Category Archives: Linux Tips

RepoGen: how to create and keep up-to-date your Software Sources on Ubuntu 8.04, 8.10, 9.04 and 9.10!

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This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we added a post about a new fantastic online service to manage and add software sources to your Sources List (System – Administration – Software Sources). Adding the right repository sources in Ubuntu is essential for a more practical and fast management of your OS. In fact, using the correct sources list you can be sure that your system is always updated and safe. RepoGen has been created for all these reasons. It also automatically compiles all the necessary GPG keys and you have just to add them (one by one) running the suggested command in the Terminal. We tested RepoGen on two different PCs running both Ubuntu 8.04 & Ubuntu 9.04 and were able to update our Software Sources in less of 15 minutes and without discovering a single problem. To conclude we strongly believe that RepoGen is an online service that can help you to save a lot of time and keep your Ubuntu always up-to-date! Strongly recommended! AddThis mp3 link

Skype 2.1.0.47 beta released!

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Today, in our Linux Page (in Spanish), we posted some brief information about the new Linux beta version of Skype (2.1.0.47). The updated Skype distribution contains a new chat feature with an integrated SMS service. Also the audio and video codecs have been developed and a bluetooth option has been added. This beta release seems to be very stable and we hadn’t any problems during our tests. Skype released different versions related to main Linux distributions: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, OpenSuse and a very useful tar.bz2 for all the other Linux versions. Recommended! AddThis mp3 link

How to repair Flash on Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty

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This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish), we have written some easy instructions to repair the flash plugin on Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty. In fact, after a brand new install on my Acer Aspire Athlon X2 I had big problems in visualizing Flash contents on Firefox 3. I tried to reinstall the plugin different times but the result did not change. Finally, reading a page in ubuntuforums.org I find the right solution for my problem. First of all you have to open Synaptic Package Manager (in System – Administration) and remove all the swfdec packages (in my case swfdec -mozilla and swfdec -gnome). Then, using the Terminal you have to type sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree. Now you restart Firefox and Flash contents will be available again. We believe that this solution is really fast and practical but if you know a better one which could permit us not to install non free code please let us know. AddThis mp3 link

Alien-GUI: an useful software tool to grafically convert deb and tar packages to RPM

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Today, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we added a brief news about Alien-GUI which is an interesting software developed to grafically (and automatically) convert tar, deb in RPM. As you already know, RPM is the package manager used to install software on different Linux system as (but not only) Mandriva, Fedora, Red Hat and Suse. Before installing Alien GUI, it is necessary to install Alien directly from Synaptics Package Manager (System – Administration). Alien GUi is very simple to use thanks to its intuitive graphic interface and it passed our test when we use it on a Mandriva. To sum up Alien Gui is a useful tool that sometimes could help all us to fastly solve some package compatibility problems in just few clicks. Recommended! AddThis mp3 link

How to install Ubuntu Tweak and Moblock on Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty

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Today , in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we posted a brief review about installing Ubuntu Tweak and Moblock on Ubuntu 9.04. We have read different websites on these topics but the best are the official ones that we advise you to visit them:
http://ubuntu-tweak.com/downloads for Ubuntu Tweak and
http://moblock-deb.sourceforge.net/ for Moblock.
Ubuntu Tweak is the most flexible graphical interface to configure desktop and system options on your Jaunty. On the other side,Moblock is a powerful software to protect your privacy when you surf internet and it is based on a huge list of IP address which are not considered as friendly.
We strongly believe that the most efficient solution is to add the sources on your Software Sources (System – Administration – Software Sources); for Ubuntu Tweak:
1 – using Terminal, import the key sudo apt-key adv –recv-keys –keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com FE85409EEAB40ECCB65740816AF0E1940624A220
2 – import the source on the Software Sources

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu jaunty main

3 – install Ubuntu Tweak (using Terminal)
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-tweak
To add Moblock in your sources it is necessary:
1 – import the keys, using Terminal
gpg –keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com –recv-keys 9C0042C8
gpg –export –armor 9C0042C8 | sudo apt-key add –
2 – import the source on the Software Sources
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/jre-phoenix/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/jre-phoenix/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
3 – install Moblock (using Terminal)
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude install moblock blockcontrol mobloquer

Recommended! AddThis mp3 link

How to activate Ctrl+Alt+Backspace on your Linux OS

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Today, in our Linux Page, we posted a brief tip (in Spanish) about Ctrl+Alt+Backspace function and how to activate it by default. Ctrl+Alt+Backspace is very useful when you want to change your user or restart Xorg without shutting down your PC. To activate the Ctrl+Alt+Backspace function it is necessary to launch the Terminal and type:

$ sudo aptitude install dontzap -y

and, to activate the keyboard, just:

$ sudo dontzap -disable (yes, it is strange but -disable- is the right command)

Something useful!  mp3 link

AHTEC Lug N011 and Eeebuntu: a perfect sinergy!

