The Geek Brewery

In some Linux distributions that uses GNOME Desktop Manager such as Ubuntu, an icon of a volume or partition appears on the Desktop whenever you mount them as seen on the screenshot on the left.

Although it was made that way for the easy access of the volume, other people just want to get of rid. At the top of the list are the people who have minimalistic desktops, those who are obsessive-compulsive about their icon arrangements, etc.

Gladly, there’s a very quick hack to do it without the use of any third-party software such as Ubuntu Tweak. To do it, press Alt+F2 to open the Run Application window. Then paste this command:

gconftool -s --type bool /apps/nautilus/desktop/volumes_visible false

That’s it. No restart required! To undo its effect, just negate the false on the command to true.

If you enjoyed this post, you might considering running into my other Linux posts.

Ubuntu 9.04 indeed was the fastest version of Ubuntu I had in my laptop. Before, boot time gradually increased as each version is released. But Jaunty Jackalope broke the trend, it was faster than it’s predecessor Intrepid Ibex.

But the release had a very noticeable annoyance, the Update Manager pops up a couple of times if you don’t have an updated system. It was unlike before when Update Manager only issues a notification on the notification area.

Fortunately, there’s a quick fix for that. Just go to your terminal (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) or press Alt-F2 and paste this:

That quick fix just fixes the annoyance, no side-effects or whatsoever!

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USERS OF PIRATED MICROSOFT WINDOWS, read this!

I’ve used Microsoft Windows as my primary operating system for around eight long years. But last year, I tried Linux. I was so amazed of my experience that I made the switch. I left Windows which was worth big bucks for a free and open source piece of software and never had any regret.

Here are some of the good reasons why switch to Linux!

• We don’t have any virus in the wild, yet. There could be in the future but to date, there is no Linux virus in the wild. In Windows, despite religiously checking removable devices for viruses and making sure the antivirus is turned on, odds are you’ll still get a virus. And once it’s there, there’s no turning back. Your antivirus may delete the infected or infectious file but the damage it made may remain unreversed. You know how tiring it is to reformat a hard disk over and over again just to maintain a clean system!
• There are Linux counterparts of most Windows programs. But if you really can’t find one, you can use Wine (Windows emulator) to run most of your Windows programs.
• It’s far more stable than Windows. Most web servers run on Linux. It’s because Linux is far more stable than Windows server (aside from the cost factor).
• Free support! Windows gives you a perception of support, but with Linux you get real support. For example, you choose Ubuntu – there’s the very reliable Ubuntu Forums. Once you’ve got a problem, chances are another person have asked that problem too. If not, you may ask it and receive answers in a matter of minutes to days.
• It’s ready for the typical desktop user. For the past decade, Linux had a reputation that it’s a “for-geek-only” OS. It’s not true anymore, promise!
• No need to commit another crime! This is applicable especially for those who use pirated copies of Windows. Since most Linux distributions are free, you don’t have to commit another crime!
• There’s Compiz Desktop Effects. You can apply desktop effects to your machine such as Desktop Cube, 3D Windows, Rain, Fire and other astonishing effects even with normal hardware. Also, they don’t eat that much RAM! Below (and one at the top) are some screenshots I took on my screen. I use Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) on my laptop.

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Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope has been released earlier today and a lot of people have actually installed it on their workstations, like me!

Right after installing, I tried updating my repositories (list of packages, correct me if I used the wrong word). I’ve noticed that it stopped updating itself at one point.

You may experience this problem when clicking the Reload button on the Synaptics Package Manager or when shooting the sudo apt-get update command on the terminal.

Here’s a workaround to get it done. Now, all you have to do is to go to System -> Administrative -> Software Sources. On the Ubuntu Software Tab (the default), you will see a download from dropdown box. If you are downloading from the Main Server or your country’s server, try choosing other choices on the Other.

Try reloading the repositories again (or shoot of the sudo apt-get update command. That should work.

Too many people are updating their repositories right now, that’s why Main Server or your country’s local server is not cooperating that well.

If it won’t, then you’ve got to do more Google. Hahaha.

Last month, I decided to have another fresh install of Ubuntu on another partition of my laptop and migrate some of the files and settings on my other Ubuntu installation. I was about to install it but then I remembered that Jaunty Jackalope was a month away. And so, I waited for it!

