Messages

326

General Software Discussion / Re: academicproductivity.com (my blog on productivity) lifehacked

« on: December 01, 2009, 12:20 PM »

Thanks!
I cannot type very well now (weird injury on ring and middle finger, related to overuse) so it's hard to get post out there, but will keep on going
It's sad to realize how much your life depends on a keyboard...

327

General Software Discussion / Re: Is ubuntu's windowing/redrawing slower than windows? Is this X, or Gnome?

« on: November 25, 2009, 03:21 PM »

update 2: it must be some driver problem. I bought I new video card for the desktop, another nvidia, and now it flies. The laptop one, even with the same memory (128) still sucks. I have no idea why. Both are the commercial drivers, not the OSS. It´s really a crapshot...

328

General Software Discussion / Re: Let's Fork The Thread! Linux Notetaking Thread!

« on: November 22, 2009, 08:00 PM »

I found a keeper (sorry abt the pub): Keepnote:

http://rasm.ods.org/keepnote/

• keeps indentation
• has screencapture ctrl + insert
• has global shortcut
• keeps formatting of web pastes!
• has horizontal mode
• python, Open source
• has back, forth button
• exports html, xml. No, the native format is html + xml metadata

329

General Software Discussion / Re: Anyone observing bad performance overall scrolling this forum of FF on Linux?

« on: November 22, 2009, 03:29 AM »

thanks all!
nVidia proprietary drivers on lappy, intel FOSS on the desktop, both same problem.
I tried 2 mice. It can also be reproduced with keyboard scrolling. It's more accentuated if there are images on the screen. It could be the pango problem.
And last, no google toolbar

330

General Software Discussion / Re: Anyone observing bad performance overall scrolling this forum of FF on Linux?

« on: November 21, 2009, 02:05 AM »

ok. Since I moved my desktop to linux too, I can confirm that this is not a problem with drivers, unless both machines have the same issue with different cards(!). It can be a problem with FF 3.5 on linux (thanks housetier) or with the cocktail of extensions that I have... but FF with no extensions is also quite funny scrolling this site.

my extensions, just  in case:

Application: Firefox 3.5.5 (20091109134913)
Operating System: Linux (x86_64-gcc3)

- Adblock Plus 1.1.1
   http://adblockplus.org/
   Ads were yesterday!
- AutoPager 0.5.3.5
   http://www.teesoft.info/
   AutoPager is a Firefox/Mozilla extension to autoloading next page at backgrand.And you can also use it an XPath generator.
- ChromaTabs Plus 2.2
   http://garycalpo.wor....com/chromatabs-plus
   Colors browser tabs based on site favicon colors.
- Ctrl-Tab 0.20
   (Disabled)
   http://en.design-noi...de/mozilla/ctrl-tab/
   Ctrl+Tab navigation for tabs similar to Alt+Tab on various operating systems. Shift+Ctrl+A / Shift+Cmd+A shows all tabs in a grid.
- Diigo Bookmarks and Web Annotations 4.1.0.14
   http://www.diigo.com/
   Bookmark, highlight, and add sticky notes on any web page. Save your bookmarks on the web so you can access them anywhere.
- Extension List Dumper 1.14.5
   http://sogame.awardspace.com/
   Dumps a list of the installed extensions.
- Greasemonkey 0.8.20090920.2
   http://www.greasespot.net/
   A User Script Manager for Firefox
- Hide Menubar 1.0.20090929
   http://forum.moztw.o...iewtopic.php?t=15303
   Supports to hide your Mainmenu Toolbar automatically, you can press the ALT key to show it temporarily.
- JSONovich 1.1
   http://lackoftalent....log/json-in-firefox/
   Pretty-prints and colorizes JSON content.
- LastPass 1.60.0
   http://lastpass.com/
   Last Password you will ever need
- Mouseless Browsing 0.5.2.1
   (Disabled)
   www.mouseless.de
   Browse the web without the mouse :-)
- Speed Dial 0.9.1.1
   http://speeddial.uworks.net/
   Direct access to your most visited websites
- SurfKeys 0.6
   http://surfkeys.mozdev.org
   Comfortable surfing with keyboard.
- Tabs Open Relative 0.4
   http://jomel.me.uk/s...ox/tabsopenrelative/
   Tabs open to the right of the current one.
- Ubuntu Firefox Modifications 0.8
   Ubuntu Firefox Pack.
- Wappalyzer 1.6.4
   (Disabled)
   http://elbertf.com
   Wappalyzer shows you which software is used on the page you're currently at.

