First meeting of the semester..

We had our first meeting of the semester on Thursday 22nd. The meeting involved a recap of what had happened earlier at the beginning of the semester, case in point the G|Kenya conference. Andrew took us through a brief description of how the event was.

Registration for the G|Kenya sessions

"Maserati" and friends were in attendance.

Introdoctory session Oh, did I mention that the Africa Android app challenge was won by two Kenyans? Here is a link to more info on the projects that won. Also, here is a link toThe G|Kenya team if you would like to know more about them. Some of them are not even I.T. or Comp science grads but are doing good stuff. It was an amazing experience. later, we were taken through the process of creating an apt-on-CD and Christine showed us some basic android coding. The code jam sessions as discussed late last semester started with a big bang on Saturday. If you missed the session, make sure you get to attend the subsequent ones. Let's all meet this Thursday again and do what we do best-Opensource!! PS: 17 days and counting to the JKUAT Tech expo.......

JLUG Meet Up 14 July

Yet another successful meeting happened this past Thursday with a host of presenters at the ready. Denis was first on the floor and made a presentation on a structured exception handling(SEH) based buffer overflow exploit. He was running Backtrack 4 on his machine as well as Windows XP via virtual box. Using the program Metersploit which comes pre-installed in Backtrack, he able to gain access to the XP system and manipulate quite a few features and programs based on vulnerabilities attacked. Full details on this can be found here.
The next presentation was by George on the .NET Framework, and yes you are reading it correct, the .NET Framework! He detailed quite a few points on this platform, among them:

• the .NET Framework itself which is pretty much like the java API or C/C++ Library
• the C# language and its robustness in terms of speed and ease of use especially with Visual Studio software
• a feature presentation on silverlight

Mike was on there after and provided quite an invaluable and essential workaround on recovery of the Grub Loader for Linux. Through these two lines of code:

• sudo mount /dev/sda1/ mnt...(replace sda1 with your root partition number) ,and
• grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/ dev/sdx...(replace the x in sdx with your partition alphabet)

one is able to recover the grub loader in situations where one is running a dual boot configuration and the loader for the Linux system is overwritten by Windows or is otherwise lost or corrupted.
On a separate issue, the frequency of meetings has been unilaterally changed from twice weekly to once every week, same time same place. See you then and tag a friend along!

Government Open Data Portal Official Launch

Happening this Friday at 8.30am is the official launch of Open Data Portal initiative by the Kenya ICT Board and the Government at the KICC. Get your tickets and more info here

Fourth JLUG Meeting

Yet another successful fourth meet up this past Thursday and although our featured guest could not make it, still it proved to be a rather engaging and candid discussion on the myriad viewpoints and issues discussed.
Top on the list was a question raised by most of the new members present for their first ever meeting which centered around just exactly what the club is all about. From the conversation that answered that question, it was made clear that it's all about the Linux experience, free software that works just as good if not better than 'the establishment' and the commitment to ensuring that we are part of the global community spreading the word as it were.
Hot on the heels of this topic was the discussion on the various software solutions available and the best platform on which to run it. Perhaps the best answers came from quite a few of the members sharing their own personal experiences most of which were all things Linux. Sigu, for example, gave countless renditions on just how versatile his particular distro was on the hardware, how reliable it is and the efficiency and throughput it gives him when running his applications and programs.
The challenge as Ian, our moderator, so rightly put it was to try out the various distros available and embrace the Linux experience on one's own. As a club, we are always there to assist in case of any questions or difficulties.
The next meeting is on in a fortnight and new members are always welcome.

The Gnome Swahili Translation Project

The Gnome Translation Project is an Ubuntu/Linux effort that seeks to provide a unique experience for the end user running any distro,that of native language support. It is a massive undertaking that spans nations and continents and this time around it's in Africa with focus being on the Swahili language.

It is open to anyone and not much is required in terms of computer skills except maybe for the basics. In addition to that one has to register as a contributor for the translation programme with emphasis being on working together as teams. This can be done at this link. Once that is done, the next step is to download the translation files for the programmes one is interested in translating. the link for doing so can be found here and is in the form of an archive with a .pot extention at the bottom of the page.

