Keeping that Window Maximized…

Several years ago, one of my colleagues talked about a “Generation Y” conference that he had attended.

He explained to me that “Generation Y” students are “multi-taskers”. Apparently, this cohort juggles many open “windows” everyday, and their instructor’s “window” may not be very large or may not even be in focus!

In an effort to reach my students, I like to occasionally change my delivery techniques. My assignment instructions usually provide a “sample ran” section to demonstrate how their program will interact with the user. Usually these “sample runs” consist of straight input / output from the shell (“command prompt”). I decided this time to have students create a program (shell script) to appear more graphical to the end-user. This was done by requiring students use the “zenity” command in their shell script.

When I create assignments, I always create the answer first, and then use it to help create the question. Since I traditionally had text-based assignment displays, I was struggling with a method to demonstrate how this graphical program would interact with the user.

I decided (while in Linux) to download and use an application called recordmydesktop. When you run this command, it records your activity on the desktop. It continues to record the user’s session on the computer until a SIGINT signal is detected (i.e. user presses “ctrl-c” to end the “recordmydesktop” program), at which point it creates an OGG theora/vorbis video file. After that file was created, I simply uploaded the file(s) to my Youtube account for my students to view.

I will be releasing the assignment instructions (with these YouTube links) to my students on the weekend.
Below are the actual links:

So I am using YouTube to maximize my “Teaching Window” for “Generation Y”. On the other hand, an essential skill for an IT student is the ability to pay attention to new information or “stay in the loop”. What an old-fashioned concept!

So I’m thinking out-loud right now… I don’t think I should inform my students about this blog post.. Let’s see if they learn a valuable lesson >;)

Murray

Hacking Can Be a Good Thing

I consider myself to be very lucky when it comes to computers…

I have been a college professor teaching operating systems and programming for nearly two decades. During that time, I have taught courses in installing, configuring, using and programming computers. I have more knowledge about MS Windows, Unix and Linux than the average user. I feel privileged that I work in an environment that gives me the flexibility to learn and discover new computing skills. I am nearly 50 years old, and I’m just starting to appreciate the importance of “academic freedom“.

Having that *niche* in the computer field can be a good thing and a bad thing. One of the “bad things” is trying to convince people to use more than one operating system. I find it weird that most computer users do not understand or use “Dual Boot” or “Multiple Boot” systems. When I mention that I use Linux, the typical response from the average computer user is, “Linux – yes, I have heard of that…”, and then they change the subject ( or run away from me like hell ) . When I go to the IT area of a retail store and simply mention Linux, I notice most techie “know-it-alls” don’t really know it all. There are some that tell me they know Linux, but when pressed, they admit that they have only installed one version of Linux (mostly Redhat), but didn’t take the time to learn and configure it properly or understand how it works.

Other people are down-right hostile towards other operating systems. Many insist “Linux is not as user-friendly as MS Windows” and that “Linux will never compete with Windows”. If you are not careful, you can easily get “dragged” into heated discussions. Below is a link to a site (and subsequent comments) that demonstrate this fact:

http://windows7center.com/windows-7-news/why-windows-7-will-win-the-netbook-war/
(check out comments and replied from “Murray Saul” or “Msaul”)

It would be easy for me to keep what I learned all to myself. Why should I go to the trouble of convincing others of a free and powerful OS when they have been conditioned to use proprietary software? I guess my passion about Linux and open source software applications is based on my desire to teach. I teach to educate and empower people.

I am baffled that most computer users just stick with one operating system, and are afraid to “hack”. In fact, most computer users simply assume that the term “hacking” refers to breaking into computer sites like NASA or the CIA. The correct definition of “Hacking” is “curiosity”. Hacking refers to people asking questions, and not being satisfied with the “status quo”.

More people should ask questions regarding their current operating system:

• Why do I have to buy anti-virus software from another company? Shouldn’t that be included in the purchase price of my OS?
• Why can’t I be allowed to modify (or add) a feature onto MS Word since I have already purchased this software for my own use?
• Can I download and install free and useful applications instead of trialware?
• How come MS Windows doesn’t have different desktop environments like in Linux (eg. KDE, Gnome, Afterstep, ICE, Xfce4)?
• How come MS Windows doesn’t allow me to “look inside or access” other OS partitions (like Linux) on my Desktop (without having to purchase an add-on)?
• Why did MS decide to have the user press CTRL-ALT-DEL to login to a network? Was that on purpose, or was it some type of bizarre programmer humour?
• When someone tells me, “They say you can’t do that…”, who exactly are “THEY”?

In the movie “Revolution OS”, Richard Stallman defines hacking as curiosity. Richard told the story of when the University (where he was attending) imposed a password system to charge for computer usage. Programming students were frustrated since they were accustomed to an open and free learning environment. People were trying to guess the password, and Richard asked, “What if I just press the ENTER key?”, and it worked. This healthy curiosity helped him and other programmers to develop the GNU project. The GNU project is a collection of programmers that develop software that users use, and if required, can easily modify. Linux would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for tremendous contribution from the GNU project. In fact, Richard Stallman prefers that the term “GNU/Linux” be used instead of just “Linux”…

I ask questions on a daily basis when I use my computer. For example, I was teaching a friend (who happens to be a student) how to manually edit webpages. He was dependent on a Windows application that displayed all of his webpages on a screen at the same time. He asked me the question, “Is there a way to just bring up only one webpage instead of 17 to edit?”. Although he was not have been aware of it, he was hacking…

I immediately showed him how to connect to a webserver via a graphical application made for windows called SSH SecureShellClient. I find this application to be useful to allow my college students to connect and graphically send files between computer systems. It has the ability to connect to issue commands, but also provides a secure method to transfer files by clicking on the “Window” menu, and selecting “New File Transfer in Current Directory”.

