tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40510157181999231192024-03-18T04:48:22.691-05:00Just Plain Obviousandrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-40705587798802533092016-01-28T08:13:00.000-06:002016-01-28T08:13:03.785-06:00Gear Review: KEEN Alamosa WP Hiking BootsI'm really impressed with KEEN's waterproof Alamosa hiking boot. You can watch my short video review here and/or read the text below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f-97w2tKSAU" width="560"></iframe><br />
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This is a review of the KEEN Alamosa hiking boot that you see right here in front of you. I've owned this boot for about 6 months now. I've done a number of mid-length hikes in them: Grand Canyon (down and up) Mount Baldy in the San Antonio range in California, and some shorter ones in cooler weather up in Ontario and the Canadian Shield, which is where I live.<br />
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The construction of this boot is all very soft, very pliable leather. Very lightweight. I want to emphasize that... it's a lightweight hiking boot. It's probably not going to give you the support of a full, heavier hiking boot. But for what you're getting it's amazing. Amazing support for this lightweight hiking boot.<br />
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Together they weigh less than 1 kg. About 990 g, that's about 2.2 or 2.3 lbs for he pair, together. So, nice and lightweight.<br />
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Being a KEEN, it's got the nice toe-stop here, and a very generous toebox, which is what I like. This is a size 11, which is a European 44.5. It fits me perfectly, my first pair of KEEN's actually but probably not my last. Lots of room in the toebox which is what I like and then you can cinch up the ankle with the lacing.<br />
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One lace, lots of little pulls that are adjustable. So if you see here, this will give if you want. It's connected down here and around the back and it comes out again on the other side. So you can alce it up and get a really snug feeling all the way around your heel and that's really handy when you're going downhill, or encountering some difficult terrain, or carrying a heavy backpack.<br />
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IT's got the quick lace-up here, all plastic, no metal on this boot. Nice plastic quick lace. They've got a really nice eye in there so the lace grabs right in there and holds it really well, really tight.<br />
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It's a waterproof boot, and I can attest to that. I've hiked through water that's probably up to about here. At least ankle-deep water, and my feet have remained largely dry. Maybe a little bit, you know, where it's crept in around the tongue, a little bit wet there. But that's just a function of the water going too high. It's got the KEENDry system. What you can see is that it's brown up here and inside it gets a little silver lining. The lining goes all the way around and that's what they call the KeenDry lining. I'm not sure if it's a GoreTex or something like that but basically from this point all the way around it's covering down, so you stay nice and dry in there.<br />
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Good ventilation. All of this is mesh, so very pliable, very breathable in the hot weather. It was about maybe 30 C in the Grand Canyon and my feet didn't sweat too much. And then the hikes I've done around here I've gone down to about 10 C below 0, in the snow and they've been nice and toasty, as long as I'm moving. Great hiking boot as far as I'm concerned.<br />
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On the bottom, not amazing traction but you've got at least 4-5 mm in the tread depth. I don't know how they come up with these patterns but it feels pretty good. It's a little slippery on ice or frozen rock as you would expect. But if you have any kind of dirt or wood on a hiking trail it feels really nice, really good.<br />
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Maybe I'll just show you here, you can see on the left foot there's a little fold on the leather, a compression. No one's two feet are the same, so when you cinch it up you can really, you just gotta pull on the top and the whole thing, even down here ill really nicely cinch up. You can bring the soft leather in and it really feels like it conforms around your foot. Your heel really stays back here very nicely.<br />
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So, I don't know if they sell them any more actually. I was looking online, I got these at Atmosphere, which is a Sport Expert knockoff. But they're also on OutdoorGear, Amazon, etc. but I can't seem to find any recently. So I'm not sure if they stopped manufacturing them.<br />
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But if you want a lightweight hiking boot that gives amazing waterproof and amazing support, this KEEN Alamosa is the one.<br />
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Thanks for watching, Subscribe if you liked the video and we'll see you soon with more gear reviews and how-to's!andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-22262159070714847292015-12-08T21:15:00.000-06:002015-12-08T21:18:34.715-06:00Why I'm Not Applying for the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card<br />
When Tangerine bank launched it's new Money-Back Credit Card <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/tangerine-unveils-its-first-credit-card/article26678223/" target="_blank">earlier this fall</a> the blogosphere was abuzz as everyone drooled over how much cashback they would make with a zero-fee credit card! And it's true, at first glance the concept seems like a no-brainer.... plenty of cashback categories, free additional cards, and no fees. I even signed up for the <i>sneak preview</i> and got my approval email yesterday.<br />
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<a href="https://www.tangerine.ca/en/spending/creditcard/index.html"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RVENbOW1xs5DkgF8MKnl-wH_AjuUZo7yY5xjgPuZnqpbDSDkFqJ8PhyqWvSwFpb75O2DnvABbF1BSIQfzm62ZDIuhYBZGALkQgsagRmfOcjuEHe4_TkLUzte-8VhoREZZRKxjGQAbb0/s200/en_tangerine_creditcard.png" width="200" /></a></div>
But I'm not applying for <a href="https://www.tangerine.ca/en/spending/creditcard/index.html" target="_blank">Tangerine's new card</a>. Instead I will stick with my <a href="http://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,86,00.html" target="_blank">Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite</a> that made its way into my wallet a year and a half ago. Why? Because the <u>Scotia Visa gives me more cashback!</u><br />
<h2>
The Comparison</h2>
Assuming you want a credit card that will maximize your cashback (and I hope you do), you need to consider a few items:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The total value of your annual credit card purchases</li>
<li>How many people will use the account</li>
<li>What types of purchases you charge to your credit card (which stores/merchants/etc.)</li>
<li>How and when you want to receive your cashback</li>
<li>What other benefits are important</li>
</ol>
<h2>
Total Purchases and Users (items 1-2)</h2>
<div>
My wife and I both use the same card (on the same account), and charge a combined dollar value of just over $30,000 per year. Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite splits that up into 3 categories:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Gas/Groceries (4% cashback)</li>
<li>Recurring Payments/Drugstore (2% cashback)</li>
<li>Everything Else (1% cashback)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
By contrast, Tangerine's new Money Back Mastercard has <a href="https://www.tangerine.ca/en/spending/creditcard/index.html" target="_blank">10 spending categories</a>, and allows you to pick 3 of them for 2% cashback. Spending in any of the remaining 7 categories yields only 1% cashback:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Grocery</li>
<li>Eating Places</li>
<li>Gas</li>
<li>Drugstore</li>
<li>Entertainment</li>
<li>Furniture</li>
<li>Hotel/motel</li>
<li>Recurring Payments</li>
<li>Home Improvement</li>
<li>Public Transportation and Parking</li>
</ul>
<h2>
Types of Purchases</h2>
</div>
<div>
The key to this whole process is understanding your spending patterns. A financial budgeting and analysis tool like <a href="http://www.mint.com/">Mint.com</a> really helps with this process (although I ended up sorting a lot of the raw data in a spreadsheet). Our family's top 3 credit card spending categories are Recurring Bills (about 15%), Groceries (11%) and Gas (10%). Eating Places is a close 4th at around 10%. So obviously I would select those 3 categories as my 2% cashback options, electing to receive only 1% for remaining categories. If you're paying attention you may have noticed that all those 3 categories fall in the Scotia Visa 4% or 2% cashback. So instantly we see that I'm losing 2% in the Groceries and Gas bucket. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The million-dollar question: is 2% enough to cover the fees associated with Scotia's Visa? Turns out in my case, it is. I ran all the numbers in all 10 categories and my net cash back (that is, total cashback minus any fees associated with the credit card) was within $3 of each other, <u>in Scotia Visa's favour!</u></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
<i><u>Note</u> Your numbers could be completely different, which is why you must run them and understand your spending habits to make an informed decision. If your largest spending is in Hotels and Home Improvement, you would likely get better benefit from Tangerine's Mastercard.</i></div>
<h2>
The Rest of the Story (items 4-5)</h2>
<div>
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite credits your cashback amount to your credit card statement each year in November no matter when you signed up (my <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Amazon-ca-Rewards-Visa-Card-Chase/dp/B00AFGCPZ2">Amazon.ca Rewards Visa</a>, on the other hand, automatically provides a statement credit each time your cashback amounts to $20). Scotia charges me $99 for the first card, and an additional $30 for a secondary card. My total annual fees are $129, which were factored into the comparison earlier. These fees are charged to the credit card every January.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I looked on the Tangerine site but didn't see the method or frequency of Tangerine's cashback procedure. It is important to note that, for this card to make sense, you should deposit your cashback in aTangerine Savings account (if you elect not to do this, the amount of 2% cashback categories allowed drops from 3 to 2). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Both cards provide some standard Purchase Assurance and Extended Warranty, but Scotia's Visa gives me <a href="http://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,86,00.html#a2">a number of insurance products</a>, including: Travel Medical Insurance, Trip Interruption Insurance, Flight Delay, Lost Baggage, Travel Accident Insurance, and Collision/Loss Damage Insurance for rental cars! The Scotia Visa has a high (but standard) foreign currency exchange rate of 2.5%... Tangerine's Mastercard is only 1.5%. This category isn't important to me as I use the <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Amazon-ca-Rewards-Visa-Card-Chase/dp/B00AFGCPZ2">Amazon.ca Rewards Visa</a> for all foreign currency transactions (it doesn't charge any exchange fee!).</div>
<h2>
The Winner</h2>
<div>
The winner for me is clearly the <a href="http://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,86,00.html">Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card</a>. It gives me the most net cashback (though only by a little), and it provides the highest cashback return on spending categories I know I will always have: Gas/Groceries, and Recurring Bills. It also gives me a number of insurance benefits that I use regularly when travelling. </div>
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<a href="http://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,86,00.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJjn3gIw41i2qAqcnf0nqvCskzAoXbyIN7rm5tsa8OH8dSs3e-Q_sjNHvyH1Pt1u_qlb8e3vAOLhnSLFAryPf4tVtfrLj7ozvcHWelGI4912CUHuy6OOW-h8Ovt3ZTi_eAbJlM7w80Qw/s1600/momentum-infinite-cash-back-visa-card.gif" /></a></div>
<div>
That said, even though I won't be using Tangerine's Money Back Mastercard, it might be the right fit for you. If you spend substantially less on a credit card in any given year, or if your spending categories are not mostly Gas, Groceries,and Recurring Bills, the Tangerine Mastercard may be a better overall choice. Running the numbers is really the only way to tell!</div>
andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-17771272229992373062015-07-20T08:04:00.000-05:002015-07-20T08:04:28.364-05:00How To fix cracked motorcycle fairings: Honda CBR125Here's a quick video on how to repair the left side fairings of a Honda CBR 125. This bike took a spill when my wife went over the handlebars on a corner (saving a busfull of nuns careening toward a group of bunnies). The left fairing took some damage and broke a couple pieces that keep it secured to the frame.<br />
