Linux and I Back Together Again

Having said I was taking a break from Linux due to time taken to fix problems I could not resist downloading latest Fedora 8 and having a play which as an off shoot led me to fix most of my outstanding problems.

Bullet summary

1. Problems with updating and repositories was caused by GWART2-54125 DSL Router and DNS addressing.


2. This led to also fixing Firefox IPV6 issues so I do not have to disable.


3. Accessing Windows and Vista from Linux working fine, still need to access Linux from these.


4. Google works well as cross platform tool.

Router and DNS

With both SUSE and Ubuntu I had problems in getting the software updater and the add software package processes to work. Very occasionally this would work but normally could not find repository. I tried various ones. It had worked OK with SUSE 10.2 before I had upgraded to 10.3

Then I found the same problem with Fedora 8. So it had to be a problem common to all so I suspected the in-built firewall in router so I disabled it but no change, so I re-instated it.

Then I did some googling including router in search which led to solution.

Router was a GURU, which I think is a badged Safecom,

GWART2-54125, (GWART 54125) and the problem was reported at http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-328874.html

There are detailed instructions on how to do this at http://safecom.cn/code/product/adsl/SWART2-54125/FAQ/dns-setting.html

My ISP is Orange and they had the DNS information at this address

Once I had done all this upgrades and software additions worked fine.

Firefox and IPV6

Previously on all my Linux Systems I had to disable IPV6 on Firefox for it to work. To do this you enter about:config in the address bar and hit enter and ipv6 in the filter in the config page which results in my case to two lines and by clicking on the first one it disables ipv6 and all is well.

However when I tested out Fedora 8 on my new Core 2 Laptop by just running live CD I did not have to do this. I then found that I could enable it on my desktops, SUSE, Ubuntu and Fedora and it works. So I can only assume the above actions also fixed this issue.

Accessing Windows XP and Vista

In Ubuntu just by looking at Places -> Network it found the locally connected desktops.

But if problems then the way that seems to be most successful is to

1. Select Places->Connect to Server


2. Select "Windows share" in Service Type and correct IP address in Server.


3. Type something meaningful in "Name to use for connection"


4. Connect

This should place Folder on desktop which you can open and be connected to other PC, assuming you have correct Share and Network parameters on these Window's PCs.

iGoogle

I currently have two desktops, one XP and one with removable drives so that I can use XP and Linux (SUSE, Ubuntu or Fedira) plus two laptops, one Vista and one older HP with Linux.

Occasionally I use my daughter's XP laptop when visiting.

I find iGoogle the best way of sharing data amongst them all. For example I am using Blogger to write this on Test Desktop currently with Ubuntu, but I can get at the same file from any platform.

Similarly with Spreadsheets or Documents. Also I can access all my bookmarks.