Ya know that comments are open and welcome.
I see plenty of hits on my blog but not one comment except on my first two entries.
Feels like I'm writing all this stuff for myself.
Let me know if it helps you or if you have a different way of doing things.
Linux is open source and promotes sharing.
So let's share the ideas and opinions.
TaZMAn
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Edit The Menu
Your Applications Menu can be used to install or remove software by using the Add/Remove link at the bottom of the menu.
And that menu can be customized to add or remove listings and/or category.
You can even add a new menu to the main menu.
Here's how;
Place your cursor over the Applications button in the tool bar.
Now right click on it and from the menu select Edit Menus.
There you will see each category and software listed within it.
Place a check mark next to the software to have it appear in the menu. Uncheck it to not have it listed in the menu.
You can even move a software listing from one category to another using the 'Drag and Drop' method.
One word of caution;
When you drag a software listing from one category to another you are actually doing a Copy and Paste.
The original stays put and a new listing will show up in the category you dragged it to.
So you will need to right click on the original listing and delete it unless you want it listed in 2 categories.
You can even add new categories (Menus).
There are many options and tools available to fully customize the menu to suit your liking.
TaZMAn
And that menu can be customized to add or remove listings and/or category.
You can even add a new menu to the main menu.
Here's how;
Place your cursor over the Applications button in the tool bar.
Now right click on it and from the menu select Edit Menus.
There you will see each category and software listed within it.
Place a check mark next to the software to have it appear in the menu. Uncheck it to not have it listed in the menu.
You can even move a software listing from one category to another using the 'Drag and Drop' method.
One word of caution;
When you drag a software listing from one category to another you are actually doing a Copy and Paste.
The original stays put and a new listing will show up in the category you dragged it to.
So you will need to right click on the original listing and delete it unless you want it listed in 2 categories.
You can even add new categories (Menus).
There are many options and tools available to fully customize the menu to suit your liking.
TaZMAn
Clean Up Files
Sometimes we try a piece of software but later decide to uninstall it.
Most times when you uninstall a piece of software, all the dependencies that were installed with the package are also removed.
I say most times. But not always.
So here is a quick command that you can run in the Terminal window to clean up those stray packages.
sudo apt-get autoremove
The Autoremove command scans the dependency tree and if it finds any orphan packages it will remove them.
This is a quick and simple way to check and keep your system clean.
TaZMAn
Most times when you uninstall a piece of software, all the dependencies that were installed with the package are also removed.
I say most times. But not always.
So here is a quick command that you can run in the Terminal window to clean up those stray packages.
sudo apt-get autoremove
The Autoremove command scans the dependency tree and if it finds any orphan packages it will remove them.
This is a quick and simple way to check and keep your system clean.
TaZMAn
Open With Option
Quick tip for those new to Ubuntu.
You have a Mp3 file that plays with Amarok but you want it to play with VLC.
So how do you change the associations?
It's easy.
Right click on the file and select Properties.
In the Property screen you will see a tab marked Open With
Click on that tab and you will see a list of apps that can be used with that file.
Don't see the software you want to use listed?
No problem.
Click on the Add button and a list of installed software will appear. From there you can select the software you want to use.
If the program isn't listed you can use the Custom Command option found in the Add screen.
This will allow you to either browse to the app or enter the command used to open the app.
Some of the commands are as follows;
Title: Command
XMMS = xmms
VLC = vlc
MPLAYER = mplayer
You get the idea.
When you choose the app it is a global action.
If you choose VLC to open that Mp3 file then VLC will open all the Mp3 files on your system.
This tip is not limited to Mp3's.
You can use it for your pictures, videos, text files and any other files that you would open in a normal session.
Hint:
When I download the pictures from my camera I have that image format set to open with F-Spot Photo Manager. Other images are set for Image Viewer or whichever software I want to use for that certain format.
TaZMAn
You have a Mp3 file that plays with Amarok but you want it to play with VLC.
So how do you change the associations?
It's easy.
Right click on the file and select Properties.
