ubuntu packages

I like to keep notes on the package management commands.  I don't use it all the time so it's nice to have it on hand.  All these except the dpkg command need to be run as root.  Suggested method is using sudo <command>

See all packages on your system:  dpkg --get-selections

Install a package: apt-get install  <package name> 


Update your package list: apt-get update

Upgrade to the latest packages: apt-get upgrade

Upgrade to the latest extended support version:  apt-get  dist-upgrade

Upgrade to the cutting edge at your own risk: do-release-upgrade
  I like to run with the latest when I'm running a vm since I can rebuild it easily.  For my "I just need it to work" machines I run the extended support version.  

Service and killing X

  Spent the last few days playing with my ubuntu virtual machine.  Not sure what happened but I believe something in the upgrade to the latest version went wrong.  Had a lot off issues with lightdm.  Ended up just trashing it but learned a few things along the way.



Manage services useing the service command

get service status
      service --status-all

      service sends the status-all output to stderr.  If you want to search for a service name you can run this:  service  --status-all  |&  grep <pattern> 



service restart
     service <service name>  restart
     example: sudo service lightdm restart



If X hangs you can run a few things to kill it
    Alt + PrtScn +K
               or
    Ctrl + Alt + F1
       (if you want more then one terminal you can hit F2 and F3)

Boinc client

  I'm a big fan of the boinc project.  I like that I can help with research projects of all kinds.

Web site:  http://boinc.berkeley.edu/

I'm currently using the Ubuntu client and it's running nicely.  I run it in a virtual machine to keep my data separate and so I can completely turn it off when I need too.

  After issues with my machine I had to transfer the data.  The two areas I had to transfer to keep all my settings and the units I was working was:

         settings: /etc/boinc-client
         project data:  /var/lib/boinc-client  

  I used scp to copy the data between the two systems.  I stopped the client and copied over the data.  I tend to su to root to work.  Some people like to use sudo on each command but after years of working on unix machines I just go to root.  Not saying this is right it's just what I do.

  sudo su -  

  service boinc-client stop
  cd /etc
  mv boinc-client boinc-client-old
  scp -rp  <old machine>:/etc/boinc-client  .

  cd  /var/lib
  mv boinc-client  boinc-client-old
  scp -rp  <old machine>:/var/lib/boinc-client .

  chmod -R boinc:boinc  /var/lib/boinc-client   /etc/boinc-client


Currently helping with the projects:
   FreeHal  https://www.freehal.net/
   Climate Prediction  climateprediction.net      (needs lots of disk space)
   Docking   http://docking.cis.udel.edu
   Rosseta    http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta

development man pages

To install the man pages for development on Ubuntu

apt-get install manpages-dev