Blog Feed: Linux notes from DarkDuck

Users voted for the best XFCE-based distribution... again!

Published on 2012-05-24 08:20:00

I have run a poll some time ago. Its question was to determine the best XFCE-based Linux distribution. I published the first results of the poll in the middle of December 2011. That time round, there were only 74 people who took part in the poll. Obviously, that draw lots of criticism for unrepresentative statistics. People kept voting, despite the announcement of the results. Today I publish second round of the poll results, with number of participants more than doubled since last time: 16 [..] > read more

How fresh is the dew: ROSA 2012 Marathon?

Published on 2012-05-20 18:07:00

Do you know what is happening with Mandriva as a company? It has been on the brink of collapse for quite a few years already. You can learn more from my discussion with Eugeni Dodonov, who used for work for Mandriva for several years. There is no surprise that a Linux distribution under such poor management gets lots of forks. Mageia was a fork which I adore. Mageia 1 is a distribution which I have been running on my laptop from almost Day 1 of its release. Mandriva 2011 Hydrogen > read more

The Porteus Team: We consider ourselves a "Portable Linux Community"

Published on 2012-05-16 18:30:02

My blog started as short reviews, or even self-addressed notes, of "pocket" Linux distributions. SLAX was number one, soon followed by Knoppix and Puppy. Then, as I developed my knowledge in Linux, I started to dive into the world of bigger distributions: Ubuntu and Kubuntu, Debian and PCLOS, and many more. But "pocket Linux" is still a toy I love to play with. That's why I have returned to that topic again and have done reviews of SliTaz 4.0 and Puppy Slacko 5.3.1. Today I want to develope th [..] > read more

Update in Compiz for Xubuntu 12.04 post

Published on 2012-05-15 16:43:00

Few days ago I published a guest post from Emery Fletcher about Compiz for Xubuntu 12.04. That post listed packages which you need to install in order to make Compiz up and running. Also, there was a method of starting Compiz. Unfortunately, my own experience with Xubuntu 12.04 showed that the list was not comprehensive. That's why I updated the post today. I also included the recommendation how to automatically start Compiz in Xubuntu 12.04. > read more

Puppy Slacko: different, but the same

Published on 2012-05-14 17:59:00

Most of my readers probably know, that apart from this blog, I also run Buy Linux CDs site. You can order CDs with Linux distributions there, and they will be sent to anywhere in the world. There are not a lot of orders, I must admit. But sometimes I do get orders. A recent one was very interesting for me, because it allowed me to come back to my old friend, and see how it has changed in the last few months. So, an order came from the Buy Linux CDs site. This order was for the Puppy Linux disk [..] > read more

Installing Compiz on Xubuntu 12.04

Published on 2012-05-09 18:03:00

I have been a fan of Compiz for a couple of years and I usually install it on each of my distro-hopping adventures. Somehow, it just doesn't seem right any more for a window to simply vanish, rather than exploding, slithering off in pursuit of the cursor, or retreating to the perspective vanishing point. And of course I insist on the option of turning the desktop into a colorful ball that spins around on command. This addiction to eye candy I pursue even at the expense of loading down otherwise [..] > read more

New design of buylinuxcds.co.uk site

Published on 2012-05-09 00:23:00

Apart from running this blog, I also run site www.buylinuxcds.co.uk. This is kind of commercial arm of this blog. Buy Linux CDs site allows you to order disks with your favourite distributions, if you cannot create them by yourself for whatever reason. buylinuxcds.co.uk > read more

13 surprises from Kubuntu 12.04

Published on 2012-05-07 18:59:01

KDE-based version of Ubuntu is named Kubuntu. This is not a secret. Kubuntu was actually one of the first Linux distributions I’ve seen. It was the second major one, after Ubuntu itself, which I saw. That was a version 10.04 LTS. I still keep a ShipIt CD on my shelf. Kubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin was released on the same day as Ubuntu 12.04 > read more

The Joint Contest of Zorin OS, Linuxaria and Linux notes from DarkDuck

Published on 2012-05-06 15:28:00

With Zorin OS next release not far away, I am happy to announce a special contest. This contest is organised together by Zorin OS > read more

Pre-order your own disk with Mageia 2 now!!!

Published on 2012-05-04 18:30:01

With the coming release of next version of Mageia 2 just a week or so away, I believe many of you will be looking forward to get your own ISO image of the system. For those who are not so lucky, and who needs to wait longer, because you can not or do not want to create your own CDs with operating system images, here we are to help! You can pre-order your own copy of Mageia 2 (KDE > read more

400+ subscribers now!

Published on 2012-05-03 19:19:00

The best way to measure the blog's popularity is probably to see how many people regularly read it. They may be one-time readers, or subscribers. The latter are those who consider blog interesting and worthwhile to read. So, number of subscribers more or less reflects the authority of the author(s).This blog, Linux notes from DarkDuck, has just passed another mark in this area. As of today, I can officially say there are more than 400 subscribers. Feedburner confirms this.Just a little bit of a [..] > read more

Robert Milasan: Kongoni GNU/Linux aims to anybody who likes to experiment

Published on 2012-05-02 18:06:00

Some Linux distribution are born to be big. Like Debian, Ubuntu and RedHat. Other Linux distributions are born to die, because only limited set of developers are self-interested in them. And there are distributions which are born to live small. They are changing maintaners and developers, but don't change the supporting idea. The example is Kongoni GNU/Linux. This is one of the few distributions born with an idea of freedom. This is one of the distributions approved by Free Software Foundation [..] > read more

Xubuntu 12.04: don't fix what is not broken

Published on 2012-05-01 21:42:30

There are not so many successful commercial companies on the Linux market. Of course, RedHat is the flagbearer in that area, with their over-1-billion dollars revenue for the last year. Who is on the second place? I think most people would name Canonical. Canonical’s flagship is Ubuntu. The recent version of Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin was released on the 26th of April 2012. But Ubuntu 12.04 is not the only operating system from Canonical. The company also officially supports three other [..] > read more

Top 5 Linux Platforms In The Market

Published on 2012-05-01 04:50:05

The Access Company has developed various Linux application platforms in the market to go with its brands. These are generally the operating systems that aid in performing various jobs that suits the user. The following are the top 5 Linux Platforms in the market today. UBUNTU Top of the rank in the Linux distribution is the Ubuntu Software. This can be used at home and at work places. It can be applicable to use in the server. It comes in three editions. These are the Ubuntu desktop, server and [..] > read more

Special non-blog post has been distributed

Published on 2012-04-28 15:38:28

A week ago I announced a unusual e-mail which I was going to send to all my e-mail subscribers. I have done this today. So, please check your inbox. If you see this message, but not the "special edition", then please write to me with a request to re-send. I know e-mail system is not reliable. > read more

Ubuntu 12.04: A Stairway To Heaven?

Published on 2012-04-27 18:14:07

Many of Linux users waited for that day. 26th of April 2012. The day when Canonical released their Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin. The day, when Unity became the only available desktop environment for the current long-term support version of Ubuntu. The day has come. Let me see what it brought to us. Canonical stuck to the classical ISO image size this time: only 700 Mb, which is just fine to be burnt onto CD. As usual, there are several options available, either in terms of the system (32- and [..] > read more

SliTaz 4.0: light and stable

Published on 2012-04-25 16:00:55

When I first started this blog, I tended to write mostly about pocket-size distributions. SLAX and Puppy Linux were my first ones. And I still love them. Even though I've branched into more heavyweight distributions since that time, pocket-size small Linux distributions are still my favourites. I like trying them out, and then writing about them for you, my readers. SliTaz is one of those small-size distributions. I reviewed SliTaz 3.0 > read more

Devil Live twins of OpenBSD: the project is kicking

Published on 2012-04-23 07:21:39

Some time ago I wrote a blog post about twin brothers in the world of Open Source. They are not Linux-related, but rather BSD-based operating systems: LiveCD OpenBSD and LiveUSB OpenBSD. If you re-read those posts, you may notice that I was not happy with those operating systems at all. They were not working more often than they were working. Since that time, I talked to the author of the project, Girish, several times. He let me know recently that the project has an updated release, publish [..] > read more

Something unusual is coming!