Here is a link for a free download (if used for non-commercial purposes) in case you are (dare I say) curious?:

http://www.filewatcher.com/m/SSHSecureShellClient-3.2.9.exe.5517312.0.0.html

After helping my friend, I was travelling back home when I asked myself the question, “Is there an application that is as good as SSH SecureShellClient in Linux?” Then I asked the question, “Can I install and run the WINE application so I can run that Windows application in Linux?”. I installed and ran Wine, and then using WINE, installed that Windows application to run in Linux. Ahh, the joy of learning (or should I say “hacking”)…

For those that are *curious*, this is how I did it on my Ubuntu Linux system. I used the Synaptic package manager to install the wine application. Here is a link to my WIKI explaining how to install software in Ubuntu using the Synaptic Package Manager:

http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Install_Applications_in_Ubuntu

After installing the WINE application, I downloaded the windows installer program for SSH SecureShellClient. I then selected APPLICATIONS -> WINE -> CONFIGURE WINE. I selected the APPLICATIONS tab, clicked Add Application, and specified the location of that windows “installer program”. It allowed me to install and run that SSH SecureShellClient program in my Linux system. Here is a link to a screen capture of the Window application running on my Linux system:

http://matrix.senecac.on.ca/~murray.saul/ssh.png

Regardless of the “Great OS Debates”, I feel empowered by using more than one operating system. By asking myself simple questions (hacking), I have gained the freedom to learn and judge operating systems for myself.

Many computer users don’t want to question, but will take the “path of least resistance”. Unfortunately, users do not take the time to question (or users give up too easily) and then depend on whatever “THEY” say…

How does that old saying go?

“You’ve got to stand for something, or you will fall for anything…”

Murray Saul

Not All TV Tuners Are Created Equal

I have been happy with my Hauppauge HVR1600 TV tuner PCI card for my Mythtv computer system at my home in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. My only issue is getting a few OTA (Over the Air) stations to provide consistent reception. I am a big fan of RTN (Retro Television Network). I was hooked on RTN when I setup my FTA (Free-to-Air) satellite system at my cottage. Unfortunately, due to bankruptcy issues, RTN was moved to a different and harder to reach satellite (AMC9, as I last recall)…

When I setup my OTA system at home, I was happy to discover that RTN was available from Buffalo, New York. Unfortunately, the broadcast signal is not very strong, and I seldom get a consistent signal (unless in the summertime with unusual atmospheric conditions). A preamp can be used to help “keep” signals that tend to fade-in and fade-out. I have purchased a pre-amp, but I have not connected that to the antenna location since the roof is covered with snow, and I don’t want to kill myself. Currently the preamp is connected halfway up the RG6 cable.

So I have been doing a lot of reading and research to find ways to get this station to work consistently. A colleague at work mentioned he read a posting indicating that the sensitivity to detect OTA signals vary between TV tuner cards. He mentioned that in the posting it ranked the Hauppauge HVR 1600 tuner to be closed to the bottom of the list. He mentioned that he was curious why a ranking standard wasn’t available to help potential consumers compare TV Tuners to choose the best product for their needs…

I don’t have anything against the HVR1600, but I’m starting to believe my colleague’s assertions. Before Christmas, myself and a few other friends purchased a Hauppauge HVR-850 USB NTSC/ATSC TV Tuner card for a person that lives on a farm and would benefit from a Mythtv system with an OTA antenna. This card cost $60 CDN, and was less than half the price of my HVR1600 PCI card. To my surprise, when I scanned the OTA channels, this device picked up several more stations than my card! D’oh!

Around New Years, I purchased a Sony Bravia 32 inch HD TV. I used a splitter to send the other OTA signal to that HD television set. Again, when I scanned for OTA stations using the Sony Bravia TV, I picked up more stations than my HVR1600 card! No doubt the Sony Bravia HDTV has a more sensitive TV Tuner.

Here is a chart of the stations that my Sony Bravia HD TV detects.
Cells highlighted in blue indicate signal is not always consistent.

DIGITAL STATIONS THAT I RECEIVE (Sony Bravia TV)

CHANNEL	CALL LETTERS	NETWORK / PURPOSE
2_1	WGRZ-HD	NBC – Regular Programming
2_2	WGRZ-US	US – Sports
2_3	WGRZ-RT	Retro Television Network (RTN)
4_1	WIVB	CBS
5_1	CBLT-DT	CBC – English
7_1	WKBW	ABC
9_1	CFTO-HD	CTV
17_1	WNED-HD	PBS – Regular Programming
17_2	WNED-SD	PBS – SIMULCAST of WNED
17_3	WNED-TH	PBS – “Think Bright”
23_1	WNLO	CBS – Warner
25_1	CBLFD-D	CBC – French
29_1	WUTV	FOX
29_2	WUTV	FOX
41_1	CIII-DT	Global
44_1	OMNI 2	Independent
49_1	WNYO	MYTV – Fox Affiliate
49_2	WNYO	MYTV – Fox Affiliate
51_1	ION (Life Channel)	Independent
51_2	ION (Children)	Independent
51_3	ION LIFE	Independent
51_4	WORSHIP	Religious
57_1	CITY TV	Independent
64_1	OMNI 1	Independent
66_1	CKXT-DT	SUN TV

I like the HVR1600, and I will use it for NTSC (cable) signals, but I would like to get another TV Tuner card for OTA. I would like to get a card that is very sensitive, which will probably cost more.

