Ryan, Debi, and Toren Cragun's Blog

After about three years of toying with each new release of Ubuntu Linux, the latest version, Jaunty Jackalope 9.0.4, sold me.  It’s about 95% there, and that’s enough.  So here’s the rundown of what works and what doesn’t…

I installed the latest version on five computers: 2 custom built desktops, a Lenovo laptop, a Compaq laptop, and a Toshiba laptop.  I had no driver issues on any of the laptops, though the video drivers on the Toshiba (A15-S157) seem a little buggy at times.  Driver wise on the two desktops, mine was fine – it has an Nvidia video card.  Linux prompted me to install the proprietary drivers and it works like a champ.  On Debi’s desktop, the ATI video card, a budget card that isn’t great quality, had some serious problems.  During the install the screen kept flashing – apparently the OS couldn’t figure out a resolution that worked for the monitor/video card combination.  I was eventually able to change the resolution once I got everything installed, but it still has problems.  I can’t get it to boot to a visible log-in screen.  Luckily I knew from past experience that I just needed to type the username, hit return, and then type the password and hit return.  I was able to do that without being able to see anything and it booted to the OS.  I eventually set the system to skip the login prompt, which is a crappy workaround, but it works.

Current problems:

1. On the Lenovo laptop I can’t seem to get the second monitor (our HD TV, which Linux detects fine) to function at its correct resolution.  I can get it to display video, but not at the correct resolution.  It still works, it just doesn’t take full advantage of the TV.  When I set it to the correct resolution, I get the Linux white screen of death.
2. I can’t seem to get Linux (using Synce) to recognize my HTC 8125 PDA.  I don’t sync it very often, but this is kind of a hangup.  I may have resolved this by syncing my contacts and calendar directly with Google as explained here.
3. I can’t install Internet Explorer on Wine so I can watch Netflix videos online.  I’m not sure how I’m going to resolve this one either.  I may have to pick up a Roku box.
4. I’m going to have to learn a new statistics program – R.  I’ve been using SPSS for almost a decade now.  Learning a new program is going to be challenging, but I hear good things about it, so we’ll see.  (Until I do I’m running SPSS in Windows via Virtualbox.)
5. While both a negative and a positive, I have had to look up how to do a number of things on Linux that simply were not intuitive.  I have also had to use the terminal (i.e., command prompt) quite a few times, which is awkward for someone like me who grew up on Macs then switched to Windows when there was no longer a need for the command prompt (for the most part).  Luckily, there have always been answers online.  But this is probably more than the average user is willing to do.
6. I have yet to find a video editing program that works as well as those I used on Windows (Sony Vegas and Adobe Premier).  Well, let me rephrase that: I have yet to find one that really works.  I have tried several and they each seem to work to some degree, but they are very buggy and either freeze up or simply don’t do what I need them to.  I’m going to have to fiddle with these more.
7. WINE, the Windows emulation program, has failed to install every program I’ve tried to install.  At this point I’m not sure it even can install Windows programs.  Kind of pointless.
8. I use special, ergonomic mice due to repetitive stress injuries.  At this point I have not found a program that will allow me to customize the functions of the buttons easily.  This isn’t a major problem, but it probably does slow me down a little bit.
9. When I disconnect my Lenovo laptop from its docking station, Linux doesn’t reset my display settings to a single monitor.  So, unless I change the display settings manually, I can’t see any of the key menus.  Not a major annoyance, but a minor one.
10. Our printers don’t work.  I may be able to get these to work with additional effort.  I’m not that perturbed by one of these, an HP Laserjet 1000, which was always a bit buggy with Windows XP.  However, our Canon MP 830 is kind of annoying.  The scanner function works great, but the printer doesn’t seem to be working at this point.  I’ll have to work on these.
11. Two pieces of software I cannot find replacements for: Omnipage pro, for optical character recognition and Nvivo for qualitative data analysis.  I’m figuring at this point I’ll simply run a version of Windows in Virtualbox and emulate those programs when I need them.  Amazingly, there is not a single good OCR program for Linux.  Not sure why.

