Posts Tagged Linux

.SHit!

Being a n00b can be frustrating. Trust me…I know. At least in Linux, I’m still comfortable n00bish. And, the exultation of figuring something out can be fun. So, I’m starting the I’m a Linux n00b series, to keep a log of my experiences in Linux.

The first episode of this series, will be about how I got to know and use .SH files in Linux.

As far as I understand, .sh files are used for running shell scripts in Linux. Scripts are a set of commands that are stored as a separate file, till it’s necessary to execute them. Let me tell you about my experience with scripts…

During the Fop incident, I had to install avast! on Linux, to get rid of the nasty infection(s – still debatable). Anyway, installing avast! was easy enough, because avast! provides a nice little .deb package for n00bs like me! No hassles in installing that. But, then, adding the finishing touches…like adding desktop icons, adding it to menus, had to be done by manually executing a .SH script. Oh…oh…that’s simple enough for people like Ankur, but for a freaking amateur like me, it drove me out of my mind! Inside a folder called desktop in the avast! main folder, this script was having a chat with the desktop icon and I think the shortcut.

Anyway, I was in the terminal, and trying to sudo the file into doing something…anything. Tried all kinds of crap with it, including scanning the file to see if it gave me any hint at all! And when I guessed it, I thought, no WAY! This just can’t be the command I was looking for.

Turns out it was.

Just type sh into the terminal, along with the filename. Simple? I hope it helps some poor rookie out there in the world. The script might ask for some confirmation, but it should be easy as pie. If you still can’t figure it out, you guessed it, go boil ‘yer head!

Tags: , ,

Useful Fop!

Hehe, actually, that virus thing has made Ubuntu my home for some time now. And actually, as I’ve already said many times, I like it!

But what I mean here, is that now, I’m starting to get the hang of using Linux. Using it in the sense, doing with Linux what I do with Windows. And what I do with Windows is anything and everything. Lots of tweaking. The most important thing I’m learning right now is learning to install software manually without using the Package Manager. The Synaptic Package Manager really does make stuff easy as pie, but then, every now and then pops up a software that isn’t available for automatic installation. That can sometimes be a pain.

I’m getting to know Amarok really well. Heck, it handles iPods even better than iTunes, methinks… Pidgin can manage all my IM accounts, just like it did in Windows. Firefox remains…well…Firefox, irrespective of platform. However, the crowning point has to be …. Compiz. This beauty simply transforms my Ubuntu experience. Agreed it isn’t exactly an application on its own, but it makes working with other apps such a pleasure!

I’d love to improve my Linux skills, and there’s only one way to do that. More experience, Since I’ve stopped gaming (at least temporarily), and all I do is blog and check my mail, I see no reason not to switch to Linux…long term…

Tags: ,

I’m proud to be a Keralite…

Quote from PCWorld

The communist-run state of Kerala in south India is actively promoting open-source software in schools, but most other states and the federal government are beneficiaries of Microsoft’s programs.

You can read the entire article at PCWorld, here. It’s about Microsoft training teachers to become pro-MS minions, who in turn, train dumb students to become MS-minions, till the world is virtually filled with ‘em. (As if the situation isn’t bad enough already!)

Tags: ,

Compiz acting up

I booted up in Linux after a looooooonnnnnnng time. Everything was going nice, I logged in, and then … I waited …. and waited …. and waited some more. A blank desktop, with a nice chocolate colour wallpaper, but that was it. After some more waiting, things began showing up, but still at the same pace. By that time I had begun to suspect that something was wrong with Compiz, my desktop management software.

Ubuntu then told me that updates were available, and Compiz was among those listed. So I began downloading them and also thinking over what might have caused the problem. Even dragging a window was a big pain, and it took ages (Compiz has a wobbly effect, that causes window dragging to look cute).

After installing and rebooting, everything’s fine. I’m still puzzled about what might have caused that. I generally expect Linux to be stable and sensible (unlike Windows). Ankur told me that it wasn’t Linux, but because Compiz was actually in Beta stage, and it still contained bugs. But I don’t see why the same version I was using for a while should act up all of a sudden. Any comments?

Tags: , ,

Compiz

Compiz is a desktop composting application for Linux. Can make it look very much like Vista, and more! It uses OpenGL to render 3D effects for your windows and workspaces, leaving the CPU free to do it’s work, unlike XP, which uses the CPU for fade effects. Try video transcoding and opening the ‘Start’ menu at the same time, and you’ll see what I mean.

Let me give you some screenshots so you can decide whether you want it or not.

Compiz 1

 

The Desktop Cube

Adds a new ‘dimension’ to windows! Get it?

 

 

Compiz 2

 

The Expo Plugin

To hell with Flip3D!

 

 

Compiz 3

 

The Fire Plugin

Flashy!

Compiz 4

 

Rain and Ripples

Kinda beautiful, shimmers over other windows

 

But, installing Compiz (or CompizFusion, as it is now called), is not that easy. CompizFusion is the result of the combination of Compiz and Beryl, which is a branch-off of Compiz (you know OSS!). Anyway, this is a good walkthrough for installing Compiz. At the end, though, you’ll have to edit the startup files to include ‘compiz –replace’ among the startup execution commands. In Ubuntu 7.04, you can directly add an entry by going to System –> Preferences –> Sessions. Once here click on ‘Add’, give it any name, and enter ‘compiz –replace’, in the command field. Log out. Log in. Voila.

Tags: , ,

The Tech Nut is using WP-Gravatar