Bright Edges: October 2008

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Custom Search Tool in Firefox

There are search engines which you visit/use frequently and are not listed in Firefox plugin page, so what you will do? Create your own simple :

I will making a Google Linux search tool :

Open any text editor and paste this code :

<search 
 name="Google Linux"
 method="GET"
 action="http://www.google.co.in/linux"
 queryCharset="utf-8"
> 
  <input name="q" user>
</search>

You can add more parameters other than query like "Search within a domain".
Add
```
<input name="sitesearch" value="gnu.org">
```
below
```
<input name="q" user>
```
Just carefully observe the URL after you hit a search for the parameter name/value and keep adding for a filtered search.

Save the file as filename.src (I am using glinux.src) to ~/.mozilla/firefox/<profile>/searchplugins/

TIP : To display icon next to your search engine create a 16X16 PNG or GIF image and save it in the same folder as glinux.src and name it glinux.png or glinux.gif as per your file format

Restart Firefox, your source will be compiled and converted into a .XML file automatically and what next! use your engine

Also check : Mycroft Project

Attached few of my favorites : search.tar.gz

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

IP address from NetBIOS name

I will use ping command for knowing the IP address, but for a default *nix system we cannot ping a node using its NetBIOS name. So with a minor edit we can do it all. Here's the process :

Edit /etc/nsswitch.conf :
```
$ vim /etc/nsswitch.conf
```
Or use any other editor of your choice

Search for something similar to this :

hosts:          files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns mdns4

and add wins at the end of the line

hosts:          files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns mdns4 wins

Save the file and exit

Now use ping command :
```
$ ping xyz
```
You will get a output something like this :
```
PING xyz (192.168.2.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
```
Here 192.168.2.1 is the required IP

There may be different ways but I find this one quite simple.

Source(s) : Samba HOWTO

Sunday, October 5, 2008

With GNU/Linux systems you can have a highly customizable desktop with no bounds to possibilities. I have discussed few techniques for a nerdy looking environment in my Feeling Geeky... post earlier. Well this one is just a snapshot preview kinda thing... concentrating mainly on the eye candy stuffs..

Distro : Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04
Desktop Environment : GNOME
Window Manager : Metacity/Compiz-Fusion/Fluxbox