Discussion Forum

[olylug.org] Re: New Dell $299 Ubuntu Product

anjilslaire — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:28:26 -0700

mmmm, me want...

[olylug.org] Lifelike animation heralds new era for computer games

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:43:01 -0700

"Emily' will set a new precedent for photo-realistic characters in video games and films, says her creator, Image Metrics"

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4557935.ece

[olylug.org] New Dell $299 Ubuntu Product

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:41:50 -0700

[img]http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20080819/dellpencil22_270x223.jpg[/img]

I want a sub-notebook PC. My laptop looks like a small aircraft carrier!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10020147-62.html?hhTest=1

[olylug.org] Re: Why would anyone choose Linux when they already have Windows?

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:36:34 -0700

Yes but it's destructive. Their FUD is crude but effective (on dumb people).

[olylug.org] Re: Slackware

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:34:40 -0700

OK; many applications. Sorry Keith!

[olylug.org] Re: Why would anyone choose Linux when they already have Windows?

Dave — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:44:48 -0700

On second thought, this is not worth the time for me to post. Looks like a couple lifers are running commentary on the comments.

Just another troll, and not a very good one even.

[olylug.org] Re: If it's animation or special effects, it's Linux

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:23:05 -0700

It goes along with your Tsunami idea; it was there but people didn't know about it.

[olylug.org] Re: If it's animation or special effects, it's Linux

Dave — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:17:15 -0700

DOH!

[olylug.org] Slackware

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:37:41 -0700

I love Slackware. It was a little steep for me at first but I can't even begin to describe it's benefits and how easy it is to use. Reread that last line please. I have used it off and on since version 3.2 and really got into version 7.0 and the new 12.1 is great too.

This lazy Linux power user likes Slackware for certain applications.

[olylug.org] Bixter Baxter Trickster Hackster

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:41:36 -0700

Hey!

What ever happened to Bixter Baxter? I think he got bored with us old fogey do-gooders and went off to browner pastures.

Hack On Dude Man!

[olylug.org] Re: Why would anyone choose Linux when they already have Windows?

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:38:24 -0700

At the time I wrote this the story was very high on Google news. Is that some sneaky MS plan to hose the penguin? I doubt it. I think it is just human nature avoiding change i.e.: "I'll email this link to my other Windows buddy to help justify our use of Microsoft products." and other mentalities.

[olylug.org] Re: If it's animation or special effects, it's Linux

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:30:51 -0700

> Guess what the tallest mountain was before Mt. Everest was discovered?

On earth it was Mt. Everest.

[olylug.org] Grokking SCO's demise

Chuck — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:28:49 -0700

"On Friday, Aug. 10, U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball ruled that SCO doesn't actually own the copyrights that it was using to threaten..."

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;670179122;fp;;fpid;;pf;1

[olylug.org] Re: Why would anyone choose Linux when they already have Windows?

Dave — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:29:12 -0700

Holy moly! This guy has got to have an IV feed of condensed FUD! I'd like to say he's just a troll, and without a doubt he is, but we cant let this go unrewarded. I am heading to the gym in a bit, but I may give him and his readers a little something to sink their teeth in later tonight.

I think I am going to write a general Troll-response form. Since they hit all the same points that have are either just wrong or have ceased to plague us for the last 2 years.

I hope he got his payment from M$, cause I will do my very best to destroy his credibility.

[olylug.org] Re: If it's animation or special effects, it's Linux

Dave — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:19:53 -0700

The tallest mountain we have discovered is not actually on this planet. But next to Everest what is the next smallest terrestrial mountain my friend?

[olylug.org] Why would anyone choose Linux when they already have Windows?

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:58:50 -0700

"I could complain about cryptic command lines, nonexistent instructions, obscure references, and septic responses from the �open source community� to novices and their questions. I could reiterate that a multi-step process that takes an hour to work through to get Linux to put music on to my iPod is not EASY. I could point out that I receive security patch notices almost weekly for SUSE Linux, which indicates that as an operating system Linux is not anymore safe than Windows."

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=760

[i]Somebody is smoking plastic while writing articles again. -cw[/i]

[olylug.org] Re: If it's animation or special effects, it's Linux

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:51:18 -0700

That story was on a broken web page and I reprinted it for a friend.

Guess what the tallest mountain was before Mt. Everest was discovered?

[olylug.org] Re: What? My Flash Works Tip-Top

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:48:53 -0700

Stop with that logic stuff. It's way to easy and makes sense. Just believe the official conspiracy theory and like it citizen! Can I interest you in a free copy of the Olympian?

[olylug.org] Re: If it's animation or special effects, it's Linux

Dave — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:14:24 -0700

Seen this but lost it a bit ago. Good find Chuck.

I'll say it again. The desktop is irrelevant. I made up a new simile, lemme lay it on you folks
:
It's like a Tsunami, it starts out in the ocean, and grows, and grows, and grows. It travels hundreds of miles, but it's not until it reaches shore that it's impact is felt, but it has been around and moving things very forcefully for a goodly while before anyone noticed.

The desktop will come in time, but don't there to prove GNU/Linux's growth.

[olylug.org] Re: What? My Flash Works Tip-Top

Dave — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:04:26 -0700

I love that blurb in the video you embedded where the arrow points to WTC-7 as the newsperson talks about how it was destroyed: "OOPS! It's still here!". THAT is rich!

Regarding 911 Conspiracy Theories and Theorists; In a way they are like Defense attorneys, they look at the same evidence or dig up evidence not yet examined. They do this to punch holes in the prosecution's case, the accepted official story. But real life research is not always like episodes of Perry Mason where the defense finds the 'real killers', real life is often only about finding things that break up what the prosecution is trying to prove.