Once that is done, all that is left is the piece of software that you will use to perform the actual translation. A recommended software application is Virtaal which is easily obtainable as a package on the software repository of whatever distro one is running.Virtaal is a relatively easy program to use and the on hand tutorial that is part of its documentation makes any problems you might have all the more easier to handle.

Upon complete translation of any particular programme of your choice, the next step is to upload your work on the same site where it is verified and put through all the checks and balances before being published with credits to you.

For any support you may need in word translations feel free to check out the Kamusi project website.

Third JLUG Meeting of the semester

Thursday 16 saw us in yet another engaging and informative session of jlug where Mike(club secretary) started us of with more information on the upcoming JKUAT Tech Expo as well as detailing us on the ground covered so far. He urged for more projects to be forthcoming while reminding all that the registration process is seamless at the official website. He also cast some light on previous winners of the earlier Tech Expo 2010 most notably the "mulika mwizi" application that went on to cause quite some ripples in the industry among a host of others.

The next presentation was all about the Gnome Translation Project which is an undertaking to translate Gnome into local languages. The Swahili project was highlighted with calls for more participation by any interested parties but more on this on a subsequent post...

Collins and Andrew who form the PR side of the club had just returned from the mlab and were on hand to inform the rest of us about their incubation hub that has now been officially launched. It's a space where developers come together to tap and nurture talent. Their core message was that these incubation hubs provide some of the best facilities out there for any serious developer with a zest for coding and that the onus was on us to take full advantage of such facilities.

The club continues to grow both in numbers and diversity as was showcased on this meet up. We had representatives from the GGIS, Computer Tech and a host of other schools. As was expected of such a mix,there were ideas streaming in from any and all sides so much so that i cannot effectively convey them all in this space. However,a quick mention:

• mobile classes are currently ongoing both in web design and java and all are encouraged to apply
• the need to be proactive and go after the dream instead of just sitting around waiting for opportunities to knock on your door
• the importance of such forums where we gather together outside of a classroom environment and pick each others' minds

and many more... Ian our moderator thanked all for their attendance and pinned the date for the next meeting in a fortnight

Linux Alternatives

OK so I'm a newbie to the Open Source world and the Ubuntu/Linux experience...or relatively so but that doesn't stop me from appreciating just how formidable an alternative it is. I'm currently running Linux Mint 10 64 bit on a Dual core Intel processor system and the experience has been nothing short of amazing.

However,coming from the Windows environment, one of the questions I'm constantly asking myself is what Linux app does this thing that my Windows app did and does it good a good enough job of it or possibly even better?...OK, maybe two questions. I've come to appreciate two wonderful facts: One,the software is all free, and two, I don't have to worry about viruses.

I'm nowhere near the league of some of the contributors on this blog but I've found a few apps here and there that I'd like to share. Links to the actual programs are not provided because they are easily available on the software centre of the particular distro you're running or even easier on the Terminal. They include:

• axel-kapt : a "download accelerator"
• kget :a "download manager"
• uget :a "download manager"
• multiget: a "file downloader"
• aircrack-ng: which recovers WEP keys for b/g/n networks
• kompozer: a dreamweaver alternative
• bluefish: a dreamweaver alternative and one "for the experienced web designer"
• aria2: a command line download client
• anon-proxy: a proxy to surf the web anonymously
• cget: a web page downloader
• k3b: a burner
• xvst: a download tool for video clips
• cclive: a command line video extraction tool
• bleachbit: deletes unneccessary files from the system much like c cleaner in Windows
• rkhunter: a rootkit,backdoor,sniffer and exploit scanner.Additionally install "chkrootkit" (as recommended)
• harden: "helps the administrator improve security of the system".
• Read more at http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/securing-debian-howto
• aide: an intrusion detection environment. Make sure to include the "aide-dynamic" and "aide-xen" packages
• chntpw: "provides a way to view information and change user passwords in windows NT/2000 user database file"
• gdeb-kde: a "simple tool to install .deb files"

I haven't had the chance to use all these programs as yet but you can try them out and see how they work for you. Once you've found that alternative, you don't have to worry about looking for cracks or keygens, which are just Trojans that compromise your system.

Additionally there are websites dedicated to the Windows/Linux software comparisons which provide detailed information on all the applications available. A link can be found here which is just one among the many websites available.

