mrBen

Here’s what I would really like:

• something that can (at least) mimic the functions of the video recorder, ie recording and playing back shows from TV
• something that can handle our library of DVDs
• something that can give easy access to online video content, ideally iplayer and seesaw as they now cover most of the stuff I’d want

Other items (picture viewing, other video plugins, etc, etc) are a bonus that is a consideration, but not a deal breaker.

So I started to look around at some of the current popular offerings. As far as I can tell, MythTV is still the one to beat for straight PVR, although there’s a certain amount of confusing online as to whether or a not a Revo could handle it as a combined backend/frontend. (The dual-core model seems like it might, unsure about the ‘bargain’ box).

When it comes to the online content, there are 3 big boys out there – XBMC, Plex (which is only for MacOS) and Boxee. I’ve looked at all three, and here are my conclusions:

• XBMC – the code upon which the other 2 are based, but seems to be nice. The interface is usable and looks a lot like plex. However, the browsing for plugins is rudimentary, and the list of plugins only had a couple of things I wanted. A search online seemed to come back with a lot of ‘this can’t be done because of DRM’ replies, and yet the plugins exist for Plex, so why not….?
• Plex – pretty nice, although it did have one or two annoyances, not least the reliance on OSX which would make the Acer Revo a more difficult prospect (if a prospect at all)
• Boxee – the new kid on the block making a lot of noise, but, in my opinion, not yet delivering. They need to sort out getting more plugins in there, and it needs an interface to MythTV too It had a whole load of “social” stuff built into it, but, frankly, I don’t think I want/need that. (Reminds me a bit of the Flock browser)

I _want_ to like Boxee, but I find myself leaning towards XBMC more at the moment. Alternatively, there are a load of plugins for MythTV itself, so maybe that is a better option?

I’d love to hear from anybody who has similar needs, and also anyone who’s running Myth on a Revo.

mrBen

Sadly, the code is probably not something that many people are interested in, but I was interested and that’s enough for me

Whetstone is a small application to help you memorise verses of scripture over a period of time. Currently it only runs on Linux, although the Windows version is around the corner. Testers are welcomed

mrBen

(Click for fullsize. Thanks to the Ubuntu UK Podcast guys, from whom I won the Canonical store vouchers that paid for the hat )

I love my daughter

mrBen

• Linpus Lite lasted about 10 minutes before the novelty wore off and Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR) got installed
• UNR is pretty sweet – installed quickly, and I really like the launcher and maximus (the window manager that auto-maximises most applications
• The keyboard is surprisingly easy to type on
• The screen is nice – Serenity looks great
• I need to try one of the other wifi drivers – this one does seem to drop out when under high load
• Adobe Flash is somewhat slow at times – need to see if anyone else suffers from that
• Battery life is not as good as I would like, but liveable with

Overall, I’m extremely happy with my new piece of kit – it has outperformed my expectations in most areas, and I am anticipating it getting plenty of use over the next few weeks and months.

One thing I have been thinking about is storage, and whether or not to get some online storage. Dropbox has been around for a while and seems to be popular, although part of me is tempted by Ubuntu One, as a way to support Canonical. Anybody got experience of either of these, another service, or alternatively using something like space on Dreamhost for synchronising data?

mrBen

So, why the change. Well, I’d been thinking about Netbooks since Asus brought out the Eee pc – I love the balance between portability and power. While my N800 has bags of power for it’s size, and was definitely portable, it basically got relegated to being an audio media player, with the odd bit of video, and playing Aisleriot (and Flight of the Amazon Queen on SCUMMVM when I first got it). Certainly the screen is lovely for video, and it fulfilled it’s function wonderfully. If I didn’t need the cash to fund the netbook, I’d keep it….

Instead, however, my media player functions will move to my phone, and the netbook will become the place for watching video and playing games. In addition, I’m hoping to use the netbook as a calendar/diary, which the N800 wasn’t ideal for (although GPE Calendar twinned with Erminig to sync with google was not bad), plus take on some additional functions that I would normally use my laptop for, like running OpenOffice.org and GnomeSword (now apparently called Xiphos, but not yet in Ubuntu…).

According to Parcelforce, it’s out for delivery today, so hopefully my next post will be done via the netbook

mrBen

The other was that, when the previous occurs, or when playing games etc, the panel icons and applets seem to move around, rather than staying where I had carefully placed them. Now, the positions of all the applets and icons are stored in gconf, so I thought it would be a cunning plan to write to script to store/restore them, and here it is!

To run it you simply do:

$ python panel-tool.py store

which will store the positions of all the icons/applets in your top panel in a text file, and then

$ python panel-tool.py restore

when you want them restored to normal. This requires a restart of the panel, which is a bit ugly (it does a complete reload, which takes a few seconds) but it works!

