Any Ubuntu (GNU/Linux) users out there?

[emarkay]

Looks interesting and have been playing with it for a day or two....

[Garry]

Linux - yes, since Kernel 0.99PL12 or so ... ;) Been a while ... I think we have one machine with Ubuntu at work, though most are running either SuSE or Debian ...

[redhardsupra]

i'm and old Slackware user(2.0.27 was the first kernel I rolled by myself), have FreeBSD at home, run SuSE for servers, been admining this stuff for a 'bigger half' of the decade. generally a unix nut, i've even added system calls to Minix for giggles...
Ubuntu just looks like another new distro, or should I say Debian with an installer that hasn't been broken for 4yrs... ;)

[Tordne]

Ubuntu rocks!!! Version 6.10 is due out in October.

[zrx1200]

Ubuntu rocks!!! Version 6.10 is due out in October. how does it go with efi .the net printers ect..is it a realy serious competitor for windoze ?

[Tordne]

Obviously just my views...

EFILive won't work natively. It works if you use it in a Virtual Machine (like VMware for example). It may also work with WINE, but I've not tested this.

Ubuntu is a very nice distro and is a viable desktop candidate. I previously used to use Redhat or Mandriva and IMO this kicks their arses!

Application include OpenOffice.org which is a free/open source application suite compatible with Microsoft Office, Evolution which is a Outlook rip off.

If you have a decent Nvidia or ATI video card you can also get something called XGL and Compiz working (here is a link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CgqWlX_GsI) to a demo of sorts. This is pretty cool eye candy!!! Better that Windows Vista even in some ways...

Just my opinions of course :)

[ringram]

I use SUSE and RH from time to time as well as Debian etc at work.
General IT consulting.

Ive got a 1TB 12Gb Suse10 AMDx64 (Dual 248 opteron) server at home running multiple VM's for Windows, Linux, Netware OS's for internal use.

Looking for some dual core 270+ CPU's with Pacifica Virtualization extentions to run 64bit guests.

[emarkay]

I am just trying to see what alternatives ther are - so far Win98SE is doing just fine, but I am not going to get locked into the MS extortion tax forever.

[rant warning]

Plus my kid is taking a 10th grade Computer Application class, and the thick, heavy textbook looks like a MS advert! NO info on anything other and basically tells them that. And to add feces to the fester, us Indiana folks have to PAY to "rent" the textbooks - M$ should pay US for using it!!!

He just got a new Dell B110 (about 5x faster than my PC...) for his birthday with XP on it, and I am planning a day or two to "secure" it for use. I finally trust my notes on allowing XP to be online. But it'll be his and if he screws it up he'll have to figure it out - just don't want any XP enabled snoops on MY network!

Maybe I'll "turn him on" to Linux (after I get going with Ubuntu - his old PC is now mine, and going to be 100% Linux) and then he can, oh, never mind, you can't "fight the power"...

[end of rant]

Hmmm, how difficult WOULD a Linux version of EFILive be?

[ringram]

Yeah we touched on that before.
The app is probably not the problem as porting code isnt too bad, its likely to be the IO API's etc that cause the most problems IMO. But Im sure Paul will have much more relevant info and comments.

May I recommend using a free copy of vmware server and using a copy of your w98se you can run linux 99% of the time and open a 98 VM to run efilive. Should work ok. Though actually you might need to check usb support on server. Workstation definately supports USB. Eitherway your primary OS can definately be linux these days.

[Garry]

I didn't hook the cable up under Linux yet, but I would asume the controller chip in the cable presents itself as something like a COM port ... if it does, it's as easy as opening a serial port and reading and writing it ...

[Blacky]

I didn't hook the cable up under Linux yet, but I would asume the controller chip in the cable presents itself as something like a COM port ... if it does, it's as easy as opening a serial port and reading and writing it ...

