Kubuntu Desktop

FreeBSD fails me

Hose my computer while trying to update my OS once, shame on me.

Hose my computer while trying to update my OS twice, shame on my OS.

Last night I tried to update my "ports" (basically all the non-core software) on my FreeBSD system. There are three different programs to do this: portupgrade, portmanager, and portmaster. AFAICT they all do the same thing, so I chose the one that was installed: portupgrade.

Unfortunately, the process isn't completely automatic. There is this file called UPDATING in the ports tree which contains a list of things that have changed which require manual intervention. It appears that several things get added to the list every week. Ugh. But after whittling it down, I concluded that the only thing I really needed to do was follow some instructions to remove KDE, because the KDE port had been updated to a new release and some things changed in incompatible ways.

Fine, whatever. I did as instructed. But then when I tried to run portupgrade, it started complaining about ports being in an inconsistent state because the KDE libs had been removed. It directed me to run some pkgdb, which started asking me obscure questions for which there didn't appear to be any right answer. After struggling with that for a bit, I canceled it and went back to portupgrade, this time passing a flag which it had suggested I use if I wanted to skip verification of port states. It started installing, so I let it stew for awhile, and when I came back, my FreeBSD install was thoroughly broken.

I don't have time for this crap. It was fun while it lasted, FreeBSD, but it's time to find something a little lower-maintenance.

Let's try Kubuntu

I hear Ubuntu is popular, and it even has a specialized KDE-based version called Kubuntu. I decided to give it a try instead. Let's catalog the problems I run into and see how they compare to installing FreeBSD.

Can only prepare USB installer from Windows or Linux

My spare machine is a MacBook. When installing FreeBSD, I was able to download an installer image explicitly designed for a USB stick. Kubuntu can be installed from USB, but the images provided on the web site are strictly CD images. You can convert these into USB images, but it seems the only tools available to do this run on Windows and Linux, not OSX or FreeBSD. After struggling a bit I rebooted my MacBook into Windows.

syslinux hangs

Once I had the USB stick prepared, I tried to boot from it. Failure. All it did was print the version of syslinux it was using and then hang. "syslinux" is apparently a utility for producing bootable USB sticks based on Linux.

I really had no idea what to do about this, and a Google search didn't produce any hints. On a lark I tried downloading syslinux on my Windows machine and then running it to re-initialize the USB stick. I noticed that the version the Kubuntu installer had chosen to use was 3.86, whereas 4.03 is now available. The package contained an executable called "syslinux.exe". Not knowing what else to do, I ran it on the command line. It informed me of a bunch of options, none of which made any particular sense to me.

I tried "syslinux g:" to initialize the G drive. Nothing appeared to happen. But just in case, I then tried booting from it and, miraculously, it worked! Wow. Did not expect.

Installer fails

Unfortunately, immediately after choosing what to do from the bootloader menu, I was dumped to a shell with the error message: Can not mount /dev/loop1 on cow

Some Googling revealed that this happens if, when running the Ubuntu tool to prepare the USB stick, you choose the option to allocate some space to save temporary files on the stick. This is the only option the tool gives you, and it is enabled by default. Apparently it doesn't work. You have to disable this option. WTF?

OK fine. Re-did the USB stick and tried again. Hung at syslinux. Re-fixed syslinux and tried again. Finally, it works!

Whoa

I...

Whoa.

Holy polished OS, Batman. I mean, really. Wow.

Let's go through the problems I had on FreeBSD, and compare.

Installer

Once I got the USB stick correctly initialized, I have to say that the Kubuntu installer was the best OS installer I have ever used. The thing ran at native 2560x1600 resolution. It gave me the option to choose my keyboard layout (Dvorak) at the very first menu. The partition manager was simple and intuitive, and even gave me the option of using btrfs (though I held off for now since it seems it is not yet ready for prime-time). And the installer let me configure the system while it copied the files -- although there was very little configuration to do. The whole process took about ten minutes. It was better than the OSX installer. This was completely the opposite of FreeBSD.

