TechyTalk

These are the instructions for script attached to this post. It’ll download Google Earth from Google servers (if it hasn’t been already installed) and tie it to the systems QT files.

Default Google Earth installation flaws

• Your distributions QT files are generally newer than those provided by Google Earth
• Google Earth fonts doesn’t fit in quite well in standard Gnome and KDE interfaces because Google Earth’s QT files are not tweaked to your distribution looks.
• You have no control over Google Earth’s GUI fonts properties. You can’t tweak fonts using your distribution’s tools like “qtconfig-qt4″ because mentioned program have influence only over your distributions QT libraries.

By using this script to install Google Earth you can lead Google Earth to forget its old QT libraries and to use your distributions QT libraries.

On the lower picture you can see part of Google Earth’s interface in Ubuntu distribution with and without this script.

Ubuntu Jaunty - Google Earth fonts

Supported distributions and architectures:

• Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) i686
• Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) x86_64
• Fedora 11 (Leonidas) i686
• Linux Mint 7 (Gloria) i686
• Linux Mint 7 (Gloria) x86_64

This script can be only started on a supported Linux distribution. If your distribution isn’t supported there is hope. If you open the script in your favorite text editor and if you have some knowledge of Linux commands you can easily spot the procedure for this fix. If you don’t have required knowledge you can ask here and I will try to add support if I have enough spare time.

How to start this script?

1. Download the script and unpack it to your desktop.
2. Make the script executable by issuing this command’s on the terminal:
   chmod +x google-earth-fonts-v0.2
3. Start the script with the superuser privileges. In Ubuntu you would type:
   sudo ./google-earth-fonts-v0.2

This script has been tested on supported distributions but there’s always the possibility of last-minute error. If there’s something wrong with the script please comment so I could fix it, or feel free to fix it yourself and to notify me so I could include your fix here on this blog.

List of changes:

1. v0.2 – Few small errors fixed, support for Linux Mint (i686 and x86_64). Note: 64 bit version is not tested but it should work because Mint is Ubuntu under the hood.
2. v0.1 – Initial release.

HERE’s the script! Enjoy!

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Marko Linux Bash, Google Earth, Linux

Avira AntiVir

When it comes to free antivirus software, most experts recommend Avira Antivirus solution. So do I. I must admit that I don’t have any particular reason to declare that piece of software as god given, but for me it is the only antivirus solution that just feels right. But there is one thing about it that I don’t like. If you don’t want to pay for a commercial version, you’re stuck with their ads on every update of database. Annoying, isn’t it? My friends, I bring you the cure. If you have WinXP Pro, Vista Business/Ultimate or WinXP 64-bit follow these steps:

1. Press WIN – R to bring up the run box. Now type “secpol.msc” without the quotes and press enter.
2. In Local security policy window click on Software Restriction Policy and then choose Action menu -> create new restriction policies.
3. Now select Additional Rules and add new path rule by right clicking on the blank area on the right side -> New path rule.
4. In the New path rule dialogue enter path to avnotify.exe (see at the bottom of this article for help) and click OK.

Path to avnotify.exe on Windows XP Pro (32-bit), Vista Business/Ultimate (32-bit)
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avnotify.exe

Path to avnotify.exe on Windows x64 Pro (64-bit), Vista Business/Ultimate (64-bit)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avnotify.exe

One more thing. To disable the Antivir splash screen do this:

1. Press WIN – R to bring up the run box. Now type “regedit.exe” without the quotes and press enter. Navigate to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] key.
2. In the right pane double-click avgnt and add /nosplash after /min switch at the end of the path (ex. /min /nosplash).

That’s it, now try to forget about the adware part of otherwise excellent antivirus tool and its annoying splash screen.

Like in all my other articles once again you can click on “comments” at the top-right of the article if you have a question, or something to add. Enjoy!

