A Linux Feature - Getting your own Desktop on your Android - Part 3 [Grand Finale] [XFCE Themes] [Linux Chroot] [Audio in LInux Chroot]

I'm back with Part 3! This is where we configure everything to our liking.

This is - PART 3

If we've made it this far, then we know our Systems are up and running, We've already messed around with what little stuff there is to do. Now, How can we make this practical for everyday use? I'll show you how.

How we install programs is through a program known as the "Terminal" (Pictured Right). This is like the Core of the computer, so let's get that out there.

We'll be using a simple command to get a program downloading. Don't be daunted by it's sight. It's just a few keystrokes away to get your first program up and running on your computer.

Let's get a web browser up on here. Enter the following into the Terminal

sudo aptitude install iceweasel

More commonly typed as

sudo apt-get install iceweasel

EXPLANATION:
Let me explain. sudo means "Super user Do" so we're telling the computer we are doing system stuff.
Aptitude" is the name of the software manager, We're just calling it out so it will begin it's work. and Iceweasel is the name of the program we're installing.

What is iceweasel? It's basically just Mozilla Firefox with another name.

MOVING ON:
Once you press enter, It will search the Internet for the program and the files it needs to download. It will ask if you want to continue, press Y then enter. Now sit back and wait. it's now downloading and installing the program you wanted. Once it's finished, you can find it in the menu under "Internet"

See not that hard, right? Basically ANY program you want you just type

sudo aptitude install *name here*

Here is a list of Programs that I can prove to work

Displayed first is the actual program name, then the "Package Name" as would be typed for install.

• GNU Image Manipulation Program aka GIMP (gimp)
• LibreOffice (libreoffice)
• Iceweasel (iceweasel)
• Audacious (audacious)
• Linux Multi Media Studio (lmms)
• VLC Media Player (to an extent) (vlc)
• Transmission Torrent Client(transmission)
• Pidgin IM (pidgin)
• GNU Emacs 24 (emacs)
• XArchiver (xarchiver)

Many more programs are available as well. These are just the ones I"ve chosen to download and test

And a list of Games I've tested and prove to work

• The Battle for Wesnoth (wesnoth) (wesnoth-music)
• FreeCiv (freeciv) (Doesn't work as root user)
• Which way is up (whichwayisup) (Requires real keyboard)
• Battle of Survival Wars (boswars) (Seems to run slow without OpenGL)

If you're good at following instructions and figuring stuff out, I'm sure you have all the programs you need by now, or at least still pending.

Theming

Most people are perfectly happy with a stock look, it gets the job done! If this is You, go ahead and skip this section. But what if you are not "most people" and want to get a nicer look going on? That's what we are covering here! let's work on getting some Themes!

The desktop that we have on our systems is known as "XFCE" At this point I'm going over how to install and apply themes! Are you ready? Let's get at it!

We are going to need XArchiver for this, so make sure you have that installed, once again the command would be "sudo aptitude install xarchiver"

Now let's get a theme we want from XFCE-Look. Let's get browsing!

Once we got our theme downloaded, you'll notice that it's a .tar, .gz or eeven a regular .Zip file. We are going to open this up in Xarchiver. Go to the file you downloaded, Right click and open with Other Application.

Find and select Xarchiver and check "Use as default" then hit OK.

We should now be seeing the contents of the folder. Go ahead and extract them to Desktop. Browse through folders. Whichever folder(s) that have a file heiarchy as displayed to the right are the ones to copy. 

For example, folder titled "windows 8" contains files like shown, You'll copy the folder, not the contents.

The location of where the Themes are to be copied are located

• File System/usr/share/themes

 Copy the correct folder there. 
If done properly, it should now be available in Appearance and Window Manager. 

To set the Window Decoration part,  Go to Settings> Window Manager.


The first part of the theme should be shown. Click it and it will apply!

Now we go to Settings>Appearance. We're now going to apply the second piece of the theme, the inside window styles. click the matching one, once everything looks right, we're done! You've successfully installed a new theme! Flashy!


