Open source software alternatives part 1: basics

Open-source software is software that is intended to have it’s code freely exposed to the public. This means that a program can be contributed to by any number of people that wish to help to improve it. While open-source projects have existed for many years, often beginning as a mere hobby for one person, awareness and interest has exploded recently. There are now alternative open-source software programs for just about every major commercial application making the transition away from Windows or Apple is a lot easier than most people think.. While some free programs may not feature all the bells and whistles or appear quite as polished as their payed for brethren, they generally get the job done satisfactorily. In some cases, a privately developed, free or cheap application may even be “better” than the commercial version running faster and more efficiently.

Open-source software exists on every computer operating system. It’s actually rare to find a Linux only application as generally they’ll be created for Windows and Linux, Apple OS and Linux, or all three. This gives you a good opportunity to test out software on your current OS before making the leap to Linux.

The goal of this article is to build an everyday computer using completely free software. Starting with the basics that just about every computer shouldn’t go without. Follow up articles will focus on graphic and web design as well home theater.

If you plan on leaving Windows or OS X behind, you’re going to need a Linux operating system. Ubuntu is perhaps the most popular for non-commercial users. It features an extremely refined interface that is intuitive and easy to use and it comes with many applications built right in (like OpenOffice, Evolution Mail, Firefox, music and movie players, view and edit photos) so you can begin using a Linux based computer instantly, without having to spend lots of time installing other software. Best of all, Ubuntu lets you test drive the OS from a CD or USB drive without ever installing it on your hard drive. It’ll be a little slow and won’t let you save settings or preferences but it’s a great way to get your feet wet. You can also run Ubuntu (along with other Linux distros) side-by-side Windows which gives you a chance to not only experience the OS but also test for any hardware and driver problems you may encounter before making the switch.

If Ubuntu isn’t quite what your looking for, there’s a plethora of other distributions, both major and minor that are worth looking into. DistroWatch keeps tabs on all the different versions of Linux that are available along with descriptions of each and even provides copies of the OS on disc and flash drives for a small fee.

Spreadsheets and Word Processing

OpenOffice.org and Google Docs
Windows, OS X, Linux
For many people,  replacing Microsoft Office is the first hurdle to overcome when moving to open-source platforms. Luckily there’s two excellent programs available that fulfill that role and are even compatible with Office. Both applications can be used in place of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. OpenOffice also includes a simple drawing program similar to Visio. If you prefer to work in the cloud and store your documents online so that they can be accessible wherever you have an internet connection, Google Docs is a simple solution that offers powerful features not normally associated with a mere website.

Email

Thunderbird and Evolution
Windows, OS X, Linux (Evolution is Linux only)
If you prefer to use an application for your email client rather than going to a website then you’ll likely need a program to replace Outlook or Mail. While Thunderbird may be more widely available, Evolution comes preinstalled on Ubuntu. Both offer junk mail filtering and integrated calendars to keep track of appointments and invites. Thunderbird also incorporates a migration assistant to help those moving over from Outlook as well as Firefox like Add-ons to further customize your experience.

Instant Messaging

Pidgin
Windows, OS X, Linux
Pidgin consolidates all your IM services into one client, allowing you to chat simultaneously with multiple people over multiple services, all from one program.

Adium
OS X
While Adium is Mac only, I’m including it here because it is the defacto standard for IM clients on the Mac. While iChat supports video it only allows you to access MobileMe (.Mac), Google Talk (Jabber) and AIM accounts.  With Adium, you lose video, but gain everything else.

File Compression

7-Zip
Windows, Linux
7-Zip is essential a free version of WinZip and WinRAR. It does all of the above, is free so you don’t get those annoying trial warnings every time you accidentally fully open the program  and it offers its own compression format which it claims is more efficient.

Stuffit Expander
Windows, OS X
There is no Linux version available here, but like WinZip for Windows, Stuffit has long been Mac’s goto file archiving program. Its basic expander version is free and now has a Windows version as well. Simply included as another free alternative.

Security

AVG Anti-Virus
Windows, Linux
This is your free alternative to spending money on Norton to protect yourself from all those porn sites and suspicious emails. While it’ll satisfy Window’s lust for reminding you about security, if you want complete protection you may want to opt for the paid version scan downloads and your hard drives.

