Utah Open Source Planet

Christer Edwards
nonic
Ubuntu Tutorials : Dapper - Feisty - Gutsy - Hardy

» A Reminder About Upgrading Ubuntu…

I have seen a few questions in IRC and the forums lately regarding upgrading Ubuntu machines. I thought I would toss out a reminder on the best, supported, methods of upgrading your machine and how to avoid (hopefully) some common pitfalls.

Upgrade Preparation

The first step towards an upgrade is to backup any mission-critical data that you may need. Things like your documents, presentations, homework, etc. I have never had an issue with an installer breaking and losing my data, but its simply just a good idea. I’d hate to not have done the “just-in-case” and look back in regret.

Back up all your data by copying or archiving everything from /home/username, including those hidden folders. This will include your personal files and personal configuration and settings.

Upgrade Requirements

It is worth pointing out that two things are required before you’ll be able to cleanly upgrade your machine.

Your machine is completely up to date on its current release.
You understand that upgrading is only supporting between single releases or LTS to LTS releases. (ie; 7.04 -> 7.10 -> 8.04 is OK, 6.06 -> 8.04 is OK)

Once you understand these simple requirements you’re ready to begin.

Upgrading Your Machine

I have outlined upgrade steps in the past, which you may want to refer to for further details (a lot of feedback in the comments section), and I’ll also review them here.

No matter the version you are currently using you can be automagically offered an upgrade by using the Update Manager tool. This tool can be found via “System > Administration > Update Manager” or via launching it by way of the Run Application Dialog:

ALT+F2 "update-manager"

As mentioned above you need to make sure your machine is up to date on its current release before you’ll be offered the new version. Do this by clicking “Check” to check for any available updates.

Apply all available updates (these should not normally be delayed, very rarely do updates cause any breakages).

Repeat the update process until you are notified that a new release is available. You’ll see something similar to this:

update manager upgrade to 8.04

If you are still on a previous version of Ubuntu the “available release” may vary, of course.

Remember, if you are upgrading from Ubuntu 7.10 you can upgrade directly to the latest release of 8.04. If you are using anything previous to that you’ll need to repeat these steps for each release until you arrive at 8.04. Yes, this might take some time if you are very far behind.

If you are using Ubuntu 6.06 you should be notified that 8.04 is available and you can upgrade directly.

Today I needed to setup a couple of virtual machines for a client and realized that I had removed my installation of VMware Server. Off I went to the VMware download page and what did I find? A day-old release of VMware Server 1.0.6! I figured you’d all appreciate an updated blog post on how to install VMware Server 1.0.6 on Ubuntu 8.04, so here we are. (This is much simpler than the previous post, How To Install VMware Server 1.0.5 on Ubuntu 8.04)

Downloading the Requirements

The first step, of course, is to download VMware Server 1.0.6. You’ll want to download the .tar.gz version. This command can be used for a direct download:

wget -c http://download3.vmware.com/software/vmserver/VMware-server-1.0.6-91891.tar.gz

The second step is to install some development tools that we’ll need to get things running. Use the following command or click the package names to install the requirements:

sudo aptitude install build-essential linux-kernel-devel linux-headers-generic xinetd

You will also need to generate a serial number to run VMware Server. Visit this link to register and generate the number of codes you might want. Remember to print the codes or write them down because in my experience they are not emailed to you.

OK, at this point we should have all of the requirements, now we can get to work…

Installation and Configuration

Let’s unpack the VMware archive that we downloaded and run the VMware installer.

tar xf VMware-server-1.0.6-*.tar.gz cd vmware-server-distrib sudo ./vmware-install.pl

The Last Step

If you attempt to run vmware at this point you might notice that it spits out some nasty errors and complains at you. There is one more thing we need to setup.

Basically VMware is missing and complaining about some cairo libraries and gcc. So, the simple fix for this is to point to them by using a symbolic link:

sudo ln -sf /usr/lib/gcc/i486-linux-gnu/4.2.3/libgcc_s.so /usr/lib/vmware/lib/libgcc_s.so.1/libgcc_s.so.1
sudo ln -sf /usr/lib/libpng12.so.0 /usr/lib/vmware/lib/libpng12.so.0/libpng12.so.0

At this point you should be able to launch vmware and enjoy some virtualization goodness. Enjoy!

If you’ve had issues with Compiz support in the past I’d suggest running this script and pay attention to the output towards reasons why it appears to be unsupported. In some cases it is simply a matter of poor hardware. In other cases its only a matter of software changes, and may help you get things going.

