I've been a long-time user of GNU Screen, and I've always recommended it to anyone working with remote servers. Screen is an excellent tool that's saved me countless times when SSH connections drop or I need to run long-running processes. But it has one major problem: it's tough to configure and learn.
Recently I discovered tmux, and I'm making the switch. If you're not familiar with terminal multiplexers or you're struggling with Screen's complexity, tmux might be exactly what you need.
Mozilla has just rebranded their Weave add-on as Firefox Sync, and I've been using it for the past few weeks. This is exactly what I've been waiting for: the ability to continue my Firefox session from one place to another without losing context.
How many times have you left your computer at work running or hibernated because you had dozens of important tabs open and couldn't bear to lose them? Or needed to access a password you'd saved at home while you were traveling? Or wished you could see your work browsing history when you got home?
If you use GNOME on Ubuntu or other Linux distributions, you've probably encountered panel problems. Maybe you accidentally deleted a panel while right-clicking, removed an applet you can't figure out how to restore, or woke up to find your panels mysteriously scrambled. Don't worry—these issues are fixable.
GNOME panels are the bars at the top and bottom of your desktop (by default) that contain your application menu, system tray, window list, and various applets. They're central to the GNOME desktop experience, so when they break, your desktop becomes difficult to use.
Yesterday, Canonical released Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Long Term Support), codenamed Lucid Lynx, and I've spent the last 24 hours exploring it. This release represents something significant: Ubuntu has finally delivered a desktop experience that rivals Mac OS X in visual polish and usability, while maintaining everything that makes GNU/Linux powerful—freedom, flexibility, and zero cost.
I've always had mixed feelings about Apple. While I dislike their marketing strategies and closed ecosystem, I have to respect their focus on design consistency and user experience. But there's always been one massive factor: price. Mac OS X requires expensive Apple hardware with no flexibility in configuration or customization.
Urban Terror is one great game that deserves more attention. As someone who recently tried it, I'm impressed by what the FrozenSand team has accomplished with this free, open-source first-person shooter.
Urban Terror is a free tactical shooter built on the Quake III Arena engine, released under the GPL license. It's a standalone game that doesn't require Quake III to play, and it runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Think of it as a middle ground between Counter-Strike's tactical gameplay and Quake's fast-paced action.