Linux Howtos

These linux howtos are provided from our experience of working with linux software and hardware. Please note that we generally only post a HOWTO here if we struggle with something and have to do vast amounts of work to find out howto do it, hence why we share it with you.

Note: All howtos are provided as a guide, we are not responsible for any issues arising from the use of these guides.

The List

• HP Compaq nx6125 laptop - Howto boot the ubuntu install disk
• HP Compaq nx6125 laptop - Howto correct inverted color on boot screen
• Ubuntu Breezy Server - Howto setup Postfix with Spamassassin
• Ubuntu Breezy Server - Howto setup Webmin
• Installing Postfix + Amavis AV + Spamassissin + AVG on Ubuntu server
• Filtering SPAM into a seperate user mailboxes using procmail + Spamassassin on Fedora Core 3
• Ubuntu AMD 64 Breezy - Howto setup Thunderbird 1.5
• Mythtv remote binding for Hauppauge 350 as sold in New Zealand
• Openoffice - opening MS Office 2007 file formats [Tested in Ubuntu Feisty]
• Making Macromedia 8 programs work in Ubuntu

HP Compaq nx6125 laptop - Howto boot the ubunutu install disk

 When the first boot screen comes up where you are asked to push enter or specify special options type:

linux vga=787

Then push enter to load the installer.

Submitted by:  Tim Wiel [29 December 2005]

HP Compaq nx6125 laptop - Howto correct inverted color on boot screen

 The incorrect coloring is caused by the color depth not set correctly. This is most likely caused by specifing in the special options when installing vga=771 as suggested by many websites - this only allows for 256 colors whereas the boot screen seems to be richer than that in color.

To correct this incorrect coloring you need to edit your GRUB bootloader menu list.

root@ubuntu # vim /boot/grub/menu.lst

You need to replace the line (or line similar with kernal options) and save:

To this:

Submitted by:  Tim Wiel [29 December 2005]

Ubuntu Breezy Server - Howto setup postfix with spamassassin

I searched for ages on the net for how to do this but found manycomplicated solutions using mySQL and other mail packages I had neverheard of until I stumbled upon a set of simple instructions for settingup Spam Assassin with just postfix and procmail.

I am assuming you have postfix up and running already...

1. First install spamassassin using apt (you may have already done this if so skip a bit brother)

root@ubuntu # apt-get install spamassassin

You need to ensure that spamassassin is enabled:

root@ubuntu # vim /etc/default/spamassassin

Change the following lines from:

# Change to one to enable spamd
ENABLED=0

To this:

# Change to one to enable spamd
ENABLED=1

Then add spamassassin to start on startup (it may already be there):

root@ubuntu # update-rc.d -n spamassassin defaults

2. Set the Postfix delivery command to procmail (it may already be set):

root@ubuntu # vim /etc/postfix/main.cf

Change the following line:

MAILBOX_COMMAND=/usr/bin/procmail -a "$EXTENTION"


3. Install the procmail run control script by creating a new file in vim:

root@ubuntu # vim /etc/procmailrc

And add the following two lines:

:0fw
| /usr/bin/spamc

4. Restart the postfix server:

root@ubuntu # /etc/init.d/postfix restart


And thats it - you may want to edit the spam assassin configuration file /etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf - webmin is has a good module for doing this

Submitted by:  Tim Wiel [03 March 2006]

Ubuntu Beezy Server - Howto setup Webmin

Another thing I searched for ages on the net for how to do - all I could find was installing Webmin from source - which I did and didn't work properly - so here is how to do it from apt-get.

1. First install webmin using apt

root@ubuntu # apt-get install webmin

2.Webmin installs using the root user password - of course this doesn't exist in Ubuntu so you can't login to the newly installed webmin unless you do this:

root@ubuntu # /usr/share/webmin/changepass.pl /etc/webmin root yourownpassword

Of course you need to change yourownpassword to your own password

Submitted by:  Tim Wiel [10 March 2006]

Installing Postfix + Amavis AV + Spamassissin + AVG on Ubuntu server

After trying this three times I finally conquered it!!!!

I am assuming you have postfix up and running already...

