The Geek Brewery

Hey guys, it’s now almost a week since I moved to Linux. And yeah, as I always say, it was fun — really fun.

I am an eight-year Windows user. In short, I grew up with Microsoft and other proprietary software. It is only at this stage of my life that I decided to go open-source. To go for something that is for a greater cause.

I admit that it was a bit hard for me to adjust to the new environment especially when using the terminal (Command Prompt or MS DOS in Windows). It took me time to study the terminal codes just so to look cool and geeky.

Now, ideas are scrambling on my mind. So now, I am making this nonsugarcoated review. A real, authentic and genuine review from an eight-year Windows user.

Machine Specifications

Operating System: Linux Mint (Ubuntu derivative)
Processor: AMD Turion 64 X2 (1.9GHz dual-core)
Memory: 2GB
Dedicated Video Memory: 64MB
Video Memory (Dedicated+Shared): 399MB
Hard Disk: 120GB 5400rpm

Linux Mint is a great Linux distribution for first-timers like me. It contains most of the codecs required to play your typical audio and video files. It is also equipped with the necessary players for your multimedia needs.

On my system, Linux Mint was so far stable. Seldom do I experience program crashes. It was swift, even with Advanced Desktop Effects enabled.

If you’re worrying about office applications, it is equipped with OpenOffice. You may have tried OpenOffice before and categorized it as a Loser as I did before. But hey, I recommend you to reconsider your prejudgment. Why don’t you give it another try? I used OpenOffice for most of the House Council works. Also, is the only complete Office suite I knew that has the feature (without using a PDF printer) to produce PDF files. How cool is that? It’s also open-source, so you have the freedom to modify, redistribute, copy and study the software without breaking applicable laws. No more need to commit another crime.

Interfacewise, it is really good — better than Windows shall I say. Desktop effects were astonishing. You could choose different animations for minimizing, maximizing, opening and closing windows. For me, the Desktop Cube was the coolest of them all. Check the screenshots below, how cool is that?

If you think you ain’t geek enough to install software in Linux, that’s definitely not a problem. Linux Mint is equipped with Synaptics Package Manager. Just open it, mark everything you need and click Apply. The marked software will be downloaded for you and installed in no time.

So that not to make this review as praiseful and 100% positive, I really had problems when I tried to do some coding work. Before, I used Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 for my PHP, xHTML and CSS needs. I tried to use Bluefish, a software I downloaded using Synaptics Package Manger but it was really different. It was harder than I thought. I was cramming an app and so what I did was restarted my laptop and booted up my Windows Vista and voila, Dreamweaver is back! As to achieve my goal of migrating all my tasks to Linux, I am now looking for a great alternatve. Gladly I saw this site Osalt.com, a site that offers Open-Source alternatives for proprietary software like Dreamweaver.

I’m running out of time. Before I end this one, I’m gonna show you my ultimate favorite in Linux. It’s the wonderful Terminal equipped with Fortunes. It gives you random jokes/quotes/foresights everytime you open a Terminal windows/tab. Oh, before I forget, you can tab out (open multiple tabs) Terminal. Some screenshots:

That’s all. Anyway, I think I found my Dreamweaver alternative. It’s Quanta Plus!!

I am now on Linux.

This will be my first blog entry I will be writing on Linux. I have just installed Linux Mint, a Ubuntu (Linux distribution) derivative. I’m liking it – especially the desktop effects.

One of the problems, probably the biggest, I had while configuring my laptop for Linux is my wireless network adapter driver. I do have Broadcom BCM4312 – which did not work with the native generic driver provided by the distribution. The “Windows Wireless Drivers” did not work for me so I had to search for other solutions. I ended up tired of it and so I sought the help of some UnPLUGgers.

I’ll be posting screenshots of my wonderful Linux on Laptop soon so keep updated.

McDo (McDonalds) delivery hotline for Davao, Philippines is 22886236 (8McDo).

Hope I helped you.

