Configuration of thunderbird for Gmail

Here is the link: https://commons.lbl.gov/display/google/Thunderbird+configuration+for+Gmail

conversion of Kindle format

Kindle have its own document format, .azw. Right now Amazon supports the conversion from .doc, .txt, .rtf... editable text format. You can send your file to @kindle.com. Then Amazon would send directly to your kindle via wireless 3G for a fee. Or send you the download link of converted file via your computer USB port for free. Then you download it to the kindle's "documents" folder. You can simply send the file to @free.kindle.com, then Amazon would give your the download link for free, you can download it to your kindle's "documents" folder.

Free book collection

There's free book collection on the Amazon page. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/b/?node=2245146011

PDF support of Kindle DX

The PDF support of Kindle DX doesn't work well. But it really can read the PDF files without adjustment of font. I tried to convert PDF files to Kindle version, but it doesn't support this kind of conversion. It supports .txt, .doc, ..... So maybe it's better to convert PDF to .doc first. It will be difficult problem.

There are many free Kindle books. It seems to be some conpensation to me for this business deal.

If you want to transfer PDF to your Kindle, you can attach your file to mail to @kindle.com, then Amazon would send the PDF to your kindle via wireless 3G network with a charge fee. Or you can transfer the file via USB for free(put it in the folder "documents" of kindle.) The two ways are not different.

First try of Kindle DX

Everything is set except I don't find any power adapter. I have the USB power adapter which is the legacy of iPod Shuffle. I followed the instruction on the Kindle's screen. Plug the power adapter, use the navaigation menu, read the Kindle's guide at the first glance. I can look up words at the Oxford American dictionary, and listen by "Text-to-speech." Then I tried to use the 3G wireless funtionality to access gmail, google reader. It works good but the black-white screen reminds me this is not a computer or laptop. Then I clicked on the "shop on Amazon store." Everything goes as easy as possible. Searching and buying books, subscribing newspapers, all are easy jobs. But if you want to play well with this Kindle DX, you need to be patient sometimes. Anyway, it's a good book reader device, reading on the screen is like reading words on some plastic product. Kindle DX is actually not lightweight for I holded it for one hour but I can easily ignore the weight while I enjoy the reading. The most inadvantage of Kindle to me is that most of mathematics textbooks don't have kindle version. It supports original PDF. I hope it will work fine.

To access gmail, google reader, open the URL: google.com/m/gmail, google.com/m/reader. (update: or can try: reader.google.com)

Kindle DX arrived

Today I receive my Kindle DX from Amazon.com online shop. Today is also a sunny day and I can feel some breeze through the air. It's a nice day, isn't it?

I think I should post this one on Facebook, because it's not a technical article. But there will be articles about this Kindle DX, so I still need to post some memorial article on Blogger. It's a new device to me. And it seems not working very well yet.

Integrate thunderbird into indicator applet

After installing back the gnome indicator applet, I want to have an option of composing messages and contacts book. I tried the method used in my old post, it doesn't work. I tried the following tedious way.

Copy file:/usr/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop to /usr/share/applications/thunderbird-mailto.desktop
Copy file:/usr/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop to /usr/share/applications/thunderbird-contact.desktop

Compose new message
Edit the file:/usr/share/applications/thunderbird-mailto.desktop
change the line:Name=Thunderbird... to Name=Compose New Message
Exec=thunderbird %u to Exec=thunderbird %u mailto:
create a file in /usr/share/indicator/messages/thunder-mailto, and add the line:
/usr/share/applications/thunderbird-mailto.desktop

Address Book
Edit the file:/usr/share/applications/thunderbird-contact.desktop
change the line:Name=Thunderbird... to Name=Address Book
Exec=thunderbird %u to Exec=thunderbird %u -addressbook
create a file in /usr/share/indicator/messages/thunder-contact, and add the line:
/usr/share/applications/thunderbird-contact.desktop

update: The address book method can't work.

Back to gm-notify

For using Gnome gmail notifier for several days, Gnome gmail notifier can't check email very well. Every time I boot my system, the Gnome gmail notifer seems to fail to check email. So I decide to use gm-notify, and use another gmail account to fetch my gmail accounts (gm-notify only supports one gmail account.)

Because gm-notify was integrated into the indicator applet, it's better to install indicator applet, then I can easily check mail and open mail.

gm-notify have a good funtionality that can let me also check labels of gmail account. So I set up to transfer mails of my non-personal account to my personal account, and set a filter in personal account that can apply a lebal to all mails from non-personal account. Then I check the personal mail account and the label of non-personal account. It should be noticed that the filter need to be set for "to: non-personal account." I used to set "from: non-personal account," but nothing happened. After I checked the detail of mail, I found these mails from non-personal account are all detailed by "to: non-personal account."


add gm-notify PPA to software sources

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gm-notify-maintainers/ppa
sudo apt-get update

install indicator applet

sudo apt-get install indicator-messages

install gm-notify

sudo apt-get install gm-notify

Picasa alternative - F-spot

F-spot is a good alternative of Picasa in Ubuntu. It can easily export photos to PicasaWeb, flicker, .....

Backup system by Clonezilla

Here is the link: http://clonezilla.org/

There are many ways to use Clonezilla to backup system, CD, USB flash drive, Hard drive, PXE server. I use USB flash drive.

