Replace OpenOffice.org With The Zoho Webservice Suite In Ubuntu 10.04

by Asian Angel (firefox_fangirl)

If you have already installed (or are thinking about installing) Ubuntu 10.04 on your computer then I have something great to show you here. By default OpenOffice.org is included with Ubuntu but it can be a little slow or clunky sometimes. That is where the Zoho Webservice Suite comes in…it is gentle on your system’s resources and great to use.

Know what else is great about it? You do not even have to have a Zoho account or log in to Zoho to use it! ^__^ If you are really wanting a terrific alternative to OpenOffice.org then keep reading! ~__^

Adding the Zoho Webservice Suite to Ubuntu

To get things started go to the “Applications Menu” and select “Ubuntu Software Center”.



When the “Ubuntu Software Center Window” opens enter “Zoho” as a search term to quickly find the three “Zoho Suite” components. On my system I started with installing the “Webservice Spreadsheet” component.



Once you click on “Install” you will have to enter your password before you can proceed with adding all three components to your system.



Once you start the installation process all three components will install together without any further prompts.



When you look at the “Office Sub-menu” you will be able to see all of that Zoho goodness nicely tucked in at the bottom of the menu.

Note: The Zoho Webservices will open up in your system’s default browser.



A Good Look at the Word Processor, Presentation, & Spreadsheet Components

When you create a new document you will have a nice clean looking setup to work with….zero clutter on the sides and everything that you need at the top.



Here is a closer look at both sides of the toolbar shown above…

To give you an idea of just how nice the Zoho Webservices can be here is a quick look at the “ribbon-style toolbar sections” for the Word Processor. You can access each portion either through a drop-down menu or by bringing that “section” forward. There are plenty of tools available to create and/or edit documents on your system.


Adding an image to the example document that I created was extremely easy.



You can create beautiful documents in just a few minutes.



Ready for the Presentation Component? You will find most of the tools are located in the sidebar on the right side. Notice the “tabbed interface” at the top and the “collapsible sections” at the bottom. Looks like a great presentation just waiting to happen.



A nice start on a new presentation…



The Spreadsheet Component has the simplest toolbar layout of the three but is still ready to help you get your work done.



I had all three running at the same time in Firefox…you literally turn your default browser into an “instant office suite”.

Note: It is possible to run multiples of the same type at one time (i.e. word document, etc.).



Saving and Reopening Files

To save your documents after working on them you will need to export them. Each of the Zoho Webservice components has an “Export Drop-Down Menu” that lets you choose the format that you wish to save your documents in. When you export your documents it goes through the same process as downloading a file. The choices available for the Word Processor…

Note: For each of the documents shown here I chose Microsoft formats.



The formats available to save your presentations in…



And finally the formats available for spreadsheets.



There are the three example documents saved to the hard-drive and ready for use later.



Opening up and editing existing documents on your hard-drive is extremely easy to do. Just right click on them and select the “Open with Zoho Webservice option” that matches the document type.



If you have been wanting a good alternative to OpenOffice.org on your Ubuntu 10.04 system then I think that you will be really pleased with the Zoho Webservice Suite. I know that I am. ~__^

Note: For anyone wanting to add the Zoho Webservice Suite to an older version of Ubuntu visit the Official Homepage for details.

New To Ubuntu Or Just New To 10.04

Image by [- Benja -] via Flickr

Many of my readers often comment to me that Linux is just too hard to bother with, but more often than not that really means that it's a little bit scary.

I'm going to share a secret with you... once upon a time I was a little scared too. I've been working on PC's since 1983 and all I ever knew was the Microsoft way. It's time to change some thinking. When you bought your PC you bought two things. First you bought some hardware (PC case, hard drive, CD/DVD drive, power supply, ethernet card, ect.) and Secondly you bought an operating system (Microsoft Windows, or Macintosh OSX, or something similar). The hardware has basic rules of functionality like how many partitions can be created on the hard drive, how much memory can be installed, what speed can the processor safely run at. The operating system has rule on how it functions and how it will let the hardware function. There is no rule that states that the computer you bought must remain exactly the same as the day you purchased it (besides the rules governing the warranty).

The question really is, if all you know is all you know then how do you learn something new? One of the easiest ways to learn some of the Linux distributions is to use a live CD. This is a CD that has the basic operating system and it can run off of the CD (albeit a lot slower than on a hard drive) and you can see how things work without worrying about bonking your hard drive.

My first Linux OS was using a Knoppix live CD in German as a Pre-Install environment for Windows XP to repair something. I didn't even know I was using Linux and it was so intuitive that I was able to use the functionality without even having the benefit of my native language.
My second Linux OS was Mepis which I loved for about a year, but I moved to Ubuntu for a larger support community (let the hate mail flow).

