tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41593045365708574792024-03-07T22:35:35.988-06:00openSUSE and aroundMy Linux worldAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17048726050766987911noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-74191673833770412822012-05-08T23:14:00.000-05:002012-05-08T23:14:10.516-05:00ApperSome applications seems unlucky to find their way in the hearts their intended users.<br />
<br />
Reading today thread "What does this error message mean?", I can see Apper sinking another few notches.<br />
<br />
Is it Apper's fault?<br />
<br />
The answer is not, but being visible component that appears when disharmony in software management shows up, it can fall as a victim. Use Google to find out about "opensuse apper" and you can read about a lot of problems, and advice to remove it was given so many times that new user has no problem to find it. <br />
<br />
Do we need simpler software management?<br />
For sure, yes. YaST module Software Management is old guy that is exactly what old Linux users need, versatile tools for software management, not simple install or remove software utility that we can see in some popular distros. But, times are changing, old, technically inclined computer users that were almost only Linux users are now in minority, and new generation wants to use computers, not to deal with them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-19955857632682868572012-02-02T19:09:00.000-06:002012-02-02T19:09:17.454-06:00Step back - New stuff is not always betterIt is time to step back and look again at few applications that I use. <br />
<br />
<b>KMail2</b>, the most recent incarnation of a mail client software KMail, is slow on pretty current hardware that consists of Quad Core 2.66 and 8 GB RAM. I have to wait longer to see an email then with single core 1250 MHz Athlon on 1.5 GB RAM. <br />
<br />
I can see my Inbox filling up while mail filters struggle to deal with incoming emails and deliver them to respective folders. That never happened in old KMail, in other words serious step back.<br />
<br />
Transition is not completed as all mails are not imported. I guess that my mix of mailbox and maildirs was too much for simple mind of KMail migration tools. I landed with mix because on old computer mailbox storage was far faster then maildir, so all large folders were converted to mailbox. <br />
<br />
For instance migrating Thunderbird based mail system is just a bit longer then plain move of its directory from one installation to the other. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Apper</b>, the latest rewrite of PackageKit frontend for KDE, managed to annoy me more then any previous. With its default settings and bugs, it was more distraction then help. <br />
<br />
In normal circumstances YaST Software Management, or zypper, when they spot that package management is locked, they will:<br />
<ul>
<li>give you warning that is locked</li>
<li>ask you if you want them to ask another process to quit</li>
<li>if you want, they will send appropriate signal to process</li>
<li>another process quits and releases lock </li>
</ul>
This works fine between zypper and YaST, but not with Apper. You see every time the same PID that ignores messages. In the moment it was asked to quit it was refreshing repositories metadata and that process can be stopped at any moment with only drawback that you have to repeat it later. <br />
<br />
When you attempt to stop it manually with:<br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
ps x | grep apper ## to get apper PID</div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
kill <apperPID> ## to stop it</div>
it will be restarted by KDE service manager and start scanning for updates extending package management lock. In this case PID is changing, as previous Apper instance actually exits, but new is started almost instantly, preventing you to use YaST Online Updates (YOU) needed to actually run updates that Apper was unable to do. To end daily wrangling I removed Apper from installation. <br />
<br />
In a <a href="http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-kde/2012-01/msg00135.html">recent email</a> is mentioned that it can be disabled using configuration utility Configure Desktop, which in email is called <i>systemsettings</i>. Also, I took time to explain this in a wiki page <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Apper_troubleshooting">http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Apper_troubleshooting</a> .<br />
<br />
To be clear, I'm not opposing to refresh package management with design that is easier for new users. My problem is that new software must have very easy to find <b>Quit</b> button, not some option buried in depth of System Settings, that even experienced users have trouble to find. <br />
<br />
PS. Apper is back on my computer, although it is not used right now, not even as notification daemon. <br />
I see some improvements in the interface, like list of repositories, which is very cute, but also usability glitch with configuration hidden behind wrench, with no text, while other settings have text :) <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-87065069216542195552012-02-02T18:15:00.001-06:002012-02-02T18:15:58.703-06:00openSUSE Education on SourceForgeI found out late that openSUSE Edu is on a <a href="http://sourceforge.net/">SourceForge</a> main page as a project of the month. <br />
<br />
