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Showing posts with label ubuntu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ubuntu. Show all posts

Monday, September 29, 2014

How to install virtual XP on Ubuntu

After you install virtualization software, such as VirtualBox OSE, on an Ubuntu host operating system, you can install almost any other guest operating system to run simultaneously with its Ubuntu host. A guest operating system is also called a VM (Virtual Machine). This article explains how to install VirtualBox on an Ubuntu host, and then run it to install Windows XP as a guest operating system, (also called a Windows XP client, or a virtual machine XP).
 
Installing VirtualBox
To install VirtualBox OSE on Ubuntu, do the following:
  1. Click on the Applications menu to display its drop-down list.
  2. Click on Add/Remove to display the "Add/Remove Applications" window.
  3. Select VirtualBox OSE, and then click on Apply Changes to display its dialog.
  4. Click on Apply to install VirtualBox OSE.
Setting Up VirtualBox
To set up VitualBox, do the following:
  1. Use Applications -> Accessories -> Virtual Box OSE to display the "Welcome to VirtualBox" window.
  2. Click on New to display the "Welcome to the New Virtual Machine Wizard."
  3. Click on Next to display the "VM Name and OS Type" window, type a name (such as MyVirtualXP), select the Microsoft Windows Operating System, and then select the Windows XP Version.
  4. Click on Next to display the "Memory" window, accept the default Base Memory Size, and then click on Next to display the "Virtual Hard Disk" window.
  5. Click on New to display the Welcome to the "Create New Virtual Disk Wizard," click on Next to display the "Hard Disk Storage Type" window, accept the default Storage Type, and then click on Next to display the "Virtual Disk Location and Size" window.
  6. Set Size to approximately 20 GB, click on Next to display the "Summary" window, and then click on Finish to display the "Virtual Hard Disk" window. Accept the default virtual boot disk.
  7. Click on Next to display the "Summary" window, click on Finish to display the "VirtualBox OSE" window, and then close that window.
Installing Virtual XP
To install Windows XP as a guest operating (virtual XP, virtual machine XP) system on your Ubuntu host operating system, do the following:
  1. Use Applications -> Accessories -> Virtual Box OSE to display the "VirtualBox OSE" window.
  2. Place your Windows XP installation CD into your CD drive, and then click on the Settings icon, click on CD/DVD-ROM, and then select (check mark) Mount CD/DVD Drive.
  3. Click OK to redisplay the "VirtualBox OSE" window.
  4. Click on the Start icon to display a "VirtualBox Information" window that explains the "Auto Capture" keyboard. (The host key is the right Ctrl key.) This lets you switch the keyboard (and, separately, the mouse) between Ubuntu and its virtual XP.
  5. Click OK to close the "VirtualBox Information" window, and then follow the prompts to install a Windows XP client (virtual XP, virtual machine XP) on your Ubuntu host.
Important: Before you can install updates to your
Windows XP client, and before it can run correctly,
you must install its Guest Additions
according to the section below.

Installing Guest Additions on Virtual XP
To install Guest Additions on your Windows XP client, do the following:
  1. From within your Windows XP client window, press right Ctrl, select Devices, and then click Install Guest Additions to display the "VirtualBox - Question" window.
  2. Click Yes and then click Download to download the CD image and display the download-progress indicator in the lower left corner.
  3. After the CD image downloads successfully, click Mount to display the Guest Additions Setup Wizard and then click Next to display the License Agreement.
  4. Click I Agree to display the default Destination Folder, click Next, and then click Install to start installing Guest Additions.
  5. At each Microsoft warning, click Continue Anyway.
  6. Select Reboot now and click Finish.
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Using Unity workspaces in Ubuntu


In the Ubuntu distribution of the Linux operating system, you can use Unity workspaces as virtual desktops. Multiple workspaces simplify complex projects because you need overlap and/or minimize fewer windows.
Adding windows to Unity workspaces - You can add windows to two or more Unity workspaces. To add windows to workspaces, do the following:
  1. In the Launcher, click the Workspaces icon to display all four workspaces.

  2. Select a workspace by moving your mouse pointer over it. For example, you can place your pointer over the lower-right workspace.

  3. Expand your selected workspace to full size by clicking it. Continuing this example, you click the lower-right workspace to expand it.
  4. Open a window in your expanded workspace. Continuing this example, you can open a browser and go to an educational website.


  5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for other workspaces. Continuing this example, you might open two new LibreOffice documents, such as a Writer text document in the upper-left workspace, and a Calc spreadsheet in the upper-right workspace.

Note: You need not use all four workspaces. In this example, the lower-left workspace contains no windows.
Moving windows among Unity workspaces - You can move any window to any other workspace. To move a window from one workspace to another, do the following:
  1. Click the Workspaces icon, click a workspace to open it, and then select the window you want to move to another workspace. For example, you can select the LibreOffice Writer document in the upper-left workspace.
  2. Press Ctrl+Alt+Shift and press an arrow key to move the window. Continuing this example, you can press ↓ to move the Writer document the to lower-left workspace.
  3. Click the Workspaces icon to verify that you have moved the window as intended.

  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for any other window you wish to move to another workspace.
Note: As on any desktop, you can add more than one window to any workspace.
Removing windows from Unity workspaces - After you finish using your workspaces, make sure you save all documents and close each window in every workspace. This guards against losing edits when when you shut down or restart your PC.
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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Troubleshooting an Ubuntu boot problem

If Ubuntu Linux does not boot correctly on your PC, this document can help you correct the problem by troubleshooting through Ubuntus recovery mode, troubleshooting through a boot-repair CD, or by updating the display driver.

