LXer Weekly Roundup for 16-May-2010

LXer Feature: 17-May-2010 In this week's LXWR we have Jim Zemlin commenting on Linux fragmentation, making the Linux desktop look better, Chrome usage rises and copiers have hard drives? Enjoy!

Sprucing up the Linux desktop: Gnome 3.0 is coming to give the Linux desktop a boost. Gnome, the desktop environment favoured by the likes of Ubuntu Linux, is getting an overhaul. For users this means a number of things, including a new way of interacting with files and a new way of launching and managing applications.

One-Handed Workarounds -- The Programmers Guide to Typing With a Broken Thumb: This week's column has been written a little more slowly than normal because on Wednesday, I tripped over the dog and broke my left thumb. Under strict instructions to keep it elevated, and concerned not to put too much strain on the remaining good hand, I went looking for resources for one-handed keyboard operation. Here are a few useful links in case you are ever in the same position!

Fragmentation is Good and Bad for Linux: Lately I have been hearing criticism about embedded Linux and how fragmentation, as represented by the many flourishing Linux projects such as Meego, Android and webOS, is bad and dangerous for Linux; these critics suggest that fragmentation will hinder Linux’ ability to compete with companies like Microsoft and Apple. I disagree, which is not surprising. But the market and marketing strategists also disagree. Citing the familiar ogre of fragmentation shows a limited view of the Linux economy. The Linux platform is both fragmented and unified.

Copiers have Hard Drives?: I don't think much about copying machines. I just make my copies, print what I need to print, fax what I need to fax, and scan what I need to scan. What I didn't realize is that since about 2002, commercial copying machines have been built with hard drives that store as images everything you have ever copied on your machine.

I lightened up my Ubuntu Lucid desktop appearance: Ubuntu was famous for being brown, even though it was probably half-orange for most of its storied existence. Mark Shuttleworth and Co. mostly blew that notion out of the water in Lucid Lynx (10.04 LTS), which is purplish and dark. I'm pretty simple about these things, so I looked at what came with the Lucid install and ditched the default Ambiance theme in favor of Radiance. I also dumped the purple wallpaper by clicking on the Background tab and selecting the Cosmos slide-show background, which not only presents a nice outer-space view but periodically changes the image (hence the "slide-show" portion of the name).

Chrome rising fast: Google's Chrome browser is gaining ground fast while Internet Explorer slides. Google's Chrome browser is now well established as the third most popular browser and its ascendency hasn't stopped yet. Internet Explorer, on the other hand, is clearly in decline.

Ubuntu (w/ GNOME) Switching To Single Click For Opening Files And Folders?: A new big change is being discussed on the Ayatana mailing list: single click for opening files and folders in Ubuntu (not Kubuntu - which already uses single click for opening files and folders). In fact there are 2 separate threads: one about defaulting to single click for opening file and folders and another to use a single-click mode for all GNOME applications - but only the first one seems to be seriously taken into consideration.

Btrfs May Be The Default File-System In Ubuntu 10.10: Earlier this week we reported that Ubuntu has plans for the Btrfs file-system in 2011 and 2012 by providing support for installing Ubuntu Linux to a Btrfs file-system. This information was based upon documents coming out of the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Brussels, but it turns out that Canonical may actually deploy Btrfs this year. Not only to provide an installation option within the installer for Btrfs, but to make it the default file-system.

What Jon Stewart Said, I Say Too. A lot: I boycott all abusive proprietary software companies, and I am finally learning to program, because if we don't take matters in our own hands we'll always be at the mercy of merciless interests who have nothing but contempt for us. (Hey, then we're even, because I have greater contempt for them.)