Here is a link to a TV Tuner card which (I understand) is very sensitive for OTA reception:

http://www.pchdtv.com/

I will post my discoveries at a later date in the spring (when the snow melts) and when I have money to afford a more expensive TV Tuner card

Murray

My Mythbuntu 9.10 Upgrade Experience

I decided to take the plunge and upgrade my Mythtv system to Mythbuntu 9.10 …
Here is a post I made to Ubuntu Forum regarding my upgrade experience:

I’m using older 32-bit pentium IV (DELL) with following hardware items:

• Hauppauge HVR1600 Dual Tuner card
• Nvideo GEForce 7600 video graphics card

I upgraded to Mythbuntu 9.10 from 9.04, but it clobbered many of my settings (sound, card detection), it didn’t work correctly. At this point, I decided to perform a new install, but when I did, the system hung at “Starting NTP” prior to graphical login upon the first reboot.

Here is how I solved that problem:

1. I edited the /etc/default/grub file.

   (btw, now notice you can’t edit /boot/grub/menu.lst file from a fresh install)…
   

2. Changed the line that reads:

   GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet splash”

   to read:

   GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet nosplash vmalloc=256MB”

3. After saving changes, run update-grub
4. Reboot the system

When I upgraded, the system didn’t recognize ATSC portion of my Hauppauge HVR1600 dual tuner card, but when I did fresh install, it had no problem detecting all the cards…

I was impressed with the faster speed of scanning for NTSC (cable) and ATSC (OTA) channels. One thing I notice is that cable scan only displays up to channel 59, but higher channels are included and can be later viewed…

When running the Mythtv frontend, I noticed that pressing y key no longer works, but when you bring up the menu while watching TV, you can select to switch input. Perhaps a newer table of keys or instructions to map keys for Mythbuntu 9.10 would be in order here… The menu has more interesting features, and it is easier to move throughout the channels simply by using the arrow key.

I used to be able to move to different station in the EPG (Electronic Programming Guide) by pressing m, but this now brings up a menu item, and doesn’t allow me to move to that channel…

My Mythtv frontend didn’t display my OTA channels, but I followed old post I made that got it working for 9.10. Here is a link for those that may be experiencing the same problems (with the same hardware):

http://murraysaul.wordpress.com/2009…thtv-part-vii/

Here are some other things to consider when installing / upgrading to Mythbuntu 9.10:

1. Be aware that Mythtv 0.22 has made some substantial changes. For example, to remove a recorded program (in either “Delete Recordings” or “View Recordings”), simply press the “d” key . A menu will appear to remove the recording…
2. NOTE: The new version of Mythtv (0.22) requires other frontends to upgrade to that version as well…
3. There are not many themes available in Mythtv 0.22 at this point in time. This will change in time. I used the Mythbuntu Wide theme (which works well for me)…

This is my experience… In general, very nice, but needs some more tweaks, but I’m running the newer system… Good.

FYI,
Murray Saul

Setup Special Desktop Effects in Ubuntu

The desktop effects with Windows Vista (Aero interface) are neat, but they in no way compare to the desktop effects with Linux (Compiz Fusion extension). There is another interesting fact: those desktop effects in Linux have already been used for many years (at least for 7 or more years)! Another advantage of open source software development offering the newest and “coolest” effects…

Setting Visual Effects

The ability to use special desktop effects in any operating system depends on your hardware, particularly, your graphics card. Therefore, if you cannot set-up the coolest desktop effect, you have an older graphics card…

To turn on special desktop effects, select SYSTEM -> PREFERENCES -> APPEARANCE , then select the Visual Effects tab. There are three settings:

1. None (Provides a simple desktop environment without the effects – this is the default when Linux OS is installed)
2. Normal (Provides improved usability and good balance between attractiveness and moderate performance requirements)
3. Extra (Provides the best visual effects, but requires a faster graphics card)

Select “Extra” if you want the best desktop effects. If there is a problem, the system will notify you that you can’t choose Extra, and will remain with the previous selection.

Make Panels Transparent

If you are able to set your desktop visual effects to “Extra“, then you can immediately see the difference by making your panels transparent. When you make your panels transparent, your desktop looks better instead of the typical panel appearance from the default Linux install…

To make your panels transparent, right-click on an empty area of your panel, then select “Properties” from the context menu. In the “Panel Properties” dialog box, you can set the location and size of your panel. Next, select the “Background” tab. Select “Solid Color” and move the “Style” slide bar to set the appropriate amount of transparency for your panel… then close the dialog box.

Install Compiz Configuration Settings Manager

If you have set the visual effects to “Extra“, you will see interesting desktop effects. Unfortunately, some of these effects can be annoying. For example if you move open application windows, they will “wobble” – this is neat, but to tell you the truth – I don’t like it…

You can have the ability to turn-off any effects you don’t like. Unfortunately, the graphical program to allow you to change these settings are not automatically installed when you installed the Ubuntu system. You need to install a package called CompizConfig Settings Manager to change the settings graphically.

Here are the steps to download and install the CompizConfig Setting Manager:

1. Click SYSTEM -> ADMINISTRATION -> Synaptic Package Manager.
2. Enter your user password to confirm you are the administrator.
3. In the Synaptic Package Manager dialog box, click on the Search button.
4. Type in the text: CompizConfig Settings Manager – the package should appear in the application window.
5. Click on the check box that appears to the left of that application to select that application for download and install. A content menu will appear. Select the menu item called “Mark for Installation“. There may be an additional window indicating other software applications that need to be installed as well – just click on “Mark“.
6. Click on the “Apply” button. In a few moments, that application will automatically be downloaded and installed on your system.
7. When completed, close the Synaptic Package Manager application window.

I will now demonstrate how I use the CompizConfig Settings Manager to turn-off the annoying “Wobbly Windows” desktop effect.

Here are the steps to Change Desktop Effects Settings:

1. Click on SYSTEM -> PREFERENCES -> CompizConfig Settings Manager .
2. In the dialog box, scroll down to the “Effects” section.
3. Click on the check-box beside “Wobbly Windows” to de-select.
4. Close the dialog box.
5. Check to see that the “Wobbly Windows” feature is removed by moving an application window.

Here are some other Recommended Desktop Settings (Under CompizConfig Settings Manager):

• Under “Desktop” Section:
  • Select “Desktop Cube”
  • Select “Rotate Cube”

• Under “Effects” Section:
  • Select “3D Windows”
  • Select “Cube Reflection and Deformation”

(Then close the CompizConfig Settings Manager dialog box…)

Using Desktop Effects

Now that you setup your desktop effects, it would be nice to use them…
Here is a link to webpage displaying various desktop effects keyboard shortcuts:

http://ulyssesonline.com/2007/10/25/compiz-fusion-keyboard-shortcuts/

Make Application Window Titlebar Look Like Windows Vista

Sometimes I *catch flack* by making suggestions to have Linux Desktop appear or act like MS Windows. From my point of view, this just comes from curiosity and seeing if I can create an environment that looks similar – or delightfully different from MS Windows.

There is an application (or Compiz-Fusion plugin or “engine”) that you can use on your Linux system called “Emerald“. This plugin provides a full package of window decoration themes, including transparent window titlebars and glowing (pulsating) window buttons.

In the future, the Emerald window decoarator plugin may be included in the default Ubuntu install. I am referring to my current distribution of Ubuntu (9.04) and it requires that you install this plugin.

Steps to install Emerald Windows Decorator Engine:

1. Click SYSTEM -> ADMINISTRATION -> Synaptic Package Manager.
2. Enter your user password to confirm you are the administrator.
3. In the Synaptic Package Manager dialog box, click on the Search button.
4. Type in the text: Emerald – the package should appear in the application window.
5. Click on the check box that appears to the left of that application to select that application for download and install. A content menu will appear.
6. Select the menu item called “Mark for Installation“. There may be an additional window indicating other software applications that need to be installed as well – just click on the “Mark” button.
7. Click on the “Apply” button. In a few moments, that application will automatically be downloaded and installed on your system.
8. When completed, close the Synaptic Package Manager application window.

Now that the Emerald Plugin has been installed, you can now run the “Emerald Theme Manager” to set your Window Decorations. For an example, we will be setting the theme “vrunner” (a transparent theme), changing the titlebar colors, and setting the windows buttons to “glow”.

Steps to Make Settings in the Emerald Theme Manager:

1. Click SYSTEM -> PREFERENCES -> Emerald Theme Manager.
2. The “Emerald Themer” dialog box will appear. You will note that the “Emerald Themer” dialog box contains a heirarchy of tabs. The top level tab called “Theme Settings” and the sub-tab called “Themes” should be active.
3. Click on the sub-tab “Edit Themes“. Under “Edit Themes“, the sub-tab “Frame Engine” should be active.
4. Click on “Select Engine” list box. There are many different versions: for our example, select “vrunner“.
5. You can now select different colors for the left/middle/right portion of the Window titlebar. Try selecting some different colors (to suit your taste).
6. You can also change the Opacity (in very loose terms: “the level of transparency”) for each of the left/middle/right portions of the window titlebar.
7. After you have made your selections, click on the “Buttons” sub-tab and click to select the options “Use Button Halo/Glow” and “Use Button Halo/Glow For Inactive Windows“.
8. Click on the Titlebar sub-tab. On the right-side under the Section “Titlebar” click on the section “Title-Text Font“, and select a larger font size.

NOTE: The reason why you size font size in this dialog box, is that when setting the font size when using SYSTEM -> PREFERENCES -> APPEARANCE won’t work when using the Emerald window decorator plugin… (at least as far as I can tell)…

9. When you have made your selections, then click the “SAVE” button at the bottom, and then click “QUIT”

After performing these steps, you will not see a change in the appearance of your application windows. This may change in future Ubuntu distributions, but to change the appearance, you need to run the command: emerald –replace

Of course, this is silly having to do this each and every time you login to your desktop environment, so here is a trick:

Steps to Automatically Run Emerald upon Linux Graphical Login:

1. Click SYSTEM -> PREFERENCES -> Startup Applications.
2. The “Startup Applications Preferences” dialog box will appear.
3. Click the “Add” button. The “Add Startup Program” dialog box will appear.
4. Give the program a name like: Emerald Plugin
5. Under the Command textbox, type: emerald –replace
6. Then click the “Add” button. Your additional program called “Emerald Plugin” will now be run whenever you login to your Linux graphical environment.
7. Close the “Startup Applications Preferences” dialog box .
8. To have the settings take effect, either reboot your system, or at least logout and login back into your Linux graphical environment.

