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Monday, August 1, 2011

Installing and Running Ubuntu Natty Narwhal on Mac OS X Lion Using VirtualBox

Posted: 01 Aug 2011 03:50 AM PDT

I just upgraded my Mac OS X Snow Leopard desktop machine to Lion, and one of the very first things that I did after upgrading was install the latest version of VirtualBox (virtualization software). Using VirtualBox, I successfully installed Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal' as guest OS inside Mac OS X 10.7 'Lion'. So far, it's been running really well when using the classic GNOME desktop and quite good when using the dreaded Unity.

For those of you who would also like to install Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal' on Mac OS X 10.7 'Lion' using VirtualBox, here is a step-by-step process on how I did it:

1. Download the latest version of VirtualBox (VirtualBox 4.1 for OS X hosts) from HERE. Install it.

2. Download the Ubuntu 11.04 (32-bit) installer (ISO image) from HERE.

3. Run VirtualBox and click on the 'New' icon to start creating a new virtual machine. A wizard will guide you through the process.


Here is how I configured my virtual machine:

I allocated 1024MB of RAM...


I chose dynamically allocated disk file and allocated 20GB of virtual disk space...


4. After creating your virtual machine, you are now all set to install Ubuntu 11.04 as guest OS on Mac OS X Lion host. Inside the 'VirtualBox Manager', click on the 'Start' icon to open the 'First Run Wizard'.


5. Once you are prompted to select an installation media, be sure to point the 'Media Source' to the Ubuntu 11.04 installer (ISO).


6. The Ubuntu Natty Narwhal LiveCD installer will now be running. Install Ubuntu like you normally would and wait for the installation to finish.


7. To be able to fully optimize the performance of your guest OS, you will need to install the VirtualBox Guest Additions. While running Ubuntu, go to 'Devices' menu of VirtualBox (found on the Mac OS X menu bar) and click on 'Install Guest Additions'.


8. You will also need to enable 3D acceleration in order to use Ubuntu with the Unity desktop. To do this, shut down Ubuntu, and then inside VirtualBox Manager, click on Settings -> Display and tick 'Enable 3D Acceleration'.


Here is a screenshot of my Mac OS X 10.7 'Lion' desktop running Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal' using VirtualBox:


That's about it. If you have questions, feel free to ask via comment.

Humble Indie Bundle 3 for Linux is Here!

Posted: 31 Jul 2011 04:19 PM PDT

The immensely popular Humble Indie Bundle is back. In its third incarnation, the cross-platform games pack brings five amazing indie games without any DRM restrictions whatsoever. As with the previous bundles, you can pay any amount you want, be it $1 or $1000. The money you pay will go to charity and support the development of more indie games like these.

Humble Indie Bundle 3 comes loaded with five popular indie games, four of which will be available on Linux for the first time. The previous two bundles, which became insanely popular, have managed to raise around a million dollars, with most of the money going to charity.

Here's a quick overview of the games included in the bundle:


Crayon Physics Deluxe
This game is 2D physics puzzle/sandbox style game in which whatever you draw (using your crayons) will get transformed into real physical objects. The goal is to collect the star by creating objects around it. You can create rocks, circles, castles, houses, cars and everything your mind can imagine. The game has won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at 2008 Independent Games Festival. Crayon Physics deluxe, which was available only for Windows until now can be enjoyed by Linux and Mac users thanks to the Humble Bundle. Bought separately, the game costs around 20 USD, but with the bundle, it's a steal.


Cogs
Another award-winning indie game to be included in this bundle is Cog, a steampunk puzzle game from Lazy8 Studios. Cog includes 50 unique levels wherein players build a variety of machines by sliding tiles. The game has won the grand prize for art direction and gameplay in Indie Game Challenge 2010 along with many other awards. Cog is available for a variety of platforms including iPhone, Mac, PC, and now for Linux as well. In the Steam store, this game costs around $10 (without the current discount), so grab the bundle as early as you can.


VVVVVV
This unusually titled game is a retro styled 2D platformer that has won the IndieCandie 2010 award for the most fun/compelling game. VVVVVV (that's the letter V six times) includes you, as the leader of a team of dimension-exploring scientists who inadvertently crash, and are separated. The fun begins when you start exploring the strange world in order to reunite with your friends. The uniqueness of this game is the fact that there are no gates, bossfights or powerups that you see in traditional games. Here, there are only challenges and more challenges. The movement in this game is unique too; being 2D, you might have expected this game to be a Mario-style side-scroller. On the contrary, VVVVVV doesn't allow you to jump. You can move forwards, backwards, but no jumping. Instead, you can instantly reverse the gravity and continue your quest. Cool huh? VVVVVV is priced at 5 USD in the Steam store. If you want to play a web-based demo of the game head over to this link.


Hammerfight
This is a Russian 2D physics-based game wherein you fight with flying machines that are equipped with various types of slashing, piercing and blunt weaponry. Hammerfight involves realistic physics simulation giving you the feel of real weaponry. You are in complete control of your rider's weapon; so, by simply waving the mouse you can smash your opponent to the wall. While doing so, you must rely on centripetal force to give your weapon enough kinetic energy to destroy enemies. The weapon, in turn, is connected to the player's hovering vehicle that makes it possible to swing the weapon in circles. Hammerfight has an engaging storyline with more than 50 weapons with which you could smash your foes. In the Steam store, this game has a community rating of 4.2/5 and is priced at 10 USD.


And Yet it Moves
This is single-player puzzle platform games developed by indie developer Broken Rules. The name comes from Galileo's remark "E pur si muove" which literally translates to "And yet it moves". The game involves you, controlling a paper collage-like world where in your main character has to survive. And Yet It Moves has a unique control set where instead of your character moving sideways or up and down, you rotate the entire world 90 or 180 degrees around him. The character however, retains his momentum relative to the frame of reference. So, if your character is about to get hit by a huge rock, you can simply move the frame in order to avoid him getting hit. AYIM, which is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Wii, has received huge praise from the users and critics alike. It has a Metacritic rating of 82/100 with IGN giving it 8.4/10 stars.




In the payment page, you can choose how much of your money goes to developers and how much to charity. By default the payment is split into 4 parts: 55% to developers, 15% to EFF, 15% to Child's Play and another 15% as a tip to Humble Bundle Inc. You can move the slider to change the amount that goes to individual parties or instead, you can donate the entire amount to developers or to charity.

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Posted by z0ltrix at 12:09 PM

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