Jay On Linux

ReactOS is a new operating system that is free and open source. It is not Linux based, but rather is based on the best design principles found in the Windows NT architecture. It is binary compatible with Windows, which means that Windows applications and drivers will run on it. I plan on using it in virtual box to run iTunes (for my podcast). Wonder how long before MicroBorg tries to shut them down?

NOTE: ReactOS 0.3.16 is still in alpha stage, meaning it is not feature-complete and is recommended only for evaluation and testing purposes.

LINK
www.reactos.org

If you are like me, you really don’t like the autoplay of videos on Facebook. The videos play as soon as you scroll over them. So how do you disable autoplay of videos in your newsfeed? There is a Chrome app called “Facebook Stop Autoplay.” Works great. For Firefox I suggest flashblock.

LINKS
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/flashblock/
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/facebook-stop-autoplay/mbelfagicfcmhndmbecodgmfkghpbmdi?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

There is a scam email going around that reads: “You have been chosen by WordPress community to try out our new All in One SEO Pack Pro v2.1. For further information please click on the following link where you can also find the download link http://wordpress-plugins.tk .Your password is seo1 WordPress Community http://wordpress-plugins.tk”

Be warned that the download contains malware. Don’t download it!

LINKS
http://www.onsecrethunt.in/scam-email-all-in-one-seo-pack-plugin/1213/
http://semperfiwebdesign.com/blog/all-in-one-seo-pack/beware-of-spam-emails-regarding-wordpress-customer-reward-program/

I had problems with Linux Mint, the screen would freeze and I would have to hard reboot (see: http://JayForrest.org/2013/10/07/lmde-update-pack-7-fail/). I decided to give Ubuntu 10.04 at try. I ended up still getting the same problem.

The solution came when I discovered that with relatively low RAM memory, Ubuntu accesses the hard disk too much. This can cause, and did cause in my case, the video to fail. The answer for me was to decrease the swap use. Swap is a separate partition for virtual memory on the hard drive.

Here is the fix that I found for Ubuntu, I also tried it on Linux Mint 13 (main edition) and it worked as well. [I am currently back using Linux Mint, my desktop of choice.]

The use of swap is determined by a setting. The lower the setting number, the longer it takes before Ubuntu starts using the swap. The default setting is 60, on a scale of 0-100. This is too high for normal desktop use.

You can check your current swappiness setting by going to the terminal and copy and paste the following and then press enter:
cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness

The result should be 60.

To change this, we need to install the applications gksu and gedit (if it is not already installed). Go to the terminal, and copy and paste the following and then press enter:
sudo apt-get install gksu gedit

You will need to enter your password.

To change the swap setting, copy and paste the following and then press enter:
gksudo gedit /etc/sysctl.conf

It will open of a text file, scroll to the bottom of the page and add the following parameters to override the defaults. Just copy and paste the following lines:
# Decrease swap usage to a workable level
vm.swappiness=10
# Improve cache management
vm.vfs_cache_pressure=50

Save and close the text file and reboot your computer.

After you reboot, you can check the new swap setting by opening terminal and then copy and paste the following, then press enter:
cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness

I should now be set at 10.

If your RAM is less than 1 GB, you might want to set it even lower, like at 5.

Here are my top Firefox plugins for 2013:

1. Download Statusbar
2. Video DownloadHelper
3. Ghostery
4. Facebook Disconnect
5. Google Disconnect
6. Twitter Disconnect
7. Facebook Phishing Protector
8. WOT – Wen Of Trust

Note: Firefox Sync is now included by default, so it is no longer on the list. But I still recommend it.

SOLVED: See my post on “Decrease the Swap Use.”

So I have been using Linux Mint Debian for a while now, but the LMDE Update Pack 7 caused some heartache. After updating, I would open Preferences > Details and I would get a screen freeze (see image). The Menu also had problem, like when I would go to shut down everything (the entire screen) would turn blue. I am not sure why these difficulties have popped up. The first issue being the most serious, because I have to hard boot it to restart it.

Interesting enough, it is the same problem I have with Linux Mint 15. I have researched it and I have still not come up with a solution, other than not installing Update Pack 7. I am using an AMD Athlon Processor 2650e (i686) e-Machine with Gallium 0.4 on NV4C. My monitor is a Philips TV.

If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

I have produced a number of podcasts using the Linux operating system including the Linux User Podcast. My current podcast, 5 Minute Dharma, has had over 42,000 total downloads.

They say that content is king. If you are going to do a podcast, make sure you know what you are going to do it about, that the content will be engaging, and that you will be committed to producing quality content. I will warn you, podcasting is hard work. I have burned out a number of times.

At the bottom of this post I list the basic equipment I use. I connect my Mic to my mixer, and my mixer to my computer using the Audio Interface. I record on my computer. If you are doing longer podcasts, you may want to invest in a digital recorder. My podcasts are 5 minutes long, so if I loose it, I can just record it again. You will eventually loose an episode or two.

