It's Time to Upgrade

Yes, it's about time to upgrade your browser to enjoy better browsing experience using the fresh-from-the-oven Firefox 3.5. You can upgrade to the latest one using automatic update by selecting Help > Check for Updates. It will download approximately 9,5 MB (i think it's downloading the whole components instead of the updated one as it is a major update).

Check the cool new features of Firefox 3.5 on the Release Notes and start downloading people

Be prepared as most of your addons will NOT be available after you upgrade as they are not listed as compatible with Firefox 3.5 (for now). It would take few days to weeks to get the new one compatible with FF 3.5. Anyway, it's good to know that some addons are already working with FF 3.5, such as Greasemonkey, StumbleUpon, Firebug, FireGPG, ColorfulTabs, Better GMail 2, and AdBlockPlus.

After you upgrade, check the About Mozilla Firefox and you will get something like this:

Python 3.1 Released

Python 3.1 has been released as a major update to Python 3.0. It brings lots of changes and the detailed information can be seen in this page.

Taking from the official release announcement:

Python 3.1 focuses on the stabilization and optimization of the features and changes that Python 3.0 introduced. For example, the new I/O system has been rewritten in C for speed. File system APIs that use unicode strings now handle paths with undecodable bytes in them. Other features include an ordered dictionary implementation, a condensed syntax for nested with statements, and support for ttk Tile in Tkinter.

Pidgin 2.5.8

It seems the Yahoo login problem is not yet finished, as there are some users are still having trouble logging in to Yahoo after upgrading to 2.5.7, so 2.5.8 is released which changed the default pager server to the new one, which will ease user to logged in to Yahoo servers again.

Get the new Pidgin release at their official home page

The Titan's Curse is Finished

Only two days are required to finish my latest novel i bought: The Titan's Curse. It's the third novel of Percy Jackson's adventure with gods/goddess of Olympia. As usual, in every book, there will be a new character which in turn are a son / daughter of one of the god/goddess that was not supposed to have a children.

I can't wait to see the next two novels, which (IMHO) should be released in short time, because it has been published for some time (except for the fifth novel, which was released on late May).

RIP Linux

RIP here does not meant for Rest In Peace, but rather Rescue Is Possible. Yes, it's another great Linux Distribution (based on Slackware) in form of CD or floppy for boot / rescue / backup / maintenance system.

It has support for a lot of filesystem types (Reiserfs, Reiser4, ext2/3, iso9660, UDF, XFS, JFS, UFS, HPFS, HFS, MINIX, MS DOS, NTFS, and VFAT) and contains a bunch of utilities for system recovery. It also has IDE/SCSI/SATA, PCMCIA, RAID, LVM2, and Ethernet/DSL/cable/PPP/PPPOE network support.

You can burn the ISO into a CD or USB Drive (instructions are provided on the official site) or install it via PXE.

If you want to install and boot Linux on a Windows XP/Vista system, it can be done too

What's so special with this distribution? Well, this distribution includes lots of tool for recovery purposes, including resetting the password and so on. More detailed information about this distribution can be seen on the website or read the Documentation.

The Titan's Curse

The third series of Percy Jackson has been publised by Mizan Publishing. I have bought this novel just now. Actually i didn't know if it was released. I went to Gramedia to buy something which my girlfriend ordered me, and i was looking at the search system and i typed Rick Riordan (the author) and the system returned three books, meaning that the third book has been released

I have updated my wish list too. Less novel to be read this year

I do have some spare time lately, so i will try to enjoy this novel as much as i could.

Another Graduation

Next Saturday, there will be another graduation for UKDW. Starting this year, UKDW will hold three graduation events on February, June, and November, increased from two from last year.

Congratulations for those who graduated this month and for those who haven't graduated yet, be patient. Your time will come

Secunia PSI 1.5 Released

Secunia PSI 1.5 has been released today and it contains the Indonesian language that i have translated few days ago.

Besides new translations (there are sixteen translations in total), there are other features as well, such as:

• Secure Browsing
• Secunia PSI WorldMap
• 64bit Support
• Status Indicator
• Many more. See changelog for detail.

I would like to thank Secunia PSI Partner Manager, Mikkel Winther for the opportunities to cooperate with Secunia.

Secunia PSI in Indonesian

I have finished translating the Secunia PSI into Indonesian language and thanks to Secunia Support team, the application has been rebuilt to include Indonesian translations. It's still on Beta phase, and i also found some typo on the translations (which i have fixed it) and it should be OK on the next build.

What is Secunia PSI? It's an internal vulnerability scanners which analyzes your system for missing security patches or end-of-life applications. By looking at the results, you can determine whether your system is secure or not. This is Windows-only application and it can detect software changes at real time, providing you with up-to-date overview of your system.

