- wlug - list.wlug.org.nz

Canonical proposes alternate UEFI Secure Boot solution
by Peter Reutemann 21 Jun '12

21 Jun '12

"Canonical founder and Ubuntu leader Mark Shuttleworth has weighed in with a solution to boot Ubuntu with UEFI Secure Boot. Red Hat developer Matthew Garrett has criticised the approach as more closed than Fedora's". -- source: http://h-online.com/-1623134 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Dell to bring Ubuntu laptops to 850 retail stores in India
by Peter Reutemann 19 Jun '12

19 Jun '12

"Canonical and Dell have announced that new laptops pre-loaded with the Ubuntu Linux operating system will be sold in retail stores across India. These systems will include the Dell Inspiron 14R and 15R laptops, and will be part of the initial "widescale roll out" to 850 retail outlets from Thursday 21 June; new models are expected to be added later in the year." --source: http://h-online.com/-1620657 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Linux Mint 13 - Mate edition
by Peter Reutemann 17 Jun '12

17 Jun '12

Hi everyone My work laptop (Lenovo X100e) choked and died during an update of Ubuntu 12.04 on Friday morning, resulting in an installation that no longer booted (root partition gone, kernel panic). Decided to re-install it with Linux Mint 13 Mate edition, since the Cinnamon edition was rendering too slow and quite sluggish. After a couple of hours, I was up and running again. Once again with a beautiful desktop, but with qt applications (keepassx, skype, ...) looking hideous. Today, I found the solution: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=219&t=104216#p591250 The qt4 theme wasn't set to gtk+, but "Desktop settings". Doesn't seem to handle gtk+3 for some reason. Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Introducing the mintBox
by Peter Reutemann 17 Jun '12

17 Jun '12

"In association with CompuLab, Linux Mint is proud to introduce the mintBox. The pro model is recognizable by its ribbed case (its faster performance requires more heat dissipation) We’re passionate about what we do and for our very first Mint device, we wanted something unique, something special and extraordinary." Based on the fit-PC3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fit-PC#fit-PC3) and marketed as mintBox running Linux Mint 13 (Cinnamon). Specs: - mintBox Basic ($476 + shipping, duty & VAT): 250GB HDD APU G-T40N (1.0 GHz dual core + Radeon HD 6290 – 9W) 4GB RAM Flat metal case - mintBox Pro ($549 + shipping, duty & VAT): 250GB HDD APU G-T56N (1.65 GHz dual core + Radeon HD 6320 – 18W) 8GB RAM Ribbed metal case "Another highlight of the mintBox is how easy it is to open it. Both the RAM and the HDD are accessible from underneath the box. Use a standard screwdriver to open the bay and you can upgrade your RAM or switch the HDD for a SSD drive without any hassle." -- source: http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2055 It ain't cheap, but still cool. :-) Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Re: [wlug] Skype 4.0 For Linux Now Available
by GJB 15 Jun '12

15 Jun '12

Wonder if they have any new encryption for chat or privacy tools included? It is notoriously insecure, something linux users are usually not that happy about. > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [wlug] Skype 4.0 For Linux Now Available > From: Peter Reutemann <fracpete(a)waikato.ac.nz> > Date: Fri, June 15, 2012 10:43 am > To: wlug <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > > > "Anyone who uses Skype on Linux will be happy to hear that a new > version has been made available today, bringing with it a host of > essential updates and new features. Skype 4.0, codenamed "Four Rooms > for Improvement," is long overdue, and Marco Cimmino makes a point of > thanking Linux users for their patience on the Skype blog. The main > improvements Skype is delivering include much improved audio call > quality, better video support, and improved chat synchronization. For > video specifically, Skype has spent time implementing support for a > much wider range of webcams, so if your camera didn't work before > today you might be surprised to find it does in Skype 4.0. Visually, > Skype has received a new Conversations View, which brings all chats > into a single, unified window (you can revert to the old view if you > prefer). There's also a new Call View, presence and emoticons have > been redesigned, and you can now store and view numbers within each > Skype profile." > > -- source: http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/06/14/223213/skype-40-for-linux-now-avai… > > Cheers, Peter > -- > Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ > http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

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Skype 4.0 For Linux Now Available
by Peter Reutemann 14 Jun '12

14 Jun '12

"Anyone who uses Skype on Linux will be happy to hear that a new version has been made available today, bringing with it a host of essential updates and new features. Skype 4.0, codenamed "Four Rooms for Improvement," is long overdue, and Marco Cimmino makes a point of thanking Linux users for their patience on the Skype blog. The main improvements Skype is delivering include much improved audio call quality, better video support, and improved chat synchronization. For video specifically, Skype has spent time implementing support for a much wider range of webcams, so if your camera didn't work before today you might be surprised to find it does in Skype 4.0. Visually, Skype has received a new Conversations View, which brings all chats into a single, unified window (you can revert to the old view if you prefer). There's also a new Call View, presence and emoticons have been redesigned, and you can now store and view numbers within each Skype profile." -- source: http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/06/14/223213/skype-40-for-linux-now-avai… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Ubuntu 12.04 Ported To the Allwinner A10 MK802 Mini PC
by Peter Reutemann 14 Jun '12

