Mike's Ubuntu Blog

New Computer, New Ubuntu, New Topics

2010-05-21T07:22:00.002-04:00

Just finished a fresh install of 10.04 on my Lenovo ThinkPad W510 (4319-2PU). I am blown away. Linux has come so far in the past year. This new release looks better than ever, and it is the fastest operating system I have ever used. There are, however a few things I'm going to be looking into in the coming days:

- Discuss the speed of Google Chrome. Wow.
- How to change the window control buttons to be on the right side
- How to get my fingerprint reader working
- How well does my live keyboard setup work in WINE? (Fl Studio + Various VST plugins)
- A short rant about the included 'Tetris' game (Quadrapassel)

I am back!

2010-03-04T19:04:00.004-05:00

Some of you have commented on my posts slowing down. For the past year, most of my time has been devoted to producing the album for my band, Power Pirate. Now that that project is wrapping up, I can spend some more time with Ubuntu! What have I missed? Comment and share your favorite new thing about Ubuntu from the past year.

Ubuntu and Windows Fight Over Special Characters

2009-11-22T22:45:00.004-05:00

Ubuntu is awesome. You can rename files to include tons of special characters, like $!*? and so on. Unfortunately, Windows is not quite as awesome. If you have a linux-formatted file system that has files with these great characters, and you want to mount it in Windows, be aware: you will not be able to access, move, delete, or rename these files. This can be quite annoying. I found a solution on a blog called Are You Secure. I slightly modified the code there to allow the "&" character, which is available in Windows.

Open a terminal, and cd to the root of the drive where you want to rename files.

copy and paste the following, and press enter:

find . -iname "*" -exec rename -v 's/\:|\*|\%|\?|\\|\^|\=|\"//g' "{}" \;

Gnome Do: Also a Dock

2009-05-05T15:23:00.011-04:00

If you have not yet installed and tried Gnome-Do, a program similar to quicksilver for mac which can run applications and do other various tasks using only the keyboard, I highly recommend doing so. If you already have it, however, I have a suggestion. Go into the settings

sudo apt-get install gnome-do

For my exact setup, use the Dust Theme (Included in Jaunty) and this wallpaper.

Daily Chromium Builds

2009-04-27T07:29:00.006-04:00

Here is the repository for the latest chromium builds. (Google Chrome for Linux).

#Chrome
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/chromium-daily/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main

Add these to your sources.list with

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

and then paste all that text at the bottom. Open a terminal, and run:

sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 0xfbef0d696de1c72ba5a835fe5a9bf3bb4e5e17b5
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install chromium chromium-browser

Enjoy!

Test Firefox 3.5 Beta 4

2009-04-25T07:49:00.008-04:00

As noted at tuxradar.com, the new firefox 3.5 beta for has significant speed improvements for running native on linux. Bloggers have complained that the current version is unnecessarily slow, and even that they prefer running the windows version in wine. To compare the speed changes for yourself, or just to take a look at how it is progressing, install it like this:

wget http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/nightly/3.5b4-candidates/build1/linux-i686/en-US/firefox-3.5b4.tar.bz2
tar xvfj firefox-3.5b4.tar.bz2
chmod +x firefox/firefox
ln firefox/firefox Firefox
mv Firefox Desktop/

This also creates an icon on the desktop. To run, simply double click this icon.

Hugin Panorama App

2009-04-24T22:47:00.006-04:00

Install with:

sudo apt-get install hugin

This app is an excellent tool for stitching photos together to make panoramas. It works extremely well with my Nikon d60 and just as well with my regular hand-held digital camera. To create a basic panorama, try this:

Pick A Scene - It doesn't have to be amazing, since it's just your first time fiddling with the program. You are going to want to take at least 2 shots, I recommend 3. Your subject should Ideally contain some 'points' that are easily identifiable. For example, a shot of the sunset on a plain ocean may be hard to turn into a panorama, because it has very few static, or non-moving, parts. You want to include a few points that are easy for you to recognize in the separate shots. An ideal scene may include a few trees, on which you can identify points in common between your photos. An example of such a point could be where the lowest branch sticks out from the trunk of the tree.
Shoot the scene - Take 2+ pictures (I recommend 3). You want to have a significant amount of overlap between the images, so you can find common points in the application. If they are clear enough, hugin will identify them for you.
Use Hugin - Open Hugin, assuming you've already installed it with the above code. Select load images, and load your images from your computer or memory card. Next, click align. It will take some time to load, depending on how many images you have, how large they are, and how many points in common hugin is able to identify. After this step, hugin will show you a preview of your panorama. If you are content with the result, render it. It will most likely have weird dimensions in the hugin window. To remove these, edit the file in gimp later.

Enjoy your panorama! Soon I'll post one I'm making now. It is made of over 100 shots!

Jaunty Beta

2009-04-02T17:04:00.003-04:00

Some readers may have noticed I post much more infrequently than previously. This is because I'm simply having fewer problems. Ubuntu is becoming more and more user friendly, and can now do essentially everything I want (except a few music-related functions I use for my band, Power Pirate, and tools I use for creating HDR photography)

Today I am going to install the new Jaunty Beta, and hope that all is still well. Happy 'bunting.

Finally Some New Themes!