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Marko Antivirus, Windows Antivirus, Avira

Apache Logo

Being a web master has its good sides, that’s for sure. Messing with slow and unreliable FTP servers all the time isn’t one of them. On the other side if you violate your hosters “holy” TOS (Terms of service) you will witness ultra fast shut down of your web page and in some cases wipe of your entire SQL database. What would you say about having testing server of your own? Wouldn’t it be nice to test your PHP page locally on your Windows PC during construction and “FTP” it to the server of your choice once it’s finished? Sure it would! You don’t need Ph.D. in computer science to tune Apache, MySQL and PHP just the way you like it, or maybe even smarter to configure your local testing server the way your web page hosters server is configured. If you’re interested, follow me.

First of all, we need to download all of the ingredients for our Windows-Apache-MySQL-PHP cocktail. The one I am talking about is 100% free and it tastes the way you want it to taste. First ingredient is an Apache server. You can get it here. If you don’t know what SSL is, take the non-SSL package. Secondly, we need MySQL package for windows. No problem, get yourself one by clicking here. You should download biggest one with its own installer – the msi package. And last but not least important, we need PHP binaries to complete our setup. You can get them here. Do not download package with an installer. Go for the .zip package; be not afraid because I’ll show you how to set it up.

Now we have all of the ingredients so we can start mixing our testing server. This is what I have on my desktop that’s related to this article:

• apache_2.2.11-win32-x86-no_ssl.msi
• mysql-5.1.32-win32.msi
• php-5.2.9-Win32

If you have all the files from the list (don’t mind version number), let’s start.

1. MySQL

   Installing MySQL should be easy. Leave everything at its default, click next until it asks for password. Then make something up and write it down because you will need it for “root” access to your MySQL server. Click again next until you see “Finish”

2. PHP

   Unzip “php-5.x.x-Win32.zip” to C:\Program Files\php. Now rename php.ini-dist into php.ini if you intend to make a testing server, and that is our intention here. Public servers have to be configured differently when it comes to security, and in that case we would start of with php.ini-recommended. Open your php.ini and remove “;” sign (removing “;” uncomments the affected line) in front of “;extension=php_mysql.dll” like this:

   Change:

   ;extension=php_mysql.dll

   To:

   extension=php_mysql.dll

   Now do the same for ;session.save_path = “/tmp” line and modify it like this:

   session.save_path = "C:/Program Files/php/tmp"

   Also change extension_dir = “./” into:

   extension_dir = "C:/Program Files/php/ext"

   The last thing you must do is to add php folder to your systems PATH variable. Procedure for doing that is specific to version of Windows and here it comes in Windows XP operating system. Right click “My Computer”, then click “Properties”, “Advanced” tab and at last “Environment Variables”. Under System Variables edit “Path”. If you followed my guide from the beginning add following to the “Path” variable; “;C:\Program Files\php” including the semicolon.

3. Apache HTTP Server

   Go ahead and install apache server like any other app. Start its installer and when it asks for some info enter “localhost” for both Network Domain and Server Name. In email address field put your address or make something up. Leave everything else on its default value and finish your installation. Now start your browser and enter “localhost” in address bar. If it pukes on you with “page not found”, remove Apache from Control panel and install it again. If it says: “It work’s!”, then it is apparently working fine and you can proceed. Now open httpd.conf file from your Start Menu (Apache HTTP Server 2.2 => Configure Apache Server Folder). Find the following line:

   DirectoryIndex index.html


   And add “index.php” to it like this:

   DirectoryIndex index.php index.html


   Also add the following under the part with lot’s of “LoadModule” lines in your httpd.conf:

   LoadModule php5_module "C:/Program Files/php/php5apache2_2.dll"


   The last two things to add is the following line to your “IfModule mime_module” section:

   AddType application/x-httpd-php .php


   And this line at the end of your httpd.conf:

   PHPIniDir "C:/Program Files/php"

Now restart your machine and go to your favorite browser. In the address bar enter “localhost” and press Enter. Now if you see detailed information about your PHP installation you’re good to go. Your new servers root folder is “C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs” and that’s where you will put your HTML and PHP files. To access MySQL database you must first create it through PHP or MySQL Command Line Client (you’ll find it in your start menu). For MySQL username you will use “root” and for password whatever you entered during MySQL installation.