 ICONS & CURSORS
It's lookin pretty good now, but something doesn't seem in place... What is it? The icons of course! We're going over on how to get new icon sets and personalize our computer even further! You can find icons at the same site I listed above for themes.

Just as with the Icons, we're opening this with XArchiver, and extracting to Desktop.

Just like with the Themes, the right folder will have the layout as shown to the left. Remember to copy the folder, not the contents, so again back out and move the files into the Icons folder, as shown Here

• File System/usr/share/icons

 Once it's there, Go to Settings>Appearance. Icons Tab annd d select the newly made available option. It should apply the theme, open a file manager and the difference should be made!

 

CURSORS

Cursors are the Exact same way, They too are copied into the Icons folder, To apply, go to Settings>Mouse and Touchpad, Theme tab then your cursor theme should be listed! Click to apply.

Whisker Menu

That Applications menu sure is Basic! There must be a better looking menu to use instead. Exactly! Enter: Whisker Menu. (Picture above)

Note that Mine is themed, it will look the same, but colored differently.

Let's add this bad boy into our setup! To get it, Install it with the following Command:

sudo aptitude install xfce4- whiskermenu-plugin

Let it download and finish installing. Once we do, We're going to replace the Crap stock menu with this much flashier one!

Right click on the Menu button and click "Remove". It will delete the menu button, but fret not, We're adding Whisker in it's place! To do this, Right click the Panel, Panel>Panel Preferences. Items Tab and click on the +. Search "Whisker Menu" and it will show up as the only option, Double click it. It will be added on the wrong side of the Taskbar, because it's at the bottom of the list. Click on Whisker Menu, then Press the UP arrow to move it to the top. Once set we're all done! MUCH BETTER!

MAKE SURE to Right click the menu button, hit Properties, Behavior Tab and uncheck Lock Screen, Switch Users, and Log Out. They don't work here on Android.

 Theming

Yes, Even Whisker Menu must be themed by itself. Some themes downloaded online will include some Templates to Copy and Paste. This is where GNU Emacs 24 comes in handy.  Which ever template you plan to use (Normally named .gtkrc-2.0 , Open it up in Emacs, then Copy everything shown on the right.


Go to your "User Folder" (Which is named as your user account) then click "View" then Show Hidden Files. Find the file named ".gtkrc-2.0" and open it. Delete everything that's already there and replace it with ev
erything you just Copied. Restart and it will now be applied!

Audio

Last but NOT least, We're going to get sound working! That way we can make use of software, such as LMMS, Audacious, Games and general Media. I'll make this short and sweet. Let's create a shortcut on the desktop.

Right Click and Select "Create Launcher"

A dialog will appear. For Name, you can call it whatever, but I'd just call it "Start Audio"

As for the command, Copy and Paste this super long command:

  

pactl load-module module-simple-protocol-tcp rate=48000 format=s16le channels=2 source=auto_null.monitor record=true port=8000 listen=127.0.0.1

Press Create. This is how we will be getting Audio to begin playing! We're not done yet. On android, Open "Simple Protocol Player" You should have downloaded back at part 1.

IP Address: 127.0.0.1

Audio Port: 8000

Sample Rate: 48000

If all goes according to plan, a little Music Icon will appear in the top status bar in Android, This means success and Audio will be heard from Debian. Congrats! We're all setup the best we can go!

Added 11\27\16: Hissy audio fix!

Tags: Linux deploy, hissy sound fix screech chroot android

The cause of the sound screaming like a saw going through your ear is the output volume is wayyyy to high. to fix this, we need to get Volume Control. To obtain the needed program, you'll type in terminal "sudo apt-get install pavucontrol " after it's set up, you'll need to go inside and lower the main volume. You'll see "Pulseaudio Volume Control" appear. open it now and then select the "Output" tab. You'll see "Dummy output" as a device, reduce it to say, around 85-ish percent or until the sound becomes nice and clear. Audio should now be working fine now!