Second JLUG Meeting June 2

Thursday June 2 marked our second JLUG meeting. A packed room and great minds together,and we were on. First up was Antony who provided a detailed walk through on the openSUSE 11.3 SB Rough Diamond custom build he has been working on, one which he was understandably proud to have completed. A complete breakdown of the entire project is available on this same blog for which he kindly made all the contribution.

The second presentation was a joint venture between club Chairman Dennis and club Secretary Mike who showcased the Arduino which is an open source prototyping solution aimed at the rapid applications developer. It's relatively easy to use and anyone from the novice hobbyist to the experienced engineer will find it a worthwhile tool. A variety of languages are available for one to code in and it comes with proper documentation as well as an online platform on their website from which people get together and share their experiences and concerns on the various projects they're working on.

Dennis and Mike effectively demonstrated a little application aided by the arduino which featured an infra red sensor that worked with a set of LEDs such that a particular LED would light up depending on the distance an object was from the sensor. To prove just how versatile the arduino is, Dennis explained that it only took him an afternoon and about 50 lines of C Code to implement the entire set up and get it working.

Calvin then took over and relayed the progress that had been made so far on the upcoming JKUAT Tech Expo .Everything is on track and we appreciate all the help we can get as this event affects us all as the JKUAT community.

Ian,"our moderator", officially called the meeting to a close and reminded us all that the next one is slated in a fortnight at 8 pm...

Five tips for creating
videos on Linux

There are many reasons people need to create and edit videos. If you’re using the
Linux platform, you don’t have to fret that there
aren’t video tools available for you. With the right
knowledge, you can create and edit videos on the
Linux platform. To make your video production
go as smooth as possible, here are video tips for Linux. Some are
application-specific; some are more general. The
result will be a much richer video experience on
the Linux platform.
1: Try OpenShot Video
Editor
If you’re looking for the video editor with the best
ratio of ease-of-use to features, look no further
thanOpenShot Video Editor. It’s one of the fastest
tools for creating video optimized for the likes of
YouTube. Not only can you import
your .avi, .mpeg, and other video formats (based
on Ffmpeg), you can also import still images and
audio. But it doesn’t end there. You can create
and add transitions (from within the applications)
and add multiple effects to both audio and video.
Once the video is complete, just export the final
file to various templates (such as YouTube or
high definition video).
2: Produce screencasts
For training purposes, there is no better tool than
a screencast. And with a well-made screencast,
you can build a superb training video with the
help of OpenShot Video Editor. But what tools are
best for grabbing screencasts in Linux? The best
one I have found is gtk-recordmydesktop. This is
a Gnome-based front-end for recordmydesktop
that lets you record the entire desktop or specific
windows and even follow the mouse (and zoom
in on the action).
3: Choose the right video
card
This should be a no-brainer, but I am often
surprised at how many users are shocked at
how poorly video editing works with their on-
board video chipset. Generally speaking, if you
are doing any sort of video editing, an on-board
video chipset will not work. Sure, you will be able
to create some basic videos. But if you need high
quality (or very high resolution) results, make
sure you are working with a machine that has a
card with plenty of power and solid, supported
drivers in Linux. Your best bet is to go with an
ATI card, as the ATI Linux support is on par with
the ATI Windows support. It is true that during
the encoding phase of video creation, the
majority of the load will be on the CPU and not
the GPU. But for tasks like the creation of
screencasts, a subpar video chipset will create
subpar results.
4: Find a good encoding
tool
There are many ways to encode a video. Some
tools, such as OpenShot, have built-in front-ends
for the popular video encoders for the Linux
platform. If you prefer to encode outside an
application, those tools are readily available as
well. One of the best video encoders is the
command-line tool mencoder. It was built from
the same tools that created MPlayer, so it can
work with any format MPlayer can play and any
filter MPlayer can use. Mencoder is not simple, so
new users might want to steer clear and find a
good front-end (such asAcidRip for encoding/
ripping CDs and DVDs). A typical mencoder
command can look like this:
mencoder ./Video/TEST/VTS_1.VOB -o ./Video/test.avi -of avi -oac copy lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4
which would convert a .VOB to an .avi format.
5: Select the right capture
card
There is a whole other world to be had with Linux
in the form ofMythTV and MythBuntu. This is an
entire distribution created for the purpose of
DVRs. With it, you can replace that crappy DVR
from your cable company and use a powerful
media-friendly Linux distribution. From those
recorded videos, you can then take samples to
add to your own videos. Here’s the problem. For
any video capture software, you must have the
right capture card. This isn’t always easy in Linux.
If you’re looking at digital (and who isn’t now?),
the only form of digital capture that MythTV
currently supports is over FireWire from
compatible set-top-boxes. Here isa list of the
compatible firewire set-top-boxes that are
supported in MythTV. If you want to go the
analog route, the Hauppauge lineup of cards is
well supported in Linux. Here isa list of the
supported Hauppauge capture cards.
Worth the effort
Video in Linux does not have to be that
challenging. Yes, you are going to come across a
few more hurdles than you would in Windows,
but the results will certainly be worth the time
invested. In the end, you will be creating
professional quality videos at nonprofessional
prices with software on a very reliable platform.

