Quick Terminal Client How-to

Working at a client site the other day and he wanted to see Ubuntu connect to his Windows 2000 terminal server. If you know me, you know I love to speak out and advocate whenever I can and this particular client had heard me talk at several functions on Ubuntu and how it can easily be an alternative to Windows. He invited me to his office for a presentation.

After speaking with him regarding his workstation requirements. I found that the client literally used his XP and 2000 workstations as HUGE, FAT Terminal clients. NOTHING was running except Windows - all their applications resided on a corporate terminal server.

This was too easy.

I literally opened my cd case: I carry a copy of Ubuntu with me when I am working, and asked him if there was a terminal I could borrow for 5 minutes. I explained that I would not alter any information or install anything on the client pc. Within 5 minutes I was on my livecd desktop and connected to his Terminal server with remote drive mappings, remote printer mappings and exporting excel documents to his local livecd desktop - opening them in Openoffice - I even added their printers on the livecd and was able to print documents. I literally replaced his client pc with a livecd. He was impressed to say the least.

The hardest part was getting the command for Ubuntu's remote client to connect to the terminal server with drive mappings and printer mappings. Within minutes I sold him on replacing his costly XP machines to lowcost Ubuntu terminal clients.


Here is the command in case you are interested:
rdesktop [ip address of terminal server] -r disk:v=/ -r printer:Cannon

rdesktop is your window into the terminal client built into ubuntu. This command connects to the server running terminal services, creates a V drive in the terminal session which remaps to the Linux client's root drive and also creates a printer inside the terminal session. Make sure you name pass it the same name of the default printer you are using in Linux.

You can save this into a bash file and launch as an icon on your ubuntu desktop.

Showcasing the power of ubuntu is always fun.

You may ask why did the client wish to replace Windows machines with Ubuntu when he had over 200 perfectly fine valid XP licenses as well as familiar XP desktops?

COST
It cost money to keep Windows on the desktop. Not only do you need an XP or Vista license, you need alot of auxiliary programs such as a defragmentation software, antivirus, security software, as well as several 24x7 tech, depending on your size, who are willing to run around every week and apply hotfixes as well as correct user created issues. The total cost of running a Windows shop can be much higher and frustrating than a Linux shop as my new client will atest to. ESPECIALLY if you are just using the desktops as terminal clients.

More Free Software

Microsoft XP and Vista is part of my life. Regardless of how I feel, I cannot escape it. Almost everyone I know around me runs Windows. I have been able to convert some and some I will never convert.

In my endeavors I have found that although some will never convert, they are however ok with free software besides the operating system. Which in my book is one step closer to replacing Windows on the desktop. Programs such as OpenOffice, 7-zip etc.

Well I ran across another app worthy of including in anyone's Windows free toolkit.

You gotta love sourceforge. Well Infrarecorder was there waiting for me. Infrarecorder is one powerful opensource cd-burning software.

Eveytime I jump on sourceforge, I get excited because there is always something waiting for me. If you are looking to replace either your Nero, UltraISO, or someone else's, try out Infrarecorder.

I know this is my Ubuntu blog, but I think replacing proprietary software with great opensource software lends itself to a Ubuntu way of thinking and advocating replacing software on a Window's Desktop is getting people to acknowledge that free software can be every bit as exciting and useful as software that is not free even more so. One day they may look at their system and realize that the only thing they are running that they had to pay for is Windows and that will make it easier for them to realize they don't need it either.

"Replacing proprietary software one install at a time."

Microcenter Madness

So I was at a Microcenter location today and ran across the most unbelievable bit of tech advice I ever heard.

If you have ever been shopping at any of the hardware/electronic chains then you probably ran into a similar situation: you are minding your own business looking or browsing for hardware/software in any given aisle and you can overhear technical information being handed down from the sales people to customers inquiring and looking for help.

Well I was in such a situation: There I was buying a powersupply for my brand new duo core pc and I could over hear the sales men talking to a customer in behind me. The conversation went like this:

Customer: "Well my pc doesn't turn on anymore and I saw some smoke just before the screen went dead."
SalesMan: "Sounds like an electrical problem. It might need a power supply or worse you have to buy a new motherboard. "

Customer: "Well what about my data and software?"
SalesMan: "You really can't tell until you get it to boot back up. You may have lost everything in which case you would need to reinstall all your software"

Customer: "Well I don't have all the software like Windows. It was preloaded on the computer along with Quicken, etc. I only use the computer mainly for school papers, etc."
SalesMan: "Well ... if you don't have the software, you can always download it. There's this site called bittorrent"

It was at this moment that I nearly dropped my power supply. Here I was in a commercial store and the salesman was advocating downloading pirated software instead of using legit free software or worse yet he wasn't even trying to sell the software to the customer.

