Ubuntu is my default OS

In my last post, I described initial comments after upgrading to Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala. Since I wanted  ext 4 file system for my Ubuntu OS, I did a clean install. After the clean install, I ensured that all my peripheries worked properly. This time, I did not have to struggle to make my graphics card and webcam to work. It was breezy. I used hardware driver item in the menu of System>Administration menu list. It loaded driver automatically after detecting my graphics card. My webcam worked automatically, since gspca driver was loaded by default. Hardware configurations were done by few clicks.

Now, I had to install all my required apps. As usual for any new install in Ubuntu, I installed restricted extras. This ensured that all media files worked in Ubuntu. Later, I installed the following apps either through Ubuntu Software Center (earlier it was "ADd/Remove application") or Synaptic Package Manager.

                 Google Earth                                                             GnuCash

          

                     Blender                                                                 VirtualBox  

          

                  Google Chrome                                                         Ubuntu One

          

                         Skype

Since Google Chrome was not in Ubuntu Repository, I went to Chromium site and downloaded Google Chrome Web Browser (dev channel) and installed it. Just a click on the deb file was enough to take care of installation including dependencies check and updating repository. It was like clicking exe file in Windows. I see Ubuntu and Linux in general becoming more and more user friendly. Since Google has released beta version of Google Chrome, one can install Google Chrome through Synaptic Package Manager.

Later, I added my web developing tool package LAMP (Linux, Apache server, MySql, PHP). Earlier, I had to type commands for installation of Apache web server, MySql data server and php language pack. Now, it is made simple by entering a single command. If you need more details about this, please click here.

Now, my Ubuntu system is back to its productive self. As I said in my previous post, Ubuntu is now faster in start up, loading apps and closing. My time spend in Ubuntu has increased to more than 70% of my total PC time. I enjoy Ubuntu more than Windows due to its speed.

L. A. M. P.

The title is an acronym, copied from a blog. L stands for Linux, A stands for Apache, M stands for MySql and P stands for PHP. These four are open source software and they form a potent components of a package for developing and deploying web sites and web applications. I was dreaming and still am dreaming to become a full time web developer. Though I did some hands-on learning and am able to pore the codes of web pages, I am still to qualify as a full time web developer. I am slowly and steadily progressing on my goal. I have some basic knowledge on html, asp, java and javascript, but I have not fully mastered them yet. PHP language is the latest craze in open source web development. This is a server side script and I wanted to learn this language. Any web developement needs a scripting language pack, a user interface to use this language (can be a just text editor), a web server and a data server. So, L. A. M. P. was the answer for my latest web development rendezvous using open source software.

I had already an open source operating system, i.e., Ubuntu. I had to install PHP package, Apache web server and MySql data server. The site, Installing LAMP on Ubuntu 8.10, provided the required help in installing all these packages. The installation was smooth as the instructions were easy to follow.

After installing the required software, I did not know where to start and how to start. I searched for a good start-up tutorial and the site, PHP For the Absolute Beginner seemed to be a good one. As I started studying the tutorial and trying the codes, I realized it is a fantastic one. I not only used the codes given in the tutorials, but experimented with altering codes and observing the changes. I repeat, it is really a fantastic site for a beginner.

The following are the codes of a small program that could be used as header on all the web pages of a site:
<html>
<head>
<title><?php echo $page['title'];?></title>
</head>
<body>
<!-- top menu bar -->
<table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5">
<tr>
<td><a href="#">Home</a></td>
<td><a href="#">Site Map</a></td>
<td><a href="#">Search</a></td>
<td><a href="#">Help</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<!-- header ends -->

The following picture shows the result, when the above program is run in a browser from web a server.



I started enjoying PHP language. It sure is much simpler than other scripting languages that I have known. One day, I will definitely become a fully developed web developer.

PS: I am writing this blog using ScribeFire extension in FireFox Web Browser using Ubuntu as my OS. Open Source is coming of age. It is becoming more and more user friendly. Hurrah!