This Might be Helpful

RemotePad (iPhone + Ubuntu)

2009-07-18T19:11:00.003-04:00

I've used synergy/quicksynergy in the past for controlling the mouse and keyboard on my desktop with the mouse and keyboard on my laptop. There is an app for the iPhone that allows me to do it with my iPhone the same way. It is called RemotePad. RemotePad is in the app store. Here's how to set up the server end on the computer you want to control (tested on Jaunty):
1. Install "build-essential" and "libXtst-dev" on your computer using synaptic or apt-get.
2. Download the RemotePad source package from the website.
3. Untar/Unzip the package (double click the the file and extract it where you want). This will create a folder called "RemotePad Server". I prefer to put programs like this in my /opt folder but somewhere in your home folder works fine too.
4. Then open a terminal and go to the sub-folder "X11" within the new "RemotePad Server" folder. Your command should be something like (remember to use quotes around "RemotePad Server"):

cd ~/"RemotePad Server"/X11

5. Run the following commands:

./configure
make
sudo make install

6. That's it. To start the server, use the following command:

remotepad

7. You might want to put it in sessions located in System-->Preferences--Startup Applications (so that it starts when you computer does).

Sources:
RemotePad
Ubuntu Forum Post 1
Ubuntu Forum Post 2

SG33G5 & Olevia

2009-04-14T23:10:00.005-04:00

This probably affects very few people, but I'll post it anyway for my own benefit: I have a Syntax Olevia LT27HVS TV hooked up to a Shuttle SG33G5. The shuttle has a built in Intel GMA 3100 graphics card (not sure if this matters a whole lot) and this solution probably works with a LT27HV or a LT27HVX TV. To get a picture from the computer to the TV, I had to edit my xorg.conf file (the command is "sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf." In ubuntu these days, this file might be blank, so here's everything from my file. The following xorg.conf worked for me regardless of whether connecting by VGA or HDMI/DVI:

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
SubSection "Display"
Modes "1360x768" "1280x720"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Note that if you are connecting by HDMI/DVI, you can get 1360x768 resolution, but only 1280x720 if connecting by VGA.

If this doesn't work, try changing the "Monitor" section so it looks like this:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
HorizSync 47.7
VertRefresh 60
EndSection

Note that 47.7 is if connecting by HDMI to DVI. If connecting by VGA, change the 47.7 to 45.

You could also try adding the following just before the "Modes" line:

Depth 24

Hope this helps someone!

Sources:

Synaptic Search Bug in Intrepid

2009-02-28T15:49:00.002-05:00

There seems to be a bug in Intrepid that causes problems with the search function in synaptic. The problem usually comes up after adding a new repository. For example, after adding the medibuntu repository, none of the medibuntu packages would come up in the quick search box and only occasionally in the traditional synaptic search box. The solution is to run the following command after each time you add a new repository:

sudo update-apt-xapian-index

If that doesn't work, be sure to try both the quick search box as well as the traditional search box.

Sources
Unbutu Forums

PDFSAM and JAR files

2009-02-28T15:26:00.005-05:00

PDF Split and Merge (PDFSAM) is a nice utility to split and merge PDFs. Just download the program and unzip it into its own folder (I'll assume you call the folder pdfsam). Stick the new folder in /opt and then create a launcher with the following command in the command box:

java -jar /opt/pdfsam/pdfsam-1.0.3.jar

Note that the name of the file will depend on what version you download.

Also, the command "java -jar" is the basic command to run jar files. You just have to have jre installed.

Sources:
PDF Split and Merge
PDF Split and Merge Instructions
JAR Files

Midnight Commander

2009-02-28T15:20:00.002-05:00

Midnight Commander is an excellent file manager for the shell. Works well if you are running a server and want a nice overview of files and folders without the command line. Install with apt. The package is called mc. It also runs with the command: mc

Transmission & Clutch on Ubuntu Server (with startup script)

2009-02-13T13:15:00.008-05:00

Transmission, the default torrent program on Ubuntu now, also has a command line version that can be run on a server. This combined with Clutch, the web user interface for transmission, makes a nice pair. The version that is available in the repositories still has Transmission and Clutch as separate downloads, therefore, I recommend downloading directly from the Transmission site or Transmission repository. The instructions below have some references to synaptic just in case you are doing this on the desktop version. Here's how to set it up:

1. Add the Transmission repository to /etc/apt/sources.list or through synaptic. For hard the deb line is:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/transmissionbt/ubuntu hardy main

If you are using intrepid, just replace intrepid for hardy in the line above. See the download site for more explanation.

2. Add the GPG signing key with the following commands:

gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 976b5901365c5ca1 gpg --export --armor 976b5901365c5ca1 | sudo apt-key add -

3. Now update and upgrade apt--you can do this with the following command or by hitting reload in synaptic:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

4. Now install transmission command line version with the following:

sudo apt-get install transmission-cli

5. After it is installed, type in the following command.

transmission-daemon

After you have executed it, it might be a good idea to restart after this is done. The purpose of starting the daemon is to make sure you get some folders and files in your home directory.

6. You now need to make some edits to the settings.json file. It is located at:

/home/username/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json

It should look something like this to begin with:

"blocklist-enabled": 0,
"download-dir": "\/home\/anyone",
"download-limit": 100,
"download-limit-enabled": 0,
"encryption": 1,
"max-peers-global": 200,
"peer-port": 51422,
"pex-enabled": 1,
"port-forwarding-enabled": 0,
"rpc-authentication-required": 0,
"rpc-password": "",
"rpc-port": 9091,
"rpc-username": "",
"rpc-whitelist": "127.0.0.1",
"upload-limit": 100,
"upload-limit-enabled": 0

You want to change it so it looks something like this:

"blocklist-enabled": 1,
"download-dir": "\/home\/anyone",
"download-limit": 100,
"download-limit-enabled": 0,
"encryption": 1,
"max-peers-global": 200,
"peer-port": 51422,
"pex-enabled": 1,
"port-forwarding-enabled": 0,
"rpc-authentication-required": 0,
"rpc-password": "",
"rpc-port": 9091,
"rpc-username": "",
"rpc-whitelist": "127.0.0.1,198.168.1.*",
"upload-limit": 100,
"upload-limit-enabled": 0

As you can see, the first change is on the "blocklist-enabled" line. You are changing 0 to 1. This is obviously to enable blocklists. If you have something like moblock running, you can leave this as 0. I will discuss setting up blocklists further below. The second change is to the "rpc-whitelist" line. You basically need to add the ip address from which you will be accessing the server. The example listed above assumes your ip address will begin with 192.168.1. Throw in a * to cover everything else. To allow all ip addresses, you could probably add something like "*.*" although I have not tested this. In any even, change "192.168.1.*" to suit your individual ip address.

7. You now need to add a couple scripts to your system that the Transmission page provides for you. The first helps automate the startup of transmission when you boot. To do this, go to first to the Transmission Initd Script page so that you are able to copy the text of the script listed.

8. After you have copied the text, create a new file in /etc/init.d/ with the following command (nano can be substituted with gedit if you like):

sudo nano /etc/init.d/transmission-daemon

When the blank file comes up, paste in the script you copied from the transmission web page and hit save.

9. You also need to make this file executable by running the following command:
sudo chmod +x /etc/init.d/transmission-daemon

10. Now that we have the initd file, we need to add it to the appropriate spots in the system so that it starts automatically. It may work to simply add the new file/command (/etc/init.d/transmission-daemon start) to /etc/rc.local, however, the proper level is to add it to the appropriate rc runtime folders in /etc. To do this, run the following command to make sure transmission-daemon starts on startup and stops on shutdown:
sudo update-rc.d FOO defaults

11. Finally, we need a script to update the blocklist if you want one. Once again, you must copy the text of the script from the Transmission Blocklist Script page and paste it into a new file that you create. You can put this new file wherever you want, I suggest somewhere in your home directory. So you would create it with a command like this one:

sudo nano /home/yournamegoeshere/transmission-blocklist

Then paste in the text, save, and exit.

