Simple is better than complex.

sudo NOPASSWD in ubuntu

In Ubuntu, do

1. sudo visudo
2. Go to the last line and add
username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

I could not change the default editor to use vim by exporting the EDITOR variable. I had to use nano only, which has some quirks like it asks you the save in DOS Format or Mac Format ( I choose Mac). Btw, while using uxterm, you cannot use nano editor, because the Meta key is bound by uxterm and you wont be able to save it. I had to xfce4-terminal to do the first step. Phew!

Installing VirtualBox Guest additions on Ubuntu Guest

1. Mount the cdrom from within the Guest OS, so that the guest additions will be available.

sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mount/cdrom

2. There is a VBoxGuestAdditions.bin script which you will have to execute.

Accessing the Shared Folder. From the VirtualBox Interface, a select folder in your Host Operating System as the folder which you would like to share on the Guest OS.

Remember the name of the shared folder and access it from within the Ubuntu Guest OS like this.

sudo mount -t vboxsf sharedfoldername mountpoint

Twice I made a mistake of typing vboxfs instead of vboxsf , so be careful with the spelling.

Virtualbox Tip (Ubuntu Host, Windows Guest)

Accessing a Shared Folder from a Windows Guest

On Windows guests, the shared folder should appear as a standard Windows network share listed under VirtualBox Shared Folders, accessible from the Network option in the Start menu. If the shared folder is not visible within the Network window (as can sometime be the case), it may be mapped to a disk drive in a command prompt window by issuing the following command:

net use : \\vboxsvr\

where : represents the drive letter to be mapped to the shared folder and > is the name assigned to the shared folder during the creation process outlined above. For example, to map a shared folder named TempFiles to the S: drive on the guest operating system:

C:\Users\vbox> net use s: \\vboxsrv\TempFiles
The command completed successfully.

My Ubuntu Install

Install Ubuntu using Ubuntu mini iso
sudo aptitude install xorg
sudo aptitude install ratpoison
sudo aptitude install build-essential checkinstall
sudo aptitude install vim
sudo aptitude install subversion
sudo aptitude install chromium-browser
sudo aptitude install mutt
sudo aptitude install ssh
sudo aptitude install socat
sudo aptitude install msmtp
sudo aptitude install fetchmail
sudo aptitude install virtualbox-ose
sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree
sudo aptitude install openssl ca-certificates
sudo aptitude install procmail and follow http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=565326
sudo aptitude install alsa and alsactl init
sudo aptitude install xfonts-terminus-oblique xfonts-terminus-dos xfonts-terminus console-terminus
sudo aptitude install irssi
sudo aptitude install ttf-inconsolata
sudo aptitude install fortune fortunes
search and run google-repo-setup.sh
sudo aptitude install picasa
sudo aptitude install cowsay xcowsay
sudo visudo and then write senthil ALL=NOPASSWD: ALL
sudo aptitude install urlview
sudo aptitude install xscreensaver xscreensaver-data

Making xterm beautiful

I thought it was not possible. I was pleasantly surprised to be proved wrong.

Do the following steps.

sudo aptitude install ttf-inconsolata

Open your .Xresources file and type

XTerm*faceName: Inconsolata
XTerm*faceSize: 16

Do an

xrdb -merge .Xresources

Thanks to levin, this answered my question on "What's there in a font and why are so many of them?" very well.

Remote empty directories

find -depth -type d -empty -exec rmdir {} \;

Jump in and Code

Complete the Projects which you want to do.

Cyanogen Mod Upgrade on ADP2

Android 1.6 OS
Dimension (LxWxTmm) 113 x 55.56 x 14.65
Display Size 3.17
HVGA Resolution
Capacitive touch screen
512MB FLASH Memory
192MB RAM
MSM7200A,528MHz chipset
GSM/GPRS/EDGE Quad band
850/900/1800/1900 MHz
WCDMA 1700/2100 MHz : BC4
2100 MHz : BC1
HSPA Speed HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
HSUPA 2 Mbps
Blutooth 2.0 with EDR
WiFi 802.11b/g
3MP Auto Focus Camera
1340 Battery(mAh)
microSD Memory Slot
USB 2.0
GPS/AGPS
Mailing list
----
ADP2 is SAPPHIRE PVT 32B DEV S-ON G
HBOOT-1.33.3007 (SAPP30000)
CPLD-10
RADIO-2.22.19.26I
Sep 25 2009, 16:22:56
----
PVT32B handsets have 192MB total RAM (96MB usable by OS) and use the Qualcomm MSM7201A CPU.
----

Follow the instructions here:
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=Full_Update_Guide_-_HTC_Magic_(32B)

startopenbox

When using Ratpoison, I have F8 set to openbox Window Manager.
This is what my settings are. I do a startopenbox.sh to load the second window manager.

File: openbox.xinitrc

xrdb -load $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid gray &
feh --bg-scale /home/senthil/sentosa.jpg &
xclock -g 50x50-0+0 -bw 0 &
xterm &
openbox

File: startopenbox.sh

#!/bin/bash
xinit ./openbox.xinitrc -display :1 -- :1 2>/dev/null &

Any Advice for young programmers ?

Wired.com: Any advice for young programmers?

Stroustrup: I guess giving advice is easy compared to taking it. Know your fundamentals (algorithms, data structures, machine architecture, systems) and know several programming languages to the point where you can use them idiomatically.

Know some non-computer field of study well — math, biology, history, optics, whatever. Learn to communicate effectively in speech and in writing. Spend an unreasonable amount of time on some difficult topic to really master it. Try to do something that might make a difference in the world.