In the Property screen you will see a tab marked Open With
Click on that tab and you will see a list of apps that can be used with that file.
Don't see the software you want to use listed?
No problem.
Click on the Add button and a list of installed software will appear. From there you can select the software you want to use.
If the program isn't listed you can use the Custom Command option found in the Add screen.
This will allow you to either browse to the app or enter the command used to open the app.
Some of the commands are as follows;
Title: Command
XMMS = xmms
VLC = vlc
MPLAYER = mplayer
You get the idea.
When you choose the app it is a global action.
If you choose VLC to open that Mp3 file then VLC will open all the Mp3 files on your system.
This tip is not limited to Mp3's.
You can use it for your pictures, videos, text files and any other files that you would open in a normal session.
Hint:
When I download the pictures from my camera I have that image format set to open with F-Spot Photo Manager. Other images are set for Image Viewer or whichever software I want to use for that certain format.
TaZMAn
The Telephone Tree
This story and concept is based on an article from the 2600 magazine.
Did I mention that I think 2600 is one of the best zine's for the money?
Well it is.
Okay, so here's the game.
Let's say you order something from a company that costs $20.
It's sent to you but when you open the package you find the item is broken.
You call the company to report the damage.
But you don't get a live person at first.
You have to climb the tree. The tree being the menu we all know and love when calling a company.
Press 1 for English
Press 2 for sales, 3 for tech support, etc. , etc.
You finally work your way through the tree only to be put on hold for the next customer service rep.
By the time you finally get to talk to a 'real' person you may have already wasted 20 to 30 minutes.
But the company already knows this. In fact they make a science out of it. They have statistics on how long a man will wait while on hold as compared to how long a woman will wait.
They are banking on you hanging up.
But let's say you hang in there and wait it out. You finally get a rep, explain the damage and expect immediate action.
Guess what Bubba? Your wrong. Action will be much less then immediate if any at all.
The rep informs you that they will need to send you out some claim forms and a return number.
So you give the rep all your info and hang up.
A week goes by, then two. Still no claims form.
So you call the company back.
Here you go again! Time to climb the tree.
Again you are put on hold for the next available rep.
If you are still hanging in there you probably now have over an hour of your time invested.
And if your trying to make these calls during your lunch hour, you can pretty much forget it because every other victim is trying to make that same call during their lunch hour.
But you hang in there because you either have time to waste or you are tenacious about getting an unbroken item you paid for.
Again the rep says you need a claim form and there must have been a mix up so they will make sure it goes out to you right away.
A week goes by, then two and finally.......
You get the idea.
The company is betting on you giving up and cutting your losses.
They saved themselves money by not having to pay for a replacement item and shipping both ways.
Meanwhile you are wasting time and money (time = money) trying to replace a 20 buck item.
The poorer people will usually be the one's cutting their losses. They are too busy working to stay on the phone a 1/2 hour or longer more then 1 or 2 times trying to get hold of a real person that will actually help them.
Whereas the corporate executive or rich person who has people working for them can have one of their workers do the phone call shuffle.
But like I said, the companies have statistics on all the scenarios and population.
They know the odds of having to send out a replacement even before they ship it to you.
So what can one do?
How can we fight back?
Well there is one way that may get their attention and get you some action.
Is it legal? I believe so. Although it may fall under some harassment or possibly the F'ed up terrorism law.
What you need to do is during the first phone call make it very clear to the rep that if you don't receive a claims form or replacement within a certain amount of days you will be taking action against the company.
Action? What action?
Legal action? Nope! That is even a bigger waste of time and will usually cost you more money.
What you need to do is enlist the aid of about 20 friends.
Give them the info they need to make a claim for that item including your shipping info.
Now pick a time that will be good for all who can spare a 1/2 hour or more.
Now at the designated time have all your friends call the company to speak with a rep.
What you can even do is split the group into 2 or 3 squads so they can make their call a bit after you and your squad have made your call.
The company probably hires a call center to field their calls.
But one thing every call center does is make notes of who called.
