Automatically Connecting Wireless on Ubuntu

since i am a new to ubuntu, i didn't know how to manually connect to a wireless router. tried a couple of things, but failed. finally, i found a solution on ubuntu forums. wicd, was the solution! if you can't download from there check this link out: wicd.

first uninstall the existing "network manager" by opening up the "synaptics package manager." make sure to remove all the packages that are associated with network manager—there should be about four.

your /etc/network/interfaces file should contain only the following code:
  auto lo
  iface lo inet loopback

you can edit this by typing the following command at the terminal window:
  sudo gedit /etc/network/interfaces

once done, right click on the downloaded file and install it.

type wicd-client on a terminal screen, and the wicd should load up. you should see an icon on the task bar. click on it and everything else should be understood.

Triple Booting Vista, XP, and Ubuntu

I tried doing this a couple of times before, but failed. Most of the documentation I found online were helpful, but they were not descriptive enough to explain the whole process—at least for me. Even though this guide is written based on the HP TX2500, anyone should be able to use these instructions on any PC. So here is an easy guide to install Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Ubuntu 8.10:

Starting with a Fresh Install:
If you have already installed the operating systems, and having issues configuring the boot loader, then refer to the next section.

1. First make sure to create the required partitions. You can use a single partition to install Vista and XP, but I recommend not to do so. My TX2500 came with Vista installed already. So I had to use a third party software to alter the partitions as I didn't have the Vista setup disks.

2. I used Paragon Partition Manager as it supported both 32-bit and 64-bit PCs. Partition Magic, unfortunately damaged my partition table and I lost the Vista backup drive that came originally with my notebook. So I recommend using Paragon Partition Manager, and not Partition Magic to do this.

3. Make sure you have at least 5 partitions, for:
    a) Windows Vista
    b) Windows XP
    c) Linux OS (Ubuntu 8.10)
    d) Linux Swap
    e) Data Drive (Common drive to share data across platforms)

4. Make the Windows partitions NTFS and the the Linux partition EXT3. It is best to have the data drive in NTFS format, as it will help smooth transferring of files between Windows and Linux.

5. First, install Windows XP, then Windows Vista, and finally Ubuntu. Vista should automatically detect XP and add it to the boot loader, and use the Ubuntu GRUB boot loader to add the Windows operating systems.

Configuring MBR:
This method works with any order of OS installation. You will need a copy of Paragon Partition Manager's recovery disk burned on to a CD. You can do this by installing Paragon Partition Manager on any Windows-based PC and burning a recovery CD.

1. Boot your PC with the recovery disc, and make only the Linux partition active and the others inactive. Having multiple active partitions will prevent your PC from booting to an OS.

2. Reboot your PC and load up Ubuntu.

3. Open up a terminal screen and type the following: “sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst”

4. When gedit opens up the menu.lst file, go to the end of the file and add the following code to represent each Windows installation on your system (You will be prompted to provide the administrator password at this point):

    title Microsoft Windows XP x64 Edition
    root (hd0,1)
    savedefault
    chainloader +1

5. Change the “title” and “root” parameters to represent your system: hd0 represents the first physical hard disk, and the value following the comma in the parameter (hd0,0) represents the partition number. For instance, (hd0,0) means first partition on the first physical hard disk, (hd0,1) means second partition on the first physical hard disk, and (hd1,0) means first partition on the second physical hard disk.

6. Some guides that I found online suggested adding a “makeactive”' command after the “savedefault,” but I suggest not to use it, as it changes the active partition upon boot and if you haven't configured the boot loader on the most recently updated partition, it might result in a failed boot.

7. According to this method, you only make the Linux partition active and remove the boot loaders from all the other partitions. Make sure the root folders of each operating system have the following structure (If not, you can change them from within Ubuntu):

    a) Windows Vista: Root folder should have the “bootmgr” file and a folder named “boot” with the “BCD” file inside. The boot configuration information is stored in the “BCD” file in Windows Vista.
    b) Windows XP: Root folder should have the “ntdetect.com,” “ntldr,” and “boot.ini” files. Boot configuration information is saved in the “boot.ini” file in Windows XP.
    c) Linux (Ubuntu): The “/boot/grub/” folder should have the “menu.lst” file. Boot configuration information is stored in the “menu.lst” file in Ubuntu.

