Installing Banshee - Gnome Music player

Banshee is a music management and playback application for GNOME. Over the course of the year a variety of high quality, highly polished, and all around “swell” Mono GNOME Desktop applications have been popping up. As with many of these apps, Banshee has a beautiful user interface and is well architected.

It features

1. Import Music
2. Organize Music
   
3. Play & Share
4. Rip CDs
5. Sync with IPod and most popular Music devices
   
6. Play Last.fm playlists
7. Play podcasts

The latest version ( 0.13.2) got released on January 8, 2008 and I was pleased to see the packages in Arch Linux. A simple pacman -S banshee revealed the fo;;owing packages will be installed.
pacman -S banshee
resolving dependencies... done.
looking for inter-conflicts... done.

Targets: libgdiplus-1.2.6-1 mono-1.2.6-1 gtk-sharp-2-2.10.2-1
libgnomecups-0.2.2-4 libgnomeprint-2.18.2-1
libgnomeprintui-2.18.1-1 gtkhtml-3.16.2-1 gnome-sharp-2.16.0-2
sqlite3-3.5.4-1 gstreamer0.10-faac-0.10.5-1
gstreamer0.10-faad-0.10.5-1 pmount-0.9.13-4 sg3_utils-1.25-1
libipoddevice-0.5.3-1 ipod-sharp-0.6.3-1 libnjb-2.2.5-3
njb-sharp-0.3.0-1 banshee-0.13.1-2

Interesting to note is that banshee comes default with ipod-sharp, the C# library for syncing with IPod. However, Banshee does not currently support IPod Touch or the IPhone. Also the latest version of Banshee supports PodSleuth, which replaces libipoddevices. However, Arch linux still does not have packages for PodSleuth and still use libipoddevices, I am sure this will soon change.

Banshee requires HAL and Dbus to be started before starting banshee.
I have just installed it and started using it for playing music from my hard disk.
Will try bnashee soon to sync my IPod Video.





Well if doing pacman -S banshee is difficult for some people, then they can install latest banshee with a click of mouse on OpenSUSE 10.3.
Aaron Bockover, the developer of banshee, got a comment saying that

dude a release blog without a 1-click link is like coffee without caffeine
So Aaron has promptly released the 1-Click install package for OpenSUSE 10.3.
Just click the following icon and let YAST do the work for you.

DLink Wireless card on Linux

I just bought a wireless PCI card and installed it on my desktop.

It is a "DLink DWL-G510 Revision C " card. "lspci -v" shows
00:06.0 Network controller: RaLink RT2561/RT61 rev B 802.11g
Subsystem: D-Link System Inc DWL-G510 Rev C
Flags: bus master, slow devsel, latency 32, IRQ 21
Memory at db000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2

A little search showed me that there are no native Linux drivers for this card, however, installing and using this card is very easy with the help of ndiswrapper.

Installation procedure.

1. I popped in the Windows driver CD and went to the Drivers directory (/media/hdd/Drivers/Drivers/Win2KXP).
2. Installed the driver using "ndiswrapper -i NetRt61G.INF"
3. Confirmed the installation using [root@localhost ~]# ndiswrapper -l
   netrt61g : driver installed
   device (1814:0302) present (alternate driver: rt61pci)
4. Added ndiswrapper to /etc/modules, to auto start at boot.
5. Refresh the network configuration using "dhclient" and get a IPAddress using DHCP.
   
   

I dual boot between OpenSUSE 10.3 and Granular Linux ( a remaster of PCLinuxOS ).
Below I have summarized my experiences with both.

1. OpenSUSE.
   
1. ndiswrapper is installed by default.
2. OpenSUSE hardware wizzard detected that a new device is found and gave the option to configure it.
3. Due to some reasons "dhclient" is not able to find a wireless lan (send packet failed).
4. Cannot establish connection with wireless router.
2. Granular.
   
1. ndiswrapper is installed by default.
2. ndiswrapper is not loaded at boot, despite it being in /etc/modules.
3. A manual "modprobe ndiswrapper" followed by "dhclient" results in good connection.
   
4. I have tried it for continuous 7 hours ( was running Synaptic updates) and there was no disconnection.

End result:
Despite similar procedures on the same hardware, OpenSUSE fails to connect to my router; whereas Granular Linux connects flawlessly ( though some manual intervention is require). Posting from Granular Linux using the wireless connection.

