How to Send and Receive Hotmail E-mail thru Evolution?

If you want to use you Evolution mail client to send and receive your hotmail messages use the following procedure.

How to install Gimmie: A new GNOME panel in Ubuntu?

Gimmie is an elegant way to think about how you use your desktop computer.Gimmie is a new concept of the panel designed to shift the direction of the desktop beyond the standard WIMP model (Windows, Icons, Menu, Pointer) towards one directly representing the concepts that modern desktop users use every day. It is being considered for inclusion in Project Topaz (a.k.a. Gnome 3.0)

Gimmie Features

• A new way to think about your desktop
• Easy to learn
• Relates objects to topics– Colors aide recognition
• Quickly see what's open
• Bookmarks are running representation
• Simple & Obvious
• It's a Prototype

Current Stable Version :- 0.2.4

Project Home Page :- http://beatnik.infogami.com/Gimmie

How to Backup and Restore Ubuntu system?

Data can be lost in different ways some of them are because of hardware failures,you accidentally delete or overwrite a file. Some data loss occurs as a result of natural disasters and other circumstances beyond your control.

Now we will see a easy backup and restore tool called "sbackup"

SBackup is a simple backup solution intended for desktop use. It can backup any subset of files and directories. Exclusions can be defined by regular expressions. A maximum individual file size limit can be defined. Backups may be saved to any local and remote directories that are supported by gnome-vfs. There is a Gnome GUI interface for configuration and restore.

Current Stable Version : - 0.10.3

Project Home page :- http://sbackup.sourceforge.net/HomePage

Sbackup Features List

• Backup any subset of files and directories
• Exclude files and directories by regex expressions
• Exclude files by type (extension)
• Exclude files by maximum file size
• Backup to local filesystem
• Backup to any Gnome-VFS supported remote filesystem (including sftp and ftp)
• Full and incremental backups
• Scheduling backups via cron
• Gnome GUI for configuration
• Gnome GUI for restore
• Command-line restore tool that also provides a Python API for restoring a file or directory
• Backing up package list in Debian derived distributions
• On restore, existing files are not overwritten, but are renamed to a safe name

Installing sbackup in ubuntu

sudo apt-get install sbackup

You can use synaptic also for this if you want to know how to search this software and install check here

Backup Your Data Using Sbackup

Once you completed the installation you can access sbackup using System--->Administration--->Simple Backup Config you can see this in the following screen

Next screen is asking for root password enter password and click ok

Once it opens the sbackup application you can see the following screen where you can configure your backup settings first tab is general options in this example i am choosing "Use custom backup settings"

Sbackup can be operated in 3 different modes

Recommended Backup

If you are new Ubuntu user or aren't sure what you should backup.This will perform a daily backup of your /home,system data held in /etc,/usr/local and /var.This will deliberately exclude any files over 100MB.By default this backup will be stored /var/backup

Custom Backup

This is same as the recommended backup and in this you can change the settings include,exclude files,you can change the schedule time.

Manual Backup

If you want to backup some files from time to time this option is for you and you can click backup now button to manually perform a backup according to the settings on the other backup properties dialog box tabs.

Next you click on "Include" tab here you can include any file or directory you want to backup

If you click on "Add file" button you should see the following screen where you can select your files

If you click on "Add Directory" button you should see the following screen where you can select your Directory for backup

Next option is "Exclude" here you can exclude files and folders you don't want to backup.Here you can exclude Paths,File Types,Regular Expressions,Max file,folder size

Next option is "Destination" here i am leaving the default location i.e /var/backup if you want to chnage the backup store location you can select the "Use Custom local Backup directory" and enter the location

Now you can select "Time" option here you can schedule when do you want to run your backup.

Available options for backups you can see in the following screen you can select hourly,daily,weekly,monthly,custom options

Next option is "Purging" here you can select old and incomplete backups and you set the no.of days you want to purge after completing all the settings you need to click on "Save" button to save your settings.

Now if you want to take backup just click on "Backup Now" or leave the schedule backup in this example i just clicked on "Backup Now" this is started a background process with process id you can see this in the following screen

Restore Your Data Using Sbackup

If you want to restore backups or any files,folders go to System--->Administration--->Simple Backup Restore you can see this in the following screen

Once it opens you should see the following screen here you can select the restore source folder and available backups from drop-down menu here you can choose files and folders you want to restore and click on "Restore" button

In this example i have choosen to restore one .iso file and once you select your file and click on "Restore" it will ask for your confirmation click on yes this will restore the file in orginal location if you want to restore in different location you need to select "Restore As" option

Note:- By default Restored Files and Directories are owned by root this is because of sbackup will runs with root.You need to chnage these files or folder permissions using chmod or just right click and select properties of the file or folder.

Backup Destination on Remote machine

One more beauty about sbackup is you can store your backup on a remotemachine for this it will give the option of using SSH or FTP for this go to System---> Administration---> Simple Backup Config once it opens the application you need to click on destination tab here you can select "Use a remote Directory" option type ssh:// or ftp:// followed by the username:password, then @, then the remote host to connect to and the remote directory.

Final Tip:-

Sbackup doesn't create a new backup file each time it runs and it creates an incremental backup.Which means that it updates the last backup with files that you changed or been created any files that haven't been updated since the last backup are unchanged

Sbackup Configuration from command line

If you want to configure sbackup you need to Edit /etc/sbackup.conf file

Restore Backup from command line

Run "sudo srestore.py /var/backup/2006-11-18_03 /home/myuser /home/myuser/old". You can omit the last parameter to restore to the same directory.

Conclusion

Sbackup is really very useful for new users particularly to allows users to choose either a simple backup scheme that performs incremental backups daily and full backups weekly, or to modify the default scheme with their own settings. Users list directories to backup in the Include tab, and select items to exclude in the Exclude tab. Exclusions can be based on directory,file type (sbackup excludes multimedia files by default), file size,or regular expression.This .

How to use Bluetooth to share files

sudo aptitude install bluez-utils gnome-bluetooth

• Open Applications -> Accessories -> Bluetooth file sharing
• You're now able to receive files from other Bluetooth-devices
• To send a file: find a file to send, right click and choose "Send to", wait until the other device is detected, and click "send".

To see if your Bluetooth-device is supported check this site: http://www.holtmann.org/linux/bluetooth/features.html

How to install Broadband ADSL/PPPoE Client (RP-PPPoE)

wget -c http://www.roaringpenguin.com/files/download/rp-pppoe-3.8.tar.gz
sudo tar zxvf rp-pppoe-3.8.tar.gz -C /opt/
sudo chown -R root:root /opt/rp-pppoe-3.8/
gksudo gedit /usr/share/applications/RP-PPPoE.desktop

• Insert the following lines into the new file

[Desktop Entry]
Name=RP-PPPoE
Comment=RP-PPPoE
Exec=gksudo /opt/rp-pppoe-3.8/go-gui
Icon=pppoeconf.xpm
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Network;

• Save the edited file
• Applications -> Internet -> RP-PPPoE

How to install Dialup PPP Client (GNOME PPP)

sudo aptitude install gnome-ppp

• Applications -> Internet -> GNOME PPP

How to install CD Ripper (Goobox)

sudo aptitude install goobox
sudo rm -f /usr/share/applications/goobox.desktop
gksudo gedit /usr/share/applications/goobox.desktop

• Insert the following lines into the new file

[Desktop Entry]
Name=CD Player & Ripper
Comment=Play and extract CDs
Exec=goobox
Icon=goobox.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Application;AudioVideo;

• Save the edited file
• Applications -> Sound & Video -> CD Player & Ripper

How to RIP DVD in Ubuntu (DVD::rip)

Write following lines in the Terminal.

sudo aptitude install dvdrip vcdimager cdrdao subtitleripper
sudo ln -fs /usr/bin/rar /usr/bin/rar-2.80
gksudo gedit /usr/share/applications/dvdrip.desktop

Insert the following lines into the new file
[Desktop Entry] Name=dvd::rip  Comment=dvd::rip Exec=dvdrip Icon=/usr/share/perl5/Video/DVDRip/icon.xpm Terminal=false Type=Application Categories=Application;AudioVideo; 
Save the edited file  Applications -> Sound & Video -> dvd::rip 

How To Run Photoshop in Ubuntu

Requirements: Dual-Boot System. you should have Windows installed on other partition and that partition has to be mounted. please check the post how to mount NTFS partition.

