Java moves house

Java has moved from the Universe repository to the new Partner one. I must read up about that when I get a chance, it sounds very official and corporate. But for now, I'm just trying to install Sun Java on a customer machine.

Updated Java installation instructions here

Multiple monitors, multiple panels

I have successfully managed to use Twinview with a panel on each monitor, containing only the active windows for that display. Every time I created an extra panel it was immovable, but that was fixed by turning off the "Expand" option in panel properties. Then I just moved it to the bottom of the second screen and added a Window List applet.

So now the panel on my main display shows active windows in that display only, and the second display has its own panel for its own open windows, respectively. I heart this.

I'm currently playing with the Expand option because when it's expanded for some reason minimized windows on the second monitor disappear off the edge of the screen. Gotta be something simple.

Remote support

I've been thinking about this for a little while - what is the best way to support users from a distance, to save them having to return a PC or Laptop to solve what may be a small issue?

I've used VNC extensively in the past and admire its versatility and open-sourciness. If I had access to the customer machines and their routers, it would be great to get them using VNC, but the configuration could be too complex for the average home user if they had to set it up themselves, even with me on the phone.

But I found out today about a product called Teamviewer. It comes with a .deb Linux client which also doubles up as a server (though it took me a long time to figure this out, and I was just about to give up and investigate other solutions...). Best of all, it's very simple to use. All a client would do is start it up, then give me the unique numbers and passcodes that it has generated for that session. I'm guessing (well pretty certain actually), that it uses the Teamviewer servers to manage the initial connection - it may channel all traffic through there too, though this makes less sense.

I've used it on two PCs on my desk and it all seems to work fine, so now I need to trial it with another tame user before considering installing it on any client machines that I happen to get my hands on. It could be handy for those "just in case" moments when I need to tweak a setting or two on a customer machine.

Link here

Managing startup applications

I've been looking into streamlining boot times, and seeing if there is an easy way (either text or gui based) to decide which services and programs to keep and which to disable.

Here are a few programs to try out if you want to check which services and applications are being loaded at startup (and disable if you want to free up memory).

sysvconfig
bum (boot-up manager)
sysv-rc-conf

I'll add a few more details once I've had a play with them.