Customer: "You mean I can get XP."
SalesMan: "Or Vista. They have that too."

Customer: "I heard Vista sucks. Should I just download the XP software instead."
SalesMan: "I have Vista on my computer and it runs fine, but you can get both and try it out."

Unbelievable. Normally I am silent when I hear bad tech advice given at the store. No matter how hard the temptation is, I always find a way to hold my tongue. Why? Well lots of reasons: I could be wrong, even if I am right, the person may not be technically knoweledgable to know what I am talking about and besides I don't work at Microcenter and am garnered with the responsibility of correctly every tech wrong I see. Nevertheless I decided in this one instance I would speak out.

When the salesman left, I approached the customer and pardoned myself for over hearing his problem. I explained that he probably could benefit from looking at the Linux book aisle at Microcenter. That there were alternatives to using Microsoft Windows XP or Vista and that he may not necessarily give up anything especially if all he uses his pc for was school papers and internet. The conversation was going great until I told him the software was free.

Customer: "Free??!"
ME: "Yep. Just download it or you can have a cd sent to you via the ubuntu shipit site."

Customer: "They'll send me a CD?"
ME: "Yep"

Customer: "I don't want to be on a mailinglist."
ME: {Looking stupidly at him} I could tell he thought I was a hippie or something.

Some people you just can't help. This person would rather pirate illegal copies of XP, Vista, Quicken then use legit versions of free software. I walked away feeling like an idiot and reminded myself that I should just keep my mouth shut when I hear stupid tech advice at a stupid electronic/hardware store.

LAVA 2.3

Final Build complete for CD Version of LAVA.

http://www.lavalinux.com/builds/lava2.3.iso

Screenshot

Version log

• Reworked artwork
• Updated Kernel and backed patches, updates.
• Added wine and Media Ubuntu to repositories
  
• installed alien
• install gnome-ku
• installed gnochm
• installed rar
• installed cups-pdf
• installed wine
• install libmotif
• install libxaw6
• install bum
• install davfs
• install smbfs
• install x11vnc
• install sabayon
• ntfs-3g
• install hardinfo
• install camstream
• install nautilus-actions
• install nautilus-gksu
• install nautilus-image-converter
• install nautilus-open-terminal
• install nautilus-script-audio-convert
• install nautilus-script-collection-svn
• install nautilus-script-manager
• install nautilus-sendto
• install nautilus-share
• install gnome-main-menu
• install gnome-applets
• install gnome-control-center
• install gshare
• install hardware-monitor
• install music-applet
• install netspeed
• install sensors-applet
• install service-discovery-applet
• install wallpaper-tray
• install gnome-osd
• install sbackup
• install sysinfo
• install ndisgtk
• install camorama
• install gnomebaker
• install gchangepass
• install usermode
• install eggcups
• install ntfs-config
• install xine-ui
• install gisomount
• install gnome-schedule
• install graveman
  

Also added a bunch of printers via custom .debs and changed the menu from the classic ubuntu menu to the new SLED menu.

Removed several items I found most people do not use

• Ubuntu-docs
• ekiga
• totem-mozilla
• ttf-baekmuk
• ttf-arphic-uming
• ttf-kochi-gothic
• ttf-dejavu
• example content

also modified the following configuration options
#Made desktop icons visible like computer, network, trashcan
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/nautilus/desktop/computer_icon_visible true
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/nautilus/desktop/documents_icon_visible true
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/nautilus/desktop/home_icon_visible true
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/nautilus/desktop/network_icon_visible true
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/nautilus/desktop/trash_icon_visible true

#Made CD burning more to my liking
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/nautilus-cd-burner/burnproof true
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/nautilus-cd-burner/overburn true

#Configured OnScreen options when you play music etc.
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/gnome-osd/animations true
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/gnome-osd/avoid_panels true
gconftool -t string -s /apps/gnome-osd/osd_halignment "right"
gconftool -t string -s /apps/gnome-osd/osd_vposition "bottom"
gconftool -t string -s /apps/gnome-osd/osd_font "Serif 12"

#Screen saver configuration
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/gnome-screensaver/lock_enabled true
gconftool -t string -s /apps/gnome-screensaver/theme "Random"
gconftool -t string -s /apps/gnome-screenshot/border_effect "shadow"

#Search Tool options
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/gnome-search-tool/show_additional_options true
gconftool -t string -s /apps/gnome_settings_daemon/keybindings/help "h"
gconftool -t int -s /apps/metacity/general/num_workspaces 4
gconftool -t bool -s /apps/panel/toplevels/top_panel_screen0/enable_buttons true

VISTA Sorrows

Spent the afternoon visiting my family for a birthday party.

