Find Your Mac OS X Version

The first step in securing your Mac is to know what OS version is installed. Use the following steps to find your Mac OS X version.

1. From the Apple menu, select About This Mac.
2. The version number will appear in the window.

Source for both picture & text(http://www.cmu.edu)

chmod Recursive permission change (i.e. in the directory and its sub-directories)

If you have a folder with a lot of files and sub-folders inside it and you want to change permission on all the files, then you should run chmod command(changing permission to xxx) with a -R at the end.

chmod -R 777 (folder name)

in case you got the error that you do not have permission, you have to login as root(su command and then password)at Ubuntu run :

sudo chmod -R 777 (folder name)

compiling and installing software from Source Code

Some software is distributed in "Source form". This means you download a file containing all the source code for the application you want to install, unpack it, and compile it on your system. Compiling is the process of turning the source code into an executable binary. The common myth and newbie assumption is that this is very hard todo, or it is only for programmers. Wrong. It is a fairly straight forward process, and you will find that a lot of software you install will need to be built from source.

Typically applications you must compile from source will come as a ".tar.gz", ".tar.bz2", or ".zip" file.

You'll probably want to operate from inside your home directory. If your user is (for example) username, your home directory will be /home/username/. For the rest of this section we will assume you have downloaded your zip file to /home/username/src. If you do not have a src directory, you can create it with the following "mkdir" (make directory) command:

Code:

mkdir /home/username/src/

So, we have our source package in /home/username/src/.

Change to the /home/username/src/ directory with the "cd" (change directory) command like so:

Code:

cd /home/username/src/

Use the "ls" (list directory contents) command, to see the file is present:

Code:

ls

We now need to unzip the zipped file, this is done differently depending on the file extension.

for files ending in .tar.gz, use:

Code:

tar -zxvf 

(replacing with the name of the file).

for files ending in .tar.bz2, use:

Code:

tar -jxvf 

for files ending in .zip, use:

Code:

unzip 

You should now have a new directory, containing all of the source files. To confirm it exists, and to get its name, use the "ls" command again.

Code:

ls

we now need to go into the new directory, so use the cd command:

Code:

cd 

This is where things will differ. Some packages will have an INSTALL or README file which will contain installation instructions. use "ls" to see if the software has an install or readme file. If it does have one, you can use the "more" command to read it, like so:

Code:

more INSTALL

Generally, the final 3 stages are as follows:
- Configure the installation
- Compile the software
- Install the binaries

The pre-installation configuration is done by executing ./configure:

Code:

./configure

This will perform some requirements testing on your system, and create a "Makefile" which will explain to the "make" utility how the software should be compiled. If you receive any error messages during this stage, you may wish to search the forums to see if they have been found and resolved by someone else already, if not, feel free to post a question on the forums - Please include all of the output including any error messages, and some details about your system - what distro you are using, what are you trying to install etc etc


The next stage is to compile the software, this is done using "make". When you run "make" it will read the instructions in the Makefile and build the application binaries.

Code:

make

The final stage is to install these binaries, ie, copy them to a more permanent location. Typically only the "root" user can do this, so you will need to swich to the root user with the "su" command:

Code:

su

Once you are root, install the binaries using the "make" command, followed by "install", like so:

Code:

make install

That is it! Check the user documentation of the software you installed for details of how to run the application.

Remember that if you have any problems, please post in the most relevant section of the forums. - When posting, remember to include as much info as possible, including all output and error messages.
SOURCE

Special characters, Java ...

If you are wondering how to check special characters in Java with a char variable,you can look @ the meaningless program down here.This program just shows you how to compare special characters with a char variable.
/********************************************
*********************************************
********** Special Char check ***************
*********************************************
********************************************/
public void checkSpecialChar(String aText){
Char character = aText.charAt(0);

if (character == '<') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '>') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '&') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '\"') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '\t') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '!') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '#') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '$') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '%') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '\'') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '(') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == ')') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '*') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '+') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == ',') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '-') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '.') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '/') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == ':') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == ';') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '=') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '?') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '@') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '[') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '\\') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == ']') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '^') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '_') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '`') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '{') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '|') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '}') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else if (character == '~') {
System.out.println(aText);
}
else {
//the char is not a special one
//add it to the result as is
System.out.println(aText);
}
}//end of checkSpecialChar(String )
/********************************************
*********************************************
******* End of Special Char check **********
*********************************************
********************************************/
Edited from this source

You dont need to boot to check your eamil, FAST LINUX

Some time ago a company called DeviceVM started to embed Linux into the motherboards of personal computers with the objective to provide an alternative operating system that boots up in a few seconds.

The objective is not to replace the main operating system, which in most cases is still Microsoft Windows, but to enable users to perform common tasks, such as checking email, browsing the Internet, or making a VoIP call immediately after turning on the computer, without the painful process of waiting for the regular OS to be fully up and running.

ASUS has been adopting Splashtop early on and includes it now on most of its motherboards. It is incorporated in the flash memory firmware. Besides the Linux kernel, this includes drivers, networking tools, and various frequently used applications.

RAR @ Fedora ...

By default, Rar is not available in Fedora 10. If all you need to do is extract files from a Rar archive, unrar from RPM Fusion's YUM repositories will work. If you need to create Rar archives, then you will have to download and install the complete Rar package from DAG. The instructions below show you how.

Only Need to Extract Files?

First, install RPM Fusion's free and nonfree YUM repositories. For detailed information about installing RPM Fusion, see: http://rpmfusion.org/Configuration

su -c "rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm"

su -c "rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-stable.noarch.rpm"

Next, install the unrar packages from RPMFusion's nonfree repository.

su -c "yum install unrar"

Done! You now have unrar in /usr/bin/unrar. This binary can only extract files from Rar archives. Use this command to see all available options:

/usr/bin/unrar -?

Need to Create Rar Archives?

First, download the source RPM from DAG: http://dag.wieers.com/rpm/packages/rar

wget -c http://dag.wieers.com/rpm/packages/rar/rar-3.5.1-1.rf.src.rpm

Now, install the source RPM. This will create a $HOME/rpmbuild tree. Please note that you do not need to be root.

rpm -iv rar-3.5.1-1.rf.src.rpm

Next, build a binary package in $HOME/rpmbuild. Again, no need to be root.

rpmbuild -bb ~/rpmbuild/SPECS/rar.spec

Finally, install the built RPM as root:

su -c "rpm -Uvh $HOME/rpmbuild/RPMS/$(arch)/rar-3.5.1-1.rf.x86_64.rpm"

Done! You now have rar in /usr/bin/rar. This binary can build and extract Rar files. Use this command to see all available options:

/usr/bin/rar -?

Flash Fix @ Ubuntu ...

My flash If you want to completely remove all flash plugins(& install again later), run the following command and then delete the related plugins inside ~/.mozilla/plugins, if there are any:

Code:

sudo apt-get remove swfdec-mozilla
sudo apt-get remove mozilla-plugin-gnash
sudo apt-get remove adobe-flashplugin
sudo apt-get remove flashplugin-nonfree

Keep in mind this will also remove flash plugin from Opera, since it's not Firefox that installed the flash plugin. The flash plugin installation is generic for all browsers.

Nevertheless, I believe your problems is due to conflicting plugins. So before trying to remove all flash plugins, try this(IT WORKED FOR ME):

Code:

sudo apt-get remove swfdec-mozilla
sudo apt-get remove mozilla-plugin-gnash
sudo apt-get remove adobe-flashplugin
sudo apt-get remove flashplugin-nonfree
sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree

From my experience, flash does not play well on any browser. Nevertheless, you might experience better performance with Firefox 3.5.3, which is faster than Opera. The alpha releases of Chromium and Firefox 3.6.1a are the best for flash.