331

General Software Discussion / Re: Is ubuntu's windowing/redrawing slower than windows? Is this X, or Gnome?

« on: November 19, 2009, 04:54 PM »

ok. update. I fixed part of this by switching from metacity as a compositing window manager to compiz. Alt tab is much snappier. FF .... not so much.

332

General Software Discussion / Anyone observing bad performance overall scrolling this forum of FF on Linux?

« on: November 19, 2009, 01:41 PM »

Anyone observing bad performance overall scrolling this forum of FF on Linux?
Scrolling is ver jumpy. I tried disabling smooth scrolling, no dice.

I know FF sucks a bit compared to the win version, but this is ... maybe fixable.
Maybe it's SMF fault... I'll check other SMF forums.

333

General Software Discussion / Re: Any XP users switching to Windows 7 yet?

« on: November 19, 2009, 12:55 PM »

I'm actually moving full-time linux. But win7/w2008 was ok.

334

General Software Discussion / Re: Linux/Unix multimedia codecs

« on: November 18, 2009, 09:04 AM »

It's always been a harrowing journey in the past to get one's multimedia files to work on Linux without hiccups. It's nice that there's an avenue for people to take in order to have paid support to help make the trip easier.

-Innuendo (November 17, 2009, 09:56 PM)

Really? I think in ubuntu you add some lines to your source list, and the codecs download themselves automatically when you try to play a file....

335

General Software Discussion / chrome getting extensions makes even more evident why Opera doesn't get it

« on: November 17, 2009, 06:58 AM »

even adblock seems to be functioning (I don't use chrome much) at least on linux:

http://www.chromeext...functioning/adblock/

chrome getting extensions makes even more evident why Opera doesn't get it. Pretty much every other browser does support them. I don't use Opera anymore, but I'm just amazed that management could be this clueless. The audiences are screaming 'extensions!' and they don't hear it... no wonder their market quota is diminishing. A pity, because they are trully innovative in other aspects.

336

General Software Discussion / Re: Is ubuntu's windowing/redrawing slower than windows? Is this X, or Gnome?

« on: November 16, 2009, 03:01 AM »

Oh, another thing, I'm using f.lux... this may have something to do with the lag?

337

General Software Discussion / Re: Is ubuntu's windowing/redrawing slower than windows? Is this X, or Gnome?

« on: November 15, 2009, 03:25 PM »

Interesting... I have the latest nvidia drivers and the card is an ok one GForce 8400M GS, 128 mb. I have used linux/other unixes (even old ones, like irix) and I don't remember performance being this laggy. I've read that nvidia drivers should be faster/moer fine-tuned than the FOSS ones.

Yes, X doesn't sound like the fastest way of doing things, but it's being around for years now, and it was usable. Which alt+tab taking a second is not! This might be gnome trying to do thumbnails of the windows in alt+tab...

338

General Software Discussion / Is ubuntu's windowing/redrawing slower than windows? Is this X, or Gnome?

« on: November 15, 2009, 08:29 AM »

I find the following on the ubuntu 9.10 default install:

• changing tabs in FF takes 1 second (!). I posted about it here
• alt-tab takes about a second. I'm running with the minimum 'special effects' possible.
• Dragging windows around is less snappy than in windows. More like osX (i.e., perceptible delay in some operations)

Is ubuntu's windowing/redrawing slower than windows? Is this X, or Gnome?
Granted, this is a 2yr old laptop (Dell 1720) but still. Somehow, I was expecting more?

339

Living Room / Re: You have a computer backup plan.. but does it work?

