Installing Softwares & Updating Ubuntu

[Joe San]

Guys,

I have purchased a new notebook today and got Ubuntu 10.10 installed on it. I have a question to fellow Ubuntu users. Normally where do you prefer to put all your software installations, personal files so that later when you upgrade to te next version of Ubuntu these files are automatically backed up or preserved. My plan is to install the following:

Java, Eclipse, NetBeans, MySQL, IntelliJ, Toad for MySQL, Maven, Tomcat, JBoss.

Apart from this I also plan to have a folder that stores all my personal file, pictures, videos, documents and so on. Can anyone offer me suggestions please?

[Peter Johnson]

If you use the Ubuntu update mechanisms then you can place your files anywhere. My personal documents I put under my home directory. The JDK I place at /usr/java (a habit from my Fedora days). All other stuff (Ant, Maven, Tomcat, Eclipse, etc.) that I install manually (I never install anything Java-related using the Ubuntu package manager) goes into /opt (after I chown it).

A MySQL update should be transparent, but just in case do a database dump before running the update.

Also, check this forum for discussions of updated. The posts are fairly east to spot, usually named after the Unbutu release, such as "Ubuntu 10.0 Maverick Meerkat". Some people have had good luck with updates, for me I have never had one that succeeded so I am always faced with a reinstall. In that case normal backup procedures apply.

[Joe San]

Thanks for the information. Can you also please hint me at a good chat messenger for Ubuntu? I tried pidgin but is there any other better alternative?

[Jaikiran Pai]

I use Ubuntu and I am very much happy with Pidgin.

I tried pidgin but is there any other better alternative?

Better in what ways specifically? I just looked around and there's Empathy IM client too. I haven't used it so I have no idea what features it has when compared to Pidgin.

[Joe San]

I guess Empathy is what we get along with the Ubuntu installation. Anyways I would try out Pidgin today. Is there a way to video chat with Pidgin? I have configured my yahoo email account in Pidgin.

[Joe San]

Peter Johnson wrote:If you use the Ubuntu update mechanisms then you can place your files anywhere. My personal documents I put under my home directory. The JDK I place at /usr/java (a habit from my Fedora days). All other stuff (Ant, Maven, Tomcat, Eclipse, etc.) that I install manually (I never install anything Java-related using the Ubuntu package manager) goes into /opt (after I chown it).

Peter, I'm going to follow you. Would put the java under /usr/java and the rest will find its place in /opt.

[Jaikiran Pai]

Joe Harry wrote:Is there a way to video chat with Pidgin?

Haven't personally used video chat with Pidgin. This Pidgin FAQ has some answers.

[Joe San]

Successfully got the following installed:

Java, Maven, Intellij, Tomcat, ANT, Eclipse, Docky, Pidgin, Screenlets. So far so good and I'm pretty much happy with 10.10.

[Joe San]

Encountered some issues when starting eclipse. I just followed what is said in the link below to create a desktop short cut for eclipse and run it.

http://devianture.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/installing-eclipse-on-ubuntu/

But after clicking on eclipse, nothing happens. I have untarred eclipse JEE.

[Peter Johnson]

Here is what I do to get Eclipse to run.

First, I download and install the HotSpot JDK from Oracle's web site. I always grab the *.bin file (not the RPM!), and install it at /usr/java/jdk-xxx. (As I mentioned, this is a holdover from my Fedora days)

Then I set JAVA_HOME. I also make some soft links in /usr/bin to point to /usr/java/jdk-xxx/bin/java, etc.

I unzip Eclipse at /opt/eclipse. (I did mention that I chown /opt to myself.)

I edit eclipse.ini adding in (right before the "-vmargs" line):

-vm
/usr/java/jdk-xxx/jre/bin/client/jvm.dll

The m2eclipse plugin wants the JDK and recommends setting it up this way. This way Eclipse knows where the JDK is located. It also means I don't really need the soft links in /usr/bin

Then I add Eclipse to the Gnome menu, and I usually add the Eclipse menu item to my task bar.

[Joe San]

Need to try that to get eclipse up and running.

Another question to you... I have a Subversion repository set up on my external HDD. Now I want to checkout those sources to my workspace. How to identify the repo location?? file:///... how to identify the HDD partition that has the sources??

[Joe San]

Oh yeah. Just figured that out. It was under /media...