14 Jun '12

"Thanks to the strong ARM support in the Ubuntu repositories, Ubuntu, along with Lubuntu and others have been ported to work on the new MK802 mini PC. Performance is very impressive, especially given that Mali GPU driver support in Linux is still lacking features such as hardware video decoding." -- source: http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/06/14/1343205/ubuntu-1204-ported-to-the-… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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/usr/share/applications what am I doing wrong?
by Bruce Kingsbury 14 Jun '12

14 Jun '12

I've installed Padman and urban terror in /opt .. created scripts to launch them in /usr/games, put icons in /usr/share/pixmaps and created .desktop files in /usr/share/applications (by copying the one for openarena and just changing the names). So far so good, the games appear in the menu and I can play them. After a reboot they're gone from the menu for every user, but I can get them back in the menu by simply opening a root terminal, moving the two .desktop files from /usr/share/applications to another directory and then moving them back again. And nothing more than this is required. What is going on?!

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Re: [wlug] With Euro Zone Problems, Bitcoin Experiencing Boost In Legitimacy
by GJB 14 Jun '12

14 Jun '12

Open source currency ... I suppose you all already know about the NZ bitcoin exchange https://bitnz.com/ other than this though doesn't seem to be much else happening in NZ regards bitcoin/namecoin etc. > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [wlug] With Euro Zone Problems, Bitcoin Experiencing Boost In > Legitimacy > From: Peter Reutemann <fracpete(a)waikato.ac.nz> > Date: Wed, June 13, 2012 4:20 pm > To: wlug <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > > > For the Bitcoiners among you, this might be interesting: > > "Despite being used for drugs and beef jerky, Bitcoin is finding > legitimate purposes. Bitcoin's decentralized convenience means > international efficiency, in areas where local restrictions on money > transfers to foreign companies make legal businesses cumbersome. 'I've > been able to have cash in my bank account in a matter of hours using > Bitcoin, rather than three days with traditional banking,' one British > businessman in China told Reuters. In embattled Europe, Bitcoin offers > some a viable alternative against central banks, said a Greek owner of > an island bar and restaurant who accepts payment in Bitcoin. 'I don't > put money in the banks. I trust the euro as a note, but I don't trust > banks. I don't want them making money out of my earnings.' Indeed, > Europe's financial woes are caused an unprecedented surge of interest > in the alternative currency, as the continent loses economic > credibility with each new bailout, according to a report by the > Financial Post." > > -- source: http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/06/12/2351203/with-euro-zone-problems… > > Cheers, Peter > -- > Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ > http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

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With Euro Zone Problems, Bitcoin Experiencing Boost In Legitimacy
by Peter Reutemann 13 Jun '12

13 Jun '12

For the Bitcoiners among you, this might be interesting: "Despite being used for drugs and beef jerky, Bitcoin is finding legitimate purposes. Bitcoin's decentralized convenience means international efficiency, in areas where local restrictions on money transfers to foreign companies make legal businesses cumbersome. 'I've been able to have cash in my bank account in a matter of hours using Bitcoin, rather than three days with traditional banking,' one British businessman in China told Reuters. In embattled Europe, Bitcoin offers some a viable alternative against central banks, said a Greek owner of an island bar and restaurant who accepts payment in Bitcoin. 'I don't put money in the banks. I trust the euro as a note, but I don't trust banks. I don't want them making money out of my earnings.' Indeed, Europe's financial woes are caused an unprecedented surge of interest in the alternative currency, as the continent loses economic credibility with each new bailout, according to a report by the Financial Post." -- source: http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/06/12/2351203/with-euro-zone-problems… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cms.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Debian wheezy for Raspberry Pi goes into testing
by Peter Reutemann 11 Jun '12

11 Jun '12

'Developers working with the low cost ARM based mini-computer now have a new version of Debian GNU/Linux to test: "wheezy"' --source: http://h-online.com/-1615208 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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New Zealand Open Source Awards 2012
by Peter Reutemann 11 Jun '12

11 Jun '12

Hi everyone The New Zealand Open Source Awards are now open for nominations: http://www.nzosa.org.nz/ The categories this year don't just cover business and government software, but also include "Open Science Award" for science related software, "Open Source Use in The Arts", "Open Source Contributor" and "Open Source People's Choice Award" (for recognizing organizations/individuals). The full list is available here: http://www.nzosa.org.nz/categories If you think that a person or project from New Zealand should get nominated, then go ahead and do it: http://www.nzosa.org.nz/node/add/nomination Please feel free to forward this email. Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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REMINDER: WLUG meeting tonight!
by Meeting Reminder Bot 11 Jun '12