Cairo Dock Is a Mac OS X Style Launcher for Ubuntu and Debian

Ubuntu/Debian Linux: Cairo Dock is an app
launcher for Ubuntu and Debian Linux that closely
mimics the sleek look and feel of the Mac OS X
dock.
Cairo Dock works with or without OpenGL, and
makes for a surprisingly functional visual
improvement over the spartan Ubuntu Classic or
Unity 2D interfaces in Ubuntu. It doesn't just look
slick, though; the dock allows customization for
behavior, appearance, plug-ins, and themes.
The OpenGL version of Cairo Dock is also known
as GLX-Dock, and the two share all plug-ins as
well as themes.
Both the dock itself and the app icons that sit on it
can have their own separate themes, and you
can add not just multiple docks, but sub-docks
for existing docks. More interestingly, you can
add applets alongside apps, which is something
the dock in OS X simply won't do.

openSUSE 11.3 SB Rough Diamond [UPDATE]

Hello, my name is Antony and I have been making custom builds since Fedora 11 but as of November 2010, I moved on to openSUSE where I have continued with OS customizations most of which have been very successful.
Today I'm going to talk about a very interesting build and as the name suggests, it is called the openSUSE 11.3 SB Rough Diamond. It is not everyday that you find someone who is willing to go out of his or her way to make something unique. So, why do so to begin with?

1. I absolutely love this.
2. A lot of new Linux users would like to interact with Linux in a simplified state. They would like to find familiar software utilities and at the same time avoid lengthy hours working with config files via the terminal.
3. Most of the useful extras for example, Skype, VLC, Dropbox, VirtualBox, etc are only found online and can be troublesome if installed locally because of the extra dependencies that may be required. As we all know , affordable and reliable Internet in Kenya is still a challange and this project is aimed at partially tackling this problem.
4. A lot of people are using pirated copies of software ranging from Operating Systems to anti-viruses. This is an opportunity to explore free and open-source software alternatives and contribute to a passionate and growing community.

I will start by breaking down the naming convection used in this build.

• openSUSE 11.3: suggests it is a derivative of openSUSE 11.3.
• SB: stands the absolutely fabulous Intel Sandy Bridge processors. It also means that this build will be able to take full advantage of the VA-API video acceleration in the IGP(Integrated Graphics) of the latest Sandy Bridge processors.
• Rough Diamond: as with every new product or item, it can never be perfect and hence the name "Rough Diamond".

Up until now all of my build have been based on KDE but with this build I decided to use Gnome. Although I have been making other openSUSE builds, it has taken me roughly over a month to make this one because of the research on Gnome(The last time I used Gnome was with Fedora 9).

openSUSE 11.4 was released a few days ago and I must admit it is very impressive so you must be wondering why base my build on the older version 11.3? I would like my dear readers to imagine this as the software equivalent of a Twincharger(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twincharger). It takes the foundation of a reliable release and enhances it from the ground up, hence the phrase Twincharger. Very little in this system is old, in fact it may be more up to date than the current openSUSE 11.4 with the exception of a few software utilities.