2009-03-17T23:00:00.001-04:00

Check out the sample of the themes for the new Ubuntu release, 9.04!

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-9-04-039-s-New-Themes-106961.shtml

Run Google Chrome on Mac and Linux with Crossover Chromium

2009-01-10T14:49:00.002-05:00

The folks at crossover office, the makers of the commercialized version of wine, have developed a package which allows google chrome to be run on macs and linux. Just go to their site and download an install the respective package for your system, and you should be good to go.

Download

Disable tap to click while typing

2008-11-09T21:03:00.001-05:00

run this at startup (system > preferences > sessions)

syndaemon -t -d

Compiz Fusion Vacuum Effect

2008-09-13T07:26:00.009-04:00

Due to legal issues with Apple, Compiz Fusion is not allowed to have the vacuum effect for minimizing windows. If you are determined to re-enable it, here's how:

If compiz is running right now, you should close it by pressing alt+f2 and then typing metacity --replace

Then open a terminal and run the following, or install the ghex package with the synaptic package manager.

sudo apt-get install ghex

Then modify the following 3 files:

1. sudo ghex2 /usr/lib/compiz/libanimation.so

Press control + f, and in the righthand box type "magic_lamp_max"
Click find, and change the three in 3 to 0
Save the file, and close.

2.) sudo ghex2 /usr/lib/compiz/libanimation.a

Press control + f, and in the righthand box type "magic_lamp_max"
Click find, and change the three in 3 to 0
Save the file, and close.

3.) sudo gedit /usr/share/compiz/animation.xml
Press control + f, and in the righthand box type "magic_lamp_max"
Click find. Scroll down a bit past the languages and change the three in 3 to 0
Save the file, and close.

Then open comiz again by running compiz --replace in an alt+f2 window
Good luck!
For more help see this forum thread

How to: FIX the flash crash in hardy!

2008-08-30T10:18:00.005-04:00

After all this time, there is finally a fix for the flash crash that works. Do the following:

first run the following just to refresh:

sudo apt-get update

add this line to your /etc/apt/sources.list

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

you can use the following command to do so easily

sudo echo "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/thielmann/ubuntu hardy main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list

then run

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfreebeta && sudo apt-get remove libflashsupport

then, edit your /etc/asound.conf file

sudo gedit /etc/asound.conf

to contain the following contents:

pcm.pulse {
type pulse
}
ctl.pulse {
type pulse
}
pcm.!default {
type pulse
}
ctl.!default {
type pulse
}

save this file, then finally install one last package

sudo apt-get install libasound2-plugins

Multmedia Tools

2008-08-27T09:59:00.002-04:00

This thread helped me a lot with tweaking and installing media capabilities in ubuntu 8.04. Its main topics include flash player, java, and dvd playback.

VLC

2008-08-17T08:47:00.002-04:00

VLC is just awesome! It plays almost anything. Looking for the easiest way to install dvd support in ubuntu? its as simple as

sudo apt-get install vlc

BLACK OUT BAND!!!!!

2008-08-06T15:11:00.001-04:00

blackoutband.com

nuff said.

Music Tracker

2008-07-27T15:28:00.003-04:00

sudo apt-get install pidgin-musictracker

This is the easiest way to fill your status with your music.

Ubuntu Tweak

2008-07-15T22:47:00.002-04:00

Ubuntu Tweak is amazing. Check it out.

getdeb.net page

ubuntu-tweak.com

Nightly Builds of Amarok

2008-07-15T22:29:00.005-04:00

I just picked up on Project Neon, a project by the wonderful amarok people promising to deliver regular bleeding edge amarok 2.0 builds. As it says on the site, simply add the following line to /etc/apt/sources.list

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/project-neon/ubuntu hardy main

Or just paste this into the terminal:

echo ‘deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/project-neon/ubuntu hardy main’ >> /etc/apt/sources.list

Then install the packages amarok and amrok-nightly for the stable and unstable versions of amarok, respectively.

sudo apt-get install amarok amarok-nightly

Shoot Bill Gates!

2007-11-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

I bumped into a little package today called xpenguins. It generates a bunch of cartoons that could be anything from penguins to Bill Gates. Install it with

sudo apt-get install xpenguins

Then run this to generate 256 Bill Gates that will crawl across your screen with little computers.

xpenguins -t Bill -n 256 -s

Click on them or drag a window over them to kill them, and notice the blood. To make it go away, close the terminal window. To make less Bill Gates, change 256 to another number.

Flickr Wallpaper

2007-11-16T16:18:00.000-05:00

Follow these instructions to install webilder, an app that downloads photos from flickr (no account necessary) and can set them as your wallpaper and rotate them at set intervals. Just download the .deb file from getdeb:

install: http://www.getdeb.net/app.php?name=webilder
right click on panel, select add to panel. add 'webuilder desktop applet'

How to: now playing away message

2007-11-11T20:55:00.000-05:00

Its possible to have your now playing in rhythmbox be part of your away message or buddy profile in linux. These instructions were written and tested in ubuntu linux, but probably work in other distros as well.