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In this video I go through a quick and dirty fix with plastic cement:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/29Lpxmsz5ww" width="560"></iframe>andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-83920493399116313982015-06-27T12:35:00.001-05:002015-06-27T12:35:21.796-05:00SNES Emulator on Elementary OS LinuxGetting SNES emulation to work on your linux machine is super easy. I'm running <a href="https://elementary.io/" target="_blank">elementary OS Frey</a>a on an <a href="http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/series/c720" target="_blank">Acer C720 chromebook</a>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The two main contenders for SNES emulation are <a href="http://www.snes9x.com/" target="_blank">SNES9x</a> and <a href="http://www.zsnes.com/" target="_blank">ZSNES</a>. Between the two options, you want ZSNES. SNEX9x is ok and much easier to use, but ZSNES offers more customisation and works better on my linux machine.</div>
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The best part is that it's already included in the repos: </div>
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<div>
<div class="code">
sudo apt-cache search zsnes<br />
sudo apt-get install zsnes</div>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
I had to also install jstest-gtk in order to get my <a href="https://encrypted.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBuffalo-Classic-USB-Gamepad-PC%2Fdp%2FB002B9XB0E&ei=Y92OVbfSDIT6yATMtqOYDw&usg=AFQjCNG2Krwb9L9a8XJbZdEl1L3AtfI8BQ&sig2=7UH1OCc_UFKMtUGe-0gI_A" target="_blank">iBuffalo SNES retro usb gamepads</a> to work. Once installed, they worked like a charm and only required button configuration in ZSNES. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="code">
sudo apt-get install jstest-gtk</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now head on over to <a href="http://www.doperoms.com/roms/Super_Nintendo_Snes.html" target="_blank">DopeROMs</a> and grab some of the classics.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnyyfgPKcfM6mOx0PFgn6PDHVyxJ2VBpTy2lMf2iTeAlU1TfiSOizFc3sRK9w93yr8CWTHV0mcRD67FWuFg7XW-MPxWAuB-7AxBSVuIB1dglcjUaTo67p1nQFAIB2xuzTJYxOf1_d3GQ/s1600/Screenshot+from+2015-06-27+13%253A34%253A19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnyyfgPKcfM6mOx0PFgn6PDHVyxJ2VBpTy2lMf2iTeAlU1TfiSOizFc3sRK9w93yr8CWTHV0mcRD67FWuFg7XW-MPxWAuB-7AxBSVuIB1dglcjUaTo67p1nQFAIB2xuzTJYxOf1_d3GQ/s400/Screenshot+from+2015-06-27+13%253A34%253A19.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-47981638963157320572015-05-28T08:08:00.000-05:002015-05-28T08:08:00.669-05:00HJC CL-17 Motorcycle Helmet ReviewHere's a little review of HJC's CL-17 motorcycle helmet. I picked this up from <a href="http://www.royaldistributing.com/" target="_blank">Royal Distributing</a> early this riding season (also check out <a href="https://www.canadasmotorcycle.ca/catalogsearch/result/?q=hjc+cl-17" target="_blank">Canada's Motorcycle</a> in Canada or <a href="http://www.revzilla.com/search?query=hjc+cl-17&x=30&y=25" target="_blank">Revzilla</a> in the USA) and have been using it for 1-2 months.<br />
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The helmet review is mostly positive with really only a couple shortfalls. Here's a link to <a href="http://hjchelmets.com/hjca/cl17_streamline" target="_blank">the manufacturer page</a> as well.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N3i_KLLGEfU" width="420"></iframe>andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-80096507539371980622015-05-27T08:51:00.000-05:002015-05-27T09:00:30.268-05:00How to Change Motorcycle Engine Oil & Filter: Honda CBR 125This is the 3rd of 3 videos showcasing some maintenance I'm performing on a 2008 Honda CBR 125 motorcycle for my wife. The factory service manual recommends cleaning the oil filter (strainer) every 12,000 kms and this bike already has 16,000 kms... I can't confirm that it's every been done so why not do it yourself and provide some peace of mind!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><b>TOOLS</b>:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">-12mm socket</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">-10mm deep socket</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">-Set of screwdrivers</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">-rubber mallet</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">-needlenose pliers</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lDAEVDh8iak" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>Previous video</b>: <a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2015/05/how-to-adjust-motorcycle-valve.html" target="_blank">How to Adjust Motorcycle Valve Clearances (CBR 125)</a><br />
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Make sure to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=anjpvideo" target="_blank">subscribe</a> and thanks for watching!andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-55409814836500118452015-05-26T08:43:00.000-05:002015-05-27T09:01:15.456-05:00How to Adjust Motorcycle Valve Clearances: 2008 Honda CBR 125This is the 2nd of 3 videos showing some maintenance on a 2008 Honda CBR 125 motorcycle I picked up for my wife. In this video, I'm going through how to check & adjust valve clearances (valve lash). It's pretty easy to do and really the only hardship is the small working space.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XzzhocJReXk" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Previous Video</b>: <a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2015/05/how-to-fix-motorcycle-temperature-gauge.html" target="_blank">How to Fix Motorcycle Temperature Gauge (CBR 125)</a><br />
<b>Next Video</b>: <a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2015/05/this-is-3rd-of-3-videos-showcasing-some.html" target="_blank">How to Change Engine Oil & Filter (CBR 125)</a><br />
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Thanks for watching! Remember to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=anjpvideo" target="_blank">subscribe</a> and check out the other videos on the channel. andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-47873753239815279542015-05-25T09:13:00.000-05:002015-05-26T11:25:26.774-05:00How to Fix Motorcycle Temperature Gauge: 2008 Honda CBR 125This is the 1st video of 3 showing some maintenance on a used 2008 Honda CBR 125 I picked up for my wife. I bought the bike used, private sale with about 16,000 kms on the odometer. The first thing I noticed was that the temp gauge wasn't moving at all (i.e. showing no temperature). The previous owner wasn't helping out with any info so I decided to pull a few things apart and check things out for myself.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uWnbcCBO7KE" width="560"></iframe><br />
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If you liked this video, consider <a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=anjpvideo" target="_blank">subscribing to my channel</a>. Make sure to check out the next Honda CBR 125 maintenance instalment: <b><a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2015/05/how-to-adjust-motorcycle-valve.html" target="_blank">How To Adjust Valve Clearances</a></b>.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-80974696698023691482015-05-23T10:34:00.000-05:002015-05-23T10:34:00.111-05:00How to Change Car Engine Oil: 2003 Mazda ProtegeHere's a quick video showing how to change the oil in your car. This is for a 2003 Mazda Protege LX 2.0L... but the technique remains largely the same with most modern vehicles.<br />
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For this specific vehicle, I'm using:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Fram 6607 oil filter</li>
<li>3.5 L of engine oil (this is the required amount with a filter change)</li>
<li>5w-30 for -30C to +40C (or 10w-30 for -20C to +40C)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hXervfkYq_8" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Thanks for watching and feel free to post any question or comments to the youtube video feed. andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-68689785430529380642015-05-22T20:11:00.001-05:002015-05-22T20:11:22.355-05:00How to Make Money on Youtube: Enable MonetizationWell, although I'll still keep this blog going I'm also starting to detail some projects and how-to's on youtube. You can find my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=anjpvideo" target="_blank">youtube account here</a>, under the name <a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=anjpvideo" target="_blank">anjpvideo</a>.<br />
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Let's start where I'm starting: how to start making some money on youtube by enabling video ads. This is done by enabling the overall setting called 'monetization'. It's pretty simple to do and there are almost no prerequisites. Take a look below!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2gByIB81dqM" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
If you like this video, you can <a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=anjpvideo" target="_blank">subscribe to my channel</a> and follow future tips, tricks, and how-tos. Thanks for watching!andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-73610420056356973892014-11-26T00:09:00.000-06:002014-11-26T00:09:31.878-06:00Acer C720 Linux Ubuntu Brightness Keys (ElementaryOS)<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>This is written for the <a href="http://www.acer.ca/ac/en/CA/content/model/NX.SHEAA.019" target="_blank">Acer C720-3445</a> ("NX.SHEAA.019") running <a href="http://elementaryos.org/journal/freya-beta-1-available-for-developers-testers" target="_blank">elementary OS Freya beta-1</a>, but it should work for other Acer C720 models and/or other ubuntu-derived flavours.</i></span><br />
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After installing your favourite flavour of linux on your Acer C720 chromebook, you may notice that the special function keys above the numbers row do not work as anticipated. These are actually just normal <i>function keys</i> (i.e. "F keys") that you see on a normal keyboard, but instead of being labelled F1, F2, F3... they are labelled with pictures.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8XKG2BjidvNF6dqMaEWP6iPQiuBsQVppcvUsdIz_KU8Qqh9ONcIM0iDxGCuyuPOr4-KcLWboFZRQA22T1_XLyx5ym8h3tdlQeba9DjvbUCVSX5wzfc2uEEeXwWFMvfpddyzeALVfTlU/s1600/Acer-C720-Chromebook-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8XKG2BjidvNF6dqMaEWP6iPQiuBsQVppcvUsdIz_KU8Qqh9ONcIM0iDxGCuyuPOr4-KcLWboFZRQA22T1_XLyx5ym8h3tdlQeba9DjvbUCVSX5wzfc2uEEeXwWFMvfpddyzeALVfTlU/s1600/Acer-C720-Chromebook-11.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
You'll notice that you can use them just like normal Function keys. For example, ALT + F4 (the fullscreen image key) will close a program and F1 (the "back" key) will pull up a Help Menu on most applications. Getting the volume keys working is pretty straight forward. The keys that normally control this function are <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">XF86AudioMute</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">XF86AudioLowerVolume</span> and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">XF86AudioRaiseVolume</span>, but we're going to change them to <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">F8</span>, <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">F9</span>, and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">F10</span>, respectively. In elementary OS and other ubuntu 14.04 derivations, this keybindings can be manually set quite easily from the System Settings > Keyboard > Media menu:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTR1q-slK5JZvByGXcUAcyMBiY2r3Up1gCmTVj46FeoKLo_XriX37PNolXnyAktgSoVdVvkHVsTAtuDSm1NbEoiNa_7UJLLaC8d0JPf116wgYEXqTa2Blj2BSQZmoKMua9eBI0uMM2yb0/s1600/Screenshot+from+2014-11-25+21:48:51.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTR1q-slK5JZvByGXcUAcyMBiY2r3Up1gCmTVj46FeoKLo_XriX37PNolXnyAktgSoVdVvkHVsTAtuDSm1NbEoiNa_7UJLLaC8d0JPf116wgYEXqTa2Blj2BSQZmoKMua9eBI0uMM2yb0/s1600/Screenshot+from+2014-11-25+21:48:51.png" height="243" width="400" /></a></div>
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Settings the brightness keys is more difficult, since the option for brightness keybindings is not build into the elementary OS or ubuntu settings. However, this can be accomplished through the custom keybindings settings in <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys custom-keybindings</span>. The goal is to use a package called xdotool to call the brighness keys behind the scenes. We'll then bind this process to the <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">F6</span> and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">F7</span> keys on the Acer keyboard. Here's how it is accomplished:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
First, grab the xdotool application. It should already be accessible from the repositories:</div>
<div class="code">
sudo apt-get install xdotool</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The keys we want are <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">XF86MonBrightnessDown</span> and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">XF86MonBrightnessUp</span>. You can test these commands by opening an terminal and running:</div>
<div class="code">
xdotool key XF86MonBrightnessDown<br />
xdotool key XF86MonBrightnessUp</div>
<br />
You should see your screen brightness decrease, then increase. It should also tie in with elementary OS's info window. Next is to check if you already have any custom keybindings. Run:<br />
<div class="code">
dconf read /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings</div>
<br />
