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KDE & Kopete Appear on NBC's TV Show "Heroes"

eikehein.com — The pilot episode of NBC's flagship drama for the 2006 fall season proudly features a laptop showing a KDE desktop and KDE applications such as Kopete and KMix running on Mandriva Linux.

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  • Garda, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15it would be cool if someone got video on youtube
    • Whitey04, on 10/12/2007, -18/+30It would further help the linux fanboys wank it to these screenshots.

      Disclaimer: I like linux just fine, but I'm not a member of the church.
    • tekkou, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21Why have someone put it up on YouTube when NBC is already letting you watch the whole episode for free on their website? It's a good show, and I'd recommend seeing the whole thing, rather than just where Linux was used.
    • jblade, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5The show was awesome, just look for the torrent of it.
    • iggee85, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4The shows not really that great and you get to see Linux maybe twice the whole episode for a few seconds each. It's really not worth it to torrent it.
    • balloonmage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Actually they have the entire pilot episode here - http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/
    • hlynch1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5i only wank it to gaim
    • Whitey04, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You must be a bishop in the Linux covenant then.
  • lone_one, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Yeah some footage would be nice. Wasn't a *nix window manager shown on a sci-fi tv show a while back like three years ago?
  • eikehein, on 10/12/2007, -0/+28What's particularly cool about this one, though, is that it shows a regular desktop system. You can see Linux on TV reasonably often when it's being used for "cool hacking" shots, but if it's a desktop, you'll usually see Mac OS X or a fake system.
    • NTolerance, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Maybe I'm overthinking, but sometimes the immersion factor is lost when every last computer in most movies/TV shows are Macs.

      I do recall seeing an episode of Veronica Mars where some dude was talking about "Ubuntu Warty Warthog".
    • MikeCerm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4It definitely does ruin the illusion. I remember that Drew Carey had a G4 Cube on his desk. Nobody bought G4 Cubes, especially not corporations for the middle-management people.

      It's amazing to me how much Apple pays for product-placement in movies and on TV (and advertising in general), and how much it doesn't help their marketshare. I mean, it's so common that I'm actually surprised when I see non-Apple computer gear on TV.
    • hlynch1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2they were comparion the latest linux distro with the latest mac distro since veronica uses a mac or maybe it was with the other girl i dont remember
  • jellygraph, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3yay!
  • inkubux, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7That's great. I also saw a ReMax commercial the other day with KDE/RedHat I was surprised :).
  • The_Wallbanger, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21Did anyone else notice the two Asian, basketball jersey wearin', singers belting out karoke to Back Street Boys? This show gives several nods to internet/geek culture if you pay attention.
    • superbenk, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14Karaoke & Back Street Boys are indicitive of the internet/geek culture? If so, I hereby relinquish my internet/geek status... gah!
    • ZennZero, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12While I don't know if Asian guys in jerseys singing karaoke is inherently geeky, Hiro makes some X-men and Star Trek references. That has a significantly higher degree of geekihood.
    • finalcut, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Karoke is pretty popular in Asia in general. I spent some time in S. Korea and it was huge; people of all ages would come into any bar and start belting out songs; though few, if any, were in English, and none were of American "pop" bands of today.
    • 5la5hd0tter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17@superbenk

      yea you better relinquish your internet/geek status. apparently you don't go out (onthe internet) enough. otherwise you would know about the wildly popular (in geekdom) two asian basketball jerseys' wearing dudes karaokeing to BSB.

      http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6739710473912337648&q=backstreet+boys&hl=en
    • geminem, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5superbenk, ZennZero, finalcut,

      i think the basketball jersey wearing YouTube lip-syncers The_Wallbanger was referring to are these two guys from China who call themselves The Dormitory Boys. this is the link to their blogspot page-- http://twochineseboys.blogspot.com/.

      i first heard of them from Wired a few months ago.
    • The_Wallbanger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Thanks 5la5hd0tter. I didn't think I'd need to search for that when I first posted. I have to remember digg isn't just for techies anymore.
    • HiddenForce, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I laughed when I saw the Back Street Boys karaoke guys, because they were dressed exactly like the guys in the internet video and knew it had to be a take-off of that.

      I also laughed when the "bad guy" got in the cab and talked about the Indian name Suresh, saying, "Probably lots of Sureshes where you're from. Like Smith or Anderson." An obvious nod to The Matrix. :)
    • floridiot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I love how in the background of that video there's a guy playing quake or counter-strike or some FPS.
  • butlershouse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8now thats wierd. Because today I wondered if I should Blog ( standardized Dvorak comment removed by digg filter ) about how the open source community needs to make sure all the port sites work well for its users. Now we can see they are using KDE for some sort of Girlie Webcam thing.

