Samanathon.com

By now, just about everyone knows about the Twitter Command Line Client for Linux. Ever since I started using it, I fell in love and I’ve been looking for something similar for Windows. Well, I’ve finally found it: The Twitter CLI is a simple tool that lets you post updates to Twitter from the Windows Command Line or, my favorite, the Run dialog.

Download

The small file is located at Phalacee.com.

Installation

1. Extract the contents of the Twitter CLI.zip file into your Windows folder, which is located at:
   C:\Windows
2. Open the Twitter.bat file in Notepad (right-click, then choose Edit) and enter your Twitter user name and password in the appropriate fields:
   set username=YourTwitterUserName
set password=YourTwitterPassword
3. Save the file and close Notepad.

Update Twitter Via Command Line

Now you are able to Tweet via your Windows Command Line:

1. Hit the Windows Key+R
2. Type in the following:
   twitter ""
   Enter your status between the quotes.
3. Hit OK or the Enter on your keyboard.

That’s all there is to it! If you want your update to read: I’m eating over my keyboard and making a mess! You would enter:
twitter "I'm eating over my keyboard and making a mess!"

Notes

• The message must be less than 140 characters, which is Twitter’s limit.
• It’s not necessary to use quotation marks in your update but will be needed if you’re inputting a URL in your message:
  twitter "I just added a great picture to Flickr http://tinyurl.com/6r95ur"

Integration With Facebook

You can have this Twitter Window Command Line Client update your Facebook status by using the TwitterSync Facebook application (technically, the CLI client is still updating Twitter. The TwitterSync app just polls your Twitter feed and updates your status). I use it on my Facebook profile.

I prefer this application over Twitter’s Facebook app because it doesn’t add the prefix of: “is twittering:”, though you can add any prefix, if you wish. Also, because you can update Twitter via SMS, you can update your Facebook status via text message! Or, if you don’t want to, TwitterSync wont update if the tweet has a specific prefix (that you set). So, if you sent something like “from cellphone: I hate traffic!!”, then it wouldn’t update your Facebook status!

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This tip is for those of us who attending the University of Phoenix and are running Linux: The ALEKS program in the Center for Mathematics Excellence does not support our OS! I tried installing the Java plugin while running Internet Explorer 6 through WINE, but it was not successful! Luckily, I was able to install the plugin and can now use ALEKS through Firefox, while in Ubuntu (I’m not sure if these instructions are distro specific, but they do work for Ubuntu 7.10).

ALEKS does have an article that covers Firefox 1.0 and Linux, though we need to change a few variables, here’s a step-by-step (if you need more detailed help, just post your question below):

1. Make sure you have “Sun Java 6 Web Start” installed. Use apt-get or Synaptec to check.
2. Download the ALEKS plugin: aleksPack10.jar (6.4M)
3. Save the plugin into your Home directory:
   /home/{YOURUSERNAME}
4. We need to find your Java plugin directory, open Terminal and type:
   locate /lib/ext/
5. Note the plugin location. For me, the output was:
   /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun-1.6.0.03/jre/lib/ext/
6. In Terminal, type the following (if you’re output from Step 5 was different, supplement it in Step 6):
   cp aleksPack10.jar /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun-1.6.0.03/jre/lib/ext/
7. Restart Firefox

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Last week, I showed you how to edit XP’s boot.ini file. This week I’ll show you how to create a bootloader menu even if you have only one operating system installed! You can set up a boot menu that will let you choose to load your OS with different options:

• Your normal operating system
• A mode that lets you trace any startup problems
• Safe Mode

All you have to do is create entries with different switches!

Setting up Boot Options

If you wanted to start XP in a mode that will trace potential startup problems, you could create this entry: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition"
/fastdetect /bootlog /sos
This setup creates a startup log and displays information about the drivers and other operating system information as it loads them.

To boot in Safe Mode with networking, you’d setup this entry:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /
fastdetect /safeboot:network

Example

Lets say that you want the bootloader menu to display for 30 seconds, normal XP startup to be the default and the above examples listed above there too:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition"
/fastdetect /bootlog /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /
fastdetect /safeboot:network

GUI Options

If you’re not too comfortable editing the boot.ini file, you could always use the System Configuration Utility. It won’t provide you with as many options as setting your own switches, but it can be much safer if your leery.

1. Hit the Windows Key+R
2. type the following, then enter:
   msconfig
3. Click the Boot.ini tab
4. Select options under the Boot Options section.

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Windows XP’s Hidden Programs

Window’s XP’s boot.ini file is a hidden system file in your system’s root folder (it’s in the C:/ drive). By default, XP hides all system files to prevent unknowing users from screwing something up. Also, the file is sometimes set to Read Only.

Display Protected Operating System Files

We will need to display system files to be able to edit the file. To do so:

1. Launch Windows Explorer (Windows Key+E)
2. Click Tools -> Folder Options
3. Click the View tab
4. Untick the checkbox labeled: “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)”
   
5. Click “Yes” in the Warning dialog
   
6. Click “OK”

You should now see the boot.ini file in your C:/ drive.

If the file is marked as “Read Only”, right-click boot.ini and click properties, untick the “Read Only” checkbox.

The Default boot.ini File

If you have a single Windows OS installed, your original file should look similar to this:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
If you have two Window’s Operating Systems, it could look like this:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" / fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Breaking Down The Parameters

Before we start playing around with this file, let’s make a copy of it and store it somewhere for safe keeping - there is a reason why Microsoft hid it! Save your copy in the C:/ drive and name it something like: old_boot.ini.

