Gnuisance 4.0, Plasma Features, Augmented Reality
gNewSense 4.0 was released at the beginning of May and today blogger DarkDuck said it's still a gnuisance due to the lack of drivers. Elsewhere, LinuxConfig.org looked at the features of KDE Plasma and Linux Laptop leader System 76 CEO Carl Richell used Linux to augment reality. The Linux Setup interviewed Korora contributor Jim Dean and Matt Hartley sent another love-letter to Ubuntu.
gNewSense is a Debian-based distribution sponsored by the Free Software Foundation because it is said to be completely Free and Open Source. The latest version, 4.0, was released May 2 with Linux 3.2.57, Firefox (Iceweasel) 31.5.0, GIMP 2.8.2, GNOME 3.4.2, GTK+ 3.4.2, and Xorg X Server 1.12.4. At the time the homesite was experiencing connectivity issues and apparently they were still suffering when DarkDuck began his latest adventure. Nevertheless, he was able to download gNewSense 4.0 GNOME, but had trouble creating boot media. Once that obstacle was overcome he began to explore, using a Toshiba laptop with unsupported Realtek wireless. DD said the application stack was sufficient and he was even able to play some multimedia, but that pesky wireless issue just ruined the whole experience for him. He said:
I can totally understand why Realtek driver was not included in the distribution. But why do I get NTFS and MP3 utilities then? It is a bit of inconsistency in my mind.
On another hand, the lack of drivers due to their non-free nature means an inconvenience for me. I have a laptop that has certain hardware. I want to make this hardware work.
That's the dilemma. That's the nuisance. That's gNewSense.
The Denver Post ran an article today on System 76 CEO Carl Richell's demonstration of Augmented Reality using one of their laptops running Ubuntu. "He built a mound and, using augmented reality, turned it into an island with a mountain range. When he hovered his hands above the sand, the virtual rain poured down, streaming off the mountain peaks to the lowest point." Then he swished the sand around and the scene changed with it. He used an overhead projector, a motion sensor, and that Ubuntu laptop to overlay an image to make the sandbox look like a topographical map. Go check out the full story complete with pictures and link to video.
Speaking of Ubuntu, Matt Hartley today posted an article outlining why Ubuntu-based distros are "the leaders." He listed all the reasons he thinks Ubuntu is king: LTS, community, Snap, etc., and said "Ubuntu makes a pretty popular base from which to build other distributions." He did say the Unity desktop did more to help Ubuntu MATE and Linux Mint than it did Ubuntu. He also thinks the IRC and mailing lists are an outmoded method of collaboration. In related news, Bryan Lunduke reviewed the Dell XPS 13 Developer latop with Ubuntu.
In other news:
* Linux vs. Windows device driver model: architecture, APIs and build environment comparison
* The Linux Setup - Jim Dean, Korora Project
* Plasma 5: Loaded With Useful Features, multiscreen in plasma