By Alex Colcernian

Do your discoveries, interests, or work revolve around cloud computing, low-resource computing, server-centric computing, thin clients, or virtualization? If so, chances are good you’ve heard of the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP). Started in 1999, LTSP was the driving force in delivering network booting X/GUI (graphical user interface) and applications in the Linux space. As a solution to lower cost barriers compared to deploying multiple PCs throughout an organization, LTSP rapidly gained traction. Today, LTSP is used worldwide in education, health care, manufacturing, retail, and more. Providing the efficiency of delivering applications and storing data on a server(s), LTSP drastically cuts IT support requirements, while lowering or eliminating burdensome software license fees dues to it’s open source nature.

Limitations to the adoption of thin client environments in the past are strongly linked to user experience and multimedia. With exponential growth in web-based multimedia technologies like java, ajax, and flash, client-side resource demands have increased. The need for additional computing resource places a tax on network bandwidth and server resources. Recent advancements in LTSP 5, specifically Local Applications (Local Apps), have mitigated multimedia and bandwidth challenges.

Local Apps allow system administrators to configure LTSP in a way which shares resource demand between thin clients, and servers. Running an application utilizing thin client resources reduces network bandwidth as well as load on the server. Multimedia runs notably better on thin clients in an LTSP 5 deployment utilizing Local Apps. With Local Apps, users are delivered a performance experience which mirrors that of a full desktop PC. In return, thin clients become a transparent device to the users in an organization. When using Ubuntu, the free Linux based operating system from Canonical Ltd., users can enjoy the latest 3D desktop effects known as compiz.

If you experimented or implemented LTSP in the past and were concerned with multimedia performance, it’s time to give LTSP 5 a try. Local Apps make a world of difference in performance. We recommend downloading the Ubuntu 9.10 Alternate Install CD, and following instructions to install an LTSP environment.

LTSP in today’s world is deployed on dedicated or virtual servers, providing a cohesive thin client environment. LTSP has the ability to be integrated with key features in organizational networks like network attached storage, and centralized authentication, (e.g. OpenLDAP, eDirectory and Active Directory). LTSP is the most flexible solution when it comes to terminal services functionality in Linux environments.

Alex Colcernian is the Director of Marketing and Sales at DisklessWorkstations.com. DisklessWorkstations.com founded alongside the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) in 1999, provides thin client hardware and solutions. DisklessWorkstations.com is the global leader in LTSP deployments, serving businesses, government, non-profits, and schools. For more information, please visit http://www.DisklessWorkstations.com.

By Archie Spencer

I always hear the same question asked in several ways. “Can I actually learn how to produce apps for Android?” “How hard is it to study Android programming?” “Where should I go to learn Android programming?” “I just bought a new Android device, and I feel so inspired! I have an idea for a new application, but where do I begin?”

Mobile application development is really hot these days, and Android is now out in front of the rest in the mobile app world. And if you have already read this far in this article, I’m assured it is because you have already been asking some different version of one of the questions listed above. Today you are lucky, because I have already been down this road, and I have one resounding response: “Positively! It is really feasible to become able to write Android applications, no matter your background, and the tools to study and develop with are free and simple to use!”

So let’s begin with the tools. The number one tool for Android programming is the Eclipse IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Eclipse is free, runs on many operating systems (including Windows and Linux), and is often upgraded to provide better performance in development. In addition, the Android Development Team from Google has provided the Android Development Toolkit (ADT) plugin for Eclipse that turns it into an Android mobile application fabrication powerhouse! It turns application compilation into a one-click task, provides custom editors for layout files and resources, and automates updates for the latest revisions of the Android SDK. Some developers find Eclipse a little quirky, or even buggy to use at times (myself included). For example, it won’t always recognize new resource files until you restart it, which is sometimes a pain. However, I always use Eclipse with the ADT plugin for all of my Android programming, and I suggest that you do the same thing.

