Linux glossary

svn

tool to manage source code changes (version control system)

xmodmap

utility for modifying keymaps and pointer button mappings in X

bash

Bourne Again SHell, a command line environment

cron

program scheduler

daemon

service

lilo

LInux LOader, boot manager

grub

boot manager

binaries

executable programs

CLI

command line interface

gzip

file compression utility

grep

regular expression based line filter

init

first proces run after OS load

kernel

core of the os, interacts with hw, manages resources

MBR

Master Boot Record, first physical sector on a bootable disk drive

mount

identify disk drive to the file system before use

NFS

Network File System, filesystem that allows sharing of files across the network

open-source

software released with source code

OSS

Open Sound System, sound hardware driver, supports most-popular devices

pipe

|, symbol used to chain commands in shell

POSIX

Portable OS Interface for uniX

redirection

>, symbol used to send program output to a text file

script

set of commands stored in a file

session

period between login and logoff

shell

OS CLI

shell script

script designed to run automatically when a shell is started

superuser

root (admin)

syslog

system logger where all system errors/messages are stored

widget

GUI object (button...)

alias

shell command that allows user to create alias for a command

acroread

pdf viewer

802.11

wireles network (WLAN)

Setting up Thinkpad X41 Tablet in Ubuntu

Fingerprint reader

1. install thinkfinger (sudo apt-get install thinkfinger-tools libpam-thinkfinger)
2. acquire fingerprint (sudo tf-tool --acquire)
3. verify fingerprint (sudo tf-tool --verify)
4. update pam config (sudo gedit /etc/pam.d/common-auth so it contains only these 2 lines: auth sufficient pam_thinkfinger.so auth required pam_unix.so try_first_pass nullok_secure
   update for ubuntu 8.10: change the according lines in this file so it looks like this: ... # here are the per-package modules (the "Primary" block) auth sufficient pam_thinkfinger.so auth [success=1 default=ignore] pam_unix.so try_first_pass nullok_secure # here's the fallback if no module succeeds ... here is fix for situation when auth won't proceed until you press enter

(thanks to wiki.ubuntu.com/ThinkFinger and thinkwiki.org/wiki/How_to_enable_the_fingerprint_reader_with_ThinkFinger)

Back/Forward keys

update for ubuntu 8.10: you can skip this step as the keys work out of the box

run sudo gedit /etc/X11/Xmodmap,

add: keycode 234 = XF86Back keycode 233 = XF86Forward
for immediate effect run xmodmap /etc/X11/Xmodmap (Note: this works in hardy, you may need to use Xmodmap instead in older versions of Ubuntu)

Trackpoint scrolling

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf, locate section InputDevice with identifier Configured Mouse, add Option "EmulateWheel" "true" Option "EmulateWheelButton" "2"

update for ubuntu 8.10: how to enable trackpoint in ubuntu 8.10

Stylus

1. install wacom driver (sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-input-wacom wacom-tools)
2. sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf, add Section "InputDevice" Identifier "stylus" Driver "wacom" Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom" Option "Type" "stylus" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Identifier "eraser" Driver "wacom" Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom" Option "Type" "eraser" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Identifier "cursor" Driver "wacom" Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom" Option "Type" "cursor" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" EndSection, locate section ServerLayout, append InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"

   update for ubuntu 8.10: Section "InputDevice" Driver "wacom" Identifier "stylus" Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" # Change to /dev/input/event for USB Option "Type" "stylus" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY # Option "KeepShape" "on" # Option "TPCButton" "off" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Driver "wacom" Identifier "eraser" Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" # Change to /dev/input/eventfor USB Option "Type" "eraser" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY # Option "KeepShape" "on" EndSection Section "InputDevice" Driver "wacom" Identifier "cursor" Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0" # Change to /dev/input/event for USB Option "Type" "cursor" Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY # Option "KeepShape" "on" EndSection Section "ServerLayout" Identifier "Default Layout" Screen "Default Screen" InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents" EndSection

3. sudo gedit /etc/acpi/resume.d/20-setserial.sh, append #!/bin/bash /bin/setserial /dev/ttyS0 port 0x0200 irq 5 autoconfig and sudo chmod +x /etc/acpi/resume.d/20-setserial.sh

Display rotation

Ubuntu Thinkpad X41 tablet screen rotation

Windows XP installation guide

This guide was written 2 years ago and it might be still useful.

1. install system (Boot PartitionMagic from floppy. Create 3x 20GB partitions. Boot from WinXP Install CD. Install system from CD to first partition)
2. install file manager (Total Commander)
3. install hardware drivers (Install chipset, LAN, graphics, audio, USB, additional hardware,...)
4. install service pack and updates (SP2 is available as a download)
5. set up system
   • Move swap file to dedicated partition (swap) on secondary disk
   • Set fixed letters to disk drives
   • switch off indexing of drive C: (system) and X: (swap)
   • Check startup auto load list: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   • Change audio card's buffer to 128
   • Disable fast user switching (control panel/user accouns/)
   • Disable unnecessary services in services.msc (Indexing service, Webclient, Time, System Recovery, ...)
   • Speed up menus (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop)
   • Disable NTFS Last Access Time Logging (NTFS Only) (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\CONTROL\FILESYSTEM\NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate=1)
   • Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\EnableBalloonTips=0)
   • Disable CDROM Autoplay (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom\Autorun=0)
   • Disable kernel paging (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\DisablePagingExecutive=1 , LargeSystemCache=1)
   • Switch on Folder Options/View/Launch folder windows in separate process (increase stability)
   • ...
6. back up system with Ghost
7. install applications
   • image mounter (Alcohol 120%)
   • cd burner (Nero)
   • web browser (Mozilla Firefox)
   • ...

Ubuntu hotkeys

global

• alt + F1 = open panel menu
• alt + F2 = open panel run dialog
• ctrl + ins = copy
• shift + ins = paste
• (alt) + printscreen = take (window) screenshot
• ctrl + alt + arrow keys = switch workspace
• ctrl + alt + tab +arrow keys = cycle between panels and desktop
• ctrl + alt + d = desktop
• ctrl + alt + backpace = restart session
• shift + F10 = context menu

windows

• alt + tab = switch windows
• alt + F4 = close window
• alt + F5 = unmaximize window
• alt + F7 = move window
• alt + F8 = resize window
• alt + F9 = minimize window
• alt + F10 = maximize window
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