Sigh, another day, another bad disk... happens to the best of us, but when a disk is ruined, we need to find ways to recover the data. But wait, that's not the only problem, when I was copying the files, I noticed that some of the files had CRC errors, and the entire copy process was taking ages. That's when I remembered the 'xcopy' tool i heard about somewhere in school... thought i could use it..

So, here's what i found...

xcopy <source-dir> <destination-dir> <options>

Hmmmm, so what now? Now we copy the data....

xcopy "C:\backup\" "D:\" /c /s /h /i

where I need to copy from C:\backup to D: Here, the key aspect is the /c option, which skips the errors from the copy. Other options :

/s : recursively copy directories, useful for tux addicts :)
/h : fooled ya, this isn't help, this copies files with hidden and system attributes
/i : Treats destination as a directory.

Other useful options of xcopy :

/z : Copies over a network in restartable mode ... hmmm... interesting, never tried it...
/f : DIsplays source and destination file names

Now that I have the photos, I'm happy :D Let's get some sleep now...

Are you tired of looking at the drab desktop over and over again? Or are you trying to get that Mac look on your Ubuntu? Well, look no further, Screenlets does all that, and it's the best companion to your Compiz/Beryl system too.

Well, to start off, Screenlets are small python programs that provide a number of features that a widget engine does, and a lot more !

Ok, here's how you can get yourself the power of Screenlets:

• Edit sources.list as sudo vim /etc/apt/sources.list, and add one of the following lines, based on which version of Ubuntu you've got :
  
  deb http://hendrik.kaju.pri.ee/ubuntu edgy screenlets
  or
  deb http://hendrik.kaju.pri.ee/ubuntu feisty screenlets
  or
  deb http://hendrik.kaju.pri.ee/ubuntu gutsy screenlets


• Add the gpg key to confirm as a verified source :

wget http://hendrik.kaju.pri.ee/ubuntu/F854AFD7.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - && sudo apt-get update


• Now install screenlets: sudo apt-get install screenlets
• Start the Screenlet manager as screenlets-manager, select what you like and add to the desktop, enable if you want to see it when you log in.
  

Screenlets are changing so quickly, that what you see now, may not be how it can be used tomorrow. Stay tuned, and stay cool ;)

References:
http://hendrik.kaju.pri.ee/screenlets/

So I got myself a Linksys piece for the wifi part, but still gotta use my MT882 to connect to BSNL, as a router... *sigh* Anyway, how do I get the most of this configuration? Well, I put the MT882 into bridge mode and let my Linksys handle the connection.

Well, what exactly is bridge mode? A network bridge connects a number of network segments at layer 2 of the OSI model, the Data Link Layer. A bridge works by managing the traffic from one network rather than simply rebroadcast to adjacent network segments.
Advantages of Bridging :

• PPPoE passthrough : This allows for my Linksys router to connect directly to the BSNL servers, and obtain a public IP address for itself.
• Transparent bridges can pass Non-IP protocols, while traditional routers only pass IP protocols.
• I need to configure port forwarding only on one of the two routers, rather than forwarding at either router.
• I use dyndns to configure dynamic dns, but my MT882 doesn't support that, so, I let my Linksys to the work :)
• Last, but not the least, it reduces one hop in your network :) not much of a help, but better nonetheless.

Oh, and before you do this, make sure your routers have IP addresses on different subdomains, mine are configured as:

MT882      : 192.168.1.1 / 255.255.255.0
WRT54GS : 192.168.0.1 / 255.255.255.0

Also, before you change anything on the MT882 or WRT, please take a backup of the configuration, I found it very useful to do this, in case you need to reset the routers (very rare)

Again, make sure you know what the username and password are for the BSNL connection, it'll be listed in the WAN setting described below. If you do change it, you'll lose this information, and will have to know it to get connected again.
Configuring the MT882 for bridge mode:

• Log into the WebAdmin of the MT882, by navigating to 192.168.1.1, and typing the username and password.
• In the sidebar, click on WAN Setting.
• Set the WAN Type to RFC2684Bridged and let the connection type remain at Pure Bridged.
• Click on apply.
• The router will now reboot. It will not try to connect to the BSNL servers now.