11 Jun '12

There's a WLUG meeting tonight: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- !!!WLUG LanParty Meet up at the university, usual meeting room for Monday meetings: MS4.G.02 (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?MS4) Time: 10am to 4pm Come along and bring your favourite free/ open source games or games that run on free operating systems. Suggestions include: * Bzflag * World of Padman * urban terror * Sauerbraten * More on WikiPedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-source_video_games) We'll have internet access (48Mbit/s). Entry is free for visitors and club members. However, if you, as a visitor, wish to connect your computer to the internet for more than a few minutes, a fee of $4 dollars to cover internet costs would be appreciated. We will accept membership applications on the day ($20). There are no kitchen facilities within the room. Toilets will be available around the campus, a couple of bakeries not far from campus.

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Re: [wlug] Snapshotting backup tool Obnam 1.0 released
by GJB 09 Jun '12

09 Jun '12

I wonder if the verb should be "Snapshooting" rather than Snapshotting. :) > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [wlug] Snapshotting backup tool Obnam 1.0 released > From: Peter Reutemann <fracpete(a)gmail.com> > Date: Wed, June 06, 2012 11:04 am > To: wlug <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > > > 'Obnam, "a snapshotting, de-duplicating, encrypting backup program" > has been released by its developer, Lars Wirzenius. The application > has been in development since 2006 when Wirzenius decided that he > could not find a backup application which met all his demands, despite > finding various applications with one or two of his requirements.' > > -- source: http://h-online.com/-1605021 > > Cheers, Peter > -- > Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ > http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

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MD5crypt Password Scrambler Is No Longer Considered Safe
by Peter Reutemann 07 Jun '12

07 Jun '12

In the light of the LinkedIn password hash leak: "Now, Poul-Henning Kamp a developer known for work on various projects and the author of the md5crypt password scrambler asks everybody to migrate to a stronger password scrambler without undue delay. From the blog post: 'New research has shown that it can be run at a rate close to 1 million checks per second on COTS GPU hardware, which means that it is as prone to brute-force attacks as the DES based UNIX crypt was back in 1995: Any 8 character password can be found in a couple of days. The default algorithm for storing password hashes in /etc/shadow is MD5. RHEL / CentOS / FreeBSD user can migrate to SHA-512 hashing algorithms.'" -- source: http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/06/07/1529252/md5crypt-password-scrambler… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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REMINDER: WLUG meeting is tomorrow!
by Meeting Reminder Bot 07 Jun '12

07 Jun '12

There is a Waikato Linux Users Group meeting tomorrow: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- !!!WLUG LanParty Meet up at the university, usual meeting room for Monday meetings: MS4.G.02 (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?MS4) Time: 10am to 4pm Come along and bring your favourite free/ open source games or games that run on free operating systems. Suggestions include: * Bzflag * World of Padman * urban terror * Sauerbraten * More on WikiPedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-source_video_games) We'll have internet access (48Mbit/s). Entry is free for visitors and club members. However, if you, as a visitor, wish to connect your computer to the internet for more than a few minutes, a fee of $4 dollars to cover internet costs would be appreciated. We will accept membership applications on the day ($20). There are no kitchen facilities within the room. Toilets will be available around the campus, a couple of bakeries not far from campus.

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Microsoft To Run Linux On Azure
by Peter Reutemann 06 Jun '12

06 Jun '12

"After years of battling Linux as a competitive threat, Microsoft is now offering Linux-based operating systems on its Windows Azure cloud service. The Linux services will go live on Azure at 4 a.m. EDT on Thursday. At that time, the Azure portal will offer a number of Linux distributions, including Suse Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP2, OpenSuse 12.01, CentOS 6.2 and Canonical Ubuntu 12.04. Azure users will be able to choose and deploy a Linux distribution from the Microsoft Windows Azure Image Gallery and be charged on an hourly pay-as-you-go basis." -- source: http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/06/06/2150202/microsoft-to-run-linux-on-a… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Snapshotting backup tool Obnam 1.0 released
by Peter Reutemann 05 Jun '12

05 Jun '12

'Obnam, "a snapshotting, de-duplicating, encrypting backup program" has been released by its developer, Lars Wirzenius. The application has been in development since 2006 when Wirzenius decided that he could not find a backup application which met all his demands, despite finding various applications with one or two of his requirements.' -- source: http://h-online.com/-1605021 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Re: [wlug] wlug Digest, Vol 252, Issue 3
by stephen pearce 05 Jun '12