Published on 2012-04-21 17:18:00

You may have noticed that I was not writing much reviews of Linux distributions in the recent past. The reason for this is that I was away for holidays. Of course, new reviews are coming. The next one is scheduled to be published in a couple of days. In the meantime, I’d like to excuse a little bit more. I am preparing an absolutely unique post. I’ve never done this before, and this is unlikely I’ll do it in the future. To be precise, this won’t be a blog post. Rather, this will b [..] > read more

Artyom Zorin on Zorin OS, the gateway to Linux for Windows users

Published on 2012-04-19 18:07:29

Most often than not, the brand has an abstract name. General Electric, FIAT, Airbus, Pepsico, RedHat – all these companies have names which have nothing to do with names of their founders. Although, there are still some cases when person’s name becomes a name of the brand. Let me introduce a person who’s name became a brand. At least, in the Linux world. Please meet: Artyom Zorin. Because both me and Artyom are Russians living abroad, the interview is available in both English and Russia [..] > read more

Артем Зорин о Zorin OS - воротах в мир Linux для пользователей Windows

Published on 2012-04-19 18:05:00

Чаще всего имя бренда – это что-то абстрактное. General Electric, FIAT, Airbus, Pepsico, RedHat – названия всех этих компаний не имеют ничего общего с именами их основателей. Тем не менее, иногда имя человека становится именем бренда. Разрешите мне представить человека, чье имя стало брендом, п� [..] > read more

Pre-order your own disk with Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu or Lubuntu 12.04 NOW!!!

Published on 2012-04-18 17:01:01

With the coming release of next long-term support version of Ubuntu 12.04 just a week away, many of you already looking for downloading of your own ISO image of the system. But many of you are not so lucky, and will need to wait longer, because you can not or do not want to create their own CDs with operating system images. Here we are to help! You can pre-order your own copy of Ubuntu 12.04 (or Xubuntu, or Lubuntu, or Kubuntu) right now. It means that CD with your favourite OS will be burnt to [..] > read more

When is it time to change your operating system?

Published on 2012-04-12 18:03:00

Image by Exey Panteleev Can you imagine yourself in any of these situations? You sit in front of your computer, whether a laptop or desktop, look at the screen, move your mouse and … wait until the computer is ready to take your commands. But, the computer is too busy doing other operations to respond to your commands … There are 1001 reasons why your Windows-based computer can behave like this. There could be issues with programs, errors in the Windows registry, running low on memory, vir [..] > read more

Danny Pop: Give me my Linux and computers back!

Published on 2012-04-11 18:57:01

Linux part of blogosphere is quite big. Different people take different niches there. My blog, for example, is for people who want to read relatively short reviews of options available in different Linux distributions. Other niches are taken by Guillermo Garron or Geek-in-Pink. Today I will introduce you yet another person who writes blog about Linux. Please meet: Daniel Pop. DarkDuck: Hello Danny. Could you please introduce yourself. Daniel Pop: Well hello there, Dmitry! My name is Daniel Pop [..] > read more

Don't forget the newbies!

Published on 2012-04-10 03:30:03

Let's say you're someone who has been using Linux for a while now. You've become used to installing new distros, you've built firmly established preferences for deb or rpm and KDE or Gnome, and the command line holds no more terror for you. You have become a part of the community, perhaps even a well-known and trusted forum contributor. It has been a long time since you had to resort to a wiki to learn the meaning of a technical term. Image by Andrew* But that wasn't always true. You were on [..] > read more

Host Your Own Video with Flowplayer

Published on 2012-04-07 09:28:01

Video can be a powerful tool to deliver information over the Internet for marketing, corporate training, or social media purposes. Most people who think of Internet video probably think of YouTube first, but sometimes public hosting is not the best option for your video. What do you do, for example, if you want to upload a confidential interview, or training material for your employees to use on the corporate intranet? You might want to incorporate marketing video on your site without any YouTub [..] > read more

Linuxaria: I really fell in love with the idea of Open Source and GPL even before I actually installed my first Linux

Published on 2012-04-04 18:03:00

Some time ago I announced a poll where I gather your opinion about the different changes on this blog. One of the questions there relates to interviews. Even though I have not published the results yet (you can still vote), I can tell that majority of my readers like the interviews. I think I will continue with this line on the blog. And today I am happy to present you the interview with Riccardo Capecchi. You may or may not know his name, but you are more than likely know his blog - Linuxaria. [..] > read more

Six ways to use Linux Live CDs in your business

Published on 2012-04-04 02:06:00

Do you think an operating system should always be installed on the hard disk of a computer? It was true for me up until a certain point. Things changed when Knoppix Live CD was released by Klaus Knopper in 2000. Knoppix was a pioneer in Live CD for Linux, and it still remains one of the most respectable Linux distributions. Of course, Knoppix is not alone. There are many more Linux distributions available on the market now that can run in Live mode. There are basically two types of media whi [..] > read more

Unity, GNOME3, Windows 8 and… jumping rats

Published on 2012-04-02 18:30:01

I am not a full-time Linux blogger, you know. I am an IT consultant. It means that from time to time I have to run a training course about the software I implement. More often than not, I start my training course with a parable I adore. Image by Furryscaly A group of scientists made an experiment. They gathered a few rats in a box and started to lower a piece of cheese for them. Once the rats started to jump in the attempt to be first to reach the cheese, scientists poured cold water on t [..] > read more

Hsiloof Linux: The Real Breakthrough, No More Wine!

Published on 2012-03-31 18:06:01

There are plenty of things that you can do when you have plenty of money. Mark Shuttleworth, for example, spent some of his fortune for the privilege of being one of the first space tourists. Another part of his capital is involved in the company named Canonical, which works on the famous Linux distribution, Ubuntu. Russian oligarchs have not been enrolled in the list of space tourists yet. But, they spend money generously, too. There are football (Chelsea, Arsenal, Monaco, Anzhi) and basket [..] > read more

New poll: how do you like changes?

Published on 2012-03-29 18:30:01

Hello my dear readers! If you read this blog for some time, you may have noticed the evolution. Things are changing in this blog as time goes. The changes were introduced by myself, because I thought they would benefit the blog and, as a result, you, my dear readers. And now it is time to ask you, if they are useful or not. Now I publish a little poll. It contains four major questions, which describe changes happened in the blog. Please feel free to vote. If you have something to comment, th [..] > read more

AgiliaLinux: No More Interviews!