You may always opt to use a different piece of software, and there are many out there. But a word of caution about IDEs: many Android IDEs claim to turn mobile programming into a “drag-and-drop” process, or permit Android programming in other languages besides Java. Is it easy to create mobile apps using these tools? Of course. Will they be alright apps? Maybe. But will they be great apps – apps that really exceed expectations and extend easily with new features as the Android mobile platform evolves? No. Mobile programming is just like any other task worth doing: do it correctly (in this case, do it the Android way) and you will always have better success.

Now on to the study part. This part will take much longer than just downloading a simple tool. Learning Android development is like studying any other foreign language (and that is what this is – just a foreign language, except a language that allows you to talk to a computer instead of another human). It will require persistence, and a lot of trial-and-error. A good portion of readers will quit, telling yourself that it isn’t worth it. That’s ok: the remainder of us will succeed in the Android app market in your absence! For those readers who don’t quit, you will find the process very rewarding in so many ways.

If you don’t understand Java, that is how you need to start. When I started learning Android I got a little frustrated, because I didn’t already understand Java beforehand. After spending a week on the basics of Java, I learned that I could read the code samples and understand the examples. So start there.

Next is the Android SDK itself. There are so many studying tutorials for Android available that I really don’t have the room to list them all in this post. But Google does, so search for it. Search for “Android app tutorial” and start with the tutorial that suits you the best. It is truly that easy. I would also suggest the Android lessons found in the Android SDK online documentation for all of your coding reference needs about the Android platform. And don’t forget those newsgroups! They are one of my favorite places to find instant help from real developers who enjoy helping new programmers.

Archie Spencer is an Android development veteran, and has been building mobile apps for Android since 2010. He invites you to continue your journey on the path to dominating the Android app market by checking out his new Android App Tutorial, designed specifically with new developers in mind.

By Sam Bashton

Whilst Microsoft still dominates on the desktop, Linux has a huge user base in business as a server operating system. Almost all of the worlds major websites run on Linux – Google, Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia to name just a few. It’s therefore no surprise that there is a growing demand for professionals with Linux skills, who can command up to 30% higher pay than their Microsoft-supporting counterparts.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is the most popular Linux distribution amongst medium to large enterprises, and Red Hat have developed their own training courses and certifications to ensure that professional standards are high.

There are three levels of certification provided by RedHat – RHCT (Red Hat Certified Technician), RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer) and RHCA (Red Hat Certified Architect).

RHCT is the entry-level certification, suitable for a junior-level system administrator looking after Linux systems. Topics covered include package management, network configuration, file system administration and basic system troubleshooting.

RHCE is a well respected qualification, which shows a good level of knowledge of use and troubleshooting of Red Hat Enterprise. Topics covered include advanced package management, system services, kernel configuration, network configuration, advanced account management, web services, mail services, virtualization, NFS and troubleshooting.

RHCA is a very difficult to attain qualification, currently held by less than 1000 people worldwide. To attain the RHCA qualification, one must pass a total of six exams – the RCHE exam; RedHat Enterprise Security: Network Services, RedHat Enerprise Deployment, Virtualization and Systems Management; RedHat Directory Services and Authentication; RedHat Enterprise Clustering and Storage Management; and RedHat Enterprise Systems Monitoring and Performance Tuning Expertise. Those who attain RHCA qualification can expect to find themselves in high demand, and command a sizeable salary.

For those unfamiliar with Linux, the RHCT is a good initial goal to aim for. RHCT certification provides a good ‘foot in the door’ for would-be employees looking to impress an employer and gain their first Linux System Administration job.

For those looking to run an entire network, RHCE certification should be sought. The RHCE course provides a good level of knowledge, enough to be able to cope with most challenges day-to-day administration can throw at them. The RHCE exam proves a high level of knowledge, and is a highly respected qualification.

RHCA certification should only be pursued by those hoping to forge a career as a professional Linux consultant and/or troubleshooter. Together, the examinations that make up the certification represent more than 30 hours of test time – to say nothing of the preparation time required. As such, RHCA certification is only for the most dedicated and studious of people.

Sam Bashton, Bashton Ltd Linux Consultancy, provider of Red Hat Training and Certification.