When they see that you have called in 20 or 30 times a day for two or three days you can almost bet that some action will be taken.
That action can be on of several scenarios.
You get your claim form.
You get your replacement item.
You get a summons to appear in court or a cease and desist letter from their corporate lawyers.
No matter. You got some action.
And maybe if enough people stand up for their rights and take action against these companies that will stoop to new lows for the sake of a better bottom line, this type of corporate crap may start to subside.
Don't take no for an answer. Stand up for your rights.
Remember that you spent your hard earned money to purchase their product that will generate a profit for the company.
Use you spare resources to waste their time and money.
That usually gets them to act so they can get back to increasing their bottom line.
And as always, you take full responsibility for any legal problems you may have by following this advice.
I will in no way be held accountable or responsible if you get hauled away as a terrorist or any other felony charge.
Thanks to Barrett Brown and his excellent article on Holding Actions found in the 25-2 volume of the 2600 magazine.
TaZMAn
Did I mention that I think 2600 is one of the best zine's for the money?
Well it is.
Okay, so here's the game.
Let's say you order something from a company that costs $20.
It's sent to you but when you open the package you find the item is broken.
You call the company to report the damage.
But you don't get a live person at first.
You have to climb the tree. The tree being the menu we all know and love when calling a company.
Press 1 for English
Press 2 for sales, 3 for tech support, etc. , etc.
You finally work your way through the tree only to be put on hold for the next customer service rep.
By the time you finally get to talk to a 'real' person you may have already wasted 20 to 30 minutes.
But the company already knows this. In fact they make a science out of it. They have statistics on how long a man will wait while on hold as compared to how long a woman will wait.
They are banking on you hanging up.
But let's say you hang in there and wait it out. You finally get a rep, explain the damage and expect immediate action.
Guess what Bubba? Your wrong. Action will be much less then immediate if any at all.
The rep informs you that they will need to send you out some claim forms and a return number.
So you give the rep all your info and hang up.
A week goes by, then two. Still no claims form.
So you call the company back.
Here you go again! Time to climb the tree.
Again you are put on hold for the next available rep.
If you are still hanging in there you probably now have over an hour of your time invested.
And if your trying to make these calls during your lunch hour, you can pretty much forget it because every other victim is trying to make that same call during their lunch hour.
But you hang in there because you either have time to waste or you are tenacious about getting an unbroken item you paid for.
Again the rep says you need a claim form and there must have been a mix up so they will make sure it goes out to you right away.
A week goes by, then two and finally.......
You get the idea.
The company is betting on you giving up and cutting your losses.
They saved themselves money by not having to pay for a replacement item and shipping both ways.
Meanwhile you are wasting time and money (time = money) trying to replace a 20 buck item.
The poorer people will usually be the one's cutting their losses. They are too busy working to stay on the phone a 1/2 hour or longer more then 1 or 2 times trying to get hold of a real person that will actually help them.
Whereas the corporate executive or rich person who has people working for them can have one of their workers do the phone call shuffle.
But like I said, the companies have statistics on all the scenarios and population.
They know the odds of having to send out a replacement even before they ship it to you.
So what can one do?
How can we fight back?
Well there is one way that may get their attention and get you some action.
Is it legal? I believe so. Although it may fall under some harassment or possibly the F'ed up terrorism law.
What you need to do is during the first phone call make it very clear to the rep that if you don't receive a claims form or replacement within a certain amount of days you will be taking action against the company.
Action? What action?
Legal action? Nope! That is even a bigger waste of time and will usually cost you more money.
What you need to do is enlist the aid of about 20 friends.
Give them the info they need to make a claim for that item including your shipping info.
Now pick a time that will be good for all who can spare a 1/2 hour or more.
Now at the designated time have all your friends call the company to speak with a rep.
What you can even do is split the group into 2 or 3 squads so they can make their call a bit after you and your squad have made your call.
The company probably hires a call center to field their calls.
But one thing every call center does is make notes of who called.
When they see that you have called in 20 or 30 times a day for two or three days you can almost bet that some action will be taken.
