Re: [Trisquel-users] How to make a home phone using VOIP?
"Your friends need an ostel account too. To ensure your call security, ostel service cannot make calls to land lines or SIM card phone numbers on cellular networks." It is something, but not a full solution. It is not practical for me to contact any person or business I may want to call and make sure they are set up with ostel first, before we can talk on the phone! It looks useful if most of your friends and family have mobile phones, with data plans, who are willing to install the app, and sign up with ostel. In my case, I already have some family and friends with flip phones without data plans, and some who use land line phones much more than their mobile phones. The technology exists already. I could use Ooma, but I don't want to use non-free software. If only there were a Libre Ooma!
Re: [Trisquel-users] How to make a home phone using VOIP?
I will check out Ekiga, thanks. Ultimately I am looking for a libre "Ooma" where I can hook up an actual phone and receive and send calls. Comcast has some home phone option with a modem that has a jack for a phone. But, I am thinking about changing ISPs so that won't be a long-term solution. Both Comcast and Ooma rely on hardware, so maybe that is necessary?
[Trisquel-users] How to make a home phone using VOIP?
I want to make voice calls from my home computer using my internet connection. All the programs I've seen so far, appear to be designed for chat, or for use with a mobile phone, or they require both sides to communicate via their PCs. Two questions: 1.) What is a good program for voice from a PC. I don't need video. It would be nice if it could handle texting but that is not essential. 2.) How to solve any ISP privacy issues. I'm in the USA and I use Comcast. Can anyone recommend an alternative company/method. I'm moving away from mobile phones gradually, and this would be a significant step for me. Thank you.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Envy 24 sound card issues.
It is in the repositories. If you open synaptic with: sudo synaptic and search for envy you will see the packages to install
Re: [Trisquel-users] Strange Checksum-Problem with Acer Aspire V3 772G
Simple question: Have you updated your system?: sudo apt-get update and then upgrade: sudo apt-get upgrade
Re: [Trisquel-users] Buck up using rsync
"I guess i can't change that path via shell, because the shell won't understand it due to the space characters. Right?" You have three choices--that I'm familiar with: 1.) You can either put the whole thing in quotes: sudo mv "/media/ra/TOURO Mobile 3.0" /media/ra/new-name 2.) You can insert spaces by 'escaping them' with the backslash '\' For example, if the file was called "this is a file" you can write: this\ is\ a\ file Notice the backslash before each space. So we get: sudo mv /media/ra/TOURO\ Mobile\ 3.0 /media/ra/new-name 3.) You can use auto-completion (usually the easiest): sudo mv /media/ra/TOU and if now you hit the TAB key you will see: /media/ra/TOURO\ Mobile\ 3.0 So really there are two approaches. Either put it all in " or escape the spaces with backslashes \ The difference between choice 2 and 3 is that you let auto-completion type the whole mess instead of you! This is especially useful if you are manipulating long files like: i3wm - How To 'Rice' Your Desktop (3_3)-ARKIwOlazKI.webm I just type i3 hit TAB and that is it. Escaping with backslashes is also for other unusual characters. But why type all of that if you don't have to.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Buck up using rsync
When you say, "change the name" are you referring to the mount point? When you typed df and saw the mounted device is /dev/sdf1 it should also say where it is mounted to, like: Filesystem Mounted On /dev/sdf1 /media/ra If that is the situation, are you trying to change /media/ra to another name? I don't know what you mean by 'change the name'
Re: [Trisquel-users] Buck up using rsync
"By the way, my external hard disk has space characters in its name and i can't change the name" Do you mean that if you wanted the name to be "hard-disk-name" it is instead "hard disk name" ? Where is the disk mounted? Type this in a terminal to find out: df Where are you, in what directory, when you change the name?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where did LibreJS go?
"1 yes, everything under ~ should belong to you 2 you ran it as root with sudo icecat" Thank you. That makes sense. I think I know what happened. Recently I've been trying alternate ways of starting a graphical session. From a VT I Usually type: sudo lightdm Then when I open gnome-terminal in XFCE I see my regular user name. Experimenting with the startxfce4 command, in a VT, I typed: sudo startxfce4 Then, when I opened gnome-terminal, I saw I was logged in as root. But I probably used icecat before opening gnome-terminal and discovering that I was logged in as root. So I concluded I should use startxfce4 as a regular user: startxfce4 Still, it is not clear to me why that would change my regular user's configuration files. It should just change root's configuration files. Also, I'm pretty sure I've experienced this problem before I've experimented with startxfce4
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where did LibreJS go?
"I'm not sure you're providing enough information." You are right, sorry about that. To disable and enable I click the button with three horizontal bars and choose "addons" Then I see my addons and there are five of them, which are: GNU LibreJS 6.0.10 (re-installed as part of troubleshooting) HTML5 Video Everywhere! 0.3.4 HTTPS-Everywhere 5.1.3.asyncbeta1 IceCat Home 1.0 SpyBlock 2.6.9.0 The way I disabled LibreJS is choosing the button labeled "disable". There were two buttons previously "preferences" and "disable"; after re-installing LibreJS now I also have a third button "remove". I started IceCat using a panel launcher in XFCE. I've used the launcher countless time successfully. When I tried loading IceCat as root and when I tried it as a new regular user, I ran IceCat by typing "icecat" in a terminalwhich gives me an idea! EDIT: I tried starting IceCat for my regular user by typing "icecat" in a terminal. It started IceCat, but I noticed a message in the terminal regarding a permission problem for the sessionstore.js file in ~/.mozilla/icecat/xblahblah It turns out that file had owner and group as root. When I changed the owner and group of that file to my regular user, LibreJS reappeared! I've since experimented with enabling/disabling LibreJS in icecat started in a terminal and icecat started from the panel launcher. It all works. My only questions now are: 1.) Should I have changed the owner/group from root? 2.) How do you imagine this happened?
[Trisquel-users] Where did LibreJS go?
