Using Ubuntu: 4 Practical Steps You Should Execute On Your System Immediately

If you are an open source software ("OSS") enthusiast like me, then you have probably already skimmed a fair amount of additional software to install lists after having installed Ubuntu itself. While those suggestions are constructive, they are entirely subjective and based on the wants of the person who wrote the list, and, who, in all likelihood has not bothered to qualify exactly why the software was chosen. (Most likely because the writer is being paid by a corporate brand name to play the part of and publish feel-good pieces about being an OSS enthusiast rather than for the sheer joy of it, which, in my opinion, makes a vast world of difference for the average end user.)

Following are some of my own suggestions, based on the following criteria:

(1) You're a n00b;
(2) You know you need/want comfort/security/privacy, but you're just a n00b;
(3) You're a n00b.

One:  Disable Search

First and foremost, you need to know that Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu (and the biggest distributor) has pulled an interesting little end run around user privacy by enabling by default the sharing of both your hard drive searches as well as internet searches to a third party. I covered this cute little stunt previously. As a result, the very first recommendation I can suggest is to disable the web search from the Unity taskbar by going into System Settings > Privacy & Security by clicking the cog on the upper right hand side next to the date & time.  Select the Search tab then click the slider firmly into the OFF position.  This will stop your system from transmitting your search data to the Mother Ship that Canonical so thoughtfully enabled by default for you.

You can also go one step better by disconnecting your system from Ubuntu's ad servers just to make sure your searches aren't being collected in order to sell to a con artist's favorite resource, the Direct Marketing Association. The DMA would dearly love to hijack/clog up your system with viriii/malware and otherwise suck your bandwidth into a black hole all the while bloviating to you about how wonderful and useful it is.  Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Micah Lee tells you how to disconnect here.

Two:  Enable UFW to Auto-Start

UFW stands for uncomplicated firewall.  Unless you're a security pro and/or work in I.T., all you really need to know as an end user about a firewall is that it slows down the bad guys from hacking your system. Sure, you could learn more about configuring rules and become an advanced user, but for our purposes here, all we want is to ensure that it is in use.

But wait, you may be asking - I thought Linux was secure?

Linux is more secure than Windows, that's for sure, however, an apt analogy to bear in mind is that even if you live in what you consider to be a safe neighborhood, you still lock your doors to keep out the neighbors.  Your computer is no different.  You don't want some random person rifling through your files simply because they can. (Note here that I advocate the use of the UFW even if you are using a router.  This will come into play later when you inevitably use public wifi, in which case you will want to enable ssh, but that is another segment.)

You can enable UFW by opening a terminal and typing the following command:

sudo ufw enable

Now we want to make sure UFW auto-starts when you boot into Ubuntu, so click on the search icon located at the top of the vertical Unity taskbar and type in startup applications then click on it when it appears.

Click on Add then type in UFW and the command listed above.

Now whenever you bootup into Ubuntu, the UFW will start automatically without having to manually enable it each time.

Three: Use TLP

As versatile as Linux is, the dirty little secret nobody likes to talk about is that it tends to overheat the hardware that houses it like a 1979 Ford Granada otherwise known as the grenade of its time.  Ubuntu (and Mint) are not exceptions.  Don't be surprised if you notice your laptop's battery seems to discharge a lot quicker than usual.

The reason? I suppose Linux can best be compared to the replicants in Blade Runner.

Supposedly, TLP is a utility that tweaks power consumption (among other power management activities) thereby preventing the CPU from overheating, which, happens frequently on my system to the extent where it locks it up.  After a time (usually ten minutes or so) it usually snaps out of it but the other half of the time it does not and I have to cold boot.

But does TLP actually have any substantive effect?

Well, actually, I haven't used it long enough to speak intelligently about it.  I have noticed that when booting into Ubuntu, I see random commands referencing battery power flash through the splash screen, but have not noticed, however, any cooling down inside of the case.  (You can install a utility called sensors to see what the inside temp is.) 

I use TLP in both Ubuntu (and Mint) and the system still locks up.  Now whether this is due to needing more RAM, the energy consumptive habits of Linux, a bug in LibreOffice and/or Chrome (v.35) or a combination of all of the above, I cannot attest.  All I know is that my system inexplicably locks up/experiences distorted graphics (especially in LibreOffice) and otherwise slows down my productivity.

