The Safer Ubuntu

Usually, UNIX-like have weakness (at least that what I though) on password changing. Take the OS X, by default we don't have root password, but we could just $sudo su and then #passwd and tadaa..., we have super users password, we are super user.

but take a look at my ubuntu terminal

nugroho@ubuntu:~$ passwd
Changing password for nugroho.
(current) UNIX password: 
Enter new UNIX password: 
Retype new UNIX password: 
Bad: new and old password are too similar
Enter new UNIX password: 
Retype new UNIX password: 
passwd: password updated successfully
nugroho@ubuntu:~$ passwd
Changing password for nugroho.
(current) UNIX password: 
Enter new UNIX password: 
Retype new UNIX password: 
Sorry, passwords do not match
passwd: Authentication token manipulation error
passwd: password unchanged
nugroho@ubuntu:~$ 
nugroho@ubuntu:~$ passwd
Changing password for nugroho.
(current) UNIX password: 
Enter new UNIX password: 
Retype new UNIX password: 
passwd: password updated successfully
nugroho@ubuntu:~$ 

.

Finally, Ubuntu 4.10 on Parallels Desktop

Express installs make Parallels Tool installed by default.

It created some problem
Problem warning at first boot
No desktop at all, just plain background, no top bar nor side unity menu

It can be solved with this

enter commandline mode using fn-ctrl-option-f1
enter username and password
type commad below
$ cd /etc/X11
$ ls (there should be file named xorg.conf.XXXXXXXX )
$ sudo mv xorg.conf.XXXXXXXX /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/xorg.conf
$ export DISPLAY=:0
$ gsettings reset org.compiz.core:/org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/core/ active-plugins

now reboot using $ sudo init 6

yup, the top bar is there, also side Unity bar, but

the desktop is blank, if apps launched it’ll covered with that black veil, the apps is there but there is no way we can look or access it.

so
go to commandline mode again using ctrl-option-fn-f1
enter username and password
on menu, "choose reinstall parallel tools”
type this command
$ cd /media/nugroho/Parallels\ Tools/
$ sudo ./install
on choice whether we want to reinstall or remove, choose remove
after it done reboot using $ sudo init 6
after login, go back to commandline mode
$ cd /media/nugroho/Parallels\ Tools/
$ sudo ./install
this time choose install (it does autmatically anyway, :) )
after done choose reboot
done

The desktop is normal again, as normal a particular 14.10 as to be :)

The fact is, I write this post using firefox on Ubuntu 14.10, pasting it from note on my Macbook Air running OS X Mavericks.

The image too, using shared files between host and guess

 

Chaotic OS WeekEnd

It happened because of parallel desktop,  

on my Macbook Air with OS XMavericks. 

We know, it have good relationship with Windows, so installing 7 or even 8.1 is breeze. 

But, how about linux? well, not so 

First I used the traditional established method, at least by Parallels. Ubuntu we go, download its compressed pre-cooked package about 1.6GB. 

It works, flawless, but it 13.04, an unsupported distro, no update, in fact the source list have to be modified to oldrelease to be able to got 'update'. 

And the user name is Parallels, :(

(no problem actually, just do this:

$sudo adduser aravir

$sudo usermod -aG sudo aravir

$sudo init 6

login with aravir

$sudo userdel parallels 

and all was well)

The problem arise after ‘update’ using oldrelease repo, suddenly the display went blank, oh my…

So, without think further, delete it. 

Download the 14.04, install it, hey, Parallels recognise it, help the process using express install.

And, after installation finished, restat to boot for first time, the display went blank. Or it doesn’t ‘went’ blank, but it’s blank from the start, who know.

Tired with ubuntu, Install Debian, because it’s way more stable than ubuntu (at least that’s what I thought about the distro) my main desktop on my room’s installed with it. Still have the iso, so go with it.

Install it with no problem. And the first boot is promising. But the Gnome won’t all out. It keep using fallback mode (even ) so I suspect there’s something wrong about it. 

Check the setting, tadaa…, that’s it, video memory only at 64, the official-from-parallels-ubuntu have 256. So I change the setting and restart it. No change. So, move this VM image to trash.

Curious, I didn’t configure my 14.04 video memory, maybe that’s culprit of my blank display.

Reinstall 14.04, this time I configured the hardware so it has 256 video memory. 

(…)

firstboot, and…

blank screen, duh…

OK, maybe it’s tinme to use new distro. So I downloaded the top rank distro according to distrowatch.com, linux mint, the cinnamon flavor.

install it,

no luck, jeez…

Hm, maybe I have to use the last package to be able to boot graphically. So i went to another route, net install. This time using Debian.

my average 512kbps connection help a lot, :)

after a hour instalation, it finally come to the first boot, and it’s gnome-fallback, ckckck…

another route, net install, but using ubuntu mini.iso.

a hour and half, and then the first boot serving me with the unity like desktop, horay…

but wait, when it go fullscreen, the VM still using its not-widesreen resolution, leaving two black stripe at both edge.

