Where the LMMS is the icon in the dash?

LMMS icon by default does not show up in the dash after installing due to a bug:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lmms/+bug/863366

Apparently this bug was fixed, but on my computers it hasn’t been yet. If you suffer from the same fate, you should file a bug report/mark as affecting you, and fix your own icon in the meantime:

1. Create the file to give you the icon:

gksudo gedit ~/.local/share/applications/lmms.desktop

2. Copy and paste this into it:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Linux MultiMedia Studio
GenericName=music production suite
GenericName[ca]=Programari de producció musical
GenericName[de]=Software zur Musik-Produktion
Comment=easy music production for everyone!
Comment[ca]=Producció fàcil de música per a tothom!
Icon=/PATH-TO-ICON/lmms.png
Exec=lmms
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Qt;AudioVideo;Audio;Midi;
MimeType=application/x-lmms-project;

*Replace PATH-TO-ICON with the actual path to the icon, which can be downloaded HERE:

lmms

3. Enjoy LMMS dash functionality.

Regarding Daniel: Ubuntu DansGuardian Rehabilitation Tutorial

Browsing Safely: "No thanks, I don't like eggs."

Browsing Safely:
“No thanks, I don’t like eggs.”

DansGuardian is web-content-control software that was originally written by Daniel Barron, and its slogan on the website is “true web content filtering for all.” “All what?” you ask. Well, if you’re not careful, then you could end up filtering ALL of your web content.

Setting up DansGuardian is not exactly a click-through process. In order to set up a web-content-filtering server, you will need a certain amount of experience that I don’t have. However, if you are simply interested in adding an extra layer of protection to your personal browsing habits on one machine, then read on.

Step 1 – The Silver Bullet (If you’re not serious about DansGuardian, then stop now)

WARNING: By completing this step correctly, you will have effectively shot down pretty much any harmful web content from entering your browser. Overkill? Probably. By default, you are unable to download most filetypes, and you will not have access to websites containing content related to “hacking” or “proxies,” including this one! So, copy this tutorial if necessary to an offline source. We will fix this “bug” later.

Bodhizazen has a good tutorial that will get you through the bulk of the setup.

Follow it verbatim, and pay specail attention to step 5 “Obviously change to “bodhi” to your log in name, and add additional users if needed, one per line, before you add the last “DROP” line.”

Step 2 – Acupuncture (Allowing some important content to flow in)

Your DansGuardian configuration files will be stored in a set of “lists” that are located in:

/etc/dansguardian/lists/

Open “terminal” and cd to the directory:

cd /etc/dansguardian/lists/

Type

ls

to list the contents of the directory.

Here is the general workflow:
-Edit the appropriate list

gksudo gedit listnamehere

(Replace listnamehere with the name of the list in that directory)
-You will be prompted for your password and then you can edit the list in gedit.
-Comment out parts of the list by placing a “#” infront of that line
-Save and close
-Restart DansGuardian*

NOTEABLE LISTS
a) Access content: Proxies and tutorials like this one

gksudo gedit weightedphraselist

Place a “#” before the line that says: .Include</etc/dansguardian/lists/phraselists/proxies/weighted>

b) Be able to download files: mp3, rar, …

gksudo gedit bannedextensionlist

Place a “#” before every filetype you want to be able to download

c) Access unusual sites e.g. youtube

gksudo gedit exceptionurllist

Go to the bottom of the list and type (one per line) the url of the known safe sites that you want to display properly e.g.:
youtube.com

If you find a snag in your browsing, then come back to this directory and continue to fine-tune the lists. You can also add things to the banned lists to filter whatever you don’t like (e.g. “eggs”).

