how-to launch applications that need root/admin privileges on Ubuntu when on a remote session

Did you ever find yourself at work with a remote session on your Ubuntu server (or workstation) invoked by ssh -X command and needed to launch users-admin or some similar graphical application that need a sudo (or root) authentication to work?

Did you ever got frustrated of not having the possibility to enter or see accepted your password ?

Well, here’s how to resolve this! All you need to do is invoking this command:

sudo ck-launch-session $command &

For example, when I needed users-admin (to graphically add a new user, modify or delete an old one) giving the aforementioned command, after having inserted my sudo password, I got this window:

P.S. = if you can help me with a shorter or clearer post title I’ll be grateful (remember english isn’t my native language !!!)

P.S. #2 = sometimes you just DON’T have to put the ‘&‘ at the end of the line so you can insert the administrative password needed for the command (i.e. Synaptic) execution…

Bio-Linux: Ubuntu and bioinformatics

Hi!
Today I’d like to spend some words on a particular Open Source project which aims to make know, test and finally use the available tools for molecolar biology, bio-technologies and bio-informatics in general.

This world is overwhelmed by a number of “tools” divided in an ocean of productors, licences, repositories and kind of package (rpm, deb, Z, tar.gz, plain code…).

Enter Bio-Linux.

The Bio-Linux project starts from a branch of UK’s NERC (National Environment Research Council) dealing with biology.

This NEBC proudly has took in hand this shattered cosmo of open source software for bioinformatics under his own “umbrella” and then has gone further … has created a full GNU/Linux distribution, building over the solid core of Ubuntu (on it’s Long Term Support 8.04 release).

Today Bio-Linux 5 is:

• a LiveCD operating system;
• a fully functional operating system running on desktop and servers alike;
• a bioinformatics repository for Ubuntu

and all this is fully supported and given the news on the NEBC and NERC there’s money to guarrantee that for the expectable future.

Personally at work I’ve had chance to appreciate this distro in all the flavours listed above and also as a VMware’s appliance.

If you’ve already running an Ubuntu 8.04 box in this wiki page you’ll find how-to add the biolinux repository to your sources.list. There it’s also stated that there’s some kind of compatibility with Debian and also with the latest 9.04 release, even if for a couple of software there are occasional bugs.

But, on the workplace, expecially when the user has to USE his desktop and not work to make it run, Ubuntu 8.04 (with an updated copy of OpenOffice and a couple of backports) it THE way go, at least for me.

As a personal, final note, I must regret on the strickt control of the repository … I’ve witnessed a similar Biolinux project, focused on the RPM world being abandoned in 2007 supporting ancient distros like Fedora6 and RedHat 9 … I’d prefer a strong team in the Ubuntu (or $distro) community claiming “we will take care of all things bioinformatics, like it’s done for Compitz or other focused projects in the past.

A change of menthality is needed so, when the Public Administration (or a private) invests on an open source technology the RoI must be seen in the product itself (and/or on how it facilitates works or makes you make more money increasing the productivity) and not in a self-owned fancy site claiming “I MADE IT, I AM BIG, GIMME MORE MONEY”.

Don’t you think so?

Ubuntu hints to Dell initiative

Yesterday I was making a visit to the http://www.ubuntu.com homepage to get some infos aboun the Ship-It initiative when my eyes fell over the modified logo that I’ve put down here.

On the t-shirt of the asian guy was placed in mild colours the Dell’s computer company logo, subtle hinting at it’s offer of preinstalled Ubuntu OS on their machines (technical details).

A nice touch of discrete advertising, in my opinion.

Ubuntu

unofficial Pidgin 2.0 package for Ubuntu

So – as I’ve said – the transition from Gaim to Pidgin is complete and the stable package is out.

My pal AndyCapp has released a ready-to-install pidgin deb package HERE.

Have a good download & install routine

pidgin

Ubuntu Feisty Beta

Living on the Apple side of the IT can be boring at times to I’ve decided to go out and see what’s new …. Fate wanted that happened just the exact day when Ubuntu pals released their 7.04 beta release, so I’ve pulled out my Transmission bittorrent client and downloaded the {alternate} ISO file.

I’ve installed it on 2 machine since then (every time getting an error installing linux-generic kernel) and after having passed by some installation media problem (I’ve used a maybe too used cd-rw disc) the machines are running smoothly … Release quality “beta” guys …

I’ve also enjoyed really, really much the Ubuntu.com new webdesign and again, after the first incarnation I see how a clearly layed out site can help the user experience with the distro … a lesson that Debian, Fedora – even if they’ve abandoned the redhat.com original site – and openSUSE – in a minor way than the previous two have to learn if they want to be strong on the community.

Ubuntu

Monitoring Apache’s VirtualHost with Munin

My friend Massimo Danieli has published yesterday on his blog a “little” how-to on how to use Munin to monitor with granularity every single Virtual Host configured on your Apache webserver.

Munin, in fact, by default easily monitor the performance of your computers, networks, SANs, applications and with the default plugins use the apache mod_status module, that stores data from all the virtual hosts.

With the patch proposed and illustrated by Massimo you can go a step futher with that.

Read it here.

update: he also has made available a binary *.deb package of it!

munin, apache, sysadmin

Ubuntu new marketing move: cookies

Read the necessary how-to on Joseph Hall page.