Invert Your Mind

I’ll keep editing as I go:

Install LaunchBox

bash$ sudo apt-get install gnome-launch-box
bash$ gconf-editor

Open apps->gnome-launch-box->bindings and set activate to

<Super>l

This allows gnome-launch-box to be activated using the Windows-L shortcut.

Next setup gnome-launch-box to start automatically. Open System->Preferences->Sessions and create a new Startup Program. I use this command line:

/usr/bin/gnome-launch-box -t -n

Install Compiz/Beryl merge latest

In progress.

I figured out how to get Ubuntu to correctly connect to a Windows style PPTP VPN. Apparently there are a number of large issues with NetworkManager that make it all but unusable for VPN. The fix is enormously simple, so I’m extremely confused as to why on earth they haven’t patched it yet. Okay, so here’s what I have done:

1. Create a shell script that you will run after you connect to the VPN via NetworkManager applet. The contents are like this:

#!/bin/bash

echo "search your-domain-name.com" > /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver ip-address-of-your-companies-dns-server" >> /etc/resolv.conf
sudo route add default gw 10.10.30.1

2. Connect to the VPN using NetworkManager

3. Run this script as root:

bash$ sudo ./vpn

What this does is first it updates my resolv.conf so that I can find the DNS server that my company provides and also setups up my search domain for easy access to stuff like http://wiki. Next it adds a new route to the kernel IP routing table. The issue with NetworkManager is that it not only completely clears out resolv.conf (eeck!) but it also doesn’t always setup a route to get to the VPN network. In my script I just setup a simple default route that will direct all traffic to my VPNs gateway. This procedure assumes that NetworkManager is setting up a host route to the VPN gateway on the ppp network device. If this doesn’t happen, well your routing table could get all screwed up, but I think for now NetworkManager isn’t that stupid (however it might be).

Good luck and happy VPNing.

and

Dell is starting to ship computers pre-installed with Ubuntu. I would assume that these computers have been specifically built to ensure compatibility, which isn’t all that difficult these days, except for the video cards. I feel like this is one of the first major steps for Linux into the mainstream.

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

I’ve been trying to get my Linux machine to look nice and this has been causing some amount (read LOTS) of headaches. I just wanted to start a post about all the things that Linux folks need to fix in order for Linux to look nice and work well.

Compiz
- Focusing in compiz is pretty much horrible. If you have a window that laps over onto another desktop, that window will retain focus for both desktops rather than the desktop it’s center exists on. This causes major focus headaches unless all you windows are maximized or they don’t lap over

- Compiz breaks Java. I’ve updated to the latest version of everything and even patched the rt.jar with some compiz hacks and things still don’t work correctly. This really needs to be fixed in a more general manner for Linux/Unix distributions that are going to be using compositing. Perhaps the composite manager needs to provide a hook method that allows Java native to get at the constraints and properties of the manager. This would have to be standardized across all managers on all *nix flavors, but would make life much better for VMs.

- Windows don’t draw the decorations correctly sometimes when switching desktops. This makes windows seem unfocused but they are in fact focused.

- gDesklets and other desktop daemons (these are windows that are shown on every desktop) steal focus for all desktops because they exist across all desktops, which makes it impossible to use Compiz/Beryl with anything of this nature. Major bummer because they make Linux look good and are great tools.

Dock
- I’m using avant-window-manager (AVM) and it is pretty rough thus far and looks like it might die. Gnome-dock looks dead, Cairo looks dead, and the other docks are for KDE (not a fan).

- AVM lacks support for applets/desklets which forces me to run a single gnome panel with the time. This makes Linux look ugly.

- AVM doesn’t allow for menus to be nested. This would be nice because it would remove the need to keep a panel around just so I can get to less commonly used programs. This can be fixed using a launcher, but most of those are pretty rough.

- AVM doesn’t support grouping and really lacks a lot of configuration and features.

- AVM sorta loses its mind with applications that go into the notification area like GAIM. Now I’ve seen folks fix this, so if someone knows how, let me know what you did.

Launchers
- Thus far I’ve only got gnome-launch-box to work and it is pretty rough. It doesn’t integrate well into gnome and should provide a method for auto-start and much more configuration. I think it uses beagle or something else behind it, but I couldn’t figure out how to control it or configure it. This needs a control dialog that is seamlessly integrated into the gnome configuration system.

- Deskbar is too verbose and not fast enough. Plus it doesn’t have enough options when you do find the file you are looking for. Plus, it doesn’t look nice enough to really be cool. It also jumps around the screen way too much. Not sure why it does this.

- KDE launchers just plain don’t like Gnome for some reason and I couldn’t figure out how to make them work correctly. Plus, they have that KDE feel and it clashes with the gnome stuff.

General
- I would guess that 99% of the applications that provide a transparency setting are hacking it via some background image magic. Most gnome stuff (panels, desklets, etc) don’t really work with a composite manager and need to be fixed to check for one and then fall back to their hacking if it isn’t running. If one is running though, they should use it.

An awesome blog post and animated image:

http://blogs.sun.com/marigan/entry/how_the_vi_editor_would