Linux, Ubuntu, Python and more...

Recover lost data using Foremost, Scalpel and Photorec...

2012-04-18T19:53:00.002+05:30

In this post we'll see how to recover data from your hard drives.Many-a-times we lose our precious files to shift-delete mania!
Once you accidently delete your files you can still recover these files from your PC thanks to these tools below but we need to do some preparatory
work before we recover files.

First you should calm down! You will do more harm than good if you
         are panicking!

Second, find an external drive or storage big enough to store your backup
         of the drive you want to recover the files from.You don't want to lose
         anymore data while recovering the old data!

Third, make a folder recovery on the external drive to
         store the recovered files.

Now let's see these tools...

1. Foremost: This is a good tool to recover the files from a drive.
         It is a console based program.First you should install
         Foremost.
            sudo apt-get install foremost

         Find the name of your disks using command
            sudo fdisk -l

         You can also find the size of the partition using
            sudo fdisk -s /dev/sda1   (name of the partition is /dev/sda1)

         Now i wanted to recover the data from a pendrive and it's name
         is /dev/sdb1
         So here's the data recovery part:

         Create an image of the drive by this command:
             sudo dd if=/dev/sdb1 of=/home/mypendriveimage.img
         (Make sure you have sufficient space for output image)
         Remember this takes some time so be patient!
         Change ownership of image:
             sudo chown name.name /home/mypendriveimage.img

         Now make recovery folder in the drive you want to save the
         recovered files.I'll use my home folder.
             mkdir ~/recovery

         Now i'll recover pdfs from pendrive image.You can recover
         other type of files by appending the file types after
         -t option using commas(,).
              foremost -vqQ -o recovery/ -t pdf -i mypendriveimage.img

         And after this completes check your recovery folder!

2. Scalpel : It is also a good tool to recover files.It is based on foremost
         but it requires you to edit a configuration file before you can
         recover files from the drive.

         First you should install scalpel.
              sudo apt-get install scalpel

         Edit your configuration file using gedit
              sudo gedit /etc/scalpel/scalpel.conf

         Remove the # sign before the file types you want to recover
         and save the configuration file.

         Now run the following command to recover data.
             sudo scalpel /dev/sdb1 -o ~/recovery (my output folder is recovery)

         Make sure you have proper space or the process won't complete!

         Once this completes check your recovery folder!

3. Photorec : This is also a command line tool but the interface is very good.
          Download photorec from here:
        http://www.cgsecurity.org/testdisk-6.13.linux26.tar.bz2
          If you know how to install from source then good but if you don't
          look here.

          Once you have installed photorec run it by using this command
              sudo photorec

          Select the drive from which you want to recover data:

Select partition type,partition,file system and directory:

Select the file types to recover:

Choose the location to store files:

           and hit enter!

           Check the directory to view recovered files!

          If you liked this post don't forget to like and share it with
        your friends.You can also comment below if you have anything
to ask or suggest...

How to play nintendo games on linux...??

2012-03-04T17:13:00.000+05:30

Who remembers the good old days
when mario, contra and tank were the best games?
I do... ;)

So in this post i'll tell you how to play those games again.. :)

If you want to relive those memories on your linux box this is how you do it..

1.Go to Ubuntu Software Centre and search for 'GFCE Ultra NES emulator'.

2.Install it.

3.Now this emulator plays ROM files...so now all you have to do is get the
ROMs.

4. A bunch of ROM files can be found here.

5. Just download the torrent file and add it in Transmission or any torrent client
that you have.

6. Once you have downloaded it....Launch the GFCE emulator and add the
ROM and then click execute...

and voila!

If you liked the post...like it below and share it with your friends.

Python Tutorial 2: Uderstanding Variables, Operators etc...

2012-01-08T12:51:00.001+05:30

This is Python tutorial no. 2
One thing you should note here is '>>>' in the tutorials is the python
prompt which implies that python interpreter is ready to interpret your
commands and '...' is padded with multiline statements by python shell,
they are not the part of input or output.So if you copy any examples from
here don't copy the '>>>' and '...'

The topics covered in this tutorial are :

1.Program input/output(often referred as I/O).

2.Operators

3.Variables

4.Indentation

# 1. Program I/O (if u remember this is a python comment... :) )
        First we should learn about I/O which is basically everywhere
        even in the Hello world program that we created in tutorial 1.

For output we use the print statement like this:

    >>> print "Hi this is the output!"

You can use print with string format operator (%), it behaves exactly

like C's printf() function.

    >>> print "%s is number %d" % ("Python",1)       # s for string and d                                                                             # for integer

and for input we use the raw_input() .... we use it like this:

    >>>x=raw_input("Enter the value of x:")         # here x is a variable.
    >>>x                                        # if u write x and press enter
    '2'                                                                 # it shows the value of x.
>>> print "The value of x is", x                     # you can print variables
                                 # by separating them with comma.

    Note: You can use input() to take input too in Python 2.x but it poses
              a security risk and it should not be used.
              In Python 3.x raw_input() has been renamed as input() and the
             old input() is no longer there in Python 3.x.

# 2.Operators

   Mathematical operators:
    + ----> Addition        Usage : c=a+b    # a and b should not be mixed
                                                                   # types.
                                                                   # a=4 and b='string'
                                                                   # c=a+b gives errror!!
    - ----> Subtraction     Usage : c=a-b      # same with subtraction.

    * ----> Multiplication Usage : c=a*b
    / ----> Division            Usage : c=a/b
    % ----> Modulus/Remainder Usage : c=a%b        # Gives remainder of a/b
                                                                            # works with integer
                                                                           # and floating numbers both.