AHHHHHH!!!!!

Sometimes being a computer 'nerd' sucks. If you are one, you can relate. Everyone jumps you for help. "I installed something and my laptop does not work." "I visited a website and now I have pop-ups every time I get on the internet." etc etc etc.

Well being a computer "nerd" and visiting relatives can be an invitation for freelance work. Talk about being attacked. As soon as I walked in, I was told there was 2 laptops waiting for me and an xbox that wasn't working right. OH MY!

Well not only did I get a billion questions while fixing the laptops, I had to listen to every family member complain about VISTA. Yep. Several of them have upgraded or purchased new laptops and unlike their exciting transition from Windows 98 to Windows XP, they found their Vista upgrade very disappointing and painful.

One of my family members actually purchased a new laptop with extra memory etc and it runs worse than his 5 yr old xp laptop. the proof is in the pudding. I can see if only a handful of Vista upgraders have had bad feeling towards vista but the sheer number of complaints have really begun to annoy me. It seems like everyone I know who has vista, hates it. Except one or two media whores I know who think the shadows and translucently are the coolest thing since tv. Its these same people who need the latest Adobe products and/or Microsoft products. Like Office 2003 is ancient now and "How can you use Adobe Dreamweaver MX when CS3 is out?"

Well after hearing all the issues people have with Vista today, I left the party brain dead. I showed them Ubuntu, my LAVA Linux, I even said "Well go back to XP" But in the end it does not matter, Microsoft wins anyways because no matter if VISTA is a total flop, it is sold on every pc at the store. Literally my family, could not go back and ask for Windows XP to be installed on their laptops instead of VISTA. They are out of luck and I think this is the saddest part. Microsoft's days of innovation are over. It really is about exploitation now. How to best use it's strong arm. How to leverage it's monopoly. And even though I do not use Windows on my personal pcs. I inevitably have to deal with it on everyone else's. And they will be the first ones to say - It just sucks.

I think about it as I am typing this blog and using my ubuntu and I smile - at least I am free.

Game developing on Ubuntu

Just for fun, I decided to start browsing the web for game libraries and or engines available on Ubuntu. Found a bunch.

• Panda3d
• Crystal Space 3d
• OGRE
• Irrlicht
• Blender
• Delta3d
• Raydium

So I have a couple questions:

• Has anyone who is reading my blogs, programmed or used any game engines on Ubuntu? Which ones? How was your experience?

I am considering making a MMORPG and would love it if I could make it work for both Ubuntu and Windows. Give me some feedback.

Surfing tonight

Staying up a bit late tonight and came upon some websites which might be of interest to some of you.

Unix Tutorials and Videos based on Ubuntu. They also have tutorials on other distros. Nice site.
http://www.unix-tutorials.com/tutorials.php?os=Ubuntu

Tutorials on Ubuntu, GIMP, etc - both HTML and video tutorials also has a bunch of free ebooks.
http://vntutor.blogspot.com/2007/06/free-online-ubuntu-linux-books.html

Near the bottom of this page, they have whitepapers, articles and how-tos regarding Ubuntu. Also some comparisons of Ubuntu vs MSoft, MAC, etc.
http://www.easy-ubuntu-linux.com/add-ubuntu-software.html

Another Satisfied Customer

The last week or so I have been working on creating a custom version of LAVA for a client which would like to deploy a linux desktop to 320 users. After several technical meetings and several showcases we have finally built a live install cd image that takes into account all the hardware typically found at the various client's sites.

The administrative managers have all been generous and are genuinely excited about moving off of Windows XP. Most have had really bad experiences with XP. The network has been plagued with spyware, dropped connections, trojans, and the occasional window's update that went terribly wrong.

Walking around and speaking to the users I have found many are surprised at how mature LAVA, Ubuntu looks. Most shockingly is their expressions when I map their Window's 2003 fileserver shares and double click on an .XLS and .DOC file. You can tell in their expressions they are baffled at how easy Linux is. It is such a great feeling to see how well LAVA, Ubuntu has made moving users over to an alternative desktop.

I had some problems with some of the printers at the client side but after playing with compatible drivers, I was able to select a driver that met all the reporting and formatting requirements.

Also RDP via a scripted bash file was easy enuff to create. The client wanted redirected printers as well as drives so command line scripting was necessary. Once I mastered the settings, I built a BASH script and voila a desktop icon for the users to click on.

Internet Explorer - I cannot seem to get away from you.

Yep the client had some websites that not only need IE but also the Microsoft VM. Yuck. But with Wine installed, IE4Linux worked like a charm.

Having meet all the requirements on the field, it is time to actually hardcode those into a ISO and build a cd.

Alot of work still to go but if it wasn't Linux work, it wouldn't be fun.