Hardware diagnostics on Linux
Something from the topic of “Things you can’t do in Windows”.
Hypothetical scenario: you have a new machine and new installation of Windows XP, but no hardware is recognized. It barely display’s you a really small resolution picture.
Another scenario: you cant look into your box, but you have to get the specs somehow.
Now on Windows you would probably try something like SiSoftware Sandra, but it seems to recognize only the drivers that are installed in your system. Not the hardware itself. That is almost completely useless. Well I am not aware of any better means to accomplish this task in Windows than to reboot into Linux (whether its a live cd or installed dual boot system, doesn’t really matter) and explore your system with some of the following commands:
- lspci
- cat /proc/cpuinfo
- lsusb
- cat /proc/scsi/scsi
- ls /dev (if using udev)
- dmesg|less
Via Slashdot.
Starcraft with Touchscreen, Wine and Linux
Well. For everybody who loved Starcraft, here’s a whole new mindblowing experience. Actually for whatever RTS game, this would be an amazing experience. The fact that it’s running on Linux, makes it even more cooler. I want that 
Here’s the info part of the video:
OS: Gentoo Linux.
PC: p4, 1.8mhz, 256mb, 40gb(hd).
Monitor: waytec 15”.
Video: Nvidia 64mb.
TouchScreen Device: penmount usb 8-wire.
Touchscreen opensource drive for linux: “evtouch”
Graphic system: xorg 7.1 + XGL + compiz
Novell mac ad spoofs
Seems that Novell has done some spoofing and goofing around with the infamous Mac’n'PC ads. 
Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cldeHjFig_c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVOnFdMf0RU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa1RCg-Ccp0
Bash keyboard shortcuts
Here’s a piece of useful information to all who have to use Unix/Linux CLI once in a while.
Via How-To-Geek.
| Ctrl + A | Go to the beginning of the line you are currently typing on |
| Ctrl + E | Go to the end of the line you are currently typing on |
| Ctrl + L | Clears the Screen, similar to the clear command |
| Ctrl + U | Clears the line before the cursor position. If you are at the end of the line, clears the entire line. |
| Ctrl + H | Same as backspace |
| Ctrl + R | Let’s you search through previously used commands |
| Ctrl + C | Kill whatever you are running |
| Ctrl + D | Exit the current shell |
| Ctrl + Z | Puts whatever you are running into a suspended background process. fg restores it. |
| Ctrl + W | Delete the word before the cursor |
| Ctrl + K | Clear the line after the cursor |
| Ctrl + T | Swap the last two characters before the cursor |
| Esc + T | Swap the last two words before the cursor |
| Alt + F | Move cursor forward one word on the current line |
| Alt + B | Move cursor backward one word on the current line |
| Tab | Auto-complete files and folder names |
Mac dock like avant-window-navigator for linux
Taufan Lubis writes about awn - http://taufanlubis.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/avant-window-navigator/
which makes me go out and find this blogpost with .deb package and then I am confused, what’s the name of the Ubuntu 7.10. Frustrated, I go search the net and wind a Ubuntu wiki page, fortunately. I find out that Edgy is 6.10 and 7.10 is Gutsy. Why the hell do I have to remember all those names?! Make it simple, it’s a 6.10 package for crying out lout.
So no good for me. Use the Source, Puke Skytalker.
There is a Google Code page announcing that “nothing to see here, move along”. So finally I get the code from a place called Launchpad.
Direct link for the “lost” people - https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/gutsy/+source/avant-window-navigator
I grabbed the source with first run and build it (with help from here), but it didn’t do much at all. The Accessories - Accessories - Avant Window Navigator didn’t do anything. So I “make uninstall” and go for nother look and find some Gutsy .deb packages. As they so nicely don’t put the installation order up there, I try-n-die them through. Here’s the order:
sudo dpkg -i libawn0_0.2.1-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i libawn-dev_0.2.1-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i avant-window-navigator_0.2.1-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb
.. and it’s alive after Applications - Accessories - AWN.
It displays my currently active windows with their icons.
Overwhelmed with joy, I go ahead and install the other .deb-s also.
sudo dpkg -i awn-manager_0.2.1-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i python-awn_0.2.1-0ubuntu1~gutsy1_i386.deb
The manager is quite handy. I try some effects, but it’s nothing revolutionary like giving you free money for using it, making you a genius or giving you a bigger p3n1s. But it’s one of those “nice things”.
Ubuntu Compiz effects
A little memo about Compiz effects in Ubuntu - http://taufanlubis.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/setup-compiz-effect-in-ubuntu-gutsy-with-compiz-config-setting-manager/
Some effects
-
Super + E = activates the Expo plugin
-
Super+Shift = paint fire on your desktop with your mouse
-
Super+Shift+C = will erase the fire paint
-
Super + Tab = activates the Ring Switcher plugin
-
Shift+Alt+ArrowUP = Arrange windows cascade in a workspace
-
Ctrl+Alt+ArrowDown = Arrange windows horizontal in a workspace
-
Ctrl+Alt+MouseButton1+Scroll = Rotate Cube
-
Super+N Negative = Active Window
-
Super+M = Negative Screen
20080302 recap
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/
Voting page for new ideas for Ubuntu.
http://fullcirclemagazine.org/issue-10/
Ubuntu Full Circle Magazine issue 10. About ASUS eee laptop, eeeXubuntu, tuxpaint, acidrip etc.