Web Browsing

Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
Windows, OS X, Linux
Since the popularity of  Firefox most people are aware that there are other browsers besides Internet Explorer. But why should you use a browser other than what came with your computer? Speed, security and proper page display. Explorer is notorious for lacking in all. Chrome and Safari especially trump Explorer when it comes to displaying web pages quickly and both start up faster when opening. Firefox offers thousands of Add-ons to customize the browser to your heart’s content while Opera is fast, simple and extremely innovative. All have much better security measures to ensure you don’t inadvertently contract a virus while surfing and all have much better support for web design standards meaning pages look how they’re supposed to.

Music & Video

Ubuntu comes with Rhythmbox (for music), Movie Player, Pitivi video editor, and F-Spot (for organizing and editing photos) but here are some additional alternatives

VLC Media Player
Windows, OS X, Linux
Pretty much any media nerd knows that VLC is the defacto standard for simple, jack-of-all-trades media players. VLC is just about as bare bones as you can get… but it supports just about everything. Nearly any video or audio format, subtitles, chapters, stereo or surround sound, multiple languages, playlists, etc. About the only thing it doesn’t do is maintain a visual library of your collection.

Boxee
Windows, OS X, Linux, Apple TV
For the home entertainment experience, Boxee makes it possible. It scours your hard drives for media, identifies it and then presents it in an organized fashion letting you enjoy everything from music to movies to TV to internet feeds like YouTube and Netflix. However, Boxee is without it’s disadvantages: it’s a full screen only application – which is fine for watching movies or TV. Maybe not so good when you want to listen to music while surfing the internet or playing games. It also won’t let you edit metadata since it identifies media itself and displays information based on what it gathered from internet sources. Because of this, improperly named files won’t be identified and will be ignored. However, this also makes it easy to intentionally ignore certain files. Properly, configured, Boxee is ideal for dedicated Home Theater PCs.

Amarok
Linux
If  Rhythmbox doesn’t quite do it for you, Amarok will. With support for a wide variety of audio formats it has powerful features for integrating devices and services and an intuitive interface.

Torrent File Sharing

Transmission
OS X, Linux
Transmission is super light-weight and easy to use. Even behind a firewall it’ll automatically search for an open port. If none can be found, you can edit the port settings yourself. There’s really nothing fancy about it. Simply download and upload torrents with ease. Although it does have a nice little ‘ding’ sound when a torrent is complete.

Emulation/Virtual Machine

Wine
Linux
Wine isn’t exactly an emulator or a VM. It simply allows you to run many Windows applications on a Linux OS. It’s not perfect and not every program is supported. However, many common programs are supported and if you’re determined to ditch Windows, Wine may help you make the jump even if some of your essential programs haven’t yet.

You can also find these applications and many others at Free Applications.

Handbrake settings for blu-ray

Anytime you’re creating a digital library it’s a compromise of quality versus file size. I judge picture quality based on the perceptible artifacting (when an image appears blocky). Artifacting occurs when the compression of an image is set too high (or aggressive). Rather than copy the data of every pixel at every frame, lossy compression will reduce the number of pixels it has to copy by averaging the color of similar pixels. Basically. Smaller file size means higher compression which means less data and chunky images. However, if you set the bitrate too high in an attempt to get the cleanest image, you may cause the playback to stutter or become blocky because it can’t process all the data fast enough.

To come up with these settings I made many test files, comparing each one side by side. The clip was the Universal Studios opening logo. This scene has lots of movement, lots of color, and a large expanse of a gentle gradient. I’ve found that it’s easier to determine subtle quality differences not in areas of great detail and complexity but rather in areas of subtle color differences. It’s these soft, dark gradients that the compression method will throw out first because it believes the subtle color change isn’t important. However it’s these areas, often in dark scenes, where blocky compression becomes painfully obvious.