To download and run the script:

wget http://blogage.de/files/3729/download -O compiz-check

chmod +x compiz-check

./compiz-check

If everything comes out as “OK” you should be able to activate Compiz as seen in the Compiz configuration instructions.

Driver Support With Envy

Another very useful tool I’ve found is the Envy tool, which will install required non-free driver support for nvidia or ATI cards for you. I’ll admit that I’ve only used this occasionally, considering I have intel graphics cards on my main laptops, but in the situations where I have needed it things have worked great.

If you are using Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy” you can try the newer EnvyNG, which is available in the universe repository. How to install EnvyNG on Ubuntu 8.04.

If you are still using a previous version of Ubuntu you can try the legacy version of Envy, instructions here.

Are there any other common tips that I’ve missed? If you know of any other great resources for Compiz support tests, nvidia or ATI driver installation, or basic Compiz tweaks please comment and share with the rest of us.

Now that most of the modern world has upgraded to Ubuntu 8.04 I’ve begun to see comments regarding VMware Server no longer working. You may have used my previous article, Installing VMware Server on Ubuntu 7.10, which has worked great. Now that 8.04 “Hardy” is installed things have become a bit more complicated unfortunately.

The problem is that VMware has not updated their latest versions to make use of the latest kernel, GCC or gnome libraries. So, we’ve got two options.

Wait for a new VMware release and hope they patch everything.
Follow the rest of this tutorial and get your hands dirty on the terminal. We can make it work, but we have to hammer it into submission.

So, I’ll assume because you’re still reading that you’ve opted for the hammer into submission option. Let’s get started.

Downloading the Requirements

The first step, of course, is to download VMware Server 1.0.5. You’ll have to agree to the EULA (actually twice. Once before download and once during installation. Remember, VMware is free-as-in-beer but not free-as-in-speech.)

The second step is to install some development tools that we’ll need to get things running. Use the following command or click the package names to install the requirements:

sudo aptitude install build-essential linux-kernel-devel linux-headers-generic xinetd

The third step is to download one more tool to help in the manual build process for VMware Server 1.0.5. What we need is a script which will help in the custom config hosted at Google Code. Download the vmware-any-any-update-116.tgz.

You will also need to generate a serial number to run VMware Server. Visit this link to register and generate the number of codes you might want. Remember to print the codes or write them down because in my experience they are not emailed to you.

OK, at this point we should have all of the requirements, now we can get to work…

Installation and Configuration

Let’s unpack the VMware archive that we downloaded and run the VMware installer. NOTE: After some basic configuration it will ask you to run vmware-config.pl. DO NOT RUN vmware-config.pl, WE ARE NOT READY YET.

tar xf VMware-server-1.0.5 cd vmware-server-distrib sudo ./vmware-install.pl

When it asks you to run vmware-config.pl you want to answer “no” and this is where the vmware-any-any-116.tgz patch comes in.

cd .. tar xf vmware-any-any-update-116.tgz cd vmware-any-any-update116 sudo ./runme.pl

After this runs it will ask you again if you want to run vmware-config.pl. At this point select “yes”.

The Last Step

If you attempt to run vmware at this point you might notice that it spits out some nasty errors and complains at you. There is one more thing we need to setup. (Hey, VMware, if you’re reading this will you please incorporate these fixes into your official download already!)

Basically VMware is missing and complaining about some cairo libraries and gcc. So, the simple fix for this is to point to them by using a symbolic link:

sudo ln -sf /usr/lib/gcc/i486-linux-gnu/4.2.3/libgcc_s.so /usr/lib/vmware/lib/libgcc_s.so.1/libgcc_s.so.1
sudo ln -sf /usr/lib/libpng12.so.0 /usr/lib/vmware/lib/libpng12.so.0/libpng12.so.0

At this point you should be able to launch vmware and enjoy some virtualization goodness. Please stay tuned for virtualization updates regarding virtualbox and the new KVM!

sources: I want to throw a big thanks to my buddy Igor for helping figure out these tweaks. Check out his blog, with these and other instructions, here.

UPDATE: based on some of the comments below I’ve added the “-f” to the symbolik link options.

