it's got a good beat & you can dance to it...

[j.drake]

jd, the guy that created the lake applet I guess a few years back he got out of the biz maybe and the link that was coded into the applet as default went to his old site. I haven't updated that page in ages though the newer applets on my others I did change the click default to one of my other pages. Also did semi-protect my html code with a right-click block (that is easily gotten around by going to view source in the Internet explorer menu - some protection, huh?) more because of the sprites than the applet. I would be happy to send you a zip or tar of that actual active desktop file or give you a link to download from my ftp space. Email me so I can email it to you. I am nishtya AT earthlink DOT net. I had made a bunch of nice lake applets for active desktop, animals, landscapes and whatnots but it was my abstract I kept around the longest

PS - am so sorry you have to spend that much time in w*ndows. I am the opposite. 90% in linux and the 10% I am stuck with it because of the graphics and games. And I am similarly annoyed by how the searchscum and domainslumlords have taken over everything that isn't "taken".

First of all, thanks, I appreciate it. I did glance at the source for the page, but didn't examine it in detail. Second, don't feel too sorry for me about Windows. I'm here to learn and use, and I just want to feel competent in both environments. I see advantages in both - truly, and there are some times when I would much prefer to be in Windows, and vice-versa. Right now, my competency and comfort levels are higher in Windows, and if I had the option of choosing one to the exclusion of the other, right now it woud be [ducking] Windows [/ducking]. Over time, I'm confident that the balance will switch, and I want to be well-prepared for it before it does. Thanks again.

jd

[Cuddles]

........ and if I had the option of choosing one to the exclusion of the other, right now it woud be [ducking] Windows [/ducking]. Over time, I'm confident that the balance will switch, and I want to be well-prepared for it before it does. ..........

O M G ! - a "windows" person in our midst [giggle]

J.D., I think it is all about what you want to do, and how you want to do it... If its in Windows, thats fine, and if its in Linux, then fine too. I don't think any of this is about "what side of the wall" you align yourself to, or who's side are you on, kinda thing. It's about what you want.

Maybe, someday, Linux will be able to provide, even the "die-hard" Windows user, all that they ever wanted, and in a way, they can "comfortably" use it... But, that isn't the case currently. Windows users ( generally speaking ) are not accustomed to the CLI, and the cryptic commands, or the files they need to "tinker" with. With Windows, they don't have to. Something as simple as Sound, in Windows, just plug in the card, boot, and chances are, its working, right off... In Linux, if you want to use ALSA, it gets pretty complicated, far too much from the Windows Users perspective, to accomplish the kernel compile, configurations, and then if you want to make it 5.1, or 6.1, or even 7.1 speaker setups, then you need to "tinker" with a few files to get it working, not to mention the fact of saving volume settings, and restoring them on boot, or the fact that ALSA starts at default MUTE and volumes at OFF.

For me, "total emersion" was the only way I was going to learn this beast, and thats what I did, complete, and utter, emersion... But, that isn't the same for anyone else, probably...

If anything J.D, I commend you, for sticking to your principles, to what you know, and learning "on the side", and not following the heard, or pack -=- as a lot of Windows Users have become, or become. You have an open mind, and follow it, to its decisions. I have talked to many "windows" users, and a lot, flat out reject anything that isn't "approved", or "released" from the Mighty Gates. They won't even "think" of looking at anything that doesn't have "windows" attached to it. When, if, the "shift" happens, these people are going to be the ones that line the streets, begging for someone to help them with the "new technology", because they always thought Mr. Gates was going to be beside them all there lives... Right now, he is, but that might not be the way it is in the future, who knows, but, closed minds don't go anywhere.

You got the right idea J.D, the battle lines haven't been drawn yet, both sides are open, and the individual user doesn't "need" to side, yet... But, learning both sides, can't hurt... and when the future comes, what ever it becomes, you can be sure to be ready for it, hopefully...