It should come back empty.... if not, you've probably already modified it and will need to make sure your current custom keybindings are not deleted. Next, we will create two keybindings: one for brightness down and another for brightness up. Let's call them <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">custom1</span> and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">custom2</span>, respectively:<br />
<div class="code">
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys custom-keybindings "['/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom1/','/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom2/']"</div>
<br />
You can check these settings visually with dconf (<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">dconf-tools</span>):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuO4yLenGmAx0HG9M0xsoxc5a2_qAiARpTlALJrlB8ws-XWYe3Aw-EO9qmrv9taUICFHRzln-gs8Vh-kI6TIC5op56NR2SWk2OyHbS05tjXyTG01lCg9wfJB8SSH1vpnbfeinWaFu81k/s1600/Screenshot+from+2014-11-25+22:06:01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuO4yLenGmAx0HG9M0xsoxc5a2_qAiARpTlALJrlB8ws-XWYe3Aw-EO9qmrv9taUICFHRzln-gs8Vh-kI6TIC5op56NR2SWk2OyHbS05tjXyTG01lCg9wfJB8SSH1vpnbfeinWaFu81k/s1600/Screenshot+from+2014-11-25+22:06:01.png" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
All that's left is to set the <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">name</span>, <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">binding</span>, and <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">command</span> parameters. Start with brightness down/ F6:<br />
<div class="code">
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom1/ name 'BrightnessDown'<br />
<br />
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom1/ binding 'F6'<br />
<br />
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom1/ command 'xdotool key XF86MonBrightnessDown'</div>
<br />
<br />
And here's brightness up for F7:<br />
<div class="code">
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom2/ name 'BrightnessUp'<br />
<br />
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom2/ binding 'F7'<br />
<br />
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.media-keys.custom-keybinding:/org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/media-keys/custom-keybindings/custom2/ command 'xdotool key XF86MonBrightnessUp'</div>
<br />
<br />
The keys should work as per the keypad now. <b><u>Note that this will likely screw up your native F6 and F7 functions, which was not a problem for me since those keys were never used for anything else. I also had to restart my computer before the keybindings took affect</u></b>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-30408971436078750202014-11-10T09:12:00.000-06:002014-11-10T09:12:00.284-06:00Elementary OS Luna Configuration ScriptElementary OS 'Luna' rocks!...... BUT, it does need some help out of the box. Nothing crazy, mostly look & feel improvements, removing programs and adding others. I'm in the middle of buying a new laptop, and am trying out lots of different installs. To help save time (and sanity) I wrote a short script to configure Luna the way I want right after install. <br />
<br />
Now, it's not perfect.... there may be a few hiccups but it basically turns this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wH4M7rajvuocJ-25_tHDhYg3sWtf0gNAHxq01ojNrenlxyBWTSm1axX96kn9tRPiHmrsKCfHIPk1p0gZ1_Vuyuxp8iLLEmrgKRidRcXL3RdzsgkL9MX-hjAyaB18HTDMKczbvd4IM64/s1600/screenshot_pre_script.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pre config script" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wH4M7rajvuocJ-25_tHDhYg3sWtf0gNAHxq01ojNrenlxyBWTSm1axX96kn9tRPiHmrsKCfHIPk1p0gZ1_Vuyuxp8iLLEmrgKRidRcXL3RdzsgkL9MX-hjAyaB18HTDMKczbvd4IM64/s1600/screenshot_pre_script.png" height="250" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
.<br />
.<br />
. . .into this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vXQNtXXjqpqVmS0az3dvT3ZafROZ_zDCLsS6BkVXGWfPd6yhQ80IGGwxsR9e2AJbO5pT9nsZhiJgbrBVCS1mIsePxcoI6gzh3roRPE0OB0GW7RGh0IFu-Hyazt80dqDBJ_nK3seUCfQ/s1600/screenshot_post_script.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Post config script!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vXQNtXXjqpqVmS0az3dvT3ZafROZ_zDCLsS6BkVXGWfPd6yhQ80IGGwxsR9e2AJbO5pT9nsZhiJgbrBVCS1mIsePxcoI6gzh3roRPE0OB0GW7RGh0IFu-Hyazt80dqDBJ_nK3seUCfQ/s1600/screenshot_post_script.png" height="250" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I think it's a lot more polished look, so I'm sharing the script below to help my fellow elementary OS-ers. </div>
<br />
<h2>
What it does</h2>
Uninstalls all these default applications:<br />
<ul>
<li>Midori (default browser) </li>
<li>Software Center (default software management)</li>
<li>Scratch (text editor) </li>
<li>ModemManager (does anyone really need this?)</li>
<li>Empathy (chat aggregator)</li>
<li>Indicator-messages (empathy chat in the toolbar)</li>
<li>Maya (default calendar)</li>
<li>Geary (mail app....because, really, nothing beats Gmail in the browser)</li>
<li>Shotwell (photos)</li>
<li>Totem (video player)</li>
<li>Noise (I was going to replace this with <a href="https://encrypted.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CBwQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.clementine-player.org%2F&ei=w-xfVJ7VFMyAygTOyoDADg&usg=AFQjCNEfop349pYc-O95Hcae-1P53d_p0w&sig2=c5DZCABYh77mcn_BAhkePw" target="_blank">Clementine</a> but turns out I like Noise better)</li>
</ul>
Installs these (better?) applications:<br />
<ul>
<li>Google Chrome</li>
<li>Firefox</li>
<li>Zotero (& Qnotero)</li>
<li>Dconf tools</li>
<li>Gedit (text editor)</li>
<li>Gnome Partition Manager</li>
<li> VLC media player</li>
<li>Lots of unzip and file packaging utilities</li>
<li>Ubuntu Restricted Extras</li>
<li>Pinta (image editor... yeah, I like it better than <a href="https://encrypted.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CBwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gimp.org%2F&ei=tu1fVJiJNoq8yQTGgILwDg&usg=AFQjCNHSDGuHdZTSGB1PiMFTSSn1zSDRCw&sig2=hXnbYfFF8dbacM4w-OcFOQ" target="_blank">the Gimp</a>)</li>
<li>GPicView Image Viewer</li>
<li>Elementary Tweaks (this rocks!)</li>
<li>a bunch of Elementary Window, Icon & Plank themes</li>
<li>Super Wingpanel & Synapse search indicator</li>
<li>Skype</li>
<li>Libreoffice & dictionaries</li>
<li>QBitTorrent</li>
<li>Conky</li>
</ul>
<div>
Makes some settings & config changes:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Shortens window open/close animation time</li>
<li>Reduces window shadows but about 90%</li>
<li>Top-left hot corner shows all windows</li>
<li>Default "list" in pantheon-files (instead of icons) and default double-click (instead of single)</li>
<li>Change Plank icons (smaller) and apply HUD theme</li>
<li>Apply elFaenza icon set to everything</li>
<li>Configure Conky (a la <a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2014/11/elementary-os-conky-theme-script.html" target="_blank">custom elementary OS conky theme</a>)</li>
<li>a few other gedit and terminal settings changes</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2>
Some cavetats</h2>
<ul>
<li>Some applications need 3rd party repositories. These REPOSITORIES WILL BE ADDED TO YOUR APPROVED LIST</li>
<li>You might need to make some <a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2014/11/elementary-os-conky-theme-script.html" target="_blank">edits to your conky script</a> to get it working properly</li>
<li>Super-Wingpanel and Conky might not work correctly until a reboot</li>
<li>Many settings can be modified and tweaked via Elementary Tweaks. Access this from your Settings application menu.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h2>
Ok, ok, where's the script?</h2>
<a href="http://anjp.comlu.com/scripts/Luna_config.sh" target="_blank">Download it here</a> or copy the full text below:<br />
<div class="code">
#!/bin/bash <br />
<br />
### Written by anjp on 04-November-2014<br />
### http://justplainobvious.blogspot.com<br />
### <br />
### Download Elementary OS from here:<br />
### http://sourceforge.net/projects/elementaryos/files/stable/<br />
###<br />
### Save this script as Luna_config.sh and run in Terminal "sudo sh Luna_config.sh"<br />
<br />
<br />
### Function list<br />
RunWholeScript(){<br />
while true; do<br />
read -p "Are you sure? Run with NO USER INPUTS (y/n)???" yn<br />
case $yn in<br />
[Yy]* )<br />
### Remove the eOS Junk <br />
read -p "First is removing eOS default apps. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause<br />
sudo apt-get autoremove --purge midori-granite software-center scratch-text-editor modemmanager empathy indicator-messages maya-calendar geary shotwell totem <br />
echo "Done removing eOS junk apps...\n"<br />
### Add all the new Repos<br />
read -p "Next is adding new Repos. Be patient. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause<br />
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pinta-maintainers/pinta-stable<br />
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:versable/elementary-update<br />
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:smathot/cogscinl<br />
sudo apt-add-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ precise partner"<br />
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa<br />
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:git-core/ppa<br />
wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -<br />
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list' <br />
wget https://raw.github.com/smathot/zotero_installer/master/zotero_installer.sh \ -O /tmp/zotero_installer.sh<br />
chmod +x /tmp/zotero_installer.sh <br />
echo "Done adding Repos...\n"<br />
### Update<br />
read -p "Next is an apt-get update. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
echo "Done with update\n"<br />
### Install new software <br />
read -p "Next is installing all new software. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
sudo apt-get install google-chrome-stable firefox dconf-tools gedit gedit-plugins gparted vlc unace unrar zip unzip xz-utils p7zip-full p7zip-rar sharutils rar uudeview mpack arj cabextract file-roller ubuntu-restricted-extras pinta gpicview elementary-desktop elementary-tweaks elementary-blue-theme elementary-champagne-theme elementary-colors-theme elementary-dark-theme elementary-harvey-theme elementary-lion-theme elementary-milk-theme elementary-plastico-theme elementary-whit-e-theme elementary-elfaenza-icons elementary-emod-icons elementary-enumix-utouch-icons elementary-nitrux-icons elementary-taprevival-icons elementary-plank-themes super-wingpanel indicator-synapse qnotero skype libreoffice libreoffice-style-human libreoffice-style-oxygen libreoffice-style-crystal libreoffice-style-sifr libreoffice-style-tango libreoffice-style-galaxy libreoffice-pdfimport hyphen-en-us mythes-en-us libreoffice-help-en-us qbittorrent git conky lm-sensors<br />
sudo /tmp/zotero_installer.sh<br />
sudo rm /tmp/zotero_installer.sh<br />
echo "Done installing new software...\n" <br />
### Gala Configs - Window Animations<br />
read -p "Next is shortening Window Animations. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.animations close-duration 260<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.animations menu-duration 120<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.animations minimize-duration 160<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.animations close-duration 300<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.animations snap-duration 120<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.animations close-duration 300<br />
echo "Done shortening Window Animations...\n"<br />
### Gala Configs - Change to Windows Min/Max/Close<br />
read -p "Next is changing window min/max/close buttons. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.appearance button-layout ":minimize,maximize,close"<br />
echo "Done changing window buttons...\n"<br />
### Gala Configs - Change Hot Corner Top-Left<br />
read -p "Next is changing top left hot corner. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.behavior hotcorner-topleft "window-overview"<br />
echo "Done changing window buttons...\n"<br />
### Gala Configs - Decreasing Window Shadows<br />
read -p "Next is decreasing window shadows . Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.shadows dialog-focused "['2','-1','0','1','190']"<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.shadows dialog-unfocused "['2','-1','0','1','130']"<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.shadows menu "['2','-1','0','1','130']"<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.shadows normal-focused "['3','-1','0','2','220']"<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.gala.shadows normal-unfocused "['2','-1','0','2','150']"<br />
echo "Done decreasing window shadows...\n"<br />
### Gala Configs - Files LIST VIEW and DOUBLE CLICK<br />
read -p "Next is changing Files List View and Double Click. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.files.preferences default-viewmode "list"<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.files.preferences single-click false<br />
echo "Done Gala Files configs ...\n"<br />
### Gedit Configs<br />
read -p "Next are gedit formatting configs. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor auto-indent true<br />
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor display-line-numbers true <br />
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor display-right-margin true<br />
gsettings set org.gnome.gedit.preferences.editor wrap-mode none <br />
echo "Done gedit configs...\n"<br />
### Terminal Configs<br />
read -p "Next is changing terminal forget tabs upon reload. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.terminal.settings remember-tabs false <br />