I used the basics of Ubuntu for almost a year before I found the Ubuntu Pocket Guide which was a free guide based on Ubuntu 8.04. In addition to that guide I would suggest new users to check out the Ubuntu Users Manual for 10.04 and take a look at their free users manual.

Use these manuals to get your feet wet and then you can check out user forums for specific questions and answers to help you go further than these manuals will take you.

Related articles

• Free Getting Started with Ubuntu [Ebook] (lifehacker.com)
• Free Getting Started with Ubuntu Manual Helps Out Linux Rookies [Ebook] (lifehacker.com)
• Ubuntu 10.04 Manual Released (techie-buzz.com)
• Press reaction to Ubuntu 10.04 (omgubuntu.co.uk)

Move Window Buttons Back to the Right in Ubuntu 10.04

One of the changes in the Ubuntu 10.04 that has annoyed me the most is the Mac OS-inspired change to have window buttons on the left side. I didn't spend my whole life using Windows and now Ubuntu to start pretending that I like anything about Macintosh!!! In this article I'll show you how to move the buttons back to the right.

As of the final release of Ubuntu 10.04 the maximize, minimize, and close buttons appear in the top left of a window.

How to move the window buttons

The window button locations are dictated by a configuration file. We’ll use the graphical program gconf-editor to change this configuration file.

Press Alt+F2 to bring up the Run Application dialog box, enter “gconf-editor” in the text field, and click on Run.

The Configuration Editor should pop up.

The key that we want to edit is in apps/metacity/general.

Click on the + button next to the “apps” folder, then beside “metacity” in the list of folders expanded for apps, and then click on the “general” folder.

The button layout can be changed by changing the “button_layout” key. Double-click button_layout to edit it.

Change the text in the Value text field to:

menu:maximize,minimize,close

Click OK and the change will occur immediately, changing the location of the window buttons in the Configuration Editor.

Note that this ordering of the window buttons is slightly different than the typical order; in previous versions of Ubuntu and in Windows, the minimize button is to the left of the maximize button.

You can change the button_layout string to reflect that ordering, but using the default Ubuntu 10.04 theme, it looks a bit strange.

If you plan to change the theme, or even just the graphics used for the window buttons, then this ordering may be more natural to you.

After

After this change, all of your windows will have the maximize, minimize, and close buttons on the right.

Now that we have this annoyance fixed, what do you think over all of the new Ubuntu 10.04 look and feel?

Ubuntu 10.04 hit by major bug on release day

Image by [phil h] via Flickr

by Erez Zukerman

It's the end of April. Spring is here, and so is Ubuntu 10.04. Or at least, that's the plan. Canonical's rigid release schedule is awesome for many reasons -- one of which is the amount of excitement it generates around each new Ubuntu release. However, I don't think this is the kind of excitement Mr. Shuttleworth had in mind when the "fixed schedule" policy was set.

As it turns out, after the final release ISOs were already created (or "spun" in Ubuntu geek-speak), a critical bug came up; and no, I don't mean something like "OMG, we put the window buttons on the wrong side!". I mean something like "once you install Ubuntu, you will not be able to boot your other operating system." Oops. It doesn't kill the other OS, and it's fixable when it happens (it's a problem with the GRUB2 bootloader configuration), but it's certainly not something you want to have happen to people just trying out your OS (or even upgrading from previous versions).

Granted -- it doesn't happen with each and every installation, but it can happen. The Ubuntu team considered a quick-fix, but eventually went for the more responsible (and safer, in terms of PR) option of re-spinning the ISOs. However, re-spinning all ISOs would push the release into May, which would be a PR flop in itself. So they're just re-spinning some of the most popular ones, like the x86 and x64 desktop releases, as well as the Netbook remix. Exciting stuff!

The Fix
The partition(s) of the other operating system(s) are not being destroyed and the menu entries for GRUB can be re-generated using update-grub.

Related articles

• Jono Bacon: Let's Make Ubuntu a Trending Topic (jonobacon.org)
• Announcing the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (fridge.ubuntu.com)
• new Ubuntu 10.04 Items now available In the Ubuntu Store (omgubuntu.co.uk)
• 5 ways to celebrate Ubuntu 10.04's release (omgubuntu.co.uk)

Computer Doctor Getting Married

Image via Wikipedia

After spending 10 year of marriage horror and one year of separation from my ex wife I figured that maybe I'd spend the rest of my days as a recovering ex husband in second bachelorhood. Just before my divorce was finalized I soon discovered that I didn't much care for living by myself and that it's a lonely life. Of course there are times when it's good to be alone... like when you're in the middle of a making a nested sub-report that's dependent on multiple tables and a nested query... but on the other hand how many times a day could I find myself in database programming bliss like that? So I found a lone flower in the garden that had been overlooked for so long and we actually hit it off wonderfully.

