Let’s start off by recapping on how to set up your network connection. You will need to ensure you are not using DHCP, if you are then you would simply set the DNS in your router or modem and your box will use those settings. Your network config file can be edited by typing the following command:

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Your text editor will open up and you will see something like:

iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.5
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.1

You may have other settings in there such as broadcast or network, we’re not too worried about these settings were are just making sure that you are not configured to use DHCP. Despite what you may expect, you will not be setting your DNS servers here.

If your config looks more like the following then you are using DHCP:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

So now that we’ve established that you are manually configuring your static connection, we are going to edit the resolv.conf file and set your DNS servers.

sudo nano /etc/resolve.conf

The modify the file to match the following:

nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

You can, of course, leave the search directive at the top of the file intact if it has been set.

After saving and closing the file, restart your network interface to ensure that the changes have been put into affect.

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

Now you will no longer be hindered by your DNS.

Desktop Preview is a new feature in Windows 7 which is otherwise also known as AeroPeak (Desktop Preview is a feature enabled by Aero Peek desktop enhancement function). Desktop Preview allows user to temporarily minimize all open windows and make open windows transparent in order to preview what is on desktop when user place the mouse pointer to mouse over the “Show Desktop” bar on the far right end of the taskbar.

Illustration above shows the effect of Desktop Preview, where user mouse over the Show Desktop (without actually clicking on it) on the far end of the Windows Taskbar.

• Right click on the Start button and click on Properties
• Select the Taskbar tab
• Uncheck the Use Desktop Preview checkbox
• Click OK

Desktop Preview is now disabled. If you would like to re-enable it, simply follow the same steps again making sure to check the Desktop Preview option this time.

• Press the Windows Key and R at the same time to open the Run dialog
• Enter “control userpasswords2″ and hit OK
• In the dialog box select the Advanced tab
• Look to the bottom under Secure Logon and check the box beside “Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete”
• Click OK

Now when you boot your system users will be required to activate the logon screen by using the three finger solute.

So how can one protect their system from this type of attack? Aside from using secure passwords you can also go a step further and enable the classic logon screen as used in the earlier versions of Windows. This will force the user to not only guess the password but the username as well.

• Press start
• Type: local security policy
• Press enter
• Expand local policies
• Click Security Options
• Double-click “Interactive Login: Do not display last user name”
• Check Enabled
• Click OK

Now close all open windows and restart the system. After it is done booting you will now be prompted to enter both the username and password, without being provided with a list of available users.

Only this true: Emacs is pure.
All else is false.
Do not be misled by false gods like Vi, the Editor of the Beast.
Do not be seduced by Word, the Scarlet Woman of Babylon.
Do not be driven to madness by Xcode, the Blind Priest of the Children of Asherath.

When the wild winds of chaos blow, stay pure.
When the universe collapses in shards around you, stay holy.
When the gibbering hobgoblins of apostate Editors attack with shards
of broken syntax, seek the crystalline stillness within you.

Brethren, ensure that you (Meta-x-say-hallel-to-Emacs) daily for otherwise you will be lost.
When the Beast comes, only Emacs can save you.

This was brought to you as a public service by the Holy and Ineffable Church of The Mighty Emacs.
SUPPORT THIS CRUSADE WITH YOUR DONATIONS. EMAIL THE STILL BEATING
HEART OF A VILE VI USER TO emacs-highpriest@god-hates-vi-users

Source: alt.religion.emacs

1. Right Click on your taskbar
2. Click Properties
3. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog select the Start Menu tab
4. Click the Customize button
5. Scroll down the list until you see Run Command and click the check box beside it
6. Click OK twice to close the dialog boxes

That’s it, you should now see “Run…” when you click your start button

I am one of those people who loves a clean desktop, I hate it when files and up scattered upon it and do not like how some icons are “glued” to the desktop by default in every operating system. So when I went to remove these icons from my desktop I found that I couldn’t just delete them as I had expected. I even tried doing it through the terminal, expecting to find symlinks in the ~/Desktop/ directory but it was empty. At that point I figured I’d have to bust out the gconf-editor, having done so in the past to remove the mounted drives from the desktop. It turns out there is a more simple solution in Linux Mint.

After digging around I found the Desktop Configuration Tool. If you are using the MintMenu then you can find it under

• MintMenu
• Preferences
• Desktop Configuration Tool

Once it is loaded you will see that it is a very simple utility, on your first tab all you have to do is uncheck Computer, Home, and Mounted Volumes. From there just click Apply and close the window, and you’re done!

The first thing you’ll need to do is tweak your xorg.conf file, before doing that you should backup your existing configuration. In the event that you make a mistake you can restore it by restoring it in your terminal.

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak

Now that you’ve created a backup, open xorg.conf in your favourite text editor.

sudo pico /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Look for a section named “InputDevice” or create it if it does not exist.

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
    Driver "synaptics"
    Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
    Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
    Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
    Option "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection

The line you want to pay attention to here is the one regarding SHMConfig, this will disable the trackpad while typing. But you’re not quite done yet. Next hit Alt+F2 which will give you the Run Application dialog. Enter the following command and hit Run:

/usr/bin/syndaemon -d -t -i 2

Afterwards, restart your display manager by holding Alt and hitting Backspace. Your keypad is now disabled!

A quick reinstall of iTunes left me in the same boat. It turns out that you have to remove several Apple products in a specific order before reinstalling iTunes. So open up your Control Panel then uninstall these components in the following order:

• iTunes
• QuickTime
• Apple Software Update
• Apple Mobile Device Support
• Bonjour
• Apple Application Support*

At this point you can now install the newest iTunes and you should be able to sync your iPhone without any issues.

*iTunes 9 or later

Windows Key + Tab = Aero Switch (keep holding Windows key and press Tab to cycle)
Windows Key + E = Windows Explorer
Windows Key + R = Run Command
Windows Key + F = Search
Windows Key + X = Mobility Center
Windows Key + L = Lock Computer
Windows Key + U = Ease of Access
Windows Key + P = Projector
Windows Key + T = Cycle Superbar Items
Windows Key + S = OneNote Screen Clipping Tool (requires OneNote)
Windows Key + M = Minimize All Windows
Windows Key + D = Show/Hide Desktop
Windows Key + Up = Maximize Current Window
Windows Key + Down = Restore Down / Minimize Current Windows
Windows Key + Left = Dock Current Window to the Left
Windows Key + Right = Dock Current Windows to the Right
Windows Key + = Magnifier
Windows Key + Shift + Right = Moves Current Window to the Monitor on the Right
Windows Key + Shift + Left = Moves Current Window to the Monitor on the Left
Windows Key + [1-9] = Launches the corresponding program in the superbar (going left to right)
Windows Key + Pause = Open System Info