So I played with the XFCE desktop and found it limited. I decided to install Linux Mint 14 a several months ago and love it. It is now my new desktop of choice.
One of the changes this time was that I stay with the default applications, Firefox and Thunderbird. I was very disappointed in Evolution in Linux Mint 14. It did not import my past emails and did not function right. Not sure why.
I am hoping that Linux Mint continues to rock.
SeaMonkey is no longer in the Linux Mint Softeware Manger. You have to install it via a ppa. I really like its WYSIWYG html editor. I can do it by hand but its time consuming.
Here is how:
In terminal run: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:joe-nationnet/seamonkey-dev
Then run: sudo apt-get update
And finally run: sudo apt-get install seamonkey
That’s it… enjoy!
Ever since Ubuntu has gone the way of the Unity Desktop and GNOME has gone to version 3, I have been a homeless Linux wanderer. I tried Linux Mint, but my graphics card couldn’t handle the Cinnamon desktop. So I used the MATE version. It was workable but it had little bugs. I then tried openSUSE KDE version. It worked on my system but was slow. Furthermore I don’t like the KDE applications, probably because I am used to the GNOME ones.
So I finally decided to give Fedora a try. I knew I didn’t like GNOME 3, so I went with the XFCE version. I am now on day three of my use of Fedora 17 and I like it. It is a little harder to install flash and lame, but not too hard. I just went over to the Fusion website and installed them. I will keep you up to date.
Just a quick update. I am still using Fedora with very little problems. I do want to mention that I customize it a bit. I use Google Chrome as my default browser and I remove Firefox completely. I also use Evolution for my email. I also customize my desktop to make it fit my needs. It is more like Windows, but I like it this way. Rather than explain all the customizations I had added a screen shot below:
Ubuntu continues its downward spin as it continues to disregard and even offend its users. The latest is the integration of Amazon search queries by default in the Unity Dash. Disregarding objections from users, Ubuntu is not backing down. Like it or not the overlord Mark Shuttleworth has spoken.
Bad as what may be, his response to the community was worse. Mark Shuttleworth words were, “Don’t trust us? Erm, we have root. You do trust us with your data already. You trust us not to screw up on your machine with every update. You trust Debian, and you trust a large swathe of the open source community. And most importantly, you trust us to address it when, being human, we err.”
Well actually, I beginning to not trust you Mark Shuttleworth. You continue to ignore the community. You continue to drive Ubuntu were you want it. Sorry Mark, but you are killing Ubuntu. I left and many more are going to leave. And you know what, it’s a shame. Ubuntu 10.04 was my favorite operating system. Now I am searching for something close.
LINKS
http://www.infoworld.com/d/data-center/ubuntu-has-bigger-problem-its-amazon-blunder-203467
Starting with Ubuntu 12.10 there will be no more LiveCD. The reason is simple, there are increasing the size of the disc image from 700MB to 800MB. CDs can only hold a maximum of 700MB. This means that Ubuntu 12.10 and following will only be available on a DVD. This will again leave those with older computers in the dust, for a number of them can only burn CDs. I am sure many of the Ubuntu flavors will stay on CD, such as Lubuntu and Xubuntu.
The best program I have found for a text-to-speach program is Gespeaker. From the Ubuntu Software Center install gespeaker-mbrola-en. This package will install both Gespeaker and mbrola with English language voices.
Once the package has installed, open up Gespeaker. In Ubuntu 10.04 it will be found under Applications, Sound & Video. Once it is opened you should change the Language setting to: english-mb-en1. It is the best sounding, at least to my ears. The Pitch should be 50, Volume 100, speed 160, and Delay 0. You can adjust these yourself.
To play a text either copy and paste in the window, or you can click Open and select a text file (.txt). Then just press Play. The program allows you to save the audio in a wav file. It also allows you to save the text you typed into the window. There is even a plugin to use it with Empathy or Pidgin. It is a great little program.
Links
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/TextToSpeech
http://code.google.com/p/gespeaker/
As of September, 2012 I am no longer using Mint because of some issues. I could not get Evolution to open links in Chrome. I could not get MSFONTS to work in Mint. This is just two of a number of small “paper cuts.” I finally went back to Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. It is good till April 2913. Then I may be forced to choose.
