Linux on Laptops

I found a very nice laptop dealing with the specifics of installing Linux on laptops. It's mainly targeted for new Linux users.

I goes from which distro to install to what to do if certain problems appear.

It's really worth checking it out.

Linux on Laptops

Linux Native Games

I'm not really a gamer but it's nice to play something from time to time. Since I switched to Linux I discovered is a little difficult to find good games that run natively in Linux. Searching, I found some good ones. Here's the list:

1. Title: Planeshift
   Genre: MMORPG
   Website: www.planeshift.it
   
   
2. Title: Savage
   Genre: RTS
   Website: www.s2games.com
   Installation Instructions: www.linux-gamers.net
   
   
3. Title: Sauerbraten
   Genre: FPS
   Website: www.sauerbraten.org
   
   

How to bypass a Web Filter

When using a computer in a restricted environment like for example school, it's becoming increasingly usual to be behind a web filter. Of course they are necessary to restrict what types of contents are viewed but sometimes the web filter blocks something that's far from "bad content".

Now, this is going to be a series of posts to show you how to bypass this web filters. Each post in the series will have a different method. Of course this is only for educational purposes and I don't encourage nor discourage the use of this information.

The first method in this series if very simple. A lot of web filters have a database based on the URL of the websites. If the URL is on the database the web filter denies the access. Now, what would happen if we changed the URL of the website? That's where web proxies come in hand.

A web proxy let's you surf the web by using an online form. Just type the URL and start surfing. The difference is that the content is going to be retrieved by the web proxy and then displayed to you. This let's you surf any website if the proxy's website is not blocked of course.

To find a free web proxy just google for it and you will find one immediately. If your web filter blocks the access to all of them (which I think is unlikely), you could set up one in your home computer and access it from anywhere. This is going to be in another post of the series.

One web proxy that I use and have never seen it blocked is http://www.the-cloak.com. It's very easy to use and you will get to the websites you want without restrictions.

Thank you for reading and keep visiting to learn other methods in this series and a lot of other interesting stuff.

Why I would and wouldn't go back to Windows

I made the change some months ago and have been using Ubuntu since then. I really enjoy it because it has no possibilities in what you can customize. It's very easy to make it your own.

There are some things that I do miss from Windows. I'll mention some things why I would go back to Windows and also why I wouldn't which is what I'm doing.

Why I wouldn't

1. Customization
   I can make Linux whatever I want it to look like very easily. And also, it's not only the way it looks, but the way it feels. My Ubuntu box is mine and it shows. I have things just how I want to have them which is not very easy in Windows.
   
   
2. No GUI if not necessary
   Why would a server want a GUI (Graphical User Interface)? I don't know, but I'm sure I don't want it running on my home web server. It is really not needed and just wastes resources. This is something you can't do with Windows, the GUI is part of the OS.
   
   
3. Say bye to Spyware, Adware, Viruses (Virii?), Trojans, etc.
   Yes, I'm serious, you don't have to worry about all these anymore. Of course there are viruses and stuff for Linux but they're very uncommon. And besides, if you got infected with one, just your files would be affected, not the whole system. This is because of the solid permission system Linux is based on. Something Windows has to implement, and something I think is going to be included in Vista.
   
   
4. Fast updates
   Because Linux is open source, everyone has access to the code. This might not sound very good but it is. Once someone finds a flaw in Linux's source code, someone around the world will take a look at it and fix it immediately. This is why updates are more frequent in Linux, you don't have to wait for the updates once a month.

Why I would

1. Games
   I don't play games very often but it's nice to be able to play them once in a while. Don't get me wrong but I don't like the idea of having to use wine, cedega, etc. I just want to buy a game at a store and be able to play it which is something I think will happen in the future and is happening right now with games like Unreal Tournament.
   
   
2. Friends' latest programs
   Let's be honest, more than 90% of the people use Windows. It's what my friends use and it sucks when they have a new cool program and I can't use it because it's for Windows. The good side is that there is a huge library of open source programs that are equally as good or even better.
   
   
3. Compatibility
   I don't like to use Windows at school but I have to. I hate when I have assignments with Windows only programs. That's what you have to deal with. If everyone else uses Windows, they're not going to give you an assignment with a program for Linux.
   

Thanks for reading and keep visiting.

Downgraded to 1.5, now what?

Well if you successfull downgraded your PSP to 1.5 just like I did, you might be wondering what to do next. Here's a list of some things you may want to try out.

1. Homebrew
   The main reason why you would want to downgrade is because you want to run homebrew applications, games, emulators, etc. This may not be very easy to a beginner but I found a link that will certainly answer you questions. You can find it here.
2. Devhook
   When you downgraded to 1.5 you lost some funcionality like the web browser, the ability to play some new games, and other stuff. Fortunately, there is a solution for this. It's called devhook. What it does is it emulates a firmware you want from the memory stick, giving you all the functionality of that firmware. Right now, the highest firmware you can emulate is 2.71 which is enough for almost every game out there. You can find more information about devhook and its installation right here.
3. Custom firmware
   With 1.5 you can also use custom firmwares. These custom firmwares add some very nice features to your psp. I'm currently using harleyg's custom firmware which you can find here. The zip has instructions to install it.

You can do a lot of things with your psp once it's 1.5, it's just a matter of looking for something you would like to have.

Thanks and keep visiting.

PSP downgrader to be released today

Yes, finally someone has created a downgrader for 2.71 psp's and it will be released today at 7:00 pm EST which I'm not even sure what time it is here in my country :P

This new downgrader will turn your 2.71 psp into a 1.5 opening the doors to a lot more people to the world of homebrew. For those of you who don't know what a 1.5 psp can do, well it can execute all sort of home created programs including games, emulators, utilities, etc.

If you're interested in learning more about this new release go here. It's a link to pspupdates which has the latest news about the psp including this so go there and check it out.

Thanks for reading.