File Manager comparison

Konqueror: KDE app. Shd we say more? (*)
Nautilus: One GNOME app that really sucks. I donot like the tabs for directories and the fact that we can;t just enter abs pathname. (*)
xffm: xffm’s fm. Capable, but messes with the desktop (starts xffm-deskview automatically) (**)
Thunar: Simple nautilus. (**)
emelfm2: Clean and simple. Had to download from emelfm2.net and complile to install (what no cc?) (***)

Thunderbird calendar messed up

Had to install libstd++5 to get back. I was trying to install/upgrade a bunch of packages for xfce last week and seem like this is messed up?

Window Manager Comparison

KDE:
Pros: polished and complete
Cons: Too polished and too resource hog

GNOME:
Pros: simple and functional, supports xinirama; panel supports kde apps
Cons: Sometimes too simple and not configuratble
Eg: Can’t override righ mouse with app-menu name (the default one is useless)

xfce4
Pros: lean and fast, highty configurable and functional; panel supports all apps, in dual screen, both screens are individually configurable
Cons: does n;t support xinirama (including 4.3 beta)

fluxbox
Pros: light weight, supports xinirama
Cons: got to redo configurations, not complete
(eg: banshee does not appear in panel)

(*) GNOME with Openbox
Pros: GNOME+configurable menus and buttons
Cons: a compromise.

(***) Gnome with xfce

Added a startup script to gnome-session (Gnome Control Center-> Session-> Startup)
and put this over there:
nram@marvin:~/.gnome2$ cat startup
killall metacity
/usr/local/bin/xfwm4 &
/usr/local/bin/xfdesktop &

and mv /usr/bin/nautilus /usr/bin/nautiluis.donot_start (I hate it)

Now you have the xinirama aware gnome running xfce.

Installing Dapper from USB flash drive

1. Make sure the usb flash drive is mountable.
I have an Kingston Travelmate 1G drive. I inserted it and see this in dmesg
[4466782.296000] usb 4-6.2: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 17
[4466782.371000] scsi2 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
[4466782.371000] usb-storage: device found at 17
[4466782.371000] usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
[4466787.372000] Vendor: Kingston Model: Kingston Rev: 6.16
[4466787.372000] Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 00
[4466787.374000] SCSI device sda: 2004991 512-byte hdwr sectors (1027 MB)
[4466787.375000] sda: Write Protect is off
[4466787.375000] sda: Mode Sense: 45 00 00 08
[4466787.375000] sda: assuming drive cache: write through
[4466787.379000] SCSI device sda: 2004991 512-byte hdwr sectors (1027 MB)
[4466787.380000] sda: Write Protect is off
[4466787.380000] sda: Mode Sense: 45 00 00 08
[4466787.380000] sda: assuming drive cache: write through
[4466787.380000] sda: sda1
[4466787.382000] sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi removable disk sda
[4466787.382000] sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 0
[4466787.388000] usb-storage: device scan complete

with

mount /dev/sda1 -t vfat /media/kingston

I could it mount it and see the contests.

2. Download the iso
downladed the latest dapper beta (flight 7) from
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/dapper/flight-7/

3. Download syslinux
downloaded the latest version (3.11) from
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/

4. Run syslinux
umount /media/kinsgton
unix/syslinux -s /dev/sda1

5. Mount the linux iso
mount -o loop -t iso9660 /opt/tmp/dapper-install-i386.iso /mnt/ISO/Ubuntu_Dapper/

6. Copy the iso contents to usb drive
mount /media/kingston
cd /mnt/ISO/Ubuntu_Dapper/
cp -pr . /media/kinsgton/

7. Configure syslinux to use dapper.
cd /media/kingston
cp -pr isolinux/* .
mkdir deleted
mv isolinux isolinux.bin isolinux.cfg deleted # instead of deleting them
mv isolinux.cfg syslinux.cfg

8. Boot from usb
Sucks! Could see the ubuntu boot screen and thats about it. ,
but complais it can’t find
/lib/vmlinuz.so … seem like path limitation.
some other day ….

Multimedia apps in Dapper

After the Dapper beta upgrade few weeks back, system so shorthanded on multimedia apps. In preparation for a handly portable harddisk that I can carry music around (cheap man’s iPod), wanted to install some app that can play and organize mp3s.

xmms: Neat and simple. so inadequeate for management (**)
rhythmbox: neat and too simple interface. plays mp3 (atlast after installing gstremer from universe) and decent management. (***)
banshee: touted as rhythmbox – next generation. but falls short in management. (***)
amarok: very cabable, cute player. too much resource hog and somehow doesn’t play anything either with xine / arts engine. (can’t find how to install gstreamer engine) (**)

MP3 PLayer/Recorder comparison

See this table in numsum

MP3 PLayer/Recorder comparison

See this table in numsum