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Does Santa Hate Linux?
beernutmark writes "Well, it looks like Santa or at least Norad/Google hates Linux. This year, for the first time since its inception, Norad is not making a simple .kml file available for download to track Santa. You must connect to their website with a Windows/Mac browser and use the browser plugin. No full-screen Google Earth to look at the beautiful areas around Santa's path. (Anyone have any open source source kml files for tracking Santa or any idea how we can go about making one for 2010?)"
Under Ubuntu, use Firefox, install User Switcher Agent, select "Internet Explorer 7". It appears to work fine. Granted, it is annoying, but it is easy to work around.
1. Open web browser of your choice.
2. Go to noradsanta.com
3. (if you have NoScript, turn it off or at least unblock everything but googleanalytics).
4. On the right hand side, there's a diagonal arrow. Click it.
5. Hit whatever button makes your browser go fullscreen.
There. Full-screen Santa-y goodness.
Admittedly not QUITE as good as Google Earth, but you can at least get a full-screen Google Maps experience which is pretty darned close.
Tested in Linux (Mint 8, Firefox 3.5) and Windows XP, Firefox 3.5.
PS: Direct link to the fullscreen map: http://www.noradsanta.org/map.html#fullscreen
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
i'm not sure what the fuss is about http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/noradsanta/ seems to work well for me here in linux, no user agent fudging nothing.
You mean like this?
http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/noradsanta/index.html#utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=hpp&utm_source=en-hpp-na-us-gns-norad
Sig it.
Hey, I just felt something woosh over my head! Was it Santa!? Maybe he does exist!
No, that was a chair.
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
Linux created the universe? More like ripped it off.
The real brilliant minds behind Linux were putting together OSs when Linux wasn't even a few cells in his fathers nut sack. Can you please stop it with your revisionist history and who created what?
You're the one who needs an education.
Doh. What I meant to say is Santa is used as a symbol in Turkey, which is primarily Muslim. Sorry about that.
Click on "Track Santa in Google Earth" in the link you provided. That's what we're talking about and no, it doesn't work in Linux. It's a slight better view.
Hint: Just because he's called "Saint Nick" does not mean the Pope has recognized him.
Ugh. Look up Saint Nicholas of Myra. The Pope recognized Saint Nick about 1000 years ago.
After all, I am strangely colored.
No, that's wrong. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a Christian saint famous for, among other things, leaving gifts in people's shoes/stockings.
After all, I am strangely colored.
it's clear on reading to me that since the inception of making available .kml files, this is the first year that they stopped doing so. i agree though, not the best sentence!