nawk: error while loading shared libraries

Problem: Trying to install a java program (specifically Eolisa) on my (k)ubuntu box I got a sequence of errors...
#./EolisaInstaller.bin
Preparing to install...
Extracting the installation resources from the installer archive...
Configuring the installer for this system's environment...
nawk: error while loading shared libraries: libm.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
....

Solution (see this link):
i. Rename the installer
# mv EolisaInstaller.bin EolisaInstaller.bin.pak
ii. Replace some lines in the installer creating a new file...
# cat EolisaInstaller.bin.pak | sed "s/export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL/#xport LD_ASSUME_KERNEL/" > EolisaInstaller.bin
iii. Make the new file executable
# chmod 755 EolisaInstaller.bin
iv. Run the installer
# ./EolisaInstaller.bin

This installs the program, but the original problem happens again when running it. The second step is to repeat the same process on the installed executable.

Fixed mount point for external USB drive

I guess this is a common problem: you have an external USB drive that you want to use as if it were a permanent drive, so you want it to be mounted always at the same mount point.

Anyway, these are the steps I have followed:
i. Identify the device node your disk is mounted on. On kde (kubuntu) this is as simple as hoovering over the usb drive icon. For example, I get /dev/sdb1.
ii. Find some info regarding the usb device:
# udevinfo -a -p /sys/block/sdb/sdb1/
This spits out a lot of info. Usefull lines can be
SYSFS{idProduct}=="fc91"
SYSFS{idVendor}=="07ab"
SYSFS{manufacturer}=="Freecom Technologies"
SYSFS{maxchild}=="0"
SYSFS{product}=="FHD-3 USB2.0"
SYSFS{serial}=="1E0D377B1565F071FW415"

iii. I guess product and serial are most useful. So I added the following lines to /etc/udev/rules.d/hal.rules
BUS=="usb", SYSFS{product}=="FHD-3 USB2.0", KERNEL=="sd?1", NAME=="%k", SYSFS{serial}=="1E0D377B1565F071FW415",SYMLINK=="freecom", GROUP=="hal"

This makes sure that a fixed device node is created (/dev/freecom, in this particular example).

iv. Now the proper linecan be added to /etc/fstab, for example
/dev/freecom /media/freecom ext3 noauto,rw,user 0 0

v. This requires, of course, that the mount point exists:
#sudo mkdir /media/freecom

vi. Also, this assumes that the disk has an ext3 filesystem. If the disk is new and has no data you can do:
#sudo mkfs.ext3 /dev/freecom



Now it should be ready to go (a reboot shouldn't be needed if the propper services are restarted, but in any case it should work aftere a reboot).

Agilent's "Advanced System Design" on Ubuntu

Problem:
I have installed Agilent's ADS on an Ubuntu box. The program appeared to work but it would not respond to keyboard inputs (it did respond to the mouse, though).
Solution:
Apparently the problem is not specific to ADS, but related to Motif. The solution appears to be to set the following environment variable:
export XKEYSYMDB=/usr/share/X11/XKeysymDB

Printer stopped due to wrong lp permission

This is a recurring problem. After a reboot the printer (attached to the paralel port on my Kubuntu box) stopped printing. A look at the status of the printer on the KDE from kcontrol, shows the printer is stopped. Restarting it doesn't work (after a few secons its status reverts to "stopped").

Looking at the CUPS error log file was revealing:
$ tail /var/log/cups/error_log
I [09/Jan/2006:13:17:59 +0100] Printer 'Sepultura' started by 'root'.
I [09/Jan/2006:13:17:59 +0100] Started filter /usr/lib/cups/filter/pstops (PID 10528) for job 168.
I [09/Jan/2006:13:17:59 +0100] Started filter /usr/lib/cups/filter/foomatic-rip (PID 10529) for job 168.
I [09/Jan/2006:13:17:59 +0100] Started backend /usr/lib/cups/backend/parallel (PID 10530) for job 168.
E [09/Jan/2006:13:17:59 +0100] [Job 168] Unable to open parallel port device file "/dev/lp0": Permission denied
E [09/Jan/2006:13:17:59 +0100] PID 10530 stopped with status 1!
I [09/Jan/2006:13:17:59 +0100] Hint: Try setting the LogLevel to "debug" to find out more.

There is a problem with the persissions of the parallel port! This seems to be a common problem.
The/my solution is to change the ownership of /dev/lp0 from root (which it was for some reason) to lp:
$ sudo chown lp /dev/lp0

Connecting a Nokia 6630 to my Linux box using a USB-Bluetooth adapter.

Just got home with a Belkin Bluetooth USB adapter.

First step: I search on Adept (or Synaptic) for all Bluetooth packages and see that I have everything installed that looks relevant.

Second Step: I plug the device into a USB port. KDE tells me it has found the device, great! Kbluetoothd starts and a Bluetooth-ish Icon appears on my system tray.Now, the real goal was to be able to talk to my Nokia 6630 phone. Clicking on the Icon opens a Konqueror window with one entry for my Nokia 6630 (I had previously activated the Bluetooth interface on it). Opening shows me several options.Trying to open, for example, the OBEX File Transfer prompts my phone for a password. Here is where you have to actually read the kbluetooth documentation: you have to edit your /etc/Bluetooth/hcid.conf file according to this!

After restarting the bluez services (On my kubuntu box by doing
sudo /etc/init.d/bluez-utils restart)
Everything works.

Runaway gam_server using kubuntu 5.10

I have been struggling with a persistent gam_server process. The problem appeared under some conditions when using a combination of konqueror/noatun/amarok (I am not sure of the exact combination). Anyway, the problem seems solved by upgrading gamin. To do so you need to add a dapper repository to
/etc/apt/sources.list
for example:
deb http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper main
All can be done using adept or synaptic.

Webcam Live on (K)Ubuntu (breezy) (and kopete)

I just went trough the pain of getting my Creative Webcam Live working on Kubuntu. With the default installation, the system froze whenever any program (camorama, camstream) tried to use the webcam. The solution is here (thanks!).

Another program affected by this (now solved) problem is kopete, which failed upon trying to edit it settings, since the configuration dialogue access the webcam. Initially I thought this was a problem with kopete itself.