Wednesday, March 13, 2013

How to insert a table in your blogpost without much work?

Almost all of the bloggers(blogspot users, I don't know about wordpress features) face this while they writing some blog posts.  Many time we like to include a table in the blogpost, Due to the extra coding work (we need to write table creating html code manually) we don't do it.  Table is a very simple feature to add, but i don't know why google didn't added this to the blogger... :(.  Hope they will soon make us one.

  So, lets come to the point.  It is pretty much easy to insert a table with contents.  There is a web(site) [Tableizer]url which gives u this table creation as a service.  And the things is you are allowed to modify the table's view like colour, font, font size etc.

How to:
1.  Use your office suite's spread sheet application (ms excel, libreoffice calc etc).  Yes, am not kidding just input the  contents then copy that.

2. Goto this Tableizer url and paste it at the given box.  Click -> Tableize it.  Thats all.

3.  Copy the shown visual table(or the html code) and paste it into your post.

For example I want to create a 3x3 table with input 1..9 like this.

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

Open libreoffice -> calc -> input 1,2,3 in first row, 4,5,6 in second row, 7,8,9 in third row.  Copy that 3x3 cells with the content, now follow steps 2 & 3.  The resultant table is shown below.

123
456
789

you are done... :)


How to type copyright symbol, trademark symbol etc in linux?

 As our qwerty keyboard can't accommodate all the available characters, symbols we end up with the keyboard(layout) that have the main and most widely used symbols, characters(with shift, alt key combinations).  But, in my opinion our keyboard should at least add symbols like Copyright  ©, Registered  ®, Trademark symbol ™.

Usually we do get/input these symbols from:
1. From a text editor program or from office suite(from insert symbols) like libreoffice, MS office etc.
2. From internet web pages by searching terms like "copyright symbol", "Trade mark symbol"

But, it is not possible to go every time into those application or to search with google to get/input these symbols.  So, Here is a easy way to input these symbols with your standard English keyboard layout (qwerty layout).  You have to enable some already available keyboard settings(Compose key) but not enabled by default .

So, with the help of compose key we can achieve this in our standard key board itself.

Compose key: A excerpt from wikipedia
"A compose key, available on some computer keyboards, is a special kind of modifier key designated to signal the software to interpret the following (usually two) keystrokes as a combination in order to produce a character not found directly on the keyboard. For example, striking Compose followed by ~ and then n can produce character ñ, whereas striking Compose followed by O and then C can produce the symbol ©, the copyright symbol). "

How to enable
1. In  BOSS linux(or any linux which have menu like Applications, System)
System -> preferences -> keyboard settings -> Layout settings -> options -> Compose key positions
In Ubuntu
Settings -> Keyboard -> Layout settings -> Options -> Compose key positions

2. Select your desired compose key.
   You can select any listed key(ctrl, win, capslock etc) as your compose key.  But, as we are using Linux, It is recommended to use the win(dows) key as compose key.

3.  Save the settings thats all you are done.

There are many symbols and the key combinations to produce it.  I here list few most often used symbols and its compose key combinations.  I assume win(dows) key  as the compose key.

Symbol NameSymbolcomposekey combination
Copyright©win+o then c
Trademarkwin+t then m
Registered symbol®win+o then r
Quarter¼Win+1 then 4
Half½Win+1 then 2
3 quarters¾Win+3 then 4
Eurowin+e then =
Yen¥win+y then =
Pound£win+l then -
cent¢win+c then |
degree°win+o then o


Note:  This is for the debian based linux machines(like Ubuntu, BOSS Linux etc) which employs gnome desktop environment.  If your machine is not a debian based one or it uses other desktop environment systems(like kde, xfce etc), you have to fine where the keyboard setting is available and need to enable the settings as above.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

How to create a Linux repository for the intranet/local machines?

1. Copy the whole repository of a particular linux distro(BOSS Gnu/linux, ubunutu) into a harddisk(external/internal), either by debmirror command or request/contact to the repository maintainers.
 1.1 Copy the repository using debmirror
   $debmirror -a -d -s --method= -h --root= --no-source --progress --ignore-release-gpg 
   switch a - architecture, d - distro etc..  Note: For more information read man pages of debmirror

ex: 
$debmirror -a i386 -d savir -s main,main/debian-installer --method=http -h packages.bosslinux.in --root=boss --no-source --progress --ignore-release-gpg /home/test/repository


2. install apache2 web server using
 $sudo apt-get install apache2

3. Either copy the whole content distro copy "/home/test/repository" to "/var//www" directory, or give a link to /home/test/repository in /var/www

4. find the ip address of the machine(where you do all the above procedures. i.e machine in which you keep the local/intranet repository/server) using
 $sudo ifconfig

5. add the following line as first entry in the  /etc/apt/sources.list file of all the linux machines that connected to the intranet as follows
 deb http:///boss savir main contrib non-free

6. Try apt-get update from the client machines if it updates fine, everything is fine.  Your local intranet repository is setup successfully.