Partition and format USB stick drive
fdisk /dev/sdb
/dev/sdb1 w95 fat32
/dev/sdb2 linux
/dev/sdb5 linux

Install Clonezilla live to USB flash drive
download Clonezilla: http://clonezilla.org/download/sourceforge/alternative/iso-zip-files.php
make /dev/sdb1 bootable
mount /dev/sdb1 /media/usb
uncompress the file: unzip clonezilla.zip -d /media/usb

Boot from USB flash drive

Choose ToRam option to start Clonezilla live

Choose source disk and target disk

Compile a kernel in Ubuntu

Here is the link: http://blog.avirtualhome.com/2010/05/05/how-to-compile-a-ubuntu-lucid-kernel/

Processor

Select particular processor: Pentinum M
Processor type and features  ---> Processor family
Disable following features
Processor type and features  ---> SMT (Hyperthreading) scheduler support

Processor type and features  ---> Generic x86 support
Processor type and features  ---> Support for extended (non-PC) x86 platforms

Miscellaneous

The following suggestions won’t improve the size or speed of the kernel but they will reduce the compilation time.

I disable all filesystems I am not running:

File systems  --->

I disable all network options I am not using, like IPX, AppleTalk:

Networking support ---> Amateur Radio support
Networking support ---> WiMAX Wireless Broadband support
Networking support ---> Networking options  ---> The IPX protocol
Networking support ---> Networking options  ---> Appletalk protocol support
Networking support ---> Networking options  ---> ARCnet support
Networking support ---> Networking options  ---> Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)

Sync Google reader with Thunderbird

Add calendar functionality to Thunderbird: install add-on Lightning

Install add-on Provider for Google reader to sycn with google reader

Get rid of indicator applet

Here is the link: http://ubuntugenius.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/remove-evolution-mail-notifier-from-indicator-applet-in-ubuntus-system-tray/
This is also helpful: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1477297

Because I prefer using Thunderbird mail client instead of Evolution mail client, I tried other mail notification instead of default mail notification which only support Evolution mail client. After trying different mail notification, I decide to use gnome gmail notifier(Gmail Notifier). gm-notify can be integrated into gnome indicator applet well, but it doesn't support multi-accounts. Gnome gmail notifier can't be integrated into gnome indicator applet. Although gnome indicator applet support many chat accounts and message accounts which are included in Empathy IM client. But I only use Skype which is not included in Empathy IM client. So I will remove the panel of gnome indicator applet and MeMenu(This is also about status of those chat services.)

sudo apt-get remove evolution-indicator evolution

messaging notifications:

sudo apt-get remove indicator-messages

MeMenu:

sudo apt-get remove indicator-me

refresh the gnome panel:

killall gnome-panel

To play windows media player in Firefox (MMS)

Playing the mms format (Windows media player network protocol) is always a problem in Linux. In Ubuntu, After installing Gstreamer plugins for mms, wavpack, quicktime, musepack, then install totem-mozilla package, mms stream can be played well in the Firefox.

Multimedia support in Ubuntu

When you can't play some multimedia format in Ubuntu, you can try to find some gstreamer plugin package.

VLC media player is a good alternative of default Totem movie player of Ubuntu. But sometimes it would cause Firefox meltdown. I have not found any problem of Totem movie player until now. It supports most of media format including mkv format.

Customize firefox for netbook

Here is link: http://www.ubuntumini.com/2010/04/customizing-firefox-36-for-netbooks.html

Make the Tool icon smaller, Remove the bookmark toolbar

Add Firefox add-on
Compact menu 2, autoHideStatusbar, custom Downlaod manager

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To access Firefox's Configuration File
Autohide The Tab bar when only displaying a Single Tab:
- Type browser.tabs.autohide into the filter box
- Double click the browser.tabs.autohide entry to set the value to true


Make Firefox Run Faster By Enabling Piplining:
Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining, it will make several attempts at once, which really speeds up page loading. It's not very nice to slam websites with multiple requests. Be a good person and limit yourself to a reasonable number.
- Type network.http.pipelining into the filter bar
- Double click the network.http.pipelining entry to set the value to true
- Type network.http.proxy.pipelining into the filter bar
- Double click the network.http.proxy.pipelining entry to set the value to true
- Type network.http.pipelining.maxrequests into the filter bar
- Double click the network.http.pipelining.maxrequests entry and set the maxrequests to 15
- Right-click anywhere inside Firefox about:config page and select New-> Integer
- Name it nglayout.initialpaint.delay and set its value to 0 (zero)


Stop Firefox from Loading Pages in the Background:
Firefox downloads webpages from links it thinks you may click. This may make the experience seem faster but really it just bogs down Firefox and your netbook.
- Type network.prefetch-next into the filter bar
- Double click the network.prefetch-next entry to set it to false

Integrate GMail notification to indicator applet

Here is link: http://bleedingpaper.com/gm-notify/

To add PPA to software sources:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gm-notify-maintainers/ppa

sudo apt-get update

Install gm-notify

sudo apt-get install gm-notify

Integrate thunderbird into Gnome new indicator applet

In Ubuntu
Here is the link: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1439519
The other: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/05/how-to-add-thunderbird-to-messaging.html

Create a Desktop file for thunderbird in

/usr/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop

Edit

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Thunderbird Mail
GenericName=Mail Client
Comment=Manage your email and contacts
Exec=thunderbird %u
Icon=evolution
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Network;Email;
StartupNotify=true

X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=Compose;Contacts

Name[en_GB]=thunderbird.desktop

[Compose Shortcut Group]
Name=Compose New Message
Exec=thunderbird mailto:
OnlyShowIn=Messaging Menu

[Contacts Shortcut Group]
Name=Contacts
Exec=thunderbird -addressbook
OnlyShowIn=Messaging Menu

Add new file in

/usr/share/indicators/messages/applications/thunderbird

Edit

/usr/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop