User Manual to be included with Ubuntu

The Ubuntu team are working on a user manual that will be included with each new release of the operating system. The manual would serve as a beginner’s guide to Ubuntu and Linux and would include guides and How-Tos to aid new users.

Ubuntu hopes to include the first manual with Lucid Lynx, due in April this year, and the manual would be updated every 6 months thereafter to time with the release of each new version of Ubuntu.

According to the Wiki page, the manual is “Designed to be as user-friendly and easy to follow as possible, it should provide the first point of reference to any Ubuntu newcomer with lots of information in one easy to access PDF file.

The wiki goes on to outline the goals of project:

This guide will differ from many similar^ proprietary publications in many ways:

  • It is entirely community based, written and maintained, unlike proprietary Guides/Manuals.
  • It will not only be relevant to one release, as it will be updated every 6 months.
  • It will contain no advertising.
  • It will have a very easy to follow writing style, and follow the Ubuntu style guidlines.
  • It will always be free of charge.
  • It will be written for a specific release, before that release comes out – instead of being written during the support cycle, and released months after.
  • The relevant version of the manual will come out on the same day as the Ubuntu version it pertains to. Ie, the Ubuntu Lucid Lynx manual will be released on the day Lucid Lynx comes out.

^Similar meaning other publications that are in a PDF format, written in the style of a chapter-based book.

Why is it different to the Ubuntu Online Docs?

  • The Ubuntu Manual will have all the information in one place, instead of spread out all over the internet.
  • It will be easier to read, and will incorporate more screenshots and step by step tutorials.
  • It will be conveniently distributed as a PDF file.
  • It will be written in a consistent style, so it is easier to follow.
  • And, as much as the Ubuntu Docs team try to keep everything up-to-date, often documentation remains unchanged from its original release. (In some cases, as old as 6.06) Our manual will be 100% current for every release.

I think this is an excellent idea. Although there is a ton of information on the web (and the Ubuntu forums are a fabulous resource), sometimes you just need a little hand-holding. For many first time users, Linux is a whole new world and it can be daunting. I recall searching Google about some problem or other as a complete newbie and not having much success because I wasn’t using the correct terminology. But if you’re new to Linux, you don’t know the terminology. If you’re stubborn though (and I am), you’ll usually figure it out, but so many people would just throw up their hands and give up. A beginner’s guide on the Desktop covering concepts like how to install software and set up the internet, how to set up peripherals like printers and scanners, and how the file system basically works (no, Linux doesn’t have a Program Files folder!) would be extremely helpful. If they include links to the Ubuntu online documentation, as well as the forums, this could be a very useful document.

I’ve thought for a while that including a little introductory video with every installation would be beneficial for new users. It wouldn’t need souped-up graphics and a soundtrack – just a basic video with some screenshots and a voice-over explaining how to do the simple things that confound every newbie! Perhaps they’ll do this one day, but a proper manual is a step in the right direction.

However, no RTFM jokes please!

Merry Christmas

Going to be very busy over the next few days, so just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays as you funny Americans like to say!)

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, peace and best wishes to all.

Mark Shuttleworth stepping down as CEO at Canonical

Mark Shuttleworth has announced he is stepping down as CEO of Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu. When I first read this headline, I panicked a little and thought he was withdrawing his support from the Ubuntu project, but upon reading further, the opposite seems to be true. He plans to devote his energy to “product design, partnerships and customers“. The current Chief Operations Officer, Jane Silber, will take over as CEO in March next year.

To quote from Mark’s blog:

I’ve become very passionate about design and quality, and want to spend more time figuring out how we harness the collaborative process to build better, more insightful products. I can’t think of a more interesting challenge, and luckily I couldn’t think of a better person to take over my formal management and leadership responsibilities at Canonical than Jane.