That action can be on of several scenarios.
You get your claim form.
You get your replacement item.
You get a summons to appear in court or a cease and desist letter from their corporate lawyers.
No matter. You got some action.
And maybe if enough people stand up for their rights and take action against these companies that will stoop to new lows for the sake of a better bottom line, this type of corporate crap may start to subside.
Don't take no for an answer. Stand up for your rights.
Remember that you spent your hard earned money to purchase their product that will generate a profit for the company.
Use you spare resources to waste their time and money.
That usually gets them to act so they can get back to increasing their bottom line.
And as always, you take full responsibility for any legal problems you may have by following this advice.
I will in no way be held accountable or responsible if you get hauled away as a terrorist or any other felony charge.
Thanks to Barrett Brown and his excellent article on Holding Actions found in the 25-2 volume of the 2600 magazine.
TaZMAn
Hardy Heron Problems
I was hyped up! Ready to make the leap.
And I was going to do it without taking any chances.
I wanted Hardy and I upgraded.
But not in the usual upgrade style. Oh no. That can cause problems.
Nope! I saved off all my email and bookmarks along with my other files.
Then I formatted the hard drive saying goodbye to Gutsy and loaded Hardy.
And Hardy lasted only a few weeks. I'm back to Gutsy.
I couldn't take all the broken software, coasters burned with K3b, lock ups, high cpu usage and web sites that looked terrible in Firefox 3.
The list of problems was long. And the fixes were sporadic, uncertain or very labor intensive.
Wine didn't work along with several other software packages.
Playing videos or doing certain other chores on my system caused the cpu to load up to 100% and at times caused the system to lock up completely.
Watching videos in Firefox like at Youtube would cause Firefox to close unexpectedly.
I have always used K3b for all my burning needs. But it was impossible to use K3b because all it did was burn coasters. The cause of the coaster production line was due to a file K3b needed for speed sensing. The log files showed that K3b didn't have permission to access that file.
What??!!!!
Numerous times my computer would stop responding.
Finally I had enough and last week I reinstalled Gutsy.
Was tempted to go with Etch but decided I had enough 'fun' in the last 3 weeks.
I needed something familiar and stable.
Ubuntu really pissed me off and dropped the ball big time with this release.
Had this been a new user looking to get rid of the MicroShaft shackles they would
have screamed all the way back to Bi$$y Boy thinking he really was the god of programmers.
Canonical needs to rethink their release schedule. Oh it sounds good, a new release every 6 months, but it is too aggressive.
Heck! I don't think many would have minded if this version was a few weeks late as long as it was less buggier. I can hear the board room banter the week before the release date.
"We have to ship on time otherwise we will look like we aren't for real."
Well shipping out an OS that acts like a beta version not only puts a blemish on your corporate image, it puts you on the same level as Microshaft and the crap they call an operating system.
Hardy is a Long Term Support (LTS) version.
To me that means it should be very stable at release time. It shouldn't be a Long Term Fix It As We Go (LTFIAWG) version.
And if this is what you expect to use to lure new users from Windowz, you blew it!
I'll sit back awhile and see what happens in the next few months.
But if it looks like problems still exist because everyone is gearing up for the next big 6 month release I will be looking for another flavor like Etch or other Debian derivative.
I still like Ubuntu and will continue promoting it albeit Gutsy and not Hardy.
Remember that people are looking towards Linux because of the crap being fed to them by MicroShaft.
TaZMAn
And I was going to do it without taking any chances.
I wanted Hardy and I upgraded.
But not in the usual upgrade style. Oh no. That can cause problems.
Nope! I saved off all my email and bookmarks along with my other files.
Then I formatted the hard drive saying goodbye to Gutsy and loaded Hardy.
And Hardy lasted only a few weeks. I'm back to Gutsy.
I couldn't take all the broken software, coasters burned with K3b, lock ups, high cpu usage and web sites that looked terrible in Firefox 3.
The list of problems was long. And the fixes were sporadic, uncertain or very labor intensive.