Congratulations to small, but skilled and diligent team that is keeping high quality of openSUSE Education since its beginning.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-35635910643784186262011-10-01T11:55:00.000-05:002011-10-01T11:55:29.207-05:00Learning about Connect openSUSEIt seems that not many people are aware of <a href="http://connect.opensuse.org/">Connect openSUSE service</a>, that was created by <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Boosters_team">Boosters team</a> while ago, and consequently they don't know what they miss.<br />
<br />
In the <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Connect">wiki page about it</a> there is more about technical details then about social aspects, which is not surprising:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Guys that created it are technicians, software developers, that know how to handle code and have a lot to say about it, but they seldom have great popularization skills, like marketing guys. I like this way, as being popular in the software world doesn't relate always to a good code, </li>
<li>Wiki article was written when Connect was in initial stages without many add on features (plugins) it has now, so it is time to take a new look at it. </li>
</ul>
<div>
For instance, until today I didn't know that I can fix my dashboard page layout the way I want, and it is just "Edit page" button away, which is at the bottom right. The page is available to logged in users as Dashboard link in the top right corner, right before the log in name. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It would be awesome if more people will go there, try it and:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Comment on existing layout and features. </li>
<li>Propose new ones, specially if you, or someone that you know, can code and come up with working solution, or at least something that is easy to adjust to Connect.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Social aspects of Connect are great when you consider how hard is to find similar souls and start something in project as <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Map">large as openSUSE</a>, and Connect offers easy search for them, located on the top right, the same spot on the every server in openSUSE domain. Type in term, like "wiki" you you are very close to wiki related stuff, including my favorite <a href="https://connect.opensuse.org/pg/groups/14751/wiki-maintainers/">Wiki maintainers</a> group :) </div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-86393286425874007732011-09-25T23:46:00.000-05:002011-09-25T23:46:43.114-05:00Discovering Connect openSUSEToday I created a group for <a href="https://connect.opensuse.org/pg/groups/14751/wiki-maintainers/">wiki maintainers</a> on <a href="https://connect.opensuse.org/">openSUSE Connect</a> web page that I like to call Connect openSUSE.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://connect.opensuse.org/">Connect openSUSE</a> is a hub helping people with different interests within openSUSE to find each other and connect in interest groups. There is relatively old wiki <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Connect">article about Connect</a> that was created in very early stages, and talks more about technical aspects and some plans then social benefits that we can have from place like Connect. <br />
<br />
Group is meant as a place where we can publish events and group contact information in one place. It will make easy for new openSUSE users that look for some activity, or want to give idea how to improve wiki, to find and contact us by simply typing "wiki" in the Connect search. <br />
<br />
It is idea that is just started so we will for sure try to improve on it.<br />
Here is <a href="http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-wiki/2011-09/msg00011.html">announcement to opensuse-wiki mail list</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-30348767975045393292011-02-02T22:20:00.001-06:002011-02-02T22:25:50.698-06:00Is openSUSE for users with a little computer knowledgeor Protective vs. overprotective<br />
<br />
One post on opensuse@opensuse.org made me think about what makes openSUSE a bit hard to chew for new computer users.<br />
<br />
In particular the post was about NTFS usage.<br />
There is a short article how to fix default settings:<br />
<a href="http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NTFS">http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NTFS</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">openSUSE default settings are a safe for users with very little computer knowledge. You have to be a root in order to write to partition that is formatted with NTFS. </div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"></div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Background:</div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Windows protects its system files from deletion, but only when it is controlling the system. When user is accessing partition with installed windows from Linux, that protection does not exist, so one can overwrite or delete important files preventing Windows from starting. </div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"></div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Restrictive settings that allow only root to write there are some protection, not very sophisticated, but it prevents users without basic knowledge to damage their windows, at least to the moment they discover power of root :) </div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"></div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Problem is that any other NTFS file system is not writable too, which forces users to either learn workarounds, or leave Linux. Taking that people with a little computer knowledge already demonstrated lack of interest in computer internals, second option is probably the most used one, unless they find Linux that is not overprotective. </div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"></div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-user-state: 0; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Problem is similar to UAC in Vista. It failed because it was producing too many times warnings to make computer use comfortable.</div><div style="-qt-block-indent: 0; -qt-paragraph-type: empty; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-70347637374042000402011-01-06T21:58:00.000-06:002011-01-06T21:58:26.456-06:00Linux airlines<a href="http://e-tote-kala.blogspot.com/2011/01/first-joke-of-year-if-operating-systems.html">From friendly blog</a> via <a href="http://planet.opensuse.org/global/">Planet openSUSE </a> here is part of the old Linux joke.<br />