No, it doesn't present as a COM port. EFILive uses the USB drivers directly.
Regards
Paul

[Garry]

OK :) Just a guess on my side ;)

[Brains]

I've been actively using Linux (various distros) since kernel 0.99G .. I currently manage a couple dozen linux servers, and switch very regularly between my windoze and linux desktop machines depending on task. I only use (k)ubuntu as a livecd for disaster recovery though, my installed machines are typically some flavor of redhat/fedora. I HAVE been playing with SuSE (enterprise desktop/server 10) lately, and on the desktop distro its nice they include XGL/compiz out of the box. Very cool eye candy there. For doing real work I still prefer RH, SuSE tries to hold your hand and gives you point/click interfaces, but I'm too used to doing things directly. :)

FWIW, EFILive DOES run under Wine (kinda) ;) (you have to hand-load in the USB drivers and do some funky configs, haven't tried flashing a car yet).

[Tordne]

Lucky you edited your post.. Was just going to ask if it ALL worked, flashing etc. I would have been reloading my laptop this weekend ;)

[Brains]

I need to try again, I haven't set it up in a few revisions. I've got WinXP back on the laptop again, so it makes it tough to actually try communicating with the car. I actually use another FTDI USB <--> TTL device with the native kernel drivers with other stuff, so I did my initial work for that. Then I got to thinking "hmmm, EFILive uses the same chip, lets give it a shot" :lol:

[Blacky]

I was born and raised on Unix, only started developing on Windows for EFILive. There just wasn't enough call for a Linux based car tuner :(

I've said it before but I'll say it again. I will have a native version of EFILive running under Linux before I'm done.

Actually one of the design goals of the FlashScan V2 hardware is to offer a high level* API at the V2 hardware level. Specifically for third party developers to hook into from any operating system. i.e. embedded systems, dyno controllers, Linux, OSX, Windows, Palm, WinCE, anything really. As long as it supports either USB, RS232 or (eventually) wireless.

*High level, meaning API calls at the application level, i.e. GetVIN(), GetPID(), ReadPCM() and WritePCM() style calls directly to the V2 hardware.

Regards
Paul

[Garry]

Cool! Not that I'd need it, but none the less!

[jpliss]

I would love to see a PDA version of the application that would be great. I am hoping the new tablet will work for me though.

[Chevy366]

My kind of crowd , Linux talk , SuSE here SLED 10 and 10.1 , PCLinuxOs on laptop .
Tried lots of Distros , live cd's , dvd's , Ubuntu , what can I say don't like it .
New to forum , and EFILive , so "Hello everyone".

[emarkay]

Well I am posting this from Ubuntu, and as long as I can do this, well, my major issue is solved! I can use my fave browser (Mozilla's SeaMonkey) to gather information and to talk to the world without having any Micro$oft issues. Now that's PDG in my book!

Next is to look into the peripheral programs and continue to study the security and stability of Linux - and to someday start pestering Paul into finishing the Linux version of EFILive... :)

PS: Greetings tbGM!

[Tordne]

I got EFILive (and other stuff) working through VMware Server (free virtualisation). I regularly contemplate the permanent change over to Linux, and Ubuntu is my number one choice currently (used to be a Mandrake/Mandriva fan) :)

[Tordne]

Should also mention that there is a new version of Ubuntu 6.10 due out at the end of this month. I would probably hold off going full time till that is released.

If you have a good video card (ATI or Nvidia) in your laptop/desktop you should check out XGL and Compiz - totally awesome window manager and wicked eyecandy ;)

[Chevy366]

Yeah , SuSE did a good thing there with XGL and Compiz , Sun had something they called Looking Glass that was kind of cool , but it has never went anywhere .
SuSE 10.2 will be out soon also , PCLinuxOS is a Mandriva spin off and better and eaiser than Ubuntu . Go to www.Linux.org and read the article "7 Distros for a old Think Pad" .
Never got Ubuntu to work right on my Alienware laptop , to much trouble , do this package , sudo , shell command and install this , forget it SuSE and PCLinuxOS install and not any fuss .

[redhardsupra]

could someone explain to me, in technical terms, sans the zealotry, wtf is so special about Ubuntu? I've been dealing with linux for almost 10yrs now, tried a lot of distros, and i dont see anything innovative/breakthrough about it.