Configuring the WRT54GS for the PPPoE connection:

• Navigate to the router administration page for the WRT54GS. In my case, this was at 192.168.0.1. Log in using the administrator username and password.
• In the basic setup, change the Internet Connection Type to PPPoE.
• Set the username and password as noted from the WAN settings page of the MT882.
• I set my connection to KeepAlive, so it reconnects if the connection drops, with an redial period of 60 sec.
• Now to the best part. I've registered at dyndns.org for a dynamic dns entry. This allows you to access your system from anywhere using a hostname specified by you. In the Setup page of the WRT54GS, navigate to the DDNS tab. Here, select the provider for your dynamic dns, username and password, and voila, everytime your IP changes, it'll re-register that with your hostname. Pretty neat huh?

There's a lot of tweaking i've done to improve speed further, shall get to that in upcoming posts, once i'm sure they're safe ;)

A friend of mine asked to yesterday if I could list out a few things that he could install on his Feisty. Nothing flashy, just interesting stuff. This really got me thinking, and it took me this long to come up with a pretty small list, I must say.

Oh well, small or not, here it goes, a list of a few things that I'd definitely need on my Ubuntu box (or Linux box in any case)

1. Beryl / Compiz fusion : The very first thing that came to mind was Compiz. Dunno why, but of late, everytime I install an Ubuntu system, I end up installing Beryl or Compiz almost mechanically. Details on how to get this running in my previous post.
   
   
2. AWN : Avant Window Navigator, a dock-like bar that sits at the bottom of the screen, and supports really cool features, akin to the OSX dock. Check details of the project at : http://code.google.com/p/avant-window-navigator/
   
   
3. Screenlets : A logical addition to the Compiz system is a set of applets, similar to the OSX widgets, or the Yahoo! widgets. Features wobble effects, shadows and transparency. Amazing stuff. Check out http://hendrik.kaju.pri.ee/screenlets/
   
   
4. Glipper : I really need a clipboard manager, partly because I have a horrible memory, and partly because it's just too much to remember. Prior to this, I was using Klipper, but that's a KDE app, and pulls in a lot of KDE base files also, and I didn't quite like that. Besides, all GNOME counterparts of Klipper were unusable to say the least. But then I came across Glipper, and haven't looked further. Sure, it doesn't have all the features of Klipper, like actions, but it does the job, and it does it well.
   
   
5. Frostwire : P2P is the in thing now, almost everyone uses it. And most of us will be familiar with Limewire in this regard. Limewire is a free P2P client with a premium version too, that's written in Java and is this platform-independent. Works like a charm on any OS supporting Java. Similar to Limewire, but completely free, Frostwire is lighter and is a breeze to work with. A must have for anyone hooked onto P2P. http://www.frostwire.com/
   
   
6. Pidgin : As common as this may sound, Pidgin is one of the most important applications I'll ever need, mostly because my work requires me to have it ;)
   
   
7. Drivel : A client to work with and edit Online Journals/Blogs. Simple interface, and a load of options make it one of the best in the category. Supports many popular Blogging/ Journal sites, including LiveJournal, Blogger, WordPress, Drupal, etc. (And no, this entry was not written on Drivel ;) ) Check http://www.dropline.net/drivel/index.php
   
   
8. Exaile : A music player, similar to Amarok for KDE, but for GTK, thus reducing the overhead. It incorporates many of the features on Amarok, looks great and works just as well. Check it out at http://www.exaile.org/
   

Well, that's my list at the moment, am still on the lookout for more, shall add them in upcoming posts...

That's all for now, and i'm *yawn*.. sleepy...