<br />
.... Disgruntled employees of all the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself. When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the Seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plane leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, "You had to do what with the seat?"<br />
<br />
Heh, if that would be so simple like installing a seat, but it is very close, which every openSUSE user can confirm :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-44700196154255292392010-11-28T19:27:00.001-06:002010-11-28T19:29:36.291-06:00Bug days in openSUSEWe had quite successful openSUSE Bug Day organized by A. Naumov on Saturday, November 27, and once rolling we continued through Sunday.<br />
<br />
The goal was to clear old bugs that refused to die for quite some time.<br />
<br />
You can see what is done in the <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Bug_Day#Bug_lists">wiki article</a>.<br />
<br />
November 28th, evening by US Central Time:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>openSUSE 10.2: Start 40 bugs now we have 14 bugs left.</li>
<li>openSUSE 10.3: Start 162 bugs now is 87 bugs left.</li>
<li>openSUSE 11.0: Start 526 bugs now is 346 bugs left. </li>
</ul><br />
<br />
We started with 728 bugs and now we have 447, which is 281 bug lesser.<br />
<br />
I hope that A. Naumov will repeat call for the next Bug Day right next weekend.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-48114455956820641492010-11-03T23:49:00.001-05:002010-11-05T18:58:55.517-05:00DKMS in openSUSE<a href="https://features.opensuse.org/305148">AJ requested DKMS which is the good news.</a><br />
<br />
What is not so good are some comments that oppose need for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Kernel_Module_Support">DKMS</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
Free and Open Source Software (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open_source_software">FOSS</a>) ideals are nice, and very special word in that name is Free, like freedom. Creating obstacles that will limit users ability to use what works for them will not help us, nor FOSS. We can recommend opensource software and install it by default, but we can't make sure that it works for everyone, in which case giving that as the only choice is forcing users to give up on Linux, or go elsewhere. Does that help to build user base?<br />
<br />
With alternatives that are not very strict in enforcement of ideals (and ironically, bring few times more new users to the free and open source software), those that are not happy with openSUSE have no trouble to find what they need.<br />
<br />
DKMS is solution for only one of obstacles, and there is many more. If we can't offer some stuff for legal reasons, there is no need to create other problems for people that want to run openSUSE.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-90699974505048448632010-08-22T21:11:00.000-05:002010-08-22T21:11:56.253-05:00Gist of openSUSE:StubbornJos Poortvliet wrote:<br />
<br />
"Being stubbornly focussed on getting something done is the only bad habbit we allow in openSUSE :D<br />
... However, being stubbornly annoying about something YOU don't want to work on is frowned upon - as is putting down others on what they do, no matter how useless you think it is. ..."<br />
<br />
Nice said Jos.<br />
It is a gist of openSUSE community.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-65571523038341589082010-06-13T07:51:00.000-05:002010-06-13T07:51:06.120-05:00Aversion to change is normalWriting answer to a recent mail list discussion it occurred to me that aversion to change is the way to preserve energy. When there is no motion, then there is no need for more energy, so it is intrinsic property of any life form, which explains why it is so omnipresent, and by definition normal (as in usual, or average) behavior. <br />
<br />
The only problem with aversion to change is that it sometimes stands in the way to achieve better efficiency and preserve energy. Someone with better overview of particular process finds procedure that increases efficiency (preserve energy), but we have to put some effort (energy) to learn it. With aversion to change in the action we will resist learning and keep lower efficiency. Good is that this prevents easy change in the opposite direction, to lower efficiency, as at least some of affected will analyze procedure and reject bad one. Bad is that we will use more energy every moment of our life. <br />
<br />
Nobody will tell you that he is not for a progress, but everyone will rationalize why the change is not good and should be postponed, or completely avoided. I would put all individual reasons in two categories: <br />
<ul><li>nitpicking on side effects of a new method, that will be presented as key obstacles that have to be removed before method can be applied, and </li>
