JKUAT LINUX USER GROUP

2012-02-18T13:56:00.003-08:00

Linux Repositories

What are Repositories?

There are literally thousands of Ubuntu programs available to meet the needs of Ubuntu users. Many of these programs are stored in software archives commonly referred to as repositories. Repositories make it very easy to install new software onto Ubuntu using an Internet connection, while also providing a high level of security, as each program available in the repositories is thoroughly tested and built specifically for each version of Ubuntu.

The Ubuntu software repositories are organized into four separate areas or "components", according to the level of support offered by Ubuntu and whether or not the program in question complies with Ubuntu's Free Software Philosophy.

The repository components are:
Main - Officially supported software.
Restricted - Supported software that is not available under a completely free license.
Universe - Community maintained software, i.e. not officially supported software.
Multiverse - Software that is not free.

Overview of the default Ubuntu software repositories

Software repositories

To organize the software, Ubuntu repositories are categorized into four groups: Main, Restricted, Universe, and Multiverse. The rationale used to determine which software goes into which category is based on the level of support that software development teams provide for a program and the level of compliance the program has to the Free Software Philosophy.

The standard Ubuntu Install CD contains some software from the Main and Restricted categories.

If your system is connected to the Internet, many more software programs are made available for installation. For example, the “Universe” and “Multiverse” repositories are only available over the Internet.

Please note: The Multiverse repository contains software which has been classified as non-free. This software may not be permitted in some jurisdictions. When installing each package from this repository, you should verify that the laws of your country permit you to use it. Also, this software may not include security updates.

Update repositories

The Update Manager automatically finds software updates for your computer when they are available. It regularly gathers information on potential updates from a number of online update sources.

If you click System → Administration → Software Sources and select the Updates tab, you will notice that four update sources are available. An explanation for each of these is provided below:

Important security updates: Updates which fix critical security flaws are made available through this source. It is recommended that all users leave this source enabled (it should be enabled by default).

Recommended updates: Updates which fix serious software problems (which are not security flaws) are made available through this source. Most users will want to leave this source enabled as common and annoying problems are often fixed with these updates.

Pre-released updates: Updates which are currently being tested before being released to everyone are provided through this update source. If you would like to help test new updates (and get fixes for problems more quickly), enable this source. Be aware that these updates may not yet be well tested; it is not recommended that you enable this source unless you are prepared to experience occasional problems.

Unsupported updates: When new versions of popular software are released they are sometimes “back-ported” to an older version of Ubuntu so that users can benefit from new features and fixes for problems. These backports are unsupported, may cause problems when installed and should only be used by people who are in desperate need of a new version of a software package which they know has been backported.

Second Meet Up of the Year

2012-02-11T01:54:00.000-08:00

A Section of the Audience Keen on a Presentation

A sizeable crowd at hand, presentations at the ready and asalways some new faces seated front and it was yet another successful meet up;this being our second for the new year. first up was Sigu who was on hand withuseful tips and tricks stemming from our Linux/Unix background which no doubtwelcomed the new faces as well as reminded us all of what drives the club as awhole; the open source spirit, having options and embracing different ways oflooking at the challenges we face in ICT and coming together to find innovativesolutions that will power tomorrow's technology today.

Allan demonstrating the AI Logic for the game

Our feature presentation as made by:

· Allan Mukhwana,
· Timothy Wambua,
· Felix Milome,
· Chris Kivaze, and
· Edda Wachira who run the demo

Was quite the inspiration. Quoting from their storyabstract, with permission from Allan Mukhwana, "Operation Linda Nchi isthe first sequel to the 0peration Linda Nchi Challenge. Vol. 1 (War in Somalia)is a 3D PC game about you, the soldier (raider), given a mission (five intotal) to defend your country from insurgents." It is set in the rough and untamed vast landsof East Africa in fictitious Somalia. Perhaps one of the more defining aspectsto this project is the fact that all members of this team are in their firstyear of study, taking Computer Technology.

