Author: Nayar

Published on by Nayar

n00b Review: Kubuntu 16.04 LTS

Paradigm shifts are very small in KDE as compared to what gnome and other workspaces offer in their upgrades. This might make following KDE upgrade kinda boring or unexciting. KDE’s look the same since maybe decades. This is one of the reasons people prefer KDE 😉

The desktop

After a fresh install. Here’s what you see. Nothing.

Kubuntu 16.04 Desktop

Look at how ugly the KDE Cashew button has become. It used to be so beautiful in previous releases.

Kubuntu 1604 Cashew

No more events and holidays shown in Calendar Widget :(. Maybe the feature might come in the future.

Calendar Widget Kubuntu 16.04

Start menu

Pressing the “start” icon. Nothing. I’d expect at least a browser and file manager there. How would people coming from Microsoft Windows get a hint where to start exploring?

Kubuntu 16.04 Start Menu

What? The icons are still like KDE 4 era?

Kubuntu 16.04 icons

Dolphin

No visible regressions nor visible improvements.

Dolphin in Kubuntu 16.04

System Monitor

Same

System Monitor in Kubuntu 16.04

New Screenshot App: Spectacle

Well. Like the previous app except that now it names the screenies with the time in the filename (‘Screenshot_20160424_141321.png’). Nice

Kubuntu 16.04 screenshot app: Spectacle

Kontact

Never worked 100% with me. In KDE 4, I couldn’t rely on it to bring me my mails and alert me. It would just stop working for no apparent reason and work again later. First time opening Kontact in Kubuntu 16.04. It looks like this:

Kontact in Kubuntu 16.04

Don’t think it is production ready. Will it ever be? I guess no one uses it. I’ll still test it in a few days at work.

Other issues:

I don’t seem to be able to drag and drop images from Dolphin or Spectacle to WordPress. Is it just me?

Conclusion:

It is just like KDE 4. Feels like KDE 4. Just maybe feels better (for now) with a refined “new” old look. Good to know that it is running with Qt5 with QML.

If your production Kubuntu 14.04 LTS works well for you, I don’t really see the need to go through the pain of upgrading knowing that the upgrade process *might* break. If you are installing Kubuntu on a new machine, definitely choose 16.04 LTS. Better stay up-to-date on paper 😉

Published on by Nayar

govmu.org: How do I recover my username on the government portal?

Rs 50 millions were spent on making this “web portal”. At the time of writing, internal links are still pointing to gov.mu domain despite the fact that they have migrated to govmu.org. The irony is that contracted company got paid again for the recent URL change.

NTA Fitness still old
http://nta.govmu.org/English/Procedures/Pages/Vehicle-Examination.aspx (18/04/2016)

Anyways, I want to actually use the system. Let’s try to login:

Login on govmu.org

Do you really have username as the “primary key” in your stupid database? I don’t remember my username! It didn’t allow me to use my favorite username at the time of creation because it’s too short.What do I do now? Oh, there is a “Password Forgotten” link below. Let’s have a look at it:

Recover password on govmu.org

NIC Number: OK. It’s on my ID card
Email: I know.
Username: How the fuck will i recall this? There is no “recover username” option. Was this website designed by people who don’t know normalize tables? Or they copied the template of the login form from League of Legends forum or something?

My government spent my money of making an e-Service platform that I CAN’T FUCKING USE!

Oh oh oh. Some might say I just criticize. Why don’t I move my a$$ to help make the website better since I’m an IT professional. Well, put the whole govmu.org source code on Github so that we can amend it for free! Yes. For free!!!

Maybe free means no commission for you Mr the Ministers.

Published on by Nayar

My CHiLi Internet stops working randomly

image

Sittin’ in car waitin’.

3G data enabled on the chili SIM.

But the internet is not working.

Chili Data

The reason being a mystery even for chili techies.

I once brought the phone at the general headquarter office. They couldn’t diagnose it. They said my settings were correct. They didn’t have a spare micro-sim in the office to check too. Disappointing.

Do you also face such issues too? As much as I want to love chili, I’m getting disappointed. All I need is internet. If CHiLI can’t give me this, why should I keep CHiLi? I’m tired of Orange holding the monopoly in Mauritius.

Published on by Nayar

Ajinomoto

Lot’s of things going on in my mind. “The government of Mauritius has gone crazy,” people are murmuring. Mauritians, powerless, just watching the dramas unfold before them. We, humans of planet earth, are trained to “consume”.  Television, Facebook newsfeeds, newspapers and all are easy for us. Few are those who have the ability to “create” something.

The Banning of Ajinomoto

I don’t really care much about Ajinomoto. But the current Minister of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection, Mr Ashit Gungah, wants to ban it for some random reason [1]. He says the product detrimental to public health. How much do you really care about public health? Doesn’t cigarette cause problems? A quick search on Google about Ajinomoto shows no concrete evidence of Monosodium glutamate begin harmful to health. Certain countries believe it to be dangerous so did Mr Ashit Gungah [2]. Some doctors said it is totally fine [3]. Are the ministers just doing “stuffs” to show they deserve the more than Rs 100,000 salary per month taken from us?

Leave us to decide for ourselves what’s good for us and what’s not!!!

Where is the Ministry of Health in all these? Does he have a word to say? Who is the Ministry of Health to begin with?

[1] http://www.govmu.org/English/News/Pages/Consumer-Protection-Laws-under-review,-says-Minister-Gungah.aspx

[2] http://www.govmu.org/English/News/Pages/Consumer-Protection-Laws-under-review,-says-Minister-Gungah.aspx

[3] http://www.lexpress.mu/article/274431/lajinomoto-bientot-banni-assiettes

Published on by Nayar

My Linux distro is better than yours!!

Grown old, maturity level kinda more.

Which Linux distribution is the best? How you got all the distros tested?

snapshot2

Each person being different. Needs, expertise differ.

Not everyone using the same road are going to the same destination. Some are rushing through it. Others enjoying the view. And some the curves.

9-5 workers (9-6 in Mauritius),  technology enthusiasts, money making minds. All in different mindsets.

One ring to rule them all! Is it just a dream?

Humans invented the ‘swiss knife’ afterall.

But swiss knives can’t be used to build an aeroplane, can it?

Even Windows gets sold as home, professional or server edition.

Each distro has its own pros and cons. Don’t look for perfection.

Choose what fits your purpose and thou shall be happy…