    ** ----> Exponentiation Usage : c=a**b   # gives a raised to power b.

   Comparison operators:
    <   ----> Less than Usage : c=a<b       # Gives True when a is less than b
                                                             # otherwise False

    <= ----> Less than or equal to Usage : c= (a<=b) # Gives True if a is
                                                                              # less than or equal to b.

    >   ----> Greater than Usage : c=a>b          # Gives True if a is greater than b.
                                                                   # False otherwise.

    >= ----> Greater than or equal to Usage: c=(a>=b)        # Gives True
                                                                                      # when a is greater
                                                                                      # than or equal to
                                                                                    # b. False otherwise.

    == ----> Equal to operator Usage : c= (a==b)          # Gives True is a is
                                                                                 # equal to b.
                                                                                 # False otherwise.

    = ----> Assignment Usage : c=b    # Assigns value of b to c.

    != ----> Not equal to Usage : c=(a!=b)      # Gives True if a is not equal to b.

   Expression conjunction operators:

    and ----> and operator Usage: c= a and b         # Gives True if both a and b
                                                                        # are both True. False
                                                                        # otherwise.

    or ----> or operator   Usage: c= a or b          # Gives True if both a and b are
                                                                   # True. False otherwise.

    not ----> not operator Usage: c= not a          # Reverse the values of a.

Python does not have the increment (++n ) or decrement (--n) operator.

# 3.Variables

Rules for naming variables are simple:
1. Characters must be alphanumeric or underscore.
2. First character must not be a digit.

Python is case sensitive.So, var and VAR are two different variables.
Python is dynamically typed. So, you don't have to declare the varibles.

These are some declarations:

    >>> x=2
    >>> x_9 = 23                       # Varible name with all possible characters.
    >>> stri="This is a string "    # a string
    >>> 9gag=78                      # First character must not be a digit.
    SyntaxError: Invalid syntax

# 4.Indentation

Python uses indentation rather than curly braces. This increases readability
and it clearly identifies a block of code a statement belongs to.

This may seem a bit odd at the beginning but you may like it after some
time.Also, use either Tabs or spaces to indent the code. Mixing both can also
lead to indentation error..

So that's it for this tutorial....Share it with your friends if you liked it...
Next tutorial covers Python Types, Tuple, List, Dictionaries etc...

Changing the layout of minimize/maximize/close buttons in ubuntu.....

2011-11-16T17:18:00.002+05:30

If you have recently migrated to ubuntu
and find it hard to deal with max,min and close button then don't worry you can change the position of these buttons to top right just like you have these buttons on the right in windows.
(Tested in Ubuntu 10.04 and 11.04)

Just follow these simple steps:-
1.Press "Alt+F2" to launch "Run Application" window in Ubuntu 10.04.
   In 11.04 this will bring up the "Run a command" window in Unity.

2.Search and lauch "gconf-editor". (Without quotes)

3. Go to " / -->apps-->metacity-->general ". Under that, look for "button
   layout".

4. Double click on it and enter the value ":minimize,maximize,close" or
     "menu:minimize,maximize,close" and click OK.Both are just slightly
     different you can choose the one you like.

That's it. Notice the position of the buttons in window now.If the buttons
haven't changes their positions repeat the steps.

If you liked this post don't forget to like and share it with your friends.You can also comment below if you have anything to ask...

Python Tutorial 1:Running your first program....

2011-10-12T09:38:00.000+05:30

So we begin our journey into the exciting world of python.You are going to learn a very beautiful language and a powerful one too.So first we begin with very basic i.e. how to run python programs and how to save your python files.

The very common python files have extensions like .py and .pyw just like C or C++ where the extensions are .c and .cpp respectively.
So if you encounter any such files you know which language's code is in that file.

To run your python programs or scripts you need to save them with .py extension and they will run in a console window.The .pyw extension is for the programs that don't need a console i.e. your programs that have a GUI.

So first of all you should have python installed.For installation refer to this post.

Now,
After installing you are ready to run python programs.If you are on windows and installed python using a .exe file you'll get a start menu entry of Python "version".From there you can launch the command line python interpreter or an IDE that comes with it known as IDLE.

The python interpreter is an awesome tool to try out some stuff you just learned without having to compile just a line or two.So whatever you learn just fire up the interpreter and try it out.

Now we begin...

1. Python is an interpreted language i.e. the interpreter interprets every line and halts if it finds

    an error in that line whereas in C or C++ which are compiled languages the whole program is
    checked for errors.

2. Python is a dynamically typed language that means you don't have to declare variables like
    you did in C,C++ or Java.
    So myvar=5 is valid in python but not in C,C++ or Java.

3. Python is case sensitive just like C or C++.
    So myvar is different from myVar or Myvar.

4. You dont have to put a semicolon to end a statement.In python a new line tells the
    interpreter that this is a new statement.

5. To use comments use # .
   myvar=5 #This is a comment.
     comments are ignored by the interpreter and are not executed.

6. To print something use print

     print "Anything that goes here is printed as it is!! "

So thats it...with these points in mind we can write a simple hello world program in python

The code is:

    print "Hello world!!" #This is a print statement!

and save it as hello.py.

Now you can run this in windows or linux using command python hello.py and you'll be greeted with a hello world message.You can also execute this program by double clicking the python file hello.py but the console will just exit quickly and you won't be able to see the output.We'll see how to remove this in upcoming posts...

Thats it for this post.Next post will be about data types and some python magic!! :)
So stay tuned ;)

If you liked this post don't forget to like and share it with your friends.You can also comment below if you have anythong to ask or share....

Restore your GRUB in simple steps.....

2011-09-22T00:10:00.000+05:30

GNU GRUB(GRand Unified Bootloader) is often a confusing topic for linux newbies but it's not.It is an implementation of a method to load various operating systems or different kernel configurations available on your system...confused ??