1) Install 'pidgin-dev' package via your package manager of choice. Run the following in a termina:

sudo apt-get install pidgin-dev

2) download and extract the latest release of the pidgin-rhythmbox plugin from here
3) open a terminal and use the cd command to browse the extracted folder. Then, in the terminal, run:

./configure
make
sudo make install

4) Restart pidgin and enable the plugin via tools > plugins (in pidgin). While your in there, mess with the settings as you want them.
5) add %rb to your away message, profile, or available status
6) pause and start again the song youre listening to in rhythmbox. This refreshes the %rb code

How to: Install Songbird 0.3 Release Candidate

2007-10-28T00:25:00.000-04:00

Here are some commands to get and run the latest songbird release candidate:

wget http://download.songbirdnest.com/installer/linux/i686/Songbird_0.3_linux-i686.tar.gz
tar xvfz Songbird_0.3_linux-i686.tar.gz
cd Songbird
./songbird

From there, create a launcher for the panel with these settings:

name: Songbird
command: /home/mike/Songbird/songbird (REPLACE mike with your username)
Icon: Download your favorite from here

Gutsy Time!

2007-10-18T17:09:00.000-04:00

Gutsy has been officially released! Check it out for yourself!
http://www.ubuntu.com/

iTunes great with wine. Yep! Its True!

2007-10-17T22:23:00.000-04:00

I just took another stab at itunes with wine.. with much success!

1 - download the latest itunes

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

2 - install wine

sudo apt-get install wine

3 - configure wine

winecfg

-change the windows version to XP
-set up your sound card with the audio tab

4 - run (in the directory of the downloaded installer)

wine ./iTunes743Setup.exe

By no means does it run perfectly, but the functionality is there and I expect will continue to be improved.

Fresh New Blue Look How To

2007-10-12T23:36:00.000-04:00

I've been tweaking my theme settings for awhile, and I've settled on another blue theme. Here's where to get the stuff and some screenshots!

Emerald Theme
Icon Theme
Wallpaper

I've been tweaking my theme settings for awhile, and I've settled on another blue theme. Here's where to get the stuff and some screenshots!

Booh Bah

2007-10-08T11:20:00.000-04:00

One of the trippiest things on the internet

Booh Bah!

How to easily create video DVDs under linux

2007-10-08T08:55:00.000-04:00

This tutorial uses an awesome program called tovid. First install tovid and its dependencies:

sudo apt-get install txt2tags mplayer mencoder mjpegtools ffmpeg python-dev python-tk python-wxgtk2.6 python-imaging imagemagick dvdauthor vcdimager transcode sox normalize-audio

wget http://tovid.sourceforge.net/download/ubuntu/tovid_0.30.2-1_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i tovid_0.30.2-1_i386.deb

If you are uncomfortable with the terminal, you can use the GUI (should now be in your applications > sound & video menu).


Terminal

'cd' to the directory with your video file (if you need help with this, then I do not recommend the terminal mode, but rather the graphical mode described below)
Type this command to begin converting the video & audio for a widescreen TV in the eastern hemisphere. This uses the NTSC standard. If this is not what you want, type "tovid --help" in the terminal and read carefully. Run this replcing 'yourvideo.avi' with the file name of your video:
tovid -wide -ntsc -in yourvideo.avi -out converted.avi
From here on out, im just following the instructions of the program, but i'll list everything:

It asked me if I wanted to keep temporary files, I just hit enter, which deletes them.
Then I get
Your encoded video should be in the file(s) /home/mike/converted.avi.mpg.
You can author a disc with this video on it by running:
makexml /home/mike/converted.avi.mpg -out MyDisc
makedvd MyDisc.xml
You can also use todisc or makemenu to create menus for your disc.
See the manual pages (i.e. 'man todisc') for more information.
Thanks for using tovid!
So I copy + paste "makexml /home/mike/converted.avi.mpg -out MyDisc"
Then it tells me to run "makedvd "MyDisc.xml" and i respect its wishes
Finally, it says "makedvd -burn "MyDisc" which will burn the disk! make sure a blank dvd is in your drive!

Graphical
Its pretty straightforward really. Just open up the tovid gui from Applications > Sound & Video and follow the instructions.

How to install rockbox and extras on your ipod in linux

2007-10-01T19:33:00.000-04:00

Heres how to install a custom build of rockbox and a few extras. This will install extra fonts, a few themes, and the freeware version of DOOM for rockbox!

Uses this build
Extras from here
Themes from here and here

Step 1: Run all this stuff. It makes a folder named rockbox in your home folder and puts the main files in it.

Ipod Video 5, 5.5 gen 30GB:

mkdir rockbox
cd rockbox/
wget http://home.centurytel.net/tdtooke/rockbox32.zip
unzip rockbox32.zip

Ipod Video 5, 5.5 gen 60GB / 80GB:

mkdir rockbox
cd rockbox/
wget http://home.centurytel.net/tdtooke/rockbox64.zip
unzip rockbox64.zip

