Tux Droid by Kysoh.

Get your own.

The Skype team recently released a 1.4 Beta for Linux. I downloaded and installed the Ubuntu .deb, but when I tried to install and run it, got the following error:

algebraist@orogeny:$ sudo dpkg --force-architecture -i skype-1.4.0.74.deb
dpkg - warning, overriding problem because --force enabled:
 package architecture (i386) does not match system (amd64)
(Reading database ... 191043 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace skype 1.3.0.53-1 (using skype-1.4.0.74.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement skype ...
Setting up skype (1.4.0.74-1) ...
Installing new version of config file /etc/dbus-1/system.d/skype.conf ...
algebraist@orogeny:$ skype
skype: error while loading shared libraries: libQtDBus.so.4: cannot open shared
object file: No such file or directory

After looking around, I found an excellent solution: getlibs. It’s a shell script for Debian-based distros that finds and installs shared dependencies for 32-bit binaries running on 64-bit systems. I downloaded and installed the script, and for the new Skype binary, I did the following:

algebraist@orogeny:$ getlibs /usr/bin/skype
Matched library libQtDBus.so.4 to /feisty/libs/libqt4-core
Matched library libQtGui.so.4 to /feisty/libs/libqt4-gui
Matched library libQtNetwork.so.4 to /feisty/libs/libqt4-core
Matched library libQtCore.so.4 to /feisty/libs/libqt4-core
Matched library libsigc-2.0.so.0 to /feisty/libs/libsigc++-2.0-0c2a
The following i386 libraries will be installed:
libQtAssistantClient.so.4 libQtAssistantClient.so.4.2
libQtAssistantClient.so.4.2.3 libQtCore.so.4 libQtCore.so.4.2
libQtCore.so.4.2.3 libQtDBus.so.4 libQtDBus.so.4.2
libQtDBus.so.4.2.3 libQtDesignerComponents.so.4
libQtDesignerComponents.so.4.2 libQtDesignerComponents.so.4.2.3
libQtDesigner.so.4 libQtDesigner.so.4.2 libQtDesigner.so.4.2.3
libQtGui.so.4 libQtGui.so.4.2 libQtGui.so.4.2.3 libQtNetwork.so.4
libQtNetwork.so.4.2 libQtNetwork.so.4.2.3 libQtOpenGL.so.4
libQtOpenGL.so.4.2 libQtOpenGL.so.4.2.3 libQtSvg.so.4
libQtSvg.so.4.2 libQtSvg.so.4.2.3 libQtTest.so.4 libQtTest.so.4.2
libQtTest.so.4.2.3 libQtXml.so.4 libQtXml.so.4.2 libQtXml.so.4.2.3
libsigc-2.0.so.0 libsigc-2.0.so.0.0.0 qt4
Continue? (y/n)
y
Libraries have been installed.
algebraist@orogeny:$ skype
skype: error while loading shared libraries: libdbus-1.so.3: cannot open
shared object file: No such file or directory
algebraist@orogeny:$ getlibs /usr/bin/skype
Matched library libdbus-1.so.3 to /feisty/libs/libdbus-1-3
The following i386 libraries will be installed:
libdbus-1.so.3 libdbus-1.so.3.2.0
Continue? (y/n)
y
Libraries have been installed.
algebraist@orogeny:$ skype

It runs. (Sound, however, is a separate issue. Skype has started to offer some help on sound for Linux users, here.)

getlibs could be a boon for 64-bit Linuxers. Good job ‘Cappy’, and thanks for the script!

Firefox 1.5.0.7 using the theme Red Shift 1.1.01, displaying my red-black-white themed blog, on a wallpaper with a red and black dragon.

Another perspective, showing a red-black Beryl Skydome.

Now if I can just find a nice red-black-white theme for Thunderbird…

Here it is. No more dual-booting.

The money shot — UltimateBet’s WinXP poker client, running in XP Pro in VMWare. Also running is Firefox 2, in XP. On the left, Amarok (music player) and Konsole, in KDE.

Recently acquired a new Asus G1. This was a chance to go all out and build a beta-beast — a machine running the latest and greatest everything, with all the bells and whistles. The ultimate goal is to have a desktop replacement tricked out for cross-platform web development.

So far, I am seeing some instability problems (X / KDE crashing at seemingly random times). This is a work in progress.

Hardware Specs:

• Processor: ASUS G1 Intel® Core™2 Duo T7200 (2.0GHz)
• Screen: 15.4″ WSXGA+ (1680×1050) ColorShine
• RAM: 2048M DDR2 667
• Hard Disk: 160GB HD 5400 RPM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForceGo 7700 GPU 512 MB

Operating System: Kubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn 64-bit

The famous Cube

Another shot of the Cube

‘Rubbery’ windows

Running VLC in Beryl

Running VMWare and Ubuntu Ultimate Gamers’ Edition

The ‘Scale’ function in Beryl

VLC playing video within VMWare, within Beryl

I will be installing XP and Vista in VMWare, and reporting back. Stay tuned.

Forget about remote installation of Debian/Ubuntu. I decided to get a new server, with a new host, Rackmounted.com. Chose the CeleronD option, at 2.66GHz.

They will install Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper Drake for me, and after that I’m on my own. Just the way I want it. The package is $64/month (no commercial control panel, just going with Webmin… Plesk is an additional $35/month! Forget that…) with a $99 setup fee. They waive the fee if you pay for a year’s hosting, but I’m not willing to do that. Want to try them out first. Check back for additional reports.

My dedicated server, used for Exhibit and other projects, is located in Texas, hosted by EV1. It’s a nice machine, lots of storage, lots of bandwidth. The only problem is that it runs a) Red Hat Enterprise Linux, b) Ensim, c) PHP 4.x and d) MySQL 4.x. Exhibit uses PHP code from PHP5, and needs MySQL 5 too.

Upgrading to PHP5 has not been a problem — however, the server is no longer supported, because EV1 will only support their outdated packages. Upgrading to MySQL5 has not been so easy — at first, we did a separate installation, so that MySQL5 and 4.x both existed on the server, but MySQL5 was fired up separately.

After fidgeting and fiddling with it for several months, I’ve decided that I want to wipe the entire server, and put some sort of .deb-based distro on it, preferably Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (’Dapper Drake’).

Although I haven’t looked into it, I suspect EV1 will balk at this project. Not only will they obviously not support Ubuntu, but I don’t think they’ll even install it for me. (Still checking on this, as of the time of writing). So I’ve been looking into remotely installing Debian or Ubuntu. I’ve found one tutorial for Debian, here, and a tutorial that builds off the Debian one, for Ubuntu.

I haven’t tried the tutorials yet… Going to brood about it for a few days or weeks, and if nothing promising develops with the EV1 people, I’ll have to go ahead and give it a shot.