The Grub

I tried to update my Ubuntu 9.10 to 10.04 last night.  I had to wait until yesterday to be able to download because of the ultra slow internet connection here in the UAE.  They say there was a break in the undersea cable about a week ago.

Anyway on to my story, I got up to almost 50% of the installation--- I was happy at this point, and then it said, there is an error reading from the disc (or something to that effect).  I got confused, what the... My excitement wen kaput!  Really.  All the things that I have read from my friends was like, ok, so what should I do now?

hmmm.... This is crazy.  Should I wait another night?  

So I tried to run the OS direct from the CD, that's what I like (another point here) in Linux.  You can actually use your CD or Thumb drive to load the operating system.  Why didn't Windows think of that? Duh!  So for the first time I was able to check out Lucid Lynx.  It was the same and yet it was different.  I like looking at the purple get up after all those brown look from previous Ubuntu releases.

I cannot understand people complaining about the close and minimize buttons on the upper left hand side of the screen, it's mac-ish of course.  It's nice, I mean, different.

Aside from that, I just checked and finally decided to use my native 9.10 installation (after about 20 mins).  I was watching a tv series, and I was getting tired already.  I needed to hit the sack.  I still have to go to work the following day.  So there, when I reboot my system I noticed a lot-- I mean a lot of lines on the Grub menu.  I think the more that I upgrade, it adds up to the menu.  The list is getting longer.  Okay, I am over-reacting.  But I am getting annoyed (read: will get confused). 

So I tried to search today from google on how to remove the list, or at least the older versions:  I stumbled upon this site:  http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/ubuntu/clean-up-ubuntu-grub-boot-menu-after-upgrades/.  Just the thing that I need!

I will still read up and will be posting what I have done, if successful.  Oh, did I say that I made another Live CD for Lucid Lynx today? Will also try updating tonight (again!).

Good luck to me.

Error once more :(

I don't know if it's just my pc or is it because of the "slow" connection that we have at home that my computer cannot seem to get the needed update.  Gee! It's the same error as the last when I updated.

I am actually getting tired. Not of using ubuntu, tired of the things happening around me that I am getting annoyed of this error.

I hope this'll resolve soon.

Launchy? How about Gnome Do

Today, mama said that I need to send a fascimile message home-- see my daughter was admitted to the hospital and needed some paper works for my insurance to clear in the hospital.  I thought, okay, I should encode it and have it printed in the cafe downstairs.

I got used to using shortcuts in Windows.  Even back in XP when I installed stardock and then Launchy, that was pre-win 7 days.  It became much easier in Win 7 when I can just type it on the space provided after hitting the windows sign.  (Pardon for the very layman term, I'm no IT person). 

Anyway, I was on Ubuntu (almost all the weekend!) with Mr. Drew and I thought there should be a shortcut on how I can access applications in Linux. Surely, if windows have it, Linux will have more! lol!

So after the sending the message home, I went to check out Launchy for Linux.  Again, I was not let down.  It has!  Well, first, I never really thought that it was open-source... So there I was, summoning the "sudo apt-get" thing for linux.  I feel like I am a geek when I type that on the terminal! lol.

After that, I posted something on my Facebook wall. Lo, and behold, my Ubunutu-guru replied.  There's Gnome-do.  And he said has way better plugins. I was like, hmmmm...

Okay, hit google.  Find Gnome-do.  Silly me, its in the Synaptic Package Manager! And I do not have to summon the terminal to do it. System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager.

I keyed in Gnome-do, and Hit apply.  I figured out Docky layout. And here's what I got:

So, verdict?  Gnome-do has so much more to offer compared to Launchy.

Issue Resolved, for now

The past week I have been keeping a close monitor on the issue that I encountered in my Ubuntu 9.10 installation.  With research, I discovered that this Apt- Authentication issue has been bugging Ubuntu some 4 years back and many still encounter it (till now and including myself).

My friend back home, who, by the way has been very generous in lending a hand at solving my problems with Ubuntu (or whatever issue I throw at him), tried to send me some advise on what to do, to no avail.

This was what happened:

Apt Authentication issue

Problem during package list update. The package list update failed with a authentication failure. This usually happens behind a network proxy server. Please try to click on the "Run this action now" button to correct the problem or update the list manually by running Update Manager and clicking on "Check".

Upon trying to update:

W: A error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used.GPG error: http://security.ubuntu.com karmic-security Release: The following signatures were invalid: BADSIG 40976EAF437D05B5 Ubuntu Archive Automatic Signing Key

W: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/karmic-security/Release 

W: Some index files failed to download, they have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I was really dumbfounded, newbie to Ubuntu as I am, even to Windows, I am just a typical user!

Smackcode sent an email for me to try the following:

In the terminal type the following:

sudo apt-get autoremove

sudo apt-get update

Voila!  Problem resolved.

Next please!

Issue Issue Issue

It seems that I won't get over a day without having an issue with my Ubuntu installation.  It's not that I am complaining.  I am getting used to using Ubuntu at home. I almost do not need to log in to Windows 7 when possible.  Except maybe when I need to call my family  back home using Yahoo Messenger voice call.  They still have to get used to using skype and I haven't gotten the time to install skype on Drew in Ubuntu mode.

The other week when I updated to Karmic (Ubuntu 9.10), an error came out (again).

I have posted my query on Ubuntu Forums and hope that somebody can help me solve my issue.

I shall be on the look out on the web on these issues, I will also check with my friend on answers.

I hope I can get one soon.

Silverlight and Moonlight

Last night was probably one of the first nights that I shall be using Linux on Drew.  If not for the Plants vs. Zombies game I would have used Ubuntu all the way last night.  Of course using Ubuntu over at the office is a different story.

Anyway, I was thinking if almost anything there is some sort of other options if not better options that Linux would give me, then there should be something that silverlight offers.

See, I often listen to streaming music or TV over at hayag.  However, they offer it using silverlight, a microsoft proprietary software/plug-in.  So there, I thought, my hayag evenings is doomed.

While surfing the net this afternoon I had a chance to chat with my Ubuntu guru. Asked him if there was a thing to help me out with silverlight, luckily there is!

And it's named funny too!  Moonlight. duh!

Here's some write up I saw on the Mono site:

Moonlight is an open source implementation of Silverlight (http://silverlight.net), primarily for Linux and other Unix/X11 based operating systems. In September of 2007, Microsoft and Novell announced a technical collaboration that includes access to Microsoft's test suites for Silverlight and the distribution of a Media Pack for Linux users that will contain licensed media codecs for video and audio.

Now to get it up and running on firefox.

Image courtesy of this site.

Finally, Ubuntu 9.10

After my failed wubi install last week I cannot help but think was I just wasting my time using Ubuntu. Or getting to learn Ubuntu.  Maybe this is not just for me.  

I immediately emailed George, my guru when it comes to Ubuntu (and probably the reason why I am trying this thing), he immediately had an  answer.

The wubi install was the culprit.  And if I want to use Ubuntu I might as well install it natively on my CD as Ubuntu itself. From the CD.

Following day I immediately downloaded the ISO for Ubuntu and got ready to install at night. 

After the successful installation I immediately checked if the wireless was working, it was not after the wubi install so I had to check if it is on native install. It  still was not.  BUT, after checking out the available drivers, my wireless driver was present, I just had to apply. Nice!

Now, I am using Ubuntu 9.10 installed on my laptop Drew.

I haven't Introduced Mr. Drew right?  I think that's for another entry here. :)

Have a great night!