The first step is to figure out the sum of both resolutions. ie; 1280×800 + 1440×900 = 2720 x 1700. Take the resolutions from your MacBook (which should be 1280×800) and add it to the resolution of your external monitor. Make note of the result.
Update your xorg.conf file to include the new, combined, resolution (example below)
Restart X (logout & login or ctrl-alt-bkspace)
xrandr –output VGA –auto
xrandr –output VGA –above LVDS

Here is a copy of my xorg.conf file. It is default except for the three additional lines:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file) # # This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using # values from the debconf database. # # Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page. # (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.) # # This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only* # if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg # package. # # If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated # again, run the following command: # sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section “InputDevice”
Identifier    “Generic Keyboard”
Driver        “kbd”
Option        “XkbRules”    “xorg”
Option        “XkbModel”    “pc105″
Option        “XkbLayout”    “us”
Option        “XkbOptions”    “lv3:ralt_switch”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”
Identifier    “Configured Mouse”
Driver        “mouse”
Option        “CorePointer”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”
Identifier    “Synaptics Touchpad”
Driver        “synaptics”
Option        “SendCoreEvents”    “true”
Option        “Device”        “/dev/psaux”
Option        “Protocol”        “auto-dev”
Option        “HorizEdgeScroll”    “0″
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier “Configured Video Device”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “Configured Monitor”
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier    “Default Screen”
Monitor        “Configured Monitor”
Device        “Configured Video Device”

# added SubSection “Display” until EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Virtual 2720 1700
EndSubSection

EndSection

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier    “Default Layout”
Screen        “Default Screen”
InputDevice    “Synaptics Touchpad”
EndSection

I spent a bit of time backing things up and preparing for the upgrade (you know, just in case). I then switched my repository to a faster mirror than the local one I had been using and I installed the required package to handle upgrades (update-manager-core). After this I ran sudo screen do-release-upgrade and watched the fun happen. (Yeah, I ran it in screen because I didn’t know how long it might take and I wanted to be able to detach if needed..)

Guess how long it took? Less than nine minutes! In less time than it normally takes to even download the CD I was upgraded, rebooted and back in production! So far things are running great, the upgrade went as smooth as can be, and my world has been rocked by Ubuntu Server!

I just have to say, if you or your company has been wondering whether Ubuntu is ready for the server, all I have to say is HELL YEAH IT IS! Try to upgrade a production machine from one release to the next and have it back in production in less than 10 minutes another “Enterprise” Linux distribution. Ohh, and do it while its still in production without any CDs.. I dare ya!

This is the last of my servers / desktops / laptops that is not yet running Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy”. In my testing on non-production machines and semi-production machines the upgrades have worked absolutely perfectly. I wanted to post an announcement / warning that I would be upgrading this server to Ubuntu 8.04 at some point today. I’ll post on the progress. Heads up however. If the blog manages to disappear altogether you’ll know what happened

Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy Heron” is released! Definitely cause for celebration with many, many new features and improvements! I figure a hot search item for the next little bit will be regarding how to upgrade. I thought I’d share a collection of links that will hopefully cover enough of the bases to cover everyone. Remember, the interweb tubes are going to be fairly clogged today so don’t be surprised if core Ubuntu sites take forever to load or don’t load at all. I notice the Ubuntu Wiki is already overloaded this morning. I’m hoping I’ve covered enough of the bases with recent posts to get everyone covered.

I’ve also linked posts from previous releases. The steps are generally similar enough to give you a good idea. Feel free to use them as a reference but not pure-gospel.

Upgrade Ubuntu 6.06 or 7.10 to Ubuntu 8.04

Upgrade 7.10 “Gutsy” to Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy” (ubuntu-tutorials)

Upgrade 6.06 “Dapper” to Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy” (ubuntu-tutorials)

Upgrade from Ubuntu Release Candidate to Ubuntu 8.04 Final (ubuntu-tutorials)

Upgrade Ubuntu Images to Final with Jigdo (ubuntu-tutorials)

Upgrade Ubuntu 6.06 “Dapper” Server to Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy” Server (ubuntu-tutorials)

Upgrade Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) to Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron) Beta (ubuntu geek)

Ubuntu Community Wiki Upgrade Notes (community wiki)

Previous Release Steps

How To Upgrade to Ubuntu 7.10 (ubuntu-tutorials)

Upgrade Ubuntu 7.04 Server to Ubuntu 7.10 (ubuntu-tutorials)

Upgrade Problems? Try A Different Repository Mirror (ubuntu-tutorials)

