The Current Debian Desktop

And this time, the T43 edition.
What my beloved Thinkpad T43 desktop looks these days, sporting i3.
The open Emacs, on the lower Xterm, is showing off the ever cool Tronesque theme, my favorite Emacs theme at the moment.

The Current Debian Desktop

My beloved Optiplex desktop, now with i3 and a custom theme that it is sort of based on the Emacs theme Tronesque.
Also, the weather displayed on the xterm is the new experimental version of wttr.in.

Debian Sid Installation Tidbits (T60p & T43)

Some notes of the install process on both the T60p and the T43

After making a Debian net install from a Debian 9, choosing only the "SSH Server" and the "Standard System Utilities" options upon the Software Selection.
After the install is over (on an encrypted LVM, of course) installed:

sudo apt-get install sudo zile

Yes, sudo, I'm an old fart and I like to have a root account around, of course, closed to SSH, also I like to use Zile a lot, a minimal Emacs.
Then, with that installed, edited the "/etc/apt/sources.list" file, to look like this:

deb http://debian.unnoba.edu.ar/debian/ sid main
deb-src http://debian.unnoba.edu.ar/debian/ sid main

All the other entries are commented... If you are using proprietary drivers, the "/etc/apt/sources.list" file looks like this:

deb http://debian.unnoba.edu.ar/debian/ sid main

deb-src http://debian.unnoba.edu.ar/debian/ sid main

## Non Free

deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian sid main contrib non-free

deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian sid main contrib non-free

Again, all the other entries on the file are commented...
Proprietary drivers or not, after editing the file, issue a:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

sudo apt-get autoremove

Then reboot the box:

sudo reboot

Some other programs I've installed to complete the setup:

sudo apt install apt-listbugs apt-listchanges

sudo apt install alsa-utils

(alsamixer to unmute (m) and then speaker-test to check buttons)

sudo apt install xorg

sudo apt install i3

sudo apt install links2

sudo apt install pmount (to mount USB drives as regular user)

LXDE Woes

I've been using a bit of tiny Lubuntu install on the small Dell XPS M1330 for the last week or so.
Things have been pretty much Ok with it, but there are a couple of things, small annoyances really, but annoyances nevertheless...

1- Emacs keybindings:
You can't setup global Emacs keybindings on LXDE.
You can, however, add this:

gtk-key-theme-name=Emacs

To the "~/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini" file.

2- Circle thru Desktop Pager on LXPanel:
I can't for the life of me, find a way to circle thru virtual desktops on the Desktop Pager, that is, when I reach the end of the desktops, I can't go back to the first one without going thru the previous ones.

No big deals, maybe... Maybe, yeah, but to me the lack of Emacs keybindings it is a major PITA, actually.

Disble CAPS LOCK on Lubuntu

I did it before, yes... But things have changed, so... Here goes the update.
Edit the file:

~/.config/lxsession/Lubuntu/autostart

And add this:

setxkbmap -option ctrl:nocaps

Logout and back in to test how it works.

Installing Themes on Emacs (nox)

Piece of cake, at least, on my experience...

Emacs 23:
(Tested on "GNU Emacs 23.4.1" (nox) - Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS and on "GNU Emacs 23.3.1" - Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS)
Get the theme file and copy/ upload it to the box, and then add this to your ~/.emacs file:

(load-file "~/emacs/lisp/zenburn-theme.el")

Pointing -obviously- to the theme file.
Start Emacs, enjoy.

Emacs 24:
(Tested on "GNU Emacs 24.5.1" (nox) - Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS)
Get the theme file and copy/ upload it to the box, and then add this to your ~/.emacs file:


(setq load-path (cons  "~/emacs/lisp/" load-path))
(require 'labburn-theme)

I've placed the *-theme.el file on the directory listed above.

The DOT Emacs file from Xenial Xerus

;; ---------------------------------------------------
;; ~/.emacs default file
;; ---------------------------------------------------

;; -----------------------------------------------
;; Safe defaults

(setq inhibit-startup-message t)
(setq default-major-mode 'text-mode);;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;; This doesn't work on Emacs 24 ;; 
;; (menu-bar-mode nil)
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
(menu-bar-mode -1)
(setq bell-volume 100)
(setq visible-bell t)

;; -----------------------------------------------
;; Modeline customization

(display-time)
(setq line-number-mode t)
(setq column-number-mode t)

;; -----------------------------------------------
;; Keyboards shortcuts

(define-key global-map "\C-h" 'backward-delete-char)
(define-key global-map "\M-h" 'backward-kill-word)
(define-key global-map "\C-x\C-u" 'undo)