Anyway – thought somebody else might be wanting this, so I’m releasing this version into the wild. It’s nowhere near perfect, I’m sure, but it WFM…

mrBen

panel-tool.py

(Save the file and rename to panel-tool.py due to hosting weirdness)

UPDATE
OK – there seems to be some issues with the login/out menu applet, and the clock applet. Sometimes they show up in the wrong place, although if you move them to where they should be and rerun panel-tool it seems to work itself out properly. I’ll see if I can resolve this (and do a proper config file as suggested by aq)

No network, wireless or otherwise, and a busted modem. But it works.

And I replaced the existing WinXP with Puppy Linux.

Which runs like a charm. It’s a small system, picks up my hardware and my wireless pc card without any struggle and is perfect for Writing with so I don’t have to steal away Ruthy’s laptop whenever I’m out at a writing meet.

Bliss.

BigAl

• Linux in a Nutshell (4th Ed)
• LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell
• Linux Desktop Hacks
• Linux Cookbook
• Tim O’Reilly in a Nutshell
• Managing NFS and NIS (quite an old copy)
• Programming Python 2nd Edition
• Java and XSL
• Sed and Awk (2nd Edition) (bought from work library but in good condition)
• Learning the vi editor (bought from work library but in good condition)

I also have another book on programming Java from a different publisher. Will confirm details on that later.

Lastly, I may also consider parting with a couple of older commercial games for Linux, namely:

• Heavy Gear II
• Soul Ride
• Hopkins FBI
• Soldier of Fortune
• Doom3
• Quake4
• Unreal Tournament 2003
• Unreal Tournament 2004

All the games are boxed with all the appropriate manuals, although they have all been used. I’m not entirely sure I want to get rid of all of these, but if you are interested, please let me know and I’ll think harder about it.

For any of these items either leave me a comment, or drop me a mail at mrben -at- jedimoose -dot- org.

mrBen

• The end of LugRadio (even with the prospect of LRL UK 09 still on the horizon) did have a significant effect on my life, although looking back I can kind of see how it seems to have fitted in nicely with a change of direction in my life as a whole.
• Not least, of course, the start of Classic Yak way back in August. We’re consistently getting 50+ listeners for each show – not quite up to the LR standards, but the Christian online community appears to be much more fractured and disorganised than the FLOSS community (no surprises there). We’ve just released our 7th episode, and have plans for 2 more episodes in Season 1, and then a bit of a break before Season 2 kicks off
• In September Heather and I began the year-long Invest program. Every time I’ve mentioned Invest on this blog, I’ve said “I’ll explain more later”. I guess there’s no time like the present…

Invest is a year long program aimed at (to quote their site) “equipping pioneering church planters”. It was established from our church in (if memory serves) 2006. The program involves some residential teaching (a weeks induction, and 4 weekends in various places around the country), time in a placement church (ideally around 4-8 hours a week, I think) and individual study and reflection. Additionally, there are essay assignments of 2000 words before each weekend.
Heather and I have been placed in the Rock Community Church in Dumbarton for the past few months. Their Sunday meetings are in possibly the most orange room ever constructed. We were also involved in the Dumbarton Alpha course, which is jointly run by people from the Rock, the CofS, the Baptist church, the Brethren church and the Roman Catholics. (I don’t think I’ve missed anyone out…)
So why, you may be asking, is a Linux geek getting involved in such a course? Now – you might not be asking that at all, but I’m going to tell you anyway But it all needs to be put into a context that some of you may not be all that aware of.

I first came to Scotland in 1995 at the tender age of 18, to spend a year working with Scripture Union Scotland. At that point I was intending to become a youth worker, most likely within a church. After a year traipsing round the Borders and Edinburgh, mostly doing schools work, I had to make more decisions about my future. I decided that the appropriate continuation on the path was to take another year out with SU, ideally doing work with churches, rather than around schools. And then I was going to University to do Divinity/Theology, in order to get a good theoretical background to underly the experience I had in youth and childrens work.
And so, in 1996 I found myself in a team of 1, working for a barely-conceived church of 8 people, under Alan McWilliam. Being part of Whiteinch Fellowship, as it was then, has shaped the last 12 years of my life considerably, and has fostered me through University, marriage, fatherhood and my 8 years at IBM.
From the beginning of my time at Whiteinch, I was aware of certain skills and gifts that were coming to the fore, not least in leading worship, and teaching. Plus, I had (and have) a fascination with church strategy. I think at that point I knew that one day I would lead a church.
Fast-forward through that year out, 3 years of university, 8 years of work, and probably the most spiritually dry 10 years of my life to date, and you find me in the middle of last summer, agreeing to do Invest, but at the same time having God reach down and give me a good slap and telling me to get my act together.

“And so here we are on the raggedy edge…” I’m fairly sure that within the next 3-5 years myself and Heather will be part of a team beginning a new church. It probably won’t look like what most people imagine a church to be. It probably won’t be what I imagine it to be at this time. But it will definitely be an adventure.

“I aim to misbehave”

mrBen