How to try Linux

Download and try the following OS, and give it a go. I’m actually using Ubuntu to host this website and a number of other clients sites, although I’m using the 10.04 LTS edition. LTS editions have longer lifecycles, which saves you having to rebuild your server so often – and patches are supplied for the life of the edition.

Ubuntu Linux v10.10

Ubuntu is a Linux 2.6 based Operating system, and is, simple and well supported with “Graphical based” installers and tools.

A good introductory read is the “New to Ubuntu” guide.

After this, you can download and install Ubuntu:

1. Download “Desktop CD” installation files.
2. Follow the installation details for a Graphical Install
3. Introduce yourself to the Operating system.

Other books on the OS are:

Whyday comes and goes

A Ruby

If you’re a tech head, and you’ve been around Object Orientated languages – then you’ve surely heard of Ruby.

I’ve been around people who are passionate about Ruby, but never caught the bug. What I did do whilst others were programming away, was read about ruby. One day whilst reading I came across the name of an online persona Why the lucky stiff, also known as _why.

_why

Whilst _why was/is considered a prolific and influential programmer of Ruby, what was fascinating was his disappearance. In August 2009, he withdrew from “public” life – specifically all his online presence was deleted. He closed up his blog, twitter account and github account. Plenty of people have ensured his code and writing not only live on but continue, and you can read more of his eccentric writings at his estate.

However, my interest here is his book: Why’s (poignant) Guide to Ruby

Some have innocuously declared the 19th of August as “Why Day“. What better way to celebrate knowledge than to start reading a book, and why not read the guide book itself?! I’m just a regular old person, so far unaware of Ruby and its

Exponential World

We ARE living in exponential times, as this video clearly documents.

I first saw this video at Eastman’s Genealogy website.

Original research of the figure and facts is by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman.

iPhone 3GS announced

The new iPhone 3GS was announced yesterday at WWDC. The main changes are in the hardware. The differences are now:

• 32GB Option
• 3 Megapixel camera with autofocus
• Video Recording capabilities with upload to Youtube function
• Voice Control
• Compass

The other new features coming to the iPhone such as:

• Cut, Copy & Paste (about time!)
• MMS and contact send/receive via SMS
• Bluetooth transfer and A2DP support
• Data tethering to your laptop (USB or Bluetooth)
• Spotlight Search
• Landscape keyboard across all apps
• Voice Memos

will be available on the current iPhone 3G, the iPhone 2G and included oin the new 3GS. A free software upgrade to Version 3.0 of the firmware will be ready for download to the public June the 17th.

For the die-hard Apple fanboys, a Quicktime stream of the keynote speech given by Phil Schiller is now online.