Installing Packages

There's a beautiful GUI for this, and it's of course backed by apt. All packages are available in binary form and are updated regularly.

Graphics Driver

The included Nouveau driver immediately had me running at 2560x1600. Of course, it was a bit sluggish, so I set out to install the nVidia driver.

Kubuntu includes a GUI app for this. It fetches the driver for you, builds, and installs it, all with a nice progress bar.

Holy. Crap.

Graphical login

This was already working on first boot.

Audio

Here I have a minor problem. Audio works, but goes to both my headphones and speakers. Plugging in the headphones does not mute the speakers. This is not a big deal for me since I can separately turn off my speakers, but I was a little bit surprised to find that Linux did not seem to provide me any way to fix this. I actually found a GUI app for twiddling all kinds of things related to the HD Audio driver, but couldn't find any knob that would make it mute the speakers when the headphones were plugged in. AFAICT from the internets, this is a common problem, and the solution is usually to wait for the driver to be updated for your hardware.

Oh well. At least it does actually play to both the speakers and headphones by default, unlike FreeBSD which did not do anything with the headphones until I started poking at the boot configs.

Chrome

Well, obviously, I just installed the Google-provided package, which will now happily auto-update Chrome for me. No mucking around with source code here.

Flash

This worked out-of-the-box. Contrary to my experience on my work Linux machine, I have not seen any performance problems.

Fonts

A few fonts looked a little weird at first, until I installed the msttcorefonts package. Now everything looks good.

Suspend/Resume

The "sleep" option in the Kubuntu menu seems to work fine. The only odd part is that I have to press power to wake it -- keyboard keys are ignored. But I guess that's not a big deal.

iTunes replacement

Amarok is available, obviously. But after using it for awhile on FreeBSD, I have decided it is pretty much crap. The UI is weird and just does not do the things I want. I'll be on the lookout for something new, but this isn't really an OS issue.

ZFS

Linux does not have ZFS due to stupid licensing squabbles. ZFS is open source. Linux is open source. But the technicalities of the licenses do not allow them to be used together. Lame.

But I guess Linux now has BTRFS, which is similar. The Kubuntu installer actually gave me the option to use it, unlike the FreeBSD installer where I had to set up ZFS manually on the console. However, from what I've read, BTRFS is not quite ready yet, because it lacks an fsck-like tool. This apparently means that a BTRFS partition can be left unrecoverable after a power failure. It looks like this will be resolved Real Soon Now, but I decided to play it safe until then.

Eclipse

Eclipse officially supports Linux, of course. But the packages available from apt were for version 3.5, whereas 3.6 has been out for a few months now. So, I decided to install the official release instead of the apt package.

Boot-up Splash Screen

Kubuntu provides a very nice, minimalist splash screen by default, and it even runs at native resolution (which the FreeBSD one certainly didn't).

Wine

The default apt repositories did not include Wine 1.3, but there's apparently an alternate repository listed on the Wine site that does. Installed from there. Piece of cake.

Starcraft 2 installed and patched with no problems, following basically the same procedure as I did on FreeBSD, except without the part where I had to upgrade the kernel, or the part where the patcher kept crashing. The latter is probably due to the newer Wine version.

Conclusion

Well, I'm pretty much blown away. What took me two or more weekends to set up on FreeBSD took only two weeknights on Kubuntu. Of course, it's no real surprise that Kubuntu would be more usable than FreeBSD, but I honestly didn't expect this much polish. I could actually see non-technical users using this. Canonical has done an amazing job.

Game Music Online: 8-Bit Music Theory

One of the old series I definitely want to bring back is the "Game Music Online" series where I highlight cool things that are game audio related on the internet.  I tend to like quite specific, in-depth analysis and explanation.  But, I can also like a viral fun video too.  In this case, I'm going with something a bit of both, but probably more in the first category.