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Multimedia Codecs installation in OpenSUSE 10.3

OpenSUSE 10.3 is one of the easiest desktop Linux distribution and does most of the configurations. However, it does not come with multimedia codecs by default.
On the brighter side OpenSUSE 10.3 has 1-Click install -- a feature which makes installing software very easy, almost as easy as a mouse click.

OpenSUSE provides 1-Click install for most multimedia related applications and codecs for both Gnome ( ) and KDE (). To go through a simple wizard guiding you through the installation
process of some additional multimedia codecs where necessary, simply
click on one of the links icons above.

This will enable you to have:

• Flash
  
• Java
  
• Latest Amarok (with MP3 Support) for KDE, or Helix-Banshee for GNOME users
  
• Encrypted DVD (libdvdcss)
  
• Extra xine Codecs, for MPEG-4 etc. (libxine1)
  
• K3b with MP3 Support (k3b-codecs)
  
• Win 32 Codecs (w32codec-all)
  

..as well as the option of installing (select Advanced mode at the screen) many more applications, including Opera, KMPlayer, Kplayer, MPlayer, Azureus, VLC, Codeine, and more.

Enjoy and say thanks to OpenSUSE developers.

If you happen to know of certain codecs that are not part of this package, please do let me know.

New openSUSE Packages: KDE 4.0 RC1, KOffice 2 Alpha5, Firefox 3.0 Beta

OpenSUSE 10.3 users now has the option to install the latest development releases of KDE 4.0, KOffice 2 and Firefox 3.0.
The best part is that this is available through the innovative and easy to use 1-Click install.

KDE 4.0 now has Kickoff KDE menu, Plasma, Dolphin File manager, Oxygen, new icons and cool 3D effects. To install latest KDE 4.0 RC1 use . Full KOffice packages are also in the KDE4 Repository.
Similarly Firefox 3.0 Beta could be installed by clicking


Some user Comments.

1. Install kde4-wallpapers if the 1-Click install does not install the cool KDE 4.0 wallpapers ( It might conflict with existing kde3 packages).
2. I find openSUSE packages for Firefox3 to be more responsive (switching tabs and scrolling) compared with Firefox2 packages.
3. After 4 attempts, I managed to get everything up and running, and I’m glad I did.
   
   The one click install did its job well, even in my previously failed attempts by rescuing the aborted installations.
   
   Now I’ve got it, two things really suprise me; Firstly, how much
   quicker web browsing is, and secondly, I now have 3D graphics without
   all the fuss of repeatedly initalising it through a terminal window.
   
   Linux has indeed come a long way since my first encounter with SUSE
   9.0, and for sheer speed, 10.3 has overtaken much of what Microsoft has
   to offer.
   
   For now, I’m hooked.
   
   Allan Green. (Cutting Edge Systems)
4. never mind, I tried it, and it’s ok, but not usable. I found it to be, on 1gb of ram, twice as slow as 3.5.
5. KDE 4 is really starting to come together. I would like to see how it
   comes together in final, and what SUSE does to polish it up in 11. It
   might be what makes me switch from GNOME to KDE…. hmmm…

Read the full article at
openSUSE News » Blog Archive » New openSUSE Packages: KDE 4.0 RC1, KOffice 2 Alpha5, Firefox 3.0 Beta

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YaST Gets Ported to Qt4

Stephan Kulow writes on his blog to inform us about his successful attempts in getting YaST ported to Qt4:

• "Certain voices claimed, porting Yast to Qt4 would be almost impossible due to the different event loops and threading and all that. But thanks to Thiago's little explanations on how things to go together, it was actually a job done pretty quickly (it was once tried in july, so I didn't start from scratch). Damn! Did I say, I have the rest of the year?"

Here's a screenshot of what can be done with a little editing of the styles:

Read The full article here.

Blogged with Flock

Novell Open Audio: AutoBuild/Build Service

As part of their openSUSE release series, Novell Open Audio has talked to Michael Schröder and Andreas Bauer about the openSUSE Build Service,
our powerful cross-distribution package build system. They discuss a
bunch of updates which happened over the year since last coverage, what
is being worked on currently and a little bit on how you can have your
projects hosted on the service.

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PulseAudio: “Compiz for Sound” on openSUSE

We’re jumping on to the PulseAudio bandwagon, same as Fedora(Interview with Lennart Poettering). To prepare the groundwork for that move, Rodrigo and I worked on porting all the required packages and getting it working on openSUSE.

Here is the result

Read the Full story Here.

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ATI RadeonHD Driver: First Release!