05 Jun '12

Any progress on the bulk purchase plan? Stephen On 6/5/12, wlug-request(a)list.waikato.ac.nz <wlug-request(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> wrote: > Send wlug mailing list submissions to > wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > wlug-request(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > > You can reach the person managing the list at > wlug-owner(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of wlug digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. A few things you can do with the Raspberry Pi (Peter Reutemann) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2012 08:49:19 +1200 > From: Peter Reutemann <fracpete(a)waikato.ac.nz> > To: wlug <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > Subject: [wlug] A few things you can do with the Raspberry Pi > Message-ID: > <CAHoQ12LQH=hYv+Us3STNki_dzwsKaCuyj7vnQujPEoRCd+q8=Q(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > 1) A starter to the world of computer programming using Scratch > 2) Use the Raspberry Pi as an inexpensive media centre. > 3) Attach a large external hard disk to the USB ports and create your > own inexpensive and low-power NAS server. > 4) Given the incredibly low power requirements of the Raspberry Pi and > its silence (no fan noise), it has the potential to be a useful > personal web server. > 5) Make your own secure file repository, joining the cloud computing > revolution. > 6) Build your own Arcade cabinet to play your favourite arcade games. > 7) Home-brew voicemail system using FreeSwitch. > 8) Convert the device into a touchscreen tablet. > > http://www.linuxlinks.com/article/20120603092224252/RaspberryPi-ThingstoDow… > > Cheers, Peter > -- > Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ > http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/? ? ? ? ?? Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list > wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > > End of wlug Digest, Vol 252, Issue 3 > ************************************ > -- Stephen Pearce Critical Care Whangarei ph 021 390 997

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A few things you can do with the Raspberry Pi
by Peter Reutemann 04 Jun '12

04 Jun '12

1) A starter to the world of computer programming using Scratch 2) Use the Raspberry Pi as an inexpensive media centre. 3) Attach a large external hard disk to the USB ports and create your own inexpensive and low-power NAS server. 4) Given the incredibly low power requirements of the Raspberry Pi and its silence (no fan noise), it has the potential to be a useful personal web server. 5) Make your own secure file repository, joining the cloud computing revolution. 6) Build your own Arcade cabinet to play your favourite arcade games. 7) Home-brew voicemail system using FreeSwitch. 8) Convert the device into a touchscreen tablet. http://www.linuxlinks.com/article/20120603092224252/RaspberryPi-ThingstoDow… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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ANNOUNCE: WLUG meeting is one week away
by Meeting Reminder Bot 01 Jun '12

01 Jun '12

The Waikato Linux Users Group have a meeting in one week from today: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- !!!WLUG LanParty Meet up at the university, usual meeting room for Monday meetings: MS4.G.02 (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?MS4) Time: 10am to 4pm Come along and bring your favourite free/ open source games or games that run on free operating systems. Suggestions include: * Bzflag * World of Padman * urban terror * Sauerbraten * More on WikiPedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-source_video_games) We'll have internet access (48Mbit/s). Entry is free for visitors and club members. However, if you, as a visitor, wish to connect your computer to the internet for more than a few minutes, a fee of $4 dollars to cover internet costs would be appreciated. We will accept membership applications on the day ($20). There are no kitchen facilities within the room. Toilets will be available around the campus, a couple of bakeries not far from campus.

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NZ Computer Society National Series: Games development from NZ - How to get ahead
by David Hallett 31 May '12

31 May '12

NZ Computer Society National Series: Games development from NZ - How to get ahead 13 June 2012: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Events Room One, Gallagher Hub Wintec City Campus Gate 3, Tristram Street Hamilton Games development from NZ: How to get ahead The games development industry is big. Seriously big. Globally the $90 billion games industry is already larger than music recordings and the Hollywood box office and has been an investment hot spot. And the New Zealand industry is no exception. Our video games industry grew significantly last year and is one of the fastest growing export sectors in the country. When digital distribution and smartphone AppStores reduced the barriers to publishing, the lid was taken off a sector that had long shown promise. Finally our distance from publishers and financiers is no longer an issue. But what's really happening in New Zealand and how do you get in on the action? In this interactive presentation Stephen Knightly from the NZ Game Developers Association will give a "state of the nation" on the growth and position of the New Zealand games sector and talk in depth about how you or your company can break in. Note: Light lunch provided. Free for NZCS members, inexpensive for others. Registration required at the following URL: http://www.nzcs.org.nz/events/waikato_bop/593-Games_development Regards, David Hallett, BSc, MNZCS ITCP P.O. Box 15-516 Hamilton, New Zealand Mobile: +64-21-802 256

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Snowlinux 2 delivers a GNOME 2 based Ubuntu
by Peter Reutemann 30 May '12

30 May '12

"Bringing together GNOME 2 and the latest Ubuntu release, version 2 of Snowlinux, code-named "Cream", features the MATE GNOME 2.x fork as its default desktop" -- source: http://h-online.com/-1586876 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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High Quality Virtually Free Calls to America
by Robert D Davidson 30 May '12