In simple words you can load different operating systems from a simple list.

GRUB is the default bootloader for many Linux systems.GRUB loads its configurations at startup and lets you choose different operating systems from a simple list.It supports all commonly used Unix file systems and Windows file systems.GRUB can be used with different user interfaces and there are many softwares that let you edit your grub configuration files and its entries with simple GUI.

Now sometimes your bootloader gets corrupted or you install windows and windows overwrites GRUB and you are not able to boot into your linux but its a very simple process to restore your bootloader.Just follow these simple steps in Ubuntu...

Step 1: If you have ubuntu 10.04 or before just insert a live CD/DVD of the same ubuntu version on
your system or boot from a pendrive.To create a bootable pendrive you can refer this post.

Step 2: Now boot from this pendrive and select Try ubuntu without installing.

Step 3: Go to the termnal fron Applications-->Accessories-->Terminal.

Step 4: Type the command sudo os-prober. This will tell u all operating systems on your Hard
Disk.

Step 5: Identify the linux partition which contains your linux partition (like /dev/sdaX ....X may
be 1,2,3..etc).

Step 6: Now after identifying your linux partition run the command sudo mount /dev/sdaX /mnt.

This mounts your linux partition.

Step 7: Install grub using command sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda.
           Yeah that's /dev/sda not sdaX.

Step 8: If the message comes "Installation successful.No error reported" restart the computer and
            boot into any OS.If the list doesn't come boot from the CD/DVD or live USB again and
            use the command sudo update-grub.

That's all.

If you liked this post don't forget to like and share with your friends.You can also comment below.

How to install Turbo C++ on ubuntu linux...??

2011-08-24T16:49:00.002+05:30

Turbo C++ is C/C++ compiler developed by Borland and is used to develop c, c++ programs and applications.
It has a compiler,basic editor and a debugger. The explorer version is freeware whereas for professional version you have to pay a small price.It is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment ).

The IDE is very popular because of its simple interface,small size,good
manuals and fast compile speed.It is one of the many IDEs available to
program in C/C++ on Windows.Although GCC is available on linux but
some students or developers still use Turbo C++ to write their C++
programs and want to use it on linux ,well this post is for them.

To run Turbo C++ in Ubuntu(Linux) u should have two things:

1.Turbo C++ setup
   If you have the setup then excellent but if you don't then download it
   from here.
   ( Password : maitnoobsatwork )

2.DOSBox Emulator
   If you have it installed on your system the good but if you don't go to
   Applications-->Ubuntu Software Center and search for DOSBox and
   install the emulator.

Now follow these steps...

1.Extract the rar file you downloaded from the link above and you'll
   get a setup folder.
   Move the folder to your home folder(Places-->Home Folder).

2.Open the DOSBox emulator

   Write the following commands :
   1.mount c ~
   2.C:
   3.cd setup
   4.install.exe

3.The turbo C++ installation utility will appear.Press Enter.
   Enter the source drive as C.Press Enter.
   Change the source path to \setup if it isn't.Press Enter.

4.Select Start Installation and Press Enter.
   The installer will install the files.Once finished u can delete the
   setup folder.

5.To run the Turbo C++ every time run the following commands:
   1.mount c ~
   2.C:
   3.cd tc\bin
   4.tc.exe

To enter into fullscreen mode press Alt+Enter and press it again for window mode.

That's all....If you found this helpful like/comment/share this post with your friends... :)

How to install Fedora 14.......??????

2011-08-12T22:05:00.002+05:30

Fedora is one the many GNU/Linux distributions around and is sponsored by Red Hat Inc. and released regularly in less than 6 months.Fedora is one of the most liked linux distributions.
According to Distrowatch Fedora comes third in popularity.
Ubuntu is the most popular operating system and Linux Mint comes second.

If you want to install Ubuntu refer to this post.
Installing fedora is very easy.....
To install ubuntu you must have one of these :

1. A bootable Fedora CD/DVD.

2. A Live USB drive containing Fedora installation files.

To create a live USB drive refer to this post.

To install from a CD/DVD follow these steps:-

Step 1:If you are dual-booting your fedora with Windows or any other OS, i advise you to create
           a seperate partition from your hard disk to install your fedora or any other linux distro
           or you can do this while installing fedora.Just make sure you Backup your data so that
           you are safe even when something goes wrong!

Step 2:Insert the Fedora installation CD/DVD.Select boot from CD/DVD in the boot menu in case
           you haven't given it first priority.The computer will load files to run the live CD/DVD.

Step 3:The automatic login window will a ppear once all the files have been loaded.Press Login.

Step 4:Once you press login you will be logged into a live session.Here you can get a feel
of Fedora without having to install it on your hard drive.If you decide to install Fedora
click the Install to Hard Drive icon on the desktop.

Step 5:Once you click it the Fedora installer starts click Next.

Step 6:Choose your keyboard and click Next.

Step 7:Fedora asks you what type of device your installation will involve??
Select Basic Storage Device if you are installing it on a personal PC or laptop.
Click Next.

Step 8:Enter a name for your computer and click Next.

Step 9:Select your time zone and click Next.

Step 10: Choose a root password.Choose this password carefully and remeber it as it will be used
             when you make any changes to your system.Think of it as an administrator password.In
             Linux you are a normal user all the time and when you need to make changes to your
             system, it asks for root password.
            After entering your password click Next.

Step 11:This is the most important step choose any option carefully as you can easily loose all
             your data if you make a mistake.
             ---The first option is Use all space.This is useful when you have a new Hard Disk or you
                 want to use all the space for your Fedora.
             ---The second option is Replace existing Linux System(s).This is useful
                when you already have a linux installed on a drive and you want to
                 remove and install Fedora on it.
             ---The third option is Shrink Current System.This is useful when you have extra free
                 space in your partitions and you want to install your Fedora on that free space.
             ---The next option is Use Free Space.This is useful when you have unallocated space
                  on your hard drive.
            ---The next option is Create Custom Layout.This is useful when you want create your own
                 layout and partitions.

