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Video: Rock The Dock
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March 25th, 2009Video
Gnome Do
Just a quick post to clear up something we recently discussed on Linux Outlaws. I’m a big fan of Gnome Do, the little tool that makes launching apps on your desktop faster and easier. In recent versions – 0.8.x and above – they’ve added an animated dock which is imaginatively called Docky. I often use another dock on my systems called Avant Window Navigator and I like docks in general; the software ones that is, though the places where ships tie up are ok too I suppose. I do live near Liverpool after all and my granddad was a docker; I’m not sure what he’d make of Docky but we’re getting off the point here. I found that while AWN worked well for me Docky would freeze and the animations just didn’t work.
Fab suggested this could be fixed by upgrading to the newer version 180 of driver for my nVidia graphics card. A few people have asked me since if that fixed the problem, so today I upgraded and I can confirm that it definitely does; better still I have evidence for you in the form of a screencast:
I’m afraid the video isn’t brilliant but it’s my first attempt at screencasting, something I’d like to do more of in future for demonstrations. You can read the text on the screen a lot better if you watch the video in full screen mode I’ve found. There’s no audio which I apologise for but basically you can see me using Docky on an Ubuntu 8.10 system, I also show which driver version I’m using. So if you have an nVidia card and Docky isn’t working well for you my advice is try the newest driver.
Hope that helps someone.
Dan
Tags: gnome, linux, screencast, Tip
4 responses to “Video: Rock The Dock” 
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Nice freedom hating video
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I hope to see future screen casts maybe even using firefox’s new embedded ogg (only currently in firefox 3.1+ or should I say 3.5 now) I am using 3.6a1 from http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/nightly/latest-trunk/ no installation necessary just download the tar and extract somewhere then run ./firefox although make sure firefox is not running or it opens up another instance of firefox 3.0.7 it seems thats if you want to try it out. Then just embed the video using the following tag to be honest the embedded player still has some bugs to work out like it takes ages if you want to skip within the window and there is not a full screen option but it’s getting there. -
Thanks
That video was recorded in .ogv format and uploaded to Blip.tv as Ogg Theora. You can download the source Ogg file if you like with Blip, it even has the option to switch modes and embed the file. That’s one of the reasons I use it. I hope it gives people the choice. I use Flash here by default because it’s the only way most people can see it at the moment and I want to show people who don’t use Free Software yet how cool it is. It’s pointless preaching to the converted all the time 
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larry a April 4th, 2009 at 03:26
Oh great, another one of those Gnome apps that needs the insidious Mono.
Why…. WHY?
This isnt some extension but an integral part of Gnome.
Whistling by the graveyard is a rather risky proposition considering NovellSoft VP de Icaza refuses to even discuss whether other distros benefit the same protection as Novell developers do.
Byfield I believe asked him but that aint coming.
If Microsoft came after something as meaningless as FAT, how much do you think something as tempting as Mono in the heart of one of the Gnu-Linux desktops will be?If Mono was a cure for cancer, we could maybe talk but it doesnt bring anything new to the table yet is a potential minefield and is controlled by a group working for a company that has NO QUALMS feeding the Microsoft FUD machine.
Youre not gonna tell me that Gnome Doo HAD to be done in Mono?No need for a trojan horse when you leave the door wide open.
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@Larry A – It’s a very emotive subject which you obviously feel strongly about. I don’t think Mono brings any massively new development options to Linux developers and I’m a former .NET developer from the Windows side. There are other options like Java, C++ and so on. I’ve said many times that I’m agnostic about Mono, I don’t think it’s quite the ticking timebomb people make it out to be and at the same time I’m not developing with Mono or actively seeking out Mono apps. I just install the apps I like and which serve a purpose for me. Gnome Do happens to be one of those. I don’t think it’s integral to Gnome though and I also don’t think it had to be developed in Mono, it could be written in anything. It doesn’t bother me that it is Mono and I’m not in the Boycott Novell camp, just as I’m not in the MS/Novell deal supporters camp either. I think the issues are far too complicated to just be dealt with by vitriol and religious hatred from either side. We need a proper balanced examination of the situation. I’m not convinced MS can win a patent case on Mono just as they will fail in their Tom Tom case, they’re already taking a hammering. It’s all about FUD for them and I think the fact they’ve tried to take legal action my be their undoing, they have to prove they have something now and stop bullshitting everyone. In short, they can’t. We can’t be complacent but it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom either. Thanks for reading and thanks for the comment
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Barry Williams April 1st, 2009 at 02:49