Ubuntu

Now that I have finished learning how to automatically detect my mobile phone as a media device I decided to experiment on how to connect it as a USB modem and connect to the Internet using 3G. I am now using Ubuntu Intrepid on my Compaq CQ20 and was a bit curious at the new support it offers for broadband connections via mobile phones.

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A while ago, someone commented on my post entitled “Linux netbook market share dwindling down” about a problem he was having in buying a Linux based netbook. He was interested in an Acer Aspire One that has a hard drive instead of an SSD. The configuration was being offered in his location but is pre-installed with Windows. He wanted a refund on the Windows because he’s not going to use it.

It got me thinking. Maybe it would be a good idea if Linux users who want a certain configuration can be grouped together to form as a basis for ordering the computers and then have the manufacturer fill in that order as a group. That way we can get the configuration that we want and the manufacturer can get the sale plus the satisfied customer.

I don’t know if such a process exists so please post a comment if you know of one. It’s a good idea also since the order will be pooled into a single purchase and maybe it can also be discounted. One obstacle I see is filling up the order — but with most big manufacturers being computerized and globally represented I think it will just be a matter of paperwork.

What do you think?

If you have an Apple iPod and are using Ubuntu Linux, do you notice that whenever you plug in your iPod into the USB Banshee or Rhythmbox (and other Ubuntu Linux media players) is able to detect it automagically? You can actually setup your other devices like cell phones, external USB storage devices and other media players to be detected as well.

The only single requirement for you to be able to do this is that Ubuntu Linux should be able to detect your device (mobile phone, other media players) as a external USB storage device. The procedure is actually very simple and easy to setup. All you need to do is create a file named “.is_audio_player” in the root storage directory of the device.

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Virtualbox 2.1.2 update is now available for download. My updates to Virtualbox are now easier and more automatic. I’ve added Virtualbox to my System’s Software sources so that apt will provide me a notice whenever a new version is available. You can setup apt for your Virtualbox software by following the directions at the Virtualbox web site.

After the download and update by apt, you’ll probably get a similar notice below.

You’d also need to recompile the kernel modules by issuing the following command on a terminal session:

$ sudo /etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup

After that my Virtualbox was working again. It’s mainly a maintenance release. There’s a pretty long list of fixes made in this version. You can find the list here.

I’ve already read a while back about an article that laptop hard disks in Ubuntu may be experiencing an above average stress that it should be. I forgot about this when I started using Ubuntu on my notebook and only remembered about it when I recently read a Slashdot article entitled “Ubuntu’s Laptop Killing Bug Fixed“.

After reading the article, I sort of did an check on my hard disk to see if I have such a setup that affect’s the lifetime of my hard disk. I was surprised that my Ubuntu Intrepid based notebook that is fairly new has already gone through 5253 Load Cycles — that’s near the half point mark of the 10,000-count alarm point.

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My new Compaq CQ20 noteobook has a “recovery button” feature which I really haven’t gotten to checkout. The other day while setting up Ubuntu, I inadvertently pressed on the button which resulted to a “missing operating system” message when I got my notebook restarted. That recovery button should really be moved to a separate location or better yet have a disable feature option. I know that my data is still intact and that maybe the boot sector was the only area on the disk that was affected.

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This year, one of my goals is to put more time into my site so I decided that I should get a smaller notebook than the Compaq C700 I have. This way I can easily carry around a computer and put more time into blogging. I considered buying a netbook but just couldn’t get myself used to the smaller 1024 by 600 resolutions that normally came along with such portables. So I started surfing the Internet sites of local computer shops for a 12-inch notebook instead of going for a netbook. I found that the 12-inch Lenovo G230 has decent specs and a fair price so I off I went to get one.

I’ve used an IBM notebook before and was quite satisfied with it’s quality. When IBM sold it’s notebook business to Lenovo I must admit that I sort of hesitated on the idea of getting a Lenovo notebook. When I got to the store, the notebook was out of stock and I decided to get the G430 instead and went home.

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I’m thinking of buying an LCD display that has DisplayLink support to be able to connect and use multiple display screens on a single computer via USB. I tried searching via Google but couldn’t seem to find any information. I was wondering if anyone might know if there is support for DisplayLink under Ubuntu Linux.

If you know of any information, pls. post a comment here. Thanks.

If you have installed Apache, MySQL and PHP on your Ubuntu Linux (LAMP), the next thing you’d probably want to do is install these three MySQL database management tools install on your Ubuntu computer. The applications make it easier for anyone who needs to manage MySQL databases on an Ubuntu box. The tools compliment each other and makes life easier for a MySQL user.

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When I got the HP Compaq C700 notebook it came with a free Apple iPod. I installed Ubuntu on my Compaq C700 notebook. Since there isn’t any iTunes for Linux, i wanted to know how to be able to rip my audio CD’s, convert them to MP3 files and transfer them to the Apple iPod. When I tried to Google for help, I was able to get bits and pieces of information on how to do it. This weekend, I decided to write a how to about it to provide a step by step procedure on how a Ubuntu user with an iPod can do it.

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