More

Games Don't start from the Menu (Failed to execute child process)

This  is a real issue indeed. We need to create a launcher to them directly. How? Here we go! Right click the Desktop and Create Launcher. For command, Click the "Folder" icon next to it, On the left pane, go to File System>use>games then choose the one you want. Be sure to name it and select an Icon as well! The game will now start and run just as intended!

USB Drives

Your phone must support Some form os USB On the go. meaning if you can at least jack in a Mouse and it works, you're set! Just make note that many of us (Myself included) will need to download StickMount from the Play Store. The USB Drives will mount inside the SDCard folder so if you've already created a Mount Point to SDCard, then It's already accessible.

Ending Note

 I may add more stuff here sometime, but until then, We're pretty much all setup and done! I've written this tutorial ALL from within this environment with NO problems, Just as on a Desktop\Laptop PC!

-Love Steventechno!

A Linux Feature - Getting your own Desktop on your Android - Part 2 [No Root]

Hello All! I'm back with Part 2!

Today I'll be covering the Non-Root method. It's much simpler, but not as flexible. make no mistake! Most phones and tablets are un-rootable so this will likely appeal to a wider audience. Without further ado, let's go!

Things to note however. While setup is much simpler and hand-free,

• Performance is degraded, but still somewhat usable
• Setup is seemingly Pre-configured. It's not a clean setup!
• Right clicking the desktop is non-functional
• Stock theme could use some help
• only Internal SDCard can be accessed.

Default setup - Borrowed from Pelya's Play store images.

It actually appears this has been updated recently (Oct 2015) , I'm not sure if these conditions still apply, I don't even have a half-decent Internet connection to even try and won't for time to come! Please provide feedback!

Programs that need to be downloaded

• Debian NOROOT

When the download has finished, go ahead and open it. Make sure you're online and it will begin downloading the OS. Wait for it to finish.

It should restart and you will be in the Desktop now! 

Do note the fonts might be all super sized. This isn't a problem, just go to the Menu icon on the taskbar> settings> appearance> Font tab, then uncheck and recheck "Custom DPI" should now be fixed!

That should be it! it should all be up and running, JUST like that!

Do note, This may not be the latest version of Debian, and it IS "unofficial" therefore things MIGHT be a little dated. Nontheless everything should still be usable.

Sound is supposedly working now by default. Let me know, in Part 3  we're going over how to get audio working on the root method, which should work here too as Plan B.



Stay tuned for Part 3! We will be going over on how to setup Programs, Games, Sound, Themes and more!

A Linux Feature - Getting your own Desktop on your Android - Part 1 [Root]

Hello All! Steventechno here with a new tutorial.
I've always enjoyed tweaking my android devices since my first old Huawei M860 I got back in 2011. Nowadays with so much more power, we now have our own UMPCs and don't even realize it!

What's the tutorial about exactly? Just as the title says, We are going to get a Full Desktop on our Android Devices! Put these little Computers to WERK!!!

An ezample of what possibilities open up!

This is - PART ONE - Root Method.

Why would I want to have a Desktop on my Phone? Well, it COULD be your tablet instead, which would make more sense to most, Right? The bigger the better!  This is also great for multitasking that Android lacks. Now before we start daydreaming on your friends being confused on how that tablet/phone's a computer, Let's have an overview of our requirements.



 


  System Requirements

• Rooted (This guide is for Root users in mind)
• Android Versions 4.0 - 5.1 (Have not tested Android 6 yet)
• 2GB of available storage, (Will be using 3gb for this Tut.)
• 1Ghz Mono-Core CPU (Any modern devices is either Dual or Quad.)
• 512 MB of RAM (Any modern device has at least 1GB)
• Screen Resolution of 800x480 (Modern Devices far surpass this) 

You can often find the "Specs" of your phone or Tablet online, just type (phone or Tablet) model specs, and you will usually find them in "technical specs"

Note with these minimum requirements, the Internet will be virtually unusable, but other programs, say GIMP and LibreOffice would run fine.

If your Android device meets or exceeds these requirements (Most modern systems do anyways) then we are ready to continue!

