PySDM- Straightforward Storage Device Manager for Linux

One thing that has annoyed me about Ubuntu is that Ubuntu doesn't automatically mount partitions that were pre-existing before the install. For example, I have a 500 gig hard drive that contains backups and Linux distro ISO files, and I don't format that partition when installing distros on this machine. After reinstalling, the partition still exists, but I have to manually mount the partition in order to use it. Granted, this is an improvement from the olden days of having to rebuild your /etc/fstab by hand after each install, but changing the default behavior of a hard drive partition would still require manually editing the /etc/fstab file.

For those of you that want to automatically mount multiple hard drives in Linux, but aren't big fans of manually editing your /etc/fstab file, there's a program out there called PySDM, or PyGTK Storage Device Manager. It creates an intuitive GUI to allow you to configure your hard drive partitions, and also includes an assistant to help you choose mounting options that are convenient, such as automatically mounting the partition on startup or only mounting the system in read-only mode.

This program is a splendid alternative to manually editing the /etc/fstab file. In Ubuntu 9.10, it can be installed by installing the "pysdm" package, or by searching the Ubuntu Software Center for "pysdm". Once installed, it is available under the System --> Administration --> Storage Device Manager.

Pandora Console update

Well, I've been adding videos to my old Pandora post, but I think it's time for a new post.

I have some more videos, as well as some wallpapers that I've created.

First, some videos.

The D-Pad "Fireball" test in Street Fighter II:

Quake 2 using the analog nubs:

Videos showing Panorama, a new launcher that is being developed for the Pandora.
Test builds are available here:

Pmenu emulation using Panorama:

A Panorama theme called Magma:

Although the 3D Models of the Pandora have been released, it appears to have been in error, and the 3D files have been made private again. Nonetheless, here are some Pandora wallpapers:

The original image came from AndyL on the PandoraPress blog.

The others are mine (Click for full versions):

New Linux Journal Article: Working with Windows XP in Linux using VirtualBox

A lot of the volunteer work that I do involves working with the Windows XP operating system. Recently, I needed to configure a server that was originally running on Win XP and needed to continue to function as an XP machine. I was able to do that in Linux using VirtualBox, and Linux Journal's website published the article here.

I'm preparing to don flame retardant clothing, as there is a high potential for an ensuing flame war on the site ;)

VLMC- VideoLAN Movie Creator- Coming soon!

This just in! The VideoLAN organization, makers of VLC, have decided to throw their hat into the video editing ring, and plan on releasing a cross-platform (Mac, Linux, Windows) video editor called VLMC, or VideoLAN Movie Creator. The project is still in its early stages, but if you're a developer-type, and you wanted to access the current working tree, you can fetch the current working tree with Git:

git clone git://github.com/VLMC/vlmc.git

Despite its early status, I will be playing close attention to this project, given the quality of VLC.

New Linux Journal Article: KDE4 Custom Slide-show Wallpapers

Recently, LinuxJournal.com published the fourth (and most likely last) article explaining the creation of transitioning (slide-show) backgrounds in KDE4. The article series now covers GNOME, XFCE, KDE3, and KDE4. This marks the seventh article that I've written for linuxjournal.com.

New Linux Journal Article: XFCE Slide Show backgrounds

Hello again!

I've been published again on Linux Journal's website. The article is about creating transitioning backgrounds in XFCE. XFCE was relatively easy to configure, but my hacks to add functionality were a little temperamental. This marks the third article I've written about the slide show backgrounds in Linux. Enjoy!

Muppets create youtube channel- over 13 million views in first month!

The internet, at its best, is a true meritocracy. Something that is of high quality will naturally rise to the top if given the opportunity to do so.

Enter the Muppets.

In mid-November, the Muppet Studio rolled out their own youtube channel. In less than a month, it has already received over 50 thousand subscribers and 13 million views.

Here is an example of the muppets videos that have recently gone viral:

Congrats, Muppets Studio. It's good to see you again.