Beta 2 of Ubuntu Lucid Lynx

Installed packages after the CD install:

1. Ubuntu restricted extras - to enable Flash in sites that need it (e.g. YouTube) and java-enabled sites (e.g. hearts.vex.net)

2. NTP package to update the time via Internet time servers

Kernel crash reported. I think I would need to disable ACPI in Grub during boot. From terminal window:

cd /etc/default
gksu gedit grub

then edit the line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

with this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi=off"

Reference: Ubuntu documentation on grub2

Avast engine Invalid Argument fix

Thanks, Zilog, your how-to with one line of code worked and I no longer receive the message:

An error occurred in avast! engine: Invalid argument

I'm using Ubutu 9.10, Kernel Linux 2.6.31-20-generic, GNOME 2.28.1
To reiterate the how-to, I opened a Terminal window and typed:

gksu nautilus

1. Navigate to the etc/init.d folder
2. Locate the rcS file
3. Right-click the file, and chose [i]Open with Other Application[/i].
4. Select gEdit for the editing job.
5. Insert the line

echo 128000000 >/proc/sys/kernel/shmmax

before the exec line.

Final output of the file was:

#! /bin/sh
#
# rcS
#
# Call all S??* scripts in /etc/rcS.d/ in numerical/alphabetical order
#
echo 128000000 >/proc/sys/kernel/shmmax
exec /etc/init.d/rc S[/code]

Then I rebooted, started Avast by:

gksu avastgui

and no more error message ;D

Removing trash items as Root

Items placed in the trash as a root user, using:

gksu nautilus

are NOT in the usual trash bin that you can easily empty.

How-to:
1. Go back to gksu nautilus, press CTRL-H to show hidden files and navigate to -

root/.local/share/Trash/files

2. Select the files you want deleted (CTRL-A, or SHIFT+right-click each file)
3. Press SHIFT-DEL on the keyboard.
4. Confirm the deletion by clicking on the OK button.
5. Then repeat steps 2-4 for this location:

root/.local/share/Trash/info

6. Close the Nautilus application, then exit the terminal window.

Code below doesn't work for me; when I tested deleting trash via the terminal window, the items remain in the Trash folders.

sudo rm -rf ~/.local/share/Trash/files
sudo rm -rf ~/.local/share/Trash/info

Executable scripts

Short notes on how to make a script executable:
In the terminal window, startup your editor (e.g. gedit) and open the bash file.
Put this on the first line of the script
#!/bin/bash

for Python scripts, this would be -
#!/usr/bin/python
Save the script.
Still in the terminal window, run this -
chmod +x {name of script}

Projector on Ubuntu [solved]

9.10 doesn't come out-of-the-box with an xorg.conf!
Created my own first, taken from the posts of the Ubuntu forums (search tag: no xorg.conf)
Then used this Ubuntu post to set it up somewhat; I used the custom scripts below.
1. Script to turn on VGA:

#!/bin/bash
# ~/Scripts/1024scale.sh
# change display settings to clone mode, 1024x768 pix for VGA (projector) and scales it to the resolution of 1024x600  of the internal display
xrandr --newmode "1024x768" 63.50  1024 1072 1176 1328  768 771 775 798 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode VGA1 1024x768
xrandr --fb 1024x768
xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1024x768
xrandr --fb 1024x768 --output LVDS1 --mode 1024x768 --scale 1x1 --panning 0x0

2. Script to turn off VGA, and revert my laptop's 1280 x 800 resolution:

#!/bin/bash
# ~/Scripts/1024off.sh
# Sets VGA output to 1024x768 (native resolution for most projectors) and sets internal display to off
xrandr --output VGA1 --off
xrandr --fb 1280x800 --output LVDS1 --mode 1280x800 --auto

Solving my projector VGA output in Ubuntu

9.10 doesn't come out-of-the-box with an xorg.conf!
Created my own first, taken from the posts of the Ubuntu forums (search tag: no xorg.conf)
Then used this how-to to set it up somewhat; I used the custom scripts below.

1. Script to turn on VGA:

#!/bin/bash
# ~/Scripts/1024scale.sh
# change display settings to clone mode, 1024x768 pix for VGA (projector) and scales it to the resolution of 1024x600  of the internal display
xrandr --newmode "1024x768" 63.50  1024 1072 1176 1328  768 771 775 798 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode VGA1 1024x768
xrandr --fb 1024x768
xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1024x768
xrandr --fb 1024x768 --output LVDS1 --mode 1024x768 --scale 1x1 --panning 0x0

2. Script to turn off VGA, and revert my laptop's 1280 x 800 resolution:

#!/bin/bash
# ~/Scripts/1024off.sh
# Sets VGA output to 1024x768 (native resolution for most projectors) and sets internal display to off
xrandr --output VGA1 --off
xrandr --fb 1280x800 --output LVDS1 --mode 1280x800 --auto

Installing Smartbro USB modem in Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix

Here are the steps I did to successfully install Smartbro in Ubuntu Karmic Netbook edition:
1. Found a PPA from a Linux user, updated my software sources and got his key, beginning with this link: http://www.greenhughes.com/content/zte-mf627-easy-way
2. Smartbro worked but not all the time.
3. Found another link, this time in the Ubuntu Forums. post #8 here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1065934

this was the turning point: change usb.product_id from 0015 to 0031

and learning the significance of using lsusb in the Terminal Window.

Bluetooth on Karmic

went to this site: http://blueman-project.org/downloads.html

then :
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:blueman/ppa

then:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install blueman

Karmic Upgrade

It's been a while.