By Clarence E Johnson

There are several ways to create a users and groups in Linux that are graphical, however the standard way to create a user is through the command line.

Step one is to create the group, then create the user and place the user in the group. In Linux when a user is created without specifying a group then a group is created by the same name as the user. Consider a system that has 100 users if each user was created without specifying a group then there will be 100 groups. You must be root in order to create users, groups, and users’ passwords.

# groupadd executive

Creates the executive group. To verify that a group was created view the /etc/group file.

# useradd -d /home/gbush -group executive gbush

Creates the directory /home/gbush, add the user gbush to the group executive group. To verify that the user was created view the /etc/passwd file. This file contains a record of all of the users on the system.

# passwd gbush

texan

texan

Creates a password for the user gbush as texan. The password of texan does not fit the necessary length and complexity, but as root you can change the password to anything you want.

# useradd -d /home/dcheney -group executive dcheney

Other useful commands are

userdel and groupdel for deleting users and groups.

usermod and groupmod for modifying users and groups.

Tip:

Considering the current political structure of this example (executive, legislative and judicial) can help you create groups, then add the appropriate users.

New Sessions

In Linux you can create login sessions by pressing Control+ALT and Function1 through Function6 keys. This is a good way to test the new user accounts.

Identity

Because it can be difficult knowing who you are logged in as you can type the following command

#id

This will tell you who you are and what groups you belong to.

You may also become another user by using the su command.

#su gbush

This command would allow you to become gbush. If you are not the root user then you will be asked for the password of gbush.

#su – gbush

The above command says that you want to become gbush and you would like to run his startup scripts and be placed in his home directory.

You may become a member of a different group by using the newgrp command.

#newgrp executive

Would place you in the executive group. Please note that if this is not your default group as noted in the /etc/passwd file, and you are not listed as a member in the /etc/group file then you will not be allowed to become a member of the group. As far as root is concerned, root can do anything at anytime.

HELP

Help can be obtained by using the manual command.

#man ls

Would give you the manual page of the ls command. This can be quite helpful if you forget an option to a command.

If you cannot remember a command but you know what it is similar to you can use the apropos command.

# apropos who

Would show you all of the command that have the word contain the world who.

The help command can be used to get help on some built in command.

#help logout

If you are concerned about where in the file system a command would be run from type in the following

#whereis rm

Would show you where in the system the rm command would be executed, if you were to type the command.

If you know part of the command but you would like to know where it exist on the system you can use the locate command which searches a database of file name that is maintained nightly.

#locate who

Would show you all of the files that have the word who in them. This search is done through out the system. This is good for user defined commands.

Commands

In order to configure the Linux computer for different services, you should have a good understanding of standard UNIX and TCP/IP commands. These are a few of the commands that are used in Linux:

ls

who

cat

pwd

cd

telnet

rlogin

ftp

rcp

traceroute

login

man

cp

bash

ln

passwd

rm

su

touch

startx

df

du

rsh

uptime

vi

pico

at

cron

more

find

rmdir

mkdir

ping

nslookup

This submission is made by Clarence E. Johnson, president of Johnson Computer Technologies Inc in St. Louis, MO. Please visit http://www.johnsonct.net for more info on Mr. Johnson.

By Christopher P Wakefield

This time we are going to have a look at Linux permissions. Every current operating system deals with permissions, whether it is ownership of a file or just gaining read access to a folder. As with everything else in Linux there are command line tools and the graphical user interface so we shall discuss both.

The Chown Utility

This is a command line tool that deals with the ownership of a file or folder. Open up a terminal and switch to root. Navigate to the directory which contains the file / folder you want to change and type:

chown [username][file /folder]

So for example if I wanted to change the owner of a file called tools to natasha and it was located in /home/chris I would type:

cd /home/chris

chown natasha tools

To check who owns a particular file / folder you can navigate to the directory that contains the file / folder and type:

ls -l

The Chmod Utility

Next up is the chmod utility which deals with permissions themselves. Open up a terminal and switch to root. Navigate to the directory which contains the file / folder you want to change and type:

chmod [777][file / folder]

