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I finally decided to upgrade my Ubuntu Server running on an old PC from Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Hardy Heron to the latest release, Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope.

As most of you know, the Ubuntu Server lacks a desktop environment such as Gnome or KDE. The server is managed from the Terminal via a SSH connection.

The following detail the steps necessary in upgrading the Ubuntu Server from one version to the next. Before an upgrade can begin, it’s always a good idea to get the latest updates from the repository.

# sudo apt-get update
# sudo apt-get upgrade

If you are upgrading from a LTS release to a normal release, from Ubuntu 8.04 to 8.10 for example, you’ll need to edit the release-upgrades file. If you are upgrading from a non-LTS version to a non-LTS version, you can skip this step altogether.

# sudo vi /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

Change:
Prompt=lts

To:
Prompt=normal

You can now perform the actual upgrade.

# sudo apt-get install update-manager-core
# sudo do-release-upgrade

Grab yourself a nice cup of coffee, a movie and some popcorn. The upgrade process may take several hours to complete depending on your server hardware and internet connection.

It looks like all the big phone makers have agreed to standardize on one universal phone charger for Europe. Well, it’s about time. Apple, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Research In Motion, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, NEC, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments will use the micro-USB connector pictured below.

Just think of all the phone chargers and car phone adapters you are no longer using every time you buy a new phone or an electronic equipment. Well, hopefully this standard will eliminate redundant chargers and finally save consumers money.

I already have a micro-USB charger that came with my Blackberry Curve phone. It just happens to be the same charger for the Garmin Nuvi GPS devices. This is awesome news. Hopefully, the standard is not only for Europe, but for the rest of the world.

This is a great tutorial from Shawn Powers of Linux Journal. This tutorial shows you how to send text messages without a cellphone. Instead, you can send it via email. This is perfect for sending notifications via a shell script. View the short video below.

I have been using Subversion to manage WordPress upgrades for two years now. When WordPress 2.7 appeared, it came with an Automatic Upgrade feature that made one click upgrade possible. Unfortunately, for those of us who have been using Subversion to switch from one WordPress version to another, the Automatic Upgrade feature breaks Subversion. The .svn directories that are essential for tracking and version control are no longer available.

But, I am happy to say the WordPress upgrade went without a hitch. The WordPress 2.8 files were installed and the database upgrade worked as well. This means only one thing: Automatic Upgrade and Subversion can’t co-exist. You either have to use one or the other. Although nothing could be easier than a one click upgrade, I still feel comfortable using Subversion when upgrading WordPress. Maybe, it’s because I know exactly what happens inside the Subversion upgrade.

In addition, I also have multiple blogs to upgrade each time a new WordPress version comes out. To make life easier, I run a small shell script to upgrade all of my WordPress instances at once. Here’s a sample of the shell script below:

#!/bin/sh

# A script to upgrade several WordPress instances using Subversion.

wpv=http://svn.automattic.com/wordpress/tags/2.8

echo “Upgrading domain.com”
cd /home/user/domain.com/
svn switch $wpv

echo “Upgrading domain2.com”
cd /home/user/domain2.com/
svn switch $wpv

As you can see, the shell script is quite simple. I just have to make one minor change to the script every time an upgrade is needed, and that is, to assign the latest tag to the $wpv variable.

There is a raging debate at the moment in the Linux community whether Mono applications should be removed from Linux distributions. Supporters from both sides of the camp have been quick to point out the merits and the dangers of leaving Mono in Linux distributions.

What exactly is Mono? Mono is the open source development platform based on the Microsoft .NET framework. It allows developers to build Linux and cross-platform applications with improved developer productivity. Mono can run on Linux, BSD, UNIX, Mac OS X, Solaris and Windows operating systems.

The Mono project is led by Novell. The project was formerly owned by Ximian. To some Linux users, a simple mention of Novell sends chills down their spine mainly because they thought Novell slept with the enemy. Novell and Microsoft reached an agreement in 2006 to collaborate on technologies, mainly Novell’s eDirectory and Microsoft’s Active Directory.

But there is another part of the agreement that made Linux users more upset. Novell has signed an agreement with Microsoft that guarantees them safety if legal action is taken by Microsoft for patent infringements against Linux. Despite the threat, Microsoft still hasn’t given any details as to which Linux code violates its patents.

The hatred for Mono runs deep in the Linux community mainly because Mono is a platform that spreads its seed. Mono, by nature, create programs that run in Linux. In fact, Mono footprints are all over Gnome and Linux. Tomboy Notes, F-Spot Manager and Banshee are just a few applications that are developed in Mono.

To Linux purists, Mono applications should be stripped from all of Linux. There are other open-source alternatives that can take its place. If Mono is allowed to roam freely in Linux, the potential for legal action is ever present. It just a matter of time whether Microsoft exercises it or not.

Are the Mono concerns well-founded?