echo "Done terminal configs...\n"<br />
### Super Wingpanel Configs<br />
read -p "Next Super Wingpanel configs. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.super-wingpanel enable-slim-mode true<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.super-wingpanel hide-mode "Intellihide"<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.super-wingpanel slim-panel-edge "Curved 3"<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.super-wingpanel slim-panel-separate-launcher true<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.desktop.super-wingpanel slim-panel-margin 64<br />
gsettings set org.pantheon.cerbere monitored-processes "['super-wingpanel', 'plank', 'slingshot-launcher --silent']"<br />
killall wingpanel & super-wingpanel & <br />
echo "Done super-wingpanel configs...\n"<br />
<br />
### Plank<br />
read -p "Next is configuring Plank. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause<br />
rm ~/.config/plank/dock1/settings<br />
rm ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/* <br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> echo "#This file auto-generated by Plank.<br />
#2014-11-05T04:11:42+0000<br />
<br />
[PlankDockPreferences]<br />
#Whether to show only windows of the current workspace.<br />
CurrentWorkspaceOnly=false<br />
#The size of dock icons (in pixels).<br />
IconSize=40<br />
#If 0, the dock won't hide. If 1, the dock intelligently hides. If 2, the dock auto-hides. If 3, the dock elementary-hides.<br />
HideMode=3<br />
#Time (in ms) to wait before unhiding the dock.<br />
UnhideDelay=0<br />
#The monitor number for the dock. Use -1 to keep on the primary monitor.<br />
Monitor=-1<br />
#List of *.dockitem files on this dock. DO NOT MODIFY<br />
DockItems=google-chrome-stable.dockitem;;firefox.dockitem;;zotero.desktop;;libreoffice-startcenter.dockitem;;pantheon-files;;switchboard.desktop;;pantheon-terminal.desktop;;gnome-screenshot.desktop<br />
#The position for the dock on the monitor.<br />
Position=3<br />
#The dock's position offset from center (in percent).<br />
Offset=0<br />
#The name of the dock's theme to use.<br />
Theme=HUD<br />
#The alignment for the dock on the monitor's edge.<br />
Alignment=3<br />
#The alignment of the items in this dock.<br />
ItemsAlignment=3" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/settings<br />
<br />
<br />
echo "[PlankItemsDockItemPreferences]<br />
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/google-chrome-stable.desktop" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/google-chrome-stable.dockitem<br />
<br />
echo "[PlankItemsDockItemPreferences]<br />
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/firefox.dockitem<br />
<br />
echo "[PlankItemsDockItemPreferences]<br />
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/zotero.desktop" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/zotero.dockitem<br />
<br />
echo "[PlankItemsDockItemPreferences]<br />
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/libreoffice-startcenter.desktop" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/libreoffice-startcenter.dockitem<br />
<br />
echo "[PlankItemsDockItemPreferences]<br />
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/pantheon-files.desktop" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/pantheon-files.dockitem<br />
<br />
echo "[PlankItemsDockItemPreferences]<br />
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/switchboard.desktop" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/switchboard.dockitem<br />
<br />
echo "[PlankItemsDockItemPreferences]<br />
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/pantheon-terminal.desktop" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/pantheon-terminal.dockitem<br />
<br />
echo "[PlankItemsDockItemPreferences]<br />
Launcher=file:///usr/share/applications/gnome-screenshot.desktop" > ~/.config/plank/dock1/launchers/gnome-screenshot.dockitem<br />
echo "Done Plank configs...\n"<br />
<br />
### Conky<br />
read -p "Next is configuring Conky. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/scripts/.conkyrc<br />
mv ~/Downloads/.conkyrc ~/<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/Dotmatrx.ttf<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/PIZZADUDEBULLETS.ttf<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/STYLBCC_.TTF<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/openlogos.ttf<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/weather.ttf<br />
mkdir ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/Dotmatrx.ttf ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/PIZZADUDEBULLETS.ttf ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/STYLBCC_.TTF ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/openlogos.ttf ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/weather.ttf ~/.fonts/<br />
conky &<br />
echo "Done ...\n"<br />
read -p "Next is telling Conky to autostart. Press ENTER key to continue..." pause <br />
mkdir ~/.config/autostart<br />
echo > "[Desktop Entry]<br />
Type=Application<br />
Exec=conky -p 5<br />
Hidden=false<br />
NoDisplay=false<br />
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true<br />
Name[en_CA]=Conky Launcher<br />
Name=Conky<br />
Comment[en_CA]=Conky!<br />
Comment=Conky!" > ~/.config/autostart/Conky<br />
echo "Done ...\n"<br />
<br />
<br />
# Change start menu to open with ONLY the Super key, instead of Super + Space<br />
# gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings panel-main-menu "['Super_L','<alt>F2']"</alt><br />
### next line to change back ###<br />
# gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings panel-main-menu "['space', 'F2']"<br />
<br />
<br />
#Cleanup<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
sudo apt-get upgrade<br />
sudo apt-get autoremove<br />
sudo apt-get autoclean<br />
#All done<br />
echo "\nNO USER INPUT script complete!\n" <br />
read -p "Press ENTER key to exit..." pause <br />
exit;;<br />
[Nn]* ) break;;<br />
* ) echo "Please answer yes or no.";;<br />
esac<br />
done<br />
}<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
echo "\n******************************************************" <br />
echo "*********** eOS Luna configuration script **********"<br />
echo "******************************************************\n"<br />
echo "This script will remove most of the eOS default applications and install more commonly used ones\n"<br />
echo "See 'Luna_config.sh' for more info"<br />
echo "Press CTRL + C at any time to exit...\n"<br />
read -p "Press ENTER key to start..." pause<br />
<br />
<br />
#### Option to just do everything without step-by-step<br />
while true; do<br />
read -p "Do you just want to run the entire script WITH NO USER INPUTS (y/n)?" yn<br />
case $yn in<br />
[Yy]* )<br />
RunWholeScript<br />
break;;<br />
[Nn]* ) break;;<br />
* ) echo "Please answer yes or no.";;<br />
esac<br />
done<br />
<br />
### Starting user-input script<br />
echo "\nStarting script with user input...\n"<br />
echo "\n Sorry, I got lazy and decided only to write the NO USER INPUT part!"<br />
read -p "Press ENTER key to exit..." pause</div>
<br />
Now just run the script in a terminal and follow the prompts:<br />
<div class="code">
sudo sh Luna_config.sh</div>
<br />
I'm sure there will be some hiccups... post questions below and let me know what you did with all your time savings!<br />
<br />
<br />andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-71892926720540355622014-11-09T16:09:00.000-06:002014-11-10T15:19:27.984-06:00Elementary OS Conky Theme (Script)<span style="color: #666666;"><i>Update: You can get this script and more desktop customizations through a new <a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2014/11/elementary-os-luna-configuration-script.html" target="_blank">Freya Config script here</a>. </i></span><br />
<br />
In the last month or so I've switched over to <a href="http://elementaryos.org/" target="_blank">elementary OS Luna</a> (I've tried the <a href="http://elementaryos.org/journal/freya-beta-1-available-for-developers-testers" target="_blank">Freya beta</a> as well, but it's still not polished enough for my every day work laptop). The switch to elementary OS necessitated a good conky theme.<br />
<br />
Below are light theme (blue/grey) and dark theme (orange/black) options for a nice simple conky script that displays all the info I want at any time. The main formatting and icons were taken from the <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1771033" target="_blank">vinDSL theme</a>, but I removed the weather, calendar, and fancy lua bars. I wanted this conky script to be lightweight and easy on the eyes. <br />
<br />
<h4>
Elementary OS "Light" conky theme:</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVcwpoCSq-ULzxclE6PIzD2lYFhosRQgjN7ZHzrMHstCIUPzwpxzRSuAqgaCXGyP1WwMO5t8uf5YzWgxLfMZMKcjuMZ9hBz60Tm0pw_nUqs9jLspVqnwNk9qY0ylWXCkiR9yhSN7ucgQ/s1600/screenshot_conky_elementaryOS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Conky Desktop (light theme)" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVcwpoCSq-ULzxclE6PIzD2lYFhosRQgjN7ZHzrMHstCIUPzwpxzRSuAqgaCXGyP1WwMO5t8uf5YzWgxLfMZMKcjuMZ9hBz60Tm0pw_nUqs9jLspVqnwNk9qY0ylWXCkiR9yhSN7ucgQ/s400/screenshot_conky_elementaryOS.png" title="" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
Elementary OS "Dark" conky theme:</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZucszt5hztLkgvZk7Zvw2yr0N1HLtD9wmB8Kc72csCDvC8ESeRx4E3ZoWMlOCd_ZLbCuVTjt5b3ANOJeNKgA4BnKSHWVGxtrBNMh45N9dQzCyrfBXs0FhEoruwrmNKXK3Hy2SlXtaAE/s1600/screenshot_conky_elementaryOS-orange.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Conky Desktop (dark theme)" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZucszt5hztLkgvZk7Zvw2yr0N1HLtD9wmB8Kc72csCDvC8ESeRx4E3ZoWMlOCd_ZLbCuVTjt5b3ANOJeNKgA4BnKSHWVGxtrBNMh45N9dQzCyrfBXs0FhEoruwrmNKXK3Hy2SlXtaAE/s400/screenshot_conky_elementaryOS-orange.png" title="" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The first thing you need is <b>conky</b> itself and <b>lm-sensors</b> (for HD + GPU info):<br />
<div class="code">
sudo apt-get install conky lm-sensors</div>
<br />
You might also need to run the following command to allow conky permission to pull wireless data:<br />
<div class="code">
sudo setcap cap_net_raw,cap_net_admin=eip /usr/bin/conky</div>
<br />
Now it's a simple matter of grabbing the conky script (<a href="http://anjp.comlu.com/scripts/.conkyrc_vinDSL-eOS" target="_blank">light theme here</a>, <a href="http://anjp.comlu.com/scripts/.conkyrc_vinDSL-orange" target="_blank">dark theme here</a>) and saving it as "<b>.conkyrc</b>" in your home folder. You will also need to grab the DotMatrix, PizzaDude, OpenLogos, and StyleBats icon font sets and place them in your ~/.fonts folder. You can do this by executing:<br />
<div class="code">
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/Dotmatrx.ttf<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/PIZZADUDEBULLETS.ttf<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/STYLBCC_.TTF<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/openlogos.ttf<br />
wget http://anjp.comlu.com/fonts/weather.ttf<br />
mkdir ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/Dotmatrx.ttf ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/PIZZADUDEBULLETS.ttf ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/STYLBCC_.TTF ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/openlogos.ttf ~/.fonts/<br />
mv ~/Downloads/weather.ttf ~/.fonts/</div>
<br />
You can run conky anytime by executing:
<br />
<div class="code">
conky</div>
<br />
If you made a mistake or need to close conky, it can be stopped using:
<br />
<div class="code">
killall conky</div>
<br />
<b><u>NOTE #1:</u> This conky config looks like a desktop panel but just runs on the desktop. If you want it to act as a panel, change the variable 'own_window_type' from 'desktop' to 'panel' and remove 'undecorated' from own_window_hints</b><br />
<br />
<b><u>NOTE #2:</u> Most of the variables are dynamic, but a few at the top info area (hardware model, gpu model) are hardcoded. Others (processor type) truncate at certain string lengths and may need some tlc</b><br />
<br />
Here's the full 'light theme' code:
<br />
<div class="code">
####<br />
## Prerequisites (required)<br />
#<br />
# conky-all 1.8.0 or 1.8.1-5<br />
# cURL - Command Line Tool<br />
# xsltproc - Command Line Tool<br />
# UTF-8 Compatible Text Editor<br />
#<br />
## Tips n' Tricks<br />
## Several ppl (including myself) have experienced issues with conky-all 1.8.1-6<br />
## In every instance, downgrading to conky-all 1.8.1-5 has solved the problem(s).<br />
## I recommend using (and pinning) conky-all 1.8.1-5 until things get sorted.<br />
## conky-all 1.8.1-5 can be downloaded here: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/conky-all/1.8.1-5<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Installed fonts (required)<br />
#<br />
# ConkyWeather (Stanko Metodiev)<br />
# Cut Outs for 3D FX (Fonts & Things)<br />
# Droid Font Family (Google Android SDK)<br />
# KR A Round (Kat's Fun Fonts)<br />
# OpenLogos (Icoma)<br />
# PizzaDude Bullets (Jakob Fischer)<br />
# Radio Space (Iconian Fonts)<br />
# StyleBats (Vinterstille)<br />
# Ubuntu Font Family (Canonical Ltd)<br />
# Ubuntu Title Bold (Paulo Silva - not included in link below)<br />
# Weather (Jonathan Macagba)<br />
#<br />
## Tips n' Tricks from Mr. Peachy, djyoung4, and 42dorian (Thanks!)<br />
## Most necessary fonts can be downloaded here: http://ompldr.org/vOHdoag<br />
## Unzip the fonts into your font folder, for example: /home/username/.fonts<br />
## Run this command in a terminal (rebuilds font cache file): sudo fc-cache -fv<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Use XFT? Required to Force UTF8 (see below)<br />
#<br />
