Tutorials

Long time GNU/Linux users may know there are two types of applications where we are not there yet compared to other operating systems: games and video editing. Well, the video editing part has started to change with the recent release of Kdenlive 0.7.3.

Kdenlive is a free software video editor that works with both GNU/Linux and FreeBSD, running either KDE or Gnome. It can edit footage from DV, HDV and AVCHD sources and uses other projects, like FFmpeg and the MLT video framework, to get its job done.

Kdenlive has a very simple and easy to understand user interface that will take you from capturing footage to editing and rendering in just a few steps. I've used Kdenlive to produce some short and silly clips and a few one hour long episodes of my videocast In Silico.

I know my video editing needs are basic, they couldn't be considered professional at all, but I'm sure there are many of you with similar needs out there. I usually capture some video from my Panasonic PV-GS80 MiniDV camcorder, add some music, a few titles and render to a format that can be uploaded to one of the many video services online.

Let's see how to install Kdenlive.

There's a time when every Django developer has to think about deployment scenarios, when I first did it last year I thought that a setup involving Lighty, Apache, mod_proxy and mod_python was a good choice but my first approach was not the best. I put Apache as the front server, handling requests for Django generated pages and passing, via mod_proxy, requests for static content to Lighty on the back. A setup where Apache had to work even for files that wasn't supposed to serve was a very bad idea.

After many helpful comments and some more reading I realized that it was better having the server for static content on the front and Apache, which still talks to Django, on the back.

I replaced Lighty with nginx, which according to many seems to be more stable, and opted for mod_wsgi instead of mod_python to make Apache talk to Django. mod_wsgi has a lower memory overhead and it's suitable for high performance sites. There's no need for mod_proxy on Apache anymore as nginx is the one in charge of the proxy work now.

This is an easy to follow and very focused guide for developers who know how to handle their servers so I won't consider security issues, memcached, Django installation, databases or basic GNU/Linux, Apache and DNS settings. Of course all of those subjects are important and you should take care of them.

The plan

This guide includes all the steps needed to:

• Setup a domain for your Django project.
• Create a simple directory layout for Django sites.
• Configure Apache with mod_wsgi for Django.
• Configure nginx.
• Serve Django admin media files.
• Turn on the heat and show your greatest and latest Django stuff to the world.

After following all the steps you will have a Django site running with nginx on the front and Apache on the back. nginx will manage all static content and will pass Django requests to Apache and mod_wsgi.

I have tested on three Ubuntu servers (two running 8.10, Intrepid Ibex, and one 7.10, Gutsy Gibbon) but everything should be pretty similar in other GNU/Linux distributions.

Shall we start?

A few days ago I visited a store selling Apple products at Lima (for those who may ask: It is not a real Apple store, sadly). I really like Apple, I own an iPod classic, recently got a pink Nano for Yesenia and am thinking about upgrading to a Touch soon.

At the store real everyday people, you know, the ungeek kind, stared at the MacBooks amid wows and fascinated looks and I guess mostly due to the nice effects Leopard offers. I am pretty sure many of these curious would-be-Apple-customers couldn't care less about the Core 2 Duo processor, video resolution and the polycarbonate shell (which it's quite nice) that MacBooks have.

Well, if eye candy is what most users are looking for these days let's give them a little with Ubuntu, without having to spend a grand in a new MacBook or, which is worst, having to install Vista. Let's focus in what impresses most users meeting a Mac: the Dock.

Install Avant Window Navigator on Ubuntu

Avant Window Navigator is a dock-like navigation bar for Linux. It replaces your typical panels, contains launchers for your applications, tracks open windows and supports a few nice plugins that will make your desktop look cooler because, let's face it, a few of us, Linux dudes, want a desktop as cool as the one Mac guys have.

I ran my tests on a laptop and a desktop, both of them running Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) 64 bits. As far as I know there are no different versions for 32 and 64 bits so these instructions should work for both architectures.

The short version: Just run
sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator

The problem with this approach is that Hardy doesn't include the awn-extras (applets) package, and this is where most of the fun it's, hence I recommend taking a few more steps.

If this is all you want then jump to finishing touches below, if not, then keep reading.

The long version: The smart AWN developers have a few repositories with everything you need to get the whole dock experience on Edgy, Feisty, Gutsy and Hardy.

1. Start by visiting the archive, choosing your Ubuntu version and copying the right entries.
2. Open your sources.list file:

   sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list

3. Add the entries (I'm using the ones for Hardy), I suggest a comment as well, save and close:

   # awn
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main

4. Update your list of packages:

   sudo apt-get update

5. Install the following packages:

   sudo apt-get install libawn0-trunk
sudo apt-get install libawn-dev-trunk
sudo apt-get install awn-manager-trunk
sudo apt-get install awn-extras-applets-trunk
sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator-trunk

Finishing touches

Now you need to enable your new dock, you'll find the launcher, labeled Avant Window Navigator, under Accesories in Ubuntu's main menu.

1. Right-click on an empty spot of the dock (it can be a little tricky, try a few different places on the sides) and choose Preferences to tweak the look and behavior as you need it and activate a few plugins.
2. Drag some application launchers from Ubuntu's menu and drop them on the dock.
3. Now disable the gnome panels by going to Sessions > Current Session and removing gnome-panel from the list of running applications. Finally click on Apply.
4. To confirm everything works as expected press Ctrl + Alt + Backspace and login back.

Avant Window Navigator is a really funny application, it enhances your experience in the Linux desktop and isn't hard to install. Now I have more real state on my screen, enjoy the way my pidgin buddies jump and can hear a few wows from my visitors at home without having to get a Mac (even if I'll get one sometime just for the fun of it).