           I am using the Last option to install Fedora.
          Select the last option Create Custom Layout and click Next.

Step 12:If you have unallocated free space the installer will show the free space.

             Now the file system in linux is slightly different from windows.In linux there's a single
             directory 'root' denoted by / and all the users and files are inside this folder.
       The file systems in linux are ext2,ext3 and the new ext4.Note that windows cannot read
             these file system on its own.
            To install your fedora on the free space select the free space and click create and select
          standard partition.

            Click create.
            Select the mount point as / (root) ,file system type as ext4 and give its size
            give it atleast 15-20 GB to run your Fedora smoothly (i am giving it a size of abt. 4GB
            just for demo purposes) and click OK.

            Now the system uses a swap area to place its temporary files.To create a swap area just
            create a separate partition like above from the free space available and select the file
            system type as swap.

       Give the swap between 1-2 GB and click OK.

Step 13:Now select your ext4 partition and click Next.

Step 14:Confirm installation of Fedora by clicking Write Changes to Disk.If your drive is new
             an error message will show up and will ask you to initialize the drive. Click Initialize.

Step 15:The installer will create your partitons and will ask you where to install the bootloader.
       If you want your other OS's to be listed leave fedora selected in Boot loader operating
            system list and click Next.

Step 16:The installer will write the files on your drive....

Step 17:When it completes right click on the panel on top of the screen and click add to panel.
Search for shutdown and add the item to panel.Click on it to reboot your system.

Step 18:When the computer restarts Fedora will prompt you with this welcome window.

             Click Forward.

Step 19:Review the Licence and click forward to create a user.This user is the normal user.
             Enter your username,full name,password and click forward.

           Enter your system date and time and click forward.

Step 20:Fedora will ask you to submit your hardware profile which they use to improve the
            development of fedora.You can opt not to sent your profile but it is recommended that you
            submit it.After that click finish.

           Now you can log into your system.Just enter the password and enjoy...!! :)

If you liked the post like/comment and share it with your friends.....
If you have a problem at any step you can ask your questions via comments....

Life is short....learn Python!!

2011-08-09T01:50:00.000+05:30

Let me guess why you are here?
You are a programmer and want to learn the python programming language.
You are a student who has python as one of his/her subjects.
You are a language hobbyist like me! ;)
...if you are looking for python(a species of snakes) this is not the place for you!! :)

So what is python??
Python is a programming language which is often used for scripting.It is an object oriented scripting language.Python has vast user group which is increasing day by day.Python is
one of the most interesting and powerful languages out there with many extentions
available.
Python is open-source and its development is taken care by a nonprofit organisation Python Software Foundation(PSF).

Guido van Rossum is the creater of Python and is Python's Benevolent Dictator For Life(BDFL) which means he takes important decisions regarding it's development.
Python was designed to be a successor of ABC programming language.
Python is everywhere nowadays from application development,website applications,mobile apps,video games and artificial intelligence.
Some of the common softwares that use python are Maya,GIMP,Inkscape,Paint Shop Pro,Blender etc.
Some of the famous organisations using python are Google,Yahoo!,CERN,NASA,ILM,ITA etc.

Pros of python:

Software quality:Python code is readable,coherent,reusable and maintainable.
                           It also supports Object Oriented Programming (OOP) without
                           imposing it on the programmer.

Developer productivity:Python boosts the productivity of the programmer more
                            than languages like C,C++,Java.Python code is about
                          1/3rd of the size of a typical C++ or Java program which
                                    means there is less to code,debug and maintain.It also
                                    runs quickly whitout the lengthy compile and linking
                                    further boosting programmers speed.

Program Portability:This is the most attractive feature of python.Python
                               programs can run unchanged on almost every platform
                               Windows,Linux,Mac etc.

Support libraries: Python comes with a large library which supports
                            all application level tasks from text pattern matching to
                            network scripting.

Component integration: Python scripts can easily communicate with
              C,C++,Java codes and frameworks like COM and
                            .NET and can be used as product customization
                            and extension tool.

Enjoyment:Python's ease of use and with various modules available in
                  python,programming will be more fun to you than you ever
                  imagined.

Cons of python:

Speed : It is the only downside of python you'll be more concerned than
             any other thing.Python's speed may not always be same as
             compiled languages like C and C++.But this can be solved by
             writing the "slow code" in compiled languages like C and C++
             and integrating it with your python code as it is easily integrable.

Some argue that another con of python are the libraries associated with
it but it is mostly an advantage rather than being a disadvantage.

What you can do with Python??

Python has various uses like systems programming,writing GUI's using
pygtk,qt or tkinter,Internet scripting,component integration,database programming,robotics,gaming,image manipulation,numeric and
scientific programming,animation to name a few.

Imagination is your only limit!! ;)

How to get python??

Download python 2.5.2 as it is supported everywhere unless you have a specific reason to download 3.0 version or version higher than 2.5.2.

For Windows
Python is open-source and you can download it at Official site and filehippo.

For Linux
Most distribution include python by default.You can check it by typing
"python" at the terminal... and if it doesn't recongnise then you have to
install python by commands like apt-get install python or wget commands.

For Mac
Like linux python comes preinstalled with mac too.
You can launch python by going to /Applications folder and opening the
terminal from Utilities folder and typing python at it.

Impressed...huh ??? wanna learn python....well keep following the posts
and subscribe to this blog....and most important of all have fun!!