Lets first explain the numbering system above. There are three types of permissions in Linux – Read, Write and Execute which are given values of 4, 2 and 1 respectively. So in the syntax above the file would be given Read (4), Write (2) and Execute (1) permissions (4+2+1 = 7). But don’t you give permissions to people and not files or folders? Correct, that is why there are three numbers which represent the owner, group and others. Lets take an example to illustrate the point. Say I wanted to change the permissions of a file called tools.doc to owner (rwe), group (rw) and others (r) and it was located in /home/chris I would type:

cd /home/chris

chmod 764 tools.doc

This gives the owner (rwe = 7) group (rw = 6) and others (r=4) different levels of access to the file.

Graphical Means of Changing Permissions and Ownership

For people who don’t want to use the command line there is another way to do all this. I shall illustrate this using Linux Mint 9. Locate the file you want to alter by using your file manager. Right click and go to open as root. In Linux Mint 9 the background will go red when a file is open as root. Right click and go to properties. On the properties page you will be given the option of changing permissions for the owner, group and others along with changing the owner of the file. Change accordingly.

Hi I am Chris the owner of ComTech. I provide IT support to both personal and business clients from my base in Alloa, Clacknmannanshire. Here at ComTech I am experienced in using Windows, Linux and Cisco technologies whether it be for the home or business. I also incorporate Blackberry hardware into my business, namely the Blackberry Playbook and Bold 9780. I can advise, design and implement solutions to any problems you may have so if you have IT issues just pick up the phone. Please go to http://www.comtech247.net for more information.

By Christopher P Wakefield

Today we will have a look at setting up a DNS server on Linux. This tutorial was configured using Linux Mint 9 but the steps are the same for any Linux distribution.

First thing to do is to install the software we need. Open up a terminal and type:

sudo apt-get install bind9

Once installed it is time for some configuring. The first file we need to configure is named.conf.local. So in the terminal type:

sudo nano /etc/bind/named.conf.local

I have used nano to open up the file but use whichever text editor you are happy with. Insert the following code into the file:

# This is the zone definition. replace example.com with your domain name

zone “business.com” {

type master;

file “/etc/bind/zones/business.com.db”;

};

# This is the zone definition for reverse DNS. replace 0.168.192 with your network address in reverse notation – e.g my network address is 192.168.0

zone “1.168.192.in-addr.arpa” {

type master;

file “/etc/bind/zones/rev.0.168.192.in-addr.arpa”;

};

Replace business.com with the name of your DNS domain (this is not the same as an active directory domain but rather a name for your DNS zone).

Next up is the options file. In the terminal type:

sudo nano /etc/bind/named.conf.options

Within this file we need to modify the forwarder with the address of your ISP’s DNS servers. So modify the file adding the following:

forwarders {

194.72.0.114;

194.74.65.69;

};

Replace the addresses above with the addresses of your ISP’s DNS servers.

Now we need to add the zones file:

sudo mkdir /etc/bind/zones

And then configure it:

sudo nano /etc/bind/zones/business.com.db (replace business.com with your DNS domain).

Add the following code to the file:

// replace example.com with your domain name. do not forget the. after the domain name!

// Also, replace ns1 with the name of your DNS server

business.com. IN SOA chris-server.business.com.

// Do not modify the following lines!

2006081401

28800

3600

604800

38400

)

// Replace the following line as necessary:

// ns1 = DNS Server name

// mta = mail server name

// example.com = domain name

business.com. IN NS chris-server.business.com.

business.com. IN MX 10 mta.example.com.

// Replace the IP address with the right IP addresses.

www IN A 192.168.1.4

mta IN A 192.168.0.3

chris-server IN A 192.168.1.4

In the above code replace the following:

business.com with your DNS domain name,

192.168.1.4 with your static DNS server address,

chris-server.business.com with your computers hostname.dns-domain,

mta is your mail server (if you have one). If you do modify the IP address to show this.

Next we have to create the reverse DNS zone file:

sudo nano /etc/bind/zones/rev.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa

Add the following code:

//replace example.com with yoour domain name, ns1 with your DNS server name.