*Once you have edited the lists, you must restart DansGuardian

sudo service dansguardian restart

STEP 3 – Physiotherapy: Getting the larger parts working properly

Some of the essential or larger applications will stop functioning correctly. Below are a few that I came across, and fixed with the following solutions.

a) First, setup the system proxy on your computer: type “proxy” in the dash search, and click on the “Network” icon. Go to “Network Proxy”. Fill in HTTP and HTTPS with “localhost” and “8118″. Leave FTP and SOCKS blank! (see image)

network

The reason why I say use “8118″ instead of “8080″ is because you are less likely to find harmful content outside of your browser (proxy set to 8080), and this will allow more flexibility. This will also help you switch between 8118 and 8080 in your browser should you need to. You can select “use system proxy” instead of manual.***

b) UBUNTU ONE – won’t sync!
Due to a bug, Ubuntu One will not work by default behind a proxy.
- Complete step (a)
- Install this:

sudo apt-get install ubuntuone-client-proxy

-REBOOT

c) THUNDERBIRD – won’t display images!
- Complete step (a)

d) TOR BROWSER BUNDLE – won’t start!
- Change network proxy settings in vidalia (see image):
tor

e)cPanel – token cookie session what?!
[EDIT] One way is to edit your privoxy user settings

gksudo gedit /etc/privoxy/user.action

And add this to the bottom of the text file.

{ -block }
urlofyourCpanelsite.com

This will UNblock your site from privoxy. Now restart privoxy

sudo service privoxy restart

I haven’t sorted this out completely. It’s actually a privoxy issue and not dansguardian
-As an OK workaround, click the like that says “If you need an interface that uses less JavaScript click here.”
cpanel

Reflection

***This is not a perfect solution, as the main user can turn harmful content on/off as it pleases, but at least it’s one more step. Take a rest. You are on your road to recovery.

Don’t You Know I’m LoCo?

Call me crazy, but I think we’re all part of the same race. We are all one. This is the essence of ubuntu. So, let’s follow it. I’m going to tell you one way how, so please stay tuned, but first let’s set the stage.

Humans have been programmed to categorize things. At the very low level, we divide our world into “safe” and “unsafe” (false binary?).  So, how do we determine how to label something… or someone? We look for differences and how familiar is the subject in relation to ourselves. Again, some of this is instinct and understandably automatic. This is important from a survival standpoint. One the other hand, is it possible that this reaction could poison our ability to progress and actually be detrimental to our survival?

Out of practicality, we have divided our planet into regions, continents, countries, etc. The problem with this is that we must now categorize into “safe” and “unsafe”. Every difference creates path dependency toward one of these categories. Maybe we should stop inventing differences. Could our “biological programming” be leaking into our socially constructed views of the world? Perhaps that’s where nationalism comes from.

So, what if we had the chance to redo the planet? Would we want to change anything? At this stage, it’s quite difficult to rethink borders since we have found good reasons to kill each other (if for nothing other than the fact that we belong to a different groups). However, maybe we can change the way that we deal with less concrete things or new things.

Source

Guor Marial (Source)

“What if we just took the flags out of the Olympics?” — Chuck (Ubuntu Audiocast)

Well, Chuck, what if we took the flags out of Ubuntu? Crazy talk! We need to organize the community based on geographical location for practical reasons. Yes, but we also need to make sure that we are not creating division by doing so. We all are one. We are all part of Ubuntu. So, when the Local Community (LoCo) was conceived, I believe that it was to express this oneness wherever we happen to be at the time. In other words, when we are in Vancouver, then we are Ubuntu in Vancouver. This is not a different Ubuntu from the one in any other part of the world… or universe for that matter. Maybe the community thing has fallen and become denominational and overly political. With too much focus on the governing the community, it is easy to lose focus of the oneness of Ubuntu. And, the “unsafe” categorization might kick in and make things really annoying.

In order to follow the true essence of ubuntu, we need to step back out of our constructs for a moment and give ourselves some fresh air. If in the future we were to go to Mars, for example, would we go there as one human race, or as different “tribes”?

Well, the future is now! I present to you the Ubuntu Mars Team where we don’t have to be bound by the current institutions of Earth, and where we can all be one in Ubuntu.

mars-300x285

It Just Works!

[EDIT] I wasn’t finished writing this, and pushed “Publish” by mistake, and then went to eat cake! Here’s the improved (but not perfect) story. Sorry.

