OS Installation notes

Ubuntu gobbledy-speak

To understand many web posts about Ubuntu you need to know far too much weird terminology, including:

The desktop system:
Gnome (I think) up to 10.04. From 12.04 it's Unity ("3D"). Then from 18.04 it's back to Gnome.
Strip down LH side:
Unity: launcher
Gnome: Dock or Favourites
The file manager: Nautilus

Installing dual-boot Windows and Ubuntu

Given Windows' poor understanding of a dual-boot environment, the simplest thing is (last done was Windows 11 and Ubuntu 22.04 using, at last, UEFI rather than BIOS on JCPR-Dell-4):

Install Windows taking the whole disk.
Use a local account by using email address a@a.com then handling the error pages which lead you to creating a local one (thanks to Arjun Sha)
Use Disk Management to shrink the Windows partition to a suitable size.
Add new simple volume (for drive E)
Leave partition for Ubuntu (which will take it as ext4).
Ref: MS support
In Windows, since Ubuntu install doesn't like RST (Rapid Start Technology), turn it off:
Two bcdedit's with boot/UEFI reconfig between
Very very long "Restarting" after the second one, and am still in safe mode
So, use msconfig to disable Safe Boot
Install Ubuntu which has standard support for installing alongside Windows.
Finish Installing Windows
Tests on Windows when CYGWIN and PYTHON going and PATH set:
- : CY and then cy testharness.sh (latter uses some python module calls)
- h testharness
- Run cy housekeeping.sh -checkHardLinks
- Manually copy "\\jcpr-dell-3\C\Users\peter\AppData\Roaming\OpenOffice\4\user\wordbook\standard.dic" to new PC and then run hardlinks again once JC has used OO

Installing Ubuntu

(last updated from 18.04 to 20.04 Nov/Dec-2020)

All machines are on dual-boot with Windows10.

