Human Readable - A GNU/Linux Journal


	Human Readable

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	A GNU/Linux Journal © Copyright Darrell Anderson. This series of essays is a journal. The theme is my personal migration from Windows NT4 to GNU/Linux. The intended audience is both GNU/Linux “newbies” hoping to migrate as well as GNU/Linux developers. After touching my first GNU/Linux operating system in 2002, I migrated fully in early 2008. Some ramblings are out of date, but I maintain this information with the hope of helping others in their own journey of liberty away from the often unforgiving world of proprietary software. This commentary is continually changing and evolving based upon my own experiences, recollections, and reflections. This journal-like commentary is based upon my personal experiences and observations. As a journal of sorts, do not expect a finely-tuned, flowing essay or commentary. I keep pace with general GNU/Linux news, but my tinkering tends to be sporadic. Although I needed five years to migrate fully, certain features important to my personal computer usage are not yet available. I continually raise those issues in my journal. Your responses are welcomed. Notice: Please keep in mind the approximate date of these journal entries. The GNU/Linux market evolves in a dramatic fashion and much of what I have written easily could be obsolete or superceded. Table of Contents Late 2002 – Early 2003 Late 2003 – Early 2004 Late 2004 – Early 2005 Late 2005 – Early 2006 Late 2006 – Early 2007 Summer 2007 Spring 2008 – Summer 2008 Autumn 2008 Winter 2008 – Early 2009 Summer 2009 Late 2002–Early 2003 This is my first earnest but nonetheless meager attempt at exploring the world of GNU/Linux. My System Migrating from Windows to Linux First Steps Getting Wet Feet Lean and Mean? Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 Multi Booting Nonsense Lycoris (Build 46) Migration Reflections and Ramblings Peanut and Vector Linux Mandrake 9.0 Konqueror KMail Multiple Boot Revisited Mouse Madness Connecting to the Internet KDE 3.0x Fonts Linux Stability? Manual? What Manual? RTFM and the Priesthood Late 2003–Early 2004 The bug bites me again, but again I make little progress. Mandrake 9.2 KDE 3.1.3 IPCop Why I Have Not Yet Migrated Late 2004–Early 2005 Whereas my previous attempts to migrate were half-hearted and primarily exploratory, this series of journal entries reflects a far more serious effort. I came close to breaking my ties to my current Windows NT4 system, but in the end I did not migrate. This series of journal entries contain a lot of How-To quality information that might interest GNU/Linux users, despite me not fully migrating. I decided upon Slackware as my GNU/Linux home and much of the information is about that specific effort. There is a lot of useful information available, especially about all the thought I put into migrating, research, solving problems, etc. Originally I had thought I might publish this particular series of essays, so you will find a more polished effort, both in my thought and my writing. Possibly this journal is one of the more comprehensive and useful you will find on the web. You will find an honest report from somebody trying to migrate, not the typical fluff piece found at many web sites. There are legitimate reasons why I have yet to migrate, and this series of journal entries will explain why. Please note that the days of each journal entry do not imply consecutive calendar days, but instead represent a day with respect to writing in the journal. Introduction — Day 1 Background — Day 2 Background — Day 3 Cross-referencing Software Tools — Day 4 Other Migration Issues — Day 5 Current System Partitions — Day 6 Choosing a Distro — Day 7 More Migration Concerns — Day 8 Multi-Booting Thoughts — Day 9 Web Browsers and Email — Day 10 More on Distros — Day 11 Vector Linux and Left-Handed Mice — Day 12 Slackware 10.0 — Day 13 Left-Handed Mice — Day 14 Slackware 10.0 Preliminaries — Day 15 Tracking Software Installations — Day 16 Sound — Day 17 CDs, and TrueType Fonts — Day 18 Slackware 10.0 Shortcomings — Day 19 Slackware 10.0 Error Messages — Day 20 Slackware 10.0 and Video — Day 21 Slackware 10.0 and rc.d Scripts — Day 22 Slackware 10.0 Mysteries — Day 23 Reflections — Day 24 StartX, Consoles, and Keyboard Shortcuts — Day 25 StartX, Consoles, and Keyboard Shortcuts — Day 26 Bash — Day 27 StartX, Consoles, and Keyboard Shortcuts — Day 28 Error Messages and Compiling the Kernel — Day 29 Kate Error Messages and Compiling the Kernel — Day 30 A Second Computer — Day 31 xorg.conf — Day 32 xorg.conf -Day 33 Bash and X Session Errors — Day 34 Adding a User — Day 35 Adding a User and Dial-Up — Day 36 Web Browsing — Day 37 Using WINE or Converting — Day 38 Dial-Up Fine Tuning — Day 39 CUPS and Printing — Day 40 Firefox-GTK — Day 41 Firefox-GTK — Day 42 Firefox-GTK — Day 43 A Firewall Script — Day 44 .Xauthority — Day 45 Thinking About Backups — Day 46 Sysctl and SysRq — Day 47 Adding Some Color to Bash and Console — Day 48 