Current Fedora Desktop

Just a few screens of my current desktop. I'm currently using Clearlooks-Compact2 as a GTK2 Theme and Compiz. Also, found this awesome article on how to get the most "space" in GNOME. I got it here http://tuxtraining.com/2008/12/20/how-to-best-utilize-screen-real-estate-in-gnome and everything worked :)

Computer Stats Update

My Distro-Hopping has stopped at:


HDD: Maxtor 6B200P0 (IDE/189.9 GB)
- /dev/sda1: 142.87 GB ext3 HOME/Backup
- /dev/sda2: 21.41 GB ext3 Omega 10 (Fedora 10 Remix) (GNOME / RPM Based)
- /dev/sda4: 21.63 GB XFS Zenwalk 5.2 (Enligthenment 17, XFCE, GNOME, KDE / Slackware Based)
+Extended (1 GB)
- /dev/sda6: 1 GB Swap

Fedora 10 = Success

i must say that i'm very satisfied... i ditched the Fedora 10 KDE4 for GNOME. I tripped over a Fedora 10 remix called Omega 10. Omega 10 comes with DVD, MP3, and Codec support out of the box along with a few extra video playback program. It also has preinstalled extra repositories (rpmfusion) so added Nvidia and other "non-free" software was easy as cutting pie :) KDE4 just eats memory and flashy eyecandy....

other than that.. i just have Omega 10 and Zenwalk 5.2 as my distos. Slackware will always have a home on my desktop.

Day 1 with Fedora 10 KDE4

The goal is trying to use all the programs and things I do in Mint work here. Samba shares, NTFS, DeVeDe, K3B, Firefox, Picasa, Krusader, SMPlayer, etc. Keep in mind that I haven't been a fan of KDE in any version. I did try Fedora 9 KDE4 and PC-BSD 7.0 KDE4, those were the beginnings of KDE4 and should of never been released as finished. At best those versions should of been Beta or a RC1. I've been distro hopping as of late, so why not try Fedora 10 because the reviews have been so positive. For a general list of packages included with CD: http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=fedora

Day One: Installations, Nvidia Drivers, Getting used to KDE4. Okay off the bat, K3B in Linux Mint failed a burn at 4x (what?). 2nd shot at Automatic speed worked.. weird. Using the Fedora 10 KDE4 LiveCD. Installation as really easy, just as friendly as other popular distros (*buntu, SUSE, Mandriva). Just the generic blah blah of all distros. Hardware Detection found everything but my On-Board Nvidia Card... i kinda expected that. A lot of distros try to use all the free drivers and Nvidia/ATi aren't free. They tant your Kernel.



Off the bat KDE4, like Vista, uses what i call a Kickoff menu style. If your a Gnome, XFCE, or even Enlightenment, it will take while to get used to it. Click on the Fedora icon and get a menu with tabs, in each tab has a menu. In that menu, has a list as well and a list.. so like this.. Fedora Icon -> Application Tab -> Click Utilities -> Pick the program. Okay, i found myself stuck.. Well there is arrow to the left that it like a Back Button. I'm trying to get used to this. But if you hate it like I do. You can right click the Menu Button and switch it to Classic Menu Style.

This is always the pain in the ass part, just like with Fedora 8 and 9. Hardly used Konqueror as my Browser, so lets use it. Off to www.fedoraproject.org after about 20 mins of searching and getting nothing but Fedora 9 help. Hello 10 was just released!! So, off to www.google.com and what do ya know, off the bat found http://rpmfusion.org/FAQ. Followed that completely and after 30 mins, Nvidia Drivers. Okay no 3d effects but that is okay. Also used RPMfusion to add all non-free video codecs



Konqueror is the default Internet Browser and the only one... I didn't like that. So, off to get Firefox 3. Menu -> Applications -> System -> Software Management. Started Kpackageget... searched for Firefox 3 then added my add-ons to Firefox and bam that easy.


Simple Filemanager: Dolphin (not as indept as Konqueror or Krusader) is nice and polished looking. Does the job.

So, a 3rd way there. and just as fast as Mint XFCE with Compiz and Emerald.

Day 2: deeper explanations of KDE4 interface (Plasmanoids, settings, and of course Desktop Icons). Everyone biggest problems were trying to get desktop icons.. so i dive into it. I may take pics as well.

Kenosha Linux User Group

Posted on http://www.kenoshalinux.org/

" hello everyone,
i'm looking forward to meeting with all of you at some point. i'm
posting this to find out if any of you would like to go out for some
coffee or meal. Currently, I work for Kenosha Unified School District
but my schedule isn't set in stone because I'm a substitute. My
availability for the job has to be 2:45p-12a M-F and a sporadic
weekday off . Weekends seems to be the most open for me.