Heck, way back, I sided with OS/2 - look where that went ( ? ) - that, and DeskView X, hey, at least the "X" is still the same... Oh well, sometimes I wish I didn't just "ditch" my Win98, but then, I like Linux, and still don't feel that I made the wrong decision, for me, that is... Hopefully, my siding with Linux, won't end up leading to the same outcome of OS/2 and DeskView. ( ? )

My two cents,
Ms. Cuddles

[nishtya]

well, j drake, the offer still stands. Will send you a zip of the active desktop - the code differs a little from a regular webpage but if you played with html at all you should be fine. Grab the applet and the pic, and there is a newer version of the applet out there where you can change parameters for things like ripple speed

cuddles, I wish I could just get windows off my computers here as frankly I mostly use it as extra storage for my linux stuff now. It bothers me how I have let so much expensive software go to waste and I never play my games any more. It's funny, I really don't have anything AGAINST windows. I just couldn't go any further than 98SE and figured I would soon be up against an inability to get drivers or games for it. I didn't like how XP was being forced down my throat and how much trouble it was going to be for me with swapping hardware among boxes all the time. Oddly, I really don't hate windows it just isn't any good for me any more. I hope linux gets better for me. Would be nice to NOT have to fight after every KDE upgrade (ALSA, strangely, hasn't been a problem for me but bleeding edge KDE definitely has) for a stable system :P There's a contradiction. Would be nice to have some games like I had back in windows and just a few more professional quality graphics apps. Heck, I would pay for them...it all doesn't have to be free like beer for me

[j.drake]

I just fired off an e-mail. Thank you so much.

jd

[nishtya]

it's on the way, jd....have fun

[Ptarmigan]

Greetings all,

nishtya wrote :
"I really don't have anything AGAINST windows. I just couldn't go any further than 98SE and figured I would soon be up against an inability to get drivers or games for it. I didn't like how XP was being forced down my throat and how much trouble it was going to be for me with swapping hardware among boxes all the time."

Well said nishtya, I am here looking into Linux options/possibilities for exactly that hardware reason. I used to enjoy poking about in microprocessors ( hex, assembly, and C. Even DOS as well ! ) but then, a long time ago, I was given a 386 with Win3.11 already installed and so began my journey towards the Siren calls of You-Know-Who
I don't hold it against him, it was all my fault !
Later I was given a WinME (already installed!) machine ,,, what a performance to even get back to DOS on it !
But I persevered with a bit of programing in consol apps ( DevC++) and a tad of Windows with BorlandBuilder but I didn't really get to grips with all that Windows gobbldegook ! ( maybe it was just old age or mayby my brain cell needed a de-frag !)
I came to realise that Windows was getting in the way of my computing hobby.

Then I read about WinXP and all that re-registering m'larky if one wished to fiddle/experiment/reconstruct onesown machine, have to ask permission for major rebuilds ? I dont think so ! No thanks. Last straw ! I think that WinME will be the last of my Windows operating systems. All the new stuff out of the Microsoft camp is way beyond my modest requirements anyway ( like, I do all my HTML in Notepad anyhow ! )

So, if I ever get this Knoppix thing downloaded I might need my hand holding in a nursery somewhere while I take my first steps, heheee, cos I'm thinking I may have forgotton much that I once knew, addled by windows

regards,
Malcolm.

[j.drake]

So, if I ever get this Knoppix thing downloaded I might need my hand holding in a nursery somewhere while I take my first steps, heheee, cos I'm thinking I may have forgotton much that I once knew, addled by windows

No kidding. Fortunately, much can be done now in KDE, and the console commands are not all that terribly different from working with DOS. I'm hoping that my old DOS batch file and macro experience will serve me well when and if I decide to take on scripts. At least many of the old DOS commands still work if preceded by the letter "m".

The main differences I see are the whole "root" concept, the drive naming conventions, the strange, strange names sometimes used in linux commands, and the absence of the Windows registry (good riddance!!!).

