Linux Ubuntu

Installing Mandriva 2009 Spring on a Pentium 4

2009-05-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you have tried to install Mandriva 2009 Spring on a Pentium 4, I hope you had better success than I did.

I had no success. I have two Pentium 4's. One is a Dell GX260, the other is a nine year old Hewlett Packard. Both are within the technical guidelines. for the operating system.

Both installation CDs came to a halt with a black screen, on boot up, leaving me a little disappointed that I cannot have this excellent operating system on two of my pcs.

If anyone has had success installing Mandriva 2009 Spring on a 32-bit machine, perhaps you will share it.

How do I change the display resolution for my Nvidia graphic card?

2009-05-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

Installing a new operating system nearly always involves having to make a few tweaks afterwards to make things as you want them.

I have a Nvidia card in my computer system and Mandriva 2009 Spring would only recognise a screen display resolution of 800 x 600, which made things far too big for comfort.

Up to now , in most linux distributions, I have been used to changing the display resolution in the "Configure your desktop" option under the system menu.

Unfortunately, the largest size it gave me was 800 x 600.

To change it I did the following:

1. Launch the Mandriva Linux Control Center.

2. Click on Hardware.

3. Under Manage Your Hardware, select Browse and Configure Hardware.

4. Click on Videocard.

5. Select the Nivida option.

6. Click on Run Config, the text which appears at the bottom of the right screen, titled Information. The screen is split in two when you look at the hardware information on your pc. The left part lists the detected hardware, the right side displays the information for the hardware you select.

7. Clicking Run Config brings up Nvidia Graphic Card and Monitor Configuration, and you will see there is an option to change the display resolution to whatever you choose. In my case I chose 1024 x 768.

8. When you have changed it, save and quit.

Done.

Linux operating system - Mandriva Linux 2009 Spring

2009-04-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have already been using the excellent and reliable Mandriva 2008 edition for several months now, and have been reminded, on a daily basis, that the latest version of the Linux operating system from Mandriva was due to be released today. The least I could do was try it.

Which I did. The latest Mandriva download is just under 700 Mb so it fits on to a CD. You then burn the ISO image on to a blank CD. I used k3b, though I could have used the equally good Brasero.

The CD takes a while to load before you see the new-look desktop, then you choose the Live Install option to put it on to your hard disk.

The installation, on top of Mandriva 2008, took less than half an hour. I installed it on an AMD Athlon 64, with a gigabyte of memory.

Prior to the installation I was wondering what to do about my Firefox bookmarks, as I'm so used to losing them when upgrading Linux distributions. This time though, they survived, intact. After the installation, they were still there.

First impressions?

It definitely loads quicker than its predecessor. Noticeably quicker. It looks sleek and professional. I'm confident all the applications will be just as good.

Mandriva is probably a little overshadowed by some of the other linux distributions, namely Ubuntu, but it is a class act on its own. I've never had any problems with it, and have found it to be stable, secure and reliable. You can't really ask for more than that, from any operating system.

Give it a try, especially if you haven't used Mandriva before. Though it must be said there are quite a few linux distributions out there now, and they do look remarkably similar.

Wireless internet connection - Mandriva 2009

2009-02-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

I'm always changing computers, and it's a while since I used a wireless card in my AMD Athlon 64.

The wireless card I have is a Belkin Wireless G, and up till now I have always had to upload the driver as part of the configuration process.

I was presently surprised when Mandriva 2009 recognised the card straight away, without my needing to insert the Windows driver. I wasn't expecting that.

All I had to to was run the Network Centre utility to enter the WEP details, which took all of two or three minutes, then I was up and running. Hassle free.

I recommend Mandriva 2009 to all. I'm really pleased with the ease of use and overall reliablility of this operating system

If you like Mandriva 2009 as well, why not leave a comment.

ubuntu 8.04 to ubuntu 8.10

2009-02-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

After waiting for a while before upgrading to ubuntu 8.10 following my previous failure to do so successfully, as documented in a previous post, I took the plunge and upgraded last weekend.

I don't know about you, but with so many excellent linux distros available, and coming out with regular frequency now, I find it difficult to stay faithful to one for more than a few months at a time.

So last weekend I decided to upgrade from ubuntu 8.04 lts to the ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex distribution.