30 May '12

Hey Wlug, For a high quality free Voiip service try Callcentric www.callcentric.com with a Softphone from Counterpath www.counterpath.com called Bria 3. Cheers Robert Robert D Davidson www.facebook.com/derondavick

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Re: [wlug] Fedora 17 "Beefy Miracle" released
by GJB 30 May '12

30 May '12

Thanks, I was just doing some reading on it also ... broken sym-links could take on a whole new dimension of fail with this scheme :) We'll know if it was a successful test if it eventually makes it into Red Hat Enterprise I suppose. At least it will somewhat declutter the '/' root directory. > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: [wlug] Fedora 17 "Beefy Miracle" released > From: Peter Reutemann <fracpete(a)waikato.ac.nz> > Date: Wed, May 30, 2012 12:01 pm > To: Waikato Linux Users Group <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > > > > Any ideas where all the files from /bin /sbin /lib and /lib64 will be > > moved to? seems quite a dramatic change ... I always thought that seemed > > like quite logical layout. I can see many a broken shell script in > > Fedora's future. > > The distinction between executables for the root user and other mere > mortals has become blurred over time and apparently, one can no longer > really boot up with an empty /usr. More information here: > http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/UsrMove > > In the referenced article "What's new in Fedora 17" > (http://h-online.com/-1585254) there is the following information on > what's happening to the obsolete directories: > > "In Fedora 17, all of the files which were previously located in these > directories are now in similarly named sub-directories of /usr/. To > ensure backwards compatibility, the deleted directories have been > replaced with symbolic links that point to the new directories." > > Shouldn't break any scripts therefore. > > Cheers, Peter > -- > Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ > http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

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Re: [wlug] Fedora 17 "Beefy Miracle" released
by GJB 30 May '12

30 May '12

Any ideas where all the files from /bin /sbin /lib and /lib64 will be moved to? seems quite a dramatic change ... I always thought that seemed like quite logical layout. I can see many a broken shell script in Fedora's future. > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [wlug] Fedora 17 "Beefy Miracle" released > From: Peter Reutemann <fracpete(a)waikato.ac.nz> > Date: Wed, May 30, 2012 8:56 am > To: wlug <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > > > "The GNOME Shell is now able to run without 3D acceleration. A major > restructuring of the filesystem sees the demise of the /bin/, /sbin/, > /lib/ and /lib64/ directories." > > --source: http://h-online.com/-1585486 > > Good news for users of older hardware that doesn't support 3D > acceleration, since Ubuntu seems to drop Unity 2D support starting > with 12.10: > http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTA5OTA > > Cheers, Peter > -- > Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ > http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174 > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

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Fedora 17 "Beefy Miracle" released
by Peter Reutemann 29 May '12

29 May '12

"The GNOME Shell is now able to run without 3D acceleration. A major restructuring of the filesystem sees the demise of the /bin/, /sbin/, /lib/ and /lib64/ directories." --source: http://h-online.com/-1585486 Good news for users of older hardware that doesn't support 3D acceleration, since Ubuntu seems to drop Unity 2D support starting with 12.10: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTA5OTA Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Backing Up on Linux with Duplicity
by Peter Reutemann 27 May '12

27 May '12

"Duplicity supports syncing files locally between filesystems, SSH/SCP, rsync, FTP, WebDAV, Tahoe-LAFS, and Amazon S3 to name just a few. So if you prefer to sync to a remote server that you control, then Duplicity is a great choice." "One of Duplicity's features is that can encrypt backups. In fact, that's the default. You'll need a Gnu Privacy Guard (GPG) key to use encryption." -- source: https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/581431-backing-up-on-linux-with-dupli… Personally, I use "grsync" (graphical frontend to rsync; for mp3s and photos) and "sbackup" (for all other files) to back up our computers onto an (encrypted) external drive. Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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REMINDER: WLUG meeting is on Monday
by Meeting Reminder Bot 27 May '12

27 May '12

There's a Waikato Linux Users Group meeting on Monday: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ''Where?'' Meet up at the university, in MS4.G.02 (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/contacts/map?MS4) ''When?'' 7:30pm onwards ''What?'' * IanStewart talks about ** his presentation to the HCC regarding saving money with open-source software ** Debian 6.0.4/6.0.5 and Tails 0.11 (maybe TOR) * PeterReutemann talks about the new Linux Mint release

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Tiny Pluggable Linux ARM Computers Are Red-Hot
by Peter Reutemann 27 May '12

27 May '12

More on the front of pocket-sized computers: "The new wave of fun geek toys is inexpensive, hackable, tiny Linux-powered ARM computers, and they're red hot. This is the year to go small." -- source: https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/582501-tiny-pluggable-linux-arm-compu… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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G4 iMac, needs a new home
by Daniel Lawson 27 May '12

27 May '12

I have a G4 iMac that is looking for a new home. 15" screen, 800MHz PowerPC G4, 60GB harddrive, 512MB of ram Currently reinstalling OSX 10.4 (Tiger) onto it. Comes with original 10.2.3 install media, as well as retail copies of 10.3 and 10.4, and a copy of iLife '04. Free, but you have to pick it up from either Hillcrest area during the weekend/evenings, or the Farmers carpark on Alexandra st during the day.

