Einar Mostad

17th April 2018

The expressive urge

I have thought a lot about who I am, what I am interested in, what I enjoy to do, and what I would like to do in life lately. The last years have brought a lot of new perspectives into my life. I have rediscovered that I am good at some things, like language, especially in writing. I have also...

Life Comments: 0

21st February 2017

Linux jargon and abbreviations explained

When you come from the Mac or Windows to the Linux world, you often bump into terms or abbreviations that are less than self-explanatory. It takes a bit of time to get familiar with the jargon. To make it a bit easier, I have made a list of common terms with short explanations. I will add new terms to this...

Technology Comments: 0

17th February 2017

Which Linux distro should you choose if you are a new user coming from the Mac?

The many Linux distributions (distros) means that finding one that you really like is possible for almost anyone, but for a new user, it can be a bit confusing to have so many different distros to choose from. However, since Linux distros are made for different purposes and audiences, there are lots of distros that you never really have to...

Technology Comments: 0

7th February 2017

How to switch from macOS Mail, Address Book and Calendar to Thunderbird

Thunderbird is one of the most popular email programs available on Linux. It is made by Mozilla who is also the people behind Firefox. Thunderbird comes installed by default in Ubuntu and many other distros. As mentioned other places, it is often smart to migrate slowly from macOS to Linux by switching out some programs first and then changing operating...

Technology Comments: 0

4th February 2017

From low end Mac to low end Linux

There is a community of Mac users that try to find the balance between having the best tool for the job, keeping their machines useful for as long as possible to get the lowest possible cost of ownership over time and staying efficient by not disrupting well working workflows. Most of these are aware that unless you work with high...

Technology Comments: 0

3rd February 2017

How to test Linux distributions in VirtualBox on Mac or Linux

VirtualBox is a free program from Oracle that lets you set up virtual machines to run any operating system inside another host operating system. It is available for macOS, Linux and Windows host operating systems. This means that you can run Linux distributions (distros) on your Mac to get acquainted with them before ever installing them directly on real hardware,...

Technology Comments: 0

31st January 2017

Resources for Linux hardware compatibility

If you do not buy hardware with Linux preinstalled, but instead buy new or used hardware that originally shipped with another OS or are thinking about doing so, then having a look at some websites that cover users’ experiences with the hardware will probably give you some indication of how well it works with Linux, if there are any issues...

Links/Technology Comments: 0

31st January 2017

Hardware with Linux preinstalled

There is a growing number of hardware suppliers that deliver computers with Linux preinstalled in the western world. Buying a machine from one of these suppliers gives you support for the preinstalled distro on their hardware through online forums, wikis and often also phone or email support. It also contributes to further development of machines with Linux from these companies....

Links/Technology Comments: 0

31st January 2017

What are the advantages of Linux seen from a Mac user’s perspective?

Lately, many Mac users have been disappointed in the hardware and to a lesser degree also the software that Apple makes. It seems like Apple is focused mainly on iOS since their earnings mainly stem from it. Some of the core Mac users in creative industries that have used Macs since the 80s are now leaving or thinking about leaving...

Technology Comments: 0

16th October 2016

Arch Linux – The Linux distro for tweakers

I wanted a tweakable, do-it-yourself Linux system for my laptop to learn a bit more about Linux while setting up things precisely as I want them.  I started out with Debian and thought I would update my sources.list to Debian Testing to get somewhat newer packages, but after sinking some hours into it, I realized that Debian Testing and Debian...

Technology Comments: 0

10th August 2016

How to scale LibreOffice to work better on the M10 FHD and other high resolution screens

The M10 FHD has  a 1920 x 1200 resolution on a 10 inch screen. By default, LibreOffice is installed as one of the Xapps, but it is not scaled, so it looks tiny on the high resolution display. I used to scale the documents themselves by using the slider in the lower right corner in LibreOffice Writer, but this was...

Technology Comments: 0

8th August 2016

Making Lubuntu 16.04 more pixel efficient

With the panel on the left or right, you get more visible space for content in portrait orientation, like word processing documents and websites and you don’t have to scroll as much. Ubuntu‘s Unity desktop environment got that right. If you have a low resolution screen this is even more important. If you only watch films on your computer, then...

