NxtGen Media - The Freeman View » open source

Linux Multimedia Studio (LMMS)

freeman — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:17:35 +0000

I love to dabble in both graphics and audio, even if I’m only a novice. I have played with Acid and Fruity Loops, and really like them but could not justify getting the latest versions since money is tight and audio is not really where my development focus is. I have been on the lookout for an open source equivalent, and it looks like there is a good one now out.

Linux Multimedia Studio (LMMS) is a cross platform tool similar to Fruity Loops. Has a good set of features, and is pretty quick to jump into and create something. Has great documentation, and is really stable. Best of all it is free. If you have the desire to dabble in the audio end, this is a great way to start. Check it out at:
LMMS
Also of Note:
ZynAddSubFX - a nice open source synthesizer (great for creating sound effects).
DCF

Static IP on Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04

freeman — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:47:45 +0000

If you are running Unbutu on your home box and running DHCP, then this is something you may never have to deal with. If you are trying to set up your box for a static IP, then be prepared for a surprise. The gnome network manager that comes with the Jaunty 9.04 distro seems to be hard wired to only do DHCP. This means it will ignore your settings for static IP no matter what you do via the gui.

The only ways around it are to manually edit the /etc/network/interfaces file and put in your own settings, or to rip out the network manager by throat (yeah I’m a little frustrated) and install another manager. I chose to rip it out altogether and install wicd.

Get rid of the gnome network manager by:

sudo aptitude purge network-manager network-manager-gnome

Then install wicd:

sudo apt-get install wicd

This will save you hours of headache and frustration.

DCF

MS patents XML document format

freeman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:11:56 +0000

While on vacation this week, I saw this on Slashdot: Microsoft patents XML for word processing. Most people could care less. I’d probably be in the “could care less” crew if I was not into open source. I remember back in the day when Microsoft released a new version of Word, you had to upgrade or you could not read documents created by the newer version.

Years ago, I was introduced to Open Office, and its OpenDocument format, which is XML based. The specs for this format were originally created by Sun Microsystems, and Microsoft clearly was not using anything like it at the time. To this day, you can read documents created in a newer version of OpenOffice, with an older version of OpenOffice. Basically, it meant that you might not have all the latest features, but you could at least read the document without having to upgrade.

Now Microsoft is supporting an XML format in its latest versions of Office. Somehow, it just does not seem right that Microsoft would hold the patent for such a basic concept that at one time was open and freely distributed. Microsoft has said they would not sue anyone who is using their patented markup language concept for documents, but who’s to say that this position won’t change. I guess it is simply business. If no one else claimed a patent for the file format, then why not? Still, it just does not seem right, and makes one wonder if this will happen to other open source software and techniques.

Back in the Saddle

freeman — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:11:45 +0000

After more than a week of tinkering and configuring, I have settled on a reasonable configuration in Ubuntu Linux, and it looks like I can live with it. I honestly tried to work with the Flex SDK, and with haXe using Gedit. I was able to get Gedit all configured, and compiling, but found myself missing FlashDevelop a great deal. Ya just don’t realize how good something is, until you don’t have it anymore.

Thankfully, it was noted on the FlashDevelop site that it works well in VirtualBox. I spent the weekend figuring out the various idiosyncracy’s of VirtualBox, and finally was able to get it running with an instance of Windows XP. I now have FlashDevelop and Flash CS4 running under VirtualBox, and I must say that it really is not too bad. Flash being the resource intensive program that it is obviously is a bit slow, but I can get what I need done for the most part. I am quite pleased with how FlashDevelop is running, since that is where I spend most of my time. I gotta send that guy some money.

So after my nightmare of losing my Windows Vista setup, I’m back up with Linux, and access to Windows XP via VirtualBox. There is now no reason for me to go back to Windows as my primary OS. Might not seem like a big deal, but I’ve been using Windows since version 1.0. Up until this point, Linux was just a hobby at home, and used on the backend at the office. This is really a turning point for me. I still can’t see every day end users making the switch, because it still is not as friendly as Windows to get things working, but it is pretty close and with a little effort, you can have what you need for pennies on the dollar.

DCF

From Vista to Ubuntu and Flash

freeman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:42:11 +0000

Through a comedy of errors I hosed my Windows Vista installation. I was trying to get a dual boot going with Ubuntu 9.04, and that all went fine. I decided that I wanted a larger Linux partition and went to make the adjustments. That’s when I discovered I could no longer get back into Vista.

I needed to fix the master boot record. What used to be fairly easy in XP, is quite simply a nightmare in Vista. After failing to get the recovery disk working (which I had to find the hard way cuz it is not available from M$), I decided to re-install Vista. I then learned that I had no disk recovery partition due to a mishap that occurred when I had to get my hard drive replaced. I also did not have install disk, and I am out of warranty. What to do? Go Linux.

Here I sit running Linux on my home system and I am debating about going back to Windows. I can go through the motions of getting Vista or XP up, but now I wonder do I really want to? The only app now that I depend on that does not run in Linux or I can find a reasonable facsimile of is Flash. Granted, I can still run the Flex 3 alpha in Linux, but it won’t be the same as working on the Windows side. Other than that, I could easily stay Linux and make do with the apps it supplies. Perhaps I can get FlashDevelop running in Wine. That would be outstanding if it works, but I have not found any post out there with success with that.

This is all very interesting to me, because I can really see that were it not for Flash Pro, I could easily stay in Linux and not look back. I will go back to a dual boot just for convenience sake, but In light of the Windows 7 release, and the lack of joy I have had with Vista, this comedy of errors has proven very enlightening. With this whole concept of Rich Internet Applications on the rise, it seems Linux support for Flex/Flash would be prudent. It obviously would not immediately be profitable, but there would be a lot more people buying into the RIA concept via Flex if they could have a lower barrier of entry through Linux. Like I said, if I had full Flex support on Linux, I would never be going back to Windows on my home box.

-DCF

A New OS on the Horizon

freeman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:34:33 +0000

I just heard about the Google Chrome OS and was kind of shocked, but not surprised. It really is an impressive move, and will heat things up in the way of innovation. Set to target notebooks and Web apps, this could be the wake up call that gets things moving in the industry.

I know it’s early in the game, but I can’t help but think that if Google is successful, and can become a leader in this area what this will mean to future applications and software development in general. They are building on top of Linux, and really don’t have any baggage to contend with. They can truly assess and address what is needed, and make it available.

Web apps are the first target, but with all platforms somewhere along the way games manage to immerge. I can’t help but wonder with all this talk of cloud computing and the desire for the web to become the ultimate entertainment console, if the consideration of games isn’t somewhere in the Google apps pipeline. Not that I am expecting anything, but it sure would be interesting if they were the company that addressed web based game development as well. Talk about a coup.

With the Chrome OS, Google’s software stack is revealed; Shrapnel everywhere

-DCF

Moving Day, part 3

freeman — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:12:30 +0000

After much planning and configuration, I was finally able to get my multiple site environment moved from our local machines to a hosting company. In part 1 and 2, I talked about how my company could save money by using an external hosting company and dropping the T1 line cost. We chose 1and1 for the initial move. For $20 a month, we could have pretty much what we had been maintaining in house.
Seemed like a great idea, until we ran into the 1and1 database limitation. It seems that on their most robust package which is their Developer Package, 1and1 limits the size of a database structure files to be 100MB! That is just stupid! At the time of the move, my structure weighed in at 107MB. There was no way to up the database quota, so we had to get another host. This was after moving gigs of data up to 1and1. Painful indeed.
We then went to HostGator out of Texas. I have nothing but good to say about them. For a mere $15 per month, we have unlimited everything! The move had some minor bumps, but all were easily addressed in the forums and tech support. The whole process was just a really good experience all the way around. While not as polished as 1and1 in the way of online admin tools (took some getting used to, but what doesn’t?), I highly recommend them. I will be keeping my personal 1and1 account, as it is great for what I am doing development wise. A small business could do well with such a package, but if you have some serious data going on, you better go with a host that allows for such throughput. HostGator is just such a host.

-DCF

Flash/Flex/Air Debuggers

freeman — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:32:25 +0000

I am always on the lookout for a good debugger for the Flash environment. Back with Flash 8, I used Xray written by John Grden of Papervision3D and Red5 fame. It does AS3 now and works very well. Xray is definitely one of the best in terms of functionality. For the longest, it was the ONLY way to go. Well, now there is a new debugger out there called De Monster Debugger.

De Monster is an open source debugger for Adobe Flash, Flex and AIR. De MonsterDebugger was created in Flex and AIR by design studio De Monsters. It is an Air application that you install on your system. It is so easy to get going, and does much of what Xray does. Like Xray, it will work with Flex, Flash and Air. I work with FlashDevelop which some have found difficult to get trace information out of. Using either one of these debuggers with Flash develop will solve your trace problems if you have not figured out the recommended way to do it.

Which will I use? Well, looks like Monster is a new kid on the block, and I’m kind of liking the whole setup. Not that one is better than the other. I kind of want to see where these guys are going to go with it. So for now, I am going to be debugging with De Monster just for the sheer novelty and the support it is getting.

-Xray
-De Monster Debugger
-Arthropod

-D

AS3 Data Structures

freeman — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:42:45 +0000

I remember back in the day taking a class on abstract data types or ADTs (also called Data Structures and Algorithms). At the time, the language for the class was ‘C’, and that was the game programming language of the day. The ADT essentially is a methodology for performing operations on data. In an object oriented environment, this translates into a repeatable (object based) way to work with data.

There are quite a few common structures that can be identified : Arrays, Queues, Stacks, Linked List, Graphs, Iterators, Trees, Hash Tables, Heaps, and Vectors just to name a few. Usually, programmers will roll their own versions of these for their own libraries. They are quite useful particularly in game development.

AS3 has a couple of these built in, but one pretty much has to create their own and using books like Algorithms in C, C++, or Java by Robert Sedgewick for reference one can easily create these structures. Or you can go find a library that already has them implemented. why re-invent the wheel?

Michael Baczynski has created such a library called AS3 Data Structures for Game Developers and has released it as open source. The library has all types of data structures implemented, and can be used directly in your programs. If you were thinking about creating your own, this library will save you a lot of time.

DCF

Web 2.0 Government

freeman — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:48:03 +0000

Obama’s new CIO wants to web 2.0-ize government. What an incredible idea. No really, it’s a good idea, it just seems like something that should have been considered many moons ago. Actually it was, but no one was paying attention to the voices crying in the wilderness. Too much money was being siphoned for anyone to care at the time. Kundra, the new “tech czar” believes that using Web-based approaches will not only save the government money, but will probably foster new waves of economic development. Really? Go figure. Guess since the Internet had a significant impact on the election, now everyone is willing to listen.

Honestly, I am glad that they picked someone with a reasonable clue as to what is going on with open source and the web in general. Like it or not, there is a revolution going on and all things considered we are kind of behind from a government stand point. Whatever tools they chose to implement in the creation of web based apps, will obviously influence acceptance in other corporate arenas. I’m wondering exactly what will be the development platform of choice for their web apps? .NET, Flex, Ajax, Ruby, something yet unknown, or a mash up of all of them? Only time will tell, but it looks like RIA development just may pick up sooner than later.

Obama’s CIO wants more citizen activity on Web

-DCF