How to use Celcom Broadband Prepaid on Ubuntu Linux

Here’s how to use the latest Celcom offering – Celcom Broadband Prepaid on Ubuntu GNU/Linux distribution. As its name implies, Celcom Broadband Prepaid works in a prepaid basis, using the following plan: RM 6 /day or RM20/week of unlimited internet use.

Celcom Broadband Prepaid

This guide assumes you use Huawei E160* or E220 series 3G modem.

First, plug-in the 3G modem to USB connector. After a while, a dialog will appear :

Ubuntu Wizard : Celcom Broadband

Press next, you will see a list of local broadband service provider. Select “Celcom”.

Ubuntu Wizard :Service Provider Selections

The dialog will close after you click “Forward”. However for Celcom Broadband Prepaid to work, you need to change the APN to “celcom3g”, and PIN to “1234”

To do that, you need to right click on the network connection icon, and select “Edit Connections”:

Edit Connections - Network Manager

Then change the APN value to “celcom3g” and set the PIN to “1234”.

Network Manager - Celcom Broadband 3G Prepaid Setup

Sending SMS to subscribe Celcom Prepaid Broadband
Users of Celcom Broadband Prepaid would know that they need to send SMS containing the message “Broadband Daily” or “Broadband Weekly” to 28882 to activate their internet subscription.

In order to do that in Ubuntu GNU/Linux, you need to install ‘gammu’ package from Synaptic Package Manager. ‘gammu’ allows you to send SMS using your Huawei 3G Modem, and it works sweetly with Celcom Broadband Prepaid.

Using ‘gedit’ or your favorite text editor, create ~/.gammurc config file containing these information :
[python]
[gammu]
port = /dev/ttyUSB0
model =
connection = at19200
synchronizetime = yes
logfile = gammu.log
logformat = textall
use_locking =
gammuloc =
[/python]

To send SMS, you need to open the terminal application and type “gammu sendsms text 28882”, it should look like this :
[python]
$ gammu sendsms text 28882
Enter message text and press ^D:
Broadband weekly
If you want break, press Ctrl+C…
Sending SMS 1/1….waiting for network answer..OK, message reference=33
[/python]

Note: “Broadband weekly” for subscribing Celcom Broadband Prepaid at RM20/week.

Then send another SMS, execute “gammu sendsms text 28882” :
[python]
$ gammu sendsms text 28882
Enter message text and press ^D:
Broadband Yes
If you want break, press Ctrl+C…
Sending SMS 1/1….waiting for network answer..OK, message reference=33
[/python]

Send “Broadband Yes”, to confirm your subscription. You can then enjoy the Celcom Broadband Prepaid right from your Ubuntu Desktop ! No need to depend on Microsoft Windows based “Mobile Partner” or Vodafone striped-down application to connect to the internet!

To read sms from your Celcom Broadband Prepaid SIM card, type “gammu getsms folder 1 15” and you will see a list of SMS received in your SIM card inbox memory.
[python]
$ gammu getsms folder 1 10
Location 1, folder “Inbox”, SIM memory, Inbox folder
SMS message
SMSC number : “+60193900000”
Sent : Sun 05 Jul 2009 06:48:50 PM +0800
Coding : Default GSM alphabet (no compression)
Remote number : “28882”
Status : Read

Enjoy 24hrs of unlimited usage @ only RM6. To confirm yr subscription, type Broadband Yes & send to 28882. RM6 will be charged to yr account upon confirmation.

Location 2, folder “Inbox”, SIM memory, Inbox folder
SMS message
SMSC number : “+60193900000”
Sent : Sat 19 Sep 2009 04:01:24 PM +0800
Coding : Default GSM alphabet (no compression)
Remote number : “28882”
Status : UnRead

Enjoy 7days of unlimited usage @ only RM20.To confirm yr subscription, type Broadband Yes & send to 28882.RM20 will be charged to yr account upon confirmation.
[/python]

Happy surfing !

BluePad: Controls Presentation from Your Phone

Recently I had todo a lot of presentations which made me thinking into getting presentation pen, but since my E71 includes a pre-installed Wireless Presenter (WiPresenter), I’ve buried that thought, who needs an expensive presentation pen when a phone can perform equally when?

