mypapit gnu/linux blog

Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04.1 LTS Bugfix release

mypapit — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:13:45 +0000

The Ubuntu project has released Hardy Heron 8.04.1, as the release number implies, it is a bugfix release which contains all the security updates and bug fixes for the last 2 months since the first release of 8.04. The release can be downloaded from Ubunty Hardy download page in the form of ISO files.

Current users need not to download the new CD as they are most likely have all the security patches applied via the built-in Automatic Update feature in Ubuntu.

As a bonus, the CD also includes the production release of Mozilla Firefox 3.0 compared to 3.0 Beta in 8.04.

Fancy Ubuntu Hardy Heron Shirt ?

mypapit — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:42:31 +0000

I found this shirt while surfing the Canonical Store

The shirt is decorated with art based from the latest Ubuntu Hardy Heron wallpaper making it nice to be worn on LUG or Ubuntu meetups.

The downside is probably that once Intrepid Ibex comes out, the shirt would be the thing of yesterday, but rest assured as you can still wear it for other activities due to the generic nature of its design.

As for me, I would consider one if the shirt is available on the local market

How to convert OpenXML docx files to OpenDocument odf in Windows and vice versa

mypapit — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:56:07 +0000

This guide might be a little different from the others because I write this for the Windows users. Here’s how to convert Microsoft OpenXML docx files to odf OpenDocument files (and vice versa) in Windows using only commandline :

First, make sure you downloaded odf-converter tool and copy it to appropriate folder.
Convert the files(s) using this command line :
odfconverter /I filename.pptx
and the tool will perform the conversion effortlessly.
You can use this command to convert multiple files :
odfconverter /BATCH-DOCX /I c:\newfiles\

replace /BATCH-DOCX with /BATCH-PPTX, /BATCH-XLSX, /BATCH-ODF, /BATCH-ODP if necessary.

Odfconverter also supports converting Open Document files (ODF, ODP, ODT) to OpenXML files (PPTX,DOCX,XLSX) making it a handy tool to use.

Why odfconverter?
Odfconverter is a (relatively) small and compact standalone tool for converting Office 2007 files to their OpenDocument counterpart. The convenient batch mode conversion makes it attractive tool to use when converting multiple files between the two formats.

The only downside with this converter is that it does not convert mathematical formula pretty well compared to other features.

[Source OOOninja]

Congratulations to fenris and nbliang for being the new Ubuntu Members

mypapit — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:43:36 +0000

I would like to extend my congratulations to nbliang and fenris for them being officially accepted as Ubuntu Members. Hope that I’m going to see lots of contribution from both of you.

How to : Dial-Up internet connection with Ubuntu

mypapit — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:21:36 +0000

One of my friends ask me to make a tutorial on how to connect to the internet from Ubuntu using a dial-up modem. Here’s how to do it :

First go to System->administration ->Netwok, when a dialog appear, click Unlock, enter password.

Click Point-to-Point connection, then fill in the dialog with your dial-up internet account details, as shown.

Click OK to confirm your selection, and you are done.

Click the modem tab, put in your modem device port, typically it should be a serial device or /dev/modem

Hopefully this should be able to help you get on the internet!

How to install *.rpm in Ubuntu / Debian based operating system

mypapit — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:37:09 +0000

There are times when you need to install an application that is only available in *.rpm package in Debian GNU/Linux or Ubuntu operating system. One of the main obstacles is that Debian / Ubuntu are using *.deb based packaging system which is incompatible with RPM.

However you can easily convert RPM package to *.deb and install it afterwards, here’s how to do it :

Install alien, its available in Debian, Ubuntu repository
Convert rpm package using command “sudo alien -k some-binary-package.rpm”
Install it using this command “sudo dpkg -i some-binary-package.deb

That’s all about it! Have fun installing application in your application.

Subscribed to Linux Hater’s Blog : Funny and hillarious blog

mypapit — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:31:14 +0000

After discovering Linux Hater’s blog from Google Reader and Technorati, I decided to subscribe it as it was a funny and hillarious blog. It make fun of people who are using Linux for the wrong reasons (such as trying to act cool) and how some things in Linux are not better than any other operating system.

Other than that, it contains criticism of the Linux community in general, mainly directed towards fanboys and developers, although one can easily surmise that the author himself is a Linux user who has experience in writing applications, and presumably using a Debian-derived Linux distro.