I like to keep up to date with the latest distros and have a look at the new features, also checking to see if existing features still work. Don't take that as a given. It doesn't always happen. Try running streaming video and you'll see what I mean.

The download is a hefty 2.Gb, approx, so it takes a while. I had one error message, near the start of the upgrade, which looked ominous, but I didn't take too much notice.

Unfortunately it proved to be a fatal error. At reboot time, the moment of truth, I found myself staring at the familar black screen, which is the same result as the last attemt to install ubuntu 8.10.

Failed again!

Am I trying again? Not just yet. I haven't given up on ubuntu 8.10. It's too good a distro for that.

In the meantime I have switched to linux Mandriva , the 2009 version, which I have found to be an excellent substitute.

More on that in the next post.

By the way, if a linux installation occasionally fails, it doesn't matter. It's easy enough to install from CD or DVD.

Privacy Policy

2009-01-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

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openSUSE 11.1 - multimedia problems

2008-12-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Straight after installation, I had trouble playing sound and video files and it transires that openSUSE 11.1 doesn't install the necessary packages by default, as it has done in previous versions.

There is no Mplayer, RealPlayer and so on.

What to do?

Install them of course. How, I hear you ask?

You need to open Yast, the Administrators tool, and in the software section, select software repositories, and ensure the commercial repositories VideoLan and Packman are checked.

Look in the Install Software window and you should see some more packages to choose from and install, in the Mulimedia section.

My preference then, having finished with those repositories, would be to uncheck them from the list of available repositores.

Sometimes things don't always work straight out of the box in linux, but with a bit of tweaking they can be made to work.

openSUSE 11.1 install 32 bit desktop version from cd

2008-12-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

This is the 32 bit desktop version which I downloaded yesterday and installed today from live cd.

I verified the CD as I do normally before attempting to use it. This is generally good practice and it's better to be on the safe side so as to avoid any problems during installation.

I booted from the live CD and to my dismay the cursor came to rest on a login prompt when I chose the Live CD option from the first menu screen.

After two or three re-boots in attempt to get a different result ,without success , I realized it was time to try something different.

The next time the start menu appeared I chose the Failsafe option and saw the familiar Install option I had wanted to see all along.

After starting the installation I soon had a message to say as my RAM was less than 1Gb the installation might not succeed. I have 750Mb in my Pentium 4, 1.7 Mhz pc.

In the event it went well and finished without any problems in less than twenty minutes.

I am impressed by what I have seen so far. I have long had a soft spot for Novell software dating back to the days when I used to use the reliable Novell Netware.

Overall openSUSE 11.1 has a very clean, classy look. Quite a big change from the version 11 I have been using since it was first released.

Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex - black screen

2008-12-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't been using the Intrepid Ibex I downloaded and installed recently. So today I thought I'd start it up just to update the system.

Ubuntu is very good at updating their operating systems, and if you know how to use sudo apt-get update in the Terminal program, it's even quicker.

Anyway , as it happened, I didn't get as far as that. In fact nothing came on the screen at all. Nothing, except a black screen. Not much use for anything if you can't see what your doing.

This was really disappointing and unexpected. Not what I have got used to with Ubuntu. I just wonder if this upgrade is an upgrade too far and too soon.

I now have an unusable operating system which if I want it to work, I have to spend more time trying to find out what's gone wrong and then put it right.

Come on Ubuntu. You can do better than this.

For the record, and I might have mentioned this in an earlier post, the install was a 32-bit version, and it is installed on a 64-bit pc.

This is the way I've installed previous versions of Ubuntu, without any problems.
Logically then, I guess I need to try the 64-bit version, if there is one.
I'll let you know anyway what happens.

Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex installation

2008-11-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

I installed Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex on my 64-bit pc and it installed like a dream.
Start to finish was under half an hour, making this Ubuntu installation one of the quickest ever, although in fairness, none of these different Ubuntu versions have taken very long.
Intrepid though has fewer questions to answer than previously. There are other Ubuntu distributions on my hard disk and it installed around them,, like it does with Windows, and takes care of the boot loader as well, so when you boot up from cold the choice of operating systems appears in front of you. Neat. This wasn't the case last time I installed openSUSE on another machine with other operating systems on it.
I subsequently had to 'find' the operating system and edit the boot loader in order for it to be present on the boot up menu. Not everyone, I suggest, wants to go to the trouble of doing this, nor indeed might not know how to do it.
So far Intrepid looks up to the usual Ubuntu high standard. That said I've had Kompozer crash a couple of times today. I've never had it do that before.
I also had the same troube with an FTP program, which also hasn't done it before either.
Apart from those two programs everything else seems fine.
Fingers crossed !