So for all the techno-babes out there, you may commence the weeping of many tears because The Computer Doctor is getting married on June the Twelfth this year.

Academy Ware

After developing dozens of stand alone databases over the past three years I finally took the plunge and have developed a student management solutions package for an intended audience of private schools.

I would like to thank my fiance and my best friend and fellow contractor for their support over the past year while developing this database.

The basis behind this database is modularity. My theory behind developing databases was always to give the users freedom to add content to the databases to give them as much freedom as possible. This database covers registration, student id badges, class electives, classroom setup, grade books, attendance, report cards, parent teacher conferences, honor roll, and database backup.

Perhaps in an update to this software I will also incorporate a lesson planner and itinerary report generator.

Academy Ware from Computer Doctor on Vimeo.

Removing Bad File Associations

Image by AcidZero via Flickr

Have you ever gotten a support call that starts out with the customer telling you that when they click on X icon it unexpectedly opens up program Y? Of course you find out that they chose the open with and selected a wrong program... No big deal right? Just have them choose open with and select the correct program and problem solved.

What if the file type shouldn't have any file extension? You can choose open with, but there isn't an option to delete the incorrect file extension (that would be too easy Microsoft).

For Windows XP Users

• Click the "Start" button in the lower left corner of the screen.
• Click "My Computer" to open Windows Explorer.
• Click the menu "Tools > Folder Options" and select the "File Types" tab.
• Scroll down the file type list and find the desired file extension. Click on it to select.
• Click the "Delete" button, then "Yes" to confirm.
  

For Windows Vista or 7 Users

• Click the "Start" button in the lower-left corner of the screen.
• Type "cmd" and press "Enter" to open the command prompt window.
• Type "assoc .ext= " and press "Enter."
  

Note, "ext" stands for the file extension you wish to remove from the association list.

Related articles

• Open a Command Prompt from any Folder in Windows (helpdeskgeek.com)
• Set Default Programs in Windows 7 (helpdeskgeek.com)
• File Association in Windows - How to change it (techblissonline.com)
• Manage and edit file associations in Windows (en.onsoftware.com)
• How to: Restore default applications in Windows XP (en.onsoftware.com)

Getting Past "Being Used By Another Person Or Program" Errors

Have you ever had an annoying situation where you tried to delete a file or folder and were given an error message that the file is in use by another person or program? or one of the following similar errors?

• Cannot delete file: Access is denied
  
• The file is in use by another program or user.
• The source or destination file may be in use.
• Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.
• There has been a sharing violation.

You go to the task manager and can't find the offending program running in processes, so what do you do? Reboot and hope for the best? Sometimes even this doesn't help.

I stumbled on a great tool for this problem called Unlocker.

After installing unlocker, when you get these error messages, just right click on the file and choose the unlocker options and you will be given a windows that shows what program(s) is effecting the file you are trying to delete and give you the options to kill the process, unlock, or unlock all. Try the unlock and that will usually let you delete the file otherwise kill the process and it definitely will.

In addition to helping delete files that are locked, you can also use this tool to help rename locked files or make them movable to a different directory.

The best part is that the tool is free but you can choose to send a donation also.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Delete files in windows with Unlocker (techblissonline.com)
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New Projects With The Doctor

As some of you may have noticed I haven't been posting very regularly and it may seem that the Doctor hasn't been very busy. On the contrary! I've actually been too busy to focus on any of my pending projects.

This is where you can come in. Are you an inspiring Geek wanting to get your article published with the Doctor? Take a look at my list of pending projects and see if any of them look like something you could add your two sense on and then use the e-mail the Doctor link on my blog page to let me know what you think.

1. Turning Microsoft Access Forms into Web pages.

Image via Wikipedia

Scenario: I have an enterprise level database with forms for a student management suit, but the client would like to see a web page for parents to log in and view their children's grades, get homework itineraries for the week or possibly even get class handouts.

My Work: So far I have been able to export a form as an html page which doesn't work and a asp file which I'm not sure exactly what to do with.


2. Making a portable application for Dansguardian

Image via Wikipedia

Scenario: Our local private school wanted an internet filter for the computer labs but did not have a budget to purchase third party software. I suggested Dansguardian with tinyproxy and then locking the proxies on the internet browsers. The problem is that the old Pentium 3 I put it on seems a little flaky and I'm always getting calls about it. I put it on a virtual machine and that works as a backup, but it also ties up a machine since most of them only have 512 Mb to work with.

