Tag Archives: tips

Online Tools for pdf files

If you need to quickly modify pdf documents on-line (e.g. before forwarding them), you cannot have access to your laptop and you don’t have the Administrator privileges on the computer you are using, you could be interested on the features offered by http://www.ilovepdf.com.

PRO: This website works without the need to install particular “interfaces” on your computer, it doesn’t seem to be invasive and the results, for my experience, are good. Moreover, it offers a real interesting bunch of features to “modify” and convert pdf documents.

CONS: It uses only HTTP protocol and, in any case, is an “unknown third party” so remember to not share any OFYE documents with them.

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Why the fear over ubiquitous data encryption is overblown

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The Ultimate Guide to Making Firefox Faster

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Internet.org will ‘wall in’ impoverished web users in two-tier system

Hibernate for Ubuntu

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Since the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS the hibernate icon disappeared as possible option at the shutdown. It is not a big loss if you are not used to use (or overuse) it as I often do. Personally I think that the hibernate feature is really useful when you want to freeze your computer maintaining all the windows -and the work- you are working on at a precise moment.

Ubuntu decided to “cut” this particular command from its GUI because it registered a remarkable number of problems caused by hardware conflicts in modern computers.

If you use Ubuntu and you think that hibernate could till be useful for you (especially during busy working days), it is possible to insert again this specific feature as GUI on your Desktop.

First of all you have to test if your computer contains the right hardware for “hibernate” so open Terminal and type:

sudo pm-hibernate

The computer will hibernate itself but you have to reboot it to understand if hibernate worked properly in your case.

I hope (as it was for my PC) that all has gone well. In this case you can start to create the dedicated icon on your upper bar.

Before of starting it’s necessary to understand that the hibernate command will use the SWAP partition to save your temporarily data. Usually it is recommended to have a SWAP partition with, at least, the double of space of your RAM.

So I suggest to install Gparted to check the SWAP space and, only if necessary, increase your SWAP partition reducing the primary partition. Please, do this only after you safely backup all the data in your computer because this procedure could be risky if you are doing it for the first time and you have not enough experience:

sudo apt-get install gparted

Open a Terminal and install gedit and gksu (if you don’t have them already installed on your machine) typing:

sudo apt-get install gksu && sudo apt-get install gedit

Then type:

sudo gksu gedit /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/com.ubuntu.enable-hibernate.pkla

Now a blank gedit document, named enable-hibernate.pkla will appear on your screen.

Copy and paste the following text to “compile” it:

[Enable Hibernate]

Identity=unix-user:*

Action=org.freedesktop.upower.hibernate

ResultActive=yes

Save it and reboot your computer.

A new icon will appear on the right corner of the upper bar. When you click on it, a Terminal window will appear asking for the system password. Type it and click on Return and your PC will immediately hibernate.

Good busy working days!

—————-

References:

http://www.howtogeek.com/113923/how-to-re-enable-hibernate-in-ubuntu-12.04/

http://askubuntu.com/questions/49095/how-do-i-add-more-swap-easily-so-that-i-can-hibernate-my-laptop#49162

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwapFaq

http://askubuntu.com/questions/29783/so-what-is-the-reason-behind-the-claim-that-you-need-at-least-as-much-swap-area#29809

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Five tools to help you set up a kiosk

Update from Fedora 18 to 20 or 21 in few simple clicks and without (I hope) problems!

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Fedora 21 Sometimes simple things become hard problems. This happened to me when I discovered that my Fedora 18 OS was obsolete (very old indeed) and I tried to upgrade it to the Fedora 20 version.

Fedora 18 doesn’t support the automatic OS upgrade so I had to spend some hours to find information on Internet and create the right DIY solution for my case. At the end of my little (sic!) research I discovered that I was able not only able to upgrade the PC to Fedora 20 but I also found a good “trick” to upgrade to the latest Fedora 21 following in just a couple of steps with the help of fedup and some other escamotages.

This is how I succeed…

First, you have to open a Terminal and type:

su

init 3

but you will immediately leave the Fedora GUI and so it’s better if you write the below commands on an -old style, paper notepad- to be sure to have all the right information in you hands and correctly manage the upgrade from Fedora 18 to Fedora 20

sudo su -

yum update

yum install fedup

fedup-cli --network 20 --nogpgcheck

It’s better to add –nogpgcheck because often you are not able to complete your upgrade for the “old”, “bad saved” gpg key in your system.

reboot

Now, at the boot-up menu (GRUB 2 menu) you have to choose “System Upgrade (Fedup)”.

