JDK 6 released

JDK 6 was released two days ago but i never had to time to blog about it. Unforchantly no deb is provided by sun and java-package 0.27 (the current stable release of java-package) does not support jdk 6. java-package is software that helps package java for debian based systems. I at first just did a "hack install" by extracting the .bin provided by Sun and then copying it to /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0.00 and then making a symbolic link to it in the same directory named java-1.6.0-sun (Note: i was just following convention). Then i edited /etc/jvm and added /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-sun. Then i went and edited my netbeans.conf file (located at /opt/Sun/netbeans-5.5/etc) and changed the jdk home to jdk 6. I Started netbeans up and was impressed by the speed improvements but not with the interface. I was expecting GTK LAF right out of the box. But after a little searching i found how to get it working. Add --laf com.sun.java.swing.plaf.gtk.GTKLookAndFeel to you netbeans.conf startup arguments. I found that the tabs looked ugly so i found that Ramon Ramos had a nbm that fixed this. Get it here. Here is what netbeans looks like with GTK LAF the Human theme and the gtk nbm by Ramon:
As you can see the only UI errors are in the right corner of netbeans. Just a little problem which i'm sure will be fixed for Netbeans 6.0 (which is looking sooo awesome btw...i need to try the latest milestone out and when i do i will report back with screen shots and my analysis.

Netbeans and C/C++

I have been learning about C/C++ and (of course) downloaded NetBeans 5.5 and all of its packs the day they were released...one of the first things i looked at was the C/C++ support...i absolutely love use NetBeans as an IDE because of its amazing functionality and other features i have mentioned before; but most of the feature i talked about were java specific. Now that i am learning and needing C/C++ i went looking for a C/C++ IDE. I tried a couple linux specific ones but at the release of NetBeans 5.5 C/C++ pack i came back and gave it a try...i loved it!! Although there are some things i would like to see added like support for:
autoconf and automake
scons
doxygen
linux project support (templates for gnome, KDE, and other)
gtk+ and gtkmm project support
two way UML modelling

Sure there are things that NetBeans 5.5 C/C++ pack needs but it is well on its way to becoming the best C/C++ IDE. Where will NetBeans Stop?

Netbeans 5.5 is out!!

In the last week i have made a clean install of Ubuntu edgy and was waiting out for the new NetBeans 5.5....It was just released today and boy am i excited :) The netbeans.org website was tottaly redesigned; it is very pretty now. I will post some screen shots and my thaughts soon. Check out the NetBeans site and download NetBeans 5.5 and it's packs!!

Edgy is Due tomorrow :) and NetBeans 5.5 is on it's way

I haven't bloged for what feels like a very long time...i was hoping i could update my blog to Blogger beta but unforchantly i do not have the option yet. Just today i completed the main board for my grade 12 computer engineering project. I will explain more about my projects and others in my next post (i promise). Also Ubuntu Edgy Eft is being released tomorrow and i am all set to make a clean install...i currently have been using edgy RC but also did testing on edgy beta. Netbeans 5.5 will be coming out shortly which is also i going to be nice...i would recommend anybody to watch Roumen Strobl's demos "Why NetBeans" (Part 1) (Part 2)...looks very impressive :) Hopefully JDK 6 (formaly known as Mustang) will be release at about the same time as NetBeans 5.5...we will see :)

Finally!!

After about 6 months of not being able to have DRI (AKA 3D Acceleration) i have got it working in Edgy Beta 1 using fglrx 8.29.6. I am now very excited to finally have XGL on my laptop. I have also installed Beryl which is the compiz fork (it is very impressive especially seeing as it is still alpha). I am also pretty excited to try out my Doom 3 and Doom 3 Reurection of evil in linux. I also just recently bought Half-Life 2 Episode 1 and have yet to play it (because i am windows free :). I do not play games very often but have been missing it...(i have had Doom 3 for almost a year and have not played it for over 4 months...when i last played it i just got to Hell. Anyways this month is a big month for quite a few things: Ubuntu Edgy Eft comes out, JDK Mustang (i know Sun is not going with code names but i still like to name its 'former' code name), NetBeans 5.5, NetBeans Mobility Pack 5.5, Enterprise pack (i am very excited about this pack...i have been hoping for this for a while), Netbeans C/C++ pack (which needs better linux support btw, [i will write a blog about it when the 5.5 version comes out]). I have tried out all the software i have listed above from alpha to now and have seen many awesome changes! Well that is my little bit for the day...all i have to say i check out the compiz fork Beryl and check out NetBeans and its packs along with Ubuntu Edgy Eft (currently beta 1).

