The eBox platform

When I was looking for info on the Eeebox and on the eBox (jep, it isn't the same thing), I came across the eBox-platform. A lot of things called e and box. But he, what's in a name.

The eBox-platform seems to be some kind of administration tool, for easy setting up a server from within a webbrowser. We all know this has been done before. Have a look at webmin. So what is the difference? And why do we need another web based administrator tool? Well you can find the answer on there own site. Let's say, it is made easier for the user. All modules are auto-linked, while in webmin you have to figure out most by your self.

Let's have a look at some screenshots of the web-interface. You can find more pictures on there site.






I'm working on a new server and was looking for an easier way to configure, so this might be the ideal moment for a testcase. I'll post my findings in a new post. My testcase will be real life and has the following setup:

1 server (eBox-platform)
2 windows computers (1 windows 2000 and 1 windows XP)
2 printers (1 deskjet HP and 1 laser brother)
1 adsl internet connection

More on this in the next post.

The eBox platform

Targus mini mouse with bluetooth

I finally got my mini mouse back, an nice partner for the Eee pc. I hadn't much trouble getting it working in Ubuntu on my Eee PC. You can choose at the services tab for input. There you select to find all devices, make sure your mouse is in pairing mode and voila. Just set it as trusted at the main tab. Now I can use my mouse to browse my gsm, booth bluetooth connected.

Targus mini mouse with bluetooth

Mythtv in the kitchen

Well, finally got it all together. Now we have a Mythtv system in the kitchen. Actually it is an Ubuntu system running the mythtv frontend. What you see is a 19" Acer lcd screen with trust speakers I mounted. The celling mount was to big, so I had to cut off about 20 cm. There was no speaker mount on the celling mount, so I had to make one myself.

All cables go trough the celling mount into the upper kitchen cupboard. There you would find a ordinary Medion PC that is about 4 years old (I got it from "den Aldi"). I do have a serial IR blaster, but I couldn't get it to work. So I decided to use bluetooth and our Sony Ericsson cell phones as a remote and that my friends does work.

Mythtv in the kitchen

Micro bluetooth on Eee PC

I use my cell phone's camera a lot. I find that the most easiest way for uploading photos, is the use of bluetooth. So I needed a dongle, because Eee pc doesn't have build in bluetooth.

I got myself this kensington adapter and on ubuntu I have installed on my Eee PC, this is recognized without any special installation. Just plugged it in.

Before you can actually connect to a cell phone, more has to be done. first install gnome-vfs-obexftp. Only then you will be able to pair your phone. After pairing it, you can browse your phones memory.

Micro bluetooth on Eee PC

Third impression

Not that I needed it, but just because I can, I had to change the distro on my Eee PC. I tried some things and found out that ubuntu did what I wanted. Out of the box, Ubuntu is not wel adapted to the Eee pc. So I use the Ubuntu eee script. Finally I installed the mythtv frontend, just because I always feel the need to install Mythtv on all hardware I have. I did al this on an SDHC card, so I can jump back to the standard xandros.

Later on, I will wright an howto in dutch. For now I will point out, what to do.

1. Make an ubuntu install usb-key
For this you just need to follow exactky what is written on this site:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/09/28/usb-ubuntu-710-gutsy-gibbon-install/


2. install ubuntu on a spare SDHC-card

Plug in your newly usb-key and at boot when you see the grey screen, press ESC. There you can chose your usb-key to boot from. Change your language and keyboard mapping and let it boot.

When booted, you do click on install. Fellow the gide lines, but choose for manual disk partitioning. Pick your SDHC card and only make 1 primairy partition in ext2 and give it / (root) as mountpoint. The installation will complain not having swap, we don't care.

Finally I chose to install the grub boot loader on the SDHC card and not on the SSD drive. So I clicked on advanced and made (hd0) in to (hd1) (In my case 0 = SSD, 1 = SD-card and 2 = USB-key)

When finished, close down and remove the usb-key

3. Boot the new SD-card

Make sure you have a wired network connection.

On boot, when you have the grey screen, press ESC and then when you see thegrub bootmenu, on the first entry press "e" twice, chance (hd2,0) into (hd0,0), press enter and then "b".

When you finally booted into ubuntu, first open a terminal and do:

sudo -i
vim /boot/grub/device.map #(only leave entry 1 and 2, delete the others).

vim /boot/grub/menu.lst #(go looking at the and for the menu entry's, there change (hd2,0) into (hd0,0) and change (hd0,0) into (hd1,0).

grub-install /dev/sdb (that should be your SD-card, check with fdisk -l)

Now you can do all updates, let it run , it will take a some time.

4. run the ubuntu-eee-script.

Finally, when you reboot, you will have an updated Ubuntu on yout SD card. Now you only have to execute some sripts, so all hardware drivers are in place.

Just follow all things as explained on this website:

http://ubuntu-eee.tuxfamily.org/index.php5?title=How_to_use_the_ubuntu-eee_script

Third impression

eeeXubuntu on Eee PC with 1GB SD

Well, I have The Eee pc for 2 days now and I can't resist the urge the test an other distro. So made a live eeeXubuntu SD card as described on http://wiki.eeeuser.com/ubuntu:eeexubuntu:home

I'm not going to install it on the SSD but, I'll try all kinds of things on the 4 gb SDHC card I ordered. I think it's best to wait some more, till all probs have been solved.

eeeXubuntu on Eee PC with 1GB SD