Rock 'n Rails

So I am currently working to install Rails in Linux so I can start playing with Ruby on Rails, and not just Ruby. (Which is still cool, by the way.) I've just installed RubyGems, which is supposed to help with the task of installing Rails next.

I am following this link's instructions (http://www.rubyonrails.org/down) but found that I had to type: gem install Rails --include-dependencies with a capitalized 'R' on "Rails" to make it actually download and install for me.

In an unrelated note, I do intend to move from "My Life as a Slackware Noob" to a slightly broader tech-based blog. So, stay tuned for news on that and also leave your comments if you have any opinions on the subject. Thanks.

Ruby rocks!

OK, so I feel like I'm just jumping onto this Ruby bandwagon head first! I really dig what I've seen so far (and it's been a LONG time since I've been excited about anything programming-wise) so I'm working my way through tutorials and hoping to get onto Ruby on Rails after I'm sufficiently schooled in Ruby. I understand that I don't need Ruby to do Rails, or even need a lot of Ruby to do Ruby on Rails, but I think it is a rather cool language.

I did a lot of Java work in school and liked the OO approach and understood what was going on, but I think Ruby looks SO much better. And all my Java learning really helps... it's very cool.

So, here's the tutorial I'm working through right now: Programming Ruby: The Pragmatic Programmer's Guide http://www.rubycentral.com/book/index.html and if I find anything else good, I'll post it on here too. W00t for motivation!

Still here... Ruby is the thing this year

So, I haven't changed anything with my tech blogging yet. And I haven't been in Linux for a few months now. But tonight, I (finally!) managed to install Ruby so I can play around with it a little bit. Here is the link that helped me finally succeed!

http://www.rubyforums.com/showthread.php?t=16

I just followed the example in the first post (logged in as the superuser) and for my fifth and final attempt the thing actually worked! Woot!

The Future of Slackware Noob

While I'm still interested in pursuing things as I've outlined -- and occasionally even accomplished -- on this site, I have been seriously reconsidering the future of Slackware Noob.

I think it's great to have a place to expand on my journey and share with anybody who might be on a similar journey. I've enjoyed it so far, but I also think I'm not making as much of this platform as I could be. So I am looking into the possibility of expanding (and re-branding) this blog into a broader tech/computer based site -- which would continue chronicling my linux journey.

This is what I'm thinking today. Let's see what I'm thinking tomorrow! :)

P.S. The entire Inkscape installation thing from last entry really didn't turn out very well. *sigh* That entire adventure ate up so much time that I had to revert to working away in Windows instead. Not the best solution, but better than not being able to do any work at all.

As I was saying...

Easy would be good. I forget what it's like to come back after a while away. I remember all the advantages and tend to forget the hassles. Like the updates... there's gotta be a way to manage those! I need to find it.

I've got Inkscape installed and the old one... well... let's just say I kind of took care of that! But the problem is that I can't run Inkscape without updating other things, like gcc, for example. My head hurts. All I want to do is get back to designing... man.

I'll let you know how it all turns out...

Autopackage: could it be the greatest thing since sliced bread?

Here I am in Linux. Wuhhoo!

I was working away on a new project using the latest version of Inkscape (in Windows XP) and was enjoying some of the new features. But I had a problem: the program kept locking up, hoarding all sorts of memory, and it just wasn't right. I said "Forget this! I'm switching over to Linux."

So, as I said, here I am. Of course, not having linuxed for a while means some things are out of date, including Inkscape, so the first order of business was to download and install the latest version -- this time in the Linux flavour. This is when I met my new friend: Autopackage. :)

Perhaps I'm the last kid to show up to the party, but if you haven't heard of the joys of Autopackage you really ought to check out Autopackage.org sometime very soon! I tripped over this new discovery whilst attempting to update Inkscape... they offered a .package file for Linux installations and I wanted to know what that was all about. Then I was introduced to "Easy Linux Software Installation". I'm sure Linux purists are big on this, but I'm in the camp that says "Anything that makes Linux better and easier to use for everyday users is just fine with me!"

The only issue I'm currently experiencing is that the old Inkscape is mysteriously attached to Freerock GNOME. Maybe I'll switch back to KDE and see what happens!

Creative Suite for the Poor Noob

So a month has passed since the last entry, and my life away from computers has totally taken over... even where it has required the use of computers!

I recently designed some CD artwork -- which I had originally hoped to do using entirely Open Source products. This idea, however, created some challenges that -- in the time crunch that I was immersed in -- made is difficult to use anything other than the "industry standard" Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Having no experience with either product but interest in both, I downloaded the 30 day trials of the CS2 versions (for Windows) and worked like mad to get the project completed.

I enjoyed using them and will be sad to see them go, as the trial expires this weekend. The price tag is pretty hefty and if I could justify the purchase I probably would. It looks so shiny... especially the latest version of Creative Suite that has just come out -- CS3. You can get design versions, web versions, production versions, and crazy-go-nuts versions! But my wallet (as well as my current, aging machine) cannot handle it.

But the good news is that Download.com has recently produced an article outlining several products along the freeware and Open Source lines that does a pretty good job of carrying out the tasks of CS3's various parts. Some of these, such as The GIMP, Inkscape, and Audacity, are products that I have been using. But there is so much more!! And as is often the case with Open Source, things will just get better and better with time and some work.

So, check out the two-part blog post about setting up your own CS3:
- http://blogs.download.com/Daily-Download/post.php?p=1402&tag=bubbl_1
- http://blogs.download.com/Daily-Download/post.php?p=1404

And then watch for me to set up Linux with as many of these products as possible.

Getting back into it

Knowing I want to install Sun's Java 6 SE for working on my future projects, I booted into Linux and downloaded that as well as Firefox 2. Java will have to wait to be installed, but thanks to a previous post I was able to update with little difficulty.

I *do* need to look into properly breaking symbolic links... but that too will need to wait for another day.

Design time starts soon... linuxing is coming back into style. ;)