Web Surfing News

Copyright (c) 1996 Edward Cameron <ecame119@ecity.net>

Welcome back to another edition of Web Surfer! This month our intrepid surfer dude has plugged into Real Audio ; the one and only WWW based audio player. YES! it is available for Linux as of version 2.0 only. Early reading of the docs for this software led our super hero type dude to believe that a paltry 14.4 modem could not take advantage of this newest of computer techno-mumbo jumbo gumbo.

I was wrong! A 14.4kb modem CAN be used to listen to version 1.0 audio files with the version 2.0 player. How's the sound? A bit like a mermaid underwater, but if you listen close, you can make out what is being said. The only system requirements you need is the latest Vox sound driver. (I always get the latest no matter what the docs say is needed to run a program) I had to upgrade my sound drivers of course. There is also an encoder available for those who want to include audio files with HTML files. I'm too shy to record my voice, so I didn't download that part of the software. I would like to see a converter- one that converts from .au files to .ra files. That would be way cool.

Hot Java

I was quite excited to find another Player in the software market is porting this hot new language to Linux. Check out www.blackdown.org.

Java is an OOP based C++ style programing lanaguage developed by the folks at Sun Micro. Uhh...of course I had to download a copy. The SDK is called JDK and includes all needed things to compile and debug your java code. How is Java? I don't really know yet. I didn't have the current version of any required system files other than a proper kernel version. I promptly began downloading the necessary updated system files for java.

Of course it didn't work right o' the box. I then had to search around looking for help as to why I couldn't run a demo.

Of course...Git'n to it that problem right now.

Netscape ships V2.0b6a I believe someone mentioned frames and multiple windows and other esoteric stuff in conjuntion with graphics to me the other day. I wasn't up to speed as to that person's meaning, but now I think that I know what he was talking about. Netscape.com has provided yet another release of the worlds most popular web browser and seeing how it is able to handle Java code, I included that as a must-have upgrade. I'll say this: I sure wasn't ready for those frame thingies! Totally blew my mind; NOW! I have something else to dig into.

Netscape 2.06a: Java ready and comes with its own filters and scoop; you just brew up your own program.

Cool Sites

On a clear night, have you everlooked up an' wonder what it would be like on Venus or Mars? I have. If you yearn for knowledge of the planets in our solar system, check out Nine Planets, a guided tour of the planets in our amazing solar system. Lots of gifs, movies and sound files. (.au not .ra unfortunately)

Ending bits n' pieces

Wheeew...been a long day. Heh heh heh. As you can see, not much is gnu in this page. I've been so busy trying to get Java up and running only to find I'm several versions short of makin' that a happening thing. Well, I went overboard and ended up upgrading more than I needed too. ( Netscape, all the binutils, several libraries and a new kernel) Most of homeport was new three months ago and now updated stuff has appeared as fast as fleas on a blue tic dawg.

Ciao bella I'm outta here!

Back up to the 'ol Linux Gazette!