Just to mention, don’t be frustrated if it doesn’t work. That happens to me from time to time. Just go over the configuration files again, making sure that you didn’t make some silly mistake, I usually discover I did just that.

Congratulations! You have a working Apache, MySQL, PHP testing server.

Here you can download php.ini (PHP configuration file) made according to this tutorial. If you want to download matching httpd.conf (Apache configuration file) for this article please click here.

Like in my last article you can also click on “comments” at the top-right of the article if you have a question, or something to add. Enjoy!

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Marko Web Development Apache, Development, Mysql, PHP, server, Web

Wacom Bamboo Tablet

From my experience I’ve learned that every configuration has one or more “Linux unfriendly” hardware.  Not so long ago Wacom tablets were one of those stubborn pieces of an equipment.  It’s true that Wacom driver existed but it wasn’t included in your favorite distribution. You had to go to The Linux Wacom Project web page, and download unofficial Wacom driver in its source version. Then you had to spend a few days compiling, crunching through online documents and trough your distributions configuration files adding lines in hope that somehow it’ll work.

In the recent year or so things began to look better for our tablets. Now almost every Linux distribution has a Wacom driver included. It may not be the newest version, but Wacom driver is very mature and in 90% of cases works just fine. So now with a driver included in your distribution you’re just a few mouse clicks (keyboard clicks to be precise) away from working tablet in your Linux distribution. I will take the Ubuntu as an example. Up until the Intrepid Ibex (8.10) with it’s Xorg server 1.5 you still had to go through Xorg.conf file to accomplish any compliance with most Wacom tablets. In Ubuntu 8.10 most tablets work out of the box, but without fancy features like special buttons on the pen and with no pressure sensitivity.  I will concentrate here on Ubuntu 8.10 where you still have to go through xorg.conf (start treminal and type: sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf) to get 100% of your Wacom tablet.

This is an example of default xorg.conf from fresh Ubuntu 8.10 install:

Section "Device"
   Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
   Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
   Identifier "Default Screen"
   Monitor "Configured Monitor"
   Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection


As you can see, the new Xorg 7.4 (xorg-server 1.5) does all the configuration on it’s own. But it’s not yet powerful enough to completely configure devices like tablets. In the case off Ubuntu 8.04 the default configuration is bit bigger, due to older and less powerful version off Xorg 7.3 (xorg-server 1.4). Nevertheless, following instructions apply to both versions of Ubuntu, but have only been tested on Wacom Volito 2 and Wacom Bamboo One one.

The first step towards working Wacom tablet is to insert the following lines in your xorg.conf:

Section "InputDevice"
   Driver "wacom"
   Identifier "stylus
   Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
   Option "Type" "stylus"
   Option "USB" "on"
   Option "KeepShape" "on"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
   Driver "wacom"
   Identifier "cursor"
   Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
   Option "Type" "cursor"
   Option "USB" "on"
EndSection


The placement of Section “something” and EndSection in the xorg.conf file doesn’t matter, but it can’t be between already defined pair because that would break X server. This next step is not for every Wacom tablet. Only if your tablet has an eraser:

Section "InputDevice"
   Driver "wacom"
   Identifier "eraser"
   Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
   Option "Type" "eraser"
   Option "USB" "on"
EndSection


The last thing that you must do to have a fully working tablet in Ubuntu Linux operating system is to add this section to your xorg.conf, or if your xorg.conf already has “ServerLayout” pair, add only middle three lines to it. If your tablet has no eraser, leave out the “eraser” line.

Section "ServerLayout"
   Identifier "Default Layout"
   screen "Default Screen"
   InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
   InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
   InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
EndSection


That’s it. Now you have a fully functional Wacom tablet under linux operating system with pressure sensitivity and all bells and whistles supported under Windows operating system.

Here you can download finished xorg.conf for Ubuntu 8.10 made by this instructions.

You can also click on “comments” at the top-right of the article if you have a question, or something to add. Enjoy!

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Marko Linux tablet, Ubuntu, Wacom