Connecting to Internet in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat

Installing Ubuntu Operating System is not as hard as we imagine unless we want to do by an advance step. And how can we connect Ubuntu to Internet? Is it a simple thing too? Maybe yes maybe no.

First time I use my Ubuntu I was so confused of how I can connect my Ubuntu to Internet. Then for several weeks I let my Ubuntu installed without touching any programs! I had a CDMA modem before and I always connect to Internet in Windows operating system.

Then, I began to try how had connecting to Internet in Ubuntu is. Finally, by simple way I can connect my Ubuntu! These are what I do to connect.

Connecting via GSM/CDMA Modem
I use ZTE CDMA MG1880 Modem with Flexi card plugged. Register your card to your operator before using. Remember your username and password. Write in note if necessary.

Plug your modem into USB socket and until indicator light on the modem device is on. Open your terminal and type (the $ and # mark is only a privilege indicator)

$ lsusb
It displays devices plugged in our USB socket. Here is my result,
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 005: ID 19d2:fffe ONDA Communication S.p.A.
Bus 004 Device 003: ID 0458:003a KYE Systems Corp. (Mouse Systems) NetScroll+ Mini Traveler
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 1058:1010 Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

In my case, ONDA Communication is a factory of my modem. It means that my modem is recognized without installing any modem driver.

Then, at Main Menu go to System > Preferences > Network Connections to show this dialog

Select Mobile Broadband tab then click Add, it will show

Select your device. In my case, I use ZTE CDMA Tech then click Forward

Select your country. I select Indonesia, then click Forward

Because there is no provider listed, I enter my provider manually. You can type whatever you want. I type "Telkom Flexi" as an indicator that I use Telkom Flexi operator. Click Forward.

Creating connection list succeed. Then, we are to edit the connection we just create.

Enter your username and password you received from your provider. Then, click Apply. The connection is ready to use

The dialog above shows that I gained to create a connection named "Telkom Flexi connection 1". Okey, I will use it to make my Ubuntu connected to Internet. To do that, I click a network connection icon indicator located at top-right corner of Ubuntu desktop.

Just click Telkom Flexi connection 1 and Ubuntu is connected!

it indicates "connection process"

and it indicates "Connection Established" !!!

If you want, there is an application that can be a user interface to ZTE CDMA modem named "Cross Platform UI" It's free and easy to install. By this application you not only can connect your computer to Internet but also send-receive text message and doing voice call. Download here.

Repairing GRUB after re-installing Windows XP

Though Linux (in this case, Ubuntu) has become our alternative operating system, many people still install Windows together with Linux because Linux is a friendly operating system that allows other operating systems to dual-boot.
It is a common secret that the most re-installed operating system is Windows, especially XP. It is due to any malwares, viruses, worms, etc that often destroy this OS (read: Windows). Although we try to secure the OS using antivirus (i.e. free antivirus) the viruses still stay. So, an easy way to clean is to clean the operating system. To do that we are to have at least two hard-disk partitions, one for system and others for our data so if we reinstall Windows there is no worry about data stored in other partitions.
The problem after re-installing (or maybe re-re-re-re-installing) Windows is that it erases the boot loader to be Windows' while its boot loader can only load Windows operating system. So, our Linux Distro installed before Windows cannot be accessed. But be relax because through simple steps we can get GRUB back and our lovely Linux Distro still exist.
Let's go...

What we need is a LIVE CD (or, if you want, a LIVE USB). I use Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Live CD I got directly from Canonical (thank you Canonical!).

Open a terminal and type (don't type $ or # mark for it is just a mark that differ our privilege to execute some command)

$ sudo su

the command above is used to change our privilege as root

# fdisk -l

It will display some partitions for our hard-disk and may vary. My display is

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x58e6429e
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 1275 10241406 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 1276 9696 67641652 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 1276 6374 40957686 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 6375 7649 10241406 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 7650 9434 14337981 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 9435 9696 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
Disk /dev/sdb: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xeb31fa71
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 2 1276 10241437+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb2 * 1277 30400 233938530 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb5 2 1276 10241406 b W95 FAT32

Pay your attention to column "System". In above case, my Linux partition is /dev/sda6, /dev/sda7 and /dev/sda8. I mount a filesystem (/) to /dev/sda6 while /dev/sda7 mounts /home folder. So, in this case and may vary to you I have to reinstall GRUB in /dev/sda6 partition.

Then I type,

# mkdir /media/sda6

The command will create a directory used to mount /dev/sda6 partition so then I type,

# mount /dev/sda6 /media/sda6

And... This is what this tutorial is made to! Type this command

# grub-install --root-directory=/media/sda6 /dev/sda

If everything's OK, you will receive a message "finished and no error reported". Restart your computer and you'll se your GRUB to select your Linux Distro as your favorite operating system.

Hi World

Assalamualaikum... Hello World... This is my first post in my blog. Wow... Blogspot is the best choice for blogging.

Thank you, and have a happy blogwalking...