Well, I was at it again, this time trying to get Compiz-Fusion on Feisty. Ok, first, some background...

1. For the uninitiated, Compiz is the parent of Beryl, the oh-so-popular, and the former best seller in terms of eye-candy... Of course, you can still get Beryl for Feisty, but what's the fun in that?
2. What's Beryl ? Well, it's a replacement for your window manager, adds a whole lot of features to your desktop, like transparency, wobbly windows, fire effects, and other cool stuff.
3. What's a window manager? Well, it manages the look and feel of windows on linux, and in this case, Ubuntu.
4. What's Linux ? It's an operating system, something that helps you use your computer.
5. What a computer? My god, where do you want to try this tutorial!?!

Ok, now that's you're familiar, let's get down to the gory details.

Beware though, this is beta software, and could cause your computer a severe case of indigestion, or bad breath at the least.

Now that that's that, let's get down to steps:

1. Open a terminal, and type 
   
         sudo vim /etc/apt/sources.list
   
   Enter the password, and you'll be presented with the repositories. Add this line at the beginning of the file.
   

      # compiz-fusion by Treviño's Ubuntu feisty EyeCandy Repository
      deb http://download.tuxfamily.org/3v1deb feisty eyecandy
      deb-src http://download.tuxfamily.org/3v1deb feisty eyecandy

2. Now, you need apt to trust the new package source :
   
      wget http://download.tuxfamily.org/3v1deb/DD800CD9.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

3. Just to make sure it's done correctly, remove the existing components of compiz :
   

      sudo apt-get remove compiz-core desktop-effects 
      sudo apt-get remove compiz compiz-gnome 
      sudo apt-get remove compizconfig-settings-manager 
      sudo apt-get remove compiz-fusion-plugins-extra
      sudo apt-get remove compiz-fusion-plugins-unofficial 
      sudo apt-get remove libcompizconfig-backend-gconf
   

4. We would now need to update the repositories in apt :
   
       sudo apt-get update
   
   
5. Great, now we're ready to go. Let's start the installs :
   
      In Ubuntu :
   
          sudo apt-get install compiz compiz-gnome compizconfig-settings-manager compiz-fusion-plugins-extra compiz-fusion-plugins-unofficial emerald emerald-themes
   
      In Kubuntu :
   
          sudo apt-get install compiz compiz-kde compizconfig-settings-manager compiz-fusion-plugins-extra compiz-fusion-plugins-unofficial emerald emerald-themes
   
   
6. That's it. You should be done now. To run compiz:
    
      compiz --replace &
   
   
7. Also, if you've used emerald theme manager, or installed it, you can tell compiz to use that as :
   
      compiz --replace -c emerald &
   
   
8. Further settings and configuration to Compiz can be done as :
   
      System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager

Caveats :
 Couple of things I noticed when I had people experimenting with the steps:

1. The older set of instructions didn't include emerald in the install list. If you have installed Compiz using the older instructions, install emerald as :

             sudo apt-get install emerald emerald-themes

 I've updated the instructions now to include them in the install list.

2. In case you run into an issue while running compiz, you see errors involving 'ccp' library, it's most probably due to an issue with GConf. To overcome this, you need to set Compiz to use a flat-file backend. This is how you do it:

             System > Preferences > CompizConfig Settings Manager

 In the left pane of the settings manager, click on Preferences, and change the Backend to 'Flat-file configuration backend'. This should solve the issue.

Notes:

1. To get this to run smoothly, make sure compositing and direct rendering are enabled on your machine. Check this as :

     xdpyinfo | grep -i composite  : If this returns with a value of Composite, that means compositing is enabled
     glxinfo  | grep -i rendering     : If this shows direct rendering : Yes , you're safe.