Technology Comments: 0

2nd August 2016

How to use an Apple remote with KODI on Ubuntu on an Intel NUC

I use an Intel NUC i5 as my desktop computer. With Ubuntu 16.04 and KODI (formerly XBMC), it also doubles as a home theatre PC. To make this media centre really usable, I was planning to use an infrared remote to control KODI. It’s much more practical when sitting at a distance than using a wireless keyboard or trackpad. Most...

Technology Comments: 2

29th July 2016

How to install libdvdcss2 in Ubuntu 16.04 for ripping and watching DVDs

In earlier versions of Ubuntu, you could just run “sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh” in a terminal to install libdvdcss2 that would decrypt DVDs to make them work in Ubuntu for ripping or watching. However, I discovered today that this has changed for version 15.10 and onwards. (Thank you to the Ubuntu MATE community for clearing up why nothing happened when I tried...

Technology Comments: 0

29th July 2016

Second impressions of Ubuntu touch on the BQ M10

With OTA 12 and many app updates, Ubuntu touch is gradually improving. Last time I travelled, I did not take my laptop, and I could do everything that I needed with the tablet. All the basic needs like email, web browsing, chatting, podcasts, watching TV series, listening to music… The BQ M10 is good enough for it now. The most...

Technology Comments: 0

3rd July 2016

How to scale Firefox to work better on the M10 FHD and other high DPI screens

As mentioned in a post about my first impressions of the M10 FHD tablet, Firefox and other desktop apps look tiny on the 1920 x 1200 screen on the 10 inch tablet. The same problem occurs if you try to use Firefox on any computer with a high resolution screen. After writing that post, I realised that there might be...

Technology Comments: 0

2nd July 2016

First impressions of Ubuntu touch and the M10 tablet

(Disclaimer: this was written in the time of OTA-11. As the Ubuntu touch platform evolves and updates are shipped, many of the things mentioned here will improve. Unlike on Android, all devices get all updates and they are rolled out as soon as they are ready to be delivered, which is quite often. As of July 16th, OTA 12 is...

Technology Comments: 0

22nd June 2016

In anticipation of the Bq Aquaris M10 FHD Ubuntu edition tablet

I have been following the news about the Ubuntu touch phones and tablets for a while. The functionality people get out of these tablets and phones make me excited about their future, and that is why I wanted to get my hands on one of these. I ended up ordering an M10 FHD tablet that I am now eagerly awaiting....

Technology Comments: 0

4th May 2016

Free music streaming from Naxos Music Library

The great advantage of streaming lies in access to tons of music without having to store it all on your computer, tablet or phone. One of the disadvantages is that most services give you the choice between annoying adverts or a monthly fee. (I support services I enjoy monitarily, but economic restrictions forces me to prioritise. I suspect many others...

Music/Technology Comments: 0

27th June 2015

How to get Steam running on 64-bit Ubuntu 14.04

  If you try installing Steam on 64-bit Ubuntu 14.04, you will get an error message. “You are missing the following 32-bit libraries, and Steam may not run:libc.so.6”. There are many threads around on Askubuntu and the Steam community with people not finding the solution to this problem. I was lucky and stumbled over the solution here. The solution is...

Technology Comments: 0

7th June 2015

Folkeskolens kokebok

Jeg har arva en bok som jeg tenker kan ha interesse for flere enn meg selv og som jeg derfor gjør tilgjengelig her. Det dreier seg om Folkeskolens kokebok (Lærebok i huslig økonomi I) av Dorothea Christensen og Helga Helgesen. Boka er utgitt i Kristiania av H. Aschehough & co. (W. Nygaard) og dette er sjette opplag av 1916. Jeg...

Life Comments: 0

2nd May 2014

Ubuntu 14.04 on MacBook 2,1 (late 2006) and how to get iSight working

Ubuntu 14.04 “Trusty Tahr” runs quite well on my MacBook 2,1 from late 2006. Now that security support from Apple is (silently) ended for Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard”, installing Ubuntu is a good choice if you want the latest software, want to stay secure and don’t rely on Mac-specific programs. (It is possible to dual-boot or keep one...

Technology Comments: 6

31st March 2014

Dependent clauses

Being a student of English grammar, (non-finite ing-clause) which I find interesting, (adjectival relative clause, non-restrictive) having found (non-finite ing-clause) that it is necessary to compile a list (nominal that-clause) describing the different types and functions of dependent clauses, (non-finite ing-clause) to be presented to my fellow students at a get-together tomorrow, (non-finite infinitive clause) before the fast approaching exam,...

