Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
About US
First of all i would like to thx ubuntu for this awesome operating system.
The idea of this website is simple we would like to share our experience and knowledge with you in order to create a safe and exciting learning experience for new ubuntu users so they can get into ubuntu world with less effort....
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Search and Install Packages From The Ubuntu Command Line
Syntax:
apt-cache search SearchTerm
Example:
> apt-cache search monodevelop
monodevelop – C#/Boo/Java/Nemerle/ILasm Development Environment
monodevelop-boo – Boo plugin for MonoDevelop
monodevelop-java – Java plugin for MonoDevelop
monodevelop-nunit – NUnit plugin for MonoDevelop
monodevelop-query – MonoQuery plugin for MonoDevelop
monodevelop-versioncontrol – VersionControl plugin for MonoDevelop
Rather useful, no? I’ve found it very useful even when I know the name of the package I’m trying to install, you can figure out what the names of extra plugins are, as in the above example. I had initially installed monodevelop, but didn’t realize there was nunit and version control plugins for it.
You may also want to run the results through a more, or even a grep. For instance:
> apt-cache search firefox | grep plugin
libflash-mozplugin – GPL Flash (SWF) Library – Mozilla-compatible plugin
mozilla-helix-player – the helix audio and video player (browser plugin)
j2re1.4-mozilla-plugin – Java plugin for mozilla/firefox
mozilla-acroread – Adobe Acrobat(R) Reader plugin for mozilla / konqueror
totem-gstreamer-firefox-plugin – Totem Firefox Plugin – gstreamer version
totem-xine-firefox-plugin – Totem Firefox Plugin – xine version
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Mozilla Prism - Web Services As Desktop Applications
When i first heard about mozilla prism i was really excited to try it out because it seemed to be something really different and possibily really useful . But when i started using it , i really didnt think it was all that great . What mozilla prism really does is opens a webpage in a separate window . Yes , Thats about it . Its like you bookmark or create a shortcut of a website on your desktop and you double click on it and it opens that webpage . Only difference is that the buttons, search box , address bar , other toolbars are not present . You just have the window showing up . Something like the screenshot shown below of gmail.com
Well , there are some advantages of using mozilla prism , its not useless , although its pretty tough to find a use for it :). Firstly , mozilla prism launches each window (like the screenshot i showed you earlier ) as a separate application , so even if some other website crashes , it wont affect this window , as this window starts as a different process giving you that "desktop application" effect :).Secondly i feel it would be a lot more quicker as i mentioned earlier there is no addons or anything which launches , just a plain window.
So as mentioned earlier the "shortcut to desktop" thing can be done with mozilla firefox as well. So the only difference is that it would be light without any addons and address bars etc . So unless you find firefox crashing on you always , i really dont know what this can be used for!!
Here are a few screenshots on how i installed it :
Download standalone application
extract the downloaded file
Double click on PRISM to launch
How To Fix : DSL Tab Disabled In Ubuntu Jaunty
Well , this probably doesnt happen to all ubuntu jaunty users , but incase you face this , you would need to create the dialer using the terminal . CLICK HERE to view a link on that bug.To create the dialer from the terminal , follow these steps :
Step 1 : Go to the Terminal ( Applications->Accessories->Terminal)
Step 2 : Now type , sudo pppoeconf
Step 3 : Follow the instructions , and enter the username and password wherever required
Step 4 : Now to Connect to the internet you need to type sudo pon dsl-provider and to disconnect you need to type sudo pff dsl-provider
Step 5 : Thats it. For more details on this with screenshots CLICK HERE
How To Use Empathy For Google Talk Voice chat In Ubuntu
Step 1 : Go to Your Terminal and type sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
Now if you are using Ubuntu Hardy , then add the following two lines
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/telepathy/ppa/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/telepathy/ppa/ubuntu hardy main
If you are using Ubuntu Intrepid , then add the following two lines
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/telepathy/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/telepathy/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main
If you are using Ubuntu Jaunty , then add the following two lines
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/telepathy/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/telepathy/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
NOTE : For any other version of ubuntu , just replace jaunty with the version name
Step 2 : Now save and close the file
Step 3 : Back in the terminal type sudo apt-get update and then type sudo apt-get install empathy telepathy-gabble telepathy-mission-control telepathy-stream-engine telepathy-butterfly python-msn
Step 4 : Now the installation is complete.
Step 5 : Now open Empathy by going to Applications->Internet->Empathy
Step 6 : Now click on Edit->Accounts ( or press F4)
Step 7 : Now select Account Type as Google Talk and click on CREATE
Step 8 : Enter your Login ID and password and ensure that the other settings are as shown in the screenshot ( its usually the default settings)
Step 9 : Now CHECK the option next to your gtalk account where it says ENABLED
Step 10 : Now back to the main empathy screen , select AVAILABLE instead of OFFLINE
Step 11 : Now when this page pops up , click on Always Allow
Step 12 : Now you should be successfully logged in
Step 13 : ALl the users which have a mic symbol next to it means that you CAN call them ( as they have a mic and headphone with them )
Step 14 : To CALL , just right click on the person's name and click on CALL
Step 15 : You should now see a window like this and should be able to TALK to your google talk buddy
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Ten tips for new Ubuntu users
1. Getting multimedia to work
The default Ubuntu install contains free software only, which means that it doesn't support some popular multimedia formats straight out of the box. This is inconvenient, but the Ubuntu folks have good reasons for not shipping with support for MP3, DVDs, and so forth -- including that software could cause them some legal headaches, or incur some serious fees.
Fortunately, as a user, you don't need to worry about fees (though some of the packages may not be legal due to patent restrictions or restrictions on circumventing copy protection, depending on where you live). The Ubuntu wiki has a page on restricted formats that explains how to get the packages you need. However, if you run Ubuntu on AMD64 or PowerPC hardware, you'll still be out in the cold for some of the packages, since some multimedia formats depend on proprietary software that's not available for those hardware platforms.
2. Changing the defaults
Ubuntu comes with a number of defaults that may or may not be to your liking. For example, the default editor is set to Nano, which isn't optimal if you're used to Vim.
The easy way to change this is to use the update-alternatives program, which maintains the symbolic links under /etc/alternatives that determine the default programs for FTP, system editor, rsh, Telnet, window manager, and so forth. Look under the /etc/alternatives directory to see what programs are managed.
To change the default editor, run sudo update-alternatives --config editor. You'll see a dialog like this:
There are 3 alternatives which provide `editor'.
Selection Alternative
-----------------------------------------------
1 /usr/bin/vim
2 /bin/ed
*+ 3 /bin/nano
Press enter to keep the default[*], or type selection number:
Just type 1 to switch to Vim. Note that on my system, I don't have Emacs or many other editors installed; if I did, the utility would offer the other editors as choices.
3. How to install packages
Most of the application software you'll want to add to your system will be available through the Ubuntu repositories using Synaptic, Adept, or another package management tool. What if you want to install something like Opera that is available as a package for Ubuntu, but isn't in the repositories?
In that case, download the application's Debian package (.deb) and right-click on the file. At the top of the context menu, you should see an option to open the package with the GDebi package installer. GDebi will provide a description of the package, what files are included, and other details about the package. The package installer also has a Install Package button; just click that and it will install the package. Note that the package installer also checks to verify whether it can install the package -- if it has dependencies that can't be satisfied, GDebi will give an error and refuse to install it.
If you prefer to install packages at the command line, just use sudo dpkg -i packagename.deb.
4. Sudo and gksudo
If you've used Linux for any amount of time, you might be used to running programs as root directly whenever you need to install packages, modify your system's configuration, and so on. Ubuntu employs a different model, however. The Ubuntu installer doesn't set up a root user -- a root account still exists, but it's set with a random password. Users are meant to do administration tasks using sudo and gksudo.
You probably already know how to use sudo -- just run sudo commandname . But what about running GUI apps that you want to run as root (or another user)? Simple -- use gksudo instead of sudo. For instance, if you'd like to run Ethereal as root, just pop open a run dialog box (Alt-F2) and use gksudo ethereal.
By the way, if you really must do work as root, you can use sudo su -, which will log you in as root. If you really, really want to have a root password that you know, so that you can log in as root directly (i.e., without using sudo), then run passwd when logged in as root, and set the password to whatever you want. I'd recommend using the pwgen package to create a secure password not only for root but for all your user accounts.
5. Add users to sudo
When you set up Ubuntu, it automatically adds the first user to the sudo group, allowing that user to make changes as the super user (root) by typing in their password. However, it doesn't automatically add additional users to the sudo group. If you want to give someone else superuser privileges on your shared system, you'll have to give them sudo access.
To add new users to sudo, the easiest way is to use the usermod command. Run sudo usermod -G admin username . That's all there is to it. However, if the user is already a member of other groups, you'll want to add the -a option, like so: sudo usermod -a -G admin username .
If you prefer the GUI way of doing things, go to System -> Administration -> Users and Groups. Select the user you want to add to sudo, and click Properties. Under the User privileges tab, check the box that says "Executing system administration tasks" and you'll be all set.
6. Adding a new desktop
Many users aren't sure what packages to add in order to run KDE or Xfce window managers on a stock Ubuntu system -- or what packages to add to run GNOME on Kubuntu or Xubuntu. You could add all of the necessary packages one at a time, but there's a much easier way to go about it.
To install all of the packages that come with one of the flavors of Ubuntu, such as Kubuntu, run apt-get install kubuntu-desktop (or edubuntu-desktop, xubuntu-desktop, or xubuntu-desktop).
If the GUI is more your style, the *desktop packages can be installed using Adept, Synaptic, or another package manager.
7. How to reconfigure X.org
Most of the time, X.org -- that's the software that drives your video card and provides the foundation for the GUI, whether you're running GNOME, KDE, Xfce, or another window manager -- "just works" when you install Ubuntu. In fact, I'd wager that most Ubuntu users never even have to think about their video settings.
But, sometimes you need to reconfigure X.org because Ubuntu hasn't detected your video card and monitor properly, or maybe you've just purchased a shiny new video card and need to get it working with Ubuntu. Whatever the reason, it's good to know how to reconfigure X without having to edit your /etc/X11/xorg.conf by hand.
To run through the configuration, use dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg at the console or in a terminal window. Then you'll have a chance to specify your monitor and video card, the resolutions and color depths you want to run the server at, and so forth.
Since every setup is different, it's hard to give concrete advice for configuring X, but it's generally OK to accept the configuration defaults. Also, you'll be given a choice between Advanced, Medium, and Simple methods for giving your monitor's specifications. As a rule, it's probably best to go with Simple unless you really know what you're doing, or the Simple method doesn't work for you.
8. Log in automagically
By default, when you boot up the computer, Ubuntu will give you a login screen before you get to your X session. From a security perspective, this is a good idea, particularly in multi-user environments or in any situation where other people have physical access to your computer. Still, many users are used to just being logged in automatically, and don't want to fuss with logging in each time they reboot their desktop.
To set this in Ubuntu, go to System -> Administration -> Login Window. You'll need to provide your password, then you'll get the Login Window Preferences window with five tabs. Choose the Security tab and click Enable Automatic Login. If you have more than one regular user, make sure to specify which user should be logged in automatically.
Again, and I can't stress this enough, this is only a good idea for home computers where only one person has access to the computer. I don't recommend this for work computers or laptop/notebook computers, when someone else might have access to the machine.
9. Compiling from source
Ubuntu's package repository is huge, particularly when you factor in packages in the Universe and Multiverse repositories. However, many users find themselves needing to install packages from source, either because they want to use a newer package than is available in the repository, or they want to try something that's not in the Ubuntu repository at all.
If you want to install packages from source, you can use a few shortcuts to make life easier. First, you'll probably want to get the build-essential meta-package if you haven't installed any developer tools. Run sudo apt-get install build-essential; it will grab GCC, the Linux kernel headers, GNU Make, and some other packages that you'll probably need.
Next, if you're going to compile a package such as Gaim because a new version is out, you might be able to satisfy the new version's dependencies with the old version's dependencies. To do this, grab the package's build dependencies with sudo apt-get build-dep packagename . That will grab all of the development packages you need to build the package that's currently available in Ubuntu, and will probably satisfy dependencies for the new version you're compiling.