The Game's overview

The brains behind it all include:

· Allan Mukhwana, who did the code for theArtificial Intelligence part of the game,
· Timothy Wambua and Dennis Riungu, who areresponsible for the User Interface,
· Felix Milome, who is responsible for modelling,
· Chris Kivaze and Anthony Bukhalana, who areresponsible for the graphics part of the game

Their contact details are as follows:

· Allan Mukhwana--allanmukhwana@gmail.com
· Timothy Wambua--timothywambua@rocketmail.com
· Felix Milome--felixmilome@yahoo.com

The game so far has five missions in total, with moremodules and challenges in the works. The global gaming industry remains highlylucrative and with talent like this in our own backyard, we'll claim our shareof this market yet.

Our next presenter, Law, gave us more insight into mobiledevelopment on the J2Me environment for which he develops.

Law making his presentation

He featured aproject which incorporates Bluetooth technology from mobile devices which isused to pull specific data from Wi-Fi networks in range. It still indevelopment and should prove to be quite an interesting app when complete.

The last presentation of the day was by our very own Calvinwho provided invaluable pearls of wisdom on the intricacies of start-ups,business ventures and using ICT to provide pertinent solutions to fit anyprofit making idea. His main emphasis was on courage, dedication, creativity,and having the correct business plan. He also delved into marketing trends,branding and how to ensure that your product beats the competition.

First meeting of the semester..

2011-09-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

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 sessionOh, 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

2011-07-19T01:21:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-05T03:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-05T03:11:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-04T04:10:00.002-07:00

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

2011-06-04T03:59:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-05-25T07:52:00.001-07:00

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

2011-05-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

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]

2011-03-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

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?

I absolutely love this.
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.
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.
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:

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
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.
Gnome 2.32.
Firmware for Atheros draft-n USB WLAN adoptors and Broadcom BCM4313, BCM43224, and BCM43225 chipsets.
ntfs-config: This is a graphical front-end to ntfs file-system manipulation. Makes mounting of ntfs partitions so easy.
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".
Zenmap: A graphical front-end for the nmap network scanner.
Gparted.
Guake.
Btrfsprogs.
Truecrypt.
BackInTime: A desktop backup utility.
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:

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

Internet:

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

Multimedia and Graphics:

Acetoneiso2.
Handbrake-gtk 0.95.
Gtk-recordMyDesktop.
Isomaster.
K3b (replaces Brasero).
Devede.
MythTV 0.24: for digital TV setups.
Picasa 2.7.3736 (replaces eog).
W32codes-all.
VLC.
SMplayer.
Blender 2.50.
Inkscape 0.48.
Banshee 1.8.1 (replaces Rhythmbox).
DivFix++: A utility for repairing broken AVI files.

Office:

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

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.
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

2011-02-27T02:25:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-25T01:40:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-09T08:18:00.001-08:00

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.

End The Year With A Bang

2010-12-01T04:13:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Events

The year 2010 is set to end with a bang. A host of events lined up for December will ensure you end the year informed and equipped with new skills:

Wezesha
Date: December 3 from 3pm - 6pm
Venue: KICC
Entrance Fee: FREE

Overview:
The Kenya ICT Board will launch 'Wezesha' a laptop initiative for university students on December 3. 'Wezesha' means 'enable' in Kiswahili. Under the Wezesha program university students in participating public and private universities and colleges will be eligible for 15% - 33% rebate on laptops from select retailers.

For more infomration visit:www.ict.go.ke

Microsoft Open Door
Date: December 8 from 8:00am
Venue: Sarit Center
Entrance Fee: FREE
Register online

Overview:
Join the Microsoft team at the Kenya Open Door event where they will present and showcase their latest technology.

You will have the opportunity to get the latest news about recent released Microsoft technologies, tools, platforms and services as well as industry trends first-hand from Microsoft experts and independent specialists.
erevuka kuwa sonko

Date: December 8 - 10
Venue: Nyayo Stadium
Entrance Fee: Ksh 100

Overview:
Erevuka Kuwa Sonko is a multi-faceted forum to empower the youth and integrate them into Kenya's economy building process. This event will feature Career and Talent Testing and an ICT Center to showcase opportunities for youth in the ICT sector. Be a part of this ambitious event.

