Tag Archives: Linux

Linux on Laptops!

This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we added a brief post about www.linux-on-laptops.com: a very useful website where you can find tons of useful information about the best Linux version for your laptop. Linux-on-laptops is graphically very poor but the information it contains are terrific; in fact you just select your laptop brand and in a new webpage you are able to find all the laptop models related to that specific brand. With a couple of clicks you select your favourite Linux OS and you are redirect to external webpages and blogs where you receive all the necessary information to quick install that specific Linux version on your laptop. In a week time we made many tests and we found all the infos we were looking for. Moreover, linux-on-laptops is really updated with the most recent laptop models and Linux versions. Recommended!

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!

How to recover your accounts and password on Windows using a Linux Live CD: Ophcrack

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Today, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we posted a post about Ophcrack: a Linux Live CD which allows you to recover your Windows password when you forgot them. Sincerely, the described above situation is not common but it could really happen especially when you do not use a PC for some time or if you want to help a friend who is not so skilled with its own computer. Ophcrack is easy to use, sufficiently fast and effective. I tested it to recover some passwords on an old laptop and the results were very interesting; in fact I was able to recover password from accounts I totally forgot to own. Useful! This post has been written just for informative purpose! Please, remind that you are directly responsible for any law violation you commit in case of misuse of the information contained above.

Mojopack 2.0: a software to create a portable Windows XP VS Damn Small Linux

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Today, in our Freeware Page, we have posted a brief review about Mojopack a free (for 90 days, sic!) software which allows to bring your personal OS (with all the configurations) practically everywhere with you. To use Mojopac you need a working Windows XP OS, an USB portable disk or key and the Mojopac software. After the download, you can install it on your USB key in just few minutes. Mojopac works sufficiently silky on USB 2 connections but if you have time and are very patient you can use it with USB 1.1 ports. Last but not least, be sure to have administrator access privileges but some new versions, able to solve this problem, are in the plans. On the other hand we want to focus your attention on Damn Small Linux which is 100% free and can be intalled on CD, DVD, USB devices or simply embedded on your Windows XP computer. After some tests we really preferred this Linux solution because is completely free and very intuitive to use after just a couple of hours. Recommended!

How to test Moblin 2.0 beta – an experimental Linux OS, optimized for Netbook and Mobile Internet Devices (MID).

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Today, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we posted a brief tutorial about the beta version of Moblin: a new Linux OS, -by the Linux Foundation and supported by Intel to increase the diffusion of its Atom processor- which has been developed especially for MID and Netbooks. Moblin, in its Beta version looks stable and full of features (Wimax included) and it is in constant development. At the moment we suggest to test it on a USB key. For this, after dowloading the .img file we can us imageWriter (Applications – Accessories – ImageWriter). If you need to install ImageWriter, please use Synaptics (System – Administration – Synaptics Package Manager) and in the search file type usb-imagewriter and install this program using the right button on your mouse. In our opinion, Moblin 2.0 beta, is realy well developed, all the menus are intuitive and easy to use and the graphics is more than sufficient. At the moment Moblin guys are testing this new version on Acer Aspire One, Asus eeePC 901, 1000H, Dell Mini 9, MSI Wind, Lenovo S10, Samsung NC10, HP Mini 1010 and 1120NR and we hope they could extend the Netbooks models in the near future. Recommended!

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!

How to install the Linux version of Cooliris add-on in Firefox 3.1

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This week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) , we posted a brief post to focus your attention on Cooliris in its, not well known, Linux version. In fact on Linux, you are not always allowed to install directly Cooliris as Firefox add-on and the same happens when you try to install Cooliris using the Firefox Add-on official webpage In this case, the only solution we have, is represented by surfing on the Cooliris homepage and click on the Linux version in the Downloads Page. The xpi file will be immediately opened and in just few clicks it is installed. Cooliris allows you to search videos, images and photographs in many sites (Google Image Search, YouTube, Flickr, Hulu, online retailers, and other sites), watch them on a 3D wallpaper or on a full-screen slideshow using the toggle button. This program contains also an interesting bunch of channels as News, Sport, Photos of the day, Music Videos, Comedy, etc.. UsingCooliris you can also share your multimedia stuff with friends or keep them in your Favorites. At the moment this Linux version of Cooliris runs on Firefox 3.1+ using Ubuntu 8.04+, Fedora 10.0+ or OpenSuse 11+. Recommended!

Ext2fsd: an useful freeware to manage Linux partitions when running Windows

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Nowadays it is common to find PCs with more than one OS installed. Normally, when on a Linux OS, it is very simple to access Windows partitions and copy, create, delete or transfer files. Rarely, it could be also necessary to access Linux partitions (ext2 or ext3) from Windows OS but this operation it is not simple to manage. After some web-searches we have found a light and simple program which instantly allows to use Linux partitions as local disks: Ext2Fsd. In our Freeware Page we have posted a brief review about this freeware which is very simple to install (as usual we suggest to reboot your computer after the installation) and in just few clicks you will be ready to manage your Linux hard disks. We tested Ext2Fsd for a couple of weeks and we actually were satisfied from the results; in fact we have never registered any bug and all the writing – copying – deleting tasks were executed in a 100% proper way. Obviously, if you need to access a Linux partition, you are a purist and you do not want to use a Windows OS you can use a Linux Live CD. Potentially useful.

How to easily check HD health using a cross platform software: GSmartControl 0.8.3

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GSmartControl is a multiplatform (Windows, OS X, Linux) freeware drive health inspection tool which is very useful in all that case when you think something is not working perfectly on your HD. Today, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we have posted a brief comment about this software which basically is the graphical user interface for smartct. The program is very intuitive and easy to use; it automatically detects all your internal HDs (with some external USB disks we had some problems because they were detected as unknown) and let you decide if you want to activate the SMART feature. This particular feature let you “predict certain kinds of failures with certain chance of success” so you have a better chance to avoid HD crashes and all the consequent data loss. If you prefer, clicking on the “Enable Auto Offline Data Collection” the HDs will be tested every four hours without impacting your CPU performance. I would like to focus your attention that GSmartControl is very well developed and it is possible to download many “personalized” versions for all the main Linux distributions, OS X and Windows. Last but not least, do not forget that SMART could predict some HD crashes but it is not 100% safe; for this reason we strongly recommend you to backup your PCs, at least every week!

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!