This all seems like a “pain”, but once setup, then that’s it!
I hope you have fun customizing your Ubuntu system.
I believe that if you try this, you may never go back to the “default-install-look” again!

I orginally created this article for my Ubuntu Guide WIKI:
http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_Guide

Murray Saul

Customizing Your Ubuntu Desktop Appearance

“Although the Gnome desktop environment is very sleek, sometimes it is a pain to customize the appearance (i.e. editing files as opposed to menu items). Here are some tips to help you customize Gnome…“

Changing Desktop Background

You can change the appearance of your Desktop background in a similar way as you did for MS Windows. There are two methods to do this:

1. Right-click on desktop and select “Change Desktop Background” from the content menu
2. Select SYSTEM -> PREFERENCES -> APPEARANCE , then select the “Background” tab

Regardless of the method, the “Appearances Preferences” dialog box will appear. Make certain that the “Background” tab is selected. You now have the option to select a background, or add a background you may have created. You can also later install various “artwork” if you desire – just run the Synaptic Package Manager and search for “artwork”. Refer to the previous menu on “Install Applications in Ubuntu” for additional help…

Changing Themes

Just like when using MS Windows, the user can select different themes to change the behavior and characteristics of application windows.

To change a theme, you select SYSTEM -> PREFERENCES -> APPEARANCE . When you do this a “Appearances Preferences” dialog box will appear. Make certain that the “Themes ” tab is selected. Then you can select the theme that appeals to you. You can also “customize” your theme to select specific characteristics (i.e. “pick and choose”)…

If you are interested in having various parts of your application window behave like Windows Vista (eg. transparent or “glassy” titlebars, glowing buttons, etc…), then you should install the application called “Emerald” that allows the user to “tweak” those features. Please refer to the “Setup Special Desktop Effects” link contained in the Ubuntu Guide WIKI (link displayed at the end of this posting).

Setting Font Type / Font Size

One of the first things you may want to do is set the font family and font size of icons on your desktop, or in applications.

To set the font family and size, you select SYSTEM -> PREFERENCES -> APPEARANCE . When you do this a “Appearances Preferences” dialog box will appear. Click on the “Fonts” tab. The section labelled “Application Font” will affect the type and size of the font for applications and application menus (including the top menu for “Applications”, “Places”, and “System”. When you make a selection, the changes will quickly take effect.

You can play with these settings to customize the font appearance of your system. The rendering section allows the user to adjust or “tweak” the font display settings in case you have an older computer display. It is recommended to leave those default settings…

Changing Icon Text Colour

If you are using the Gnome desktop environment, it is not as “intuitive” to make simple settings like icon text colour. Although the KDE desktop environment is considered a more “user-friendly” interface for setting icon text colour, I believe that it is better to work in the Gnome environment. I had used KDE for many years, but eventually came to realize that Gnome provides a “cleaner” interface.

That is a great thing about Linux, you can install and use many different desktop environments (such as KDE, Gnome, Xfce, Enlightenment, Open Windows, Project Looking Glass, etc…).

Since Gnome was designed to work with an application called the “Gimp Tool Kit“. Some settings to change the characteristic of the Gnome desktop environment are performed by editing the settings in a file contained in the user’s home directory which is called .gtkrc-2.0 . The file has a period in front of it which makes the file “hidden” from normal view (like they say “out of sight, out of mind or damage”). The “rc” after “gtk” refers that this file is a “run-command” file. This means that when the Gimp ToolKit application is run (normally at system start-up), it will set the environment of that application by first reading and using settings contained in this file.

Therefore, you will need to use a text editor to make changes to this file. If you try to edit this file, and it is empty, then here is a link to an existing .gtkrc file that I am using on my system. Here is the link: [ .gtkrc-2.0 ] . Read the comment in the file to show you where to change the text colour. The color number is a combination of HEX numbers in pairs for RED, GREEN, and BLUE light intensity. Combinations of these numbers create a very wide variety of colours…

Simply copy and paste these settings into that file, and save. The changes will take effect when you logout and login to your graphical Linux environment.

STEPS TO EDIT OR ADD SETTINGS TO .gtkrc-2.0 FILE:

We will assume that you are copying and pasting above link’s contents into this file…

1. Click on the link displayed above labelled .gtkrc-2.0
2. Select the entire contents and copy to the clipboard.
3. Click on APPLICATIONS -> ACCESSORIES -> Text Editor.
4. Paste the clipboard contents into your text editor window.
5. Click on the Save button.
6. In the area at the top labelled “Name:” type .gtkrc-2.0
7. Click on the Save button at the bottom.
8. Close the text editor application.
9. Either Reboot your system, or at least logout then login to your graphical Linux system for changes to take effect

I orginally created this article for my Ubuntu Guide WIKI:
http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_Guide

Please use this WIKI as a resource if you find it useful – that is why I created it!

