KSyncLinux is KDE Based. This Linux Distribution is still majorly under construction and absolutely no public alphas or betas are available just yet. If you'd like to help us with development, feel free to let us know. As for what we have accomplished and can show you, thats what this page is for :-)
As we use BBS Scene Technology and Linux, meshed into one well-oiled machine to bridge the gap between Client and Server -- we'd like to show you some of the cool stuff your Desktop will be capable of!
The KSyncLinux Desktop will provide an array of new awesome things mixed with tons of stuff you're already used to -- even if this is your first time using any Linux Distro. Desktop Tweaking as Server Abilities become melded into the Desktop Interface to provide you with obscene local network and internet abilities, tons of cool Linux Tools, Applications, Games & More as well as lots of things setup (on purpose, of course) the way Windows Users are used to dealing with stuff. Although I'm sure even though Windows Users are also used to dealing with plethoras of spyware and virus', they'll be more than happy to adapt to those NOT being an issue under Linux :-)
KBFX is an awesome utility to help you alter the look and feel of your Desktop. We've used it to make the Panel Bars and Launch / Start Menu Systems look and function more like Microsoft Windows to pre-establish some familiarity for you. Of course, you can make it totally different if you happen to hate that look and feel. It's totally 100% customizable. You can do pretty much whatever you'd like.
The Server Services Menus are totally going to kick ass! If you're already a Synchronet Sysop -- then take SBBSCTRL, inject it with some high grade CRACK, integrate it directly into THE DESKTOP and then add hooks into TONS of other shit -- and it'll be kind of like that :-)
You're going to be able to access all the the regular Synchronet Services Stuff, External API's Configuration for hooks into the few main stream services actually worth dealing with, FreeDNS Integrated Services (static and dyndns) as well as Webmin to be able to easily access those tons of other text configs that Synchronet (and other Linux Applications) typically require you to use a text editor to get at -- as well as tons of other stuff we've got planned.
Customizing your desktop and the various functions KSyncLinux is capable of is only a click away! It is the equivelent of the "Control Panel" in Windows only more powerful and much easier to use!
KBFX is an awesome utility to help you alter the look and feel of your Desktop. We've used it to make the Panel Bars and Launch / Start Menu Systems look and function more like Microsoft Windows to pre-establish some familiarity for you. Of course, you can make it totally different if you happen to hate that look and feel. It's totally 100% customizable. You can do pretty much whatever you'd like.
Above shows the look and feel of the Start / Launch Bar rather than the Configuration Menus.
Never fear, Command Lines are still here! As well as support for MS-DOS and Windows Applications! No, we're not shitting you. Seriously.
Whether you're a teenager into retro stuff, a hard core gamer that just can't live without their legacy games collection or a remnant from when the BBS Scene was purely Dialup and are just looking for some nostalgia -- DOSbox will properly emulate pretty much anything you might need for the old MS-DOS genre.
DOSemu is similar but slightly different to DOSbox, but there is a very important difference. The Synchronet Server Services require it for the Telnet / SSH end of the BBS (Bulletin Board System) Functions of the OS to be able to properly utilize the DOS-Based Door Games, Muds and other various RPG Games.
If your not familar with Door Games, they are very similar to Multi-User Dungeons in most respects. Typically of an RPG (Role Playing Game) nature, although there are Door Games that are not RPG's and not even Games (but rather user and / or Sysop Utilities). We plan to have as many as possible pre-loaded and pre-configured onto the Operating System, seeing as these can be a tedeous bitch to setup manually if you're unfamilar with the setup.
Door Games as well as other various Game Server Functions will be integrated into KSyncLinux providing you with the power to host and maintain online games -- be it for public or private purposes.
Using WINE (WINdows Emulator) we're going to have some free and / or open source stuff pre-installed as long as it's Creative Commons Licenced and not a bloated application. Above you can see Modplug Tracker as an example of a Windows Application working perfectly on the KSyncLinux Desktop.
The Linux Command Prompt / SSH is wonderful for people of all experience levels, because just like anything else -- it has it's very advanced functions, but also it's more simplistic functions. The Command Prompt isn't hard, it just uses syntaxes. You may or may not realize that though "syntax" might be an articulate word, people use syntaxes every day!
