Been a while since I posted ;) For some strange reason, recently I got an urge to try out ArchLinux{#aptureLink_BWSwiwROlt}. After much deliberation finally decided to try out ArchLinux again, in VirtualBox{#aptureLink_YQu9cIpVYm}. My little install guide I compiled as I was reading through the Official ArchLinux Install Guide{#aptureLink_OrVThoOrTI} + Beginner’s Guide{#aptureLink_AMQvvRytbx}.

Please note: This is highly customized according to *my* requirements and nowhere as thorough /generalized as the official guides. Still, it might help you. Here we go –

Saw this question on SuperUser : How can I add menu items to the Gnome “Applications” menu from the command line? Yet another SuperUser Q RSS Feed Notifier for Linux Seems Canonical will set limits to those who can order free CD’s via Shipit. The discs will still be made available to Local Community team members and Ubuntu contributors. And new Ubuntu users will be able to request a CD.

Being a gamer – I’m always on the lookout for new games – while I do enjoy some of the “big-name” games – there are few of those little known games which are fantastically awesome. World of Goo is one of those.

World of Goo – in a nutshell can be described as a extreme-physics-added version of Lemmings. Basically you have to “guide” the “goo-balls” to the specified pipes – seems easy, well that’s where the Physics & levels come in. The levels aren’t the straight forward ones, you have to build bridges, towers by “Connecting” the goo balls from one to other.

Many, who do a dual boot with any Linux and Windows will face the problem of Master Boot Record (MBR). In easier words, one of them (Windows or Linux) wont boot after installing/uninstalling the other. This is a small guide I hope many would find it useful.

FIXING WINDOWS BOOT AFTER UNINSTALLING LINUX

This is just a casual how to for people who love customisation. As of today the most wanted OS look and feel are that of Windows Vista and MAC OS X._ _Have a look at this post Damien has written on MakeTechEasier, will help you get that OS X look. The above guide is really excellent and provides the tiniest details for perfecting the customisation. I loved the above guide a lot and I hope so will you.

In the past I’ve done couple of posts explaining few of the common commands. A handy one-glance reference guide is always nice, and that’s exactly what Sindhu has posted. Have a look: Thanks, Sindhu Update: Andre was kind enough to forward me a copy he had created specifically for netbooks. Thanks dude, you rock!

Much like most of Google’s projects Google Chrome was launched all of a sudden yesterday. Though it was “discovered” rather “accidentally” by one a Google insider hitting the send button containing the comic-book type images of Google Chrome’s workings(excuse me, a Google guy hitting the “Send” button accidentally? Yeah,right! (Santosh agrees with me too on this one). And the hype was unprecedented. Once the hype died down and everyone got to try – the impressions were rather more or less universal, mainly being

Now that the first beta is out for openSUSE 11.0, you can start to dig in and really start banging on the release to catch bugs before the release candidates and final release. If you’re wondering where to start, Holger Sickenberg has put together an excellent resouce to help guide testing. Holger has compiled a list of new features in openSUSE 11.0 that it would be a good idea to test to ensure that each and every feature works as planned and is as bug-free as possible.

Picture this. You’re fascinated by Linux. You always wanted to try it out. Now that you want to try it out, or have tried out the LiveCD but want to know more details, where do you look for? Of course Google and the Internet is always there. But that would require the right set of keywords. Fear not, my good friend Santosh aka Gigacore has compiled an exhaustive list of Wiki’s, guides and PDF’s which will satiate your appetite & thirst for knowledge.

Last week AMD introduced the ATI Radeon HD 3400 and 3600 series, which are the new low-end graphics processors compared to the Radeon HD 3800 series. These budget graphics cards are branded as the Radeon HD 3450, 3470, and 3650 and are all available for under $100 USD. While they may be cheap, they are the first graphics cards to introduce support for DisplayPort. DisplayPort is the newest digital display interface standard, backed by VESA, and is direct competition to HDMI.