Published on 2012-03-28 18:50:00

I have done interviews with different people all around the world. But these were interviews with individuals: Linux writers, bloggers, developers. Today I open another page, and my interview is with whole team who works on Linux distribution. Please meet: Agilia Linux Team. DarkDuck: Hello, Agilia Linux team. Could you please introduce yourselves? fat0troll: My name is Valdos. I live in Smolensk, a town in central Russia. I am musician-saxophonist. pztrn: Hello, my name is Stanislav, and [..] > read more

Results of the Twitter contest

Published on 2012-03-27 18:01:00

Hurrray! It is another reason to have some good time. Another contest is over. This is my pleasure to announce the winners. They are: @metalmayhem420 @Oemissions @debianmain1 Congratulations! Each winner will receive a 1Gb USB stick from me. I ask these my Twitter followers to contact me by Twitter Direct Message, specifying the mail address they want to get the prizes to. > read more

CrunchBang Linux: a good system for the devoted to Linux

Published on 2012-03-27 15:38:51

This Linux OS distribution is one of the most famous in the world. There are almost no people who are acquainted with Linux, but never heard of this OS. At this moment of time, it is on the 29th place in the Distrowatch rating, somewhere between Xubuntu and GhostBSD. Of course, I knew about this operating system for ages. But I have not tried it yet. I was a rather afraid of it. Anyway, this time had to come sooner or later, and I decided to give CrunchBang a go on my laptop. CrunchBang is so [..] > read more

Is There any Hope For Desktop Linux?

Published on 2012-03-27 01:41:00

This article on operating system technologies is written by Paul Barrett, a web developer for www.bathroomrenovationsperth.net, a business helping people find bathroom design in Perth and other bathroom related needs. The opinion is author's own and may be different from blog owner's. Image by KobraSoft Around 10 years back, like many IT people at the time I decided I would make a switch to using Linux on my desktop. It wasn’t to be any sort of dual-boot venture where I would simply never boo [..] > read more

Carla Schroder: Whoever controls technology controls society

Published on 2012-03-22 17:31:10

I have interviewed different people for my blog already. They were Russians, Americans and even Bolivians. They live in different parts of the world. They are men and women. Some of them are high-profile figures on Linux horizon, some are just people who popularise Linux in their blogs. My > read more

Yet Another Guest Post

Published on 2012-03-21 01:37:00

There are some places which I've visited several times, but never got returning visits. Until I got an interview... And there is a place which I've never been yet, but owner of it has been visiting me several times. It was a time for me to make yet another guest visit, and see how my name looks at his blog. That's why I invite you to appreciate my guest post on tavisonline.com, dedicated to must-have apps for any Linux > read more

8 Free Open Source Alternatives To Microsoft Exchange

Published on 2012-03-19 21:09:00

Image by Lars Plougmann Many users are frustrated with the planned obsolescence and expense of Microsoft products. One of Microsoft's popular products has been Microsoft Exchange, while many users are impressed with the features of Microsoft Exchange; others are looking for open source alternatives. Ubuntu ServerFor system administrators with experience, Ubuntu Server includes a full range of features such as private and public clouds, security from AppArmor, virtualization, integration betwee [..] > read more

Simply improves and polishes

Published on 2012-03-19 06:16:59

There are a lot of Russians in the Linux world. Not only in Russia, but also in other parts of the world. The examples? Eugeni Dodonov lives in Brazil, Artyom Zorin lives in Ireland. Of course, many more Russians live in Russia and ex-USSR countries. Some of them organize their own companies that work in the Linux community. ALT Linux is one of those companies. ALT Linux has two major products on the market, and I have already written about both of them. ALT Linux is the main, commercial o [..] > read more

Guillermo Garron: Linux can be as easy as Windows, but you can complicate it as much as you want

Published on 2012-03-16 17:25:37

There are many people who write about Linux. Many of them help each other. But there are few whom I appreciate most of all. Today I interview one of them - Guillermo Garron. DarkDuck: Hello, Guillermo. Welcome to my blog. It is very unusual, because more often I write guest posts for you. Now we slightly change roles. I am glad to see you here. I think not all my readers know you. Could you please describe in short who you are? Guillermo Garron Guillermo Garron: Hi Dmitry, I'm a guy in lo [..] > read more

Let your computer e-mail you!

Published on 2012-03-16 17:25:19

I have recently received an e-mail from my computer. Yes, you read it right. Not from my friend, colleague or distribution list. My own computer e-mailed me. Why, would you ask? Because I am running a simple background job on my computer and don’t want to check the logs every time it completes. That’s why I use simple tools to get the information in my inbox, which I check regularly anyway. To share the knowledge, I wrote a guest post on Wazi about sSMTP and Blat. > read more

My review makes an impact

Published on 2012-03-13 14:18:00

Some time ago I wrote a review of the OpenBSD-based Live system created by an enthusiast with the nickname jggimi. I honestly did not expect that my review would have such an effect on the system development. In other words, Josh (the person behind the nickname Jggimi) decided to change the whole approach to his system based on my critique. It was one of the most constructive reactions to my reviews I’ve seen so far. Let me take a little break now, and let Josh explain his future plans. [..] > read more

New social contest from Linux Notes from DarkDuck

Published on 2012-03-12 13:24:01

Hello to everyone. Especially to those readers who follow me on twitter. Today I would like to announce another contest. It is very simple. You need to utilize your social networking skills, and nothing more. All you need to do is to send the following tweet: I like to read Linux notes from DarkDuck http://goo.gl/vM2iB and Buy Linux CDs http://goo.gl/FNySh @linuxnote To ease up the task, simply click the link above, and Twitter will have everything populated for you - just click Tweet to [..] > read more

Italian Simplicity: Semplice Linux

Published on 2012-03-11 18:18:00

Just a few weeks ago, at the end of 2011, I reviewed a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu with the OpenBox window manager: SalentOS. That distribution was created by an Italian person who lives in Salento, hence the name. I am not sure if Italians have some extreme love of OpenBox, but very soon after that, I heard about another OpenBox-based distribution from that country. This time, though, it is based on Debian. To be precise, on the unstable branch of Debian – Sid. This distribution, Se [..] > read more

8 Linux Graphics Apps for Just About Everything

Published on 2012-03-08 17:38:14

One of the remarkable benefits of using Linux operating systems is that there is a plethora of free and open source software to accompany them. Most Linux distributions come with many free software packages, and you can always install more anytime you want. For Linux desktop users, there are plenty of graphics programs from which to choose. The following list does not cover all of them. Instead, it highlights one graphics tool from each type. 1. Gimp Even if you are not familiar with Linux, y [..] > read more

New achievement: 100 people who like Facebook page

Published on 2012-03-05 16:28:13

You should have known this already. This blog also has fan page on Facebook, where you can get updates not only from Linux notes from DarkDuck, but also from other resources which I consider interesting. Today the page got its 100th fan. Little reason to celebrate! PS. Maybe I should announce a prize? Why not! The 150th person to like the Facebook page will get a present from me: a 4GB USB stick! Come on! Follow the link and press the Like button! > read more

Chakra 2012.02: improved, but still confusing

Published on 2012-03-04 18:39:00

I have already written about two Linux distribution releases which happened in February: PCLinuxOS and Sabayon. Although it is already March, I still would like to write a third one about just another February release. Let it be three. Chakra Linux is a distribution with quite a long history. I have already written about it a couple of times. First, I complained about the inability to use Unetbootin to create a Live USB. The next one was more productive, but still I was not very happy about th [..] > read more

Record your desktop!