Caching Upgrade for Multiple Machines with Apt-Cacher

If you plan on upgrading multiple machines on a single network using the above options please, for your sake and for the sake of the interweb tubes, set up something like Apt-Cacher to make your upgrades more bandwidth efficient! Basically, if you’ve got two or three machines you plan on upgrading, Apt-Cacher will pull down all the required packages for the first machine & then cache them for the remaining machines. The second and third (and fourth.. and fifth..) will upgrade tremendously faster and you’ll help unclog the interweb tubes for everyone else

With Ubuntu 8.04 being the second LTS (Long Term Support) release it is also possible to upgrade from LTS to LTS releases. This means upgrading Ubuntu 6.06 to Ubuntu 8.04. I have tested this in a previous post, “Dapper 6.06 to Hardy 8.04 Direct Server Upgrade“, which you might also be interested in (that post is regarding the Server and not the Desktop release.)

Upgrading via Update Manager

Step 1: It is suggested that you make sure your BIOS is up-to-date before you try such an upgrade. This is based on some changes in the latest kernel releases which can conflict with older BIOS firmware.

Step 2: You’ll need to make sure that the dapper-updates software channel is activated. (See my previous post linked above for an example of which repositories can/should be enabled.)

Step 3: Press Alt-F2 and type gksu "update-manager -d"

Step 4: Click the Check button to check for new updates.

Step 5: A message will appear informing you of the availability of the new release.

Step 6: Click Upgrade

Step 7: Follow the instructions as the Update Manager utility will walk you through each step of the upgrade. You will still have a chance to back out after clicking Upgrade if you feel you’re not yet ready.

For more information and other information from the Wiki see: Upgrade Notes

Press Alt-F2 and type update-manager --devel-release

(when 8.04 is final the --devel-release is no longer needed)

Click the Check button to check for new updates.

A message will appear informing you of the availability of the new release.

Click Upgrade

Follow the instructions as the Update Manager utility will walk you through each step of the upgrade. You will still have a chance to back out after clicking Upgrade if you feel you’re not yet ready.

It should be noted that this will upgrade your machine via your internet connection and can take quite some time. If you have access to a fast mirror it can be faster, but immediately after a release the interweb tubes tend to clog up. You’ve been warned.

For more information and suggestions from the Wiki see: Upgrade Notes

If you’ve installed Beta and want to upgrade to RC (and eventually Final) simply continue to update your machine. There isn’t anything special that needs to be done, just run Update Manager and apply any available updates. Updating your machine in this way will take you from Beta to RC to Final.

I hope that helps for anyone still wondering. Also, for those of you that are still on Ubuntu 7.10 “Gutsy” that are going to be updating I’ll have instructions on that over the next two days.

by Christer Edwards at 12:50 PM under 8.04 , beta , rc , upgrade (Comments)

Christer Edwards
nonic
Ubuntu Tutorials : Dapper - Feisty - Gutsy - Hardy

» Announcing the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS

The Ubuntu team is pleased to announce the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Long-Term Support) on desktop and server. Codenamed “Hardy Heron”, 8.04 LTS continues Ubuntu’s proud tradition of integrating the latest and greatest open source technologies into a high-quality, easy-to-use Linux distribution.

We consider this release candidate to be complete, stable, and suitable for testing by any user.

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition features incremental improvements to familiar applications, with an emphasis on stability for this second Ubuntu long-term support release, and is easier than ever to try out with the new Wubi installer.

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Server Edition follows in the footsteps of Ubuntu 7.10 with even more virtualization support and security enhancements - enabling AppArmor for more applications by default, improving protection of kernel memory against attacks, and supporting KVM and iSCSI technologies out of the box.

The Ubuntu 8.04 LTS family of variants, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, UbuntuStudio, and Mythbuntu, also reach RC status today.

The final release of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS is scheduled for 24 April 2008 and will be supported for three years on the desktop and five years on the server.

Before installing or upgrading to Ubuntu 8.04 LTS please read http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/804

About The Release Candidate
—————————
The purpose of the Release Candidate is to solicit one last round of testing before the final release. Here are ways that you can help:

Upgrade from Ubuntu, Kubuntu, or Edubuntu 7.10 to the Release Candidate by following the instructions given above.
Participate in installation testing using the Release Candidate CD images, by following the testing and reporting instructions at http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/ISO

Desktop Features
—————-
Improved application selection: the GNOME desktop sports a number of improvements to the default applications, including more feature-full clients for BitTorrent and VNC, as well as an advanced UI for mastering CDs and DVDs.

