Dropbox won't finish installing

So, I click Menu >> Internet >> Dropbox to install Dropbox.

It loads up to 100%, but never finishes. Here is how to fix it: (from forum)

Open a Terminal window and type:

sudo apt update
press <ENTER>

enter your super user password, and press <ENTER>
wait

sudo apt upgrade press <ENTER>
wait
sudo apt dist-upgrade
press <ENTER>

wait

reboot

Then try reinstalling Dropbox again, should work.

Peppermint 5 here we go!

So today I finally got around to installing Peppermint 5. I formatted my entire hard drive, so I am no longer dual booting Windows XP (which means that at this point I need to fire up my desktop if I need Coreldraw or my Canon Lide 90 scanner).

I am currently downloading LibreOffice and I still need to set everything up. At least Conky is installed already :)

So, unetbootin helped me (once again) to create a live flash drive, after downloading the Peppermint 5 ISO from www.peppermintos.com This truly is a wonderful little program.

Installation was uneventful, as expected. My Broadcom wifi card still needs proprietary drivers. This means I need to plug into the router when installing, afterwards click on Menu -> Preferences -> Additional drivers. Here you need to enable the wifi driver. Wifi works again, whoop whoop.

While Googling, I found http://www.binarytides.com/better-linux-mint-17-cinnamon/ and I started working my way through the list. Pepperflash is installed by default, which is great. When installing ms-tt-corefonts I had a strange blue window with white text in it. I could not get past this window, so I Googled some more. Finally found a page that said "press TAB, then ENTER", which worked and  was able to complete that installation and load more software.

Conky is back on, (Audacity, Deluge, UGet, VLC and a few others too), I need to install Dropbox next. I have a new approach to Dropbox: I move stuff that I am not actively working on into my OneDrive or Google Drive, this means when I reinstall it does not take as long to sync.

Will post an update as soon as I am ready.

Where am I now?

I went very quiet after the articles on Peppermint 4's release.

I am now working as a sales consultant at a large computer sales store. I hope to make time to install Peppermint 5 soon and start blogging about that. So far I am still running Peppermint 4, just have not had time to do much about it.

I still can't run Corel Draw in Linux, and my scanner still is not Linux compatible... but some things probably won't change.

I am also downloading the new Linux Mint, which I hope to get to after Peppermint 5.

Wish me luck

Sorting out problems on a Windows PC using a Live CD

Carrying a Live CD with you can come in very handy if you help Windows users. I have often been able to help people backup their crashed Windows PC using a Live CD and an external hard drive or iPod. But surely there is more that you can do than simply copy files over? Let us take a look at a few options now.

(A Live CD allows you to boot into Linux, in this case Peppermint, without having to install it on the PC. Take out the CD and reboot and you have Windows back. Easy as pie, and it is usually not risky either.)

1. Recover a lost Windows password

Your friend / relative has forgotten their Windows password. No need to get excited, boot from your Live CD. Now we need to install a program, so connect to the Internet then open Software Manager.

Search for chntpw and install it.







2. Virus scan a Windows PC

Your friend / relative has a PC that has been crippled by viruses and you can't fix it from within Windows. Boot from your Live CD, then connect to the Internet. Now you need to decide which anti virus to use.

2.1 ClamAV
The best known free anti virus on Linux. Open a Terminal Window and type:

• sudo apt-get install clamav clamav-daemon clamav-freshclam clamtk
• press <ENTER>
• follow the prompts

To run, click Menu, run then type clamtk then press <ENTER>

2.2 Kaspersky
Go here and download the .deb version, follow the guidelines on the website.

2.3 Avast!
It looks like Avast! used to have a Linux version, but I can't find it now.

2.4 AVG
Go to this page, then click on ACG Anti Virus Free for Linux, click on the .deb version. You should be able to install it by double clicking the downloaded file.

3. Test hardware

If you doubt the condition of your CPU try CPU Burn-in, for RAM issues try MemTest86+ (there is usually an option to boot into this when booting from the Live CD) and gsmartcontrol (install it in Software Manager) can check the health of your hard drives. Peppermint comes with a tool called Disks (click Menu, Preferences, Disks) which also has SMART data and Tests that you can run.





Did I miss something? Mention it in the comments please.

Recovering data Part 2: deleted partitions

While PhotoRec will recover lost files, what happens when an entire disk partition vanishes? Enter TestDisk.

The ideal situation will be that after you realized you wrongly deleted that partition, that you boot up with a Live CD or Flash Drive. Connect to the Internet, then open Software Manager and search for TestDisk (remember to include the Universe repository in the settings).

When you recover data it is always better to recover it to a different drive, the ideal would be a large external HDD.

For an in depth look at TestDisk check out the HowToGeek tutorial here. At the moment I don't have a test machine and I am sadly not going to risk deleting an important partition on my laptop for this tutorial.

Sorry folks, maybe some day I will revisit this when I have a test machine and an empty external HDD.


Thank you for understanding.

Recovering Data Part 1 - deleted files

Have you ever deleted a file, only to realize that you in fact, still needed it? That's what the Trash Can is there for (Recycle Bin for Windows users). But what if you emptied the trash and then realized you still needed stuff?

Recovering deleted files can save you a lot of time and effort, in that you do not have to redo the work you spent hours or days doing and in some cases like with holiday photographs it can help you save precious memories. You can't go on holiday to the exact same place and retake all the photos you lost (normally).

Enter PhotoRec, it comes bundled together with TestDisk (which we will discuss in a later post). To install:

• Open a Terminal Window
• Type in: sudo apt-get install testdisk
• Press <ENTER>
• Type in your sudo password and press <ENTER>
• Follow the prompts

(Alternatively search for testdisk in software manager)
(remember to include the Universe repository in the settings, if you get an error message when you try to install the program)

If you are not in a Terminal window, then open one. Type in sudo photorec and press <ENTER>. You might not have to enter your password again, unless if more than a few minutes has passed since you last typed it in.

PhotoRec will now ask you on which partition you want it to search for deleted files. I deleted a few files from a flash drive before installing the program and here I choose my Adata flash drive. Next you will need to choose what type of partition it is for PhotoRec to be effective. Now you are asked to choose the partition to scan for deleted files, do so.

  If you are asked which file types to recover, then make a selection (I must have chosen all files somewhere).

You will now be asked where to save the recovered files. I choose my home folder, PhotoRec make a sub folder with all the recovered files in it.

The only thing that was strange (to me at least) is that the recovered files where:

1. Not in folders, as they had been on the drive and
2. Had all been renamed, of the 238 recovered files all of them started with f

I tested some of the recovered files and found that they had successfully been recovered (unlike my experience with some Windows file recovery programs where you are told that your files are now back, but they don't open properly any more).

A program worth checking out.

Sorry I have been so quiet lately

I started a new job in August, which keeps me away from home for 13 hours a day. I now have a lot less spare time and it has cut into my blogging time as well.

I really should try to put up a new post every week, fingers crossed.