So my original goal when compressing blu-rays to digital was a file size of around 10 GBs. Yet, when testing I found that I could achieve reliable dark gradients and get the file size down to about 5 GBs. The gradients aren’t flawless. When compared to the source Blu-ray you can notice a difference. But I think this might be more a limitation of H.264. My test samples showed little improvement when increasing the bitrate and the trade off in file size simply wasn’t worth it. The difference between a 5 GB H.264 and a 10 GB one just wasn’t noticeable.

These settings are for mp4 (m4v) or mkv. I’ve had problems with VLC playing back smoothly but it seems to smooth out as I let it play. This may be due more to my embedded graphics chip. I primarily use Boxee for playback of mkvs and that has been flawless.

Picture
Size: 1920 x 1080
Anamorphic: Strict
Cropping: Automatic

Video
Codec: H.264
Framerate: Same as source
Constant Quality: RF 22

Advanced
Reference Frames: 3
Maximum B-Frames: 5
CABAC Entropy Coding: off (I found this caused chopping playback when on)
8×8 Transform: on (helps compression slightly and slightly better gradients)
Weighted P-Frames: on
Pyramidal B-Frames: Off (not sure if this matters. Due to the ME method it’s supposed to be ignored so I turn it off just to be sure)
Adaptive B-Frames: Optimal
Adaptive Direct Mode: Spatial
Motion Estimation Method: Uneven Multi-Hexagon
Subpixel ME & Mode Decision: 7
Motion Estimation Range: 16
No DCT-Decimate: off

Everything else is left at defaults.

This will take some time but the quality is worth it and results in a 2 hour movie being compressed to about 5 GBs. For me, those 5 GBs also include 2 or 3 sources of DTS or AC3 5.1 audio as well as subtitle and chapter information.

The Circle: Part 1 – Hinduism: The Bigger Picture

For a discussion about religion and God specifically, it only seems appropriate to begin from a perspective of greater understanding. One whose very nature is to remove the individual in an attempt to see the entire picture. To acquire such a view is one of the primary goals of Hinduism. Inevitably, Hinduism seeks to unite with Brahman by experiencing creation in the same way. However, for most Westerners, Hinduism remains one of the most mysterious and confusing religions – despite certain aspects of it pervading modern culture (i.e. karma). Many “new age” and “astrological” belief systems actually have roots in Hinduism. So to begin, we’ll start with a short background of the religion itself.

Please remember, these essays aren’t to debate the existence of God – that’s another topic entirely. The goal here is to demonstrate that one can discuss God from the perspective of many different religions and be referring to the same God in each one. If an omnipotent, omnipresent, consciousness transcended all time and space, certainly it wouldn’t be exclusive to any one religion.

On the whole, Hinduism seeks to answer the question of what people want. In this regard, Hinduism is remarkably tolerant of each person’s path in life and perhaps “patient” would be the best way to describe the religion. It recognizes that people enjoy different things, have different desires and that those desires will change over time. As long as those desires do not harm others and fall within a certain moral code, Hinduism says, “Go after the things you want. Do what makes you happy.” People desire joy and thus should be able to do what brings them happiness. Trying to extinguish desire only leads to frustration and ill temperament. The rub is that eventually all worldly desires wear thin. We constantly move from one desire to the next, becoming dissatisfied with our current pleasures before moving on to the next. Just like the cursed pirates from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie who became bound to an eternal life of unquenchable lust, Hinduism draws the same comparison with everyday people: chained to endless cycles of reincarnation ever searching for the next thing that will bring satisfaction, but always merely temporarily. In the end what we really want is to be connected with God. To have our desires satiated for eternity.

Hinduism is often metaphorically related to a mountain with many paths to the peak. Even after a person realizes what they truly want (an infinite connection with Brahman) Hinduism still provides them many different options to reach that goal. However, these different routes generally fall under four categories (Knowledge, Love, Work, and Psychophysical Experiments) and each requires complete mastery via various yogas (means of training). Eventually these paths lead the yogi to become separate, distant and isolated from the rest of the world; as if they’ve become indifferent to the events around them. At this point Hindus are often labeled as escapists who would rather “find their happy place” than deal with the problems facing them head on. It’s this misconstrued ideal that is a source of great confusion. Rather than endure life’s problems, Hindus seek to rise above them. To find a state of spiritual consciousness that allows them to distinguish an infinite, spiritual Self (Atman or soul) from the finite, physical self.