8. If the files mentioned in the previous step are present in your partitions, all you got to do is change the “menu.lst” file as explained in step 4, save it, and reboot your PC. You should be provided with a list of operating systems to boot from the GRUB boot loader.

Summary:
For the advanced user, this is a summary of what you should do (All steps can be completed by loading up Ubuntu).

  1. Make only the Linux (Ubuntu) partition active.
  2. Check and update the files on each Windows partition (Step 7).
  3. Modify the GRUB boot loader (menu.lst).

This should prevent you from the hassle of trying to modify your Windows-based MBR. I hope that I managed to explain the process clearly, as one of the main issues for a beginner, is to understand the tech-background of the booting process. If you understood step 7, then everything else should be easy. Send in your feedback; and good luck updating your MBR!

Excel Formula: Second Occurance in a vlookup

the vlookup function in microsoft excel is very useful. however, it only returns the first occurance in a range. here i have written a complex formula that will extract the "n"th occurance.

it's easy if you can use named ranges to define the range. defining only the first column is enough as the range for the vlookup is specified through an offset.


=VLOOKUP(J5,OFFSET($A$1,MATCH(J5,$C$2:$C$200,0)+(K5-1),M5,COUNTIF($C$2:$C$200,J5),N5),2+(L5-2),FALSE)

where:
J5 - Lookup Value
K5 - Required Occurance
L5 - Required Column
M5 - Start Column Number in Range for vlookup (Offset from $A$1)
N5 - Number of Columns in Range for vlookup
$C$2:$C$200 - Lookup Range (This need not be the full range, only the column where the lookup value can be found is enough)

note: this is a vector formula; so you should use CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER to get it working, if not it will return an error.


i wrote this for one of my projects and may be i havent explained the process clearly; so if you find an issue, or if it is not working, post a note or email me. i can explain how to make it work :-)

JavaScript: Loading an External File to a DIV

this script will let you load an external text file to a DIV container in the html file.

first, put this code in the 'head' section of the html:
<script>
<!--
function ReplaceText(container,content) {
document.getElementById(container).innerHTML = "<iframe src='"+content+"' width=600 height=400 frameborder=0 scrolling=auto>";
}
-->
</script>

and then use this in the link:
<a href="#" onClick="ReplaceText('base','sample.txt')">Load Text</a>

the container div should be something like this:
<div id="base"><div>

happy coding :-)

JavaScript: Simple Buttons

well, here is a quick way to replace the images on an html button:

put this code in the 'head' section of the html:
<script>
<!--
function ReplaceImage(image,imgfile){
document.images[image].src = imgfile;
}
-->
</script>

and then use this in the link:
<a href="home.html" onMouseOver="ReplaceImage('home', 'home_down.gif')" onMouseOut="ReplaceImage('home', 'home.gif')"><img name="home" src="home.gif" border="0"></a>

you can also use the 'onClick' attribute to use a JavaScript to load the link; in such case replace the value for 'href' with "#."

Unlocking a Frozen iPod

well, i tried this only on an ipod nano. you don't need to connect it to the pc or power outlet. as long as the ipod is charged, you are good to go.

1. turn off the "hold" button.
2. press and hold the "menu" and "action" button (in the middle of the touch wheel) together, for a few seconds.
3. release once the apple logo appear.
4. wait for a while, it will boot up in a few minutes.
5. enjoy your music again :-)


-- neo

Doom on N70 :-)

yeah, it's true... and it's not just another crappy "mobile game." it is the same old doom (hell yeah, d-o-o-m!) on your symbian series 60 phone. it uses the same .wad game map file from the original id software doom pc game to run on your mobile phone. same graphics, same sounds, same experience -- on your mobile.

how to install and run:
1. download the series 60 game engine from here.
2. download the "doom.wad" game map file from here.
3. install the game engine on your mobile phone.
4. extract and copy the "doom.wad" file to your phone.
5. run the installed "c2 doom" game engine.
6. locate the "doom.wad" file. enjoy!