Yesterday and today I upgraded 9.04 with 9.10. Yesterday for downloading the packages, and today for the actual upgrade. After rebooting, it couldn't boot up at first.

Turns out the culprit was the AVIRA Guard, that kept some DazukoFS entries in my /etc/fstab.

Commenting those out solved the problem.

Still in ext3, though.

Ubuntu on Low Memory Systems

Tested this exercise on a Xubuntu Alternate CD. According to the Ubuntu documentation, any variant of Ubuntu's alternate CDs will work.

1. Change the mode of installation to "command-line install"
2. Do the routine install.
3. Edit the sources; uncomment the debian packages (partner, restricted)
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
4. Perform update and upgrade (requires Internet connection to download packages); apptocd is another approach, but I haven't tested that.
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude upgrade

At this point, decide if you need a GUI.

Installing a .tar.gz file

Needed to install IPMSG in my home laptop Ubuntu, and realized that my previous blog wasn't really that descriptive of the steps.

Here are the details after installing the dependencies and the ipmsg tar.gz file.
1. Open a terminal window (Applications - Accessories - Terminal)
2. Go to the folder where the tar.gz is saved (using the cd, dir commands)
3. Then type in the command line: tar zxf {name of tar.gz file} and hit Enter
4. This will create a subfolder named after the tar file. cd to this subfolder.
5. Inside the subfolder, type these series of commands:

./configure
make
sudo make install

If all goes well, you should be able to see your installed application after a restart of the system.

Skype, Firestarter, and port 445

First off, I'm not happy with Skype in my Ubuntu. How our perceptions change with a new OS. I better figure out a way to remove it.

Second, about port 445. Using a firewall in Ubuntu reveals a lot of things that were before hidden but is now cause for earnest concern. By the inherent weakness of Microsoft's security design, hackers use this port to gain access to tens of thousands of computers connected in the Internet.

In my own Firestarter, using Sun's USB Broadband connection, I see a lot of local IP addresses - DHCP-assigned by the Sun ISP - attempting to exploit the 445 port of my computer via the protocol of Windows-DS (directory services).

Hitting a wall...

Went home somewhat dejected tonight after failing to install samba in my minimal install.
Perhaps the clue lies somewhere with a missing package - nautilus-share ?

from an ubuntu forum post.

OR probably this package: system-config-samba
from this post.

need to check my packages tomorrow or Friday -
1) to create a package list file
"dpkg --get-selections > installed-software"

How to rebuild your packages from a previous install? Got this from the forum, too.

better to check this out, too. ubuntu forum post on low memory systems.

the Actual minimal install

1. Install the minimal CD, using default settings - post #1
2. Install the prescribed packages:

sudo apt-get -y install gnome-core gdm network-manager-gnome fast-user-switch-applet \
human-theme x11-xserver-utils tangerine-icon-theme gnome-themes-ubuntu ubuntu-artwork \
jockey-gtk gnome-screensaver gnome-utils

then restart.

3. Enable the Network manager - post #65
"... remove (or comment) the options below "primary network interface" in /etc/network/interfaces"; you must get the ethernet card's MAC address via ifconfig -a in a terminal window.

then restart again.

4. Packages installed:
- epiphany-browser (via Synaptic)
- hplip (HP printer drivers) : got this from the HP HPLIP link, downloaded and used the installer

The hplip installer also detected and auto-installed missing packages, notably build-essential.

Minimal Install of Ubuntu 9.04

going into a deeper relationship with Ubuntu... since last week, I had tried different distros (e.g. Arch Linux, Mepis) in the office, looking for a leaner linux. To the credit of Ubuntu, it was the only one, in my opinion, that didn't require too much struggle from my newbie perspective.

the minimal CD of Ubuntu vs. Arch Linux - the former wins... for now.

these are my notes for a minimal installation - a good application can be for old desktops with low (e.g. 256mb) memory that you can use as a print server.

links:

1. ubuntu forum how-to by TheShiv
2. minimal cd for Ubuntu - Jaunty, Intrepid, etc.

TheShiv also posted a very comprehensive write-up how to create your own local repositories at post # 43 and installing Skype at post #53.

Another contributor for the same thread provided a link how to install the lightweight windows manager FluxBox for the minimal install at post # 23.

Installed firewall in my jaunty

This is the link I used to make firestarter run everytime I log in my Ubuntu 9.04 (jaunty jackalope)

The configuration:
1. Laptop with the ff. connections:

• ppp0 - huawei e160 usb modem of Sun Cellular,
• eth1 - laptop's built-in wifi
• shared internet connection, dhcp server (c/o Firestarter)
  

2. Windows laptop, also on wifi, able to access the Internet via laptop1

The problem: kept running into Firestarter error message - cannot start firewall - when I turn on DHCP for eth1

The solution:

• Manual IP address/subnet assigned to laptop1's eth1
• Reinstalled the dhcp3-server package (in synaptic package manager)

Using Sun Cellular USB modem Huawei e160 with Ubuntu 9.04

Previous blog post below NOT NEEDED for Ubuntu 9.04 - as most of what I needed to work already did work without additional packages needing to be installed :-)

Here are some notes to this experiment.

Running Ubuntu 9.04 (32-bit) as a virtual guest (using virtualbox 2.2.4).

References:
1. Review-Ninja's blog
2. Saliya's blog

Download sites for packages needed:
1. usb_modeswitch
2. wvdialer (thanks to GeorgeVita)

Notes:
1. No need to download or install the libusb, as it is available in the CD installer of Ubuntu 9.04