Create USB using Rufus
Run /home/peter/backup.sh (as sudo) and copy resulting files away for reference (eg: prey config)
Boot from USB (on main PC: Del | F8 Boot Menu)
On jcpr-laptop1 options (using DataTraveler G4, 8Gig) are:
UEFI: IP4 Realtec PCIe GBE Family Controller UEFI: IP6 Realtec PCIe GBE Family Controller P2: KINGSTON SV300S37A120G KingstonDataTraveler 3.0PMAP UEFI: KingstonDataTraveler 3.0PMAP
Must use the non-UEFI and non-P2 (often penultimate) one.
On main PC use "try before install" option to check hardware supported.
For the install, select Minimal install (in 2020 only did this for main PC, did full on laptop), YES to "Download updates while installing" and YES to "Install third party software".
Take option to erase previous Ubuntu and reinstall (sic).
ie: use Default "Installation type" : Erase Ubuntu xx.04.y LTS and reinstall
For backup.sh, ran: date > /etc/epoch.00
(if you forget, subsequently run: touch -d 'dd-Mon-yyyy 09:00' /etc/epoch.00)
Then remember when modifying key files to save copies using: cp -p file file.00
Add Software Updater to launcher and use it to apply pending updates.
On JCPR-Dell-3 change default boot (dual-boot systems) back to Windows:
- Note the offset of the Windows in the boot list (0-based, and not the same list as shown by "update-grub", typically 4)
  Note: must use the list seen at actual boot. I can't find any file that records it. Contrary to askubuntu you can't work it out from the menu entry lines.
- Edit /etc/default/grub changing GRUB_DEFAULT from 0 to this offset
- Run "update-grub" to persist the change.
Set up naming and auto-mounting of local drive(s):
mkdir /media/D # Or /media/E on main PC
Add to /etc/fstab (using appropriate device; use fdisk -l to help identify):
/dev/sda4 /media/D ntfs-3g quiet,defaults,rw 0 0
Test with mount -a
On JCPR-DELL-3 also auto-mount /dev/sda2 as /media/C in the same way.
On jcpr-laptop1 share out the NTFS folder containing ntfs-mirror.
- From Computer in Files app, navigate to /media and on D right-click Properties | Share
  This says "Sharing service is not installed" so click "Install service" button ... confirm "install Samba" package (which ends saying "Package 'libpam-smbpass' is virtual"sharing not installed)
  Then as requested, add to /etc/samba/smb.conf:
  usershare owner only = False
  followed by: service smbd restart
  Then set Allow others to create and delete files in this folder and press OK.
- Then run smbpasswd -a peter
  Setting my same login password; this feels wrong, but I need it to access the share. Maybe it's a one-off (see: question)
  I have "unix passwd sync = yes" in smb.conf
- Also share /media/D/ntfs-mirror as that name and /home/peter as peterHome (without Allow others to create and delete files in this folder)
- Note: must reboot before we can access the share from Windows.
On jcpr-laptop1 as peter:
- Add PC's E drive as Files favourite. Can't get to it properly, so in Files' Other Locations click Connect to Server and enter: smb://jcpr-dell-3/e
  Then add that as favourite.
  Thanks to DevOpsBroker
- Symlink this with: ln -s /run/user/1000/gvfs/smb-share:server=jcpr-dell-3,share=e $HOME/pc-e
Do customisations
Install various useful things:
NB: on JCPR-DELL-3 in 2020 Gparted was not seen by Ubuntu Software and attempt to install LibreOffice below failed with Error opening directory "/usr/share/appdata": No such file or directory.
Both problems disappeared on reboot (when LibreOffice had been installed).
- Gparted from Ubuntu Software.
- System-monitor after lots of messing around (and thanks to pomsky):
  1. apt install gnome-shell-extension-system-monitor gnome-tweaks
    then reboot.
  2. Open Tweaks extension/app to enable then use it's Preferences to add Net to display (giving CPU, Mem, Net, Disk) and set widths to 60 pixels.
  Repeat step 2 for each user.
- Gvim: do from Ubuntu Software, which installs gvim and vim. Then add to each of the rc files in /etc/vim:
  source /media/D/ntfs-mirror/peterb/website/nof/_vimrc-PLB
- Prey on jcpr-laptop1 - can't do from Ubuntu Software, so:
  - Download 64-bit Ubuntu from preyproject (or copy from DOWNLOADS/ToolsAndUtilities/prey_9.8.7_amd64.deb).
  - Install with: dpkg -i Downloads/prey_1.9.6_amd64.deb
  - This ends with errors:
```
dpkg: error processing package prey (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 prey
```
  - which are fixed by then running: apt-get install --fix-broken
    which generates masses of output ending with:
```
...
chowning /var/log/prey.log to uid 998 and gid 998
Running "config activate" as prey
--
Ensuring presence of config dir: /etc/prey
Syncing /etc/prey/prey.conf with /usr/lib/prey/versions/1.9.6/prey.conf.default
Setting up this as current...
No version is set as current.
Setting permissions on /usr/lib/prey/current
Running post_activate hooks...
Voila! All good.
--
Installing init scripts.
Sweet! Please run `prey config panel` or `prey config gui` to link your device.
Voila! All good.
localuser:prey being added to access control list
Firing up config panel!
A browser tab will now open and direct you to the device link process.
```
  - And, as stated this launches Prey in a browser tab, where you just login to enable the PC.
    Browser tab opening can be triggered post-install using /usr/lib/prey/prey config panel
    Also, by some magic, changing prey's password subsequent to an install from a (different) PC did not require any update to the Ubuntu installation.
  Thanks for the above to: Xiao Guoan and then Vinnl
- If Minimal installation
  - Sambaapt update apt install samba Thanks to linuxize
  - LibreOffice
- NO MORE IN FUTURE?: Ubuntu Cleaner (subset of long dead Ubuntu Tweak's Janitor - found thanks to ubuntuhandbook.org with 20.04 confirmation from itsubuntu)
  add-apt-repository ppa:gerardpuig/ppa apt update apt install ubuntu-cleaner add-apt-repository --remove ppa:gerardpuig/ppa Which installed ubuntu-cleaner 1.1.3-1 I think (ex: in 18.04: 1.0.4-1)
For 20.04 on jcpr-laptop1 had dreadful trouble getting it to see anything else on the LAN.
Things like ping jcpr-dell-3 failed with ping: jcpr-dell-3: Temporary failure in name resolution
Spent a long time failing to find a fix, so worked round by fixing it in etc/hosts, so it contains:
```
        192.168.0.10 nas-29-ee-87
        192.168.0.56 npi12190f
        192.168.0.14 jcpr-dell-3
```
Did not bother to sort out on JCPR-DELL-3
From 20.04, access to NAS drives (even using smb://NAS-29-EE-87/core) fail with:
```
        Unable to access location 
        Failed to mount Windows share: Software caused connection abort
```
Fix by downgrading Samba support level (thanks to Mariano):
- In the [global] section of /etc/samba/smb.conf add:
```
            client min protocol = NT1
```
- Restart the Samba Service: service smbd restart
On jcpr-laptop1 as peter, set up slave-to-PC and at-boot processing:
- As sudo:
```
                ln /etc/hosts /home/peter/logs/.
                chmod a+w /etc/hosts    # Yes, horrid, but allows my crude syncing to work!!
                ln /etc/prey/prey.conf /home/peter/.
                ln /var/log/prey.log /home/peter/logs
```
  But note that in 20.04 had all sorts of access problems with the prey.log link. It looked as if prey.log is a peculiarly-protected file, with, eg, the LN failing with (I think):
```
                ln: failed to create hard link '/home/peter/logs/prey.log' => '/var/log/prey.log': Operation not permitted
```
- As peter:
```
                mkdir -p $HOME/utils $HOME/logs/epoch-files $HOME/logs/dus
                touch $HOME/logs/epoch-files/dead-mans-switch.epoch
```
- Copy to utils the .sh's from main PC listed in sy.sh (as of Nov-2020: common.sh cygwin.sh find.sh housekeeping.sh setterm.sh sy.sh)
- Edit /etc/environment and put /home/peter/utils at front of path
- As root (sudo -i) run crontab -e and add (thanks to user.dz) the line:
  @reboot export PATH=/home/peter/utils:$PATH; housekeeping.sh -atBoot
- Install backup.sh in /peter/home, and, as sudo, run backup.sh and copy the (three) files it creates to main PC to a newly-created peterb/ubuntu\yy.mm-xxx\jcpr-laptop1 folder (in which also create a utils, logs, logs/dus, logs/epoch-files and utils).
  This allows housekeeping.sh to see this as the latest/current laptop folder.
  Then, on PC, run: sy
Set up printer and Scanner
Printers | Add Printer Shows two take the Color-LaserJet-CP2025dn one and duplicate as BlackAndWhiteLaserJet
Set Duplexor installed if needed (not usually), Two-sided: Long Edge and Print Color as Gray, set as default and for all users.
Have to set Firefox (at least) to use two-sided when printing for first time as JC and not for me for it to work.
Copy Firefox profiles from (eg) Window10 replacing the default ones.
Customise Firefox further if neccessary:
- Set home page to file:///media/D/ntfs-mirror/peterb/website/pages/topage.htm (no ntfs-mirror on main PC)
- Check British spelling ... type "colour" into text box, right-click | Languages | Add Dictionaries
  Note: the dictionary for default English language packs do not work. Must install the Marco Pinto English (United Kingdom) one (and for each user!).
- For JC, set FF to start on login.
  From 18.04 Alt-F2 to run gnome-session-properties (ref: help.ubuntu.com) to add: /usr/bin/firefox
Get new gparted disk image to website/images/disks
When all done, as sudo, run backup.sh and copy the (three) files it creates to main PC.

