Remove custom search in Linux Mint

I find a Google custom search rather annoying since it doesn't have a sleek look as the original one so here is few steps how to get back into using normal one.

Mozilla Firefox

Download and install Google.com in English. To select it as default for search field click on search engine icon in the search field. Select "Manage Search Engines..."
and move it to the top. Second step is to make it work in the address (URI) field.
In the address field type about:config and press the "I'll be careful..." button. Here type a google in the Filter field.

Now you need to change the the 3 lines:
browser.search.defaultenginename
browser.search.order.1
browser.search.selectedEngine
double click on each field and type Google.com (in English) .
That's all you are done! Try to search for something random in address to see if it working :)

Chromium

Click on wrench icon and go to Preferences. In the Basics options you need to find Search options. Click on the Manage Search Engines button. In a new window you will find a Default search options in the third value field replace a current entry with this one:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%s .

You are done!

Opera

I rarely use this,but it's really easy too. Go to Tools->Preferences... -> Search tab. Select Google and click Edit... button. Press Details >> button and replace
Address field entry with http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%s

Note:
The Linux Mint project is funded from the Ads in custom search engine so make sure you are giving them a donation before removing their search engine.

Update Linux Mint 9 to newest Ubuntu 10.10

The Ubuntu 10.10 is finally here,but I don't see nothing impressing into this release. I only need updated packages like Pidgin 2.7.3,Geany 0.19.1 and so on from Ubuntu 10.10  Maverick Meerkat.


First we need to open terminal and type:
sudo apt dist-upgrade    

And secondly you can try to add a Ubuntu 10.10 repositories into /etc/apt/sources.list using great online Ubuntu Sources List Generator

Open Update-Manager and press Refresh button. You now should get lots of new packages to update.

Also there is alternative way I found on UbuntuRoot.com blog

Open terminal and type:
sudo perl -p -i.lucid -e 's/lucid/maverick/' /etc/apt/sources.list

Now open the Update Manager from Menu -> System -> Update Manager and click the refresh button.


I couldn't install packages due error "Could not apply changes! Fix broken packages first."

If you get this message to simple open deselect packages in Update Manager which is 0 bytes of size. It worked fine for me and I am downloading now a 1251 package from Maverick Meerkat repositories.  :)

Linux On Consoles

Seems you can turn your next-gen console into Linux PC without much effort.

Nintendo Wii

All Wii Linux Distributions.
Installing Archii on Wii.
A Wii runs full graphical desktop Linux with Firefox broswer. :) It would be nice if somebody try to test some games build for PowerPC Linux.



PlayStation 3

Ubuntu Installation Tutorial.
Yellow Dog Linux
A PS3 seems to run much better Linux distributions than Wii. :)




Xbox and Xbox 360

List of Linux distributions made for this consoles.
Here is some nice videos of Xbox running Linux with full desktop. :)

Now the question is: Where to download homebrew games for Linux PowerPC architecture computer?! 

Lost Linux Root Password?

One of the easiest ways is by making blank password. If you still can boot into Linux system follow these steps. Otherwise you will need to boot from Live CD or Live USB to edit shadow text file. If you can find a original Live CD download small ~100Mb distro called PuppyLinux and burn to CD.

1. You need to open some text editor as root. Open terminal and type sudo vi.
2. Open etc/shadow and look for your username.
3. The mix of letters and symbols is your encoded password. Delete all those symbols until : sign. Save the file. You can read more about how to edit the "shadow" file here.
   
4. Now open terminal again and type passwd to change the password. You will be prompted to enter password twice.
   

If you can't find a encrypted password in shadow file try to open the passwd. Instead of * there will be your password from symbols and letters. You should read more info about "passwd" file here.

Note: always make a backup before editing those files.

Xubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx and Linux Mint 8 Helena XFCE

Finally installed a fresh one Xubuntu,but after seeing what features is has I was feeling that I should left the old Linux Mint 8 Helena XFCE (based on Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala).

The first thing Xubuntu lacked was the dial-up connection tool like KPPP or Gnome-PPP so I have to download Gnome-PPP and WVDial on mobile phone and install it on PC. The Network Connections utility doesn't worked for mobile broadband connection. :)

The Installation CD is almost same as Linux Mint 8 ~690Mb,but comparing what you will get with Linux Mint 8 it should be few times smaller. The LinuxMint included most software what Xubuntu had plus Sun Java 6,OpenOffice,Chestnut PPP dialer,audio and video codecs,Firewall configuration,Compiz Vision.

The Xubuntu had just basic software:

• Mozilla Firefox
• Mozilla Thunderbird
• Pidgin Internet Messenger
• Transmission (BitTorent client)
• XChat IRC 
• Abiword
• The Gimp
• Evince PDF Viewer
• Ristretto Image Viewer
• Exaile Music Player
• Totem Multimedia Player
• Gigolo (HDD Mounting tool)

And yeah nothing more special. No sound and video coders since I was unable to play simple MP3 songs and MPEG videos.  There wasn't even a "glxgears" utility to view the performance of video drivers. After installing it the glxgears showed about ~3000 FPS while on Linux Mint 8 I was getting ~4500 FPS with Intel 945GM video card drivers :) After spending whole day I downloaded missing software and now Xubuntu 10.04 tend to be a more useful.

If you would love to have a Windows hard disk mounted on desktop you need to download MountManager.

I would recommend to wait for Linux Mint 9 XFCE based on Ubuntu 10.04  instead of using Xubuntu. :)


You should also check for Linux Mint repositories.

They comes handy when you need a good PPP dial-up utilities like GRPSEC (GPRS Easy Connection) and Chestnut.