After countless days of waiting, KDE4.0, the first release of the KDE4 framework was released on Friday, January 11. Here’s an official announcement from KDE’s site: The KDE Community is thrilled to announce the immediate availability of KDE 4.0. This significant release marks both the end of the long and intensive development cycle leading up to KDE 4.0 and the beginning of the KDE 4 era. The KDE 4.

With the first release of KDE4 framework, KDE 4.0 just few days away — as the above counter shows, the next few articles will have a look at some of the features new to KDE 4.0

In case you’re still wondering what the KDE4 hoopla is all about, then keep reading. KDE4 is the next-generation of the immensely popular K Desktop Environment. KDE seels to fulfill the need for a powererful yet easy to use desktop for UNIX and Linux workstations. The aim of the KDE project for the 4.0 release is to put the foundations in place for future innovations on the Free Desktop. The many newly introduced technologies incorporated in the KDE libraries will make it easier for developers to add rich functionality to their applications, combining and

connecting different components in any way they want.

KDE4 introduces and updates many of KDE’s core components, notably a port to Qt 4. It will contain a new multimedia API, called Phonon, a device integration framework called Solid and a new style guide and default icon set called Oxygen. It will also include the new desktop and panel user interface tool, called Plasma, which will have support for desktop widgets, similar to SuperKaramba or Apple’s Dashboard widgets. The port to Qt 4 will facilitate support for non-X11-based platforms, including Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. One of the overall goals of KDE 4 is to be more easily portable to different operating systems.

LDP is a loosely knit team of volunteers who provide documentation for many aspects of Linux. There are several forms of documentation: Guides, HOWTOs, man pages, and FAQs. You can browse it at http://tldp.org/ A member of Mangalore LUG, Dr. Neville has uploaded this and was kind enough allow me to post the links here, so all credits to him. Part 1 Size 99 MB md5sum 566ead529b4dda2a5e1c84f450670508 Part 2 Size 99 MB md5sum f02e0a56dc62a8b14515311d599ce35b

For the uninitiated, smart is the openSUSE equivalent of apt-get found in Debian based distributions such as Ubuntu.One of the biggest problems people who are used to apt-get face in openSUSE is that apt-get and Synaptic aren’t available in openSUSE and then they have no idea as to how to install software on their openSUSE machines. For them, and for many others, smart is the ideal solution. You can isntall software using the smart command prompt(“smart install ” or via the easy to use GUI. Like apt-get, smart also can resolve dependencies automatically. Here’s an easy guide to install smart on openSUSE 10.3.

Part 2 deals with installation of ATi drivers and visually enhancing that ubuntu First of the Ati drivers Ati have released catalyst 7.11 for Linux. Download this from their website. Next login as root in ubuntu. Then double click the downloaded file. You will get different options here choose to run the file. The next screen asks you if you want install the drivers or if you want to generate a package.

We have already told you why you need to shift to linux now we tell you how to shift to it

We have choosen Ubuntu as our distro. Why?

Well Ubuntu is the one, our saviour, our salvation……..

Ok coming back to the topic well Ubuntu is the most user friendly distro I have come across. Though Xubuntu is more user friendly due to its minimalistic nature it will take more of your precious time.

The Installation

All the buntu’s follow the simple 7-step installation procedure.

One you go through the steps you will find that there is really no need for this guide but I’ve run out of ideas for articles so I thought of doing this ;).

Laptop Review:

As few might be knowing I’ve purchased a Dell Inspiron 1520. Here’s a short review on it.

Laptop Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core2Duo T5250 @ 1.5 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache
• Main memory: 2x1GB DDR2 667 MHz Dual Channel mode
• HDD: Fujitsu MHW2160BH 160GB SATA
• DVD-RW: TSSTcorp DVD+/-RW TS-L632H 8X
• Sound Card: Intel HDA ICH8(82801)
• Graphics Card: nvidia 8600m GT with 256MB RAM
• NIC: BroadCom BCM4401 100
• WiFi: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
• Bluetooth: BroadCom BCM2045
• System Chipset: Intel GM965
• Expansion & Misc ports: 4xUSB, 1xIEEE1394, 1xRJ-45, 1xRJ-11, 1xVGA Out, 2xExpressCard 54, 1xHeadphone out, 1xMicrophone In, 1xMedia Card reader(SD/MMC/MS Pro).