// The number before IN PTR example.com is the machine address of the DNS server

@ IN SOA chris-server.business.com admin.business.com. (

2006081401;

28800;

604800;

604800;

86400

)

IN NS chris-server.business.com.

1 IN PTR business.com

All that is left to do is restart bind:

sudo service bind9 restart (using upstart) or sudo /etc/init.d/bind9 restart (init scripts)

Don’t forget to test the new configuration:

dig business.com

Here at ComTech I love Linux. I use it for my own systems in the office and ‘pass on the good word’ to clients when appropriate. I can sort out any Linux queries you might have, including setting up servers, or offer advice if needed. Please go to http://www.comtech247.net/business-it for more information.

By Christopher P Wakefield

Usually I would set up a Linux dhcp server using the dhcp3-server package. With the arrival of Linux Mint 12 the configuration is slightly different. This tutorial will outline the new steps.

First thing to do is to give your server a static IP address.

Now we need to install the dhcp package. Open up a terminal and type:

sudo apt-get install isc-dhcp-server

There are two main files /etc/default/isc-dhcp-server and /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf~ which we will need to configure so lets take the first. Open up a terminal and using your favourite text editor type:

sudo gedit /etc/default/isc-dhcp-server

You should get the following:

———————————————————————————————–

# Defaults for dhcp initscript # sourced by /etc/init.d/dhcp # installed at /etc/default/isc-dhcp-server by the maintainer scripts

# # This is a POSIX shell fragment #

# On what interfaces should the DHCP server (dhcpd) serve DHCP requests? # Separate multiple interfaces with spaces, e.g. “eth0 eth1″. INTERFACES=”eth0″

————————————————————————————————–

Replace eth0 above with the name of your network interface that you want the server to lease addresses on. Onto the next file. Open up a terminal and type:

sudo gedit /etc/dhcp/dhcdp.conf~

which should give you the output below.

————————————————————————————————-

# # Sample configuration file for ISC dhcpd for Debian # # Attention: If /etc/ltsp/dhcpd.conf exists, that will be used as # configuration file instead of this file. # #

# The ddns-updates-style parameter controls whether or not the server will # attempt to do a DNS update when a lease is confirmed. We default to the # behavior of the version 2 packages (‘none’, since DHCP v2 didn’t # have support for DDNS.) ddns-update-style none;

# option definitions common to all supported networks… option domain-name “example.org”; option domain-name-servers ns1.example.org, ns2.example.org;

option domain-name “business.com”; default-lease-time 600; max-lease-time 7200;

# If this DHCP server is the official DHCP server for the local # network, the authoritative directive should be uncommented. #authoritative;

# Use this to send dhcp log messages to a different log file (you also # have to hack syslog.conf to complete the redirection). log-facility local7;

# No service will be given on this subnet, but declaring it helps the # DHCP server to understand the network topology.

#subnet 10.152.187.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 { #}

# This is a very basic subnet declaration.

subnet 10.0.0.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 { range 10.0.0.150 10.0.0.253; option routers 10.0.0.2; option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;

option broadcast-address 10.0.0.254; option domain-name-servers 10.0.0.1, 10.0.0.2;

option ntp-servers 10.0.0.1; option netbios-name-servers 10.0.0.1; option netbios-node-type 8; }

option routers rtr-239-0-1.example.org, rtr-239-0-2.example.org;

}

# This declaration allows BOOTP clients to get dynamic addresses, # which we don’t really recommend.

#subnet 10.254.239.32 netmask 255.255.255.224 { # range dynamic-bootp 10.254.239.40 10.254.239.60; # option broadcast-address 10.254.239.31; # option routers rtr-239-32-1.example.org; #}

# A slightly different configuration for an internal subnet. #subnet 10.5.5.0 netmask 255.255.255.224 { # range 10.5.5.26 10.5.5.30; # option domain-name-servers ns1.internal.example.org; # option domain-name “internal.example.org”; # option routers 10.5.5.1; # option broadcast-address 10.5.5.31; # default-lease-time 600; # max-lease-time 7200; #}

# Hosts which require special configuration options can be listed in # host statements. If no address is specified, the address will be # allocated dynamically (if possible), but the host-specific information # will still come from the host declaration.