If you liked the post, show your appreciation by liking/commenting/sharing the post with your friends...

How to install Java 6 and Java Runtime Environment in Ubuntu....???

2011-07-27T20:15:00.005+05:30

  Java is one of the most popular languages of today.
  Java has now a vast,well-established and ever-
  expanding user group.The growth of Java has been
  phenomenal and the speed of Java has increased
  since its first release.Java is nowadays a preferred
  language in Internet programming,cross-platform
  applications and many areas.
  Java is WORA (Write Once Run Anywhere)
  language which makes it an instant choice for
  building applications which need to be portable.

Java also supports object-oriented programming.There are many editions of Java available
J2SE(Java 2 Standard Edition),J2EE(Java 2 Enterprise Edition) and J2ME(Java 2
Micro Edition).

To develop general portable Java applications you need J2SE.

To develop apps that run on application servers or simply server programming you need J2EE.

To develop apps for embedded systems(mobile phones,set-top boxes etc.) you need J2ME.

For normal use you'll only need J2SE.
Installing Java(J2SE) in Linux/Ubuntu is very easy.....

You can install Java in Ubuntu in three ways-
The installation will download about 57MB so if you are on a low speed connection have patience.

1.Using thse ubuntu software center - Just search for jdk and install the files
   1.Sun Java(TM) Development Kit (JDK) 6 (6 deenotes version)
   2.Sun Java(TM) Runtime Environment (JRE) 6(architecture dependent files)
   3.Sun Java(TM) Runtime Environment (JRE) 6(architecture independent files)
   and you are done...check your installation by opening the terminal
   (Applications->Accessories->Terminal) and writing command java -version.
   If it installed correctly,you'll see your Java and JRE version.

2.Using Synaptic Package Manager- Search for jdk and and Mark sun-java6-jdk for
   installation and click apply.It'll take care of
   everything for you.Once it installs check if it
   installed correctly by typing the command
   java -version.If it installed correctly,you'll see your
   Java and JRE version.

3.Using the terminal/command line-To install the JDK 6(replace the version no. with 6)
   using the terminal.Type the following commands:
   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install sun-jdk-java6 sun-java6-jre sun-java6-plugin sun-java6-
   fonts
   Enter your sudo password and the installation will start.Once it installs check if it
   installed correctly by typing the command java -version.If it installed correctly,you'll
   see your Java and JRE version.

   If you liked the post...do like/comment/share it with your friends.......

Installing softwares in Ubuntu....exploring Ubuntu Universe!!

2011-07-25T14:41:00.001+05:30

Ubuntu has almost everything that you need in your everyday work.But it may happen that you need some extra softwares or codecs for your movies or songs.Ubuntu takes care of that too.
Everything in ubuntu is installed as packages....you can think of those packages as exe in
Windows for the time being(actually only the .deb format sofwares are like the exe in Windows)
You can also uninstall these packages too...just like you remove the softwares in windows.

There are four methods to install softwares on Ubuntu:

1. Using Ubuntu Software Center.
2. Using Synaptic Package Manager.
3. Compiling form source/Using debian packages(.deb files).
4. The Command Line way.

Let's get started.....

First some terminology....

1.APT: Advanced Package Tool, describes the entire system of online repositories and the
   parts that download them and install them.This will be more clear when we deal with
   the command line way.

2.Repositories or software channel:These are like online warehouse of softwares...both
   official and unofficial.

3.Packages: Apps are stored in packages.They describe how you install,run and uninstall
   programs.

4.Dependencies: These are other softwares or packages needed to run a particular software.
   Just like you need Java Runtime Environment(JRE) to run your Java apps.

Now...let's get familiar with the four methods to install softwares:

1.Using Software Center: Installing softwares with Ubuntu Software Center is like child's play.
      Just open Ubuntu Software centre.
   Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center.
   Search for your app and click install. Nice and Simple..

2.Synaptic Package Manager: This is a powerful tool wich manages apps as well as packages
   for your system.This is a bit complicated than the software
   center but when you know what you are doing or you have a
   better understanding of your system this is the thing!!...to
   launch it System->Adminstration->Synaptic package manager.
   Just search for package,Mark for installation.A dialog box
                                                pops up if the package has dependencies.Just mark those
   dependencies.Click on apply to start installation.To remove
   packages just search for them and for  uninstallation and click
   apply.

3.Compiling from source/Using debian package:If you don't find the software in ubuntu
   software center, don't worry.Search for your software on Google and
   go to the software's website and download the package as tarball
   (.tar.gz package) or .deb package.
   .deb is very easy to install.Just double-click it and install...but tarball is
   installed somewhat differently. The steps are:
   1.Extract the .tar.gz package to a directory.
   2.Open the terminal and go to that directory in which you extracted
   the tarball.
   3. Run the command: ./configure
   This will configure the software for your system.If you get
   errors install the dependencies first.
   4.Now Run the command: make
   This will compile the source and produce executable binaries.
   5.Now Run the command: make install
   This will install the software at proper locations.

4. The command line way: I like this most...it makes you feel like a geek....;).To add
   repositories use the
   command:sudo apt-add-repository [repository name usuallay like ppa: ....]
     After adding repository run :sudo ap-get update (This updates package list
   from all  repositories.)
     Then run: sudo apt-get install [package name] (This installs the package).
     You can use sudo apt-get remove [package name] (to remove the package ).

To check where your packages were installed run the command: dpkg -L [name of package]

That's it for this post....

If you liked this post,give your reviews via comments and like/share this post with you friends....

Ubuntu Linux commands....that you can't live without!!

2011-07-20T14:46:00.002+05:30

Linux terminal is one of the very good command line interfaces out there.
Knowing linux commands may help you better understand your system and increase your efficiency.Linux commands are a nice addition to the GUI of
ubuntu desktop but these commands are absolutely essential for ubuntu
servers as they install without the GUI.

Opening your terminal in Ubuntu is very easy. Just go to..

Applications->Accessories->Terminal.

The prompt of the terminal shows something like this:

maitnoob@maitnoob-laptop:~$

The first name is your username and the one after the @ is your hostname.
After the colon ~ represents your home folder(you always start at your home folder by default)
$ is the prompt symbol in linux just like > in windows ( C:\> )

There are many commands in linux. I am only listing the important ones to get you started.

ls command: This command lists the files in your current folder.use ls -al to
                    display all files(includes hidden) and their details.
                    Usage : username@computer:~$ ls -al

cd command: Just like in Windows changes the diretory(case sensitive). But
                     cd.. or cd. doesn't work here instead cd .. works.
                     Usage: username@computer:~$ cd Desktop
                     You can use a directory in place of Desktop.

cat command: To view the contents of a file in current directory.
                      Usage: username@computer:~$ cat mytxt.txt

What is sudo??
A very important question for a linux newbie.The answer is simple.
When you log into your account you are a normal user without admin rights.
You are granted the rights only when you need it.This prevents accidental or intentional changes.These rights are given only for 15 minutes but you can change it according to your needs. This user with admin privilege is a superuser and to jump to this superuser in terminal you place a word sudo before your commands.

When you add sudo before your commands computer asks for password.This is the password of your first user account.You can change it later by using passwd command.

man command: opens a help file for a command.Press Q to exit.
                        Usage: username@computer:~$ man ls

pwd command: This command prints the current working directory.
                        Usage: username@computer:~$ pwd

cp command: Makes a copy of the file.The original file remains there.
                     Usage: username@computer:~$ cp mytxt.txt copyofmytxt.txt

mv command: Moves the file form one directory to another.The original file is
                      moved.
                   Usage: username@computer:~$ mv /home/Desktop/mytxt.txt /home

rm command: Deletes/Removes a file from the directory(folders).
                      Usage: username@computer:~$ rm mytxt.txt

mkdir command: Allows you to create directories.
                          Usage: username@computer:~$ mkdir mymusic

chmod command: Changes the permisions of the files or folders.You can set the
                            permissions for user,group etc. and can also set who can
                            read, write or execute files.
                            Usage: username@computer:~$ chmod a+x myfile.exe
                            r represents read,w represents write,x represents execution
              a represents everybody,o represents others,g represents
                            group.The above command allowed myfile.exe to be
                            executed by everybody using the machine.

chown command: Changes the ownership of a file.
                        Usage: username@computer:~$ sudo chown maitnoob mytxt.txt
                        this changes the ownership of mytxt.txt to maitnoob.

df command: Shows the disk space usage of all partitions. df -h is more useful.
              Usage: username@computer:~$ df -h

free command: Displays amount of free and used memory in the system.
             Usage: username@computer:~$ free
                       free -m gives the info in megabytes(MB).

top command: Displays the system resources,CPU,RAM.swap and tasks being
                       run. To exit press Q.
                       Usage: username@computer:~$ top

uname command: Displays system information.uname -a displays all the info.
                           Usage: username@computer:~$ uname -a

lsb_release command: Displays your linux version with -a.
                    Usage: username@computer:~$ lsb_release -a

ifconfig command: This reports on your system's network interfaces.
                            Usage: username@computer:~$ ifconfig

Users and Group commands:

adduser command: Creates a new user.
                             Usage: username@computer:~$ sudo adduser $loginname
                             This prompts for password.Enter the password and the
                             details to create a new user.

passwd command: This command changes the user's password.When run with
                              sudo it can change any user password.
                              Usage: username@computer:~$ passwd
                              This changes current user's password.
                              Usage: username@computer:~$ sudo passwd
              This changes sudo password for your machine.

who command: Displays who is currently logged into the machine.
                       Usage: username@computer:~$ who

addgroup command:Adds a new group.
                              Usage: username@computer:~$ sudo addgroup $groupname

deluser command: Removes a user from your system.To remove user's files and
                            home directory add -remove-home option.
              Usage: username@computer:~$ sudo deluser maitnoob -remove-home

delgroup: Removes a group from the system.
               Usage: username@computer:~$ sudo delgroup groupname

If you don't have the permission to run any of the above command you can run it by adding sudo before the command.

That's all folks!!!

If you liked this post show your appreciation by liking/commenting or
sharing it with your friends.....

Taking your Ubuntu desktop for a ride!!!!

2011-07-15T15:11:00.002+05:30

So, you have installled your ubuntu linux.....well congatulations!!
You are now a proud linuxer!!
If you haven't installed it yet refer to this post.

Now that you have installed ubuntu you'll be glad to know that you are ready
to get started....

Unlike Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X ubuntu includes everything
that you need to do your day to day tasks.You can connect to the internet,chat
with an internet client,send and receive mails,write documents,play games etc.You can also install additional software if you wish but let's first get to
know our system.

Ubuntu has a very friendly user interface.The default desktop(interface) in ubuntu is GNOME.You can optionally install other distributions like KDE,Xface etc. later if you want a change.But GNOME will be more than enough for you if you do not want to experiment.
So let's begin with login screen.

Login screen has a very simple layout.A dialog to enter your username and password to log into your account.A bottom bar is there to help you change your language,your keyboard layout and your desktop and some tools for differently abled people after you select a user account.
The default desktops that you get are:
1.GNOME (default):Loads your GNOME desktop with all applications.
2.Failsafe GNOME:Loads basic GNOME desktop with basic applications.
3.xterm:Loads a command line interface.