I've browsed the system logs and spotted the lockups followed by a re-initiation of processes, but the jury is still out as to whether this is attributable to TLP or just the system self-correcting itself.  (Check back here for a followup by subscribing via email or hey, just follow my Twitter feed.)
 
You can install TLP by typing the following into a terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linrunner/tlp 

sudo apt-get update 

sudo apt-get install tlp tlp-rdw

Remember to let the system do its thing after each line.  

When it finishes, you will want to start TLP.  Supposedly typing the following ensures that TLP will auto-start at bootup, but I have my doubts.  So type the following into terminal and then put it in startup applications. (See step two detailed above.)

sudo tlp start

Four: Install a Bottom Taskbar

If you are a post traumatic stress disordered refugee fresh from the ever despairing trenches of Windows users, then Ubuntu can be a little confusing initially particularly if you are accustomed to having multiple windows opened at the same time and seeing them displayed in a taskbar.  Ubuntu's only native taskbar is Unity, but fret not as there is a fix for that.

Tint2 is a windows-like taskbar that can be added to Ubuntu.

Type the following into a terminal:

sudo apt-get install tint2

After it installs, put it in startup applications just as you did for the firewall and TLP.  Make sure you use the word tint2 as the command.

Lot out then log back in.  When the system intializes, you will see an opaque taskbar at the bottom of the screen.

Stay tuned for a future article detailing the installation of some completely subjective apps including a network monitor, weather and Google Drive shortcut.


©2014 Greensleeves and GreensleevesBikinIt.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is giving to Greensleevs and GreensleevesBikinIt with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Ubuntu: FOSS Trojan Horse?

When I installed Ubuntu 14.04 LTS as one-third of a triple OS boot on my beater laptop, I hadn't bothered to conduct any due diligence on it the way I would have for a Windows installation.  Since Ubuntu is a Linux distro, and, Linux is better known for security and privacy, I didn't see the need.  But a disturbing new discovery (more insidious than the Chrome browser gaffe)  has recently come to my attention that I feel compelled to warn you about should you be considering installing Ubuntu on your own system.

The Unity Dash is a vertical taskbar that has incorporated a hard drive search as well as a web search from the same location. It is a feature that makes Search convenient since you need not open a browser. The only problem is that Ubuntu has enabled by default its shopping lenses, which is a Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) euphemism for spying on your search data in order to serve up third party advertisements to you. (As an aside here, I did find it strange that a shortcut to Amazon was placed in Unity by default, and, having noted this oddity, immediately disabled the www search feature from it following installation of the OS.)

Now you may be wondering what is all the hubbub, bub? Windows places shortcuts to third party software all over the desktop.  It has become standard operating procedure to fill the Start menu with trial offers and such, the likes of which when they expire, continue monitoring/tracking your every click of the mouse.  And that, dear audience, is exactly why Windows is a bloated, spyware/malware filled piece of crap OS that slows down substantively over time as you use it.  Prior to Canonical's little end run around user privacy & security, you didn't have to worry about Linux taking note of your internet searches (or anything else) and sharing that info with unknown third parties for unknown reasons.  That is exactly why informed users turn to Linux in the first place. But given Ubuntu's increasing popularity with the mainstream, Canonical's management evidently decided that it would slip into the OS a seemingly innocuous spying mechanism, and, when it was called out by Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney and CTO of Freedom of the Press Foundation, Micah Lee, Canonical resorted to behaving like a trademark bully over the use of its name and logo on Lee's site called Fix Ubuntu.

Since the usage of a trademarked name & logo is completely legal for the purpose Lee has used it, and, falls under Fair Use provisions of copyright and trademark law, Canonical has demonstrated itself willing to abuse the law in order to silence critics. And that makes it no better than Microsoft or any of the other for-profit Fortune 500 companies that own the US government.

Lee has since included the following disclaimer which may be the only time in history that the word idiot has been used to nicely remind a trademark bully like Canonical that Fair Use is in fact legal.