#host passacaglia { # hardware ethernet 0:0:c0:5d:bd:95; # filename “vmunix.passacaglia”; # server-name “toccata.fugue.com”; #}

# Fixed IP addresses can also be specified for hosts. These addresses # should not also be listed as being available for dynamic assignment. # Hosts for which fixed IP addresses have been specified can boot using # BOOTP or DHCP. Hosts for which no fixed address is specified can only # be booted with DHCP, unless there is an address range on the subnet # to which a BOOTP client is connected which has the dynamic-bootp flag # set. #host fantasia { # hardware ethernet 08:00:07:26:c0:a5; # fixed-address fantasia.fugue.com; #}

# You can declare a class of clients and then do address allocation # based on that. The example below shows a case where all clients # in a certain class get addresses on the 10.17.224/24 subnet, and all # other clients get addresses on the 10.0.29/24 subnet.

#class “foo” { # match if substring (option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 4) = “SUNW”; #}

#shared-network 224-29 { # subnet 10.17.224.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 { # option routers rtr-224.example.org; # } # subnet 10.0.29.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 { # option routers rtr-29.example.org; # } # pool { # allow members of “foo”; # range 10.17.224.10 10.17.224.250; # } # pool { # deny members of “foo”; # range 10.0.29.10 10.0.29.230; # } #}

————————————————————————————————

This needs a little bit of explaining.

1. Everything in bold needs adding to the file. Adjust your settings according to your network requirements.

2. The option domain name is your dns zone name. For example set to business.com.

3. Range should be the range of ip addresses that you want the server to give out to clients.

Now restart the dhcp service by typing:

sudo service isc-dhcp-server restart

That’s it!! Your dhcp server should be running, however it is best to check. Open up a terminal and type:

sudo netstat -uap

which will show you the following information:

————————————————————————————————

Active Internet connections (servers and established)

Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address Foreign Address State PID/Program name

udp 0 0 *:55827 *:* 916/avahi-daemon: r udp 0 0 chris-desktop.lo:domain *:* 1273/named udp 0 0 chris-desktop:domain *:* 1273/named udp 0 0 *:bootps *:* 4525/dhcpd udp 0 0 *:17500 *:* 1768/dropbox udp 0 0 *:54407 *:* 4539/VirtualBox udp 0 0 10.0.0.255:netbios-ns *:* 1016/nmbd udp 0 0 chris-deskto:netbios-ns *:* 1016/nmbd udp 0 0 *:netbios-ns *:* 1016/nmbd udp 0 0 10.0.0.255:netbios-dgm *:* 1016/nmbd udp 0 0 chris-deskt:netbios-dgm *:* 1016/nmbd udp 0 0 *:netbios-dgm *:* 1016/nmbd udp 0 0 *:mdns *:* 916/avahi-daemon: r udp6 0 0 [::]:domain [::]:* 1273/named udp6 0 0 [::]:51853 [::]:* 916/avahi-daemon: r udp6 0 0 [::]:mdns [::]:* 916/avahi-daemon: r

————————————————————————————————

This shows that the dhcp daemon is working.

Hi I am Chris the owner of ComTech. I provide IT support to both personal and business clients from my base in Alloa, Clacknmannanshire. Here at ComTech I am experienced in using Windows and Linux technologies whether it be for the home or business. I also incorporate Blackberry hardware into my business, namely the Blackberry Playbook and Bold 9780. I can advise, design and implement solutions to any problems you may have so if you have IT issues just pick up the phone. Please go to http://www.comtech247.net for more information.

By Emma Rosenberg

In this tutorial, the reader will learn how to install the Linux Mint 12 KDE on a btrfs file system. The B-tree File system (abbreviated to acronym Btrfs) has not matured far enough to be used as a default file system on Linux machines. Fortunately, those who choose to run Linux with btrfs do have options on installing useful components such as the highly coveted Linux Mint 12 KDE. For those who are not familiar, Linux Mint 12 KDE is a linux distribution based on the Ubuntu desktop operating system, and is gaining massive popularity in the past couple of months in the world of the low cost dedicated server running Linux. Due to popular demand, this tutorial will teach how to precisely install Linux Mint KDE on a btrfs file system.