Wubi Ubuntu Installer

2008-11-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

When I came to install version 8.01.1 I realised that Wubi Ubuntu installer comes as part of the installation' ie is included in the download files.

Ubuntu Wubi gives the end user the option of installing Ubuntu inside the Windows operating system. It's just like any other Microsoft programme, ie. you can remove it by going through Windows control center, add / remove programs and removing it if you wish. And, Wubi Ubuntu works, because I tried it inside Windows XP Home edition.

You don't need to be concerned about your Windows installation being overwritten, or the hard disk being partitioned. Wubi Installer doesn't do that. It installs Ubuntu on the Windows NFTS fiIe structure.

The only downside to this method of installation against partioning the disk and installing it in full, is the perfomance is slightly slower than a full install, so you might need to bump up your computers memory. If you can live with slightly slower performance then it is easy to install, doesn't interfere with your system in any way, and you can always remove it easily, as I did, if you want to.

In conclusion, the Windows Wubi Installer is a useful utility if you want to continue using Windows os, while trying out the Ubuntu operating system at the same time and without fearing any disruption to your current pc configuration.

Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex - Black screen

2008-11-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

Tuesday this week I downloaded Ubuntu 8.10 known as Interpid Ibex to CD.
I burnt the ISO image with my favorite cd burning software, which is KB3 linux software.
I then installed the software on a Dell gx260 1.8 Mhz pc. This spec is well above the bare minimum requirements specified by Ubuntu for this installation.
All went well, until.....
Reboot time...and then....the dreaded black screen, which if you've never experienced this before, is a black screen, with the cursor blinking at you in the top left of your screen.
So that was a write off.
I was disappointed in not being able to have a look at it, but I'm not one to be deterred by a failure so I installed the trustworthy and reliable Ubuntu 8.04.1 instead. And this installed without a hitch. It's a great system and I've been using it for a few months now and I like it and recommend it to all.
I'll have another ago at installing Intrepid Ibex in the not too distant future, and when it happens I shall post the result here.
Have fun.

Phalanx2 rootkit

2008-08-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

For those Kubuntu users concerned about this virus, the following Kubuntu forum link has practical advice to offer.
Just for peace of mind, I ran rkhunter on my system yesterday and it didn't find anything.
For those who don't know how to do it:
1.Open a Terminal program.
Applications ---Accessories -----Terminal
2. Type "Sudo rkhunter -c"
Key in your password, and the program runs. It took about 3 minutes on my system.
If you don't have rkhunter installed, go to:
System ---Administration -----Synaptic Package Manager and Search "rootkit" or "rkhunter" to download and install.
It is a command line application, so you need to run it from a Terminal.

Unable To Read File .ICEauthority

2008-08-07T09:09:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I had the above mentioned linux error message appear on my desktop, in a rectangular grey box. I tried clicking the cross in the top right corner , to make it go away, but it refused to load the desktop. All I could see was the blue KDE 4 screen, without desktop icons.

I didn't really want to know about the error message. I never know whether to take such error messages seriously or not. In the past, whether in Windows or Linux, a reboot has generally made some error messages go away. Not this time. Not in Kubuntu KDE 4.

The exact linux error message was:

"Server manager unable to read the file /home/myname/.ICEauthority

If this file exists it must be readable by you for GNOME to work properly. Try logging in with the Failsafe session and removing this file."

So, I had to do something to get at my files, etc.

I interpreted the message literally, and chose the failsafe session to login. You can select any of the available sessions to log on to, depending what you have chosen to install. Select session type at the login menu and you'll see your available choices.

When you select the failsafe session, a Terminal emulator appears and waits for you to input something.

Following the letter of the message, I changed directory to the one indicated in the error message, ie.

cd /home/myname/

Only afterwards did I notice I was in that directory by default.

I could have done a file listing at this point,to look for the file, I chose instead to remove the it, assuming it was there. It was.

rm .ICEauthority

The file was in the directory and I had deleted it.

Since doing this, the error message has gone away, and the operating system loads as normal.

How to set up a wireless card on Ubuntu Hardy Heron

2008-08-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

Setting up a wireless card on Ubuntu Hardy Heron or Kubuntu KDE4 is surprisingly straightforward.

From System - Administration - select Synaptic Package Manager. You need three packages -

Ndisgtk - the indispensible graphical front end to the application.
Ndiswrapper-common
Ndiswrapper-utils-1.9

You load the software CD which comes with the wireless card.

From the Menu at the top of the screen select Administration - Windows Wireless Drivers (this is the Nidiswrapper application just downloaded)

Choose Add, put your driver software in the drive, and select the .inf file

Select Administration - Network - then choose Unlock the greyed out wireless connection.

You might need to reboot before you see this. I can't remember if I needed to or not,

Choose properties and enter your WEP or WAP key and password.

After configuring the wireless card, reboot the pc and you should be able to connect to the internet.

I'd also recommend installing Kwirelessmanager from the Synaptic Package Manager.

Having done this, it shows up in Applications - System Tools - as KWiFiMaganager

If you launch this application, you see the connection speed and the signal strength. Two very useful pieces of information.

Windows Linux Dual Boot

2008-08-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Installing linux distros alongside Windows shouldn't be a problem

I had good reason to reinstall openSUSE 11 after installing Windows 2000 on the same hard disk.

The installation order was then:
Windows 2000
openSUSE 11

When I restarted the machine after everything was installed, it failed to show the Windows 2000 operating system and I had to boot straight into openSUSE, without choice.

I'm so used to having Ubuntu deal with the boot loader for me I thought it would be the same this time.

After a bit of head scratching as to how I would access the Windows partition, I launched YAST and selected the Boot Loader option within SYSTEM.

All you do is change the boot order, in my case, moving Windows 2000 to be loaded first, reboot the pc and you see the two operating systems.

Done.

To upgrade computer BIOS or not? - Linux Kubuntu KDE4

2008-07-22T13:30:00.001-07:00

In a previous post I mentioned that I upgraded to a Pentium III processor from a Pentium II, and the BIOS on my system hadn't recognised the upgrade, stating the configuration as Pentium II 500 Mhz.

As the computer is running linux Kubuntu KDE4 and I don't have DOS disks anymore, or a DOS partition either for that matter, that presents a challenge when it comes to upgrading the BIOS.

However, it can be done. The process is called flashing and the process itself is risky under normal circumstances. Just Google 'how to flash bios' to get the run down on what it is and how to do it, if you're unfamiliar with the process. Add the qualifier 'linux' if you don't have a Windows pc.

The Dell forums indicated my Dell Optiplex GX1 needed a BIOS revision v7.0 for the upgrade to be recognised.

By running the application KinfoCenter, from the higher level System menu option, I discover that, under the Processor tab, linux tells me I have a Pentium III running at 548 Mhz.

That'll do for me. No need therefore to upgrade BIOS under linux in this instance. I'm satisfied with the computer's capability and it supports my previous posting about linux giving older computers a new lease of life.

So don't throw that old Dell Optiplex away just yet. Give it an extended lease of life with a Linux operating system.

Linux and old computers. A new lease of life?

2008-07-13T09:51:00.001-07:00

I have read somewhere in my surfing trail that Linux can breathe new life into old computers.

Believing that as I do, I decided to run it on a favourite machine of mine. One that I am reluctant to ditch anyway, and that is my trusty Dell Optiplex GX1. This is a computer, that, given the chance , seems to want to carry on for ever. I have given it that chance.

It came to me as a Pentium II, with just 125 Mb of Ram. That's a little too slow in today's parlance, so I upgraded the RAM to 364 Mb. Next I outed the old processor and upgraded to an Intel Pentium III , with heatsink, but no attachment for the Dell cooling fan. So I ditched that and run without it.

The computer is quite happy without it. The only downside I can see is the error message referring to the missing fan, every time I boot it up. I'm comfortable with that. It has no bearing on performance at all.

I inherited a BIOS version 3.00 and I realize, according to the Dell Forums, I needed to upgrade to Bios Version 7.00 for the additional hardware to be recognised.

As I currently don't have a DOS machine, or disks for that matter, I decided to leave it for now and see if it matters. The BIOS at boot tells me I have a Pentium II with a speed of 500 Mhz. I'd like to know what Linux thinks I have, but I haven't been able to find that out yet.

I installed KUBUNTU KDE4 and EDBUNTU as well. I replaced the old hard disk and installed a 10Mb disk which the BIOS does recognise. So does Linux for that matter. That I do know.

Subjectively, and comparing with a Pentium 4, 1.7 Mhz., this machine doesn't seem that much slower. In fact , in my opinion, it gives an adequate performance, as regards speed. I'm happy with it and I enjoy useing useing it every day. I hardly use the faster Pentium 4 at the moment.

Verdict. The claim that Linux can breathe new life into old computers is definitely true in my experience, and I will think twice in future before outing any of my old computers.

ISD server error , Port 5800 - Kubuntu KDE4

2008-07-05T12:00:00.001-07:00

Isd server error

I recently installed Kubuntu KDE4 on an old Pentium II. At the same time I installed Edbuntu on the same hard disk.

All was well for a while , so I thought, then I started getting the following error when I started KDE4:

"ISD server error Port 5800.." At least that's the gist of it. I don't claim to quote the exact message, apart from the first three words.
After doing some research I found someone with the same problem as me and the solution was there, so I tried it on my pc and it worked.

I ran the following command in Terminal mode:

sudo apt-get remove libitalc italc-client italc-master

and that was the end of the rror message, I never saw it again.

OpenSUSE 11

2008-06-23T14:20:00.001-07:00

I used the Hibernate option rather than shutdown after my daily session on the internet today.
I fancied trying it as I haven't used it before.
Well, it powered the computer off, and when I switched on again the processor came to life but the screen was blank and the cursor was frozen.
What to do about this?
Don't panic.
Switch the pc off at the mains, as the on/off switch will keep the computer running.Restart the computer, with the openSUSE 11 live cd, and select the "hard disk" option to boot from.
Job done!

Mandriva Linux Powerpack 2008

2008-06-17T13:11:00.001-07:00

I tried again to print something thorough my Canon BJC250, without success, so I have given up on it again, for tonight anyway.
The setup wizard finds the printer and the correct model, then installs the driver from its database, but when I have been guided through all the setup screens I get the message that my printer is not configured on the computer. Why, I don't know. I tried a test page, needless to say nothing happened.
I found the CUPS utility quite neat, especially as I needed to keep deleting print jobs, but I didn't get anywhere using the Administration section.
I hooked the same printer up to my second pc which is running openSUSE 10.3, and using the same CUPS utility, this time with success. I printed out what I wanted to print.
I don't like leaving computer problems unresolved so I shall try again sometime.
Just a reminder that openSUSE 11.0 is due to for release this Thursday 19th. June 2008.

Ubuntu - Installing Linux on to a MS Windows os computer - ie. create a dual boot system

2008-06-14T12:50:00.001-07:00

If you are at all worried about installing Ubuntu linux on to a computer running Windows operating system, then don't be.
Less than twelve months ago I was running Windows XP as the only os on my computer and I wanted to install Ubuntu on the same pc, and run a dual boot pc.
I tried to find out as much as I could, searching the forums and reading bits here and there on the internet, about how people had done this, how they would do it, and trying to piece together some picture of whether to give it a try or not. I remember vaguely, coming across some kind of independent installer, which would do it all for me. In a word, don't bother.
All you need to do, bear in mind I'm ONLY talking here about Ubuntu, which I found very user-friendly when it comes to sitting side by side with Windows. Put your install disk in the machine, and follow the on-screen prompts. Sounds simple doesn't it. Well it is.
Ubuntu will know there is a Windows partition on the hard disk, and will work out for you how to partition enough free space to co-exist with Windows. It is that simple. Job done. When it comes to booting up, if you installed Ubuntu second after installing Windows, you will see a choice of continuing the boot with Ubuntu or you can scroll down to Windows XP and choose that option.
I kept my Windows partition for a couple of months after installing Ubuntu, just in case I fell out with Linux. I didn't, but I have deleted the Windows partition.
Good luck if you decide to have a go. I didn't back up anything before I tried it, but its advisable to do it just in case anything does go wrong, like a power failure for example.

In praise of GIMP

2008-06-14T12:27:00.001-07:00

For those who don't know this very useful graphics application, or haven't tried it yet I heartily recommend it and I use it almost daily, and have done so for several months now.
It's quick, reliable, and easy to use. In true Linux fashion, it's hands on, straight in there without any how-to, although to be fair, there is a help guide, but how many of us read one of these before having a go at something which looks user friendly, and I have indeed found it to be so. And, importantly, I reckon it's a more stable application than the ones I used to buy when I used Windows operating systems.
Of course, it's nice that its free to use as well. But seriously, I used to get quite frequent screen freezes and hang-ups when using MS Windows compatible photographic software. It nearly always happened when I switched from hard disk files to working from USB documents. It was almost as if Windows was saying to me , "stick to one or the other, but don't keep changing the location of your files. I can't cope with that, all in the same session."
GIMP has lots of different functions and I don't pretend to know anything about them. I stick with the few functions that get the job done for me, and GIMP does this very well indeed.
For online documentation on GIMP click here
For viewing online manual in PDF format click here
For online tutorials, for different levels of competency, click here
If you want a reliable, trouble-free graphics application that won't let you down, on your computer, then look no further than the linux GIMP.

Kubuntu-KDE4 8.04 Hardy Heron

2008-05-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

I downloaded this a few days ago, as I had read briefly in one of the monthly Linux magazines that it was due for release soon.
At about 700MB of data, it didn't take very long to download, and even less time to burn the ISO image using the excellent linux CD burning application, K3b. If you haven't tried it yet, I can recommend it as easy to use and I found it very user friendly. K3b that is.
The finished product has a very clean, blue look. The time showing on the toolbar is huge. You won't need glasses to see what time it is.
The application's menu is of the same style as in Novell's openSUSE 10.3
The window applications have done away with the blank square image, in the top right of the browser. The one which maximises the window. It has been replaced by an up arrow and a down arrow, which maximise and minimise respectively.
On the live cd there is a choice of one web browser, and guess which one it it. That's right. Konqueror.

Linux - why you need a few basic skills

2008-05-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

If you fire up your computer , for the first time, with its new linux operating system and expect everything to work right out of the box, you're going to be disappointed, and or disenchanted. You may even want to give up on linux altogether.
Take for instance the concept of users. In linux you need a working knowledge of the hierarchy of users. Users collectively ,or individually make up a group, and so on. This, together with permissions for running certain applications is not the kind of everyday computer skill, I suggest, you're average internet user has, or is likely to be interested in learning about.
In my Mandriva Powerpack, I wanted to add a printer to the system, for the first time. You have to add one when you need to print.
No big deal, I'm sure, from what I can remember, Windows can easily handle that.
My linux easily recognised the printer. You have to connect it all up to the computer first, and switch it on as well.
The problem arose when I wanted to print a colour photograph through Gimp. I had an error message, and no print. This problem is still unresolved as I write. I spent an hour on it a couple of days ago, and didn't find the solution.
I went to my other pc which runs openSUSE, and it printed without a hitch.
This is the kind of irritating problem that is fairly typical in linux, and it shouldn't happen.
Maybe it was me doing something wrong, I don't know yet. I'll go back to it later and let you know the outcome in a later post.
My point is though, to do these kind of basic operations you do need a few computer/networking skills, to make things happen. In my previous example, you need to know how to add a printer to the system, ie. tell it there is one, then you have to configure it. I'm obviously missing another level in Mandriva at the moment.
Linux can be very frustrating at times because of these simple failures. I won't give up on it though. It's too good for that.
It's a reliable and safe environment to be in and despite these minor difficulties I recommend it to all internet users out there.

Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn

2008-05-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know this version is history now, but I wanted to mention it because this is the only distribution I had to reinstall from scratch.
I don't really know what I did wrong, though it all seemed to stem from the way I updated the system, that is with the regular Ubuntu updates.
I opted for the notification method , the little orange icon, to advise me of the update(s) available, then I clicked on that and let the system download and install them
Over time, there came a point where the updates seemed to be going wrong, and I started getting error messages to that effect.
I know I could have used the terminal commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
and if I go back to Ubuntu , I shall update via the terminal only. Stick with what you know works.
It just got worse and worse, and the number of error message grew larger, so that was when I started again and reinstalled the system.
After that, and updating only in terminal mode, I didn't have that problem again.

