pimped up Unix details and my web endeavours!

I was about to get started on my post-school to-do list, and one of the first things I was about to do was to install a unix OS onto a partition of my hard disk. I still want my windows XP. I only want to explore the possibilities of the Ubuntu OS.

I was up to the point where the disk partitioning manager was detecting my disks. It was taking some time so I went to the kitchen for a while. So here comes my super cute little 2 yr old nephew. He’s extremely tech savvy. He loves shiny techy stuff. Be it cameras, iphones, laptops, or all types of handphones.

He came into my room, happily sat at my computer, and punched away on the keyboard and clicked away on the mouse. God knows what he pressed but when I got back, the partitioning was cancelled. I had no idea what happened. I tried to continue the installation on the desired partition but it kept failing.

So I decide to procrastinate some more and put off installing Ubuntu. I tried to reboot into Windows now and whaddayaknow … boot sector corrupted. Something must’ve happened to my Windows partition!

Cute Little Tech Wiz

It could be a variety of reasons why my windows suddenly screwed up. But I like to think it was the work of my little genius of a nephew.

Oh well, now I’ve installed Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Hardy Heron (damn, I couldn’t even get the name right) on my computer fully. No more Windows on my desktop.

Unix boy, if you’re reading this, I’d appreciate a comprehensive guide on how to pimp my Unix. You should know what I use the computer for right? Whenever you’re free man… Meanwhile I’ll go gather what I can from your blog.

The Bogaman from Down Under has written something which prompts me to reply with this post.

First off, I’m not too skilled in all the tech jargon, so you can expect a simpler discussion to why I still am, and will remain cooler than the Bogaman.

But seriously, it’s not about who’s cooler than who. Well, partly coz we all know who’s cooler. I’ve told him many times about my stand on Unix. I’ve used Unix in school several times. I’ve even had to run it on my computer at home for months and months. Although they haven’t been nice experiences (due to the shitty programming assignments),  I do realise that it’s an OS with huge potential, provided that YOU KNOW HOW TO USE IT.

Which brings me to talk about some people who are boasting about how good UNIX is, when they don’t even use Unix in their computers. They only said it’s cool and good because they saw other people use it to some level of coolness. I don’t wanna be among those people.

I never said that Unix sucks. One reason I don’t use it is because I dislike change, and I’m too comfortable with using Windows to explore others. I’m not the exploring type. And also, Unix doesn’t have the softwares I’m comfortable with. They have alternatives, yes, but not the actual softwares.

For example, Adobe stuff: like Premiere, After Effects, Dreamweaver. Also, I don’t know about the sound editing software I use. I’m lazy to search if they have Unix versions. I’m thinking they probably don’t.

Oh and all the stuff which I’ve just picked up great interest on, like 3d softwares such as Lightwave, 3dsMax and other standalone 3d apps. Then there’s the game engine which I have to use for my schoolwork. They don’t run on Unix unfortunately.

Looks are important to me. I must LIKE what I see on screen, especially the desktop. That’s why I bother getting all those themes to replace the ugly XP theme. My schoolmates will acknowledge my obsession with a nice looking desktop, since I always bring around the theme with me and install it on every lab comp I use before working.

Unix can be made to look stunning, no doubt. Even Mac users are so bloody proud of it. Yeah, it’s nice. But again, I’m just lazy to install it. Or I don’t see a pressing need to.

Honestly, other than the stuff I mentioned above, I rarely use the computer for anything else except for the internet. Webdesign falls under web. Oh, I forgot to add Photoshop up there. It’s one major software I always use. Gimp is nice, but I’m lazy to learn and familiarise myself with it and I’m sure there are lots of stuff it can’t do that PS can.

Anyway, surfing the web is OS independent isn’t it? It’s not a worry which OS you use to check your mail, watch YouTube vids and whatever stuff you do online.

So all in all, the advantages of Unix are quite substantial, but not really so great that I HAVE to change to Unix.

That said, here’s the thing:

My Desktop, which I’ve recently formatted and reinstalled XP, is having problems again. Some authentication crap. My cracks didn’t work. So in 3 days time, it’ll expire, I think. If it does, I guess I won’t go through the trouble of installing Windows again.

Unix installation is quite a breeze, I’ll give you that. Or maybe it’s the damn lab session where they made us install Unix so many times, it becomes a walk in the park.

Therefore, I’ll probably get that OS in my desktop, while my laptop will remain running Vista (again, I have the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude).

So there, Ram, I’ll be having Unix on the desktop soon. Happy? Then I’ll start bugging you for Unix stuff.

I came home today after my last quiz assessment for this academic year. There won’t be any more assignments, quizzes and tedious programming… at least for the rest of this semester. Exams are coming up real soon, but the first thing I’m doing is to uninstall Ubuntu from my PC.

However, I feel a small hesitation to remove this cool OS from my system. I had removed Oracle right after the last assignment from the previous semester without any remorse. But this time round, I actually have second thoughts about removing this Unix OS.

The last question of the quiz just now (for which I came conveniently half an hour late) was to evaluate Ubuntu based on our experience using it. I feel a weird sense of attachment to this OS. It’s unique workspace approach… it’s MAC-like interface integrated with WINDOWS style layout… The fact that you can do loads of different things as if you’re on a different machine altogether, only to crash the system, but hey, no worries, it’s UNIX… it’s almost impossible to crash.

Sigh… good memories trying to work the shit out of kernel programs and processes. I’m still no good at it. Should I keep this OS? interactive_systems… All that’s left of this module is its exam…

The other module I’m taking is system_development, aka bullshit subject. Seriously, the subject teaches you to bullshit all the way. Me and my course mates actually laughed at the notes given to us. You couldn’t believe how full of shit the notes are. Useless common sense crap.

The last assignment, a group work with presentation, was most memorable. On the presentation day, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, came with a laptop, all geared up for the presentation. Two of my members were late, and we only brought a thumbdrive. We were the last group to present. While everyone actually programmed their stuff from scratch, we simply produced a website that accomplishes the same objectives. A good two days worth of development and reports. Oh man.. it’s like POLY all over again. I remembered that business module shit that me and Boga did like a few days before the deadline and scored better than the group who umm, kicked us out.

I still don’t know how well we fared for the project, but it looked really hopeful. What I know is that the class sure as hell don’t look happy seeing our short cut method and how interested the lecturer is. Maybe he’s interested in failing us eh? I don’t know.

I really have no idea how to study for this subject that’s full of bullshit. It’s like.. you have to stock up on all the bullshit you can get before you take the paper. Then spew as much crap as you can.

So now I’m still thinking of uninstalling UBUNTU.

Ah screw it! Good riddance UBUNTU! Get the hell out of my system!