12. To automate this file, we simply need to add it to crontab. Do this with the following command:
crontab -e
Add the following line to have it update everyday at 1:00 a.m.:
00 01 * * * cd /home/yournamegoeshere && sh ./transmission-blocklist

13. Restart your system and you should have transmission running. You can access it by going to the following page:

http://serveripaddress:9091/transmission

If that doesn't work, try:

http://serveripaddress:9091/transmission/web/

Note also that you have the appropriate port open on your firewall. You shouldn't need the 9091 port open unless accessing the server from outside of your network, but you will need to open the peer port noted in your setting file described above. In that example, the port is 51422.

Sources:
Transmission
Transmission Initd Script
Transmission Blocklist Script
Startup Scripts Description
Crontab Explanation

If the number pad isn't working on the Guest OS in Virtualbox...

2009-01-25T19:05:00.003-05:00

If the number pad isn't working on the Guest OS in Virtualbox, try the following:
Go to System-->Preferences-->Keyboard (not Keyboard Shortcuts)
Then go under the "Mouse Keys" tab and make sure "Allow to control the pointer using the keyboard" is NOT checked. That solved the problem for me.

Sources:
Ubuntu forum post one
Ubuntu forum post two
(Another possible, but untested, solution)

Alternatives to Jinzora (Ampache and Subsonic)

2008-11-05T13:38:00.005-05:00

UPDATE: The instructions below regarding Subsonic are for Hardy. For Intrepid, these instructions stay the same except for the following: Install tomcat6 instead of tomcat5.5. Then substitute tomcat6 wherever you see tomcat5.5 in the following instructions. Also substitute port 8080 anywhere you see port 8180.

I have found a couple alternatives to Jinzora that I think I actually like better. The reason is mostly the interface. The first is Ampache. This one is simple because you install it from the repositories (just type sudo apt-get install ampache). Then go to the site (http://yourserverip/ampache).

The second, and possibly my favorite, is Subsonic. There is a great howto here. But in case it ever gets lost, here it is again (instructions are for Hardy):
1. Download Subsonic (war version) from here and unzip the subsonic.war file.
2. Install tomcat5.5, java-jre, and java-jdk with the following:

sudo apt-get install tomcat5.5 sun-java-jre sun-java-jdk

3. Modify init for tomcat with the following:

sudo nano /etc/init.d/tomcat5.5

Find where it says TOMCAT_SECURITY=yes and change it to no.
4. Restart tomcat with:

sudo /etc/init.d/tomcat5.5 restart

5. Move that subsonic.war file that you previously unzipped to /var/lib/tomcat5.5/webapps with:

sudo mv /current/location/of/subsonic.war /var/lib/tomcat5.5/webapps/

6. Make a subsonic directory with:

sudo mkdir /var/subsonic

7. Then change the ownership of that folder with:

sudo chown tomcat55:nogroup /var/subsonic

8. Open up port 8180 if you have a firewall.
9. Reboot your computer
10. Try it out by going to:

http://yourcomputerip:8180/subsonic

11. You will initially login with "admin" as both your ID and password. Once at the site, you can change the password, add users, and add music.

Sources:
Subsonic
Subsonic Installation Howto

Remote Access to CUPS Web Interface

2008-09-16T00:06:00.007-04:00

If you have a server(without gnome or kde running) and need to install a printer, the easiest way is to use the CUPS web interface. You can see it on your own ubuntu computer by going to http://localhost:631/admin. But to get to this page remotely for a server, you need to first make some edits to the cups conf file. So do the following:
1. Edit the cups configuration file by first running the following command on your server:

sudo nano /etc/cups/cupsd.conf

2. Your first edit to the file is to make the section that looks like:

# Only listen for connections from the local machine.
Listen localhost:631
Listen /var/run/cups/cups.sock

look like this:

# Only listen for connections from the local machine.
Port 631
Listen /var/run/cups/cups.sock

3. You then want to change the sections that looks like this:

< Location / >
# Restrict access to the server...
Order allow,deny
< /Location >
< Location /admin >
# Restrict access to the admin pages...
Order allow,deny
< /Location >
< Location /admin/conf >
AuthType Default
Require user @SYSTEM
# Restrict access to the configuration files...
Order allow,deny
< /Location >

so they look like this:

< Location / >
# Restrict access to the server...
Order allow,deny
Allow all
< /Location >
< Location /admin >
# Restrict access to the admin pages...
Order allow,deny
Allow all
< /Location >
< Location /admin/conf >
AuthType Default
Require user @SYSTEM
# Restrict access to the configuration files...
Order allow,deny
Allow all
< /Location >

4. Finally, restart cups with the following:

sudo /etc/init.d/cupsys restart

5. You should now be able to log into cups on your server with:

http://yourserverip:631

Note that when you change something, it may tell you that you need to add a certificate to firefox. Do so by clicking the add/get certificate button at the bottom of the firefox error message page. It will also tell you that to change stuff, you need to use the "https" version of the page instead of "http" so just go to:

https://yourserverip:631

You might also have to open/port forward port 631.

Sources:
Ubuntu forums post
Ubuntu Community Docs on Network Printing

Watch any NFL game! (Sopcast on Ubuntu)

2008-09-14T22:00:00.006-04:00

UPDATE (February 2009):
You can now ignore the rest of this post and simply download and install sopcast and sopcast-player. Both are listed on the sopcast page, but rather than manually installing and moving sopcast, just download both as deb files from Jason Scheunemann's google code page and double click to install. You will need to install the sp-auth deb first and then sopcast-player.

Sources:
Sopcast-player (install everything you need from here)
Sopcast (not really needed)

The old instructions:
Sopcast allows you to watch any NFL game (or other games for that matter). To get it working on linux and ubuntu, do the following:
1. Download and install VLC using synaptic.
2. Download sopcast for linux from their site. I only needed the sp-auth.tgz file. I did not need the stdc++5 library.
3. Unzip the file.
4. In the new unzipped folder, you will want to move the file named sp-sc-auth to /usr/bin. I think the easiest way to do this is to run the command:

sudo nautilus

This will open a new file browser and you can move anything anywhere. Just close the file browser and terminal when you are done.

At this point, you have two options. The easy option is to install a script, the second is to run everything from the command line.

As stated, the first way is to download and use Chickamade's script:
1. Download the newest version here. There are already good instructions under details on the site but I did have to change a couple of things.
2. So after you have downloaded the file, unzip it. Similar to above, run "sudo nautilus" and then move the "sopcast" file from the new unzipped folder to /usr/bin.
3. In firefox, type "about:config" (without quotes) in the address bar. Then right-click the screen and choose New-->String.
4. In the first field that comes up, type in:

network.protocol-handler.app.sop

In the next field that pops up, the value field, type:

/usr/bin/sopcast

5. Finally, the first time you click on a sop link somewhere, firefox should ask you how you want to open the link. Alternatively, you can go into Edit-->Preferences-->Applications and click on sop. Either way, ignore the default and tell firefox to open the sop link with sopcast by pointing firefox to /usr/bin/sopcast.
6. Now when you go to a site like MyP2P or Sopcast Channel List and click on a sop link, it will autmatically open VLC.

The second method is to ignore this script and simply open the streams through the command line. For this method, do the following:
1. Go to a site like MyP2P and find a sop stream you want to watch. Right-click on the link and copy the link location.
2. Now open a terminal and run the following:

sp-sc-auth linklocation 3908 8908 > /dev/null &

Replace "linklocation" with the sop link you copied from the site. Also, for information, the "> /dev/null" portion of this command gets rid of any output from the command and the "&" tells it to run the command in the background.
3. Next, open VLC. Go to File-->Open Network Stream. In the HTTP line, type:

http://localhost:8908/tv.asf

4. You should now see the stream. The only catch is that when you close VLC, it doesn't also stop the sp-sc-auth process. For this, you have to go to System-Administration-->System Monitor and stop the sp-sc-auth process.

