you may be interested in checking out the open source initiative, a non-profit group promoting the development of open source.  open source software provides transparent codes, peer development and review, and free access!  in addition to bittorrent technology, the philosophy of open source encourages the progressive and positive evolution of our techno-world.

* open source initiative * advocating the growth of open source thru collaboration and education *

fyi, i’ll be out of cyberspace for a couple weeks.  however, i’m looking forward to resuming my techbudz posts and continuing to explore the intriguing and explosive techie world w/you!

thanx for visiting.  have a phatt n happy, green n geeky day!

aloha,

donnabud

it’s been a week since i downgraded my ubuntu lucid lynx to karmic koala in an attempt to stabilize my system (plz see my prior post for details).  i’m stoked to report my laptop is still freeze-free; karmic koala helped restore my system’s stability, responsiveness, and speed.

ubuntu karmic koala 9.10 * a free, speedy, stable OS

one of the best features of ubuntu (in addition to its open source foundation) is its software repository.  click applications > ubuntu software center.  within ubuntu’s plethora of free apps, i’ve discovered programs that parallel or exceed every windows app i’ve ever used!  it still blows me away.

thanx for visiting * more s@@n.  have a tastee techie eve.

plz remember to s33d ;o))

aloha,

donnabud (techbud)

ubuntu superhero, the mighty karmic koala!

aloha,

i’m an enthusiastic ubuntu noob; a former xp fan. after the april release of lucid lynx 10.04 (ubuntu’s upgraded operating system), i decided to give it a whirl. i upgraded my ibm thinkpad’s os from karmic koala 9.10 to lucid lynx 10.04. the installation process went smoothly. however, almost immediately after my fresh-install reboot, my system became unstable. frequent freezes during web browsing and bittorrent activities, failing system updates and graphics malfunctions started plaguing my pc.

i hit the techie forums and discovered the lucid lynx release has been creating havoc on many computers. in addition to the problems i’d been experiencing, users indicated corruptions within several processes, including system suspend, hibernate and boot. i followed lots of threads through techie webs in search of bug workarounds / patches.

in the wiki.ubuntu.com forum, i discovered one of the lucid lynx bugs is infecting a fundamental communication component between the apps and the hardware, specifically, kernel 2.6.32. i checked the details of my lucid lynx installation (system > about ubuntu), and found kernel 2.6.32. currently, there is no ubuntu-supported kernel downgrade process.

on systems that have experienced post-lucid lynx installation crashes, downgrading through reinstallation of a prior release seems to be the most viable and effective option. fortunately, all ubuntu releases are linux-based operating systems that are distributed as free and open software. you can download the files from here or use the p2p network for a faster D/L.

ubuntu karmic koala D/L with firefox

here’s a link to a clean copy of karmic koala i downloaded from btjunkie.org. remember, you need a BT client installed on your system, such as transmission, vuze or utorrent.

btjunkie.org - D/L page for ubuntu karmic koala 9.10

since my system had been freezing during torrent activity, i used an alternate computer for the D/L and then popped the file onto my external hdd. of course, i’m still s33ding the file ^..^

my choice was to back-up my data and reformat with a fresh installation of karmic koala. if you’d rather attempt a downgrade by installing a prior version of ubuntu onto a separate hdd partition in order to migrate your data, visit the khattam blog for suggestions.

since i had already backed-up my system prior to my recent lucid lynx upgrade, i simply had a few document, music and image files to back-up. if you need to back-up your entire system, there are several effective, open source apps available.  i use deja dup.

here’s the process i used:

deja dup backup app - part 1

deja dup is an effective backup app available in ubuntu’s software repository. you can find it in applications > ubuntu software center > search for deja dup, select and install.

deja dup backup part 2

deja dup backup part 3

deja dup backup part 4

when the deja dup backup is complete, your files will look like this:

deja dup backup files

since i use a laptop without an optical drive, i decided to create a usb start-up file using the app, usb creator. go to applications > ubuntu software center > search for usb creator, select and install.

usb startup disk creator - installing from ubuntu software center

after installation, you’ll find it in application > system tools > usb startup disk creator.

usb startup creator

launch usb startup creator and select “other” to browse for your downloaded ubuntu iso file.  then choose a destination for the startup file – you should select a usb drive with at least 4 GB of free space.  click “make startup disk” and wait for the process to complete. (btw, there are different backgrounds in my screenshots because some are from my initial karmic koala installation, some were taken during the (brief) lucid lynx era, others after my fresh karmic koala install ;o))

usb startup disk creator

with all files backed-up and the usb startup file created, time to reboot.