I’m interested that he wants to devote more time to “partnerships” as I believe we can see the fruits of his labour here already. After five years, Ubuntu is becoming a real contender in the market. For example, Dell offers PCs and Laptops with Ubuntu pre-installed, as they have down for some time, however these models are no longer buried so deeply within their site that it is almost impossible to find them. Dell is giving Ubuntu a far higher profile than it has in the past. Also, when Windows 7 was released (a huge event in the computer world), many mainstream publications did a comparison between Ubuntu Karmic and Windows 7, as they were both released around the same time. Here in the UK, there was a review on the front page for the BBC News site for a few days, plus more coverage within the Technology News section. To be even mentioned in the same breath as Windows 7 shows just how mainstream Ubuntu is becoming. And late next year, there will be the release of Chrome Operating System – a collaboration between Canonical and Google – which will no doubt guarantee more publicity for Ubuntu. It will be interesting to see what other partnerships and developments come to fruition in the future.

I wish Mark every success in his new role at Canonical.

Beta Release of Google’s Chrome Browser for Linux

Google have announced the official Beta release of their Chrome internet browser today. An Extensions Gallery, currently containing over 300 extensions, has also made its debut.

On Ubuntu, the release is already available in the software repositories. If you’ve already installed an early developer version, Google suggests you remove this before installing the beta (though Ubuntu users may find they are upgraded automatically). If you haven’t tried Chrome yet, just open Synaptic and search for google-chrome-beta and install from there. Or download it directly here.

I’ve used Chrome Browser now and again over the past few months and I am constantly struck by how much faster it is compared to Firefox. I do wonder if it may start to slow once it’s laden down with extensions and I’ll be monitoring that. Chrome’s major deal-breaker for me has always been the lack of an Adblock-type extension. I loathe web pages with big, Flash-based ads, as I find them incredibly distracting when reading text. I’ve always returned to Firefox in the end, as any time saved in page loads was more than offset by my slower reading because of intrusive adverts. I note however that Flashblock is in the extension gallery and there is an AdThwart (good name!) extension available. I’ll give these a try and see how they compare to the Firefox browsing experience. Another available extension is Xmarks – a godsend for anyone who uses more than one computer.

As for appearance, the Google developers are promising tight integration with both Gnome and KDE desktops, though Chrome also has a variety of themes to choose from (similar to Firefox’s Personas, though nowhere near as extensive).

All in all, I’d say Chrome is worth downloading if you haven’t had a look already. Though I must admit, I do feel rather disloyal to Firefox for trying out their competition (yes I know it’s pathetic to feel loyalty to a web browser!) But, long-term, competition and innovation is good for everyone (except perhaps Microsoft!)

Google Wave Invites

I’ve finally managed to bag a Google Wave account! To be honest, I’ve haven’t had much chance to get into Wave yet, as I’ve had a lot going on in the last week or so, but I’m looking forward to playing about with it.

I acquired some Wave invitations with my account, and I have a few left over after sending a couple out to friends. If you want a Wave invite, click on the Contact Me link on this web page and send me a message with your email address. I’ll wait a few days and see what replies I get and sent out invites to the nicest ones! (To be honest, I will probably give preference to people I’ve interacted with on this blog, so if you’ve commented before, you’re in with a better chance).

Once the invites are gone, I’ll delete this post to save any hassles.

So send me a message!

UPDATE: I have a bunch more invites, so if you want one, get in touch!

Proposed artwork for Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

The Ubuntu Wiki has published mockups of proposed themes for the next release of Ubuntu due in April 2010. The three themes are collectively known as “Ubuntu Sun”.

The reasoning behind the themes is given below:

As some people like dark themes and some people like bright themes, why not combine them into one set of matching themes with different shades? This is an idea for a Metacity theme that is based on the idea of having the sun shine into your windows. Could there be a better leitmotiv for the window design of a lucid release? The theme could be combined with any GTK theme if they are modified to have flat menu and tool bars.

I’ve embedded sample artwork below:

Ubuntu Sun: Dawn theme

Ubuntu Sun: Dawn theme

Ubuntu Sun: Day theme

Ubuntu Sun: Day theme

Ubuntu Sun: Dusk theme

Ubuntu Sun: Dusk theme

I think all three themes are very attractive and would make a welcome addition to Ubuntu. Time will tell, however, if they make the final release.

Chrome OS – Update and some screenshots

Some more details about the Chromium OS/Chrome OS (following on from this post).

I’ve given some screenshots below. The first shows the Applications panel within the browser. This is a kind of “quick launch” for various web applications, like Gmail, Facebook, YouTube etc. The second pic shows a Windows Live spreadsheet running on Chrome. The third pic shows what the developers are calling “panels”. This allows a web application to run in a small panel on top of another browser tab. For example, you could have a music video or an Instant Messaging session running in a panel in the foreground, whilst browsing normally in the background.

Chrome OS web applications

Chrome OS web applications

Spreadsheet running in the browser

Spreadsheet running in the browser

Chrome OS web browser panels

Chrome OS web browser panels

I’ve also embedded below a sample of Google’s presentation, showing Chrome OS at work (including that super fast boot time!)

When Chrome OS is officially released (around this time next year), it’s my understanding that you won’t be able to download it and install it on any machine. It will come already installed on specially-tailored hardware. You will, of course, be able to download the Chromium OS version (that is, the open-source version). It is possible the super fast boot times may only be available on the officially sanctioned hardware, however I’d hope that even the Chromium OS version will be faster than many other systems.

It may not be for everyone, given that all data is stored on the internet, but the developers emphasize that Chrome OS is aimed solely at netbooks. It is not meant to replace your main computer.

Chrome OS – some real info at last!

Google hosted an event for the press today about their Chrome Operating System. Further details on the system are now available.

The Linux-based system will initially be released as the “Chromium Operating System”. This release will be open-source, which will allow non-Google developers to participate in the project. (This is similar to the Chromium vs Chrome web browser, where the Chromium version is the open source development branch, and the Chrome version is the officially-branded Google release.) The code for the Chromium release is available now, however the official “Chrome OS” will be available in about a year.

As expected, Chrome OS will initially be targeted at netbooks. Google say that may change down the line, but for now the OS will run on netbooks only. A surprise for me is that Chrome OS will only run on flash-based storage devices, like solid state drives or memory cards. This will ensure fast boot speeds, but I guess those netbooks with hard drives will need to run Chrome from a memory card. The system has been optimised for speed and they are claiming boot times of around 7 seconds (from when you hit the power button). Now that is fast!

When the system starts, you log in directly to your browser and ALL applications run from there. There will be no Open Office or GIMP on this system (at least not at the start). Obviously the push is towards Google web-based applications like Gmail and Google Docs. Although storage will primarily be cloud-based (i.e. on Google’s servers), there will be a local backup on the netbook. This is already in place for many of Google’s web applications, with the offline versions of Gmail, Calendar, Docs etc.

There is some emphasis on security. Every application is sandboxed, which means it runs separately from everything else (Chrome browser already does this). In addition, the whole user partition will be encrypted. The system will also check its own code every time it boots for discrepancies.

There are a few videos explaining the project in greater detail, which I’ve embedded below.

A (slightly dumbed down) introduction to the idea behind the Chrome OS (good to watch if you’ve never head of this project before).

Some more detailed videos from the Chromium people below:

More information on the project is available at chromium.org.

Update: See this post for screenshots and some additional info.

Chrome Operating System update

Chrome OS logo

After posting a few days ago about the rumours that Google’s Chrome OS would be available within the week, sadly -  as with all rumours – this one may be slightly exaggerated.

TechCrunch (who broke the story in the first place) have posted an update saying that Google plan to hold a Chrome OS event on Thursday this week. It would seem that the Chrome operating system will not be available in the immediate future, however Google plan to show off some demos at the event and give a “complete overview” of the new system. The release date is still believed to be next year, but perhaps there may be alphas or betas to try out before then. This is, of course, still just speculation.

I’m very interested to see what Google has so far, even if Chrome OS can’t be downloaded for a while yet. Some people have speculated that it will be little more than Ubuntu with the Chrome browser. Others believe that Google are scrapping the X window system in favour of a display manager of their own making. I’m hopeful that their “complete overview” will at least answer these questions.

I’ll post more once the official news is out.

Fedora 12 released

Hot off the press here! Fedora 12, codenamed Constantine, has just been officially released. Click for download options.

What’s new in Fedora 12? According to the release notes:

The following are major features for Fedora 12:

  • Improved WebCam support
  • Better Video Codec
  • Audio Improvements
  • Better Power Management

Some other features in this release include:

  • Automatic bug reporting tool>
  • Bluetooth on demand
  • Many, many virtualization enhancements
  • Still more security improvements

There are also a ton of new features listed here.

Fedora 12 download options.