There's an interesting article over at FreeSoftwareMagazine.com about what you can do with the free time the coming holidays will likely present you with. This being an article at the Free Software Magazine, it focusses mainly on - you guessed it - Free software. The suggestions are interesting, but we have a few of our own to add.
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Member since:
2005-10-13
Member since:
2006-05-02
There's so many things I've been about to do for some time now. But, alas, I always get over-ambitious and get nothing done in the end.
Should have upgraded from Fedora 8 to Fedora 10 some time ago, but at least it's nice that the Fedora people postponed Fedora 8's end of life from 25.Dec 2008 to 7.Jan 2009. [1]
Always wanted to try LinuxFromScratch, but it's just too big a project to get completed in a meaningful way in the short time available. So I guess I'll stay with Fedora for some time still.
I've also tried to learn OpenOffice.org's Basic variant - could have been useful in the past, had I learnt it before. When I think of this plan, however, I'm always reminded that I really wanted to try LaTeX. Oh well.
I guess it will be best for me to have a go at the author's last suggestion: "Switch off your computer" ;-)
[1] http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=205835
Member since:2006-08-09
Fedora 10 is definitely worth the upgrade. They haven't done much flashy stuff on the surface (maybe the init process, very well done), but a lot of improvements under the hood are really good. A great release.
As a LaTeX fan I can tell you that it's one of the best "investments" you can get in software. Besides learning to code yourself, of course. LaTeX (or LyX, very easy to work with) is one of those programs that once you get along with you wonder what on earth everybody's doing with the WYSIWYG stuff, and that's not even foor l33tish or ideological considerations. It just looks so much better in print, and it's just so much easier and faster to use.
(Doesn't mean LaTeX is better for every purpose)
Very wise. As I'm typing this, I haven't made it that far yet. Many plans though.
Member since:2008-11-16
Quote...
Should have upgraded from Fedora 8 to Fedora 10 some time ago, but at least it's nice that the Fedora people postponed Fedora 8's end of life from 25.Dec 2008 to 7.Jan 2009.
Fedora 10 is definitely worth the upgrade. They haven't done much flashy stuff on the surface (maybe the init process, very well done), but a lot of improvements under the hood are really good. A great release.
I've also tried to learn OpenOffice.org's Basic variant - could have been useful in the past, had I learnt it before. When I think of this plan, however, I'm always reminded that I really wanted to try LaTeX.
As a LaTeX fan I can tell you that it's one of the best "investments" you can get in software. Besides learning to code yourself, of course. LaTeX (or LyX, very easy to work with) is one of those programs that once you get along with you wonder what on earth everybody's doing with the WYSIWYG stuff, and that's not even foor l33tish or ideological considerations. It just looks so much better in print, and it's just so much easier and faster to use.
(Doesn't mean LaTeX is better for every purpose)
I guess it will be best for me to have a go at the author's last suggestion: "Switch off your computer" ;-)
I have installed Fedora 10 on my Dell XPS M1530 and it is a lot nicer than Fedora 9/8.
Fedora 10 has a lot faster bootup and a lot of the tweaks that they made and enhancements are really worth it. Plus, hard disk encryption is nice...
You can add vga=0x318 to your grub.conf stanza to have your info scrolling when you boot up (remove quiet also)...
I am waiting on RHEL6 to come out next year all of the underpinning changes being made, along with upstart to be implemented and new kernel. I can't wait I will be installing Centos6 on my Dell XPS wiping out Fedora 10 and installing it on my workstation/laptop for work as well.
AND I am installing Zmanda for work, the front end to amanda makes configuration 100 times simpler than the config file for amanda.
I already have it running, plus loading new Centos 5.3 Servers.
Lots to do!
Member since:
2008-10-23
Member since:
2005-10-02
Member since:
2008-12-06
Forgetting all the technical whatnot, I used to play games a lot as a kid. It was grand. For sure with all the spare time this holiday, I'll be doing a bit of LAN gaming with my buddies. Star Craft was always one of our favorites. 
You've got to feel like a kid again once in a while. Albeit a kid who actually knows how to set up a network game.
Coming back to the technical stuff, it'd be nice to set up a file/print server made from an old HP dc5000 SFF for the printers in the study. Whether running XP or the latest Ubuntu has to offer, I've yet to decide. Perhaps I may try venturing to another open source OS, though I'm still relatively new to open source and haven't much time to work with unfamiliar systems.
Edited 2008-12-20 01:09 UTC
Member since:
2006-06-02
I'll give OS X another try (ducks after having maligned it over most of this year). When you also get that 'life's too short' thing over Windows too, well, maybe time to swallow my sin of pride.
Definitely get all the stuff I have hauled out of skips/dumpsters over the last 12 months or rescued from friends who have no more use for it to good homes, or recycled responsibly. Time to feel virtuous as well.
Then I will switch off my computer, and do a bit of painting round the house.