(global-set-key [f5] 'bury-buffer)

;; (pc-selection-mode)

;; Esc + the arrow keys as a way to delete words
(define-key esc-map [right] 'kill-word)         ;; esc -> kill-word
(define-key esc-map [left] 'backward-kill-word) ;; esc <- backward-kill-word="" br="">
;; -----------------------------------------------

;; Backups

(defun make-backup-file-name (file-name)
  "Create the non-numeric backup file name for `file-name'."
  (require 'dired)
  (if (file-exists-p "~/emacs/backups")
      (concat (expand-file-name "~/emacs/backups/")
      (dired-replace-in-string "/" "|" file-name))
      (concat file-name "~")))

;; -----------------------------------------------
;; Turn on color syntax
(global-font-lock-mode t)

;; -----------------------------------------------
;; Insert timestamp
(defvar insert-time-format "%T")

(defvar insert-date-format "%d %m %Y"
  "*Format for \\[insert-date] (c.f. 'format-time-string' for how to format).")

(defun iTime ()
  (interactive "*")
  (insert (format-time-string insert-time-format
                                    (current-time))))
(defun iDate ()
  (interactive "*")
  (insert (format-time-string insert-date-format
                                    (current-time))))
(defun iDate ()
  (interactive "*")
  (insert (format-time-string insert-date-format
                                    (current-time))))
(defun iDateTotal ()
  (interactive "*")
  (progn
    (iDate)
    (insert " ")
    (iTime)))

;; -----------------------------------------------

;; Abreviaciones ;;
(setq-default abbrev-mode t)
(read-abbrev-file "~/emacs/definiciones_abreviaciones.txt")
(setq save-abbrevs t)

;; Returns the cursor point to the beginning of the abrev
;; De: http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenTopic/page?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=96509133&m=1050920535
(defun abr-back ()
   "move abbrev cursor position back to [/"
   (search-backward "[/")
   (put no-self-insert t)
)

;; -----------------------------------------------
;; Turn on color syntax ;;
(global-font-lock-mode t)

;; -----------------------------------------------
;; Loads the path to the installed lisp programs ;;
(setq load-path (cons  "~/emacs/lisp/" load-path))

(require 'blinking-cursor)
(blinking-cursor-mode 1)
(setq blinking-cursor-colors [\"gold\" \"blue\"])

;; Artist.el - Allows to draw using ASCII art
(autoload 'artist-mode "artist" "Enter artist-mode" t)

;; Setnu - Adds line numbering
(autoload 'setnu-mode  "setnu" "Buffer Line Numbering" t)
(defun turn-on-setnu-mode ())

;; IOS mode - Useful to edit Cisco configuration files
;; http://nibrahim.net.in/software/
(autoload 'ios-config-mode "ios-config-mode" "Enter IOS-mode" t)

;; HTML Helper mode
(autoload 'html-helper-mode "html-helper-mode" "Yay HTML" t)
(setq auto-mode-alist (cons '("\\.html$" . html-helper-mode) auto-mode-alist))
(setq auto-mode-alist (cons '("\\.htm$" . html-helper-mode) auto-mode-alist))
(setq auto-mode-alist (cons '("\\.php$" . html-helper-mode) auto-mode-alist))
(setq auto-mode-alist (cons '("\\.vxml$" . html-helper-mode) auto-mode-alist))

;; Adds an HTML template
(setq html-helper-build-new-buffer t)

;; Adds HTML syntax color, uses "html-font.el"
(add-hook 'html-helper-load-hook '(lambda () (require 'html-font)))
(add-hook 'html-helper-mode-hook '(lambda () (font-lock-mode 1)))

(setq html-helper-do-write-file-hooks t)

;; -----------------------------------------------

;; EoF ;;

Emacs key kindings on XFCE

Can't live without my Emacs keyboard shortcuts, can't even use a box to type my name if they aren't set...
This is what I had to do to set them on XFCE:

Settings > Settings Editor

Select the Channel called xsettings
Select any item on Gtk, and then click on New, and enter the values as on the screenshot.



That is, a new string, with the value Emacs, it is very important to type:
KeyThemeName

After the "/Gtk/" bit on the Property box.

MATE: Set global Emacs key bindings

This is by far (well maybe the cursor shape customization goes head to head with this...) that I have to setup no matter what on any box I get my hands on...
But, it seems like the new MATE version doesn't honour the way I've set this up on the previous Linux Mint LTS.
On Linux Mint 17, running MATE (duh!) I've used this:

gsettings set org.mate.interface gtk-key-theme "Emacs"

The love is back!