Language Comments: 0

17th March 2014

How to bring Rhythmbox radio streams from one computer to another

I recently installed Ubuntu on a new machine and wanted to bring along my music collection to use with Rhythmbox. This was trivial, I just copied the Music folder from my old machine to my new via an external USB hard drive and let Rhythmbox on the new machine search through the folder at first run. Then I wanted to...

Technology Comments: 0

31st January 2014

The Mac is dead, long live the Mac!

The 30th anniversary of the Macintosh I start up that old Quadra 700 in System 7, and I am back at the personal computer that lets me put whatever I want in the Apple-menu. I’m back at the desktop where I ResEdited all the desktop patterns and changed those STR# resources so my Mac would tell me “Welcome to Einar’s...

Technology Comment: 1

22nd November 2013

Notation in Telemann’s Sonata for treble viol, TWV 41:G6

Lately, I have been looking a little at a sonata by Telemann for the treble viol in G major from Der getreue Music-Meister. Often, on the treble viol, a practical challenge is that a lot of music is ascending quite high, but in this piece everything keeps moving on the lowest strings in stead. The music actualy descends to c#,...

Music Comments: 0

18th November 2013

Things to do to get the most out of Debian Wheezy

I have recently installed Debian Wheezy with LXDE on my netbook. As anticipated, there were a number of things that needed to be done to get it to work as I like. Debian is a bit more work than Ubuntu, but also slightly lighter on resources, and I enjoy learning how to do this stuff. Having used some time to...

Technology Comment: 1

17th November 2013

English links

Dictionaries Online etymology dictionary – A dictionary that explains where words come from, what they used to mean and when they were first used. Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary – with pronunciation and thesaurus, UK and US spellings, examples of use etc. – on paper and as an app in the iOS and Google Play store Urban Dictionary, Colloquial urban English...

Language/Links Comments: 0

3rd November 2013

How to add drivers for the Asus EeePC 1015PEM in Debian Wheezy

I used some time to find out how to add wireless support and the use of the function keys on the Asus EeePC 1015PEM after installing Debian “Wheezy” 7.2 with LXDE. I thought others might be having the same issues, so I wrote this post. (And to remember how, if I ever need to do this again.) You have to...

Technology Comments: 0

1st November 2013

How to make alt-tab show windows from all desktops in Lubuntu

I usually keep one or a couple of similar programs running at each desktop. On the Mac, I use 9 Spaces that I alt-tab or ctrl-arrowkey to and from, but when using 4 desktops in LXDE on my netbook, alt-tabbing doesn’t show me all my programs, but only the programs running on the current desktop. Of course, I could alt-scroll...

Technology Comments: 3

19th April 2013

Free sheet music on the internet

There are lots of old music prints, handwritten scores and parts and facsimiles of old editions that are in the public domain because their copyright have expired. There are also some generous people that publish their original music scores or their arrangements and transcriptions directly online for free use. Here are some links to some of my favourite sites for...

Links/Music/Technology Comments: 0

18th April 2013

Music links

Music organisations, music websites &c Antikk Musikk, early music in Bergen, Norway CasalEmilio, Italian-Norwegian centre for musical studies The Danish Music Museum, Copenhagen, with lots of interesting old instruments and books Early Sound, early music in Denmark, the Öresund regionen &c MIC.NO, Norwegian Music Information Centre Musikkonline.no, Norwegian online music store Nordem, Nordic Early Music Federation Ny musikk, Norwegian organisation...

Links/Music Comments: 0

8th April 2013

How to get rid of tap to click in Lubuntu, LXLE, MintPPC, Debian LXDE etc

Tap to click is usually on by default, but I know that I am not the only one that disables it on all my computers to avoid clicking all over the place. In most desktop environments (Unity, MATE, Gnome, KDE..), the Mouse and trackpad system settings panel lets you turn off tap to click, but in LXDE, there is no...

Technology Comments: 0

10th February 2012

EM’s Quadra pages

I have made some web pages dedicated to the Macintosh Quadra 700 (on the Quadra itself). These contain some technical information about the machine, suitable software, some how-tos and such. Since the pages were written in HTML on the Quadra itself and I wanted to make them readable with System Mac OS 7 and 8 compatible browsers, they do not...

Technology Comments: 0