The X Window System developer team at SUSE has released version
1.0.0 of the ATI Radeon R5xx and R6xx chipset driver it has been
developing over the past few months for Novell’s technology partner AMD.

The source code was initially released
to the public on September 18th. Since then numerous features have been
added to the driver and numerous issues have been fixed in cooperation
with the free software community.

Packages can be found in the openSUSE Build Service, and more information is available on SUSE X.org wiki page.

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OpenSUSE on Chocolate Laptop

Who says devs don't have fun. OpenSUSE developers sure know how to be different.
They have surely made the most amazing and easy to use desktop operating system and this time they showcase their skills in installing OpenSUSE on a chocolate Laptop. Its a Laptop made from Chocolate.
The Laptop configuration is

Chocolate Laptop Fikar FJ

• Best before: 2009-01-31
  
• Net Weight: 200g I think the most light weight Laptop.
  
• Contains: sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder (14%), cocoa mass
  
• Emulsifier: lecithin E322
  
• Flavor: vanillin

Enjoy the full article at OpenSUSE site.

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Monitor Goes Black after booting

I am getting too many mails regarding this.


While booting we might get vertical / horizontal Frequency out of sync. This is a indicator that your monitor does not support the frequency Linux is expecting, so the monitor shuts down resulting in Black / Blank screen.
There are two main scenarios

1. LiveCD boots to a blank monitor.
2. After Install the Monitor is blank.

In both the cases, the problem is xorg.conf.
This mostly happens when the display driver settings are incorrect in /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

Resolution: Most current system offer a "safe mode" boot.

1. On Ubuntu it is called "Safe Graphics Mode".
   Similar options are there for Kubuntu.
   
2. On PCLinuxOS it is called "Video Safe Mode FBDev" or " Video Safe Mode Vesa".
   
3. OpenSUSE, the Live CD unfortunately does not have any "safe Mode", Please read my previous article to tackle OpenSUSE.
   

I am sure that other Distributions also offer Similar boot options.

Once installed, the best bet is to use "Failsafe" option. If it fails try the method listed for OpenSUSE, it should work most of the time. If you are not able to still resolve the issue, please mail me the exact distribution, I'll give it a try with the latest version of the distro.
I know I have not covered many other distributions like Fedora, Mandriva, Mepis, Sabayon etc. Please leave comment regarding how you have resolved this issue on these distributions. I have not tried them as I do not use them, but can if required.

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Vista Glow Emerald Green Theme

OpenSUSE has a green theme by default. The theme is so well integrated into the entire desktop that it provides a very pleasing experience. To add to this eye candy, installing Compiz Fusion is just a matter of 1-Click install. After that it is a matter of personal settings that which Emerald theme we select to set the environment as per our liking.
I came across Vista Glow Emerald Green Theme and think that the theme gels with the Green Theme of OpenSUSE.

Installing the theme was just a matter of Downloading and extracting into /usr/share/emerald/themes/.
After that all I had to do was select it in Emeral Theme manager.
See the magic here.


Look how well the green border gels into the green wallpaper of SUSE, producing a mesmerizing effect. I sure will keep this theme for long.

openSUSE KDE Packaging Day: 30th Nov - 1st Dec

This Friday and Saturday, the openSUSE KDE team will be hosting an openSUSE Packaging Day. It will happen from Friday, 30 November until Saturday, 1st December, from any timezone to any timezone. We will help new packagers to create high-quality packages for KDE for all kinds of distributions, like openSUSE, Fedora, Mandriva, Ubuntu or Debian via the openSUSE Build Service, so that other KDE users can benefit from it.
Read the Full article here.

Best Community Linux

I came across an article by Steven J. Vaughan-Nicholas about the Best Community Linux.
I must say, he makes his point clear and highlights the good points of each.
For instance Fedora is the only distribution to have the "Cutting edge" Pulse Audio sound Daemon, which has the ability to set the volume for individual applications and send direct audio streams across the network to other PCs and audio devices. At the same time Fedora is so "Bleeding edge" that users can cut themselves and bleed.

I never liked Fedora's package management, though. For me the choice is only between Ubuntu and OpenSUSE 10.3.
Lets bring in one more community distribution which is gaining user recognition very rapidly -- PCLinuxOS.

Steven mentions that Ubuntu is a good solid distribution, which makes installing codecs and propriety software easy. This is absolutely true about Ubuntu. Its really great for the beginners who need hand holding in setting up their system. The best part about Ubuntu is that it is offered pre installed on Dell systems.