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discussion on new wlug page
by Peter Reutemann 25 May '12

25 May '12

Hi everyone Just started a new discussion for features the new WLUG webpage should have and what software could be used: http://elgg.wlug.org.nz/pg/forum/topic/8615/new-wlug-webpage/ Why this discussion? Things have changed, people use the website different, maintenance is difficult. Hence it is a good time to discuss things! Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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elgg group for getting councils going open-source
by Peter Reutemann 25 May '12

25 May '12

Hi everyone I've set up a new group for collecting ideas and information on how to get councils to go open source: http://elgg.wlug.org.nz/pg/groups/8610/councils-going-opensource/ Please join the group and add your ideas! Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Ubuntu + LibreOffice success story
by Peter Reutemann 25 May '12

25 May '12

Hi there The following post about saving a significant amount of money using Ubuntu+LibreOffice just came through on the NZOSS mailing list: http://lists.nzoss.org.nz/pipermail/openchat/2012-May/009591.html Another example for the HCC... Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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REMINDER: WLUG meeting is tomorrow!
by Meeting Reminder Bot 24 May '12

24 May '12

There is a Waikato Linux Users Group meeting tomorrow: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- !!! WlugCommittee meeting ''What?'' * committee handover * cheque signing rights * meeting room problems (last two meetings not possible in meeting room) * (further) discussion of Monday night meeting (http://www.wlug.org.nz/MeetingTopics.2012-05-28) topics ''Where? '' * at Bruce's place ''When?'' * 10am

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Linux Mint 13 (Maya) Has Arrived
by Peter Reutemann 23 May '12

23 May '12

"Linux Mint 13 (Maya) has just been released. DVDs come in four flavors — MATE (with and without codecs) and Cinnamon (with and without codecs) — in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The codec-free versions comply with U.S. and Japanese IP regulations. MATE 1.2 is Linux Mint's community-powered extension of Gnome 2. Cinnamon 1.4 is built upon Gnome 3, but has a more traditional look and feel. As with Ubuntu 12.04, upon which Linux Mint draws, all editions come with Long-term support (LTS) until April, 2017. The release notes provide a list of changes." -- source: http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/05/23/2049242/linux-mint-13-maya-has-arr… Just started downloading the 32/64 bit cinnamon versions. :-) Will bring them along to the next Monday night meeting. Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Raspberry Pi foundation demos 14MP camera module for $35 computer
by Peter Reutemann 22 May '12

22 May '12

A blog post published by the Raspberry Pi foundation offers the first look at an experimental camera module that is designed to plug into the organization’s popular $35 Linux computer. The camera component, which will likely be available for purchase later this year, is relatively small. The foundation says that it is “ideal for some robotics and home automation applications people have been wanting to build.” --source: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/05/raspberry-pi-foundation-demos-14mp-c… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Into the Mosh Pit: A Mobile Shell Replacement for SSH
by Peter Reutemann 22 May '12

22 May '12

"Mosh" (http://mosh.mit.edu/) sounds very useful: "SSH is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't deal very well with today's mobile workers. When dealing with iffy Wi-Fi connections, moving around from coffeeshop to home office, or just putting your laptop to sleep for a few minutes, you lose your SSH connection. If you need a persistent connection, take a look at Mosh." -- source: https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/562553-into-the-mosh-pit-a-mobile-she… Not just available for the latest Ubuntu (and other Linux distros), but also for versions starting with 10.04, via a separate ppa: http://mosh.mit.edu/#getting Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Equinox Desktop Environment 2.0 released
by Peter Reutemann 22 May '12

22 May '12

"The latest version of the Equinox Desktop Environment, EDE 2.0, is fully freedesktop.org-compliant and now uses the FLTK toolkit throughout. It is designed to be a fast and lightweight environment for older computers or embedded use" -- source: http://h-online.com/-1581800 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Introductory ebook for new LPI exam released
by Peter Reutemann 21 May '12