There is also a third super easy method:
1. Download and untar/unzip the linux version of sopcast from their site as described in steps 2 and 3 in the first section.
2. Rename the sp-sc-auth file to sp-sc.
3. Move the sp-sc file to /usr/bin with the "sudo nautilus" command.
4. Download Sopcaster here. It is a very simple gui to run sopcast.
5. Untar/unzip the sopcaster download and move the sopcaster file inside to /usr/bin.
6. Now just make a launcher for the command "sopcaster."

Sources:
Sopcast download
Sopcast script
MyP2P
Sopcast Channel List
Sopcast Instructions
Sopcast script Ubuntu forum post instructions
Sopcaster gui

Cron & Crontab

2008-09-12T10:37:00.005-04:00

As stated in an earlier post, there are cron folders within /etc appropriately named cron.hourly, cron.daily, and cron.monthly. Stick a script into the appropriate folder, and it will be run accordingly. For example, stick a script into the cron.hourly folder, and it will be run every hour.

The crontab file (/etc/crontab) is a way to have even more control. You can edit this file so that a command is run whenever you want. Open it and you will get a sense of how it works. The first five columns tell it when to run your command. The columns are minute, hour, date of month (dom), month, and day of week (dow). Note Sunday is 0 or 7. By filling these in, you can customise when you want your command to run. Use stars for any blanks. See the sources for better examples. In the next column, specify who the command is to be run as. For example, type root to run it as root. Finally, type in the command. Save the file and then exit.

A good example is to automate updates. If you wanted your system to automatically update everyday at 10:00 a.m., you would add a line to crontab like this:
00 10 * * * root apt-get update && apt-get -y upgrade
Note: the "-y" option with apt-get upgrade means to say yes to any prompts

A couple other notes. First, crontab will let you use steps. For example, if you wanted something to run every 15 minutes (and didn't want to specifically tell crontab to run the command at 15, 30, 45, and 60), you could just specify this with the notation "*/15" instead of "15, 30, 45." Second, crontab always sends output somewhere after it has completed its task. By default, it goes to the users mailbox on the system. To just get rid of this output, add "> /dev/null" to the end of the command line. However, you could specify any output file you like. The ">" means to overwrite the previous file. Alternatively, ">>" means to append the file. So, if we wanted the above example run every 15 minutes and the system to simply get rid of any output, we would add the following to crontab:
*/15 * * * * root apt-get update && apt-get -y upgrade > /dev/null

Personally, I like:

@reboot root apt-get update && apt-get -y upgrade && apt-get clean > /dev/null

Sources:
Schedule tasks on Linux (very good)
Automatically update your Ubuntu system
Newbie: Intro to Cron
Crontab man page

Installing Jinzora

2008-09-05T11:50:00.005-04:00

Jinzora is a streaming jukebox similar to Squeezecenter. The web interface is not as intuitive as squeezecenter, but for me, worked much faster and without as many glitches. There are several nice guides on installing Jinzora which I have linked to below so I won't go through everything (like installing a LAMP server) since others have already covered it. These guides work equally well with Hardy. There are a few problems I ran into while installing that I will highlight here. The basics to installing are the following (again see the links for more details and screenshots):

1. Initially, we need to install a package and edit a file so that we don't get errors once jinzora is installed. So first use synaptic or apt-get to install the package "php5-gd." Next, edit the file /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini with the following command:
sudo nano /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini
You want to find the following lines and make sure the corresponding values match what I have listed below:

max_execution_time = 300
memory_limit = 32M
post_max_size = 32M
upload_max_filesize = 32M

2. Restart apache with the following command:
sudo /etc/init.d/apache restart

3. Download Jinzora from their website.

4. Unpack the downloaded file which will result in a folder called jinzora2. Move the jinzora2 folder to the /var/www directory. Do this with the following command:
sudo mv /current/path/to/jinzora2 /var/www/

5. Now change certain permissions in the jinzora2 folder. One way is to simply make everything in the folder read/write/exectue with the following command:
sudo chmod -R 777 /var/www/jinzora2
Or, we can use the included script to change only what is needed by running these two commands:
cd /var/www/jinzora2
sudo sh ./configure.sh

6. Now complete the installation by using the web based installer located at http://your-server's-IP/jinzora2/ (Note that jinzora needs port 80 open). The mac install guide, linked to below, has very nice explanations and screenshots. Also, on the backend setup, you can probably can leave the database user as root and use root's password unless you have something other than a typical setup. Jinzora2 is a good database name, localhost for database server, database type is mysql, and set create database to true.

7. When you are all finished and try to log in (again using the url noted in the previous step), you will get a message regarding the install folder. You probably don't want to delete the install folder in case you need it later, so simply rename it with the following command:
sudo mv /var/www/jinzora2/install /var/www/jinzora2/install.bak

8. It should now work. Again, refer to the links below for further explanations if needed.

Sources:
Jinzora
Mac Install Guide
Windows Install Guide
Linux Install Guide
php5-gd instructions
php.ini file alterations

VirtualBox & USB

2008-09-03T13:14:00.003-04:00

To get USB support in VirtualBox, you first need the non-opensource version. Get this by adding the appropriate repository listed on the VirtualBox site noted below. The authentication key is also listed in my sources. After it is installed, do the following:

1. After installation, you must add yourself as a user to the "vboxusers" group (System-->Administration-->Users and Groups). Unlock and click Manage Groups. Then find vboxusers, click properties, and put a check next to your user name.

2. Edit the /etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh file by uncommenting (i.e. deleting the # symbols) to four lines in the section labeled "# Magic to make /proc/bus/usb work." After editing the section, it should look like the following:

# Magic to make /proc/bus/usb work
#
mkdir -p /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs
domount usbfs "" /dev/bus/usb/.usbfs -obusmode=0700,devmode=0600,listmode=0644
ln -s .usbfs/devices /dev/bus/usb/devices
mount --rbind /dev/bus/usb /proc/bus/usb

Then save the file.

3. Next, edit the file called "/etc/udev/rules.d/40-basic-permissions.rules." For example, type:
sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/40-basic-permissions.rules
In Hardy, you want the section called "# USB devices (usbfs replacement)" to look like this:

# USB devices (usbfs replacement)
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device", MODE="0664", GROUP="vboxusers"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb_device",                MODE="0664", GROUP="vboxusers"

You are basically adding the "GROUP" stuff. After the edit, save the file.

4. Finally, you will need to run the command "/etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh start" before you start VirtualBox each time. To automate, this you can just add the command to rc.local. You want to add the stated command just before the line "exit 0." So do the following:
sudo gedit /etc/rc.local
Then, add the above stated command. After the edit, my file looks like this:

#!/bin/sh -e
#
# rc.local
#
# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.
# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other
# value on error.
#
# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution
# bits.
#
# By default this script does nothing.