Murray Saul

WUBI: Linux Installation without the Fear…

MS Windows users used to fear installing Linux due to loss of data due to partitioning. With the creation of WUBI, that fear has been removed…

What is WUBI? Why Should I Use It?

WUBI stands for “Windows-Based Ubuntu Installer” which is an official and free windows-based installer of Ubuntu Linux.

This installer makes it easy for the user to install Ubuntu Linux. The user (after downloading and burning the Ubuntu CD) can now simply insert the Ubuntu installation CD while MS Windows is running, and then follow the instructions…

Here are some advantages of WUBI:

• No creation of partitions
• No manual resizing of Windows partition
• Works with many versions of MS Windows
• Process to install intuitive, friendly and fast
• Linux entry added to windows boot menu (instead of grub bootloader)
• Easy to uninstall

Here are some limitations of WUBI:

• Limited size of Linux partition within Windows (eg. 30 GB)
• Hibernation is not supported
• WUBI filesystem may be more vulnerable to power disruption recoveries

Installing Ubuntu While MS Windows is Running

NOTE: You need to be logged into MS Windows as a user with administrative privileges in order to install Ubuntu Linux.

Steps to Install Ubuntu Linux via WUBI:

1. Boot up MS Windows, and log into your account (with admin privileges).
2. Insert the Ubuntu Installation CD into the drive.
3. Depending on your version of Windows, you may need to run the wubi.exe program, and provide your admin password.
4. A Ubuntu Menu dialog box should appear (Refer to link: [ png ]). This dialog box provides various methods of installing Ubuntu Linux. To install inside MS Windows, select “Install Inside Windows“.
5. When you have made your selection, another dialog box should appear called “Ubuntu Installer” (Refer to link: [ png ]).
6. In tha dialog box, check to see if there is enough hard drive space in your windows partition. If not, perhaps you can select another partition that has enough space, or exit the dialog box, free up space and repeat the installation process.
7. Select the Installation Size. Normally, the maximum size (30 GB) is more than enough space to run Ubuntu Linux and download additional programs. If you require more space for Linux, then you should consider installing from one of the alterative methods .
8. Select your Desktop environment. The desktop Environment is the graphical interface that allows the user to perform their daily computing tasks. You can install and use many different desktop environments (such as KDE, or Gnome (highly recommended)). KDE has a more “MS Windows-like” appearance, Gnome is the default desktop environment without the “clutter”. At this dialog box item, you are selecting your default desktop environment: Gnome or KDE. You can install and use other desktop environments at at later date…
9. Select your Language (the default is English).
10. Enter your user account name (called “username”). Linux requires a username or at least one account that can act as an administrator. If you wish, you can set the system to automatically login upon bootup. Also, you can add additional user accounts at a later date (i.e. after the Ubuntu installation process).
11. Enter (and re-enter) your user account password.
12. Follow the instructions for the remainder of the installation process. It may take some time to perform the installation process (depends on power of your computer), so please be patient. When prompted, remove the installation CD.

NOTE: Although passwords can be changed at a later date, you cannot perform or log into the Ubuntu system if you forget your username and password. It is recommended to write this information down and store in a safe place…

Testing Your Ubuntu Linux Installation After Using WUBI

OK, call me “Old Fashioned”, but I recommend after the install to verify that you can now boot into BOTH the Ubuntu Linux AND MS Windows systems. After the Ubuntu installation process, from now on when you boot up your computer, you will be presented with a menu with two options: Boot Windows or boot Ubuntu Linux. You should test that these two selections work properly. I must still be paranoid from all the Linux installs that I have done over the years….

… on the other hand, I have yet to encounter an install problem when using WUBI (except for students not having enough hard drive space on their Windows partition)…

Un-installing Ubuntu Linux via WUBI

The WUBI installer program will automatically detect if a version of Ubuntu Linux has already been installed in Windows. Follow the steps below to un-install Ubuntu LInux that was installed in Windows.

Step to Un-install Ubuntu via WUBI:

1. Boot up MS Windows, and log into your account (with admin privileges).
2. Insert the Ubuntu Installation CD into the drive.
3. Depending on your version of Windows, you may need to run the wubi.exe program, and provide your admin password.
4. A Ubuntu Menu dialog box should appear (refer to top diagram on right-side).
5. To un-install Ubuntu Linux (inside MS Windows), select “UnInstall”.
6. Follow the instructions, and remove the Ubuntu Installation CD.

I orginally created this article for my Ubuntu Guide WIKI:
http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_Guide

Happy Installing and Become Empowered!
Sincerely,
Murray Saul

Install Applications in Ubuntu

“Installing Linux software used to be a pain… now with repositories, it is easier than Windows… and free… “

Now, the process of installing free and legal software is almost seamless with the use of repositories. A repository is a collection of software ready for download and installation for that version of Linux. Also, there are many different repositories that are also available in addition to the “default” repository…

Adding the Multimedia Repository (Medibuntu)

When Linux is installed, there are no connections to software repositories involving restricted software (such as support for proprietary media technology such as “mp3“, “wma“, “avi” files, etc… Distributions such as Ubuntu encourage using “open-source” and “non-restrictive” technologies such as “ogg“, “Theodora” files, etc.

If you want to have your system detect this “proprietary” media, which should automatically run the Synaptic Package Manager to match the most appropriate software to automatically download and install on your system.