Wine didn't work along with several other software packages.
Playing videos or doing certain other chores on my system caused the cpu to load up to 100% and at times caused the system to lock up completely.
Watching videos in Firefox like at Youtube would cause Firefox to close unexpectedly.
I have always used K3b for all my burning needs. But it was impossible to use K3b because all it did was burn coasters. The cause of the coaster production line was due to a file K3b needed for speed sensing. The log files showed that K3b didn't have permission to access that file.
What??!!!!
Numerous times my computer would stop responding.
Finally I had enough and last week I reinstalled Gutsy.
Was tempted to go with Etch but decided I had enough 'fun' in the last 3 weeks.
I needed something familiar and stable.
Ubuntu really pissed me off and dropped the ball big time with this release.
Had this been a new user looking to get rid of the MicroShaft shackles they would
have screamed all the way back to Bi$$y Boy thinking he really was the god of programmers.
Canonical needs to rethink their release schedule. Oh it sounds good, a new release every 6 months, but it is too aggressive.
Heck! I don't think many would have minded if this version was a few weeks late as long as it was less buggier. I can hear the board room banter the week before the release date.
"We have to ship on time otherwise we will look like we aren't for real."
Well shipping out an OS that acts like a beta version not only puts a blemish on your corporate image, it puts you on the same level as Microshaft and the crap they call an operating system.
Hardy is a Long Term Support (LTS) version.
To me that means it should be very stable at release time. It shouldn't be a Long Term Fix It As We Go (LTFIAWG) version.
And if this is what you expect to use to lure new users from Windowz, you blew it!
I'll sit back awhile and see what happens in the next few months.
But if it looks like problems still exist because everyone is gearing up for the next big 6 month release I will be looking for another flavor like Etch or other Debian derivative.
I still like Ubuntu and will continue promoting it albeit Gutsy and not Hardy.
Remember that people are looking towards Linux because of the crap being fed to them by MicroShaft.
TaZMAn
Verizon Speed Test Lies
I decided to try Verizon's speed test found here;
http://www2.verizon.net/micro/speedtest/hsi/
They sure like to lie!
Why do I say that? Well the results are skewed to say the least.
Here's what I mean.
The results from Verizon's test page;
Download speeds seem a bit low considering I have a 5 Mbps connection.
The upload speed is way out of line. My ISP caps the max at 384 Kbps.
So I go to www.speedtest.net
This looks more like it should be;
To verify it, I go to www.testmy.net
Here are the results;
:::.. Download Stats ..:::
Download Connection is:: 4817 Kbps about 4.8 Mbps (tested with 6144 kB)
Download Speed is:: 588 kB/s
Tested From:: http://testmy.net/ (Main)
Test Time:: 2008/07/06 - 1:43pm
Bottom Line:: 84X faster than 56K 1MB Download in 1.74 sec
Tested from a 6144 kB file and took 10.448 seconds to complete
Download Diagnosis:: Looks Great : 9.53 % faster than the average for host
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.15) Gecko/20080625 Ubuntu/7.10 (gutsy) Firefox/2.0.0.15 [!]
:::.. Upload Stats ..:::
Upload Connection is:: 356 Kbps about 0.4 Mbps (tested with 1013 kB)
Upload Speed is:: 43 kB/s
Tested From:: http://testmy.net/ (Main)
Test Time:: 2008/07/06 - 1:46pm
Bottom Line:: 6X faster than 56K 1MB Upload in 23.81 sec
Tested from a 1013 kB file and took 23.322 seconds to complete
Upload Diagnosis:: May need help : running at only 76.89 % of your hosts average
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.15) Gecko/20080625 Ubuntu/7.10 (gutsy) Firefox/2.0.0.15 [!]
Let's verify it one more time from here;
http://myspeed.visualware.com/
The results are as follows;
Download speed 4668 Kbps
Upload speed 364 Kbps
QOS 96 %
RTT 22 ms
Max Delay 113 ms
From 3 other testing sites my download range is 4668 Kbps to 4817 Kbps
and my upload range is from 356 Kbps to to 367 Kbps yet Verizon says
my Download speed is 2861 Kbps (2.86 Mbps) and
my Upload speed is 476 Kbps.