As to that last point, the Windows registry and all the other "stuff" created to protect the copyrights of proprietary software has instilled me with a sense of numbed helplessness over the years. Sometimes I still can't get used to the idea that if I don't like the way that a program (or OS!!) works, I can just, well, change it (OMG!! - can I really DO THAT?? Isn't that, "hacking" or "pirating", or something else equally naughty that could send me to Federal Prison for like a billion years if I don't pay my life savings, retirement, mortgage and future income of my children in a "settlement" to a huge multinational conglomerate???? Isn't it a criminal act to do something creative with your computer software - other than running lemmingware?? Ssshhh- please don't tell anyone I even had these thoughts- I feel so GUILTY!!). That programs generally won't blow up merely because I put them somewhere else. That installing a program means simply copying it to a location of my choosing, and not being slave to an installation program that removes these choices and makes secret coded entries into a mysterious "registry". That uninstalling a program means erasing it from my chosen location, without worrying that my computer will get hosed because I didn't blindly use an uninstaller, or because the uninstaller crapped. That I don't have to defrag, clean registries - that there's no such thing as Norton for linux.

You're absolutely right Ptarmigan!! I've been turned into a helpless, whimpering lap dog by modern software. It's MY COMPUTER, DAMMIT!! I'LL DO WHAT I FLIPPIN' WANT WITH IT !!!

[/rant]

OK, I feel much better now.

[Nurse's voice] It's time for another dose of your narcotic, sir. Please click the Start button and follow the instructions by clicking to accept the EULA on your screen [/Nurse's voice]



Okay. Bye everyone.

jd

[Ptarmigan]

much can be done now in KDE,

That is what I hope to discover in the fullness of time, 215Mb downloaded, 2nd attempt !

and the console commands are not all that terribly different from working with DOS.

Yes, true, some like mkdir are pretty obvious but some of what I have been reading are distinctly unmemorizable I will need a pointer to a site that lists some real-meanings or mnemonics for a lot of them

The main differences I see are the whole "root" concept,

yep, some strange nuances therein. I am familiar, of course, with root directory ie. root of a tree structure, but all this permissions and paswords and admin rights is going to cause me some troubles I think ( I feel it in my bones !), I dont need to ask myself for permission to use bits of my machine.

As to that last point, the Windows registry and all the other "stuff" created to protect the copyrights of proprietary software has instilled me with a sense of numbed helplessness over the years.

Yes, me too. I have been using TheGimp(for Windows) for some years and went 'looking round' sites, imagine my surprise, even horror, when I found a Gimp plugins registry !argh! but it soon became clear that it was quite different

- can I really DO THAT?? Isn't that, "hacking" or "pirating", or something else equally naughty

dont get me going on that topic ! In my day 'hacking' was poking into software to see how it was done, to learn. Now even that word has been hijacked by big business to mean pirating and criminal and etc ! grrrr.

[/rant]
OK, I feel much better now.
[color=green][Nurse's voice]

So, that's one resident in the padded cell, one in the nursery room and the rest of'em still in the lounge, will someone be along to serve breakfast soon ?

Malcolm.

[nishtya]

well jd, I kind of like the registry <ducking>. I mean, take for instance an annoyance I have in my old install. I once mistyped the command kdesu konqueror as kdeus Now the dialog always brings that up when I type the k. And I have to backspace and force the right command down its throast or use the dropdown (yes, I know I can turn off autocomplete but I want it). Now in windows I would find myself the registry key where I could wipe out the mistype. In Linux, no clue. I collected vast chapters of registry hacks and such and actually didn't mind it. Now scary are the UIDs, yeppers those are scary The beast is bloated and unwieldly but the UIDs are evil But regedit.com (now winguides) those were the days

BTW - how did it go with the active desktop?

[nishtya]

oh and ptar, hang in there on the download. Been there done that on dialup. After leaving the job where I had dsl and burner at my disposal I found myself wanting kanotix's latest at the time. I spent 4th July weekend downloading on a modem. At least once a night the connection got hosed and it actually took me 3 nights and 4 days. But much to my surpise the dl was good (thanks to dlexpert in windows actually) and the checksum OK. However before I had a chance to install it there was a new version out