# VirtualBox USB tweak
/etc/init.d/mountdevsubfs.sh start

exit 0

5. Finally, reboot your computer.

Sources:
VirtualBox repositories
VirtualBox authentication key (Right Click and choose "Save link as..."
Ubuntu Community Documentation on VirtualBox
VirtualBox FAQs (text search for USB)

Squeezecenter & Ubuntu

2008-08-22T09:37:00.003-04:00

After installing the .deb file from the Squeezecenter site, I had to delete a file and basically refresh a database to be able to connect through a browser. Here's how:
1. Stop apparmor and squeezecenter with the following commands-
sudo etc/init.d/apparmor stop
sudo etc/init.d/squeezecenter stop
2. Remove the problem file (/etc/apparmor.d/usr.sbin.mysqld.squeezecenter.orig). It is probably best to move this somewhere and not totally delete it. To move it to your home folder, type the following:
sudo mv /etc/apparmor.d/usr.sbin.mysqld.squeezecenter.orig ~/
3. Next delete the following database (this will be rebuilt when you restart squeezecenter):
sudo rm -fr /var/lib/squeezecenter/cache/MySQL/*
4. Now restart apparmor and squeezecenter with the following commands:
sudo etc/init.d/apparmor start
sudo etc/init.d/squeezecenter start
5. You may also have to reboot.
6. If all went well, you should be able to see your squeezecenter page by going to your server IP:9000 (Make sure you have used port forwarding, if needed, to open port 9000). For example, if your server is at 192.168.1.100, then point your browser to:
http://192.168.1.100:9000

Sources: flavor8's helpful post on the slimdevices forums

Apt-get Options

2008-08-20T14:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a nice page with apt-get options and explanations.

Automatically Change Wallpapers

2008-08-19T16:32:00.003-04:00

Lifehacker recently had a great article on ways to automatically rotate wallpapers including Gnome Wallchanger, Desktop Drapes, and Wallpaper Tray. As for the sunlight map mentioned in the article, I like the approach taken by areopa. The following will update the map as your wallpaper every hour:
1. First download the sunlight map here and change your background to use it as wallpaper (i.e. right click on your desktop and choose "change desktop background"). I will assume that you are downloading it to a folder called /home/user/wallpaper.
2. Then you need to write the following script:

wget -O /home/user/wallpaper/world_sunlight_map_rectangular.jpg http://www.opentopia.com/images/cams/world_sunlight_map_rectangular.jpg

Note: this is all on one line!
3. Next, move the script (I will assume you called it sunlight and saved it to your home directory) to cron.hourly with the following command:
sudo mv /home/user/sunlight /etc/cron.hourly

As a side note, to do this on a mac, follow the directions below:
1. Download the sunlight map from the link above and save it a folder of your liking. However, it must be the only file in that folder.
2. Set the file as your background and choose to have the wallpaper change. This should work because the file is the only one in the folder.
3. Download a program called Lingon and install it.
4. Run Lingon and add a new agent under "my agents."
5. Name it whatever you like such as "com.yourusername.sunlight"
6. In the what section, type the following command replacing "/path/to/world_sunlight_map_rectangular.jpg" to wherever you downloaded the file:

curl -o /path/to/world_sunlight_map_rectangular.jpg http://www.opentopia.com/images/cams/world_sunlight_map_rectangular.jpg

7. Finally, under the third section, "when," tell Lingon you want the command to run every 15 or 30 minutes.
8. Restart your computer and you should have an updating sunlight map as your wallpaper.

Sources:
Lifehacker article
World Sunlight Map
Lingon
cURL manual

Wget

2008-08-19T16:15:00.002-04:00

Wget is basically a command line way to download things. I typically use it with the -O option which I have outlined below. See the sources for more options.

Using the "-O" option. This allows you to download a file to where you want on your system, rather than just in your home directory. With this option only, if you download a duplicate file, the older file will be overwritten.
Example: wget -O /path/to/file URL
(Note that URL is the full URL of the file on the web)

Using the "-r" option. With this option, a file will be downloaded on your system by duplicating its native folder structure. Try it out and you will see what I mean.
Example: wget -r URL

These options can, of course, be combined. A few rules I found confusing involved the following combinations listed below. These involve a situation where you are downloading a file that you had previously downloaded:

If no options are specified = Wget will not overwrite the previous file with the same name, but will simply download the new file adding a number to it. So if your original file is named cookie, if you download it again, it will be named cookie.1. If you download it a third time, it will be named cookie.2.

If you only use the "-nc" option = Wget will refuse to download newer copies of the file.

If you only use the "-r" option = re-downloading a file will result in the new copy simply overwriting the old. However, as noted, it will be downloaded in folders replicating its location on the web.

If you use both "-r" and "-nc" = this causes the original version to be preserved and any newer copies on the server to be ignored (similar to only using the "-nc" option).

Therefore, I usually just use the "-O" option as described above so that a previous file of the same name can be overwritten and I avoid the extra folders.

Sources: Wget man page

Writing Scripts & Cron

2008-08-19T16:01:00.002-04:00

Scripts are a way to simplify a list of commands or allow something else to execute commands. Here is an excellent summary of how they are written. Scripts must start by telling shell how to interpret them. Therefore, they often begin with:
#!/bin/bash
On the next lines, simply enter the commands you wish to be executed. Once you have made a script, you then usually want to then change the permissions so everything can execute it. For example, to give full read/write/execute permissions (which may not be appropriate in all situations), run the following command:
sudo chmod 777 /path/to/script

To have the script you have created executed at a regular interval, you can move it to one of the cron folders. These include /etc/cron.hourly, /etc/cron.daily, /etc/cron.weekly, and /etc/cron.monthly. For example, to have a script executed hourly, move it to cron.hourly with the following command:

sudo mv /path/to/script /etc/cron.hourly

Sources: Writing Shell Scripts



Aliases
2008-08-19T15:46:00.002-04:00
Aliases are ways to simplify a command to one word.  (Sometimes, moving a script to /usr/bin will accomplish the same thing).  To setup an alias, you need to add it to ~/.bashrc (i.e. /home/user/.bashrc).  It seems /etc/bash.bashrc might also work (see sources listed below). To add it to .bashrc, do the following:
1.  Bring up .bashrc for editing with the following command:
sudo gedit /home/user/.bashrc
Note that user = your user name
2. Add an alias to the file and save.  The syntax for an alias is the following:
Alias nickname='command'
For example, you might have something like this-
Alias songbird='/opt/Songbird/songbird'

Sources:
Lifehacker-Ten Handy Bash Aliases
Ubuntu-Environment Variables (explains why .bashrc is used)


ipblock/java problems
2008-08-09T14:15:00.004-04:00
ipblock (part of iplist and similar to moblock) wasn't working for me and the problem appears to have been with java.  To fix it, I did the following:
1. First, make sure sun java, rather than openjdk, is your default.  To do this, run the following command:
sudo update-alternatives --config java
Choose the sun version as your default by entering the appropriate number.
2.  Then make sure your launcher command is correct.  It should be:
sudo ipblock -g

Sources:  iplist cli reference


Create a symbolic link
2008-07-19T02:12:00.004-04:00
First go to the directory where you want the link.  Then use the following command:
sudo ln -s /path/to/file nameoflink
Note: "nameoflink" is whatever you want to call your link.


How to convert VOC files (and how to run a C program)
2008-07-18T18:57:00.009-04:00
Update:  There is a new website by Aria Stewart based on Dave Coffin's program to convert RCA-VOC files.  Here is the link.

I have an RCA voice recorder and wanted to convert the VOC (specifically RCA-VOC) files to something I could use.  I found the perfect program on Dave Coffin's page.
1. First install "sox" using synaptic.
2. Then, simply download Dave Coffin's free C program called "devoc.c."
3. You then have to make the devoc program into something you can use.  Do this by running the following command:
gcc /path/to/devoc.c
This will spit out a file called "a.out" to the same directory where devoc.c is located.
4. Rename "a.out" to something else, such as "devoc" (no file extension is needed)
5. To run devoc from where it is, change to that directory in terminal and type ./devoc with an option.  However, to make running devoc a little easier, move the new devoc file to /usr/bin by typing the following into the terminal:
sudo mv /current/path/to/devoc /usr/bin
6. Now to run devoc, simply open a terminal and type devoc with an option
7. To see a list of options, type the following into the terminal:
devoc
8. Finally, run the program with the option you desire, for example, to convert a VOC file to a WAV, type the following:
devoc -w /path/to/file.voc
This will convert the file and put the new WAV file in the same directory as the VOC file.  I like soundconverter (available in synaptic) to then convert the WAV file to an MP3.