NetBeans 6.0 M2 - First look

Today NetBeans 6.0 M2 came out and i decided i would give it a try...i also downloaded the NetBeans Profiler 6.0 M2 and have it installed as well...i have included some screenshots and thaughts/sugestions:

The installer for Netbeans 6.0 M2 and NetBeans Profiler 6.0 M2 look basicly the same as the installers from NetBeans 5.5 beta 1/2. Once installed this is NetBeans 6.0 M2 booting up:
As soon as i had NetBeans 6.0 M2 running i opened the update center to update everything and add extra functionality...There are no changes to the update center that i can see...one feature i would really like to see in NetBeans is better "module management"...at the moment i can turn modules on and off but i would like to see a blacklist feature in the update center...so you can blacklist modules you never want to install (so for me that would include the modules that disable the default cvs support)...Here is a screen shot of the update center of NetBeans 6.0 M2:
After i finished running the update center i had to restart the IDE...this is what it looked like:
Once the IDE is running again i looked around for some cool stuff...first i looked at full screen mode:
Pretty cool but i wish it support the whole screen like in the windows verion...maybe when jdk 6 Mustang comes out with gtk+ support then it will be able to get rid of the gnome panels...Also i can't wait to see how NetBeans will look under linux (gtk+) with Mustang...it will be awesome...because right now i can't say it is the pretties thing i have ever seen (although the interface is very intuitive and there is nothing netbeans could have really done about the way it looks....there are ways to buitify NetBeans (Substance) i would prefer native look and feel). Note: nothing against the UI team at NetBeans...the UI is great, very intuitive and user friendly and will be capped off on linux when Mustang comes out with gtk+ support to make it "sexy" on linux. Here is a screen shot of Full screen mode in Ubuntu 6.06 dapper:In a couple of days after using it for a little while i will report back with more things i like/dislike/like to see improved with screenshots.

Things i want to see in future releases of Netbeans

I have been learning C/C++ and gtk+ and gtkmm (the C++ bindings to gtk+). So i was thinking what i would like to see from my favourite IDE, NetBeans and i thaught tha having a cross platform gui builder for C/C++ apps using gtk+/gtkmm would be cool...gtk+ and gtkmm are cross platform so all NetBeans would have to do is create a killer gui builder like Matisse...I am very excited to try out the new Matisse in NetBeans 5.5 and NetBeans 6.0. I also recently dound out from Roumen Strobl that Jdk Mustang supports gtk++...this make me very happy because i am a linux user (i have not had windows on my laptop for about 3 months :) and i am very happy with ubuntu :)). Anyway sorry if my thaughts are a little scrambled but it is late over here in Canada. Cheers.

This is what i have set as my nickname for MSN/Yahoo/ICQ/etc.. enjoy :)
Have you had enough with windows? Yeah you have...becuase there is somthing much better...it's called linux ;) Get it today...it is free!!

Edgy Eft, hope and linux...and of couse NetBeans

At the moment i am very, very excited for the release of ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft), Java 6 (Mustang), NetBeans 5.5 and NetBeans 6.0. Ubuntu 6.10 is going to be awesome because it will probably have xgl and compiz working out of the box (hopefully) and now that 8.26.18 ati propriatary fglrx beta driver is out and supports my card (the Radeon 200M) i will have 3D support :). Hopefully the new ati driver will be done for the new release of ubuntu. One thing ATI needs to do is to either open source their propriatary driver (which i know they will not do because it will give away too much about their cards) or put a distributor licence on it so it can be distributed freely by open source vendors like ubuntu and other linux distros. I am excited for java 6 (Mustang) because it is much faster and looks better on linux. I am also very excited for NetBeans 5.5 and am very much antisipating NetBeans 6.0. Before i start school again in the fall i am going to make a clean install of Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft) with NetBeans 5.5 (Enterprise pack, C/C++ pack, Mobility pack and profiler) running on Java 6 Mustang. It will be awesome..anyway..i have to read up on driving in Canada (I have to write my drivers test).

To all i wish the best...thanks for reading.