Ubuntu customisations and tweaks

Add Ubuntu Software to launcher (if it's not there)
Remove LibreOffice and Amazon icons from launcher (if there)
Set launcher icons smaller (28) - using Settings | Appearance | Dock
Power: suspend when inactive for 20 mins (plugged in and not)
Wifi - edit connection(s) and check/set "Available to All Users"
Touchpad - disable if required: System Settings | Mouse & Touchpad
Lock Screenshot application to launcher
Files - change to list view (which is remembered for all folders) and in Preferences | List View set Allow folders to be Expanded
Uninstall (if there): AisleRiot Solitaire, Amazon, Cheese, Deja Dup Backup Tool, Document Scanner, GNOME Mahjongg, GNOME Mines, GNOME Sudoku, ImageMagik, Rhythmbox, Remmina, Shotwell, Thunderbird, To Do, Videos
From 20.04 Thunderbird has special status. Find it from Ubuntu Software, where it shows as "Installed" with a green tick. Click on the tick and you get an uninstall option. (thanks to FLOSS)
Remove man-db (thanks to howtoinstall):
apt-get purge man-db apt-get autoremove --purge man-db
Disable things that can't be uninstalled (thanks to Prahlad Yeri):
- Evolution in /usr/lib/evolution chmod -ax evolution-addressbook* evolution-calendar* evolution-scan* evolution-source-* evolution-user-prompter
- avahi in /usr/sbin chmod a-x avahi-*
When doing this first time audited using ps -eH --format sz:8,rss:8,time,cmd --sort=cmd before and after to see what processes disappear.
Remove unwanted processes. To identify ones that can go, run
ps -eH --format sz:8,rss:8,time,cmd --sort=cmd
... tbd ... document common ones and commands to get rid of them.
For dev work, install meld - a decent equivalent of DiffMerge.