Published on 2012-03-01 12:07:00

There is a good Russian saying: it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. That’s why screencasts are so important when you want to explain something. I have written an article which was published by Wazi which compares four different options to record your screencast. Feel free to read, share and recommend! > read more

Why I Use PCLinuxOS

Published on 2012-02-28 00:17:00

It was twenty years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play. Nevermind. That's a different story. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ... No, that's not right, either. They say the third time's a charm. Here we go. In 2000, I began my Linux journey with baby steps. I was already a bit familiar with UNIX from using limited shell accounts at work. I tried Slackware, Debian, Red Hat and quite a few lesser distros. None seemed to really fit until I tried SuSe 9.1. It was very comfo [..] > read more

Sabayon 8.0: slightly burnt dessert

Published on 2012-02-26 16:40:49

February 2012 brought us some fresh releases of Linux-based operating systems. These systems are not as big and famous as Ubuntu, Fedora or OpenSuSE, but still have a considerable army of fans. I have already written about the PCLinuxOS 2012.02 release. Today I will tell you about another, Sabayon 8.0. It is not my first, or even my second trip to the Sabayon camp. The first time I tried Sabayon 5.5 XFCE. The second trip was to Sabayon 6.0 KDE. The results of these trips were different. Versi [..] > read more

Евгений Додонов: Даже когда я работал в Microsoft, у меня на машине была установлена Slackware

Published on 2012-02-22 18:04:10

Человек, который родился в России, но живет в Бразилии. Человек, который работал в Microsoft и Mandriva, но всегда использовал Linux на своем компьютере. Человек, который занимался исследованием возможности построения компьютерной системы а-ля Skynet. Встречайте, Евгений Додонов! Перед � [..] > read more

Eugeni Dodonov: Even while I was at Microsoft, I still had Slackware on my machine

Published on 2012-02-22 18:03:38

The man who was born in Russia and lives in Brasil. The man who worked for Microsoft and Mandriva, but always used Linux on his computer. The man who researched the ability to build the Skynet-ish computer systems. Please meet: Eugeni Dodonov. Just before we start, I'd like to make a little announcement. Since Eugeni and I are both Russians, we decided to publish this interview in English and Russian languages both. The Russian version can be found here. Eugeni Dodonov DarkDuck: Hello Eugen [..] > read more

Do you want a career in Linux world?

Published on 2012-02-21 13:00:07

Many people still think that Linux is only an operating system, which you can use on your desktop or laptop computer. This is simply not true. The fact is that GNU/Linux distributions like Debian, RedHat, Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSuSE and others are only part of the Linux world. Big part, but still only a part. Another fact, Linux is only a kernel which runs in the heart of the operating system. And this kernel can run on multitude of different platforms. This includes the devices, which we don’t [..] > read more

PC Linux OS 2012.02: nice and stable

Published on 2012-02-19 17:58:36

There are not so many distributions in the Linux galaxy which have names directly showing the purpose of the distribution's creation. I honestly do not think that Bodhi is going to enlighten anybody or Fedora can stay on your head. As opposed to these, PCLinuxOS directly says that it is a Linux operating system intended to be used on PCs. What is PCLinuxOS, commonly referred to as PCLOS, anyways? PCLOS forked from Mandriva a long time ago. The developers of this distribution, with Texstar as a [..] > read more

Give An Old PC New Life With Linux

Published on 2012-02-16 05:32:03

Chances are you have an older computer sitting in a closet somewhere just gathering dust. Why not breathe new life into it by replacing its old, clunky Windows installation with a fast and shiny new Linux installation? Linux has come a long way since the early days of typing cryptic strings of characters onto a "command line". Most modern versions of Linux now look and feel much like Windows, but without the code bloat and sluggish performance. And if you primarily use your computer to brow [..] > read more

Dreamlinux 5.0: a leap to the dream

Published on 2012-02-13 14:00:02

There are a lot of Linux distributions based on Debian. The most famous of them are Ubuntu, some flavours of Linux Mint and Aptosid. There are many more less known, for example, Kademar. Another Debian derivative which I have already written about is DreamLinux. I cannot say that my previous attempt to run DreamLinux was successful. It was the version 3.5, and there were issues with font size which prevented me from running any tests at all. Since then, DreamLinux team released another versio [..] > read more

How to make page numbering start on a certain page in OpenOffice.org or LibreOffice Writer

Published on 2012-02-10 16:05:40

About a year ago I published a blog post and then a video showing you how to insert page numbers into an OpenOffice.org document. The video became very popular, and I got some additional questions about the functionality. The question I got recently persuaded me to write this post. So, what is the question? Say you write a novel. This is a lengthy document which has a title page, table of contents and some chapters. You want to make page numbering start from a certain page and not inc [..] > read more

Another Live spin of OpenBSD

Published on 2012-02-09 01:30:04

The ability to run an operating system in Live mode is a great invention in the computer world. This way you can achieve multiple aims. I have written about some of them already. Many Linux distributions these days have Live versions of their operating system, and many have Live as the only available option. Unfortunately, Live systems are not so spread in the BSD world. There are not very many BSD-based operating systems which have ability to run in Live mode. That’s why each of them is of [..] > read more

New threshold has passed

Published on 2012-02-07 09:17:31

Hurray, another mark in the development of this blog! Today I saw the number of my blog readers to exceed the 300! There are 301 subscribers to this blog, as per FeedBurner's statistics. You can see the real-time counter at the bottom of the page. So, why not use this day to join the list of subscribers? You can use RSS or e-mail subscription, whatever is more convenient for you. > read more

Debian LXDE Live – is it still Debian?

Published on 2012-02-06 01:25:01

Last week I wrote about Fedora 16 LXDE. That post was intended to complete the cycle of reviews of different Fedora 16 spins. Apart from Fedora, I had posted another “almost full” cycle, which missed only one element. Coincidentally, that missing element is also an LXDE system. Today I will tell you about Debian LXDE Live, thus completing the Debian cycle. If you want to read about other versions of Debian Squeeze, please follow the links to reviews of GNOME, XFCE and KDE versions. D [..] > read more

Ambiguous Fedora 16 LXDE

Published on 2012-02-01 16:45:57

The paradox. The higher the speed of the CPU, memory, bus, etc., that hardware companies try to sell us, the more people tend to use low-resource operating systems and desktop environments. Of course, being light on system resources is not the only reason, but one of many reasons why more and more people switch from heavy DEs like KDE, GNOME3 and Unity to lightweight DEs like XFCE and LXDE. So far, I have done several reviews of desktop environments with LXDE, the most famous of them being Kn [..] > read more

How to install Ubuntu the way you've never done it before.

Published on 2012-01-31 18:07:21

I will tell you from the very start. This is neither my idea, nor my realisation. But I like it so much that I decided to share it with the wider public. Have you ever installed any GNU/Linux distribution? Have you ever installed Windows, say, 98? Have you noticed the difference? I think you know what I am talking about: the choice you have of installed components . While Windows installer allows you to choose the components you want to install, of course to a certain degree, I have not seen an [..] > read more

(Not) Just Another Birthday!