use_xft yes<br />
xftfont DroidSans:size=8<br />
xftalpha 0.1<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Force UTF8? Requires XFT (see above)<br />
## Displays degree symbol, instead of °, etc.<br />
#<br />
override_utf8_locale yes<br />
<br />
####<br />
## This buffer is used for text, single lines, output from $exec, and other variables.<br />
## Increasing the text buffer size (too high) will drastically reduce Conky's performance.<br />
## Decreasing the size (too low) will truncate content and cause strange display output.<br />
## Standard text buffer size is 256 bytes (cannot be less). Adjust YOUR buffer wisely!<br />
#<br />
text_buffer_size 640<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Daemonize Conky, aka 'fork to background'.<br />
#<br />
background yes<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Update interval in seconds.<br />
#<br />
update_interval 2.0<br />
<br />
####<br />
## The number of times Conky will update before quitting.<br />
## Zero makes Conky run forever.<br />
#<br />
total_run_times 0<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Create own window in instead of using desktop?<br />
#<br />
own_window yes<br />
own_window_transparent no<br />
own_window_type desktop ## (panel or desktop)<br />
own_window_class conky-semi<br />
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Background color IF own_window_transparent set to "no"<br />
own_window_colour 323232 ######## Default background color<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Some distros also require the following 2 lines.<br />
#<br />
own_window_argb_visual yes<br />
own_window_argb_value 160 # 0 - 255 where 255 is opaque<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Force images to redraw when they change.<br />
#<br />
imlib_cache_size 0<br />
255255<br />
####<br />
## Use double buffering? Reduces flicker.<br />
#<br />
double_buffer yes<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Draw shades?<br />
#<br />
draw_shades yes<br />
default_shade_color 292421 <br />
<br />
####<br />
## Draw outlines?<br />
#<br />
draw_outline no<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Draw borders around text?<br />
#<br />
draw_borders no<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Draw borders around graphs?<br />
#<br />
draw_graph_borders no<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Print text to stdout?<br />
## Print text in console?<br />
#<br />
out_to_ncurses no<br />
out_to_console no<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Text alignment.<br />
#<br />
alignment top_right<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Minimum size of the text area.<br />
## Syntax: minimum_size [width] [height]<br />
#<br />
minimum_size 200 1200<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Maximum width of the text area.<br />
## Syntax: maximum_width [width]<br />
#<br />
maximum_width 200<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Gap between text and screen borders.<br />
#<br />
gap_x 6<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> ## Left / Right<br />
gap_y 2 ## Top / Bottom<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Shorten MiB/GiB to M/G in stats.<br />
#<br />
short_units yes<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Pad % symbol spacing after numbers.<br />
#<br />
pad_percents 0<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Pad spacing between text and borders.<br />
#<br />
border_inner_margin 4<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Limit the length of names in "Top Processes".<br />
#<br />
top_name_width 10<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Subtract file system -/+buffers/cache from used memory?<br />
## Set to yes, to produce meaningful physical memory stats.<br />
#<br />
no_buffers yes<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Set to yes, if you want all text to be in UPPERCASE.<br />
#<br />
uppercase no<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Number of cpu samples to average.<br />
## Set to 1 to disable averaging.<br />
#<br />
cpu_avg_samples 2<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Number of net samples to average.<br />
## Set to 1 to disable averaging.<br />
#<br />
net_avg_samples 2<br />
<br />
####<br />
## Add spaces to keep things from moving around?<br />
## Only affects certain objects.<br />
#<br />
use_spacer right<br />
<br />
####<br />
## My colors (suit yourself)<br />
#<br />
color0 White<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#FFFFFF ---<br />
color1 6b6b6b<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#6b6b6b Icons<br />
color2 6b6b6b<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#323232 System/Processors/Mem/HD text<br />
color3 Ivory3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#CDCDC1 Text<br />
color4 6db9d5<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#6db9d5<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Headings<br />
color5 Tan2<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#EE9A49 ---<br />
color6 323232<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#323232 PizzaDude Icons<br />
color7 323232 <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#323232 Processes Icons<br />
color8 323232<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#323232 Heading Lines<br />
color9 6b6b6b<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>#6b6b6b BarGraphs<br />
<br />
<br />
#### Color Schemes<br />
#<br />
# elementary bkgnd = f5f5f5<br />
# elementary grey = d3d3d3<br />
# dark grey = 323232<br />
# lighter grey = 6b6b6b or a4a4a4<br />
# light blue = 6db9d5<br />
#<br />
####<br />
<br />
<br />
TEXT<br />
##################################<br />
## LOGO ##<br />
##################################<br />
${voffset 36}${font RadioSpace:size=14}${color3}${alignc}${uid_name 1000}@${nodename}${font}<br />
${voffset 3}${font DroidSans:size=8.6}${color3}${alignc}HP Pavilion dv6428ca<br />
##################################<br />
## SYSTEM ##<br />
##################################<br />
${voffset 7}${font DroidSans:bold:size=8.25}${color4}SYSTEM${offset 8}${color8}${voffset -2}${hr 2}${font}<br />
${voffset 4}${font OpenLogos:size=10}${color2}u${voffset -4}${font DroidSans:size=8.6}${color3}${offset 5}${pre_exec lsb_release -sd || cat /etc/*release}${alignr}${pre_exec lsb_release -r | cut -f 2| tr "[:upper:]" "[:lower:]"}${font}<br />
${voffset 2}${offset -2}${font OpenLogos:size=12}${color2}Z${voffset -4}${font DroidSans:size=8.6}${color3}${offset 3}${sysname}${offset 3}${kernel}${alignr}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${machine}${font}<br />
${voffset 2}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color2}d${voffset -2}${font DroidSans:size=8.6}${color3}${offset 5}nVidia GeForce 6150 G0${alignr}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${execi 60 nvidia-settings -query GPUCoreTemp | perl -ne 'print $1 if /GPUCoreTemp.*?: (\d+)./;'} °C<br />
${voffset 2}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color2}A${voffset -1}${font DroidSans:size=8.6}${color3}${offset 5}${execi 1000 cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep 'model name' | sed -e 's/model name.*: //'| uniq | cut -c 1-20}${alignr 1}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${freq_g cpu0}${offset 1}GHz${font}<br />
${voffset 2}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color2}q${voffset -1}${font DroidSans:size=8.6}${color3}${offset 5}System${offset 3}Uptime${alignr}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${uptime_short}${font}<br />
##################################<br />
## PROCESSORS ##<br />
##################################<br />
${voffset 8}${font DroidSans:bold:size=8}${color4}PROCESSORS${offset 8}${color8}${voffset -2}${hr 2}${font}<br />
${voffset 4}${font StyleBats:size=9.9}${color2}k${voffset -2}${font DroidSansFallback:size=8.39}${color3}${offset 2}CPU1${offset 5}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${cpu cpu1}%${font}${color9}${alignr}${cpubar cpu1 6,120}<br />
${voffset 2}${font StyleBats:size=9.9}${color2}k${voffset -2}${font DroidSansFallback:size=8.39}${color3}${offset 2}CPU2${offset 5}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${cpu cpu2}%${font}${color9}${alignr}${cpubar cpu2 6,120}<br />
${voffset 2}${font DroidSansFallback:size=8.39}${color3}${offset 4}Load ${loadavg}${alignr}(${execi 5 cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor})<br />
##################################<br />
## MEMORY ##<br />
##################################<br />
${voffset 8}${font DroidSans:bold:size=8}${color4}MEMORY${offset 8}${color8}${voffset -2}${hr 2}${font}<br />
${voffset 4}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color2}l${voffset -2}${font DroidSansFallback:size=8.3}${color3}${offset 3}RAM${goto 97}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${mem}${goto 133}/${offset 5}${memmax}${alignr}${memperc}%${font}<br />
${voffset 2}${font}${color9}${alignc}${membar 6,194}<br />
##################################<br />
## HDD ##<br />
##################################<br />
${voffset 8}${font DroidSans:bold:size=8}${color4}HDD${offset 8}${color8}${voffset -2}${hr 2}${font}<br />
${voffset 6}${font StyleBats:size=9.9}${color2}x${voffset -2}${font DroidSansFallback:size=8.3}${color3}${offset 4}Root${goto 95}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${fs_used /}${goto 133}/${offset 5}${fs_size /}${alignr}${fs_used_perc /}%${font}<br />
${color9}${voffset 2}${alignc}${fs_bar 6,194}<br />
${voffset 6}${font StyleBats:size=9.9}${color2}4${voffset -2}${font DroidSansFallback:size=8.3}${color3}${offset 4}Swap${goto 95}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${swap}${goto 133}/${offset 5}${swapmax}${alignr}${swapperc}%${font}<br />
${color9}${voffset 2}${alignc}${swapbar 6,194}<br />
##################################<br />
## TIME ##<br />
##################################<br />
${voffset 8}${font DroidSans:bold:size=8}${color4}TIME${offset 8}${color8}${voffset -2}${hr 2}${font}<br />
${voffset -4}${font RadioSpace:size=32}${color3}${if_match ${time %l}<=9}${alignc 7}${time %H:%M}${else}${if_match ${time %l}>=10}${alignc -1}${time %H:%M}${endif}${endif}${font}<br />
${voffset 2}${color3}${alignc}${time %A, %d %b %Y}<br />
##################################<br />
## TOP PROCESSES ##<br />
##################################<br />
${voffset 8}${font DroidSans:bold:size=8}${color4}TOP PROCESSES${offset 8}${color8}${voffset -2}${hr 2}${font}<br />
${voffset 6}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color7}h${voffset -1}${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}${top_mem name 1}${goto 120}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${top_mem mem_res 1}${alignr}${top_mem mem 1}%${font}<br />
${voffset 1}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color7}h${voffset -1}${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}${top_mem name 2}${goto 120}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${top_mem mem_res 2}${alignr}${top_mem mem 2}%${font}<br />
${voffset 1}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color7}h${voffset -1}${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}${top_mem name 3}${goto 120}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${top_mem mem_res 3}${alignr}${top_mem mem 3}%${font}<br />
${voffset 1}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color7}h${voffset -1}${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}${top_mem name 4}${goto 120}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${top_mem mem_res 4}${alignr}${top_mem mem 4}%${font}<br />
${voffset 1}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color7}h${voffset -1}${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}${top_mem name 5}${goto 120}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${top_mem mem_res 5}${alignr}${top_mem mem 5}%${font}<br />
# ${voffset 1}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color7}h${voffset -1}${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}${top_mem name 6}${goto 120}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${top_mem mem_res 6}${alignr}${top_mem mem 6}%${font}<br />
##################################<br />
## NETWORK ##<br />
##################################<br />
${voffset 8}${font DroidSans:bold:size=8}${color4}NETWORK${offset 8}${color8}${voffset -2}${hr 2}${font}<br />
${voffset 4}${font StyleBats:size=10}${color6}l${font}${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}SSID ${alignr}${wireless_essid eth1} @ ${wireless_bitrate eth1}<br />
${voffset 0}${font PizzaDude Bullets:size=9.5}${color6}Z${font}${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}Strength${font}${color9}${alignr}${wireless_link_bar 6,88 eth1}<br />
${voffset 4}${font PizzaDudeBullets:size=9.5}${color6}T${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}Download${goto 120}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${totaldown eth1}${alignr}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${downspeed eth1}${font}<br />
${voffset 0}${font PizzaDudeBullets:size=9.5}${color6}N${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}Upload${goto 120}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${totalup eth1}${alignr}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${upspeed eth1}${font}<br />
${voffset 4}${font PizzaDudeBullets:size=9.5}${color6}a${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}Private${offset 3}IP${goto 123}${alignr}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${addr eth1}${font}<br />