The solution for it’s easy, install parallels tools

$cd /media/{cdroom}

$sudo ./install

done

reboot

and problem solved, :) 

Equalizer for OS X (for all apps on Mac, not just for iTunes)

We’re all know that our beloved OS X come handy with iTunes, it has equalizer!!! (a bit hyperbolic here, :) ) 

But, how about watching HD video on Youtube? Yup, we don’t have EQ set for that, also for Quicktime, and practically anything, … 

Of course we could buy the EQ system for that, 

But, there’s a free workaround for that 

Here we go: 

Install AU Lab, previously is part of XCode, now can be downloaded at https://developer.apple.com/downloads/index.action#

Install SoundFlower from https://code.google.com/p/soundflower/ got 1.6.6b version, restart the mac

Alt-clickthe speaker symbol and choose soundflower as output device

start Sound Flower 

choose audio setup right clik soundflower and click “use this device assound output”

richt click Soundflower again, this time choose ‘configure speaker’

choose multichannel, choose stereo, click the round-rectangle area, done

Start AU Lab, all the way around till got this one

doubleclick the output1, make sure it use soundflower

then click ’show device preferences’, set to soundflower

done

now you can add effect like EQualizer, timeshift, echo, whatever and it’ll affect general sound of OS X

Dating the Air

I don't do any benchmark things, but, from what I feel, this 11" standart MacBook Air has a faster and smoother experience than my mid 2009 13" MacBook Pro full option (2.5 GHz, 4G RAM)

Safari is fast!! You know what I feel when write that, :). Yup, the usually sluggish Safari is run smoother on MBA.

Windows 8.1 run via Virtual Machine without additional fan noise, compared to its VirtualBox VM on my MBP it feels like bless from heaven. The native Mac apps could run side by side without lagging too, certainly it's very big plus. Now I can running Delphi and old Macromedia Flash and coding in silent, meditational state, noisless environment :)

I don't know how 1.4 GHz processor in MBA could outperform its 2.5GHz predecessor, but I dont mind, this 11 inch standart early 2014 MacBook Air is considered as major upgrade for me, :)

Get iWork ‘09 to Work on New Macbook

I got MacBook Air with new iWork Suite as three standalone apps.  

Of course it’s always be three separate app, but I used to think that three as one package, :) 

It turned out that the new iWork Suite is fast, really fast, maybe because it use 64-bit architecture, or maybe I used the new MBA mid 2014. 

But  I missed the capability of my old iWork on MacBook Pro mid 09. It’s the ability to password-protect keynote-imported-pdf from copy content. 

My old MBP mid 09 has old and new iWork run side by side because I purchased the iWork DVD retail. And I don’t have idea where the hell that DVD now.

so I got silly (yet logical) idea, copy iWork folder from Application folder on MBP and paste it on MBA.

done

open Application-iWork ’09-Keynote -> error message. 

Apparently this method is not working. 

(delete that folder)

So I got another silly idea

Download trial version of iWork ’09 which is available everywhere online.

Install it.

done

open keynote, it need serial number, :( 

Another silly idea, download iWork ’09 update from support.apple.com, the iWork 9.3.

install the update, hopefully it delete the serial number question mechanism.

no, no luck, it still ask for serial number, :(

super silly idea (but original :) )

install the trial version, then copy iWork ’09 folder from my old MBP to replace iWork ’09 folder on MBA

didn’t work either. 

Googling, um no, DuckDuckGo-ing, :)

and found out that we could transfer our iWork to new mac, but we have copy not just iWork folder on Application directory.

The complete list of files that have to be transferred is:

/Users//Library/Application Support/iWork '09 
/Library/Application Support/iWork '09 
/Applications/iWork '09 
/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iWork09.Installer.plist 
/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iWork09.plist

do that, and tadaa… my old iWork is working, :)

and the worst of all, after I do all that and my Old iWork ’09 run with no problem, my iWork retail DVD is found, :)

Asus Eee PC won't Enter BIOS

Got this Eee PC without OS. 

Planned to install it myself. 

This netbook don’t have cd drive. 

so the choice is via pxeboot or flash/thumb drive. 

(have set PXE boot several month ago for CentOS, and have no desire to do it again or my head will split :) ) 

so via flash drive then 

we could use any thumb drive and any iso, given it have enough space

we could make this pen drive bootable with any tool (windowsbased, linux via dd, os x based, unix based) just google for it

Okay

what now

First, we must set BIOS of this netbook to boot via USB drive

to enter BIOS we must press F2 after powered this device on

…

…

or maybe F1

…

…

ESC

…

…

DEL

…

…

F12

…

err, it seem I couldn’t get bios interface. Googling around and found out that I have to repeat the press on F2 fast

and, hooray…

succeed, installed OS on it

but, wait

my OS is 32bit

I have 4GB RAM on this eee PC and 32bit OS generally could only handle 3.6GB RAM, oh my…

…

download 64bit iso

make it bootable on flashdrive

reinstall the OS, but…. it won’t enter BIOS, again

no mater how fast I press F2 key it’ll always go to OS boot 

same thing happenend to del, esc, F1, F12 keys

…

:(

…

(wish for luck)

grab external usb keyboard

plug it on

press power, press F2 and, tadaa…, oh my God, that BIOS interface…

…

(reinstalling)

…

now my ASUS Eee PC have 64bit OS on it

:)

 

My device is Asus eeepc x200ca-kx190d 1007/4g/500g/dos/blu