First, install vsftpd

sudo apt-get install vsftpd

Configure your installation.

sudo nano /etc/vsftpd.conf
or
sudo vi /etc/vsftpd.conf

You need to have these to uncommented (Delete the initial “#”)
local_enable=YES
write_enable=YES

Setup password for your ubuntu user name
sudo passwd ubuntu

Give the permissions.
chown -R ubuntu /var/www/
Obviously, you can change the path with your requirement.

Restart the FTP service
sudo /etc/init.d/vsftpd restart

This enables the Uncomplicated Firewall built-in to Ubuntu on port 21. Don’t know about others.
sudo ufw allow 21

That’s it. Login to your FTP with “ubuntu” username and your password.

Hey! It took me a while to figure out that Linux is in fact the best OS for a non-gamer like me. And whenever I DO login Windows, even by mistake, I am greeted by a slew of viruses and a painfully slow speed.

So I figured I should do even my C programming on Linux. It was there in my coursework from college you know!

There are two ways in which you can program in C in Linux:

1) Use an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) like Netbeans or Codeblocks.

OR

2) Use the inbuilt gcc compiler, like I did.

GCC basically stands for GNU C Compiler. Its not actually an IDE, but it kinda works when you get used to it. Plus, its easier to setup. Many people (including me) were in a total state of confusion at first, but hey, turns out its pretty simple! Let me illustrate the steps you need to take to compile and build a program on a Linux machine.

1) Type out your code in a text file (on gedit) and give it a “.c” extension. It actually works. Atleast in Ubuntu 10.4, your pre-processor code will have a different colour than the rest, and so on, like a normal IDE.

2) Go to Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal. Use the command “cd” to navigate to the directory where your “.c” file is stored. Eg: If your file is stored in “Documents” under the root folder, the type “cd Documents” in the terminal.

3) If your filename is say, “code.c”, then type “gcc code.c -o code”. This compiles and builds your required file.

4) Type “./code” to run your program. And hey presto! Its all done!

And of course, if u need to use C++, just replace gcc by g++. And save the file as “.cpp”. The rest is all basically the same.

And, sometimes it can happen that gcc may not be installed in your OS. Not a problem. It will automatically prompt you to install it in a couple of simple steps, which require you just pressing “y/n”. 

At the end of the day, Linux programming may not give you a very distinct advantage, but hey, its different! Its a skill that you’ll need to learn eventually maybe, so why not learn it now?

1) Go to Applications –> Accessories –> Terminal.

2) And enter

sudo passwd root

3) You’ll get a password prompt. Set the pasword..

To login as root.

su

But wait, how would it be if those popular windows software have got their own Linux versions? Yes,they do! Many software developers like Google and Adobe, noticing the increase in number of Linux users, have released their products for Linux platform!
And here’s a list of those Windows software which have been released for Linux:

Google Chrome: A fast and safe web browser by Google.Inc. The name is derived from the graphical user interface frame,  or “chrome”, of web browsers.It combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier. It’s Linux version is available here.

Opera Web Browser: Another fast and reliable web browser with awesome plug-ins and widgets. Its security features include built-in phishing and malwareprotection, strong encryption when browsing secure websites, and the ability to easily delete private data such as HTTP cookies. It’s Linux version is available here.

Adobe Reader: A cool PDF(Portable Document Format) reader by Adobe.Inc. It is available as a no-charge download from Adobe’s website, and allows viewing and printing of PDF files. And here is it’s Linux version: Click to Download.

Google Picasa: An image organizer and image viewer for organizing and editing digital photos, plus an integrated photo-sharing website, originally created by Idealab and owned by Google since 2004. Originally developed for Windows, is now available for Linux. Here is it’s Linux version: Click to download.

Google Earth: A virtual globe, map and geographic information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe. It’s free Linux Version is available here.

Realplayer: It is a closed source cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats. And here is it’s basic Linux version:  Click to Download.

Audacity: A cross-platform digital audio editor and recording application created by Dominic Mazzoni, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. And here is it’s Linux version: Click to Download.

Mozilla Firefox: A  free and open source web browser developed by Mozilla Corp. Now, Mozilla Firefox, is a pre-installed app if u choose Ubuntu Linux. In others, you’ll have to download it’s “.BZ2″ file from here, and install it.

To Install  a ‘.DEB’ file:

• Copy the ‘.deb’ file to the home folder.
• Open Terminal.[Applications->Accessories]
• Type in “sudo dpkg -i the exact name of your deb file”.
• Then it prompts you for your root password. Type it in.
• And leave the Terminal to do the rest. After its done, you’ll find the app in the Applications menu.

You’ll notice that the similarity between these Linux versions and their Windows counterparts is remarkable. Awesome, isn’t it? Install these software as per the instructions provided and enjoy!

Windows applications let you do things that you can do only on windows, not linux. To break out of that shell, a few Linux enthusiasts started the so-called “Wine” project.

That’s a software that is supposed to be an attempt to do the same that is; run windows apps on Linux, Solaris, mac OS X,etc. But despite all its claims, don’t expect wine to run COD4 on linux. Its still in its beta stage and my guess is that even its last stage wont be able to. It can run small basic applications though. One of my favourites is uTorrent. Also, you wouldn’t want to miss out on solitaire when you’re on linux.

Yes, I do admit that for windows users, installing this wine thing will be a bit strange at first, but its actually really simple.

Click here to download wine software. Its available for almost all versions of Linux. The website includes step by step instructions on how to install it. Do all that with a bit a patience and voila, you’ll have wine installed!

Nowadays, almost all the Operating Systems are offering support for this Layout. So, you can take advantage of this layout. True, there is a learning curve, but you’ll thank me after sometime.

You can always convert your QWERTY keyboard into a Dvorak Keyboard. This is very simple. And Don’t worry, you can switch between Layouts with a press of a Button.

First, Setup your operating System.

For

1. Windows,
2. Linux:

loadkeys /usr/share/keymaps/i386/dvorak/dvorak.map.gz

or

loadkeys dvorak

3. Mac

Now, buy some  keyboard stickers (They are cheap too ). Paste it and your done.

Very useful source of information. Include FAQs etc. – http://dvorak.mwbrooks.com/