A couple of times I decided to disable and then enable LibreJS and now I can't get it back. This happened once before and I solved it by reinstalling IceCat. This time I tried running icecat as root and I also created a temporary regular user to run icecat. LibreJS works with those other users. So I figured it is the settings, so I moved ~/.mozilla/icecat to ~/BAK.icecat and still LibreJS is missing. Is there a better solution than either: 1.) Never disable LibreJS 2.) Or disable LibreJS and reinstall icecat to enable it again?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Manually starting X: virtual terminal switching issue
How is: sudo start lightdm different than: sudo lightdm
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
The second link I can download as a PDF, the first link only as an HTML
Re: [Trisquel-users] Manually starting X: virtual terminal switching issue
Thanks. my /etc/default/grub file is the same except I have: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text" GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="" Instead of what is in the image you posted: #GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet" GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="text" I'm not sure what the difference is? Also, I don't know what the systemctl commands are for and I don't have that program installed by default. My system does boot to a text console and VT7 is blank (lightdm and X are not running)
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
No. The file browser opens and in the bottom right there is a drop-down box which says HTML and if I save the file it is an HTML file. With other people's links the drop-down box in the file browser says PDF and when I download the file it is a PDF file not an HTML file. If you right click and choose "inspect element" your links are inside list tags and while SuperTramp's links for example are in paragraph tags I'm not sure why that would make a difference. Did you paste a list of links from somewhere rather than paste them one-by-one?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Manually starting X: virtual terminal switching issue
Thanks for the suggestion. I had not heard of the service program. I tried the "service lightdm start" and it loaded lightdm. When I choose a window manager and enter my password, the screen goes black and takes me back to the login screen. I tried a few window managers and it does the same thing with each. After stopping this command with Ctrl-C I check the process list with ps -ef |grep lightdm and I see many processes (maybe 10) Some of these processes seem to be duplicates of other ones. In general, I probably want to stick with systemd rather than SysV since this distribution is designed with systemd.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Manually starting X: virtual terminal switching issue
Great suggestion! startxfce4 loads very fast! For me the only drawback is that I often like to logout and switch between different window managers. So if I figure out a lightweight way to switch between window managers, then I will definitely use startxfce4 on a regular basis. This is even faster than in the SysV days with startx. Cut out the display manager and things run very fast and smooth. Thanks!
[Trisquel-users] Manually starting X: virtual terminal switching issue
My desktop is configured to boot to a text-console. From there, when I want a GUI, I start X Windows by typing in VT1: sudo lightdm The GUI starts in VT7 but I remain with the black screen in VT1 so I must switch to VT7 manually with: Ctrl-Alt-F7 Now I am in VT7 and I see the greeter and I login. Then the screen goes black and I am back in VT1 so I must switch back to VT7 with: Ctrl-Alt-F7 Now I am logged in and I see my desktop and I remain in VT7 unless I logout. If I logout from the XFCE menu the screen goes black and I am back in VT1 The greeter remains in VT7 until I stop the process in VT1 If I shutdown from the XFCE menu the machine shuts down and powers off. My situation works, but I would like to fix it so I don't have to switch back with Ctrl-Alt-F7. This is more of a challenge than a necessity so please don't tell me just change to boot to GUI. In the past, I don't remember which distro(s), I could type in startx and the GUI would start and I would automatically be in the correct VT with the GUI
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
The other links are probably links to links and yours are links directly to files. Still, I don't know why that should matter. My point was not that people here cannot access your PDF files, it was a question: why can I right-click with the other links but not with yours? Yes, javascript is OK if it is free software. Some people, like myself, leave javascript off all the time. Now I know when it comes to PDF, I can enable javascript and run pdf.js. I know that the point of LibreJS is to keep javascript enabled. But I find that LibreJS slows things down a lot when javascript is enabled. I leave LibreJS enabled and javascript not enabled and if I go to a site and see it needs javascript, and if I really want to use that site, then I will enable javascript and see what LibreJS tells me. With links to PDF files, I prefer to just right-click and download the PDF and then view with evince.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
"from experience mastering (comfortably) a trade usually takes 10 years." Maybe, but you don't have to be a master bash script programmer to write some very effective scripts, or even to be a system administrator! Mastery is necessary if you are doing very complex things. Think of carpentry. You can make some very nice looking and functional furniture without being a master carpenter. Want to make something complex, with inlays and carvings, then you need to be a master or artisan. The basic principles of programming are the same in any language. One interesting thing about bash programming, is that you can write a script to run commands in the shell; Commands you could otherwise type in directly in a terminal. Here is a trivial example: #!/bin/bash cd /home/You ls You need to know some things about the command line, like the need to make a file executable with: chmod +x filename And how to execute the file: ./filename There is an opportunity to learn more even with this simple example. Compare its output to the output you get by directly typing these commands in a terminal. Why is the listing not color when you run the script, but is in color when you run it directly in the terminal? Bash scripting is a natural extension of using the command line (otherwise program in lisp or C or Java or Python or Perl or Ruby, etc...etc...). So the first thing is to learn as much as you can about the command-line and get practice by using it often.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
Actually, I'm using the stock IceCat from Trisquel 7 on both my desktop and laptop and in both cases I have the problem. I just diabled LibreJS and it does not matter. With javascript enabled it works, with it not enabled it does not work. I tried with abrowser which has javascript enabled by default and it worked. I disabled javascript using about:config and it did not work. I re-enabled it and it did work. So, I don't know what else to tell you. It seems that pdf.js requires javascript to view the file. As I said, however, even though pdf.js can't display the file, it loads it so you can still right-click on the blank pdf.js viewer and can successfully download the pdf file. The inability to play the pdf files with pdf.js is true for all the links here, not just Magic Banana's. The difference is, on the other links I can right-click the link itself and download as a pdf. I don't have to left-click the link and start the pdf.js viewer. With MB's links if I right-click, I am only given the option to download as HTML, not PDF.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
Excellent! Already I've learned more about commands I thought I knew well. Even though I solve the exercises, I see that your solution is always simpler! Aside from the clear advice you give here all the time, these slides prove what an excellent teacher you are. I've been a student in several Computer Science courses both undergraduate and graduate, so I know clear explanations of programming concepts when I see them! Thank you Magic Banana!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
For the other links in this thread I could just right-click on the link and choose "save link as" and it saves as a pdf file. For Magic's links this did not work for me. Instead, click the link. If you use IceCat and have javascript enabled, the viewer will display the PDF and you can view or download using the viewer. If javascript is not enabled. The viewer loads, but the file is not displayed and the viewer's buttons don't work. However, if you right click on the empty player and choose "save as", then you can save it as a pdf. Will post again after I get a chance to look through these documents--so far they look great!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
the pdf file links aren't working for me. They download as html files and when I open the html files with icecat I get a "server not found" message.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Where can I learn to do my own scripts?