You can also try to improve your flash experience using my tutorial Firefox optimization and troubleshooting thread.
Source : Ubuntu Forums

List of installed programs or packages on Ubuntu

List installed (ii) programs (packages):
$ dpkg -l

$ dpkg -l | less

$ dpkg -l | grep nano

See also
$ ls -l /usr/bin | less

$ man dpkg

Setting up gmail account

Got trouble setting up your Google account with default(most of linux distrobutions) Evolution Email client ?

If so, check this tutorial out ...

Tip before reading : My problem was that the gmail account is not just your account name but the full Gmail email address(account@gmail.com)

Removing a printer @ VISTA

HINT : Don't bother yelling at the printer why the hell that you can not remove it !!! Do not blame Vista for it like I did neithere !!! Do not curse Microsoft neithere ... Simply printer has hanged somewhere and there are some documents still in the queeue(My case, other users had it, so I could not see it) and that's the reason you dont get to remove it ...

Microsoft hint : You can't remove a printer if you have items in the print queue. If items are waiting to print when you try to remove a printer, Windows will wait until printing is complete, and then remove the printer. If you have permission to manage documents on the printer, you can also cancel all print jobs and then try to remove the printer again.

Automatically Mounting Windows SMB Shares in Ubuntu v3

This post was something I was looking for a long time, to make some shared windows disks auto mounted on my Linux ... I found this today and I posted it on my weblog as well(with sourcing back to the main article) to have it for future use ... Here is kind of my online notebook, that I share with all the people all around the world ;-) and this note is one of the most useful ones ...
------------------------------------------------------------
This post is an update to two posts I wrote previously on how to make your network shares mount automatically when you start up your Ubuntu Linux computer. In this method we modify the fstab file so that when all the file systems are mounted the network shares are mounted as well.

This method works for me in Ubuntu Gusty Gibbon 7.10 and is probably the most secure. I have only tested this on a wired connection, so I don’t know exactly what will happen if you use this method when using a wireless connection.

First you have to install smbfs:

sudo apt-get install smbfs

Then create a folder inside of the /media directory to mount the share on:

sudo mkdir /media/Storage

You can call it whatever you want, I call it Storage. If you change the name remember to change it below when we edit the fstab file.

Create a credentials file in /root so that you can save your password and have it protected by the root account:

sudo gedit /root/.cifscredentials

Add the following information to the file, but change Guest to your SMB username and add your SMB password.

username=Guest
password=

Note: If your fileserver allows Guest access you can just leave the file as above. If it is password protected you have to put in your username and password.

Save and close the .cifscredentials file.

Now open up your fstab file so that you can add mounting instructions:

sudo gedit /etc/fstab

Add the following line to the bottom of the file:

//192.168.0.10/SHARENAME /media/Storage cifs auto,iocharset=utf8,uid=USER,gid=users,credentials=/root/.cifscredentials,file_mode=0775,dir_mode=0775 0 0

You have to change the following information:
Change 192.168.0.10 to the IP address or DNS name of your server
Change SHARENAME to the share you want to mount
Change USER to your Ubuntu username

The file_mode=0775,dir_mode=0775 part sets the mounted directory as read/write for all users so long as the SMB username you set in .cifscredentials has read/write access.

Now save the file and run the following command to test to see if you mount now works:

sudo mount -a

If that worked you should see a new drive icon on your desktop that lets you access your share. Now try rebooting and see if your shares mount automatically. If everything went as planned you will have a nice little drive mounted on your desktop every time you start up.

SMB Shares with Spaces in the Names

If you have a share with a space in the path you can replace the space with \040. For example:

//192.168.0.10/Storage\040130 /media/Storage\040130 cifs auto,iocharset=utf8,uid=matt,gid=users,credentials=/root/.cifscredentials,file_mode=0775,dir_mode=0775 0 0

This mounts my 130GB drive on my fileserver to a local directory called Storage 130.

SOURCE

VLC on Feodra ...