Before we proceed, do keep in mind that this tutorial is optimized for the current version of Linux Mint made available on their main website on January 11,2012, which is still a release candidate. Regardless, the stable version will likely have an identical installation process as the current release candidate, so it should not affect the validity of this article.

Installing a Linux distribution on a btrfs file system will require three partitions. The first partition is a boot partition, which is mounted at the /boot. The second partition is the root partition, which is mounted at /. The last partition is for the Swap partition, which provides disk space that the system will use as virtual memory.

In order to setup these partitions, download the installation file for the distribution from the Linux Mint download page. Stick the downloaded package onto either a DVD or a USB stick, and boot the computer accordingly.

After the computer has booted, the Linux Mint 12 KDE installation should be on your desktop. Click on the “Install Linux Mint” icon on the desktop. Click the Continue button to proceed onto the next step. Two disk partitioning options are available, default and manual. Make sure you use Manual, so that we can install it on a Btrfs file system.

Selecting Manual will pull up the advanced disk partitioning tool. Make sure the target disk has been initialized before you create the partitions. Select the appropriate disk and click on the New Partition Table button. There will now be a free space option on your menu. Select the free space, and then click on the Add button so that the first partition can be created.

The first partition will be mounted at /boot. Make sure it is a Primary partition out of the two options. A disk space of 500 MB should be plenty for this partition, so go ahead and put 500 MB. Even though we are installing on a Btrfs file system, make the boot partition as a Ext4 file system. It will still work properly.

Now that the boot partition has been created, select the remaining free space and once again, press the Add button to create the next partition. This time this partition is for /, which is the main file system. Instead of choosing Primary, choose Logical. The majority of the remaining disk space can be put on this file system, leaving only 4 GB for the last partition. Then, make sure the btrfs journaling file system option is chosen for this partition. Mount point will be set as /. Press ok, and the second partition is finished.

Lastly, choose the remaining free space and press Add button. Depending on the disk space, allocate 2 to 4 GB for the Swap partition. Make the partition type Logical. Finally, use the partition as swap area under the Use as drop down menu. Press ok, and the third and last partition is created.

Double check that all three of these partitions were created properly. If the list checks out, click on Install Now. Congratulations, you have now installed Linux Mint 12 KDE using the Btrfs file system!

Learn more about free and popular Linux distributions to use on your low cost dedicated server.

In this piece I will show how the system usage differs among Live CD distributions running different Linux Windows Managers mainly on distros considered to be lightweight. The first distro we will look at is a bit dated, but it is the most recent Fluxbox edition of Linux Mint, Linux Mint 9 Fluxbox edition, and is a damn fine distro that I must say looks great and it’s fun to use. The next lowest contender in regards to initial system usage is PCLinuxOS 2011.08 Openbox edition. Thirdly, we are looking at Crunchbang 10 (Statler) running Openbox. Finally, for comparison’s sake we also looked at the modern, full-featured Gnome distro, Linux Mint 12. We booted each distro using default boot options, then opened a terminal window and ran the ‘ top ‘ command.

Linux Mint 9 Fluxbox edition

As you can see, this distro comes in at a svelte 536 MB of RAM usage upon intial boot

 

 

 

PCLinuxOS 2011.08 Openbox edition

Next, we see a still slim offering from the PCLinuxOS team which comes in at 580 MB (this distro also curiously only saw 388MB of my 1GB swap space on my HD??)

 

 

Crunchbang 10 (Statler)

The last offering we are looking at today is the latest Crunchbang distro, based on Debian that comes in at a very surprising 815 MB of RAM – I’m really puzzled by that number and I’d love to know why it comes in so high on this test. (this distro also did not even see my 1GB swap space on my HD??)