Published on 2012-01-28 18:30:00

Hello, my dear readers! If you read this blog for more than a year, you may know. Otherwise I tell you. It is my own Birthday today! Let me say it to myself, as I am quite modest person. ;-) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! All the congratulations and wishes are accepted! > read more

Katherine Noyes: I'm a Linux fan, and I enjoy helping to bring Linux to the forefront

Published on 2012-01-26 14:00:04

If you have enjoyed two interviews I made with women in Linux world before, I am sure you will love this one too. I'll not talk too much in the beginning. Let me introduce my today's guest: Katherine Noyes. DarkDuck: Hello, Katherine. I am sure most of readers of my blog know who you are. But anyway, could you please introduce yourself. Katherine Noyes: Yes, of course. I'm Katherine Noyes, and I'm a writer specializing in Linux and open source software. I write for PCWorld and LinuxInsider as [..] > read more

New address for Facebook page

Published on 2011-07-05 06:14:00

Socializing is one of inevitable things in today's Internet.This blog is not exclusion from this rule.You can get fresh updates from this blog in several ways: Facebook, Twitter, e-mail or RSS subscription.Moreover, Facebook and Twitter subscribers n > read more

Porteus 1.0: On the Trail of SLAX

Published on 2011-07-04 17:47:34

There are not many truly "pocket-oriented" systems in the Linux world. I mean those which are intended to be "installed" on flash drive or CD and run from there. Those which are not intended for full installation.The most famous of them are SLAX and > read more

How YOU can help this blog

Published on 2011-07-01 01:29:00

Hello my dear readers! This blog is over 8 months old and now is more than 100 posts long. You, my constant readers, may enjoy reading it. You may laugh of my mistakes (both in English or in Linux). You may wish to help... The question would be how y > read more

Mageia-cal Win Over Humanity

Published on 2011-06-30 17:05:18

I like Humanity in form of Ubuntu. I like KDE. That's why Kubuntu was my favourite distribution almost from very first sight on it. It was version 10.04 LTS, which I got on official CD from Shipit. You can still order a copy of that CD from Buy Linux > read more

This Blog Now Has PageRank = 4

Published on 2011-06-27 12:01:00

Another week started with good news for me and for my blog. Do you know what PageRank is? Wikipedia says PageRank is a link analysis algorithm, named after Larry Page and used by the Google Internet search engine... with the purpose of "measurin > read more

One More Guest Post

Published on 2011-06-26 21:19:01

I like when somebody comes as a guest to my blog. I like make visits too. Both these events fall under category of guest posting. It is time for me to make another visit. This is a visit to the very respectable blog about Linux: www.go2linux.org. I m > read more

Musix in the air

Published on 2011-06-25 17:53:06

Linux world is huge. Seems like there are more different distributions then stars in Debian galaxy. Some of them are generic, some of them are not. I have already made couple of reviews of Linux-based Operating System specifically created for creativ > read more

101

Published on 2011-06-25 17:15:31

Image by twicepix This is post #101 on this blog. Don't believe it? Try to summarize numbers below: Jun 2011 (10) May 2011 (16) Apr 2011 (16) Mar 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (11) Jan 2011 (12) Dec 2010 (8) Nov 2010 (6) Oct 2010 (8)If you are not good in > read more

Testing Strategy

Published on 2011-06-22 12:15:01

This blog runs for few months already, and soon will change number of posts to 3-digit number. Is it a good time to tell you what I am doing here at all? Probably most of my permanent readers already know, but... This blog is about reviews of Linux > read more

PC-BSD: Devil With Human Face

Published on 2011-06-20 17:10:13

This blog is mostly about Linux. You can guess it from the name: Linux Notes from DarkDuck. Linux world is huge. But it is not the only world of Operating Systems on the Open Source Software universe. I have already visited "neighbours" from an > read more

Puredyne: pure creativity

Published on 2011-06-17 17:47:48

How old are you? 20? 30? 40? Whatever is your age, you are now older than few years ago, aren't you? When you were younger, had you ever dreamed of being an artist? Sculptor? Maybe DJ? Any kind of creative profession? Fame, fans, furor... Sure, most > read more

Different Methods to Create Live USB with Linux

Published on 2011-06-12 18:06:00

Your computer is running Windows. Hope, only temporary. And you want to try Linux on that machine. Or you are already in Linux and want to give a go to another distribution. For some reason, CD/DVD drive is not available or not working. Do you have a > read more

Firefox 5 release: new speed, same illness (quick review)

Published on 2011-06-10 18:36:16

I was reading my Twitter when noticed tweet by OMG! Ubuntu! about this article. Yes, KDE got official update for Kubuntu 11.04. How much time did it take me to start my System Update after reading these news? Just few seconds! Yes, there was update f > read more

Why do I do Live system reviews?

Published on 2011-06-09 18:41:00

I receive feedback to almost all my reviews. Thank you, my dear readers. It means I write something important for you. Image by Sugree Phatanapherom One of the topics which is always discussed in comments is my love to Live versions of Linux distri > read more

Sabayon XFCE: the story continues

Published on 2011-06-07 18:56:38

My previous post was about Sabayon XFCE. For those who did not read it and does not know what Sabayon is, I tell that Sabayon is Linux distribution based on Gentoo. I got multiple comments for that post, and some of them looked very helpful. I could > read more

How to do simple things the Sabayon way

Published on 2011-06-06 18:31:22

Gentoo penguin Do you think there is only one penguin Tux? You are wrong. There is whole family of them. They are all brothers, because they have same father: Linux kernel code by Linus Torvalds. But they are not identical. They have their own names: > read more

Mageia: Is It A Kind Of Magic?

Published on 2011-06-02 18:57:20

I like to keep my promises. But sometimes I break them. Few months ago I promised to dump Mandriva Linux. I was not happy with it and did not want to return to it. But later I had another review of it, because I had an opportunity to try another flav > read more

What is the sense of gNewSense?

Published on 2011-05-31 15:40:29

Linux is famous for its freedom. Freedom is in its blood, to be precise - in its license. There are 2 types of free things which are usually considered: Free as beer. Linux OS costs you nothing to license. Free as freedom. Linux OS can be modified by > read more

Contest Results

Published on 2011-05-28 18:08:00

Contest which ran on this blog for few days is over. Unfortunately, I have not received screenshot with 100,000 on the counter. The closest one was 100,005. Winner has been notified and will hopefully receive prize soon. > read more

Fedora 15 KDE: When New Old Is Better Than New New.

Published on 2011-05-27 19:43:00

My last review was about Fedora 15 with GNOME 3 interface. That is the first ever implementation of GNOME 3 in widely released system. But Fedora is not GNOME-only oriented system. It features several “spins” with different desktop envi > read more

Dynebolic: forgotten Rasta Tux

Published on 2011-05-26 19:43:00

There are different Linux distros in the world. Some of them are generic and are suitable for wide range of purposes. Just a few to name: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, OpenSuSE, CentOS. Others are created for specific purpose and include specific appl > read more

Fedora 15 with GNOME 3: better than Ubuntu 11.04 with Unity, but...

Published on 2011-05-24 19:21:43

I have already written that there were 2 major events in Linux world this year, from my perspective. Second of them was release of Ubuntu 11.04 with controversial Unity desktop. What was first one? You're right: release of GNOME 3 desktop environment > read more

Simplest Contest You Ever Took Part In

Published on 2011-05-24 06:35:39

Have you ever took part in contest? Do you know that some of them are difficult, others are not?If you read my blog for some time, you should already know that my previous contest was rather difficult one.This is time now to announce new contest!Drum > read more

FreeSBIE: Is Devil Live or Dead?