-- neo

PowerMP3 - Symbian 60 - Cracked

finally managed to crack the best mp3 player for symbian 60 phones that i've tested. PowerMP3 by MobiFactor is a real good mp3 player for symbian 60 phones. i tested it on my n70 and it worked fine.

the only drawback was that it came with the default skin which is not appealing. but the sony walkman skin looked great on symbian 60 phones with this software. and that is available as a seperate .sis file for installation. but it was a pain to install the main program, and then to install the skin.

also, one of the main headaches was that the software was not cracked and you can only play 60 seconds of music of a given track. there was a crack code online, but using the code and memorizing it to use everytime you install it was a pain.

so i decided to crack the software internally and include the cracked installation package in one .sis file. so here we go...

PowerMP3 v1.01 with Sony Walkman Skin Cracked


let me know your views...

cheers,
neo.

HTML Tabs Using JavaScript

well, i was loooking for an option to create tabs in an html document without using many graphic labels and huge scripting, as i was fed up of spending loads and loads of hours doing the base work for the out put.

i found this interesting javascript on "i don't know where," which uses just a single script file and can be used to create tabs in an html document. the best part is all the coding goes in one html and once viewed on an internet browser, it will show the tabs.


the basic usage of this script is as follows:

1. put this part in the html header:

<script type="text/javascript"
src="tabber.js"></script>

<script type="text/javascript">

/* Optional: Temporarily hide the "tabber" class so it does not "flash" on the page as plain HTML. After tabber runs, the class is changed to "tabberlive" and it will appear. */

document.write('<style type="text/css">.tabber{display:none;}<\/style>');

</script>

2. and put this in the body part of the html:

<div class="tabbertab">

<h2>Sample Tab</h2>

<p>

/* Tab content goes in here... */

</p>

</div>

3. repeat step "2" for the number of tabs you want.

4. the title of the tab is defined within the <h1> and </h2> tags.

5. you can change the font and colors by using a style sheet and defining values.

6. the text in each tab goes within the <p> and </p> tags. you can include tables or any form of html tag within these tags.

7. one "tab block" is defined within the <div class="tabbertab"> and </div> tags.

8. you can download the javascript from the following location:

http://mediafire.com/?34mqtmmhcdb

note: when using deamweaver to design/edit the page, the tabs are not shown in a tabular format in design view. but it will show up when previewed in a browser.

disclaimer: this javascript is free to edit and update, but should be distributed with the author's disclaimer. project gcc does not encourage the violation of software integrity by any means.


happy tabbing :)


cheers,
neo.

Playing WMA Files on N70

space does matter; and when it comes to mobile phones, space is critical. since the introduction of phones that can play mp3s, there were loads of mp3 playable software introduced to the market. but, only a few mp3 players deliver near satisfactory results.

usually a 128kbps, joint-stereo, mode 1 mp3 gives almost similar good sounds equivalent to a 44khz, pcm wave file. wma files are good since they are even smaller than mp3s, but the only issue i've faced is that you need a special device or software to get the best out of it.

wma files encoded at 64kbps, gives similar sound quality to a 128kbps mp3 on my "creative tx-fm" mp3 player, but doesn't sound that good on my n70. but still it is worth experimenting wma files on a nokia n70.

well, first i tried downloading several so called "wma players for n70," but all were just some crappy software that almost ruined my phone. i had to re-install the firemwire twice thanks to these crappy wma players.

but there are two alternative methods to play wma files on an n70.

method 1:

1. install the wma codec for symbian 60. (you can download this by searching the internet.)
2. rename the .wma files to .mp3.
3. now you should be able to play the files using the default player that comes with the phone.

note: most other (all that i tried) mp3 players that support symbian 60, will not play the renamed wma files, and may freeze your phone. if this happens, restart your phone.

method 2:

1. install the wma codec for symbian 60.
2. instead of renaming the .wma files to .mp3, create a .m3u (winamp playlist) file.
3. open the playlist file and it should play all the wma tracks on the list, using the default nokia music player. (ogg player will not play these playlists; some websites say that it does, but every time i tried, it failed.)