[Tordne]

LOL. There is really nothing special about any Linux distro IMO as they basically all use the same packages (maybe changing file locations etc.).

My first experience with Ubuntu was with 6.06 version (currently still the GA version) and the thing I liked about it (thinking commercial here) is the 5 years of support from a FREE distro.

Previously I used Mandriva but my feeling is that they have lost their way a bit in the last few years...

EDIT: I've been using Linux in some form or another since it came on 3 floppy disks and X was optional and an additional 7 floppies :)

[emarkay]

Ubuntu seems easy enough for a Window$ user. As a part time rocket scientist, I like the idea that the second space tourist, Mark Shuttleworth is backing it with funding. The attitude there truly is free software for the masses. The support is good, the community is receptive to noobs, and so far, it seems to be doing what it's supposed to do for me.

MRK

[Tordne]

Mirror your sentiments exactly!

[Chevy366]

Ok , Spacemen make better OSs than other people ?
Sorry , I just hate Ubuntu , the word even sets me off .
It's kind of like a Microsoft of Linux , lots of money behind it and wants to take over the world .
Please forgive me , I am new here and do not want to make anyone angry at me , but like someone else said "what is so differnet and new about Ubuntu?" (Debain has been around for a while) .
I had the first copy of Corel (now Xandros) , about as bad as Windows 98SE .
Statement not meant to anger or provoke anyone !

[Tordne]

Every opinion is valid. I say go with what you know and like. Just how we all came to be EFILive users ;)

[Chevy366]

Every opinion is valid. I say go with what you know and like. Just how we all came to be EFILive users ;)
Here , here , I agree .
Waiting for my EFILive to arrive ( Jesse where is it ? :-( and thought I would do a little snooping arround on the forum .
So much to learn , so you will probably be seeing my ID here alot asking dumb questions , dumb to everyone else but important to me .

Again sorry about the U***** thing , just gets me every time I see it .

[Tordne]

I'm definitely not offended!!! I think I suffer from the same feeling as you when I hear the name RedHat :) I used to be a RedHat guy before they decided that Linux should cost a shit load (like Windows). and, I never really got into the Fedora thing.

[Chevy366]

Yep , got burnt by Red Hat and was not to found of Fedora either .
Still have the full retail box of Red Hat 8.0 just to remind me .

[joecar]

SLES10 :cheers:

[emarkay]

I do agree that Ubuntu is sort of a pretentious name, but then, ever since Mozilla became "SeaMonkey", well, let's hope EFILive doesn't call the next product "Gandalf's Staff" or "KarKumbayah"

As for the M$ of Linux - maybe, but when they release the source code to Win98SE for free, then maybe I'll agree. ;)

MRK

[SS2win]

I still have fedora core 1 boxes out there but for the new servers I use centos 3.8 or 4.4 depending on if I want IPSEC to work. ONly reason I dont switch to another distribution is I have not seen anything that was THAT much better for what I do and I have a substantial investment in building RPM packages that compile really easily across upgraded OS's. been doing Linux in commercial environments since 96...

[Chevy366]

I do agree that Ubuntu is sort of a pretentious name, but then, ever since Mozilla became "SeaMonkey", well, let's hope EFILive doesn't call the next product "Gandalf's Staff" or "KarKumbayah"

As for the M$ of Linux - maybe, but when they release the source code to Win98SE for free, then maybe I'll agree. ;)

MRK
I think it is what you get used to , I try Distros out on neighbors or family members to get a reaction , they are not to geeky so it is a good indicator .
Belive it or not all but one likes SuSE the best , the other like PCLInuxOS .
Of course I set the boxes up for them to try , but not one like the U***** at all .
So 5 out of 6 like SuSE , 1 likes PCLinuxOS and none U***** , I did not try to influence them in any way , just asked them to use and then let me know what they thought .

Most Linux Distros are free , or at least 98% are , so free is not a factor !