dnsmasq — Day 49 Some Scripts — Day 50 WINE and FAT32 Problems — Day 51 slocate and Some Peculiar Log Messages — Day 52 Some Multi-Boot Ideas — Day 53 WINE — Day 54 WINE and CrossOver Office — Day 55 WINE and CrossOver Office — Day 56 WINE — Day 57 WINE — Day 58 Konqueror Nightmares — Day 59 Thinking About VNC — Day 60 K Menus — Day 61 Firefox-GTK Again — Day 62 Firefox-GTK Again — Day 63 FAT32 Anomalies — Day 64 Reflections — Day 65 Further Reflections — Day 66 Why I Am Not Migrating — Day 67 Late 2005–Early 2006 I left my previous attempt at migrating frustrated that I had not succeeded. My NT4 setup serves me well — very well, but I like GNU/Linux, Slackware, and KDE. I decided to resume my trail from the previous effort but with a new perspective and objective. If I could overcome some major obstacles I probably then could migrate or at least, find myself using Slackware-KDE as my primary operating system, or at least more often. Please note that the days of each journal entry do not imply consecutive calendar days, but instead represent a day with respect to writing in the journal. Introduction — Day 1 Initial Preps — Day 2 Installing Slackware 10.1 — Day 3 Installing Slackware 10.1 — Day 4 Configuring Slackware 10.1 — Day 5 Updating to Slackware 10.2 — Day 6 Gateways, Firewalls, and PPPD — Day 7 SSH, SCP, and Samba — Day 8 issue and issue.net — Day 9 Chaos — Day 10 Reinstalling — Day 11 Resignation — Day 12 Futility — Day 13 Late 2006–Early 2007 The journey continues. The Lull In Between Updating to Slackware 11 — Part 1 Updating to Slackware 11 — Part 2 Updating to Slackware 11 — Part 3 Updating to Slackware 11 — Part 4 Updating to Slackware 11 — Part 5 Updating to Slackware 11 — Part 6 Updating to Slackware 11 — Part 7 Updating to Slackware 11 — Part 8 Some Problems Solved, Some Additional Bugs Konqueror the Browser and Migrating Updating to KDE 3.5.5 More KDE Problems Abandoning Slackware? Migrating From KDE and NT4 to Xfce Abandoning Slackware — The First Step Zenwalk 4.4.1 — Part 1 Zenwalk 4.4.1 — Part 2 Zenwalk 4.4.1 — Part 3 Zenwalk 4.4.1 — Part 4 Zenwalk 4.4.1 — Part 5 Zenwalk 4.4.1 — Part 6 Zenwalk 4.4.1 — Part 7 Zenwalk 4.4.1 — Part 8 Xfce and GTK GParted and the GParted Live CD Vector Linux 5.8 — Part 1 Vector Linux 5.8 — Part 2 Solving the Kate Focus Problem Slackware Current — Part 1 Slackware Current — Part 2 Slackware Current — Part 3 Slackware Current — Part 4 Where To Next? Window Managers vs. KDE Summer 2007 A Slower Pace WINE Redux Virtualization QEMU Testing QEMU Slackware 12.0 Xfce and Slackware 12.0 Xfce and GTK Revisited Zenwalk 4.8 Spring 2008 – Summer 2008 I finally migrate. The Long Hiatus Listing Huge Directories Compiling XFE (X File Explorer) Moving To My New Box Adding a Second Hard Drive M2NPV-VM and xorg.conf Configuration Migrating Some Little Things That Matter Mounting Devices As Root Anomaly With Compiling SMP 2.6.21.5 Kernel Enabling CPU Frequency Governors Automounting Floppy Disks Compiling K9Copy Playing Video DVDs Running QEMU SlackBuild.org NVidia Kernel Build Script Bug Converting a Dual Boot Box and Network Into Virtual Machines Smartmontools Dueling Hard Drives With fsck Network Bridging With VirtualBox Contemplating a Backup Strategy Updating to Slackware 12.1 Slackware 12.1 Slow Booting Validating Vertical Screen Refresh Rate Automatically Recognizing An External SATA Drive Cron and Mail Listing Non Stock Slackware Packages NT4 Soft Shutdown Green Computing Updating Firewall Scripts to Support Bridging More RAM Updating and Synchronizing A Web Site with Rsync Conky Odds and Ends Stock Slackware Is Not A Multimedia Box A GRUB Splash Image for Slackware KWord, KSpread, AbiWord, Gnumeric, and OpenOffice Calc and Writer USB Flash Drive Quirks With KDE GID, Umask, ACLs, and Samba Draft Watermark Always On With PostScript Printing Repairing Floppy Drive Permissions Compiling VirtualBox 1.6.4 OSE Swapon: Cannot Canonicalize Compiling Kernels for Different Environments Autumn 2008 VirtualBox — A Love-Hate Relationship Web Site Never Finishes Loading Web Site Never Finishes Loading Part II USB Flash Drive Quirks Partially Resolved Resolving One Problem, Resurrecting Another Quieter Fans New Fan Control Options Useful Shell Scripts Global Search and Replace Updating Firmware Converting Email — Part I Converting Email — Part II Converting Email — Part III Converting Email — Part IV Reflections Reflections Redux Error Message Mystery Solved VirtualBox Revisited Missed Cron Jobs Darkstar — You Have Mail Odd Samba Quirk VirtualBox Revisited Again Zenwalk and Vector Revisited DocBook — Part I DocBook — Part II Watching TV With A PC Winter 2008 – Early 2009 SIOCSIFFLAGS: Device or resource busy Tinkering With A 486 Burning CDs On A Remote Machine Installing Windows 2000 Recording TV With A PC Summer 2009 I Still Use Word 97 Ready for the Desktop Learn Red Hat and Learn Red Hat, Learn Slackware and Learn Linux Change for the Sake of Change Ready for the Desktop — Part II Firefox Bookmarks


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