File browsing: an enhanced filesystem layer brings greater performance and flexibility to Nautilus, the GNOME file browser.

Pluggable audio and video output: the PulseAudio sound server is integrated in the GNOME desktop for more flexible sound output, and a new Screen Resolution utility allows easier configuration of multiple video displays.

Wubi installer: a new Windows-based installer option makes it easier than ever to try out Ubuntu, letting users install a full desktop on Windows systems without needing to partition their hard drive.

Server Features
—————
AppArmor profiles: a greater number of server applications are now protected by default with AppArmor, a kernel technology that limits the resources an application is allowed to access, providing added protection against undiscovered security vulnerabilities.

Memory protection: additional protection now prevents direct access to system memory through /dev/mem and /dev/kmem, and the lower 64K of system memory is no longer addressable by default, changes which help to defend against malicious code. The kernel now also loads Position Independent
Executables at randomized addresses, making it harder for application security vulnerabilities to be exploited.

Virtualization and iSCSI: KVM is now an officially maintained option, which combined with libvirt (CLI) and virt-manager (GUI) management tools allows for a simple and efficient virtualization option on hardware that supports virtualization extensions (AMD-V or Intel-VT). Mounting iSCSI targets is
now supported (including in the installer), allowing Ubuntu to interoperate with this class of cost-efficient Storage Area Network solutions.

Ubuntu Education Edition
————————
Add-on configuration: Edubuntu is now provided as an add-on to Ubuntu rather than a separate stand-alone flavor, permitting even greater reuse of Ubuntu technologies.

Kubuntu Features
—————-
Kubuntu comes with the rock solid KDE 3 for those who want a commercially supported desktop.

For those who want something more exciting, a KDE 4 Remix is available bringing this cutting edge new version to you first.

Please see https://wiki.kubuntu.org/HardyHeron/RC/Kubuntu for details.

Xubuntu Features
—————-
Xubuntu comes with the light-weight Xfce 4.4.2 desktop environment for those who want to a desktop that is easy to use, but places particular emphasis on conserving system resources.

New Additions To The Family
—————————
Two new variants join us for this Ubuntu release. UbuntuStudio and Mythbuntu have done releases separately in the past, and with Hardy Heron we’re happy to be able to welcome these fine community projects into the main Ubuntu release process.

For a more in-depth tour of the features new in 8.04 LTS, see http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/804rc

About Ubuntu
————
Ubuntu is a full-featured Linux distribution for desktops, laptops, and servers, with a fast and easy install and regular releases. A tightly-integrated selection of excellent applications is included, and
an incredible variety of add-on software is just a few clicks away.

Professional technical support is available from Canonical Limited and hundreds of other companies around the world. For more information about support, visit http://www.ubuntu.com/support

To Get the Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Release Candidate CD
——————————

To perform a new installation or try out 8.04 LTS “live” from CD, download the Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Release Candidate (choose the mirror closest to you):

Europe:

Asia/Pacific:

http://tw.releases.ubuntu.com/8.04 (Taiwan)
http://ubuntu-releases.optus.net/8.04 (Australia)
http://nz.releases.ubuntu.com/8.04 (New Zealand)

Africa:

http://za.releases.ubuntu.com/8.04 (South Africa)

North America:

http://us.releases.ubuntu.com/8.04 (United States)

South America:

http://br.releases.ubuntu.com/8.04 (Brazil)

Rest of the world:

http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.04 (Great Britain)

Please download using Bittorrent if possible. See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BitTorrent for more information about using Bittorrent.

Upgrading from Ubuntu 7.10 and Ubuntu 6.06 LTS
———————————————-
To upgrade to Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Release Candidate from Ubuntu 7.10 or Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, follow these instructions:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HardyUpgrades

Feedback and Helping
——————–
If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways you can participate at http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/

Your comments, bug reports, patches, and suggestions will help turn this release into the best release of Ubuntu ever. Please report bugs through the Launchpad bug tracker: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bugs

If you have a question, or if you think you may have found a bug but aren’t sure, first try asking on the #ubuntu IRC channel on FreeNode, on the Ubuntu Users mailing list, or on the Ubuntu forums:

http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/

More Information
—————-

You can find out more about Ubuntu and about this preview release on our website, IRC channel, and wiki. If you are new to Ubuntu, please visit: http://www.ubuntu.com/

by Christer Edwards at 5:14 PM under 8.04 , hardy , rc , release candidate , ubuntu (Comments)

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