(Metroid) Compiz-Fusion

One aspect of Ubuntu that grabs your attention is the ability of the OS to be customized. This attribute is apparent in Compiz-Fusion, a theme and desktop effects package for the OS that allows a wide variety of window management and appearance settings to be tailored to the user's preferences. In a PC that has a dedicated graphics card (like mine), enabling and running Compiz-Fusion is relatively straightforward. In addition to providing some great eye candy, Compiz-Fusion improves the speed with which the user (in my case, at least) can move around open directories and applications. The idea is similar to Apple's exposé function, but taken to extremes. For a visual demonstration of these effects in action, take a look at this video. There are still some bugs to work out, like the ability to use custom images as caps for the rotating cube, but overall Compiz-Fusion is a nice package.

First Problem Solved

After installing Ubuntu (which is really easy), it became clear that the first problem to resolve was with flash video playback. Using the recommended Flash Player download (version 9) from Ubuntu's 'Add/Remove' application, videos from websites like YouTube and Hulu were displayed at very low frame rates and were completely unwatchable in full screen. The solution to this situation is to uninstall Flash Player 9 using the Synaptic Package Manager (System-->Administration-->Synaptic Package Manager) and then manually download the Flash Player 10 beta here. Simply run the Flash 10 installer in the terminal and flv videos should run well.

Definitions and Specifications

Before going into detail about the issues associated with getting Ubuntu up and running, it seems appropriate to have a brief background on what Ubuntu is and the computer it is being installed on.

Ubuntu is an open source Linux operating system that is distributed free of charge via the internet. You can download a copy here. The current version, 8.04 Hardy Heron, was released in April 2008. A more detailed discussion of Ubuntu can be found here. Obviously, the big advantage that Ubuntu (and similar Linux operating systems) have over Windows and Mac OS X is the absence of cost in the software; everything is free from top to bottom. This deal comes with a price in the form of user labor. It is often a lengthier process to install and configure programs to perform tasks in Ubuntu than it would be in Windows or OS X. A restricted driver must be downloaded in order to play MP3 files, for instance. Certainly not a deal-breaker, but not the plug-and-play experience that most have come to expect. Couple this level of user involvement with the text heavy, command line fundamentals of the OS, and Ubuntu is an interesting project.

The PC on which Ubuntu is installed is a Pentium 4 HT, 3.0 GHz with 1.2 GB of RAM and an nVidia GeForce FX 5200 graphics card. The hard drive is an old laptop unit spinning at 5,400 RPM with a capacity of 20 GB. Networking is accomplished via a cheap 802.11g pci card. With luck, no hardware upgrades should be needed to run Ubuntu 8.04 on this hardware.

Ubuntu

Having run out of useful tasks for my old college desktop, I decided to turn it into a project computer. As anyone personally familiar with me will no doubt attest, my projects usually involve a drill and some form of disappointment. Notable examples of this trend include: Project Foglight, Operation LED Side Blinkers, and the infamous barbecue grill cart that just couldn't overcome gravity's awesome power. Hope springs eternal, though, and my goals with the old PC are modest:

1. To install and successfully run Ubuntu Linux at a level which allows for the computer to be useful as a day-to-day workhorse.
2. In the process of bringing Ubuntu online at a basic level, to gather the skills needed to define and carry out more ambitious projects in the future.
3. The avoidance of snow and freezing temperatures while working on the Ubuntu PC. Based on past experience, this will be the most difficult goal to achieve.

Updates on problems, solutions, and assorted trivia related to this project may appear in this space.