Ubuntu Netbeans and LAMP server with Xdebug as non-root user

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In this article I'll show you how to setup Linux Apache Mysql PHP (LAMP) web development environment on Ubuntu Linux with your web site files in your home directory. This way you can easily develop for web as non-root user. If you are trying to install Linux Apache Mysql PHP on Windows, I'll point you to one of my previous articles where I have explained just that:

Apache, MySQL, PHP server on Windows

My goals for this session are to install Apache, MySQL and PHP with Xdebug module for PHP development debugging. We will setup Xdebug and use it with Netbeans, but once Xdebug is properly installed, you can debug your applications with any other application like Eclipse. The most important thing for a web developer or web programmer is to be able to easily modify his web development files without becoming root for everything he is working on. I will show you how to instruct Apache to make virtual host in your home directory. At the end of it all I will install Netbeans and create sample project to work with our new development environment. So lets get started...

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Ubuntu latest Wacom tablet driver PPA

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I use tablet instead of mouse. Why? It feels more natural when compared to mouse especially after you get used to it. And freehand drawing in Gimp becomes much easier and gives better results when you replace you mouse with tablet device. The only tablet manufacturer with good Linux support (provided by the community) is Wacom. Linux Wacom driver consists of kernel module and Xorg driver. Latest Wacom kernel module and Wacom Xorg driver can be found at Linux Wacom project Sourceforge site. It is very important for me to have my tablet in top shape on my Linux PCs so I often grab latest driver from projects Git repository and go trough process of compiling it. You might have some brand new Wacom tablet without support in your current Ubuntu distribution so you should do the same. Problem is that Git repository can sometimes be in semiusefull state because, after all it is the place where development is taking place.

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The mystery of Ubuntu Gnome missing panel applet

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Have you ever installed application on your Linux box to discover that its Gnome panel applet is missing from "Add to panel" dialog. Even worse if you application is Gnome panel applet. On my Ubuntu box this usually happens when i install something from the source. What went wrong you might ask? Many things I must say. But there is one thing you should check first. Here it goes...

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Change Ubuntu / Debian GDM login screen theme/wallpaper

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Notice: Tested for Ubuntu releases up to Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat)

Every Linux distribution now days sets its default theme and wallpaper. That theme and wallpaper is usually login screen theme and wallpaper. What if you don't like it? You can change theme and wallpaper for your user account but login screen theme stays the same. Lets do something about it...

This is the plan. In a way GDM (Gnome Display Manager) is like every other user. It can have theme, wallpaper and programs to be run when it starts. Why not adjusting Gnome appearance properties (gnome-appearance-properties) window to start at login screen? Then we can adjust things like theme, fonts, wallpaper and everything Gnome appearance properties allows us to do. So first step is to enter this at your terminal (following code is single command):

sudo ln -s /usr/share/applications/gnome-appearance-properties.desktop /usr/share/gdm/autostart/LoginWindow/gnome-appearance-properties.desktop

Next step is to logout. Gnome appearance properties window will start together with GDM login screen and you can adjust everything as you like. The last step is to undo what we have done in the last step. So after next login enter this at your terminal to stop Gnome appearance properties window form showing its face every time you're at GDM login screen:

sudo rm /usr/share/gdm/autostart/LoginWindow/gnome-appearance-properties.desktop

Next time you need to change your login screen appearance you repeat this process. That's it. No more steps.

Debian/Ubuntu Gddccontrol as non-root

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There are computer displays out there without any OSD buttons. No, really. I have one of those. So how do you say turn the brightness up? No problem, u have a software with buttons and sliders to control every aspect of you computer display. Collection of protocols to make such application is called Display Data Channel(DDC). On Linux PC you really have only one option, Ddccontrol application and its GUI variant named Gddcontrol...