Antivirus and firewall software for linux.

2008-05-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

No need to ponder whether you need a firewall for linux or not. It's a done deal. You definitely do.
If the creators of the software thought you didn't need one, why would they go to the lengths they have in providing one as default, at least in the distributions I've tried. With Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon and OpenSuse it's there when you log on to the internet, though don't wast your time looking for icons on the toolbar, there aren't any.
You can prove it for yourself by going to the Shields Up website and have them test it for you. Look for the all green results and you know you're safe. Alternatively, there is the very useful Auditmypc website which does the same test, plus it has an anonymous and popup tests as well.
Opinion is mixed about the question of antvirus software, with the majority saying no, you don't need it. Some users even wonder why you're asking the question at all.
Fact is that ClamAV, which is one of the well known linux antivirus applications, exists at all proves that viruses do exist in linux. I can honestly say, after over a year of using only the linux operating system on the internet, I don't have any concerns about computer viruses on my pc. Linux has given me that confidence.
If in doubt, install ClamAV and run it periodically. You can do that just for peace of mind. Me, I did this at first, now I don't bother at all. I don't feel the need to have it at all on my computer.

Getting Linux to work wirelessly

2008-05-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

In short, this was difficult.
I bought myself a Belkin G Desktop card from my local store, put it in my pc , confidently expecting it to work straight away, or at least with the customary few tweeks I've grown so used to having to make with Linux to get things to work. And it didn't work.
There was no need to run the computers Setup program. Just insert the card in a free slot and power up. That said, my HP Vectra P4 did come up with something about Mac address at boot, which I hadn't seen before, but it went away and everything was as normal during boot up.
The card came with a Windows driver and I followed the instructions in the Ubuntu forum on how to use Ndiswrapper. I loaded the driver on to my hard disk, ran a few Sudo commands in Terminal mode and nothing happened. It can be really disheartening when this happens. Fortunately I have the time and patience to keep trying and that's what I did.
I was tempted to buy a USB wireless dongle, being much easier to plug in and out.
I searched eBay and found quite a lot for sale. Problem was which one to buy. So I found out the chipsets which are known to work with specific distributions. You can find this information just like I did by Googling it and staring with a search such as "wireless cards that work with linux." and at least two of the distributions published tables with this detail.
I'm sure they are all different, but staying with my Belkin card, I discovered that my card has been known to work out of the box with Ubuntu .
Not much consolation for me because mine didn't work. You need to keep the box the card came in , and look at the bottom of the box, which has the chipset of the card, ie. the part No. F5D007, and the version no., which is also to be found with the part no. and in my case it is ver 7000.
This is where it gets like trying to climb a mountain, and I began to wonder if I was going to get anywhere with this or not.
The instructions for use with Ndiswrapper were frankly, too complicated. I'm quite happy to follow a few limited Terminal commands, but where they seem to be excessively long I began to think I might inadvertently do some harm to my computer if I were to make a typing mistake, so I abandoned that particular trail.
Coming back briefly to eBay. I contacted a couple of sellers before buying a wireless USB , giving details of the chipset I wanted, and had no replies. The alternative is to buy and try, but this can become expensive if none of them work.
My last attempt was on an AMD Sempron 3000+, running linux Mandriva Powerpack 2008. I put the card in the machine, started it up, the pc recognized the card, always a good sign, and the software took me effortlessly through setup. Now it works.
But what a trial to get where I am now, and is it worth it. Well, yes it is, in my opinion. I could have just reinstalled Windows XP, and I'm sure there wouldn't have been any problems like the ones I've had with linux.
To date, I haven't come across anything in linux that has been so difficult to make work, but it must be a definite setback to potential converts to this otherwise stable and user friendly operating system.
Most people nowadays need and demand wireless communication, and really linux is just too hit or miss as to whether it works or not at the moment.
The above is my experience and opinion only.