note: you can use a text editor or winamp on your pc to create the playlist. if using winamp, open the playlist once it is created, using notepad and search and replace the pc path with the phone path (i.e., "d:\program files\..." with "d:\songs\...").

here are some sample playlists...

sample playlist 1:

#EXTM3U

Track 1.wma

Track 2.wma

Track 3.wma

sample playlist 2:

#EXTM3U

Songs\Track 1.wma

Songs\Track 2.wma

Songs\Track 3.wma

note: instead of using relative paths to create the plalist, it is better to use absolute paths; as a result you can put the playlist anywhere on your phone and play the files from any location.

hope these hints were helpful. send in your comments.

have fun with the "wma"s :)

cheers,

neo.

Converting N70 to N70ME (Music Edition)

ok so this is something new and interesting... but before you continue, please read the disclaimer section below:

disclaimer: the author or host of this page will not be liable for any damage caused to your device by following the instructions provided in this page. the only guarantee that i give you here is that i tried it on my phone, and it worked. there is no other guarantee issued with these instructions. so try it at your own risk.


differences between the standard nokia n70 and n70me:
n70:
1. ivory housing
2. standard nokia headset (i can't remember the device number)
3. 64mb rsmmc card
4. nokia rm-84 firmware with blue theme


n70me:
1. black housing
2. nokia ad-41 adapter with hs-21 headset
3. 1gb rsmmc card
4. nokia rm-84 firmware (v 5.0638.3.0.1) with two additional themes (green/red)


requirements:
1. nokia n70 standard phone (n70-1)
2. nokia usb data cable for n70 (again, i can't remember the device number for the cable)
3. download the nemesis service suite.
4. download the nokia software updater for n70 from nokia.
5. nokia n70 phone charger.


steps to convert:
1. install nemesis service suite (select virtual usb devices) and nokia software updater.
2. connect the phone using the usb data cable and connect the charger to the phone.
3. run nemesis and click the "discovery" icon on the top-right corner.
4. once the phone info has been extracted, click on the "phone info" iconnn (second from left)
5. key in the product code for an n70me phone. (select a product code from the list below)
6. click "write" and wait till it updates the phone chip. once done, click "read" to verify. this might not work at times, and/or might give an error. if so use "alt+ctrl+del" and close nemesis and continue from step 3 skipping the "read" part in step 6.
7. once this is done, close nemesis and run the nokia software updater.
8. follow the instructions to update the firmware.


once this is done, you should have successfully updated your phone software and at the same time converted your "n70" to "n70 music edition." now you should have two extra themes (green/red) and your phone will support the "nokia ad-41 adapter with the hs-21 headset." upgrading your mmc card is optional.


note:
sometimes you should be able to directly update the firmwire, without changing the product code, to try this first try the above mentioned steps, skipping steps 3 to 6. if it doesn't work, then try steps 1 to 8.

when the product code is changed, you automatically void the warrenty from nokia. so do this at your own risk. still, if you need the product code reverted back to its original, you can follow steps 3 to 6, using the original product code, which you can find at the back of your phone in the battery slot.


the product codes for n70me are as follows (i used 0543027):

0539266 Apac1
0539272 Philippines
0539273 Australia
0539353 New Zealand
0539275 Indonesia
0539276 India, Vietnam
0539270 Thailand
0536418 Euro-1 / Music edition
0539211 France / Music edition
0539212 ALPS / Music edition
0539213 Euro-2 / Music edition
0539214 Turkey / Music edition
0539216 South Africa / Music edition
0539218 Scandinavia / Music edition
0539221 Baltian / Music edition
0539222 Russian / Music edition
0539224 Ukraine / Music edition
0539226 CIS, Bulgaria / Music edition
0539229 Hun, Czech, Slov / Music edition
0539232 Balkans / Music edition
0539233 Greece/Cyprus / Music edition
0539237 Lebanon / Music edition
0539240 GULF / Music edition
0539242 Israel / Music edition
0539243 Romania / Music edition
0539244 Belarus/Moldova / Music edition
0543026 MEA1 / Music edition
0543027 MEA2 / Music edition


all the best and good luck in converting your phone. send in your feedback :)

cheers,
neo.