Over the summer, YouTube suggested to me a video from a channel called 8-bit Music Theory.  This channel has incredible videos that are beautifully made and that have clear explanations of the musical analysis.  They are artistic and pleasant to watch, with a clear voice over game play as well as examples in western notation.  These videos are really fantastic resources that explain these music theory applications in a straight-forward, engaging manner.  I really wish more educators knew about these videos as resources when teaching.  Not only could they work well in a music appreciation sense, but also they would be great for AP Music Theory classes.  They could even to give ideas for how a college level teacher might incorporate using video game music in the teaching of a particular concept.

The channel isn't even a year old and has already gotten an impressive collection of videos and followers.  Having made some videos to teach musical concepts, I can't imagine the amount of time that it takes to create just one of these videos!  I'm also quite interested in knowing more about whomever is creating these.  I didn't notice a name or link on the YouTube site about the creator.  With a light bit of digging, I only find that the creator is from Canada and goes by "8-bit."  I'd love to know more-- if you do, leave me a comment.

One of the first videos I saw on the channel, and also one of my favorites, is the video on Nonfunctional Harmony in Chrono Trigger.  Chrono is one of my favorite games and I love the discussion of harmony presented here.

I also particularly enjoyed the video on the compositional style of Mega Man II.

There's a series on the music in Breath of the Wild that I enjoyed too.  Here, I link to the last video of the series on the music of Hyrule Castle.  I've planned to highlight the music on Hyrule Castle in my own post on BotW.  What the video misses for me is discussion about why the instrumentation changes between the inside and outside make sense for the player and the information that conveys.  Thankfully, it gives me a point to write about, since the other aspects of the theme are handled so well.  

I look forward to seeing what comes from this channel in the future.  Check it out and subscribe if you find it worthwhile, as I do.  

ouo.io - Make short links and earn the biggest money

Shrink and Share

Signup for an account in just 2 minutes. Once you've completed your registration just start creating short URLs and sharing the links with your family and friends.

You'll be paid for any views outside of your account.

Save you time and effort

ouo.io have a simple and convenient user interface, and a variety of utilities.

We also provides full mobile supports, you can even shorten the URL and view the stats on a mobile device.

Singup FREE

Happysturdyrich

 

 

https://goo.gl/G8pwzs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 11 Highest Paying URL Shortener to Earn Money Online

1. Shorte.st

   Shorte.st is another very popular and most trusted URL Shortening Company. Shorte.st comes as a user-friendly URL Shortener Service with many creative options for making money by monetizing the links you share. Shorte.st provides you an opportunity to earn from $5 to $15 per 1000 views for promoting their shortened links.
   For WordPress Bloggers, Shorte.st brings its WordPress Plugin which will help you greatly to boost your earnings. Shorte.st has a low minimum payout of $5.
   The payment is credited automatically on the 10th of each month. The payment methods include PayPal, Payoneer, and WebMoney. It also presents a referral earning opportunity wherein you can earn 20% commission on referrals for a lifetime.
   

2. Clk.sh

   Clk.sh is a newly launched trusted link shortener network, it is a sister site of shrinkearn.com. I like ClkSh because it accepts multiple views from same visitors. If any one searching for Top and best url shortener service then i recommend this url shortener to our users. Clk.sh accepts advertisers and publishers from all over the world. It offers an opportunity to all its publishers to earn money and advertisers will get their targeted audience for cheapest rate. While writing ClkSh was offering up to $8 per 1000 visits and its minimum cpm rate is $1.4. Like Shrinkearn, Shorte.st url shorteners Clk.sh also offers some best features to all its users, including Good customer support, multiple views counting, decent cpm rates, good referral rate, multiple tools, quick payments etc. ClkSh offers 30% referral commission to its publishers. It uses 6 payment methods to all its users.
   • Payout for 1000 Views: Upto $8
   • Minimum Withdrawal: $5
   • Referral Commission: 30%
   • Payment Methods: PayPal, Payza, Skrill etc.
   • Payment Time: Daily
   
   

3. LINK.TL

   LINK.TL is one of the best and highest URL shortener website.It pays up to $16 for every 1000 views.You just have to sign up for free.You can earn by shortening your long URL into short and you can paste that URL into your website, blogs or social media networking sites, like facebook, twitter, and google plus etc.
   One of the best thing about this site is its referral system.They offer 10% referral commission.You can withdraw your amount when it reaches $5.
   