List of Android Software that needs to be downloaded:

• Linux Deploy
• Xserver XSDL
• Simple Protocol Player (Used in Part 3)

Once we got these, we are ready to begin!

Open up Linux Deploy and go to Properties as shown displayed below.

Once you are in, There are many options to choose, from. You may feel like you want to use Ubuntu, but in This tutorial I'm going to create a configuration that is Light and speedy. Choose these following options:

• Distribution - Debian
• Distribution Suite - jessie
• Architecture - armhf
• installation path - /storage/sdcard0/linux.img
• Image Size - 3072
• User name - root (Use as you wish, but root is needed for SD.)
• Desktop Environment - XFCE
• GUI - Check
• Graphics subsystem - X Server
• GUI Settings Check Xserver XSDL.
  

While we're at it, Let's get our SDCards to appear in the OS! Scroll all the way down and hit Mount points. Let's add in our SDCards here, Press Menu, New then the following Paths:

• /storage/sdcard0/
• /storage/sdcard1/

It could also be the following:

• /mnt/emulated_0/
• /mnt/external_SD/

It depends on the firmware (android OS) you are using, be it a true AOSP (Nexus, or Custom ROM) Samsung, LG, HTC, it all differs with the paths.

Now that we are finished with the Configs, Scroll up and hit Install. This may take awhile, so watch some random youtube video to pass the time.

When everything is finished, Back out and launch Xserver XSDL. Wait for the countdown to finish then you will see This:

 

Return to Linux deploy, then hit Start. It will go back to the blue screen, then the computer will load everything, the desktop and it's icons will appear!

There we have it! Your very own Desktop that goes where you go! You are now free to begin interacting with your desktop! Right now everything is bare bones, There isn't too much we can do...YET! Take this time to get acquainted with the system!

Stay tuned for Part 3:We've only began to scratch the surface! Part 2 is the will go over the Non-Root Method, Part 3 will discuss installing Programs, Games, Changing the Appearance, Add new themes, and even getting sound to work! Thanks for reading!

Just a note, Each time you close out of it from the "task manager" or restarting your phone, it will be lost. If you close apps from the "recents" Don't swipe away XServer XSDL!

but in case you do, start XServer FIRST, wait for the blue screen, THEN start Linux. It will save you flip flopping back and fourth.
 
-Love Steventechno 

From This

To THIS!

Greetings from Atlanta Pride 2015!

Hello everyone!

We went to Atlanta pride!

Met some cool peoples

Modeled our butts off

And saw Violet Chachki!

Wow.

This post is going to be short and sweet, but wow, this is what I call a Time Capsule. I should get Angela to upload ALL pride pictures here, because We got some from 2011 (the first I've ever gone to)

What I originally was going to put is Wow, it's nearing the end of 2015, and it's hard to believe it's been that long, it feels like yesterday, or rather last week. Time sure does go by, it's a symbol of how brief our time seems, even though we currently have plenty of time left as our given Characters. It's sad to know they will someday be gone from reality, but they will always be back... as a brand spanking new character with a whole new story and cast!

Deepness aside, I'll be back later with a How-To!

It's going to show you how to turn your ROOTED android Phone\Tablet into a nice little Netbook PC that you always have with you at all times! Complete with an entire Desktop with Familiar software that you may have ran on your Desktop or laptop PC before! I'll even cover on how to access the SDCards, USB Flash and Harddrives too!

I'll also be covering a Non-Root method, but make no mistake, the Root method is far superior.

Steventechno Out!

Serious life stuff.