It can also gives you the solution to fix the problem by finding the vendor's solution at their website. It can ease your job finding the missing patches

It's a good idea to use this application if you are running Windows as security problems are coming in all the time. And the best thing is that it's free.

One Project Completed

I started SlackBasics project few years ago with some hope that it would help many Indonesian Slackware users. Today, i have finally finished that project by committing the last part of the files to be translated to the SVN server at Google Code servers.

More proper review will be conducted to make sure the translations are correct and consistent, but you can see the translations on the project's website and check it out.

I'm waiting for SlackBook 3.0 which is now being written. I hope it can be released as promised (mid 2009).

Pidgin 2.5.7 Released

The Pidgin team has decided to release a quick update to Pidgin to fix the Yahoo login problems. There aren't much new features or fixed bugs on this version as this is probably an emergency release, but at least the login problem is now fixed after the new Yahoo protocol 16 is supported by Pidgin. They even had new HTTPS login method

Here's the short Changelog of the newer version of Pidgin:

• Yahoo Protocol 16 support, including new HTTPS login method; this should fix a number of login problems that have recently cropped up. (Sulabh Mahajan, Mike "Maiku" Ruprecht)
• Only display the AIM "Unable to Retrieve Buddy List" message once per connection. (Rob Taft)
• Blocking MSN users not on your buddy list no longer disconnects you.
• When performing operations on MSN, assume users are on the MSN/Passport network if we don't get network ID's for them

Pidgin and Yahoo

Several people that uses Pidgin (mostly Linux users) are complaining that they couldn't logged in to their Yahoo account. It's NOT Pidgin's fault, but due to recent notifications from Yahoo that they are planning to retire old version of their IM client application on August. Some servers has been upgraded with new authentication method which current Pidgin (2.5.6) hasn't implemented yet.

So, what's the solution?

Simple. Just follow this link and you will find the suitable solution. I have tested it and it's confirmed to work

Next Project Secunia PSI

My current project is translating Secunia PSI into Indonesian language. I don't know how many Indonesian people have known and used Secunia PSI to scan their PC against vulnerable applications. They might be shocked to see the results

16000 Members

Indonesian Linux Forum now has over than 16000 members. It seems that while i was in Manado, this limit has been surpassed. Congratulations and we are still welcoming you as the Indonesian Linux Forum members.

Keyboard Problem Solved

After playing with Windows for a night, finally i have decided to go back to Linux and trying to solve the keyboard problem which caused the keyboard is not detected on LILO prompt, thus i can't select Linux because it's located on the second entry.

In fact, the keyboard is detected on BIOS checking, but not in LILO, so there got to be a problem there. I opened the BIOS and finally discovered that the USB Keyboard Support is disabled. I remembered this settings was turned off because at the time i bought this new motherboard, i still used my old keyboard (which has accompanied me for eight years) which uses PS/2 interface. That's why i turned off this settings. Right now, it has to be turned on in order to make it work again.

By the way, it's just a temporary keyboard. I should hunt a good keyboard in the following days. Keyboard (IMHO) is a very crucial computer peripheral elements, since you used it all the time. If mouse can be omitted, but not keyboard. Take an example of Linux servers, who don't have a GUI interface. The admins works only using keyboards and terminal.

Bad keyboard selection might lead to RSI, so don't mind spending some money to buy a good keyboard with ergonomic as the main priority. My old keyboard was produced by Microsoft and i feel it very good.

Keyboard Problem

Today, something weird happened on my computer. Suddenly, the keyboard stopped working on my Linux box. I tested the keyboard and it was fine on other computer, but i couldn't make it working on my desktop. It just happened when i was uploading photos and giving a comment on it.

It's so weird, but i'm too tired to fix this problem. Probably i will leave it for tomorrow.

I'm Back

After spending eight days in Manado, finally i came back to Jogja, my hometown. I flew back from Manado around 3:30 PM which should be 1:30 PM, because the plane was delayed. The original plane from Jakarta was damaged, so they have to bring out their backup plane. I was kinda worried at that point, because i have a connecting flight at 6:15 PM, which means i have only around 15 minutes to get off the plane, report to the ground officers, and then re-enters the boarding room.

Luckily the plane landed before 6 PM, which means i have enought time to board, but again, i got delayed until 7 PM. Two delays in one night. So great.

Well, at the end, i made it back to Jogja safely. Thanks to the KKN team and also to Mandey's family at Manado. It was a great week in Manado. Photos are being uploaded to FB, so be patient

Keeping Up

After eight days in Manado, i'm still not keeping up with my activities here in Jogja. I think i should work harder to make the changes from Manado to Jogja faster and easier

Two of my students which are under my supervision has passed their final test this morning. Congrats to Bayu and Idha. More to come tomorrow and the day after tomorrow

Finally, Bunaken

After few days without good Internet connection (only via mobile phone with GPRS/HSDPA), i finally tried to use my E71 to connect to the Internet using Nokia PC Suite. My students brought IM2-Broom but it was no good. It was very slow here.