(In my own opinion, I think this is truly brilliant, and shows how fast Linux is becoming “user-friendly” to the novice Linux user)…

Here is a link to a webpage that provides instructions on how to do this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu

Using the Synaptic Package Manager

The Synaptic Package Manager is a graphic tool to allow the user to search for, select, then automatically download and install applications in Ubuntu Linux. Basically, most current Linux distributions have a graphical software installation tool. For example, Yast (which stands for “Yet Another Setup Tool”) contains a section to install software from repositories in SuSE Linux. Yum or apt-get is the software installation tool for Fedora Linux…

Demonstration of Using Synaptic Package Manager

Let’s demonstrate my installing the games “Planet Penguin Racer”, “Frozen Bubble”, and “Open Area” on your Linux system by using the Synaptic Package Manager.

Steps to Install an Application with the Synaptic Package Manager:

1. Click SYSTEM -> ADMINISTRATION -> Synaptic Package Manager.
2. Enter your user password to confirm you are the administrator.
3. Click on the Settings menu, and select “Repositories“. This will display a dialog box to allow you to select various software repositories. Some repositories only contain open-source software, while other repositories may contain proprietary software (for example, for hardware drivers). If in doubt, just keep the default selections… When you have made your repository selections, then click close.
4. In the Synaptic Package Manager dialog box, click on the Search button.
5. Type in the text: Planet Penguin Racer – the package should appear in the application window.
6. Click on the check box that appears to the left of that application to select that application for download and install. A content menu will appear.
7. Select the menu item called “Mark for Installation“. There may be an additional window indicating other software applications that need to be installed as well – just click on the “Mark” button.
8. Click on the “Apply” button. In a few moments, that application will automatically be downloaded and installed on your system.
9. Repeat steps 4 to 7 each time for the two other games called “Frozen Bubble” and “Open Arena“.
10. When completed, close the Synaptic Package Manager application window.
11. Test out to see the installed application by clicking APPLICATIONS -> GAMES -> Game Name

Since these applications (in this example, games) are “open source” programs, they may also be available for the Windows or Mac operating systems (like Planet Penguin Racer). Just as an interesting fact, Planet Penguin Racer was first developed for Linux (the original game name was “Tux Racer”). The name Tux refers to the official mascot of the Linux operating system which is a Penguin.

Many people may think Tux Racer is a “silly” game, but I saw it incorporated into an actual arcade game.

Here is a link to pictures of the arcade game at a Disney resort (notice it is called “Tux Racer”!) : Tux Racer Pictures

Other Installation Methods

Most popular software should be available from the default repositories. As you start using your Linux system and start installing more and more software, you may encounter an application that is NOT available in the Synaptic Package Manager.

If that occurs, you can perform a NetSearch to locate software to manually download and install. This can be a pain for the novice Linux user.

There are several types of ways applications are bundles for download and installation:

1. filename.rpm (RPM Package Mananger)
2. filename.deb (Debian Install Manager)
3. filename.tar.gz , filename.tgz (referred as a “zipped tarball”)

I am not going to go into detail how to install these types of files (It would be difficult for me to try to explain or anticipate all the problems that you may encounter installing using these manual methods).

Problems associated to installing using these manual methods will relate to two types of problems:

• the wrong rpm or deb file for your version of Linux.
• a dependency problem. A dependency problem means that the application that you are installing relies on some other software (or updated software version) that isn’t currently installed on your system.

I would recommend keeping with the Synaptic Package Manager to install software, but if you are determined to install software the manual way, here is a link to a resource that may provide help: Other Software Install Methods in Linux

I orginally created this article for my Ubuntu Guide WIKI:
http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_Guide

FYI,
Murray Saul

Recommended Tasks Immediately After Ubuntu Install

After having installed Linux many times on my computer system, certain patterns emerge. Therefore, I strongly suggest to follow these steps (in order) immediately after installing your Ubuntu system on your computer…

STEP #1:    Get hooked up to the Internet…

Allowing your system to connect up to the Internet allows you to:

* Install Critical Linux Updates
* Install Applications
* Check Your E-mail
* Use the Web-browser
* Perform online Chats
* Play online games
* Etc...

Therefore, the first thing I would do after installing Ubuntu Linux is to get connected to the Internet… The process of getting your computer system connected to the Internet from your Linux system can range from easy to tricky.

The reason for this depends on the network card manufacturer, and the availability of open-source drivers for that network card. As time goes by, the process can become easier (I have adopted the slogan, “If there are problems, wait until they are solved by the next release“…). Even if there are no “open-source” drivers for the network card, there are “restricted” drivers that may be used to solve the problem.

It is usually easier to connect to an Ethernet card than a Wireless card. Therefore, if you are having problems with your wireless card, you can connect to your Wired card, and then download and install “restricted” drivers to make your Wireless card work. Use a web browser to test to see if you are properly connected to the Internet.

Here is a link to a webpage that lists network cards that are supported by Ubuntu Linux:

• Wired cards: html
• Wireless cards: html

Also, here is the link to the general Hardware Support by Category:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport

Here is a link to help connecting to a Network via an Ethernet card (click right arrow button at bottom of screen for next page…):

https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/internet/C/networking-enable.html

Here is a link to help connecting to a Network via a Wireless card (click right arrow button at bottom of screen for next page…):

https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/internet/C/wireless-connecting.html

STEP #2:    Check for System Updates

Ubuntu releases a stable version to be downloaded and burned onto a CD. As time goes by, there are fixes that are made to that version. Instead of making a newer version of the distribution to be downloaded and burned, those fixes can be updated via the Internet.

The longer the stable version has become, the more updates are required to make that version current and stable. For example, I recently installed Ubuntu 9.04 in October 2009 (prior to the release of Ubuntu 9.10), and there were over 240 required updates. The Ubuntu distribution will automatically notify the user of updates periodically…

It is a good idea to immediately update your Ubuntu distribution after you can connect to the Internet. Below are the procedures to manually check for updates for your Ubuntu system.

Steps To Check for Updates:

1. Click SYSTEM -> ADMINISTRATION -> Update Manager
2. The Update Manager dialog box will appear.
3. If the message “Your system is up-to-date“, then you do not need to download and install updates (although it may be a good idea to click on the “Check” button just to make certain)…
4. If updates appear, then click on the button “Install Updates“.
5. The update procedure will first download all updates, and then install them.
6. When completed, the system will re-check for updates, which should then give the message “Your system is up-to-date“
7. Close the Update Manager Dialog box.

NOTE: Sometimes, you may be required to reboot the Ubuntu system for the updates to take effect…

Update to Beta Version of Future Release (FOR INTEREST ONLY):

When any type of software is in development, testing and feedback allow the developers to make improvements to the software or fix “bugs”. Extensive testing must be performed before the “stable” version of software is released to the general public.

There are two categories of software releases for testing and feedback:

1. Alpha (build) – Version of software released to internal programmers (engineers) for testing.
2. Beta (build) – Version of software that passed “Alpha” testing stage, but testing to more volunteers prior to public release.

I recommend to wait until a stable version becomes available. You can simply run the “Update Manager” (discussed above), and a notification will appear to ask the user to upgrade to that newer version.

If the release date is close, but you are very impatient, you can run a command to download and install the beta version. This method is not highly recommended to new-users, since there may still be bugs in the system. It is NOT a good idea to upgrade to an Alpha version (there could still be major bugs to be resolved).

Below is the procedure to make beta version available for Ubuntu users:

Steps to update to a Beta Version of Next Ubuntu Version:

1. Click APPLICATIONS -> ACCESSORIES -> Terminal
2. A terminal window application (called the “Bash Shell”) will appear.
3. Type in the command: sudo do-release-upgrade -d and press the ENTER key.
4. You will be prompted for your user password (assuming you ARE the only person – i.e. the administrator)
5. The program will then upgrade your system to the beta version of the future release

I orginally created this article for my Ubuntu Guide WIKI:
http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_Guide

FYI,
Murray Saul

Obtaining Ubuntu on CD/DVD (Free)

Ubuntu releases a new distribution every 6 months: April and October. The release number consists of a number followed by a period followed by the month number. For example: 8.04, 8.10, 9.04, 9.10. The release usually has a descriptive name of an animal.

The process to download and burn-in your own CD version of Ubuntu is free and simple, provided that you have a connection to the Internet, and your computer system has a CD burner. Below are the steps involved in the downloading and the burning of the install image onto a CD.

Step 1: Determine If Your Computer System is 32-bit or 64-bit machine

You need to select the type of Ubuntu distribution that you want to install. It is recommended first to see what type of computer system you have – either 32-bit or 64-bit. It is important to know this information since you cannot install a 64-bit Linux distribution on a 32-bit computer. Some prefer to install a 32-bit Linux distribution on a 64-bit computer for application stability reasons..

Regardless, to find out this information, you can go to the CONTROL PANEL on your MS WIndows system and view the type of computer system (32 or 64 bit).

Warning, this sometimes can be a bit misleading since Windows 32-bit OS can be installed on a 64-bit computer as well. If you have downloaded and burned the wrong version (eg. 64-bit instead of 32-bit), you would find out during the install process anyways…

Step 2: Download CD image to Your Computer

To create your own Linux install CD, you must download the Linux install image to be burned onto a CD. The term “image” relates to a copy of the entire CD saved as a file on a computer system. This “image” file ends with the extension “.iso” These “image files” are useful to store entire CD or DVD contents to be transferred to a CD or DVD using appropriate burning software.

To download the install image of Ubuntu, there are several types of versions available:

1. Desktop Version (Recommended for the typical user)
2. Server Edition
3. Alternate Version (LTSP)

You will need software on your Windows system to burn an image onto a CD. Here is the link to instructions that provide all the tools to accomplish this task: Download Image Instructions

Here is a direct link to the download site:
Download Website

NOTE: There are many different versions of Ubuntu. If you want the speciality versions (such as Edubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, or Mythbuntu), go to their appropriate webpage to download the installation image. (Refer to the links to those speciality types contained in my “What Is Ubuntu?” section of my Ubuntu WIKI:
http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/What_is_Ubuntu%3F )

Step 3: Burn Downloaded Image to a CD

This step requires that you have a CD burner on your computer.
Here is a link that provides steps on how to burn in a CD image:
Burn Downloaded Image File

Now that you have burned the Ubuntu install image on your CD, you need to install it. There are several approaches (ways) to install Linux on your machine.
Here is a link to the install instructions:

Please refer to my Ubuntu WIKI link below for additional instructions of how to install Linux (various versions)…

I orginally created this article for my Ubuntu Guide WIKI:
http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_Guide

FYI,
Murray Saul