during the reboot process, go into your BIOS (on my system, it’s the “access ibm button,” on other systems, it’s f2 or f8 – check the bottom of your boot splash screen for details).

in BIOS, select boot and make sure to move the usb drive to the top of the boot order.

reboot. you should see your usb drive flashing, followed by the ubuntu installation screen.

after a fresh ubuntu installation, it’s good to: 1) configure wi-fi or plug-in ethernet cable; 2) check for system updates – system > administration > update manager; 3) install deja dup (or whichever backup app you used) – applications > ubuntu software center > search for deja dup, select and install.

plug in your usb drive that holds your backed-up data. with deja dup, you can open the app and select “restore,” then browse to the files.  you can also right-click on the file and select “open with,” then browse for “deja dup.” both processes are effective.

deja dup backup app - select restore

i’m very stoked – i’ve had karmic koala reinstalled on my system for about 26 hours, with no system crashes! transmission is functioning fully, i’ve had no system freezes or graphic malfunctions, and my boot speed has increased.  it can be a long process to downgrade from lucid lynx, but extremely effective.

i’m looking forward to upgrading my system again – eventually. i’ll wait for the brilliant open source developers to work-out the lucid lynx bugs.

karmic koala 9.10 timeline

in the interim, i hope you’ve got a healthy and happy, responsive and stable pc.

thanx for visiting ^..^ kiss a nerd!

aloha,

donnabud (techbud)

]]> http://techbudz.wordpress.com/2010/07/05/karmic-koala-to-the-rescue-lucid-lynx-downgrade-to-restore-system-stability/feed/ 2 techbudz karmic koala 1 karmic koala DL dialog box ubuntu 9.10 karmic koala - btjunkie DL page deja dup part 1 deja dup part 2 deja dup part 3 deja dup part 4 ubuntu backup files on xternal created with deja dup usb startup disk creator usb startup disk creator 2 startup disk creator file created on usb drive 6-11-10 deja dup part 1 karmic koala release dates http://techbudz.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/lucid-lynx-freezes/ http://techbudz.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/lucid-lynx-freezes/#comments Sat, 03 Jul 2010 01:20:38 +0000 techbudz http://techbudz.wordpress.com/?p=127 ]]> aloha,

as i mentioned in a prior blog posting, i’ve updated my ubuntu os to lucid lynx.  however, since installation, i’ve been experiencing system freezes.

the ubuntu forums (ubuntuforums.org) indicate my problem is not unique.  the lucid lynx version has a few bugs that are still being worked out.

my system crashes during torrent downloading.  i’ve tried p2p networking with transmission and vuze (both are awesome open-source bittorrent apps that are readily available in ubuntu’s software repository).  results are:  freeze / freeze.

previously, i used the transmission bittorrent client daily with my karmic koala installation – no problems encountered.  the bug has only popped-up with lucid lynx.

following a suggestion from ubuntuforums.org, i tried to disable the compiz feature (which allows enhanced desktop graphics).  system > preferences > appearance > visual effects > select NONE.  i then launched vuze – after about a minute, my system froze.

next step was to check the activation of my system administration hardware drivers.  system > administration > hardware drivers.  my system has “no proprietary drivers in use ….”

i’m continuing the troubleshooting process and will keep you updated.  since ubuntu is part of the open source community, the bugs are likely to be worked out soon.

if you are part of the swarm who utilizes p2p networking with an ubuntu os, perhaps you should postpone updating your system to lucid lynx.

your suggestions and questions are welcome.  i’m looking forward to working with you and other members of the techie community to help resolve the lucid lynx bugs.

despite glitches with the recent update of the ubuntu os, i remain an enthusiastic and eager noob.

thanx for visiting.  have a tastee techie day!

aloha,

donnabud (techbud)

it looks like the world’s most embattled bittorrent flagship has set sail once again!  the site is … active!

the beleagured bittorrent mothership sails again! june 25, 2010 screenshot (11 a.m. pacific time)

as of this posting, no updated news is available on tpb’s blog, torrentfreak, or wikipedia, but i’ll keep following the story and let you know what evolves.

btw, a great resource for determining the status of a website is downORnot?.  all my tpb status checks for the past 24 hours have shown the site to be down.  however, here’s a screenshot from a few moments ago:

down or not? indicates tpb is currently ... up!

this geeky wench will keep scanning the horizon with mee spyglass and let you know when some tpb info drifts thru the cyber-mists.

in the interim, please remember to s33d ♦ have a phatt and nerdy day!

aloha,

♥ donnabud (techbud)