2011-04-06 15:03:49 status installed emacsen-common 1.4.19ubuntu1
2011-04-06 15:03:49 status installed emacs23-common 23.1+1-4ubuntu7.2
2011-04-06 15:03:50 status installed emacs23-bin-common 23.1+1-4ubuntu7.2
2011-04-06 15:03:50 status installed emacs23-nox 23.1+1-4ubuntu7.2

I simply had to... Zile is quite good, but it lacks "replace-regexp".

The day finally came

Got rid of Emacs, believe or not...
I was fed up of the Gnome Global Menu bug that I mention here, I was using it with the -nw option every single time, so why bother with the GTK version I say?
So, out it goes! For the moment I'm using my beloved Zile

usul > sudo aptitude remove emacs22-gtk
[sudo] password for XXXXXXXXXXXX: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information      
Initializing package states... Done
Writing extended state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  emacs22-bin-common{u} emacs22-common{u} emacs22-gtk emacsen-common{u} 
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 4 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B of archives. After unpacking 65.6MB will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] y
Writing extended state information... Done
(Reading database ... 154817 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing emacs22-gtk ...
Cleaning up add-on packages... done.
Removing emacs22-bin-common ...
Removing emacs22-common ...
dpkg: warning: while removing emacs22-common, directory '/var/games' not empty so not removed.
Removing emacsen-common ...
emacsen-common: Handling removal of emacsen flavor emacs
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for python-gmenu ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/desktop.en_US.utf8.cache...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for install-info ...
Processing triggers for python-support ...
Reading package lists... Done             
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information      
Initializing package states... Done
Writing extended state information... Done

usul > sudo aptitude install zile
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information      
Initializing package states... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  zile 
0 packages upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 85.1kB of archives. After unpacking 283kB will be used.
Writing extended state information... Done
Get:1 http://ar.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/universe zile 2.3.13-1 [85.1kB]
Fetched 85.1kB in 2s (32.4kB/s)                        
Selecting previously deselected package zile.
(Reading database ... 153044 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking zile (from .../zile_2.3.13-1_i386.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up zile (2.3.13-1) ...

Reading package lists... Done             
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information      
Initializing package states... Done
Writing extended state information... Done

Make Gedit more like Emacs

As an Emacs user, I find ultra annoying that, even if I have setup my GTK apps to use Emacs key bindings gedit refuses to do so on some of those.

So Googled a bit, and found a nice little plugin for Gedit that allows you to customize all the keyboard shortcuts that as they appear on the menu.
To install EditShortcuts on Lucid Lynx, besides having to manually create the directory "plugins" on "~/.gnome2/gedit/" I had to also enable the plugin like:

Edit > Preferences > Plugins

After that it did showed up under the Tools menu entry.

I have been able to get rid of most of the really annoying ones, like: Ctrl+N & Ctrl+H and now they do obey their Emacs instructions, I'm still looking for the one that will allow me to get rid of the dread Gedit action that happens when you use Ctrl+K (incidentally I love that one for Emacs, kill till the end of the line)

On Os X (meaning on the Gedit equivalent of sorts, TextEdit) things are pretty more simple, because the modifier (or operation) key is the Apple (command) one, leaving you free to use the Emacs keybinds without fucking up things like Copy & Paste, etc.

Why not simply use Emacs and be done with? I do, but wanted to test the GTK one on this box, but there is a bug that crashes the GTK version no matter what if you run Gnome Global Menu, so there is only emacs-nox, or actually emacs -nw for launching the GTK version on a Terminal.

EditShortcuts
Gedit Keyboard Shortcuts

Lucid Lynx: after install tidbits (I)

- Get the cursors the way I want them:

cd /usr/share/icons/DMZ-White/cursors/
sudo cp xterm xterm.ORIG
sudo cp arrow xterm
cd /usr/share/icons/DMZ-Black/cursors/
sudo cp xterm xterm.ORIG
sudo cp arrow xterm

- Turn off services:
Bluetooth
Print Queue Applet


- Keyboard customization:
Ctrl key position
Make CapsLock an additional Ctrl

Alt/Win key behavior
Meta is mapped to Win keys

Key sequence to kill the X server
Control + Alt + Backspace


- Reduce fonts size:
Every single font one size down from the defaults, except the Window title font, which get 2 stops down the road and on top of that, it gets to be a regular font, NO bold.


- gconf settings:

/usr/bin/gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/interface/buttons_have_icons --type bool true
/usr/bin/gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/interface/menus_have_icons --type bool true
/usr/bin/gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/interface/toolbar_icons_size small-toolbar --type string
/usr/bin/gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/interface/gtk_key_theme Emacs --type string
sudo -u gdm gconftool-2 --set --type boolean /apps/gdm/simple-greeter/disable_user_list true
sudo -u gdm gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/sound/event_sounds --type bool false

- Package installation:

sudo aptitude install openvpn gip emacs23-nox
sudo aptitude install pidgin wmctl openssh-server
sudo aptitude install unrar rar

Thru Ubuntu Software Center:

- Wine Microsoft Windows Compatibility Layer (dummy package) (see here)
- Remove Games


- Package removal:

sudo aptitude remove empathy

- Firefox addons:

Tiny Menu
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1455

Flash Block
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433

AdBlock
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865

- Gnome Global Menu:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:globalmenu-team
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude install gnome-globalmenu

Logout from your Gnome session, log back in; add Global Menu to the Main Panel.
Logout once again, and then back in, due to this bug

Bare minimun Emacs

Installed these today on a couple of servers where I was really struggling with that damn vi thingy...

sudo rpm -ivh emacs-common-21.4-20.el5.i386.rpm \
emacs-nox-21.4-20.el5.i386.rpm

This is all it takes, about 12 MB of space.

A magnificent update

Well, well, well...
Take a look at who got an update, no other than the mighty mighty Emacs!
This shitty and totally exhausting day got a bit of a reward in the end, it seems, not, after the install, Emacs launches even faster on my Thinkpad.

(BTW, this is totally a Pro Emacs blog, if you haven't noticed yet...)

Small things I love of Ubuntu

$ sudo crontab -u root -e 
no crontab for root - using an empty one

Select an editor.  To change later, run 'select-editor'.
  1. /bin/ed
  2. /bin/nano        <---- easiest
  3. /usr/bin/emacs22
  4. /usr/bin/vim.tiny

Choose 1-4 [2]: 3

More Post-install stuff

Set the Emacs key bindings globally on Gnome... A real must.

/usr/bin/gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/interface/gtk_key_theme Emacs --type string

Enable the composite manager on Metacity, another must, this one has to be executed each time the box is rebooted, because, even tho the compositing is there, it looses the drop shadow effect for the Panels (the same thing happened on Jaunty as well).

/usr/bin/gconftool-2 --set /apps/metacity/general/compositing_manager --type bool true

Emacs: love it & bloat it

This is amazing, to get Emacs, on Ubuntu Server, you have to step down the mule for 110 MB of HDD, that is so much space, especially since the HDD only has 19 GB to begin with!

So, I did a bit of a searching for more Emacs (the best editor! ;) ) but povera editions, this is the second part, the first was Emacs on a shoestring

esteban@odin:~$ sudo apt-get install emacs
[sudo] password for esteban:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  defoma emacs22-bin-common emacs22-common emacs22-gtk emacsen-common fontconfig fontconfig-config libasound2 libatk1.0-0 libcairo2
  libdatrie0 libfontconfig1 libfreetype6 libgif4 libglib2.0-0 libgtk2.0-0 libgtk2.0-common libice6 libjpeg62 libpango1.0-0
  libpango1.0-common libpixman-1-0 libpng12-0 libsm6 libthai-data libthai0 libtiff4 libx11-6 libx11-data libxau6 libxcb-xlib0 libxcb1
  libxcomposite1 libxcursor1 libxdamage1 libxdmcp6 libxext6 libxfixes3 libxft2 libxi6 libxinerama1 libxpm4 libxrandr2 libxrender1
  ttf-dejavu ttf-dejavu-core ttf-dejavu-extra x11-common
Suggested packages:
  defoma-doc dfontmgr psfontmgr x-ttcidfont-conf emacs22-el libasound2-plugins libfreetype6-dev librsvg2-common ttf-arphic-bkai00mp
  ttf-arphic-bsmi00lp ttf-arphic-gbsn00lp ttf-arphic-gkai00mp ttf-baekmuk ttf-kochi-gothic ttf-kochi-mincho ttf-thryomanes
Recommended packages:
  libft-perl libatk1.0-data libglib2.0-data hicolor-icon-theme libgtk2.0-bin
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  defoma emacs emacs22-bin-common emacs22-common emacs22-gtk emacsen-common fontconfig fontconfig-config libasound2 libatk1.0-0 libcairo2
  libdatrie0 libfontconfig1 libfreetype6 libgif4 libglib2.0-0 libgtk2.0-0 libgtk2.0-common libice6 libjpeg62 libpango1.0-0
  libpango1.0-common libpixman-1-0 libpng12-0 libsm6 libthai-data libthai0 libtiff4 libx11-6 libx11-data libxau6 libxcb-xlib0 libxcb1
  libxcomposite1 libxcursor1 libxdamage1 libxdmcp6 libxext6 libxfixes3 libxft2 libxi6 libxinerama1 libxpm4 libxrandr2 libxrender1
  ttf-dejavu ttf-dejavu-core ttf-dejavu-extra x11-common
0 upgraded, 49 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 32.3MB of archives.
After this operation, 110MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? n
Abort.

So, a bit of cache searching is in order:

esteban@odin:~$ apt-cache search emacs-nox
mg - microscopic GNU Emacs-style editor
qemacs-nox - Small emacs clone editor (without X support)

This Emacs clone, QEmacs (for Quick Emacs) certainly looks very, very nice.

esteban@odin:~$ sudo apt-get install qemacs-nox
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  qemacs-nox
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 746kB of archives.
After this operation, 1135kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com hardy/universe qemacs-nox 0.3.1.cvs.20050713-5 [746kB]
Fetched 746kB in 5s (132kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package qemacs-nox.
(Reading database ... 19747 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking qemacs-nox (from .../qemacs-nox_0.3.1.cvs.20050713-5_i386.deb) ...
Setting up qemacs-nox (0.3.1.cvs.20050713-5) ...

And, also, doing the cache search you'll find (among others):

esteban@odin:~$ apt-cache search emacs | less
emacs22-nox - The GNU Emacs editor (without X support)
emacs21-nox - The GNU Emacs editor (without X support)

But, even this non X version is still too big, HDD wise.

esteban@odin:~$ sudo apt-get install emacs22-nox
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  emacs22-bin-common emacs22-common emacsen-common libasound2
Suggested packages:
  emacs22-el libasound2-plugins
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  emacs22-bin-common emacs22-common emacs22-nox emacsen-common libasound2
0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 20.8MB of archives.
After this operation, 65.6MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

Of course, thanks God there is Zile:

esteban@odin:~$ sudo apt-get install zile
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  zile
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/102kB of archives.
After this operation, 332kB of additional disk space will be used.
Selecting previously deselected package zile.
(Reading database ... 19723 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking zile (from .../zile_2.2.52-1_i386.deb) ...
Setting up zile (2.2.52-1) ...

esteban@odin:~$

Yz Shadow side benefit

I loved drop shadows ever since I first saw what it all that about, to me it is a natural thing, an extension, if you will, that really completes the whole "lightning effect" that all the GUIs have, except the very minimal ones, like Blackbox, which have a totally "flat" interface.

On Windows, the easiest way of achieving this was (until Aero) using Yz Shadow, a free program that was very, very popular when the XP boxes started to mimmick Os X to the max.

Found out another use for Yz Shadow, one that comes real handy, it allows to set it, so no window can get beneath the Taskbar; this is specially useful if you use the Taskbar on the top of your screen, which I do, even before I started to use Os X, I think it is far more practical up there on the screen.

Emacs on Windows has the tendency to open everytime on the top left portion of your screen, and, using the Taskbar on the top, I was forced to have to move it, a PITA, since the title bar was underneath the Taskbar, unless you use Win32WM.





Incidentally, to get to work Yz Shadow on Windows Vista, you must set the executable to run under "Windows XP compatibility", see here

Exodus programs

A couple of programs I forgot to add to the list of the ones I have installed on my Vista sandbox.

- Win32WM (Direct link)
It gives you the most practical thing that ever came out of X Window, but on Windows -get it?- :p
The ability to move a window by grabbing it anywhere not just the title bar.
You click anywhere on the window, press the Alt key, and you can move the window.
Like I said before , I really don't understand why Os X doesn't have this built in & from the get go.


- XKeymacs
If you are an Emacs junkie -like I am-, then this is the one for you.
It gives you Emacs keyboard shortcuts on all Windows, on everything, form Notepad, to explorer.exe, amazing, I know, I know :p
The programs needs tweaking, -perhaps a lot-, but that's what Emacs is all about, and, if you add Windows to it, and a lot of different programs, well, you'll have to expect to configure a lot :D
The tweaking part is not because it is complex, but because many of the built in Emacs shortcuts, enabled globally by default will conflict with the behavior you expect from some programs; nothing extreme, but your usual keyboard shortcut might not work until you configure it a bit.