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View Full Version : [ubuntu] Usefull stuff, add drives,partition,beep,dictionaries,MS fonts,MS formats,Wanda,



peterthinking
September 23rd, 2009, 09:39 PM
Some annoying things I've had to fix and kept notes on.
I can't take credit for all of them, credit goes to all the Linux community who have posted solutions all over the internet. I wish I kept names but I just cut and pasted the solutions.

These fixes apply to UBUNTU 9.04, If you've added stuff or deleted things from a standard install some things may not work but probably won't do any harm. Use at your own risk, I don't know enough to bail you out if you mess up your computer. Hey at least I'm honest.
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To get a dictionary/thesaursus for OpenOffice 3.0 writer and enable spellcheck.
At the top of the OpenOffice writer navigate thru the menus...

Tools>> Language>> More Dictionaries Online...

This opens a web page, Scroll down to your language and click on the blue name of the download to the right of your language.

Another web page opens...click on "Get It"

It downloads and a window pops up, click Ok to open it with OpenOffice.

Another window pops up, this is the OpenOffice extension manager.

Agree again.

Now in the open office writer navigate to here...

Tools>> Options>> Language Settings>> Writing Aids

Now make sure your "Available language modules" and "User defined dictionaries" are all checked off, also tick the "Check spelling as you type" in the bottom box.

Click "OK" at the bottom and restart OpenOffice writer.

Now when you type carot instead of carrot it will underline and give you a right click menu of possible words.
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To save OpenOffice files in (GAG!!) Microsoft Office format to avoid compatability conflicts..

In terminal paste this and hit enter to get Microsoft fonts...

sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts && sudo fc-cache -fv

Start OpenOffice writer and navigate here in the OpenOffice writer window....

Tools>> Options>> Load/Save>> General

At the bottom of the page under "Document Type"
Select the file type on the left then how to save it on the right.

Text Document - "Always Save As" - Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP
Spreadsheet - "Always Save As" - Microsoft Excel 97/2000/XP
Presentatiton - "Always Save As" - Microsoft Powerpoint 97/2000/XP

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To make wanda the fish work...
Right click on the bar at the top of your desktop

Add to panel>> Fish

This installs wanda, but sometimes she won't tell fortunes when you click on her.
In terminal type

sudo apt-get install fortune

To get a Terminal up Navigate thru the menus like so....

Applications>> Accessories>> Terminal

To make Wanda swim around on your screen hit Alt + F2
then type "free the fish"

I'm not sure how to stop her but she goes away when you restart.

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Choo choo train in terminal...
I don't know why but it's here.

In terminal type

sudo apt-get sl
enter, then in terminal type

sl

you get a train.

for a longer train type

sl -l

Strange...
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To play DVDs on your computer

First install ubuntu restricted extras.

In Terminal type....

sudo aptitude install ubuntu-restricted-extras && sudo aptitude install w64codecs

Hit enter THEN...........

In terminal type...

wget http://www.dtek.chalmers.se/groups/dvd/deb/libdvdcss2_1.2.5-1_i386.deb

Hit enter then type...

sudo dpkg -i libdvdcss2_1.2.5-1_i386.deb

Enter password or "y" for yes if prompted.

DVDs good to go.
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Got an old tower under the stairs? Wanna add a second drive you can keep files on? Want recover the old files or just poke around?
Did you install it and you can see it but can't write to it?

You probably have to change permissions

Mount the drive...
On the top left of your desktop screen is "Places" you'll see it in there.
Go down the list to the new drive and give it one left click.
Right click on the drive icon that appears on your desktop.
File path is....
Properties-Volume-Settings-Mount point.

Now type "home" in beside Mount point you can give it a different mount point if you know what you're doing.

Then in terminal type...
sudo chown -R username:username /media/mountpointofthedrive

Substitute stuff as needed, my user name is peter and I used home so mine looked like this....

sudo chown -R peter:peter /media/home

To physically install the drive you have a few things to do.

Get a drive similar to the one you use now (same plugs on the back at least).
Unplug the tower.
Open the tower.
GROUND YOURSELF (touch the metal case before you touch anything in the case!)
Position the jumpers.
Mount the drive in the case.
Connect ribbon cables.
Plug in drive power.
Close it up.

Look at the flat ribbon cable going to your current drive from the motherboard, it may have two connectors on it and your drive is hooked to one. Does the ribbon cable say "Master" and "Slave" near the plugs on it?

If the cable isn't labled move the jumper to "Master" position on your UBUNTU drive and "Slave" position on your new (or reused) second drive and plug in the drives to the ribbon cable.