Amazing things about Linux:

1. No driver disks or driver downloads to find anywhere.  Linux found all of them for me and installed them with only one or two minor hitches.  That, alone, saved me a lot of time.
2. It’s free!  No serials or codes to type in.  No registration required.
3. The repository of software has thousands of pieces of software to choose from.
4. So far, with only a couple of exceptions, I have found software to replace every piece of software I used to use on Windows.
5. Connecting to wireless networks has been super easy.  The software works flawlessly.
6. The software I have been able to replace includes: Microsoft Office with OpenOffice; Outlook with Evolution; Batch Rename with Bulk Rename; Windows Live sync with Dropbox (this did cost me $99, but includes a backup feature, which Windows Live sync did not include, meaning I always have my files backed up); Toucan synchronizer with Conduit Synchronizer (a lot better); xplorer2 Lite with Krusader; Adobe Reader professional with Okular and PDF Editor; uTorrent with Transmission; Nvu with Bluefish; DVDShrink and Gordian Knot with dvd::rip; iTunes with Rhythmbox; Winsplit with Compiz (even better); .
7. Software that works on both systems: I was already using Openoffice, which works on both; Picasa works on both; Virtualbox works on both; GIMP works on both; Scribus works on both.

My verdict for Ubuntu Linux: Well, if your hardware is fully supported and all you do is use the internet and basic word processing, Ubuntu will work superbly for you.  And, it’s free!  If your hardware isn’t fully supported, your not tech savvy, and you don’t enjoy troubleshooting, Ubuntu is pretty close, but could give you nightmares.  Of course, Windows XP could do the same thing.  Vista, well, that’s a gimme – it’s a worthless piece of crap.  If you’ve been cursed to run it at all, poor you (it came with one of my laptops; it was pretty bad!).  Windows 7, from what I hear, has potential.  But it’s also going to cost you a pretty penny.  And, unless you shell out for the more expensive versions you may be stuck being able to open only 3 applications at the same time.  Also, if you use a particular proprietary software package (e.g., SPSS or Omnipage), you may be stuck with Windows.

I am dual-booting Linux and XP on my desktop.  I’ll keep doing that until I find good video editing software.  Otherwise, I can emulate the other software I still need (Nvivo and Omnipage).

If you’re a fan of Google Reader, like I am, that means it is now part of your life – something you’re not sure you could live without.  I use Google Reader pretty much every day to read the news and keep up with the blogs that I can (mostly family, some friends).  I love Google Reader.  It’s easy to use, feature-rich, and keeps track of what I have read and haven’t.  It even let’s me read my news on my cellphone (try it; it’s pretty slick).

So, while I shouldn’t complain about this awesome software, there is one thing it doesn’t do that I’ve wanted it to do for years: open links that I want to read in a new tab without changing the focus using a one-key shortcut.  See, Google Reader has lots of great shortcuts – though the only one I use all the time is ‘n’, which moves me to the next item.  When I’m reading through Google News items, I usually read all the short blurbs first, opening the ones that really interest me in new tabs to read at length later (using a right-click with my mouse and “open in new tab” options in Firefox).  Now, that’s really not that terrible, considering I’ve been doing it that way for years now.  But wouldn’t it be nice to simply hit one key and have the items you want to read at length pop up for you to read later?

Well, there is a way to do it, but it requires a few steps.  First, Google Reader doesn’t have the ability to do that, but a plugin for Firefox does: Tab Mix Plus.  So, here’s what you do:

1) Install Tab Mix Plus in Firefox.  Restart Firefox and you should have Tab Mix Plus installed.

2) Go to Tools -> Add-ons.  Click on “Extensions.”

3) Scroll down to “Tab Mix Plus” and click on “Options”.

4) A new window will pop up.  You only need to change one setting (though there are some fun goodies in there you can play with).  Click on “Events” then click on “Tab Focus.”  The only one you really need to unselect is “Links.”  Unselect it.  Then click “Apply.”

5) Once you’re done, go back to Google Reader, start reading, and when you want to open a story in a new tab in the background, hit ‘v’ and it should pop up in the background.

6) Voila!  You now have a one-key solution to breeze through your Google Reader News faster than ever.