Sources: Dave Coffin AND Computing.net
Webpage Converter
Windows Conversion Program link


The Command Line Way to Remove a Package's Unused Dependencies
2008-07-06T23:39:00.003-04:00
When removing a package, if you want to also remove the unused dependencies associated with it, type the following:
sudo apt-get autoremove packagename


To also remove any configuration files with the dependencies, type:
sudo apt-get --purge autoremove packagename


Command line way to install a package
2008-06-25T13:50:00.002-04:00
Use the following command to install a package:
sudo dpkg -i /path/to/filename.deb


PulseAudio, Flash, and Firefox
2008-06-25T13:33:00.006-04:00
After installing Hardy, I was having a variety of problems with sound as well as Flash.  Apparently there is some conflict between Flash and PulseAudio.  For example, I was only getting sound from the first application I launched.  So if I had firefox open, it would have sound.  But then if I then opened a second application like rhythmbox, exaile, etc, no sound from that.  This also worked the opposite way.  In addition, I was having a problem with Firefox crashing everytime flash was running on sites like youtube.  

The following has worked for me:
1. Uninstall the following packages using synaptic: libflashsupport and flashplugin-nonfree
2. Install the following packages using synaptic: pulseaudio-module-hal pulseaudio-module-x11 libasound2 libasound2-plugins padevchooser swh-plugins libao-pulse ladspa-sdk libsdl1.2debian libsdl1.2debian-pulseaudio
3. Run the following command to edit the /etc/libao.conf file:
sudo gedit /etc/libao.conf
Edit the file so that it looks like this:
default_driver=pulse
Then save and close the file
4. Run the following command to edit (or create if has not been) the asound.conf file:
sudo gedit /etc/asound.conf
Then add the following to the file:
pcm.pulse {
    type pulse
}
ctl.pulse {
    type pulse
}
pcm.!default {
    type pulse
}
ctl.!default {
    type pulse
}
Then save and close the file.  This addition makes it so that all sound runs through pulse.
5. Go to System-->Preferences-->Sound and change the first four lines to "PulseAudio Sound Server"
6. To get flash working properly, we need to download the beta version of Flash 10.  Download the deb package here.  Then double click to install.  To see other versions, check the site here.
7. Finally, reboot.

Sources:  The (almost) Perfect Pulse Audio Setup and PulseAudio Fixes & System-Wide Equalizer Support (Hardy Heron)


The command to use to search for installed packages in terminal
2008-06-06T13:55:00.003-04:00
The following command will let you check to see if a package is installed:
aptitude search package-name

If you see an "i" next to the package name, it is installed.


Bluetooth Headsets with Hardy
2008-06-06T13:26:00.008-04:00
I used the Bluez Wiki page to help get my bluetooth headset working with ubuntu.  It basically uses the new default pulseaudio to divert the sound to your headset.  I don't know if it matters, but it's a Samsung headset.  Also, I know some people have had problems with skype which this post does not address.

To get it working, do the following:
1.  Install the following package using synaptic:  padevchooser
2.  Type the following into a terminal to get your headset's mac address and then write it down:
sudo hcitool scan
3.  Install Blueman using the instructions at the Blueman website.  This is the only way I could bond / pair / connect my headset to my computer without getting an obex error.  As long as Blueman shows a lock next to your headset, it should be good.  I believe the problem occurs because the default ubuntu/gnome bluetooth app is trying to browse the headset for files.
4.  Next use the following command to edit (or create if it doesn't already exist) the asound.conf file (note that "nano" can be replaced for "gedit" if you like):
sudo nano /etc/asound.conf
Add the following to the file as stated on the Bluez wiki page:
pcm.bluetooth {
 type bluetooth
 device 00:11:22:33:44:55
}
and save the new file
*Note that "xx.xx.xx.xx.xx.xx" should be replaced by the mac address you found in step 2.
6.  Run the PulseAudio Device Chooser found in Sound & Video and will then show up in the tray.
7.  Under preferences, choose to start on login.  Also, check what you like under "configure local sound server."
8.  Restart your computer.
9.  In a terminal type:
pactl load-module module-alsa-sink device=bluetooth
This command has to be run each time you start your computer.  I have not found a way to automate it without getting an error message somewhere.  Therefore, I just made a launcher using the above command to speed things up.
Also, although I have not tested it, the following command should work to get a bluetooth microphone working:
pactl load-module module-alsa-source device=bluetooth

You should now be able to choose your bluetooth headset in the pulse device chooser under "default sink."  If this doesn't work, try using the volume control option in the pulse device chooser, right click on the stream that is playing, and choose the bluetooth headset.

The Bluez wiki page also gives ways to send audo to the headset for only specific programs.  (I found exaile can be set up using the rhythmbox instructions).  Also, if this doesn't work for you, please check this thread at ubuntu forums for a slightly different approach.


Changing preferred actions or programs for media in Hardy
2008-06-06T13:22:00.003-04:00
Hardy seems to have moved the preferred actions around for media.  Some of it can still be configured in Systems-->Preferences-->Preferred Applications.  However, to set the defaults for what happens when something like a CD is inserted, you must change it in nautilus. Therefore, pull up your home folder or any other folder and go to Edit-->Preferences-->Media Tab and make the changes you want.


Problems with Hardy (Emerald, Java, & Samba Config)
2008-05-31T11:01:00.007-04:00
Here are the solutions to a few problems I had with Hardy:

Emerald:
Emerald wasn't actually changing my windows even though a different theme was highlighted.  So add the following (as a new startup program) to sessions (Systems-->Preferences-->Sessions):
emerald --replace

Java:
I was using sun's version of java but it wasn't working for me on firefox and I found this thread to help.  First if you want to use sun's version, install the following packages:  sun-java6-jre and sun-java6-plugin.  To get it to work, first try uninstalling the package icedtea-gcjwebplugin.  Then restart firefox and test again on the java webpage.  If that doesn't work, try also uninstalling openjdk-6-jre.  That did it for me.


System-Config-Samba:
For anyone that doesn't know, this package makes Samba configuration incredibly simple.  (As a side point, I will show possible settings in a separate future post).  However, the samba config utility wasn't working.  Here's what I had to do.  Run the following command:            
sudo touch /etc/libuser.conf

Thanks to Ubuntu Forums for the answers.


If you mess up your display...
2007-12-01T17:36:00.000-05:00
In messing with my display settings, I killed everything.  I found two actions helpful in getting it back to normal:
First, I had a screen with no command prompt.  To get one, press Ctrl+Alt+F1
Second, to get the interactive display setup, type:   sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg


Grip Settings
2007-05-13T11:18:00.000-04:00
I've recently switched to Grip after having problems with Sound Juicer.  I encode to mp3 using lame and VBR settings.  To use Grip, download "grip" and "lame" using synaptic.  For the settings, I referenced the following pages: Grip Configurations (which list switches used below), Lame switches, a HOWTO from the ubuntu forums (be sure to read the whole thing for the full story), and Musicbrainz FreeDBGateway instructions.  With this information, I set up Grip in the following way:
1.    Go to the Grip config tab
2.    Under the Rip settings, I only changed where the ripped filed were stored.  Therefore, I changed the default to:  ~/rip/%A/%d/%n.wav
3.    Under the Encode settings, I first changed the Encoder to "lame."  I then changed the Encoder command-line to:  -V 1 --vbr-new %w %m
The first part (-V 1 --vbr-new) contains lame switches which are described in the lame page listed above.  Note that the "1" can be changed to whatever you like between 0 and 9.  The differences are descirbed here.  The second part (%w %m) are grip switches and, according to the HOWTO listed above, should not be changed.
4.    I next changed the "Encode file format" line to:  ~/music/%A/%d/%t - %A - %d - %n.%x
The first part (~/music), like in the Rip settings, tells it where to store the encoded mp3's.  Everything after describes the sub-directories within ~/music and the sonn to be encoded mp3 file name.  A description of what these mean can be found by looking at the switches section of the Grip page listed above.
5.    Then under the options sub-tab of Encoder settings, I unchecked all references to m3u's as I don't use them.
6.    Next, under the ID3 tab, I checked the "Add ID3 tags" box.
7.   Next, under the DiscDB tab, I made the default "freedb.freedb.org" my secondary server by simply copy and pasting it from the DBServer line in primary server tab to the same in the secondary server tab.  I then changed the DBServer line in the primary server tab to "freedb.musicbrainz.org"   All else stayed the same.  This is so it checks the Musicbrainz database first.  The DBServer line to use was found on the Musicbrainz site listed above.
8.    Finally, in the Misc tab, I checked "Do not lowercase filenames" and "Do not change spaces to underscores"  This was done for obvious reasons.