For more information:
visit website: www.erevukakuwasonko.com
send email: info@kuwasonko.com

Tandaa Symposium
Date: December 10
Venue: Sarit Center (at the Kenya Music Week)
Entrance Fee: FREE
Register online

Overview:
The Tandaa Symposium on Music seeks to examine and reveal various tools the Internet offers for the music industry in Kenya. Sponsored by Google, the Tandaa Symposium will showcase local solutions and global applications that can help Kenyan musicians grow their fan base and distribute their music to a wider audience.
i/o ventures
Date: December 14
Venue: iHub
Entrance Fee: FREE

Overview:
A team from i/o ventures will visit Kenya from December 14 to 15. The team consists of entrepreneurs and founders of some of the most well known Silicon Valley companies. They will be in the country looking to find ICT entrepreneurs to mentor. Mark the date in your calendar - more information on how you can participate will follow soon

Courtesy of ICT Board Kenya

Some principles on interface design

2010-11-30T22:44:00.000-08:00

GUI Design - Best Practices

Software Systems are becoming complex by day; driven by the ever changing business processes. Despite this, their interfaces are expected to become more intuitive, easy and quick to use as well as able to hide all of the systems’ complexity from the user. To understand the concept of a good interface, let us take an example of a television set.

A television set internally consists of Electrical circuits that are drawn on boards using a medium capable of transmitting electrical signals. On the outer, the set consists of plastic casing which has a screen for visual output, volume buttons, program buttons, function buttons and a few others. These buttons are mapped on to the internal circuit boards. The users only see the casing and the buttons which hide the complexity of the internals of the Television set.

In order to come up with a good graphical user interface for any system, the following principles apply;

1. Understanding Targeted System Users

Television viewers enjoy viewing if they are able to set up for optimal results. While some are capable of setting up without much guidance (can use the remote controls to make complex setup), others are not able to understand even the basic setup hence need a one touch button on the casing to set the defaults.

Similarly, for the users to appreciate the system and use it effectively, they need to feel that it is easy to use. Since complexity varies for different users, GUI designers need to identify user segments for the system, understand their perception of a good interface then design the interface with this in mind. This gives a user the perception of being in control of the system.

2. Applying Universal Norms

When a TV viewer wants to increase volume, he looks on the Casing or remote control for a volume Icon. He expects this Icon to be standard for any television set. Thus if he does not find this Icon, he ends up confused.

Users tend to favor designs they are familiar with. Instead of re-inventing the whole wheel, GUI designers need to follow consistently used norms/Icons. Users will feel at ease with the system even if they haven’t interacted with it.

3. Ensuring Consistency

Imagine buying a TV with ‘Program’ button on the casing labeled “Function” and placed as the first button below the screen. One year down the line, you decide to purchase another TV of the same make. This time round the “Function” button has been renamed to “Program” and positioned as the last button above the screen!

Thus GUI structure should be consistent throughout the system. Users should be able to predict where to find a certain control on the window. For example SAVE button should be located at a constant position on all windows. Better still would be to place controls common to other widely used applications at the same position on the window.

4. Providing Visual Feedback

Imagine setting volume on the TV and there is no visual feedback that displays whether the volume is increasing or not!

Where possible, GUI designers should provide visual feed back like, highlighting buttons when clicking, projecting controls, changing control color and/or text fonts’ etc. This readily and clearly assures the user that an intended action is being or has been performed.

5. Support Keyboard shortcuts and Mouse Events

Where possible, GUI designers should provide keyboard shortcuts that a user can easily identify for quick accessibility of the system functionality. For example ctrl+v for Paste function. Where applicable, the developer should use universally identified shortcuts.