For Python work from Ubuntu using PC drives (tbc...)

ln -s /run/user/1000/gvfs/smb-share:server=jcpr-dell-3,share=e pc-e # IF NOT DONE ALREADY
export PYTHONPATH=/home/peter/pc-e/utils/python

Then can do, eg: python3 -m unoconv -h

Change the illegible default colour when LS'ing some files (eg: directories on locally mounted NTFS file systems, such as /media/D).
As Peter run dircolors -p > ~/.dircolors and edit the created file to change the entry for OTHER_WRITABLE from 34;42 (Blue on Green) to be the same as DIR (01;34 - Blue on Black).
Then as sudo: ln /home/peter/.dircolors /root/.
Ref: askubuntu
NB: can also use setterm.sh [yellow | grey | reset] to set BG colour in a terminal window (to help distinguish when having multiples to switch between).

Installing Windows

Updated for JCPR-Dell-4 with pre-installed Win11

mkdir temp on C (systemdrive)
If dual-boot system (unless mainly run under Windows), prevent clock shifts when occasionally booting into Ubuntu by making Windows use UTC, instead of local, time.
If already done, running reg query HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation shows: RealTimeIsUniversal REG_DWORD 0x1

Otherwise set it by running (as Administrator):
sc config w32time start= disabled
then apply DOWNLOADS\Microsoft\WindowsTimeFixUTC.reg and then run:
sc config w32time start= demand
Thanks to askubuntu (and earlier).
Install Open Shell eg: OpenShellSetup_4_4_170.exe (ex: Classic Shell)
Disable: Classic Explorer, Classic IE9
On first use (usually after reboot) select:
- Classic with 2 cols
- Replace windows start menu
- Skin | small icons
- stop highlight of recently added items by unchecking Highlight newly installed programs in the General Behavior tab (ref).
Download and install Firefox, copying Profiles from JCPR-Dell-3 (having cleared their Cache first)
Problems (with/after the Win11 transfer from JCPR-Dell-3's Win10:
- Copying (my) Firefox profile, got 1 error/warning on explorer copy about a symbolic link, but seems to work OK. Added the profile to profiles.ini then used: about:profiles to set it default
- Network discovery doesn't work at all reliably (did 1st time then not, despite trying all sorts from Googling). Only reliable thing is to use path in Explorer path: \\jcpr-dell-3\e
- Explorer's "Restore previous folder windows at logon" doesn't work
/li>
Do Windows preferences changes
Do Windows tools and apps installation
Do Removing Windows Apps
Map N and P (right click on My Computer in Explorer)
From Oct 2019 install, need to enable SMB v1 to see NAS box in Network.
Can't see NAS in Explorer. Attempt to dir \\nas-29-ee-87\core says: "Say Can't connect ... see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=852747".
Have to enable SMB1 first: CP | Programs | Turn Windows features on or off | SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support
So, as per KB 2696547, reenable SMB v1 and restart:
Search for Turn Windows Features on or off and check SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support
Add Janet and Visitor as local user.
Permissions (still struggling here): Manually on each top level folder on E (Data): Change Owner recursively to me (or JC for JANETS-stuff)
On e:\temp set all users full control.
Share E: as e and give full permissions to me for it (for laptop access)