I’m not exactly sure why it is happening (probably cut and paste issues), but occasionally I get some encoding errors on my blog.  Quotes and dashes end up as: –, —, ”, “. You can see an example in this photo:

According to this website, this is an issue of browsers not playing nice using different encoding standards: UTF-8 and iso-8859-1.  I have also run into this issue when I was downloading text from the internet and had all these characters pop up.  It’s annoying when it happens, but there is a quick fix once it has happened: a macro for OpenOffice.  I’m not an expert on this stuff by any means, but OpenOffice lets you record macros, which is what I did to create this one.  This macro converts the following:

• – into -
• — into -
• ” into “
• “ -> “
• Â into (deletes)
• €¦ into :
• ï into ä
• & into &
• €™ into ‘
• ’ into ‘
• €˜ into ‘

Follow these directions to import the macro:

1) Open OpenOffice.org.  Go to: Tools -> Macros -> Organize Macros -> OpenOffice.org Basic.  This window will pop up:

2) Select “Organizer” and you’ll get this window:

3) Select the “libraries” tab and you’ll see this:

4) Create a “New” library by selecting “New”.  I called mine UTFCleanUp:

5) Hit “OK.”  Close the Organizer. Now select your new library (mine is “UTFCleanUp”).  Then select “New”:

6) This will pull up a new macro.  Make sure in the drop-down window it says “[My Macros & Dialogs].UTFCleanUp” (or whatever you called your library).

7) Select all (Ctrl+A).  Then paste the following:

REM ***** BASIC *****

Sub Main

End Sub

sub cleanup
rem ———————————————————————-
rem define variables
dim document as object
dim dispatcher as object
rem ———————————————————————-
rem get access to the document
document = ThisComponent.CurrentController.Frame
dispatcher = createUnoService(“com.sun.star.frame.DispatchHelper”)