1. First install spamassassin and procmail using apt:

root@ubuntu # apt-get install spamassassin

You need to ensure that spamassassin is enabled:

root@ubuntu # vim /etc/default/spamassassin

Change the following lines from:

# Change to one to enable spamd
ENABLED=0

To this:

# Change to one to enable spamd
ENABLED=1

Then add spamassassin to start on startup (it may already be there):

root@ubuntu # update-rc.d -n spamassassin defaults

2. Set the Postfix delivery command to procmail (it may already be set):

root@ubuntu # vim /etc/postfix/main.cf

Change the following line:

MAILBOX_COMMAND=/usr/bin/procmail -a "$EXTENTION"

3. Install Amavisd-new and some library files needed by AVG using apt:

root@ubuntu # apt-get install amavisd-new libstdc++2.10-glibc2.2 expat

4. Configure the amavisd-new configuration using vim:

root@ubuntu # vim /etc/amavis/amavisd.conf

Change the following lines:

$mydomain = '<yourservername>';
@local_domains_acl = qw( ".$mydomain" ); # you may want to use qw() to check all in and out
$final_virus_destiny = D_DISCARD; # (defaults to D_BOUNCE)
$final_banned_destiny = D_REJECT; # (defaults to D_BOUNCE)
$final_spam_destiny = D_PASS; # (defaults to D_REJECT)
$spam_admin = "postmaster\@$mydomain";
$spam_lovers{lc("postmaster\@$mydomain")} = 1;
$virus_admin = "postmaster\@$mydomain";
$QUARANTINEDIR = undef;
$virus_quarantine_to = undef;
$remove_existing_spam_headers = 0;
$sa_local_tests_only = 0; # (default: false)
$SYSLOG_LEVEL = 'mail.info';
$log_level = 2;

Uncomment these lines:

$forward_method = 'smtp:127.0.0.1:10025'; # where to forward checked mail
$notify_method = $forward_method; # where to submit notifications
$sa_tag_level_deflt = -999; # add spam info headers if at, or above that level
$sa_tag2_level_deflt = 5.0; # add 'spam detected' headers at that level
$sa_kill_level_deflt = 999; # triggers spam evasive actions

Comment out these lines:

#@bypass_spam_checks_acl = qw( . );
#$spam_quarantine_to = 'spam-quarantine';

5. Create the /var/log/amavis.log and change ownership to the amavis user:

root@ubuntu # touch /var/log/amavis.log
root@ubuntu # chown amavis:amavis /var/log/amavis.log

6. Edit the amavisd.conf file again and comment our all the antivirusmodules except the avg one therefore making the configuration for theantivirus section be:

@av_scanners = (

# ### http://www.grisoft.com/
 ['AVG Anti-Virus',
   \&ask_daemon, ["SCAN {}\n", '127.0.0.1:55555'],
   qr/^200/, qr/^403/, qr/^403 .*?: (.+)/ ]

);
@av_scanners_backup = (
);

7. Add the following to the end of the master.cf using vim:

root@ubuntu # vim /etc/postfix/master.conf

smtp-amavis unix - - n - 2 smtp
  -o smtp_data_done_timeout=1200
  -o disable_dns_lookups=yes

127.0.0.1:10025 inet n - n - - smtpd
  -o content_filter=
  -o local_recipient_maps=
  -o relay_recipient_maps=
  -o smtpd_restriction_classes=
  -o smtpd_client_restrictions=
  -o smtpd_helo_restrictions=
  -o smtpd_sender_restrictions=
  -o smtpd_recipient_restrictions=permit_mynetworks,reject
  -o mynetworks=127.0.0.0/8
  -o strict_rfc821_envelopes=yes
  -o smtpd_error_sleep_time=0
  -o smtpd_soft_error_limit=1001
  -o smtpd_hard_error_limit=1000

It is very important to having the -o lines indented from the margin by a couple of spaces or a tab otherwise it will not work

9. Install the avg antivirus using the install.sh script in the un tarred installation file:

root@ubuntu # ./install.sh
root@ubuntu # /etc/init.d/avgd start

10. Add the content filter to the postfix configuration and restart postfix:

root@ubuntu # postconf -e content_filter="smtp-amavis:[127.0.0.1]:10024"
root@ubuntu # /etc/init.d/postfix restart

Everythingshould work fine now - I hope I have not missed out anything. Pleasefeel free to contact me nospam.timw@bcsystems.co.nz (removing thenospam)

Submitted by:  Tim Wiel [17 March 2006]

Ubuntu AMD 64 Breezy - Howto install Thunderbird 1.5

 I was having problems with Thunderbird 1.0.2 on Breezy not opening compose windows when clicking on reply and forward and such like.

To correct this I decided to install Thunderbird 1.5 - its the lateststable release so why not have it installed. First I removed usingsynaptic the old install of thunderbird. And installed the new one fromsource - however I realised that the install was a 32bit and was notgoing to run on my 64bit laptop. I got a whole lot of pango errors. So heres what I did to make it work.