At last, i finally visited Bunaken, one of the most wanted place to visit due to WOC event last month. It was very good, but sadly, there were still too many trashes on the sea. It would be better if the local government sweep the area (although it may cost quite a lot).

All the preparation for the event here is roughly on schedule and i will give a presentation about Web 2.0 and Beyond next Saturday.

The food here is quite different, but it's not a problem for me.

I will upload lots of photos since day 1 after i came back to Jogja. That means on Monday night

Oh, it's nice to be able to write blog again

Arrived at Manado

I have arrived at Manado safely after one hour flight to Jakarta continued by connecting flight to Manado which was approximately three hours. My students picked my at the airport and brought me back to the place where they lived.

I had to admit that the Internet connection on this area (at least where i stay) is very bad. My students brought IM2-Broom and the connection is very slow. Even my dial up connection at home might be faster than here. Even though it has quite a good coverage on Telkomsel, sometimes the connection changed to 2G.

Oh well, i guess i have to live without a good Internet connection for a week.

One Week Journey

My one week journey to Manado starts today and i will be there for one week. Let's just hope i will be able to update my blog or at least my Facebook status while i'm there

KDE 4.2.4 is Released

KDE 4.2.4, another monthly update towards KDE 4.3 has been released by KDE team. This version is planned to be the last update before the next major update KDE 4.3 will be released on July.

I think i will miss this update on Slackware as i have to leave to Manado tomorrow.

Here's the announcement and the changelog.

CrunchPad is Coming

PCWorld has written an article about CrunchPad which i think will be quite phenomenon when it's released. It's slick, simple, and slim.

It's running on Linux operating system which has been modified to run the web browser (based on WebKit) and display some badges (some kind of icons) which will launch the application associated with the icons.

Another rumor is that Apple is developing what people called Apple Tablet. Rumor said that it will be published in 2010.

Will there be another changes from NetBook into CrunchPad and Apple Tablet? We will see in the next few months/years

My Wish List on Novels

Here are some novel list which are currently on my wish list:

• Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
• The Sorceress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 3)
• The Necromancer (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 4)
• The Warlock (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 5)
• The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 6)
• The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)
  
• The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4)
  
• The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5)
• The Last Symbol by Dan Brown
  

They have been published (except for The Necromancer, The Warlock, and The Enchantress which are still being plotted by the author. I read the interviews with the author here and he stated about what's going to be the title for book 4, 5, and 6), but not in Indonesian, so i guess i just have to wait for now. I'm currently starting to read the second book of Michael Scott's Nicholas Flamel series (The Magician).

Update (07:31): Dan Brown's latest novel The Last Symbol is ready to be published on 15 September, but in English version. I have added it to my wish list

Update (26 June 2009): The third book of Percy Jackson series, The Titan's Curse has been published and i have bought this today

Performance Improvements

On the next Kernel release, dubbed 2.6.30, there will be a faster boot and performance improvements in many aspects. Phoronix has done a benchmark on RC-7 and since RC-8 only contains small bug fixes, it won't affect too much with the performance results.

For list of new features in 2.6.30, see KernelNewbies.

Last Class

Finally, this semester has ended. I have a class today and that was my last class for this semester. Good luck with your dual degree exams next week and i'll see you on the next semester

Finalizing Material

On Sunday, i will leave to Manado for a week. My students already left to Manado last Sunday to prepare everything they need for their service learning course. They will stay there for a month and doing some projects, while i will be accompanying them just for a week.

I will give a seminar there with the audience are from high school. Actually i have never been to Manado before so i guess it will be fun. So far, the material are 80-85% complete and i only need some final touch before i will use it for my seminar. Let's hope the material will be finished before i leave to Manado

Forum Linux Upgraded

It's been a while since phpBB released an update to Olympus (codename for phpBB 3.x). Well, today i checked the system tab on phpBB and there was a red sign, meaning there was an update for phpBB and i quickly looked on the phpBB 3.0.5 Release Notes. It is an important update and there are some new features as well, such as better CAPTCHA protection, ability to refresh the CAPTCHA visual images, better performance on full search, and many more.

I disabled the forum for a while to do the maintenance and after about 30 minutes or so, i re-enabled the forum again and now it's running perfectly on 3.0.5

With each version, phpBB is getting easier to upgrade, thanks to the automatic update package. In my case, all of the MODs i have been installing is still preserved without having to reconfigure it again. In the past, every time i performed an upgrade, i have to reconfigure the MODs again.

Enjoy the forum again and sorry for the inconvenience during the upgrade process.