Mic placement is actually very important. You want the Mic close to your mouth. I put mine under my mouth slightly to eliminate popping sounds. Experiment for yourself and see what works for you.

The primary Software I use to record and edit is Audacity. There are a number of YouTube videos that can help you learn how to use it. After I record an episode, I use compression and light noise reduction in post production. I then export it as an mp3 (Constant bit rate mode at 128 kbps).

I then use EastTag to edit the ID3 tags, adding further information, including 300×300 cover art. After I save the edit, I upload it to my file-server.

I use WordPress for my website, it is by far the easiest for podcasts. I use a plugin called PowerPress that makes the website podcast ready. There are a number of YouTube videos on using PowerPress.

You also want to make sure your podcast is iPhone, iPad, and Android friendly. I use the WP-Touch plugin to accomplish this.

Of course you also need to come up with cover art for your podcast. iTunes wants a 1400×1400 image, while others want 600×600, 300×300, etc. I use the 300×300 for the mp3 file.

Finally you have you get the word out. Besides you RSS Feed, I recommend getting into iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, Blubrry, Miro, and many others. The majority of my listeners are from iTunes.

And don’t forget social media. The big two are Facebook and Twitter. But you might want to consider others such as Google+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Equipment
Shure SM58-LC Cardioid Vocal Microphone
Tripod Boom Microphone Stand
Behringer XENYX502 5-Channel Mixer
Behringer UCA222 U-Control Ultra-Low Latency 2 In/2 Out USB Audio Interface with Digital Output

I complained in my previous post about the number lock problem in Linux Mint Debian Edition. Here is the fix.

This method enable numlock during login and after login, so you have the numlock always on in your Linux Mint and LMDE.

1) FIRST, install numlockx, open terminal and type: sudo apt-get install numlockx

2) SECOND, go to menu and type startup programs and open it.

3) Click on +add

4) On “Name” put: NUMLOCK ON

5) On “Command” put: /usr/bin/numlockx on

6) Click on “+add” and “close” .

7) Then open a terminal and type : gksudo gedit /etc/mdm/Init/Default

8) After typing your password, a file will be opened in Gedit. Add these lines at the beginning of the file:

if [ -x /usr/bin/numlockx ]; then
exec /usr/bin/numlockx on
fi

9) Then save the file and close your terminal session.

10) Restart your computer and next time you turn on it you have Numlock On always.

I have been test driving Linux Mint Debian Edition for over a month. It is now my desktop of choice. Before I switched I tried Linux Mint 15 Olivia, it was a complete nightmare. I would randomly get a scream with lines across it like a bad TV reception screen. It would have to be hard rebooted. My best guess is that my processor is not compatible with PAE.

After using Linux Mint Debian Edition for over a month, I can now recommend it to those having PAE issues. PAE stands for Physical Address Extension. To use PAE, motherboard and operating system support is required.

Linux Mint Debian Edition is a work in process, but it meets my needs very well. There are a few annoyances, like the number lock doesn’t stay on when you reboot. It still lacks some fancy features, but it has been a solid system for me. I now recommend people on older systems to give  Linux Mint Debian Edition a try. I would give it 4 stars out of five.

Links
http://www.linuxmint.com/download_lmde.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension

If you are like me, you will have a fairly large music collection. Here are some tools that will help you manage your music. I am assuming that you are using Linux Mint or at least a distro that has LAME already installed. If not, you will need to install it before you can play mp3 files.

Banshee
You first need a good music player. I personally like the default player in Linux Mint. I have used other players, but I prefer Banshee. But there are a number of other players that are just as good.

EasyTag
Whether you burn your mp3 files from a CD or down load them, you will discover that they are not always labeled correctly or fully. EasyTag is by far the best Linux program for correcting and adding ID3 tags. ID3 tags are metadata containers that allow information such as the title, artist, album, track number, and other information about the file to be stored in the file itself. My only complaint is that there is no save button on the top. The easiest solution is pressing control S. This will save the highlighted files.

Sound Juicer or RipOff
To extract a CD to a mp3 format I suggest using Sound Juicer or RipOff. In RipOff the CDDB Lookup auto fills the ID3 tags for you. You can then modify it to suite your needs. A nice tool to save you some work. Just remember to set your preferences to export as mp3, the default is ogg.

SoundConverter
As you are working with your music files, you will sometimes get files that are not in the mp3 format. SoundConverter is the program you want to convert one file format into another. This is also helpful if you want to convert an mp3 to a wav. A wav file is the format you want to use if you are burning a CD for playing on regular CD players. Some CD players now play mp3, but most don’t.

Brasero
Of course if you are going to burn a CD you need a CD burner. My favorite is Brasero. But there are a number of other good ones out there.