21 May '12

"German company Linup Front has released its teaching materials for the new Linux Essentials exam from LPI as a free ebook [en + de]. The book aims to cover all the basics of using a Linux-based operating system." "Linux Essentials – The LPI Introductory Programme is designed for introductory courses in high schools and colleges but is also well suited for private study." -- source: http://h-online.com/-1580981 Direct download links for the eBooks: -en: http://shop-download.linupfront.de/cc/lxes-en-manual-cc.pdf -de: http://shop-download.linupfront.de/cc/lxes-de-manual-cc.pdf Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Presentation at Hamilton Council 10 Year Plan Hearing
by Ian Stewart 21 May '12

21 May '12

Hi Folks, Just to let you know that I delivered my 5 minutes of Open Source to Hamilton City Council. Rob, Peter, Kyle, Noel and Bruce; many thanks for your e-mails with hints/comments on the presenting. My 20 x hand-out's included my home made copies of ubuntu 12.04 desktop i386. I did investigate Peters suggestion of handing out the Ubuntu "business re-mix", but decided against it on the grounds of having to agree to some EULA's before downloading didn't make it suitable. I parallel the handing out of home made Open Source CD's somewhat like... going along to Council to promote a new type of muffins, and in doing so I bring along a batch of muffins that I've baked at home. The Councillors are welcome to eat the muffins themselves, or take them home and give them to their kids. At the end of my presentation I got in a plug for Peters submission #365. This was somewhat like stating, that Peter has supplied the recipe for the muffin's, and Council can get their chief cook to investigate Peters recipe in more depth to see if the Council want to get into making muffins. So I don't think it mattered that my CD's had a "home made" look about them. The goal of my submission was: "To have included in the Hamilton 2012-22 10-year Plan: Reduce the costs of Hamilton City Council's Information Technology, through the implementation of Open Source Software." On May 29-30 Council will decide on the submissions, and on June 29 the final plan will be adopted. So we will have to wait and see if Open Source gets its foot in the door this time round. cheers, Ian. PS: One Councillor asked me if he'd be able to use the ubuntu 12.04 i386 desktop CD on his Mac. I told him that I was not knowledgeable on Mac's and I'd get back to him. I see there's this... https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MactelSupportTeam/AppleIntelInstallation ...on installing ubuntu on Mac's that use intel chipset. I'm not sure if I'd like to recommend he gives this a go unless he's 100% sure his Mac has no data on it. Maybe I'll suggest he comes along to a wlug Saturday workshop and hopefully someone is there that's done this sort of thing on Mac's. cheers, Ian.

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Dolphin file brower issue on Ubuntu 12.04
by Peter Reutemann 21 May '12

21 May '12

Hi there Unfortunately, Nautilus got a bit neutered in Ubuntu 12.04, by removing the "Home" and "Up" buttons. Hence I switched to using KDE's Dolphin file browser instead, in my Gnome classic session. But, of course, this isn't without problems... The most annoying thing is that a selected file/directory fades from white font on orange background (dolphin-selected.png) to white font on white background, when hovering with the mouse above the selected file (dolphin-selected_mouse_hover.png). Can this "fading" be turned off? I couldn't find anything obvious in the KDE settings and changing themes didn't seem to do anything either (window+gtk theme: Radiance, icon theme: ubuntu-mono-light). Any KDE power-user out there that can help with that? Thanks. Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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MK802 micro-PC runs Android 4.0 and Linux
by Peter Reutemann 20 May '12

20 May '12

More expensive, but also interesting: "The computer is the size of a USB stick and features a 1.5GHz Cortex A8 processor with 512MB of RAM and a MALI400 GPU. It can decode 1080p video via its HDMI output and has two USB connectors". -- source: http://h-online.com/-1578994 Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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Re: [wlug] Presentation at Hamilton Council 10 Year Plan Hearing
by GJB 18 May '12

18 May '12

Personally I think the idea of 10-year plans are terrible for many reasons. Also seems a little incongruous with such a fast moving scene as OSS, 10 years from now who really knows what OSS will look like? > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: [wlug] Presentation at Hamilton Council 10 Year Plan > Hearing > From: Michael McDonald <mikencolleen(a)gmail.com> > Date: Thu, May 17, 2012 6:43 pm > To: Waikato Linux Users Group <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> > > > On 17 May 2012 15:56, Ian Stewart <ianstewart56(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > > PS: One Councillor asked me if he'd be able to use the ubuntu 12.04 i386 > > desktop CD on his Mac. I told him that I was not knowledgeable on Mac's and > > I'd get back to him. I see there's this... > > https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MactelSupportTeam/AppleIntelInstallation > > VirtualBox works well on Macs. Create a virtual machine and you're > away. Haven't tried Linux, but I did set up Windows 8 on one Mac. It > works well on other computers too! > > Michael > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

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LISWire: Australian Public Library Chooses Koha
by Peter Reutemann 17 May '12

17 May '12

Maybe this would be a useful example for the HCC on how to save money running their libraries? http://blog.cr2.in/2012/05/16/liswire-australian-public-library-chooses-koh… "Koha is the first free and open source software library automation package (ILS). Development is sponsored by libraries of varying types and sizes, volunteers, and support companies from around the world." http://koha-community.org/ Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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LinuxMint13 RC Is Available For Testing
by Peter Reutemann 17 May '12

17 May '12

Slowly getting there! http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/05/16/1719208/linuxmint13-rc-is-availabl… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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pirate party news
by Peter Reutemann 16 May '12

16 May '12

Look who's in the news: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6933846/Pirate-Party-from-… Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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OSI / FOSS Submissions to Hamilton City Council 10 year plan. - Ian to deliver presentation at Hearing
by Ian Stewart 16 May '12

16 May '12

The Hamilton City Council received 724 submissions to their 2012-2022 Draft 10 Year Plan. Just under 200 of those that submitted plans, have indicated they wish to attend the hearing and deliver a presentation. These hearing are being held this week, 14th May to 18th May. The submissions have been split into 12 categories. The last category, "Other Issues Raised" has 78 submissions and 25 of those submitters wish to present at the hearing. Of these 78 submissions I found two regarding Hamilton City Council's IT strategy. Both promote the implementation of the Open Source Initiative /FOSS. Peter Reutemann's submission (#365) can be read here... http://www.hamilton.co.nz/our-council/council-publications/10yearplan/10yea… My submission (#294) can be read here... http://www.hamilton.co.nz/our-council/council-publications/10yearplan/10yea… Peter opted not to present, while I have opted to make a presentation. I have been invited to present at 12 noon on Thu 17 May for 5 minutes at the Municipal Building in Garden place. It is requested that the 5 minutes includes time for questions. I welcome anyone from wlug that would like to provide ideas or suggestions for my presentation to send an e-mail to me: ianstewart56 at hotmail dot com. Alternatively, I will go to The Hilly bar, (off clyde St.- next to the Warehouse) at 7pm this Tuesday night (15th). Drop by and we can discuss presentation ideas over a beer. In my quick glance through the 78 "Other Issues Raised" submissions, apart from Peter and my submissions, none of the others appear to be promoting something that is designed to reduce the costs of the Councils operations to the rate-payers. For my presentation I believe that the focal point needs to be that I'm proposing the implementation of something that "reduces costs". cheers, Ian. FYI: My draft presentation strategy is currently along these lines: o. 5 minutes is 300 seconds. I make 10 x 24 second points = 240 seconds = 4 minutes. o. Allow 1 minute for questions. o. Mention "cost saving" in each of the 10 points. o. Don't use a slide presentation. Have printed up hand-out's for the Councillors. o. Hand-out's have a page to write questions on. o. Don't get technical. E.g. Don't even say the word "Linux". o. Mention where Open Source saves costs: Initial "purchase" lower, Lower support centre calls, Reduce h/w replacement. o. Promote Council to review Peter's submission #365 containing many examples and references. o. The global IT strategy for the future is Open Source. The council is only deciding "When" they start. o. Only answer non-technical questions. Don't get into a technical jargon wrestling match. o. Collect up written questions at the end, and agree to submit written responses to Council by the next day. o. Be jovial and happy. o. Give all the councillors at the hearing a copy of Ubuntu 12.04 CD, and tell them its legally theirs. o. ? o. ? o... more ideas welcomed from wlug!

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Ubuntu 12.04: 1 pixel wide window borders
by Peter Reutemann 11 May '12

11 May '12

Hi there One of the most annoying usability bugs in the Ubuntu 12.04 gnome-fallback desktop is that the window borders are a mind-boggling 1 pixel wide. Unless you are super patient or have super motor skills, resizing windows is a futile exercise. I've added a blog post of how to fix this: http://elgg.wlug.org.nz/pg/blog/read/8309/ubuntu-1204-window-borders HTH Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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OpenShot video editor on Ubuntu 12.04
by Peter Reutemann 11 May '12

11 May '12

Hi there Just encountered a problem with the OpenShot video editor under Ubuntu 12.04. For some reason, I couldn't export to mp4 (h.264 or mpeg4) because OpenShot moaned that libx264 and libmp3lame weren't installed. Fact is, they were installed (but as libmp3lame0, for instance). Didn't go into too much digging around for the root of this problem, but simply added the medibuntu repository and installed the avformat library, which solved the issue. Here is what I did: - added medibuntu repository (run in terminal) sudo wget --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list && sudo apt-get --quiet update && sudo apt-get --yes --quiet --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get --quiet update source: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu#Adding%20the%20Repository - installed avformat library (version 53 instead of 52): sudo apt-get install libavformat-extra-53 source: http://askubuntu.com/questions/26142/trouble-installing-codecs-libx264-and-… HTH Cheers, Peter -- Peter Reutemann, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Waikato, NZ http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~fracpete/ Ph. +64 (7) 858-5174

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