FEATURES:

System:

1. Kernel 2.6.38-1.1 PAE. Physical Address Extension(PAE) allows you to address up to 64GB of ram on 32-bit operating systems. Oh yes you don't have to run a 64-bit OS if you are not comfortable with it. Please follow the following link to get a detailed look into the changes and features of kernel 2.6.38: http://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_2_6_38
2. Mesa 7.10, Xorg 1.9, xf86-video-intel 2.12, the latest libdrm and libva libraries. The above packages including the kernel are required to take full advantage of the VA-API video acceleration in the IGP(Integrated Graphics) of the latest Sandy Bridge processor. Xf86-video-intel may need to be updated to version 2.14.
3. Gnome 2.32.
4. Firmware for Atheros draft-n USB WLAN adoptors and Broadcom BCM4313, BCM43224, and BCM43225 chipsets.
5. ntfs-config: This is a graphical front-end to ntfs file-system manipulation. Makes mounting of ntfs partitions so easy.
6. Oracle VirtualBox 4.0.4(version 3.2 was not compatible with the included kernel). Before you can use VirtualBox, You need to recompile the VirtualBox kernel module as root using this command: "/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup".
7. Zenmap: A graphical front-end for the nmap network scanner.
8. Gparted.
9. Guake.
10. Btrfsprogs.
11. Truecrypt.
12. BackInTime: A desktop backup utility.
13. Faenza-icon-theme: Probably the best icon theme for Gnome. In case you find that you are missing some icons e.g. the Bluetooth icon in your panel, kindly go to: System>Look and Feel>Appearance and select your preferred theme. Click on Customize>Icons and select Faenza. This will give you most of the icons if not all of them.

Software Development:

1. Full featured IDEs: Codeblocks for C++ , Eclipse and Netbeans for Java, Eric for python, Bluefish and Kompozer for Web development.

Internet:

1. Transmission (Deluge bittorrent client failed to start, hence it was removed).
2. Mozillafirefox 4 Final and Opera 11.01 (Chromium failed to start and hence was removed).
3. Nautilus-Dropbox 0.6.3.
4. MHTML-Firefox: This enables firefox to read MHTML web archives such as those created by Microsoft IE.
5. Pidgin 2.7.10 (replaces Empathy).
6. Flash-player 10.2.
7. Skype.
8. Twitux: twitter client for Gnome.

Multimedia and Graphics:

1. Acetoneiso2.
2. Handbrake-gtk 0.95.
3. Gtk-recordMyDesktop.
4. Isomaster.
5. K3b (replaces Brasero).
6. Devede.
7. MythTV 0.24: for digital TV setups.
8. Picasa 2.7.3736 (replaces eog).
9. W32codes-all.
10. VLC.
11. SMplayer.
12. Blender 2.50.
13. Inkscape 0.48.
14. Banshee 1.8.1 (replaces Rhythmbox).
15. DivFix++: A utility for repairing broken AVI files.

Office:

1. Acroread/Adobe Reader 9.4.
2. OpenOffice.
3. Stardict 3.01: This is a cross-platform & International dictionary.
4. KchmViewer (Chmsee was removed becaused it failed to start and has less features).
5. Scribus.
6. Emacs. 
7. OpenProj.

These are just but a few of the available features. There is so much more, in fact this build comes with all the fonts you can imagine. Inkscape actually takes a little bit longer to start because of this.

The OS comes in two forms:

1. A preload ISO 3.1GB. A preload ISO is simply a Live CD/DVD that contains the preload hard disk image. When booted, it overwrites the target disk (after user confirmation), verifies the checksum, and then boots directly into the freshly loaded system. A word of warning - this format is meant for preloading and hence will overwrite all data on the target drive.
2. A Live CD/DVD 2.8GB. It would be preferable if interested parties would start with the latter as it allows you to explore the operating system without disrupting you existing one.

For those who may be interested in this build, it will be available as of 29th March from JLUG officials.

I may provide a video review in the near future.


BENCHMARKS: (Kindly click on the images to enlarge them)

The following benchmarks are not of this build but of some of the components included in it.

