LinuxTracker

Review – Kubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala)

By: Steve Taylor Realizing that this review may be read by more than a few Linux/Unix geeks, I'll get some key points out of the way first... I've been on Linux (off and on) for about 10 years now, but I'm not an expert at using it. I do know some ways to “coax” the system to do what I want it, or need it to do but I would classify myself as a computer user, not a 'leet' hacker or some such. Also, this review has been written from a mainstream user standpoint, as I've had over 20 years of using computers under multiple operating systems at a time, and much prefer using them to get things done, versus fiddling around with the system on a regular basis. So with that groundwork laid, I'll talk about the current Kubuntu version, and what usefulness I've been able to get out of it so far. All those years ago, I jumped in the deep end and started using Slackware on my very first laptop. Early on, I found that I really preferred the GUI side of things a lot more than the terminal/command line, and that's when I discovered the KDE graphical environment. After trying, and liking Gnome, Black Box, Enlightenment, and the sort, I always went right back to KDE. The same thing happened when I (finally) installed and used the Debian flavor of Linux (the APT packaging system is nothing short of elegant and lovely, after all ;-) ). So, by ...

Linux 101: Updating Your System

Originally Posted at Linux.com By: Jack Wallen Many years ago, when I first began with Linux, installing applications and keeping a system up to date was not an easy feat. In fact, if you wanted to tackle either task you were bound for the command line. For some new users this left their machines outdated or without applications they needed. Of course, at the time, most everyone trying their hand at Linux knew they were getting into something that would require some work. That was simply the way it was. Fortunately times and Linux have changed. Now Linux is exponentially more user friendly - to the point where so much is automatic and point and click that today's Linux hardly resembles yesterday's Linux.But even though Linux has evolved into the user-friendly operating system it is, there are still some systems that are fundamentally different than their Windows counterparts. So it is always best to understand those systems in order to be able to properly use those system. Within the confines of this article you will learn how to keep your Linux system up to date. In the process you might also learn how to install an application or two.There is one thing to understand about updating Linux: Not every distribution handles this process in the same fashion. In fact, some distributions are distinctly different down to the type of file types they use for package management. Ubuntu and Debian use .debFedora, SuSE, and Mandriva use .rpmSlackware uses .tgz archives which contain pre-built ...

Setting Up Transmission-Daemon To Use With Remote GUI In Ubuntu And Debian

Originally posted at WebUpD8.org I have played a lot with rTorrent and wTorrent (which I've already posted how to set up) and also ruTorrent and various Web UIs for rTorrent but I've came to the conclusion that the best way (for me at least) for remote Bittorrent download is Transmission Remote GUI - I've been using it for a few days now and love it. Please note that I've only tested it on a remote Debian server but I've adapted everything for Ubuntu so it should work for it too.In this article, I will cover installing and configuring transmission-daemon in a headless (but should work on a normal Debian / Ubuntu install too) Debian or Ubuntu machine.transmisson-remote-gui is feature rich cross platform (works on Windows, Linux and Mac OSX) front-end to remotely control Transmission daemon via its RPC protocol. It is faster and has more functionality than build-in Transmission web interface.Transmission Remote GUI features: * Native application for Windows and Linux (GTK2) * uTorrent-like interface * Select files to download * Choose files priority * View details about connected peers * Full information about each torrent * Per torrent optionsInstall TransmissionTo run transmission-daemon, you need to install transmission-cli, transmission-common and transmission-daemon. Please note that I have tested this on the latest transmission-cli (1.76).Installing Transmission 1.76 in UbuntuFor Ubuntu Karmic, you can use GetDeb, so add the GetDeb repository (simply run this .deb package to add it).For older Ubuntu version (but also works for Karmic), add the following PPA repository:sudo sh -c ...

How to turn a spare Linux machine into a media server

Linux is brilliant at serving files. It's this ability that keeps the enterprise world turning to Linux for its heavy lifting jobs and that keeps the world Googling 24/7. But it's just as good at serving files from a computer tucked away under the stairs or stuck in the loft, and a server in your house is now becoming an essential accessory. Mobile phones, games consoles and even televisions are rapidly developing the ability to read, display and play files held on a media centre PC, and Linux is the perfect free software solution. All you need is a relatively low-powered PC, a decent amount of storage and somewhere safe to hide it. 1. Install the software We've chosen to use Ubuntu Server Edition for two reasons. First, it's the same distribution that most people know and love, only optimised for use on a server. Second, you still have access to exactly the same packages and repositories as you do with with the desktop version, which makes installing and using software easy. Put the disc into the machine you want to use as the server and select your language followed by 'Install Ubuntu Server'. Unlike the desktop version, there's no graphical installer. Instead you'll need to choose your configuration settings from the pages of options that appear throughout the installer. Don't let this put you off; there aren't any questions that can't easily be answered, and the installation is effectively no different from a standard desktop installation. The first question ...

How To Recover GRUB2 [Linux]

Originally posted at WebUpD8.org Starting with Ubuntu Karmic, Grub2 is used (for clean installs for now), so THIS how-to on recovering the GRUB no longer works for the new GRUB2.But recovering GRUB2 (after breaking the GRUB2 or installing Windows - which breaks GRUB2, etc.) is just as easy. Here is what you need to doNote: This tutorial should work for any Linux distribution which uses GRUB2, not just Ubuntu.You need a live CD of Ubuntu Karmic (Lucid will work too - or any other Linux distribution which uses Grub2) from which you need to boot. Once you boot to the LIVE CD, open a terminal an and type these commands:a) Firstly, you need to find out on which partition your Linux system is installed:sudo fdisk -l(in my case, it's "sda1")b) Now, we must mount this partition:sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mntWhere "sda1" is the partition where you installed Ubuntu (or any other Linux distro). It could be "sda5", "sda6", etc. for you.c) Install grub to the partition you've mounted:sudo grub-install -–root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sdaImportant: Please notice that it's "/dev/sda", not "/dev/sda1". "sda" is the hard disk on which your Linux distribution is installed!d) Restart your computer. As previous Grub2 entries are removed, run the following command to restore them:sudo update-grubHere is all the process (without step "d)" which takes place after restart) in a single screenshot:And a final note: I have tested this in VirtualBox by breaking my GRUB2 and then mounting a Live Ubuntu CD and it all went very smooth.[via mundogeek]