Category Archives: Ubuntu

Installing Scala on Debian Based Systems (e.g Ubuntu)

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Having followed instructions from here, which I thought was really easy, I put together a little bash script to do exactly that. And being a sucker for the latest I went with the 2.9.0.1 installation. I am honestly not sure why Ubuntu still has 2.7.7 in its repository. Ubuntu 11.10 (oneiric)  now has scala 2.9.x so you may want to use that instead of this script but if you want to keep up to date with the latest Scala release then:

Simply copy this and paste into a file, name it whatever you want, and make it executable with chmod +x

#!/bin/bash

cd ~

echo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo - Getting Scala 2.9.0.1
echo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wget http://www.scala-lang.org/downloads/distrib/files/scala-2.9.0.1.tgz

echo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo - Decompressing
echo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tar zxf scala-2.9.0.1.tgz

echo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo - moving scala to /usr/share/scala
echo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sudo mv scala-2.9.0.1 /usr/share/scala

echo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo - Symlinking executables
echo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sudo ln -s /usr/share/scala/bin/scala /usr/bin/scala
sudo ln -s /usr/share/scala/bin/scalac /usr/bin/scalac
sudo ln -s /usr/share/scala/bin/fsc /usr/bin/fsc
sudo ln -s /usr/share/scala/bin/sbaz /usr/bin/sbaz
sudo ln -s /usr/share/scala/bin/sbaz-setup /usr/bin/sbaz-setup
sudo ln -s /usr/share/scala/bin/scaladoc /usr/bin/scaladoc
sudo ln -s /usr/share/scala/bin/scalap /usr/bin/scalap

Ubuntu Karmic Beta

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First Attempt

First thing I had to do on my laptop (an old compaq evo N410c), is to disable visual effects because the first install window would just not draw. Once I filled in my details set up how I wanted my hard disk partitioned and clicked on install the window closed and nothing happened. (Thank God I got into work early so I could start it again).

Second Attempt

The second attempt saved me time because some of the information I put in the first time had persisted so that was not a problem. I selected the guided partition option when it got to the file system business and clicked on install again. For the second time the installer just closed down and that was the end of that.

Third attempt

At this point I think either this image I downloaded is corrupt. Or beta is not ready for my laptop. I’m going to download another image and this time run an MD5Checksum on it to make sure that it’s the right image. After which I will install. On trying out the new image of my downloaded and checked image, using unetbootin to extract/decompress onto my USB stick, I still get the same trouble.

Fourth Attempt

I am going to install a clean copy of jaunty (hopefully that works) seeing as I currently use crunchbang with openbox window manager. For all I know it might be a GNOME problem but I suppose I will find out this evening. I did also notice a crash report for metacity, I am not sure how concerned I should be because of this but I am acutely aware of my laptop’s graphic inadequacies, but it should be able to run jaunty and ultimately karmic without disastrous effects on productivity.

Progress!!!

So after installing Jaunty and then bumping it up to karmic it went off without a hitch and it’s actually working much better than any ubuntu worked on this laptop, bearing in mind the restrictions I have on this machine

Wading into an age old debate

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So in the past few years of my using ubuntu, I have sometimes strayed into the KDE version and then back. I am happy with GNOME, and I think it’s brilliant for the way the desktop applications seem all so seamlessly integrated, although i believe it could even be better. Having said that I have not used the Version 4 incarnations of KDE ever since I heard all the horror stories and to be honest the first KDE 4 version was a total fiasco for me so I decided to wait. Having said this I did not drop my favourite music player Amarok, until it just decided not to work anymore, after which I was stuck with Rythmbox and Banshee, both of which are not very high on my preference list.

This decision gave GNOME a firmer foothold on my mountain of preference and basically helped it to climb to the top. Recently I have been quite restless with my laptop, first it was playing with the decision of whether to put Karmic Alpha 6 on my laptop, or to install Jaunty but the Kubuntu version. I have done nothing with these ideas yet but knowing myself I will get very rash in a few days and do something silly.

No here’s the question, do I try to get my hands dirty with the latest incarnation of KDE 4, which i hear is a lot more stable than it was when I first tried it or do I just stick with my GNOME installation. After reading a few more KDE reviews I am not all that convinced that I will enjoy the KDE experience. Ordinarily I would install both environments on the same laptop, but I have the way it morphs my menu items under applications into something else. I like to keep both environments separate and contained. So the question goes… is the latest KDE release worth moving to if I thoroughly enjoyed using KDE 3.5 and hated KDE 4.0?