<Excerpt from Fix Ubuntu>

Disclaimer: In case you are either 1) a complete idiot; or 2) a lawyer; or 3) both, please be aware that this site is not affiliated with or approved by Canonical Limited. This site criticizes Canonical for certain privacy-invading features of Ubuntu and teaches users how to fix them. So, obviously, the site is not approved by Canonical. And our use of the trademarked term Ubuntu is plainly descriptive — it helps the public find this site and understand its message.

That the search can be disabled from within Ubuntu (Lee's site tells you how here) isn't noteworthy; The problem is that the most popular distributor of Linux has decided to spy on its users and compromise their security in the first place. This is the very antithesis of what free open source software is all about. But then again, that's what happens when a software company hires for the CEO position someone like Jane Silber, whose sole qualification for the job was writing spyware for military contractor General Dynamics C4 Division.  ZSmith.Co has more.

<Excerpt from the General Dynamics website>

General Dynamics C4 Systems is a trusted leader in the development of intelligence and information gathering systems for national defense and homeland security. These systems are designed to receive, process, exploit and disseminate information -- in different forms and often from different networks -- and distribute relevant information to operators, both in the field and at higher headquarters.

Canonical has long since issued what is tantamount to a public apology, but I won't be swayed by such an obviously calculated mea culpa and neither should you.  Now that it has fired its first shot across the bow, there is nothing stopping Canonical from issuing via future system updates some other piece of spyware integrated with the OS originating from the devious mind of its former spyware writing military contractor CEO.

Incidentally, if you're not using Duck Duck Go for your internet searches, then you should be.  Chrome extension found here.

©2014 Greensleeves and GreensleevesBikinIt.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is giving to Greensleevs and GreensleevesBikinIt with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Google Chrome: The check's in the mail

Having installed and then embarked on (what I thought would be) an exciting odyssey to configure two Linux distros on different partitions on the same laptop, and, upon having successfully resolved the initial challenges, such as finding the correct video driver, I find that I now look to the more subtler hiccups that seem to appear just as I am wrapping up the previous ones.

This particular stone in my shoe comes in the form of Google Chrome browser's infamous waiting for cache error.  It has invariably been described as a bug, but upon further investigation, I don't think that is accurate. Let me explain.

First off, if you don't know what cache is, then this entire article (as well as the title) will be completely lost on you.  Cache is basically a repository of temporary internet files.  It exists because back in the days when we accessed the internet via a dial up connection and paid through the nose for the privilege of obtaining very slow speeds (Hey, exactly like today!) cache was necessary so that our internet pages would load a little more quickly.  Cache is still necessary today, however, since our connections have improved (somewhat) it is no longer important to have a gargantuan sized cache file. Enter the Google Chrome browser.

The Problem

Once my attention was diverted from the fundamental configurations of my Linux distros, I noticed when I was browsing the web that the connection would often falter.  Of course, a certain amount of congestion is standard today given that everyone and his momma is online AND streaming bandwidth-sucking media AND the providers are all too happy to throttle your connection thanks to the lapdog tendencies of the FCC to its corporate masters.  (You didn't actually think that because you paid for the highest priced tier of internet access from one of only two providers (cable & DSL) in any given American market that you would actually get it, did you?) 


What I found was that this problem has been plaguing the Chrome browser dating back to 2009.  And while there have been fixes various & sunder , the silence from Google on the matter has been deafening. You'll not find a resolution on Google Groups, but, instead, you will find page after page of complaints about the issue.  But then this was to be expected.  You see, Google makes its money from advertising, and, if your cache size is gargantuan, and users are unable to set the size (unlike other browsers) then Google's business model is golden.  The browser reads your cache, makes note of where you've been and serves up all the appropriate ads accordingly. 

Were you conducting some research on self-publishing your novel?  Great!  Google will gladly display ads directing you to everything from publishing houses to agents. Were you then also searching for a homeopathic cure for that bothersome wart that has been squatting at the base of your index finger?  Fantastic!  Google will also cream itself to display wart-curing medicines and laser treatment centers for your viewing enjoyment.  

The Symptoms

When the connection was delayed, I noticed in the bottom left hand corner of the browser the words, "waiting for cache" and so decided to check it out further.  Essentially, the freeze is generated because Chrome's cache size is colossal by design. According to the httpCache page, cache is 33124585, or approximately 31 gigabytes.  Thirty one gigs is quite large to have to consult with for each and every click of the mouse when browsing the web. Imagine plugging in a thumb drive that size (which you can purchase relatively inexpensively) and with each internet URL you access, the connection must first scan the drive before it will load.  This is exactly the situation with Chrome. No wonder the browser sits there spinning.

