I’m a long-time desktop Linux user, and one of the big reasons I like it is that it allows you to use hardware that is typically considered ‘obsolete’. So many computers are needlessly thrown away because they don’t run the latest Windows, but that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze another 4-5 years out of that hardware.

A bizarre bug I ran into today has lots of CUPS users scratching their head, but I’ve fortunately found the source of the problem.

I recently had to write a Bash shell script that had locking capabilities, and I couldn’t find any decent examples online that would do the trick. My colleague Laurie showed me this example that works pretty well.

Edited: The repo was getting quite out of date, so it’s now disabled.

I did a talk at the 2011 LinuxCon in Vancouver. I met a lot of cool folks, saw a lot of cool technology, and had an absolute blast. I took notes during the whole event, and put them up for posterity.

I was tasked to build a .deb package recently (the software package for Debian-alike systems such as Debian and Ubuntu). As I was inexperienced in the matter, I frequently consulted the documentation. Unfortunately, the more I worked on building the .deb package, the more I saw how slapdash the documentation and the build-tools are.

I just had a bit of an issue on my Slackware laptop where my USB flash drive wouldn’t mount as a user. In KDE, plugging in the USB drive would have the notification pop-up come up, but it wouldn’t let me mount the device.

This month in NGLG, I’m taking a look at a couple of 3D games that don’t require too much horsepower, but are still fun diversions.

Lightcycle games should seem familiar to anyone who has played the ‘snake’ type games that are common on cell phones. The goal is to box in your opponents with your trail, all the while making sure you don’t slam into their trails (as well as your own!). Often, the games mimic the look and feel from the 1982 film Tron, and require quick reflexes and a mind for strategy.

Many people have made the switch to Linux, and the question that has continued since the kernel hit 0.01 is “where are the games?”

While the WINE project has done a great job at getting quite a few mainstream games working, there are also many Linux-native gems that are fantastic at whittling away the time. No longer content with Solitaire clones, the community is responding with a wide array of fun games.

The Linux User Group (also known as a LUG) has been one of the cornerstones of Linux advocacy ever since its first inception. Bringing together local Linux lovers, it is the grassroots of Linux - where neighbours and other townfolks can sit around a table and discuss the best way to compile the kernel for their machines, or how to get their Slackware network devices going again. It is also a high bandwidth way to share knowledge - if you’ve ever heard of the sneaker-net, you’ll appreciate the advantages of being in a room full of real people who share your interest in open-source software.