Most of us who have used and installed any of the many variants of Linux started off with a live CD.  These allow you to boot your computer up using the CD, and try out the operating system without having to install or configure it.  The CD can have whatever software the creator decides to install, pending available space.

I first used the Knoppix live CD, later Ubuntu, and now many other variants (including my current favorite, LinuxMint).

Mizstik has put together a live CD with Ubuntu server and an installation of the Koha ILS, calling it Koha LiveCD.

I think this is a fantastic idea, and it holds the potential for introducing many people to Koha, and giving them a better understanding of what the software can and cannot do for them.  This understanding will only help the adoption of open source library software.

My next wish at this point would be for a live CD of Evergreen.

found via What I Learned Today

I don’t normally gush over new tech toys on this blog, but I suspect that we are about to witness a sea change in portable computing:

The Touch Book is a netbook-but-more from a company called Always Innovating.  It reverses the fundamental design of notebook computing in that the processor/memory/storage is in the same part of the computer as the screen.  So what do you get when you make that screen a touch screen as well?  A tablet computer with a keyboard dock.

The idea behind Touch Book is making it as versitile as possible, allowing people to use it in different modes for different tasks.

Typing a document?  Dock it in the keyboard.  Watching a movie?  Reverse the screen and fold it into a stand, or use the magnetic backing to attach the screen to a steel surface (like a refrigerator).  Playing a game, reading a book, or surfing the web?  Use the touch screen by itself for convenience.

This will be the first netbook to use the ARM Processor, which means that it runs without generating much heat (no fans to run and long battery life – 10-15 hours according to the company).  It also means that it is an “instant on” device… no waiting for the computer to boot up.  It sports high resolution, 3-D graphics, and is supposed to do a great job for watching movies.  And it is very open… open source operating system, open architecture.  There is a lot of room for innovation with this device.

This computer isn’t perfect (and it isn’t on the market yet… so any of these claims could be exaggerated), but it is a definite jump ahead for mobile computing.  Microsoft has yet to announce whether Windows 7 will have an ARM version, so this may be limited to varieties of Linux and Android — but you will still be able to use it for anything the current crops of netbooks can do, with more versatility and for longer periods of time.

Here’s a demo video I found via Wired Blogs:

found via CrunchGear

I thought I’d try something new and summarize the software that I use on a regular basis.  I have been thinking about this, as I have recently switched from one software program to another in a couple of areas, and have been thinking about the evolution of the programs I have used over the years.  This may become an annual (or occasional) update, or this may be the only installment.  I also note which items have Portable Apps alternatives, as I use these a great deal.

Here they are:

• Operating Systems : Windows XP is still my primary day-to-day system at home, on my notebook, and at work.  I use Ubuntu linux on a regular basis (I am set up to dual-boot both at home and on my notebook computer), but haven’t yet made the jump.  Yet.  I use Mac OS-X (Leopard) occasionally on my wife’s computer (usually when setting something up for her).
• Web Browsers : Firefox (PortableApps) is my preferred browser (and has been since it was at version 0.6 or so).  I occasionally use Google Chrome, which is definitely faster, but my habitual use of certain add-ons (see below) keeps me from getting comfortable.  I use Internet Explorer 7 when I want to run Windows Update.  My only complaints are occasional memory hog problems with Firefox.
• Firefox Add-Ons : Zotero, Groowe Search Toolbar, Web Developer Toolbar, Operator, Cooliris, Add to Search Bar.  Learn them, use them, love them.
• E-Mail : Thunderbird (PortableApps) is my primary e-mail client, although I feel it needs a good updating (version 3, anyone?).  I use Microsoft Outlook 2003 at work, mainly because we use the calendar features quite a bit.  An add-on that makes Outlook worth using, however, is Xobni (“inbox” spelled backwards).  If you use Outlook, get Xobni – you will not be disappointed.  I am eagerly awaiting a Thunderbird version.
• Office Suites : I recently switched to Go-Oo from OpenOffice 3 (PortableApps).  It wasn’t too hard of a change, as it is an implementation of OpenOffice with some very intelligent add-ons and configuration.  It is very smooth and easy to use, and hasn’t given me any problems yet.  I still use Microsoft Office 2003 at work, but am rapidly switching to Go-Oo for everything but Access.  Even that may change, as MS Access lacks some desired report functionality that exists in the Sun Report Builder.
• Text Editors : I recently switched from SciTE to Notepad++ (PortableApp) when I needed better control over the encoding of the text.  Both are excellent for editing HTML and CSS, as well as editing a variety of text files.
• Web Design : I primarily use a text editor (see above), but when I want something more powerful, I use Amaya, or sometimes Aptana.  If you need a basic WYSIWYG designer, I recommend Komposer (PortableApps).  I use FileZilla (PortableApps) as my FTP client.
• Photo Software : I currently use IrfanView, but suspect that this may change in the near future, as my needs are changing.
• Online Software : I use WordPress for blogging; Gregarius as a blog reader; Gallery for photo storage and viewing; I am trying out OpenGoo for online applications (calendar, tasks, contacts, basic word processing); OpenBiblio for my church’s ILS; Scriblio and Drupal for OPAC replacements (just playing around with them); and TextPattern as a Content Managment System.
• Security : ZoneAlarm firewall; AVG Free anti-virus; Clean-Up!; and HijackThis.
• CD Authoring : I switched from CDBurnerXP to InfraRecorder (PortableApps) earlier this year.  I haven’t tried the newest version of CDBurnerXP, so there may be some switching back in the future.
• Odds and Ends : 7-Zip (PortableApps) for compressing and decompressing all sorts of files; PDF Creator; MarcEdit.