${voffset 0}${font PizzaDudeBullets:size=9.5}${color6}a${font DroidSans:size=8.65}${color3}${offset 5}Public${offset 7}IP${goto 121}${alignr}${font DroidSans:size=8.3}${execi 1800 wget -q -O - checkip.dyndns.org | sed -e 's/[^[:digit:]\|.]//g'}${font}<br />
###<br />
### Some of the wireless commands require the following command to be run in terminal (one-time) before they work: (it's a permissions issue)<br />
### sudo setcap cap_net_raw,cap_net_admin=eip /usr/bin/conky<br />
<br />
<br />
#################################<br />
## END ##<br />
#################################</div>
<br />
<br />
Did this script work for you? Did you add any other variables to monitor? Share in the comments below...andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-54963858339866930402014-09-23T21:22:00.000-05:002014-11-09T15:26:25.063-06:00Elementary OS Fixes (shell script)I'm really enjoying <a href="http://elementaryos.org/" target="_blank">ElementaryOS</a> Luna. It's lightweight, fast, and easy on the eyes. In fact, I'm running it on an old notebook right now but the plan is to throw it on an <a href="http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/series/c720" target="_blank">Acer C720 chromebook</a> and run it instead of Chrome OS. But it's not 100% turnkey (I'd say 90%, which is awesome). The only thing I really felt had to be changed pronto was the uninstalling of some default software (and the installing of better replacement applications). For example, the default browser is Midori. Sure, it's ok.. but I'm entrenched into Google Chrome. Same thing with Totem, Geary, and Empathy....there are just better applications out there.<br />
<br />
So here's a bash script that uninstalls all the junk and replaces it with awesome programs! You can run it as a script or just run each line. Note that this is a modification of memoryleakx's original script <a href="https://gist.github.com/memoryleakx/7567474" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="code">
#Download Elementary OS from here:<br />
#http://sourceforge.net/projects/elementaryos/files/stable/<br />
<br />
#First you update your system<br />
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade<br />
<br />
#Install Google Chrome<br />
wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -<br />
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list'<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
sudo apt-get install google-chrome-stable<br />
<br />
#####If you prefer Firefox<br>
#Install Firefox<br>
#sudo apt-get install firefox<br>
<br>
#Clean-up System (remove unnecessary ElementaryOS software)<br />
sudo apt-get purge midori-granite<br />
sudo apt-get purge noise<br />
sudo apt-get purge software-center<br />
sudo apt-get purge scratch-text-editor<br />
sudo apt-get purge bluez<br />
sudo apt-get purge modemmanager<br />
sudo apt-get purge empathy<br />
sudo apt-get remove --purge indicator-messages<br />
sudo apt-get purge maya-calendar<br />
sudo apt-get purge geary<br />
sudo apt-get purge shotwell<br />
sudo apt-get purge totem<br />
<br />
sudo apt-get autoremove<br />
sudo apt-get autoclean<br />
<br />
#Install gedit (Text Editor)<br />
sudo apt-get install gedit gedit-plugins<br />
<br />
# Install VLC<br />
sudo apt-get install vlc<br />
<br />
#Install File Compression Libs<br />
sudo apt-get install unace unrar zip unzip xz-utils p7zip-full p7zip-rar sharutils rar uudeview mpack arj cabextract file-roller<br />
<br />
#Install Ubuntu Restricted Extras<br />
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras<br />
<br />
# Install Pinta Photo Editor<br />
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pinta-maintainers/pinta-stable<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
sudo apt-get install pinta<br />
<br />
# Install Image Viewer<br />
sudo apt-get install gpicview<br />
<br />
#Install Elementary OS extras<br />
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:versable/elementary-update<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
## Elementary Tweaks (System prefs)<br />
sudo apt-get install elementary-desktop elementary-tweaks<br />
## Elementary Themes<br />
sudo apt-get install elementary-blue-theme elementary-champagne-theme elementary-colors-theme elementary-dark-theme elementary-harvey-theme elementary-lion-theme elementary-milk-theme elementary-plastico-theme elementary-whit-e-theme<br />
## Elementary Icons<br />
sudo apt-get install elementary-elfaenza-icons elementary-emod-icons elementary-enumix-utouch-icons elementary-nitrux-icons elementary-taprevival-icons<br />
## Plank Themes<br />
sudo apt-get install elementary-plank-themes<br />
## Wingpanel Slim && Super Wingpanel<br />
sudo apt-get install wingpanel-slim indicator-synapse<br />
sudo apt-get install super-wingpanel<br />
<br />
###################<br />
#if not installed<br />
#Install the Dynamic Kernel Module Support Framework<br />
##### sudo apt-get install dkms<br />
##### mkdir kernel<br />
##### cd kernel<br />
####################<br />
<br />
#Install Kernel 3.12.2 on 32 Bit<br />
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.12.2-trusty/linux-headers-3.12.2-031202-generic_3.12.2-031202.201311291538_i386.deb<br />
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.12.2-trusty/linux-headers-3.12.2-031202_3.12.2-031202.201311291538_all.deb<br />
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.12.2-trusty/linux-image-3.12.2-031202-generic_3.12.2-031202.201311291538_i386.deb<br />
<br />
sudo dpkg -i *.deb<br />
<br />
cd ..<br />
rm -rf kernel<br />
#Reboot!<br />
<br />
# Install Zotero for Linux<br />
wget https://raw.github.com/smathot/zotero_installer/master/zotero_installer.sh \ -O /tmp/zotero_installer.sh<br />
chmod +x /tmp/zotero_installer.sh<br />
sudo /tmp/zotero_installer.sh<br />
<br />
#Install Qnotero for Linux (Zotero toolbar companion)<br>
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:smathot/cogscinl<br>
sudo apt-get update<br>
sudo apt-get install qnotero<br>
<br>
### Don't forget to install the ZotFile plugin manually from www.zotfile.com<br>
<br>
#### Install some Handy Indicator Applets ####<br>
#Install CPU Freq Indicator<br>
sudo apt-get install indicator-cpufreq<br>
### copy icon files to elementary theme pack<br>
sudo cp /usr/share/icons/ubuntu-mono-dark/status/22/indicator-cpufreq* /usr/share/icons/elementary/status/22/<br>
sudo gtk-update-icon-cache -f /usr/share/icons/elementary<br>
killall super-wingpanel<br>
#Install Multiload Indicator<br>
sudo apt-get install indicator-multiload<br>
#Install Weather Indicator<br>
sudo apt-get install weather-indicator<br>
<br>
#Install Skype<br />
sudo apt-add-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ precise partner"<br />
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install skype<br />
<br />
#Install Libre Office (most recent)<br />
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
sudo apt-get install libreoffice<br />
#Install LibreOffice themes<br>
sudo apt-get install libreoffice-style-human libreoffice-style-oxygen libreoffice-style-crystal libreoffice-style-sifr libreoffice-style-tango libreoffice-style-galaxy<br>
#Install PDF editing<br>
sudo apt-get install libreoffice-pdfimport<br>
##Install Support for US English<br>
sudo apt-get install hyphen-en-us mythes-en-us libreoffice-help-en-us <br>
<br>
##Install Support for UK English<br>
sudo apt-get install libreoffice-help-en-gb libreoffice-l10n-en-gb myspell-en-gb hunspell-dictionary-en-gb myspell-dictionary-en-gb hyphen-en-gb libreoffice-grammarcheck-en-gb mythes-en-gb<br>
<br>
#Remove extra LibreOffice icons from Slingshot Start Menu (leaves only main 'LibreOffice')<br>
cd /usr/share/applications<br>
sudo rm libreoffice-base.desktop libreoffice-draw.desktop libreoffice-impress.desktop libreoffice-writer.desktop libreoffice-calc.desktop libreoffice-math.desktop<br>
<br />
#Install the Clementine Music Player<br />
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:me-davidsansome/clementine<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
sudo apt-get install clementine<br />
<br />
#Install the latest git Version<br />
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:git-core/ppa<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade<br />
sudo apt-get install git<br />
<br />
# Change start menu to open with ONLY the Super key, instead of Super + Space<br />
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings panel-main-menu "['Super_L','<alt>F2']"</alt><br />
### to change back<br />
# gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings panel-main-menu "['<super>space', '<alt>F2']"</alt></super><br />
<br />
#Make sure everything is up to date all over again<br />
sudo apt-get update<br />
sudo apt-get upgrade<br />
sudo apt-get autoremove<br />
sudo apt-get autoclean<br />
<br />
</div>
<br>
Let me know if you think I missed some anything awesome that should be added to eOS. Happy customising!andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-83534281177928057562014-04-28T12:23:00.002-05:002014-04-28T12:24:40.079-05:00How to Fix Netflix (Google) DNS on Roku UpdateThis post will show you how to fix the Netflix's hardcoded Google DNS on the Roku.<br />
<br />
Roku rolled out an update sometime in the last week in which the Netflix application switched from using global DNS settings to hardcoded 8.8.8.8 <a href="https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/" target="_blank">Google DNS</a> settings. I have nothing against Google DNS, but I need to use custom settings because I use <a href="http://www.unblock-us.com/" target="_blank">Unblock-Us</a> to trick Netflix into giving me USA content....and I'm in Canada. My Roku is currently on <b>version 5.4 build 3340</b>.<br />
<br />
Now, Roku is the only network device in my home that does not allow custom DNS settings.... but that's a different complaint for a different post. Suffice to say that to trick any application on the Roku, custom DNS must be configured at the router level. <br />
<br />
I'm going to outline 2 different router-level methods for fixing the Netflix hardcoded DNS: (1) Rerouting 8.8.8.8 to your gateway, and (2) outright blocking any communication with 8.8.8.8<br />
<br />
<h3>
Method 1 - Rerouting to your Gateway</h3>
The first step is to log in to your router. If you don't know how to do that, stop reading and call your go-to tech support family member. If you're feeling adventurous, see <a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2014/04/how-to-find-your-routers-ip-address-in.html" target="_blank">How to Find Your Router's IP Address</a>. Save the router's address for the configuration we're doing below.<br />
<br />
In this example I'm using an old TRENDNET TEW-432BRP with local ip 192.168.10.1<br />
<br />
Find your Routing Table settings. In mine, it's under <b>Routing > Static</b>. We're going to create a new static route so that every time the Roku (or any network device) looks for 8.8.8.8, it will be automatically directed to the 192.168.10.1 router ip. As long as the 192.168.10.1 router is configured for custom DNS, it's bye-bye 8.8.8.8. Enter the following settings:<br />
<br />
Network Address: 8.8.8.8<br />
Network Mask: 255.255.255.255<br />
Gateway Address: 192.168.10.1 (router IP)<br />
Interface: LAN<br />
Metric: 2<br />
<br />
Make sure you add & enable the route and that's it. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHrJLttd3lzmlJXJWrPn7lZmcnUEEM200VcXKqZG9URqdFQDrSHz-TTtA0pPDLCQxmrJLClv3kJAYUwjVyASbHQGT_raGMOVe7WPTd3AedxSNAQo9Fza9dO_ofXpYLEiy-8K0VjtohNs/s1600/static-routing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHrJLttd3lzmlJXJWrPn7lZmcnUEEM200VcXKqZG9URqdFQDrSHz-TTtA0pPDLCQxmrJLClv3kJAYUwjVyASbHQGT_raGMOVe7WPTd3AedxSNAQo9Fza9dO_ofXpYLEiy-8K0VjtohNs/s1600/static-routing.png" height="299" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Method 2 - Blocking Google DNS</h3>
Get to your router's configuration page as per Method 1, and find your <b>IP Filter configuration settings</b>. On my TRENDNET, it's under <b>Access > Filter > IP Filter</b>. Now, simply add the range 8.8.8.8 to 8.8.8.8 (the lone IP address) and enable the filter. Now, all traffic trying to reach 8.8.8.8 will be blocked and timeout. In the case of Roku's Netflix, it will timeout and default to the global DNS settings.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAThLwL6td9LeCTKs8EXLwge3aSO4PNpP4F6kl162AUona4oGQNweQhnC0KKbueHdX6kXhJIwEuqWIoT4505mMNOEP39zg6WORIVFh16GgYVIHGY_wZZvpUPx5KXPgHOWIPZED-lNvZIw/s1600/ip-filter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAThLwL6td9LeCTKs8EXLwge3aSO4PNpP4F6kl162AUona4oGQNweQhnC0KKbueHdX6kXhJIwEuqWIoT4505mMNOEP39zg6WORIVFh16GgYVIHGY_wZZvpUPx5KXPgHOWIPZED-lNvZIw/s1600/ip-filter.png" height="307" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-71082814979862747302014-04-28T12:08:00.000-05:002014-04-28T12:25:13.967-05:00How to find Your Router's IP Address in WindowsThis post explains how to find the IP address of your wireless or wired router. In my case, this takes place on Windows 7, but it will also for for Windows XP, Windows Vista, etc.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Step 1 - Command Prompt</h4>
From the start menu, run the application Command Prompt or just search for "cmd"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa9rKwVcwH-EOXlEqgRbpuhJ5eVdSN-n3j8vEnOa7x_ueSD9WENJ8PO210a74ow6c-oHNMPx022q4ZZrd3HkZaHEtwBY7qtQQganXhdEskrvWxpU3pA8-dkk9owaJ2R3_eytXrFTWOSY/s1600/1-cmd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa9rKwVcwH-EOXlEqgRbpuhJ5eVdSN-n3j8vEnOa7x_ueSD9WENJ8PO210a74ow6c-oHNMPx022q4ZZrd3HkZaHEtwBY7qtQQganXhdEskrvWxpU3pA8-dkk9owaJ2R3_eytXrFTWOSY/s1600/1-cmd.png" height="172" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<h4>
Step 2 - Ipconfig</h4>
Type the following code and press enter.<br />
<div class="code">
