Mar
13
The Real Way to Learn Linux
March 13, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | 5 Comments
Posted in Editorials
Yesterday evening I was joking around with a couple of the people here as they were bugging me about being an "Ubuntu" user. Often the questions I receive are about how to do something in "Ubuntu". Maybe I'm just being thin-skinned, but I'd like to clarify something, particularly to new users. Ubuntu is not an operating system as I understand it. Instead Ubuntu is a version of LINUX! It is Linux, we are Linux users. I call it Ubuntu Linux so clarify what type of Linux I am talking about. The key focus is "Linux". Got it!? :) There... rant over. :)
Fun and jibes aside, I've always espoused that anyone who really wants to roll up their sleeves and learn about Linux, should install a customized system from the ground up. Sure we can install Ubuntu, Gentoo, Fedora and a myriad of other distributions, and we would learn a lot. But (in my opinion) to garner a really powerful learning experience, I've often suggested that users try the LFS Project. What's that?...
"Linux From Scratch (LFS) is a project that provides you with step-by-step instructions for building your own customized Linux system entirely from source."
For readers of my blog that truly want an enriched experience and enjoy tinkering to develop their own fully customized PC, I really do encourage you to check out the amazing Linux From Scratch resource here: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/index.html
I'm pretty sure that you'll find the resource very rewarding! ;)
Mar
13
Answers to Linux Questions
March 13, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | 4 Comments
Posted in How To
Over the last few days I've received questions about Linux. So... This is a quick post that hopefully will answer most of the ones I thought were helpful.
How do you get the numlock to stay on when booting Linux?
Using Ubuntu (Gutsy), you can do this:
sudo apt-get install numlockx
And read more about that here: Num Lock
How do I get MP3, MOV and WMV files to play? Where can I get the extra codecs?
A guide is here: How to Play Most Restricted Media Formats in Ubuntu
Can I restart GNOME without rebooting computer?
Yes. There are two ways:
1) Use Ctrl + Alt + Backspace or,
2) sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart
How can I improve my web surfing speed in Firefox?
There's info about this here: Speed Up Your Internet Connection in Ubuntu Linux - Part 1
How do I get Dual Monitors working?
Response: "Are you using ATI or nVidia?" Answer: "nVidia"
I use nVidia too, here's the basics of what worked for me (on Feisty):
sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx
(Installs the driver).
sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak
(Backs up your config in case of errors).
sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
(To open this file for editing).
Look for the Module area and find nv and change it to say glx
(We're telling Feisty to use that new driver, if it already does not have that there).
Where the device heading has the driver nvidia add this line:
Option "RenderAccel" "true"
(true means you're turning it on).
Under screen, add this line:
Option "TwinView"
(We're turning on nVidea's dual feature).
And under the "TwinView" add:
Option "MetaModes" "1024×768 1024×768"
(This specifies the monitor resolutions, your's might be higher or lower).
Restart and you should have dual monitors working.
How do I schedule programs to run?
There's a good tutorial here: Scheduling for Absolute Beginners
In Windows I use DVD Decrypter/DVD Shrink, what's the equivalent in Linux?
Umm? K9copy? http://k9copy.sourceforge.net/
Can I run Windows software on Linux?
Yes, try WINE: http://www.winehq.org/
Can I run Linux software on Windows?
Question: "Why?" Answer: "So I can use the same applications on all computers."
I have this bookmarked, but never used it: http://www.andlinux.org/reqs.php
What's the equivalent for Photoshop in Linux?
The closest I think is GimpShop but you'll probably find other usefull applications here too: Top 100 of the Best (Useful) OpenSource Applications
How do I get my wireless cad to work?
This can be a longer answer, so a good starting point might be here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1071920&mode=linear
Fonts are fuzzy, how to I get font smoothing?
There a post for this here: How to Enable Font Smoothing in Ubuntu - The fast way
How do I get the same Windows fonts onto my Ubuntu install?
That is posted here: How to Install TTF and CTF Fonts in Ubuntu.