<li>incompatibility with workarounds for deficiencies in the old one, which will be presented as unacceptable regressions in efficiency, and the reason to reject idea altogether until that is solved.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul></ul>To be honest, I've seen better method making people slower, but that was either learning phase, attempt to subvert "new thing" in hope it will go away, or combination of both. Also, I've seen bad ideas presented as revolutionary improvements, which was sometimes undetectable without being insider, or simply trying new thing for some time and see what it brings. <br />
<br />
Life is like a road, when you see obstacle try to avoid it, but also check another route, and compare results. Use what is better. It is that simple and it is no different with anything else.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-17422353436688850752010-06-12T15:12:00.001-05:002010-06-13T07:09:04.147-05:00Wiki: change postponedor why we don't do that, it is a FOSS world?<br />
<br />
Well, we (contributors) are stretched all over the place, and there is still a lot to do, but keeping wiki hidden on side will not bring more contributors either. New date according to <a href="http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-wiki/2010-06/msg00011.html">Rupert's post</a> on the opensuse-wiki@opensuse.org mail list is July 12th.<br />
<br />
Wiki editing is not a big fun in the beginning, there is more then a few things to learn about to be able to play with, but on the other hand if you don't need fancy formating, then you can start almost instantly. <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Help:Editing">Learn how to start article</a>, then few formatting tips, like mark titles, and you are good to go. <br />
<br />
Title in the MediaWiki is title quoted with equal signs, like == Title ==, add more = and title is smaller.<br />
<br />
You also have to know wiki editor requires to write from the beginning of the line. Any (white) space on the begin will convert your writing in a preformatted text written in a fixed font, so there is no way to indent first line of paragraph without dirty tricks, not even for a single space.<br />
<br />
Also, learn to use preview button, it will make you look good in the eyes of the wiki maintenance people that hate <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Special:RecentChanges">recent changes</a> page filled with changes that are not actually changes, but someone that uses save button all the time.<br />
<br />
There is of course more, but to correct typo, grammar or spelling, you have to know even lesser. Correcting typos is one of the ways to help, and if you ask me, just as important as being able to create fancy layout, because there is no layout that will make an article with typos look good.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-63476340309596276822010-05-16T17:23:00.003-05:002010-06-19T06:55:15.803-05:00Wiki structure: New tools<b>or basic inventory of what we have.</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/">Temporary openSUSE Wiki</a> is created few moths ago to allow test of new tools and content reorganization without disrupting daily operation of <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/">openSUSE Wiki</a>. It is running on <a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki">MediaWiki</a> version 1.15.1. The basic software is already much better then the old version 1.5, but the goal is not only to have one time cleanup, but also to organize wiki that will provide benefits for all involved parties: visitors, writers and maintainers. To achieve this we added few <a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Extensions">extensions</a> to the basic MediaWiki <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Special:Version">listed here</a> .<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://semantic-mediawiki.org/">Semantic MediaWiki</a></b> is complex extension that has its own extensions.It can become one of our flagships, but at the time of this post I don't know much about it. <br />
<br />
We already have working implementations of the following extensions:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:CategoryTree"><b>CategoryTree</b></a> is navigational tool, intended to provide compact list of other pages that user might want to visit. It is based on MediaWiki <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Help:Category">categories</a> , which means that creation and maintenance of categories and its structure, is one of the primary tasks for all involved. <br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:FlaggedRevs">FlaggedRevs</a></b> will allow better content quality control. It is set to show casual visitors only article revisions that passed quality control process. Editing is not prevented, so anyone can change page content, but that is hidden from visitors until some of reviewers check the article. <br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:MultiBoilerplate">MultiBoilerplate</a></b> is meant for simplified creation of articles, providing ready to go templates for different types of articles that wiki user can choose from drop down list. The openSUSE version is patched to allow different sets of templates for different namespaces. <br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:InputBox">InputBox</a></b> provides 3 functions:<br />
<ul><li>Different modes search boxes, </li>
<li>Creation of pages using predefined templates, which overlaps in functionality with MultiBoilerplate to some extent, but allows article writer tight control over used template.</li>
