2 Battery Indicator Ubuntu 11.10

I upgraded my Ubuntu 11.04 to 11.10. The first few days i was totally disappointed because a lot of the stuff/functionality i'm accustomed to somewhat change in 11.10. The major stuff that bugged me the whole time was i have 2 battery indicator.

I tried a lot of stuff to remove it and almost bonk my system trying. Finally i was able to remove one of the battery indicator. I remembered when i installed 11.04 i re-enabled notification area (systray) by whitelisting all application. So what i did was change whitelist from "all" back to default. Now i only have 1 battery indicator  showing up which is what i really want.

Ubuntu Recovery from a Bad Update

The other night my brother came home from work and gave me his laptop told me he kinda busted his Ubuntu. I ask him what happened and he told me he was updating his system via update manager when all of sudden his laptop died. When he rebooted he was able to login but once inside lots of stuff were missing like USB ports are not detected, Sound was missing. One of the most important applet was also missing, the network manager was gone! To make the long story short i was able to fix the problem using Ubuntu's recovery mode

Once inside recovery mode i selected Repair Broken Packages and after a couple of minutes voila everything is back to normal.

I told my brother to make sure your laptop is plugged in when updating your system and never never never with a battery even if its fully charge.

APTonCD Load Button Not Working

One of my favorite apps in Linux is APTonCD. APTonCD is a tool with a graphical interface which allows you to create one or more CDs or DVDs (you choose the type of media) with all of the packages you've downloaded via APT-GET or APTITUDE, creating a removable repository that you can use on other computers. APTonCD will also allow you to automatically create media with all of your .deb packages located in one especific repository, so that you can install them into your computers without the need for an internet connection. As qouted from its official website aptoncd.sourceforge.net.

I'm using APTonCD in Ubuntu 10.10. My problem is the APTonCD version that is available thru the Ubuntu Software Center is broken. You can backup APT packages but you can't restore it. Downloading the latest file from the website is futile since the download page has "the project has no file" in it. Search high and low for the answer but couldn't find one. So i did the next best thing and that is download an older version. APTonCD's website is a no go since there isn't a file to be found old or new. So i search google using "index of aptoncd" as the keyword and voila found some directories containing old vesions of APTonCD. I used securehost.com/mirror/debian/pool/main/a/aptoncd and downloaded aptoncd_0.1-1.2_all.deb. Installed it without a hitch, fired up the application and it work on Ubuntu 10.10 perfectly. I was able to load and restore 400mb worth of updates.

Now I do hope they fix the current APTonCD but until then i'm sticking with the old one.

Brandless Notebook from China

I got this notebook as a present of sort from a friend who bought a bunch of these Chinese notebook for his business. He gave me one and told me if i fix it its mine. So after the Christmas rush, after sending out the last orders from my online store i went about fixing this thing. The problem was very simple the power cord/charger needs replacing. Since this is a brandless notebook i couldn't find the supplier here to replace the charger. So the next best thing to do is get a charger from a different brand with the same specs. I was able to find a HP charger with the same specs and now i am able to charge and turn on the notebook... yey! At first the OS didn't load but a couple more tinkering with the BIOS i was able to load the Chinese version of windows XP. And since i don't know Chinese i nuke the OS and installed Ubuntu 10.10. Now i have a new notebook. The only thing to gripe about is the measly 2 cell battery that i can't replace. But hey its a free notebook who am i to complain. :)

Specs i gathered using Hardinfo in Ubuntu.

