What I know about Linux

"Unsupported Archive Type"

2006-11-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

I got this error message every time I double-clicked a .rar file. A little research showed I should be using a program called unrar.

Use the Synaptic Package Manager to install unrar. You will be prompted for your administrative password.

Now double-click that file again!

Browse your files as root

2006-11-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

The whole root thing is a difficult hurdle for us seasoned Windows users. Sometimes all you want to do is change permissions, or move a file into a root directory, and the command line stuff is daunting.

The easy way? At the command line, type sudo nautilus. This opens the file browser in the familiar Windows-looking format, but you're logged on as root. BEWARE! you can do a lot of damage as root, so don't make much of a habit of using this.

Say there's a file you want to run as a non-root user, or you want to make a file executable. Just right-click the file in Nautilus and click Properties, then in the Premissions tab, make your changes.

Easy!

Burn to CDRW with K3B

2006-11-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

I found it easy to drag and drop files to a CDRW the first time, but then I was in trouble. When the disk finished burning, Linux had assigned the disk to root, and I couldn't re-use it no matter what I tried. I searched the Ubuntu forum for answers, but all I found was other newbies who had the same problem, and helpful experts giving complex answers that weren't solving the problem. So I left the forum, and found this solution on the web at large.

1. using the Synaptic Package Manager, install a program called K3B, which is a CD and DVD burning program. There are lots of burning tools in Linux, but for some reason K3B has the features to overcome this obstacle, while the others stop cold.

2. Run sudo k3b to run the program as root.

3. In the Tools menu, choose Erase CD-RW to clear the old stuff from the disk.

4. The rest is much like using a Windows program.

Worked for me.

Flash 9 for Linux (Firefox)

2006-10-31T20:04:00.000-08:00

Flash plugins are easily available for Linux, but the latest version isn't. Here's a beta version that works fine.

To install:

Look for a directory named ".mozilla". (The dot before the folder name signifies a "Hidden" directory/file. You may need to enable the viewing of hidden files in your file manager; in Konqueror, use the "View" menu at the top of the Konq window, check the box next to "Show Hidden Files".) Open the ".mozilla" folder, create a new folder within it named "plugins" (no caps). Copy and paste the "libflashplayer.so" from the download into that newly created "plugins" folder.

Restart your web browser.

Thanks Kurt!

To get SoundJuicer to rip CDs directly to MP3

2006-10-31T19:42:00.000-08:00

SoundJuicer is the CD ripper of choice for Ubuntu, but it doesn't rip directly to MP3, nor does it give you the option to do so. To create that option...

In Sound Juicer, go to "Edit" --> "Preferences", then down by "Output Format" click on "Edit Profiles". Add a "New" profile with the following;

Profile Name: MP3
Profile Description: MPEG Layer 3
GStreamer Pipeline: audio/x-raw-int,rate=44100,channels=2 ! lame name=enc vbr=false bitrate=192 ! id3mux
File Extension: mp3

and check the active box. You should now be able to rip in MP3.

Note: MP3 is more of a "lossy" format than OGG, which is the default. Use OGG when you can, and MP3 when you must.

Getting Movie DVDs to play in Ubuntu

2006-10-31T16:48:00.000-08:00

Because of legal issues, DVD codecs were left out of Ubuntu. That means that it will not play DVDs and some other media files. Don't panic. Remember how often Windows didn't let you play files either.

There's no need going into a lot of background here. I'll just tell you how to fix it... be prepared to copy and paste!

From the main Ubuntu menu at the top of your screen, click System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager

This opens a new program. This program is the place to look for new software! It installs your software for you, making Linux easier than before. You will need to enter your administrative password.

In the Synaptic Package Manager, click Settings > Repositories

A box will pop up. Then click Add > Custom, and paste the following code into the box...

deb http://www.getautomatix.com/apt dapper main

Then click the Add Channel button. Close the small box, and the click the Reload icon under the main menu. That will capture the installation info you need.

Now the software list on the right window of the Synaptic Package Manager has been updated. Scroll down until you see an entry called automatix2. Click the check box next to it, and select Mark For Installation. Then click the Apply button above, and it will install the software.

While you're there, look at all the programs you can install!

Now close Synaptic Package Manager (!) and click Applications > System Tools > Automatix to run the program. You'll get a warning about the codecs being illegal in the USA, but if you still own a legal copy of Windows, you are a legal owner of the codecs and can install them. Automatix also includes other programs you may want to install, making it all worth your while.

Now pop in that DVD.

NOTE:

This article applies to installation on the Dapper Drake version of Ubuntu. If you have a different version, here's a detailed article explaining how to install the same software on other distros. The author uses command line functions to accomplish what I did using GUI, but it's the same process.

Ubuntu: The distro that might break the barrier

2006-10-31T15:49:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was really pissed at my Windows XP system. I had spam pop-ups that were caused by a spyware program. I used three different spyware removers, and they found all kinds of crap that I had no idea was there, but they didn't remove the pop-ups.

When I logged onto Windows, I was greeted with anti-virus programs, spyware removers, and nag screens by Microsoft, bugging me to get my automatic updates that I didn't want. Lets face it, Windows is a disaster, and we continue using it because they make it easy to use, not because it's a good product.

Admittedly, Linux isn't as easy to use as Windows, but the newer distros are making headway. Linux-XP is an example. They make Linux look and act as much like the old familiar XP as they can, so users can make the transition painlessly (more or less). Linux is usually free, but LXP costs a very small amount, which is more than fair.

I haven't tried LXP, so I can't comment on it. This article is about Ubuntu. To be honest, I'm glad Ubuntu doesn't try to look like Windows. I like knowing I'm making a clean break from Microsoft.

Installation:
Ubuntu, like many other distros, is available on a Live CD. This means you can try it without installing it. Put the disk in your CD drive and reboot. It will run slowly, because it's not on your hard drive, but it will give you a good idea of how it works. The Live CD is a fully functional operating system that will do just about everything the full install will, but it locks you out of your hard drive, so you can't mess up your system. It's very safe.

There are two ways to get the Ubuntu CD. You can get one free from Ubuntu (even the shipping is free!), or if you're impatient, you can burn a CD from a downloaded copy . Download the *.iso file, and use the Amazing CD and DVD burner in Windows to burn it to a disc.

When you're sure you want to install it on your system, look for the "Install" icon on the Ubuntu desktop, and run it. Remember, Ubuntu will format your hard drive, so be sure you're ready to proceed. You can partition your hard drive and install Windows on one partition, and Linux on the other. This usually needs to be done before you install Windows, so if you're not ready to give up your old files, do what I did and install on a different hard drive. Hard drives are cheap these days.

When you install Ubuntu, it will ask you to create a user and password. This is serious business. Choose a password you'll never forget, or you won't be able to install software in the future. You won't even be able to log into your system. That's because Linux was designed with security in mind. They're not constantly patching holes in their system like Microsoft. It's a very stable, secure environment. The cost to you is a little inconvenience. Trust me. The extra passwords and "inconveniences" of Linux pale in comparison to the hassles of Windows.

Using Ubuntu:
Well, using Ubuntu is pretty much what this blog will be about. For my wife, using Ubuntu is just like using Windows. All she needs a PC for is web browsing, and web-based email. In Linux, those tasks are exactly the same as in Windows. If you're like my wife, install Ubuntu, and you're just about set forever. Enjoy.

If you use more than just your web browser, join me in exploring Linux in my future articles.