Step 2: Run these for video ipod models (all: 5, 5.5 gen , 30, 60, 80 GB)

wget http://download.rockbox.org/daily/fonts/rockbox-fonts.zip
wget http://download.rockbox.org/useful/rockdoom.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/ROCKBlocks.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/Theme_X_HighBar.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/cabbie-ipod.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/45rpm.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/ubuntu.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/yobunny.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/phkFORUM.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/phkOSC.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/phkAMP.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/phkGUITAR.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/phkTAPE.zip
wget http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/pub/Main/WpsIpod5g/slant.zip
unzip -o rockbox-fonts.zip
unzip -o rockdoom.zip
unzip -o StainPack.zip
unzip -o Theme_X_HighBar.zip
unzip -o cabbie-ipod.zip
unzip -o 45rpm.zip
unzip -o ubuntu.zip
unzip -o yobunny.zip
unzip -o Cool_Blue_v1.2.zip
unzip -o phkFORUM.zip
unzip -o phkOSC.zip
unzip -o phkAMP.zip
unzip -o phkGUITAR.zip
unzip -o phkTAPE.zip
unzip -o slant.zip

Step 3: Open your home folder. Open the folder named rockbox. Press Control+H to display hidden files. observe the file named '.rockbox'

In a seperate window, open your ipod

Drag .rockbox to the root of your ipod

Step 4: Load the thing:
There are a few ways to allow rockbox to load, but the prettiest, fastest, and most user-friendly way is what happens automatically when you follow my install ipodlinux guide, which is as follows:

mkdir ipodlinux
cd ipodlinux
wget http://de.dataghost.com/ipl/dg-installer/dg-linux-installer-20070311.tar.bz2
tar -jxf dg-linux-installer-20070311.tar.bz2
sudo ./installer.sh

good luck!

Step 4.5: if you are having trouble loading rockbox and / or ipodlinux, make sure you have followed all the above instructions and have a file named 'loader.cfg' with the following contents in the root of your ipod. if you do not, create it.

Apple OS @ ramimg
iPodLinux @ (hd0,1)/linux.bin
Rockbox @ (hd0,1)/.rockbox/rockbox.ipod
Disk Mode @ diskmode
Sleep @ standby

How to: install latest songbird 'blessed' build on linux

2007-09-27T17:45:00.000-04:00

Here are some commands to get and run the latest songbird release candidate:

edit: post edited to contain same info as 'how to install songbird release candidate'

sudo su
cd /etc/
mkdir Songbird
cd Songbird
wget http://developer.songbirdnest.com/nightly/builds/linux/i686/Songbird_0_3_pre_20071027_linux-i686.tar.gz
tar xvfz Songbird_0_3_pre_20071027_linux-i686.tar.gz
wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/songbird
sudo cp songbird /usr/bin/
sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/songbird

now you can run songbird from the terminal or alt+f2 with

songbird

Firefox 3: Gran Paradiso

2007-09-27T16:06:00.000-04:00

This isn't breaking news, but a beta version of Firefox 3 has been released. It is in the Ubuntu Gutsy repositories, available via apt-get:

sudo apt-get install firefox-granparadiso-gnome-support firefox-granparadiso

basic things I've noticed:

Prettier Looking - improved integrated buttons (widgets) look great from the start, no need to patch like in firefox 2
Add On Support - since its still beta, my add ons don't work
Some Weird Inexplicable Things - typing and editing this post is a little weird, will not let me create links or quotes

Improved: Pretty Firefox buttons in gnome / kde

2007-09-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

I put together some simple commands to install improved firefox buttons in ubuntu. I take no credit for creating the icons or the script, just making it uber-easy to install by feeding you the exact commands. Originally from this thread.

There is a much improved version out, and I am updating the commands to match. Here are the new commands:

wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/firefox_widgets_2.7.tar.bz2
sudo tar -xf firefox_widgets_2.7.tar.bz2
cd firefox_widgets_2.7
./install

and change the install location to '/opt/swiftfox' for swiftfox.

Awesome Ubuntu Wallpapers!

2007-09-26T18:34:00.000-04:00

Check out the proposed and concept wallpapers for gutsy! This page has been around awhile, but now its got loads to browse through.. a must-see!

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Gutsy

Can I get an amen? Bible application!

2007-09-26T18:12:00.000-04:00

Want to study the bible on your desktop? check out this application

sudo apt-get install gnomesword sword-language-pack-en

Ubuntu Gutsy Tribe 6

2007-09-25T21:21:00.001-04:00

I've been using Gutsy since tribe 4, and its been a constantly improving experience. I recently went through several major updates in Tribe 5, which are supposedly ubuntu tribe 6. Noticed improvements include:

new wallpapers
'leave message' option on lock screen
speed, reliability

happy linux'n! here's my current up to date desktop:

Poll Results: Preferred Desktop Environment

2007-09-25T21:18:00.000-04:00

I can't make up my mind...

2007-09-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

I've switched back to gnome today... kde just kept on crashing :(

mindmapping tools: freemind and kdissert on Ubuntu (or any debian-based OS)

2007-09-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

lets do it! (i believe this only works in feisty, not gutsy)

download em

wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/freemind-plugins-help_0.8.001-4_all.deb
wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/freemind-plugins-svg_0.8.001-4_all.deb
wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/freemind-plugins-time_0.8.001-4_all.deb
wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/freemind_0.8.001-4_all.deb
wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/libforms-java_1.0.5-3_all.deb
wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/libjcalendar-java_1.2.2-7_all.deb

then become super user

sudo su

then install em

sudo dpkg -i libforms-java_1.0.5-3_all.deb libjcalendar-java_1.2.2-7_all.deb freemind_0.8.001-4_all.deb freemind-plugins-time_0.8.001-4_all.deb freemind-plugins-svg_0.8.001-4_all.deb freemind-plugins-help_0.8.001-4_all.deb

Alternatively, you can install kdissert (mind mapping for kde)

sudo apt-get install kdissert

Kdissert:

Freemind:

Not ubuntu related... but hilarious

2007-09-20T18:12:00.000-04:00

one of the funniest things I've heard on the internet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V40wv7q8X2I&mode=related&search=

Kde quick review

2007-09-18T19:07:00.000-04:00

After a few days of getting used to kde, I find I prefer it to gnome. I found it was not that different, and thus an easy switch to make. The toolbars are way more customizable... that was the clincher for me.