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args2(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args2(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args2(0).Value = 2
args2(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args2(1).Value = 0
args2(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args2(2).Value = true
args2(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args2(3).Value = false
args2(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args2(4).Value = false
args2(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args2(5).Value = false
args2(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args2(6).Value = false
args2(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args2(7).Value = false
args2(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args2(8).Value = 0
args2(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args2(9).Value = 65536
args2(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args2(10).Value = ““”
args2(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args2(11).Value = CHR$(34)
args2(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args2(12).Value = 255
args2(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args2(13).Value = 2
args2(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args2(14).Value = 2
args2(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args2(15).Value = 2
args2(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args2(16).Value = 1280
args2(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args2(17).Value = 3
args2(18).Name = “Quiet”
args2(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args2())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args4(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args4(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args4(0).Value = 2
args4(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args4(1).Value = 0
args4(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args4(2).Value = true
args4(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args4(3).Value = false
args4(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args4(4).Value = false
args4(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args4(5).Value = false
args4(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args4(6).Value = false
args4(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args4(7).Value = false
args4(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args4(8).Value = 0
args4(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args4(9).Value = 65536
args4(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args4(10).Value = “””
args4(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args4(11).Value = CHR$(34)
args4(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args4(12).Value = 255
args4(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args4(13).Value = 2
args4(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args4(14).Value = 2
args4(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args4(15).Value = 2
args4(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args4(16).Value = 1280
args4(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args4(17).Value = 3
args4(18).Name = “Quiet”
args4(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args4())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args6(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args6(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args6(0).Value = 2
args6(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args6(1).Value = 0
args6(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args6(2).Value = true
args6(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args6(3).Value = false
args6(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args6(4).Value = false
args6(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args6(5).Value = false
args6(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args6(6).Value = false
args6(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args6(7).Value = false
args6(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args6(8).Value = 0
args6(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args6(9).Value = 65536
args6(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args6(10).Value = “–”
args6(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args6(11).Value = “-”
args6(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args6(12).Value = 255
args6(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args6(13).Value = 2
args6(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args6(14).Value = 2
args6(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args6(15).Value = 2
args6(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args6(16).Value = 1280
args6(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args6(17).Value = 3
args6(18).Name = “Quiet”
args6(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args6())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args8(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args8(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args8(0).Value = 2
args8(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args8(1).Value = 0
args8(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args8(2).Value = true
args8(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args8(3).Value = false
args8(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args8(4).Value = false
args8(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args8(5).Value = false
args8(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args8(6).Value = false
args8(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args8(7).Value = false
args8(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args8(8).Value = 0
args8(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args8(9).Value = 65536
args8(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args8(10).Value = “—”
args8(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args8(11).Value = “-”
args8(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args8(12).Value = 255
args8(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args8(13).Value = 2
args8(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args8(14).Value = 2
args8(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args8(15).Value = 2
args8(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args8(16).Value = 1280
args8(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args8(17).Value = 3
args8(18).Name = “Quiet”
args8(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args8())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args10(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args10(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args10(0).Value = 2
args10(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args10(1).Value = 0
args10(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args10(2).Value = true
args10(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args10(3).Value = false
args10(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args10(4).Value = false
args10(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args10(5).Value = false
args10(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args10(6).Value = false
args10(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args10(7).Value = false
args10(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args10(8).Value = 0
args10(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args10(9).Value = 65536
args10(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args10(10).Value = “”
args10(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args10(11).Value = “”
args10(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args10(12).Value = 255
args10(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args10(13).Value = 2
args10(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args10(14).Value = 2
args10(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args10(15).Value = 2
args10(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args10(16).Value = 1280
args10(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args10(17).Value = 3
args10(18).Name = “Quiet”
args10(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args10())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args13(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args13(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args13(0).Value = 2
args13(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args13(1).Value = 0
args13(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args13(2).Value = true
args13(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args13(3).Value = false
args13(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args13(4).Value = false
args13(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args13(5).Value = false
args13(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args13(6).Value = false
args13(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args13(7).Value = false
args13(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args13(8).Value = 0
args13(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args13(9).Value = 65536
args13(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args13(10).Value = “ï”
args13(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args13(11).Value = “ä”
args13(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args13(12).Value = 255
args13(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args13(13).Value = 2
args13(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args13(14).Value = 2
args13(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args13(15).Value = 2
args13(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args13(16).Value = 1280
args13(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args13(17).Value = 3
args13(18).Name = “Quiet”
args13(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args13())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args19(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args19(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args19(0).Value = 2
args19(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args19(1).Value = 0
args19(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args19(2).Value = true
args19(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args19(3).Value = false
args19(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args19(4).Value = false
args19(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args19(5).Value = false
args19(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args19(6).Value = false
args19(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args19(7).Value = false
args19(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args19(8).Value = 0
args19(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args19(9).Value = 65536
args19(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args19(10).Value = “’”
args19(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args19(11).Value = “‘”
args19(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args19(12).Value = 255
args19(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args19(13).Value = 2
args19(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args19(14).Value = 2
args19(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args19(15).Value = 2
args19(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args19(16).Value = 1280
args19(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args19(17).Value = 3
args19(18).Name = “Quiet”
args19(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args19())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args20(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args20(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args20(0).Value = 2
args20(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args20(1).Value = 0
args20(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args20(2).Value = true
args20(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args20(3).Value = false
args20(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args20(4).Value = false
args20(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args20(5).Value = false
args20(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args20(6).Value = false
args20(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args20(7).Value = false
args20(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args20(8).Value = 0
args20(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args20(9).Value = 65536
args20(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args20(10).Value = “€™”
args20(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args20(11).Value = “‘”
args20(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args20(12).Value = 255
args20(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args20(13).Value = 2
args20(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args20(14).Value = 2
args20(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args20(15).Value = 2
args20(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args20(16).Value = 1280
args20(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args20(17).Value = 3
args20(18).Name = “Quiet”
args20(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args20())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args21(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args21(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args21(0).Value = 2
args21(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args21(1).Value = 0
args21(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args21(2).Value = true
args21(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args21(3).Value = false
args21(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args21(4).Value = false
args21(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args21(5).Value = false
args21(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args21(6).Value = false
args21(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args21(7).Value = false
args21(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args21(8).Value = 0
args21(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args21(9).Value = 65536
args21(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args21(10).Value = “€¦”
args21(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args21(11).Value = “:”
args21(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args21(12).Value = 255
args21(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args21(13).Value = 2
args21(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args21(14).Value = 2
args21(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args21(15).Value = 2
args21(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args21(16).Value = 1280
args21(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args21(17).Value = 3
args21(18).Name = “Quiet”
args21(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args21())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args22(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args22(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args22(0).Value = 2
args22(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args22(1).Value = 0
args22(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args22(2).Value = true
args22(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args22(3).Value = false
args22(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args22(4).Value = false
args22(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args22(5).Value = false
args22(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args22(6).Value = false
args22(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args22(7).Value = false
args22(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args22(8).Value = 0
args22(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args22(9).Value = 65536
args22(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args22(10).Value = “&”
args22(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args22(11).Value = “&”
args22(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args22(12).Value = 255
args22(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args22(13).Value = 2
args22(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args22(14).Value = 2
args22(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args22(15).Value = 2
args22(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args22(16).Value = 1280
args22(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args22(17).Value = 3
args22(18).Name = “Quiet”
args22(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args22())

rem ———————————————————————-
dim args23(18) as new com.sun.star.beans.PropertyValue
args23(0).Name = “SearchItem.StyleFamily”
args23(0).Value = 2
args23(1).Name = “SearchItem.CellType”
args23(1).Value = 0
args23(2).Name = “SearchItem.RowDirection”
args23(2).Value = true
args23(3).Name = “SearchItem.AllTables”
args23(3).Value = false
args23(4).Name = “SearchItem.Backward”
args23(4).Value = false
args23(5).Name = “SearchItem.Pattern”
args23(5).Value = false
args23(6).Name = “SearchItem.Content”
args23(6).Value = false
args23(7).Name = “SearchItem.AsianOptions”
args23(7).Value = false
args23(8).Name = “SearchItem.AlgorithmType”
args23(8).Value = 0
args23(9).Name = “SearchItem.SearchFlags”
args23(9).Value = 65536
args23(10).Name = “SearchItem.SearchString”
args23(10).Value = “€˜”
args23(11).Name = “SearchItem.ReplaceString”
args23(11).Value = “‘”
args23(12).Name = “SearchItem.Locale”
args23(12).Value = 255
args23(13).Name = “SearchItem.ChangedChars”
args23(13).Value = 2
args23(14).Name = “SearchItem.DeletedChars”
args23(14).Value = 2
args23(15).Name = “SearchItem.InsertedChars”
args23(15).Value = 2
args23(16).Name = “SearchItem.TransliterateFlags”
args23(16).Value = 1280
args23(17).Name = “SearchItem.Command”
args23(17).Value = 3
args23(18).Name = “Quiet”
args23(18).Value = true

dispatcher.executeDispatch(document, “.uno:ExecuteSearch”, “”, 0, args23())

end sub

(In case you have a problem copying and pasting the code for the macro, here it is a text file.)

8) You’ll end up with this:

9) Save your macro (click on the blue disk).

10) You can access your macro by going to: Tools -> Macros -> Run Macros

11) Select: My Macros -> UTFCleanUp -> Module1 -> cleanup

12) Hit “Run”.

I have a Sony HDR-HC1 camcorder that I use for shooting video. It’s a great camera with lots of features. The only problem I ever really have with it is trying to get the HD video off it and onto my computer for editing (getting SD video off is easier). It usually boils down to me not adjusting the camera settings correctly, but I can usually figure it out after a couple of minutes (HDV out and i.link conversion off).

But last night, after not having used my camcorder for about 6 months, I needed to transfer some footage onto my computer to edit it and I couldn’t get it to work. The problem was that my computer – a custom-built Windows XP SP3 box running an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ with 2gb of RAM – wouldn’t recognize my camcorder. I had problems getting my editing software to recognize the video in the past (again, this was always a settings issue), but I had never had a problem with Windows recognizing my camera. What would pop up was the “Detected New Hardware” message and then it would install some crappy, temporary driver for an “AV/C Subunit”, whatever the hell that is. The driver indicated it wasn’t working correctly and it couldn’t get Sony Vegas (my editing program) to recognize the camera.

I knew that I could always switch the i.link conversion to standard definition (SD) before and it worked fine. So, I tried that. This time, however, it still didn’t work fine. Windows was simply not recognizing my camcorder connected via firewire (IEEE 1394), something it had done dozens of times in the past. Like an idiot, I overlooked the obvious explanation (which I’ll explain below), and tried all sorts of other avenues to try to fix this problem.

Of course, the first approach is simply to try every combination of settings I could think of and restart Windows a couple dozen times. That didn’t work. Then I turned to the internet, where I eventually found a hint toward the solution. Other people have had similar problems in the past (see here and here, among many others). The initial advice I found came from Sony’s website (though I’m linking to a different one here as I can’t find the site again; the directions are very similar), which suggested that this was a driver issue and that you simply needed to reinstall the driver. To do this you were supposed to turn on your camera, plug it in, then go to: control panel->system->hardware tab->device manager. You should see your camera listed under “imaging devices”. Right click it and select update driver->No, not this time->Next->Install from a list or a specific location (Advanced)->Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install.->Show compatible hardware->Scroll to the first “Sony” device->Select “Sony D-VHS Device”->Click Next->Click YES to warning->Click Finish->Close. I tried this several times, choosing different Sony devices each time. No luck.