Re: Your post about apt-get moo, what was so funny about that?
??? (blank look at this) Umm... Moo???
Why did you switch to Linux?
Because when I tried it and began using it, I was stunned at the amount of goodies I was missing out on. There was a whole world of interesting tools and improved productivity and things just not available to me as a Windows user. I became increasingly aware of how sheltered my experiences were with Windows, how much I was missing out on that I never knew existed! As a Linux user, my online and computer life is much, much more richer and rewarding!
Mar
12
Make Your Own Plug ‘N Play Zone Using Ubuntu Linux!
March 12, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | 26 Comments
Posted in Applications, Hands On, How To
One of the things I dislike is reinstalling any operating system over, and over, and over again. After a while it becomes boring and inconvenient when you've a hot idea you want to try out. One of the things I enjoy doing (and I've posted several ideas or projects), is to try out new ways, ideas or Linux packages. Often this means starting from a clean system or I have to reinstall because I made mistakes and trashed an existing system. The point? Well, for one it's a great learning environment for me, it helps my friends who have switched or considering a switch and it gives me information I can share for free in this blog - And that helps everyone!
Today is not any different, actually I'm pretty excited about this post!!! Here's the scenario:
1) I wanted an easy way for friends to migrate to Linux (I'm using Ubuntu).
2) Personally, I needed a way that Ubuntu could install itself while I go do something else.
Side note: During today's project, I realized that this would be a great feature for a school, a computer lab, a computer hobby group and even a business or laptop repair shop. If any of you use this idea, please let me know as I'd love to see! :)
The idea? I created my very own "Ubuntu Linux Plug ‘N Play Zone"!
It's a simple 3-step method.
Users plug their laptop into one of the two ports pictured above and boot off the network. Go away, come back later and it's all done. Voilà :)
Also you can see that they have the option for a Gutsy install (7.10) and soon (I've not set that up yet, probably over the weekend) a Hardy install (8.04). The picture above is how I'll leave the "Zone" for now. (I didn't want to write on the wall so put an old plastic sign over the plug and wrote on the plastic with a marker. Easy to enhance and change later). How is this done? Ahhh... Not as hard as one might think... Grasshopper.
For this to work properly, we need a DHCP server on a separate network (subnet). We also need a TFTP server and of course client laptops (or PC's) that can netboot. (Netboot is when the BIOS is configured to boot of the network card). Last year I posted "30 Dollars, 30 Minutes, 1 Nice Fileserver" and that's the unit I wiped clean and used for this project. We can begin by installing Gutsy (7.10) on the system.
Note: Look further down to the IP addresses. Make note and ensure that your server is using a static IP address within your subnet. The first time I did this I messed up and used the wrong address.
After this, here are the steps I took: Read more
Mar
11
Ubuntu’s ‘da bomb’
March 11, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | 2 Comments
Posted in Editorials, Videos
I give credit to this guy, he's got more guts than I do!
Got a cool techie blog as well: http://www.davidsterry.com/
Mar
11
Digital Forensics in Linux – Reclaiming Data Off a Failed Hard Drive.
March 11, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | 5 Comments
Posted in Applications, Hands On, How To
I recently spoke with a lady who operates a Forensic Accounting consultancy. During the course of our conversation, she indicated that from time-to-time she receives requests for computer data related assistance. Namely, obtaining deleted information off hard drives or data off failed drives. Her business operates on Windows based platforms and she was wondering how productive I had found Linux. (I'm an Ubuntu Linux user). And if I could use Linux to garner "lost" data (sending drives to professional labs is very expensive for her clients). While I'm not a data "reclamation" or computer data forensic expert (by any stretch of the imagination), nevertheless I've delved into this aspect on occasion. (Mostly when a hard drive fails).
It left me wondering as to the status of some of the software I have used in the past. Now that I've garnered much more experience, I was intrigued as to how (if possible) I could provide this business limited services. If not, could I at least access the data on the failed drive?
Here's the scenario. I have an older 10GB hard drive that had failed and Read more
