PCManFM File manager has no icons in Razor-Qt

When using Razor-Qt desktop environment, if the PCManFM file manager has blank icons then you may need to use LXappearance to set an icon theme.  LXappearance can be started from command line:

lxappearance

or from Start menu -> Preferences -> Customize Look and Feel -> Icon Theme

Setting locale in Sabayon 13.11

To set the system default locale to en_AU.UTF-8 in Sabayon 13.11:

sudo nano /etc/locale.gen
  en_AU.UTF-8 UTF-8
  en_AU ISO-8859-1

sudo nano /etc/locale.conf
  LANG=en_AU.UTF-8

sudo env-update   (applies the changes to /etc/profile.env)
source /etc/profile (makes the change effective in the current shell - restart if not effective)

Zenity 3.8 list output bug on Sabayon

Zenity 3.8.0 on Sabayon 13.12 has a bug that doubles the output of list with seperating pipe, as explained here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/zenity/+bug/1247137

 My workaround was to download latest source from:

https://git.gnome.org/browse/zenity

Download the package:

ZENITY_3_10_0.tar.gz

Ensure the following are installed:

automake
gcc
gnome-common (small)
yelp-tools

Extract, make and install:

cd ZENITY_3_10_0
autogen.sh
make
sudo make install

LXDE Default Browser shortcut link for panel

LXDE includes the "Preferred Applications" (libfm-pref-apps) program to set the preferred web browser. It works by changing the following entry:

~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list

[Default Applications]
x-scheme-handler/http=iceweasel.desktop

The problem with this is if you have a shortcut on the LXPanel, or Desktop, then the link is not updated automatically.  Exo-open is designed for XFCE and is ineffective to fix this issue, xdg-open cannot be used in a shortcut unless a parameter is passed - which is no good if you just want to open the browser.

A workaround is to create a new script that uses xdg-mime to query for the default http handler and create a .desktop file that runs this new script:

 sudo nano /usr/local/bin/x-www-mime-browser

#!/bin/sh

# This script uses xdg-mime to check the default browser
# and executes the .desktop from ~/.local/share/applications
# or /usr/share/applications.

URL="$1"
HANDLER=`xdg-mime query default x-scheme-handler/http`
# If handler is customized, extract from .local/... and execute
if [ -f ~/.local/share/applications/$HANDLER ]; then
    `grep Exec ~/.local/share/applications/$HANDLER \\
    | awk -F= '{ print $2 }' \\
    | awk '{ print $1 }';`
else
    `xdg-mime query default x-scheme-handler/http | awk -F. '{ print $1 }'`
fi

 sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/x-www-mime-browser
 sudo nano /usr/share/applications/x-www-mime-browser.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Web Browser (default)
Exec=x-www-mime-browser %u
MimeType=application/x-xdg-web-browser
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=WebBrowser;Other
Icon=web-browser
NoDisplay=false

When using the LXDE Application Launch Bar Settings the "Web Browser (default)" selection will be tucked away under the "Other" category - this will prevent an extra copy visible in the "Internet" category.

Wordpress on Debian Wheezy

1. apt-get install wordpress
2. apt-get install mysql
3. apt-get install sendmail
4. ln -s /usr/share/wordpress /var/www
5. ln -s /usr/share/wordpress /srv/www
6. Create & Run script:
1. cp /usr/.../wordpress/examples/mysql-setup /usr/share/doc/wordpress/examples/mysql-setup2
2. chmod o+x /usr/.../examples/mysql-setup2
3. /usr/.../examples/mysql-setup2
7. Fix permissions: 
1. chown -R /usr/share/wordpress www-data
2. chown -R /var/lib/wordpress www-data
8. Edit /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default
1. RewriteRule ^/wp-content/plugins/var/lib/(.*)$ /var/lib/$1
2. RewriteRule ^/wp-content/(.*)$ /var/www/wordpress/wp-content/%{HTTP_HOST}/$1
9. http://mydomain.name/...
10. Install recommended plugins:
1. Clean and simple contact form
2. Custom meta widget
3. Easy table
4. Lightbox gallery
5. Twenty Eleven Theme Extensions

If plugins don't work check the source from loaded pages to identify incorrect URL's, adjust rewrite rules to fix.

Libre Office won't start on Debian Wheezy

LibreOffice closes after splash screen on Debian Wheezy - if started from a terminal window the following message is visible:

terminate called after throwing an instance of 'com::sun::star::uno::RuntimeException'

To solve this quickly rename the ~/.config/libreoffice directory:

mv ~/.config/libreoffice ~/.config/libreoffice.bad1

Toshiba Satellite P870 review

Annoyances:

• Has to Apple-style function keys, where the Fn function is secondary (requires pressing the Fn key). This is inconsistent to PC standards.
• No HDD indicator - you can't tell when the system is busy writing to HDD.
• Chiclet keyboard is not high quality. Lots of light escaping from side of backlit keys.
• Glossy screen (urgh!)
• Synaptic touchpad - fussy & frequent driver changes, incorrect driver can cause system to freeze and not be bootable in safe mode.
• Touchpad defaults to reverse scrolling (stupid!).
• Windows 8 is a nightmare!

Pro's:

• Backlit keyboard
• Clear sound from speakers

Windows 8 Issues

Windows 8 is a nightmare of a PC operating system because it throws out a lot of what you have learned on a PC to-date. It is also very confusing switching between the full screen apps and the desktop.

