Windows In Mandriva

Here is a screen shot of Windows 7 running in virtual box on my Mandriva machine, I wanted to see how it performs on this system I dual boot with XP. I have a Dell laptop with windows 7 on it and I am pleased with it, as much as I dislike Windows I still need it for certain work related things. As for my every day needs I use Mandriva.

Slideshow Wallpaper

Here is a real simple XML script I changed around a little to fit my needs and I thought I would share, If you get sick of your wallpaper and would like it to change through out the day this script will do just that, it changes about every 30 minutes right now.I have only tried this with Gnome I am not sure how it will work with KDE it should be ok. If anyone tries this on KDE let me know. I have tried with Ubuntu and Mandriva also.

<background><br /> <starttime><br /> <year>2010</year><br /> <month>03</month><br /> <day>14</day><br /> <hour>6</hour><br /> <minute>00</minute><br /> <second>00</second><br /> </starttime><br /> <!-- This animation will start at 6 am. --><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file1.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file1.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file2.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file2.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file2.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file3.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file3.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file3.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file4.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file4.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file4.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file5.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file5.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file5.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file6.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file6.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file6.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file7.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file7.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file7.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file8.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file8.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file8.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file9.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> <static><br /> <duration>1795.0</duration><br /> <file>/home/file9.jpg</file><br /> </static><br /> <transition><br /> <duration>5.0</duration><br /> <from>/home/file9.jpg</from><br /> <to>/home/file1.jpg</to><br /> </transition><br /> </background>

It will do 9 different wallpapers the way it is right now and you can add or remove as many as you want, all you must do is follow my example {/home/file#.jpg} you must be sure at the end you loop back to the first image in your show. what you need to do is create a folder where you plan to save them and put all the images there to begin with, then direct the script where to find them {/home/file.jpg} when you are done this save as an XML file in the same folder. now go to your desktop and right click and select background, then ADD and select the XML file.You can also go to System in the taskbar and preferences and appearance.

Lightscribe & Linux

while I was using Ubuntu I was able to get lightscribe working properly however with Mandriva I could only get the simple label maker to work

I found this Fedora help page that solved my problem so I now have the Image printing Lightscribe as well.

After all the pages I have had to visit to find this information I hope it helps someone else who has similar problem. The only thing the Linux version is lacking is a quick tab in the program to add the tracks from the cd or dvd.I know the Nero software that came with my drive has this feature but I would rather go without than have to depend on Windows for that one feature.

Mandriva 2010 gcc

I loaded Mandriva 2010 on a computer today and when I went to do an install from a command line I was told I didn't have a c compiler.

configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.
[root@localhost linuxwacom-0.8.5-8]

Needless to say the GUI software installer refused to load any GCC C++ compiler listed. so use this

urpmi gcc-c++

and now you can actually use the terminal, I have no idea why they would leave this out?
Other than that I love Mandriva 2010 it has everything I use loaded all ready so it just plain worked from the get go.

Draksnapshot

It seems Mandriva 2009 comes with Draksnapshot which is a simple backup program however it seems to have a few bugs on of which is eating up your whole root partition. On a new install it isn't supposed to be activated however if you are like me and go rooting around a new OS looking at all its features you may inadvertently activate it. I simply uninstalled it since I back my files up myself and would rather not rely on a program to do it for me. It seems that is also a memory hog.

Moved To Mandriva

Well anyone who has read my blog know I built a computer for my mom last week, well she wanted to try Linux or as she put it anything BUT microsoft, so after some research and downloads I installed Mandriva, I started out with Ubuntu but there is an issue with XFX motherboards and sata drives not showing up with it, so after about 3 attempts with Ubuntu and different Bios setting I went strictly with Mandriva, Installed first attempt without a hitch. After fine tuning it and such I decided to replace my Ubuntu with it, I have been using Ubuntu for about three years now and I am very comfortable with it. I do like the Mandriva a little better I think. I think it would be an ideal OS for a new user to the world of open source since it basically updates itself and it auto detected all hardware on both installs without a hitch.


One thing I have noticed over the last few years that I have been using Linux is that its become reasonably Bug Free. My laptop still has XP on it I seldom use it for that reason alone, however I think I see more Bugs on that than I do on recent versions of Linux. I know when I first used Red Hat years ago It had compatibility issues and just plain acted buggy once in a while, but once you cleared all that up it was an awesome operating system. But every time manufacturers upgrade hardware and change things it can change the software requirements possibly requiring a software patch, or rewritten code.
Which leads me to this, Mandriva has a hardware detection GUI under configure my desktop that really makes things simple, It even detected my win TV card.