• Intel Sandy Bridge VA-API Video Acceleration Perfomance: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel_snb_video&num=1

• Large HDD & SSD Linux 2.6.38 File-System Comparison: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=linux_2638_large&num=1

The GNU C++ Compiler

There is always some trouble when you want to compile your C++ code on a Linux PC.But this is not anymore.Here is what you have to do:
1.Download the g++ package.Its advisable to use the software center for a direct link to the repository.
2.Once the application has installed successfully it will have a checked emblem thats green in color.
3.Run your IDE.If you are using Eclipse there is no need to configure manually but if you are on Netbeans this is a must.What to do is:compile your source file,then a dialog box will appear and you will be required to point to the directory that has your compiler or alternatively just click restore defaults and Netbeans will search the compiler for you.You should also note that eclipse and Netbeans uses the JRE(Java Runtime Environment).

Nice times and success with your c/c++ code

...experience flexibility

Maina

The third meeting

24th February 2011

It's the third meeting of the semester and a zeal in the club is taking up. Several technical presentations and many conferences. Some of the items discussed in the during the meeting are:
The VM ware:
Presented by Jotham an active member of the club. Its a supplemental to the common virtual box. Its a light weight application that helps to run several Operating Systems. Its cool try it out. JLUG ….experience flexibility.

Remastering your Linux Kernel
An intuitive presentation by Antony Nderitu a CT student just let it go with the total customization of your Linux. The test case system is Open SUSE.
Your destrol in Fedora.
All its packages are online
Its developer package is called reviser.
Some packages are open while others are hidden totally for instance:
The Anaconda
The Kernel
Your destrol in SUSE
First get an ID from www.suse.com.
Create an account either a novel or an ID
Fill the credentials
Wait for a reply ID and one is let to get to the SUSE studio

What is SUSE studio:
It's a developer suit that helps one to create a something of your own
It helps beginners to select the basic packages.

Some of the items to customize are
The boot image.
Your desktop

Since Linux is not licensed to distribute some packages,one to get them the respective packages from the repository

The destrol can be tested online through the use of a flash player. If one is not happy with the destrol one can re-customize and include other items.
What happens:
Check the destrol boot.
Interact with destrol for a time limit of one hour.
A destrol that he has made includes
VLC
Qt developer toolkit
Sm player
….and much more

….experience flexibility
The weekly events.
*ihub Mobile Monday
A presentation by Microsoft about cloud computing
Encouragement to the attendants to join the imagine competition whose finals will be held in New York
A challenge to the willing contestants to develop AI(Artificial Intelligence) applications and technologies geared to network sensing technologies.

Upcoming events for the month of March
On 1st March Tuesday Microsoft will be at JKUAT venue SCC 100
The open day is now on schedule and participants are being encouraged to register


Great thanks to:
Ken for his projector
Antony Nderitu for his remastering presentation
Jotham for his VM presentation
All the members for attending the meeting

...experience flexibility
JLUG 2011

On the second meeting

The JLUG meeting on Thursday, February 10 2011

USE LINUX LIVE LINUX

Lets welcome the IP v6 join Google, Facebook and other major big Internet companies to ushering in the new range of Internet address June 6th 2011.
Presentations:

Operating systems and their softwares:

Linux operating systems software from the link.


Upcoming events:

Microsoft Imaginecup at *ihub on 21st Monday.

A mapping event for the ladies at *ihub on

Saturday the 12th .It is good practice for members to sign up on-line. This is for continuous updating of the events that are to be held. Members are send electronic tickets in a portable document format(PDF).

Linux mobile classes next semester. Plans on the classes are being planned.

The request and registration for the expo projects is on.

OUR INTRODUCTORY MEETING

A new year is has come!. Our first meeting of the year was held on 3^rd feb. during this meeting we laid out our goals and ambitions for the semester and 2011.

. Some of the issues discussed included:

                i).The club’s main purpose  for this semester will include:

                                a).Organizing an open day to popularize the club and the use of Linux.

This will focus on solving general pc problems regardless of the operating system that a user is using.

Helping users to configure and install Linux on their systems for the to have a dual boot

                                b).Gathering projects for the expo of the year.

Tech expo 2011 is here and preparations have to start early. It has been urged that any of the members who has a project to register with any of the officials. The tech expo last year was a successful one and all it has now become an arena where developers come to show case their talent and programming skills.

c).Actualize.

This is another major show case of cutting edge applications developed by students for the students to solve problems in the campus in a technological way. If you  have a project you can register with any of the officials or check out the actualize Blog for more details.