<li>Adding comments to existing pages which can be used, for instance, to simplify collection of user comments, user contributed tips, simplify contribution to hardware compatibility list.</li>
</ul><b><a class="external text" href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Intersection" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Intersection">DynamicPageList</a></b> is navigational tool that lists selected content of one or more categories. It overlaps with CategoryTree when it shows content of a single category.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:ParserFunctions">ParserFunctions</a></b> allow some kind of macro language to be used in templates. <br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SimpleFeed"><b>SimpleFeed</b></a> is used to import feeds from other pages to the wiki. It was used in old wiki for the right column news.It can be used to import news to any of the portal pages. <br />
<br />
<b><a class="external text" href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:VideoFlash" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:VideoFlash">VideoFlash</a></b> is simple extension that allows author to embed YouTube and other Flash videos in the wiki pages.<br />
<br />
<b><a class="external text" href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SyntaxHighlight_GeSHi" rel="nofollow" title="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SyntaxHighlight_GeSHi">SyntaxHighlight</a></b> will make easier reading of the code snippets on the wiki page. <br />
<br />
Tools for users and administrators:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:SpecialInterwiki">SpecialInterwiki</a> </b> is a tool for wiki administrators.<br />
<br />
<b><a class="external text" href="http://en.opensuse.org/Hermes" rel="nofollow" title="http://en.opensuse.org/Hermes">Hermes Notify</a> </b> is our notification agent.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-16145184874229666312010-05-08T21:21:00.001-05:002010-06-19T06:49:56.680-05:00Wiki:StructureAttempt to create structure in the wiki, or to classify all articles, is next logical step after years of, to be modest, disharmony in the current wiki, but how far we should go and what content can be structured with reasonable amount of work, and what should be left to self organization.<br />
<br />
Article <a href="http://shirky.com/writings/ontology_overrated.html">Ontology is Overrated: Categories, Links, and Tags</a> talks among other things about <a href="http://shirky.com/writings/ontology_overrated.html#when_does_ontological_classification_work">application domain of ontology</a>.<br />
<br />
Now applied to our wiki, we have:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>mix of both stable well defined categories and new topics that are in flux,</li>
<li>relatively restricted domain - Linux and openSUSE, but we go into a lot of details there,</li>
<li>mix of topics that cross boundaries of disciplines, </li>
<li>participants are more or less not experienced,</li>
<li>there is a limited number of people interested in the work on the wiki, specially to spend time learning how it works </li>
</ol>To me it seems that we are a bit more on "let it organize itself", which will mean make basic structure and rules for maintenance crew, so that copy-editors can straighten out stray articles on important topics without author complains, and don't be to much upset when the rest lives its own life. <br />
<ol></ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-31616277179574278912010-05-08T21:11:00.000-05:002010-05-08T21:27:37.945-05:00Support burnout<b>or yet another way to shoot yourself in the foot</b>.<br />
<br />
Supporting people with problems too long creates support burnout. Those that suffer from it can't find that by themselves, and even resist to accept facts when confronted. It manifests in to much attention to details that should provide better support, but actually stand in a way for the primary goal of any support effort, a happy user.<br />
<br />
Today I had one more touch with that.<br />
One of people that supports <a href="http://open-slx.com/">open-slx</a> version of openSUSE wanted to add <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal:Support_database">Support Database</a> (SDB) to the new <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/index.php?title=Main_Page&stable=1">wiki Main page</a> and he did it. I objected, but did nothing to remove the entry. First it is visible only in a draft page (our wiki is using <a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:FlaggedRevs">FlaggedRevs</a>, a MediaWiki extension), so normal visitors will not see it, and second I want to discuss this on the wiki mail list.<br />
<br />
Why giving so prominent place to <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal:Support_database">Support Database</a> is bad?<br />
<br />
SDB has many articles from those that solve problems with openSUSE, to few that explain how to use Linux for daily tasks. What will be opinion of a new user that just installed Linux thing and has no required background knowledge to explain large disproportion between articles about problems vs. advices how to do regular daily tasks using new applications and functionality. I know that I would not feel comfortable with software that has many problems and few useful functions, and I have no reason to think that that majority will have different opinion.<br />
<br />
