Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
Q I want to extract bits of FCM articles in plain text, to make my own synopsis in a small text file.
A To copy text from a PDF, position the cursor at the start of what you want, hold the mouse's left button down, and move to the end of what you want. When you release the button, the text should remain highlighted. Right-click and select “Copy.” Now you should be able to paste it into any text editor. This works in Document Viewer and the Adobe Reader, and probably other PDF viewers. In Okular, the default PDF viewer for Kubuntu, you need to first go to the Tools menu and choose 'Text Select' to be able to select text, since the default 'tool' is the move/look tool to let you move through pages. It also appears that Okular does not work well if you select text with different formats, such as the drop-cap at the start of FCM articles.
Q I am trying to install Ubuntu 12.10. The computer is a Sony Vaio Pentium 4 1.8 GHz with 512 MB RAM.
A The minimum memory requirement for Ubuntu 12.10 is 768 MB. Try Xubuntu.
Q I am trying to take screenshots of selected areas of Firefox windows with Ctrl+Shift+PrtSrc, but I have no idea where these pictures get stored?
A They are saved in the clipboard. You can use GIMP, or something like that, and just paste them into a new image. You can also use the Screenshot program included in Ubuntu (hit the Super key and type “screens”) which will afterwards ask you where you want to save the screenshot.
Using SHIFT+PRT-SCR (no ctrl) lets you select an area of the screen using your mouse, and, by default, saves the screenshot to the Pictures folder. Also, alt+prt-scr takes a picture of the currently-selected window, and prt-scr by itself takes a picture of the entire screen.
Q (Thanks to thepreacherswife in the Ubuntu Forums) As I was updating my system, including a new kernel version, I ran into a problem. When I rebooted, it went to a command-line shell and asked me to login.
A Reboot. At the grub prompt, choose an older kernel, and complete the system update.
Q Can I change the default paper size for printing?
A (Thanks to teamanx in the Ubuntu Forums) Yes, use this command:
gksudo gedit /etc/papersize
The following names are commonly understood by programs: a3, a4, a5, b5, letter, legal, executive, note and 11×17. For more info, use this command:
man papersize
Q I'm thinking of getting a [grossly expensive] laptop. The main thing I do is prepare presentations with HD images.
A (Thanks to TheFu in the Ubuntu Forums) You'd be better off with a moderately high-end desktop, using remote access back to it from any portable device. You could probably keep using your current laptop this way.
Q I have a wireless mouse that I want to use left-handed. However, on the left side of my laptop both USB ports are USB 3.0. If I plug the mouse into either of those ports, it does not work.
A (Thanks to howefield in the Ubuntu Forums) Plug in the mouse before you boot the computer.
Q According to VLC site, they are urging everyone to update to 2.0.4 due to a security vulnerability. Will Ubuntu update VLC soon? I'm uneasy using it with a serious security vulnerability.
A (Thanks to Cheesmill in the Ubuntu Forums) If you read the whole security advisory, then you can see how small of an issue this is. An attacker would have to trick you into opening a specially crafted PNG image with VLC. (VLC is an unusual choice for viewing image files.) Even if this happens they will succeed in only crashing VLC, they can't do anything else or gain access to your system. These sorts of vulnerabilities are common, there is no point worrying yourself about them.
Q I am trying to install Eclipse on my desktop. However, the software center is requesting that I place the Ubuntu 12.04.1 CD in the /cdrom mount. I do not have a CD-ROM drive installed right now.
A The easiest option is to run Software Sources and uncheck the CD-ROM.
Q I have dual boot, 12.4 and Vista. Is it possible to have an icon on the desktop to switch to Linux if using Vista or vice-versa, as opposed to picking which OS to use at boot up?
A No. You must select the OS at boot time.
Q How can I choose a USB infrared receiver to use for remote control of a home theatre PC?
A The web site lirc.org is devoted to IR under Linux. It could stand some updating, but it should get you pointed in the right direction.
Q When I connect wirelessly from my Dell laptop in Ubuntu 12.04 to my wireless router, my connection is very spotty. The connection drops frequently from 54Mbps to 1Mbps, and often drops entirely. lspci shows: 09:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Wireless-N 1030 (rev 34)
A Enter this command:
gksudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
and add “blacklist acer_wmi” (without the quotes) to the end.
Tips and Techniques
How hot?
I even get into discussions with people about how hot different components are. However, it seems that a lot of people think of computer temperatures as abstract numbers, and don't put them in context. Therefore, the following chart for degrees Celsius:
100 - water boils 95 - too-hot CPU 70 - busy CPU 40-50 - idle CPU 37 - body temperature 22 - room temperature 0 - water freezes
As I write this, my body is warmer than my hard drive. With any luck, my hard drive will last as long as I have!