First I made sure that the programs needed to run the 32bit program were installed using apt-get.

user@ubuntu # sudo apt-get install ia32-libs ia32-libs-gtk linux32


Next I downloaded the Thunderbird 32bit install using wget

user@ubuntu # wgethttp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/thunderbird/releases/1.5.0.2/linux-i686/en-GB/thunderbird-1.5.0.2.tar.gz


This was easy - next I extracted it

user@ubuntu # sudo tar -C /opt -x -z -v -f thunderbird-1.5.0.2.tar.gz

Next I created a file using vim in the install directory

user@ubuntu # sudo vim /etc/pango32/pangorc


And pasted the following text into it

Then I created another file as a bashscript to run thunderbird using the pango conf I just created

user@ubuntu # sudo vim /usr/bin/thunderbird32


And pasted the following text into it

Next I changed the file to executable so you can run thunderbird

user@ubuntu # sudo chmod -x /usr/bin/thunderbird32


Before running thunderbird transfer you profile to the new location needed by thunderbird 1.5

user@ubuntu # cd
user@ubuntu # cp -r .mozilla-thunderbird .thunderbird

Now you can run thunderbird by running the command, you can also add a menu command to the gnome menu by adding the command thunderbird32

user@ubuntu # thunderbird32

This Howto was based on the following wiki entries - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ThunderbirdNewVersion and https://wiki.ubuntu.com/FirefoxAMD64FlashJava

Submitted by:  Tim Wiel [01 May 2006]

Filtering SPAM into a seperate user mailboxes using procmail + Spamassassin on Fedora Core 3

It took me hours and hours to get this simple content filter to work.

Basically Spam assassin marks it as spam then procmail filters it into a spam mailbox file in the users home directory. This is symlinked to the /var/mail directory so it can still be accessed by mail programs.

I am assuming you have postfix + spamassassin + procmail up and running already with spamassassin adding SPAM headers to the mail through procmail...

1. Open the /etc/procmailrc file using vim:

root@fedoraC3 # vim /etc/procmailrc

Add the following lines (I have included the spam assassin filter also for clarity):

#procmailrc file for spam filtering into seperate mailboxes
#
# Set up procmail variables and setup procmail logging
SHELL=/bin/sh
PATH=${HOME}/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
MAILDIR=${HOME}/mail
LOGFILE=${HOME}/.procmail/procmail.log
VERBOSE=yes
LOGABSTRACT=all
LOCKFILE=${HOME}/.procmail/lock
# First content filter creates the folders and spam folders for the users - this will run everytime a mail comes through just to make sure
:0w
| /bin/mkdir -p ${HOME}/.procmail && /bin/touch ${HOME}/spam
# Second filter forwards the mail to spam assassin to add headers to
:0fw
| /usr/bin/spamc
# Third filter does the spam moving based on the X-SPAM-Status header added by spam assassin
:0:
* ^X-Spam-Status: Yes
${HOME}/spam



Save the file and restart postfix:

root@fedoraC3 # service postfix restart


2. Set up symlinks for all the users in the mail directory - you need to do this by hand for each user - it creates spam.<USERNAME> mailboxes for each mail user:

root@fedoraC3 # ln -s /home/<USERNAME>/spam /var/log/spam.<USERNAME>


Once you have done this for each user then change the ownership of just the links

root@ubuntu # chown -h mail:mail /var/mail/spam.*


Submitted by:  Tim Wiel [08 May 2006]

Entered by: Barry Clearwater [August 2006]

Not so much a howto as a config file.

The Hauppauge grey remote that came with the WINTV PVR350 as sold in New Zealand needed a couple of tweaks to get all the buttons to work with the lirc. Following is the lircrc file that belongs in .mythtv

# ~/.mythtv/lircrc
#
# MythTV native LIRC config file for
# the new grey Hauppauge remote
#
# Jarod Wilson, Jeff Campbell, Brad Templeton
# Adjustments by Barry Clearwater

# Here we have the jump point commands.  They only work if you have
# defined function keys for these jump points.  For me the most
# common command is the menu of recordings, so I put that on "videos"
# even though that's counter-intuitive

begin
prog = mythtv
button = TV
repeat = 3
config = F5
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = Videos
repeat = 3
config = F2
end

# Not yet defined
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Music
repeat = 3
config = Up
end

# Given another function for now, I don't use mythgallery
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Pictures
repeat = 3
config = F
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = Guide
repeat = 3
config = F3
end

# I stuck the "todo" list on here as Myth has no radio function
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Radio
repeat = 3
config = F4
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = UP
repeat = 3
config = Up
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = DOWN
repeat = 3
config = Down
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = LEFT
repeat = 3
config = Left
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = RIGHT
repeat = 3
config = Right
end

# Channel Up
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Ch+
repeat = 3
config = Up
end

# Channel Down
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Ch-
repeat = 3
config = Down
end

# OK/Select
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Ok
config = Space
end

# Play
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Play
config = Return
end

# Stop
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Stop
config = I
end

# Escape/Exit/Back
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Back/Exit
config = Esc
end

# Power Off/Exit
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Power
config = Esc
end


# Pause
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Pause
repeat = 3
config = P
end

# Mute
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Mute
repeat = 3
config = |
end

# Fast forward (30 sec default)
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Rewind
repeat = 3
config = <
end

# Rewind (10 sec default)
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Forward
repeat = 3
config = >
end

# Skip forward (10 min default)
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Next
repeat = 3
config = End
end

# Skip backward (10 min default)
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Previous
repeat = 3
config = Home
end