It's not in Google's best interest to allow the user to adjust the cache size of Chrome, so you're stuck with the problem.  Don't wait for a fix because it won't be forthcoming any time soon.  Sure, you can use Mozilla, which has recently joined the ranks of the undead, ass kissing, sychophants of the Big Entertainment cartel, but let's face it, if you're using Chrome, it's because you like being able to log into the browser and have all of your bookmarks, extensions and other customizations available at your fingertips and not tied to any one device. 

The Resolution

Chrome flags

Ostensibly, in Windows, you could try this fix, but I haven't noticed any substantive result that wasn't achieved by installing the Click&Clean extension.  Note:  The extension is rather tedious as you must flush the cache respository manually each time.  And while it would be nice to think that Linux has the answer, the fact is, it does not.  At least not an obvious one. 

Linux has tricks that Windows users can only imagine, but trying to get help is like asking for a loan from a bank.  My experience with those who participate in Ubuntu Forums has varied from indifference to contempt.   The impression I have is that it seems to exist for the sole purpose of expressing condescension and disdain towards the person asking a question.  Unless, of course, you are properly reverential and metaphorically toss roses at the feet of the Venerated Ones. Perhaps then, you, worthless worm shall be acknowledged. 

While this group of self-important twits shall remain nameless, the fact is, a great majority of the so called moderators don't even know their ass from a hole in the ground, but as is typical of certain personalities exhibiting narcissistic tendencies, once they have a title (such as forum moderator), they then go tripping on it. In fact, I think that all forum moderators (particularly in the Linux world) should be given the title of Mr. Pink by default until it is decided by popular vote that they are not channeling their inner asshole.

If you didn't know, Mr. Pink was a character in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) movie. He was the cheapskate who refused to pitch in a $1.00 tip for the waitress, and, his 'tude pretty much exemplifies some of the illustrious global Linux Community's demeanor towards anyone who doesn't know as much as they do.

©2014 Greensleeves and GreensleevesBikinIt.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is giving to Greensleevs and GreensleevesBikinIt with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Linux: Video Adapter Blues

Having previously configged a beater laptop with the ability to triple boot, and, having enjoyed satisfaction oozing from pores while simultaneously thanking the Linux gods, it would only follow reason that now comes the tweaking, or, if you prefer, the tinkering.  After all, why the hell else would you have been interested in Linux in the first place if not to muck about?

But given that two of the three OSs on this laptop are fresh installs, the sum total of the tweaking has been limited to finding & installing the correct drivers, particularly for the video adapter, which, to my knowledge, has traditionally been a problem for Linux distros mostly because the video adapter manufacturers (such as nvidia) didn't want to play ball and acknowledge that (gasp/shock) consumers would actually want to use an alternative OS to Microsoft Windows, and, therefore, did not bother with providing its pain in the ass proprietary drivers to be even a little bit compatible with open source. As a result, open source had to code its own video drivers which did not always work.  In fact, back in 2005, I once spent 80 hours (yes, I logged my time) attempting to find the correct video driver for yet another beater Dell laptop in order to get Mepis and/or Kubuntu to render correctly.  I searched and spent hours upon hours trying various suggestions offered by the global Linux Community, but in the final analysis, it was a spectacular failure. The experience left me very frustrated and wanting to toss the computer through a window. Fast forward nine years and here we are today with similar frustrations caused by the damnable video adapter.

As previously mentioned, the hardware on this box is legacy, so finding drivers can be somewhat of a challenge, but on the other hand, what I've determined is that the age of the hardware and the search for the correct drivers for it seems to be six of one, half a dozen of the other in that don't go thinking that just because you may have a brand spanking new $3k laptop that finding and installing the appropriate video adapter will be a cakewalk. (Hint:  It may not necessarily be so.)  Conversely, just because you may have a legacy video adapter (in my case) don't assume either Linux (or the video adapter manufacturer) has an open source version for it.  Do you see the conundrum here?

