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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