Rolf Sommerhalder: Developing my own Linux Distribution

Rolf Sommerhalder has already written on my blog about his life in Linux and his favourite Desktop Environments. This time round, he decided to let us know about his own distribution he uses. This is guest post on Linux Notes from DarkDuck.

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Starting Point                                             

There is a great site on the net: distrowatch.com

It introduces dozens of new or updated distros to the world of Linux-admirers and users.

I spent the last 7 years with trying out many distros (short for distribution) available via that site. There must be a couple of hundred CDs imprinted with Linux Operating Systems in the cupboards. That was before unetbootin allowed running them from flash drives and virtual platforms like vbox,

Over the years I collected mainly Debian files for off-line installation. And to make most of that treasure trove I focused on Debian based distros: Debian-6 and Debian-7, Ubuntu, Knoppix 7x and then those many Ubuntu derivatives such as Mint, ArtistX, DreamStudio and some yet to be checked like Zorin, Bodhi, Emmabuntus, etc.

Anyway, for the past year I concentrated all into creating my own distro and add my own flavour to it. So the first question arises:

How-to configure keyboard layouts in Ubuntu Unity (video)

I have recently written an article about configuring multiple keyboard layouts in different Linux desktop environments: Unity, GNOME 3, KDE.

That was a text version.

Today I will show you a video about keyboard layouts configuration in Unity.

I hope you will enjoy!

The link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJv6CFV2zuE

Order your copies of OpenSuSE 13.1 and Linux Mint 16 Petra

The readers of my blog already know that I often put adverts about coming releases of operating systems, letting you pre-order a disk with a copy of that system through the site Buy Linux CDs. It gives you an opportunity to get the personal copy of the OS as soon as it is technically possible to download, burn and deliver.

This time I am happy to announce that pre-orders for two different operating systems are now taken. They are OpenSuSE 13.1 and Linux Mint 16 Petra.

• OpenSuSE 13.1 will come out on the 19th of November 2013.
• Linux Mint 16 Petra will come out at the end of November 2013, without any specific date known at this moment.

You can pre-order your own copy of OpenSuSE 13.1 and Linux Mint 16 Petra right now. It means that a DVD with your favourite OS will be burnt for you as early as possible, and dispatched on the day of release, or soon after. Dispatched to anywhere in the world.

How you can get the DVD? Go to http://buylinuxcds.co.uk site, purchase the OpenSuSE or Linux Mint DVD from there, and in the PayPal comments state that you want version 13.1 or 16 respectively. That's easy.

To help you even further, here is a mini-shop that you can use straight away. It supports PayPal checkout, similar to Buy Linux CDs site. And you even don't need a PayPal account to pay - you can do this with your credit a debit card! T&Cs from Buy Linux CDs site apply.

UK (2.00 GBP):

OpenSuSE 13.1 pre-order (UK) Variation KDE 32-bit GNOME 32-bitKDE 64-bit GNOME 64-bit

Linux Mint 16 pre-order (UK) Variation Cinnamon 32-bit MATE 32-bitCinnamon 64-bit MATE 64-bit

USA (6.50 USD):

OpenSuSE 13.1 pre-order (USA) Variation KDE 32-bit GNOME 32-bitKDE 64-bit GNOME 64-bit

Linux Mint 16 pre-order (USA) Variation Cinnamon 32-bit MATE 32-bitCinnamon 64-bit MATE 64-bit

Other countries (4.50 GBP):

OpenSuSE 13.1 pre-order (Other countries) Variation KDE 32-bit GNOME 32-bitKDE 64-bit GNOME 64-bit

Linux Mint 16 pre-order (Other countries) Variation Cinnamon 32-bit MATE 32-bitCinnamon 64-bit MATE 64-bit

And yet another alternative: you can purchase the same disks via eBay.

DarkDuck makes another visit

You should have already noticed that there are quite a few guest posts on this blog, especially since I changed the strategy about a year ago.

But it does not mean that I stopped writing about Linux and Free Open Source Software myself. I still do.

Moreover, I was recently asked to guest write on one of the most respectable blogs about FOSS: Foss Force.

I happily accepted the offer, and now you can read my article there: Using FOSS in a Windows-Centric Corporate Environment.

All welcome to read!

How Canonical thumbed its nose at the international Ubuntu community... and then fixed that

There's a lot of controversy around Canonical and its Ubuntu now. Unity, Wayland, commercial lenses in Dash - these are only few. Let me add to the list.

If you are American or English, you may close this browser window now. The rest of the article will not be interesting for you.

If you are not, you are very likely to have more than one keyboard layout in your system. This is because you have to type in your native language, as well as in English.

I have written recently about the options to configure multiple keyboard layouts in different Desktop Environments, including Unity.

I wrote the article using Ubuntu 13.04, where all the steps worked like a charm.

Things have changed since Ubuntu 13.10 came out – the charm became an evil spell.

How-to configure keyboard layouts in GNOME 3 (video)

I have recently written an article about configuring multiple keyboard layouts in different Linux desktop environments: Unity, GNOME 3, KDE.

That was a text version.

Today I will show you a video about keyboard layouts configuration in GNOME 3.

I hope you will enjoy!

The link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq1OcS3c9ks

Linux notes from DarkDuck blog is now 3 years old!

Hello my dear readers!
Today is the 3rd anniversary of the blog Linux notes from DarkDuck!
I prepared you a little surprise for today.
Please enjoy this video

Video link: http://youtu.be/L7vUUXkopLw

How to configure keyboard layouts in Unity, GNOME 3, KDE

It is not a secret that I am Russian living in the UK. Even if I was not leaving in the UK, being Russian means I need to type in Russian using Cyrillic alphabet. Also, I need to type in Latin (English) for blogging and other technical needs.

I have written quite a lot of reviews of different operating systems. While doing this, I always had a strategy in mind. The strategy covers a list of questions for the review, including ability to configure different keyboard layouts and a hotkey switch for them.

Now I plan to release a series of how-to articles covering configuration of multi-layout keyboards in Linux. It is obviously a task for the desktop environment in use for the particular Linux distribution. Let's starts with the obvious leaders in the Linux world.

In the future, we will also speak about Xfce, Cinnamon and MATE and also LXDE, Enlightenment, Openbox.

Another level taken: 900 subscribers

It was not that long, only in early July 2013 when the number of subscribers of Linux notes from DarkDuck blog reached the 700 mark.

Today I am happy to tell you that number of subscribers is more than 900! Another mark was passed in just 3 months time!

I think this is a great achievement for all of us, who like to use and popularize Linux.

Thank you to all my subscribers!

And don't forget, Facebook and Twitter accounts of Linux notes from DarkDuck are also active!

Is it time to betray?

I need to apologise before you start reading this post. It is neither about Linux, nor about Linux-run application. It is about software I use on my work laptop, which unfortunately has to be Windows-based. Although, the article relates to FOSS-world too.

And… It is very fuddy-duddy.