Any Windows source codes , maybe some day when Bill gets old and forgets .

[joecar]

...
Any Windows source codes , maybe some day when Bill gets old and forgets . You don't want to look at Windows source code, it's BAD... :bawl:

I occassionally look at Windows driver source code...
my co-workers then have to slap (figuratively speaking) me several times to snap me out of a mental seizure... :bash:

[Brains]

Installing a linux desktop these days is SOOOO easy, nothing like the "old days." :) The closest you can get is probably the Gentoo distro, but they even make life easy with emerge... Heck, I'd say installing a fully functional linux box is easier than a comparable windoze box these days.

I'm probably the most comfortable with RH-style distros, because I spent/spend a LOT of time managing and maintaining them for a living. I know where they put everything. I know their developers style. That said, I used to be a big Slackware guy before the dawn of RH, dabbled with Debian for a while (not a fan), and probably installed at least 3/4 of the popular distros available. I'm running SLED 10 at home right now, and its pretty nice but I feel a little restricted at the same time. GREAT desktop though, hands down the best yet.

[SS2win]

... Heck, I'd say installing a fully functional linux box is easier than a comparable windoze box these days. ...

Yeah for sure. And cloning them is an absolute dream compared to windoze with it's SSID's and activation/registration.

[emarkay]

Brains and others...

Gimme a step-by-step to see if I can get EFILive Tune and Scan V7 running under Ubuntu....

Consider it something fun to do on a rainy evening, :)

I got Wine fro the repository, and it apparently is not even a "Gooey" program, so I need a bit of hand holding (why reinvent the wheel?).

Thanks!

MRK

[SS2win]

It's been a loooong time since I messed with wine but it is not the windows operating system. It will let you run windows binaries under Linux. I had best success testing it with a dual boot system. I'd setup wine config to see the windows partition and then execute the win binaries under linux. ran solitare, office, other stuff... it was OK... never made the time to try efilive but I hear it will work.

[emarkay]

There's 4 (count'em) bang-head-against-a-wall smileys in this post on this topic here on the Ubuntu forums:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=278701

I think I'll wait for someone who's "been there done that" for now. :)

MRK

[Chevy366]

SuSE , open Shell > type Wine > config runs , makes install folder > run program installer .
So how simple is simple , "ies4linux" works good for installing IE in linux as it does everything for you , installs wine , runs IE install script and Java and other addon programs , now that's simple .
Beta tested for Vmware , I know that it will do it but you are still in Windows , just running on top of Linux.

[emarkay]

SuSE , open Shell > type Wine > config runs , makes install folder > run program installer .
So how simple is simple , "ies4linux" works good for installing IE in linux as it does everything for you , installs wine , runs IE install script and Java and other addon programs , now that's simple .
Beta tested for Vmware , I know that it will do it but you are still in Windows , just running on top of Linux.


MSIE in Linux? [insert horrified smiley here] Now that sounds like someone putting sand in the KY Jelly....

Just want to see logfiles in Linux... :)

[Chevy366]

MSIE in Linux? [insert horrified smiley here] Now that sounds like someone putting sand in the KY Jelly....

Just want to see logfiles in Linux... :)

Well quit using U***** then and use a real Linux :) , I know IE in Linux , but lets you veiw things that require addons not available in Linux (Macromedia) , Streetfire videos for one.

[Brains]

Wine is a framework that allows windows applications to run -- the GUI portion is rendered in your existing desktop. A quick and easy example is to copy sol.exe from your windows machine to your Ubuntu home directory. Then, open up a shell, type "wine sol.exe" and hit enter. You'll see Solitaire pop open. You can do the same thing with basically any windows application. You can even run the installer for EFILive the same way, and it will "install" into your "virtual C: drive" folder in your home directory.

[emarkay]

Well quit using U***** then and use a real Linux :) , I know IE in Linux , but lets you veiw things that require addons not available in Linux (Macromedia) , Streetfire videos for one.

Once I get familiar with it I may, but for now it's a rather steep learning curve and that "U" word is what I have for now. BTW, what is your recommendation for a stable, well supported and bloatware free distro?