]]> http://techbudz.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/the-bobbing-bittorrent-boat-is-afloat-the-pirate-bay-up-again/feed/ 0 techbudz the pirate bay down or not - tpb http://techbudz.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/omg-the-pirate-bay-r-i-p/ http://techbudz.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/omg-the-pirate-bay-r-i-p/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:12:59 +0000 techbudz http://techbudz.wordpress.com/?p=73 ]]> aloha,

while browsing for my daily dose of bittorrents, i discovered the pirate bay website is down.  looks like the crew has pulled the plug!

yesterday, it was announced that ibi kopimi botani, a prominent member and key founder of piratbyrån (swedish – bureau of piracy) and thepiratebay.org, has died.

according to torrentfreak.com (http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bays-founding-group-piratbyran-disbands-100623/), botani was such a fundamental facet of the two organizations that, in the wake of his death, they have disbanded.

as of june 23, 2010, it seems the embattled bittorrent flagship has gone down.  however, the pirate bay leaves an amazing tech legacy of courage and innovation, determination and resilience.

the pirate bay founders, including peter sunde, fredrik neij, gottfrid svartholm, and ibi kopimi botani, are nerd revolutionaries.  their aggressive insistence that the evolution of technology be encouraged and supported, as well as their stubborn resistence to global lawsuits and on-site invasions have stimulated and perpetuated the burgeoning bittorrent movement.

mahalo for your progressive persistence and courage!

the pirate bay * beware the lawyer's gallows!

in addition to botani’s contributions to the pirate bay and the piratbyrån, he is credited with the development of the anti-copyright concept, kopimi (copyme), as well as its logo.  the kopimi symbol indicates a request for the attached media / art / information to be copied and shared.

a kopimi (copy-me) symbol * encouraging copying and sharing!

more information is available at the following sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirate_Bay

http://www.kopimi.com/kopimi/

http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bays-founding-group-piratbyran-disbands-100623/

the techbudz `ohana (family) is sending heartfelt mahalos and deep geek gratitude to the pirate bay’s extended `ohana.  we’ll keep our pirate flags flyin’ – and, as always, we will s33d!

aloha,

♥ donnabud (techbud)

p.s. here are a couple of techbudz’ fav bittorrent sites:

http://btjunkie.org/ ♦ registration is optional, includes user ratings / feedback

http://www.demonoid.com/ ♦ registration required for full access, rotational registration openings, includes user ratings / feedback / ratios

the ubuntu operating system (os) embraces freedom, access, growth, communication.

in our techno-world, ubuntu is an open source initiative that has successfully devised a symbiotic cyber-system which inherently encourages human collaboration and technological evolution.

the ubuntu os and most of its software packages are freely distributed for use, study, revision, and redistribution.  no codes barred!

while it’s designed to be easily installed and utilized by the average pc user, the ubuntu os also possesses endless wonders for the brilliant minds of the global hacker community.

as i mentioned in  a prior blog, i’m a recent convert from win xp to ubuntu.  among other facets, i’ve been impressed by the stability of the os (viruses and malware had been constant irritants to my prior xp platform), enthusiastic and inclusive network of support, diverse array of relevant free apps, and desktop customization flexibility.

the new version of ubuntu was released on april 29, 2010.  the code name is lucid lynx 10.04 (note the version number indicates the year.month of release).

in my next blog, we’ll explore the process of upgrading from karmic koala 9.10 to lucid lynx 10.04.  we’ll also address options available for users who want to upgrade other operating systems, or older versions of ubuntu.

as always, your questions and positive comments are welcome.

please join me for my next blog,“upgrading to ubuntu lucid lynx using usb flash drive.”

in the interim, please check-out the links below for a plethora of fascinating information and groundbreaking concepts.

thanx for popping by * have a tastee techie day!

aloha,
♥ donnabud (techbud)

(¹ south african ethical philosophy, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_%28operating_system%29)

♥ more information about some progressive initiatives and innovative ideas: ♥

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i’m a linux ubuntu newbie, a recent convert from win xp.

despite years of battling insidious viruses, lost activation codes, scratched system discs, and devastating crashes, i’d been an xp enthusiast.  i’d enjoyed the relative accessibility of system files, ability to customize displays and functions, and the vast user forums for techie support.

december 2009 was significant to my techie microcosm.  while i’d been pondering the benefits of a linux-based os for quite a while, and was already a passionate supporter of open source software, a system crash and corrupted recovery discs finally catapulted me into unexplored frontiers.  rather than download a fresh xp install from a p2p network (i had legally purchased my original copy, after all) or navigate the bloated bureaucracy of microsoft for replacement CDs, i decided to give ubuntu a whirl!

a bit of research revealed ubuntu is the name of the south african ideology, humanity towards others.  the concept is beautiful, the software is free!

