Who wants to help me with a Launchpad Project?

[tom.swartz07]

Hey guys!

Im just starting out and getting to dig in to Launchpad a lil bit. I have decided to create a project on Launchpad that is dedicated to providing a source for small one off, single purpose scripts to help improve the user experience in Ubuntu.

For example, one script would allow a user to run a daemon in the background that periodically updates their background to a real-time image of the Earth. Another script would allow them to easily install x64 Flash on their computer.


As such, I am not amazingly well versed in the rigors of Launchpad and project management, and I am hoping that I could find a few members that are willing to join in with me in this project!


Please let me know if youre interested, or even if you think its a terrible idea...
Ill provide more information as necessary.

https://launchpad.net/codemonkey

[Sam]

For example, one script would allow a user to run a daemon in the background that periodically updates their background to a real-time image of the Earth.

Hey, I made this some years ago... With xplanet. I remember it fetched a satellite image of the clouds (it was updated every couple hours). Also it handled the day/night sides.
So I had a almost perfect view of the earth from space, with day/night sides and clouds in almost real time! ;)

I may have it one some backup somewhere, I'll check later this day.

[tom.swartz07]

Hey, I made this some years ago... With xplanet. I remember it fetched a satellite image of the clouds (it was updated every couple hours). Also it handled the day/night sides.
So I had a almost perfect view of the earth from space, with day/night sides and clouds in almost real time! ;)

I may have it one some backup somewhere, I'll check later this day.

Really? I was inspired by a post on OMG!Ubuntu! that featured a view of the earth. The image was grabbed from opentopia.com, I just wrote up a little script that updated it every 5 minutes or so...

Maybe we could compare notes!

[Penguin Guy]

Not sure what kind of scripts you mean, but I've got a whole collection of small bash and python scripts and I'm pretty new to Launchpad as well. I've added you as a friend on Ubuntu Forums and I'll post an archive of my scripts when I get the time. You can find me on Launchpad here (https://launchpad.net/~joshbrown).

[tom.swartz07]

Not sure what kind of scripts you mean, but I've got a whole collection of small bash and python scripts and I'm pretty new to Launchpad as well. I've added you as a friend on Ubuntu Forums and I'll post an archive of my scripts when I get the time. You can find me on Launchpad here (https://launchpad.net/~joshbrown).

Sweet deal! 2 heads are better than one, I guess!

[Sam]

Ok I found it. You can download the script and the day/night earth images here (http://www.2shared.com/file/l010zXqw/xplanet.html). Have a look to see how it works, it's quite simple. You need to enhance it a bit, eg set the output directory (now you have to run the script from its directory), etc. You also need to use the output image as background (the script just generate the image). Ask me if you have questions.

Here are some output examples. The clouds are up to date, so you can compare with your local weather website, it should match. ;)

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/1279/xplanetusa.th.png (http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/1279/xplanetusa.png) http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8973/xplanetasia.th.png (http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8973/xplanetasia.png) http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/927/xplanetafrica.th.png (http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/927/xplanetafrica.png)

[tom.swartz07]

Ok I found it. You can download the script and the day/night earth images here (http://www.2shared.com/file/l010zXqw/xplanet.html). Have a look to see how it works, it's quite simple. You need to enhance it a bit, eg set the output directory (now you have to run the script from its directory), etc. You also need to use the output image as background (the script just generate the image). Ask me if you have questions.

Here are some output examples. The clouds are up to date, so you can compare with your local weather website, it should match. ;)

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/1279/xplanetusa.th.png (http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/1279/xplanetusa.png) http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8973/xplanetasia.th.png (http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8973/xplanetasia.png) http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/927/xplanetafrica.th.png (http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/927/xplanetafrica.png)

Wow! thats pretty neat- the version I have posts the image flat (like a map) across the desktop.

This is from a while ago... but its the way that it looks!
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_tORug_uHNu4/S2HF281EUFI/AAAAAAAAAM8/YxSg_cmYWP0/s800/Screenshot.png

[Sam]

Using the globe it's possible to render the stars in the background and if the field of view is large enough you may see the moon passing by.

[DeadSuperHero]

It would be cool if there were a way to have one that is actually animated and slowly moves in a fluid motion.

But of course, such things require dirty, dirty hacks.

[Penguin Guy]

Hey, well here are some of my scripts (including, coincidentally, some that work with the background :D). All are written in either Bash or Python.

[Sam]

It would be cool if there were a way to have one that is actually animated and slowly moves in a fluid motion.

But of course, such things require dirty, dirty hacks.

You can actually run some (any?) X application in the background.

You must run metacity (or disable compiz background, I haven't tested it yet):

metacity --replace &

Disable nautilus' background handling:

gconftool-2 --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/show_desktop --type bool false

Then run xplanet in the root window:

xplanet -vroot

It does not have an automatic rotation around the planet. It's probably possible, but I don't know the application enough.


Bonus: to impress your friends run the GL matrix screensaver:

/usr/lib/xscreensaver/glmatrix -root

[Penguin Guy]

I've just made a group for Launchpad, you can find it here (http://ubuntuforums.org/group.php?groupid=771).

EDIT: Looks like there's a new thread here (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1499303).