The greatest goal of Hinduism is for a practitioner to realize these two forms of Self and then to embrace the infinite one while leaving behind the finite. To remove personal attachment to everything temporary and instead become a part of the infinite with God. When a Hindi can achieve this state, their physical body begins to lose its meaning. The things that effect it have no effect on their eternal Self and as such the impact of pain or physical desire has no place. They see themselves as if they’re seeing things from God’s perspective; a voyeur observing themselves along with the entire world. While a casual reaction to such a person may appear as if they don’t care about the events taking place the reality is that they are able to see the bigger picture. They’re still emotionally invested in what is happening; they’re just capable of dealing with events, both good and bad, with a more calculating and reasonable attitude. Instead of feeling joy or pain within their physical person, they experience it as one would vicariously if the same events happened to a close friend.

It’s not an easy concept to comprehend and perhaps that is why Hinduism remains a mystery for those in the West. For a culture so concerned with achieving, social success, everything-on-demand, and me, me me attitudes, stepping outside of such an ego is difficult. And yet Hinduism looks at that culture and waits; realizing that it’s just a phase and that eventually, like a little child out grows dolls and matchbox cars, eventually people outgrow selfish desire.

So what can we understand from this God-like perspective?

Patience and tolerance.

Qualities indicative of the very nature of God.

Hinduism understands that people don’t come to realize their ultimate, infinite Self within one lifetime. The religion believes that while the Self is infinite the body is not and thus until a person can see themselves as two distinct entities (a physical self and an infinite spiritual self) they will continue a cycle of death and rebirth, ever advancing their Karma, until they are able to make the distinction and join Brahman. It’s a forgiving religion, giving each person time to build the character of their soul into one that is compatible with God – regardless of how long it may take. The very same notion of cycles is afforded to the Earth and even to the universe itself; growing and dying; ever renewing for all eternity. From this perspective, every day is but a speck of sand and life’s difficult decisions can often become trivial in comparison. Like a child getting a vaccination, she won’t understand the reasons for the shot, only the pain that it inflicts. But if she could see things from her parent’s perspective or from the doctor’s, she would understand that the vaccination is to prevent future illness. So we are as that child. Unable to see the bigger picture as God sees it. Unable to let go of petty problems and irritations. Yet, if we could learn to see things through the same eyes as God, then surely our understanding and patience would grow.

When time becomes insignificant, patience prevails. There is no need to rush one’s own priorities, much less be upset over the priorities of others. A mindset of, “they’ll come around eventually,” develops; the mind of a teacher ever patient with their student.

But even patience has its limits. We all know what it’s like to have our patience tested and stretched. Here again, Hinduism’s God-like perspective steps in. Its understanding of the uniqueness of each person and how each walks their own path begets tolerance. It’s a perspective that sees the whole mountain that was previously mentioned. It sees all the paths. It understands the meaning of the phrase “each to their own” and accepts people from all walks of life without trying to dictate who or what they “should” be. When infinite patience and tolerance co-exist, understanding and acceptance spring forth. Peace abounds because your desires in life are simply unable to conflict with mine. What I desire in my life is not affected by your desires because I am able to accept the fact that you are free to live your life as you please.

As different as we are from one another, we are all connected to God (Brahman) through our Souls (Atman). Created in the image of God with the capacity to draw from an eternal well of peace, satisfaction and joy. As such, we should remember that because God is tolerant and patient with each one of us, no matter our place in life or the things we have done, so should we be with one another. Tolerant and patient. Not only with our fellow humans but also with ourselves. It is said that once every thousand years a bird flies above the Himalayas with a silk scarf, brushing their peaks. When they have been worn down by this process one day in the cosmic cycle will have ended and the next day will begin. If the universe can be so patient, certainly we can as well.

The Circle: Point of Departure

…because you have to start a circle from somewhere.

As I previously mentioned I’ve decided to start a series on religion. Studying religion is by far one of my favorite things to do so it only seemed appropriate to do a blog about it. Plus I’ve wanted to do so for quite some time.

This series is called, “The Circle.”

