Software to do a backup of your hard drive

I have two external hard drives and one is the exact copy of the other. But when I download new stuff I have to save it in the exact location on both of them. If there are several files the task can become annoying and tedious. In order to avoid this constant repetition, I found and tried a free software called Cobian backup .

With this software I can modify only one hard drive and then synchronize it with the other. Cobian backup will modify the other hard drive to be an exact copy of the first.

Attention: You will have to change some preferences in the program options, but it is easy, the entries are fully commented so no problem.

Ubuntu 10.04 is here!

Ubuntu 10.04 is now available from the Ubuntu website: www.ubuntu.com. It is a LTS version (LTS means Long Term Support, I had to google it to learn it ;)) and it is going to have support for at least one year.

I have already installed it, it seems alright, it is like a polished version of the Karmic Koala (9.10). One recommendation, when installing from the live CD do not enable the wireless connections because it will begin to download some updates increasing the installation time. First do a clean install and then connect to the Internet and update.

After installing the Nvidia video drivers (to enable 3D effects) the resolution of the loading screen changed, to fix this I followed the instructions here: Don't be scared by the number of instructions, it works.

That's all for now. It boots really fast!

Take conscience!

Taking care of the environment is a very popular subject nowadays, but the average person thinks that maybe its not on his\her hands to do something about it. That all problems must be solved by the great corporations. Nothing further from the truth!, I personally believe that change must come from inside of ourselves, changing our behavior and our culture, our traditional way to do things to adapt them to a "greener" and sustainable platform.


An important problem is the garbage management, and the impulsive consumism that affect us in our regular lives. Take conscience! Be brave enough to take a step ahead and do something about it. I'm not talking about returning back to the caves age, but a small contribution from a lot of people can really make a difference. Be smart, create alternatives, bring solutions to your lifestyle, share and spread your successes!

Get educated!: http://www.storyofstuff.com/international/
Have you seen the Al Gore Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth?

Bluetooth problem with a Dell inspiron 1520

I faced this issue like a month ago when I was re-installing windows from the scratch to a friend of mine. He has a Dell inspiron 1520, and he had the bluetooth adapter turned off on his previous Windows installation. Now, after formatting and re-installing again the machine, it was not possible to install the Bluetooth driver, because it said that there was no bluetooth adapter.

Doing some research on the web, i found out that it is not such a common issue, but luckily someone got a hit on the solution.There is a file on the Dell support website named R159805.EXE that has no further explanation on its description but it turns on the Bluetooth adapter for it to be recognized later by the Windows OS.

So, if you're installing Windows on similar conditions, turn on the bluetooth adapter before doing it or be sure to download the file first.

Some useful links to start in Ubuntu

- To download ubuntu .ISO http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
-About the installation process: If you want to dual boot http://www.howtoforge.com/dual_boot_windows_xp_vista_ubuntu_feisty and http://sliceoflinux.com/2009/04/23/instalar-ubuntu-904-paso-a-paso/
-Some things to read and to do with ubuntu http://ubuntulife.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/ubuntu-para-torpes, http://ubuntulife.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/cosas-a-hacer-despues-de-instalar-ubuntu-904-jaunty-jackalope/
-To install some graphic effects: http://www.tuxapuntes.com/drupal/node/584
-The program alsamixer can become handy when having an audio issue
-To install Google Earth: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GoogleEarth
-Interesting applications: http://nivelrecluta.blogspot.com/search/label/linux, http://lifehacker.com/software/ubuntu/hack-attack-top-10-ubuntu-apps-and-tweaks-195437.php
-To get a beginners guide, newbie info and some advanced network management information www.forat.info

Converting .lit files to html

On previous days I got a .lit file and I was ripping my head off trying to find a way to open it and to see its contents (It is a Microsoft electronic book format). The information on the web is not too clear but I was able to understand that it is a special type of file that can only be opened by a specific Microsoft program. After some time looking for the so mentioned software, I came with nothing (sometimes the Microsoft page is like a laberynth). So, I looked up for an alternative solution and found this program ConvertlitGUI at http://dukelupus.pri.ee/. It will convert the file to .htm (readable by most web browsers) and .jpg for images. So, problem solved.
In the same site there are some pretty interesting tools as well, give them a look.

Saving for future reference your directory content

I wanted a tool that allowed me to have a virtual copy of the content of my hard drives. This was particulary important for those cases in which I have to check whether if I have an archive, a program, etc before looking into my hard drive (plugging it in).

After some research on the web I have found this free program: dirthml: http://dirhtml.enware.info/ It generates an html archive (similar to a web page), In which it is possible to navigate and find any wanted archive.