6. Appealing but Non-exaggerated Look and Feel

Imagine going to buy a television set and finding one shaped like human head! My best guess would be that, you would not be attracted to buy it for obvious reasons. It does not matter how wonderful its internal functionality is.

Users are drawn by what they see. A well designed system attracts users to want to use it. It’s only by using the system that they will appreciate the goodness, effectiveness and the seriousness of the system.

7. Positioning of windows Controls, Tool and menu bars

Picture, at one time finding the buttons on the TV casing below the screen, then next time at the back! Automatically, you tend to search for them at the front and wouldn’t think of them being placed at the back!

System controls should be consistently positioned where the user can easily and predictably find them without much ado. This serves to enhance the users’ perception of the system being easy to use.

8. Minimal Functionality Presentation on Windows

Now, visualize the TVs’ entire functionality mapped together with the buttons on the casing. Which one would you start with? How long would it take you to find the button you need amongst the many buttons? Would all fit on the casing? How messy can it get?

GUI designers should endeavor to present as minimal as possible functionalities on the window; possibly, only the functionalities affecting the processes on that window.

9. Ensuring Ease of Navigation

Picture setting up the TV and in the process you need to first quit setup then fix the aerial, then resume to setup again. After that you try to navigate to where you were before.

User interface should be well designed to allow for easy navigation between different windows and functionality. This adds to the simplicity of the system.

Conclusion

User interface determines how the user perceives the system, which in turn determines how one would use it. If a user believes the system is easy to use and effectively addresses his/her needs, it translates to the number of times he/ she would come back to it thus realizing its full potential. It is upon this solid foundation of carefully planned User Interface that the A1ERP has been built. It boasts of consistency, ease of use, a well managed appealing look and feel, properly planned window layouts and well designed system functionality, amongst others.

Cutesy of AT labs

JLUG DOES IT AGAIN

2010-11-29T04:06:00.000-08:00

On 27th November 2010, the anti graft chiefs in Africa led by their host PLO Lumumba visited JKUAT.

JLUG got a chance to present to them some of the projects by their members. The projects included College Feed by Kenneth Kimani,Shika Mwizi by Paul Mwaniki,Fuel SMS by Eric Omwadho and M-Akiba by Rasto Chepkwony.

They delegation was extremely happy with the presentation and encouraged us to do keep up the good work.Its through this that Kebati Calvin one of the officials of JLUG got an invitation by Victoria Kattambo to visit KACC so that they discuss more on how they can further engage the students.

JLUG is walking the talk and there is yet more to come.

Watch out for JLUG magazine first edition soon.

On the last meeting

2010-11-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

JLUG meeting

Thursday November 25th 2010

New kids on the floor:

The final meeting of the academic year saw some new fellows on the floor. Felling a little bit nervous and inconsistent was what seemed to take over but it was soon overcome.
The presentations:
Group proposals:
Elijah a committed member of the club brought about the issue of having groups that will be managed by a group organizer and lead by a leader. The group organizer will have the role of manning projects and presentations forwarded to him by the officials. For fairness,each of the groups will have one of the officials as a member. The advantages that will be derived from this are:
1) Enables everyone to be herd.
2) Enhances healthy competition hence seriousness and devotion.
3) Will create responsibilities.
This idea was seconded by the chair and also the secretary as a brilliant idea to unite the members of the club”The JLUG family”

The open day:
A proposal brought about by Ian Christine and Nelson:
What its all about:
Most people know about Linux but they are reluctant on using it. Reason being its open source,it is an executable application that will crash your system once installed on your Windows machine. On the other hand people just use it for entertainment. Having the mindset of a computer geek,one knows how much Linux has evolved from the command line to the graphical interface,Just as the commandments put it,”Honor your father and mother”So shall all Linux users remember Unix as both their father and mother. IT has changed computing since all other operating systems use our kernel but only change the interface.
Get more of these from the magazine issue #1.