ubuntu is a linux-based os with a gnome desktop utility.  it’s distributed as free, open source software.  that means you can download it, share it, modify it, and re-share it without fear of legal ramifications or invasive registration demands.  download links and more information are available here: http://www.ubuntu.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_%28operating_system%29 and http://www.linux-mag.com/.

greedy corporations and their proprietary barriers be damned!  the techie future is about instant access, global sharing, and peer networking.  the fundamental philosophy and driving forces are inherently free from financial constraints.

while corporate moguls predict the pending corruption of the global economy and the disintegration of commercialism, i have faith in the inevitable evolution of technology.  less will flow to the few who have more, more will flow to the many who have less.

that brings us back to ubuntu.  it’s progressive, accessible, secure, speedy and free.  it has a vast repository of free applications and an extensive community of users and developers.  among the amazing array of ubuntu apps, i’ve discovered programs that parallel or exceed every windows app i’ve ever used!

tired of feeling like a criminal for trying to recover lost apps?  frustrated by unaffordable software and incessant malware attacks?  gripped by the gloom of proprietary greed?  if you’re searching for a progressive community of creative and supportive users, give ubuntu a spin.  take it from a newbie, it’s an awesome adventure!

thanx for visiting.  questions and positive comments are always welcome!

have a green & geeky day,

donnabud (pc techbud)

screenshot of my ubuntu karmic koala 9.10 desktop – i appreciate uncluttered desktop environments! (released 10-09, note extension designation of year.month):

ubuntu 9.10 karmic koala desktop

screenshot of ubuntu karmic koala 9.10 help app:

ubuntu karmic koala 9.10 help file screenshot

today, we celebrate all things geek, and all cushy terry squares ;o)  give a geek a sharpie; bring a bud a towel!

happy geek pride day * happy towel day!

did you know there’s a geek manifesto?!  it was created in 2006, in conjunction with the first geek pride day on may 25th.  the date was selected because it’s the anniversary of the 1977 epic release of star wars (iv).

this year, festivities have gone global!  geeks are proudly popping-up at events in many locales, including romania, france, belgium, canada, hungary, israel, and the u.s.  san diego, california is hosting its first annual geek pride festival today (http://sdgeekfestival.org).

visit wikipedia for more details about the festival and events. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek_Pride_Day).  at the bottom of this blog, i’ll post the list of geek rights and responsibilities, from the 2006 manifesto.

did you know, “a towel … is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have”?  (hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy, douglas adams)  i’ve totally got one handy.

since 2001, douglas adams devotees have been celebrating towel day on may 25th. today, all interstellar beings are encouraged to carry a towel in honor of adams (1952 to 2001).  let your freak towel flags fly!  earthlings are hosting festivities at many venues – details are available at http://www.towelday.org/.  if you have any info about extraterrestrial festivals, please post them below ;o))

to highlight the greatness of towels and the cleverness of adams, here’s an excerpt from hitchhiker’s, chapter 3 (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day):

“A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have “lost”. What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.”  (ch. 3, hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, douglas adams).  wow, towels really do rock!

geek manifesto * rights and responsibilities * 2006

(excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek_Pride_Day … i’m also a grammar geek, so split infinitives have been corrected in the text below):

Rights:

1. The right to be even geekier.
2. The right not to leave your house.
3. The right not to like football or any other sport.
4. The right to associate with other nerds.
5. The right to have few friends (or none at all).
6. The right to have as many geeky friends as you want.
7. The right to be out of style.
8. The right to be overweight and near-sighted.
9. The right to show off your geekiness.
10. The right to take over the world.

Responsibilities:

1. Be a geek, no matter what.
2. Try to be nerdier than anyone else.
3. If there is a discussion about something geeky, you must give your opinion.
4. To save and protect all geeky material.
5. Do everything you can to show off geeky stuff as a ‘museum of geekiness.’
6. Don’t be a generalized geek. You must specialize in something.
7. Attend every nerdy movie on opening night and buy every geeky book before anyone else.
8. Wait in line on every opening night. If you can go in costume, or at least with a related T-shirt, all the better.
9. Never throw away anything related to geekdom.
10. Try to take over the world!

thanx for visiting the techbudz blog.  we’re wearing our multi-colored anti-static wrist straps and are buzzing off to celebrate all things geeky – with our towels in tow, of course.

have a wet and nerdy day,

donnabud (pc techbud)

please check back soon for techie tidbits, featuring p2p & bit torrent information, open source alternatives, how-tos, and more!

thanx for visiting.

aloha,

donnabud (pc techbud)