$> su -
#> rpm -ivh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm
#> yum install vlc
#> yum install mozilla-vlc (optionnal)

Rar files, Linux

Open a terminal and run following commands :

sudo apt-get install rar
sudo ln -fs /usr/bin/rar /usr/bin/unrar

After that you can find Archive Manager in the Gnome menu under Applications -> Accessories.

Firefox new look ...

Compress Files(ZIP) @ Ubuntu

No problem, No installation needed, just right click on the file and choose Create Archive and then choose your favorite compression type ... You're done :-)

Your IP @ Ubuntu

Run Terminal and type :

#sudo ifconfig (eth0:for cable, or wlan0;for wireless)

quickly resize or rotate images within nautilus

If you are looking for a way to batch resize many pictures at the same time with just 2 easy steps, you have found the right tutorial. I found a way by blogging on Internet to add resize and rotate option to your right click and have it always there right beside your hand ;-)

Installation

To add this functionality we’ll need to install the nautilus-image-converter package:

#sudo aptitude install nautilus-image-converter

Use

Before you’re able to use this functionality you’ll need to restart nautilus or simply logout and back in. You’ll now be able to right-click on any image on your machine and you’ll see two new menu items:

"resize images"

"rotate images"

Check out the screen shots down here ...
You can also choose to resize by percentage or by exact dimension.

Source : Modifed but direct tutorial from Ubuntu Tutorials Dapper

Mount a Windows shared folder in Linux

You made the switch to Linux and at least one Windows computer is still on your network. The old days when Windows and Linux didn't play together are long gone. You can easily set up your Linux computer to have read and write access to the files housed on a nearby Windows computer. If you've used Macs in the past, the process is practically identical.

Set up sharing on your PC
In Windows, choose the folder you want to share, right click on it and choose properties. In the Sharing tab, turn on sharing. Feel free to name your folder anything you want and ignore any warnings Windows gives about the name being longer than 12 characters.

Determine your PC's IP Address
You will need to give your Linux computer a location when trying to access shared folders. This location is your PC's IP address. In the Command Prompt type ipconfig and you will see your IP address (it probably starts with 192). My IP address is shown below as 192.168.1.117

Accessing the shared folder from Linux
There are two very easy ways to access shared folders in Linux. The easiest way (in Gnome) is to press (ALT+F2) to bring up the run dialog and type smb:// followed by the IP address and the folder name. As shown below, I need to type smb://192.168.1.117/Shared. If you have your Windows account passworded, you will need to enter the password to access the shared folder.

Accessing all shared folders from Linux
Linux automatically detects and connects to Windows networks. In Gnome, by going to Places and then Network you will automatically see all the Windows networks. You can then navigate through the Windows networks and connect to the shared folder. This is an easy way to manage your shared folders if you have many Windows networks with shared folders.

Making it easier
By bookmarking your shared folder you can access it from the Gnome menu.

Source

3D Cube on Ubuntu

All versions of Ubuntu, from Gutsy Gibbon onward, have Compiz Fusion and the ability to use the rotating cube. By default, the rotating cube is disabled, so you must enable it. In addition, you must have a compatible video card for the rotating cube to appear on your computer.

1. Go to "System," then "Administration" and "Synaptic Package Manager." Search for and select the file named "compizconfig-settings-manager."

2. Install the file named "compizconfig-settings-manager."

3. Click on "System," then "Preferences" and finally "compizconfig settings manager" once the file installs.

4. Check the box labeled "Rotate Cube.

Tips:You can rotate the cube by pressing Control, alt and either the left or right arrow at the same time.

Run Windows on a Mac for free

It's back-to-school season, and that means you may be among the countless students who are setting up shiny new MacBooks, because this is the year you have vowed (again) to focus on studies. But then the doubts start to creep in: What if you can't open some documents? What if you need to run some professor's roll-your-own Windows software? What if some online system requires IE running Windows (a constant source of pain here at CNET)? Tom Merritt is here to help in this video that demonstrates how to install Windows 7 for free on a Mac. Yup, for free. There are some caveats, but you can be up and running in no time. You know, just in case. Watch now

Source : CNET