The margazine is on

2010-11-23T04:53:00.000-08:00

The JLUG editorial team is proud to announce that the progress of the first magazine is taking a forward step in its implementation.A digital magazine that is one of its kind in the campus.Hecho to the club officials and all of those who are taking part in its implementation.The magazine will be out on December 1st this year and each of the registered members will be send a copy of the magazine to their e-mail.

Reflections On The JKUAT Tech Expo2010

2010-11-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

“Hardwork, Determination, Persistence and Collaborations are key to achieving success in every endeavor you pursue”

The first JKUAT tech Expo 2010 was organized by JLUG for a period summing up to nine months. The culmination of it was on 13th Oct ,2010 when the results were seen. A success that was was witnessed on that Wednesday. It was graced by the university management led by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Mabel Imbuga, Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Research, Production and Extension Prof. Esther Kahangi who were very instrumental in seeing our dream come true.

The organizers of the event led by Kebati Calvin were divided into sub commits that played a vital role. They included the media team led by Wendoh Willys, the marketing team led by Sam Ndungu and the general secretariat led by Mike Muriuki. Indeed it was evident that they did a great job from the turn out and high level of display of organization. We appreciate them for the job well done!

The other stakeholders that played a key role in the expo were the exhibitors who believed in us and burnt the midnight oil to put together their projects that really were the main motivations towards JKUAT TECH expo. They did help us prove skeptics wrong who saw the failure part of it that we were serious and success was the minimum we did expect. Indeed its worthy mentioning that ICT Board of Kenya did give our event serious thought, this was manifested by sending Local content manager, Kaburo Kobia to the event who also volunteered to be our judge and spent the whole day with us. Hongera Kaburo for believing in us!

Its an event that displayed just less than 5% of the enormous ideas that are not being displayed our fellow students and usually go unnoticed. The fully packed assembly hall applauded the VC when she did promise to allow the students event on the university calendar, this implied that she was greatly humbled by the projects she did see.

We in future would want to see a fablab developed in JKUAT to facilitate the development of students’ ideas and help us compete favorably with other globally acknowledged institution.

As JLUG we would like top encourage students to be ready to present their ideas discuss them and realize them through partnerships that matter and not people who strive to take pride in other peoples sweat.

Experience flexibility as you share your knowledge with the world and you will definitely achieve much.

DVC-RPE Prof. Easther Murugi Kahangi and the exhibitors in JKUAT Tech Expo It

2010-07-29T02:11:00.001-07:00

It was a great honor for Jkuat Linux users Group(JLUG) to be the first ever club to host the DVC-RPE Prof. Easther Murugi Kahangi and the exhibitors in JKUAT Tech Expo
scheduled for October, 2010.
She had the some encouraging message to the exhibitors who were JKUAT student.
She said, “We have to be creative to drive the Kenyan economy and make Kenya a
paradise just like or even better than USA.”
She said she was amazed at the students’ initiative and supported it since it will breed a culture of innovativeness in the University and by extension to the society we live in.
She went ahead to say that in fact the University management was happy and were
considering introducing an innovation academy in JKUAT that will cater for the
students on their innovation and offer all technical support towards success of their
ideas so long as they address a current issue or problem in the society. According to
JLUG that is a step in the right direction.
The exhibitors who were in attendance were extremely happy and felt encouraged by
the DVC-RPE. Some were quoted as saying “We never imagined she(DVC-RPE) could
show up in this meeting and interact with us in that manner. We feel honored.”
From this statement bit show statement we ascertained her attendance did actually
make an impact.
Besides her we had our patron Mr. Harrison Kaguongo who encouraged the exhibitors
to utilize the resources and skills they have to make a change. He even cited the BillGates encounter with White house who rubbished his idea but Gates persisted and
that’s why we use computers today in the world and ironically USA over relies on
them.
Prof. Kahangi and Mr Kaguongo had the same parting shot “Lets change Kenya”
Indeed we can so lets get to work.