MANY years later, and a brand new post from some random GAY GUY! :D but anyways, I'm here to discuss serious stuff, We know that we live in a 3rd dimensional reality. there's absolutely NO doubt about it as we can see, just look around, fart, breathe, say something obscene, you're here right now in this space and time. I've been agnostic most recently, I was once a Christian, then a Mormon back on 03, then as time went on, I eventually kicked religion out the door and decided to be atheist. Don't do that, be agnostic instead or else thanataphobic anxiety will come your way! I could not remain atheist forever, because I could not imagine perishing along with this body, where when I thought all would cease to exist someday, this horrible feeling would "kick in" which would last for weeks. During this time I'd feel "disconnected" from this reality, and really wish for things to go back to how things once were. I seriously think my "Spirit guide" wound up helping me, though my first experience with this awful feeling dates back to 2009, it was before graduation, I got myself a new ipod touch (I still have that sucker too) I was thinking since the battery wasn't easily replaceable, I thought "well, while a battery can be replace, a Life cannot" That begun that trigger of some of the worst days of my life. It spanned i belove it was two weeks. After the endurance, it was strange RIGHT after the graduation ceremony, Just as we were driving away, I look back at the building while driving away and the feeling dissipated almost immediately It was the best release I've ever experienced, though the feeling still lingered around, but only in tiny bits for the next few months. the next year I was back to feeling great again.

That was not the only time I'd experience something like that based on the same subject. It happened again THIS year! it was around May (Just like 2009!) and it crept up on me, it wasn't sudden like last time, but it came in and sank it's claws in. Just like last time, There was a day where I cried uncontrollably and needed consolation from those here in the Physical. This one didn't last as long, but boy it took it's time to release. This is when I used binaural beats for hours at a time to get rid of it, believe it or not, it worked! It took a couple days of loafing around but I eventually got myself back. Music was enjoyable again, so were games and stuff. This is when I began researching to see if spirits and what not exist, and to my surprise, I found "Huff Paranormal", I watched the HELL out of his stuff, which gave me hope in the idea of existence beyond this body. I've also begun research on other stuff involving spirits, such as the SLS Cam, "Ghost Boxes" and a few clips of Xbox one owners seemingly finding ghosts in the night vision Kinect preview screens. Still somewhat skeptical, A thought appeared in my head. "Astral Projection", I looked it up and listened to YouTubers talking about it, and the fact that there was not only one, not two, but MANY who have had experiences, which also makes me recall a "Dream" I had from when I was small, two dreams actually. the first I'll mention is that I was in a "Dark, but blueish" version of the living room, I remember looking around and the TV looked wierd, being there felt VERY uneasy, like I was in a bad place at a bad time. The second one I can recall were I was interacting with some "Energy orbs?" and I remember I think Hugging them or Touching them and the associated feelings they had, it was so strange, and I can recall it today, as well as that "electric? feeling" it's like I was comparing the way "large" feels in comparison to "small" or something like that. This dream also took place in the house, the hallway before my mom's room. so I think maybe I used to have OBEs without knowing it. Such things never happen these days however, I've been very bound to this body. This stuff has me convinced that there IS indeed an "Astral Plane" and that's where I'll get "Kicked out" into once this body expires. I don't know any answers or anything, but I'm just somewhat convinced that this stuff is indeed real, and this incarnated life is just like a "movie" of some sort, or more like a "game".

Even if you don't believe in any of this, or skeptical, do know this.. EXISTENCE IS REAL, You're existing NOW and if you're reading this, then of course that's all the proof you need of existence in general, are we immortal? only one way to find out! Try being spiritual but NOT RELIGIOUS, because Religion is ALL part of a CONTROL SYSTEM (You can find info on that everywhere, and even it's structure with rules and laws tells you this. too. Spirituality is cool, and feels closer to truth, even with REAL evidence out there! get researching!

Sean Hayes' Open Up a Window

Check it out, yo yo yo... I'm such a view whore. I cant help it!

hiii

 
*deep breaths*..... Hiiiii, :D? lol We here, we square. Get used to it!

Hello! Thank you for visiting. Here's new stuff!

     I'm aware no one has posted anything in over a month, perhaps I should have noted awesome people are not very committed. That applies in more ways than one; read between the lines. So WELCOME! I'm excited to share that we have over 1,000 pageviews! So for that, I shall share this with you:

                                

Oh gosh, I can't get enough of that XD!  

     Now that I got that out the way. *still laughing* I shall share a little writing with you. (Facts: I have no idea what I am about to post, that always leads to interesting results. It is 1:22 am and I've been on the computer for the past 3 & 1/2 hours deciding on what site to visit next because I do not have my 3tb hard drive with my thousands of photos to look at and edit, or my hundreds of (cough) illegally (cough) acquired anime and movies to watch.)