1337 Would Be N337

I’ll always remember that what initially attracted me to Ubuntu is also what initially turned me away from it as well. Back in the good old days, I would spend my free time installing, what I then knew as, different “Linux distros”.  Yes, that’s what got me excited (don’t judge!). The reason why I kept trying new things was because I could never quite reach the functionality that I wanted… until I met Ubuntu. On first install (even back in 2005), it just worked. However, at the time, it was too easy. I was so used to the pain of getting my mouse to work that I actually missed it. I had come from a world where this thing that started with an L was supposed to be difficult to setup, and if I could do it, then I would be 1337!

After promptly formatting my hard drive, I went back to the usual masochistic distro hopping. A year or so went by, but I was continually drawn back to Ubuntu (obviously…here I am). It was different. There was something attractive about the community, the ethos, and the name (for which I researched the pronunciation), but that’s not what this story is about. As the year went by, I also realized that I clearly have issues about needing things to fix… but that’s not really the story either.

What the Heck is the Story?!

Here I am, eight years later in the good new days, and I’m happily doing my best to “fix” things in Ubuntu. And, it also kind of just works. This oxymoronical situation keeps me satisfied, but I’m also still concerned by the “it just works” idea.

Maybe it’s my condition that causes me make problems out of nothing, or maybe there is something to be considered, but we must be wary of becoming complacent. “It just works,” is a phrase commonly used by people who are patrons to over-priced devices that don’t allow you to do anything outside of what the producers what you do to with them. Understandably, the masses really don’t want to spend their free time trying to get things to work. So, in order to make Ubuntu attractive, it has to be approachable.


It Still Works!

The problem is that when there is so much focus on making things “just work,” sometimes we are afraid to change things once they do work. This often leads to stagnation. I believe that some projects have hindered innovation by not allowing the community to interact with the development process, and trying to promote the image of perfection. However, it’s important that we (everyone) be open to the idea that things are not perfect, which is, in fact, the reality regardless of how polished things are on the outside, and be willing to participate in making them better. “If it ain’t broke, then we’re not trying hard enough.” This doesn’t mean that we become lazy and unrefined with our creation, but rather, we develop a culture in which it is safe to make mistakes, explore our human side and learn something.

So, rather that just working, I like the idea that things can do more than work. They can still work and be solid at the core, but also be free-flowing, organic, and always new. This is what Ubuntu is to me.

True or False? It’s Us or Them

Program or Be Programmed*

A machine talks in binary–a system of 1s and 0s; on or off; true or false. This base-2 system has allowed us to program machines to do our bidding…sort of. However, in order to program a machine, one must often think like a machine.  Who (or what) is programming whom?

Binary is not only a machine language. It can be seen in the functions of the human race as well. Over time, society has adopted a bunch of “false” binaries that are still prevalent in the world. Regardless of what you or I believe, it is evident that these binaries do not define us accurately though they may control much of society.

Here are some examples:

  • With me or against me
  • White or non-white (people)
  • Male or female
  • Producers or consumers
  • Windows or Mac
  • “Linux” or proprietary
  • Software or not-software
  • Us or them


Only a Sith Deals in Absolutes!

*Well, in reality, there are true binaries, but the point is that we like to overuse the concept. There is a tendency to want/need to categorize, label, sort things according to the familiar. In all fairness, our brains automatically sort and label, but it is up to our higher thinking to decide what to do with that and determine the path to follow.

So, what does this have to do with Ubuntu?
(Hint: Ubuntu doesn’t fit into any of the lone categories listed above).

Preaching to the Choir

From a marketing standpoint it’s clear that we don’t need to convince anyone here that Ubuntu is unique and a choice beyond trends of the past. However, from a marketing perspective, it’s interesting to see how people might be thinking, and how it’s important to correctly present Ubuntu. It’s not just one thing, it’s not something that you can compare to other things, and it’s not an alternative. Ubuntu is Ubuntu. And, we are making it. Let us all make it together.

01010101 01100010 01110101 01101110 01110100 01110101 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01101010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01110011 01101111 01100110 01110100 01110111 01100001 01110010 01100101

Tip-Top Evangelism (and Advocacy)

Are you a member of a society that frequently tips service workers in the community? Are you a service worker who relies on tips to make a mean living? Well, I’ve got a tip for you!

