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Linux Screenshots on Level 9

bradipo writes "I was watching Level 9 for the first time and I thought I saw a glimpse of a linux desktop, so I kept watching. Sure enough, they were using Linux as the computer that a couple of kids were using to view NASA documents, etc... I captured as many as I could with my nifty tv capture card. It looks to me like they were using Enlightenment or WindowMaker or possibly both together."

27 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. e.themes.org picked this up, also by Zoyd · · Score: 3

    e.themes.org picked up this story, also. According to them, both Enlightenment running the BlueSteel theme and Window Maker are visible in the scene and their conclusion is that it is a composite.

  2. What I identified ... by dbarclay10 · · Score: 4

    From the screenshots, here's what I gather:

    They are using 'gkrellm', a nice system-monitoring panel/applet-type thing. I always have at least one running, usually two. I havn't seen that particular theme for it, but it looks *real* nice.

    Along the left side were tiles that looked like a Window Maker dock. I imagine they were putting minimized/hidden apps on the same side, because generally a Window Maker dock doesn't double in size in a short period of time.

    I sure *looked* like Enlightenment, but I don't think Window Maker and Enlightenment can co-exist in the same session. So, I don't think that the Window Maker dock-like thing was a real Window Maker dock. I have NEVER seen a Window Maker theme that had titlebars on the sides of windws, nor have I seen a Window Maker theme which has more than two title-bar buttons. The left-hand-side dock-like things might have been some form of Enlightenment's IconBox.

    Conclusion:

    Wicked! :)

    Dave
    'Round the firewall,
    Out the modem,
    Through the router,
    Down the wire,

    --

    Barclay family motto:
    Aut agere aut mori.
    (Either action or death.)
    1. Re:What I identified ... by komet · · Score: 3
      What I want to know is, has anyone forked off the xdm code for a version which puts up an enormous, flashing, siren-sounding ACCESS DENIED if you mistype the password?

      That's really all we need for a real movie-enabled desktop.

      --
      Any technology which is distinguishable from magic is not sufficiently advanced.
  3. [OT] Re:Slashdot ISN'T the same as it was by fwr · · Score: 5

    If you feel that way, then leave. Just because more people that have different views start to go to the site and look at the pages does not mean that Rob, or anyone for that matter, has to modify their likes and dislikes or beliefs and dis-beliefs (hmm, what's the opposite of beliefs, whatever).

    That was the whole premis of the "sale" of Slashdot.org to Andover.net, and now VA*Linux. Rob would never have sold it if he didn't keep complete editorial and content control over the site, or so he says. Now you are expecting him to change the types of stories that are posted just because more people that don't happen to understand the whole "thing" behind Linux are coming to the site? Unbelievable. If he came out when the deal was done and said "Well, everything is pretty much going to stay the same now, but when our userbase starts including more non-Linux finatics we are going to start changing the types of stories we post and such. I hope you understand and will continue to come to Slashdot.org in the future, but that's the financial reality of the situation." He would have been slaughtered!

    Again, unbelievable. I was going to post this anonymously, because I know it's way off-topic, but this is truely how I feel. If I get mod'd down to nothingness then so be it, but this is just rediculous. I just wish that those people who don't like these stories either learn to live with the wide range of content management choices available in your preferences or find some other place to go and stop making offensive comments and/or demands that we should change just because there are more of you. And, as it might be construed from the complainer's post, if you were one of us and you have this attitude then I'd have to think hard to determine whether you really were one of us or were just following the trendy thing while it was new and never really supported the position. If so, go away!

  4. Linux huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5

    Just because it uses a window manager DOES NOT MEAN IT'S LINUX!

    1. Re:Linux huh? by dbarclay10 · · Score: 3

      They arn't running Window Maker - they're just using icons/pixmaps from the Window Maker distribution. The window manager is most definetly Enlightenment, using the BlueSteel theme. You can tell by the fact that the title bars a) are vertical in some instances, and b) have more than two buttons.

      Dave
      'Round the firewall,
      Out the modem,
      Through the router,
      Down the wire,

      --

      Barclay family motto:
      Aut agere aut mori.
      (Either action or death.)
    2. Re:Linux huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4

      Name one other operating system that uses window managers! I bet you can't even come up with one!

      And don't say Solaris, 'cause Solaris isn't Free Software.

      And don't say BSD either, because I don't like the BSD license, either.

      And it clearly isn't running and of the X Servers available for Windows, because Bill Gates its evil.

      Don't even get me started on the devil himself, Steve Jobs, or the horrible abomination that are NeXT and MacOS X.

      No, only Linux can run a window manager, because only Linux is truly free.

  5. Whoo Hoo! by bellings · · Score: 3

    Yeah! Now Linux has props! Now we can stick it to The Man! 'Cause once its been on Tee Vee, it becomes real!

    --
    Slashdot is jumping the shark. I'm just driving the boat.
  6. As if YOU remember the old slashdot by Anne+Marie · · Score: 5

    This place has really gone downhill recently.