Published on 2011-05-22 18:10:01

This blog is about Linux. I try different Operating systems based on Linux and share my opinion, whether it is good or not. But is the Linux the only operating system in the world? Surely not! Shall I tell you few words about other systems? Why not? > read more

Adventures in Chakra Linux

Published on 2011-05-19 09:28:00

My previous post was devoted to my attempts to run Chakra Linux on my laptop in Live mode. Neither CD nor Unetbootin'ed flash drive worked. I almost lost my temper, but then decided to look for an answer to my doubts on Chakra Linux's official web pa > read more

Bad Chakras of DarkDuck

Published on 2011-05-17 17:41:46

...or "God Loves Trinity"There is Russian saying "God Loves Trinity". I don't know English analogue. This saying means that when you have something 2 times, you are very likely to get same for the 3rd time. My recent experience with two versions of L > read more

2 Trips to South America

Published on 2011-05-15 18:19:39

I try to cover different areas of Linux world in my blog. That means I take Linux distributives based on different principles, approaches, roots. And also I try to cover distributives with different geography. Quick list of countries which I have "vi > read more

Alternative DNS services: pro and contra

Published on 2011-05-13 18:39:29

Internet is impossible to imagine without DNS. DNS stands for Domain Name System. This is a service which translates domain names (like linuxblog.darkduck.com) into IP address (like 74.125.53.121). Browser then connects to the host using IP address. > read more

Instant Messaging Options: An Ever-Growing List

Published on 2011-05-11 18:06:00

Instant messaging has been popular since its invention, and the number of instant message (IM) systems are growing almost exponentially. Whether embedded in proprietary programs—usable on certain websites only—or via free-standing platforms, ther > read more

CTK Arch: Fast and Furious

Published on 2011-05-10 16:16:20

When reviewing different distributions, I always try to do this in Live mode, being it Live CD, Live DVD or Live USB. There are some reasons for this. First of all, Live version can show you hardware support issues which you anyway face in normal ins > read more

4 Terribly Easy Steps To Move Away From Unity In Ubuntu 11.04

Published on 2011-05-04 18:55:43

Unity is default desktop environment in recently released Linux system Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal. It is newly developed product from Canonical. Unity is very controversial product. There are as much people who love it as people who hate it. Nobody s > read more

Fighting with Ubuntu 11.04 (Unity)

Published on 2011-05-04 17:34:05

Ubuntu 11.04 is one of the most expected releases this year. Yes, there were lots of pre-release discussions, reviews, controversy and so on. Finally, it was released. As you may know, my laptop is quadro-boot. One of the systems I had there was Ubun > read more

5 things I like in Ubuntu 11.04 (Unity) and 10 things which I don't

Published on 2011-05-01 18:44:44

Here we are! Long awaited and much discussed version of Ubuntu is here. It is Ubuntu 11.04. This version was long awaited because of one 2 main reasons: 1) As of 11.04 Canonical stopped free distribution of CDs with Ubuntu via partner Shipit. It's a > read more

What If Prince William And Kate Middleton Were Linux Fans

Published on 2011-04-29 15:37:19

Today is great day in the UK. Day of another Royal Wedding. Not only because this is just another Bank Holiday in this country. But also because this day continues monarchy. Hopefully Prince William and Kate Middleton will have baby soon, who can inh > read more

Linux Minx XFCE Roller Coaster

Published on 2011-04-25 18:06:00

I have been trying to use Broadcom 4311 WiFi card on most Linux distro I have tried so far. This card is built into my Compaq C300 laptop. I think it became my idee fixe at some point. Especially when I was taking Debian-based systems for review. Jus > read more

Blessed by Trinity...

Published on 2011-04-24 13:15:00

I am long established fan of KDE3 (Trinity). There might be 2 reasons: 1) My first ever Linux was SLAX which is based on KDE3. 2) I prefer old-school menu style with one column in main part with branches for each of them. When I see several columns i > read more

There Are More Than 100 Subscribers Now On This blog!

Published on 2011-04-21 06:00:38

Last week was pretty much full of news around this blog. Most of them were linked to our 6-months anniversary. Is there anything important left for this week? Yes! It happened today. You know that many people read this blog often. Some of them subscr > read more

9 Steps To Happiness in Linux Mint XFCE

Published on 2011-04-19 18:18:18

Linux Mint team works hard on making Linux as much user-friendly as possible. They even managed to improve usability of Ubuntu which holds position because its high degree of userfriendliness.Linux Mint is not just one system. I would say that Mint i > read more

Voting Results

Published on 2011-04-18 18:15:00

I announced a poll on this blog about a month ago. The question in the poll was What is the most interesting part of this blog? It is time now to announce results.Here they are: As you can see, most of the readers prefer to see what is this blog abou > read more

How Much of Linux Can You Get for 0.01 GBP?

Published on 2011-04-18 11:35:00

You know that modern Internet life is all around search. Search facility is "a must" on all respectable resources. Even my blog has search facility - just look at the right column. Sometimes search can give you some weird results, as was with me rece > read more

This Blog is in Top100 of Technorati Info Tech Blogs

Published on 2011-04-15 11:13:25

Hello everyone! Looks like there is no time for me to write anything about Linux last few days! I promise you'll get fresh content very soon. There are so much news about the blog itself! We have celebrated first half-year of this blog. I > read more

Contest Results!

Published on 2011-04-14 21:29:00

Today is 15th of April 2011. This blog is 6 months and 1 day today. As I promised, today I am announcing results of second contest on this blog. Here are the results: This time contest will only have 1 winner. No runner-up prizes. Main prize, 4Gb US > read more

We are 6 months old!

Published on 2011-04-13 19:13:01

Hooooorrray! This blog is 6 months old today! When I started it in October 2010, I did not think that it will last so long. Looks like I get in rela love with both Linux and blogging about it. I hope you enjoy reading what I am writing to you here! W > read more

Is CentOS 5.6 Better Than 5.5?

Published on 2011-04-13 18:22:56

CentOS is free operating system which is based on source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). RHEL itself is non-free open source project which has 2 free "relatives". Fedora acts as sandbox and test polygon for RHEL developers. Technol > read more

Moonstruck with...

Published on 2011-04-12 14:13:18

MoonOS From DarkDuck: This is the first post of new author of this blog: Diogones. He is student at University of Colorado and also fan of Linux. I hope you'll like his posts. So, ladies and gentlemen, please applause! DIOGONES! One o > read more

Contest Is Still Running

Published on 2011-04-11 10:51:49

Hello to all my readers! Do you want to win 4Gb USB stick? I'd like to remind you that contest is still running on this blog. You have few days left, because list of participants will close this week (oooops, I have just gave you another clue to g > read more

Do I Have Bad Karma for Debian?

Published on 2011-04-10 09:14:00

Do I have bad karma to run Debian? I have 6 posts about Debian so far, and only one of them relates to full success, where I was able to run a full-power Debian on my laptop. Maybe I myself and Debian are just creatures of different worlds and w > read more

3-in-1: How 3 Old Friends Can Be Found In Same Place

Published on 2011-04-06 19:01:37

Can you ever expect that three of your oldest friends which belong to different companies can be found in the same place? Difficult to imagine, isn't is? It's like accidentally finding your best school friend and your best colleague in your favorite > read more

4 Lessons Which Bodhi Linux Taught Me

Published on 2011-04-03 02:14:00

Ubuntu is not the oldest distributive on the Linux landscape. Moreover, it is not standalone one, and it is based on Debian. But Ubuntu and its derivatives became the most used Linux in the world, bringing Linux to the level when non-geek users can g > read more

New Contest from Linux Notes from DarkDuck

Published on 2011-03-30 18:26:01

Couple of months ago I ran a contest on my blog. I think many of you liked the idea. So, why not try it again? This time contest will be dedicated to 6 months anniversary of this blog. In order to take part in contest, you need: 1) Subscribe to this > read more

KDE or GNOME?

Published on 2011-03-28 18:08:00

I published a post recently when I told how many and which systems are installed on my laptop. If you remember (or have read it just now), my preferred system is Kubuntu. Because of KDE. Why KDE? I don't know... I sat down once and decided to put al > read more

Poll Is Still Running

Published on 2011-03-24 07:15:01

Hello to all my readers! Hope you still enjoy reading my blog. Do you want to make it even better? Do you want to read content which YOU like? Please use your next minute or so to take part i the poll which I run here. Poll form is on the right colum > read more

Tux Which Does Not Exist...

