I recently downloaded an album from Bandcamp. On trying to extract the zip file using Ubuntu, I got the error "File name too long." This is a known problem with Bandcamp. If you have a problem with long filenames in zip files, here's how to fix it. Quick Solution unzip -p -c whatever.zip "filename.ogg" > […] Read More
As ever, mostly notes to myself. RAR is a silly and proprietary format. I prefer free software and I find that ZIP files are smaller and decompress faster. Not everyone agrees, and that's fine. Assuming you've downloaded a RAR file and want to convert it to ZIP, what's the easiest way? Install P7Zip sudo apt-get […] Read More
I've been trying to find the perfect Linux laptop. I need something small, light, powerful, and with an ergonomic keyboard. Hmmm... Perhaps I don't need a laptop. I could use a tablet and my new Bluetooth keyboard... Enter BQ's Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition. It promises the Ubuntu experience in a convenient tablet package. I wanted […] Read More
I like to listen to music while I work. I find - especially in an open plan office - that it is an essential aid to concentration. That said, I find music with lyrics particularly problematic as my brain prefers to concentrate on the words rather than the task in hand. On long flights, I […] Read More
Selfie sticks - like most modern inventions - are utter tosh. But they've rapidly brought down the price of Bluetooth buttons. So who am I to complain? Let's take the venerable AB Shutter 3 - You can find it on Amazon for around £2 including postage - or around $2 on AliExpress. Frankly, that's stupidly […] Read More
New tech site Gadgette has a great article on how to type Emoji on Mac and Windows - but they (understandably) didn't cover Ubuntu. So here I am to show you how. Get The Fonts If your computer doesn't have the requite font, install the latest version of Symbola. Simply open up the .zip file, […] Read More
Regular readers will remember that I run Ubuntu on a MacBook pro. Why? I'm a contrarian sod. It's the machine work gave me. I can do everything I need to do with Linux without having to deal with OSX or Windows. What can I say, it works for me! The only problem is that the […] Read More
This is a quick review of the ZeleSouris Vertical Mouse and a guide to setting it up on Linux. Four years ago, I got the latest Evoluent Vertical Mouse. It's a great device, but it's starting to show its age a bit. So, time for a new model. I'm doing a lot of travelling, so […] Read More
Recently, I set up an older MacBookPro to run Ubuntu 14.04. As ever, these are mostly notes to myself. You don't need to do any of these things - it's just how I prefer my set up. Turn Off Dash Amazon Search No one wants their dash searches going off to Amazon. In the dash, […] Read More
Being mostly notes to stop me getting frustrated. Based, in part, from this excellent forum post. I've always run Linux on my Mac Hardware. I love the physical aspects of the Mac line, but I really can't be bothered with their Play-doh infested software. Let's assume you have a nice, clean, freshly installed OSX 10.10 […] Read More