OpenSUSE is a experimental branch of the enterprise grade SLED. OpenSUSE developers tinker with some cutting edge software, but amazingly they somehow keep the distribution very stable.
Ubuntu on the other hand is the final offering by Canonical, there is no separate "Enterprise" version of Ubuntu. Hence Ubuntu developers do not experiment too much. Hence, it tends to be stable.
Same holds true for PCLinuxOS, which I found to be the most stable distribution of the three.

Just comparing the user friendliness of the three

1. Live CD. Most hardware is correctly auto configured by all the three.
   
1. PClinuxOS. Its Dated. I do not understand the usefulness of making user click mouse just to configure network, when this can be auto configured. Also what is the point in making a user enter as either Root or normal user. Comeon this is a LiveCD. If you want to enforce Root protection then you can give a warning on invoking any System level software, such as install to disk. At the same time this is the only LiveCD having non-OSS software and browser plugins. This translates to the ability to play mp3 and watch youtube videos in a Live CD.
   
2. Ubuntu. Simplicity is the key word. No user configuration, no entering username and password.... just a good looking LiveCD. However, no non-OSS software or browser plugins. This means that we have reduced functionality than PCLinuxOS.
3. OpenSUSE. Elegant! This is the word that comes to my mind when I first saw OpenSUSE KDE Live CD. Functionality wise its identical to Ubuntu with no non-OSS software.
2. Installation.
1. PCLinuxOS. A very easy install which takes hardly 15 minutes.
2. Ubuntu. Exact similar to PCLinuxOS
3. OpenSUSE. Now this is the one which provides too much options. If we choose the default ones, it is like PCLinuxOS/Ubuntu; but user have the option to choose even expert mode which gives a lot of flexibility. Also if we have a single user then the installer auto configures that user to auto login. This is great for a home computer with a single user, eliminating the unnecessary hassle to entering the password each time. Not sure what happens if we add two or more users.
   
3. Installed Software.
   
1. PCLinuxOS. Almost everything a normal user might need, including the eye candy in for of Compiz. Though i had to install drivers for my Nvidia card separately.
2. Ubuntu. Again almost everything except for the very essential non-OSS software like Java, media codecs and browser plugins. All this has to be installed manually. Thankfully Ubuntu has a meta package by the name "Ubuntu Restricted Extras". This does the job of installing almost every essential non-OSS software. The restricted driver manager makes installing Nvidia driver very easy, interesting thing is that it requires a reboot; its annoying as no other distribution has asked me to reboot after installing Nvidia drivers. Ubuntu has Compiz pre-installed but does not have Compiz configuration manager or Emerald manager installed. Ubuntu does not installs a dedicated CD/DVD burner, though Nautilus can perform the function with reduced functionality. Its KDE cousin Kubuntu has almost the same software as PCLinuxOS, sans the non-OSS ones.
   
3. OpenSUSE. Similar Software to Kubuntu. Installing non-OSS ( ), Nvidia ( ) and Compiz Fusion ( ) is just a matter of clicks. OpenSUSE configures the required repositories and installs the packages.
4. Package Management. All three have a huge list of software in their repos, sufficient for any normal user. Of these PCLinuxOS has perhaps the most updated packages, OpenSUSE is trying to catch up with its wonderful 1-Click install. Ubuntu by far has the least updated software packages.
   
1. PCLinuxOS & Ubuntu. They use Synaptic which is a proven tool to install software.
   
2. OpenSUSE. It uses YAST, which is good but a slower tool.
5. System Configuration.
1. PCLinuxOS. It uses a customized version of Mandriva Control Center and provides easy configuration to almost all aspects.
2. Ubuntu. There is no centralized tool, however, various tools makes configuration easy.
3. OpenSUSE. it uses YAST which is by far the best tool for configurations.
6. Community Support.
1. PCLinuxOS. It has possibly the smallest, but a very helpful community.
2. Ubuntu. The mecca of user Community. The best possible with a huge HowTos.
3. OpenSUSE. Decent community, but scattered across different forums.

Any of the three easily qualifies as a very good desktop replacement for Windows. Finally the one to use depends upon personal preferences. I like KDE so Ubuntu in its native form is a big NO NO for me. Also its KDE cousin, Kubuntu, lacks the finesse of Ubuntu and is not at all comparable to either PCLinuxOS or OpenSUSE. I have having trouble deciding between OpenSUSE and PCLinusOS as they are both equally good, so I have PCLinuxOS on my Laptop and OpenSUSE on Desktop.