• Windows Mail app provided with the O/S only supports Microsoft email accounts (Hotmail, Live, etc.). This means you need to install Windows Live Mail for your Gmail or other account.
• By default the "Send to -> Email Recipient" option is not available within Explorer. To fix this create an empty file named "Email Recipient.MAPIMAIL" in folder location "shell:sendto".
• If your Windows Live Mail has not been configured with a Microsoft account you will be prompted to sign in, even though it is not required to send. The only work-around we have found is to create and link a Microsoft account.
• After you fix the "Send to" function and link a Microsoft account any images you send using this function get uploaded to the SkyDrive, without any confirmation from you.
• By default when you go to the Skype page to download Skype it will direct you to the Windows App download for Skype - this is very confusing and must be associated with a Microsoft account, which it will then tell you you must use from then onwards.  It is better to return to www.skype.com and look carefully for the link to download other versions of Skype where you can download the traditional simple installation.
• We experienced some issues with a Toshiba P870 after installing an updated Synaptic touchpad driver which caused the system to freeze at the login screen.  Safe mode would still freeze. Oddly there were no recent restore points and restoring to a 1 week old restore point resulted in much corruption in the Windows start screen tiles and loss of Explorer favourites.

Difficulties flowing over from Windows 7:

• Windows Scan & Fax is an annoying limited piece of software.
• Explorer Libraries concept just causes much confusion and inconsistent behaviour

Reckon Accounts 2013 doesn't remember company files

Reckon Accounts 2013 looks for a file that may not exist on your system (Windows XP):

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Intuit\Quickbooks 2013\qbw.ini

 - restore or copy the file from ...\Quickbooks 2012-13
if it exists there. Otherwise create the new directory for "Quickbooks 2013".


Cannot save to PDF or Email:
Delete all existing Quickbooks printers:
 Amyuni Printer
 Quickbooks PDF Printer
 Quickbooks v303 PDF Converter
 Quickbooks v4 PDF Converter
 etc.

Delete the 2 files:
 C:\ProgramData\Intuit\ReckonAccounts 2013\QPRINT.QBP
 C:\ProgramData\Intuit\ReckonAccounts 2013\wpr.ini

Run as Administrator:
 C:\Program Files\Intuit\Reckon Accounting 2013\install.exe
- this will recreate the Amyuni printer.
- create a new local port, eg. "Reckon v4 PDF"

End task splwow64.exe (Print driver host for 32bit applications)

Attempt to send an email - this will rename the Amyuni or re-create the Quickbooks v4 PDF Converter.
End task QB32.exe if Reckon Accounts freezes.

End task splwow64.exe (Print driver host for 32bit applications)

Change the printer port for Quickbooks v4 PDF Converter to the new port "Reckon v4 PDF"

Start Reckon Accounts again.

Rename Logout on LXDE lxpanel

Edit ~/.config/lxpanel/LXDE/panels/panel

Comment the existing lines and add 3 new lines:

# image=gnome-logout
# command=logout
image=boot
name=Exit
action=lxde-logout

 Reload lxpanel for the change to take effect:

lxpanelctl restart

Debian Wheezy boot splash screens

Grub wallpaper and resolution can be changed by editing
  /etc/default/grub
and running:
 update-grub

The boot splash screen can be enabled by editing
  /etc/default/grub
and adding "splash" to the Grub command line:
  GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
and running:
  update-grub

The splash will not appear unless a splash package is installed.
The only package available in standard repositories is plymouth:
  apt-get install plymouth-x11

Other external packages:
 Bootsplash - original kernel space implementation
 Usplash - designed to replace Bootsplash, implemented in User space
 Xsplash - used in Ubuntu Karmic to take over from Usplash
 Plymouth - designed to replace Usplash+Xsplash
 Splashy - a Debian project, last updated in 2008, implements splash using framebuffers in user space, not  compatible with startup system in Wheezy.
 Fbsplash - a Gentoo splash implementation, not available for Debian


Once installed, the plymouth splash theme is updated using:
  plymouth-set-default-theme

*When plymouth is removed, it still leaves the theme embedded in initrd.  To complete the removal of plymouth boot splash, update the initrd image:
  update-initramfs

**Wheezy contains a package called "startupmanager" which is described as providing an easy to use interface to update some settings for grub & splash screens - but it does not give correct resolutions and only  has a tick-box to enable or disable splash screen.  startupmanager corrupts /etc/grub.d/00_header by hard-coding a resolution that will prevent GRUB_GFXMODE from working in /etc/default/grub.

***Screen corruption occurs if using Slim display manager when Plymouth is installed.

LXDE Desktop Session Settings

LXDE - Preferences - Desktop Session Settings (lxsession-edit)
entries are read from 2 locations:

 /etc/xdg/autostart
and
 ~/.config/autostart

Ticking a box appends LXDE to the line: "OnlyShowIn="
Unticking does the opposite.
Some ".desktop" files may not appear if they include the entry "hidden=True".

To add a new startup entry you can copy the desktop file from /usr/share/applications.

Notes:
*If dbus is installed daemon's may be being launched from
 /usr/share/dbus-1/services

*For xfce4-notifyd, it may be preferable to simply disable notifications within the app:
 iceweasel -> about:config -> browser.download.manager.showAlertOnComplete
 Dropbox -> Preferences -> Display desktop notifications