In Terminal type the following commands.

• $ sudo apt-get update
• $ sudo apt-get install wine and then when it asks to approve type “yes”
• $ sudo wine
  
• $ sudo apt-get install recode and then when it asks to approve type “yes”

• Copy Adobe folder from “c:\Program Files\” to “/home/YOURNAME/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/”

- Now you need to export the registry keys of the Adone Photoshop CS2;

• In your Windows box, type “regedit” in the command-line and export the whole “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Adobe/” to “adobe.reg”.
• The next step is to copy that file to your Ubuntu box and convert it to the encoding of YOUR system. For example, if your Ubuntu box has as default charset ascii and your Windows box has ucs-2 then “$ recode ucs-2..ascii adobe.reg” would do the trick. After you converted your adobe.reg file, type “$ sudo wine regedit adobe.reg” to import it to wine.
• That’s it! Type “$ sudo wine –winver winxp “[path to Photoshop]/photoshop.exe” or create a launcher and enjoy Adobe Photoshop CS2 on Ubuntu.

Source: http://blog.publicidadpixelada.com/how-to-adobe-photoshop-cs2-on-ubuntu-10-steps/

How to setup the surround speakers (5.1 and others) with ALSA

• Edit the ~/.asoundrc file, create it if it doesn't exist:

gedit ~/.asoundrc

• Enter the following section:

pcm.!default {
   type plug
   slave.pcm "surround51"
   slave.channels 6
   route_policy duplicate
}

• This will allow to play the surround output and duplicate the stereo output to all 6 channels (not only front ones).

How to enable Large Widescreen Support

• 24/23" widescreen monitors sometimes have issues running 1920x1200.
• Examples include: Dell 2405, HP 2335 or an Apple Cinema Display.

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

• Add the following line to the appropriate "Monitor" section

Modeline "1920x1200" 154 1920 1968 2000 2080 1200 1203 1209 1235

• For example the HP2335 should now look like:

Section "Monitor"
 Identifier "hp L2335"
 Option  "DPMS"
 Modeline "1920x1200" 154 1920 1968 2000 2080 1200 1203 1209 1235
EndSection

How to configure PalmOS Devices

gksudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/10-custom.rules

• Insert the following line into the new file

BUS="usb", SYSFS{product}="Palm Handheld*", KERNEL="ttyUSB*", NAME{ignore_remove}="pilot", MODE="666"

• Save the edited file
• Add the pilot-applet to the Taskbar by Right-Clicking on an empty spot
• Follow the instructions on screen

How to enable WPA with Ndiswrapper driver

First, make sure the Ndiswrapper driver works by itself without encryption.

Create a file called /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf, and paste in the following. Modify the ssid and psk values.

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
network={
  ssid="YourWiFiSSID"
  psk="YourWiFiPassword"
  key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
  proto=WPA
  pairwise=TKIP
}

• Test it. Make sure your router is broadcasting its SSID.

sudo wpa_supplicant -Dwext -iwlan0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -dd

• If your WPA works. Load it automatically when you reboot.

gksudo gedit /etc/network/interfaces

• Change your wlan0 section to the following.

If you are using static IP:

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet static
address 192.168.1.20
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.1
pre-up wpa_supplicant -Bw -Dwext -iwlan0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
post-down killall -q wpa_supplicant

or this, if you are using dhcp.

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
pre-up wpa_supplicant -Bw -Dwext -iwlan0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
post-down killall -q wpa_supplicant

• Reboot