After you log into your account you are presented with a top and a bottom panels with an empty desktop.
The top bar/panel is where you load your applications and see current activity of system.
The bottom bar is the taskbar just like Windows all open applications are shown here.This also contains workspace and a trash(just like Recycle bin in Windows)
Now the top bar has items like Applications,Places,System and other icons.

Applications is just like the start button of Windows you can find everything here from music,movie players to browsers and office suite.

Places is the menu from where you can access all drives/folder on your
system.You can also connect to a server or see your recent documents.

System is just like the control panel in Windows you can change your system
settings here.

It also contains a notification area on the right from where you can connect to the internet,configure your bluetooth,sound,chat and mail,date & time preferences.
The rightmost button can be used to turn off,restart,log out,suspend(like stand-by) and switch from your current session.

The empty area is where you can create folders and documents.The drives and removable devices also appear on the desktop when they are mounted(loaded) or connected to your system.

You can also add other items to your panel by right clicking on the empty space in the panel and selecting Add to panel... and you can change the orientation of the panel by clicking properties and then changing the orientation.

That's all for this post....your feedback and comments/suggestions are welcome..

If you liked this post please show your appreciation by liking/sharing with
your friends....

How to permanently delete your Facebook account...????

2011-07-13T19:46:00.003+05:30

Facebook......one word that no one knew before 2004 and now it has become a huge brand.The social networking site with more than 750 million members has now intruded so much into our lives that we can't ignore it.

Where do you find your friends???.....Facebook
How to inform everybody about an event,reunion or competition??.....Facebook
How to promote a band/celebrity/item???....Facebook
How to talk with everybody at the same time in a group???....Facebook

But some people dont find the site any more interesting or feel
insecure on facebook and want to delete their accounts.Some of you might
have friends who put up status updates that they are going to delete their
accounts soon....;) but never do it.....here's your solution
You have the option of temporary deactivation in facebook but that's just..
...temporary.If you want to delete the account you do not find an option or a
link.

The link to delete your account permanently is https://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account

If you agree after going to this link they'll ask you to fill a small form
and submit your account for deletion in 14 days of course you can cancel the
deletion before 14 days by logging into your account.

So how many of you people are actually( ;) ) going to delete their account....??

If you liked the post...like it below and share it with your
friends.

Facebook+Skype launch video calling....get it now!!

2011-07-08T23:54:00.003+05:30

Facebook has launched it's yet another exciting feature in association with skype of video calling.
Facebook also changed its chat window design so that it adjusts itself with browser's width.Using video calling you can talk face to face with your friends on facebook.

Video calling requires a one-time setup to install the plugin
for the browser.
This video calling service will be made available to everybody in a few weeks but if you want it now just follow these simple steps:

Note that this feature is currently available for Windows
and Mac users. It is not available for Ubuntu or any other
Linux based OS.

Step 1:Go to http://www.facebook.com/videocalling

Step 2:Click Get Started.

Step 3:The page will ask you to select an online friend.Select a friend.

Step 4:It will now ask to complete a one time setup to start a video call.Click setup.

Step 5:Download the file FacebookVideoCallsetup.exe and install it.

Restart your browser and enjoy.... :)

To call some one open their chat window/profile and click the call button at the top of the chat window/profile.

.

If you encounter any problem at step 3 you can always visit the profile of a friend who
has already set up video calling and click the call button at top-right corner and then continue.

If you still encounter problems feel free to comment...

Installing Ubuntu 10.04 from a CD/DVD

2011-07-08T00:28:00.007+05:30

Installing Ubuntu 10.04 LTS is easier than ever.The Ubuntu developers are making the new versions of ubuntu
more user-friendly so that even an experienceless user may not have a hard time installing ubuntu.

To install ubuntu you must have one of these :

1. A bootable ubuntu CD/DVD.

2. A wubi(wubi.exe) installer for Windows users.

                                                      3. A Live USB drive containing Ubuntu files.

To install from a wubi installer go to my post http://maitnoobsatwork.blogspot.com/2011/07/installing-ubuntu-1004-from-wubi.html

To install from a from a Live USB drive go my post http://maitnoobsatwork.blogspot.com/2011/07/unetbootincreate-your-own-live-usb.html to create a Live USB drive and then follow the Steps from 2 to 20.

To install from a CD/DVD follow these steps:-

Step 1: Insert the CD and choose boot from CD/DVD in the boot menu in case you haven't given
            it the first priority in the boot order.If you want to try ubuntu without installing or changing
            files on your system select Try ubuntu without installing.If you want to install ubuntu
            select Install Ubuntu.

Step 2: The Install window appears, select Install Ubuntu 10.04 LTS to install ubuntu.

Step 3: Select your location and time zone and click forward.

Step 4: Select your keyboard layout and click forward.

Step 5: Now proceed with care.....If you have got a new drive that does not have
            a pre-installed OS
           Then you may use the option Erase and use entire disk option or you can
           specify partition manually.
           If you want to dual boot with windows i advise you to create a partion and
   select this partition in Step 8.
           I choose to specify manually to show you how to install it manually.

Step 6: Select the disk and click New Partition Table to create a new partition and press continue.

Step 7: The installer will show a free space select it and click add.

Step 8: Now the file system in linux is slightly different from windows.In linux there's a single
           directory 'root' denoted by / and all the users and files are inside this folder.
           The file systems in linux are ext2,ext3 and the new ext4.Note that windows cannot read
             these file system on its own.
             So select your patition type,size,location.
       Select ext4 file system from Use as list.
             Select mount point /. Press OK.

Step 9: Now the system uses a swap area to place its temporary files if you do not give this
             space from its Hard disk the installer uses the RAM as swap area.
             So if you have extra HD space you can allot 2-4 GB as swap area.
             To create swap area just create a parition like step 8 except in this case select swap
             from Use as list.