Published on 2011-03-23 18:40:33

Does Wikipedia know everything? 99% of Internet users will most likely answer "yes" to this question. Do you want me to prove that is not true? Ubuntu is not only the most popular Linux distributive in the world. It is also basis for tons of other di > read more

2.5 Methods to Mount Windows Share

Published on 2011-03-20 20:00:10

If you have more than one computer at your home, there is a chance that one of them runs Windows and another - Linux. Then, you are more than likely to have a necessity to share files between your computers. Say, you have something on your Windows-dr > read more

7 Surprises From Turkey

Published on 2011-03-18 01:14:53

I made several reviews of Operation systems originating from Eastern Europe: SLAX, Agilia Linux, Alt Linux, Austrumi. This time I will aim little bit to the South, on the place where Europe meets Asia. How many countries do you know which are placed > read more

3 "Thank You" And Voting Results

Published on 2011-03-15 17:43:39

This is time now to announce results of the voting which took place between 3 and 17th of March 2011. The question was Would you like to get a copy of this blog to browse off-line? And the results of voting are shown below. I want to say "Thank you > read more

4 disappointments from OpenSuSE 11.4

Published on 2011-03-11 18:53:55

OpenSuSE is Open Source project run by networking giant Novell. It has it "bigger" brother which is distributed on non-free basis, but OpenSuSE remains free and open source software. I have quite nice feelings about OpenSuSE in general, because it wa > read more

DarkDuck in Quadro Boot

Published on 2011-03-10 10:49:05

I tried few dozens of different Linux distributives already and wrote my notes about them in this blog. You can see them listed on the right column of the page in Labels section. And recently several people asked me same question. So.. > read more

DarkDuck Makes Another Visit

Published on 2011-03-09 11:45:02

If you remember, approximately one month ago I made a visit to one respectable blog where I left a post. Time is ticking, and I got bored in my own blog, deciding to make another visit. This time my guest post is at Techrepublic.com blog (part of CBS > read more

Did Alexandre Dumas Use Linux?

Published on 2011-03-06 17:36:00

Porteus system is relatively new system on the Linux sky. It came to light when developer of SLAX, Tomas M. gave up the project. Even before that, there was a fork called "SLAX remix". Now it is named Porteus. The name sends us to two facts. Porta > read more

Poll Is On

Published on 2011-03-02 18:10:06

Today I add new feature to my blog: a poll. Let's start with very simple question. Would you like to get a copy of my blog as a single archived file? This will enable you to read the blog (as it stood at snapshop time) anywhere and anytime. Pleas > read more

Magical Pinguyn Tux

Published on 2011-03-02 04:15:41

Do you think I made a typo in the post title? No, I have not. Have you ever heard name Pinguy? Have you heard name Pinguy OS? If you answered "no" to both questions, you're not alone. I also did not hear much about this OS until recent. When browsi > read more

Magical Pinguyn Tux

Published on 2011-03-01 11:54:00

Do you think I made a typo in the post title? No, I have not. Have you ever heard name Pinguy? Have you heard name Pinguy OS? If you answered "no" to both questions, you're not alone. I also did not hear much about this OS until recent. When browsi > read more

VIDEO How To: Page Numbering in Open Source Text Processors

Published on 2011-02-25 17:12:55

The thing which you have never seen before!I have recently published a post regarding page numbering in Open Source Office applications. This time I will repeat the same post in slightly different manner. There are video lessons showing process of do > read more

VIDEO How To: Page Numbering in Open Source Text Processors

Published on 2011-02-25 17:12:55

The thing which you have never seen before!I have recently published a post regarding page numbering in Open Source Office applications. This time I will repeat the same post in slightly different manner. There are video lessons showing process of do > read more

How NOT to Install Debian 6.0 Squeeze

Published on 2011-02-23 11:07:56

Debian 6.0 Squeeze is latest version of one of the Linux "mammoths". It was released in the 6th of February 2011 (what other day of month could be chosen for this version?) I bet there are lots of "how to" installation guides for Debian 6.0. I am goi > read more

Another Twist in Romance with Manny Tux

Published on 2011-02-21 01:50:01

Once upon a time I have already told myself that I had enough of Mandriva Linux. It was too slow and not promising for me. I tested Mandriva Linux 2010 Spring that time. There are some additional bonuses in running small range of Linux CDs (either on > read more

Another Twist in Romance with Manny Tux

Published on 2011-02-21 01:50:01

Once upon a time I have already told myself that I had enough of Mandriva Linux. It was too slow and not promising for me. I tested Mandriva Linux 2010 Spring that time. There are some additional bonuses in running small range of Linux CDs (either on > read more

Low-spec computer: Alt Linux vs Windows 7 Ultimate

Published on 2011-02-20 17:04:28

This is guest post written by Sergey Trenin, aka greyzy Purpose: learn process of installation and work of distributives of operating systems Alt Linux Desktop 5.0 KDE and Window 7 Ultimate in low-spec computer which you can find in school. Com > read more

From Russia with Love

Published on 2011-02-19 18:20:53

Linux was born in Finland. Linus Torvalds had an idea of portable operating system while studying in University. Once born, Linux spread all over the world. Including Russia. One Russian organisation was developing their own operating system called M > read more

Riding the Milky Way with Tux

Published on 2011-02-18 16:35:03

I have tried Debian and its derivatives quite few times now. My previous attempt was to install Debian Squeeze onto hard drive of my laptop using single CD from Debian installation package. This is a way you should NEVER EVER install your system, unl > read more

Riding the Milky Way with Tux

Published on 2011-02-18 00:46:01

I have tried Debian and its derivatives quite few times now. My previous attempt was to install Debian Squeeze onto hard drive of my laptop using single CD from Debian installation package. This is a way you should NEVER EVER install your system, unl > read more

How To: Page Numbering in Open Source Text Processors

Published on 2011-02-16 09:48:22

Some time ago I made guest posting on Go2Linux.org site comparing Open Source Office applications. That time I complained that it was not obvious for me how to automatically number pages in the document using some of text processors reviewed there. H > read more

How To: Page Numbering in Open Source Text Processors

Published on 2011-02-16 09:48:22

Some time ago I made guest posting on Go2Linux.org site comparing Open Source Office applications. That time I complained that it was not obvious for me how to automatically number pages in the document using some of text processors reviewed there. H > read more

How NOT to Install Debian 6.0 Squeeze

Published on 2011-02-12 08:48:01

Debian 6.0 Squeeze is latest version of one of the Linux "mammoths". It was released in the 6th of February 2011 (what other day of month could be chosen for this version?) I bet there are lots of "how to" installation guides for Debian 6.0. I am goi > read more

Low-spec computer: Alt Linux vs Windows 7 Ultimate

Published on 2011-02-10 16:54:13

This is guest post written by Trenin Sergey, aka greyzy Purpose: learn process of installation and work of distributives of operating systems Alt Linux Desktop 5.0 KDE and Window 7 Ultimate in low-spec computer which you can find in school. Computer > read more

Easy as Mouse, Quick as Thought

Published on 2011-02-08 12:09:00

I have already tried to approach Debian system several times. I feel like I have to touch the heart of many Linuxes, as they are built on Debian. I am not talking about Ubuntu alone, there are much more to mention. All my previous attempts to fu > read more

Easy as Mouse, Quick as Thought

Published on 2011-02-08 12:09:00

I have already tried to approach Debian system several times. I feel like I have to touch the heart of many Linuxes, as they are built on Debian. I am not talking about Ubuntu alone, there are much more to mention. All my previous attempts to fu > read more

Give me 5!

