Monday, November 18, 2013

Installing Ubuntu 12.04 on a Lenovo Windows 8 tutorial!

My Ubuntu 10.04 computer got stuck at the boot screen because it was filled to the brim!  (I ended up fixing it using my new Ubuntu 12.04 computer by googling for the fix.  I'll explain how I did this after I explain how I managed to boot this new Windows 8 with Ubuntu 12.04.)

So, Yesterday I decided it was time for a new computer.  I bought one from Staples for ~500$ with Windows 8 pre installed.  I thought it was going to be easy to dual boot Windows 8 and Ubuntu 12.04.  In the past I've installed Ubuntu in 1 easy step:  simply place a cd/dvd in the disc drive that has the version of Ubuntu you want to test and restart the computer.  That's how easy it used to be!

Now I have to follow what seems like hundreds of work a rounds and searching google for problems that I in-countered trying to follow these directions.  This was quite a difficult task because Windows has this 'secure boot' which effectively prevents any other OS being installed on the system.

Instructions how to dual boot Windows 8 (pre-installed) with Ubuntu 12.04:

Here's the ramdom instructions I followed to dual boot Windows 8 and Ubuntu 12.04:

I skipped to step 2 because I had nothing to backup.  Didn't have luck with the Unetbootin so I went here to create the bootable usb drive.

Turning off fast boot was easy following those instructions but I had to look up these instructions to disable secure boot.

(I wrote this yesterday during this crazy process):  Ok, wow!  I have to mention that somehow I've already got these pop-ups on my Windows 8 using Internet Explorer just trying to follow that tutorial ... damn windows sucks.

I had originally planned to keep Windows 8 by dual booting but after getting those pop-ups I decided F*%^$ Windows!   There was about 4 pop-ups, I forget the names but it would take the computer ~5 minutes to turn on because they kept 'not-responding' and if I tried opening Internet Explorer it wouldn't respond either for a good while until I shut off all that malware crap!  When this happens I get sick to my stomache.  How can people use windows when that happens so quickly?  Honestly within 10 hours of owning it, it was rendered unusable!

There shouldn't be any other problems following that tutorial to complete the dual boot but I took the easy route and just erased Windows 8 completely :D!


Fixing Ubuntu 10.04 login loop.

Here's the problem I had with my Ubuntu 10.04

I fixed it when I found these instructions:------------------------------------------------------------

First, you need to get the grub menu to show when you are starting your machine. Hold the shift key until the grub menu displays.

Then, instead of selecting the normal boot, use the arrow key to select to boot into recovery mode.

When recovery mode starts, you will be given several options. You probably want to use Command Prompt with Network Support (I think that is what it is called).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I Figured that my problem was because I was out of disk space so I booted up the Command Prompt and navigated to where I had a movie and removed it using these commands:
cd
ls
sudo rm

Those are basic commands any Linux user should be familiar with.


Testing Ubuntu 12.04 with different versions of Java:  

I'm trying to get the Dusk applet working at Andy's site(no success, yet).  It's no surprise that it's not working, Dusk is over 10 years old!  I documented my attempts here.

 I followed these instructions to get the latest java with javafx included.  The old Dusk game applet at Andy's site popped up and I attempted to log into Dusk but nothing happened :(  I used the command they provided in the instructions to remove it and also used the synaptic package manager to remove what was still there.

Then I installed Java6 following these instructions.  The applet at weaverscrazytown didn't pop up so I installed the "icedtea plugin" via Ubuntu Software Center.  I don't think it worked but I thought "oh yeah maybe I should restart the computer for the changes to take effect".  After reboot the applet popped up but this time logging in I got -1images loaded.

Here's what java -version shows:

java version "1.6.0_27"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (IcedTea6 1.12.6) (6b27-1.12.6-1ubuntu0.12.04.2)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.0-b12, mixed mode)

Then I deleted all the openjdk stuff I could find in the Ubuntu Software Center and synaptic Package Manager.  Rebooted and then ran java -version and got this:

java version "1.6.0_45"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_45-b06)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.45-b01, mixed mode)

http://www.maketecheasier.com/install-java-runtime-in-ubuntu/

Removed all Java stuff
http://askubuntu.com/questions/84483/how-to-completely-uninstall-java

installed Java this way.
http://askubuntu.com/questions/21131/how-to-correctly-remove-openjdk-openjre-and-set-sunjdk-sunjre-as-default

Duskmoon news:

I started working on a quest/puzzle (scripted event) which is highly inspired by Bertram's 'Valyria Tear' puzzle involving mushrooms, a rolling ball, and triggers.  I'm excited about this because it incorporates a bit of the RPG genra into Dusk.  So I'm making Dusk a hybrid of GMUD with RPG elements.  So basically when anybody says to me, "that's false advertising, Dusk is a gmud- not a rpg."  Which (believe it or not) has happened, so now I can prove them wrong.

NotZed's DuskZ:

He's still poking at it a bitCheckout NotZed's developer notes on the right side if you haven't noticed he's poking at it again.  He put together a runnable copy for me to test but since this last bit of a run around I've had (trying to get my computers back up to par), I haven't got around to testing it yet.  I am very excited to see his work in action though!  Maybe Tomorrow I'll find the time.