« on: November 13, 2009, 01:38 AM »

A few questions.
I use an eSATA external drive an am very happy with it.
But does anyone know if this eSATA external drive could ever be plugged into a laptop? Will eSATA be a standard at some point?

Second. Since I'm running windows server 2008 as a desktop, many backup programs want an eye and a leg to work there. Does anyone know of a good imaging tool (for the system partition) that does incrementals and is free/cheap?

Third... how do you test a system partition backup? I'm not comfortable risking the entire setup just to test the backup...

Thanks

340

N.A.N.Y. 2009 / Re: NANY 2009 Release: Trout (audio player)

« on: November 11, 2009, 10:48 AM »

I get shell init failed () on windows server 2008 R2 sorry to report.

341

Living Room / Re: How would you improve a standard PC keyboard?

« on: November 11, 2009, 10:46 AM »

You guys are going to love this:
http://geekhack.org

All about keyboard. Including crazy designs.

PS: I'm quite happy with my kinesis contour.

342

General Software Discussion / Re: 10 things to do after installing Linux

« on: November 11, 2009, 12:45 AM »

@urlwolf- Did I read your first comment correctly? You're installing Server 2008-R2 on a laptop???

-40hz (November 10, 2009, 07:07 PM)

Yes, because it will replicate my desktop (I synch the two before travel) and also I get the license free thanks to Dreamspark. windows server 2008 makes a very good desktop (!). It was what our sysadming recommended when I had to move to 64-bits and vista was the only game in town.

But, the amount of fiddling! It takes me 2 days to get to a good desktop. And this time (R2) things are just broken. I'll start from scratch...

343

General Software Discussion / Re: 10 things to do after installing Linux

« on: November 10, 2009, 04:04 PM »

btw, does anyone know to change CD-rom letter in windows server 2008 R2 ?
I thought I had notes, but nope..., and google didn't help.

344

General Software Discussion / Re: 10 things to do after installing Linux

« on: November 10, 2009, 04:01 PM »

I'm right now installing win 2008 R2 from scratch.
It's been ~3HRS hunting down drivers.
Still, I cannot change the size of system fonts (tiny on a laptop) nor enable aero.

I'm also downloading arch for this laptop. Let's see which one detects more things right off the box.

Still, I'm pretty sure I'm spending more time on windows all-in-all, so the linux install will sit there unused because quite frankly the apps suck.

345

Best Dialog Extender / Re: Revisiting (XfilesDialog, File-Ex, Direct Folders)

« on: November 07, 2009, 11:23 AM »

anything like this for linux?

346

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Free Microsoft book-Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2

« on: November 02, 2009, 06:19 AM »

I'm not happy that they want money for the upgrade. They released 2008 not that long ago, ... didn't they have a name for this... service packs?

347

General Software Discussion / Re: Typing Assistant has a feature you might be wanting + giveawayoftheday

« on: November 01, 2009, 03:12 PM »

It doesn't work in word or onenote 2010 (preview).
Not useful for me. Comfort typing does work in word, not in onenote.
Since office 2010 is not even in beta, I won't hold it against it

348

General Software Discussion / Re: Graphic Design question: Services and prices?

« on: November 01, 2009, 11:59 AM »

@superboyac: looks like you are having a lot of fun, learning a lot by yourself, and getting places. Congrats on being so productive.
@40hz: your help is going to become a legend on this forum. It knows no boundaries. One day, you are going to start giving investing advice that actually works, and noone will be surprised, coming from you

349

General Software Discussion / Re: Timeline Software

« on: October 31, 2009, 09:18 AM »

Guys, open source, better than Gantt: timeline
Make sure you have the latest python wxWidget library.

Devs are super responsive...

350

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: October 29, 2009, 05:50 AM »

Well... looks like people use wave to collaborate on a doc, say a blog post...
And the results are ... mixed.
Here is a commentary, with link to the copy/paste of the resulting wave. It is horrendous from the point of view of writing style. It could be the 1-hr time limit, or it could be that we are not used to writing collaboratively.

Writing is hard enough when done in isolation. THe hope is that writing collaboratively could help, but these first examples suggest that it doesn't.