Published on 2011-02-03 18:06:01

I have recently asked if you remember the Pet Shop Boys song Go West! Do you? Fine. Do you remember chorus in that track? That is one of the most famous choruses in Russia, chorus of Russian Army. Do Russians do anything else? Something different fro > read more

Getting social

Published on 2011-02-03 17:54:06

Now you can find Linux notes from DarkDuck not only on this page! The blog became social! Please subscribe to Twitter news feed and Facebook fan page. Links are on your right! > read more

Guests and Visits

Published on 2011-02-01 18:06:26

Do you like visits? Do you like guests? What do you like more? Personally, I enjoy both. And not only in my house. My blog also likes guests. Do you want to be my guest author? If yes, you are welcome to contact me, either in comments or by e-mail. B > read more

Contest Results

Published on 2011-01-31 18:20:10

Contest which ran in this blog for few last days is now closed. And I am happy to announce results. Winner is owner of e-mail no......@...l.com Runner-ups are owners of e-mails ma......@...l.com and sa......@...l.com I will contact winner a > read more

Old Manny Tux Baby

Published on 2011-01-31 16:35:55

Babies are usually sweet and cute. We all like them. We endeavour them. We hope they grow up to be better then we are. But that does not happen all the time. Sometimes babies just stay undeveloped and forgotten... That is unfortunately true > read more

Only One Day to Go

Published on 2011-01-30 17:45:00

Contest which my blog runs at this moment is due to end soon. Please be aware that your entry e-mail has to be sent by 11.59pm on the 31.01.2011 to qualify. If you have not done this yet, please hurry up! Contest will not run long! > read more

Happy Birthday... To Me!

Published on 2011-01-28 18:01:00

Am I modest person? Maybe... Maybe not. If I have a blog, I can now officially announce some personal events here. Today I am turning 34. It's my Birthday. Personal Birthday. Nothing to do with blog's history. Anyway... Congratulations are welcome! > read more

One More Guest from East

Published on 2011-01-27 17:46:29

Do you remember Pet Shop Boys song "Go West"? Sure you do! Today we will not follow their recommendations. We will go East. How far? Japan? Russia? Not, that is too far. I have already told you about one Russian distributive. Today we will see what L > read more

Changes in the Contest Rules

Published on 2011-01-24 17:10:34

You are aware that blog Linux Notes from DarkDuck runs a contest now.Initially there were 3 questions in the form which you need to send me. Then I added another question. I bet that was a wrong move. Number of contest applications had significantly > read more

When Old Is Better Than New, or Comparing Two Ages of Brothers

Published on 2011-01-21 17:37:39

My first acquittance with Linux happened to be with Slackware-based pocket distributive of SLAX. My first blog posts, then written in Russian and then translated, were written about SLAX. SLAX was the only slackware-based distro I have tried until re > read more

Contest from Linux Notes from DarkDuck

Published on 2011-01-17 18:13:35

Here we go!Contest is open!All the rules and conditions are described on the Contest page.Good luck everyone! > read more

Have We Got There Yet?

Published on 2011-01-17 06:20:21

I have done several attempts to Debian Linux so far. They were both related to Debian itself, or Debian with Mint remix. Results are not very much promising so far. But LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) is a rolling release. Changes are constant there > read more

Another reason to celebrate?

Published on 2011-01-14 10:48:00

Hello everyone! Today is 14th of January 2011. What does it tell you? For those who ARE in Russia, this is "Old New Year". Confusing, isn't it? :-) But for all the readers of my blog this is another reason to celebrate! My first post was published > read more

From Russia with Love

Published on 2011-01-13 18:06:00

Linux was born in Finland. Linus Torvalds had an idea of portable operating system while studying in University. Once born, Linux spread all over the world. Including Russia. One Russian organisation was developing their own operating system called M > read more

Unexpected Behavior of Old Tux

Published on 2011-01-11 18:00:33

This post will not bother you for long. I'll be short this time. Slitaz is one of the favorite distros of K.Mandla, which is famous for his adherence to old systems... At least from previous millennium! Should I try it myself? Yes, for sure > read more

Can Bugs Take You to Cloud, or Several Spoons of Tar in Barrel of Honey

Published on 2011-01-07 17:26:27

Have you ever heard Russian saying "Spoon of tar in the barrel of honey"? Even smallest defect can significantly reduce image of the object. The system which I am going to tell you today has several defects. Are they smallest? Do they spoil the syste > read more

Another view on old friend, or putting Toshiba into pocket

Published on 2011-01-05 18:19:29

Puppy has been my friend since almost very beginning of my acquittance with Linux world. It is one of the Linuxes which live on HDD on my 5 years old Compaq laptop. But it was not able to run on my newer Toshiba laptop which has turned 1 y.o. recentl > read more

Happy New Year!

Published on 2010-12-30 17:41:33

Yes, it is here... Just few hours left in this year, year of great successes and great disappointments. Year of joy and sorrow... I wish you all the best in 2011! HAPPY NEW YEAR! > read more

Linux OS for PC?

Published on 2010-12-30 17:39:43

It is not so easy to find time for new Operating Systems tests now, when all the ads ask me to come and buy... That can help the budget in the future, but not now. Now I have another desire - to tell you something new I have learned recently. PC Linu > read more

Merry Christmas!

Published on 2010-12-23 16:46:00

Christmas is coming... It is not so far away... Few hours... For all of us? I think not. Western civilization thinks that all the counties [should] celebrate the Christmas. That's not true. Muslims, Buddhists, Jews... There are so many religions > read more

What is the difference between the twins, or How many twists are there in spiral?

Published on 2010-12-22 16:46:43

Linux has an image of not-user-friendly operation system. Most people think they are not technically educated enough to work in Linux. That's not right. Linux made leaps towards user friendliness in recent years. Whole my blog is just one big anthem > read more

Another brick in the Toshiba wall, or It yet moves again!

Published on 2010-12-17 17:08:04

My last post was about Linux Mint, which in my humble opinion is just slightly facelifted Ubuntu. Facelift makes it better, no doubt. But that it still facelift, not separate distributive. My post before last was about usage of Live Linux on my Toshi > read more

On What Does Mint Grow?

Published on 2010-12-14 18:31:04

Linux Mint. It claims to be 4th most popular operating system in the world. Only Ubuntu Linux comes ahead of it, other two being Windows and MacOS. I heard about this Linux distribution ages ago. But there were other systems to try. And then I read t > read more

Eppur si muove (And yet it moves)

Published on 2010-12-10 10:59:23

I wrote at the very beginning that I have 2 laptops: Compaq approximately 4 years old, and Toshiba which will be 1 year old soon. I do most of my experiments on Compaq one. This is playground and sandbox for all the Linuxes I try. But I also try to s > read more

Does Net Mean Inter? Or Not?

Published on 2010-12-07 18:01:11

Fedora is a nice part of Linux OS family. I have already tried Fedora 13. But, as I noted there, while I was doing my experiments and writing a blog post, new version of Fedora was released. It is now time to try new release - Fedora 14. Fedora comes > read more

Spiral which cannot be untwisted, and Diving into GRUB

Published on 2010-12-02 18:19:19

I have tried different distributives so far. Some of them are purposely built as desktop versions, some as pocket system. But all the modern Linux distributives have roots in very few distributives created on the dawn of Linix era. They are: Red Hat, > read more