Ditto, SDB should be easy to find, but giving people with problems few other options before they start digging trough it, like it was done in <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal:Support">Support</a> article. I must admit that now reading article again, I can see my support burnout in the tone of the article and the fact that SDB link was first in the section "Non interactive", before Spyhawk (Remy) added documentation link as a first and saved the day.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, we (openSUSE) have to keep advices about daily tasks and problem solutions for irregularities separated as much as it is possible in the visitor eyes, which fits fine with current description in <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Help:Namespace">Help:Namespaces</a> :<br />
<ul><li><b><a class="external text" href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/index.php?title=Special%3AAllPages&namespace=0" rel="nofollow" title="http://wiki.opensuse.org/index.php?title=Special%3AAllPages&namespace=0">Main</a></b> - Presentation of the current version of the openSUSE distribution. Everything for consumers of our distribution.</li>
<li><b><a class="external text" href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/index.php?title=Special%3AAllPages&namespace=100" rel="nofollow" title="http://wiki.opensuse.org/index.php?title=Special%3AAllPages&namespace=100">SDB</a></b> - Help, Howtos, support. If you have a problem with the distribution you will find help here.</li>
</ul>What can be better presentation of your new operating system then articles that will explain how you can do all that you did before and of course much more. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-16562122359375473022010-05-02T09:35:00.001-05:002010-06-19T06:50:08.423-05:00Wiki: BackgroundOne particular article that is correlating to my experience working on openSUSE wiki is <a class="external free" href="http://shirky.com/writings/ontology_overrated.html" rel="nofollow" title="http://shirky.com/writings/ontology_overrated.html">Ontology is Overrated: Categories, Links, and Tags</a> or in short "how chaos is organizing itself".<br />
<br />
In other words, we did not enough to organize our chaos and we have wiki that we made, and deserve. Are we, openSUSE users only to blame?<br />
<br />
IMO, yes and no.<br />
<br />
Users of openSUSE are not well aware of FOSS concepts, which include a lot of own involvement in creation and maintenance of distribution. There is no such thing as a free beer, you pay with currency or with own work.<br />
<br />
Some 5 years after start of openSUSE, users reporting bugs is the major group that is contributing to SUSE. There is no many community members outside the SUSE GmbH that are software developers, packagers, document writers, translators, graphic artist, and many other specialists that can make complex product like software distribution.When I say not many I have in mind that as of today we have almost 12000 registered users, 4600 of them agree on Guiding Principles, but only 395 are members. The members are those that make significant contributions. For distro that offers thousands packages of software titles that is way to small. <br />
<br />
The other party to blame is Novell and SUSE, that pursing own interest limited to have community as testers for new Linux related technologies did underestimated value of healthy community behind and all services that such community can provide. Until recent creation of <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/Boosters">Boosters</a>, there was no organized effort to change nature of openSUSE community from consumers of free software to contributors in many more areas then bug reporting and packaging. <br />
<br />
Ubuntu rise is not accidental. Mr. Shuttleworth based his project on relatively small company that complemented existing Debian distribution with final, user friendly, touch up. The other services that one distribution provides to end users like packaging and security audits are, so far I know, done by Debian, and that is a lot more work as it multiplies with number of software titles that one wants to provide in a distribution.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-22796436669873704752010-05-01T15:34:00.002-05:002011-08-01T14:02:00.595-05:00Expanding use of portal page concept<div><br />
</div><div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">The <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Help:Portal">openSUSE wiki Portals</a> have few sections that are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transclusion">included</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subpages">subpages</a>. </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">For instance introductory section of <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal:Wiki">Portal:Wiki</a> is actually on a subpage <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal:Wiki/Intro">Portal:Wiki/Intro</a> and it is used in article itself, but also in the <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/">Main page</a>, just as <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal:Project">Project</a> and <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Portal:Distribution">Distribution</a> portals intro pages. </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Using subpages in the similar way are created other sections of any Portal page. Nice about this is that nothing prevents to use parts of portals anywhere we need them. </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">What if we can expand this concept to many more types of articles? </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">We gain ability to use parts of articles in any area; not only to link, but to reuse text. For instance, when we create list of used software to solve some problem then <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transclusion">transclusion</a> of intro pages in the list will tell reader, not only what is used, but also short introduction to software. </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">A bit expanded concept would keep current <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Template:Infobox">Template:Infobox</a> on a subpage. That will make possible to list it in the right column of another article. Reader that has to install some software in order to perform task described in the article will have all information at hand that will assist him in installation.