ipconfig</div>
<br />
Write down the <b>default gateway</b> IP address. In my case below, I am connecting over WLAN (wireless) and my router default gateway address is <b>192.168.10.1</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyFTAkXyAxm941Ds-CzPZLMQNevCIjCFJDNsPalZkAFPbRrhmSJ3PcGDQuMEhDrlqhowWzGmvzzYI4dMGpnxYITZpW_7RygfUV2K5pvSd3e4yx2FluXYomtQR4IGfbmIh9YkTglnL5y4/s1600/2-ipconfig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyFTAkXyAxm941Ds-CzPZLMQNevCIjCFJDNsPalZkAFPbRrhmSJ3PcGDQuMEhDrlqhowWzGmvzzYI4dMGpnxYITZpW_7RygfUV2K5pvSd3e4yx2FluXYomtQR4IGfbmIh9YkTglnL5y4/s1600/2-ipconfig.png" height="175" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
Step 3 - Browser</h4>
<br />
Launch your <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/" target="_blank">favourite browser</a> and type the router (gateway) IP in the address bar and hit Enter. <br />
<div class="code">
192.168.10.1</div>
<br />
You are now at your router's landing page and ready to configure. Your router might need a password (usually "admin" / "admin")<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><br /></b>andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-7345837604048250732013-04-28T17:38:00.000-05:002013-04-28T17:38:24.409-05:00How to Rename Android Device on NetworkAndroid devices don't have nice default names on a local network. This can be confusing, especially if you have to type "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: -webkit-center;">android-cfd55432173d6d3e</span>" often. But, if your android device is routed, it's just one line in a terminal (as superuser) to change this:<br />
<br />
<div class="code">
setprop net.hostname THE_NEW_HOSTNAME</div>
<br />
<br />
Here's a screenshot:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-QFDE9pkUfEuXINJ4I1aNOd_NYrzZsPQuh82KS76uqsfgLfKp1PcqtFFin0xTGV_T1rY20qcW5m3_E6ROyhspPF2ccfSKSEAOlpYICyoU_Zeb3aWa40VAVERo2Au6vh0HDkQUXvLMe0/s1600/2013-04-28_18-30-03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-QFDE9pkUfEuXINJ4I1aNOd_NYrzZsPQuh82KS76uqsfgLfKp1PcqtFFin0xTGV_T1rY20qcW5m3_E6ROyhspPF2ccfSKSEAOlpYICyoU_Zeb3aWa40VAVERo2Au6vh0HDkQUXvLMe0/s320/2013-04-28_18-30-03.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-27676598333427917122013-04-11T19:22:00.000-05:002013-04-11T19:22:12.460-05:00How to Update Wii Shopping Channel v21 (Homebrew Hack)If you have hacked/homebrew wii, you'll notice that Nintendo released a new Shopping Channel update (v21). In order to download the new update, you need to upgrade your wii system. I'm on wii system 4.2 and for some reason Nintendo won't let me download the new system update. So here's how to install the new Shopping Channel without updating the wii system...<br />
<br />
1. Download the <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1rdd3m3nqfn7bp1" target="_blank">Shopping Channel v21</a> wad and stick it on the /wad folder on your SD card.<br />
<br />
2. Use either Multi Mod Manager or Wad Manager, from the Homebrew Channel. If you don't have the homebrew channel, <a href="http://justplainobvious.blogspot.ca/2010/01/how-to-hack-your-nintendo-wii-to-play.html" target="_blank">see here</a>.)<br />
<br />
3. Either 'Load another IOS' or load the wad directly.<br />
<br />
4. It might take a few moments, but the wad will install. Exit the app, exit homebrew, and open the Shopping Channel. It should be working again.<br />
<br />
--- Donezo!<br />
<br />andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-24942446729538857582012-03-25T22:45:00.000-05:002012-03-25T22:45:13.125-05:00How to Set Up a SlacklineSetting up a slackline is pretty easy. Unless you're going for one of those <a href="http://www.gibbon-slacklines.com/en/products/slackline-sets/index.html" target="_blank">Gibbon gucci slacklines</a> with the thick webbing and ratcheting come-along, your entire setup can be purchased for $50 or $60 (probably less in the USA).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKn4VZQdHBgbXxs-Tcr8KohNewpA6doh-raj4YLPBJExeDnEA4D_gEDSAnhmgtPIOSw7kXzM21vZs9X5WeDWLbtIye9Imb1VGMc8lFrvuEfSvva_R1Cn-Jo45FeHutIQAvY0kSBb7UiI/s1600/IMG_1506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKn4VZQdHBgbXxs-Tcr8KohNewpA6doh-raj4YLPBJExeDnEA4D_gEDSAnhmgtPIOSw7kXzM21vZs9X5WeDWLbtIye9Imb1VGMc8lFrvuEfSvva_R1Cn-Jo45FeHutIQAvY0kSBb7UiI/s320/IMG_1506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><h2><b>Equipment </b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b></b>Here's what you need (clockwise in above photo):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li><b>1" Tubular webbing</b> - The rolled, blue tubular webbing above is 15 m of climbing-strength webbing, rated for 17 kN. MEC sells it for $1.30/meter <a href="http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing/SlingsWebbing/PRD~5020-829/web-source-124mm-tubular-webbing.jsp" target="_blank">here</a>. This is obviously the main part of your setup and should be good quality. 15 - 20 m should be good.</li>
<li><b>1" flat webbing (anchors)</b> - Above I have 2x rolls of 4 m (8 m total) flat webbing. You need something like this to wrap around your trees. The larger the tree trunk, the longer the anchor must be. The webbing above is accessory webbing and is not intended for climbing. It's only rated for about 11-12 kN and is sold for <a href="http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing/SlingsWebbing/PRD~0407-015/web-source-124mm-flat-accessory-webbing.jsp" target="_blank">$1.00/meter at MEC</a>. This should be fine, but if you want something of a higher grade, try MEC's <a href="http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing/SlingsWebbing/PRD~0406-132/web-source-1-24mm-flat-climbing-webbing.jsp" target="_blank">flat climbing webbing</a>.</li>
<li><b>4x oval carabiners </b>- Do they have to be oval? No, D-carabiners would work too.... BUT, Ds are more expensive to purchase and they don't hold webbing as nicely. The Black Diamond biners above are $5.25 ea. <a href="http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing/Carabiners/StraightGate/PRD~4008-647/black-diamond-oval-biner.jsp" target="_blank">at MEC</a> and work great.</li>
<li><b>2x descending rings (optional) </b>- Optional because they're not required for the setup, BUT they will ensure you do not need to tie knots in your webbing. Knots weaken the webbing and distort its strength ratings. Plus, I don't want to spend their time tying and untying knots. MEC <i>says</i> they carry <a href="http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing/UppersDowners/Descenders/PRD~4007-356/fixe-descending-ring.jsp" target="_blank">descending rings</a> but my location does not stock them. <a href="http://www.wildernesssupply.ca/" target="_blank">Wilderness Supply</a> stepped up to bat and sold me the above rings (20 kN) for less than $4 ea. Line lockers or padded chain links would work just as well.</li>
</ul><h2>Set Up</h2><div><ol><li>Find two trees (~ 25+ cm diameter) between which to set up your line. Ensure you have about 5 m more webbing than distance. </li>
<li>Wrap your anchors around the trees, several times if necessary (doubled if possible). I sewed loops in both ends of my anchors for easy set up (if you do this, make sure you know how to sew the correct patterns for max breaking strength). If no loops, use a water knot to connect the ends of the webbing together (see below)</li>
</ol><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYBKfP2p7uuIfTl_HBOZoeBA4bClPwrvhyphenhyphenyWeNngJXJxpHUIcsKtIVoWNGMTrc1_T4SsNMKnnTOX9ttNmAbmcV25lWaHaXAEsSVlgW_JTV7HOERYv2fMIRra6TelWF9PiYZ9-hhHUoF0/s1600/water_knot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYBKfP2p7uuIfTl_HBOZoeBA4bClPwrvhyphenhyphenyWeNngJXJxpHUIcsKtIVoWNGMTrc1_T4SsNMKnnTOX9ttNmAbmcV25lWaHaXAEsSVlgW_JTV7HOERYv2fMIRra6TelWF9PiYZ9-hhHUoF0/s1600/water_knot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYBKfP2p7uuIfTl_HBOZoeBA4bClPwrvhyphenhyphenyWeNngJXJxpHUIcsKtIVoWNGMTrc1_T4SsNMKnnTOX9ttNmAbmcV25lWaHaXAEsSVlgW_JTV7HOERYv2fMIRra6TelWF9PiYZ9-hhHUoF0/s320/water_knot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><ol start="3"><li style="text-align: left;">Connect an oval carabiner to one anchor and fix your main line (tubular webbing) to it using the descending ring and a bight + line locker. If you're not sure how to do this, check out <a href="http://www.nwslackline.org/31/article-using-line-lockers" target="_blank">these instructional steps</a>. If you didn't buy descending rings, you'll need to tie your main line to the carabiner.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Bring your main line to the other anchor (ensure no twists). Add another carabiner + descending ring to the main line about 1 m from the anchor when taut, or about 20% of the total distance.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><i>Steps 5 thru 8 will give a 3:1 mechanical advantage to tighten the slackline.</i> Add two carabiners to the anchor webbing and feed the main line through one of them. If the top one, feed the line top to bottom. If the bottom, feed it bottom to top.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Bring the main line back to the biner/descending ring combo and feed it through the carabiner the same way you did in step 5 (top to bottom or bottom to top). </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Bring the line back to the anchor and feed it through the other ring, the opposite way from step 5.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Feed the main line back to the the carabiner in step 6 and bring it <i>under</i><i> the webbing </i>from step 6. You should now have a tension lock and the line should hold itself up. It should look something like this:</li>
</ol></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE48hRXS6EI5UVoJvvQX9h5hW5vDhAqlg9L0rVd8gCi1afJIhhaNwfIjqWs3jX1l2Nh0E86Bg6eimKDhL3RS2N44qVH3RRNutUtp64gp8hIlm_n3tJTF4-IBDSNDxqYZDQQEEUAvO_ojg/s1600/secondloop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE48hRXS6EI5UVoJvvQX9h5hW5vDhAqlg9L0rVd8gCi1afJIhhaNwfIjqWs3jX1l2Nh0E86Bg6eimKDhL3RS2N44qVH3RRNutUtp64gp8hIlm_n3tJTF4-IBDSNDxqYZDQQEEUAvO_ojg/s320/secondloop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><ol start="9"><li>Finally, grab that loose end and pull! Keep pulling until you tighten to the desired amount of 'slack'. You may want to enlist the help of a friend. The line is under a tension lock and will hold itself... BUT just to be safe, tie off that extra webbing in a knot as a backup.</li>
</ol><div>Happy slacklining!</div></div>andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-73655211919718611002012-03-21T18:27:00.000-05:002012-03-21T18:27:16.153-05:00Replace Rear Seal in a Volvo 240The car is a 1990 Volvo 240 DL with ~310,000 km and an AW70 automatic transmission. The problem is a leaky rear seal in the transmission shaft. I did this job last week because of three problems:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>I leave puddles (about 3-4 Tbsp) of transmission fluid every time I park</li>
<li>I need to constantly top of my transmission fluid, costing $$</li>
<li>The transmission has to work overtime with so little fluid and ends up costing in fuel economy.</li>
</ol>There are a few suggested methods (see <a href="http://volvoadventures.com/howtodotransmissionseal.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.swedishautoparts.com/Volvo-240-Transmision-Output-Seal-Replacement.html" target="_blank">here</a>) but I took a slightly different route outlined below. But before that, a word about parts.... I spoke with a handful of suppliers and only one could locate the part I needed. I heard people call it the 'output seal', the 'rear output seal', the 'rear shaft seal', the 'rear transmission seal', and the 'output shaft seal'. Make sure you get the correct part. If you have access to a spare car you might be able to pull the seal out and take it to a supplier to get an exact match. But if you're like me and prefer having all the parts on hand to complete the job, get it before you start. I ended up ordering the <b>ALTROM Rear Seal 2116020 from Napa</b>, which looks like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysSVXGgqLxGrN8n0qL17tdG_lWn06PLR4_qsIYACDs69qMyX9jaorPpOvA0nZw8gOHx1eKUL6JxZE_YKLhTWiAdziiOQ-J9LsA1L-GbXluh_R5W2efp6HbkxxGFik8ST6dKEXgLMiKPU/s1600/ALTROM2116020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysSVXGgqLxGrN8n0qL17tdG_lWn06PLR4_qsIYACDs69qMyX9jaorPpOvA0nZw8gOHx1eKUL6JxZE_YKLhTWiAdziiOQ-J9LsA1L-GbXluh_R5W2efp6HbkxxGFik8ST6dKEXgLMiKPU/s320/ALTROM2116020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This looks a bit different than some other seals you'll find on the market (and from the one I took out of the car). They look like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBR22pT3UPaZ4lQLb1eHr3GLFgOCK2zlgc0TwIH_MVNKOLD-H5ugyH61uANnd2WTYLjxb70uIMFjGTXfhLZLk1z8VLsDK0_vhcuwXLKeXQQwRKIb55mZep8l6zYF7Q2mkWAj9owNz-9E/s1600/3549226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBR22pT3UPaZ4lQLb1eHr3GLFgOCK2zlgc0TwIH_MVNKOLD-H5ugyH61uANnd2WTYLjxb70uIMFjGTXfhLZLk1z8VLsDK0_vhcuwXLKeXQQwRKIb55mZep8l6zYF7Q2mkWAj9owNz-9E/s320/3549226.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I suppose they perform the same. Here's the complete parts list:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>ALTROM Rear Seal no. 2116020 from Napa ($13)</li>
<li>Transmission Kit FK-162 from PartSource ($15) <i>*this isn't necessary, but might as well do it*</i></li>
<li>4L Mobil ATF D/M 598368 from PartSource ($16)</li>
</ul><div>With parts in hand, here's the procedure. <b><u>Note</u></b> that I estimated 3 hours and it took 4-5:</div><br />
<br />
<ol><li>Jack up the car and put it on jackstands. Do not ride up on ramps as the wheels must be free to rotate</li>
<li>Shift car into N.</li>