A smart prosecution will not outright deny the existence or validity of these new findings, but will examine them for their worth, accept the newly uncovered facts, and revise the current theory and thereby make it stronger. Oh, my...I just realized that this is the very definition of the scientific method. Imagine that!

[olylug.org] If it's animation or special effects, it's Linux

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:00:12 -0700

Reprinted for clarity:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I was a kid, I used to make crude little animated cartoons in my notebooks using the flipbook technique. Walt Disney had nothing to worry about. I was awful even by the 3rd grade standards of White Pine elementary. Today, I could be great, because almost all top animation and special effects artists are Linux users.

My colleague Eric Lai discovered recently that while top animation and FX (special effects) programs are run on Macs and some of them, like RenderMan Pro Server are being ported to Windows, it's on Linux clusters that the really serious movie and television visual effects are created. As Robin Rowe writes at LinuxMovies.org, "In the film industry, Linux has won. It's running on practically all servers and desktops used for feature animation and visual effects."

Rowe's not just being a Linux booster. It's the Gospel truth. The animation and FX for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; Star Wars: The Clone Wars; WALL-E; 300; The Golden Compass; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; and I Am Legend, to name but a few recent movies, were all created using Pixar's RenderMan and Autodesk Maya running on Linux clusters.

The really short version for why this is so comes down to Linux clustering enables you to put massive computational firepower into rendering 2D and 3D images. It's ironic. While getting the most out of NVIDIA and ATI graphic cards on a Linux desktop is still a pain and there's always some trouble dealing with proprietary video formats on Linux, the top animated and FX-heavy videos usually have their start on Linux systems.

Specifically, most photo-realistic special effects are created with programs using Pixar's RISpec (RenderMan Interface Specification) compliant programs. RISpec is an extremely detailed open-standard set of APIs (application program interfaces) for 3D graphics rendering programs. To be more precise, RISpec isn't quite an open standard [5]. While Pixar [6], the animation giant owned by Disney, has published the specifications for all to use, and no longer even requires a no-charge license to create a RISpec-compliant rendering program, Pixar doesn't go out of its way to specify exactly how developers can, or can't use RISpec.

That said, there are open-source RISpec-compliant programs like Pixie and other rendering programs such as Blender, which can be used as a source for RISpec software. Pixar's RenderMan software suite itself, while it relies on Linux in most animation and FX shops, is unlikely ever to be open-sourced.

So, while you can't point to animation and special effects software as a major win for open-source software, there is absolutely no doubt that every time you gasp at a breath-taking escape by Indy or grin at a particularly clever visual bit of fun in Ratatouille, you're appreciating the power of Linux.

I wonder if I could get a few million or pre-production money for The New Adventures of StickMan? Nah. I better stick to writing rather than try moving to animation.

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/4-0&fp=48a9f1ea2748752c&ei=O_2pSIejKZP6lQTDqJ22Dg&url=http%3A//blogs.computerworld.com/if_its_animation_or_special_effects_its_linux&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNFqPrnnioRxVcV7W8ZX-92U2YRUrw

[olylug.org] Re: Why would you use Windows?

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:52:29 -0700

Cool,

I'm saving my money for a good camcorder with firewire so I can get on the program.

[olylug.org] Re: What? My Flash Works Tip-Top

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:50:51 -0700

The above post crashed the board after previewing. I bet money somebody has our number. Whatever with that I was born with rights and I use them. There comes a time where coincidence can only explain most things.

I can't imagine what it's like to use Windows in this sort of enviroment.

[olylug.org] Re: What? My Flash Works Tip-Top

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:47:38 -0700

It's all good my friend!

Oh except the BBC issue.

Announcing WTC-7 collapsed with the building in the background...

BBC is in on it too and there's your proof.

Do you have an hour and a half?

911 and the British Broadcasting Conspiracy
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1882365905982811133

[olylug.org] Re: Why would you use Windows?

Dave — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:32:25 -0700

I.E. via IE4Lin works great, but most java games work in Firefox if you switch to the SunJava from the default Free Java from the FSF. No bro, these are the major releases like EverQuest 2, Age of Conan, WarHammer, etc. I play City of Heroes and World of Warcraft under wine great though...they run better then under windows natively to tell the truth. The crowd is just not there yet.

I will be making a movie of me showing the difference between CoH on GNU/Linux with Wine and natively under Windows here in the next couple days. I will post the YouTube addy of it when I get it done.

[olylug.org] Re: What? My Flash Works Tip-Top

Dave — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:29:08 -0700

Dude, don't mistake me pls. I said "everywhere and nowhere", we can discuss the meaning and origin of this phrase another time. People that care about facts and accuracy agree that 'news' in this plutocracy has been compromised to an almost overwhelming extent. There are those that work within the fringe and accept making pennies for their efforts compared to those that embrace the madness. I get my news from those sources and verify it with the BBC and Canada as much as possible.

Regarding Flash, yes, as long as a proc is over 2Ghz and a decent MoBo(some still get stuttering even with good procs), things work fine. So recent comps will never notice really.

[olylug.org] Re: Dell Hybrid?

anjilslaire — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:10:09 -0700

Oh, definitely. That's just the only thread I've run across. Video is the last thing we need to worry about getting an OS set up.

[olylug.org] Re: Dell Hybrid?

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:51:56 -0700

That's only one guy. There are other ways to get your video working. Give me or Dave one for a minute or 2600.

[olylug.org] Re: Things To Know Before Using Linux

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:48:23 -0700

What he said!

[olylug.org] Re: Why would you use Windows?

Chuck — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:46:33 -0700

Can your friends run I.E. in Ubuntu for games?

I like the 3d Linux games.