Cool app of the week

Wallpaper Tray is one of those cool apps that just does its thing without needing much assistance. It adds functionality to the desktop by allowing one to automatically change wallpaper on startup or at timed intervals. While this kind of thing is not new, this is by far the best applet I have found in this category. It sits nicely in the toolbar where you can configure it by right clicking. It will also show which wallpaper is selected and is an easy way to change wallpaper when needed. The only quibble I have is that it doesn’t appear to have the ability to set different wallpapers for different desktops, which would have been nice. Nevertheless, a good piece of work from dark project studios. Oh, and before I forget, there is a great set of free darkwave wallpapers if you’re looking to add some mystery on the desktop.

sudo apt-get install wallpaper-tray

http://www.darkproject.com/

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Meditating Koala

Even better karma

Its nice to see the Ubuntu community getting creative in the run-up to Karmic Koala. After the rather dull Jackalope we could be in for a treat.

posters/wallpapers are available on the Ubuntu Wiki

Ubuntu has good Karma

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Nelson Mandela explains concept of Ubuntu

I’m posting this because some users don’t get it. Before Ubuntu was an operating system, it was a way of life. It still is for a lot of people and the OS merely encapsulates the vision and dream of a world in which we share a common humanity and express ourselves through community, sharing, and freedom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Experience_ubuntu.ogg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_%28philosophy%29

Wouldn’t it be nice if this video was actually hosted here? Videopress is WordPress’ new upgrade feature only  costs 59.97 credits per year. If you would like to assist Indlovu by helping us to upgrade, please let us know and we can figure out an exchange.

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Is Ubuntu Appcentre end of the road for FOSS?

Is this the future of Ubuntu?

THERE appears to be a good deal of talk surrounding Canonical plans for an Appcentre that would double as an Appstore. Yes, that’s right, it would seem the clamour from the commercial side of the developer community, those who do things in real-world terms that involve money, is rising.

Nelson Mandela’s principle number 1 which has driven development until now, could end-up being sidelined in the process. Instead of freeing us, Ubuntu could end up putting users in jail — Will Ubuntu become a Robben Island of free software? Will free and open access  in an unrestricted and unrestrained fashion be discontinued, in favour of Alcatraz? The new super-Appcentre being touted by developers might just destroy Ubuntu and FOSS as we know it, as  if Canonical dumps Synaptic in favour of an Apple-inspired Appstore.

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Cool highway to freedom ubuntu poster

This amazing poster by Hannes Pasqualini was released as an open source file which anybody can print. It  has now been rereleased and is an example of the ingenuity and frontier spirit that can be found on the Ubuntu forums. Unfortunately, as Ubuntu becomes more mainstream, so too the issues which are tackled. The result is that  Ubuntu is starting to lose some of its uniqueness and is in danger of turning into Microsoft Windows. Instead of focusing on pie-in-the-sky ideas like cloud computing, Ubuntu should rather make an effort to produce amazing software, taking some of the code-base which is already in Linux and making this more user-friendly. Then it will stand a chance of beating Microsoft. The highway to freedom is open, but what we do with it, will determine our future, and the future of coming generations. What will you leave behind for those who come after you? What will they find when they surf the Internet? Download the source file and print yourself a copy. Distribute it, or translate it into your home language. Here is the link to the original posting.

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Ubuntu books

Ubuntu spawns an industry

In the interest of fairness, openness and access to information I publish the following link where you can download PDFs of the above books. Please support the publishers by buying the original print editions. It is way nicer to have one in your hand, but for those who live in the third world, the economics does not make any sense.

Shareyard Forum

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Ubuntu men tattooed by Linux

Some Ubuntu humans choose to take things a robot step further. Not for everybody or  the faint-hearted, tattoos are a what could be considered, a more permanent expression of ones admiration for or devotion to the Ubuntu way of life. Consider this a sub-culture or branch of the original fork or as one earthling put it:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-tattoo
sudo: command not found

South African Ubuntu fan, Denham Coote

Ubuntu human Chris Powell has his backwards?

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Hello Kitty Ubuntu theme

Hello Kitty meets Ubuntu

Download Hello Kitty Ubuntu theme

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Coolest applet ever.

Workrave assists in the prevention and recovery of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Not only is it a simple gadget that nests in the toolbar,  but it also provides an attractive post-Jane Fonda avatar who guides you with some amazing exercises which you can do in front of your monitor. You can set the work intervals and I can’t recommend this applet highly enough. It not only relieves boredom but revives ones body, thereby preventing RSI. The wisdom path of Indlovu is surely working.

Time for coffee break

sudo apt-get install workrave

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Ubuntu not Pokemon

Licensed under CC Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 Generic by xkcd.com

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