Every one is trying out linux, if you don’t want to be left out read on.

This topic covers what you need to know to shift to the boon called Linux.

Firstly why do you need Linux? Linux is for geeks and their geek factor right?

Well the answer is no. Linux is for those who need a peace of mind.

Let’s take an example here.

You come home tired after a long day’s work and all you want to do is sit in front of your computer and relax but as soon as you turn it on you get a message could not find system32 and windows wont start whatever you do.

So you call your system mechanic and he will comes the next day reinstalls windows an charges you a good 500 bucks. Now your system runs fine and also faster than before and all is well again right?

Again the answer is no.

Within a month or two you will experience the same or a new problem and again its 500 bucks gone.

Now you might ask if I mean to say that Linux is problem-free. I would say no to that. At present all Operating Systems do have their own problems but in the case of Linux it is lesser and you will find more stability and configurability. If this is not compelling enough then read on and I am sure you will reconsider.

The live version of openSUSE 10.3 is now available as a GNOME or KDE CD. Both contain the same software as the 1 CD installation versions would provide you with, but as a live version. The live system can be used as a productive system or rescue system. You can also use it to just check out how openSUSE 10.3 runs on your computer without touching your hard drive. The Live CDs are available as 32bit versions in US English only and also contain, for the first time, an install option on the desktop.

This excellent Linux installation guide was written by my friend, “The Trojan” initially on the CHIP forums. So all credits to him, for writing this excellent post(and note that I’ve taken his permission to reproduce it here).

I am writing this down considering the fact that most of the newbies who want to try out Linux or want to make a shift to it or want to use it along side with Windows are afraid of the installation and the “GEEK” status of the Linux OS. I will try to resolve the issues with both the mental fear of geek status of Linux and the small technical fear of a new operating system.

First with the mental fear as it is necessary that you are mentally ready to do something before actually trying it out! So, what is the reason people fear that Linux is tough to use. Well, Linux is not tough to use, its only that it is a bit more difficult to administer it when compared to Windows Operating systems. So first of all, before installing Linux, be ready that you will have to learn new things and some really interesting facts about the real potential of your hardware and its details will be shown to you. The rules of Linux are much different from that of Windows. But there is JUST NO NEED TO BE AFRAID OF LINUX. It will become easier as you keep on using it.

 

 

If you have wanted to encrypt your Ubuntu installation on your hard drive quickly and easily, with Ubuntu 7.10 “Gutsy Gibbon” it’s become even easier now that the alternate installer supports encrypting partitions. However, the Ubuntu 7.10 “Gutsy Gibbon” Ubiquity installer currently lacks LVM and dm-crypt support.

The openSUSE community has created a number of web pages, for the specific purpose of helping newbies.It is definitely worth while for newbie SuSE users to take a look at these (below) openSUSE community URLs, which provide guidance as to how to improve one’s SuSE, to go beyond the initial limitations in the “as delivered” version of SuSE : http://opensuse-community.org/Welcome_to_o…E-Community.org In particular I recommend looking at this page:

Today we are taking a look at the new One-Click Install technology which aims to simplify package management for users. We will see how this is integrated into the openSUSE Build Service and we’ll have a talk with Benjamin Weber, the original author and maintainer of One-Click Install. One-Click Install: Hassle-Free Installation of Software openSUSE contains thousands of packages that are often spread across various repositories. Great places like the Packman project, Guru’s RPM site and of course the openSUSE Build Service provide thousands of packages for openSUSE users.

The first release candidate of Mandriva Linux 2008, codenamed Galilee, is now available. The release notes are also available via the wiki. A guide to major new features (some of which are not yet implemented in this release candidate), and the detailed technical specifications are also available. This release candidate is available as a three CD or one DVD Free edition (containing no non-free software or drivers) for the x86-32 and x86-64 architectures, with a traditional installer, and as a mini-CD edition for both x86-32 and x86-64 architectures.