Having worked in (and eaten in) the food service industry in North America, I am quite familiar with the “necessity” of tipping. Personally, I find it kind of annoying on either end. It’s not that I don’t enjoy receiving money of gratitude or giving it where it is due, but when it is expected just as custom rather than bonus, it tends to dilute the appreciation. (For those at UDS-R, did you notice that tipping in Copenhagen wasn’t expected?).

We tip, often mindlessly, in the service community (in my mindlessness, I sometimes forget), so why not tip our Ubuntu communities? But, the kind of tips that I’m talking about are slightly different. Like money, people in our community can all appreciate a good tip. “Good tipping” means giving a tip that can be used by anyone and at the appropriate time. Giving these tips and receiving them, and then recycling them back into the “economy”

This particular tip caught my eye. It’s general enough that anyone can use it, and yet it’s specific enough to the service at hand, and can be appreciated by those involved in the community.

Let’s tip each other for good Ubuntu service. What’s your best tip for promoting and building Ubuntu?

 

Ubuntu: Trolling Toad

Ribbit! For more information click HERE

Ribbit! For more information click HERE

Trolling Toads are of the family Buffoonidae and are members of the order Annoya. They are considered to be the most widespread annoyans in the free-speech spaces that exist online, i.e. in the webosphere. The sole, sad raison d’être of these toads is to elicit negative emotional reactions from other well-meaning creatures in the environment thereby derailing meaningful discourse and creating an atmosphere of hopelessness.

Characteristics

Trolling Toads are widespread and have been observed in the wild on every internet continent with the notable exceptions of the regions Intelligia, Logica, and Consideratis. They inhabit a variety of natural environments, ranging from blogs to forums. Most toads lay low by seeding the comment areas of other internet content. On particularly dangerous genus, Journaloridicula, is an exception to this rule and members of this genus may actually develop their own content in order to provoke action from members of the community, or to confuse the public-at-large.

Trolling Toads are trooth-less [sic] and very warty in appearance. They have a pair of parrot-oid glands in their heads that excrete toxic ideas derived from hearsay in the environment. Buffoontoxin is the general term. If the toxin gets into another creature, it reacts violently and its soul is instantly withered, allowing the toad to feed off of the negative energy and activate secondary reproductive organs. Male toads possess a Bidder’s opinion. Under the right mailing list or forum conditions, the opinion may become an active topic and the toad, in effect, becomes a flamemonger.

Mating & Reproduction

Trolling Toads are known to emit a loud and distinctive reddit noise (pronounced: ribbit) in an apparent display of auditory juvenile bravado. Current theory indicates that this might be an attempt to attract suitable mates. However, there have been no correlated observations of mate-attraction using this tactic. In fact, recent field observations suggest that the opposite is likely true, and as a result Trolling Toads are currently unable to reliably reproduce and there populations are in steady decline.

Safety Considerations

If a Trolling Toad is encountered in the wild, it is advised that they be asked their name. That is generally enough action to completely shut down the parrot-oid glands. Toads are unable to cope with accountability. If Buffoontoxin is observed in an environment (usually accompanied by a putrid smell resembling decomposing marine life) the best action is to simply allow it to naturally and quickly evaporate by ignoring the excretion or by deleting it outright, without explanation.

Taxonomy

The family Buffoonidae contains an indefinite number of genera and species, some of which have yet to be discovered.

Genus Latin Name Common Name Number of Species
Journaloridicula Journalists 1337
Bloggus Bloggers 1144
Replicopulus Commenters 9999
Vocaloides Public Speakers 1
… … …


References

External links

Amplify the Signal (Co-conspirator)

UDS-R: Ubuntu Design Theatre presents…

image

Making Ubuntu Friendly more… friendly

When was the last time you ran “System Testing”? If you search in the dash for “friendly” or “system testing” then you’ll be able to run the wizard to see how “friendly” your system is with Ubuntu.

