Tag Archives: linux

Windows and Linux on Your Computer Part 1

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I wrote this as a general guideline for a project I am part of. This is a brief overview of Linux and Windows, and some simple suggestions for safer computing. Because I prefer Linux, it may appear to be a little biased. At the end are weekly tasks that everyone should attend to on their computer to keep it operating at its best.

Windows and Linux on Your Computer

As you have now installed Linux your computer, you will have seen a menu on the screen for a few seconds. This is the boot menu allowing you to choose between Linux and Windows operating systems. If you did not choose an option, by default you didn’t end up in Windows, but at the logon screen in Linux. Your computer is now two computers. You have a normal Windows computer you are used to using, and the default Linux computer.

Linux is an operating system like Windows, only Linux is better in many areas. Linux [generally speaking] does not get viruses, malware, or spyware like Windows. Linux will not slow down as Windows can from all the junk various Web Sites install or place on your computer.

Instead of a ‘My Documents’ folder Linux uses a file folder named ‘Home’. Inside the Home folder there is a folder with your user name and in that folder are (usually) more folders already created where you can store your files, or you can create folders of your own.

If you have other other users of your computer and you want to, in Linux, each person can have their own ‘Home Folder’ for their own files and settings. Each person only has their folders and settings and Linux looks they way they want it to. Users can also place files in a shared folder where any other person can see, open, and work with them.

In Linux you can burn CD’s, DVD’s, listen to music, watch movies, im, chat, and everything else you can think of doing. Software for doing these tasks is [generally] already installed.

You may have Open Office Org, which for general use is compatible with Microsoft Office. There might be minor changes with complex spreadsheets, or highly formatted word documents in Open Office Org, I am not an expert on it. I do my typing in a program like Notepad, so my documents are easily transferred from one computer to another without having multiple word processing programs installed.

With Linux, there are thousands of programs available for use and almost every program you want is free within limits. Because Linux does not easily get viruses and spyware, you don’t have worry about viruses like you do in Windows. You can even use Linux to scan for Viruses on the Windows part of your computer if you wish.

Linux program names are different from windows, some are not as polished, some are way better than their WIndows counterparts, though they all do the same things and more. Internet Standards and Microsoft Office Standards change very slowly, so everything one does in Windows is done in Linux too.

Internet

When using the internet it is best always use Firefox, or another Web Browser. Never use Internet Explorer unless it is absolutely required. Do let anyone else use Internet Explorer unless they have no choice. It is safest for your computer to use Linux and Firefox when on the Internet. Also follow these good habits when browsing the web:

A. If you are on the internet, and a popup tells you need to check something on your computer, click on the red X on the top corner of the pop up window.

B. If a popup asks you if you want to add a toolbar, or search bar, click on the red X on the top right of the pop up window. Never add toolbars or anything that claims to speed up your computer, improve file searches, or speed up downloads. Even if they have no malware or spyware in them, they will slow down your computer. Your computer is already as fast as it is going to get.

C. If a popup asks you to do anything else, click on the red X on the top right of the pop up window.

D. Popup windows from may say you have won something, or a friend is trying to find you, or you have been selected to get a free computer. These popups are trouble for your computer. Always click on the red X on the top right of the pop up window.

E. Never click on the words: ‘Okay’ or ‘Close’ in a popup window. Sometimes it does not mean Okay or Close, but means install a virus. All the programmer of the popup has to do is change the meaning of the ‘Okay or Close’ button to install a virus if the button is clicked on.

F. You should not use file sharing programs in Windows or Linux. File Sharing Programs use your computer whenever it is connected to the internet, slowing down your computer. Many of the files you get through file sharing programs have viruses embedded in them. File sharing types of programs use your computer as a mini server, partially taking control of your computer to both manage and send files to others, even when you are not using the program itself. You agreed to share your processor power on install.

If you do use file sharing programs, you are very likely to get a virus and eventually you won’t be able to use your Windows computer. Your Linux computer will should work as well as it did when you first turned it on because it does not have these issues with the big exception you are sharing your computer with the world as  a mini server.

Programs on Your Linux computer

The Linux distribution on your computer was chosen because it is almost like Windows. It is lightweight and suitable for older Computers too. When you use Linux you will find most programs do the same things Windows programs do, and more.

I put a number of games in the games section so there are lots of games to play. mostly they are educational in one sense or other. There are the other menu options too, same as Windows. Remember If you get on the internet using Linux, you can not get viruses, or otherwise harm your computer.

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Intel High Definition Audio and Alsa in Linux

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If you, like me recently have purchased a new Laptop or Desktop with Intel High Definition Audio and use Linux, you are possibly more than a little frustrated with the silence.

I tried three of the top five distributions and my new Laptop remained mute even though all the outputs from various posted references appeared to show all was as it should be. The biggest discrepancy I could find was a rev difference between two Alsa files in one distribution that possibly may have been the cause of no sound problem per the web comments I found. Due to the fact, that three popular Linux distros had the same problem, I decided it was a not the reason for no sound.

Having thought about what was happening and remembering this happening in the past, I decided I might know what the problem was. In the not too distant past, it was not uncommon for Linux to not be able to use the latest and questionably greatest components. Sometimes, if you were an average user, you had to wait until someone with more knowledge than yourself bought the same hardware and either wrote or updated a driver to use it.

Such is the case with Intel High Definition Audio on my  Sony model vpceb23fm Laptop with an i3 processor, and other similar Laptop or Desktop mother boards using “Intel High Definition Audio” using driver: ‘snd_hda_intel’.

The fix in this case is Ubuntu Linux with help from Ubuntu Backports. I installed Ubuntu 10.04 64 bit, enabled Backports and installed the latest version of Alsa from the backports. After a frustrating week of wondering how long it will take for sound to happen, I have sound.

My hunch appears to have been right, only the software is already available, though it has not made it to the mainstream distributions quite yet. Fwiw, I read about upgrading Alsa directly from Alsa.org and doing a manual install, but the process seemed a little more complex than simply going through the few steps to do a manual install. I chose what for me was the simpler route first, and it turns out it works for my needs.

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Community Simple – PCLinuxOS in Action

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I volunteer at a community center (two now), where my main function is keeping their Laptops up and running. When I started at the community center last December the Laptops were in a sad state. They had Windows XP, little working virus protection, and all users had more or less free reign over the computers while they used them. Three of seven Laptops were not booting, and those that did boot were full of unprotected Windows problems, slow and clunky as they were riddled with viruses and spyware.

The Laptops are baseline Laptops, built on the low end of the low end. They were perfect for their function, but no where else. This meant that the cheapest parts available were used in their creation. To their benefit they were less than two years old, so I knew they could run any distribution of Linux and that would be the end of their usability problems.

I tried Ubuntu first, as I thought Ubuntu would install on any computer and be the easiest  distribution to maintain. Ubuntu installed flawlessly as always. Upon connecting to the wireless network I ran into a show stopping problem. To get the wireless working, I needed to be connected to the internet to download the correct drivers. The show stopper was the only internet connection available was wireless.

I scrapped my plans of using Ubuntu and thought Zenwalk would carry the day. Zenwalk had the same wireless problem Ubuntu did. No matter what work arounds I put in place, the wireless card would not work.

I have mentioned PCLinuxOS in my other Linux posts because it is a good solid distribution, and works well with any computer I have installed it on. I downloaded the latest PCLinuxOS iso using Gnome desktop, and copied it to CD. It booted up and ran as it always does, perfectly. The real test was the wireless connection. I set up the wireless, and the network was waiting as it should be. The biggest hurdle was solved.

I proceeded to install PCLinuxOS on all the laptops, and for the most part they all work identically with the exception of two. One of the Laptops occasionally drops the wireless in Windows, and another occasionally drops it in Linux. I do not think that is a fault of the operating systems, but rather the nature of the network itself.

If you read some of what various Linux Guru’s write, they will tell you Linux is Linux. It is the Kernel that makes Linux unique and everything else is programming to support the Kernel functions. While there is no doubt this is true, it is PCLinuxOS going the extra step to include an older wireless driver in the right rev that made it possible for those Laptops to use Linux, and enjoy a solid eight month uptime as of this writing.

Windows is a truly fine operating system in its own right. If Windows were not the most popular operating system in its class, those laptops would have been running perfectly, and I would be looking for other volunteering opportunities.

Unfortunately, Windows is not always the best operating system for the job, especially when leaving laptops open for use by the general public. Due to Windows viruses, malware, and other malicious programs out there trying to infect every computer that is powered on and used, Windows in an open environment needs a lot of help in the form of virus protection.

The only PCLinuxOS, and Linux in general issue I had was access to the settings. Casual users really have no idea of what most programs on any given computer do, they like to click on different programs and see what they all do. My oversight led to a lot of people clicking on settings and making changes to the Laptops. Most changes did not add to the Laptop’s functionality of course. Of course the curious casual user does not know how to undo the changes they made.

A short post in the PCLinuxOS forum after doing my own search for a fix garnered a quick response instructing me to download the PCLinuxOS version of parental controls. A few quick downloads, and all important settings were only available to root which is the Linux version of Windows Administrator. The eight laptops at the first community center are now so trouble free, I have been asked to help a second community center with ten laptops in various states of usability. Care to guess what Linux distribution they will be using?

PCLinuxOS is available in all the major desktop flavors starting with KDE, to include Open Box and Enlightenment, , plus a Gnome Zen Mini desktop iso so you can create exactly what you want. My first Laptop install was PCLinuxOS using the Gnome desktop.

I use Gnome desktop myself, but it was not well received by the user community as it was foreign to go to the top of the screen to access the menu. My second choice was PCLinuxOS with the XFCE desktop, my other favorite desktop. That too was to different to be comfortably used by those casual users who were my target audience. I put on PCLinuxOS with the LXDE desktop and it was an instant success, or maybe instant no thinking required desktop.

From my perspective, PCLinuxOS with LXDE is perfect as it does not have the overhead of many additional programs, making it simpler to use and maintain. For the casual users who are my user group, it was almost like Windows. Enough like Windows, the Kids who use the laptops were not aware they were not using Windows.

The adults on the other hand, noticed the difference in menus and knew something was different. After explaining that common programs are common programs and do the same things whether being done on Linux or Windows, they bit their lips and decided to give Linux a try knowing Windows was there if they wanted to use it instead. Eight months later, and Windows rarely gets booted up any longer.

One small issue I had from not playing kids games myself was I was told some of the games on the websites most of the kids went to were not working. I asked the what the sites were, went to them myself, and found that all the sites with the exception of one required Java.  One lone website would not accept a connection from a Linux based computer. I have my own thoughts about why, and I do not think the kids are missing much from not going to one website.

The largest obstacle to overcome other than encouraging the users to try Linux is Grub. For a fix, I cut the wait time down to five seconds, which seems to be the solution. Most people turn on the computer and wait for it to boot up not paying attention to the process. I set the root password, and then created a Guest account with no password. The biggest task an user has to do is click on the Guest icon, which is something they are familiar with in Windows.

To date all users have followed the rules of the computer room, and have not tried to access any sites the Community Center does not approve of. If someone starts to access sites that are not allowed, the parental controls will come into play, allowing me to block specific websites and keywords.

If you have read all this way to find out specifics about PCLinuxOS, I do not want you to leave disappointed. PCLinuxOS has all the bells and whistles you could want unless your computing needs are out there on a tangent somewhere. PCLinuxOS at the time of this post is ranked number five, on Distrowatch.com top one-hundred.

PCLinuxOS is a very robust, yet simple to set up and use distribution. Yet it is difficult to outgrow because it is so problem free and adaptable to your needs, such as a small community distribution.

The biggest win for me is the work that goes into PCLinuxOS to ensure it will install and run on almost every reasonable computer a home user is likely to own. If you are not sure it is usable on your PC, they even have a hardware compatibility section on their website. Finally unlike a few other major distributions where you install the latest and greatest, and then six months later go through major upgrade pains, PCLinuxOS is a rolling distribution. What this means is you update monthly, you are assured that your system is up to date with the latest and greatest updates and changes.

The PCLinuxOS Forum is top notch, and I have never asked a question that no one could answer. Unlike larger forums, do not expect an answer within thirty seconds, and forty different answers a day later. PCLinuxOS runs on donations, and along with a few dollars sent their way, use the forums and share your knowledge with other as you can. This will help keep PCLinuxOS the excellent distribution it is.

I almost forgot the Magazine! A really dedicated and knowledgable group of folks put out a Monthly PCLinuxOS Magazine to help users such as myself get the most out of Linux in general, and PCLinuxOS in particular. The articles are comprehensive, yet easy to follow, many with step by step instructions which make following along and making changes to your own computer a breeze!

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Linux on My Mac

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My Mac is soon to have its fourth birthday, which in computer life means it is on the far side of being new. While it still runs fast enough for my needs, it does suffer from one nagging problem that will never go away in its lifetime.

When you buy a Mac, you must be willing to make a trade off. You are trading easy access to thousands of programs for a rock solid, good looking, easy to use Operating System including life without virus, and little maintenance. The downside is an obvious lack of software outside of mainstream usage. As long as you are a general user, life is good, all the software you may wish to use is available, an it all works very well.

Make an excursion out of the main stream of computing, and the choices of software for your Mac becomes one, and if it is your lucky day, two or three software choices. Whether by design or default, with the advent of intel processor based Macs, a whole new world opened for Mac users. Suddenly, Macs had the ability to boot and run more than one operating system.

Windows was the big win in operating systems gaining a foothold on Intel Macs. Linux was only only one or two steps behind in the port. Apple either chose to, or felt obligated to make it easier, and provided an Apple based means to make it easier to put Windows on your Mac. Why one would want to run Windows on a Mac is another topic. For myself, after deliberating for some time, I decided the one or two Windows programs I would use were not worth all the things I do not enjoy about Windows.

I do like Linux though! Linux was the driving force behind my buying a Mac in the first place. Linux using a graphical desktop was always a love hate relationship. Linux had a few good choices in desktops, but when it came down to the program level, the program interfaces were a hodgepodge of what the programmer wanted. Each program had their own menu system, and ways of working. I went to Mac because while the scope of software was smaller, the consistency across programs was very integrated.

In the interim, Linux has caught up in the interface usability department. Most common programs have been absorbed by the desktop, and programs that were not are more likely to have an interface that is for the most part intuitive and usable.

I decided to install Linux on my Mac and dual boot Mac style. If you want to try it out, here is a quick explanation of what you need to do. It is written n a high level, so if you are not comfortable with tinkering with your software, you may want to pass on this article and find a more in depth explanation of the process. I can’t stress enough this is not a tried and true how to, only general overview. There are links below you should read before attempting this on your Mac.

I downloaded and installed a program named rEFIt, and had one Linux iso cd before starting. I can not suggest strongly enough to make a backup before starting. I used Rsync which is simple and works well. You can boot off your Rsync back up, and Rsync does not care if the hard drives are not the same size which is important as the Mac portion of your hard drive will shrink to make space for Linux. Once you install rEFIt and create a partition for Linux to reside on, the Linux install is the same as a Linux install on a Windows based computer.

Booting into Linux is a little round about due to the way a Mac boots up. There is a difference between the way a computer made for Windows and an Intel Mac boot up. Mac uses a system called EFI which sort of convolutes the boot process when dual booting on a Mac. Instead of using Grub as a boot loader, you need rEFIt, as Grub is pretty helpless as a boot loader on a Mac based hard drive and will likely cause you to run off your Rsync backup while you pull your hair out patching up your hard drive to do a reinstall.

The first task needing tending was downloading and installing rEFIt. rEFIt is a slick dynamic and versatile boot manager made for Macs and other computers using EFI.

The next task was to make a partition available for Linux to use. Using Bootcamp Assistant makes the process simple, with an exception. There is a minimum size and a maximum size for the Linux partition and the partition is named Windows. Boot Camp Assistant use is pretty straight forward as long as you ignore the syntax, and create a windows partition and stop before the actual Windows install portion.

Once my partition was created and I slid my Linux cd into my Mac, I did a shutdown. rEFIt needs a complete shutdown to activate itself and start working. If it does not work the first startup, it will on a second. The boot up sequence will seemed like it was hanging, but giving it a few more seconds and rEFIt does its magic. You will notice how dynamic rEFIt is once it becomes your boot manager. You will see an icon where you can select your Linux cd to boot from.

From here on the Linux installation is what it is depending on your distribution of choice. I took care not to install to my Mac partition by mistake, and installed to the Windows partition. I used Ubuntu, and manually created my partitions as I did not like the choices Ubuntu used. One important item was the Grub install. I installed Grub to the Windows (Linux) partition.

The boot up process is a little convoluted but it works. rEFIt will run, showing you your options. You may choose Mac, the Penguin, or a few maintenance type icon choices. Pick the Penguin and you are sent to Grub. On my Mac at least, the only real choice in Grub is choosing Linux. This can be edited out, but it is not a problem to leave it as is either. Once I choose Linux, my Mac becomes a Linux Machine.

It is important you get down to the nuts and bolts level of what goes on to complete the install. Here are a some links for you to read and understand if and before you start the process on your Mac:

If what you have read sounds hazy, and the links make little sense for you, you might look into one of the virtual machine software programs and use them. Virtual machine software runs other Operating Systems inside a program running on a Mac, and not as a separate Operating System. If this sounds like a better option for you, here is a link for a program called a Virtual Box.

One final disclaimer, as with any major changes to your computer, Mac or not, do your home work and verify that what you read and think you understand is correct. This is a high level overview, and probably wrong in important areas, as I wrote it from memory, and we all know how bad memory is. If you have read the links, and you are uncomfortable,  let this slide by as something others have done to their Mac’s, but you won’t do with your Mac.

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Recover Missing Linux Boot Loader

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Because I like to tinker with Linux, and use different distributions, I have been multi-booting Windows 7, and three different Linux distributions using Grub 2 as my boot loader for a about a month now. As with all things Linux off the mainstream, tinkering and  multi-booting is a problem waiting to happen. Yesterday it happened again – with gusto.

One of the three linux distributions on my hard drive wanted a distribution upgrade. I allowed the upgrade, but was not happy with the results. Something in the upgrade went wrong and the system was very sluggish. Because all three distributions were XFCE or XFCE/Gnome, I thought perhaps a KDE distribution would be a fun change.

The Linux using KDE distribution I was installing had no option to not install Grub Legacy during install. How bad could this be I thought to myself as I let Grub legacy be installed. Perhaps for a Grub using expert it is not big deal.

As for myself, it was a problem. After some tinkering trying to recover gracefully, I went from Grub 2 with four main boot options, to two Linux only boot options, to no boot loader at all. All boot loading options were destroyed.

Parted Magic , saw my hard drive as one big blank space.

Screen shot from Parted Magic home page screenshotsI use a method I developed out of similar desperation as a result of past tinkering gone bad to fix my no boot loader dilemma. It is not the best, prettiest, or quickest way to fix a boot loader manager problem, but it works and is simple.

The best method I have read about is ‘Chroot’ing into a failed system and recovering the system. Reading about Chroot from the man page and random postings does not sound simple to me. There are probably other methods of fixing a non booting hard drive too, but I am not aware of them.

I developed my fail safe, easy way to recover my non booting hard drive through trial and error recovering from my past errors. I am only a system administrator for my home computers, so speed, elegance, and efficiency are not top priorities for me, though I have improved from days of old when I would wipe the hard drive and do a complete install starting with Windows.

My recovery system method is simple, and it saves the day at the expense of thirty minutes and for me an extra linux install.

I always have a Parted Magic CD , and an Ubuntu CD around. These two cd’s are part of my all around fix serious problems emergency kit. Both of them are about a year old, so I do not think they need to be the latest and greatest.

Here are the steps I use to recover from boot failure for a simple minded Linux user like myself. Recovery from times when my tinkering creates problems of epic proportion for myself. Times like today when I once again lost all ability to boot to either Windows or one of three installed Linux distributions on my hard drive.

Using Parted magic cd either reformat any current Ubuntu partitions for an Ubuntu re-install, or create two new small partitions using empty drive space for an initial Ubuntu install. Designate the two partitions as /root and /home and of course use the /swap partition you already have from previous installs.

Ubuntu is the best distribution I know for finding, identifying, and listing all operating systems on a hard drive. When Ubuntu installs Grub, it will find and list all bootable partitions on your hard drive, at least in my experience. Install Ubuntu to the two partitions you created or have made available using a manual install as you do not want to wipe out your hard drive.

You now have recovered Windows and all Linux operating systems on your hard drive. Ubuntu itself does not take up much space and you need not change anything or delete Ubuntu unless the space it takes up is needed. If Grub was your previous boot loader, you can boot into your Linux of choice and re-install grub and make a new configuration file.

If Lilo was your previous boot loader, it is best not to try to re-install Lilo as Lilo does not do well  over writing Grub boot data.

05/22/10 – PCLinuxOS includes MBR recivery on the live CD. Might want to check it out, it is a great Distribution, my second Linux install, and one of my recommended favorites.

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Debian 64 Bit Linux Overview

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I wanted to see Linux in action in 64 bits. It seems there are only a few choices, Ubuntu and Debian were the only distributions I found using 64 bit software. I thought I would give Debian a go first planning on installing Ubuntu afterwards. Ubuntu is/was derived from Debian, and many programs could be interchanged between repositories without issue.

Debian Linux is unique in Debian only uses software that meets certain licensing requirements. In general this is software that is not proprietary, or restricted. If you are curious you go to the Debian website, as the explanation tends to get a little convoluted and I do not wish to give the wrong explanation.

Going to Debian’s home page is always an experience. Debian home page is no frills, and makes no claim to being simple to use, with hordes of people ready to help you if you have problems. Debian’s web site tells you about Debian and directs you to options you may choose concerning Debian.

Selecting ‘Getting Debian’ brought me to a page of download and installation options. I chose to download the small image file and copy it off to cd. This option downloads and installs most needed programs via internet connection. One caveat about this install, it does not support a wireless connection for the install.

The installation other than being hard wired to the net is about the same as any other installation. You need to have free space on your hard drive if you are going to dual boot. You need to create partitions. I use three partitions, Root, Home, and Swap. Debian installed painlessly, taking about twenty minutes or so, which is about average for an install.

Debian 64I now had a usable Debian install with a basic Gnome desktop. I could not see or hear an online video, listen to an mp3, or watch some other videos. I did not yet have a wireless connection according to the installation documentation I read.

This brought me to the interesting part of using Debian. Using Debian as general users use computers, you need to hunt down what you need, and sometimes it is not apparent what you need, or where to find it. While Debian’s website has excellent documentation, it assumes that the reader knows what they are looking for.

My wireless connection is a good example. To get the drivers and programs needed to set up my wireless card, I needed to know exactly what my laptop wireless card is. Knowing what connection types it supports, or who makes it is not enough, an exact model number is required.

Finding this information means going to the manufacturer website and searching for my a parts list. I was fortunate in I found my wireless card listed, some computers are not that simple because the manufacturer uses whatever works for that day, and may not be consistent week to week with parts it uses.

I had my wireless card information. Now I had to locate new repositories to download drivers and programs from to enable my wireless. The documentation I found directed me to specific Ubuntu repositories. I added the repositories (another few steps using a root terminal or Synaptic), and installed the programs. A quick reboot and I had a wireless connection.

What I know as Windows codecs is about the same process. My web cam was another trip into the documentation and guessing what kind of camera it was. My laptop manufacturer was in a cost savings mode for web cams, and only admitted to using a usb web cam. I located and installed more drivers and programs. Using a program named Cheese, it works. For other uses, I do not not know yet.

Debian 64 bit appears to boot and shutdown faster than what I have experienced with 32 bit versions. All the software I need or want is available. After a number of shutdowns and reboots, everything works as advertised.

Debian has always been a rock solid Linux. Two of Debian’s ongoing criticisms are lack of friendliness for new users, and the difficulty of finding what you need for general computer use that does not fit Debian’s licensing requirements. These two criticisms deserved or not, have not changed for the 64 bit version of Debian.

If you want a Linux Distribution where you pop in the CD and sit back, Debian is not for you. If you want a solid system having some control over what is on it, and you don’t mind doing a little searching, Debian is a good choice. Debian gives you freedom to tweak, change, add and subtract as much or as little as you choose. With thousands of packages in the repositories, your options are endless.

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