My particular situation is thusly - Although I have previously determined that in order for successful video playback to occur, I would need to install Nvidia's legacy drivers.  After a few days of struggling with choppy video, I did just that.  And it worked out but only because the manufacturer had such drivers available.  The problem now is do I want to take the plunge and install the updates?

You may be wondering why I would hesitate, after all, you as a Windows user (most likely) would ask why not?  The answer is because sometimes, newer is not always better.  And in Linux, this is especially the case.  Sometimes you just have to be happy with what you've got.  If it works, then why fix what is not broken? While I tend to agree, it's not that cut & dried for me. You see, my Linux Mint partition is the Cinnamon edition desktop, specifically, version 1.4.0.  (the latest is 2.x). Cinnamon is to Linux Mint what Unity is to Ubuntu.  I don't actually have aspirations of upgrading to the latest/greatest version of Cinnamon simply because it probably wouldn't render correctly (if at all) on this box anyway, particularly given the legacy hardware.  However, I would like to upgrade Cinnamon to (at the very least) v. 1.6, or, if possible, even v. 1.8.  That way I would be able to take advantage of the improvements in those editions.  I want to use desklets, in particular, but v.1.4.0 does not support such a feature.

What to do...what to do...

I suppose I can bite the bullet and just install, but then I would run into (gasp/shock) the desktop possibly not booting up and the last thing I want to do is screw around with having to fix it.  Note here, I say this as if I would know how to do so off the top of my head. (I don't.)  A screw up caused by an incorrect/incompatible video adapter driver would entail some research how to fix it and I'm just not very keen on having to do such a thing.

Yes, well, that's what the users forum is for, eh?

Not so fast.

Although the Linux Community is famous for the breadth of issues posted and solved, and is used as a selling point for installing/learning Linux, I have personally found that the problems I have posted specific to my system seem to mystify the illustrious Community.  In fact, I have determined that while I am by no means a Linux Guru, I seem to be the only one who can resolve my system's issue(s) because when I post, the questions usually go unanswered, or, if answered, are done in a half-assed manner and/or contain incorrect information and/or are delivered with unmistakable contempt. So much for that whole The global Linux Community is there to help you sentiment.

So allow me to include the following disclaimer -you, dear audience, should know that if you're going to opt to use a Linux distro, altho you've got the esteemed above referenced Community to turn to for help (allegedly) as in life, you are, largely on your own when it comes to certain situations.

©2014 Greensleeves and GreensleevesBikinIt.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is giving to Greensleevs and GreensleevesBikinIt with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Nux Nirvana

My Ubuntu desktop

I've done it.  I have achieved nirvana.  That is, sort of.  And in the alternative operating system realm, which has the ability to generate an entirely new level of philosophizin' debate at least among you gadfly types, but that is another write up and won't be discussed here right now.  Nevertheless, I suppose one out of two ain't so shabby.  Personally, to steal a mc-frankenfoodism, I'm lovin' it!

Ubuntu and Linux Mint are currently two of the most popular Linux distros.  I've already reviewed Mint found here, so this piece will be a concise but educational comparison. (If you're looking for something more comprehensive, internet search is your friend.)

Let's begin with logistics, that is, where I've installed Linux.  I have a beater 64-bit Dell brand laptop, age indeterminate. Let's just say legacy hardware and leave it at that. It's from the business class (as opposed to consumer class) and in its day, was probably kick ass.  Now it's just, well, legacy.  It has an 80 gig HDD and a measly gig of RAM, which used to be sufficient for a 'nux distro, however, what I've seen in having evaluated both Mint & Ubuntu, is that both have developed a distinct taste for lots of memory, as in at least 2 gigs. (Windows is still the reigning RAM glutton, hands down.)

The beater also has the usual ports -four USBs (most likely 2.0), a VGA (for an external monitor), Ethernet (for a wired internet connection) and RJ45 (for a modem/old school dial-up connection). It even has a serial port. I don't think anyone under age 25 even knows what that particular port was for, actually, but it puts into perspective the approximate age of my laptop.  By the way, for you brainwashed young 'uns in the audience, there is nothing wrong with older hardware. Newer does not always equal better.  In fact, the practice of having to buy a brand new computer (to the tune of $3k or thereabouts) with each new release of Microsoft's ever craptacular OS treadmill is a steaming load of consumerism.  On the other hand, if you enjoy being molested through the wallet, and further polluting the planet with your heavy metal rubbish, then have at it.

Grub loader

My beater is now a triple boot OS.  Triple boot! What that simply means is that I've taken a used Windows 7 box (that was originally an XP box) and transformed it into what is tantamount to a geektastic sixth heaven level.  (Seventh heaven was not achieved due to the piddling one gig of RAM.) Linux Mint occupies a partition, Windows 7 another, and Ubuntu is residing on yet another partition.

Basics

While some would surmise that Ubuntu and Mint are nearly the same OS (having been based on the same kernel), I would have to agree, but only in terms of architecture.  In other terms, namely, practicality/usability.

Mint is more for those end users who like to pop the hood and take a look around.  Shake things up a bit.  Try out different tweaks/customizations and do not fear the dark. Ubuntu, on the other hand, is for those end users who simply want an operating system that works without having to attend to and/or tweak it so much if at all. Think of it as a kind of iProduct only without the ridiculous price tag and a lot less pretention.

Differences

All that being said, if you, as a Windows user, are accustomed to using say, OpenOffice, VLC player and Chrome, if you decide to install Ubuntu, then you will have to not only install all three, but also accept that LibreOffice, although nearly identical to OpenOffice, has rendered the latter the bastard, red-headed, stepchild of open source business productivity suites. (Thanks to OO having been abducted by Oracle, and, subsequent to not being able to monetize software that has been free since inception, Oracle sheepishly re-homed it like an unwanted black furred animal to Apache.) Now LibreOffice comes bundled with both Ubuntu & Mint, which isn't a bad thing, but still chaps my ass simply because OpenOffice didn't deserve being kicked and otherwise discontinued in favor of trendy buzzword titled younger siblings named LibreOffice and NeoOffice. But I digress.

Terminal in action

Whereas Mint uses Synaptic Package Manager which is for installing, removing, upgrading & downgrading, Ubuntu uses its own software center.  While both perform almost identical duties, I prefer Synaptic, which, by the by, has to be installed in Ubuntu.  You can also use Terminal for the same functions, but in Ubuntu, you will have to dig for it and then pin it to the launcher. Incidentally, Ubuntu has to be the first 'nux distro that caused consternation when I couldn't find what is largely regarded as the scary black box. But Terminal has been inexplicably hidden probably because of the revulsion it inspires particularly in Windows users.

Unity launcher

Another big distinction is that Ubuntu has embraced Unity, which is a desktop environment used for application, system and notification indicators. It should be emphasized that it requires at least 2 gigs of RAM in order for all the snazzy effects to execute expeditiously else you will spend a lot of time waiting on your system to get up off its knees.  I have to say, lack of RAM sucks the fun right OUT of the overall experience, which is another point of contention for me because Linux wasn't meant to be starved for memory. Linux has traditionally been the OS of choice for those of us without a money tree growing in the back yard. (Perhaps Ravenous RAM Beast can be the oh-so-witty moniker for the next Ubuntu/Mint upgrade?)

Updating

When Ubuntu is ready to be updated, a tile with the letter "A" appears in the Unity launcher.  (Note here that the launcher already has two other "A" tiles -one is an Amazon shortcut (inexplicably) and the other is the red suitcase for the software center.  The "A" tile I'm referring to is encircled to let you know it is an update notice. To update, all you need do is click on it to execute, type in your password and let it do its thing. You can also manually update via Terminal as well if that's your thing.

Speaking of updating, I just wanted to share that I was able to install the drivers necessary for the wifi to work without actually having to plug the Ethernet cable directly into the router to update the system.  Yes, feel free to worship my brilliance accordingly. 

Bugs

As of this writing, version 14.04 LTS has a problem with playing video files both digital as well as DVDs despite having installed the Ubuntu's Restricted Extras package, as well as having enabled the appropriate repositories.  I even grabbed libdvdcss with no resolution. (WTF, Ubuntu?) So if you plan to watch movies, you may want to reconsider.

Conclusion

In the final analysis, whichever distro you decide to use, the experience will be liberating if only because it lets you escape from having to keep supporting Bill Gates' bank account and otherwise patronizing a mainstream OS whose only purpose seems to be to advance by another notch the stock value of Microsoft on the altar of the god of the Dow.

©2014 Greensleeves and GreensleevesBikinIt.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is giving to Greensleevs and GreensleevesBikinIt with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Don't Fear the Dark

Terminal

If your heart races and feel an overwhelming urge to run screaming in the opposite direction should you see the above image on your computer, you might be suffering from terminal illness.  Ba dump bump. (A little 'nux geek humor for you.) Terminal being the correct word to describe the little black box that enables a Linux user to issue commands to the computer and otherwise interface directly with the operating system (OS).  

Although terminal is a fundamental facet of using a Linux box, you can probably get away with not having to use it, but quite frankly, I don't know why you would want to because for (1) If you are that squeamish, then you should return to Windows, and, (2) terminal is the best part of using the OS. To use a motor vehicle analogy, terminal is the difference between driving stick versus automatic. The former enabling the user to fully maximize the experience versus passively chugging along content to let the motor make all of the decisions.

That being said, let's get comfortable and try out terminal with some basic commands.

Start An App

Whereas in Windows, launching a program is performed by either finding it in the Start menu or double-clicking on the shortcut on the desktop (assuming there is one), however, in Linux, you can start an app such as Firefox, which comes pre-installed in most Linux distros.

Open a terminal window by pressing CTRL + ALT + T. 

Type in terminal:

firefox

Then hit enter.

After a brief pause,the browser will open. Contrary to the herd of Linux users, Firefox is not my preferred browser.  Google Chrome and/or the free open source version Chromium is, but installing either is another lesson.

Now that Firefox has been launched, close it out and let's try to not only open the browser but also include a web page while we're at it.

Type in terminal:

firefox greensleevesbikinit.blogspot.com

[Note:  There is a space between the x and g.] Then hit enter.

Don't be alarmed if Firefox takes its sweet time to open.  (This is yet another reason why I won't use it.)

Telling Linux What To Do

Although I've said that you could probably get away with not using terminal, the fact is, it is a very big part of operations are performed there, so get used to it.

Let's take a look at how the file system works, shall we?

In terminal, type in pwd, which stands for print working directory.  (BTW, we're not actually printing anything.)

When you do, you will see something similar to the following:

/home/name of your login

This is the directory where terminal is currently located.  To see what directories are there, type in the letters 

ls

Then hit enter.

This will list everything in your home directory usually containing: 

Desktop

Documents

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We need to grasp the concept of flags before we continue. Flags are options that are attached to a command to extend it to accomplish another task at the same time.  For example, when you typed ls, you could have also included the flag -a to include all.

ls -a

Hit enter.  

When you do this, you will see the same folders you did above, but now included will also be folders that begin with a dot.

A single dot denotes a hidden file.  These are not displayed by default for the same reason Windows does not display hidden files in Windows Explorer.  (You wouldn't want to give a live grenade to a chimp, would you?)  Actually, I'm kidding.  In Linux, you run as a superuser rather than root (Administrator) by default to protect you from yourself. 

Changing Directories

If you type cd in terminal, nothing will happen.  The cursor will bounce to another line and blink at you waiting for a flag so type the following:

cd /usr/bin

Then hit enter.  [Note: there is a space between the d and forward slash /].

Now we're in /usr/bin.  To see which folders are located there type in:

ls

Make sure you exit this terminal and open another before attempting the next section.

Updating Linux

This is an action that you should always perform before installing any programs just to make sure you have the latest & greatest drivers.

In terminal, type in:

sudo apt-get update

Then hit enter.  Make sure you have a space between the o and a.  

Type in your password.  Linux won't let you proceed until you do.

Incidentally, if you're wondering what sudo means, it stands for superuser do.

Let terminal do its thing.  When it finishes updating quit terminal by typing in the word exit and hitting enter.

Now that you have a basic understanding of terminal, study this tutorial of commands and keyboard shortcuts to help familiarize you with your system.

Remember: Linux is supposed to be fun so don't stress if you can't remember everything.  The more time you spend with the OS, the more you will retain. Learn a few basics and bookmark the tutorial for future reference.