Eventually I stumbled on this website, that finally clued me into what the problem was. The second post (the one by Deep G) mentions that some people may be missing some necessary files because they have a stripped down version of Windows XP. This is when I realized what the problem was: I’ve been using a stripped down version of Windows XP. I learned about nLite via Lifehacker.com and decided it would be worth giving it a try. Basically, nLite lets you take your Windows XP install disc and customizes it so you don’t have to sit around and wait for it to install. It lets you incorporate service packs and basic settings so you can set it and forget. But it also lets you remove components of Windows XP you don’t want. I removed a bunch when I customized my install disc, including the component I think was causing the problems with my camera: Windows Movie Maker. Since I have much more powerful video editing software, I figured I could just cut out Windows Movie Maker and not worry about it. I don’t know for certain, but I think that also meant I cut out the requisite driver files that allowed Windows to recognize my camcorder. Ergo, my stripped down version of Windows XP was missing the drivers required to recognize HD camcorders.

The website where I found this suggestion (and this site) suggested all you need is a few files in the right locations and you’d be good to go: put mstape.inf, avcstrm.sys, and mstape.sys in “c:\windows\system32\drivers” and it will work. Well, the first problem is, since I don’t have those files in my drivers folder, how am I supposed to get them? I searched around online and found a place offering them for money. I wasn’t about to pay for these files. So, I set up a virtual PC on my desktop, installed a fresh version of Windows XP, and stole them from there. It was a serious pain in the ass and, it didn’t work for me. I tried putting them in the right folder and then going through the same steps of updating my drivers (as outlined above). No luck. Maybe I didn’t do something I was supposed to or I did something wrong. Just in case this solution does actually work for someone, you’re welcome to use the files I now have (after reinstalling Windows) to try this approach for yourself: three files for av/c subunit problem zipped (In case you’re worried that these files have some hack or other malware, read the blog. I’m a sociology professor and I identify myself readily – you could easily track me down over this. They are the files I’m currently using on my computer and, if they are malicious, then I’m screwed too and you can blame Microsoft, because they are coming from a fresh install on my computer.)

Having ruled that approach out, I realized that I was going to have to bite-the-bullet and start from scratch. This was, in fact, the original problem anyway. About 3 months ago I had to reformat my desktop, where I do all my video editing. I used the stripped down version of Windows to install the operating system. Since I hadn’t needed to edit any HD footage since then. I didn’t realize that my reformat with the stripped down version was going to lead to problems. I spent a couple hours reformatting this morning, but before I installed any new programs, I plugged in my camcorder to see if it would give the same error. NOPE! It recognized the camera and installed the correct drivers. Problem solved. This time around it recognized it just like it had dozens of times before. I was back in business.

So, what’s the solution and what causes this problem? There are a couple of issues here.

1. Sony doesn’t provide drivers for their HD cameras, they are built into Windows. So, you can’t find the drivers on Sony’s website nor online anywhere.
2. If you mess around with the files that come with the standard versions of Windows XP, you run the risk of deleting the necessary drivers. You can do that by stripping out parts of Windows you don’t want, like Movie Maker (I think that’s the problem).
3. Once you’ve deleted the necessary drivers (or failed to install them in the first place), getting them back is difficult. This is why you get the “AV/C Subunit” driver rather than the standard HD Camcorder driver.
4. You can try installing the three files I posted. I promise they aren’t hacked; I’m not good enough at programming to hack them.
5. Worst comes to worst, find an unadulterated version of Windows and install it from scratch without stripping anything out. Then try connecting your camcorder. It should install without any problems.

An additional tidbit. I saw some advice on several websites suggesting people try installing various pieces of HD capture software to see if that solves the problem. FYI, that doesn’t work. The software doesn’t come with drivers for the camcorders. If the computer isn’t recognizing your camcorder, it doesn’t matter what software you try to use to do the capturing, it won’t work.

Also, just so you know, I’m not a computer expert, just a novice who likes to fiddle with these types of things. If your question isn’t answered in the above post, you can try emailing me for more details, but keep in mind that I probably can’t answer your question in much more depth than what I provided (I write these things up as much for me as for other people so I don’t forget them in the future). I have had people email in the past and beg me to help them fix their problem. FYI, I have a more-than-full-time job. I really don’t have time to help you fix your computer. If this doesn’t solve your problem, sorry, but I’m not troubleshooting your problems for you. It worked for me, but that doesn’t mean it will work for you.

If you haven’t downloaded Firefox 3 yet, you still have a couple hours to participate in their Guiness World Record setting attempt at the most software downloads in 24 hours.  We’ve downloaded a new copy for each of our 6 computers: