openSUSE 12.2 Wallpaper - Linux For Open Minds
Here is another wallpaper that I just finished working on. I hope you like it.
The Ultimate Pet
You may think that I am the nerdiest person on the earth but I am very happy to introduce to you my newest pet: a Chameleon. Yes, I was inspired to have this pet because of openSUSE and I am sure that the chameleon will do for a lot of good artwork to come. Say hi!
I do not have a name for my new pet yet, please send me some suggestions.
Additionally, we just launched out openSUSE 12.2 Wallpaper submission. Please be sure to show us your artwork and put it on the race to be the next openSUSE default wallpaper. Simply go to
en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Wallpapers
and sumbit your artwork :D
Thanks
I do not have a name for my new pet yet, please send me some suggestions.
Additionally, we just launched out openSUSE 12.2 Wallpaper submission. Please be sure to show us your artwork and put it on the race to be the next openSUSE default wallpaper. Simply go to
en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Wallpapers
and sumbit your artwork :D
Thanks
New Lotus Flower Wallpapers
With the help of Youtube I put together these lotus flowers, then I put white paper over my dinner table and waited for the right light of the day. After that I tried a lot of different arrangements until I got to this. I tweaked the colors and all with GIMP and added a couple of cool typography fonts to make it better. I like it. I added extra blur so that it feels distant making the desktop feel fresh and open. Check it out. What do you think?
Swirl Wallpaper Dark Version
Here is an idea for a dark version of the posting I made yesterday.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Another Wallpaper Idea
Hey my friends. Great to see you all around using openSUSE 12.1 :) I was just thinking out loud this evening and created a wallpaper, rather designed a concept wallpaper, that I would like to share with all of you. Sorry for the delay in the posts. I have been soooo busy. The artwork team for openSUSE is working great. So, they're keeping me busy.
Enjoy!
Brainshare!
This week I will be blogging from Brainshare 2011. I am part of the "Meet the Geeks" booth, so if you're around, come say hi. The idea behind all this is to make sure that the attendees are able to get a closer look at what the community is doing and how that helps. There is a lot of people here as well as a lot of food. Gotta say that I have to put on some pounds.
I think this is also a very good time to show a little of what I do, and with so much time in my hands, I should dedicate myself to do some reviewing and prototyping. M
I think this is also a very good time to show a little of what I do, and with so much time in my hands, I should dedicate myself to do some reviewing and prototyping. M
Additional Wallpapers
Here are two more versions that I created upon request. I created the light versions for openSUSE.
I created a dark version for my wallpaper. I also corrected some of the edge problems that I was seeing. I also changed the openSUSE title to the right font. However, I think it should be a little different, maybe the title should be inset or something of the sort. Comments please.
Just a little wallpaper that I have been doing recently. Work in progress. You be the judge :D
Who Am I and What I Do
Hey readers.
It has come to my attention recently, posts the seem to bring up a rebuttal of the things that I blog about. The openSUSE Revolution blog is mostly about brainstorming design concepts that can make the openSUSE/KDE desktop work in ways that have not been thought of before. Through this effort, I generally intend to create debate and outside-the-box thinking so that eventually, these ideas come to fruition in one way or another. I have also stated clearly through this blog that I am not a programmer, therefore I know little about the ideas that circle the minds of those who make openSUSE or KDE a reality. I generally rely on their intellect to solve simple design problems on their software.
I hope always that my comments are not take offensively or personally. My intention in blogging about problems that I find with the design of an application or widget, generally come from the world of the unknown. I am a newcomer when it comes to technology therefore, my comments and experiences with the openSUSE or KDE software come from the world of an average user exposed to these technologies. Annoyances and problems that I face might also be problems and annoyances that people who are trying to give Linux a shot experience as well. Moreover, this could be a learning experience for those who code on these pieces of software. To become too personal about your coding for an application that will become widely distributed is not feasible.
It is part of the creation process to think of who is the intended audience that will receive your software. If you think that you should not write something too simple for the idiots like me out there, then think again, because we are many. Simply explained, there needs to be a balance between what we want to do with our personal time and programming as well as who will end up with our software. That is also why openSUSE has an excellent team of artwork creators and brainstormers.
Please, I beg from you readers, take my posts in the light of my understanding. Meaning, that they come from someone who understands little about technology. Once you read the post, please do not simply think "Well, he just doesn't understand how it works" but rather "What can I do to improve my software design so that even Anditosan gets it." Much better right?
Thank you for staying faithful to the blog, plus I am currently working on a concept for a social widget, so stay tuned.
It has come to my attention recently, posts the seem to bring up a rebuttal of the things that I blog about. The openSUSE Revolution blog is mostly about brainstorming design concepts that can make the openSUSE/KDE desktop work in ways that have not been thought of before. Through this effort, I generally intend to create debate and outside-the-box thinking so that eventually, these ideas come to fruition in one way or another. I have also stated clearly through this blog that I am not a programmer, therefore I know little about the ideas that circle the minds of those who make openSUSE or KDE a reality. I generally rely on their intellect to solve simple design problems on their software.
I hope always that my comments are not take offensively or personally. My intention in blogging about problems that I find with the design of an application or widget, generally come from the world of the unknown. I am a newcomer when it comes to technology therefore, my comments and experiences with the openSUSE or KDE software come from the world of an average user exposed to these technologies. Annoyances and problems that I face might also be problems and annoyances that people who are trying to give Linux a shot experience as well. Moreover, this could be a learning experience for those who code on these pieces of software. To become too personal about your coding for an application that will become widely distributed is not feasible.
It is part of the creation process to think of who is the intended audience that will receive your software. If you think that you should not write something too simple for the idiots like me out there, then think again, because we are many. Simply explained, there needs to be a balance between what we want to do with our personal time and programming as well as who will end up with our software. That is also why openSUSE has an excellent team of artwork creators and brainstormers.
Please, I beg from you readers, take my posts in the light of my understanding. Meaning, that they come from someone who understands little about technology. Once you read the post, please do not simply think "Well, he just doesn't understand how it works" but rather "What can I do to improve my software design so that even Anditosan gets it." Much better right?
Thank you for staying faithful to the blog, plus I am currently working on a concept for a social widget, so stay tuned.
Custom Setups for Revolutionized Desktop
Ok my friends. Here is the thing: An idea came up recently in the artwork mailing list to make openSUSE a little different than other times in the graphical aspect. The idea would be to add different default plasma widgets, as well as to make subtle changes to the panels. A friend also suggested that it would be cool to create a more socially integrated widget. I thought of one that was included in the Kickoff menu. Added to one of the tabs in there, there could exist a simple update tracker for different social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google Blogs. Whatever the service that may be, it doesn't matter. The main idea is to add something social to the default desktop in KDE under the new release of openSUSE.
As I was brainstorming on this, I tried to create at least 4 different setups. I went then, to Cacoo to create some simple mockups and ended up with one that I am trying to get a feel for from you. Down below would be a simple menu setup and default widgets for the openSUSE KDE desktop. Take a look:
1, Minimal, Folder View, RSS (Small), Desktop Switching
2, Minimal 2, Folder View, Weather, Desktop Switching
3, Featured, RSS, Folder View, Top Panel, Weather, Desktop Switching
4, Fully Featured, Facebook, twitter, Folder View (minimal) Weather, Desktop Switching, Dock
As I worked on Cacoo for the mockup, I realized that it can be shared with other people who can also edit the mockup. I am now inviting you to tweak (or create a new one) the panel I came up with. My main idea behind this is to create something powerful yet simple enough that can make sure that you focus on your applications. You can edit this mockup as much as you want, but please keep the original as a guide.
Here is the link to make edits:
https://cacoo.com/diagrams/Qwmnz9CqLnrTya2r
As I was brainstorming on this, I tried to create at least 4 different setups. I went then, to Cacoo to create some simple mockups and ended up with one that I am trying to get a feel for from you. Down below would be a simple menu setup and default widgets for the openSUSE KDE desktop. Take a look:
1, Minimal, Folder View, RSS (Small), Desktop Switching
2, Minimal 2, Folder View, Weather, Desktop Switching
3, Featured, RSS, Folder View, Top Panel, Weather, Desktop Switching
4, Fully Featured, Facebook, twitter, Folder View (minimal) Weather, Desktop Switching, Dock
As I worked on Cacoo for the mockup, I realized that it can be shared with other people who can also edit the mockup. I am now inviting you to tweak (or create a new one) the panel I came up with. My main idea behind this is to create something powerful yet simple enough that can make sure that you focus on your applications. You can edit this mockup as much as you want, but please keep the original as a guide.
Here is the link to make edits:
https://cacoo.com/diagrams/Qwmnz9CqLnrTya2r
To All
Some may wander what I have been up to these days. I am eager to let you know of a few ideas that I have come up with that can enhance the openSUSE experience, at least, from a design point of view. However, I have a new job and my time to post things on this blog has lessened. This lack of time will only last until the fall though :D
Please, be patient for the next series of articles. I will mostly be discussing Yast and its design enhancements. Yast is single-handedly, the most important and characteristic element in openSUSE. I love it.
Nevertheless, Yast has fallen behind on design. The program is powerful and versatile. But there could be some improvements made in organization and space-use customization.
Stay tuned my friends. In the mean time, I am always happy to hear from you, so please write me to
anditosan1000@gmail.com
Maybe you have created more awesome ideas that deserve a spotlight or growth, so please write me :D
Please, be patient for the next series of articles. I will mostly be discussing Yast and its design enhancements. Yast is single-handedly, the most important and characteristic element in openSUSE. I love it.
Nevertheless, Yast has fallen behind on design. The program is powerful and versatile. But there could be some improvements made in organization and space-use customization.
Stay tuned my friends. In the mean time, I am always happy to hear from you, so please write me to
anditosan1000@gmail.com
Maybe you have created more awesome ideas that deserve a spotlight or growth, so please write me :D
How do we make a stand? Revolution
This post is not intended to represent complete ideas or possible solutions. It is rather a post relating to the thoughts that I have had concerning the upcoming changes in Gnome 3, Ubuntu Unity and KDE 4.6.
Drawing away from the technicalities of these programs, it would seem useful to identify openSUSE's stand in this wide variety of environments. I was happily surprised that Gnome 3 was released, even before a fomer release date. But this has not come without controversy. The fact that Ubuntu is not including Gnome 3 by default with it's newest release has made some take the fork in the road and add support for it. Other Gnome 3 enthusiasts might feel lonely now that Ubuntu decided to go with the Unity interface. Then we find KDE still going strong with updates and new features for version 4. However, it may seem rather obvious that computer graphical environments are taking a turn. They are becoming different, new, and updated. Ideas about the desktop that we have had for a couple of decades are now changing, greatly propelled by the appearances of touch devices.
Touch devices have a flair to them that one cannot dismiss. The interfaces used for them tend to be very simple, app based, internet connected, and are beautifully animated. The part that I like the most about these interfaces is simplicity. They understand that their device will be in the hand of a wide variety of human beings. All of them with different understanding of the computing world. Therefore, they try to make the learning curve for these devices a smooth as they can. Obviously, this does not benefit everyone, as there are people who would prefer having maximum control from their interaction with the device. For that, I have seen many of these devices be patched in a way, that they allow advanced interaction with the device. In a way, the touch-enabled device has a default (simple) and an advanced (patched) mode.
These devices are becoming part of our lives, they are highly mobile, durable and connected with the user's life through the internet. However, these devices are coming at odds with traditional desktop computers and their operating systems. Even Apple recognized the power of a touch based interface and some of the ideas they produced for their phones and tablets have now been transported into their latest OSX version, Lion. Then also, open source projects such as Gnome and KDE saw the expansion that they were able to achieve through touch enabled devices and lower end netbooks. For that KDE created the netbook interface which looks beautiful. Gnome was the only one lagging behind a little and pushed for a different interface that resembles much of what is seen today in touch enabled devices. The same goes for Unity from Ubuntu.
All of them are trying to target a market where instinct is the primary teacher of the interface and not technical knowledge. Why? I believe it is because we are recognizing that open source products are becoming ever more accessible to the average user, we recognize that not everyone is at a developer level of computer understanding, and that there are infinite possibilities for even further expansion as all sorts of people use this software.
This is where openSUSE has a window to be different. Can openSUSE be, in a way, like Ubuntu in designing a whole new interface for it's desktop computer? Are we at the level that recognizes the reach a Linux distribution can have with a wide audience? Ubuntu decided to step up to the challenge of placing their product in the hands of the masses, for that they decided to change their UI to meet the standards of the mass. They use part of the Gnome libraries and yet they have decided to be and look different. They are trying to brand themselves through their OS image. My question would be, can openSUSE be this way? openSUSE needs to be part of our everyday life, it s a quality product with a bright future but a blurry face. Why? because we accept defaults from KDE and Gnome, and there could be hundreds of Linux distributions that look like us. Where are we? are we branding ourselves in a way that we stand out and reach out to more and more people?
I would agree that to these thoughts there is no definitive answer. Neither from my end, as I review the graphical properties of openSUSE, or the developer end. If you feel enticed to leave further comments about this thoughts, please feel free to do so.
Thanks gang
Drawing away from the technicalities of these programs, it would seem useful to identify openSUSE's stand in this wide variety of environments. I was happily surprised that Gnome 3 was released, even before a fomer release date. But this has not come without controversy. The fact that Ubuntu is not including Gnome 3 by default with it's newest release has made some take the fork in the road and add support for it. Other Gnome 3 enthusiasts might feel lonely now that Ubuntu decided to go with the Unity interface. Then we find KDE still going strong with updates and new features for version 4. However, it may seem rather obvious that computer graphical environments are taking a turn. They are becoming different, new, and updated. Ideas about the desktop that we have had for a couple of decades are now changing, greatly propelled by the appearances of touch devices.
Touch devices have a flair to them that one cannot dismiss. The interfaces used for them tend to be very simple, app based, internet connected, and are beautifully animated. The part that I like the most about these interfaces is simplicity. They understand that their device will be in the hand of a wide variety of human beings. All of them with different understanding of the computing world. Therefore, they try to make the learning curve for these devices a smooth as they can. Obviously, this does not benefit everyone, as there are people who would prefer having maximum control from their interaction with the device. For that, I have seen many of these devices be patched in a way, that they allow advanced interaction with the device. In a way, the touch-enabled device has a default (simple) and an advanced (patched) mode.
These devices are becoming part of our lives, they are highly mobile, durable and connected with the user's life through the internet. However, these devices are coming at odds with traditional desktop computers and their operating systems. Even Apple recognized the power of a touch based interface and some of the ideas they produced for their phones and tablets have now been transported into their latest OSX version, Lion. Then also, open source projects such as Gnome and KDE saw the expansion that they were able to achieve through touch enabled devices and lower end netbooks. For that KDE created the netbook interface which looks beautiful. Gnome was the only one lagging behind a little and pushed for a different interface that resembles much of what is seen today in touch enabled devices. The same goes for Unity from Ubuntu.
All of them are trying to target a market where instinct is the primary teacher of the interface and not technical knowledge. Why? I believe it is because we are recognizing that open source products are becoming ever more accessible to the average user, we recognize that not everyone is at a developer level of computer understanding, and that there are infinite possibilities for even further expansion as all sorts of people use this software.
This is where openSUSE has a window to be different. Can openSUSE be, in a way, like Ubuntu in designing a whole new interface for it's desktop computer? Are we at the level that recognizes the reach a Linux distribution can have with a wide audience? Ubuntu decided to step up to the challenge of placing their product in the hands of the masses, for that they decided to change their UI to meet the standards of the mass. They use part of the Gnome libraries and yet they have decided to be and look different. They are trying to brand themselves through their OS image. My question would be, can openSUSE be this way? openSUSE needs to be part of our everyday life, it s a quality product with a bright future but a blurry face. Why? because we accept defaults from KDE and Gnome, and there could be hundreds of Linux distributions that look like us. Where are we? are we branding ourselves in a way that we stand out and reach out to more and more people?
I would agree that to these thoughts there is no definitive answer. Neither from my end, as I review the graphical properties of openSUSE, or the developer end. If you feel enticed to leave further comments about this thoughts, please feel free to do so.
Thanks gang
YAST Revolution - Concepts for a simple version of Yast
In these series of revisions on Yast, I have decided to start first with the semantics of Yast. One thing that sticks out to me is how little there is about what Yast tells users its elements do. I am not saying this is wrong. Users who know and understand how to configure advanced elements in openSUSE will find Yast quite simple and full-featured.
Categories in Yast
Currently look like
Descriptions in Yast have little space to be placed and Yast focuses on its power and configuration skills. For example, when taking a look into the current modules of Yast, I found that descriptions only appear in the general sections under the icon and name of such module. Also, only some modules include a description on the left-hand side about what the module does.
Pics
Then, if I want to create a novice-friendly configuration tool from Yast. The best would be to decide what features are easier for a new user to figure out and which ones can be reserved for an "Advanced Mode."
Categories in Yast
Currently look like
Descriptions in Yast have little space to be placed and Yast focuses on its power and configuration skills. For example, when taking a look into the current modules of Yast, I found that descriptions only appear in the general sections under the icon and name of such module. Also, only some modules include a description on the left-hand side about what the module does.
Pics
Then, if I want to create a novice-friendly configuration tool from Yast. The best would be to decide what features are easier for a new user to figure out and which ones can be reserved for an "Advanced Mode."
Connect to the Internet in More Than 10 Clicks (BUG)
(As requested by my audience, I wish to make a distinction in pointing out that my post is mistaken in thinking that the described features of KDE are a default. They are, contrarily, a BUG with my own installation. Nevertheless, I will hold the secondary method of connecting to the internet as something that can be revised and improved.)
As KDE worked on the new Network Manager for version 4, they decided to make the interface more powerful and through the use of the network manager widget, more accessible to users. The interface is indeed powerful and full of features aimed at working out every corner of customization on a given network. Wireless or wired network, they both have their particulars when it comes to connecting to the internet.
However, seeing at different operating systems, KDE's network connection manager seems cumbersome and hard to work with. Nevertheless, the disappointment comes from the first run of this software, not from the daily usage of it. Once everything is set up correctly, network manager will not even ask you to connect to the internet. It will do it automatically. Automatization however, comes at a cost of more than 10 clicks and a little extra knowledge about the particular network you are trying to access.
I really like the way that Mac OSX does it. They have an icon sitting in the system tray, as you click it, a drop down menu displays all the available networks. Users select one and you would be connected to it after typing a password if necessary. The next time you are around such network, Mac OSX will connect to it automatically unless you decided to run on a different network.
Another method out there is very similar to what Mac does. Ubuntu tries to connect to the internet in a simlar way. They also feature a network icon in the system tray. If you click on it, you get a drop down menu with available networks as well. Selecting and entering a password are very much the same as in Mac, except Ubuntu (and KDE) have an added feature of password protection through Gnome's Keyring and KDE's KDE Wallet.
During the first time that a user selects a network that is password protected, he is asked to create an extra password to store the password just entered into the wireless network setup. At first, this was very confusing to me, I didn't know if my password for the keyring or wallet had to be my root password, or a different password. I also ran into the mistake to placing the wireless network password into the keyring, thinking that it was the password for the wireless network being requested. Obviously, this can be solved by being smarter ;) But it does show that there is a learning curve that is not so smooth when working with networks. I think people who are trying to connect to the internet on a Mac also run into confusion as well. An icon sitting at the top bar that does not connect to the internet unless you click on it also represents a learning curve but one that takes less time and effort to do what we do most on a computer, browse the internet. Mac does not have a keyring or wallet that pops up upon login when you are trying to connect to a specific network. I believe these settings could change to make it easier on users to connect. If security seems to be an issue, probably Linux can get by easily with it. openSUSE could also benefit from a more seamless connection to networks by simplifying the process, it would stand out as the distribution with the easiest connection learning curve.
This is what one currently sees as you try to connect to the internet under KDE 4.6
You connect not by clicking on an available network, you do it by clicking network manager.
Then you are presented with a screen that contains the first network setup designed for wired networks. However, in my case, I need to add a wireless network, so I click on the second tab.
After that, if this is the first time, then I do not see any available networks. I need to click on add.
A rather complicated form shows up in which a tiny button called "scan" will eventually show me how to find the wireless network I want to connect to.
Once clicked, I am greeted with a very tiny window that shows all available wireless networks around me. If you are in the place where I am, it is really hard to see where I am to click. Instead I choose "Details" which organizes the view in a list.
I select the one I am to connect to and hit OK.
Later, to finish the process, I need to hit OK a couple of times and then I get back to the desktop. But I am not connected yet. I need to go back to the Wireless icon on the system tray and now I am able to see the new connection I added through the prior steps. Once I click on it, the setup will finally end by connecting to the wireless network.
I think this is really too long. It could be made short and there are plenty of good options out there that have simplified this process. openSUSE will benefit from a simpler way to connect to the internet if they choose to create a more simple method. My idea would be to simply show a drop down menu with the available networks, select, enter password and connect. If a keyring or wallet is necessary, allow this services to unlock passwords at system startup without having to enter it everytime.
By the way, this is the way I have my current KDE 4.6 with openSUSE 11.4. I am liking it so far.
As KDE worked on the new Network Manager for version 4, they decided to make the interface more powerful and through the use of the network manager widget, more accessible to users. The interface is indeed powerful and full of features aimed at working out every corner of customization on a given network. Wireless or wired network, they both have their particulars when it comes to connecting to the internet.
However, seeing at different operating systems, KDE's network connection manager seems cumbersome and hard to work with. Nevertheless, the disappointment comes from the first run of this software, not from the daily usage of it. Once everything is set up correctly, network manager will not even ask you to connect to the internet. It will do it automatically. Automatization however, comes at a cost of more than 10 clicks and a little extra knowledge about the particular network you are trying to access.
I really like the way that Mac OSX does it. They have an icon sitting in the system tray, as you click it, a drop down menu displays all the available networks. Users select one and you would be connected to it after typing a password if necessary. The next time you are around such network, Mac OSX will connect to it automatically unless you decided to run on a different network.
Another method out there is very similar to what Mac does. Ubuntu tries to connect to the internet in a simlar way. They also feature a network icon in the system tray. If you click on it, you get a drop down menu with available networks as well. Selecting and entering a password are very much the same as in Mac, except Ubuntu (and KDE) have an added feature of password protection through Gnome's Keyring and KDE's KDE Wallet.
During the first time that a user selects a network that is password protected, he is asked to create an extra password to store the password just entered into the wireless network setup. At first, this was very confusing to me, I didn't know if my password for the keyring or wallet had to be my root password, or a different password. I also ran into the mistake to placing the wireless network password into the keyring, thinking that it was the password for the wireless network being requested. Obviously, this can be solved by being smarter ;) But it does show that there is a learning curve that is not so smooth when working with networks. I think people who are trying to connect to the internet on a Mac also run into confusion as well. An icon sitting at the top bar that does not connect to the internet unless you click on it also represents a learning curve but one that takes less time and effort to do what we do most on a computer, browse the internet. Mac does not have a keyring or wallet that pops up upon login when you are trying to connect to a specific network. I believe these settings could change to make it easier on users to connect. If security seems to be an issue, probably Linux can get by easily with it. openSUSE could also benefit from a more seamless connection to networks by simplifying the process, it would stand out as the distribution with the easiest connection learning curve.
This is what one currently sees as you try to connect to the internet under KDE 4.6
You connect not by clicking on an available network, you do it by clicking network manager.
Then you are presented with a screen that contains the first network setup designed for wired networks. However, in my case, I need to add a wireless network, so I click on the second tab.
After that, if this is the first time, then I do not see any available networks. I need to click on add.
A rather complicated form shows up in which a tiny button called "scan" will eventually show me how to find the wireless network I want to connect to.
Once clicked, I am greeted with a very tiny window that shows all available wireless networks around me. If you are in the place where I am, it is really hard to see where I am to click. Instead I choose "Details" which organizes the view in a list.
I select the one I am to connect to and hit OK.
Later, to finish the process, I need to hit OK a couple of times and then I get back to the desktop. But I am not connected yet. I need to go back to the Wireless icon on the system tray and now I am able to see the new connection I added through the prior steps. Once I click on it, the setup will finally end by connecting to the wireless network.
I think this is really too long. It could be made short and there are plenty of good options out there that have simplified this process. openSUSE will benefit from a simpler way to connect to the internet if they choose to create a more simple method. My idea would be to simply show a drop down menu with the available networks, select, enter password and connect. If a keyring or wallet is necessary, allow this services to unlock passwords at system startup without having to enter it everytime.
By the way, this is the way I have my current KDE 4.6 with openSUSE 11.4. I am liking it so far.
openSUSE Release Party - Provo, UT
The openSUSE release party was a lot of fun and I was very happy to be there one more time. The Novell facility in Provo, UT is pretty big and had plenty of room to accommodate the few of us that attended. I met a few personalities as well, most of them participants of the SLED version of openSUSE sponsored by Novell. I also had the chance to talk to some of the guys there about what they did as part of the project and felt like my contributions to the project seem to be so much smaller than theirs. People working for XEN, the package manager, Yast and others have put a lot of effort into making openSUSE a great distribution.
I am happy for their achievement and their contribution as well. openSUSE would not be my favorite distribution if it wasn't for much of the work that these people do. So a big THANK YOU to all of them. They also had pizza, a few goodies and 2 big screens. That did it for me. I was happy to see openSUSE handling big screens like that. Although with gnome 3 and the resolution, there were some glitches.
Anyway, I promised some pics and here they are. They are not the greatest quality, I used my Palm Pre to take the shots and the lighting was not that great for this tiny phone.
Me and my goodies :D
I am happy for their achievement and their contribution as well. openSUSE would not be my favorite distribution if it wasn't for much of the work that these people do. So a big THANK YOU to all of them. They also had pizza, a few goodies and 2 big screens. That did it for me. I was happy to see openSUSE handling big screens like that. Although with gnome 3 and the resolution, there were some glitches.
Anyway, I promised some pics and here they are. They are not the greatest quality, I used my Palm Pre to take the shots and the lighting was not that great for this tiny phone.
Me and my goodies :D
Going to the openSUSE Launch Party :D
I know this is unusual, but I am going to the openSUSE launch party in Provo, Utah this week. I am excited. I know the team has been working hard in bringing a freshly updated version of my favorite distribution. I believe openSUSE has one of the strongest communities out there.
Changes in directives recently have made me think that openSUSE is becoming a pillar for the Linux community. We are headed in a good direction and I am hoping that we will also be able to work on the GUI as well :D I guess that will always be my initiative. Working with the GUI and making it more polished is something that can be done with some effort and "cool" thinking.
I recently read an article that reviewed the newest release and, although not the main part of the article, the author did point out how hard it could be working with Yast. He said "it screams 'developer,'" and I tend to agree with the author. Simply, Yast is too powerful and great not to make it more accessible to all of the users out there.
If you want to check it out, click here.
Anyways, I will be taking some pics and stuff at the Novell building :D
See you all soon
Changes in directives recently have made me think that openSUSE is becoming a pillar for the Linux community. We are headed in a good direction and I am hoping that we will also be able to work on the GUI as well :D I guess that will always be my initiative. Working with the GUI and making it more polished is something that can be done with some effort and "cool" thinking.
I recently read an article that reviewed the newest release and, although not the main part of the article, the author did point out how hard it could be working with Yast. He said "it screams 'developer,'" and I tend to agree with the author. Simply, Yast is too powerful and great not to make it more accessible to all of the users out there.
If you want to check it out, click here.
Anyways, I will be taking some pics and stuff at the Novell building :D
See you all soon
Bring Back Domino!
The Domino KDE style was an emergent and versatile style theme. It had the ability to be customized much like what Qt Curve or Bespin does. However, Domino had the ability to be customized and be previewed instantly has you made the changes. The configuration widow had all sorts of simple modifiers that could truly give some personality to your KDE 3.
This thing was so good that I even created my own versions of the style with my own tweaks and posted them at kde-loo.org
This thing was something very worth the time playing with. I think it was one of the best styles that someone coded for KDE. You could control brightness, button shape, etc. Well mixed with the window decoration, one was able to create very concise and simple themes for your linux machine. However, with the coming of KDE 4, the developer of Domino decided not to port this theme to KDE 4 and the development stopped.
It also seems that the project did not attract any more devs that would have wanted to port it to KDE 4. So here I am, talking to the openSUSE people that know how to code well, asking them to give this style a chance to style openSUSE with KDE 4. Would you take it into consideration?
Oxygen is a beautiful style, very well thought. However, Oxygen is not like Domino when it comes to customizing your theme. Also, Oxygen ships by default with just about any other distro out there. openSUSE could step up with differentiation by using this style. Maybe what I am asking for is rather unrealistic, but Domino is such a great style, it deserves a chance.
This thing was so good that I even created my own versions of the style with my own tweaks and posted them at kde-loo.org
This thing was something very worth the time playing with. I think it was one of the best styles that someone coded for KDE. You could control brightness, button shape, etc. Well mixed with the window decoration, one was able to create very concise and simple themes for your linux machine. However, with the coming of KDE 4, the developer of Domino decided not to port this theme to KDE 4 and the development stopped.
It also seems that the project did not attract any more devs that would have wanted to port it to KDE 4. So here I am, talking to the openSUSE people that know how to code well, asking them to give this style a chance to style openSUSE with KDE 4. Would you take it into consideration?
Oxygen is a beautiful style, very well thought. However, Oxygen is not like Domino when it comes to customizing your theme. Also, Oxygen ships by default with just about any other distro out there. openSUSE could step up with differentiation by using this style. Maybe what I am asking for is rather unrealistic, but Domino is such a great style, it deserves a chance.
Where is the Linux Desktop's Aim?
By a very definition, it seems that working for the Linux desktop is like shooting darts in the dark. Obviously, one would not be able to see where the dart goes, neither if you are hitting the target. However you are definitively hitting something, but you do not seem to know what.
In comparison, the Linux desktop aiming at the end user seems to fall under this category. The bigger question will always be, who are we trying to satisfy through our Linux product? Given the vastness of reach that Linux has on thousands of coders, the Linux desktop project is bound to receive a great array of views, ideas and currents of thought that will lead the Linux desktop from one place to the other. Believing that coming together in order to work on a particular project is hard for me. However, projects such as KDE 4 have shown great strength in coming together and creating something revolutionary and beautiful. Other efforts to make the Linux desktop a reality have also come together in order to create similar results to what KDE did. Gnome has followed in the footsteps of KDE and has also gathered its community-enthusiasts and created the new Gnome 3 iteration.
However, the Linux desktop is still immature--I do not say this with malice--in the sense that projects that aim towards a goal seem to center their understanding of what the Linux desktop is in a less opened environment to which they could gather to and understand what it is that simple, non-tech s
savy people understand about the way we have made their graphical environments. I am referring to what the voice of users has to say about the way THEY use their computers as opposed to what we Linux Desktop thinkers believe is good for them.
For example, if I am not mistaken, KDE 4 was an aim that grew deep in the KDE community overtime, believing that their product KDE 3 was outdated and needed to be revamped. All over the internet there were calls for change and some even ventured to creating new ideas about the way KDE 4 was going to be. I remember seeing new icons at the Oxygen Icons website which promised to deliver a new way of interaction with the desktop through their plasma desktop. I was dazzled by the beautiful icons created in order to show the newness of approach that KDE 4 was going to take. It took icons to make people excited over the project.
Gnome followed a similar path. Seeing that KDE 4 has so drastically changed the aspect of its default desktop, it decided to launch their newest major revision, Gnome 3. Their approach came from often-unloved Gnome Shell. Brainstormers created a new way to interact with the desktop based on a combination of very active desktops and windows as well as an ease of access to files and applications.
While all this speaks to the minds of users that projects such as Gnome and KDE did their best in adapting to changing times, the old problem also became apparent. The community effort derived into personal effort, which in turn made it seem as if these projects were put on the shoulders of the few who could make ideas come true through their code as opposed to asking the people, like the rest of us, what WE think of their creation. I am a document developer, and I do not appreciate it when people tell me that my earnest efforts do not fit their life. I become unhappy and probably bitter since all my work was worth nothing in the eyes of users. But alas, this is something that happens in man development teams. It is part of the process to let a rough stone roll down the hill until it becomes smooth. However, efforts coming from KDE and Gnome, although being amazingly written do not seem to tackle non-tech users as well as it does for them, why? because the rest of us are unable to code but they are. We do not have a voice because no one asks us what we think.
Did KDE 4 and Gnome 3 ever conducted surveys to people in order to understand their interaction with computers? Do these two projects ever reach out to the community (non Linux users) in order to find out their needs? If they did, it was little. I hereby advocate a stronger case for the unheard, for the ones who will be placed these great tools in our hands. To these two amazing projects I say, be great listeners, seek out opportunities to understand the rest of us. Do not be like the people in this video giving out a Christmas present that only fits some.
Let's shoot our darts with the lights on. :D
Best wishes, Andy
In comparison, the Linux desktop aiming at the end user seems to fall under this category. The bigger question will always be, who are we trying to satisfy through our Linux product? Given the vastness of reach that Linux has on thousands of coders, the Linux desktop project is bound to receive a great array of views, ideas and currents of thought that will lead the Linux desktop from one place to the other. Believing that coming together in order to work on a particular project is hard for me. However, projects such as KDE 4 have shown great strength in coming together and creating something revolutionary and beautiful. Other efforts to make the Linux desktop a reality have also come together in order to create similar results to what KDE did. Gnome has followed in the footsteps of KDE and has also gathered its community-enthusiasts and created the new Gnome 3 iteration.
However, the Linux desktop is still immature--I do not say this with malice--in the sense that projects that aim towards a goal seem to center their understanding of what the Linux desktop is in a less opened environment to which they could gather to and understand what it is that simple, non-tech s
savy people understand about the way we have made their graphical environments. I am referring to what the voice of users has to say about the way THEY use their computers as opposed to what we Linux Desktop thinkers believe is good for them.
For example, if I am not mistaken, KDE 4 was an aim that grew deep in the KDE community overtime, believing that their product KDE 3 was outdated and needed to be revamped. All over the internet there were calls for change and some even ventured to creating new ideas about the way KDE 4 was going to be. I remember seeing new icons at the Oxygen Icons website which promised to deliver a new way of interaction with the desktop through their plasma desktop. I was dazzled by the beautiful icons created in order to show the newness of approach that KDE 4 was going to take. It took icons to make people excited over the project.
Gnome followed a similar path. Seeing that KDE 4 has so drastically changed the aspect of its default desktop, it decided to launch their newest major revision, Gnome 3. Their approach came from often-unloved Gnome Shell. Brainstormers created a new way to interact with the desktop based on a combination of very active desktops and windows as well as an ease of access to files and applications.
While all this speaks to the minds of users that projects such as Gnome and KDE did their best in adapting to changing times, the old problem also became apparent. The community effort derived into personal effort, which in turn made it seem as if these projects were put on the shoulders of the few who could make ideas come true through their code as opposed to asking the people, like the rest of us, what WE think of their creation. I am a document developer, and I do not appreciate it when people tell me that my earnest efforts do not fit their life. I become unhappy and probably bitter since all my work was worth nothing in the eyes of users. But alas, this is something that happens in man development teams. It is part of the process to let a rough stone roll down the hill until it becomes smooth. However, efforts coming from KDE and Gnome, although being amazingly written do not seem to tackle non-tech users as well as it does for them, why? because the rest of us are unable to code but they are. We do not have a voice because no one asks us what we think.
Did KDE 4 and Gnome 3 ever conducted surveys to people in order to understand their interaction with computers? Do these two projects ever reach out to the community (non Linux users) in order to find out their needs? If they did, it was little. I hereby advocate a stronger case for the unheard, for the ones who will be placed these great tools in our hands. To these two amazing projects I say, be great listeners, seek out opportunities to understand the rest of us. Do not be like the people in this video giving out a Christmas present that only fits some.
Let's shoot our darts with the lights on. :D
Best wishes, Andy
Revolution Music Player
Taking after what great work Amarok has done over the years, it has come to my attention the different changes that Amarok has gone through. Now, with their current version 2.3.1 I am left wondering about what more could be done with the graphical interface. Amarok has wonderful technologies underneath as a music player. Amarok is also neatly connected to KDE widgets that display information for just about anything.
However, Amarok has received critics of many sources asking for stronger work with their graphical interface. I thought this opened the window for others to create something that could potentially become the next Amarok. Probably Amarok 3.
Amarok currently has a lot of things going on in its interface. There are three main panels. Starting from the left Amarok features a collection section which also includes internet music services, playlists and local file search. In the middle section there is a widget area which shows information about the currently playing track, album or the band (through Wikipedia). The far right shows a playing playlist.
This could be confusing from the files shown on the far right from one's collection, but this list on the right is the actual list of tracks that are being played. At the bottom of this playing playlist there are buttons to control this playlist. At the top there is the play button and the track progress bar and a volume button. The very bottom shows information as well on the currently playing track. Much like a status bar.
One thing that I find interesting about this particular version of Amarok is the repetitive display of information about the currently playing track. For example:
No more than 5 times on the shot you see information about the currently playing track. Maybe that is a little visually excessive.
Another interesting thing comes from the way one is to add music to one's playlist. Users have to either drag or double click items on the far left which will then load at the far right to start playing atop. I just don't seem to make sense of the motions that music has to travel in order to be played. I this respect, I am more comfortable with Banshee or even iTunes, both of which play what you click. A very transparent playback of the files you see.
Amarok does a lot of amazing things and has great tools to work with your music. Probably, what needs to happen is to have Amarok control the amount of tools displayed on the screen. Reducing the amount of tools leaving only the most commonly used ones would be good.
But what can change? I tried to simplify the graphical interface for Amarok, giving some emphasis on the creation of playlists and the use of widgets. So I will provide some descriptions to what you are to see next.
Here is a change. I took after what iTunes and Windows Media Player do with their music collection, to group it with an album picture and a list of tracks on the side. From this list of tracks one does the same that the current Amarok does with playlist creation; double click or dragging the tracks onto the playlist area. Also notice the change with widgets, they are now located at the bottom of the window. Clicking through them will bring up the widgets that you like.
The Collection area then slides through the different widgets, stats, track information, lyrics, wikipedia information, youtube videos, etc. It would be good, the collection area disappears and the space is taken by the widgets information. This is the other way of seeing one's music collection, or file collections. A plain list.
Or an Album Cover presentation. All of these have a filter bar atop and buttons to change from the different collection view.
Next up is the playlist content generation. First is the list of tracks which are being played and also a nice cover artwork scrolling. Much like what Songbird did long ago with one of its plugins. Just click the dynamic playlist button and songs will be played based on what Amarok decides.
You can browse your saved playlists and double click on the ones you saved and play them.
Here is the addition I would like to see. To share what you listen to on Facebook, Twitter, or just about any other service that is made available through widgets.
Another way of having Amarok play your music is by turning it into a widget itself. You can hit minimal mode and a widget-like interface will show up and stick on the desktop. You can switch back to any of the other interfaces or tweak the interface.
Next is the fullscreen interface. With computers having more fullscreen interfaces (AKA Mac OSX Lion, Netbook interfaces, Unity). I remember that long ago, Amarok had a plugin that would launch your music in fullscreen mode and it was awesome looking. What I am suggesting is something along those lines as well as the addition of visualizations on the background.
This is the default configuration with covers and controls spread on the interface.
Next is the full image for the covers.
And last is a Karaoke (maybe) idea in which the lyrics are shown so that you can sing along to your songs.
Obviously this is something that can change, songs have lyrics which are very long can have some sort of auto scroll, much like ultimate-guitar.com. Obviously this is not perfect. But I tried to make it simpler and retain the same functionalities that the current Amarok has.
Andy
However, Amarok has received critics of many sources asking for stronger work with their graphical interface. I thought this opened the window for others to create something that could potentially become the next Amarok. Probably Amarok 3.
Amarok currently has a lot of things going on in its interface. There are three main panels. Starting from the left Amarok features a collection section which also includes internet music services, playlists and local file search. In the middle section there is a widget area which shows information about the currently playing track, album or the band (through Wikipedia). The far right shows a playing playlist.
This could be confusing from the files shown on the far right from one's collection, but this list on the right is the actual list of tracks that are being played. At the bottom of this playing playlist there are buttons to control this playlist. At the top there is the play button and the track progress bar and a volume button. The very bottom shows information as well on the currently playing track. Much like a status bar.
One thing that I find interesting about this particular version of Amarok is the repetitive display of information about the currently playing track. For example:
No more than 5 times on the shot you see information about the currently playing track. Maybe that is a little visually excessive.
Another interesting thing comes from the way one is to add music to one's playlist. Users have to either drag or double click items on the far left which will then load at the far right to start playing atop. I just don't seem to make sense of the motions that music has to travel in order to be played. I this respect, I am more comfortable with Banshee or even iTunes, both of which play what you click. A very transparent playback of the files you see.
Amarok does a lot of amazing things and has great tools to work with your music. Probably, what needs to happen is to have Amarok control the amount of tools displayed on the screen. Reducing the amount of tools leaving only the most commonly used ones would be good.
But what can change? I tried to simplify the graphical interface for Amarok, giving some emphasis on the creation of playlists and the use of widgets. So I will provide some descriptions to what you are to see next.
Here is a change. I took after what iTunes and Windows Media Player do with their music collection, to group it with an album picture and a list of tracks on the side. From this list of tracks one does the same that the current Amarok does with playlist creation; double click or dragging the tracks onto the playlist area. Also notice the change with widgets, they are now located at the bottom of the window. Clicking through them will bring up the widgets that you like.
The Collection area then slides through the different widgets, stats, track information, lyrics, wikipedia information, youtube videos, etc. It would be good, the collection area disappears and the space is taken by the widgets information. This is the other way of seeing one's music collection, or file collections. A plain list.
Next up is the playlist content generation. First is the list of tracks which are being played and also a nice cover artwork scrolling. Much like what Songbird did long ago with one of its plugins. Just click the dynamic playlist button and songs will be played based on what Amarok decides.
You can browse your saved playlists and double click on the ones you saved and play them.
Here is the addition I would like to see. To share what you listen to on Facebook, Twitter, or just about any other service that is made available through widgets.
Another way of having Amarok play your music is by turning it into a widget itself. You can hit minimal mode and a widget-like interface will show up and stick on the desktop. You can switch back to any of the other interfaces or tweak the interface.
Next is the fullscreen interface. With computers having more fullscreen interfaces (AKA Mac OSX Lion, Netbook interfaces, Unity). I remember that long ago, Amarok had a plugin that would launch your music in fullscreen mode and it was awesome looking. What I am suggesting is something along those lines as well as the addition of visualizations on the background.
This is the default configuration with covers and controls spread on the interface.
Next is the full image for the covers.
And last is a Karaoke (maybe) idea in which the lyrics are shown so that you can sing along to your songs.
Obviously this is something that can change, songs have lyrics which are very long can have some sort of auto scroll, much like ultimate-guitar.com. Obviously this is not perfect. But I tried to make it simpler and retain the same functionalities that the current Amarok has.
Andy
Random Ideas for a revolutionized Amarok Icon
Well, I have been toying around with this idea for awhile now. I came up with this icon for Amarok a long time ago and never got around finishing it. Here is a tentative idea of what it could look like and how it could look with a splash image for Amarok on openSUSE. I like the icon, but I am sure that more could be done with it.
Here, enjoy:
I hope you like them. I generally don't work with icons. I don't think I know how to make them really. But this could be a good proof of concept in order to have you see what we could customize with in openSUSE.
And what better way to celebrate the release of Amarok than a cool rocky song:
See you all soon :D
Andy
Here, enjoy:
I hope you like them. I generally don't work with icons. I don't think I know how to make them really. But this could be a good proof of concept in order to have you see what we could customize with in openSUSE.
And what better way to celebrate the release of Amarok than a cool rocky song:
See you all soon :D
Andy
New openSUSE Build Service Interface
For some time now, I have been reviewing some of the interaction that one is to use when working with openSUSE's Build Service system. I believe it is one of the most useful tools that openSUSE has created because it encourages collaboration between programmers and users. It provides a powerful tool to package applications.
However, I have noted that the interface could be changed a little in order to reflect a more active form of interacting with one's package information. I created some preliminary and simple images that could potentially become what openSUSE Build Service could look like.
My emphasis is on at-a-glance information. Currently, as users enter OBS, they are greeted with little information about what they are working on and only see information about other packages being worked on . Probably this could change, focusing on what a particular user has on OBS is more important to that user than other packages from across OBS, which can come in second.
Current OBS home page:
And these are the ones I was thinking of. First a simple greeting page with a log in section, and also a movie that can explain in simple steps how to use the openSUSE Build Service.
However, I have noted that the interface could be changed a little in order to reflect a more active form of interacting with one's package information. I created some preliminary and simple images that could potentially become what openSUSE Build Service could look like.
My emphasis is on at-a-glance information. Currently, as users enter OBS, they are greeted with little information about what they are working on and only see information about other packages being worked on . Probably this could change, focusing on what a particular user has on OBS is more important to that user than other packages from across OBS, which can come in second.
Current OBS home page:
And these are the ones I was thinking of. First a simple greeting page with a log in section, and also a movie that can explain in simple steps how to use the openSUSE Build Service.
Then we add a small and simple Log In popup window and we move into our page:
And finally we find ourselves on the page that can greet us with information at a glance. Obviously, this page could change, offering information bit that the users want rather than the default ones.
What do you think? I know there are things that can change and I would like to hear your opinion. Probably you users who take more advantage from OBS than I do have long desired to utilize OBS is different ways than the current one.
To you, what would you like to see changed in OBS?
Andy
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