If the cable IS labled "Master"+"Slave" move the jumpers to "cable select" on both drives and plug in the drives to the ribbon cable.
Again "Master" is UBUNTU and "Slave" is the second drive.

Snake a power cable over to the drive from the power supply, there is usually a couple spares in the case not connected to anything. Don't worry about getting the wrong plug or putting it on backwards it only fits one way.

To clarify the jumpers are little connectors that slip over pins on the *** end of the drive. How these are positioned determines how it works. You have to pull them off with a thumbtack or toothpick then just push them back on. Most drives have a little picture on it showing how to position them in the Master, Slave or Cable select positions. If yours don't have a pic google the drive model.

WRITE DOWN any jumper changes or cable changes you make to your main drive, if you can't get an old drive to work you'll want to change it back!

I also hook up the cables and try it out before I bother mounting the drive in the case, if the drive is fried at least I didn't waste time mounting it.

If you need to change the partitions go to Add/Remove programs and get "Gnome Partition Editor". It will end up in the System>> Administration menu as "Partition Editor". My second drive is one 38.29 Gig ext2 partition with no flags.

So that's that, you may have to mix it up a bit to get stuff to fit in the case, tuck the cords away from the fans and clean the processor heat sink and fan before you shut it up. I unbolt the fan and Qtip it and the heat sink.

And a little tip, you can unplug the box, pop open the case and unplug the power and ribbon to the second drive and all your files become invisible! Or just take it with you. Your computer still boots up without it.

So dig out that old tower and make a frankenbox, while you're in there grab that second DVD burner or CD drive it's just a couple cables and it's easy!

Peter
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Have your computer make random beeps while it's locked and you're at lunch!

Cut and paste this into a terminal...

while true; do sleep $(($RANDOM/1000)) && beep -f 2000 -l $(($RANDOM/100)) ; done

Or for stranger beeps....

while true; do sleep $(($RANDOM/5000)) && beep -f $((RANDOM/10)) -l $(($RANDOM/100)) ; done

Then lock the terminal.

control c in terminal to stop it.

sudo apt-get install beep

If you don't have beep installed
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Flash not working? all choppy and pixeled?
Get rid of the old one....

In terminal type...

sudo apt-get remove --purge swfdec-mozilla mozilla-plugin-gnash flashplugin-nonfree adobe-flashplugin

Enable Canonical partner download, navigate here...

System> Administration> Software Sources> Third Party Software and then check on the Canonical partner boxes.

It will tell you it needs to update the list...let it.

Get the new one...Type in terminal...

sudo apt-get install adobe-flashplugin


Done
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To browse files as root....you can do a lot of damage like this but if you need to it's possible.

In terminal type....

gksudo nautilus
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To add the UBUNTU satanic edition screensavers, theme and wallpapers.

Get the key...

wget -q http://ubuntusatanic.org/ubuntu-se-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Now we'll add the software repository to your system.

Go to System->Administration->Software Sources->Third Party Software->Add and enter the following APT line:

deb http://ubuntusatanic.org/hell jaunty main

click on install links go here....

http://ubuntusatanic.org/installation.php
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To install GPG key and update sources and get some new themes.
First edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file

In terminal type...

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Add these lines in the bottom of the window that pops up....

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bisigi/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bisigi/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main

Save then close.

In terminal type this...

sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 1781bd45c4c3275a34bb6aec6e871c4a881574de

Update sources...Type this in terminal...

sudo aptitude update

And add themes, Type this in terminal...

sudo aptitude install zgegblog-themes

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Got a new drive and it doesn't have the right partitions on it and UBUNTU won't install?
Get Puppy linux and run it as a live CD in a tower the drive is hooked up to.
mount the drive and run the partitioner to fix it.

I have a 40 Gig drive partitioned as follows.

/dev/sda1 ext3 (mount point) / 35.93 GB (flags) boot

/dev/sda2 extended (mount point) none 1.34 GB (flags) none

/dev/sda5 linux-swap(mount point) none 1.34 GB (flags) none

If your drive is currently working I HIGHLY suggest you write your partitions down!!!! Saves you a ton of reading if you pooch your drive at some point!
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Bored?

You can watch a movie on your terminal.

In terminal type...

telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl
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Anyway I hope this helps someone, and saves you from some stumbling around in the dark.
Thanks again to anyone who thinks they may have written part or parts of this.

Peter

peterthinking
September 24th, 2009, 12:48 AM
Maybe I posted this in the wrong forum...