There are two sections to this file: [boot loader] and [operating systems]. Let’s break each section down:

[boot loader]

This section controls how the boot loader will work. It specifies the default Operating System and how much time a user has to choose from one of the choices in the boot menu - if the boot menu has been enabled.

timeout

The timeout value specifies, in seconds, how long to display the bootloader menu and wait for the user to make a choice before loading the default Operating System. If you want to show the menu for 30 seconds, then set the value to 30. If you want the default operating system to boot right away, then set the value to 0. If you want the menu to be displayed forever and stay on screen until the user makes a choice, then set the value to -1.

default

The default value decides which of the operating systems listed is the default. This must be listed, even if there is only one OS installed on this machine! In my second example above, the current default OS is to multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT. If I wanted XP Pro to be the default, with a selection timeout of 15 seconds, I would set my options as so:
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

[operating system]

This section lists all of the Windows Operating Systems that are installed on this computer, and lists some options for each one. XP uses the Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) path to specify the location of the boot partition. In our example, the ARC path is:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

The first parameter, which identifies the disk controller, should be 0. The second parameter, the disk parameter, should also be 0. The rdisk parameter identifies the disk number on the controller that has the boot partition. The numbers start at 0. So, if you have three hard disks installed and the second hard disk has the boot partition, the setting is rdisk(1). The partition parameter identifies the partition number of the boot partition. Partitions start with the number 1. The last section details the path to the folder where the operating system is installed.

To the right of the ARC path in the example is =” Windows 2000 Professional” /fastdetect. The text in quotes is what will show upon the boot menu. You could set this to whatever you want: “XP: Pirated Edition” The /fastdetect switch disables the detection of serial and parallel devices, which allows for faster booting. The detection of these devices isn’t normally required in XP, because the functions are performed by plug-and-play drivers, so as a general rule it’s a good idea to use the /fastdetect switch. The following table shows a few more switches you can use:

Switch	Discription
/BASEVIDEO	Starts XP using the standard VGA driver. It’s most useful if you can’t boot normally because of a video driver problem.
/BOOTLOG	Logs information about the boot process to the ntbtlogl.txt file in the C:\Windows folder.
/CRASHDEBUG	Loads the debugger at boot, but the debugger remains inactive unless a crash occurs.
/DEBUG	Loads the debugger at boot and runs it.
/FASTDETECT	Disables the detection of serial and parallel devices.
MAXMEM:n	Specifies the maximum amount of RAM that XP can use.
/NOGUIBOOT	Does not allow the XP splash screen to load during boot.
/NODEBUG	Stops the debugger from loading.
/SAFEBOOT:switch	Forces XP to boot into the safe mode specified by the switch parameter, which can be minimal, network, or minimal(alternate shell). In minimal safe mode, only the minimum set of drivers necessary to start XP are loaded. In network safe mode, networking drivers are loaded in addition to the minimum set of drivers. In minimal(alternate shell) the minimum set of drivers are loaded and XP boots into the command prompt.
/SOS	Displays the name of each driver as it loads and gives descriptions of what is occurring during the boot process. It also offers other information, including the XP build number, the service pack number, the number of processors on the system, and the amount of installed memory.

When you’re all done playing around, save the boot.ini file. The next time you start your machine, you’re newly created file will be used – but only if you’ve kept the boot.ini file name!

Example

If we want the menu to appear for 2 minutes, the default operating system to be XP, and the Windows 2000 splash screen to be turned off when we choose to load 2000, the boot.ini file should look like this:
[boot loader]
timeout=120
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect /noguiboot
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect

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Recently, the AngryNetworker and I were having a conversation about Linux on Facebook and I wanted to share my thoughts on the subject. The conversation centered on Ubuntu’s frequency of major releases. The AngryNetworker had this to say:

isn’t it ridiculous that every month or so theres some new major release of ubuntu. Now they are pushing out Kubuntu. this is why linux is has such a hard time really breaking into production environments….

I had to correct him, and I’ll drop some science on you all, just in case you don’t know: Ubuntu releases major desktop versions about six months and Kubuntu follows a short while after. Also, here’s some more info for you all to marinate on: The Ubuntu release version numbers are based on the release dates and not actual versions, i.e.: Ubuntu 7.10 was release on October 2007 - it’s not the seventh release… If you’re interested, you can read more on Ubuntu’s Release Schedule.

With this knowledge, I have to pose the question: Isn’t it a good thing that there is a major Operating System revision that is released so often? I think it pushes the coding envelope instead of having OS delayed four years and missing every major promised feature (I’m looking at you Vista). Just look at Apple: Every major release is a vast improvement on its predecessor. Ubuntu is following this dynamic: Each bi-annual release receives UI and feature improvements. I don’t want to pick in Microsoft here, but it feels like they took a hard look at XP and removed everything that was great about it, slapped on a GUI that is resource intensive (which forces hardware upgrades and degrades usability) and called it Vista.

Before Vista, I was one of Microsoft’s biggest fans (that fact that 90% of my articles are on Windows is a testament to that) and now, the more I use Linux, the less I like XP. I think Linux has a long way to go, but the fact that both Apple and Microsoft are targeting the high end PC market leaves a huge gap in the low- and mid-markets which are perfect for OS’s like Ubuntu and gOS (I realize that these are both Debian derived, but they’re the distro’s I’ve had the most experience with).

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