CrunchBang - Code, Design & GNU/Linux

My dad is a Linux user

Foreword: Thank you to everybody who commented on my previous post, "Dear LazyWeb, please help persuade my dad to move to Linux" — I really was not expecting so many helpful and constructive comments and I was slightly overwhelmed by the response. So, thank you to everyone who responded and helped to convince my dad to move to Linux, you rock!

Yesterday, I installed Linux Mint on my dad's laptop. With the exception of a couple of bits of poorly supported hardware, the installation went without a hitch. I think my dad was genuinely pleased with his new Linux installation and he commented that it was definitely faster than the old Windows XP installation, he added that he thought it looked fairly easy to use too.

Anyhow, before performing the installation, I evaluated both the latest releases of Ubuntu and Linux Mint in live sessions. I used both sessions for about half a day each and I came to the conclusion that my dad would probably be more comfortable using Linux Mint. I have no real scientific evidence to support my conclusion, but I figured that because my dad had always used Windows, he would prefer Mint's default set-up. Mint also had a few other things going for it:

• It came pre-installed with a bunch of media codecs and Flash support. I know this is only a quick install of the "ubuntu-restricted-extras" package on Ubuntu, but it was nice for me not to have to do it.

• Mint did not come with F-Spot, at least I am pretty sure it did not. So, it was easy to install Shotwell. My dad takes a lot of photos and Shotwell seems like a really nice photo management application; it is quick, stylish and easy to use. I think my dad was rather impressed with it.

• I know this is subjective, but Mint just looked more professional. The default theme and wallpaper is very stylish and it made Ubuntu look rather garish in comparison, even with its new look. Again, I know this is subjective and only a cosmetic issue, but I did not want to spend any time modifying themes, button placements and icons etcetera, so Mint won.

• Lastly, and somewhat obviously, Linux Mint is effectively Ubuntu, but with some additional goodness, so there was no logical reason not to choose it for my dad.

Regarding the two bits of poorly supported hardware, the first was my dad's Microsoft LifeCam webcam. My parents use Skype to make video calls to their grandchildren, so it was important to make sure this worked. I managed to get video working with the LifeCam and Skype, but it was a fugly hack and anyway, I could not get the built-in microphone to work. So, I popped out and purchased a Logitech C200 webcam, which worked out of the box, result. The second bit of dodgy hardware was a Lexmark printer, which I completely failed to get working. I have advised my dad on purchasing a cheap replacement HP printer, which he was happy to pay for and order. I know this particular printer works out of the box, because bobobex and I ordered one for Emma so that she could print her school homework. The printer worked the instant it was attached, without any hassles.

To conclude this post, for my dad's computer usage, which basically involves using the web, communicating via Skype and organising his digital photographs, I think my dad will be very happy with his new Linux installation, at least I hope he will. It is far too early to tell whether or not he will actually be happy with it long-term, but I will post some updates, if I have anything to report.

P.S. On reading this post back to myself, it occurred to me that some people might read it as an "Ubuntu vs. Mint" rant. It is not meant to be, both Ubuntu and Linux Mint are really good distributions, they are not CrunchBang, but they are still great. And of course, none of the aforementioned would be anything without Debian, but that is a whole other story, best left for a separate post. :P

Debian & Ubuntu on my Acer Aspire One D150

A few weeks ago, I won an Acer Aspire One D150 on Ebay. For anyone not in the know, it is a netbook with a 10.1 inch screen. Apparently, the machine was an unwanted Christmas present and the owner had not used it very much, if at all. The machine was listed on Ebay with a relatively low starting price and it attracted very little attention. I ended up winning the machine for £155, which was a bit of a steal. In fact, I felt kind of guilty for winning it at that price and so I sent an email to the owner asking him if he would like to relist it. He replied saying that he was fine with the result of the auction, but I could tell his reply was written with gritted teeth.

Anyhow, I should get to the purpose of this post; as far as I am aware, the Acer Aspire One D150 is currently only available to purchase with Windows XP pre-installed, there is not a Linux version available, at least I have not been able to find one. So, if anyone is wondering whether or not Debian or Ubuntu work on these machines, I can confirm that they do, and very nicely too. I am currently running Debian Squeeze on my machine and everything works just fine, I cannot recall having a single issue with it. I have also tried the latest Ubuntu Lucid alpha release and that also works swimmingly.

As for the machine itself, I am not going to attempt to write any type of review, but I will say that for the price, it is a great bit of kit and it is perfectly usable as a day to day system. Having said that, I actually wanted this machine to act as a cheap replacement for an existing power-hungry home server, a role which I think it will serve quite well.

NETGEAR 3G Wireless Mobile Broadband Router

For the past year, or longer, I had been piggybacking on a wireless connection at work. I am almost entirely sure I should not have been doing this, but I figured that I was not doing any harm, and besides, nobody ever mentioned anything about it. Anyhow, a while ago the connection disappeared and my only other means of connecting was via my USB 3G broadband dongle.

I really like my dongle and I think it is great because I can take it anywhere and get online, including my place of work. Having said that, it does have some drawbacks; firstly, the connection is not always great; secondly, it can only be used with one machine at a time. I do not think there is anything I can do about the first issue, but I have now sorted the second issue by investing in some new kit.

Yesterday I took delivery of a NETGEAR MBR624GU 3G Wireless-G Mobile Broadband Router. I have been using it for the first time at work tonight and first impressions are good. Basically, once configured to work with my existing USB dongle and service provider, I can plug-in the router and then get online as I would using any other standard wireless router set-up. The new router also has 4 standard RJ-45 LAN ports, which I am sure will prove useful at some point, especially when I am playing around with some of my older hardware. There are probably a whole bunch of other advantages to using this bit of kit, including not having to have to worry about network manager, or any other connection management software, having support for 3G modems. In fact, the only disadvantage I can think of is that I have to carry around another piece of kit, but this is only a minor inconvenience as the router is quite small and very lightweight. I think this was a good investment.

Huawei E620 USB Modem & vnStat

I have invested in a new USB mobile broadband modem from Three, a Huawei E620. I have been using it quite steadily for a couple of weeks I am quite impressed with it. The device was super easy to set-up, all I had to do was plug it in and select my service provider, it was then ready to use with my CrunchBang/Ubuntu Intrepid system. As well as being impressed with the ease of set-up, I am also impressed with its connection quality; the connection has rarely dropped and the device has maintained an average speed of about 1MB. If anyone out there is looking to buy a mobile modem for use with Ubuntu Linux, I can recommend the E620.

My only concern with using my new device is that I want to be able to keep track of the amount of bandwidth I am using; I have a monthly contract with an allowance of 15GB per month and I would prefer it if I did not incur any additional fees for exceeding my allowance. The shop assistant who dealt with me seemed to think 15GB was ample, I am not so sure. I have never previously had to worry about such things as I have always had unlimited access, but I believe I could quite easily burn through 15GB. So, I have decided to keep a log of my bandwidth usage. I am using vnStat to achieve this, a handy console based application for recording bandwidth usage for any given network device. vnStat is fairly straightforward to use and I have written some usage notes on my wiki for future reference.