As a longtime Mozilla user, (it's now called SeaMonkey) I have never found a site I needed that REQUIRED MSIE, and with the PrefBar add-on, I can selectively block Flash; it's ALWAYS blocked unless I can't find a text alternative for entry. Yes a few webpages (USAF Thunderbirds comes to mind) violate all W3 standards in that regard!

See the screenshot, from Linux, in SeaMonkey (I HATE that name) , after I (just for you) enabled Flash:

[emarkay]

BTW, it took about a half hour to get that image under the file size limits.
I had to learn how to edit and manipulate images in Linux.
Now I can check off another Linux task completed!
:)

[Brains]

See if you have Gimp installed.

[emarkay]

See if you have Gimp installed.

Brains lives up to his name - That's exactly what I used. I had to get the help and some plugins from the repository, but yea, what he said... :)

BTW, here's my list of file extensions I am now testing for Linux compatibility - messing with "Totem Movie Player" now...

ASF =
DWG =
WPW =
AVI =
FLV =
GIF =
HTML=
JPG =
MID =
MP3 =
MP4 =
MPG =
MPEG=
PCX =
PNG =
MOV =
RMVB=
RM =
SWF =
TIF =
WAV =
BMP =
WMV =
DOC =
WPW =
WP =
WPG =

[Tordne]

Check out this site: http://www.getautomatix.com/

I used this to get all the little plugins etc. that I need to get everything working. The media stuff especially can be a PITA!!

[SS2win]

BTW, it took about a half hour to get that image under the file size limits.
I had to learn how to edit and manipulate images in Linux.
Now I can check off another Linux task completed!
:)

On the command line (where I live) "convert" is your friend... it's part of ImageMagick

[Chevy366]

Check out this site: http://www.getautomatix.com/

I used this to get all the little plugins etc. that I need to get everything working. The media stuff especially can be a PITA!!
Wow , that is a great link , funny it seems just about every Distro has its own GUI repository manager , RH YUM , SuSE SMART and YUM and YaST2 , PCLinuxOS and some others Synpatic .
Getting easier and eaiser for just about every Distro , prehaps some day all will be as easy as the other . PCLinuxOS is a non bloated Distro give it a try as easy as U*****, someone asked .
KDE has Kpaint , KU***** , which looks similar to Paint in Windows (don't know about Gnome ) , I personaly like GIMP , Image Magic forgot about that one .
Adobe Flash Player 9 is the only video player Linux has a problem with (that I have ran into) , hence "ies4linux" .
www.videos.streetfire.net .

[Tordne]

...U*****... ...KU*****..."

They aren't swear words :D

[Chevy366]

They aren't swear words :D

:) :) :)

[redhardsupra]

They aren't swear words :D
depends how use them ;)

[emarkay]

Um, ok well whatever, nevermind...

Maybe in a few more years?

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1675095#post1675095

[Brains]

Um, ok well whatever, nevermind...

Maybe in a few more years?

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1675095#post1675095

I hate to say it like this, but it appears as though "you don't get it." Lashing out on the Ubuntu forums obviously didn't accomplish anything, and honestly you made yourself look a bit... well.. stupid.. :frown:

Ubuntu and many other Linux distros try to accomplish two major things -- be FREE in all aspects, and be easy to use. They don't intend to be a 100% switch-over-and-never-go-back alternative to Windows/OSX/whatever. Speaking of which, there's a few sound and video formats that don't play well or at all on a Mac either, so its not just Linux (or Ubuntu in this case).

Take for example the system I'm using at this very second -- Fedora Core 6. Straight out of the box, it will not play WMV videos. Why? Because Microsoft doesn't give away licenses to play them -- someone has to pay for them. However, I have several options. I can download and install libraries that hook into the genuine Windows dll's to play them, I can download Realplayer for Linux, etc. but NONE of those are free code. Someone is picking up the tab, or I'm breaking the law. It stinks -- file formats should be freely available in my opinion, so one major thing can be accomplished -- INTEROPERABILITY. However, that is a VERY sticky point with software vendors, because it potentially means lost revenue. Take for example, EFILive's choice to encrypt the .tun files. They are not in any way shape or form interoperable with others software. One of their competitors (HPTuners) does not encrypt their files. Who is more "evil" in that regard?