The Linux Documentation Project Great! Sometimes I forget about this excellent resource. Thank you for the reminder!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Password Generator instead of a password manager
I should mention that you can use this with file names containing spaces: touch this\ is\ a\ test creates an empty file called "this is a test" there are three spaces and there are three '\' to escape them. In the example: he*llo you replace '*' with '\*' In the above example a ' ' is replaced with '\ ' You can see the shell do this automatically if after you created the file "this is a test" you list it with ls using autocompletion with the TAB key: ls this[TAB] Assuming you don't have any other files in the directory beginning with "this" you will see: ls this\ is\ a\ test
Re: [Trisquel-users] Password Generator instead of a password manager
Before I answer, I will tell you how I found the information. other than echo and read and variable names and control structures like 'if', there are appear to be two programs used: sha512sum | base64 -w 0 After reading the man page of both I saw at the end of the man page for sha512sum: SEE ALSO The full documentation for sha512sum is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and sha512sum programs are properly installed at your site, the command info coreutils 'sha512sum invocation' should give you access to the complete manual. so I open a terminal and type: info coreutils 'sha512sum invocation' From this manual I found the answer. Here is how you do that: type ? to find out commands to navigate the manual After you read about the sha commands you will see that they share the same syntax with md5. So go back (use ? if you don't know how) and read the md5 section and you will see this: If FILE contains a backslash or newline, the line is started with a backslash, and each problematic character in the file name is escaped with a backslash, making the output unambiguous even in the presence of arbitrary file names. so if I have a file name like he*llo it would be he\*llo if it was he\llo it becomes he\\llo
Re: [Trisquel-users] Buck up using rsync
-b, --backup With this option, preexisting destination files are renamed as each file is transferred or deleted. You can control where the backup file goes and what (if any) suffix gets appended using the --backup-dir and --suffix options. -From the man page for rsync I think this just renames a copy of each destination file so they don't get overwritten by mistake. If you have ever used Windows and download something more than once you get: file file(1) file(2) file(3) Or, using emacs it makes backups with ~ : file file~ But it is important that you RTFM or STFW or you may lose your data! Have you used this program before? Why do you want to use this option?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Buck up using rsync
"...with and without checking the make backup option?" Are those the exact words used? Could you post a screenshot? Looks like there are a lot of answers from here: http://www.opbyte.it/grsync/
Re: [Trisquel-users] i3 Window Manager
Perfect! All three of those work on my desktop. Thank you! The ones with pactl that I listed above only work on my laptop. For mute, this only turned the sound off, but I could not turn it back on!: bindsym XF86AudioMute exec amixer -q set Master toggle Instead for mute this worked for me: bindsym XF86AudioMute exec amixer -q -D pulse set Master toggle
Re: [Trisquel-users] Do you support Santi to handle the project?
"I'm trying to push the project forward to release it sooner." This is my whole point. You cannot push to make them release it sooner. You have no power, they will release it when they are ready. "Just waiting for the new release to come out is easy." Whew! Awesome! I'm glad you realize that it is easy. Now you can wait like the rest of us and stop this annoying 'pushing'!
Re: [Trisquel-users] i3 Window Manager
I like it. It is really good for working with multiple windows without having to switch between them. Lately I've used Trisquel and XFCE more, but I still have i3wm available to me when I feel it is especially suitable. I like trying out different window managers. Next I will give ratpoison a shot. IMHO the utility of window managers vary by work flow. How you do your computing will tell you which window manager is optimal for you at that point in time. Still, a person usually spends most of their time in one window manager. Lately, for me that has been XFCE on my desktop computer and Trisquel on my laptop. If I recall, one thing I disliked about i3wm is I couldn't get my desktop keyboard's media buttons to work (like volume control, for example) My laptop media buttons worked fine. This could probably be fixed with a custom keybinding (to keys other than the multi-media keys)
Re: [Trisquel-users] Do you support Santi to handle the project?
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/do-we-have-date-trisquel-8-release In the last post of the above thread, iscutwo says: "...it took 7 months from Ubuntu 14.04 until Trisquel 7, and 11 months from Ubuntu 12.04 to Trisquel 6. So at that rate we would be waiting at least until early 2017. Let's hope not, but let's keep reasonable expectations. I'm excited to see what comes!" [my emphasis and strong tags] Somebody should make a sticky which clears this all up.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Do you support Santi to handle the project?