Happy Linux'n

Packages Update

2007-09-18T18:06:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to upgrade your packages from time to time.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -y

Compiz Fusion Fix

2007-09-17T21:47:00.001-04:00

I managed to get compiz fusion working in kde now... here's the thread:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=553369

KDE

2007-09-17T16:48:00.000-04:00

As hinted by my current poll, you may be able to tell I have been thinking about switching/adding another desktop environment. I did. I chose kde.

At first I just did this

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

which worked, but gave me ugliness and unpredictable behavior.
I decided to install fresh. I downloaded myself a copy of the latest gutsy tribe 5 kubuntu iso and install it on my computer. I also installed a copy of Mandriva since I was starting over, but I'll talk about that in another post.

Glorious! the pretty kde desktop came to my screen. Although there was a fair learning curve, I think I've got the hang of it now.

I have yet to get compiz-fusion running, due to difficulties with the window manager.

Here is my new desktop!!!!

I will still use gnome to some extent, I installed it with

sudo aptitude install ubuntu-desktop

But again, just like before, gnome is acting and looking a little strange a the moment..

Large Collection of Ubuntu Wallpapers

2007-09-16T12:41:00.000-04:00

Here is a large collection of ubuntu themed wallpapers I came across. enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/defconoii/UbuntuWallpapers/

Ubuntu Setup Script

2007-09-16T12:15:00.000-04:00

Here is a nice little script I found:

This script will install audio and video codecs, full DVD support, flash, java, unrar, and the Microsoft core fonts (Andale, Arial, ComicSans, CourierNew, Georgia, Impact, TimesNewRoman, Trebuchet, Verdana and Webdings)

It only uses things in the repos, so it will not break your system like automatix.

just slap this into the terminal:

sudo -k && clear && gksudo -D "setup script" echo && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y ubuntu-restricted-extras gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse libdvdread3 unrar totem-gstreamer vlc audacious nfs-kernel-server samba gparted && gconftool-2 --type boolean --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/always_use_browser false && sudo gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults --type boolean --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/always_use_browser false && gconftool-2 --type string --set /desktop/gnome/volume_manager/autoplay_dvd_command "vlc %m" && sudo gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.defaults --type string --set /desktop/gnome/volume_manager/autoplay_dvd_command "vlc %m" && sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/install-css.sh && echo -e \\n\\nBxnl, nyy qbar. Lbh pna pybfr guvf jvaqbj abj. \\n | tr '[a-m][n-z][A-M][N-Z]' '[n-z][a-m][N-Z][A-M]'

How to: set up MySQL Database in Amarok

2007-09-13T19:06:00.000-04:00

I found myself complaining about the slow speed of Amarok. Everything would lag, from playing a song to adding a song to the playlist. Then i remembered when I was setting up Amarok that it let me chose a database, and said the faster ones required extra set up. Of course, I chose the no set up required but slow speed option (SQLlite).

Now, I wanted to switch. And boy am i glad. Everything works as fast as it should.

sudo apt-get install mysql-server mysql-client

now this (replace PASSWORD with your password)

mysqladmin -u root password PASSWORD

then this

mysql -p -u root
CREATE DATABASE amarok;
USE mysql;
GRANT ALL ON amarok.* TO amarok@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'PASSWORD_CHANGE_ME';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
quit

In Amarok, go to settings> configure Amarok
Click Collection

Select MySQL.

Use the following settings:

Hostname: 127.0.0.1
Database: amarok
Port: 3306
Username: amarok
Password: Your Password

You're done! Enjoy the speediness!

Problems? check out the official wiki:
http://amarok.kde.org/wiki/MySQL_HowTo

Open Source Torrent Programs

2007-09-12T18:01:00.000-04:00

What Better way to introduce something than with a quote from good 'ol wikipedia:

BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) communications protocol. BitTorrent is a method of distributing large amounts of data widely without the original distributor incurring the entire costs of hardware, hosting and bandwidth resources. Instead, when data is distributed using the BitTorrent protocol, each recipient supplies pieces of the data to newer recipients, reducing the cost and burden on any given individual source, providing redundancy against system problems, and reducing dependence on the original distributor.

Essentially, its limewire on steroids. Free, often illegal or copyrighted material, available thanks to internet users like you and me. The BitTorrent protocol can be used for legal purposes, and unlike limewire in general... it actually is. Its a nice way to take stress off of servers. So How do i get these torrent files, and what do I do with them? Good question. You can get them from the site of what you want to download (for example, Ubuntu) or from a torrent search site. My favorite search site is torrents.to because you can browse through popular torrent search sites, via tabs. Now for the programs.