Bluepad remote control

But as WiPresenter is only compatible with Microsoft Windows operating system, I’m forced to use keyboard or mouse-clicks to control my presentations when I’m using Ubuntu Linux operating system. This is a drawback as I could perform the task easily thru my phone when I’m on Windows XP.

EnterBluepad, an application which enables your mobile phone to act as a Bluetooth controller. Bluepad consists of two applications, a server and a client. The server application sits on your operating system, monitoring for incoming Bluetooth connection. The client application requires a JavaME compatible mobile phone with JSR-82 (Bluetooth) feature.

The installation is straightforward for both client and server side application, the only thing to remember is to activate bluetooth on mobile phone before starting the client application. After that, you can start OpenOffice Impress and use the the phone to remotely control the presentation.

Ubuntu Mobile on Asus EeePC

Found this on youtube, thought might share with all of you..

Ubuntu Mobile is a specialized Ubuntu distribution which intended to run on UMPC powered by Intel Atom processor. From what I read, current release of Ubuntu Mobile still does not have wifi support for Asus EeePC, a netbook which for me I think nice to have.

You can find more about it at the Ubuntu Mobile Official Website or download the image at http://people.ubuntu.com/~ogra/mobile/

Ubuntu Mobile is going to be announced in June !

Good news everyone, Canonical is going to announce the latest edition of Ubuntu line up, Ubuntu Mobile next month. Ubuntu Mobile is an Ubuntu edition which runs on a new type of mobile computers called Mobile Internet Devices.

Some features of Ubuntu Mobile device are :

  • GPS
  • Digital TV
  • Emails, Instant Messaging, Web Browsing
  • Multimedia Player
  • VoIP applications
  • Integration with various social webapps (MySpace, Youtube, Facebook)
ubuntu logo mypapit.net

However it is stll remain to be seen whether Ubuntu Mobile going to released with its own SDK. I’ll be really excited if they release Ubuntu Mobile in my place.

Source : Underexposed – CNET News.com

Ubuntu Mobile Edition running on Sony Ericsson P990i?

While Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition isn’t quite ready yet, seems to me somebody tries to get creative by posting this video on Youtube.

[coolplayer width=”425″ height=”350″ autoplay=”0″ loop=”0″ charset=”utf-8″ download=”1″ mediatype=””]
Ubuntu on Sony Ericsson P990i
[/coolplayer]

Meanwhile, here’s the correct video that shows the current progress of Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition UI.
Continue reading “Ubuntu Mobile Edition running on Sony Ericsson P990i?”

HP Officejet 5680 – How to Send Fax from Ubuntu Linux Computer

This serves as a continuity from my previous post, I got myself a new and flexible Printer – HP Officejet 5680 All in One.

HP Officejet All-in-One Under Ubuntu
Its all seems rather easy at the way I left off, the printer is fully functioning by just plugging it to my Ubuntu pc, the scanner works well without I having to do anything special, the phone is fully functioning (yeah it is included with the printer) and I am able to send and receive fax without a hitch, something that I cant do without installing 350MB of companion application (half of it was crapware) under WIndows Vista.

Everything worked, what left to do?
What left to do is figuring out how can I send fax directly from Ubuntu (or other Linux base operating system) using only digital files (*.txt, *.pdf, *.ps, *.jpeg), so I don’t have to print those files and fax them one by one anymore.

HP Linux Imaging and Printing project
Through googling, I found that Hewlett Packard (HP) has published open source software tool to deal with their printers. Free and Open Source drivers and printer-specific application directly from manufacturer, which is very cool!

Fortunately Ubuntu already installed HPLIP tools by default with CUPS in my machine. The next step that I should take is to run ‘hp-setup’ as root to configure my printer port and run the ‘hp-sendfax’ application to send the faxes.

Both of these tool requires python-qt3 package which is available from Ubuntu software repository.

Now I can fax my pdf documents directly without having to print them first, a huge saving over ink and paper cost.

hpfax11.png

hp2.png

Conclusion
If you are planning to get a new printer, then I would suggest you get a HP printer. Not only because HP printers are reliable, but they also comes with Free and Open Source drivers and applications for the Linux based operating system. Well that’s a good reason to get HP printers.

Please visit HPLIP project website for more information about HP printers support under Linux based operating system.

[tags]hp,hewlett packard,printer,linux,opensource,ubuntu,foss,drivers,hardware,scanner,officejet[/tags]