The Great Linux Experiment just keeps on keeping on. In today’s post, we will attempt to describe what it’s like to compile a program from scratch. So follow along with us as we try to get the new “Epiphany with WebKit” browser running in Fedora 10.

Before actually installing the browser, Angela has to install the WebKit rendering engine first. While that might seem easy, it’s not. She first has to load a rather large file directly from Terminal (the command line) before even attempting to put it all together. Since unpacking the thing is taking a bit longer than initially expected, we have the following:

The folks at MTV seem to have modern social media on their collective minds. The former music video station/trendsetter is planning to use the likes of Twitter and Facebook to create a “flagship show” in the style of the now defunct Total Request Live. Like with the previously mentioned CNN program Rick Sanchez Direct, the show will be based around host Alexa Chung’s interactions with viewers that inhabit the various services. The fans will also have an opportunity to submit their own videos to the show. Expect the as-yet unnamed program to debut sometime this summer.

Twitter and Facebook aren’t the only Internet sensations that are currently being eyeballed by MTV. The bigwigs at the network are in talks with controversial ex-WWE World Champion/notorious free spirit Jeff Hardy for a reality show based upon his life. According to those close to the situation, the show will actually be a “big budget” version of The Hardy Show, the surprisingly popular web program starring Jeff, his brother Matt, and mutual friend Shannon Moore. (Like Jeff, both Matt and Moore are full time professional wrestlers.) An air date for the program is unknown at this time.

…And we are back! Unfortunately, the file is still unpacking. While we definitely appreciate the “completeness” of the package, we are beginning to wonder if all of these individual bits are truly necessary. We understand why we would need files labeled as “kernel” or “browser.” The “OS X Tiger” files, on the other hand … now that is a real head scratcher. Needless to say, I think we’re in this for the proverbial “long haul.” In the meantime…

As many of you are quite well aware of, piracy is alive and well on the Internet. While there are those out there who are okay with the practice, most within the industry aren’t exactly thrilled that it’s still happening. Independent game programming house The ACE Team have crafted their own special way to deter the practice: engaging the user in polite, civil dialog. Each copy of their new game, Zeno Crush, has a message attached asking the user if they would consider buying the game sometime in the near future. “We cannot do anything to stop piracy of the game (and honestly don’t intend to do so) but if you are downloading because you wish to try before you buy, I would ask that you purchase the game (and support the independent game development scene) if you enjoy it,” writes the programming team. While it is still a bit too early to see if the rambling, yet genuinely heartfelt, note has affected sales, early word seems positive. Many ardent BitTorrent users claim that they are now planning to actually buy the game, thanks solely to the letter. As always, we will have more on this story as it becomes available.

…And we’re back yet again. Before anyone asks, yes. The file is still unpacking itself. Because of this, the planned install will have to be posted tomorrow. Don’t worry; it will be worth it. Until tomorrow, we bid you all a fond adieu from the land of penguins and GNUs.

Throughout the short history of the Free Line, there have been a handful of programs that have been blatantly ignored. The reasoning behind this is simple: we didn’t have access to the operating system the program calls home. Thanks to The Great Linux Experiment, that sort of thinking is (temporarily) a thing of the past. So with further delay, we present a special “Linux catch up” edition of the Monday Showdown. Enjoy!
App #1: KWord
Original Showdown: Word Processors
Site: http://www.koffice.org/kword/
Programmer: KOffice Team
First Impression: “Oh no … it looks like WordPad. And not the souped up Windows 7 version WordPad, either. The old crappy one.”
Learning Curve: None
Ease of Use (Out of 10): 10
Overall Rating (Out of 10): 5
Notes: The words “old” and “boring” were used more than once in our conversation. It’s not that it’s “bad,” it’s just bland. If you want a digitized blank sheet designed for your words, numbers, and punctuation, this will suit your needs just fine. If you want something more, it would be your best bet to pass.

App #2: Krita

Original Showdown: Image Editors
Site: http://www.koffice.org/krita/
Programmer: KOffice Team
Plugins: Yes.
First Impression: “It made me choose a template, which was kind of confusing.”
Learning Curve: A little difficult at first, but easy enough to get into.
Ease of Use: 6
Overall Rating: 7
Notes: In many ways, Krita is the open source cousin of Photoshop 6. Nearly everything found in this program, from the menus to the options to even the icons, have that old-time Adobe feel to them. Still, familiarity does not always equal usability. During our test, the preloaded flash drive, although visibile to Fedora, was not detected by the program. The “pick a template” option, designed to help users start things off with a bang, is just unfamiliar enough to confuse even the most knowledgable artist. That being said, it isn’t a bad little application once you get past all of the various quirks. It’s no replacement for Photoshop, but it does give the GIMP a run for its money.

App #3: Epiphany

Original Showdowns: Even Better Than the Real Thing, Parts One and Two
Program Type: Web browser
Name Brand Equivalent: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome, etc.
Version: 2.24.3
Site: http://projects.gnome.org/epiphany/
First Impression: “It’s fast. Do they happen to make it for Windows?”
Ease of Use: 10
Overall: 9
Is It a Worthy Replacement?: Definitely.
Notes: Epiphany is somewhat of an oddity in the land of Linux: it worked perfectly right out of the gate. Everything we tried, from traditional sites to Flash apps, all loaded quickly and efficiently. In fact, some of the apps actually ran better here than they did in Firefox. The only real drawback, if you even want to put it into those terms, is the worrying lack of extensions and add-ons. Even then, it’s nothing really to write home about. When you’re working with something this nice, it’s always best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Service #4: KTeaTime

Original Showdown: Oddball and Fun, Parts One and Two
Website: http://www.ohloh.net/p/kteatime
Service Type: Timer
Mainstream Equivalent: Egg timer, various microwave options, “one Misisssippi,” etc.
First Impression: “It’s a timer … for your tea!”
Weirdness Factor: 5
Why It’s Weird: Do we have to say it again? It’s a timer dedicated to your tea.
Positives: You’ll never have a bad spot of tea again.
Negatives: This program is pretty much useless to anyone who doesn’t drink hot tea or have a mighty need to keep track of small instances of time.
Overall: N/A, as we’re not exactly sure how to go about rating something like this.

…And there you have it. Until tomorrow, we bid you all a fond adieu from the land of penguins and GNUs.

Since yesterday (Monday) was the first full day of program tester Angela Smedley’s foray into Linux, we felt that it was only fair to dedicate today’s Free Line to it. Rest assured, everything will be back to normal tomorrow.

The Great Linux Experiment continues in earnest. The first major problem that Angela encountered was with the video card drivers. Unlike most people, she employs/relies on a dual-head (two monitor) setup. Monitor number one had nothing in it, while the second, decidedly smaller, monitor featured the desktop. After a few minutes and an Nvidia-sponsored update later, everything was working fine. This does, however, lead us to an interesting question: is it alright to run drivers that are not completely open source?

To many, this question is an easy one. You paid for the video card. Why can’t you run the drivers associated with that card? There are those, however, who don’t necessarily see things in that way. See, the drivers, while official, are closed source. Closed source, for those unaware, simply means that the code used to formulate the drivers are not available to the general public. Some believe that withholding code like this is a downright unconscionable, immoral act. After all, one of the main pillars of the open source community (primarily Richard Stallman’s Free Software Foundation) is the ability to keep the playing field level for all. By keeping the code all to themselves, the video card companies are essentially putting themselves “above” the user. In order to avoid a life of “indentured servitude,” many choose to run open source, third-party drivers.

Now honestly, we are not here to argue the morality of code. We are simply telling you what others feel and what we did. We loaded the official drivers because frankly, it doesn’t bother us. But if the idea of loading drivers and programs full of walled off code keeps you awake at night, by all means load the third-party files. There really isn’t that big of a difference between the drivers anyway. It all comes down to what you believe is the right thing to do.

The next major obstacle Angela encountered was with Flash. Try as we might, we just could not get Flash working in KDE’s native browser, Konqueror. Thankfully, it all worked in Firefox … or so we thought. While Flash-based videos and websites were all running at full vigor, Flash programs like Pixlr and SumoPaint were just not coming up. After a bit of research and a few conversations with various message board denziens, she found that the problem was with SELinux. SELinux is a line of security patches designed by the NSA to ward of evildoers of all shapes and sizes. It works for the most part, but has the tendancy to be a bit overzealous at times. The fix was simple — disable SELinux. After a quick reboot, her Flash apps were working perfectly.

Still, not everything is working properly. For most of the day, she has been trying to get her computer to recognize her handmade data server. As we mentioned before, said server runs on Windows Home Server, a specialized version of Microsoft Server 2003 with various “consumer friendly” add-ons attached. Try as she might, she is unable to get Samba to properly connect to it. Despite the setback, she is far from “losing hope.” One format, one work-in-progress, and several major successes is nothing to sneeze at.

…And there you have it. Until tomorrow, we bid you all a fond adieu from the land of penguins and GNUs.

Note: The following account is actually the second time we installed the Fedora 10 operating system. The first time around, we erroneously used a “live CD” instead of the full setup. The resulting install was like being dumped in the middle of North Dakota without a map or a cell phone. Due to this, we decided to literally erase everything and start all over again. To all of those who wish to try Linux with us, we highly suggest loading the full setup program. It’s a bit more complicated to install, but trust us — it’s worth it.

Our experiment began with Angela replacing her Windows 7 disk with a brand new, 320 gigabyte Western Digital hard drive. While dual-booting is both encouraged and allowed by the Linux elite, we decided to forgo it. Not only does it eliminate the temptation to run Windows, it just makes things easier all around.

The first thing we were greeted by was a message asking us if we wanted the system to “test the install media.” For those who have no idea what this means, a “media test” simply makes sure that your installation disc is in good working order. We chose the “skip” option, but if you’re unsure, it doesn’t hurt. After a few moments, the Fedora logo appeared. We were then asked to pick our language, keyboard layout, time zone, computer name, and administrator (Root) password. We were then presented with a host of formatting options. For the purposes of this post, we chose “create custom layout.” A new screen appears, featuring a plethora of options and check boxes. Many people choose to create two partitions: one for system files, and one for your data. The main advantage to a setup like this is the overall ease of upgrading. With two drive partitions, you can easily upgrade and/or format your system files without ever touching your personal data. Although we decided to forgo that particular setup, we highly suggest that you take it into consideration. It will make your life much easier in the long run. After approving our setup, the install disc went to work.

Once the partition was all set up and ready to go, we were told to pick our installation software. In the list, we were asked if we wanted to install the software needed for “Office and Productivity,” “Software Development,” and “Web Server” implementation. For the sake of this test, we picked all three. You can choose whatever fits your current situation the best. We were also asked if we want to add various “repositories” to the system. By adding these repository sites, your installation can find, offer up, and install various programs, modules, and drivers. We were then given the chance to choose our programs. This step took about an hour, but was actually kind of fun. If/when you attempt something like this, keep the following rule in mind at all times: if you don’t know what it is after reading the description, don’t check it. The last thing you need is an extraneous program gumming up the works.

The operating system started to install about an half an hour later. It took a little while, but that’s understandable considering the files and modules that the system had to go through. Once everything finished, we were told that the system had to reboot. After the rebooting, the system asked if we wanted to send our system profile to “Smolt.” Although there isn’t anything wrong with sending our information off, we declined the invitation, figuring that the people at Smolt had more important things to attend to. With that, our installation was finished. But that doesn’t mean that everything was working…

…And there you have it. In addition to the traditional “Free Line” fare, we will provide updates on the Fedora 10 experiment, including problems, frustrations, and triumphs. Until tomorrow, we bid you all a fond adieu from the land of penguins and GNUs.

As you might have heard, there are big changes afoot at MySpace. The first big change occurred Wednesday night, when CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe was let go by the bigwigs at MySpace’s parent company, News Corporation. According to the official press release, DeWolfe’s departure was a “mutual decision” and he is leaving of the very best of terms. It is rumored that he will act as a “strategic adviser” for the company and will also serve as a board member for MySpace China. Co-founder Tom Anderson is also vacating his current position, but like DeWolfe, is not leaving the company altogether. While the reasoning behind the move is unknown at this time, many within the industry believe that it is due to the threat known to the world as “Facebook.” It is believed by many that new blood is needed in order to “finish off” the plucky upstart once and for all. As always, we will have more on this story as soon as it becomes available.

MySpace isn’t the only major online organization that is making a few “hard decisions.” After nearly fifteen years in business, Yahoo has announced the closure of web hosting service GeoCities. Although it might not seem like much now, GeoCities was once considered one of the hottest and hippest places to be on the web. So hot, in fact, that Yahoo purchased the service, largely considered the “social network” of its day, for an unheard of (at the time) $2.87 billion. Current users are being asked to transfer their sites to the superior, yet decidedly not free, Yahoo Web Hosting. The actual shutdown date is unknown at this time.

And to finish out the week, it seems as if Plurk, everyone’s favorite extra-optimistic microblogging service, has been banned by the Chinese government. The thing is, no one is exactly sure what the company did to incur the wrath of the “Great Firewall of China.” “We feel terribly bad for the thousands of Chinese plurkers that have been affected by this,” writes Plurk developer Amir Salihefendic on his personal blog. “[We are] in shock that their government can do such a censorship.” The programmer also took some time out his busy schedule to talk about what he calls the “suppression of the freedom of speech.” Writes Salihefendic: “[W]e see freedom of speech as a basic human right. It’s known thought [sic] that other big corporations such as Google, Skype, AOL etc. are censoring for the Chinese government and probably indirectly putting people in jail.” As with the MySpace announcement, we will have more on this story as soon as it becomes available.

We have two more days until The Great Linux Experiment begins. (If you don’t know what we’re talking about, it might be best for you to read this post first.) Since tomorrow’s post will probably be covering the goings on at MySpace, we are going to get Angela’s final thoughts before undertaking this massive project now.

On Leaving Windows Behind For Two Weeks: “Do I have to give up all of my Windows? Can I slot in some Vista time? Is Windows CE 5 on my portable device [a Cowon Q5W] exempt from all of this?” [It is. -- Ed.]

On Linux: “I better not have to program my own drivers.”

On Fedora: “I hope Fedora the operating system is like the hat. I really like my fedora. Can I wear my fedora while I’m installing Fedora? [Whatever makes you happy. -- Ed.]

On the Prospect of Using the Command Line Again: “I used to know DOS. I don’t remember it anymore, but I hope that some of it will come back. That will help me, right?” [Linux is different than DOS, so we're going to go out on a limb and say "no." -- Ed.]

On Linux’s Native Windows Emulator, WINE: “I hear it works okay with most of the things that I run. I hope I can get it running with my programs, especially Photoshop. It better be able to run Photoshop…”

On The GIMP, the Open Source Equivalent to Photoshop: “It’s alright, but it’s not the same as Photoshop. It’ll work in a pinch, I guess.”

Unlike Windows and OS X, you have a wide variety of desktops to choose from. Which one are you picking, and why? “KDE, because it looks the most like Windows. [Note: Many television shows use KDE instead of Windows on their on-set computers. The reason for this is simple: it looks like the name brand equivalent, and it's free to use. The other major desktop available is Gnome, which bares a striking resemblance to OS X.]

What are you most looking forward to? “I don’t want to sound too optimistic, but I’m looking forward to it working. The last time I tried Linux, there was a lot of crying. Oh Mandrake 9 … Or was it 6? Or 5? I think it might have been 4. Well, whatever it was, it didn’t work.”

What program are you most looking forward to use? “Konqueror. I’ve heard some great things about it.” [Note: Konqueror runs on the KHTML rendering engine, considered by some to be the best engine out there. Webkit, the engine that powers both Safari and, to a lesser extent, Google Chrome, is based upon KHTML.)

What are you dreading the most? “Waking up in the morning half asleep, checking my email, only for it not to work right. After all, I’m not using Outlook anymore. I’m using Linux!”

Final Thoughts: “One way or another, it’s going to be interesting.”

Anyone who has turned on a television these days knows about Twitter. There are a plethora of input devices compatible with the system, from the traditional keyboard and mouse setup to your phone’s number pad to even a video game controller. Still, there’s a new input method out there that has all of the others beat: your brain. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have created a system that allows users to access the obscenely popular microblogging service using only your mind. The actual device, which looks like a red swim cap with wires protruding outward, is actually an EEG machine designed to detect the various electrical impulses that occur within your noggin. Those very impulses are then translated into letters, number, and even a little blinking cursor. While it is a promising idea, don’t expect for “psychic tweeting” to become the next big fad just yet. At the present time, the device is only able to handle about eight words a minute. Improvements are coming, researchers say, but they are at least a few years away.

In other news, instant messaging is coming to a Hotmail inbox near you. Users are now able to access their MSN Messenger Windows Live Messenger accounts directly from the mail service’s main site. Despite the added convenience a feature like this brings, those within the industry found the update to be ever so slightly underwhelming … not to mention two to three years too late when compared to the competition. “[W]hat the [heck] took Microsoft so long,” asks TechCrunch writer Robin Wauters. “Hotmail has a gigantic mainstream user base who are not likely going to switch to an alternative webmail service en masse provided Microsoft keeps up with the times. But make no mistake about it: Microsoft is ridiculously late with adding this functionality to Hotmail.” The new feature is now available in several different countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Germany, and Brazil.

And finally, a recent study claims that most of the music sold on the Internet today is purchased by those who actively partake in illegal downloading. According to the folks at the BI Norwegian School of Management, a “significant amount” of those surveyed say that they are more likely to by a song or an album after downloading it first. Although it might sound odd, the Norwegian study isn’t the first to link peer-to-peer file sharing with legal purchases. According to a poll conducted by the Canadian Record Industry Association in 2006, roughly 73% said that they routinely buy music after downloading it illegally.

Still, not everyone is exactly buying what the BI Norwegian School of Management is selling. “”There is one thing we are not going away, and it is the consumption of music increases, while revenue declines,” EMI record executive Bjørn Rogstad told Norwegian national newspaper Aftenposten. “It can not be explained in any way other than that the illegal downloading is over the legal sale of music.” Rogstad, and those like Rogstad, also point to the weak sales of full albums as proof that file sharing does not help the bottom line. Album sales were down nearly 14% in 2008, with the numbers falling steadily ever since. That said, no one can deny that there is distinct progress being made in this area. In casees such as this, any progress is good progress, no matter how small or insigificant it might seem.

As many of you know, we here at the Free Line pride ourselves on our knowledge of “web 2.0″ and related technologies. Despite popular opinion to the contrary, we don’t know everything. In fact, we bet dollars to doughnuts that there is an interesting, game changing application, service or idea out there we haven’t even attempted to look at yet. This is where you come in. We want to hear what you have to say. Know of a “killer app” that the other sites haven’t covered yet? Tell us. That’s what the “comments” section is there for. Are you on the ground floor of the next big social media service? Drop us a line. Have a topic idea for Monday Showdown or even the awesome, yet sadly neglected, Browser Extension Friday? Say something. Only together can we make this blog worthy of the vaulted “web 2.0″ moniker.

Linux. There are few high tech concepts that conjure up such passion among computer users. To some, Linux is a symbol of what modern computing should be: transparent, community run, and most importantly, completely free in every sense of the word. To others, Linux is a nice idea, but way too difficult for the average user to run. So you find yourself staring blanking at a picture of a cute little penguin, wondering aloud if it ever had the opportunity to eat an Apple or gaze through a few Windows. While it’s a nice piece of post-modern philosophy, it will not help you answer your questions. Is it really worth the risk? Will my productivity suffer? Is it really that hard to use?

Luckily for you, we’re here. In an unprecedented four-part special edition of Showdown, our wonderfully understanding assistant Angela Smedley has agreed to undertake what we like to call “The Great Linux Experiment.” For two weeks, Angela will run nothing but Linux on her home computer. After the trial run, we will report her experiences in full. After much debate, Angela has decided to take the proverbial plunge with Fedora. If for whatever the reason Fedora refuses to run on her system — hey, it happens — she will give crowd favorite Ubuntu a try.

Now would be a good time to explain our subject’s history with operating systems. Simply put, Angela is a Windows person. Her experiences with the “OS that Bill Gates built” dates back to the early nineties, when Windows 3.1 ran proudly on her parent’s brand new Tandy computer the ultra fast 368 microprocessor. She has used every major version of Windows released since that time, including Windows 98 First Edition, Windows ME, and Windows 2000. She is currently running the Windows 7 on her custom-made desktop system. She has also built her own data server, running — you guessed it — Windows Home Server. “It’s not that I hate other operating systems,” she says. “I just never felt the need to switch. I mean, Windows does everything I need it to do. Why mess up a good thing?”

Please keep in mind that we here at the Free Line are not trying to push one operating system over another. One look inside our offices will prove that. What we are trying to do, however, is show what an “average” person goes through when ditching one desktop to another. While her experiences might vary a bit to your own, we are willing to bet that some our incidents will “hit home,” as they say.

…And there you have it. The challenge has been made. Be sure to tune in next week to catch part two of our epic tale: installation and customization. In the mean time, we will be here, doing that Free Line voodoo that we do so well … or so we like to think.

Every now and again, even the best of us has the need to edit an audio file or two. It’s a fact of life. Now, as anyone who has ever picked up a Cubase box at the Fry’s Electronics can tell you, true audio editors do not come cheap. Granted, there are a few “less than legal” options out there, but let’s face it: it will not end well. Today, on a very special, “flyin’ solo” edition of Showdown, we take a look at three audio editors that attempt to give “for profit” programs a run for there money … literally. Each program will be tested on usability, stability, and how well it compares to both the “old standard” (Cool Edit Pro 2.0) and the “new standard” (Adobe Audition 3.)
App #1: Audacity

Company: Audacity
Site: http://audacity.sourceforge.net
File Types Supported: Wave, MP3, Apple Audio Files (AIFF), and OGG Vorbis
Ease of Use (Out of 5): 3
Stability (Out of 5): 2, as it is prone to crashing for no reason.
Suitable Replacement?: In a pinch.
Overall: 6
Notes: Audacity really wants to be Cool Edit Pro. While it successfully replicates many of aforementioned program’s tools and options, it always felt like there was something “missing.” In many ways, Audacity had more things in common with an unofficial beta test than an official release — not a good feeling when you’re working on a major project. Still, if you’re in a pinch, or if you’re new to the world of audio editing, you can definitely do worse.

App #2: Traverso DAW

Company: Traverso DAW
Site: http://traverso-daw.org/
File Types Supported: Wave, MP3, OGG Vorbis, Wave64, FLAC, and WavPack
Ease of Use: 2; New users will be pressing buttons randomly in no time.
Stability: 4, provided that you don’t run it on a computer with a 64-bit operating system.
Suitable Replacement?: Yes, if you’re a professional who needs something powerful on the fly. For everyone else reading this, no way.
Overall: 8 (for professionals); 2 (for everyone else).
Notes: Don’t be fooled by it’s alluring price tag and oddball name — Traverso is a tool made for hardened audio engineers. It does everything a veteran producer would ever want, including sampling, fading, and the general array of touch ups. You can also record using this program, but again, it’s geared more to a studio than a home office. Those who are looking for a way to record their band’s demo without spending thousands of dollars should definitely give this program the old “once over.” Those looking to record a phone interview or streaming audio, however, should look elsewhere.

App #3: Power Sound Editor Free

Company: PowerSE Company Ltd.
Site: http://www.free-sound-editor.com/index.html
File Types Supported: Wave, MP3, Windows Media (WMA), OGG Vorbis, CD Tracks (CDA), VOX, RAW, G.72x, and MusePack
Ease of Use: 5; This program gives the phrase “easy to use” a whole new meaning.
Stability: 5
Suitable Replacement?: Oh yes.
Overall: 9.5
Notes: Simply amazing. What sets PSE apart from the rest of the pack is the menu layout. Instead of confining everything to an icon bar or a traditional options menu, the programmers decided to employ an innovative “labeled menu” system similar to the one found in Office 2007. Said system makes every option, no matter how obscure, easily accessible to everyone. Not only does this system safely invite novice users to try new things, it reduces the time it takes to edit a file. The sound quality is almost on-par to Audition — high praise for a fairly unknown program. Easy to use, insanely efficient, and solid as a rock, PSE is a definite “must have” for anyone who likes to tinker with audio.

…And the Winner Is: Power Sound Editor Free by a landslide. While it doesn’t do everything we would like it to do (and believe us, we’re nitpicking), it does enough to warrant an immediate download. PSE receives our highest recommendation.