<li>Drain transmission fluid. It doesn't have to be done now but it must be done before Step 12</li>
<li>Mark/score the rear flange and remove the 4 driveshaft bolts from the flange (near rear wheels). You may need to rotate the driveshaft to get at all 4 bolts, and the flange may need a whack with a rubber mallet to come free. Impact wrench on the bolt heat and hand wrench on the nut. </li>
<li>Mark/score the front flange and remove the 4 driveshaft bolts from the flange (near tailshaft housing). May also need a rubber mallet. <b><u>(Note</u>:</b> <u>some guides advocate removing the tailshaft housing. Not a bad idea, but much more work and not entirely necessary if you have a socket the exact diameter of the new seal)</u></li>
<li>Remove the 4 bolts on the crossmember bracket and prepare the lower the entire driveshaft to the floor for later usage. You will need to replace one or two of the bracket bolts to keep some sheathing from falling down. You should now see the centre bolt inside the front flange. </li>
<li>Shift the car into Park.</li>
<li>Remove the centre bolt from the flange. Impact wrench ok.</li>
<li>Pull off the flange and remove the rear seal. I used a flathead screwdriver and broke the seal while getting it out. No matter, it was leaking anyway.</li>
<li>If you have a socket in the correct size, gently tap the new seal into the housing. Be careful not to press in too far. If you don't have a socket this size, borrow one! It's way easier. If you must, remove the entire tailshaft housing and press the new bushing in.</li>
<li>You can now reverse steps 4-11 to reinstall the driveshaft assembly. Make sure to shift back to Neutral after installing the centre transmission bolt. Also make sure not to overtighten if using impact wrenches.</li>
<li>The remaining steps are to change the transmission filter and gasket. It's not necessary but is probably a good idea if you've been running low on transmission fluid. If you didn't do so before, drain transmission fluid. </li>
<li>Pull off the 14 bolts on the transmission pan. Remove the pan gasket from the pan and clean thoroughly (esp. if it was an old cork gasket. The new kit comes with a silicone version).</li>
<li>Pull off the 5 bolts for the transmission filter. Have a look at the new filter to make sure you're loosening the right bolts. You may need to pull off a steel line or two (they're just tension fitted)</li>
<li>With the pan and filter out of the way, spray the entire assembly with brake clean. Get all the fluid out of there so it's not dripping on you when you replace the filter and pan.</li>
<li>Clean the pan and magnet in a parts washer or with brake clean. Get all the grime out of there. </li>
<li>Bolt the new filter (with gasket). Use torque settings if you have them.</li>
<li>Replace the pan and pan gasket, and add some RTV to make that gasket stick well. 14 bolts and you're done the hard stuff.</li>
<li>Now, add as much fluid as you removed (possibly more if you were running really low). I believe it is around 3 L, maybe a bit more.</li>
<li>Start the car in Park and slowly cycle through all gears. Check for leaks and go grab a beer.</li>
</ol><div><br />
</div>andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-35200646706082940272012-03-20T17:04:00.000-05:002012-03-21T17:29:33.258-05:00How many kg in a kN?Quick physics lesson today. Often we see carabiners, rings, rope, etc. rated for a certain number of kilo Newtons (kN). What does that number mean and how does it affect me?<br />
<br />
The quick and dirty answer, working with normal gravity, is that <b>1 kN = 101 kg = 224 lbs</b>. These are <b>conservative masses</b>, meaning I have rounded down. To convert <u>kg to kN</u>, multiply by 0.00981, to convert <u>kN to kg</u>, multiply by 101.97.<br />
<br />
Why is this so? Glad you asked. While a kg is a unit of mass, a kN is a unit of force. The unit of measurement for kN is the Newton, defined as <u>the force of earth's gravity required to move 100g</u> (0.1 kg). Since force is defined as <b>mass</b> multiplied by <b>acceleration</b>, we must apply some sort of acceleration to our unit of mass (kg) in order to get kN. Usually, this acceleration is gravity (9.81 m/s). With this in mind, we can see that a 1 kg mass under gravity is equal to:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>F = m * a</li>
<li>F = 1 kg * (9.81 m/s)</li>
<li>F = 1000 g * 9.81 m/s</li>
<li>F = 9.81 N</li>
<li>F = 0.00981 kN</li>
</ul><div>So, as an example, that climbing item you have rated for 20 kN would not be able to take more than 2039 kg under gravity. </div>andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-54526402463398074282012-01-30T07:51:00.000-06:002012-01-30T07:51:00.697-06:00Fix Heated Seats in Volvo 240My 1990 Volvo 240 DL's seat heaters haven't been working since I bought the car a few months back. Fixing heated seats sounds like a pain but it's really not that bad. And it's nice to have a warm tuckus on cold winter commutes. <br />
<br />
Here's the wiring diagram (click to enlarge). Note my adjustments: the ground coming out of the rear element _does_ flow to the ground, but it's easier to think of it as coming back to the hot wire. There's a 2-way plastic connector that facilitates this.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s5AUF3Rf3XC6FMfJ1_5kejuEB8CD6zWJ46gs0VqAyBEib7MU4b_cWYB8MJ7RRUsla1nb-2PGXidEHAlswEdXmU7JbUs5iLN-4DGYiu5CZ-Djx3HycvvOhiuze-gypDvPU8fq7udpoTs/s1600/seat_heater_schematic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s5AUF3Rf3XC6FMfJ1_5kejuEB8CD6zWJ46gs0VqAyBEib7MU4b_cWYB8MJ7RRUsla1nb-2PGXidEHAlswEdXmU7JbUs5iLN-4DGYiu5CZ-Djx3HycvvOhiuze-gypDvPU8fq7udpoTs/s320/seat_heater_schematic.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br />
If your heated-seat indicator bulb illuminates, it means the fuse and wiring up to that point is good. So far so good. I checked for continuity on the wire going into and out of the seat: no good. You can now either open up the seats in the car (warm day) or remove the seat and work on it inside (cold day). Removing the seat is simple and is literally just 4 bolts on the corners. Now the seat cover must come off. Looking at the seat from the back, pop the retaining wire out of its hole and the bottom seat cover will detach in the rear.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sO-HOgWtqf2VSDhK30tBmWKIZKECIapfSHtf6W1yXbUR3R_bisn8ycWEJv-h6-k9cbbQoc5dIa3DJ2ae9vnu2MISLR9487C7vrkDhvH09dw1JrJwFAweAWqoo4EOGGU8vMv4NVwUmsQ/s1600/VSH1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sO-HOgWtqf2VSDhK30tBmWKIZKECIapfSHtf6W1yXbUR3R_bisn8ycWEJv-h6-k9cbbQoc5dIa3DJ2ae9vnu2MISLR9487C7vrkDhvH09dw1JrJwFAweAWqoo4EOGGU8vMv4NVwUmsQ/s320/VSH1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Now, recline the back all the way and feed the bottom sear cover up and out. If you want to remove the entire bottom cover (or the back cover) you'll need to cut all the metal hog clips. You can re attach these with zip ties later on....but it's a pain. 90% of problems can be solved without going through this hassle. Reach under the bottom seat cover and pull out the plastic frame. Be careful not to break the 2 connecting wire. The frame is just a molded plastic part with a few meters of wire running through it. It should look like this.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1F8NrCUcFckG7PmvuC7_unrPa2heE34OkKGZYopMzvO1PMFVpc6hm-jiDHrHpkKJr36F2jgsTeExCHaMndftFZnBx0xzAh7FrUQBloZ5EZB4R_QmgsEmnN0xtJ6MSfaUZrghnB0Dd2UQ/s1600/VSH2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1F8NrCUcFckG7PmvuC7_unrPa2heE34OkKGZYopMzvO1PMFVpc6hm-jiDHrHpkKJr36F2jgsTeExCHaMndftFZnBx0xzAh7FrUQBloZ5EZB4R_QmgsEmnN0xtJ6MSfaUZrghnB0Dd2UQ/s320/VSH2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Chances are the non-continuity problem is either (a) a broken wire or (b) a bad thermostat. Actually, both my seats weren't working and one was a broken wire and the other a thermostat. The thermostat allows you to keep your heated seats on during long rides and not burn through the wiring. Basically, when it gets too hot it interrupts the circuit, and when it cools again it allows current to flow. A lot of the time the thermostat goes bad, interrupting the circuit permanently. Check for continuity on either side of the thermostat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRE79T8RMVe_zzKV5Rc9asXDLiTlyvihBi-q7yuVRRobSSqQPnbrEb5hyphenhyphenSr7hkhfc-wzSZoHqWwBl79BhttFgk7lyzCuFd0z2U2h0OGTelSL4pMrI3Xg843S5ObI6XMLuBjYJhf2xSEA/s1600/VSH3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRE79T8RMVe_zzKV5Rc9asXDLiTlyvihBi-q7yuVRRobSSqQPnbrEb5hyphenhyphenSr7hkhfc-wzSZoHqWwBl79BhttFgk7lyzCuFd0z2U2h0OGTelSL4pMrI3Xg843S5ObI6XMLuBjYJhf2xSEA/s320/VSH3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>If you have continuity, look for a bad wire and simply reconnect. If no continuity, you need to replace or jump your thermostat. I think you can get a new thermostat for $25 or so online. But I figure you don't really need the thermostat.... just monitor the temperature and switch off the heater when necessary. Your bottom will tell you when. If you think like I do, just grab a couple cm of wire and solder across the thermostat terminals.<br />
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Now, you can also buy new heater pads. You can find the bottom and back for less than $100 online. They won't be moulded to the seat foam, but I'm sure you can make it work. If you chose to solder the thermostat terminals instead, just cover with some electrical tape and put it all back together. <br />
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Reassembly is the opposite of disassembly :) And <b><u>MAKE SURE you monitor the temperature of the seats when they are switched on!!</u></b> Don't leave the switches on when no one is sitting in the chair. You can, however, leave the switches on when you turn the car off...the hot wire is only live when the ignition is on.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-27174751719748175822012-01-29T17:51:00.000-06:002012-01-29T17:51:03.230-06:00How to convert .bin to ISO in Ubuntu.bin/.cue image files were made popular by Golden Hawk's CDRWin application. The disc image is expressed in pairs, with the .bin file containing most of the data and the .cue file containing layout information. I <s>am not a big fan</s> really hate when I get a disc image in .bin/.cue format. ISO is the way to go and is easily readable by Ubuntu. <br />
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To convert, get a command-line program called <b>bchunk. </b><br />
<div class="code">sudo apt-get install bchunk</div>Usage looks like: <div class="code">bchunk [options] <i>image.bin</i> <i>image.cue</i> <i>output.iso</i></div>. Simple and easy.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-27028068649519116362011-12-05T08:02:00.000-06:002011-12-05T08:02:00.151-06:00How to Disable Overlay Scrollbars in UbuntuLooking back, I don't know why I put up with Ubuntu's overlay scrollbars for so long... they're just that awful. Your mouse must be in just the right spot to catch the scrollbar, and forget about paging down click by click.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZfYvVFQyQzL1Fsvbdik3m1VFbl9uaiujygX_IlZshvKI30YLkp6wJrJvyg2gdPyrW3X498KoWq29e5wFKE3kE10EqOZKEX052cVq2C6m8P7tOcHRKH-iWNtcC41ArP8NouMGahWE_CQ/s1600/ubuntu_12_04_overlay_scrollbar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZfYvVFQyQzL1Fsvbdik3m1VFbl9uaiujygX_IlZshvKI30YLkp6wJrJvyg2gdPyrW3X498KoWq29e5wFKE3kE10EqOZKEX052cVq2C6m8P7tOcHRKH-iWNtcC41ArP8NouMGahWE_CQ/s320/ubuntu_12_04_overlay_scrollbar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So this morning I decided to just get rid of them. Turns out it's easy. Just add this line of code:<br />
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<div class="code">export LIBOVERLAY_SCROLLBAR=0</div>to the file <div class="code">/etc/X11/Xsession.d/99disable-overlay-scrollbars</div>for global removal (you may need to create that file). To disable only on a user-by-user basis, enter the same text in the user's file: <div class="code">~/.xprofile</div>andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051015718199923119.post-3910623527910187562011-12-04T11:25:00.000-06:002011-12-04T11:25:07.659-06:00Ubuntu Wired Ethernet Connection Not WorkingI recently upgraded my home internet connection to 50 mbps. Shaw (ISP) <s>gave</s> loaned me a new Cisco DPC3825 cable modem. The Cisco DPC3825 also functions as a gateway, router, and wireless router, so I pulled the plug on my old Trendnet TEW-432BRP. In doing this, I started to notice multiple failures between my PS3 and my Ubuntu 11.04 machine (running <a href="http://www.ps3mediaserver.org/" target="_blank">PS3 Media Server</a>, both wired) in the form of frequent DLNA errors. On top of this, Ubuntu sometimes wouldn't recognise the wired ethernet connection (even though the hardware lights activated). <br />
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Fixing/resetting this was simple:<br />
<div class="code">sudo service network-manager stop<br />
sudo ifconfig eth0 up<br />
sudo dhclient eth0<br />
sudo service network-manager start</div>These commands stop network manager, ensure the wired ethernet device (<i>eth0</i> in my case) is being monitored, renew its DHCP lease, and restart network manager. So far, it's worked for me every time.<br />
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After a little more digging, I believe the problem lies with my Cisco SPA2102 VOIP phone adapter. It was running under the gateway and also assigning DHCP. I've since turned this feature off and am hoping for <s>less</s> no more communication errors.andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16687689885183011600noreply@blogger.com3