Restricted Formats on Feisty
2007-04-23T15:38:00.001-04:00
The best thing that I've found about Feisty so far is the grouping of the restricted formats into one file.  To get the them, simply download and install the "ubuntu-restricted-extras" packages using synaptic.  This will cover the gstreamer plugins, flash, jre, and msttcorefonts.  You will still need to get libdvdread3, libdvdcss2, and libxine1-ffmpeg separately for dvd's and mp3's.  libdvdcss2 comes from the medibuntu repository.  See the instructions here regarding medibuntu.  There is a link on the right to the key and the new apt line for feisty is:
deb http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ feisty free non-free


Getting Rid of Default Keyring/nm-applet Message
2007-04-23T15:14:00.000-04:00
I kept getting a message requesting me to type in my default keyring password for nm-applet whenever I logged into Feisty.  To get rid of it, do the following which will log in the keyring password automatically:
1.  Make sure the default keyring manager password is the same as the root password.  If not, delete default.keyring from you home/.gnome2/keyrings/ directory.  When you log into Feisty again, it will prompt you to make a new one.  When it does, make it the same as your root login.
2.  Download and install libpam-keyring using synaptic.
3.  Bring up an editor for /etc/pam.d/gdm.  For example, type the following into a terminal:  sudo gedit /etc/pam.d/gdm
4.  Add the following to the end of the file:  @include common-pamkeyring
5.  Save the gdm file and exit the editor.


Feisty Guide
2007-04-20T17:03:00.000-04:00
Feisty has been released.  Therefore, I have updated the Ubuntu Guide link on the side.  The Ubuntu Guide site links to previous versions if you need them.


Ubuntu Magazine
2007-04-05T17:35:00.000-04:00
Check out the new Ubuntu Magazine (articles listed at the bottom of the wiki page).  It's sure to be a useful site for instructions.


DVD Burning Apps
2007-03-15T18:59:00.000-04:00
So far, I have been using k9copy for shrinking and ripping and brasero (previously bonfire) for straight ripping, however, there are many others.  Plus, k9copy is native to KDE even though it will run on gnome.  Therefore, check Assente's list of the "10 Best" linux DVD ripping applications.


Deleting Themes
2007-02-10T13:34:00.000-05:00
Here's a good post on how to delete themes.  (See the post referring to the "how to install anything" page on how to install themes)  Basically, to uninstall a theme such as Mist, run the following command:
sudo rm -R /usr/share/themes/Mist

However, some themes are in your home folder in the .themes directory.  So change that in the command above.

Another way is to start nautilus under root by running the following command:
sudo nautilus
Then go to the .themes directory in your home folder or /usr/share/themes/ and delete the appropriate theme folder from there.


Connecting to a Network Drive on Startup
2007-01-28T10:27:00.001-05:00
This post is mostly drawn from the Ubuntu Starter Guide directions with some modifications and assumes you already have Samba set up (see previous post on file sharing).     You also want to set a mount point on your local computer for the shared directory.  To do this, pick a name for the folder (I'll choose Storage) and type this into a terminal:
sudo mkdir /media/Storage

Then you want to edit /etc/fstab by adding a line for the network folder as shown below.  The formula should be:
(network location)     (mount point)     (filesystem)     (options)    (0)     (0)

So assuming my shared folder is named Bob and is on my desktop named Ugly, and assuming that the mount point on my local computer is at /media/Storage, then the fstab entry would be as follows:
//ugly-desktop/Bob    /media/Storage    smbfs    defaults,users,dmask=777,fmask=777    0    0


Just some Dilbert
2007-01-27T12:41:00.000-05:00
Thanks to the Ubuntu Blog for linking to the linux toons page.








Ubuntu Blog ping


Installing Stuff on Ubuntu
2007-01-24T17:29:00.000-05:00
Simon Gray has posted an excellent tutorial on "How to install ANYTHING in Ubuntu."  It covers everything from synaptic, to the terminal, to compiling and installing a package with source code.


PLF Update
2007-01-01T16:59:00.000-05:00
At some point, the PLF site moved so you will need to update the repository location and the key.

The new site (Medibuntu) is located here.  So you will need to delete the APT line and key for the old PLF repository and add the new one.  The new apt line is:
deb http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ edgy free non-free
There are instruction on how to add this new repository on the medibuntu site under Repository Howto, but to add this line for synaptic the non-command line way, go to:
System-->Administration-->Synaptic-->Settings-->Repositories-->Third Party Tab-->Click on Add-->Paste in the apt line from above.

For the key, you can use the instructions on the Medibuntu site or do it my way by right clicking on the site below and choose save link location:
Medibuntu key
Then go System-->Administration-->Synaptic-->Settings-->Repositories-->Authentication Tab-->Click on Import Key File-->Choose the file that you just downloaded.

UPDATE FOR FEISTY:  The above is still true for feisty, however, the new apt line is:
deb http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ feisty free non-free


Ports
2007-01-01T16:29:00.000-05:00
Some random port information:

For  your bittorrent client (I like bittornado) and emule client, use a private port between 49152 and 65535.  See this wikipedia article.  Emule clients like amule typically use 4662 (TCP) and 4673 (UDP) and bittorrent typically uses 6881 as the default but these may be blocked by your ISP.  Amule suggests setting your TCP and then assigning the UDP by TCP+3. 

Also, when syncing your palm over your home network, you may have to open a port.  The port used by palm network sync is 14238.


Good Sites for Installing Ubuntu and Tweaking Gnome
2006-12-12T18:32:00.000-05:00
The Linux Journal had an excerpt from Beginning Ubuntu Linux: From Novice to Professional by Keir Thomas(Chapter 10) that has some very good tips on personalizing the desktop regarding things like the panels, themes, and login that might be useful.  Another great site for installing ubuntu and making some changes at the start including gnome modifications is the Linux FUD blog.  Finally, just for reference there is an ubuntu forum article and a blog entry on the Snippets blog under the ubuntu category with instructions on how to use a custom icon for the main menu.


New or Second Hard Drive on Edgy
2006-12-09T18:08:00.002-05:00
The steps for adding a new or second hard drive on Edgy are slightly different because of the new UUID system. The intro stuff is, of course, the same as I stated before for Dapper. Again, install gparted because it makes it easy to see where everything is. So to set up the second hard drive with Edgy, do the following:
1. Decide where you will want to mount your hard drive. This terminology can be confusing. First, your drive has a location such as /dev/hdb1. You then also need a mount point. I decided to to mount the new hard drive in /media/Storage. To do this, type the following in a terminal:
sudo mkdir /media/Storage
You can call your folder within /media whatever you like
2. Find out where the hard drive is located. Use gparted for this. My second hard drive location is dev/hdb1 (your main hard drive is probably hda)
3.  We will also need to download two packages using synaptic (acl and eiciel).  These will be used later.
4. Find out what your hard drive UUID is. For this, go to the /dev/disk/by-uuid folder. For each "file" you see there, right click and then choose options. Check each one to see which has the "link target" matching your new hard drive. In other words, for me, I was checking to see which one matched hdb1. Once I had the correct one, either write down or copy the name (a string of numbers and letters).
5.    Next type the following in a terminal:
sudo gedit /etc/fstab
6.   Edit the fstab file by adding the following information at the end (use what is already there for guidance:
(Your hard drive UUID) (Your mount point) (file system type) (options including the acl option) (0) (0)
Mine looks like:
2702b4b2-3225-4f51-9ebe-c04e86e7541g     /media/Storage     ext3     defaults,acl     0     0
7.   Save the file and close it.
8. I next wanted to change the permissions on the new hard drive so that an average user could read, write, and execute the files located on it. To do this, type the following in a terminal:
sudo chmod -R 2777 /media/Storage
(I'm not sure if the sticky bit is needed or not, but it worked and I don't see any harm)
(Substitute /media/Storage with your chosen mount point)
9.    Reboot and everything should work.
10. The final step is to make sure all future files and folders created also have read, write, and execute permissions. For this we use the acl and eiciel packages installed above.
11.  ACL and Eiciel.  Eiciel is the gui for acl. If you right click on your shared folder, you should have a new tab for access controls. (As a side note, if this doesn't work, try running eiciel with the following command and then navigate to your shared folder: gksudo eiciel)
12. Once you are at the shared folder through the acl tab or the command, you want to click the default acl button and also check the default box. You want to make sure that read, write, and execute is checked for everything.
13. The next step is to do the same for all subdirectories. Eiciel does not act recursively so you have to set the default on all subdirectories by again going to those folders and right clicking and choosing the access control tab or by running the above stated command and then again clicking the default acl button and the default check box.
14. You may also want to then read the post of file sharing.


File Sharing on Ubuntu
2006-12-09T17:33:00.000-05:00
I have a desktop (I'll call my server) that all of my files are on and a laptop with which I need to access the files on my desktop. Both run ubuntu. I decided to share the files over my wireless network using Samba. My method can compromise network security, so you may want to find an alternative way unless you have a firewall in front of your network as I do. To share, do the following to your server computer:
1.    Install Samba by installing the following packages on your server computer:  samba and smbfs
2.    Go to the folder you want to share under Places.  Right click the folder and choose "Share folder."
3.    In the dialog box that pops up, choose "Share with SMB"
4.    In name, choose a share name--it can be anything you want.  Leave the comment field blank.
5.    Check "Allow browsing folder" if using Dapper or uncheck "read only" if using Edgy.
6.    Click "OK"
7. To make sure that all users have read, write, and execute permissions to the files and subfolders in the shared folder, a couple steps have to be taken.  First, type the following in a terminal (I will pretend that your shared folder is /home/Bob):
sudo chmod -R 2777 /home/Bob
(I'm not sure if the sticky bit is needed or not, but it worked and I don't see any harm)
8.  Second, we need to set the default permissions for any new files or directories within the shared directory.  For this, download two things using synaptic:  acl and eiciel.  Eiciel is the gui for acl.  If you right click on your shared folder, you should have a new tab for access controls.  (As a side note, if this doesn't work, try running eiciel with the following command and then navigate to your shared folder:  gksudo eiciel)
9.  Once you are at the shared folder through the acl tab or the command, you want to click the default acl button and also check the default box.  You want to make sure that read, write, and execute is checked for everything.
10.  The next step is to do the same for all subdirectories.  Eiciel does not act recursively so you have to set the default on all subdirectories by again going to those folders and right clicking and choosing the access control tab or by running the above stated command and then again clicking the default acl button and the default check box.
11.    Now we must edit the smb.conf file so type the following in a terminal:
sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
12. Notice that throughout this file there are headings in brackets such as [Global]. Under the [Global] heading, you will see workgroup=MSHOME. Change this if your workgroup is called something else, otherwise, you can leave it as it is.
13.    Next, under the ####Authentication#### section, you will see the following:
;    security = user
Remove the semi-colon and change it to look like:
security = share
14. At the bottom of the file, you will see a section under a [ ] heading with your shared folder name. Edit it so that it states the following so that all users on other computers can edit the files:
path = /home/Bob
available = yes
browseable = yes
public = yes
writable = yes
create mask = 0777
directory mask = 0777
15.    Save the file and reboot.
16. You can now access these files from your laptop under Places->Network Servers. Find the folder and choose to connect to it.


Update on cups-pdf with Edgy
2006-11-08T00:41:00.000-05:00
Edgy, at least on my computer, has made installing the cups-pdf package (allows you to print anything to a pdf) much easier.  Just install the cups-pdf package using synaptic.  Then go to System-->Administration-->Printing-->Choose New Printer.  You should see a new local PDF printer detected so choose it.  Then choose the Generic, Postscript Color Printer.  Name it whatever you want--I chose PDF-Printer.  And then your done.  When you print something  using the PDF printer, it will place the file in a PDF folder within your home folder.


Sound Juicer for Edgy with VBR
2006-11-05T22:34:00.000-05:00
This is what I have found to work best when trying to rip a CD to mp3 using lame with VBR:
This help article is the best for the basics.   However, I changed the "GStreamer Pipeline" entry so that it would encode using VBR instead of a constant bitrate.  A Fedora forum post gives a couple of entries using VBR at two different qualities.  As the fedora site states, more information on the VBR quality can be found at this wiki Hydrogenaudio site.  The problem is that this pipeline resulted in tags showing track times that were much too long.  For example, the tag showed 20 minutes for a song that was about 4 minutes.  So, after some searching, the best I could find was to add "xingmux" and "id3v2mux" at the end.  Therefore, the entire pipeline entry should be (all on one line):
audio/x-raw-int,rate=44100,channels=2 ! lame name=enc vbr=4 vbr-quality=2 ! xingmux ! id3v2mux


Wireless Cards with Edgy
2006-10-29T20:22:00.001-05:00
My previous post on wireless cards requiring ndiswrapper applies equally to Edgy, however, make sure you have the latest version of ndiswrapper-utils.  I had to install the packages listed below before installing the driver.  Install these in the order listed:
ndiswrapper-common
ndiswrapper-utils-1.8
ndisgtk

This is the ubuntu page to search and download packages without using synaptic.


Gnome Wallpaper and Themes
2006-10-28T13:44:00.000-04:00
Two great sites for gnome themes and wallpaper are gnome-look and art.gnome.  For themes, remember that you should look under the GTK 2.x and the Metacity categories.  You will need both unless the theme you are looking at bundles both.  GTK is for widgets (buttons, apps, etc.) and Metacity is for window borders.  Download the file and install using theme preferences. Other good sites for wallpaper are Socksoff, caedes, and Interfacelift.


Ubuntu Guide for Edgy
2006-10-28T13:09:00.000-04:00
Just as a note, the Unofficial Ubuntu Starter Guide has been updated for Edgy.  The instructions are mostly command line but remember that you can use synaptic for the packages it says to install.  However, it is an excellent reference for learning what these packages are called.


Update on iPod for Edgy
2006-10-28T13:05:00.000-04:00
Instead of using gtkpod and gpodder, I highly recommend using the listen player.  It can be downloaded using synaptic.


PLF for Edgy
2006-10-28T12:50:00.001-04:00
(See update post-PLF is now medibuntu)
At the time of this post, the PLF repository was down for Edgy Eft.  There's a link on their site to another fallback option.  The link page is here.  But just in case, this is the alternative APT line:
deb http://mrpouit.free.fr/plf-fallback edgy-plf free non-free
Also, you might need the key.  There is a command line instruction on the PLF site but to do this my way, right click on one of the two sites below (the first is PLF and the second is the fallback) and choose save link location:
PLF
Fallback
Then go System-->Administration-->Synaptic-->Settings-->Repositories-->Authentication Tab-->Click on Import Key File-->Choose the file that you just downloaded.


Network Printing on Ubuntu
2006-09-17T16:33:00.000-04:00
My printer is connected to my desktop and I access it with my laptop over my apartment's wireless network.  To do this, first install the printer as normal on the "server" computer.  Then we must do the following, also on the server computer to which the printer is attached:
1. We must edit the smb.conf file so type the following in a terminal:
sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
2. Notice that throughout this file there are headings in brackets such as [Global]. Under the [Global] heading, you will see workgroup=MSHOME. Change this if your workgroup is called something else, otherwise, you can leave it as it is.
3.  Under ###Printing###, you wil see the following:
;    printing=cups
;    printcap name=cups
Remove the semi-colons
4.    Under ###Share Definitions### you will see the sub-heading [printers].  The following should be listed:
comment = All Printers
browseable = no
path = /tmp
printable = yes
public = yes
writable = no
create mode = 0700
 guest ok=yes
5.    Next, under the ####Authentication#### section, you will see the following:
;    security = user
Remove the semi-colon and change it to look like:
security = share
6.    Save the file and reboot.
7. Now you can access the printer from another computer.  On the remote computer/laptop go to Administration->Printing
8.    Click on new printer and select network printer.  Find your printer and install it.  For everything here, always enter "guest" as your User ID and leave the password field blank.


Adding a New / Second Hard Drive on Dapper
2006-09-17T15:19:00.001-04:00
(See update post for Edgy)
There are, of course, a few preliminary steps to adding a new hard drive such as installing it and making sure the BIOS recognizes it.  As far as ubuntu, I suggest installing gparted with synaptic.  This will let you partition and format (I recommend ext3 or Reiser as a filesystem when formatting--do no choose NTFS as it is not very compatible with linux).  Gparted will also let you see where the device is located (my new hard drive partition was at /dev/hdd1) and your file system (mine is ext3).  So once you have this information, you need to edit fstab.
1.    Find out where your hard drive mount point is.  In ubuntu, its usually under /media but if nothing is there, you will have to designate a spot.  I decided to to mount the new hard drive in /media/Storage.  To do this, type the following in a terminal:
sudo mkdir /media/Storage
You can call your folder whatever you like
2.    Next type the following in a terminal (make sure you know where your hard drive is from gparted such as /dev/_________):
sudo gedit /etc/fstab
3.   Edit the fstab file by adding the following information at the end (use what is already there for guidance:
(Your device location) (Your mount point) (file system type) (options) (0) (0)
Mine looks like:
/dev/hdd1    /media/Storage    ext3    defaults    0    0
4.   Save the file and close it.
5.   I next wanted to change the permissions on the new hard drive so that an average user could read, write, and execute the files located on it.  To do this, type the following in a terminal:
sudo chmod -R 777 /media/Storage
(Substitute /media/Storage with your chosen mount point)
6.    Reboot and everything should work.


Gtkpod and gpodder
2006-09-16T22:42:00.000-04:00
(Also see iPod update post)
For my iPod, I previously used gtkpod and gpodder.  Gpodder (a podcast catcher) is nice because it also has the ability to sync to your iPod.  Gtkpod is easy enough to install with synaptic, then you just have to configure it to your liking.  However, when I installed gpodder, the synaptic/ubuntu repositories didn't have the gpodder package so the process was a little more complicated.  So before anyone tries this, see if the gpodder package has been added to the ubuntu repositories first.  If not, follow these steps:
1.    Install the following packages (also listed on the gpodder site) using synaptic:  gtkpod, python-eyed3, python-gpod, python, python-gtk2, python-glade2, python-xml, and wget.
3.    Download gpodder from the gpodder site and save the deb file to wherever you like.
4.     Install the gpodder deb file by finding it and double clicking on it.  This will bring up the synaptic interface and just go from there.
That should be it.  Other configurations and adding podcast feeds can be done within the program (which shows up under Applications->Sound and Video).  If any problems, try re-booting and then run the program again.


Ubuntu pdf-cups printer (Dapper)
2006-09-16T22:24:00.000-04:00
(See update post for Edgy)
To print anything to pdf, do this:
1.    Install cups-pdf using synaptic
2.    Open a terminal and type:
sudo chmod +s /usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf
3.    Go to System->Administration-> Printing and click to add a new printer.
4.     Select Local Printer & Use A Detected Printer
5.    Click on PDF Printer
6.    Choose "Generic" as the manufacturer
7.    Choose "postscript color printer rev3b"
8.    Leave the driver set to "Standard (suggested)"
It will save the pdfs in a PDF folder within your Home folder
My thanks to this blog (which has a ton of other ubuntu guides as well) for these instructions!


Ubuntu Screen Resolution 1280x800
2006-09-16T21:00:00.000-04:00
My laptop (Acer TravelMate 2420) has a 1280x800 screen resolution which was not automatically enabled when I installed dapper.  I found that the 915resolution package could help.  So if you have this problem, try this:
Install the package 915resolution using synaptic.  This may be enough but it wasn't for me.  I then had to edit a couple of the configuration files for which, unfortunately, there is no gui to help.  Therfore, do the following:
1.    Open a terminal and type:  915resolution -l
2.   The above command will give you a list to choose from, pick one for 1280x800 (for me it was Mode 65/32 bit) and write down the values
3.    Then type the following in the terminal and enter your password when prompted:
sudo gedit /etc/default/915resolution
4.   Edit the mode, xreso, yreso, and bit sections of the file to the values you have written down.  For example, mine were:
MODE=65
XRESO=1280
YRESO=800
BIT=32
5.    Then save the file and close the window
6.    Then reboot.  I know there are probably quicker ways but I would rather reboot because I then know everything re-started and I don't have to worry about that being a variable.
7.    You may be done, but probably not.  So next go back to a terminal and type:
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
8.    Go the area labeled "Subsection 'Screen'" and below that there is a subsection labeled "Display."  Below that you will see a bunch of lines with resolutions.  Change the DefaultDepth line value to 24 and in the depth 24 section, add "1280x800" at the beginning of the other values.
9.    Save that file, close the window, and again reboot.
10.    Once rebooted, you may have to go to System->Preferences->Screen Resolution and switch to 1280x800.
If you have any problems or want to see examples of how the configuration files look, check out these two sites:  Display1 and Display2


Ubuntu Wireless Cards
2006-09-16T19:31:00.000-04:00
If you have problems with your wireless cards, check notes for your card on the Supported Cards page.   For example, I have a TrendNet card and was instructed to use Ndiswrapper.  I downloaded and installed ndiswrapper-utils and ndisgtk.  If you have to use this method, download or find the .inf and .sys files for your card online or on you driver installation CD and then open the wireless card program now installed (System->Administration->Windows Wireless Drivers).  Click "install new driver" and point the program to the .inf file, configure your network, and your done!


Ubuntu Dapper Drake
2006-09-16T14:49:00.000-04:00
A lot of these posts will be about linux because it makes me crazy a lot of times until I finally get something to work how I think it should.  So if I get something to work that I've had problems with, I'll post it here.  I currently use Ubuntu (Dapper Drake) because its easy and is actually useful most of the time.  I've used Fedora and Mandriva (when it was Mandrake) in the past.  The best two reference sites for Dapper, I think, are:
The Unofficial Starter Guide
and
The Restricted Formats page
Most of the packages indicated on the Restricted Formats page can be installed using synaptic if you have first added the plf repository listed here.   You only need to add the binaries repository
(deb http://packages.freecontrib.org/ubuntu/plf/ dapper free non-free) unless you have some need for the source.  The page also has the repository for Edgy Eft up if you have already switched over.  In addition, you will be able to install the msttcorefonts package from the plf repository which will enable you to use Windows fonts such as Times New Roman.


New Favicon
2006-09-15T18:32:00.002-04:00

Ignore this post--it is only to get a new favicon for the blog.