GoogleCL

2010-07-13T08:08:00.001-07:00

Posting from the command line :)

A Tale of four Distros

2010-07-08T03:45:00.000-07:00

GENTOO
I was having an interesting discussion with Allan recently about Gentoo Linux and he pointed out its newbie unfriendliness, and I want to reiterate his opinion :), albeit half-heartedly. Well since the beginning of the Gentoo journey as with all other OS's (OSi? :) ) is the installation, I decided against reinventing the wheel by writing an installation guide. So head on over to THIS link and READ. Thing about the gentoo install is its majorly manual, what has been automated in other distros with intelligent scripts some even graphical, you have to do entirely by hand the good ol' UNIX way, with commands (Can you see the size of my grin? :D ). Ok. maybe I'll mention a wee bit about the installation;

After prepping your disk for installation [refer to the aforementioned guide] you'll get to a stage where you shall be required to compile your system (this is the mad cool part). You'll often hear gentoo referred to as a compiled Linux distro as opposed to the Debians and redhats which are a bunch of binaries compiled for a 386 system. You are most likely running on a Pentium class processor so this step right here makes all the difference and sets Gentoo apart from the other distros since you are essentially being allowed to custom make it for your hardware. All produced binaries shall be optimised to run on your hardware. [if that sounded like gibberish to you I advise you to skip the Gentoo section and scroll down to Sabayon :) ]
Oh and here's a gem I stole from a gentoo enthusiast's site
"Yea, I really don't understand all the complaints about the time to install gentoo. It is like complaining about your Ferrari because the dealership was so far away."

Lemmi rant on a bit about Gentoo's super deliciousness. Indulge me:

Sourced-speed
So like I said gentoo is a compiled linux distro. What this means for you is that every level of your system shall be optimised to run on your hardware, right down to the drivers that run everything. Zoooooom!!! So yeah the first merit of Gentoo is that its a speed demon. :D Interested yet?

waving CFLAGS vs. USE
I won' lie to you, I am by far not gentoo'd enough to make the difference clear here but I'll try my best. Besides, if you're still reading, it probably means this stuff isn't complete Greek to you :). So Gentoo has this giga-nifty feature called USE variables. What these things do is make it easy for you to choose what is and isn't important in your system, and as a consequence you end up with as Allan likes to put it, "A leaner and meaner" system that serves only your needs and scraps out all the manure that clutters up your system. Example: You don't have a printer at home, and you don't desire one either hehe, so why get all that stuff compiled into your system taking up space and using resources since CUPSd is started by default on most linux distros, USE -cups and you'll have none of that, in the event you require CUPS you just compile it into the system and viola! The debian/redhat equivalent is CFLAGS (which by the way you won't have the option of using at install time since everything comes in pre-packaged binary form) , you might have come across them if you compile stuff for yourself, they are WAY more tedious to use, take it from me. Enough about that you must be getting cross with me by now :).

Watching sh*t scroll by for hours makes me a Linux expert overnight!

Hehehehe!! Yeah, gentoo isn't really your newby friendly distro, but darn it to heck you get to learn a whole load of *NIX gooie while using it. So yeah, I recommend it for anyone hungry to learn their way around the UNIX wilderness. Another thing I'll squeeze in to this point is that Gentoo is extremely developer friendy, comes with all the necessary headers that you need for compiling stuff for yourself and you can for get that "Your headers are out of date" message that you risk running into when using debian's "build essential". Golly I'm falling in love with this thing already!! I know you are too :).

Emerge!
Gentoo has a package manager called portage not unlike apt-get (which I applaud Debian immensely for) but far beyond what debian's apt-get can do. . .you can update your whole bl00dy system with one command!! emerge --update world, now tell me that isn't awesome!! Huh?

Ok. I can go on and on. . . .but the purpose of this post was whet your appetite and get you to find out more about Gentoo on your own as well as experiment with it. So errrr that's the end of my Gentoo rant :).

I started out thinking that I'd do it all in one fell swoop but I'm starting to tire, so I'll do the remaining 3 distros later.

Preview:
. . . . .Puppy Linux: If you've ever watched Major Payne (That Damon Wayans should be locked up :D) you probably remember the part Payne was telling that story of the little engine that could, that was creepy right?With his squeaky voice and all hehe, anyhow Puppy linux is the Little Distro that can, Its all I use. . . .