</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Often used descriptions for procedures like "switch to root", or "switch runlevel" can be collected as subpages to one page for related actions and then just reused everywhere in the wiki. This will end tens of similar descriptions for those two all over the wiki. </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">How to make authors and copy editors aware of that? </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">It is relatively simple. Make them aware of option to use templates offered by <a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:MultiBoilerplate">MultiBoilerplate</a> MediaWiki extension, and give them templates with example articles. </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><b>PS.</b></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">The openSUSE wiki version of MultiBoilerplate extension is improved by <a href="http://www.cboltz.de/">C. Boltz</a> with ability to have different templates for different <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Namespace">namespaces</a>, so we have ability to be selective, depends on type of content that is offered. </div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-79917116231593786152010-04-25T02:43:00.000-05:002010-04-25T03:40:50.647-05:00Fighting aversion to changeToday free time spent on <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org">http://wiki.opensuse.org</a> trying to create support portal and learning on the run properties of current portal design. <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Template:Portal">Template:Portal</a> that is used as boilerplate for new portals, even generalized as it is, has a great potential, but to use it to its full potential, one has to forget all the tools we used before, like navigational templates based on <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Template:Navbar">Template:Navbar</a>. We can use it, but every child template require manual updates, which can be laborious undertaking when number of affected pages grows. Besides its capacity to take links is very limited if we want to have it readable. <div><br /></div><div>We have now <a href="http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/CategoryTree">CategoryTree</a> MediaWiki extension that can list categories and as soon as someone adds new article to a category, it will be listed. It lists whole category trees in a very compact format that uses screen space efficiently. All that authors and wiki maintainers have to take care is that every article is properly categorized. <div><br /></div><div>Old habits and old tools (that we know) just stand in the way to achieve more with lesser effort. </div></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-10276958761690658302010-04-24T09:46:00.000-05:002010-04-24T14:40:15.916-05:00Amusing when you realizeThat <a href="http://osnews.com/story/20862/Don_t_Blame_Windows_and_KDE_for_Your_Own_Aversion_to_Change" class="external text" title="http://osnews.com/story/20862/Don_t_Blame_Windows_and_KDE_for_Your_Own_Aversion_to_Change" rel="nofollow">... Aversion to Change</a> applies further then GUIs, and suddenly you see your image in: <div style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);"> <p>... the people who are the most stern advocates of normal users moving away from Windows, trying out alternatives, are the same people who are usually lost whenever they themselves have to change their way of doing things. </p></div>or in other words "Me and the new openSUSE wiki development".<br /><br />You can see preview on temporary development copy of the wiki at <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org">http://wiki.opensuse.org</a> . It will be switched with <a href="http://en.opensuse.org">http://en.opensuse.org</a> later this year, so if you link to it, please make sure that your visitors are aware that fact .Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-59992467107647242472009-12-28T22:55:00.000-06:002009-12-28T23:48:25.885-06:00The Wiki!The <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/">openSUSE wiki</a> is on the way to be renewed.<br /><br />There was a lot of work done, but the pile that is waiting is much bigger.<br />The <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/Transition_List">list of articles that have to be checked</a> is huge and that is one of tasks that has to be accomplished before we actually can start with <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/Transition_Guidelines">transition</a>.<br /><br />There is <a href="http://wiki.opensuse.org/Special:Version">few new tools</a> that we selected to help us sorting information and keep new wiki instance in a good shape and also a new MediaWiki software version 1.15.1 that has a lot more to offer then old 1.5. That means, we will have a lot of fun in next months testing what we can achieve with all new options.<br /><br />Do we need help?<br />Sure we do.