Windows preferences changes

Adding links to Win11 Start Menu is a pain:
- create shortcut, move to shell:programs in explorer (or, for all users, to %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs) then each user has to find in Start | All Apps and right-click and Pin to Start.
- And have to one-by-one remove masses of already pinned stuff like Whatsapp
- And some of them get a decent icon and some don't for no rhyme or reason. To fix broken icons (eg: for SCALC invocation):
  - Right click on shortcut in All Apps list
  - More | Go to File Location
  - Properties | Change Icon | Browse
  - In filename put in path the the .exe C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice 4\program\scalc.exe
Set Explorer's right-click menu to old, one-level one (instead of Win11's two part one, split with Show More Options):
reg add HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32 /ve /d "" /f
Enable ping: CP | [Network and Internet |] Network and Sharing Center | Change Advanced sharing settings | Turn on file and printer sharing
To access remote shares, turn on network discovery in Network and Sharing Centre, or simply: double-click on Network and follow prompts.
On non-main system, share out the ntfs-mirror folder (and parent drive, typically as D) if appropriate.
Windows Explorer:
- View | Options | Change folder and search options | View:
  - Show hidden files and folders
  - Don't Hide empty drives in the Computer folder
  - Don't hide extensions of known file types
  - Don't hide protected operating system files
  - Restore previous folder windows at logon
  - Navigation pane: Expand to open folder and Show all folders
- The default Date column in the RH pane is erratic and unreliable (see inter alia). Use right-click on column headings in RH pane to replace it with Date modified
- Get confirmation for file deletes using the checkbox on Properties on Recycle Bin (thanks to winaero)
Short date format change: CP | Region, Change date, time or number formats | Additional Settings | Date | Short date: dd-MMM-yyyy (sic!!)
Set correct GB date locale.
Default cygwin date format was: Tue, Dec 6, 2022 1:19:49 PM, not: 06 Dec 2022 13:22:56
Due to LANG being set to en_US.UTF-8 not en_GB.UTF-8
But getting GB tooks lots of messing around, including setting LANG in System Environment variables and adding new US Qwerty keyboard and then removing it again.
Refs, inter alia: Superuser
Task bar Right-Click | Settings
- Use small taskbar buttons
- Never combine buttons (doesn't work ATM in Win11)
- Turn Off Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu ...
- Left align
Desktop Right-Click | View | Small icons
Desktop Right-Click | Personalise. Search for Screen Saver then in the Screen Saver Settings popup set None, Wait 15 mins and "On resume display log-on screen"
Disable Lock screen to save memory: Settings Personalisation | Lock Screen.
Then to stop the image cycle on the initial login screen run gpedit.msc and go to Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Control Panel | Personalization Set Do not display the lock screen to Enabled (thanks to A. user).
In Win11 needed more using gpedit again: Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Control Panel | Personalization | Do not display the lock screen (thanks to Abhishek Kumar Mishra)
Map (and reconnect at logon), as appropriate:
N: \\nas-29-ee-87\core
P: \\nas-29-ee-87\public
If wanted, install God Mode icon on my desktop: create folder called GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} (not sure I'll ever use it!).
Make E:\ writeable to me (at least) to avoid cannot open "./sh0654.aac" for output: Access is denied errors in some MKS and Cygwin scripts.
I don't understand why. I am an administrator and Administrators have Full access to the folder.
Since "Windows 10 Anniversary Edition" in 2016 Cortana has been harder to disable.
I did it using How-To-Geek's instructions (but not using and ToolsAndUtilities\Disable Cortana.reg). Using gpedit.msc
Local Computer Policy | Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Search and disable the "Allow Cortana" setting.
Though, as per PCWorld, this doesn't get rid of the process.
Windows 10 "Creators update" lost our "HP Laserjet (B&W)" printer definition (and initially the "HP Color LaserJet" one too - tho' that reappeared the first time it was powered on), and it had to be recreated, selecting the same WSD port as the Color one, enabling Duplex and setting Black&White
Change window title bar and border with Settings | Personalisation | Colors
Set Wake on LAN. Refs:
Dell and Windows Central
Then do:

Windows preferences changes must be redone after Windows update

M$'s hideous major update process (eg: both "Creators Update" and "Fall Creators Update") can remove many common preferences. These, at least, may need to be reset after an update:

