Tag Archives: Linux

Research: Types of Linux Users

Posted on by
Reply

In the three years I have been using Linux as my primary operating system I’ve taken note that in general there are four different types of Linux users. Each one fits a distinct niche and it is possible to change from one type into another over time.

The Computer User:
This is a person that feels no emotional ties to FOSS/Linux. The computer is a tool to get the job done and they use Linux because it is the best tool for the job they are trying to accomplish. If Windows or OSX was better suited for the task, then they would be using that instead. They may have no idea of what FOSS or Linux is, they just know their computer works when they need it to. Odds are Linux was installed on their system by friend or relative who is a Linux Advocate or FOSS Extremist who was tried of fixing issues that kept popping up on Windows.

The Dual Booter:
Typically someone who has some computer savvy about them. Odds are they decided to give Linux a try because they just caught an interesting article about a shiny new distro release on Digg or because they know a Linux Advocate who recommended it. They might make a forum post or two to try and solve an issue they are having, but odds are if the distro doesn’t “just work” they will start going on about how Linux “isn’t ready for the average user” or “will never make it as a desktop operating system”. If their Linux install does work, they still keep Windows around because they are a “gamer” or because they need to use a piece of Windows software that does not have a decent FOSS/Linux alternative as of yet.

Linux Advocate:
Someone who uses Linux because they feel it is a superior or more stable operating environment. Typically this is someone who knows their way around the computer a bit and isn’t afraid to post on a forum asking a question or get their hands dirty with a bit of terminal code to get their system up and running. While they love the power of FOSS they realize at the same time that the entire world does not work in this manner (although it would be great if it did). They are typically willing to use restricted codecs and closed source video drivers to get the performance and functionality they need out of their system. While it is not uncommon for them to recommend Linux to their family and friends, most times they will even help them get it setup, they realize that some people are happy with Windows and they acknowledge this.

FOSS Extremist:
They use Linux not only because it is fast and stable, but because it is FOSS. They view software that is closed source as something evil that must be conquered or changed for the good of man kind. The know the ins and outs of their system – most times for an FOSS Extremist the GUI is optional. If their hardware does not work right “out of the box” on their favorite distro they are willing to spend hours pouring over manuals and help pages to get it working. They almost constantly preach about the evils of Windows and Apple and take every chance they get to convert those they know to Linux or and FOSS operating system.

Do you think I covered most Linux users here? If not let me know other “types” of Linux users you think there are in the world. If I did cover them all where do you fit into my four different categories? Perhaps you are even a mix of two, personally I find myself somewhere inbetween FOSS Extremist and Linux Advocate depending on my mood.

How to install Microsoft Office 2007 on Linux

Posted on by
Reply

This guide is for Linux enthusiasts who would prefer to use the Microsoft office suite as opposed to one of the many Linux alternatives.This is convenient for an easy transfer of operating systems throughout a company, household or organization that uses their computers for word processing and other document processing as it will allow the user to experience the operating system thoroughly without giving them the added burden of having to use the alien document processing suites. Note: This guide will only work on select Linux systems and holds no warranty of any kind. Read below to find out how easy it is to use your Linux system to produce any document that a Windows PC could.

Firstly you will need to make sure that your Linux computer has an internet connection.

Next, you will need to locate your Microsoft Office 2007 CD and insert it into your Linux computer.

Now, you will need to acquire the latest version of Wine for your Linux system. You can do so by visiting the download page: http://www.winehq.org/download

Once you have downloaded Wine and installed it on your Linux computer then you may run the Microsoft Office 2007 Setup. To do this you will need to click the bottom left of the bar on your desktop and opening your “Media” folder. Once you have opened your “Media” folder then locate your disk drive which should now be named “MSOFFICE” (or similar, depending on your Microsoft Office 2007 distribution).

You will now need to open the CD drive and then locate the “setup.exe” file within the CD and right-click it and select “Open with/Wine”, “Open with Wine” or “Open With (and then select Wine from the pop-up dialogue).

Now, assuming that you have downloaded and installed the latest functional version of Wine; you will be presented with the setup screen for Microsoft Office 2007, just as you would on a Microsoft Windows system.

You will now need to run through the setup just as you would on a Microsoft Windows system, of course replacing the default Microsoft Windows directories with the corresponding Linux directories.

Once you have completed the setup then you will be able to search the C:\ drive (or the drive that you chose to install the office suite on) for the installation folder that you selected. Once you find the .exe file for the office suite program that you want to use from the Linux desktop you can right-click the .exe file and copy a shortcut to the desktop.

Now, assuming you have followed the steps correctly, with the slight alterations made based on your Linux system you will have a fully functional office suite accessible from your desktop.

To run your office software all you will need to do is double-left-click the program shortcut of your choice and it will open itself in Wine. If it does not open restart your computer to let all registry and system changes occur and then try executing the program again. If it still does not work then retry all of the steps in my guide.

You should now have a fully functional Microsoft Office suite accessible from your Linux desktop. Enjoy your newfound Linux knowledge.

MySQL Change root Password

Posted on by
Reply

How do I change MySQL root password under Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and UNIX like operating system over ssh / telnet session?

Setting up mysql password is one of the essential tasks. By default root user is MySQL admin account. Please note that the Linux / UNIX login root account for your operating system and MySQL root are different. They are separate and nothing to do with each other (indeed some admin removes root account and setup admin as mysql super user).
mysqladmin command to change root password

If you have never set a root password for MySQL, the server does not require a password at all for connecting as root. To setup root password for first time, use mysqladmin command at shell prompt as follows:

$ mysqladmin -u root password NEWPASSWORD

However, if you want to change (or update) a root password, then you need to use following command

$ mysqladmin -u root -p’oldpassword’ password newpass

For example, If old password is abc, and set new password to 123456, enter:

$ mysqladmin -u root -p’abc’ password ’123456′

Change MySQL password for other user

To change a normal user password you need to type (let us assume you would like to change password for vivek):

$ mysqladmin -u vivek -p oldpassword password newpass

Changing MySQL root user password using MySQL sql command

This is another method. MySQL stores username and passwords in user table inside MySQL database. You can directly update password using the following method to update or change password for user vivek:

1) Login to mysql server, type following command at shell prompt:

$ mysql -u root -p

2) Use mysql database (type command at mysql> prompt):

mysql> use mysql;

3) Change password for user vivek:

mysql> update user set password=PASSWORD(“NEWPASSWORD”) where User=’vivek’;

4) Reload privileges:

mysql> flush privileges;
mysql> quit

This method you need to use while using PHP or Perl scripting.