<br /><br />We can be found on opensuse-wiki@opensuse.org mail list, or any other communication medium mentioned on a team page <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/Wiki_team">http://en.opensuse.org/Wiki_team</a> . Note that you have to be subscribed in order to post to mail list, so please <a href="hhttp://en.opensuse.org/Communicate/Mailinglists">read instructions</a> first.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-16712594971579834582009-12-05T19:03:00.000-06:002009-12-05T19:35:23.365-06:00ATI for n-th timeATI graphics and Linux on some computers is real problem. I tried <a href="http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/linux/Legacy/Pages/radeon_linux.aspx?type=2.7&product=2.7.4.3.3.3.1&lang=English">fglrx driver</a> , but it doesn't compile in <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/OpenSUSE_11.2">openSUSE 11.2</a> .<br /><br />The most recent development is that even <a href="http://www.x.org/wiki/radeon">radeon driver</a> is no more good for Radeon Xpress 200 built in my laptop. Not that it doesn't work at all, but you have to use <a href="http://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=547106">strange methods to boot the laptop</a> to the GUI. To be honest, not strange to me, I used <a href="http://www.xfree86.org/current/startx.1.html">startx</a> very often long time ago, but I can imagine what would happen if <a href="http://software.opensuse.org">openSUSE</a> was just installed to try it out. It would be removed from the box faster then it was installed. With so many options out there it would take time to see that visitor coming back.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-83563140714167250242009-08-30T01:25:00.000-05:002009-08-30T03:50:56.611-05:00ATI fglrx driverI got to go tough installation routine again.<br />It is Radeon Xpress 200 graphic adapter that is making trouble.<br /><br />The open source <span style="font-weight: bold;">radeon</span> driver is OK for almost anything, specially after removing strange sized "Virtual 3840x1200" when frame rates jumped to values comparable to proprietary <span style="font-weight: bold;">fglrx</span>, but the "Almost" is a keyword here.<br /><br />Despite glxgears giving nice number of the frames per second, Google Earth was like molasses, and fan would start turning in high speed almost from start, YouTube videos refused to take full screen, with Flash actually going on strike.<br />So, to cover those cases I attempted to install fglrx again.<br /><br />First attempt was to compile driver, but that didn't work well. The ati installer didn't do the job well.<br /><br />Using /usr/share/ati/fglrx-uninstall.sh I removed remnants of "Hard Way" installation and used procedure described in <a href="http://en.opensuse.org/ATI_Radeon_Xpress">http://en.opensuse.org/ATI_Radeon_Xpress</a><br /><br /><br />When all was done, Google Earth was running as it should, YouTube didn't complain to run in full screen mode.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-86409939025802162762009-08-23T22:07:00.000-05:002009-08-23T23:25:57.049-05:00Switching distrosReading Planet SUSE I found link to article<br /><a href="http://www.phocean.net/2007/05/14/switching-from-ubuntu-to-opensuse.html" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link: Switching from Ubuntu to OpenSuse">Switching from Ubuntu to OpenSuse</a> .<br /><br />How many people annoyed with bugs in distro that they used for a while finally give up and go elsewhere ?<br /><br />I know that is not many, as it involves some time to learn new one, but I know one that moved in opposite direction and few more that have some sort of plan B that include some other distro as an option.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-28846221476064654122009-08-01T10:21:00.000-05:002009-08-01T10:50:39.070-05:00Smolt<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smolt_%28Linux%29">Smolt</a> got changes that makes it more user friendly, ie. GUI is improved and it's on a way to be enhanced with more very useful features. Carlos, openSUSE member, rewrote the Smolt GUI in Qt, and removed serious usability bug - not reporting user password that allows user to access his report web page on <a href="http://www.smolts.org/">http://www.smolts.org/</a>. Password was available only trough command line client.<br /><br />More in his <a href="http://cgoncalves.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-shiny-smolt-client.html">blog</a> .Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159304536570857479.post-29511319596082674702009-04-20T17:40:00.000-05:002009-04-26T23:32:40.756-05:00For those that want bleeding edge without bloodDiscussions about KDE are source of endless fun.<br /><br />Answering a question about openSUSE support for KDE3 to guy claiming that it will end soon, if it is not already stopped, I caught myself thinking that support will last for a quite long period.<br />KDE4 will be probably at version 4.4 when support for openSUSE 11.1 stops, and right now at version 4.2 it is already in a good shape for Joe the Plumber.<br /><br />The whole pile of rants on opensuse@opensuse.org mail list is actually written by people that would like to run bleeding edge system that is stable. Wash me, but don't make me wet. <br /><br />They complain because openSUSE 11.2 will not have KDE3, and claim time and again that is catastrophe, like support will end when 11.2 is released. Well, the KDE3 support in openSUSE will last till December 2010, just the same as for openSUSE 11.1. It is standard openSUSE practice to support each release for 2 years.<br /><br />You know, we are serious distro.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0