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Skype 2 ( Beta ) On OpenSUSE

I got a mail, asking me how did I install skype 2 ( Beta), with Video support, on OpenSUSE 10.3.
I replied to him and then did a google search to find out any page detailing the procedure. Strange I could not find any.

Though installing the latest beta version of Skype is very trivial, but the fact is that no document exists to let new users know the procedure. Here we go.

1. Go to the Skpye 2.0 beta for Linux Page.
2. There are several packages listed for various distributions, Select the one for OpenSUSE 10+.
   
3. Click on it to install -- thats it. Job well done. YAST2 will take care of the remaining things. You would just require to fill in your super user password and click the install button. YAST2 installs all the required dependencies ( if any not already installed). Just for information. Skype 2.0 lists Qt 4.2.1, D-Bus 1.0.0, and libasound2 1.0.12 as dependencies.

After the install, Skype was able to auto detect my Creative web cam and correctly configure it. Though like normal skype, I can still configure both video and audio.
I use KDE as desktop, hence, Skype is auto started on each login and I am auto logged in. As with normal skype, I get all the alerts about my contacts being online/ offline and I can start chat/call/video call with them. I was able to video chat with my wife who has skype on windows. No issues of operating system compatibility. Best thing about skype is that unlike Kopete, I can set the incoming image to Full Screen and get a more realistic feel of the person I am talking to.

I think that video chatting with a windows user was one of the major restrictive factor in Linux, which Skype 2.0 beta video has successfully eliminated. Wish that Skype Video for Linux gets a stable release soon, even better, Skype for Linux becomes open source !!!

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The Complete OpenSUSE Desktop Setup

DISCLAIMER: This is not a review of OpenSUSE. Just my experiences in making SUSE work for me. This is just on the line of my previous similar article about Ubuntu setup.

The Live CD:
The biggest gripe about OpenSUSE is that it does not have a LiveD, a la Ubuntu, so that users can test their hardware compatibility and get a feel of the distribution before installing it. SUSE developers took the task and came out with OpenSUSE LiveCDs both for KDE and GNOME and when SUSE devs get to work, they create a marvel. I downloaded the KDE version of LiveCD and here are my experiences with it.

I have a Nvidia 6200 256 MB card, which no LiveCD seems to like; I have tried (k)Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, PCLinuxOS and Mint. If I select normal boot option on the Live CD, then the boot "hangs" after some time. Its like the screen goes black and the indicator on the monitor goes from Green to Amber. This is due to incorrect xorg.conf generated by the LiveCDs. On OpenSUSE 10.3 KDE LiveCD, I had to enter "3" in the normal boot options so that LiveCD boots into init 3 more ( a non-graphical mode). I then logged in as "root" with no password and ran "sax2-vesa". This created a generic xorg.conf with "vesa" drivers and enabled me to start the graphical mode with command "init 5 ".

I was greeted with a beautiful green OpenSUSE default desktop. This was the first time I was looking at an OpenSUSE LiveCD, and boy I was impressed. In my previous experience in installing SUSE I had to wait for 6 long hours before install completed, so this time I wanted to prepare myself before that. I had installed scibefire in Firefox and started writing the install experience. Having set that, I tried the hard disk install. For the first time OpenSUSE LiveCD has and install option. I always believe in LiveCD install and happily clicked the icon. The install was very similar to a normal SUSE KDE install.
The installer asked em to reboot after 10-15 minutes. What ? a reboot ! Is the install over ?
The answer was NO, OpenSUSE does a minimal install of kernel and required softwares and then reboots to finish the remaining configurations. After reboot I was brought to a normal SUSE installer with no Firefox or other applications. It was going to be the repeat of last experience; I was expecting OpenSUSE to download loads of packages and take 6-7 hours, however, SUSE installer gave me a pleasant surprise and after around 10 or 15 minutes announced that the install is over. Well if OpenSUSE can do a seemingly full system install with a LiveCD, without requiring much downloads from internet, then why can't it do so with a dedicated install CD ? One notable good thing here is that during User Addition OopenSUSE by default enabled auto-login for my single user.
This is a nice feature. On a personal computer, normally we have only one user using it and I always enable auto-login in KDE preferences; it was nice to see the installer do it for me.
The security conscious people can disable auto-login and can also set a grub password using YAST2.

Intial Impressions on hard disk boot:
SUSE exhibits style and elegance and its even pronounced in KDE; KDE being their preferred area. The default desktop is simply beautiful and elegant. The applications open fairly fast, are well integrated into green desktop theme and are very stable. First thing to do was to enable playing mp3 and videos, I just clicked a link and it started the YAST2 package manger and installed the following software.