   • Payout for 1000 views-$16
   • Minimum payout-$5
   • Referral commission-10%
   • Payout methods-Paypal, Payza, and Skrill
   • Payment time-daily basis
   
   

4. Adf.ly

   Adf.ly is the oldest and one of the most trusted URL Shortener Service for making money by shrinking your links. Adf.ly provides you an opportunity to earn up to $5 per 1000 views. However, the earnings depend upon the demographics of users who go on to click the shortened link by Adf.ly.
   It offers a very comprehensive reporting system for tracking the performance of your each shortened URL. The minimum payout is kept low, and it is $5. It pays on 10th of every month. You can receive your earnings via PayPal, Payza, or AlertPay. Adf.ly also runs a referral program wherein you can earn a flat 20% commission for each referral for a lifetime.
   

5. Short.am

   Short.am provides a big opportunity for earning money by shortening links. It is a rapidly growing URL Shortening Service. You simply need to sign up and start shrinking links. You can share the shortened links across the web, on your webpage, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Short.am provides detailed statistics and easy-to-use API.
   It even provides add-ons and plugins so that you can monetize your WordPress site. The minimum payout is $5 before you will be paid. It pays users via PayPal or Payoneer. It has the best market payout rates, offering unparalleled revenue. Short.am also run a referral program wherein you can earn 20% extra commission for life.
   

6. Linkbucks

   Linkbucks is another best and one of the most popular sites for shortening URLs and earning money. It boasts of high Google Page Rank as well as very high Alexa rankings. Linkbucks is paying $0.5 to $7 per 1000 views, and it depends on country to country.
   The minimum payout is $10, and payment method is PayPal. It also provides the opportunity of referral earnings wherein you can earn 20% commission for a lifetime. Linkbucks runs advertising programs as well.
   
   • The payout for 1000 views-$3-9
   • Minimum payout-$10
   • Referral commission-20%
   • Payment options-PayPal,Payza,and Payoneer
   • Payment-on the daily basis
   
   

7. BLV.ME

   BLV.ME is one of the most trusted URL shortener sites.It pays high CPM rate.You can earn $10 for every 1000 views.One worst thing about blv.me is its referral system.
   They only offer 5% referral commission which is very much low.You can withdraw your amount when it reaches $10.You can claim your amount through Payza, Bank Transfer or Skrill.
   
   • The payout for 1000 views-$10
   • Minimum payout-$10
   • Referral commission-5%
   • Payout options-Payza, Skrill, and bank transfer
   • Payment time-at the end of the month
   
   

8. Shink.me

   Shink.me is one of the old URL shortener sites.It is a legit site.You just have open an account free.You can earn from this like other URL shortener companies.It offers the good CPM rate for all countries traffic.
   You can earn $4.65 for every 1000 views.The minimum payout rate is $5.ther offer 10% referral commission.PayPal and Payza are payment methods of shink.me.
   
   • The payout for 1000 views-$4.65
   • Minimum payout-$5
   • Referral commission-10%
   • Payout methods-Payza and Paypal
   • Payment time-Biweekly
   
   

9. Petty Link

   Shorten URLs and earn money with Petty Link which is one of the best URL Shortening for earning money online.
   Getting started is easy. You need to create an account, shorten your link, and start earning money. Petty is one of the best ways to earn extra money.
   You get to make money from home when managing and protecting your link. Using the Petty Link tool, you can create short links. What's best, you get paid. It's a completely free tool.
   You have to create an account, create a link, and post it. For every visit, you earn money. The payout is as much as $12 per 1000 views. Plus, you can get 21% Referral Bonus.
   It has the Petty Link Referral Program. Refer friends and receive 21% of their earnings for life.
   Its featured Administration Panel allows you to control all of the features with a click of a button. It offers detailed stats. You get to know your audience.
   It has a low minimum payout. You need to earn only $5.00 before you are paid. Payment method is PayPal. Moreover, Petty offers the highest rates.
   Plus, it has a dedicated support team to help you out in case you have any questions or issues.
   

