This is my second post in setting up my Ubuntu 13.10 install. I am working to reinstall my laptop from scratch, and I have grouped all of my notes for my Internet-related programs in this post: email, browsers, VPN, etc.
Email (Evolution)
Most of my email needs are met by GMail. I like the lack of photo ads, and I like that I can setup and manage multiple email addresses in the same location.
I recently ran across a situation where I had to run one email address outside my norm. I am having to setup Evolution and Exchange to manage that account. So, here’s the packages that I installed in the software center:
- evolution
- evolution-mapi
- evolution-ews
- python-samba (requirement by evolution-mapi)
Since I already had all of my configuration setup before my install, I just restored from backup. I restored the following two directories: ~/.local/share/evolution and ~/.config/evolution . For some reason, that didn’t work at first. Evolution kept giving me the configuration wizard like it was the first time I was running evolution. I rebooted, and then it picked up my previous configuration just like before my install.
Chrome
Originally, I had downloaded Chrome from the Chrome website. Then, I remembered that I had the beta version installed before. I downloaded that instead from the Chrome Beta website.
I found that restoring ~/.config/google-chrome is for the stable version. ~/.config/google-chrome-beta is for the beta version that I installed.
Also, I changed the hostname of my computer between my backup and my restore. It’s kind of silly, but it did cause an issue. I got this dialog upon starting Chrome for the first time:
Once I clicked “Unlock Profile and Relaunch”, everything worked fine.
Also, I set the default browser to Chrome too.
VPN
I frequently use various VPN technologies for connecting to different networks. So, I attempted to install all of the different VPN libraries with this command:
sudo apt-get install vpnc \
network-manager-vpnc \
network-manager-openconnect \
openconnect \
network-manager-iodine \
network-manager-openvpn \
network-manager-strongswan
The configuration for each one was restored with this directory: /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections
Also, I installed the LogMeIn Hamachi VPN. First, I went to the LogMeIn Labs page, and clicked “Learn More” under “LogMeIn Hamachi for Linux (Beta) command line version”. There, I downloaded logmein-hamachi_2.1.0.119-1_amd64.deb.
I also installed the GUI from WebUpd8. I let it help me configure Hamachi for me. These are the commands to install the GUI :
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/haguichi sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install haguichi haguichi-appindicator
Then, when I started up haguichi, it offered a configure button.
It went off and did something behind the scenes. Then, it opened up the connect button. First, I changed my nickname: Client > Change nickname. Then, I connected: Client > Connect. Finally, I joined the network: Client > Join Network.
The join dialog asked for a network name. I found that it was the Network ID that worked (3 sets of 3 numbers). It sent a join request and the administrator accepted, I could see the computers in our network.
Also, the Client > Configuration > Open Folder menu shows that the folder where the configuration is stored is /var/lib/logmein-hamachi.
Skype
I had to enable the Cannonical Partners repository.
After that, I just did:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install skype
With restoring ~/.Skype, everything works just like it did before. My sound isn’t quite right, but I’ll fix that later.
To make sure that I get logged in when my laptop starts, I checked the “Start Skype minimized in the system tray” option in the General page of the options. Then, I added Skype to the Startup Applications.
FileZilla
FTP access is a common need for anyone with a website. Entering an “ftp://” url into the File Manager is a quick easy way to get to FTP sites for simple tasks. For doing large downloads, you may want a complete FTP client. FileZilla works great for me.
I installed FileZilla from the Software Center. Then, I restored the ~/.filezilla directory to keep my settings.
WINS Name Resolution
Often times, I work with other Windows machines. It’s frustrating when I can’t get to the machine by its name. So, here’s how I fixed it:
I edited nsswitch.conf;
sudo gedit /etc/nsswitch.conf
Then, I added “wins” to the “hosts” line:
Stavros’ Stuff: How to resolve hostnames in linux
Remmina
I have been using Remmina for a while. It’s very nice for organizing all of my remote desktop and other remote connections. It’s already installed. I just needed to check the “Start tray icon automatically” on the first page of the preferences.
I have been growing a little disappointed in Remmina. I see from the Remmina website that the last version was released in February 2012, so it’s been over a year since an update. What’s more is that the version installed reports 0.9.99.1 instead of the latest 1.0 version. I had hopes that some of the bugs I have been experiencing might have been fixed.
One search turned up another option. I’ll have to give 2x RDP desktop client a try. I’ll save that for later.