With Sony being the proprietary fools that they are, I have explained how to set up VirtualBox on your Linux OS so you can run Windows, so you can access files on your Sony MiniDisc Walkman. Now I am going to tell you about another, more attractive solution: The linux-minidisc project. Click to continue »
Ubuntu
...now browsing by tag
action
Arkansas
art
basic
bike
calligraphy tool
cold
d3000
difference
digital
drawings
drop shadow
Fayetteville
fonts
Gimp
google
gradients
hendrix
Inkscape
John LeMasney
Kdenlive
layer masks
layers
Linux
minidisc
nexus one
nikon
nodes
paths tool
Photography
programming
Python
softball
sports
st. patrick's day
super groovy
Ubuntu
Ukulele
verizon
video
video editing
virtualbox
wallpaper
windows
youtube
The linux-minidisc project
Monday, June 14th, 2010A note about installing Ubuntu 10.04
Saturday, April 10th, 2010I ran into this problem, and Dr.Arthur had the same problem. He and Splitpaw from ubunite.com and I discussed this on Facebook. If you’re installing Ubuntu 10.04 and you have multiple displays, disconnect all except the main monitor. Otherwise, the Live CD will freeze on the splash screen. That’s just a purely empirical view based on two people’s experiences. Have you installed Lucid whilst multiple displays are connected? Leave a comment.
VirtualBox setup complete
Sunday, March 28th, 2010
I installed the closed source edition of VirtualBox and then I got Windows installed inside of that. I had a little bit of trouble figuring out how to get the USB ports to work, but after a little while I had it all up and running just fine. One thing I had to do was make sure I was part of the vboxusers group. In Ubuntu, I clicked System -> Administration -> Users and Groups. I clicked the key button and entered my sudo password to make changes. I clicked “Manage Groups” and found the “vboxusers” entry. I opened that up and made sure there was a check mark next to my name and next to root.
I restarted the computer so the Users and Groups list would be reloaded. Then I started up Windows in VirutalBox. I attached my MiniDisc but it still didn’t show up in Windows. It appeared on the Ubuntu desktop. So I looked around some more. I found this line in the VirtualBox online user manual:
In order to use VirtualBox’s USB support, the user account under which you intend to run VirtualBox must have read and write access to the USB filesystem (
usbfs).
So I went about trying to figure out how to get read/write access to usbfs. I found some posts from ’07 and ’08 that said I had to edit a file called “mountdevsubfs.sh” But the lines in that file that the post said to make the changes on didn’t exist. Then I found another post that said USB should be working “straight out of the box” now. I had read a post earlier that talked about USB filters in the VirtualBox settings. I tried that. I checked the USB settings in VirtualBox for the Windows machine. I had the MiniDisc plugged in and I clicked the “add filter” button. The MiniDisc showed up right away. I started Windows again and POW! The MiniDisc was there and I was able to transfer files from it using SonicStage.
So a big shout-out goes to cigarboxuke. You are awesome. Thanks for suggesting I use VirtualBox. Now I’m going to put Ubuntu 10.04 on the previously Windows-occupied machine and put VirtualBox on it, too.
As always, comments are greatly appreciated. See you soon.
Windows inside VirtualBox
Saturday, March 27th, 2010
Installing Windows in VirtualBox
At the suggestion of cigarboxuke, I am installing Windows in a VirtualBox on my Ubuntu laptop. Everything seems to be going well. Amazingly well, actually. I will give a full report when it’s finished.
Adding fonts in Ubuntu
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010We’re going to take a little break from Gimp and Inkscape today. Let’s talk about fonts. Wild and crazy fonts are always fun when you’re playing with images (for example, our Super Groovy Wallpaper). But sometimes the fonts that come with your computer just aren’t enough. What can we do about this? Well, if you’re using Windows or Mac OSX, I don’t know. But if you’re using Ubuntu Linux, you’re in luck because it’s easy!
Downloading fonts
There are literally tons of fonts available out there on the web. Sites like dafont.com have hundreds, if not thousands of fonts for you to download. Just do a Google search and you’re drowning in fonts. Browse around and find something you like. Download the link. It will probably be a .zip file. Save it on your desktop, your downloads folder, whatever. Go to where the .zip file is on your computer and extract it. Usually it will make another folder there. But sometimes it will just drop the files out right there without putting them in a convenient folder. No worries.
Installing the fonts
In Ubuntu, open up your home folder. Click on the View menu and make sure that “Show Hidden Files” has a check-mark beside it. Look around in that folder for a folder called “.fonts” and open it up. If there is no .fonts file, Just create it in your home folder. Be sure that there is a period at the beginning of the name. Now that you’re in that folder, all you need to do is copy the folder (or files) you extracted earlier into this folder. Start up whatever application you want to use this font with and it should show up in the fonts menu now. Easy Cheesy Lemon Squeezey!
I even made a video for you, just in case:
Anyone out there know how to add fonts in Windows or Mac OSX? What is your favorite font? Leave a comment.