Intel Atom N280
Intel Graphic 945GM/943/940GML Express Chipset
Intel HDA Audio
1gig DDR2 Ram
Samsung 160gig HD
12.1 Screen with 1366x768 resolution
Realtek Wireless RTL8187SE
1.3 Megapixel Builtin Webcam
2 cell LION Battery

Ubuntu 9.10 + Nvidia Driver = Black Screen of Death

I got this howto from brainyautomation.com last year. This is what i used whenever i reinstall Ubuntu on my Dell laptop. This still works even for Ubuntu 9.10 (for my laptop that is).

reboot and select the "recovery mode" kernel and then do this or if your like me i removed my boot screen so a recovery mode is out of the question. What you do is start ubuntu up to the blank screen. press ctrl + shift F4 or any F keys except F7. you will be prompted to enter your login and password and once logged in do the steps below:

nano -w /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-kernel-nkc


# add this to the end of the file options nvidia NVreg_SoftEDIDs=0 NVreg_Mobile=0

save file and then reboot and your done. hope this helps

Remind Myself Edition: Remember Authentication Mounted Drive in Ubuntu 9.10

It seems authentication for mounted drive isn't the same as before. Old version let you save the authentication for a mounted  drive. In Karmic there is none, dunno why they removed it. Anyhoot  luckily somebody posted a howto on the said topic.

Open terminal and type the following:

sudo gedit /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/org.freedesktop.devicekit.disks.policy

Look for the action id:

org.freedesktop.devicekit.disks.filesystem-mount-system-internal

Within that action id look for the line:

<allow_active>auth_admin_keep</allow_active>


and replace it with:

<allow_active>yes</allow_active>

save file and your done.

Remind Myself Edition: Disable Ubuntu's Annoying Update Manager Popup

I just installed the latest version of Ubuntu which is 9.10 Karmic Koala. Everything installed correctly but there is this one big annoyance and that is the update manager which continously popup even though i minimize it and stuff. I have to google for the answer on how to stop it. This post is just basically to remind me on how to disable the popup.

Open gconf-editor via Terminal, browse down to Apps -> Update Notifier, and uncheck the auto_launch option to stop Update Manager from popping-up.

Testing Offline Blogging in Linux

This post is done by using a offline blogging tool name BloGTK. I have tested a couple of this blogging tool for 2 weeks now and it's seems BloGTK is the right tool for my need.

Firefox + Simple Mail + GMail + YPops!

I like gmail and when i say i like gmail i really really mean it! I check my email everyday, every few minutes. So when then news about Gmail security flaws (which where later rebutted by the GMail team) i got somewhat scared... ok i was really really frightened by it. So what i did was i returned to using email clients. I figured that by using email clients it would lessen the chance of a malicious site inserting its filter on my precious gmail account.

I just wanted a simple email client, I don't need those hulking email clients like Thunderbird. Then i remembered reading about a firefox extension that acts as a email client. It's called Simple Mail from the name itself it is a very simple client so don't expect to much from it. Simple mail can access Pop and Imap accounts. It can notify you of new messages. It has an address book. Its three-paned view layout is again pretty simple.  Setting it up to access gmail is pretty straight forward.

Since i'm using simple mail now to access my email i might as well read my yahoomail through simple mail. In order to do this  i have to download and install YPops!. What is Ypops!? "YPops is more like a gateway. It provides a POP3 server interface at o­ne end to talk to email clients and an HTTP client (browser) interface at the other which allows it to talk to Yahoo! The same concept holds good for SMTP as well."

Once installed, setup simple mail to access YPops and your done.


Download:
Simple Mail [addons.mozilla.org]
YPOPS! for Ubuntu [t_skariah]

Filezilla Password Recover

I use Filezilla extensively using both Linux and windows versions. Recently i needed to recover a password for an FTP account i haven't used for quite sometime now.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem if your using Filezilla 3 as this version no longer uses encryption. Just export your settings and opening up the XML file with your favorite text editor and it will show you your password as clear as day. I could just import the old xml file but i don't want to mess up my site manager for just 1 account like what happened to me before.

Searching for a password recovery tool for Filezilla showed me a bunch of windows only and not free applications. I found one free application FileZilla Password Recover but again its for windows only but its just over 150kb so what the heck i downloaded it run it through wine, paste in the password hash from the old XML file and voila! it worked! It's as simple as that.

Download Filezilla Password Recover [ www.devpro.it/filezilla_pr]

Connect to the Internet using LG KU250 3G Mobile Phone via Bluetooth

I use my LG KU250 to connect to the internet using a USB cable. But this time I wanted to try connecting via Bluetooth. I googled for instruction on doing this and I found this blog post from Tony Seno. I was able to connect to the Internet with a little tweaks so as to make it work with my phone, ubuntu hardy heron and Globe Telecom my network provider.

Required Software
Already installed in Ubuntu Hardy Heron : bluetooth & wvdial
Additional : gnome-ppp
install via menu
goto applications > add/remove... > search for GNOME PPP
install via command line

sudo apt-get install gnome-ppp

Pairing with LG KU250
sudo gedit /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf
change on options : set security auto

Restart Bluetooth
sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart

Pair with LG KU250
discover LG KU250 MAC address :
hcitool scan
00:1C:62:43:18:AD    1Ijack

or go to your phone menu select Connectivity > Bluetooth > Settings > My Address > My Bluetooth address : 00:1C:62:43:18:AD

Discover channel number
sdptool browse 00:1C:62:43:18:AD

Service Name: LG Dial-up Networking��
Service RecHandle: 0x10005
Service Class ID List:
  "Dialup Networking" (0x1103)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 8 <-- Channel number for LG Dial-up Networking


Edit rfcomm.conf
sudo gedit /etc/bluetooth/rfcomm.conf

#
# RFCOMM configuration file.
#

rfcomm0 {
#    # Automatically bind the device at startup
    bind yes;
#
#    # Bluetooth address of the device
    device 00:1C:62:43:18:AD;
#
#    # RFCOMM channel for the connection
    channel    8;
#
#    # Description of the connection
    comment "LG Ku250 Bluetooth PPP";
}

Restart and Check Bluetooth
sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart

rfcomm
rfcomm0: 00:1C:62:43:18:AD channel 8  clean

Connect using GNOME-PPP
sudo gnome-ppp

just to be sure select setup, under modem tab make sure the device is set for /dev/rfcomm0

I'm not sure if selecting a modem type is of any help but i just select USB Modem

since username and password are disregarded by my network provider(Globe Telecom) i just put periods (.) in the field.
username : .
password : .
phone number : *99***1#

Complete configuration of wvdial.conf
sudo gedit /etc/wvdial.conf

[Dialer Defaults]
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Init3 = AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”http.globe.com.ph”
Modem Type = USB Modem
ISDN = 0
Phone = *99***1#
New PPPD = yes
Modem = /dev/rfcomm0
Username = .
Password = .
Baud = 460800
Idle Seconds = 3000
Auto DNS = 1
Stupid Mode = 1
Compuserve = 0
Baud = 460800
Dial Command = ATD
Ask Password = 0
FlowControl = NOFLOW

[source: http://tonyseno.blogspot.com/ ]

Mouse drift on a Dell laptop

I installed Ubuntu Hardy Heron on a Dell C840 laptop for the first few days my mouse keep sticking to the sides. I had this same problem when running XP but i can disable the trackpad via control panel and via going into BIOS to stop the drifting. In Ubuntu i tried disabling it via System > Preferences > Touchpad but it didn't work. I also installed the Synaptics Driver for the touchpad but still no go.

I was about to give up when then it hit me, going into the BIOS, under pointing device the setting should be "PS/2-Touchpad" to "PS/2". This disables the trackpad and the trackpoint when a PS/2 mouse is plugged... the key word here is the "PS/2 mouse" and at that time i was using a USB mouse. So i change my mouse to a PS/2 mouse and voila! the drifting is gone. I'm not really sure if this is the cure for this problem but it worked for me.

Finally if it still doesn't work for you then i suggest you go to gimbo.org.uk and read his post on Fixing mouse drift on a Dell Latitude C600 with a Sledgehammer.

Sources:
Disable trackpad via BIOS [Ohad's Blog]

My Ubuntu

I have been using Ubuntu for the past 3 months now (linux for 10 years) and i like it lot. Here is a screenshot of my Ubuntu desktop.