# Record
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Record
repeat = 3
config = R
end

# Delete
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Red
repeat = 3
config = D
end

# Decrease play speed
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Green
repeat = 3
config = J
end

# Display EPG while in live TV,
# View selected show while in EPG
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Menu/i
repeat = 3
config = M
end

# Scroll up
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Vol+
repeat = 3
config = F11
end

# Scroll down
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Vol-
repeat = 3
config = F10
end

# Bring up OSD info
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Go
repeat = 3
config = I
end

# Change display aspect ratio
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Prev.Ch
repeat = 3
config = W
end

# double speed watch
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Yellow
repeat = 3
config = J
end

# change tuners
begin
prog = mythtv
button = #
repeat = 3
config = Y
end

# Bring up Time stretch
begin
prog = mythtv
button = Blue
repeat = 3
config = A
end

# Numbers 0-9

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 0
repeat = 3
config = 0
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 1
repeat = 3
config = 1
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 2
repeat = 3
config = 2
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 3
repeat = 3
config = 3
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 4
repeat = 3
config = 4
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 5
repeat = 3
config = 5
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 6
repeat = 3
config = 6
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 7
repeat = 3
config = 7
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 8
repeat = 3
config = 8
end

begin
prog = mythtv
button = 9
repeat = 3
config = 9
end


### MPlayer lirc setup

# Show OSD
begin
prog = mplayer
button = MENU
repeat = 3
config = osd
end

# Pause playback
begin
prog = mplayer
button = PAUSE
repeat = 3
config = pause
end

# Skip ahead a minute if playing
# If paused, resume playing
begin
prog = mplayer
button = PLAY
repeat = 3
config = seek +1
end

# Stop playback and exit
begin
prog = mplayer
button = STOP
repeat = 3
config = quit
end

# Mute
begin
prog = mplayer
button = MUTE
repeat = 3
config = mute
end

# Seek back 10 seconds
begin
prog = mplayer
button = Rewind
repeat = 3
config = seek -10
end

# Seek forward 30 seconds
begin
prog = mplayer
button = Forward
repeat = 3
config = seek +30
end

# Quit
begin
prog = mplayer
button = BACK/EXIT
repeat = 3
config = quit
end

# Seek forward 10 minutes
begin
prog = mplayer
button = SKIP
repeat = 3
config = seek +600
end

# Seek backward 10 minutes
begin
prog = mplayer
button = REPLAY/SkipBackward
repeat = 3
config = seek -600
end

# Toggle full-screen
begin
prog = mplayer
button = Prev.Ch
repeat = 3
config = vo_fullscreen
end

### Xine lirc setup

begin
prog = xine
button = PLAY
repeat = 3
config = Play
end

begin
prog = xine
button = STOP
repeat = 3
config = Stop
end

begin
prog = xine
button = OFF
repeat = 3
config = Quit
end

begin
prog = xine
button = PAUSE
repeat = 3
config = Pause
end

begin
prog = xine
button = CH+
repeat = 3
config = EventUp
end

begin
prog = xine
button = CH-
repeat = 3
config = EventDown
end

begin
prog = xine
button = VOL-
repeat = 3
config = EventLeft
end

begin
prog = xine
button = VOL+
repeat = 3
config = EventRight
end

begin
prog = xine
button = OK
repeat = 3
config = EventSelect
end

begin
prog = xine
button = BACK/EXIT
repeat = 3
config = Menu
end

begin
prog = xine
button = FFW
repeat = 3
#config = SpeedFaster
config = SeekRelative+60
end

begin
prog = xine
button = REW
repeat = 3
#config = SpeedSlower
config = SeekRelative-60
end

begin
prog = xine
button = FULL
repeat = 3
config = Volume+
end

begin
prog = xine
button = BLANK
repeat = 3
config = Volume-
end

begin
prog = xine
button = MUTE
repeat = 3
config = Mute
end

begin
prog = xine
button = MENU
repeat = 3
config = RootMenu
end

begin
prog = xine
button = SKIP
repeat = 3
config = EventNext
end

begin
prog = xine
button = REPLAY
repeat = 3
config = EventPrior
end

begin
prog = xine
button = GO
repeat = 3
config = OSDStreamInfos
end

begin
prog = xine
button = RED
repeat = 3
config = Quit
end

begin
prog = xine
button = RED
repeat = 3
config = Quit
end