Azureus

sudo apt-get install azureus

Azureus is a great torrent manager. It allows multiple downloads and uploads in one window, And has the fastest download speed I have used. In windows, it is fairly stables, But In Ubuntu... I've had stability Problems. Linux, Mac, and Windows.

KTorrent

sudo apt-get install ktorrent

KTorrent is a kde torrent manager. It is stable, has solid features, and I have had no problems with it. This is my torrent manager of choice. Linux Only.

Bit Torrent

sudo apt-get install bittorrent

Thee Official Bit Torrent Client is the lightest and simplest torrent manager. Manages each torrent file in own window, so not good for downloading and seeding many torrents. I'm glad its the default for Ubuntu because its the simplest and easiest to use, but it is not great for my needs. Linux, Windows, and Mac.

Deluge

sudo apt-get install deluge-torrent

Deluge is a great torrent manager build for gnome, and is a very close second place. Its got a good feature selection, but some freezing and crashing on occasion. Overall very good. Linux Only.

There are more, but I feel these are the best and easiest for Ubuntu. If you would like to add one, feel free to comment or pm me on ubuntuforums at m6arate. Happy torrent-downloading!

Ubuntu Font

2007-09-12T17:55:00.000-04:00

Ever wanted to type with the font that Ubuntu uses for its logo? Its simple. Just slap this into the terminal.

sudo apt-get install ttf-ubuntu-title

You can then open up GIMP and type it up! Example:

Dell and Ubuntu

2007-09-11T20:30:00.000-04:00

I was beginning to feel left out, being the only blog im sure not to mention the new deal between Canonical and Dell. Now, you can order a dell computer with Ubuntu Feisty pre-installed. The prices are good, you get good support, and the OS of choice. You can also order a dell designed for FreeDos, and load Ubuntu onto that, if Windows is that undesirable for you.

dell.com/open

How to: install ipodlinux on your ipod

2007-09-09T08:04:00.000-04:00

here is a how to install ipodlinux on your ipod. Winpod only. All models except 1G, 2G and nano 2G. I made this based off of this guide. Make sure your ipod is plugged in for all this:

mkdir ipodlinux
cd ipodlinux
wget http://de.dataghost.com/ipl/dg-installer/dg-linux-installer-20070311.tar.bz2
tar -jxf dg-linux-installer-20070311.tar.bz2
sudo ./installer.sh

Follow the on screen instructions. To restore if something goes wrong, run

./installer.sh restore

I had a problem installing on my machine, one that I have never gotten before. Here are details and my solution, in case you run into the same

When running the installer as instructed above, I got an error similar to 'error in line ? could not find directory ./usr'
I just went into the ipodlinux folder we created in the home folder, and copied all the folders plus loader.bin to the root of my ipod, safely disconnected, and loaded ipodlinux successfully.

Poll Results: Best Element of Ubuntu

2007-09-08T22:29:00.000-04:00

According to my blog viewers the best element of Ubuntu is....

Free Software - 27% - 24 Votes - Ubuntu and ever app you will ever need for it are all free software!
Configurability - 26% - 23 Votes - Ubuntu can be easily configured to your favorite look and settings
Stability - 20% - 18 Votes - Ubuntu is much more stable than windows, and runs very smoothly
Other - 12% - 11 Votes - Ubuntu is better according to the voter (feel free to comment)
Desktop Effects - 11% - 10 Votes - Ubuntu looks beautiful and behaves awesomely with compiz-fusion or another desktop effects app. Whats the first thing you show your friends when they ask about your ubuntu system? The 3d cube of course!

Ubuntu Printer Support via Windows network

2007-09-08T22:22:00.001-04:00

I had problems getting my printer to work, when plugged directly into Ubuntu. I have an HP PSC 500, still working fine after all these years. The printer is shared on my windows network, which I assumed would not work with Ubuntu. Boy was I wrong. It was as easy as picking the name of the computer the printer was plugged into, and then it worked! Here is what I did step by step:

System > Administration > Printing
New Printer
Select Windows Server
Browse to select the computer it is shared on
Pick the type of printer
Complete!

Wine Doors

2007-09-08T21:47:00.000-04:00

I use Automatix when I have to. Nice little app the automatically installs some things that can be complicated to install. I recently found an app that automatically installs certain programs for wine automatically in a similar way. It is called Wine-Doors.

Download debian package here or getdeb.

Apps include:

Firefox 2 and 1.5
IE 6
Opera 9
Quicktime 7
Winamp 5
WMP 6
7zip 4
DVD decrypter 3
Dreamweaver 8
Flash 8
Total Commander 7
Eudora 7
CDex 1
Games
Fonts
Behind the scenes stuff

Opera and Epiphany Web Browsers

2007-09-03T18:48:00.000-04:00

I love my firefox with all my add-ons and bookmarks, but sometimes i need to just open a fresh browser, without remembering my tabs or passwords. I have two browsers for this. One is Epiphany and the other is opera.

Epiphany web browser is light, fast, and simple. It does all your basic tasks fast and well. Official browser for the gnome desktop, so it also looks great. Only for linux. I design and edit my blog from epiphany.

sudo apt-get install epiphany-browser

Opera Web Browser is another light, simple browser I like to have on hand. It is available for linux, windows, and mac.

Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install opera

Windows/Mac/Other Linux Distribution:

Download from here

Guitar Hero for Linux: Frets On Fire

2007-09-01T20:56:00.001-04:00

Frets on fire is essentially an open source version of guitar hero. It runs on windows, mac, and linux. Here is a quick how to for this nice game. Make sure you disable compiz before running; I had performance problems running both at once. My only suggestion for a solution to this is making a new user with no startup scripts and running Frets On Fire from there. Enjoy :)

First Try:
In Gutsy: sudo apt-get install fretsonfire
In Feisty try downloading the gutsy package (untested)

or, try:

wget http://superb-west.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/fretsonfire/FretsOnFire-1.2.451-linux.tar.gz
tar xvfz FretsOnFire-1.2.451-linux.tar.gz
wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/fretsonfire.sh
cp fretsonfire.sh Desktop/
chmod +x Desktop/fretsonfire.sh
Desktop/fretsonfire.sh

Free Ubuntu Stickers

2007-09-01T17:50:00.000-04:00

System 76 is giving away ubuntu stickers! Follow This link to get some. All you do is send a self addressed stamped envelope to system 76, and they will send it back with your stickers. I tried this, and in a little over a week got my pack of 4 stickers.

How To Backup and Restore Ubuntu

2007-09-01T15:17:00.000-04:00

This is a simple to way to back up your ubuntu installation. Copy and paste this code to backup all your files:

sudo su
cd /
tar cvpzf backup.tgz --exclude=/proc --exclude=/lost+found --exclude=/backup.tgz --exclude=/mnt --exclude=/sys --exclude=/media /

Copy and Paste this into the terminal to restore to that backup:

sudo tar xvpfz backup.tgz -C /

It is best to backup or restore when you are not using the computer. I run it when I got to sleep.

Make Firefox Buttons Pretty in Gnome

2007-09-01T12:21:00.000-04:00

wget http://mikesubuntu.googlepages.com/firefox_widgets_2.7.tar.bz2
sudo tar -xf firefox_widgets_2.7.tar.bz2
cd firefox_widgets_2.7
./install

and change the install location to '/opt/swiftfox' for swiftfox.

How to: Avant Window Navigator Reflection Effect

2007-08-31T13:52:00.001-04:00

By default, Avant Window Navigator has a simple look. A nice way to spice it up, is to enable icon reflection. To do so, open the awn preferences. Under General, go to the bar appearance tab. Set the look to 3d look, the bar angle to 45, and the icon offset to 18. Restart awn.

Ipod Video in Ubuntu Using vlc and gtkpod

2007-08-31T13:23:00.000-04:00

I had some difficulties with the other ipod video method, so I tried with VLC. Here goes:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install vlc

Run VLC
Click file > Open File...
Where it says "Browse" on the upper right, pick the file you want to convert
Under "Advanced Options" at the bottom check "Stream / Save"
Click settings
Under outputs, check "File" and choose the filename
Change the encapsulation method to "MP4"
Under transcoding options, check the video, and make sure its set at "MP4v" with 1024 bitrate and 1 scale (as pictured below)
Check the audio, and make sure it is "mp4a" with 128 bit rate and 2 channels (as pictured below)
Click okay at the bottom, and then click okay in the "Open..." window
Your video should begin encoding!
The resulting file can easily be transferred with latest gtkpod, or installed with automatix

Video Editing: Kdenlive

2007-08-31T13:17:00.000-04:00

When it comes to video editing, I feel open source software is falling behind. I don't understand how to use any of the popular video editors for linux.. like kino or avidemux.. except kdenlive. Its still somewhat buggy... but once you get the hang of it, its simple to use. Here is how to install:

Go here
Download and install mlt, mlt++, and kdenlive in that order
Enjoy

Frostwire GTK Theme

2007-08-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

I have been a fan of frostwire for awhile now. The way I describe it to people, is 'limewire, but no nagging to buy the pro version.' That is exactly what it is. The look of frostwire has always been a nice, light blue theme. I liked it, but I was looking for a way to use my gnome theme in frostwire. It turns out, that the theme is already available in frostwire, with no downloads or installations. All you have to do is go to view > Apply Skins > GTK Theme.

last.fm with ipod and ubuntu

2007-08-31T09:48:00.000-04:00

I tried a few ways of scrobbling my ipod play counts, before finding amarok. At first, I used Rockbox, which created a log I could upload to a site that would scrobble the tracks to my last.fm account. I switched back to mostly using the Apple Firmware for various reasons, but had trouble scrobbling my played tracks in Linux. At first I tried the official last.fm player, which has this feature for windows, with no luck in ubuntu. Then I gave my shot at a script which worked usually, but took a little effort and configuring, and even then I had about a 50% success rate. Finally, the other day I sync'd my ipod with amarok. I noticed it said 'several tracks were submitted to las.fm.' I checked my last.fm page and there were all my tracks! Somehow amarok bypassed the 'spam protection' in ubuntu and submitted tracks before the last ones i played. They were all there!