Anyone interested can contact me here or at these sites below
Blogspot (http://xaer0knight.blogspot.com/).
Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/xaer0knight)
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1614432437)

Many Blessings
Happy Winter Holidays
Jason "

#!CrunchBang Linux: Flash! Bang! Wallop! What A Distro!

and i would agree: http://reddevil62-techhead.blogspot.com/2008/11/crunchbang-linux-flash-bang-wallop-what.html
everything Red Devil's Post says is 100% accurate. Ive been waiting to see a Distro that used OpenBox and Ubuntu/Debian Repositories. I'm not disappointed with CrunchBang. Fast as hell, low resource use, and 100% Ubuntu 8.10 compatible. SCORE!


I even removed my MEPIS Partition to install it... because MEPIS repositories and Debian Lenny repositories are always unresolved :( I need a distro that can stay current and MEPIS just wasn't doing it for me.

Sabayon and Gentoo

I have experimented with a Gentoo Based linux distribution and that was Sabayon Linux 3.5 POD.
I have had heard that Gentoo is very stable but takes a long time to install, update, or upgrade. The idea of Gentoo is having a very stable machine and making every package custom tailored to your machines. For instance, you want to install Firefox.. you have to download the package and then it have to compile it. Compiling takes a long time because it being built from source and being made specifically for your system.

Well, took me over 2 hr using there Spritz Package Manager to update my system. But, before that I have had Spritz crash twice and had to bird-dog the internet to find a way to UPGRADE Spritz before continuing, that took about 4 hrs of head aches. 170+ packages to download, compile, and building for my machine. Also, Sabayon Linux have like 3 different package management... what the heck. Emerge (command prompt) , Equo (command prompt), and Spritz (GUI) why?

You shouldn't need 20 mins to install and 15 mins to download Open Office on a 768Kbps DSL line. I shouldn't have to pick between 3 package managers. After the updates, upgrades, and installations of my favorite programs, the performance was hardly visible by me. Yes, slightly faster but not enof for me to make it my main Linux.

Well, If I want Stability, I stick with Slackware-based Distros. Like Zenwalk, Puppy, or GoblinX.
If I want Bleeding Edge, I'll go with Fedora or SUSE. But for the best of both worlds I'll stick with Linux Mint 5 XFCE CE. Gentoo in the last few years has lost a lot of its Developers and I can see why they fight. Stability over Easiness or Snappiness over Stability. So, at this point Sabayon is partitioned off my hard drive.

On another note for you Debian/Ubuntu users, SimplyMEPIS shouldn't be overlooked. KDE 3.5 is growing on me.

Computer Pics

Just some screen shots of my current Linux Desktops, DosBox 0.72, and VirtualBox Machines.

View Album

Get your own

My Current Box:

From Tower Pics

From Tower Pics

Current Computer Stats

Currently Running:

Motherboard: ECS GeForce6100SM-M2
Processor: AMD Sempron 3000+ (overclocked from 1601Mhz to 2403Mhz)
RAM: Super Talent 1x1GB DDR2 800Mhz
HDD: Maxtor 6B200P0 (IDE/189.9 GB)
- /dev/sda1: 128.19 GB ext3 HOME/Backup
- /dev/sda2: 10.00 GB ext3 SimplyMepis 7.0 (KDE 3.9/Debian Based)
- /dev/sda4: 21.63 GB XFS Zenwalk 5.2 (Enligthenment + XFCE/Slackware Based)
+Extended (30.11 GB)
- /dev/sda5: 14.55 GB ext3 Linux Mint 5 XFCE CE (using with Open Box/Ubuntu Based)
- /dev/sda6: 1 GB Swap
- /dev/sda7: 14.55 GB ext3 Sabayon Linux 3.5 POD (XFCE/Gentoo Based)
CD/DVD Drives:
- /dev/scd0: NEC DVD_RW ND-3550A (CD RW / DVD -/+RW DL IDE)
- /dev/scd1: ASUS DRW-2014L1T (CD RW+Lightscribe/ DVD -/+RW DL SATA)
Video: On-Board Nvidia 6100 nForce 405 (Shared 64MB RAM)
LAN: On-Board Nvidia MCP61 Ethernet
Sound: On-Board Nvidia MCP61 High Def Audio (RealTek ALC662)
Keyboard: Logitech Wireless S510
Mouse: Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse Explorer 2.0
PSU: 400 WATT PowMax
Case: Generic with Side Window (5x 3.5 drive bays 4x 5.25 drive bays)

Using Sun VirtualBox's Virtual Machines in Linux Mint
-OpenSUSE Gnome+Xfce 11.0
-Fedora Gnome 10 Preview
-Mandriva 2009.0 Gnome+Xfce One
-Windows XP + SP3