"...letting this project die?" Why do you think it will "die"? Because the release of Trisquel 8 is happening 'too slowly'? Slow progress is not the same as no progress. This is not our call. Trisquel is not a democracy. It is Ruben's project. If you are suggesting Santi help Ruben, that is Ruben's decision. If you are suggesting that Santi become the leader, that is ultimately Ruben's decision as well. It is Ruben's project. Ruben has to decide who, if anybody, his successor will be. It is for Ruben and Santi to decide what they want to do. It is not our decision, and Ruben is not asking for our advice. So...I don't understand this thread! If you simply cannot wait for Trisquel 8, nothing is stopping you from developing your own distro!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Problem with desktop background and items
Then the only thing I can suggest to try at this point is creating a new user and seeing if things work as a new user. If it does, that will help troubleshoot what to do with your current user.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Problem with desktop background and items
Before answering the following list of questions, have you tried the following: Create a new, regular, user. Then log in as that new user. Do you have the same problems as the new user? Just to clarify the details of your system: 0.) "i have copied the home folder via deja dup to another computer with Trisquel mini that worked fine before" Is that what you have done here? You copied your home folder from another system to the one you are now having problems with? What happens when you use the default home folder given for a new user? 1.) What version of Trisquel are you using? Is it Trisquel-Mini? If so, what version? 2.) Did you choose all the defaults at installation? In other words, if I went through the installer on your hardware and accepted every single default choice would I get your exact setup? 3.) After installation, did you make any major system changes? Are you using the same window manager? What window manager is that? You mentioned Openbox, is that the default, or did you add that? 4.) Are you using the same DE as the default? Was the default XFCE? 5. Has this installation worked before? If so, what are some of the recent changes that you have made? 6.) Has everything worked since your last big change? Basically, what changes have you made to the default Trisquel-Mini install?
Re: [Trisquel-users] fsf gets money from google?
"Recipients cannot help being influenced by their donors"
You are trying to compare this issue with campaign reform and similar
corruption issues. But there are at least two big differences: ease of
impeachment, and number of issues.
It is easier for politicians to break their promises to the people once they
are elected, because they know that it is very hard to be impeached. Also,
everybody knows--people and politicians--that there are many issues
representing many different groups of people. Some issues will receive
greater emphasis than others, it is unavoidable. They can break promises on
some issues, and offend some people and not others. This makes these
politician's vulnerable to bribery.
By contrast, it is impossible for the FSF to break its promise to its people
since there is only a single issue shared by everybody. Also, even if they
did break their promise, the members can reject them immediately ('impeach'
them) and join, or form, another organization.
In other words, any deviation from its single issue will be obvious and they
would be universally censured. It is like getting a drop of tomato sauce on
a pure white t-shirt--you can't miss it. If you have a complex t-shirt, with
lots of colors and patterns, it is easier to hide a tiny stain.
But you are right about one thing, the FSF is doing some things for its
donors:
https://www.fsf.org/patrons/benefits
Re: [Trisquel-users] Stallman Talk
For reference, the following is a transcript of Stallman's statements, from the above video, regarding why the goal of innovation should be less important than the goal of freedom. "Freedom is more important than technical progress, more important than innovation. Our society puts too much emphasis on innovation as a goal. This is to take for granted that innovation is good for us. Well there are situations in which innovation is likely to be good for people, and that's where the people can freely choose which innovations to incorporate into their lives. Then they'll reject the ones that are bad and they'll keep the ones that are good for them. And yes, once in a while there will be a long-term bad side-effect that they won't notice, but you can't avoid that. You make decisions, you occasionally make mistakes. But if people have control over which innovations they use, at least they can avoid the innovations that are a pain in the neck. But nowadays that is not the case, people don't have control over this. Innovations give companies that make nasty products a chance to change them and it's the companies that make sure the innovations serve the companies' interests They don't have to serve the users' interests. For instance, Apple made a big innovation with the iPhone by designing it as a jail--that is putting in censorship of applications so that the users weren't free to install whatever application software that they wanted as [they could] in all previous operating systemsBut the point is, that was a big innovation. An innovation that was subsequently adopted by Microsoft. Democracy was once an innovation. Tyranny was once an innovation. Innovations can be good or bad, and we make a mistake by prizing innovation so much. so as far as i'm concerned innovation is secondary."
Re: [Trisquel-users] Stallman Talk
So, believe it or not, I had not heard of Jaron Lanier until I watched this video. According to the interviewer, Lanier says that FLOSS suffers from a lack of innovation. Stallman's answer, in brief, is that our society places too much value on innovation. That innovations can be good or bad and what matters is that people have the freedom to discover and choose the good ones. "Tyranny was once an innovation; Democracy was once an innovation" says Stallman. Elsewhere I've heard Lanier, a Microsoft lackey, call FLOSS 'uncreative' and 'boring'. Above all else, Lanier's life is devoted to not being bored (like a little child who can't stand it if they are bored even for a moment). So he immerses himself into cutting-edge technology and innovation. He finds that exciting. It is more 'creative'. Like his devotion to collecting and playing rare musical instruments. He is a sell-out. He has sold out his genius in return for the key to a room of exciting toys to play with. Thus his job at Microsoft. If you compare Lanier's life's work to that of Stallman's, you see a clear picture. Stallman has spent his life sacrificing to give us all freedom. Lanier has spent his life avoiding boredom. Stallman is a hero; Lanier is a sell-out.
Re: [Trisquel-users] fsf gets money from google?
"In truth, there are selfish people religious and nonreligious. We all make ethical choices. It is profoundly cynical to say that people need to fear divine revenge for not being good. I do good things because I want to help people. Most people do too." Beautifully said.
Re: [Trisquel-users] fsf gets money from google?
Sounds reasonable. Perhaps this supports that view: https://developers.google.com/open-source/organizations
Re: [Trisquel-users] How to convice others to use FOSS
OK, now I see your point. It is true that different people understand things in different ways. It is reasonable to adapt the style of the message to your audience. Just make sure you are adapting the style only! I really like root_vegetable's point: " Try explaining it to young people and children. If they can understand then you are probably being clear about it. Think about what they would say" I'll add to this by saying, "think about what they would ask" about the 'facts' you are giving them. The last thing you want to do is to convince them that this is all a bunch of bull-s***. These statements are not just directed at you albertoefg. They are for anyone reading this who want to spread the ideas of the Free Software Movement. Thank you for creating this thread albertoefg!
Re: [Trisquel-users] How to convice others to use FOSS
"I know you already like free software but this are for your comment" Which comment? Free software is software that has the four freedoms. If it is missing any of these four freedoms, it is not free. Very simple. The right to fair medical treatment or the rights regarding land ownership are not the same. They may have some things in common, but they are not the same. The relationship of surveillance to free software is that with free software you can find out if you are being spied on. With proprietary software it is much harder, often impossible, to know. It is very common for people to want to model all issues after the free software issues. To explain any injustice the way they would the injustice of non-free software. These issues are not the same. Similar, maybe. But not the same. Freedom in software is its own issue with its own unique challenges and we should treat it that way.
Re: [Trisquel-users] How to convice others to use FOSS
I have many times read Stallman's personal page on how he does his computing. He makes it clear that he is talking about his own personal choices and that he is not making any recommendations for others. By contrast, in his speeches he is telling others what he thinks they should do. Bottom line, which is easier to argue with: 1.) All non-free programs are an injustice. Non-free software should not exist. or 2.) Trisquel is better than Windows/MacOS? Nobody has been able to effectively argue with me on point one. Meanwhile, I have read about a few people leaving Trisquel. Not only did they leave, but they left frustrated and upset that it didn't work out. They were disappointed. I love Trisquel, I think it is awesome! But it is not perfect. It is constantly getting better, but it is not perfect. It is software and software has bugs. The ideological issue about free software is an idea--it has no bugs! Now this is all the ideal. If you are talking to somebody that does not respond to ideas and they just want to 'try' it, then that is your only choice. If you are talking to somebody that does respond to ideas, but you don't explain ideas well, have them watch a video lecture by rms!
Re: [Trisquel-users] How to convice others to use FOSS
Well said. Sad, but true. It is the whole FUD thing over and over again. I have family members--successful professionals with graduate degrees--that will trust me with valuable possessions of theirs, and that know I have training and experience with computers, yet if I suggest that I show them Trisquel in a way that won't affect their computers, they recoil with: "don't touch it, it is working!". "In fact, don't even stand near it or breathe near it or even talk about it--it doesn't like that. Don't mess with the monster and it won't mess with me!" And they have a point! They never know when the thing will crap out on them, so they better behave! Change is dangerous. Just be happy you have a computer that works at all, they think. So when you suggest switching to Trisquel, you are suggesting they change their computing. They have been taught that change is bad when it comes to computers. When you get somebody away from a cult you have to de-program them before you can do anything else. Windows/MacOS users need to be de-programmed. They need to be shown the importance of their digital freedom. Then they will want to switch to Trisquel without any convincing at all. You will notice that Richard Stallman, who has more reason than anyone to show off GNU, chooses to talk about the ideology of the Free Software Movement, the situation people are in, and what is being done to them. He could instead have seminars around the world where he actually boots up and demonstrates the GNU OS and shows why it works better than Windows/MacOS. He can say, "Try it, you'll like it!" After all, once they switch to Trisquel they will stay right? They don't need any ideology, they only need Trisquel.
Re: [Trisquel-users] How to convice others to use FOSS
If you are not committed to freedom, why should you sacrifice the hardware you have that has no free drivers? Why should you give up program X that you need for work, that you like, that you know how to use, and with which you have created years worth of data that is in an incompatible format? Why should you invest time to learn a new way of doing things if the old way works just fine? The ultimate answer is: because freedom is worth it. Period.
Re: [Trisquel-users] How to convice others to use FOSS
Fair enough. Applied to the strategy I suggested, you would help the person understand that her freedom is at stake. Explain to her that if she uses free software she can be free. Explain to her that sometimes her freedom will require a small sacrifice, for example a sacrifice of some convenience. This approach is very different than, "Try it, you'll like it!". The problem with "Try it, you'll like it!" is that if they don't like it, they will regret having tried it and return to proprietary software. If you say to her, "your freedom is at stake, you would be wise to switch to free software--for your own benefit, for your freedom." Then, if Trisquel has some problem some day, her attitude will be, "How can I make this work, because my freedom is important". Instead of, "I tried this because I thought it would be better than Windows or MacOS. But I'm having too much problems, so Windows or MacOS really are better and I'm going back"
Re: [Trisquel-users] How to convice others to use FOSS
Many of your specific ideas are excellent and I love your enthusiasm. Your general approach of getting them interested first, by showing them the good things in free software, is reasonable. It sounds like a great way to get people started. I have followed this approach myself at one point. In fact, if free software required no sacrifices in convenience, then that approach might be good enough. We want people to come to the free side and to stay on the free side. People have to want to stay here in good weather or bad. If they come here expecting good weather all the time, they will leave when they get some bad weather. They need to come here because it is the ethical thing to do. Then there is a chance they will stay here even if it is inconvenient for them, and even if things don't go smoothly for them.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Maintaining Security and Avoiding Surveillance
upvoted as well Thorough, well organized, and well explained. It is nice to have all of this information in one place. I will definitely be returning here many times for guidance in making some of these changes. Thank you!
Re: [Trisquel-users] What are your favorite command-line programs?
Just installed this. Thank you!
Re: [Trisquel-users] What are your favorite command-line programs?
I agree with everything you said. Still, it does not explain why vi is installed by default and Emacs is not?
Re: [Trisquel-users] What are your favorite command-line programs?
If you are going to have only one console-based editor it should be Emacs. The first thing I do after installing Trisquel is download and install Emacs. Why is it not installed by default on Trisquel? As long as Emacs is not installed by default, you need to also know nano (although you don't need to know much since the commands are labelled right in front of you.). If Emacs were installed by default, you wouldn't need to know how to use any other editor. Sometimes you will find yourself in vi by accident. So at the very least everybody should know how to exit it! :q! (type first a ':' then 'q' and then '!' and hit 'Enter') That is like preferring Spanish to English, but at least knowing a view key words of English anyway, like "help" or "don't shoot" :p
Re: [Trisquel-users] Creating email reminders from a calendar program ala google calendar
I guess I can't edit my post if it is the first post of a thread? Using the code tags put in the annoying "[at] and [dot]" So let us see if this works. Here is the full command: pal --mail -r 1 -c 0 | sendemail -f m...@domain.com -t m...@domain.com -u "Today's schedule" -s smtp.domain.com:587 -o tls=yes -xu myusername -xp mypassword
[Trisquel-users] Creating email reminders from a calendar program ala google calendar
So I am trying to completely divest myself of all things Google. One major feature I depend on, however, is email reminders from google calendar. For some odd reason I have not found a libre program to do this (it must be out there, but I've yet to find it). For the moment I am using a calendar program called "pal" and it has the ability to send to email with the following syntax: pal --mail -r 1 -c 0 | sendemail -f m...@domain.com -t m...@domain.com -u "Today's schedule" -s smtp.domain.com:587 -o tls=yes -xu myusername -xp mypassword Explanation: Format output so sendemail can understand it. Send me the first reminder, and don't print a calendar pal --mail -r 1 -c0 pipe output to sendemail so I can email it to myself. | sendemail key to options: -f from email -t to email -u subject line -s smtp server and port -o name/value for authentication tls=yes -xu username -xp password This works! However, because sendemail is receiving piped input, it can't prompt for a password and I have to use a plain-text password in the above command. I would like to set this up as a cron job, but I don't want to store a plain-text password. One final point: The program pal says that --mail is used with sendmail. I couldn't figure out sendmail so easily, so I used sendemail instead. I don't know if sendmail could do this better? Questions: 1.) How can I do this in a way that secures the password? 2.) Is there something simpler? 3.) Could sendmail do this better than sendemail
Re: [Trisquel-users] What are your favorite command-line programs?
Trying to use GUI programs whenever possible is perfectly reasonable. It has been an off-and-on project of mine over the years to develop a large enough repertoire of CLI programs so I could in theory go without X Windows. Obviously, for things like presentation software, or pictures, or videos, etc... I'll need to fire up X Windows. As for aesthetics, I actually like ncurses and the like. It reminds me of a bygone era of monochrome CRTs and 5.25" floppies and even the dreaded DOS! The most important reason I like CLI programs, however, is I often find them clean and fast and more robust. The reason for this thread, from my point-of-view, is that many times people suggest interesting alternatives I would not discover on my own. For example, you kindly recommended elinks in a thread where I mentioned lynx. This is not something I would have looked for, however, since I'm happy enough with lynx. Still, I immediately installed it on your recommendation and I'm glad I have a more user-friendly alternative. Thanks again! Dare I ask what you mean by "commit messages"?
Re: [Trisquel-users] What are your favorite command-line programs?
I've been intending to try ratpoison this weekend. One concern I had was regarding the browser. Of course I could use lynx, but a browser is one of the most important GUI programs I use. I might as well not even run X Windows! So now that you mention Conkeror, I am excited to try it all out. I used i3wm and liked the whole tiling concept. I've used a lot of window managers over the last 14 years--it is almost a hobby! I love keybindings so I will probably like Ratpoison. Besides since you are so thrilled with it, you mention it at every turn, I might as well try it and get it over with! :-)
[Trisquel-users] What are your favorite command-line programs?
Following on this thread: https://trisquel.info/en/forum/whats-your-favorite-not-so-famous-application-trisquel I thought it would be interesting to hear specifically about what CLI programs people like. editor: emacs terminal: gnome-terminal text-browser: lynx email: alpine, mutt package management: apt wireless: wicd
Re: [Trisquel-users] Does Richard Stallman have a protégé?
"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" -Mark Twain
Re: [Trisquel-users] Does Richard Stallman have a protégé?
I agree
Re: [Trisquel-users] Does Richard Stallman have a protégé?
"Like a brother in aRMS?" *Groan* :-)
Re: [Trisquel-users] Trisquelize other non-Free GNU/Linux distributions
Here is an idea: Let's wait to talk about this until after Trisquel 8 is released. If anybody agrees with your script idea, it should still be done after Trisquel 8 is released.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Penguin Adelie GNU / Linux Laptop
Spy untu yu lol, well done!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Trisquelize other non-Free GNU/Linux distributions
Is it easy to go from Windows to Ubuntu? Is it easy to go from MacOS to Ubuntu? It is just as easy to go from Slackware to Fedora. It is just as easy to go from Ubuntu to Trisquel. In all cases you download, put on DVD, and install. What is the problem???
Re: [Trisquel-users] Trisquelize other non-Free GNU/Linux distributions
OK, I understand what the OP really wants. Ubuntu 16.04 came out and the OP does not want to wait for Trisquel 8 Patience!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Trisquelize other non-Free GNU/Linux distributions
I understand exactly what you are saying. You want to make it very very easy for an Ubuntu user to switch to Trisquel. They don't even have to think about the decision, all they have to do is hit a button (run a script). But what happens next? If they like Trisquel as much as Ubuntu, they will like free software. If they don't like Trisquel as much, they won't like free software. This is backwards. First they must believe in free software. Then, they must make a commitment to use Free software (not because it is easy to do, but because it is the right thing to do). Then they will be willing to make sacrifices for it. Since Windows and MacOS don't have a script that converts them to Ubuntu, these Ubuntu users had to install Ubuntu directly. They already know how to install directly. If they are not willing to install Trisquel directly, they are certainly not ready for Trisquel. It is not a question of getting more people to know about Trisquel. What is really needed is more advertising about the Free Software Movement and its emphasis on values. Stallman is great, but we need about 1,000 more people like him and some commercials, billboards, movies, books etc... We need to get the word out. We could do the same with Trisquel, but without the Free Software values, it is pointless. Someone who cares about free software will look for Trisquel (i.e. they will already be reading gnu.org) and they will find Trisquel.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Trisquelize other non-Free GNU/Linux distributions
Be specific. What exactly do you want to do when you say "trisquelize"? What is Ubtu?
