Ndiswrapper on Ubuntu

Here is an excellent howto about installing Ndiswrapper on Ubuntu:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/Ndiswrapper

Linux Mac Crossover

I found an interesting article today about making Linux look like a Mac.  The thing is that I don’t necessarily want to go all the way, but I would like to steal a few things from their side of the world.

Make Your Linux Desktop Look Like A Mac - Mac4Lin Project Documentation

The big thing that caught my eye was the AWM on page 3.   I had trouble following the instructions though.  These instructions worked a little better:

HOWTO: functional eye-candy with Avant-Window-Navigator and Affinity 

Two Great Reviews

Today, I found two great reviews with a nice list of software to watch or install.

First, Linux Format Magazine published a posting announcing the releasing of Ubuntu 7.10, which included a review of the release:

 http://lunapark6.com/ubuntu-710-gutsy-desktop-edition-review.html

Not only does the author describe his experience with installing the new version, but he also provides some nice ideas for software to install such as vlc, k3b, Kino, ardour, Google Earth & Desktop, VMWare Server, and MythTV.

Another article I found from Linux Format Magazine was about installing Slackware:

The Perfect Desktop — Slackware 12

This article also listed numerous software install ideas along with detailed explanations on how to install the system.  The article also points out that the HowToForge also has other similar articles for other distributions.  I haven’t tried it but the Linux Distribution Chooser sounded very interesting too.

Finding Software Alternatives

I saw in a post earlier a recommendation for a website called OSAlt.  This is a great resource for finding open source software to meet your needs.

Resources

Software Advocacy: Open Source Software Alternatives 

Listing Options for Apt-Get

I have learned to get around in yum, but now with Ubuntu, I am having to learn apt-get.

Before with yum, I could do:

sudo yum list | grep -i <some program>

now, I need to do:

apt-cache search <some program>

Resources

apt-get - list of software?

Bug: Fedora 8 Test 2 Boot

Fedora 8 Test 2 freezes when I try to boot it. This happens both with the install DVD and once I have it installed. I need to try to “post a report”, but until I figure out how, here is the output:

Linux Plug and Play Support v0.97 (c) Adam Belay
pnp: PnP ACPI init
ACPI: bus type pnp registered
pnp: PnP ACPI: found 11 devices
ACPI: ACPI bus type pnp unregistered
usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
usbcore: registered new interface driver hub
usbcore: registered new device driver usb
PCI: Using ACPI for IRQ routing
PCI: If a device doesn’t work, try “pci=routeirq”. If it helps, post a report

For now, I am trying out Ubuntu. I am kind of dead in the water with Fedora right now unless I go back to Fedora 6 or maybe 7.

Update: Here is the bug — 316811

Actually, I did not do a good job searching for a bug.  My bug was marked duplicate and here is the actual bug: 299301

Installing Flash for 64-bit Firefox on Ubuntu

These two pages really helped me:

Howto Install 32 bit Firefox with Flash w/sound and Java for AMD64

TGHC / 64bit browser with java and flash plugins for Ubuntu

The script worked very well for me.  As far as I can tell, everything seems to be working.  I am using Swiftweasel and I am liking it.   I had already installed some extensions such as Google’s toolbar, and I did not have to reinstall them for Swiftweasel.

Git

I just listened to a tech talk by Linux Torvald on git. I was sold — I need to try it for my Java programming.

Tech Talk: Linus Torvalds on git

My big question is how much it is integrated into Eclipse. I think there is a plugin:

GitWiki: Eclipse Plugin

I will let you know when I get things figured out.

HP: $1000 Latch

From the looks of this article, you should never send your laptop in to HP for service:

InfoWorld: HP’s $1000 Latch

Also, I just talked to a co-worker who had an HP laptop.  I think it was very similar to my old one.  The plastic around the screen had cracked, and he believed it was poor design.  He talked with another acquaintance that had the same problem confirming the idea of poor design.  He had bought the extended warranty, and so it was still under warranty.  After talking with a foreigner, they informed him that it would cost about $300 to repair.  He said no and had them ship it back to him.  Now, he uses a Lenovo laptop and said he would never buy an HP again.

He also works at a large firm that uses HP servers.  The support staff told him that if they have to call HP they hang up when they get a support technician in India.  They try again until they get a person in the United States.  The problem is not a matter of prejudice but a matter of communication.  Trouble with the English language and only following a script are not successful ingredients to technical support!

Using sha1sum to Verify CDs

Verify an iso image

The simple way:

sha1sum Fedora-7-Live-i686.iso

If an sha1sum file was delivered with the iso image, you can use this command.

sha1sum -c SHA1SUM

The -c tells the program to read files out of the SHA1SUM text file and generate sha1sums on all of those files. Then, it compares the generated value to the value in the text file and tells you if it matches.

Verify a CD

Use this after you have burn the iso image to the CD.

sha1sum /dev/hdc

The source that I found says to use the actual device rather than a link (instead of /dev/cdrom).

Using Windows

Versions of md5sum for Windows:

• Links to the exe from here: etree and activestate
• winMd5Sum from Nullriver
• digestIT from Colony Software
• md5summer

You can get sha1sum from here:

• [Announce] sha1sum for MS Windows released
• digestIT from Colony Software
• Links from here: gnupg, rootmode, slavasoft-fsum, slavasoft-hashcalc

Resources

Verify downloaded iso integrity with md5sum or sha1sum

sha1sum(1) - Linux man page