Well I might be wrong, but Linux Haters Blog is a must read if you are a Linux user yourself because it offer insights of the overall of how GNU/Linux operating system compare to other OS and what would make Linux a better OS

Monitor Temperature from Ubuntu Linux GNOME applet

mypapit — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:04:39 +0000

Curious about the temperature of your CPU while you are overworking it? With computer-temp GNOME applet, you can easily monitor temperature of each component of your computer with the help of Linux kernel built-in hardware sensor.

Computer Temperature Applet is available from Ubuntu repository, and be added by right clicking GNOME Panel and selecting “Add to Panel…” option from the context menu.

How to save laptop battery when using Ubuntu Linux

mypapit — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:56:31 +0000

When you are working outside with your laptop, the most important thing that you might consider is to maximize your battery lifetime. This is true especially when you are working on location where AC power is not readily available.

Typical laptop might last from 1.5 hour to 3 hours of normal use. So you might want to squeeze out all the battery juice and put it to good use.

Here are a few tips that I got from surfing the internet to save battery life when you are using Ubuntu (or GNU Linux OS in general) :

New type of domain business scam

mypapit — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:25:22 +0000

I was asked to give an opinion of a series of emails sent by a webhosting/domain registration company to one of my contact business address. The email sounded like this :

PLAIN TEXT

CODE:

Dear CEO,
We are the department of registration service in ASIA . I have something need to confirm with you. We have received an application formally, one company named "YingQuan Holdings Limited" applies for
The Internet Trademark:

Then when my friend does not respond to the first email, they sent yet another correspondence

PLAIN TEXT

CODE:

Dear Mr CEO
We knew you have registered the domain name www.xxxxx.com.my and own the intellectual property (own the trademark xxxxx ). This is why we informed you, But now Yingquan Holdings Limited wanted to apply for other domain names and internet brand name you have not registered yet. Yingquan Holdings Limited wants to apply the following domain names:
The Internet Trademark:
xxxxxxxx
If you have no relationship with Yingquan Holdings Limited, according to our working experience, there are 2 possibilities:
1. Yingquan Holdings Limited is a domain names grabber. they want to register these names before you and sell back to you to gain profits.
2. your competitor let Yingquan Holdings Limited to register your domain names, let your customers feel confusion.
We found they are not the real owner of this name when we were checking. So we sent email to inform your company to protect your interest. As a domain name registrar, we have no right to dispute their application. As the company whose trademarks relate to the applied domains, you own the preferential rights to register them. If you think these domain names are useful for you, we can help you register these domain names within dispute period. If you do not need, then we can register for Yingquan Holdings Limited. You must know that any party have right to register any domain name in the world without authorized. This is international domain name registration principle. For example, google.com.cn & google.cn had been registered by other company. And Goolge had paied 1 million dollars to get the two domain names back. We also don’t hope that there will be some infringement to the interests of your company in future.
There is a time limit. Pls let us know your decision soon. Waiting for your reply.

As relatively new owner of his own domain name (his company specialised in engineering material, and he his from a engineering management background), he panicked and replied to the company to for an extension until he can sort things out, at the same time he forwarded the emails to me and a couple of his IT-savvy friends for a second opinion.

Few days later he receives another email from the suspicious China Net Technology Limited.

PLAIN TEXT

CODE:

Please note, the auditing period is coming soon. If you decide to protect these domain names, pls reply us within 5 workdays. We will send the application form to you to fill in. If your company do not register these domain names, we will finish aforesaid company's registration within 5 workdays. YingQuancompany will become the legal owner of these domain names in the world.
We had notified you, so we are not responsible for any dispute question about intellectual property right and trademark after they succeed in registering.
If you have any further questions, pls contact us within 5 workdays.

A simple Google search reveals that this company has been using the same modus operandi to 'extort' money from honest and naive businesses regarding their intellectual property of their domain name. Their main target often includes non-IT company whose are more susceptible to their scam tactic.

At best their are analogous to thugs that demands monthly "protection fees" in exchange for not ruining your business as there are no guarantee if they won't get back to you to offer their courtesy "intellectual property protection" warning to your company.

Other websites that reports the same scamming pattern :

http://blog.sinohosting.net/beware-of-chinese-domain-names-fraud/
http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Webmaster_Help-Indexing/browse_thread/thread/f59105ca186910e6/651afbef9415f099
http://luciddesign.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/beware-of-emails-from-china-net-technology-limited/
http://www.webproworld.com/internet-industry/64095-generic-domain-names-yield-china-net-technology-limited.html