More next time.

if you have mplayer on your linux distro try this:
$ cd your_music_folder
$ find . -iname '*name of song/musician*' -exec mplayer {} +

:D

Sayanora peeps, till next time.

SCOSIT vote re-run!! at 5pm

2010-07-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, as had mentioned earlier, the SCOSIT chairmen who had contested last week ended up in a tie. So, a re-run was set for today and I have just been informed that this will be held at 5pm Today. Please come and vote. All IT, CT and Comp. Science students are eligible for voting so everyone is welcome. Remember, we need a vibrant society and that can only be achieved through a candid leader.
See you at five.

VOTING RESULTS

2010-07-02T01:24:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, as expected, the voting went on very well. I must admit that it was very peaceful and fairly conducted. The voter turn out was also pleasant, making SCOSIT probably the largest gathering in the name of a club in JKUAT right now. We hope this will be replicated all through it's endeavors.

Apparently, it was a very tightly contested vote which resulted to the two contesting chairmen tying with 80 votes each. This was quite shocking. With this, people have to vote for the second time next week on Tuesday.
There had been a consultation about having to register before voting but I've already been informed by some reliable sources that it will not be there, though it was decided that in the next voting people must produce their school IDs.

All the other posts were grabbed with very smart and promising people who we hope will steer the club into some pleasant fortunes.

We can only wait and see. Meanwhile, the contestants are allowed to do anything in their power to amass as many people as possible. Thanks to all those who came in strongly to vote.

Have an "Open Source Weekend!".

The voting is on tonight.

2010-07-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

Finally, the SCOSIT officials are being voted in today at 8pm. All the contestants are ready. We as JLUG members we can only wait and see. Will blog more as the proceedings go by and also after the actual voting.

Lets see who wins.

UPCOMING STRATHMORE MOBILE BOOTCAMP

2010-06-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, the Strathmore annual mobile boot-camp has been lined up and is scheduled for 7th July to 10th July i.e. running from Thursday through to Sunday. This sounds like a great experience for the mobile techies out there.
Basically, Mobile boot-camp is all about mobile application development.

On the 8th of July, there will be speakers from the industry touching on a variety of relevant issues including converting your ideas into business and Grants for local application developers. 9th and 10th of July will see hands-on development sessions in Beginner and Intermediate Java ME, SMS/USSD and Python.

Only 150 spaces are left. You can book online and receive a mail notification or you can also pay through your phone. All details on registrations and payments are here and .

For more information about the event itself go to

any questions and comments about the same are welcome.

See you there.

IMAGINE CUP COMPETITION- MICROSOFT CORPORATION

2010-06-23T13:16:00.001-07:00

Though belated, we are still obliged to post about Imagine Cup Competition that went down three weeks ago. It was a success, at least according to most of JLUG members. Presentations were of good quality and drawn from all over East Africa with a little bias towards Uganda’s’ Makerere University. JKUAT as usual had quite a commanding representation and we were able to present 5 projects and good enough, one was presented an award.

The winner was from Strathmore University and was immediately presented with a ticket to Poland for the world finals. It was really interesting, especially because two teams will be flown to Poland.

To those who missed it, no need to worry, you can always catch up with the next one, at least that is a year's notice so no excuse. For those who would want to line up projects for next year, the registration dates will be posted to you accordingly.

Alongside the free lunch, the general ambiance at the Hotel was gorgeous, the ladies were HEAVEN and in good plenty, probably more than the number of people Jesus fed with "" loaves and "" fish!!!

Now you see exactly why you will not miss the next..

Nothing else. Go Code.

WELCOME TO THE JLUG BLOG!

2010-06-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, it's finally up and running. The official blog url is www.jkuatlinux.blogspot.com . This is just to welcome you to the blog. Feel free to share any information in here. Comments and suggestions are highly welcomed.

Thank you.
Editor.