The Circle is intended to be a series of notes: my thoughts on various religions. What I take from each one and how each one gives us greater insight into an underlying, fundamental truth… that all religions seek the same thing: God. After all, the word “religion” translated from its Latin origins reminds us of this very desire. Every couple weeks, I’ll discuss a religion in brief and then point out aspects of it that we can all learn from – regardless of religious affiliation.

Design by Jeff Battocletti. Available on Threadless.com

It is my belief that by learning and practicing elements of each major religion, one can strengthen not only their belief in what may be a foundational, core faith but also come to an understanding of other beliefs and a genuine empathy for those practitioners.

The Circle is meant to show how each religion is connected around a central figure. This is not an unbiased review however. By their very nature, religions exclude one another – even those that claim otherwise. Some religions have been purposefully excluded. I have my own central faith that I approach other religions from – as do you.

My goal in these essays is to illustrate the noble aspects of each religion in a way that I can incorporate each one into my own faith, without compromising my beliefs, or perverting the beliefs of others, in any way. There is no intention to label one religion as wrong or discuss its faults. Where I feel other religions fail is not relevant and will defeat the purpose of this writing.

One of the many breakdowns when trying to discuss religious topics comes down to semantics. Differences in languages and cultures also make it difficult to agree with one another. It’s been my experience that despite differences in names or even ideologies, each religion believes in some notion of “God.” While I may reference “God” most often, it should be made clear that the “God” I refer to is not exclusive to any particular religion and in many instances I may refer to alternate wording such as “Divine,” “Creator,” “Eternal Consciousness”, “Brahman,” “Tao,” etc. Regardless of name the meaning is the same.

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.
The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations.
These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.
- Tao Te Ching: Ch. 1

“I am who I am.”
- Exodus 3:14

One final note, while I leave this open for discussion and encourage feedback and stories of personal experience, this is not a debate. Religion is a sensitive topic, for those with faith and also for those without. The number of wars fought over differing beliefs is innumerable. Any attacks on beliefs or “right” and “wrong” remarks will be deleted. I post this to share my thoughts with the genuine hope of opening minds. For those that have ears, let them hear.

Knowledge begets understanding begets empathy begets peace.

Why are you upset when I attack your religion?

The following is a response to a post written on another blog. As such, some details may appear out of context. This is written simply as a record for myself.

I wouldn’t ever call myself religious, but my belief in God and the resurrection of Jesus is central to my being. Yet if there’s one thing I’m passionate about it’s learning about other people’s beliefs. In that light, I used to date a girl with spiritual beliefs that were quite the opposite of mine. On occasion we’d get into discussions about such things. Mostly it was me asking lots of questions about her own beliefs and when she didn’t have answers for them she would get frustrated and upset. Her response was that she felt somewhat belittled because she didn’t have the knowledgeable answers for her own beliefs that I had for mine. She came to feel like she was being put on the spot. She simply believed the things she did because they felt comfortable and right for her.

I think that’s the case for most people, whether they practice an organized religion, simply find themselves with some spiritual persuasion, or are completely agnostic. Most people simply have a very superficial knowledge of their own beliefs and even less of the ideas and values of those around them. Mix that ignorance with the fact that religion is one of the most volatile topics throughout history and you have a recipe for conflict. Religion is the public display of very personal convictions. To disagree or discredit someone’s beliefs is to label the very core of who they are as stupid. When someone doesn’t have the knowledge to express their beliefs or defend them in a way that makes sense to others that haven’t experienced them firsthand, it’s only natural for discussions to become confrontational. You’re attacking a person’s character. You have to expect them to defend it, regardless of their ability to knowledgeably articulate it.

Religion is a sensitive issue to say the least. If it’s something you want to talk about, if you can’t do it with compassion, empathy and real understanding, you’re only going to make enemies and reinforce stereotypes. If you’re going to stop writing Soapbox editorials because people attack you when you post religious comments then maybe you’re editorials aren’t as eloquent as you thought.

The Soapbox is a means to let your own ideas be heard. The most vocal are always going to be the ones that disagree. If you can’t take the heat then get out of the flame.