Storeh tyme

    "If only the woodpecker would stop that incessant drilling, perhaps I would have an idea of what I want to believe. But society; as the woodpecker was named, could never be quieted. Honestly! There is the common view of society but there are so many things that society's definition could be applied to that, REALLY, society is everywhere. Everywhere and unavoidable." *scrap.* It feels like I start something with potential, but always end it in crap. Perhaps a glass of wine will loosen up these brain cells. Pfft, more like kill (kill? Ironic that such a word should pop in to my mind at a time like this.) That's fine though, whoever said you need  all your brain cells when it came time to die. (die... there I go again. I mean how often do I use these words in my every day vocabulary, albeit I notice them a lot more right now.)  Mmm, this wine is good, 1950 Merlot, just what the doctor prescribed. SHE won't be needing it now so I might as well enjoy it. Ok ok, back to my writing. How does someone intelligent write a suicide note? I'm assuming they'd be a lot more complex with a REAL reason to justify them in doing it. I just have to make it look convincing enough so that everyone will believe it and not try an do an autopsy thus proving it wasn't actually a suicide. In actuality it is a first degree homicide framed to look like a suicide; jisatsu as I like to call it. Perhaps I'll be able to think a little more clearly once I set my stage they way I planned. Ugh, she doesn't smell yet since I just killed her but I feel like my mind is playing tricks on me, surely I smell a stench of death. Whatever, now, I have to set her body up just right, kind of like an ornament hanging from a Christmas tree. Eww, don't look at me like that, with your eyes bulging out of their sockets. I would close them but that doesn't  happen when your choked to death. Its YOUR fault! You should have listened to me five months ago when I asked you to stop playing your music so loud! We can't be neighbors anymore, I've evicted you. >:)

Jisatsu= Suicide in japanese.

     

     Okay so um... yeeeah, I TOLD you. Oh wait no I didn't. Well yeah weird things happen when I'm up at 2 in the morning and getting drowsier by the minute. As well as when I write something with no preconceived thought. I come up with weird shit. So I actually had two thoughts after writing the first few sentences. 1) I think I want to turn it into a story within a story. 2) I have to come up with a genre because if I don't it'll end up being a romance like the last one. My stories have a bad habit of turning into something involving a relationship with two lovers (sexual and non-sexual) and I wanted to avoid that at all costs. Hard proof on this is at the point where I revealed that I was drinking someone else's wine I ALMOST put, a husband who cheated on me/ the woman who my husband cheated on me with. Played out and just uncalled for. So I dodged a bullet pretty much when I turned "her" into "my neighbor who wouldn't turn down her crap." When said like that it sounds pretty stupid. But the way I ended it made the character I created look like a real creepy person who'll murder someone for anything. *my opinion*  Look at me breaking down my writing as if I just read someone else's story. In my opinion, a writers opinion of their own story should be kept to themselves. But seeing as I'm writing on my own blog, I kind of feel like I'm dissecting my thinking process via writing, its just that others will read it is all. 

Alrighty, signing off for now. Thanks for reading! 

Comments Anyone? Yooohooo?!

A Linux Feature

Yes, you probably don't know what this is, though if you have a parent, or a grandparent who has a computer, but struggles on how to open up the web browser, or to use the basic functionality on Windows XP, or 7 if they actually aquired new, Give this a try.

http://chromeos.hexxeh.net/index.php

This is a simple Distro of Linux, it's based on what those "Chromebooks" use, except the open version. You can download it onto a usb stick, burn it to a CD (if the computer is older) and install it. Anyways just check out the site, and see if it works. It may as well be faster to use than Windows XP as well, As it loads a browser, it'd be great for that computer you get on once in awhile to shoot an email, or play some internet music. So if you're mom or dad, grandad or grandma who needs to simply jump on the internet or wants to try it out, this may be your best bet for nothing out of your pocket... well maybe except a blank CD.