Then just to be sure you really have an up to date OS, in Terminal, type:

Yum update

If you have problems with one or more of your “old” repositories don’t forget to deconfigure them. In my case I had to launch this command line in Terminal due to skip an old repository and proceed with the upgrade:

yum-config-manager --save --setopt=home_moritzmolch_gencfsm.skip_if_unavailable=true

At this point, to upgrade from Fedora 20 to Fedora 21 you have to open (again) the Terminal and type:

su

fedup --network 21 --product=workstation --nogpgcheck

fedup --network 21 --product=server --nogpgcheck

(if your Fedora version is the server one)

fedup --network 21 --product=cloud --nogpgcheck

(for the Fedora cloud edition for generic virtual machines or Container)

Take it easy and go to bed for a long snap because, in my case, the download took some hours as for 2,577 files to be upgraded…

At the end, as before, you have to Reboot and select “System Upgrade (Fedup)” at the boot-up menu (GRUB 2 menu) and all the necessary files will be installed. Again, take a good book to read while you wait the installation.

Good luck and remind you MUST backup all your data before you start any upgrade because unforeseen risks are always around the corner!

References:

https://ask.fedoraproject.org/en/question/37247/upgrade-fedora-18-to-fedora-20-via-yum-or-fedup/

http://tecadmin.net/steps-to-upgrade-fedora-19-to-20-using-fedup-tool/

http://www.unixmen.com/upgrade-fedora-20-fedora-21-using-fedup/

https://ask.fedoraproject.org/en/question/39558/how-to-remove-a-repository-from-my-system

How to fix monitor problems (bugs?) on Ubuntu 12.04 and later versions – Linux

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Starting from Ubuntu 12.04 we observed different graphics problems with “old” computers. When I say “old” I don’t mean obsolete hardware but PC with not more than three years of usage.

Many problems were especially noticed in systems with dual monitors or involving laptops. In few words, Ubuntu was not able to keep and memorize the correct video settings and it was necessary to set-up monitors configuration almost each time you logged on your OS. If you have the same problem and you are surfing the net to fix this “bug” don’t forget to search for solutions strictly connected to the laptop or graphic card you are really using. In fact in our experience there are more than few solutions possible and what it’s resolving for some hardware could become a real mess for different (but similar) machines.

The risk of damaging Ubuntu graphical interface while you try to fix the laptop – dual monitors problem is high. Or it has been in our experience because after some tests we were just able to use Ubuntu through the old line way in its safe mode boot. In any way, in our experience (IBM Thinkpad T43 and a HP L1950g monitor using Ubuntu 12.04 LTS with MATE as graphical interface) we solved all the matter just using Terminal and typing:

 sudo apt-get update

and

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

We are not able to explain why it works but it really fixed the bug. Probably, in one of the previous update one or more libraries conflicted with Ubuntu 12.04 configuration generating all the mess we fought against during the past months.

So, if you want to test our solution on your PC, do it at your risk, and type:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop

sudo apt-get install --reinstall xubuntu-desktop

sudo apt-get install --reinstall kubuntu-desktop

sudo apt-get install --reinstall lubuntu-desktop

If you want to reinstall all (k)ubuntu-desktop dependencies:

sudo apt-cache depends ubuntu-desktop | awk -F ":" '{print $2}' | sed '/^$/d' | xargs sudo apt-get install --reinstall --install-recommends --yes

Don’t forget to choose your favourite k-x-l-u-buntu-desktop when you type all the above code in just one line and !

Good luck!…. and touch wood while you fix this really annoying bug…..

WordPress as search engine

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Are you starving for information or “really new news”? Why don’t you try to use wordpress.com as search engine? This feature, normally not well-known by many people, let you to dig deep into all the blogs hosted on wordpress.com. Just type a keyword and you will be able to find related news into all the posts or comments in just few seconds. Easy to use and reliable for all that people (like me) who still believe in blogs as ideas incubators.

Save your status, energy and time using the Hibernate shutdown option on Windows XP

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Usually, when you shut down your Linux OS, you have the option to Hibernate your computer. Using this option you are 100% sure that, when you power-on again your PC, you will find exactly the same programs, browser tabs and system configuration you. In Windows XP you have the same option but often it is hidden. If you have access to your XP computer as Administrator, you can follow the following instruction to restore it: Start —> Control Panel —> Power Options. Find the Hibernate tab and then click on Enable Hibernation. That’s it!