Again.

Let’s just say that if I was going to put XP on this machine again, I’d be using an axe to do it. There are limits beyond which no-one should be pushed.

So. How was it?

Fairly not-bad.

After an almost-painless install (modulo a few intermediate hurdles caused by a KVM switch), the machine is online. The default window manager is a surprisingly usable environment, with some sensible defaults.

The one thing that really bugs me is that Gnome Do utterly fails to be a substitute for Quicksilver. Or for LaunchBar. Although many applications claim to behave been called Quicksilver for linux, they all fall disappointingly short.

For most people, that’s a quibble. My main interaction with the box is going to be over SSH and SFTP in any case; its purpose is to be a firewalled local web server, to house my hideous creations, until they are fit to crawl out, blinking and moist, into the light of the real Web.

Or something.

So, yeah. Ubuntu. It beats reinstalling Windows.

Again.

[EDIT]

I should add that David Siegel, who wrote Gnome Do, is right, and the Gnome Do project never claimed to be “Quicksilver for Linux.” My grumpy reaction stems from the fact that I was specifically looking for a Quicksilver replacement, and did not find one.

As to why one would want Quicksilver on a linux box, rather than the command line, there’s a discussion on that topic in the comments to this post.

Throwing A Digital Shadow

Some thoughts perturbed from the silt at the bottom of the dark pond that is the mind of Warren Ellis, by way of the acquisition of his new, space-shuttle-controlling smartphone, the Nokia N71.

What interests me is less the idea that one person can leave a data shadow, but more that groups of people could selectively leave shadows to mix with a fictional or semi-fictional text… which makes it a kind of intersection between art, game, acting, and voyeurism. Ellis seems the ideal kind of charismatic ringleader for that kind of thing, which is either inspiring or frightening, I’m not sure which.

Turbo-Charging the Dymo LabelWriter

(Via Merlin Mann.)

I note that the dymo labelwriter (which can be controlled via quicksilver) is capable of printing datamatrix barcodes, such as semacodes.

I further note that my Brother PT-2600 label printer has simple, no-frills software to print via USB on my computer, can do code-128 barcodes, and I wonder how difficult it would be to get the quicksilver mojo working with it. Anyone out there have one?

Um, please?

The Thinglink Data Model

An excellent project by some brilliant people to provide a framework for data shadows.

Also see: Thinglinks as barcodes.

Touch

Nearfield.org is an insanely awesome resource for doing actual work with data shadows. A by-no-means complete linkdump:

Developing NFC applications

RFID books, weblogs and resources

Phidget RFID

Touchable services: local interactions

Instructables – Helmet Cam

I’ve been planning on building cameras over my worktables for some time. This would add a lot to them.

But that creates a lot of raw data, and there’s a real problem with making that relevant…

HyperScope 1.0 launches

Brilliant concept. Appalling initial interaction experience.

(I just want it to work like Quicksilver. But, then you have to give props to Doug Engelbart; he’s been using NLS straight since the 1960’s. I can’t even maintain this stupid blog for a month without noticing something shiny and wandering off.)

I do love the concept and the project, but something in between “dummy mouse dialog” and “NLS command line” might be gratifying. Just sayin.

When Emacs and The Browser converge

(Via genehack, I’ve been having thoughts like this, too. Which means I’m only a couple of years behind everyone else.)

It is entirely up to you to decide how and whether all of this is related. I’m done for the day.