Finally, after the very long wait, Ubuntu 9.04 will be released tomorrow! For sure, I’ll download myself a downloadable ISO and boot it up on my laptop. I can’t wait to check out the new style for notifications, as seen here.

New features since Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex includes improved boot performance (I need this!!), ext4 support which is rumored to slightly speed up performance on read/write intensive software and many more.

You may download a copy of the operating system once it’s out, or pre-order yourself a FREE (FREE in the sense of free beer) physical CD delivered right on your doorstep!

Yes, it’s an Ubuntu manga! The manga of my current operating system.

The manga was made by Hirosho Seo. The manga was originally in Japanese but it’s already translated in many languages including English. There are also left-to-right editions (unlikie the manga-style right-to-left) for like me who don’t read manga.

You are free to get your copy as it is licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution – NonCommcercial license.

Mikko is back. Mikko, the owner of this blog. Conrad Miguel E. Gozalo’s nickname since birth.

Despite the fact that I regained my laptop and Internet access three days after I posted my Internetless post, it was no enough reason for me to immediately return to blogging. I still had a lot of other things in my priority. And for the first time in my life, I spent more time in my academics more than ever.

Although I get to cut some few classes, my attendance in class is now a lot better than the previous semester. I realized that it’s not as hard as I thought. Last semester, I always pitied those people with 7am class – now I have one every Tuesday and Thursday. It’s the class I never wanted to miss.

Reorganizing my laptop also made me busy. There was this one afternoon that I devoted my time reorganizing the 6 (logical and extended) partitions I have. I reduced it to four – one for my Windows OS, one for Linux, one accessible by both Windows and Linux and finally one for my laptop’s recovery system. It’s a good thing that I have Ubuntu Live CDs, I can edit my partitions using Free and Open Source Software. There was no need for me to download a proprietary software and a keygen to make it work, ilegally.

Not only did I reorganize my partitions, I also reorganized my files. I placed most of my personal documents, photos and videos, installers and music library in my largest partition. It was fun since I rediscovered some long lost files – files I forgot to acknowledge that they existed. One thing I discovered during the cleanup was that I had hundreds of photos of myself in my laptop. It made me remember of the days when I still had moustache slash facial hair as seen above. Months ago, I trimmed them off as a response to my siter’s request. Below are my pictures after I shaved (or shove) them off.

Another thing that bugged me was my attempt to migrate from Photoshop to GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), a Free and Open Source Software. It was not easy for me, being a Photoshop user for 5 years. Gladly, my will to go open source helped me a lot in the process. I think of it as wearing a new apparel, of course you don’t expect that the pockets are on the same exact place. They could be on any other place.

Some pictures from the fitting room

Now that I’m back, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. UPCAT Results 2009 is expected to be out this January. I’ve got a lot of optimization to do. I’m also planning of making a new theme for this blog, nah nah. Another thing I learned during my blog hiatus was that it gave me passive income. Not so big, but decent — for doing nothing.

Lately, I have been trying to amaze myself doing some weird stuff on Linux. Gladly, I thought of connecting my mobile phone to my Linux-running laptop for Internet.

I’d like to share it in case anyone might be concerned on how to do so.

Prerequisites

1. A Bluetooth, GPRS and/or 3G (but preferably with 3G) capable mobile phone.
2. A machine with a Bluetooth adapter.
3. Bluez Bluetooth GNOME applet (the Bluetooth icon on your system tray).
   1. If not installed, may be obtained by typing sudo apt-get bluez-gnome.

This works pretty well on my Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron and Linux Mint 5.0 installation.

Here’s how to do it:

1. First of all, enable Bluetooth for the mobile phone and workstation (laptop, desktop, etc). Make sure both devices are discoverable.
2. On your workstation’s terminal (on Ubuntu, go to Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal), type hcitool scan .
3. You should see your mobile phone’s name and address.
4. Now, let’s bind your device to rfcomm. Type sudo rfcomm bind /dev/rfcomm0 <replace_this_with_address_of_device> <replace_with_channel> .
   1. Replace <replace_this_with_address_of_device> with the address you obtained from hcitool scan (the ones on the left of your phone's name).
   2. Try the values 1, 2 or 3 for <replace_with_channel>. In case the whole process doesn’t work, just unbind your device to rfcomm by typing sudo rfcomm unbind rfcomm0 and repeating the whole process again with another value.
5. After doing so, click on the network icon in your system tray (near the clock) and choose manual configuration. Unlock it with your password. Change the settings of point-to-point connection by double-clicking the option.
6. Check “Enable this connection”.
7. Choose GPRS/UMTS as Connection Type. Change access point name to “internet” without the doublequotes. For account data, just enter any username and password.
8. On the second tab named “Modem”, type /dev/rfcomm0 to modem port field.
9. On the third tab, check “Set modem as default route to internet” and “Use the internet service providers’ nameservers”.
10. Hit OK.
11. Now, check the checkbox of point-to-point connection.
12. By this time, you should have an internet connection on your workstation. If it doesn’t work, repeat the process. Note to try other channels (described in the fourth step).

That’s all. Hope it works.

Hey guys, it’s now almost a week since I moved to Linux. And yeah, as I always say, it was fun — really fun.

I am an eight-year Windows user. In short, I grew up with Microsoft and other proprietary software. It is only at this stage of my life that I decided to go open-source. To go for something that is for a greater cause.

I admit that it was a bit hard for me to adjust to the new environment especially when using the terminal (Command Prompt or MS DOS in Windows). It took me time to study the terminal codes just so to look cool and geeky.

Now, ideas are scrambling on my mind. So now, I am making this nonsugarcoated review. A real, authentic and genuine review from an eight-year Windows user.

Machine Specifications

Operating System: Linux Mint (Ubuntu derivative)
Processor: AMD Turion 64 X2 (1.9GHz dual-core)
Memory: 2GB
Dedicated Video Memory: 64MB
Video Memory (Dedicated+Shared): 399MB
Hard Disk: 120GB 5400rpm

Linux Mint is a great Linux distribution for first-timers like me. It contains most of the codecs required to play your typical audio and video files. It is also equipped with the necessary players for your multimedia needs.

On my system, Linux Mint was so far stable. Seldom do I experience program crashes. It was swift, even with Advanced Desktop Effects enabled.

If you’re worrying about office applications, it is equipped with OpenOffice. You may have tried OpenOffice before and categorized it as a Loser as I did before. But hey, I recommend you to reconsider your prejudgment. Why don’t you give it another try? I used OpenOffice for most of the House Council works. Also, is the only complete Office suite I knew that has the feature (without using a PDF printer) to produce PDF files. How cool is that? It’s also open-source, so you have the freedom to modify, redistribute, copy and study the software without breaking applicable laws. No more need to commit another crime.

Interfacewise, it is really good — better than Windows shall I say. Desktop effects were astonishing. You could choose different animations for minimizing, maximizing, opening and closing windows. For me, the Desktop Cube was the coolest of them all. Check the screenshots below, how cool is that?

If you think you ain’t geek enough to install software in Linux, that’s definitely not a problem. Linux Mint is equipped with Synaptics Package Manager. Just open it, mark everything you need and click Apply. The marked software will be downloaded for you and installed in no time.

So that not to make this review as praiseful and 100% positive, I really had problems when I tried to do some coding work. Before, I used Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 for my PHP, xHTML and CSS needs. I tried to use Bluefish, a software I downloaded using Synaptics Package Manger but it was really different. It was harder than I thought. I was cramming an app and so what I did was restarted my laptop and booted up my Windows Vista and voila, Dreamweaver is back! As to achieve my goal of migrating all my tasks to Linux, I am now looking for a great alternatve. Gladly I saw this site Osalt.com, a site that offers Open-Source alternatives for proprietary software like Dreamweaver.

I’m running out of time. Before I end this one, I’m gonna show you my ultimate favorite in Linux. It’s the wonderful Terminal equipped with Fortunes. It gives you random jokes/quotes/foresights everytime you open a Terminal windows/tab. Oh, before I forget, you can tab out (open multiple tabs) Terminal. Some screenshots:

That’s all. Anyway, I think I found my Dreamweaver alternative. It’s Quanta Plus!!

I am now on Linux.

This will be my first blog entry I will be writing on Linux. I have just installed Linux Mint, a Ubuntu (Linux distribution) derivative. I’m liking it – especially the desktop effects.

One of the problems, probably the biggest, I had while configuring my laptop for Linux is my wireless network adapter driver. I do have Broadcom BCM4312 – which did not work with the native generic driver provided by the distribution. The “Windows Wireless Drivers” did not work for me so I had to search for other solutions. I ended up tired of it and so I sought the help of some UnPLUGgers.

I’ll be posting screenshots of my wonderful Linux on Laptop soon so keep updated.