1. Flash
   
2. Java
   
3. Latest Amarok (with MP3 Support) for KDE, or Helix-Banshee for GNOME users
   
4. Encrypted DVD (libdvdcss)
   
5. Extra xine codecs, for MPEG-4 etc. (libxine1)
   
6. K3b with MP3 Support (k3b-codecs)
   
7. Win 32 Codecs (w32codec-all)
   

..as well as the option of installing many more applications (select Advanced mode at the screen), including:

• Opera
  
• KMPlayer
  
• Kplayer
  
• MPlayer
  
• Azureus
  
• VLC
  
• Codeine
  
• ..and more
  

Now I had most of my video and mp3 playing, added to it I have my Firefox capable of playing flash video. I like Firefox customized to my specific needs so I went ahead and installed some of my favourites add-ons like scribeFire, Gmail Manager, PDF Download and Answers.

Search: OpenSUSE comes pre-installed with kerry which has proved itself as a very competent front end to the Beagle desktop Search daemon.

Media & Internet :OpenSUSE has one of the best selected media software which are well suited to the task. To list a few

1. Amarok
2. Digikam
3. Kaffeine
4. Kopete etc
5. Krita Image Editor
6. KTorrent - Arguably the best torrent client we have today.
   

OpenSUSE has NTFS write support by default and the best part is the SUSE auto-mounts all the windows partitions, enabling them in the konqueror Storage Devices area. This is a very nice feature allowing me to keep common data between Windows and Linux on my Fat32 Data Partition. All my photos, mp3 and Videos reside in this partition.
I also got a huge list of KDE3 and KDE4 games installed on my system which are good enough for me to while away my time.

Now here comes the best ( or the worst, depending upon perception ) aspect of OpenSUSE 10.3 - YAST2.
YAST2 is a one stop application for full system configuration. It can mange hardware, set screen resolution, change grub settings, manage software repositories, configure printer, configure network, set login properties ..... and yet YAST2 can also install/remove software.
Though I did not like YAST2 as a package manager, due to the fact that it refreshes the repositories each time it is envoked. This results in a long time gap between YAST2 invocation and it being usable. Why can't YAST2 keep a cache of packages in repositories, a la Synaptic ?

Some Additional Softwares: OpenSUSE comes preloaded with a huge list of usable software, however, many still remain. Here is a list of the extra softwares that are
essential for normal usage of my desktop.

1. Skype 2 ( Beta). With the addition of Video in Skype 2 for Linux, even a Beta should not
   deter most of us from installing this exceptional application. Skype2 has a version for OpenSUSE 10+ and when clicked it starts the YAST2 package manger.
   
2. Realplayer and Firefox plugins
3. Latest version of GIMP using 1-Click install.
   

As you can see that total extra softwares are negligible when compared to Ubuntu. OpenSUSE simply comes preloaded with most of the required softwawres.

Having installed all this, I had a fully functional Desktop. However, I wanted eyecandy too.
For this I had to install the latest Nvidia drivers and the Compiz Fusion packages. With 1-Click install it was all very simple, Please check my earlier article about it. All it took was 3 clicks and I had my video driver setup and compiz enabled. Now the default configurations lead to borderless windows so I used Emeral Manager instead of the default kde-window-manager as Display manager.
Best thing is that even after all the desktop effects enabled, I always have a snappy system with very good performance.

I would say that OpenSUSE is a desktop oriented distribution and makes life simple for its users. It detected all my hardware by default and installed correct open source drivers for them. The default applications are very good and the system appears very responsive, specially applications like OpenOffice and GIMP open very quickly -- much faster as compared to Ubuntu. The best thing about the SUSE desktop is good aesthetics and a very stable system. Despite the fact that I have installed some bleeding edge applications like Compiz-Fusion and latest GIMP, I am yet to receive a single application crash/freeze. Kudos to OpenSUSE devs for delivering such a good distribution.

Please check some eye-candy screenshots of OpenSUSE 10.3 at their official website.


NOTE: In my earlier install of OpenSUSE 10.3 I had faced some stability issues, running a video in full screen mode used to crash XServer, however, with my new Nvidia 6200 card I have never faced the same issue. Actually I am yet to get any application crash in this install. The system looks rock solid and responsive. I think earlier it was an issue with my unichrome/openchrome graphics drivers for my VIA KM400 card.