Finally, don't make install when you compile from source -- use CheckInstall instead. CheckInstall will create a Debian package and install it for you, so you can remove or upgrade the software more easily later on.
Grab CheckInstall with apt-get install checkinstall. After you've run ./configure ; make, just run sudo checkinstall and answer a few simple questions. Note that if you compile packages on AMD64, CheckInstall will select X86_64 as the architecture rather than amd64 -- which will cause the package install to fail, since Ubuntu expects amd64 as the architecture rather than X86_64.
By the way, the packages created by CheckInstall also make it easier to deploy the same package on several machines, if you happen to have several systems running Ubuntu. See Joe Barr's excellent CLI Magic feature on CheckInstall too.
10. A new kernel
Ubuntu will install a 386 kernel for x86 machines, which probably isn't what you'd want if you've got a Pentium II or better CPU. The 386 kernel is compiled to work with just about any x86 CPU, but extensions that appear in later CPUs can give your system a boost, if they're taken advantage of. To replace the kernel, open Synaptic or Adept and search for linux-image. You'll see several choices. Pick the one that best suits your CPU -- probably the linux-image-686 package for Pentium II and later CPUs, and linux-image-k7 for later AMD processors. Note that if you're using the AMD64 line (or Intel's x86-64 CPUs) you should be using the amd64 images.
Of course, once you install the new kernel, you'll need to reboot. Another benefit to the 686 kernels is that they have SMP support, which is a bonus for multi-core and Intel HyperThread CPUs.
If none of the tips cover questions that you have about Ubuntu, try checking out the Ubuntu wiki, forums, and mailing lists. As a rule, the Ubuntu users are a helpful lot, and you'll usually be able to find someone who's run into the same situation that you have questions about.
Friday, May 29, 2009
How To Save Output Of A Command Entered In Ubuntu Terminal To A File
In this example , i would like to save the output of ls to a file called output.txt . So in the terminal i have to type ls > output.txt . This will save the output to output.txt which will be located in your home folder . If you want it to be on your Desktop , then just enter the full location to your desktop , example : ls > /home/prash/Desktop/output.txt
How A Ubuntu Live CD Can Save Your Life ( DATA )
A friend of mine is a complete windows user and often ends up having his system crash , for various reasons , installing crappy software, virus,spyware etc . This time it was worse , he couldnt even boot windows as it gave an error . So the problem here is , since he cannot boot into windows , he couldnt backup his data . Then he tried the Windows repair option ,but that didnt work , windows popped up an error saying it couldnt repair . Then the option of windows restore came , but windows couldnt find any restore points to restore . So that failed as well . He didnt have enough space to install windows again ( i.e. having 2 windows ) , he had a problem with partitions and stuff , and even formatting is not an option , as his data was in the same drive ( on the desktop mostly ) as windows .
So he was pretty upset as he didnt know what to do . Thats when he used the ubuntu live cd , where things got realy simple . He booted into the live cd and connected a LAN cable to his machine and within no time he had access to a shared folder on the network . He then backedup all his data on to that shared folder ( which obviously gets stored on another computer on the network ) , this way his data was saved and he was able to reformat his machine without loosing his data.
If your windows machine is running slow or acting weird , or giving any DLL file missing error , its fine , you can somehow handle it , by first backing up your data and then reformatting . But if you have no access to windows i.e. if windows doesnt boot up , then your in some trouble!!Therefore its really useful to have a ubuntu live cd with you . It can be a life saver!!
PS: Please dont just have 1 partition with OS only , its better to keep 2 partitions , one for OS and one for DATA , so you can reformat without any problems . At the sametime do not have TOO MANY partitions , people have drive letters upto K,L,M . That is quite a lot , and you can have problems in the future , when it comes to resizing , expanding etc .
Saturday, May 23, 2009
How To Fix Sound In And Sound Out In Skype In Ubuntu For HP And Other Machines
first i recommend all ubuntu users to have an account in their forum and to ask if they didn't find what they are looking for in the net.
you can download skype from their formal website or click here
1- first of all try to check the options in skype and in sound properties in this link
if every thing goes well and you can check that by testing a call in skype options then you don't need to go to the next step
2- if the sound work but the internal microphone does not work then check this out
thats it hope to hear from me soon