10. Ouo.io

    Ouo.io is one of the fastest growing URL Shortener Service. Its pretty domain name is helpful in generating more clicks than other URL Shortener Services, and so you get a good opportunity for earning more money out of your shortened link. Ouo.io comes with several advanced features as well as customization options.
    With Ouo.io you can earn up to $8 per 1000 views. It also counts multiple views from same IP or person. With Ouo.io is becomes easy to earn money using its URL Shortener Service. The minimum payout is $5. Your earnings are automatically credited to your PayPal or Payoneer account on 1st or 15th of the month.
    
    • Payout for every 1000 views-$5
    • Minimum payout-$5
    • Referral commission-20%
    • Payout time-1st and 15th date of the month
    • Payout options-PayPal and Payza
    
    

11. Linkshrink

    Linkshrink URL Shortener Service provides you an opportunity to monetize links that you go on the Internet. Linkshrink comes as one of the most trusted URL Shortener Service. It provides an advanced reporting system so that you can easily track the performance of your shortened links. You can use Linkshrink to shorten your long URL. With Linkshrink, you can earn anywhere from $3 to $10 per 1000 views.
    Linkshrink provides lots of customization options. For example, you can change URL or have some custom message other than the usual "Skip this Ad" message for increasing your link clicks and views on the ad. Linkshrink also offers a flat $25 commission on your referrals. The minimum payout with Linkshrink is $5. It pays you through PayPal, Payza, or Bitcoin.
    

Top 18 Best Websites To Learn Hacking 2018

1. Hakin9: E-magazine offering in-depth looks at both attack and defense techniques and concentrates on difficult technical issues.
2. DEFCON: Information about the largest annual hacker convention in the US, including past speeches, video, archives, and updates on the next upcoming show as well as links and other details.
3. NFOHump: Offers up-to-date .NFO files and reviews on the latest pirate software releases.
4. Hackaday: A hardware hack every day.
5. SecTools.Org: List of 75 security tools based on a 2003 vote by hackers.
6. Packet Storm: Information Security Services, News, Files, Tools, Exploits, Advisories and Whitepapers.
7. Metasploit: Find security issues, verify vulnerability mitigations & manage security assessments with Metasploit. Get the worlds best penetration testing software now.
8. HackRead: HackRead is a News Platform that centers on InfoSec, Cyber Crime, Privacy, Surveillance, and Hacking News with full-scale reviews on Social Media Platforms.
9. Makezine: Magazine that celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will.
10. Phrack Magazine: Digital hacking magazine.
11. The Hacker News: The Hacker News — most trusted and widely-acknowledged online cyber security news magazine with in-depth technical coverage for cybersecurity.
12. SecurityFocus: Provides security information to all members of the security community, from end users, security hobbyists and network administrators to security consultants, IT Managers, CIOs and CSOs.
13. Hack Forums: Emphasis on white hat, with categories for hacking, coding and computer security.
14. Hacked Gadgets: A resource for DIY project documentation as well as general gadget and technology news.
15. KitPloit: Leading source of Security Tools, Hacking Tools, CyberSecurity and Network Security.
16. Offensive Security Training: Developers of Kali Linux and Exploit DB, and the creators of the Metasploit Unleashed and Penetration Testing with Kali Linux course.
17. Black Hat: The Black Hat Briefings have become the biggest and the most important security conference series in the world by sticking to our core value: serving the information security community by delivering timely, actionable security information in a friendly, vendor-neutral environment.
18. Exploit DB: An archive of exploits and vulnerable software by Offensive Security. The site collects exploits from submissions and mailing lists and concentrates them in a single database.

hi Happysturdyrich



https://goo.gl/oNTBpc




Ray Marquez Jr