McDo (McDonalds) delivery hotline for Cebu, Philippines is 3486236 (8McDo).

Hope I helped you.

McDo (McDonalds) delivery hotline for Metro Manila, Philippines is 86236 (8McDo).

Hope I helped you.

KFC Delivery in Cebu, Philippines. Lots of people have been craving for the finger lickin’ chicken of KFC. But they got one problem, they don’t know the mysterious KFC Delivery Hotline.

Not to make this post too long, it’s 254-9435 and 254-9436. That’s for Cebu, Philippines at least.

Hope it helped you.

KFC Delivery in Manila, Philippines. Lots of people have been craving for the finger lickin’ chicken of KFC. But they got one problem, they don’t know the mysterious KFC Delivery Hotline.

Not to make this post too long, it’s 887-8888. That’s for Metro Manila, Philippines at least.

Hope it helped you.

Yipee! This (including today) weekend is the longest weekend of my life, it’s official!

It’s a 5-day weekend – a Saturday, a Sunday, a Ninoy Aquino Day, a Quezon City day and now a “Bagyo” day. According to my CS11 instructor Sir Eric, Chancellor Cao, chancellor of UP Diliman, suspended all classes today scheduled from 12nn onwards. The suspension was triggered by the “nagraragasang” tropical storm Karen. Yipee, it’s a great weekend.

Despite the very long weekend, I haven’t done much on my academic, blogging and social life. I was mostly bed-ridden playing Sid Meier’s Pirates — getting up only for dinner.

Now for the last day of my weekend assuming that tomorrow’s classes won’t be suspended anymore, I’ll be doing something that is of worth. Weeeeeee.

While checking the trends of the keyword “UPCAT“, I noticed that Google spelled Muntinlupa as “Muntinglupa”. Muntinglupa ‘s literal Tagalog translation is little land. Wahehehe.

I hope Google’d correct this. LOSER [ang post na ito]!

It’s been a very long time since I planned to switch to Linux. After about a hundred of Ubuntu (Linux distribution) CDs from Netherlands, I’ve finally decided on it. I am switching to Linux.

I am switching to Linux. The big question is why?

Once in a while, I swallow my pride. I admit I’ve been influenced indirectly by the University of the Philippines Linux Users’ Group. Earlier this week, I received an email invitation from the said org. A couple more emails followed. It was a bit hard for me to decided whether to join or not for a fact that I made a previous statement with my friends that I won’t be joining an org on my freshie year in the University. Sorry dear friends, I’m eating my words for now. Eventually, they made me join their Monthly General Meeting (MGM) yesterday.

I can’t deny the fact that UnPLUG was cool – their organizational structure headed by a “Benevolent Dictator”, the pizza, their cute Linux Penguin, the member’s journey from a learner to a Master of the Universe (MOTU), among others. They were cool [offtopic: read the poem We Real Cool]. Their laptops booted different Linux distributions. Their wallpapers were doing some sales talk on my mind – switch to Linux. Wahehehe.

I’ve been with Windows since we had a computer. I learned HTML, CSS, 8051 Assembly, microcontroller C compilers, Visual Basic, some C++, some Java, PHP, mySQL and all the other stuff with Windows. Now, I’m giving Windows a sweet goodbye. [Not sure if I can do this. But a gradual shift would do]

I believe that it’s not that hard for me to do the switch. I’ve known myself for years. I always had the passion to learn something new when it comes to computer stuff. I always had the perseverance on reading hundreds of eBook pages. I always had the energy Googling jargon terms on a microcontroller’s whitepaper. Given such “always hads”, I believe I can do it.

A persevered learner as I am, I believe I can share the knowledge I’ll eventually acquire thru sharing those things in my blog. I won’t care if you see the idea strange (drowning people not interested to the topic with Linux posts) – this is my blog anyway.

Good luck to me. Good luck to the Linux n00b. Good luck to Conrad Miguel E. Gozalo.