Why I switched from Microsoft Windows to Linux Operating System

2008-05-18T04:48:00.000-07:00

I converted to the Linux operating system about eighteen months ago and so far I haven't regretted it.
Prior to that I was stuck with the various versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems. The last one I used was Windows XP Professional, with service pack 2.

My reasons for ditching Windows:

1. I wanted to try something different. I have to admit, where computers are concerned, I get itchy feet and get restless, so I like looking for something new and different to try. Linux goes some way to satisfying this wandering urge of mine. We all like choice, and I'm no different to anyone else.
2. I had read a lot about how good Linux is, so I thought it was time to give it a try.
3. Windows always seemed to be playing catch up with computer security, like waiting for the next virus or trojan to appear, and then doing something about it after the event. So what I'm saying is I didn't feel Microsoft Windows to be a very safe environment to be in.
4. I have experience of this vulnerability, historically, and can say I have had viruses and trojans on my computer, under the Windows os. It's quite disturbing when this happens to you and your antivirus software spots a virus, particularly when most people haven't a clue how it got there in the first place.
5. The antivirus and firewall software I felt obliged to run under Windows seemed to use a lot of processor power so making my machine run slow, which I didn't want and found to be tedious. That said, from a personal point of view I can recommend Comodo firewall and antivirus and anti malware software which are still free to download and use.
6. Commercial software can be quite costly and the equivalent software is available free of charge with Linux. For example, linux has the very professional OpenOffice suite.
7. My confidence in the Internet Explorer web browser was low, as it has been exploited so many times.
8. I have the same concerns with Outlook Express.

What's so special about Linux?

1. I like the look of it. Simple as that. It is well written and takes security issues seriously. It was originally written with security in mind.
2. To run the administrative commands you need to be logged in as root user, or at least have root permissions.. Some operating systems, like Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon, don't set up a user root during installation. Contrast this with Windows users who can inadvertently run .exe files ,eg. from attached email files, without knowing what's happening. The damage is done straight away.
3. Admittedly, I have some previous knowledge of computers and I feel you need a certain level of computer literacy to be comfortable with linux. For example, my first experience was with Ubuntu Feisty Fawn, and I spent a lot of time scouring the Ubnutu user forums with various queries, such as how to install RealPlayer 10. Gutsy Gibbon still needs tweaking so you will likely need to spend time searching the internet for solutions to problems and not everyone wants to do this.
4. There are lots of different linux distributions, so if you don't like one version you can try another, and at negligible cost. Where I started by buying the cd's, I have found the linux application K3b to be very easy to use, so now I download and burn my own distros on cd. Easy, and cheap and it gives me freedom of choice.
5. I've had tried Ubuntu Feisty Fawn and Gutsy Gibbon, OpenSuse 10.3. and Mandriva Powerpack 2008. On Mandriva, I was able to play DVD's without any problems. This is not the case, in my experience at least, with some of the other distributions mentioned here.
6. I feel safer using Linux. When I test my firewall with Shields Up I have the reassurance that my presence on the internet is invisible to others, I have no open ports, nobody can share files on my computer, nor access the netbios on my computer, and that makes me feel a whole lot safer.
Contrast this with Windows where you have to search out your firewall software, paid for or free. With the linux distros, it's already included. With Ubuntu and openSuse I didn't need to do anything at all, the firewall was just there right from the start.
7. I found linux easy to install. You can buy a distro from, say eBay, and run the operating system as a live cd or dvd from disk, before you commit it to your hard disk. This means, if you want to, you can try the distribution from removable disk without installing. It's really very flexible and user friendly.
8. You don't need to worry about antivirus software. Check out the specialist user forums for more on this. see Ubuntu OpenSuse Mandriva
9. I had power failures a couple of times, and the system was still running at the time. With Windows I used to get screens of dialogue when restarting from cold. You get none of this with linux. It just switches on as normal.
10. Getting linux to run wirelessly seems to be a problem for many users, and is an obvious disadvantage. I must say I had been tearing my hair out trying to get my desktops to work this way, and for a long while without any success. Eventually it did work for me with Mandriva. I'll post separately about my experiences about this.
11. So far, the three distros I've tried have been stable, and I intend to stay with linux in the foreseeable future. My advice to the hesitant, is give it a try at least. You might grow to like it.
The above is purely my own opinion and is in no way meant to be authorative. Just my own personal experience.