If you are looking for a common thread, there is this:  all of these, except for two of the operating systems, and the software on my work PC, don’t cost anything.  Much of it is Open Source (of which I am an advocate).  You can do a lot with an internet-connected computer, a sub-$100 per year web hosting service, and some trial-and-error experimentation.

I hope this list helps to inform, and perhaps even connects someone else with software that I have grown to enjoy using for everyday tasks.  It has been interesting to see just how much software becomes part of my daily routines, and how much value I get from the above programs.

Looking for a particular type of software, and thinking that you would like to see what open source options are out there?  openDesktop.org describes itself as “a network of portals and community websites for open source and free software projects” and is an excellent starting point for locating what you need for your task.

Note that much of the software is aimed at the open source community, meaning that much of it runs on linux.  I suggest two things:  1) you should be dual-booting linux (Ubuntu is a good place to start), if only to understand how it compares to Windows and/or Mac; and 2) you may discover that the dual-boot option coupled with the software you find will provide you with all that you need for your tasks.

Give it a try!

via linux.com

Its the first annual Document Freedom Day!

Document Freedom means open standards and free document formats.  Take a few minutes to check out what this means to libraries, society, and to you.

For me, well, I have been a fan of open standards for years (I do too much xhtml/css to not appreciate standards), and I also feel that the Open Document Format (ODF) is not only more flexible than closed formats, but I like that I can rename the file with a .zip extension, then open it up and see (and extract, if needed) all the separate elements that make up the document.

found via Linux.com

OpenStreetMap is a U.K.-based project that fulfills a great need:  an open, collaborative mapping project.  Ever find an error in MapQuest, Google Maps, or Yahoo Maps?  Can’t do much about it, can you?  OpenStreetMap will be able to be updated and corrected by their user base, and will be available for free, as in both beer and speech.  Think of it in terms of Wikipedia, which also illustrates the possibilities for errors and abuse, as well.

They have just jump-started their U.S. mapping effort with mapping information from the U.S. Census Bureau.  They have a long way to go, but with some local effort from people across the country, they could be a serious contender for our mapping needs.

Check out your local area to see what they have, and what they still need for their maps.

found on Linux.com

As a longtime user of OpenOffice.org, I pay attention to comparisons between that software and Microsoft Office.  The first set of reviews that I have encountered that compares Microsoft’s updated suite with the current version of OpenOffice have just been completed and posted to Linux.com, and I thought it was worth passing along:

1. OpenOffice.org Writer vs. Microsoft Word
2. OpenOffice.org Impress vs. Microsoft PowerPoint
3. OpenOffice.org Calc vs. Microsoft Excel

My own verdict:  if you have a need for something that is available only in Microsoft Office, then that is what you need.  Otherwise, OpenOffice.org is a great fit, and at a much better price (free!). 