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This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish), we have posted a brief review about eeebuntu and the netbook Lug N011 produced by AHTEC. In fact after some different tests, Frank has really appreciated the results obtained by joining the netbook version of eeebuntu and the Lug N011 in terms of stability and hardware compatibility. Eeebuntu recognized immediately the lan card without the need of any specific drivers ad it was possible to utilize the wi-fi connection. Eeebuntu has been release in three different versions. The first one, the most famous is the Netbook we have used for our tests with the Lug N011, moreover the second version is the standard eeebuntu which contains all the software we are used to finding on the Ubuntu distribution. Last but not least, we tested also the Base version which contains just the basic software and features and, also in this case, we did not find relevant problems. Recommended especially for all the people using a AHTEC Lug N011! AddThis mp3 link

How to install Easy Peasy (in dual boot mode) on a SDHC card (eee pc 900)

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This week in our Linux Page (in Spanish) , we added a brief "manual" about installing Easy Peasy as secondary OS, on an eee pc 900. Before, we tried the installation of eeebuntu but the installation failed because the Install feature is not able to recognize the SDHC card. First of all you have to create a live USB with Easy Peasy using Unetbootin . Then you have to change the bootup BIOS on your PC. In this way, eee pc will boot up Easy Peasy directly. Once running, Easy Peasy will automatically run the "Install it" feature. Easy Peasy was the only OS which was able to read the SDHC and to offer the opportunity to install it directly on the card. You will need about 30-40 minutes to complete the installation. After that it is better to restart the system. Then, we suggest to update Easy Peasy using "Update Manager"; in fact you will discover more than 140 updates ready to be installed. Unfortunately, after updating the OS our Easy Peasy does not recognize the camera and we hope to be able to add some more information about possible solutions during the next days. Last but not least, we also suggest to deselect Ubiquity from the boot up using Preferences – Sessions – Startup Programs and you will not be annoyed by the Install feature each time you boot up your eee pc. Enjoy! AddThis mp3 link

Use chkrootkit to fight against rare (but always possible) rootkits on your Linux PCs!

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This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish), we would like to focus your attention on chkrootkit, an interesting software for Linux which can really help you to detect malicious rootkits on your Linux PC. Unfortunately, the last update we have found on the chkrootkit homepage is dated December 2007 but we hope to see a new release during the 2009. To check if you have chkrootkit already installed, type chkrootkit on you Terminal:

desktop:~$ chkrootkit

and you certainly will receive this message:
The program ‘chkrootkit’ is currently not installed.  You can install it by typing:
sudo apt-get install chkrootkit

Follow the above instructions and you will be ready to execute the software just typing:

sudo chkrootkit

Please, note that, at our first scan on Ubuntu 8.10, we found a false positive:

Checking `sniffer’… lo: not promisc and no packet sniffer sockets

eth0: PACKET SNIFFER(/sbin/dhclient3[4835])

Do not worry! This (unfortunately frequent) false positive has already been discussed by the community at

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=556517

and

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=270340

If you know other good anti-rootkits, please be so kind, to add a comment on this post. We are really interested to discover new “security software” (especially anti-rootkit) for Linux machines! AddThis mp3 link

Instantbird: the best cross platform and multi-protocol instant messaging client on the market now!

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This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we have posted a brief post about Instantbird which could be actually considered as the most complete and flexible software to manage all your instant messenger client you normally use (IRC, ICQ, AIM, SIMPLE, SILC, YAHOO, MySpaceIM, XMPP, Sametime, Google, etc..). Moreover Instantbird is completely free, open source and cross platform so you can use it on every PC you have (also at work). We have tested Istantbird for a couple of weeks, without stressing it too much, and we really did not find any bugs so we are really satisfied from the results. Frankly speaking, this software does not contain any “revolutionary” new feature but it can be considered as the state of the art software in its category; something everyone has to benchmark if he (or she) is planning to develop a new instant messaging client! Recommended! AddThis mp3 link