Tips and Tricks for Recording Screencasts

Learn how to record screencasts using Open Source software. Improve your screencasts with some helpful tips and tricks.

Sponsorship Out of The Blue!

Feeling blue about the future of Kubuntu? No need to feel that way anymore, Kubuntu has a new sponsor, Blue Systems!

Spectacular Sheet Music, Open Source Software

Ever looked at some sheet music and wished you could turn your pencil scribbles into a work of art? Ever wondered if you could do that on a shoestring budget, and on your Linux PC?

Now you can, with MuseScore, the open source sheet music software!

Want to Learn How to Program?

So you've been using Open Source software for a while now, and you want to contribute back. You fancy yourself as a developer, but you don't know where to start...

Learn Python in our blog series: Part 1, Part 2.

16 May

Installing Downloaded nVidia Drivers in Kubuntu

Posted by raoul in Article, Binary, Bug, Closed Source, Graphics, nVidia, Proprietary, Showstopper

Graphics Card

When I upgraded to Kubuntu 12.04 I encountered a showstopper bug in the proprietary binary nVidia drivers included in the repositories. As confirmed on the nVidia site, there was a regression (a bug that removes functionality that was previously present) whereby 3D graphics and compositing became incredibly slow. And when I say slow, I mean that it would take in the region of 10 minutes to display the preview of an application in the task bar.

After searching online and coming across quite a few people who were affected by the same bug, I decided to try out the open source Nouveau drivers. I was pleasantly surprised, as the drivers seem to support most, if not all of the compositing effects. Unfortunately they are still far from perfect. They are slow, taking up to 10 seconds to show some effects that should take 1 or 2 seconds. In addition to being slow, they seem to crash from time to time, when the compositing gets too much for them.

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13 May

Recording Screencasts in Linux & Building a Makeshift Studio

Posted by raoul in Article, Audio, Linux, Open Source, Recording, Screencast, Software, Studio, Video

Microphone

A few weeks ago I recorded my first screencast, and this week I've been working on another one, and so I thought I'd share some "secrets" I've discovered in the process. While I'm by no means a professional, I figured that sharing this might help others with their screencasts, and prompt folks to share their tips too.

Software and Equipment

I use gtk-recordmydesktop to record the video. As much as I am a KDE fan, the KDE/Qt apps don't seem to work on Kubuntu.

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06 May

Learning Python - Part 3

Posted by raoul in How To, Programming, Python, Scripting

I've been rather busy lately, so I haven't managed to write another Python article, but I finally squeezed out some time for part 3. If you haven't read them yet, I highly recommend reading parts one and two first.

Operators and Expressions

Most of the lines of code you write will be expressions. An expression in a programming sense is similar to an expression in a mathematical sense. It is basically a line of code that performs an action and has an outcome.

Some examples of expressions are as follows:

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02 May

Kubuntu 12.04 In Review

Posted by raoul in Article, Kubuntu, Linux, Open Source, Ubuntu

Kubuntu 12.04

Ubuntu and family had another of their bi-annual releases last week Thursday, the 26th of April. This latest release is version 12.04, codename Precise Pangolin, and is a Long Term Support release.

As usual, I upgraded when the first beta release came out, and so I have had a "sneak peek" at what's in this release of Kubuntu.

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22 Apr

The Future of Kubuntu is Blue!

Posted by raoul in Blue Systems, Canonical, Kubuntu, Linux, News, Open Source, Software, Sponsorship

Kubuntu Linux

I just heard some great news today: the Kubuntu distribution has financial sponsorship from version 12.10! Blue Systems, a sponsor of a number of other KDE-based projects, has stepped forward and will be employing Jonathan Riddell from May, when he steps down from his position at Canonical.

Kubuntu will continue to be a community-driven project (as it has always been) and Riddell will continue to be employed full time to work on Kubuntu. With this momentum, Kubuntu will continue to be one of the world's leading distributions, and the distribution who can boast to being used for the biggest rollout of desktop Linux in the world.

Kubuntu also boasts the first tablet-focused distribution, with the Kubuntu Active flavour hopefully being release later this year.

With this new sponsorship, and independence from Canonical, the Kubuntu team hopes to give Kubuntu new wings, and take it to new heights with KDE and Linux.