So what's the deal?
Why does Verizon cook the speed test?
I think I know why.
The download speeds are different because Verizon's packages have a max download speed of 3 Mbps.
They probably use a random generator to pick out numbers when the speed is near or over 3 Mbps.
In the case of the upload speeds, it is considered a low speed for their
specs (768 Kbps) so they juice the upload numbers to make it look
like you are uploading files faster then you actually are.
In this case, they are saying my upload speed is about 25% higher
then the max allowed by my ISP.
You can bet that if you call them up with speed issues they will direct you to their speed test site.
And I will also bet you a cup of coffee from my company's cafeteria (It's free!) that they won't even listen to you should you quote speed test results from other sites.
Ah! The joys of manipulating numbers.
It makes the customer feel good while he's getting screwed.
LOL!
TaZMAn
http://www2.verizon.net/micro/speedtest/hsi/
They sure like to lie!
Why do I say that? Well the results are skewed to say the least.
Here's what I mean.
The results from Verizon's test page;
Download speeds seem a bit low considering I have a 5 Mbps connection.
The upload speed is way out of line. My ISP caps the max at 384 Kbps.
So I go to www.speedtest.net
This looks more like it should be;
To verify it, I go to www.testmy.net
Here are the results;
:::.. Download Stats ..:::
Download Connection is:: 4817 Kbps about 4.8 Mbps (tested with 6144 kB)
Download Speed is:: 588 kB/s
Tested From:: http://testmy.net/ (Main)
Test Time:: 2008/07/06 - 1:43pm
Bottom Line:: 84X faster than 56K 1MB Download in 1.74 sec
Tested from a 6144 kB file and took 10.448 seconds to complete
Download Diagnosis:: Looks Great : 9.53 % faster than the average for host
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.15) Gecko/20080625 Ubuntu/7.10 (gutsy) Firefox/2.0.0.15 [!]
:::.. Upload Stats ..:::
Upload Connection is:: 356 Kbps about 0.4 Mbps (tested with 1013 kB)
Upload Speed is:: 43 kB/s
Tested From:: http://testmy.net/ (Main)
Test Time:: 2008/07/06 - 1:46pm
Bottom Line:: 6X faster than 56K 1MB Upload in 23.81 sec
Tested from a 1013 kB file and took 23.322 seconds to complete
Upload Diagnosis:: May need help : running at only 76.89 % of your hosts average
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.15) Gecko/20080625 Ubuntu/7.10 (gutsy) Firefox/2.0.0.15 [!]
Let's verify it one more time from here;
http://myspeed.visualware.com/
The results are as follows;
Download speed 4668 Kbps
Upload speed 364 Kbps
QOS 96 %
RTT 22 ms
Max Delay 113 ms
From 3 other testing sites my download range is 4668 Kbps to 4817 Kbps
and my upload range is from 356 Kbps to to 367 Kbps yet Verizon says
my Download speed is 2861 Kbps (2.86 Mbps) and
my Upload speed is 476 Kbps.
So what's the deal?
Why does Verizon cook the speed test?
I think I know why.
The download speeds are different because Verizon's packages have a max download speed of 3 Mbps.
They probably use a random generator to pick out numbers when the speed is near or over 3 Mbps.
In the case of the upload speeds, it is considered a low speed for their
specs (768 Kbps) so they juice the upload numbers to make it look
like you are uploading files faster then you actually are.
In this case, they are saying my upload speed is about 25% higher
then the max allowed by my ISP.
You can bet that if you call them up with speed issues they will direct you to their speed test site.
And I will also bet you a cup of coffee from my company's cafeteria (It's free!) that they won't even listen to you should you quote speed test results from other sites.
Ah! The joys of manipulating numbers.
It makes the customer feel good while he's getting screwed.
LOL!
TaZMAn
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