A syntax is simply a way or method for doing something. Everyday examples: I before E except after C, A E I O U and sometimes Y, chew before you swallow, make sure the doors are locked after you exit your car, make sure you have everything you need before you leave for school / work, don't accept candy from strangers, etc..
If your a parent, you'll find the Linux Command Prompt far easier and more cooperative than your children. If your a teenager, getting the Linux Command Prompt to understand what you wish to do and why is far easier than getting your parents to understand what you wish to do and why :-)
For those of you who are used to using the DOS Command Prompt, the Command Prompt for Linux is not incredibly different. Typing "dir" still brings up a directory list (typing "dir --color" brings up a color coded and typing alias dir="dir --color" makes it so it's always in color for that session :-), typing "cd" or "cd .." still changes directories and well, you get the idea. There are also tons of COOL GAMES that can be played via the Linux Command Prompt as well!
There are also many Desktop GUI's that can use the Linux Prompt (behind the scenes, you don't actually "see" the prompt) for tons of really cool functions -- including but not limited to remotely Administering your PC!
The Linux Command Prompt will be your new best friend and should not be feared :-)
There are tons of REALLY COOL Multimedia Applications that are FREE and can do damn near everything (AND MORE!) that your current pay applications are capable of! We highly reccomend you give these thins a shot -- HOWEVER -- if you've already been screwed over in paying for such things as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office -- no worries, we understand the desire to not have had wasted your money. If you insist on continuing to use things like MS Office and Photoshop -- WINE (WINdows Emulator) supports stuff like that with no problems.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Project) can do damn near everything Adobe Photoshop can and a heck of a lot of cool stuff that even Photoshop can't even do! The price tag on Photoshop is a friggen rip off and if you'd like to do some serious graphical work in a professional environment -- you shouldn't have to be some rich corporate slave to be able to do it. Everyone from teenagers to baby boomers can use and enjoy GIMP -- even if it's just for touching up and having some fun with Family Photos.
Each task requires a different environment and GIMP allows you to customize the view and behavior the way you like it. Starting from the widget theme, allowing you to change colors, widget spacings and icon sizes to custom tool sets in the toolbox. The interface is modulized into so called docks, allowing you to stack them into tabs or keep them open in their own window. Pressing the tab key will toggle them hidden.
GIMP features a great fullscreen mode allowing you to not only preview your artwork but also do editing work while using the most of your screen estate.
Numerous digital photo imperfections can be easily compensated for using GIMP. Fix perspective distortion caused by lens tilt simply choosing the corrective mode in the transform tools. Eliminate lens' barrel distortion and vignetting with a powerful filter but a simple interface.
GIMP is ideal for advanced photo retouching techniques. Get rid of unneeded details using the clone tool, or touch up minor details easily with the new healing tool. With the perspective clone tool, it's not difficult to clone objects with perspective in mind just as easily as with the orthogonal clone.
GIMP includes a very unique support for various input devices out of the box. Pressure and tilt sensitive tablets, but also a wide range of USB or MIDI controllers. You can bind often-used actions to device events such as rotating a USB wheel or moving a MIDI controller's slider. Change the size, angle or opacity of a brush while you paint, bind your favorite scripts to buttons. Speed up your workflow!
The file format support ranges from the common likes of JPEG (JFIF), GIF, PNG, TIFF (and many more!) to special use formats such as the multi-resolution and multi-color-depth Windows icon files. The architecture allows to extend GIMP's format capabilities with a plug-in. You can find some rare format support in the GIMP plugin registry.
Thanks to the transparent virtual file system, it is possible to load and save files to from remote locations using protocols such as FTP, HTTP or even SMB (MS Windows shares) and SFTP/SSH.
To save disk space, any format can be saved with an archive extension such as ZIP, GZ or BZ2 and GIMP will transparently compress the file without you needing to do any extra steps.
CNR (Click'N'Run) allows anyone with even a quarter of a brain to be able to painlessly locate and install Linux Applications, including tons of programs you're ALREADY used to using such as: Google Earth, Real Player, Firefox, Opera, Adobe Flash, Sun Java & tons more!