My Work: I'm looking at Ubuntu JeOS as a possibility to run from a bootable USB drive, but so far I've struck out because I can't ping an internet connection. If I can get to the Internet then I can install Dansguardian and make a go of it so this USB key can be run on any spare machine in the building and be moved to another machine if something happens.


3. Moving my blog to Wordpress

Image via CrunchBase

Scenario: The time has come for me to step up my blog a bit and I don't know if staying with blogger will be the best solution for me or not. Many people have suggested wordpress and I want to play with that a bit.

My Work: I'm looking at getting the Wordpress application from Turnkey Linux but I'm not sure if that is the right thing to do. I don't want to do all the work in bringing my blog over to it only to find out that I won't be serving my own blogsite and then being stuck not able to export my work out to somewhere else that can serve my Wordpress blog.


So here's my challenge... If anyone can come up with a viable solution for any of these three projects, I will publish their suggestions or article and give them credit, and the only rules are that the solutions should be free or low cost. Good Luck!

I don't have a CD Rom

In the era of netbooks being used for regular PC's I have come across a support problem of how to install a CD when there is no CD ROM present.

Last year I was working on a computer lab that had multiple PC's that had failed CD ROM's and the solution was exactly the same...

Step1. Share the CD ROM from the host PC.


Step 2. Find the host PC's full computer name.
Step 3. On the target PC, navigate to the host PC in explorer and double click on the shared CD ROM drive.
Step 4. Now treat this directory just like you would a CD drive that is mounted to the target PC.

The Legendary Fred. Holy man or Hallucinating Ham?

So we were back at St. Patrick's Academy this weekend working on one of the Red Hat servers. The problem as always is the local ISP provider can't make up their mind if they want to offer fixed IP or DHCP to their business customers.

So after going all school year with a fixed IP that I helped them set up last fall, they get bounced to a DHCP and all the dumb terminals go down. So big whoopidy-doo, we can fix it. Should only take 30 minutes or so.

So I go in and navigate the terminal command line in Red Hat Nash for the firewall setup and when I find it I switch it to DHCP and set the DNS servers to what was in the letter sent to the school. Nothing... I get a big fat nothing!!!
So back to the drawing board. I hooked up my laptop to the router and check my IPCONFIG (since I was already booted up in Windows) and grabbed the IP address I got and plugged those numbers into the schools firewall. I know, what a noob right. You can't actually hook up to a router that needs a fixed IP and have it give you your IP, that is against the very nature of networking and of course it failed also. So after telling a few jokes and some internal cursing I go back and set up the DHCP like I started with.

So nothings been happening for a few minutes and Old Man Fred decides to put his hands on a terminal and start preaching Hell Fire and Brimstone and asking it if it had the faith to be healed and to put a $20 in the plate. Now I know that Fred is crazy and all, but what happened next almost made me blow my cork.

The server behind me made a little beeping noise and all the terminals popped on just like that.

AWWWWW now come on, that had nothing to do with Fred!!!!

So I was a little miffed and the legend of Fred continues.

I guess when all attempts at sanity fail, you can still try the insane attempts.

Update for Broadcom Wireless

Image by Neokrisys via Flickr

This is a follow up article for my original post Bad Karma

After a recent mishap on my PC I decided to update to the 64 bit version of Ubuntu even though I had planned on waiting for 10.04 Lucid Lynx LTS (long term service).

Now after running on the 64 bit version for a few weeks my wireless card had started acting funny. That's funny as in strange, not funny as in ha ha. Every time I powered on my computer and the wireless card was on I would not get any available Access Points, but when I turned the power off to the card I would get a list of A.P.'s but no way to connect to them. My temporary solution was to boot up the PC with the card turned off and then power it on after logging into Ubuntu. What a pain!!!

Next solution. In the windows world if something isn't working you just uninstall it and re-install it so that's what I tried. OH NO!!! When I tried to re-install the drivers I ran into problems that I didn't have the first time.

Problem 1. Ubuntu couldn't fetch the CD-ROM
Solution 1. insert the CD-ROM (DVD), go to the terminal and use sudo apt-cdrom add

Problem 2. everything that I had loaded from my previous article was already loaded and when I tried to enable the driver it failed
Solution 2. after making the Disc installable you want to use synaptic to search for and install bcmwl-kernel-source and then reboot.

Now i'm back in business and looking forward to many more happy days on Ubuntu.