Ubuntu 9.10 Computer Janitor

I have been running Karmic Koala since it was beta 3. I was really interested in the Computer Janitor application located in the System|Administration menu. Since I have not yet developed a full knowledge of the Linux file system and how everything works, tools like this can be very helpful. I have questions such as, just what files can I get rid of and when is it safe to do so? But when I run the tool this is what I get.

I have been running Karmic since October and I did re-install once in December after I ruined my video trying to improve the drivers. So now I ask the question will Computer Janitor ever show items I can delete? I posted the same question in a Craigslist Linux forum and really didn't get the answers I wanted. I was however told of another program Bleach, that is in the Karmic Koala repositories and is more robust. I have installed Bleach and I used it once. There are several options that have deletable items and the program sports a preview option. I will have to try out more options and report the results later.

Does anyone else have any experience with  Computer Janitor, Bleach or other programs that do the same things? I would like to hear about them in the comments.

Parted Magic Updated To Version 4.8

I have been using Parted Magic off and on for a while now. Mostly I just carry it everywhere I go but when I do need a tool in the distribution it is ready. I get the most use out of G4L and Gparted but once in a while the recovery tools make finding lost files a snap. Patrick Verner has done a great job pulling all of this together and I urge everyone that uses Parted Magic to help support this project. I know that these are tough times financially for many of us but I also think a small sacrifice like a cup of coffee less per month is not too much to ask in return for the updating and maintenence of this terrific tool. Please visit the homepage for all the details on the latest updates to version 4.8 and of all the included tools.

Restoring Grub With A LiveCD

I enjoy installing different distributions that I usually find first on Distrowatch. This is the premiere Linux site for finding what's the latest on your favorite distro. I like to install the Debian derivatives like Ubuntu, Mint, Mepis, AntiX and now the most recent I have downloaded, elive. I have also cut my Linux teeth on Damn Small Linux, Zenwalk, Slax, Back Track and a few others. But the common denominator is I start looking and keep current on the Distrowatch site. This site is a great resource for the Linux enthusiast.

It was here I found the terrific article on Restoring Grub written by Jesse Smith in the Questions and Answers section. I felt it was a well written and easy to understand article that covers an important piece of information. No one wants to see the fatal message No Operating System found or Grub errors 17, 22 or 25. (These are the three I've seen in my short Linux experience.) Here is the article in its entirety re-posted with permission.

Restoring GRUB

Can't-boot-any-more asks: Distro hopping wiped out my GRUB. How can I reconstruct it?

DistroWatch answers: Sometimes when making changes to a hard drive, such as installing a new operating system, the disk's master boot record (MBR) will get wiped or corrupted. When that happens, GRUB will no longer function. This has the unfortunate side effect of preventing the user from being able to boot their operating system and, in those cases, it's important to be able to get the system up and running again, preferably without re-installing the operating system(s) from scratch.

The easiest way to get GRUB back on-line is with a live CD. It doesn't really matter which live CD, so long as it comes with a copy of GRUB. Place the live CD into the computer and boot from it. We're then going to venture into command-line territory. The next thing to do is run the "grub" command as root or, if you are running a live CD that uses sudo, run "sudo grub". This will start GRUB and provide us with a prompt.

     grub>

We'll then find out where the GRUB files are located:

     grub> find /boot/grub/stage1

The find command will return a disk location for us. Probably "(hd0,0)" or "(hd0,1)". We now know where the GRUB files are stored. Next, we'll tell GRUB to use this location in the future. In the following step, type "root", followed by the location we were given above. In my case:

     grub> root (hd0,1)

GRUB now knows where its files are located and we need to re-setup GRUB in the master boot record. To do this, we type:

     grub> setup (hd0)

The above step should work for most people, who have GRUB installed in the MBR. For folks who have installed GRUB onto a partition, the "setup" command can be modified to include the partition number. The catch is, you need to know where you originally installed GRUB. In these cases, remember that GRUB starts counting partitions from zero, not one. So, for example, if GRUB was installed on the third partition of the first hard drive, the "setup" command will look like this:

     grub> setup (hd0,2)

When we get back to the prompt again, we can quit GRUB:

     grub> quit

And then reboot the computer. Remove the live CD from the drive and we should be back to normal.

Ubuntu Gets A New Users Manual In Lucid Lynx

I know I have not been posting with any regularity lately but I have had too many projects going at the same time. I will commit to 2010 to update this blog at least once per week. Now on to this post's subject a User's Guide for Ubuntu.

I have been a supporter for newbies to enter the world of Linux and get away from the Redmond grip. Ubuntu has made this a lot easier in my opinion with every new release. It just gets easier and easier to install, configure and enjoy. Enter Benjamin Humphrey a 19 year old student in Dunedin, New Zealand as someone with the vision of helping even more newbies in the spirit of learning Ubuntu. He is the founder and creator of the Ubuntu Manual project which will be included in Ubuntu releases starting with version 10.04 Lucid Lynx. I think this is a great idea and applaud Benjamin and his group of volunteers. Ubuntu is very user freindly and I found it very easy to use. But I, like others, have had my share of minor issues. I'm a bit geeky and I am able to work through most of them on my own by studying what others have tried before me. But I am not most users. I believe most people just want it to work and when it doesn't they panic and return to Windows. (By the way Windows doesn't always just work either but at least there are more people around they can complain to in hopes of getting it to work.)

Newbies to Linux will have a much easier time switching if they don't have to dig through forums, which can be intimadating to some people. I think having answers to the common issues in one place and included with the distribution, will be a great benefit. I hope this will encourage even more people to come over to the Ubuntu or Linux lifestyle.

Malware Discovered In Screensaver For Ubuntu And Gnome

We all thought it was perfectly safe to run Linux but this story on Linux Magazine proves otherwise. While it is true this particular Malware wasn't targeting the end user, it does demonstrate how easy it is to get unwanted applications and scripts installed. I heartily agree with the article's author, Kristian Kissling, to either check the source code fully or stick to the approved repositories for software. This easily could have been much worse than a script attacking a server. Linux by default is pretty secure but when the user gives the okay to install, all bets are off. This particular malware was hidden in a screensaver, a method of deploying rogue software that has been very popular and I assume effective for a long time. This should serve as a warning to fellow Linux users to be careful and never think your system is 100% safe. If you have been victimized by this waterfall screensaver from Gnome-Look.Org, they have removed the screensaver, the article linked above has the removal command and here is a link to the Ubuntu forums currently discussing this exploit.

Restart X In Karmic Koala Explained

I have seen numerous posts about restarting xserver in Ubuntu and nearly all point to Ctrl+Alt+Backspace. This command no longer works in Ubuntu since v9.04. The command has been replaced by RtAlt+SysReq+K. On my laptop the SysReq key is shared with print screen and if done in a different order produced a print screen dialog. This of course may be different for your equipment. I have also seen one post about adding the dontzap package to re-enable this function. When I ran the command sudo apt-get install dontzap I received package not found error as seen in the screenshot below. If anyone knows how to re-enable this please post in the comments.