enable the numpad / keypad again in Ubuntu

If your Numpad does not work anymore in the current Ubuntu installation maybe you should check the barrier-free settings.

In the Ubuntu Unity Desktop you can go there by clicking the right top corner -> Systemsettings (if you don’t use the unity desktop you need to go to the Systemsettings by yourself).

Now click the barrier-free settings icon and switch to the „pointer and clicking“ tab.

They Keyboard Mouse is the main reason for the Keypad issues. If you switch if off, everthings fine again.

Eclipse Galileo installation on debian and ubuntu

This Instruction is now deprecated till there is now a Debian Package for 3.5 in the unstable tree:

http://packages.debian.org/sid/eclipse

i suggest to use this package instead of the tutorial.

First of you need to install the java from sun (maybe it will run with gcj but to make it work flawless its always better to install the sun java version).

sudo aptitude install sun-java6-jdk


till there is no deb package we can install it in the home-dir like every other application.
If you never done that before you need to set up the requested directories by exectuing:
mkdir -p ~/bin/packages

and now you can download your installation files.
choose the most fitting preconfigured installation from the eclipse download center.
Place the file in the packages directory and go there by console.
tar xvzf *.tar.gz

should now extract your new eclipse version.
Caused by the simple name we should move eclipse in a more common directory name like eclipse / eclipse-3.5 or eclipse-galileo.

you can do that by
mv eclipse eclipse-galileo

this is a total optinal step and doesn’t effect the usability.

To have better access to your eclipse its good to link the executable.
this is done by:
ln -s ~/bin/packages/eclipse/eclipse ~/bin/eclipse

as alternative you can write a small shell script to add parameters.
#/usr/bin/bash
`~/bin/packages/eclipse3.5/eclipse -vmargs -Xms128M -Xmx512M -XX:PermSize=128M -XX:MaxPermSize=512M &> /dev/null` &

if you use the bash script you need to tell the system that its executable:
chmod +x ~/bin/eclipse

and your done.

after this you can use eclipse like a normal consol programm. Typing eclipse in the consol or the execute-tab (ALT+F2) will open your new eclipse. If you have Gnome-Do installed you can SUPER+SPACE to execute eclipse to. If you dont have GnomeDo installed -> get it (sudo aptitude install gnome-do). This is totally optional, but it think you will like it.

The ubuntu team is working on a package for galileo but this is not finished yet. so later it will available true the official source or:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/eclipse-team/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/eclipse-team/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main

Windows 7 aka vista 1.5

Since today the Beta version from the new Microsoft operating system windows 7 is now available (more or less 🙂 ).

But if a new OS is starting up, you should ask yourself -> didnt vista failed yet? in my opinion vista failed. Yeh, its nice to have widgets on the desktop, but do they rly need to use all this CPU power? What is the basic that we really need, and what is overdosed?

Windows 7 tries to fix some „issues“ of vista. They had a straight look to the performance (good step), and they reduced the „do you really want to“ questions. Both are good steps, but especially the „do you really want to“ questions should let the people care about what they do. If you are a professional, you know what you do (so you dont need this messages) but for normal users it was a good idea -> if you do something crappy, get the warning and admit to do something you shouldn’t do.
As far as the technicals specifications are, its just the Vista core polished. Removing the name vista doesn’t make it better.
Anyway, the downloads of MS Windows 7 fail / are terrible slow till yet caused by the servers (didn’t they want to be a part of the „internet leaders“? maybe they should get a apache *joking* ). i hope so see some reviews of windows 7, but i think the most gamers stay at XP and the programming professionals are happy with linux. Windows 7 will reduce the problems of vista, but the XP core thems to be good enough for the people.

Don’t get me wrong, i’am really intressted what MS is doing there (i won’t switch, but its important to know against who you fight 🙂 ), but it thems to be a „we cant do it correct so we bugfix it“ solution. Why dont they just „fix“ the issues for vista.

Ubuntu and all the other greate linux distributions have this smart „backports“. If you do something greate for a upper version, have a look at the people which can profit form your changes too. The biggest window problem is the old directory structure and the leak of a package system. MSI files are a step to the package System, but they dont use it as a open and easy to updateable system.

For all who want to try the beta, take care of your MP3 files. In this Beta is a bug which can damage your favorite mp3’s!

So they official tell the people to
– save there mp3 files on a external disk
– install the latest update after you installed (KB961367)

Sry, that this articel is quite unsorted. I hope you can post some comments on the performance / installation issues on windows 7. Would be great the hear some voices about it.