©2014 Greensleeves and GreensleevesBikinIt.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is giving to Greensleevs and GreensleevesBikinIt with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Managing with Mint

Linux Mint 16

For the uninitiated Windows user, the Linux operating system remains an enigma - little more than a mysterious system fraught with a seemingly unfamiliar GUI.  Incidentally, as a Windows user, this really shouldn't frighten you since Microsoft has been screwing with the Start button since Windows 7, but I digress. 

Linux also has the ever-scary command prompt.  (Cue the theme from Twilight Zone.) But this concern is negligible.  Linux has come a long way since the days of navigation exclusively via terminal. You can still use Bash to your heart's content if that's what puts you in your happy place, but as to the rest of us, contemporary distros have enjoyed a graphical user interface very similar to the Windows kind for years. 

As a young techie in 1999, I was immediately taken with the OS based on functionality alone.  Compared with Linux, Windows is positively neutered.  Now the average Windows user, who seems to be blissfully ignorant to the extent that s/he doesn't want to bother looking under the hood, but rather, simply enjoys putting gas in the car and driving away, any given Linux distro probably won't be very enticing.  That's OK, the world needs ditch diggers too! (Gratuitous Linux user barb.) But to anyone who wants to have more control of his/her operating system, as well as a much wider selection of software that is not only free, but open source as well, then Linux is yer huckleberry.

While I have been experimenting with Linux for years, it was only recently that I decided to commit to an installation of a distro on my hard drive.  To be brutally honest, this was a direct result of Microsoft's inexplicably obtuse decision to end support for XP, an operating system that has been around since 2001 and has been powering everything on the planet from individual personal computers to industry specific operations including but not limited to -ATM, POS, banking, and gas pumps.  Microsoft apparently assumed (and correctly) that it would strong-arm the world into using its spectacularly crapparific Windows 8 system, which, I suspect, most XP users would have gladly shelled out the extra jack to upgrade (if not purchase an entirely new computer) had MS offered a discount for the trouble of migrating. But lo, ever the font of consummate corporatocracy that it is, nary a discount could be had. And that's OK because for every consumer who didn't bother to check out alternatives to Windows and instead blindly consented to the shake-down, there were also those of us who extended middle finger and hopped off that carousel.

Suffice it to say, I'm still using Windows (7 to be exact) but decided that this was the year I was going to have a dual-boot box so that I could transition over to Linux and leave MS behind in the dust where it rightfully belongs.  As an aside here, I retained Windows 7 (1) because it works (compared to version 8 which doesn't) and (2) because I still have Windows-based games I am loath to give up, not to mention a dinosaur multi-function printer, the likes of which only the scanner still works but, try as I may, cannot seem to get any drivers for it to work in Linux.  And that's OK too since some incompatibility was expected.  As awesome as Linux is, caveat remains that there are still some programs/hardware that cannot be easily transitioned into a Linux environment. But don't let this deter you as Linux repositories of drivers grows exponentially daily. (This means even more drivers for formerly Windows-only supported software/hardware is boarding the Linux Express rapidly.)  As you begin to go to Linux more frequently, you'll start questioning why you ever thought staying in an abusive relationship with Microsoft was worth the effort (and expense.)

While I have evaluated several different distros, including Ubuntu, which is currently enjoying widespread usage, I chose Mint (Cinnamon edition) since it had the most resonance with me. (You can find all the latest distros here.) 

Evaluating a distro is shockingly simple.  All it takes is the ability to download a file, burn it to a CD/DVD and then boot up the computer from the CD/DVD-ROM drive (which involves during the boot up stage hitting either the F12 key (on most Dell brand systems) or for other systems the F3 key, and selecting boot from CD-ROM drive.) Voila! Then she will boot up from the disc drive and you can kick the tires and check out the upholstery.  If you later decide that you also want a dual-boot system then you have the option to install straight from the Live Demo disc, which, is also an astonishingly simple endeavor since the included software does all the work of partitioning your hard drive (once you decide how much space to allot to the Linux partition.)  **Note here that mileage may and does vary so be sure to conduct your own research OR you can just contact yours truly and I will gladly walk you through the install for an hourly fee.**  (Hey, I have to pay rent and eat too, you know.)

Good luck and enjoy your newly found freedoms from the shackles of Microsoft.


©2014 Greensleeves and GreensleevesBikinIt.  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.  Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is giving to Greensleevs and GreensleevesBikinIt with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.