October 31st 2012 CLI, GIMP and more

Andy kicked us off with a look at GIMP 2.8 and some of the new features. We also got a demo on using the GIMP to produce simple web graphics and for photo enhancement. There was some interesting discussion about how this versions allows GIMP to look and feel more like Photoshop, but also about how the integration of Photoshop into the Adobe suite of tools means that, while GIMP can easily create print ready artwork, hard core Photoshopers are still not likely ot make the switch. Gimp 2.8 is not available in some distros, so the PPA for Ubuntu 12.04 (also works on Mint 13 (Maya) is: http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-install-gimp-2-8-2-in-ubuntu-12-04-precise.html David gave us the 4th instalment in his series on the introduction to the command line. Alice pre-empted much of his talk as becoming customary, and as usual, 'we all learned something' Downloads:

•  Command Line (4) Slides
• GIMP 2.8 Introduction

September 26th 2012: Testing Testing

Alice showed us how to use Selenium to record actions on a webpage and turn them into tests. These are the links you need:

• http://seleniumhq.org/projects/ide/
• https://saucelabs.com/

Some talk about Cuttlefish: https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/applications/cuttlefish/  - which will adapt your environment to your changing circumstances. Dave continued his command line talk which was NOT called the Human Centipede, but had a lot to do with pipes. Also it was our Birthday. Thanks to Richard for the Cake (it was not a lie!).

August 29th 2012 Commandline, HTML and CSS

David pointed out that in Unix everything is either an operation or something being operated on. The things being operated on are files in the filesystem which he pointed out resembles the humble potato.

Pros and cons of FOSS

Pros: No need for virus software It is more difficult to write viruses and easier to spot them with FOSS. However, most malware now comes through web browsers; so the main advantage is not having to wait for virus software to do its thing.

July 25th 2012: Commandline and Ada

The first instalment of David's introdution to the command line and the latest adventures with Raspberry-Pi followed by a look at Ada Lovelace's contribution to computing are among items on the agenda.

Wordpress

I spend a lot of time helping people get their information onto the web, and Wordpress is a great tool for doing just that.

June 27th 2012: Windows 8

Richard gave us a guided tour of a pre-release version of Windows 8. There was a lot to be said about what Microsoft is trying to achieve, and how that relates to the rest of the IT world, devices and operating systems. Mike gave us a culture quiz - to help keep us all well rounded human beings, as well as geeks! Well done to Andy for winning and taking the prizes, and thanks to Mike for organising. Dave S suggested a monthly set of short 'How the Command Line can be your friend' talks, which everyone seemed to welcome.

May 30th 2012: Pi anyone?

Nigel demonstrated Raspberry Pi running a variety of programs. John demonstrated LXDE and Parted Magic and Brian demonstrated Cinnamon. Thanks to Nigel for letting people play with/explore/use his new toy/gadget/computer.

April 25th 2012: Show and Tell

This month we had a general show and tell session. John showed us how to convert a bitmap to a vector, Dave S showed us around XFCE and some crazy patents, Darren showed us KDE, Nigel demoed Linux Mint, and Dave C showed his Ubuntu 10.04 desktop. We also had an interesting presentation on Maser (Microwave Laser) from Brian.

March 28th 2012: Go search

Graham introduced Munzee, a 21st century scavenger hunt; it is similar to geocaching except that one uses a QR code; placing Munzees can overlap with Geocache as long as you get the geocacher's permission. Munzee can be played individually or in a group. It requires an Android or iPhone with 3G reception. Graham has planted 22 Bradford Monopoly Munzees if you fancy finding them! David C demonstrated how he had...