Firefox Extensions

2007-08-30T17:43:00.000-04:00

Here are the firefox addons I usually 'add on':

Stumbleupon - a nice little add on for when I get bored... Click stumble and it takes you to a web page. The page could be anything. From videos to pictures, and games to blogs. Click 'I like it!' or the thumbs down, and it will change the sites you are more likely to 'stumble' 'upon'
Dowload Statusbar Just shows downloads in the statusbar at the bottom of the window, rather then a whole new window. Neatens things up a bit.
Google Browsersync Synchronizes my cookies, saved passwords, and bookmarks between multiple computers. It saves a copy of all the data on google servers, and then you just add the addon on another computer, and it will 'sync' your 'browser'
CookieSafe Denies all cookies, unless you specifically tell cookie safe to keep them.
TabMixPlus Adds a little 'x' to every tab, because for reasons unknown to me firefox sometimes chooses not to put them there....
Full Screen Homestarrunner makes animations on the homestarrunner website take up the full browser window. This is a must.

ipod vs Ubuntu: The Struggle for Perfect Synchronization

2007-08-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

I have been struggling to get my ipod to work properly in ubuntu for the past couple of weeks... here are some useful applications, with their pros and cons.

Songbird
Pro: Full ipod sync including entire media library and all playlists with two clicks click (right click on ipod, click update ipod)
Con: Buggy program, still under high development. Takes up high amounts of memory. Does not work with gnome sound keyboard shortcuts.
The Bottom Line: Songbird is good for the full sync of my ipod.. but not stable enough to be my desktop media player yet.

Rhythmbox
Pro: Simple, lightweight media player. Can sync individual songs to ipod. new! can now sync ipod to last.fm!
Con: Sync only what songs you drag onto ipod, no option to just sync the whole library.
The Bottom Line: Before I got an ipod, rhythmbox was great for my desktop media player. Now that I need synchronization with an ipod, I have to look for a more advanced program.

Amarok
Pro: Can sync entire library and playlists, but each has to be set up individually. Good Player in general. Apparently sync's ipod's play counts to last.fm. (I will have to test this later). Searches and Finds Album Art! I forgot the ipod could display album art until now! Woo! This is the only media player I have found that easily finds your album art, and sync's it all to the ipod for every album.
Con: Not a light program like rhythmbox. A little tricky to set up mp3 playback, had to search the forums and then run

sudo apt-get install libxine1-ffmpeg libxine-extracodecs

--a little tricky to set up the ipod and ipod sync, and a few bugs in the program in general. (I had to force quit a few times)
The Bottom Line: Amarok seems to be the perfect balance for me, and that is why it is my media player of choice at the moment. It scrobbles to last.fm, manages my music library, and sync's it all to my ipod video.

Gtkpod
Pro: Made just for the ipod. If installed with automatix, can transfer video to the ipod as well. Checks checksum as well, and cleans up the ipod in general.
Con: Not integrated with a media player, so playlist creation is a chore.
The Bottom Line: Solid for use with just the ipod, and as far as I know necessary to sync videos, but not a media player I can use.

Banshee
Pro: Pretty easy to use and would sync my ipod.
Con: Would not sync playlists to ipod.
The Bottom Line: Good as a media player and good as an ipod sync tool, but nothing special.

The Winner
The player that works best for me is amarok! With a little tweaking, I got the ipod sync results I wanted, along with a nice media player. Look how pretty it is!

My Theme and Compiz Fusion

2007-08-29T21:55:00.000-04:00

Wondering how you can get the pretty desktop you see in all my screenshots? Here is how I assemblede this fresh, blue theme.

Install Compiz-Fusion
Go to theme settings and set the theme to "Glossy"
Download and install this icon theme
Download this wallpaper
Install Avant Window Navigator
Delete the bottom panel. configure awn how you like, I added the trashbar applet, workspaces applet, and changed the colors to match the blue theme a bit.
Download this image
Right click on the top panel and select properties. Go to the background tab and select background image and select the image above.
Profit!

Packages

2007-08-29T21:40:00.000-04:00

On a fresh install of Ubuntu, I find myself needing more packages for various things... here is an ongoing list of the packages I install. Just copy and paste this into the terminal to install them.

sudo apt-get install epiphany-browser subversion build-essential checkgmail nautilus-open-terminal ruby compizconfig-settings-manager flashplugin-nonfree cgmail music-applet

epiphany-browser I install as an alternative to firefox. although firefox is great, its nice to be able to open another browser without all my saved passwords, add ons, andother things that could slow me down.
subversion is for acquiring source code for those beta apps I feel I have to try before binaries are availible.
build-essential is for compiling that source code
checkgmail a nice little app that checks my gmail account and pops up when I get a new message
nautilus-open-terminal adds a useful little 'open terminal' option when I right click in a folder. This saves me alot of time from cd'ing around my computer.
ruby is needed for many scripts, most important for me my ipod_lastfm_bridge script.
compizconfig-settings-manager installs the settings for compiz-fusion, because I often forget it (and it is not installed by default in gutsy)
flashplugin-nonfree sets up my flash player for firefox and epiphany real quick.. so I don't have to download anything manually

Welcome to Mike's Ubuntu Blog!!

2007-08-29T20:51:00.000-04:00

My intention for this blog is to share my expirience with ubuntu. This includes an ongoing list of packages I install, favorite and least favorite aplications, favorite web sites, tips, tricks, how-to's, and so on. If you have any questions, feel free to pm me on ubuntuforums.org (username = m6arate)