I'm sorry you weren't able to get some things working, but it isn't the fault of the operating system. That is the one point many on the Ubuntu forums tried to get across, and I hope it sticks with you that it truly is not the fault of anyone nor is it something that ever will be fixed as long as software patents and file format licenses exist. Are you aware that mp3 is a licensed format as well, and requires the payment of royalties for any device that can read or write that format? That's one other format that's not included "in the box" in a freely available linux distro, again for the same reasons. You can download the modules to do it, but you do so with the understanding of what you're doing legally.

Now there are NON-FREE linux distributions as well -- Novell Enterprise Desktop 10 comes to mind. It is packaged with licensed applications to play most of the formats on your list, right out of the box. But, you cannot download these distributions for free -- you have to pay for them, because of those proprietary licenses.

[Tordne]

The like to Automatix I posted takes care of a lot of those codec things as well. The key one being w32codecs.

[Chevy366]

Wow , that was cold , I don't like some Linux OS's but man !
I have gotten so use to Linux (KDE) , before all these GUI repository downloaders , you had to go to several sites to get video players to work .
Right now I am writing this on my Laptop , that uses a EVDO Virezon card , I had to use a Unix (Mac) script to get it to work .
Linux is not for everyone .

[emarkay]

I know - but stupid is as stupid does...

I put a lot of effort into something that let me down - I know, it's no one's fault but my own, but I think that making something look like a near "drop in replacement" and then finding out it's still an Erector set is misleading.

I just had to vent.

I'll muddle thru with Windows and the world of malware for a few more years, till someone gets Linux a bit more prepared for prime time. (Imagine a configurable Windows clone with freedom of choice - wouldn't THAT be the perfect OS!)

[MRK crawls back under his rock now]

[Garry]

... even as a Unix/Linux guy, and after using Unix (like, mid 90s) and Linux (since 0.99 kernel) for a while, and hating M$ junk with a vengeance, there's still situations that I wonder what's in some of the OSS programmers' minds ... just today, I tried to get some patches to the current kernel tree to compile, which didn't work out ... so now I'm trying to use a vanilla kernel source to figure out what's going wrong ... while many things have gotten better over the years, there's still stuff that is a long way from being manageable for the average user ... but then, Windows isn't as easy as it's being advertised either ... just that under Windows, you usually blow up the whole system when something goes wrong ;)

[Chevy366]

I know - but stupid is as stupid does...

I put a lot of effort into something that let me down - I know, it's no one's fault but my own, but I think that making something look like a near "drop in replacement" and then finding out it's still an Erector set is misleading.

I just had to vent.

I'll muddle thru with Windows and the world of malware for a few more years, till someone gets Linux a bit more prepared for prime time. (Imagine a configurable Windows clone with freedom of choice - wouldn't THAT be the perfect OS!)

[MRK crawls back under his rock now]

Hang in there , it takes a while to learn the Linux way of doing things .
Free has a price , "your time" is the price you pay for free .
I agree with Garry , Winders can be a bitch sometimes also .
It took me years to get use to the Linux way , so don't give up .

[Brains]

For the general guy that just wants to surf and play, Windows is definitely more "comfortable." All the "every day" stuff runs on windows, and you're well used to paying for everything to make it all work.

On the flip side, Linux (and the BSD's, and some other OS's) will do things Windows either cannot, or cannot do inexpensively. Run the internet for instance ;) I can set up a fully functional and very high performance DNS/WWW/FTP/etc. server on Linux from a box of old computer parts and an internet connection in a matter of an hour or so. That's not even an option for someone wanting to accomplish the same feat with Windows, since you have to purchase the OS. You'll pay more for the software than you will the hardware it runs on in many cases ;)