Office Software Shootout is an article/post on Linux.com that compares the latest versions of OpenOffice.org Writer (2.3) and MS Office Word (2007) across several categories.

The result? Each program has strengths and weaknesses, but the reviewer concludes that OpenOffice.org comes out ahead.

My take on the results: I have not used either of the versions reviewed (I use OO.org 2.2.1 at home and via a flash drive Portable Apps package, and MS Office 2003 at work), but prefer OO.org for most tasks. Access still clearly beats out Base, but Base is good enough that I see that changing within a couple of upgrades.

The best part: OO.org is free. Download it, install it, and do whatever you need. Want to put it on all of your public access machines? Go ahead, there’s no charge. Staff machines? Same thing. Give it away to your patrons? Public relations!

The document converters work fine 99.9% of the time (letting you open, edit and save .doc and .xls files) and the learning curve isn’t too bad (especially considering that Microsoft changed many things in Office 2007, giving that program a similar learning curve). If you decide that you don’t like it, then go ahead and purchase another product.

WebRunner is a project derived from Mozilla’s Firefox web browser that lets you install a site-specific browser on a computer.  The browser would be lacking the usual menus and toolbars, and would open everything within one browser window.

This is designed for online applications and such, but I suspect that this could be turned into a fairly good kiosk for many library OPACs.  This is definitely something to consider when you are looking into creating a single-purpose workstation.

from Linux.com

This article from Linux.com is a great overview of what it takes to run a digitization project with fragile material and across great distance, as the Library of Congress and Archive.org work together on a project to preserve some of the rare materials in the library’s collection that are at risk of decaying.

from NewsForge

Libraries facilitate open access to information with open source software is an interesting article posted on Linux.com.

I have opened my Open Source Software and Libraries with the same observation that the open source movement and libraries share many of the same ideals.

from NewsForge

There’s a great article about the Georgia Public Library Service’s Evergreen project on Linux.com.  Well worth reading.

from NewsForge

Ubuntu 6.10 has been released.  The latest version of this free and easy to use operating system is available for download to try out and/or install on the computer of your choice!

I have found Ubuntu to be the smoothest version of Linux that I have tried, and expect it to become much more common as time goes on.

from OSDir.com

There is a relatively new site for online learning called Open Of Course, which offers a variety of tutorials and such for no cost (except your time and effort).  Included among their offerings are tutorials on administering and using Linux (including Ubuntu), OpenOffice, Firefox, and Thunderbird.

Additionally, they have offerings on Web Design from Scratch and PHP, both of which could be beneficial for those tasked with designing websites.

from Open Access News

ComputerWorld is reporting that Google is looking into OpenSolaris to replace Linux as the server operating system that forms the backbone of the search engine.

This could get interesting; I have been wondering how broad the use of OpenSolaris would become since Sun spun off an open-source version of their operating system.

from OSDir

From the folks at Google and a team from MIT comes YouOS, an experimental “web operating system” which basically gives you a computer desktop that you access through your web browser.

Why is this significant? This is more than your basic web 2.0 site, or a remotely hosted application: this could mean a change in how we approach public access computers. With stripped down hardware (motherboard, processor, minimal memory, monitor, mouse, keyboard, high-speed internet access) you can have a full-fledged system without needing to maintain the operating system and related software at the computer itself.

Check it out. Sign up for an account and see how it works. Remember that this is not only experimental software, but they are at the alpha stage of development… don’t expect Windows Vista visual quality or Linux stability.

By the way… this may settle the debate going on for the past few years about whether Google has an interest in developing operating systems and competing in that arena.

from OSDir

The Ubuntu Linux distribution has started a wiki aimed at new users, called the New Users Network (NUN).

I have been playing with Edubuntu, in order to see if it will be helpful for someone I know who is considering it for their middle-school classroom, and this site may be a good resource for them (and me, too).

No joke… the URI is http://www.whatwouldjesusdownload.com/

Of interest here, and for many people, is that Ubuntu has come out with a Christian Edition of their operating system.  This, as with the Educational edition, marks a possible trend of customizing linux for specific groups and interests.  I can predict a library/research version, a geneology version, and perhaps even a blog-centric version, each with pre-installed software to support each of those activities.

from OSDir