    Maybe you don't remember the old slashdot. Let me remind you. It looked something like this:

    Contributed by CmdrTaco
    on Wednesday October 21, [1997] @10:10

    from the movin-on-up dept.
    ascott@pacbell.net
    sent me a link to This article.
    It's another excellent example of the kind of
    amazingly cool press that Linux is getting from
    the media. We're approaching critical mass
    people. I'm still waiting for that PC Magazine
    cover story though.

    Maybe you don't remember what slashdot used to be. Let me remind you. It looked something like this :

    Contributed by CmdrTaco
    on Wednesday January 07, [1998] @02:50AM

    from the preaching-the-truth dept.
    Another cameo appearance of Linux in a mainstream mag comes to us from
    Amos Shapira. He sent in an article at inforworld about NT 5.0's hefty system requirements, and how Linux will
    "beat the living daylights out of it" on a system with less than 64 megs of RAM. Flattery
    like that is just the kinda publicity we like to hear.

    Slashdot has always posted little stories glorifying Linux, because THAT'S WHAT ROB LIKES!!! In the old days, if it mentioned Linux, then the story RAN and we (ACs) liked it that way. With stories like these, Rob is being truer to his roots than a thousand napster/cuecat stories could ever be.

    It's his damn site, and you're being ungrateful.

    --
    -- Anne Marie
  7. Used on BBC by Aztech · · Score: 4

    The BBC have been using KDE + Netscape for when they demo webpages on TV for sometime now, I've seen it used on Tomorrows World quite a bit. Linux is used around the corperation quite a lot apparently.

  8. Ding ding ding! Mod parent up! by isaac · · Score: 5
    This guy's got it. In a past career I worked in Hollywood, and this is exactly how it's done - simple Director program where a keypress or mouseclick triggers the next motion/action. No studio is going to let the actor actually use the box - they might screw up and whoops, there goes a take, $5,000 or more in wasted time.

    -Isaac

    --
    I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. For Entertainment Purposes Only.
  9. Not a Real Desktop by iCEBaLM · · Score: 4

    Just by looking at these images you can tell it isn't a real desktop. I'm going along with another poster who said they were probably made in Macromedia Director just by taking image fragments. Here is why I think these aren't pictures of a real desktop:

    - Every window uses the "Side Titlebar" style, which in enlightenment is only used for some windows where the width is too short and the height is longer.

    - Every window also has a right side scrollbar which isn't needed.... why would video windows have these?

    - The second from the top graphic meter displays the same in EVERY shot, there is no variance.

    - The "Access Denied" window is not a dialog window, and also, even tho it is short and displays the entirety of its content, has the right scrollbar.

    Just by looking at it for 30 seconds you can see that it isn't real, the directors or someone just thought it "looked cool" apparently, and took images from it.

    -- iCEBaLM

  10. Holy Crap. Take a look at their links! by aardvaark · · Score: 4

    Maybe somebody there has freakin' clue! I might actually have to watch this show. Go to their site site , then their "988.2" alt database section. Then for instance go to the "988.28" white hat/black hat section. (It's all sort of a weird flash site, you'll have to wade through it).

    Check out these links there:

    The Hacker Quarterly (i.e., 2600)
    Electronic Frontier Foundation
    Freedom Downtime (free Kevin page)
    Attrition.org

    There are even others. All and all actually interesting links. This leads me to a question:
    &nbsp
    WHICH ONE OF YOU BASTARDS HAS STARTED INFORMING ON US TO HOLLYWOOD!! YOU HAVE SOME ANSWERING TO DO!! ;-)

    Seriously, if they actually are seeking the advice of computer geeks instead of graphic designers, this show might be sort of cool, in a crappy hollywood sort of way. Anybody seen it?

    --
    If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide. -Ghandi
  11. Level 9 home page ... by antdude · · Score: 3

    Those who don't know what "Level 9" TV show is about: Check out its home page on UPN -- http://www.upn.com/shows/levelnine/airdis.html

    It requires Flash I think.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  12. You weren't looking closely enough by Anne+Marie · · Score: 4

    In this picture, you can clearly see a penguin reflecting off the actor's left nostril. In fact, that's the only reason why that picture was included, since after all, it isn't a picture of the DAMN SCREEN and must serve some purpose.

    --
    -- Anne Marie
  13. Why it doesn't matter by Entity42 · · Score: 3

    Yeah just think about it before you mod it down ok?

    For Gods sake WOW Linux was on TV!!!!!! I thought this was a news site. Jaysus, get over it!

    It doesn't matter because people are going to use the OS that suits their needs. Be it Linux, Windows, MacOS or God Help Us Os/2 Warp ;)

    It doesn't matter because Linux isn't the be-all and end-all of Operating Systems. Yeah I use it and I like it, it suits my needs but FFS, it's only an OS! There's no need to get excited because it's on TV. If you see people use Macs in Movies and you think it's to make it look like EVERYONE uses Macs let me tell you it's not. It's because Macs have pretty interfaces. They LOOK nice. That's all that matters on the big screen.
    And before you start screaming about Linux yeah I know you can make it look just as purty, but it takes just a lil bit more effort than a Mac. Hey at least they don't use Windows :) hehe

    If you want movies to be realistic then you need to get a grip. Most movies are FICTION. Who cares if some gets a big 'ACCESS DENIED' image when they turn on their computer. It makes for better films.

