Haven’t you always wanted to control your Christmas lights with your Linux server? Being able to control X10-enabled devices opens up your world to a whole new level of geekness. There are several other powerful reasons to put your computer in control of your lights and appliances including programming simple timers and controlling your lights from anywhere in the world. I’m going to show you how to do it with the CM17A interface. There are plenty others out there like the CM10A, CM11A, and others. You may be able to tweak this article to your needs if you have a different interface other than the CM17A.

Read the rest of this entry »

Since the Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy release date, I have upgraded my laptop and desktop as well as done several test installations. The Ubuntu team has made great improvements in some areas, but failed attempts in others. I will discuss several new features exposed such as desktop effects, graphical display configuration utility, restricted drivers, themes, and more.

Read the rest of this entry »