T400 setup

I used to use a Lenovo T400 laptop for my research activities in the area of open-source network routing and open-source network simulators.

These are my old notes about setting up the T400.

Install Xubuntu 14.04.

Productivity software

Install the following apps using Software Center:

  • Pinta
    • An easy-to-use image editor
    • Note: install Pinta version 1.5 to get the latest features (the Xubuntu 14.04 repository inly offers version 1.3). Set up the ppa and install with the following commands: 
      sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pinta-maintainers/pinta-stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pinta

  • ImageMagick
    • For command-line manipulation of graphics. I use it to quickly add borders and drop-shadows to an image.
  • DropBox
  • ReText
    • Markdown editor for blog posts
  • VirtualBox
    • skip this if installing in a virtual machine

Desktop tweaks

Set up the XFCE desktop. I configured my XFCE desktop according to my own preferences.

Infrastructure to support simulation tools

Set up networking so the default NetworkManager app does not interfere with network simulations – Remove NetworkManager, install WICD

Install CORE Network Emulator

Install networking software

Fix some issues with CORE and Xubuntu

Fix the Quagga VTY shell problem

Install Cloonix network simulator
– Skip cloonix if installing in a virtual machine

Download and set up Mininet virtual machine

Other software:

Evernote

I prefer the Evernote web interface. Alternatively, I also sometimes use Everpad (an unofficial Linux client for Evernote).

If I ever do install EverPad, here is the procedure:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nvbn-rm/ppa
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install everpad

Also see the advice offered in the following article: https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/first-xubuntu

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