Spin Ink

The much anticipated SuSE Linux 10.1 was finally released today. So far the mirrors seem to be holding up fairly well, but OpenSuSE.org is dead in the water. So if you need any information from it, such as how to make a DVD from the CD ISOs, you will need to use Google Cache. Some new features 10.1 provides are; 2.6.16 Linux Kernel, XGL, AppArmor, ZMD, and my personal favorite feature, the installer now offers to do a MD5Sum check of the install media.

There are some minor differences between SuSE Linux 10.0 and 10.1. From what I gather, there will not be an EVAL DVD this time. Before, the EVAL DVD released by Novell contained non-OSS packages like Flash, Acrobat, Java, and the ipw-firmware for intel 2200, and 2910 wifi adapters. Now, they have released a non-OSS Add-On CD that contains these packages, as well as providing a non-OSS-install-source that you can add if you don’t want to use the ISO. This non-OSS-install-source is the same as the ‘Extra-install-source’ from 10.0, but with a more accurate and descriptive name.

If you would like to do a net/ftp install, I suggest that you visit the mirror with a browser, find a large file like one of the ISOs, start to download it to insure you get a good speed.

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About 6 months ago, I was having a conversation with a few people on IRC. We were discussing how we all do our best to support open source software and encourage others to use OSS. I suggested we could start a website that would help people new to open source learn more about it. This includes individuals, businesses, and organizations that want to find out more about moving to open source software.

I want this site to be an informational source for anyone, big or small, who wants to find out more about the Open Source movement and those involved with it. I hope to cover the good, the bad, and the ugly of everything Open Source. That includes: hardware, software, proponents, opponents, everything. I want to have case studies about people making the switch to and from Linux, as well as Open Source Software in general.

Now that I had a purpose, it was time to find a domain. Surprisingly, the domain, SupportOSS.org was available and I quickly purchased it. Since, I have been very busy with school and supporting myself. As a result, I have been unable to find any time to Support Open Source Software. This brings me to you, the reader. I need HELP! If you are passionate about the Open Source Movement and would like contribute to SupportOSS.org, please contact me, either by using my contact form here, or use the SupportOSS.org contact form.

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Its been just over 3 months since Nvidia released the 8128 Linux drivers. Finally, Nvidia has released an updated driver for us Linux users. For anyone that has the older nvidia drivers installed, you can update to the latest version by doing the following:

1. ctrl + alt + f1 to switch to a console
2. login as root
3. type: init 3 (to kill the Xserver)
4. type: nvidia-installer –update (thats 2 ‘-’ on update)
5. accept the EULA, answer a few questions, and the new drivers will download and install
6. type: reboot to restart your machine and load the new drivers

If you do not have the drivers installed, please goto Yast -> Online Update -> Select the Nvidia from the list. Once they have been installed, please follow the directions above to update them to the latest version.
There are a lot of nice bug fixes and new features, especially with composite. Composite is finally bug free enough to use it. Here is a list from Nvidia’s website. Or if you are lazy, I have provided the same list below.

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attribution: This article was written by Barry O’Donovan and published on LinuxGazette.net. I have modified it from its original content and format to remove the anacron information, add a few commas, and correct the markup.

1. Introduction

The thing about backups is that they can just be a pain. Everyone knows just how important they are, but very few people actually take the time to perform proper backups. Even after they have felt the pain of losing all those important files.

In this article I am going to show you how to quickly set up your computer for simple, hassle-free, and transparent backups using only rsync and cron. The premise is simple: every night your computer will make an automatic mirror of all the files you wish to backup, and at chosen intervals these mirrors will be archived and kept for a specified period of time.

Before you get your hands dirty on actual implementation, you need to design your own backup policy. In section 3, I discuss what a backup policy should and should not be. I will then introduce the necessary background information on rsync and cron separately. Finally, I will put it all together leaving you with a simple but effective backup regime. (more…)

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This post comes to you from the Kororaa XGL LiveCD. I have been following XGL for several weeks now, ever since the Novell demo that got everyone talking. Prior to trying this LiveCD, I was just biting my nails in anticipation of SuSE 10.1 being released in mid-April, so that I could get me some of this sweet XGL action. Thanks to the good folks over at the Kororaa Project, I was able to test out XGL a month earlier than I had anticipated. The XGL demo videos hardly do it justice, you really have to try it for yourself to truly appreciate the cool factor.

Once you boot the Kororaa XGL LiveCD, you find yourself on a standard Gnome desktop that has a couple of icons on it. Most notably, an icon called ‘Key Shortcuts’. As you might have guessed this file contains the shortcut keys for the nifty XGL effects. They claim it works on both ATI andNvidia hardware, I only tested it on my Nvidia 6600GT and it worked beautifully. If you have been following XGL like I have and want to give it a shot with out going through the hassle of setting it up on your distro of choice, give the Kororaa XGL LiveCD a shot.

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It seems like it was so very long ago that I downloaded a copy of SuSE 9.2 and tried it out on my laptop, but in fact, it was just 1 year ago today. Since that fateful day, I have become a full time Linux user, and have helped countless others make the switch. This time last year, I was a ‘newb’ by anyone’s standards, with only a basic understanding of the Linux file system and its many commands. Now, many people look to me for help and guidance with their Linux issues. Many of these same people consider me to be a guru. While I am greatly flattered by this title, I know that I still have a very long way to go before I feel I deserve it. I would prefer to label myself as a ‘tweaker’. I define a ‘tweaker’ as someone who is never satisfied, a person who is plagued by an insatiable desire to understand and improve on everything around them. It is the biological need to know how things work on as many levels as possible and then see if they can make them better. (more…)

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So, you forgot your root password and would like to gain access to your system again. Don’t worry, all is not lost. You can use the SuSE Linux install cd to boot the ‘Rescue System’, reset the password and create a new one. Special thanks to Broch, whom originally posted this information on the SuSE Linux Forums. I decided his orignal post was nice for the Linux proficient, but a bit of a trial for newbies. I believe that anyone asking a newbie to use vi is a saddistic bastard. So without further adieu, here is Broch’s post, vi free and newbie friendly. (more…)

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Are you using Linux, but still going back to windows to put songs on your iPod? Well, you don’t have to use that infernal iTunes anymore! Amarok 1.4(currently in beta) now uses a new library, libgpod, for interfacing with iPods. This new library was originally baked into gtkpod, but was recently made self-contained and released as a separate project by the good folks from the gtkpod project.

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Many people have had problems doing a network install of SuSE Linux. In this guide I hope to clear up some of this confusion by providing step-by-step instructions. There is more than one way to accomplish this task. I willl do my best to cover all the bases, but should I miss one, please leave a comment. I will cover the FTP/HTTP network install methods.

To do an FTP/HTTP network install of SuSE Linux, you will need a pretty fast network connection. A standard SuSE install is approximately 2.4GB’s. You can do a custom or minimal install(~675MB) and select more or less packages if you like. To get started you will need either the first install CD of SuSE or the boot.iso burnt to disc. (more…)

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If you are like me, then you want your machines to be as up-to-date as possible. I do not mean using alphas and betas up-to-date, that is just asking for trouble. I mean latest stable package up-to-date. While these packages are considered stable, they have not been through the same level of testing as those that were released with SuSE 10. As a result, you could run into application crashes and other random issues. I have been using this method regularly since suse 9.2 and I have not had any major issues with it, but you should still be aware that some problems may arise. I resolved the 2 issues I have had by just going back to the older version of the package.

This tutorial assumes that you know what YaST is, and that you have already completed the tutorial to add YaST Installation Sources. (more…)

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