Notes on “God The Problem” part 2

A major problem with God is the dualist nature of Heaven & Earth. One being accessable under a measure of control; the other being beyond our experiece or knowledge. Heaven’s biblical description of it as a mythical place with God ruling as an absolute monarch has become a crude and naïve interpretation.

Most attempts at removing mythological imagery from religion ignore the fundamental problem that is: Is there an “other world beyond” at all?

Contemporary man feels freed by scientific advance of the ignorance that mythological explanations attempted to fill in the past and through technology that’s increasingly able to control forces that previously were mere mystery.

As such imagery and explanations are no longer necessary, the dualism of Heaven & Earth must either be given up — the result of which would be barely recognisable as Christianity — or else we must find a way to show in modern times why it is meaningful to speak of “God.”

“God” arises in response to man’s awareness of his finite self where he finds himself powerless to the inevitable pull of death — which seems to suggest that no lasting meaning or value can be placed on his being. In this, religion gives assurance of karma and righteous justice grounded in the “world beyond.” If there were no experience in this world that brought s to the “Limit” of our world then there would be no justification for “God.”

To those then that are not put to that Limit or those that refuse to acknowledge its significance, such questions about God and the Limit will seem useless and empty. However, for those that do acknowledge it, such questions will appear to be of universal import.

Notes on “God The Problem” part 1

Theology must be defined as an understanding of Christianity from a particular perspective. As a result, contemporary theological study must begin with an understanding of historical tradition; not simply from a biblical and/or church perspective, but rather in the context of social and political environs.

Christian theology attempts to understand man, God and the world. A reflection on and interpretation of faith.

The theologian must understand the changing contemporary Christian experience based on the meaning derived from its past.

Does the Christian perspective invalidate its own authority? If it is only one perspective of many, what makes it right?

Christianity (or any religion) is “true” only so long as it relates to and illuminates the problems of man at that time. It becomes “false” when there are experiences with which it cannot deal or explain; and so a new theology wil take its place.
- A note here: This is exactly how new religions are formed. People become unfulfilled by the current theology and “create” new ideologies that are suitable to the perspective of time and place. These differences manifest themselves, usually, as small theological edits; changing only particular aspects of religion so as to better embody contemporary culture. This is the evolution of religion and theology — old elements dying away with new idea taking their place.

To the contrary, if religious ideals can be reinforced and made relevant then it will further strengthen the foundation and importance of such religion. It is the challenge of theology to continually apply aspects of a particular religion and present them in a context that is applicable and relevant to contemporary society; without distorting the historical facts.

Seeking the Righteous Path

With so many choices in life, both difficult and mundane, it’s difficult to know the right one. Comparing ourselves with others only lead to biased standards of what we think “good” really is. The path to God is long and narrow but how does one find that path when roads all look the same?

Many of us can see the straight and narrow before us. We are “good” people with righteous intentions. Trying to help others where we can; letting someone else go ahead; all those basic “good deeds.” What we don’t understand is what righteousness really is. We don’t understand that righteousness means being right with God. We see the road before us and do everything we can to follow it and not stray. We might even know that God is real. That God loves us and looks out for us. But without the Lord God our vision is blurred. It’s as if we have double vision. We see two, three, four roads and think that no matter which one we choose to take, we’ll reach God and live righteously. But when we go to one of those other roads – an illusion of truth – we stray from the right path. We follow other paths, seamingly innocent ideas, to excess. We except the things revealed to us and think that they are “of the universe.” That these things are really good and of God. But the only thing really good is God himself. If we want to follow and put our trust in what is good then our only option is to follow God.

And yet we are faced with the same problem. How can we truly follow the path of God if we can’t distinguish which path is his?

The answer is to truly seek out God; not by following a path that we think will lead us to him, but rather by asking him directly to come to us and to lead us. God knows which path to take simply because it is his path. If you want to learn about someone, observing and word of mouth will only get you so far. The best way to go about it is to go to the source and ask them about themself. Even better than God leading us, is that when we ask him to lead, he comes along with a pair of glasses for us so that we can see the road clearly for ourselves and know when we stray. No longer do we see illusions of other paths. Our sight is clear and we can plainly see the right path before us. And with God, we can walk that road with great comfort knowing that he is always there beside us.

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