If you have installed only Ubuntu, you have a single-operating-system (single-OS) PC. If you have also installed at least one other OS, such as Linux Mint and/or MS Windows, you have a multiboot PC.

Note: The procedures in this document primarily apply to PCs that were built before 2011. Therefore, if your PC was built since 2010, booting more than one OS is difficult due to the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). For more information, please see Ubuntu Documentation - UEFI.

Troubleshooting Through Recovery Mode
After opening the GRand Universal Bootloader (GRUB) menu, you can troubleshoot an Ubuntu boot problem through the Recovery mode, which lets you repair broken packages and, if necessary, check all file systems.

Opening the GRUB Menu - How you open the GRUB menu varies according to whether you have installed Ubuntu on a single-OS or a multiboot PC:
  • For Ubuntu on a Single-OS PC, open the GRUB menu according to the procedure on the Ubuntu wiki Recovery Mode web page.
  • For Ubuntu on a multiboot PC, starting or restarting that PC opens a GRUB menu that lets you select an OS to boot.

Repairing Broken Packages - Repairing broken packages might correct an Ubuntu boot problem. To repair broken packages, do the following:

  1. Open GRUB according to the Opening the GRUB Menu section above.
  2. As shown in Figure 1 below, highlight Ubuntu - - Recovery Mode, and then press Enter to boot in Recovery mode.
  3. As shown in Figure 2 below, highlight dpkg _ _ Repair broken packages, press Enter, and then follow the prompts to repair the packages.
  4. Use the Testing Ubuntu Boot section below to test whether you have repaired the Ubuntu boot problem.

Checking All File Systems - Checking all file systems might correct an Ubuntu boot problem. To check all file systems, do the following:

  1. Open GRUB according to the Opening the GRUB Menu section above.
  2. As shown in Figure 1 below, highlight Ubuntu - - Recovery Mode, and then press Enter to boot in Recovery mode.
  3. Highlight fsck _ _  Check all file systems, press Enter, and then follow the prompts to check the file systems.
  4. Use the Testing Ubuntu Boot section below to test whether you have repaired the Ubuntu boot problem.
Figure 1 - Selecting Ubuntu Recovery Mode
Figure 2 - Repairing Broken Packages
Troubleshooting Through a Boot Repair CD
You can use a boot repair CD to find and correct many Ubuntu boot problems. To troubleshoot through a boot-repair CD, do the following:
  1. Through any PC, download the Boot-Repair-Disk ISO file from Sourceforge.
  2. Burn the ISO file onto a blank CD to create a boot-repair CD.
  3. Boot your PC through your boot-repair CD.
  4. When prompted, click Recommended repair, and then follow the prompts.
  5. Use the Testing Ubuntu Boot section below to test whether you have repaired the Ubuntu boot problem.

Updating the Display Driver
An outdated display driver can cause Ubuntu to boot incorrectly and/or intermittently. To update to the newest display driver, do the following:

  1. In the Launcher, click the System Settings icon.
  2. In the Hardware frame, click Additional Drivers to display its window.
  3. Wait while Ubuntu searches for drivers, and then displays the Additional Drivers window.
  4. As shown in Figure 3 below, select the newest possible display driver. For example, in Ubuntu 12.04, you could select "NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (post-release updates) (version 304-updates)."
  5. Use the Testing Ubuntu Boot section below to test whether you have repaired the Ubuntu boot problem.

Figure 3 - Selecting the Newest Possible Display Driver
Testing Ubuntu Boot
After troubleshooting Ubuntu boot through any section above, you need to test whether Ubuntu boots correctly. To test Ubuntu boot, do the following:

  1. Shut down your PC.
  2. Wait at least 15 seconds.
  3. Start your PC.
  4. Boot Ubuntu. If it does not boot correctly, continue troubleshooting through any other appropriate section above. Note: In case this document has not helped, you can check Ubuntu Support.
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Saturday, September 27, 2014

How to keep your Ubuntu PC up to date


According to the University of Chicago IT Services, keeping your Linux operating system up-to-date helps it remain secure and efficient. Linux operating systems, including the Ubuntu distribution, provide software updates (patches and security updates) when needed, The procedures in this document specifically apply to Ubuntu 11.10 and newer releases, and generally to all LInux distributions.
Opening the Ubuntu Update Manager - To open the Ubuntu Update Manager, do the following:
  1. At the top of the Launcher (at the left of the desktop), click the Dash icon to display its window.

  2. Click the Search Application icon (the second icon at the bottom of the Dash home window), to display some of the application icons.

  3. Click Fiter results, click System and then click Update Manager to open it and display its window.

Setting your Ubuntu update options - To set your Ubuntu update options, do the following:
  1. Open the Ubuntu Update Manager as explained above.
  2. Click Settings to display the Updates page in the Software Sources window.
  3. Set security updates to Download automatically.
  4. Set other updates to Display immediately.
  5. Close the Settings window and then close the Update Manager window.

Installing updates into your Ubuntu system - To install updates to the Ubuntu operating system on your PC, do the following:
  1. Open the Ubuntu Update Manager as explained in the first section above. (Alternatively, if the Launcher is announcing available updates by displaying the Update Manager icon, you can click on it to open it.)
  2. Click Check to display the Updating Cache window and list all available updates.
  3. Click Install Updates to display the Authenticate window.
  4. Type your password and then click Authenticate to download the updates and display the Applying Changes window.
  5. Wait for the Update Manager to finish applying the changes, and then if "your computer needs to restart to finish installing updates," click Restart Now .

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