Re: [Trisquel-users] New York Wants To Know: Have You Been Texting And Driving?
Stallman discussed this on his personal site back on 4/22/16: https://www.stallman.org/archives/2016-jan-apr.html "The idea of a tool to determine whether a driver's phone was used for text messaging at the time of an accident is fine in principle, but it is almost impossible in practice unless it snoops on a lot more than that. I get the impression Android Auto is based on using proprietary software to restrict users." He links to this article: https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/dwallach/on-distracted-driving-and-required-phone-searches/
Re: [Trisquel-users] Trisquelize other non-Free GNU/Linux distributions
I agree. If the distro cared about becoming free software, you would not need such a script--they would do it themselves. If they do not care enough, then they will have respositories containing non-free software. This would make them ineligible to become an FSF sanctioned officially free distro. We couldn't help them if we wanted to. They have to want to change. It is not as though they have never heard of free software! Now if you are asking why don't we create a free version of a particular distro, the answer is we did! We took Ubuntu and cleaned it of all the non-free software. Why would we want to do that again? We could use that time making this distro even better!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Who legally owns the Trisquel or 'Asociacion Trisquel'?
I am also not a lawyer or an accountant. I agree that paying salaries to employees that run a non-profit is no problem. If one of those employee's is the owner (and probably also either the President or CEO), there is nothing wrong. The only potential problem is if the salary is unreasonable. The basis for choosing a salary is the same as in a for profit business. It is based on what the employee can do for the company--what their labor is worth. If the salary is greater than or equal to the surplus, then the whole surplus should go to the salary. If the salary is less than the surplus and the salary is then increased to absorb the surplus, that could be a problem (again, if the previous salary has already been determined and if the surplus is more than a reasonable raise). For example let us say that a 1,000,000 salary is appropriate: last year you pay yourself 50,000 and the surplus is then 0. Next year you pay yourself 100,000 and the surplus is then 0. Next year you pay yourself 500,000 and the surplus is again 0. And so on. When the surplus is 1,000,001 then the salary is 1,000,000 and the surplus is 1. If next year the surplus is 3,000,000, then after the 1,000,000 salary is deducted as an expense, the surplus is 2,000,000 In other words, the employee (whether owner or not) should get an appropriate salary or be willing to work for less. I could see the argument that the owner should not be allowed to make that decision as he/she is biased. However, in the USA we have the IRS and you do not want to mess with them! They are incredibly powerful. They can throw you in jail if you evade income taxes. This means the owner's income is known and others would sue the owner for fraud if he/she could not justify the salary they are taking. More often than not, an owner/founder of a non-profit is doing the work because they love the cause and will tend to pay themselves less than they deserve (perhaps a reason why somebody other than the owner should determine his/her salary!) In this case, clearly Ruben was taking a big pay cut to work on Trisquel. $500/month if Ruben spends 2 hours per day on the project then he is paying himself less than $10/hour. A good programmer should make at least 5-10 times that much. Even if he took the whole 8,000 it would be much less than he should get paid. If he was doing it for the money he would need to get paid much much more. So, Thank you Ruben!!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Icons on the bottom panel -- remove?
"Yes sir!" Thank you sir. It is nice of you to return the favor.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Icons on the bottom panel -- remove?
No, that is from the mailing list. They send it automatically, unfortunately.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Icons on the bottom panel -- remove?
stop posting email addresses
Re: [Trisquel-users] Icons on the bottom panel -- remove?
Where did you cut and paste the quote from?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Icons on the bottom panel -- remove?
Hold down the ALT key and right-click on the icon. a tiny menu will pop up where you can choose to move or delete the icon. Many people, myself included, have found this design unnecessarily confusing.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Bitcoin, OpenBazaar and Minifree/libiquity
Really looking forward to using Taler. I think they said 2016. Does anybody know of a narrower time frame (i.e. summer, fall, month X, etc...)?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
What I was referring to was the state of the drive before installation. From what you are telling me, it sounds like the drive was brand new with nothing on it. Then the installer formated, installed a file system, etc... Well we did make progress. The live CD has a non-empty /proc directory and it works. My system has a non-empty /proc directory and it works. Your HD has an empty /proc directory and it doesn't work. Fixing that may or may not solve the whole problem. But I think it is a strong clue. I'm going to STFW and give more experienced people a chance to help.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
"The /proc/ folder on the hard drive is completely empty." That doesn't sound good. Did you format the drive? What file system did you put on it?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
This file: lsmod.txt is it from the hard drive install, or the LiveCD? My guess is that it is from the LiveCD, since you can't run commands so easily when you are in the hard drive installation. When you use the LiveCD and mount the hard drive, navigate the hard drive and find the file /proc/modules and post a copy of it here. Then we can compare it to lsmod.txt and see where they differ.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Windows and Ubuntu Might Become the Same Thing?
A new thread was created in the troll hole for this. I encourage you to resume the discussion there: https://trisquel.info/en/forum/science-denialism-academic-freedom-and-philosophy-science#comment-94661
Re: [Trisquel-users] Windows and Ubuntu Might Become the Same Thing?
"Skepticism is generally any questioning attitude towards unempirical knowledge or opinions/beliefs stated as facts" from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skepticism I agree with your main point, root_vegetable. Your use of the term "skeptics" in a disparaging way, however, is both incorrect and ironic. You, and several people here with similar views are expressing their skepticism toward many of these bullshit ideas. Maybe you mean "charlatans" or "pseudo-scientists". Not "skeptics" as that disparages yourself. You are skeptical of ideas without a scientific basis. See the skeptics society and/or read the wikipedia article posted above. I'm just trying to make sure you point our indignation in the right direction!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
Well, the last line of dmesg says it can't mount some removable media. Do you have a USB device attached? The thing is, you are saying the laptop works perfectly when run off the liveCD. Let's compare the modules. Use the LiveCD to access the /proc/modules file that is on the HD and post that here. Then, while using the LiveCD, type: lsmod and post the content here. We will then compare what modules are loaded in each case.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
Did you follow up on this post I made: This person has a similar problem. It looks like modifying the initramfs may be a solution. https://askubuntu.com/questions/629922/linux-full-disk-encryption-password-prompt-completely-unreadable same problem:
Re: [Trisquel-users] Windows and Ubuntu Might Become the Same Thing?