    Clearly there is some FX production group who create desktops for shows. Ive seen Gnome and KDE at use in Stargate SG-1 . Wonder whom It might be?

  • rqwhitaker, on 10/12/2007, -18/+7Ok...I realize I'm on digg and this is for the most part a tech news site...but why is this even a big deal? Is this even news? I would ask who cares, but obviously you guys do, I just wonder WHY you care?
    • iamhrh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13Its just neat that it made it onto the camera like that. Especially when it is significantly easier to pull off using windows or osx.
    • udha, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13It's a positive boon for GNULinux. You don't care, that's cool, I respect that, but I do care, and you obviously care enough to post about your lack of care. Just seems odd to me.

      I think this is pretty cool, however the only people who notice are fans of the software, so it's not like it's going to suddenly sprout recognition to non-users.
    • superbenk, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12Most likely because many Digg readers are Linux fans and it's neat to see Linux systems becoming more mainstream. I would have thought that was a no-brainer...
    • Portwineboy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11I think it's cool mostly because so many TV/film depictions of computers are completely bogus.
    • rqwhitaker, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I guess you all make sense, it could be cool if you're into linux...I just question whether it's "news." Then again, not alot of stuff on Digg is always "news." (In quotation marks)
    • DrDabbles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10It's like flipping on the news and seeing your best buddy in the corner of the screen waving. Silly, foolish, but still cool in some "DUDE YOU'RE ON TV!!" way.
  • macewan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7that's pretty cool, wonder if it was played that way to woo the geeky type to generate discussion or because some in production actually uses Linux.

    definately digg worthy
    • udha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Probably both, I want to see this show now, not because of GNULinux, but because of the topless bird in the background and webcam of the scene.
    • finalcut, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7udha, sadly that is much as you will see of her in that state, except for one nice view of her behind (clothed) on the bed. She is, however, an interesting character in the series and the only one of the "heros" we have seen with a potential dark side.
    • Paul, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5What the cheerleader doesn't have a dark side? She's freaking scary...
    • skyshock21, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Yeah.............................




      but it was Mandriva. Probably the LiveCD even.

      (pfft... n00bs)
  • Sandkat, on 10/12/2007, -13/+4This is news?
    • TheG2, on 10/12/2007, -19/+3Exactly, some of you people need a hobby, and no, Linux isn't a hobby.

      If you consider linux a "hobby" then you need to admit that Linux isn't doing what its supposed to do, be a easy to run OS instead of something you have to work at.

      This isn't news, its pointless stroking of the linux fanboy community, definately not front page material.
    • midwinter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7"Linux isn't doing what its supposed to do, be a easy to run OS"

      That's never really been the goal of Linux as a whole - nor should it be, but Linux is the kernel, 'easy to run OS' doesn't really come into it.
    • NicP, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11"If you consider linux a "hobby" then you need to admit that Linux isn't doing what its supposed to do, be a easy to run OS instead of something you have to work at."

      So if people are into modifying their cars for a hobby is their car not doing what its supposed to do? Some people are interested in pulling things apart and finding how they work, that doesn't mean its not easy for those who choose not to.
  • hwood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I think that it's cool that Linux was displayed, hope to see more.
    I'm a geek but not that much of a geek to focus on the computer screen instead of the hot chick.
    • MacBrowser, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1lol!
    • bloodylip, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I was definitely focused on the hot chick, but once she moved over to the computer and started typing, all camera focus was on the screen. I noticed the Kopete icon instead of what the text actually said. I had to ask my fiance what the conversation actually said during that scene.
    • skyshock21, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Pwnt!
  • TheInfidel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6If only they used Linux on Firefly...
    • UltraNurd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3You just want Serenity to be running Linux so the Alliance cruisers can run Windows.
    • mbrutsch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Nah, the Reavers run Windows.
    • TheInfidel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3No way...
      The Alliance runs Windows 98....Second Edition!
    • bloodylip, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Seriously, I was so disappointed to see the Windows "Found New Hardware Wizard" on the side of the garbage bin in the episode "Trash". Hundreds of years in the future, and they're still using Windows :(
    • MacParrot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Serenity was running OS X, The Browncoats were running Linux, The Alliance were running unpatched XP SP1, and the Reavers were running MS Bob. No wonder they were so pissed!
    • akinder, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5"Seriously, I was so disappointed to see the Windows "Found New Hardware Wizard" on the side of the garbage bin in the episode "Trash". Hundreds of years in the future, and they're still using Windows :("

