Entries Tagged 'Open Source' ↓

The other day, I decided to take my computers down for the few hours it would take to upgrade to Hardy Heron. I wanted to take advantages of the new features and the improved Firefox 3. So far everyone is working very well. The upgrades went perfect, except for two issues, one on each computer.

First off, on my laptop, the host name of the computer fell out of the host file so sudo couldn’t work. This was almost a major issue, but it is very easy to fix.

Go to System-Network-General. Click on the unlock and enter your password. Next, copy that hostname listed there.

Next, go to hosts tab and you are going to want to add the hostname localhost at ip 127.0.0.1 and the host name from the previous step at ip 127.0.1.1 . Basically, get it looking like this screenshot.

After you finish, reboot your computer and you are back in business.

The second problem that I encountered was on my desktop. On its first reboot, it had several crash errors. I rebooted and they didn’t appear again and haven’t since. I think it’s just some legacy tracking errors.

All in all, I like the performance I am getting with the new Ubuntu.

I enjoy looking for Open Source Applications. I use Ubuntu Linux as often as practicable but rarely I need a certain tool or application that is only available under Windows and using it will save me time. I end up booting into Windows and then I am back in Linux as soon as possible. One of the first things I do once the pressure to complete the project has gone away is to look for an application or tool in Ubuntu Linux that I can use the next time it comes up.

Anyways, time is money in business. Any loss of productivity is a loss in income. I have come up with some open source applications that will help your business by saving you money, increasing productivity or both.

1. Open Office. Open Office is a suite of office software that competes very favorably with Microsoft Office. It features good quality applications and with their current level of advancement, they have a better feature set than Microsoft Office.

2. Gnu Cash. I looked over Gnu Cash a couple of years ago and it was clunky and ugly. Now, it is looking a lot better and its usefulness has grown tremendously. It’s now a very useful piece of Accounting software for small businesses.

3. Firefox. I know you all know about Firefox and how useful it is for surfing the internet, but will it help save money or make your employees more productive? Yes, sir. Your employees spend less time dealing with the hassles of Internet Explorer. You know, the spyware and viruses that love to live in IE?

4. Scribus. Scribus is great program for desktop publishing. You can layout and design your own brochures and newsletters from it and the quality is outstanding.

Next week, I will come up with a list of 4 Other Open Source Apps to Help Your Business.