2. You could put the compiz startup command in the sessions file to start compiz when you log into ubuntu.

References :
1. http://www.opencompositing.org/
2. http://www.compiz.org/Ubuntu_Installation_Guide

Playing around with Feisty on my laptop again (HP nc6400) . Weird issue, today, of all that could happen, my volume buttons don't seem to work. I press them, and I see the icon comes up, but no change in volume.. Check the mute button, well, that works... but the volume controls... well, they don't change the volume at all!

 Of course, I could go to the tray and adjust the volume, but what's the use of having the buttons on the keyboard itself in that case, besides it was working yesterday!! Did the usual snooping around for package installations and removals that could've caused the issue, but nothing.. Even installed a package that apparently allows customization of special keys on laptops, keytouch, it could change the buttons alright, but why wouldn't the damn volume controls work!!

 Then, after hours of searching and mind-grinding, I found the issue, after looking at all the complicated settings and sifting through all the packages, I realized I'd missed the simplest and most obvious issue, my default device was set to 'mic' , changed that and volume controls work just fine. Here's what I did:

   System > Preferences > Sound

 In this page, the last section, default mixer tracks, select 'Master' in the list, and that should do it!

Phew, now that I'm done, I can get to bed, I'm tired and sleepy now...

Admit it, every once in a while you have the urge to try something new. For me, this always ends up in the form of a new game, a new OS, a new firmware upgrade, or mobile modding..

 Recently I got my hands dirty with Ubuntu Feisty, and now I wanted more, I wanted to play games on the tux-box, and what better place to start than Quake3. Quake3 was one of the first games that brought me into deathmatches. That's where I started off, and I did quite well, i must say. But then the craze died, and I stopped gaming for a whole long year.

 This ended with the urge of getting Quake3 to run on Ubuntu. Of course it isn't difficult, but then again, nothing really is difficult nowadays, but still ran into a couple of issues. Here's what you need :

  1. A licensed, working CD of Quake3.
  2. The Quake3 license.
  3. An internet connection.

Let's get started....

1. Put the CD into the tray and wait for it to be mounted.
2. Now, run the following command on the terminal:

    sudo apt-get install quake3-data

3. Provide the path to the installation folder of Quake3, in my case, this was /media/cdrom0/
4. Leave the next setting at the default, you'll need to download a 30MB point release for linux.
5. The installation starts. First it copies pak0.pk3 from the CD, that's around 458MB. Then, it downloads the latest point release from ID site.
6. Once done, run the downloaded point release as

    sudo /root/<point-release>.run

  In my case, it was

    sudo /root/linuxq3apoint-1.32b-3.x86.run

7. Install into the default directory.

8. Now here's where I ran into a problem, whenever I'd run the command "quake3", it'd die complaining of a missing default.cfg file. To solve this issue, you need to copy the pak0.pk3 file from the CD into the installation directory manually.  I did this as :

    sudo cp /media/cdrom0/baseq3/pak0.pk3  /usr/share/games/quake3/baseq3/

9. Run the game as 'quake3'. Now it'll ask for the CD key, type the CD key, and voila, you're ready to play Quake3 on Ubuntu, without the need of wine...

Enjoy!

Ok, I admit it, the last photo I created was a disaster in terms of dimensions... needed serious alterations... but only one problem, I can't install any applications on this box.. bummer!

 Then I came across this place that allows you to edit the photo online! and that too free... ! An absolute lifesaver.... Had to browse quite a few sites to find this, but most of them were either paid sites or offered only fixed resolutions.. whereas this place offered me to choose the resolution i needed!

www.picresize.com  

What's more? You can choose from 3 different file types to save the image as, the site supports JPG, GIF and PNG. Apart from all of this, you can also crop the image, reset it to the original image, set it to a preset percentage of size change, or select your own percentage for enlargement/ reduction.

 Now that you're done with size manipulations, you can also select from quite a few special effects. All this for free!! Now that's a lot of features for free! This is one site that'll remain in my bookmarks for a long time.

Of course the photo is deleted after 20 min of resizing.. but it's worth it, my work is done, and I'm off for now....