OpenSUSE LiveCD results in blank Screen

I have just installed a Nvidia 6200 256MB graphics card in my desktop and suddenly all install/Live CDs have started behaving funny with me.
First I tried Ubuntu 7.10 LiveCD and got a blank screen with the Monitor power light turning "Amber". I then did a hard reboot and this time tried the "Safe graphics Mode" and was able to get a XServer desktop.

However, in OpenSUSE 10.3 KDE Live CD, there is no such option such as "Safe graphics mode". Hence for novice users like me there is no option by which I can boot through this CD and get a graphical desktop. I searched a little and found this workaround.

1. Select to boot from SUSE LiveCD and enter "3" in the Boot Options. This ensures that "init 3" mode is selected and the Live CD boots in text-only mode; hence, no GUI server is started and we get a login prompt.
2. Login as "root" with no password.
3. Run the command "sax2-vesa". This starts the SUSE configuration utility and select the default graphics driver "vesa". Just select the default option, that should work for most hardware. This was will not be able to use the full functionality of my card, but will be able to get a GUI.
   
4. Restart the GUI server by entering the command "init 5".
   

The default OpenSUSE 10.3 KDE desktop starts and I was greeted with this beautiful screen.


The OpenSUSE 10.3 LiveCD contains, for the first time, an icon to install the distribution to the hard disk. The install is as convenient as a Ubuntu install, only difference is that OpenSUSE install offers more flexibility.
Enjoy your OpenSUSE KDE LiveCD.

NOTE: This works well for any video card that is not supported by default by the LiveCD. I have learned from friends that they followed the same trick with their ATI cards and were successful.

Is Eye Candy bad for Ubuntu/Linux ?

I came across an Article on the relevance of Compiz-Fusion in Linux particularly in Ubuntu. The Author, Matt Hartley, has published two different articles Here and Here to emphasize the same thing. His main argument is that Compiz makes Linux Complicated.
The Ubuntu GNOME looses its very foundations -- its simplicity.
I think he might be right on certain points but overall I do not agree with him.
Lets look at some of his points

1. Ubuntu Looses Stability with Compiz enabled. Now some people still claim Compiz Fusion to be an unstable software, but for home users it is fairly stable. I just started using it on my SUSE KDE 10.3 and have found it to be very stable and an eye candy. Though I surely results in a decrease in performance or the snappyness of the system, but stability wise I have no complaints. I believe Ubuntu should be equally good too.
   
2. Compiz-Fusion is too Complex. If you read my post mentioned above and an addition to it regarding some easy configuration, you can see that Compiz is easier to setup and use than configuring a XOrg Server. Its a one time configuration using GUI tools and I never had to check it again. Where does the question of Complexity comes ? If Matt refers to the various options offered by Compiz, well those are options -- use only the ones you like. Also by default some options are enabled which might be good for most users.
3. People should try Linux for reasons other than Compiz. This is a debatable topic. If people can try Linux for its stability, for it being virus-free then why not for its eye-candy ? Lets agree that Linux does not support all the hardware supported by Windows, Windows have better applications and Windows have better games. If Linux can claim that it has better eye candy, then whats the harm in this ?
   
4. Is Running Compiz-Fusion An Insult to GNOME's Mission? No Comments. I am no expert on GNOMEs mission or its simplicity- heck I don't even use GNOME. I am a KDE Guy, but strongly believe that a beautiful desktop is a beautiful desktop -GNOME or KDE.
   
5. Metacity Allows for Duplicable results. Not sure what does he means, but if he means that by running Compiz we give more options to user, then is it a bad thing ? Linux is all about option. We have options in form of Window manger ( KDE, GNOME, XFCE, E17, Fluxbox etc.. ) Web Browser ( Firefox, Konqueror, Flock, Opera etc.. ) then why not have an option to beautify our desktop. If all it takes to have beautiful effects is a few clicks in a GUI Configurator then options are good. Well !! even for a beginner.
   
6. Following Vista/OSX/KDE is not good. If Vista has some good points, I see no shame in duplicating the same on Linux. People love Vista/OSX looks. gnome-look.org has many Vista/OSX themes. Even a project called mac4Lin exists and is a huge success. People love eye candy. If Compiz Fusion saves them the trouble of manually doing these things then following XXXX is good.
   