Linux Mint 12 Gnome

To show you what a current, standard distro uses we have included the latest Mint distro. As you can see it is running just past Crunchbang at 869 MB of RAM.

 

 

As you can see, the alternate Window Manager distros really do start with a lower system memory footprint, however that isn’t always the case we discovered by looking at Crunchbang.

©2012 Linux.Bihlman.com

This post proudly written using Firefox on Linux Mint 9 Fluxbox edition!

By Emma Rosenberg

This article will detail how to dual boot Windows 7 and the latest Ubuntu distribution on a single computer using two hard drives. This is assuming you have two internal hard drives with an installation of Windows 7 already existing on one of them, and the second hard drive empty and ready for use. As a quick review of thesteps we will be going through, here are the steps in their simplest form. First, we will install a new Windows 7 copy or keep the existing installation. The second step is to acquire the latest Ubuntu distribution and then transfer it onto either a DVD, CD, or USB drive. Third, we will install Ubuntu onto the second hard drive. Lastly, we will make modifications to Windows 7 and its boot program, in order to boot Ubuntu from its boot menu. Once these steps are done, you will have a computer that can boot both Windows 7 from one drive, and Ubuntu from the other, and freely alternative between the two. Having such a system can be useful for anyone trying to create an Ubuntu dedicated server on a Windows 7 system.

The first step is already assumed, so if you have not installed Windows 7, do so. We will begin on the second step, which is acquiring the latest Ubuntu distribution and then putting the downloaded image onto a DVD, CD, or USB flash drive. Go to the Ubuntu main website and go under the Downloads section. Download the release of your choice, but the latest distribution is always recommended. Most modern systems have a built iso burner, so proceed to burn Ubuntu onto the DVD/CD. If you don’t have an iso burner, place the.iso onto your USB flash drive.

Once that is completed, boot the computer from either the DVD, CD, or USB drive, depending on which option you chose. The installer will start automatically. Go through the initial steps per its instructions until you get to the “Installation type” page. There will be three options: Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 7, Replace Windows 7 with Ubuntu, and “Something else”. The last of the options, “Something else”, should be selected, and click continue. The first two options will install on the current hard drive, which is not what we want.

You will be brought to Ubuntu’s partitioning tool. Initialize your second hard disk by selecting it and then click on the button, New Partition Table. It will give a warning, which you can disregard and click continue. Once the hard drive has been initialized, you will create a partition on it made for Ubuntu. Make two partitions for / and Swap. To create these, choose the free spaces under SDB, and then select Add. The first partition is mounted in /boot, where you can choose between ext2 or ext4. The default disk space is optimal, so just leave the option as is and press Add. As for the second partition, it will be used for /, or the root file system directory. The most optimal disk space to designate for this partition is 4.4 GB, with file system of ext4. Press ok and add.

With these two partitions successfully implemented, we must select the location which the boot loader is installed in. The default location is the Master Boot Record of disk number 1. Do not install it here. Instead, choose the Master Boot Record in disk number 2, where Ubuntu is installed. In order to accomplish this, alter the “Device of boot loader installation” from SDA to SDB. Make sure it is SDB, and then click Install Now.

Following the installation, the computer will boot to Windows 7. The last step of the process is to add Ubuntu as an entry in the Windows boot menu. We have to access the Windows Boot Configuration Data (BCD), which can be done using quality freeware programs such as EasyBCD. Go to the EasyBCD website and to the downloads section, and select the “Download free for limited, non-commercial use.” The installation is straightforward and simple.

Once installed, load up EasyBCD and select Add New Entry tab. Select the Linux/BSD, and select GRUB2 from the Type menu. Change the name field to the edition of Ubuntu you installed, and then select Add Entry. Select the Edit Boot Menu button to check your results. If everything is correct, exit out of EasyBCD. Restart your computer and see if Ubuntu is in the boot menu for Windows 7. If you’ve followed this guide, then everything will work perfectly. Congratulations, you now have a system that can boot both Windows 7 and Ubuntu on two different hard drives!

Learn more about the capabilities of using a WIndows system for the purpose of a Ubuntu dedicated server.