APM
I use apmd with its standard configuration. Battery management and suspend work flawlessly.
Return to topCUPS
CUPS is like grub in that it's a bit more difficult to set up, but the extra work is worth it.
I recommend using the Gentoo Printing Guide as a how-to. Foomatic has gotten easier to use now that you can grep the printer and driver databases for names, i.e. Epson Stylus Color, instead of numbers.
Return to topFirebird
Firebird is the new name for Phoenix, a mozilla browser without the fluff. I use it on both Linux and Windows.
I wrote this script to copy my bookmark file back and forth. Note that the script copies the file to a FAT32 partition. A far as I know writing to NFTS partitions is still experimental and dangerous. Just run MozillaFirebird.exe -p from a DOS command line to set up your default user.
Return to topjEdit
jEdit is my favorite X editor. It's written in Java, easy to learn, and very powerful. I also use it on Windows, of course. Get your copy at jedit.org.
Return to topJ-Pilot
If Palm would port their Desktop software to Linux, this is what it would look like. But J-Pilot has more features! Check it out at jpilot.org. Judd Montgomery, the developer, is also looking for work. So, test drive his software and recommend him for a job!
Return to topK3b
I tested several X programs for burning CDs, and k3b was by far the most intuitive and easiest to learn. I used cdrecord to test my burner, but I decided to use K3b for everything because it's so easy.
The only problem was with the setup. Here's how to set the proper cdrdao driver:
1. Select the menu Settings and then Configure K3b...
2. Click on the Devices icon.
3. Read down the listing under Writer until you see Cdrdao driver:. The text to the right is actually a drop-down box.
4. Click on the text (box) and select generic-mmc.
5. Start burning!
Return to topKBear
KBear is a very easy to use FTP client.
Return to topKDE 3.1.2
I must admit that I had been using Gnome for a couple of years before buying this computer. However, I decided to give KDE another try along with my first Gentoo installation. I'll never go back.
Return to topKDE PIM and KPilot
KDE - PIM is a software suite made up of several programs. I use KMail, KAddressbook, and KOrganizer regularly. I also use KPilot for syncing my handheld, although I don't use KNotes and its conduit. I remember a few years ago when it took hours, if not days, to get my old PalmPilot to sync with anything.
Nowadays it's much easier. J-Pilot and pilot-link worked pretty much out of the box, although syncing over infrared required a little work.
I had trouble getting the KPilot AvantGo conduit to work. See the bug report for more information. Here's how I got it working on my Gentoo box:
1. Compiled and installed libmal.
2. Unpacked the kdepim source.
3. Made the following change to /var/tmp/portage/kdepim-3.1.2/work/kdepim-3.1.2/kpilot/conduits/malconduit/Makefile.am:
line 24: MAL_LIB to MAL_LIBS4. Made the following change to /var/tmp/portage/kdepim-3.1.2/work/kdepim-3.1.2/kpilot/conduits/malconduit/Makefile.in
line 335: MAL_LIB to MAL_LIBS5. Ran configure, make, and make install.
Return to topKernel 2.4.20
As the header suggests, I'm using the vanilla version of 2.4.20. Here's my kernel .config file.
Return to topOpenOffice.org
OpenOffice is a great replacement for Microsoft Office. I've used the Writer and Math modules quite a bit, and I'm very happy with the software. I recommend downloading the binary file for installing rather than compiling the source code.
Return to topSamba
I use Samba for sharing printers and directories with a Windows 2000 machine. I have always had problems getting it to work properly. Like most things Linux it's much more powerful than I need it to be.
Once configured properly, it works great. Here's my smb.conf configuration file. Note that I'm using Windows in the encrypted password mode. I don't recommend taking the easy way out and transmitting passwords in plain text.
For those mouse-oriented people like me, I suggest using one of the configurations GUIs described here. I use Webmin and the KDE module. You might also want to check out LinNeighborhood, a GUI frontend for Samba.
Return to topWebmin
Webmin sure makes life easier for point-and-click guys like me. Even though I enjoy learning how everything works, after all this is a Linux website, Webmin gives you a very easy to understand overview of almost everything important on your Linux box.
Return to topXine
Xine is my DVD player of choice. It works much better than the Windows-based players delivered with my computer.
Return to topXMMS
XMMS is a great piece of software that plays just about everything, although lately I've been using KsCD, the KDE program for playing CDs.
Return to top