That’s totally wizard! But, why would I want to do this? Because I’m friendly, so I want to submit my friendly results to friendly dot ubuntu dot com, so that I can help other people who want to check friendly dot ubuntu dot com for friendly ubuntu systems. Then we can all be friendly with each other!

Still not friendly enough? Well, how about a changing the design? In the Design Theatre session, there was some discussion about how to make System Testing more enjoyable (I have other vocabulary). But, seriously, the testing results are important to the community, so making it easier to complete correctly was one of the topics discussed.

If you run System Testing, you will see that the interface has already improved visually:

System Testing. It will help you make friends.

The discussion included talk about the location and wording of buttons, as well as icon association and device considerations (eg. Nexus 7). But, perhaps the most interesting part of the discussed “design” was the design for motivation. The idea of gamification was presented: there should be some fun involved in the testing process, and there should be a reward for doing it. That sounds like it would go well with Ubuntu Accomplishments.

Design lesson of the day: more fun! (I sense a trend)

Ubuntu is meant to be fun and friendly. Let’s continue to make Ubuntu this way.

Reported live from the fun and friendly UDS-R Blog-O-Rama

UDS-R: Fear and Loathing in Lens Vegas

image

I’m thinking of buying something online. So, I open Firefox, type in the url of the place where I think I might find what I want, then I search within the site for the product.

But, I’m running Ubuntu. So, instead, I simply go to the dash and search within the shopping lens (not the “Amazon lens”). Currently, only Amazon results show, but the future of the shopping lens will be more promising. This is a powerful feature of Ubuntu.

image

The following is a summary of my interpretation (might need editing) of the UDS-R community session on the shopping lens:

In 12.10 we started to accentuate one of the best, unique features in Ubuntu: online dash search. In case we forgot,that feature has been there for quite a while (video lens), but now it is, by default, part of the home lens. In fact, the dash was originally envisioned as an online tool, and that’s exactly what it is and will continue to be.

So, what currently happens when you search with the shopping lens? With no user-specific information, the shopping search data (aggregate data like search terms, number of searches) are collected in order to return better search results in the future. Results are returned from various sources. Currently, only Amazon results have been implemented by default. But, that’s only the beginning. (See XiaoDong Yi’s music search ideas)

Well, then what exactly happens when you search within a web browser on a specific website? I don’t really know.

Thankfully we have access to those working on the features of Ubuntu, and we can find out answers about things on our side. But, maybe we need some clear, non-legalese descriptions of the features out in the public. This should help to dispel any fears or negativity, and narrow down actual problems instead of media-generated ones. This communication is important for preserving a positive impression of the project.

The goal of the project is to respect privacy and to provide, by default, the “best user experience.” What is “best” is based on the same idea that Ubuntu is meant for an everyday person. And, there has been positive response to online dash search, which is why it is now in the home lens by default.

The next step is adding more dash control by default. More fun. Less fear.

UDS-R: Online Music Search

image
Mockup of Music Search in Ubuntu Dash

The new shopping lens in Ubuntu 12.10 has given us an expanded look at how the dash search might be useful for online searches. This topic will be discussed in more depth during Community Round Table discussions.

During the “Enhance Dash with online music searching” session, XiaoDong Yi described his plans for developing a system for categorizing and searching online music. This would involve a few phases, one of which would be an indexing server that aggregates music search data. This could be tag clouds, genres, or other unique IDs that would help us find music from various online sources. Our Ubuntu desktop would communicate with the server rather than directly with the music resources.

Yi explained that people in China are used to obtaining music online for free. Big companies like Baidu pay music resources so that they have the right to allow distribution of music through search engines, essentially for free. In turn, the company will gain traffic and eventually revenue through other means. This model works very will with Yi’s dash-search idea. One of the challenges will be managing distribution rights for different countries and making deals with music providers.

Yi also proposes personalized search and previews within the dash. This means that it would be possible to receive search results based on geolocation and genre preferences. We would also be able to listen to a preview directly in the dash. Based on the mockup (see above) there might be a music player integrated directly in the lens.

I look forward to seeing how music services continue to grow with Ubuntu.

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  • Sighlence is golden