      They only had a few seconds to get the hardware installed before being crushed by the garbage bin, if it was linux, they would have been there for 3 days finding drivers for the bin and reading a bunch of linux forums before it finally worked right.
  • PJBonoVox, on 10/12/2007, -9/+5Is the show licensed under GPL? If not, I'm sure the GPL nazis will have it shut down!
  • ignavia, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Man, how did I miss that?! I always keep an eye on movie/TV UIs.
  • StinkyPlant, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3Well, You noticed that the laptop was wired into the network right? Cause Linux + wireless---sucks!
  • redfrog2000, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1The Reavers run DOS
  • fbalazs, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9I simply cannot believe that someone was focusing ON THE DESKTOP during that scene, rather than looking at that chick stripping.
  • p4r0l3, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Even better, Bobby's wife on "Smith" was using XGL on a gnome desktop on S01E02 the other day.
    • futaris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yep, I saw this... Window maximizing gave it away.
  • runn1ng, on 10/12/2007, -13/+3KDE & Kopete Appear on NBC's TV Show "Heroes" .... and? burried as lame
  • sashmit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Pretty cool.
  • gondoi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7You know I'm a big fan of Linux, and I love seeing it in movies and shows, but I hate to say, I think a lot of times when you see an open source OS on screen, it's probably not from the love of the OS, but the budget. More than likely they don't want to take the time and money to get a license to show OS X or Windows onscreen. I don't mean a license to run, but a license to show. If you noticed, that was a dell.. kinda grayed out. So more than likely it had Windows on it to begin with.

    What I would really like to see is maybe a system76 machine onscreen. Now that would be cool.
    • bloodylip, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5But having it be on popular shows may spread the word about it. People will see it and think that it looks different, and possibly be interested enough to research what it is and how they can use it. It surely looks much better than Windows 95-2000 desktop that a lot of people still run.
    • axxiom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The companies pay the TV Production studio to get their products placed. Saying no is like passing on free money. Of course, with Linux, the money is worthless because the product is free anyway.
  • ironicsans, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8The actor Masi Oka, who plays the Japanese hero Hiro on Heroes, is a bit of a tech guy himself. In addition to being an actor, he's a digital effects artist for Industrial Light & Magic, and has worked on all three Star Wars prequels, War of the Worlds, and the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
  • The_Wallbanger, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2Bury this. Sorry.
  • mbadolato, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I watched Heroes the night it was on and loved it (I missed the Linux part; as someone mentioned earlier in this thread, there were better things to be looking at in the scene).

    I didn't delete it from TiVo because my wife missed it. Last night she was watching it, and I sat down right as the camera was pointing at the desktop, and my eyes noticed the blue in the window's title bar and I laughed and said "they're using Linux".

    Later on when they showed the Japanese guy's friend screwing around on his computer at work, I noticed his desktop was also not Windows or Mac, but didn't recognize the theme (and no, I wasn't going to pause and try to figure it out :)) The site above did not mention/post about his desktop, but I'm sure someone can get a capture of it.

  • tehpoutine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I don't see how they can say this is in fact Linux at all, those window decorations are available with any installation of KDE, not just mandriva's, and plenty of other UNIX, UNIX-like, and UNIX derived operating systems can run KDE.
  • aNoble, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2An old version of Firefox on linux was used in Arrested Development

    http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/9302/arrested0kr.png
  • VesperDEM, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I know I am going to get buried for this, but...

    Why were you people looking at the laptop? It took me a little while to realize what scene this article was talking about. Then I remembered that there was a laptop in the scene with the webcam girl.

    I certainly didn't notice what OS was running. I was to focused on the girl! Sheesh! You kids need to get out more!
  • hellalazy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1so was the guys singing karaoke really the guys as seen on youtube? i cant wait for next weeks episode to see what other geek references they have
  • QuadSix50, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I was wondering when someone was going to mention that. It was really neat to see some open source operating environments highlighted on a TV show, even if it was for only a short moment. It was enough to get the attention of all the FOSS geeks out there (including me :-p ).

    Here's hoping we see a lot more of that. While I enjoy seeing the Apple computers on the big and small screen, it's nice to see some open source goodness.
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