CNR.com is a free one-click software delivery service designed to standardize the process and eliminate the complexity of finding, installing and managing Linux software for the most popular desktop Linux distributions, both Debian and RPM based. Please note that CNR.com is currently in beta stage.
With CNR.com you get the most extensive free resource available anywhere for desktop Linux software. Search from tens of thousands of Linux software programs, packages and libraries by title, popularity, similar software, category, Who's Who, or function, and with just one click install the software on to your computer.
OpenOffice.org is a multiplatform and multilingual office suite and an open-source project. Compatible with all other major office suites, the product is free to download, use, and distribute.
StarDivision, the original author of the StarOffice suite of software, was founded in Germany in the mid-1980s. It was acquired by Sun Microsystems during the summer of 1999 and StarOffice 5.2 was released in June of 2000. Future versions of StarOffice software, beginning with 6.0, have been built using the OpenOffice.org source, APIs, file formats, and reference implementation. Sun continues to sponsor development on OpenOffice.org and is the primary contributor of code to OpenOffice.org. CollabNet hosts the website infrastructure for development of the product and helps manage the project.
The OpenOffice.org source code includes the technology which Sun Microsystems has been developing for the future versions of StarOffice(TM) software. The source is written in C++ and delivers language-neutral and scriptable functionality, including Java(TM) APIs. This source technology introduces the next-stage architecture, allowing use of the suite as separate applications or as embedded components in other applications. Numerous other features are also present including XML-based file formats based on the vendor-neutral OpenDocument standard from OASIS and other resources.
SyncLinux uses the Synchronet Web Server on Port 80 and Apache on Port 8080. We plan to one day attempt to make the Synchronet Web Server merely a PHP Extension to be able to allow Apache to communicate directly, also eliminating the redundant HTTP Port.
The Synchronet Web Server supports HTML, CGI-BIN and SSJS (Server Side Java Script).
The Web Interface follows the KISS Rule (Keep It Simple Stupid) for reading messages. Standard text style reading, replying and quoting methods are used because it's the exact same style your EMAIL uses RIGHT NOW! No silly [quote] [/quote] or special codes needed to be memorized, learned and otherwise tampered with.
Just reply below the section of text you've quoted and clip out unnessesary redundancy using highlight and CUT just as you would in your regular email! You also have the option of a "Printer Friendly Version" that opens up in a new tab / window when you click the Printer Icon. Incredibly easy and straight forward.
Our SSJS (Server side Java Script) Web Interface is modded away from the Synchronet Author's Defaults. Including but not limited to six really cool themes! More to come in the future, I'm sure!
One of the methods Linux uses to install stuff (at least Debian & Ubuntu Based Distributions) is called "apt-get". What we eventually hope to do, is make it so that Synchronet Services Mods (as well as Web Themes) can be easily installed and uninstalled by way of *.deb files. These are the Linux equivelent of a *.exe Install Shield Wizard that you are used to with Windows. You simply click on the file and install it. Most of these installations do not prompt you with 58,386 questions like "Do you Agree?" and "Select this to bleh" and "would you rather do this, this and this" or any of that nonsense. Linux is also capable of installing tons of different programs all in one shot! Doesn't get much easier than that!
The Synchronet Services include an IRCd (Internet Relay Chat Daemon) and if you're not familar with IRC, you've likely at least heard of it in passing. For the WWW end of things, we use a little script called PJirc which is the best script for this sort of thing I've ever come accross.
Our SSJS (Server side Java Script) Web Interface is modded away from the Synchronet Author's Defaults. A part of these modifications is a dynamically generated IRC Room for each Forum.
For those of you who are used to how Synchronet works -- we've modded the Web Interface to take the Message Area's Internal Code and use it as a chat room (ie: #MSG_AREA) and the script simply auto-joins the room it's told to.
This also means that if it's a Networked Forum and your IRCd also happens to be joined to an IRC Network -- any other Sysops (System Operators) running SyncLinux joined to both the same Networked Forum and IRC Network will also share the same chat room! Pretty neat, huh? :-)