andLinux installation …

I began using andLinux several weeks ago as an alternative to using a virtual machine for Linux. Since I can’t get the rest of my family to use Linux on the desktop, I was using a virtual machine and found that to be quite cumbersome. With andLinux, that has all changed.

The following are notes on the installation process I followed, including additional steps I took to configure andLinux for my environment. I have found that there is not a lot of this type of documentation, hence this page. As I make additional changes, I will try to update this page.

Note: This is just a guide! You may make changes as necessary for your environment.

Installation

• Download the minimal installation package from here
• Enter “C:\andLinux” for the installation folder
• Select 384 MB for the memory (I only have 2 GB with multiple users)
• Enable sound for andLinux
• Select “run andLinux manually as a NT service + use XFCE Panel”
• Select “using CoFS (easy configuration)”
• Enter “C:\” for the folder to mount via CoFS
• Click Next (accept “andLinux” Start Menu folder)
• Deselect Desktop Icons for Console, Select “CoLinux Console (FLTK)” for Quick Launch Icon
• Click Install

Configuration

The following details the basic configuration I completed to get to where I am comfortable working. Essentially, I wanted to operate with a non-root account. The andLinux page here was the guide I used to complete the following.

Set Timezone

• cd /etc
• rm localtime
• ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Los_Angeles localtime

Enlarge root volume

Using the information on the Expanding Root page, I increased the size of the root volume from 2GB to 20GB. I followed the steps detailed under “The most reliable way to enlarge the root partition” section.

• Shutdown andLinux
  • net stop andLinux
• Rename the drives to a .drive extension
  • ren base.drv base.drive
  • ren swap.drv swap.drive
• Edit “settings.txt” to account for name change
  • cobd0=Drives\base.drive
  • cobd1=Drives\swap.drive
• Make a copy of the current image
  • copy base.drive base_org.drive
• Create a new file of the desired size
  • fsutil file createnew base_new.drive 21474836480
    (20 * (1024 ^ 3)) = 21474836480
• Add the two new drives to settings.txt
  • cobd3=Drives\base_org.drive
  • cobd4=Drives\base_new.drive
• Start andLinux
  • net start andLinux
• Perform a file system check on the original drive
  • e2fsck /dev/cobd3
• Copy the data for the original drive to the new drive
  • dd if=/dev/cobd3 of=/dev/cobd4
• Perform a file system check on the new drive (force)
  • e2fsck -f /dev/cobd4
• Resize the new drive
  • resize2fs -p /dev/cobd4
• Perform a file system check on the new drive
  • e2fsck /dev/cobd4
• Shutdown andLinux
  • net stop andLinux
• Change settings.txt to boot from the new drive
  • cobd0=Drives/base_new.drive
  • cobd3=Drives/base_org.drive
  • cobd4=Drives/base_new.drive
• Start andLinux and verify drive everything is OK
  • net start andLinux
  • df

Enable non-root user

• Change the root password — > passwd
• Add the new user — > useradd -m mburns
• Change the password for the new user — > passwd mburns
• Install sudo — > apt-get install sudo
• Edit /etc/sudoers
  • vi /etc/sudoers
  • Add “mburns ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL“
• Edit /usr/bin/X11/startwindowsterminalsession
  • vi /usr/bin/X11/startwindowsterminalsession
  • Change “root” to “mburns“
• Edit /usr/local/sbin/launcher.pl
  • vi /usr/local/sbin/launcher.pl
  • Change the value of LocalPort from 81 to 8081
• In a Windows CMD window, performed the following:
  • Create andLinux-Launcher.reg
    • notepad andLinux-Launcher.reg
    • Add the following lines

                   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
                  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\andLinux\Launcher]
                  "IP"="192.168.11.150"
                  "Port"=dword:00001f91

    • Save the file
    • Execute — > start andLinux-Launcher.reg
    • Click OK to add the entries to the register
• Reboot your system.

Upgrade to Hardy

andLinux is an Ubuntu distribution based on the gutsy release. After trying to build the source for liferea and running into problems with package versions being to old, I decided to try to upgrade the Ubuntu release to hardy. The following are the steps I took to complete the upgrade. (The pages here and here were very helpful!)

• apt-get install update-manager-core
• do-release-upgrade

Once the above command completed (approximately 90 minutes), I had to do the following to get everything working again.

• vi /etc/rc.local
• Added “/usr/bin/X11/startwindowsterminalsession &“

All appears to be well. However, I am seeing the following message on the console after rc.local is executed.

“auth: unable to generate an authority file name”

I am not sure what is causing this error. I will update this page once I find out.