    This place has really gone downhill recently. Come on guys, ye're getting paid for it now FFS!


    To err is human,
    To really screw up, you need a computer!

    --
    To err is human,
    To really screw up, you need a computer!
  14. I can see it now... by brianc · · Score: 3

    ... at some future L9 sci-fi convention:

    "Um, yeah. I have a question for the stars...
    In episode one, you were clearly seen to be
    using WindowMaker, but in episodes 3, 5 and 7
    the computers were configured with Enlightenment.
    Can you explain the differences and reasons
    for the switch???"

    To paraphrase William Shatner on SNL-

    "GET A LIFE! It's just a TV show!"



    --


    SIGLOST && SIGUNUSED && SIGQUIT
  15. Yes, but how does the GPL apply? by Dr.+Awktagon · · Score: 5

    Does this mean we can freely redistribute copies of the show? Shouldn't they be distributing source for the theme they used? Hmm, I smell a GPL violation, let's get 'em! We must demand the source code for every actor!

    1. Re:Yes, but how does the GPL apply? by TrentC · · Score: 3

      We must demand the source code for every actor!

      Oh, God help us if Natalie Portman ever makes a guest appearance...

      Jay (=

  16. "Level 9" Technical dialog by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3

    From darkphotn:
    "Defrag the CD routers! Reallocate the speaker modules! Hurry, the OS pencil buffer is almost at warp factor seven!!!"

    I think it should be mandatory that every producer who makes a "hacker"-style show should first pass a CSCI class. =]

  17. Why it matters.. by iamsure · · Score: 5

    Alot of people are going to ask why this matters. Let me explain.

    Apple has a LONG history of dominating every single media-portrayed computer. Look in any wide-release movie in the last 10 years that has computers as a central or interesting part of the movie, and I guarantee its a mac.

    From IndependenceDay (ID4) to The Net, it was an endless barrage of Apple making it seem like "everyone is using them."

    Bullshit.

    Enough is enough. Its time that when I turn on a show about a group of elite (and I *DONT* mean 1337) old-school-definition-hackers, by god, they should be using something realistic.

    I dont see many security analysts busting out mac's to probe networks, and I dont see many mac root-kits.

    In short, linux just made a prime-time appearance. Its mad cool. It SCREAMS, yeah, it rocks, yeah, it matters, and YEAH, intelligent uber-hacker type people use it.

    Rock on..

    1. Re:Why it matters.. by ywwg · · Score: 3
      at the risk of /.'ing my brother's computer, I made a short film addressing this very point.

      Real Hackers

      It's in the divx codec, which is playable under linux using the avifile program. hnyah

  18. Director more likely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5

    Chances are pretty good that someone created that desktop in Macromedia Director. Computer screens are done this way all the time for film and television.

    Some images were probably captured from Window Maker and sprites were created from them. Its really simple.

    It may well have been a Mac or Windows machine.

  19. Enemy Of the State by sPaKr · · Score: 3

    For those of you with a good eye, you can see a Sun Ultra450 in enemy of the state. Jason Lee (sp?) uses one for video editing that he caputers of birds. In his apartment you see him useing CDE and writes a file to a Zip disk. I have never used a Zip drive on a sun before, but I dont see why the scsi model wouldnt work. The case design of the the computer gives it away as a sun ultra 450, the use of CDE just confirms hes using solaris. Now almost none of my non-unix user friends could remember that, but all of the unix users quickly noticed and commented. I suspect we can be sure that no one that doesnt already notice this to be a windowmaker dock & enlightenment combo will ever know they saw something that they could be using today.

  20. Looks like windowmaker by techmuse · · Score: 3

    I see a WindowMaker dock on there. You have to consider why certain things show up on TV though. Last year, there were lots of iMacs, because the colors show up rather well on TV. They're probably using Linux because they can easily customize its appearance, because it looks techy and most people won't recognize it on site, and because anyone who DOES recognize it will think that the show is more realistic because the characters are running Linux.

  21. Dark Angel by smartin · · Score: 3

    Somewhat off topic but does anyone know what system the guy on Dark Angel it using, it looks pretty slick, a lot of use of transparant windows. It also looks functional as I've seen the guy drag stuff around.

    --
    The difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada healthcare is a right and gun ownership is a privilege.
  22. the average viewer... by AtomZombie · · Score: 3

    the average viewer does not look at what os people on tv are using. they don't look at a screen and say, 'i'll be damned, ethel, that ain't windows!' it's cool that an 'alternative' os is being used on tv, but it is not going to shatter the television glass and spill into people's homes. people see it as just another technocyberhyperthingummie. maybe i am being cynical, but i think we are the only ones that cared to notice.