Sometimes it only takes a 4th grade science project to debunk a pseudo-science: " Emily Rosa, at 9 years of age, conceived and executed a study on therapeutic touch. With the help of Stephen Barrett from Quackwatch, and with the assistance of her mother, Linda Rosa, RN, Emily became the youngest research team member to have a paper accepted by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) for her part in a study of therapeutic touch, which debunked the claims of therapeutic touch practitioners." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapeutic_touch#Scientific_investigations P.S. I know I said I was only making the one post in this thread. The key word was THIS thread--i.e. remotely resembling the topic of the OP: The Canonical/MS project. This has gone so far away from the original topic, it has become a thread unto itself. A thread that really belongs in "The Troll Hole" IMHO. Don't get me wrong, I like a good discussion of scientific epistemology as much as the next person. Normally, however, this forum is saved for helping people with technical problems. If some of the veterans here are concerned with how this will all look to newcomers, and I think they are right to give that some consideration, then relegating this to the Troll Hole is really the appropriate way to go.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
What is revealing here is that your laptop works with Trisquel when using the Live CD! In thinking methodically about what the difference is, I see it as follows: 1.) It is the difference in media, which you are examining now. I agree that it is probably not the answer. 2.) The content of the install compared to what is on the Live CD. In this second case, it may be that the install does not have the modules or drivers that are on the Live CD. In other words, the install is not installing those modules/drivers even though they are available on the Live CD. One solution in this case is probably to load the relevant modules/drivers manually. To do that, you need to know what they are or have a method of finding out what they are. My previous post with the link about initramfs may be your best bet since the symptoms that person was experiencing were similar to yours. At this point I believe my experience has run out and I defer to the many people here that are more qualified than I am to address this! The various recommendations I've made regarding testing have hopefully given you more information to present to those people. Good luck, and if I think of anything else I will let you know.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
"I also plugged the SSD into another pc of mine, there everything worked as it should." When you say that everything worked, do you mean that you could run your Trisquel install from the SSD but on your PC? If not, then how did you test the SSD drive?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
Another alternative would be to install on a USB hard drive. I've done that with Trisquel (as well as on my desktop and laptop). If the OP has a usb HD or usb thumb drive, that would be a worthwhile experiment. Even if the OP doesn't have a thumb drive, you can buy one for less than $10
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
Also, I'd forgotten about replacing a hd in a laptop. Even though I did it to a thinkpad back in 2004 along with changing the RAM. Aside from the internal changes, I remember I added an external sound card and a bunch of other stuff. In the end I would have been better off buying a new laptop! Although the thinkpad did work great for at least 5 more years. It was still working well, but it got to the point where the processor was so old it fell below the minimum requirements of most new software.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
Does that mean he can put back the original and try installing on it?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
Then my recommendation was that he try that.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
When you say, "I've switched the HDD to a new SSD" What do you mean exactly? This is a laptop correct? So is the SSD running off USB? What happens if you use the original HDD for the installation?
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
This person has a similar problem. It looks like modifying the initramfs may be a solution. https://askubuntu.com/questions/629922/linux-full-disk-encryption-password-prompt-completely-unreadable same problem:
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
also, have you tried resetting the terminal by typing: reset
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
When you are accessing the system using the live CD, what output do you get when you run dmesg and what can you find in the /var/log files
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
It wouldn't surprise me if you need to pass some parameter to GRUB. That isn't something I know much about. I have switched fonts in a virtual terminal before using setfont. Make sure you are logged in the way you did before, and type: setfont /usr/share/consolefonts/Lat7-Terminus28x14.psf hit Enter
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
What happens if you try to start the GUI with: sudo start lightdm hit Enter type in password hit Enter Then, if the screen is still black with white writing, try Ctrl-Alt-f7 Actually, maybe try Ctrl-Alt-f7 first and see if it is already started.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Fresh Trisquel installation shows mystical signs
I like onpon4's idea. What happens if: 1.) you try to switch virtual terminals with Ctrl-Alt-F3 (or F1, F2, F4, F5, or F6)? 2.) You type in your username, hit Enter, then type in your password and hit Enter?
Re: [Trisquel-users] What's your favorite not-so-famous application on Trisquel?
On the lighter side: GNUGo with cgoban: A Go playing engine with a GUI front end (cgoban). Although you can use GNUGo in ASCII mode if you prefer a text-based version use X11 More serious, but I am not sure how well known it is here (I had never heard of it before): i3 window manager
Re: [Trisquel-users] New to Trisquel - No Gnome panel
I agree. Over the years, when I wanted a lightweight setup I would use fluxbox or even window maker. Whenever I tried XFCE certain things didn't seem to work and the whole thing just didn't seem worth it. In desperation, during some test one day, after trying many other WMs, I tried XFCE and it solved my problem. Now I use XFCE4 on my desktop all the time and so far I find it to be quite robust and as of now I have no complaints. Like root_vegetable, I immediately configured XFCE to look like GNOME classic. There was this annoying thing about getting panel objects, like the clock, to stay all the way to the right. Then I found out there was a trick involving using a separator, and again all is well in Denmark!
Re: [Trisquel-users] Windows and Ubuntu Might Become the Same Thing?
I will only make one post in this thread: If I recall correctly, the argument was that this benefits MS Developers. How does it benefit Ubuntu? I don't have an answer for that, and I'd love to hear yours.
Re: [Trisquel-users] Computer Hangs after waking from Suspend/Hibernate - How to locate pm-suspend.log ?
/var/log/pm-suspend.log /var/log/pm-suspend.log.1