Step 10: Now select the ext4 file system from the main window and click forward.

Step 11: In my case i did not use a swap area so ubuntu gives a warning.Press continue.

Step 14: Fill you details....and your login preference.

Step 15: Review your settings...you can make changes by clicking back....if you want to install
             with these settings click install.
             Please remove your internet cable or the installer will fetch updates from server..
           I advise to update once you install your system as updates may make the system
             unstable. (Chances of this are although very rare ;) )

Step 16: Wait while installer copies the files...

Step 17: Reboot the system after installation.

Step 18: If you have dual-booted the system with windows select Ubuntu with linux from the grub
menu.

Step 19: Login with your username and password.

Step 20: Enjoy your new system... :)

Installing Ubuntu 10.04 from wubi Installer...the easy way!!

2011-07-07T23:56:00.006+05:30

To make things easy for Windows users Ubuntu 10.04 comes with a new wubi installer which helps you to install ubuntu within Windows as a program and uninstall it if you do not want to use it...just like any other software...

To install ubuntu from the wubi installer....follow these steps:

Step 1:Insert the CD/DVD or the Live USB drive that you created from this post
http://maitnoobsatwork.blogspot.com/2011/07/unetbootincreate-your-own-live-usb.html

Step 2: The autorun will launch the Ubuntu menu if it doesn't go to the CD/DVD or the USB
drive and double-click wubi.exe.

Step 3: Install ubuntu outside windows using the demo and full installation option...refer to post
http://maitnoobsatwork.blogspot.com/2011/07/installing-ubuntu-1004-from-cddvd.html

Step 4: Select install inside windows.

Step 5: Select the Lnaguage,Installation drive,username,password etc.
Click Install.

Step 6: Wait while the installer installs the files

Step 7: Reboot after the wizard finishes and select Ubuntu from the OS choice menu.

Step 8: Wait for the installer to finish copying files...reboot after the installer is finished.

Step 9: Select Ubuntu linux from the grub menu.

Step 10:Enter your username and log in.

Step 11: If you wish to uninstall Ubuntu later boot into windows and select Ubuntu and
click Uninstall in add/remove programs.

UNetbootin.....create your own live USB drive

2011-07-07T16:17:00.002+05:30

There are many ways to install an operating system (OS).
You can install it from a cd,dvd or by creating Live USB drive.
One of the many softwares that you can use for creating a bootable drive is UNetbootin, the Universal Netboot Installer.
You can get it at http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

UNetbootin can download the files of the linux distribution that you specify or use an ISO image of a cd/DVD to create a live USB drive.
The steps to create a Live USB drive are very easy.

Step 1: Format the USB drive.

Step 2: Download the UNetbootin Installer from the link above.

Step 3: Double-click the downloaded file. Windows gives a security warning,
ignore this and click Run.

Step 4: Now if you do not have the image to create a USB stick, select the
            Distribution radio button and select your distribution and version from
            the dropdown list.
            If you have the ISO image of the CD/DVD then select the Diskimage radio
            button and select the image file from your hard disk.

Step 5: You can show all drives by checking the show all drives checkbox but do
this with care as a mistake may chage your system settings.
Select the USB drive from type and the drive.

Step 6: Check everything and click OK.

Step 7: Wait while it copies the files to your USB drive.

Step 8: Once the installer completes reboot the system.

Voila!!
Your own Live USB drive :)

Enter the boot menu and select Removable Devices/USB Hard disk from the menu to install from this Live USB drive.

Ubuntu....Linux for Human Beings..!!

2011-07-05T14:07:00.006+05:30

In case you are wondering about the title,this indeed is Ubuntu's tag line.
So, why GNU/Linux??
Well if you are fed up with your windows/OS X installation or you have started facing problems regarding viruses, rootkits etc. then linux may be a better substitute for you.People also choose linux because of its eye-candy without having to deal with patches, edits or the fear of crashing your system and files.Some people use linux because they develop many applications that may need testing on other platforms.One of the biggest features of linux is that it is open-source i.e. you can modify and distribute it's code to anybody without having to pay single penny........
.....that's right It's Free!!
GNU/Linux is not much popular because we work on windows most of our life and it's everywhere...we can't deny that but many people are nowadays shifting to linux in search of something new.There are many GNU/Linux distribution that you may try like Ubuntu, Fedora ,Linux Mint, Mandriva, Debian etc.
In case you are wondering why i keep saying GNU/Linux because linux is not an operating system but just a kernel, kernel is a process that is always running in an operating system, the GNU project which started in 1984 was to provide a Unix like OS to the public absolutly free so all the other components in Linux except the kernel were part of GNU project, when Linus Torvalds wrote a kernel and released it as open source, GNU/Linux or more commonly linux came into picture.
One of the most popular GNU/Linux operating systems available out there is Ubuntu

You can also try other flavours of ubuntu like Kubuntu,edubuntu, Xubuntu etc.

They are almost the same , the difference is in the interface but you can later install these interfaces once you have the basic ubuntu installation.

There are may editions Desktop,server,netbook etc.

How to get Ubuntu : Ubuntu is a completely free operating system which can be downloaded at their website http://www.ubuntu.com/download where you can download a cd image which can later be burned to a disc.Earlier you could request a CD from them and it was mailed to your address free of cost! but now they have stopped that program because distributing free cd's worldwide doesn't come cheap!!

The latest version they have is Natty Narwhal (11.04) but you will be better if you download the Lucid(10.04) -LTS(long term support).

This cd can be used as a live cd and you can get the feel of ubuntu without changing a single file on your system.

So grab your copy of ubuntu and step into the world of linux...!!

Next post about installing Ubuntu and configuring Ubuntu....