Stability is a very big factor for me, I have even bashed SUSE when I had some stability problems with 10.3. However, we should not forget that we install the latest SUSE or a Latest Ubuntu the day it is released. We want the latest softwares. Here lies the catch.
Now if we go for the latest software some bugs are destined to crop up, however, Compiz is to be used on Home Desktop and not production Servers, hence some slight problems should be OK. Some problems are found even in the Latest versions of Firefox, Should we revert back to Firefox 1.X and look for stability. If we are so stability conscious then we might try Debian sarge with Linux Kernel 3.1 instead of the more contemporary Ubuntu.
All this apart, I have not faced any stability problem with Compiz-Fusion on my SUSE, else I would definitely have mentioned in this blog.

For any Distribution the first appealing point is its Looks, thats the reason almost all leading distributions have screenshots on their sites. If Linux can impress a possible convert with the help of Compiz-Fusion I think its a job well done.

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Compiz Fusion results in borderless windows

I have just installed the beautiful eye candy on SUSE 10.3 and I think its simply great. I specially like the cube rotation and the Fire Effects. Configuring Compiz Fusion was really easy with the help of compizconfig-settings-manager.
As recommended I was using the kde-window-decorator as Display manager.
There was one big error in this arrangement -- All the windows were borderless and I can't move them. This way I was missing on many cool effects which appear on moving/resizing a window.

How to solve this ? Easy!! use Emerald manager instead of the default kde-window-decorator.
The Emerald Theme manager also offers some cool themes. I selected Vista-q and now I have Vista like glossy window borders. I must say the buttons look beautiful and I get to move the windows, tilt them, resize them, bend them ( yes it is possible with Compiz) and get all the cool effects. Soon I will be posting the beautiful Compiz effects on my elegant SUSE 10.3.
Stay tuned.

1-Click Compiz Fusion onOpenSuse 10.3

I have a three years old desktop with AMD 2400+ CPU, 640 MB RAM on a Via KM400 motherboard. I love my desktop as it helps me in experimenting with the latest and the greatest software and distribution releases. Currently I have OpenSUSE 10.3 on it. Its a fairly old computer so I could not try the latest eye candy on it, I am referring to compiz-fusion.
I also wanted to test mac4Lin, but could not test the eye candy again.
One fine day I decided that I had enough and went ahead to buy an economical graphics card which will run fusion easily. A little search and I had determined that I am going for Nvidia 6200 256 MB card. Now this card is just for RS 2300 ( aprox $60, might get even cheaper in US ) and delivers excellent results for compiz-fusion.

Buying the card was the toughest part, after it was all smooth. From opening the chassis and physically installing the card to getting beautiful compiz, all was like a child's play. Here are the steps I followed after physically installing the card and rebooting to OpenSUSE 10.3.

1. The system could not start KDM, as it was configured to my earlier via driver, and brought me to command line login. I just edited the /etc/X11/xorg.conf and changed the driver to vesa ( a generic driver ) to enable GUI mode.
2. Next I had to install Nvidia drivers. I little search on SUSE site took me to their Nvidia Page. It has detailed instructions for OpenSUSE 10.2 and OpenSUSE 10.3. It even distinguishes between "new" and legacy Nvidia cards. Here again I saw how easy is it to use 1-Click install. I choose the "new" Nvidia card for my 6200 and just followed the YAST2 install procedure. Here is a direct link for new Nvidia cards driver for the lazy readers
   To use NVIDIA's driver directly to run Compiz or Compiz Fusion run the following commands and restart X (Logout and press <CTRL> <ALT> <BACKSPACE>).
   su -
nvidia-xconfig --composite
nvidia-xconfig --render-accel
nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals -d 24

3. With proper drivers for my card installed, I went to the OpenSUSE 10.3 compiz-fusion install page. Again the install was as simple as clicking For KDE and For GNOME.
   
4. I did not follow any further instructions, instead I went to KDE Menu and clicked on "Compiz Fusion Icon" under New Applications. Thats it. I had the beautiful Compiz-Fusion in all its glory.
   

As of now I do not know how to take screenshots while rotating the desktop, else would love to flaunt my beautiful desktop. Could someone please leave instructions for that?
Also would request to please tell me how to have that ultra cool FIRE burning effect that I have seen in numerous you tube videos.

OpenSUSE have really hit the bulls eye with their one click install concept and I am loving it.

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1-Click install of GIMP 2.4 on OpenSUSE

The 1-Click install is turning out to be really productive. People are adapting it for installing many softwares.
The latest version of Gimp, version 2.4, is also available for install via the Community repository.
Install it using the Following links

For OpenSUSE 10.3

For OpenSUSE Factory.


Copied Shamelessly from James Ogley.