Jan 15

Keyboard shortcuts

CTRL + B Moves the cursor backward one character.
CTRL + C Cancels the currently running command.
CTRL + D Logs out of the current session.
CTRL + F Moves the cursor forward one character.
CTRL + H Erase one character. Similar to pressing backspace.
CTRL + P Paste previous line and/or lines.
CTRL + S Stops all output on screen (XOFF).
CTRL + Q Turns all output stopped on screen back on (XON).
CTRL + U Erases the complete line.
CTRL + W Deletes the last word typed in. For example, if you typed ‘mv file1 file2′ this shortcut would delete file2.
CTRL + Z Cancels current operation, moves back a directory and/or takes the current operation and moves it to the background. See bg command for additional information about background.

Command line shortcuts

In addition to the below command line shortcuts, it is also helpful to use the alias command that allows you to specify a keyword for frequently used commands or mistakes.

~ Moves to the user’s home directory.
!! Repeats the line last entered at the shell. See history command for previous commands.
!$ Repeats the last argument for the command last used. See history command for previous commands.
reset Resets the terminal if terminal screen is not displaying correctly.
shutdown -h now Remotely or locally shuts the system down.

Dec 26
Forgot your root password?? No problems, this is how you can reset your root password:

For this press e when GRUB selection menu pops up. Now write the following as parameter: init=/bin/bash
Now press Enter. You will get a # prompt. Now write the following command to change your root password.
#passwd
Now enter your new desired password twice.
Reboot your system & now you can login to your system as root with the newly set root password.

Dec 26
This is how you can delete/remove Linux from a dualboot system with Windows XP.

First take out your Windows XP bootable disc & boot your system from it. Then enter Recovery console by pressing R. In the recovery console prompt type the following commands:
FIXMBR
FIXBOOT

The GRUB will be overwritten & Windows will restore MBR & its bootloader. Just boot your system & windows will start automatically.

Now Right click on My Computer icon on your Desktop & click Manage. Click Disk Management.
Now remove all Linux partitions (These partitions don’t have any label & have unknown filesystem).
Now create new partition(s) in the free space. Format those partitions in FAT32/NTFS & now you can use them under Windows.

You can also try some awesome utilities like Partition Magic, Gparted to do the same.

Dec 26
To connect to Yahoo or Gtalk from Linux you need to install any multiprotocol Instant messaging client like: ‘Kopete’ or ‘Pidgin’

Kopete >> http://kopete.kde.org

Pidgin >> http://www.pidgin.im

Download them from the above links & install them.

To configure kopete for yahoo/MSN/ICQ/AIM etc:
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/kopete_kde_instant_messenger

To configure Pidgin for Yahoo/MSN/ICQ/AIM etc:
Click Accounts >> Add/Edit. On the new Accounts window click Add.
Select the Protocol like Yahoo, Google Talk etc. & fill in other required details.

To configure Kopete for Gtalk:
http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=57557

To configure Pidgin for Gtalk: http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/
answer.py?answer=24073&ctx=sibling

Dec 26
Your distribution may not be shipped with all required Audio & Video codecs to play most Audio & Video file formats. Linux can start playing almost any multimedia file(s) for you. Just do the following:

Audio & Video Players for Linux:

You can install some awesome Multimedia Players for Linux like:
VLC >> www.videolan.org [VLC is small & excellent feature rich Multimedia player for Linux]

MPlayer >> www.mplayerhq.hu [MPlayer can play almost any multimedia file type]

XINE >> www.xinehq.de [This player is available in most of the Linux distributions & is also an excellent player when latest 'libxine' & 'w32codec' packages are properly installed ]

KAFFEINE >> http://kaffeine.kde.org [Kaffeine uses XINE Multimedia Engine to play multimedia files]

Audio Players for Linux:


Try the following excellent Audio Players for Linux:
Amarok >> http://amarok.kde.org [Amarok uses Xine or Helix multimedia Engine. Xine engine is recommended. Install 'Amarok-Xine' package & latest libxine to unleash the full capability of Amarok to play any audio file type]

XMMS >> www.xmms.org [Linux player with Winamp 2.x looks supporting many audio formats]