Make shutdown really do so: Control Panel | Power Options | Choose what the power button does then untick Turn on fast start-up (recommended)
If you don't do this shutdown causes some semi-hibernate mode and things like our -atBoot housekeeping doesn't stop. See thread.
On SSD system set no paging, CP | System | Advanced system settings | Advanced*2 (ref: Tunecomp article).
On PC set no hibernate (powercfg -h off - use powercfg -a to show if it is) Ref: TechGage article
Turn off sleep mode (else backups, for instance, get clobbered): Control Panel | Power Options | Change when the computer sleeps | Never
In CMD prompt window, set: Quick Edit mode, Raster fonts 8x12, Windows Size: 152x64 with max height in buffer (9999)
Task Manager:
Options: Not "Always on top" or "Minimise on use", set "Hide when minimised"
To make its icon always shown: Customise Notification area and select "Show icon and Notifications"
In the Details tab add columns: Working Set (memory), Base Priority, Handles, Threads, I/O read bytes, I/O write bytes, I/O other bytes, Command line
Task Scheduler: enable All Tasks History
Task Scheduler: increase amount of history retained (thanks to db_ch):
- Open Event Viewer (sic)
- Navigate to Applications and Services Logs | Microsoft | Windows | TaskScheduler/Operational
- Right click Properties and change logsize from 10240 to, say, 60288
Explorer's Shift-Right-Click Open Command Window Here (Removed in Windows 10 "Creators update", replacing it with one for PowerShell).
Thanks to Windows Central applied DOWNLOADS\Microsoft\cmd-here-windows-10.reg to get it back.
Oct-2020 note: "Open Command Window Here" (and "Open PowerShell Window Here") often fail to appear when doing Alt Right-Click in Explorer. I didn't try, but saw, several more manual regedit tips for fixing this, such as this from windowscentral.
Visual Studio preference changes (can be reset on VS updates):
NB: best to take this using Tools | Import and Export settings
- Make sure the ASP.NET and Web Development component is installed (re-run the Installer if necessary), otherwise .htm editing's Design/Split/Source doesn't work. Then, to get this available, open a .htm and use Open With to select HTML (Web Forms) Editor.
  Click Set as Default
- Use Options | Web Form Designer | General to set Start pages in: Source View
- Use Tools | Options | Text Editor | ASP.NET Web Forms | Scroll Bars to remove vertical scroll bar/image
- Font size, use : Tools | Options | Fonts and Colors | Font (bold size)... and set Consolas
  Also set zoom (bottom LH corner) to 121%
- TAB setting for Python: Tools | Options | Text Editor | Python | Tabs and set Insert Spaces (Tab/Indent size 4)
- Disable auto-download updates: Tools | Options | Product Updates
  Until bug fixed, and if necessary, disable BackgroundDownload from Task Scheduler's Task Scheduler Library -> Microsoft -> VisualStudio -> Updates
- Disable (some only?) telemetry (to avoid masses of files in C:\Users\peter\AppData\Local\Temp\VSTelem hopefully):
  Help | Privacy | Privacy Settings and opt-out (thanks to Vectorizer).
- Prevent creation of .vs/PythonCode/FileContentIndex folder and its .vsidx files:
  - delete or rename Indexing.servicehub.service.json in "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\Editor\ServiceHub"
  - remove the FileContentIndex folder
  Thanks to Don Shrout

Windows tools and apps installation

Pathnames relate to last install - earlier ones may have been used in the past. Most/all installs under DOWNLOADS, often DOWNLOADS/ToolsAndUtilities. On Windows8 always: Right-Click | Run as Administrator

Firefox - download from web, set preferences:
- Home page to our local web start one (file:///E:/peterb/website/pages/topage.htm)
- Downloads - me: always select. Both: close downloads when complete
- Install and activate British English spelling: Create draft email containing "colour favourites". Right-Click and download/install English (UK) dictionary (have to do for each user!), then back to the draft email, Right-Click and change dictionary - which is then remembered.
- Restore any persdict.dat from archive for each user
- [June-2021] Restore tabs from FF 89 to "pre-Proton" slimmer style (thanks to jscher2000 ):
  about:config
  browser.proton.enabled and set to false ("Photon style")
- [Sep-2021] Restore tabs from FF 91 to clearer style (thanks to Dave Jarvis):
  Create folder JCPRadmin/Firefox-chrome containing file userChrome.css filled in as per the post
  about:config
  toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets and set to true
  As admin, go to each user's profile folder and create link to the .css parent folder:
  mklink /d chrome E:\JCPRadmin\Firefox-chrome
- [Apr-2022] Restore open/download option for attachments from Gmail (inter alia):
  about:config
  browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel and set to false
  Thanks to: Compumind
- [Mar-2023] Fix yet more changes in download attachments:
  Go to Applications part of Menu | Settings | General
  and change "Action" for various files/types to "Always ask", including: the various "Microsoft Excel", "Microsoft Word", "Rich Text Document", and "OpenOffice xxxx" entries.
  Ref: Mozilla
Diffmerge - DiffMerge_X.Y.Z.999.stable_x64.msi
Use Tools | Registration to input the key I bought, and is in a 28-Aug-2013 email in my gmail Keep folder (and in techinfo.txt).
VIM - gvim??.exe
Set font to Courier, Standard, 10pt
Then add, as required:
```
source $VIMRUNTIME/mswin.vim
behave mswin
source E:/peterb/website/nof/_vimrc-PLB
set noerrorbells visualbell t_vb=
```
into Program Files (x86)\Vim\_vimrc (just after source $VIMRUNTIME/vimrc_example.vim) and add C:\Program Files (x86)\Vim\vim?? to path
OpenOffice - Apache_OpenOffice_X.Y.Z_Win_x86_install_en-GB.exe
Then change/check some default settings (see wisdom).
MKS Toolkit - copy mksnt area (including mksnt/etc and mksnt/mksnt folders) area from old PC or backup.
Update system PATH to start: %SystemDrive%\mksnt\mksnt;
and set system environment var:

HOME=E:\home # Or whatever
This also important for CYGWIN, so dynamically updated files like .bashrc not in its installation area.
Python (if required) - copy c:\python3 area from old PC or backup.
Update system PATH to start: %SystemDrive%\python36;
and set system environment var: PYTHONPATH=E:\utils\python
If moving to new PC, need to re-encrypt fields:
- On old PC run: python -c "import systeminfo; systeminfo.addToEnvironment(True)"
- On new one, for each encrypted one, run: python -c "import systeminfo; print(systeminfo.AESCipher().encrypt('xxx'))"
  and put value into systeminfo.bat. Check with: python -c "import systeminfo, solid; print(systeminfo.env('xxx'))"
Adobe Acrobat DC Reader - download from www.adobe.com and make default for .pdf.
Set Preferences | Documents | Restore last view settings when reopening documents
Set Preferences | Documents | Remember current state of Tools Pane (not sure this is still required)
Disable Adobe Acrobat Update Service from services.msc (thanks to computergarage).
7zip - 7z920-x64.msi (XP: 70Zip-7z465.exe)
Add C:\Program Files\7-Zip to PATH.
HP Laserjet Power it on and it's recognised (no drivers needed).
Configuring two aliases (Colour and B&W) to same printer continues to be a nightmare and doesn't work properly.
Added many times as above, but only 1 ever shown in Printers&Scanners list and, from that, "More devices and Printer settings".
But, in that (one entry) right click shows all and can set prefs!!
Rename, set to B&W and 2-sided, and make default.
Add new Printer (from Control Panel) using same WSD port and the "HP Color LaserJet CP202x PCL6 Class Driver" driver to make Colour version and set 2-sided.
Beware: any change (even rename) seems to lose printer settings (color, 2-sided, etc).

For JC check both printers, and have to reset their 2-sided and colour settings as her (not using Admin | Preferences). Also tend to need to reassert this when printing from Firefox for the first time.
Must use the HP PCL6 Class driver, using the PS one duplex printing rarely works. But NB:
- Sadly, as of Apr-2017 the PCL6 one keeps on losing the setting one has to manually set to say that the Duplex Unit is installed (seems to happen after any Windows update).
- Using the PS driver, which seems to retain the Duplex knowledge, the Smart Duplexing feature (which prevents one-page print jobs going through the duplexing unit) doesn't work (ie: get dual paper feed for the one side), despite setting an appropriate paper type (ref: hp CP2025dn printer duplex feeds both sides on single sheet, and article blaming (Inkjet) driver)
cygwin - run as Administrator: cygwin\setup-x86_64.exe specifying local files in cygwin\cygwin-install-64bit-Mar2014.
To get fresh one,
- Select download without installing, and specify a new folder into which to download
- Specify site to pull from (eg: ftp://cygwin.mirrors.pair.com) then Next to get a list of packages (slowly).
- Next on Select Packages (ie: all) to start main download then Finish when done. Download folder is ~29Meg.
- Run setup.exe again and "Install from local directory"
- On select packages list change following to "Uninstall" (there's no "Do not install"!): Games (X11 if there but its not)
Selected installation folder is then ~89Meg.
Apply fixes: /usr/local/bin/tar (see cygwin-ery/tar).

Work round problem of CYGWIN creating files with messed up (mainly) DENY ACL permissions (possibly only caused after a Windows reinstall where I copied in a saved CYGWIN installation from the earlier Windows):
- Add noacl and exec to default /etc/fstab, so it reads
```
none /cygdrive cygdrive noacl,binary,posix=0,user,exec 0 0
```
- The exec is needed, otherwise the WHICH command does not report files on the PATH that do not have the executable bit set which (perversely) you cannot set using CYGWIN's chmod (or any other trick I can think of).
Set/ensure PATH is of form (some will have been added by installs):
PATH=E:\STATIC_DRIVE\utils;C:\python3;C:\mksnt\mksnt;E:\utils;...;C:\Program Files\SourceGear\Common\DiffMerge\;C:\Program Files\7-Zip;C:\Program Files\Vim\vim90...
mksnt must be in PATH and cygwin not, so UNC-like paths are seen by mksnt utilities that are not pre-empted (when running CY, cygwin auto-adds /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin to the front of PATH).
eg: ls /temp works using mksnt, but not in cygwin (where "/" is "C:\cygwin" and one must use ls e:/temp).
Note: On Windows (8, 10) MKS runs have quite frequent failures: _main: memory allocation error during startup.
So use Cygwin (CY invocation) on links and scheduled tasks to avoid this.
Google Drive for Desktop (ex: Backup and Sync) - install from net.
HTMLValidator - cse-html-validator-170501personal-setup.exe
- Default Validation mode to Full
- Message options, disable: 117 and the one about <a>'s
- Turn off sounds
- and Set spelling to use British English dictionary, though this is pretty out of date and misflags lots of common endings - particularly ...ise
Visual Studio - download and install Community edition and do preference changes
Set Start Menu items: All:
- Addresses
- Notepad (font usually: Consolas, Regular, 12)
JC:
- Filing
- info.txt
- jc.txt
- reuse.rtf
- Various.ods
PLB:
- BooksAndFilms.ods
- CSE HTML Validator
- Command Prompt
- Various.ods
- Windows Explorer (D).lnk %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,D:\
- ? not: Windows Update
- info.txt
- jc.txt
- reuse.rtf "C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice.org 3\program\soffice.exe"
- scratchpad.txt
- system.log
- todo.txt
Create Desktop icons:
JC:
- Filing (windows explorer)
- Spreadsheets (Peter's) (folder)
PLB:
- Event Viewer
- Task Scheduler
- housekeeping
Note: common ones, if required, live in Users\Public\Desktop
(which in Win11 is synonym for Users\Public\Public Desktop)
TBU:
In Send To menu/folder (PLB):
WordPad
preserve (E:\utils\perl\preserve.bat)
Set automatic housekeeping scripts:
- Daily actions scheduled task for cy housekeeping.sh -periodicChecks mail-warnings (08:00 and every 6 hours)
- Housekeeping -atBoot scheduled task for cy housekeeping.sh -atBoot (to run At system startup)
- Sysaudit - monthly scheduled task for cy sysaudit.sh (14:35 on 1st Tuesday of every month)
- Use gpedit.msc | Computer Configuration | Windows Settings | Scripts (Startup/Shutdown) | Shutdown
  and set cy.bat as Command with housekeeping.sh -atShutdown as args. Refs: M$ and bahrep
- Start-up shortcut to E:\utils\cy.bat housekeeping.sh -atLogin (in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp)
Prey - install and register the PC/laptop. For dual boot, see Ubuntu for setting it up.
Image viewer - when doing a fresh Windows 10 install in Oct 2019 found that the old Windows Photo Viewer is no longer available and other MS alternatives require an online MS account. So, installed ImageGlass_7.0.7.26.exe from Imageglass.org which seems to be fine.
Chrome
CrystalDiskInfo
Diffpdf - just it's .exe in utils/bin
Restore OpenOffice standard.dic from archive for peter give it modify access for Janet, then run cy housekeeping.sh -checkHardLinks to link them.
Scanner
From Win11 can't use, for Tom's Canon CanoScan LiDE 700F, CanonScanner/mpnx_2_1-win-2_13-ea23_2.exe (don't need sd64-win-lide700f-14_0_8a-ea24.exe on Oct-2019 rebuild, where I had needed it on the Laptop in 2017).
Used Simon Knuth's scanner app.

Common Customisation

etc/hosts - block Google Analytics by adding:

# Ref: https://geekthis.net/post/block-google-analytics
0.0.0.0 google-analytics.com
0.0.0.0 www.google-analytics.com

Removing Windows apps

Win10 has come with more and more bloatware which allegedly takes little resource, but I have, for instance, seen "Skype Preview" taking significant CPU and networking from time to time. So cleared as many as I could (thanks to Rasmus Hasland and How-to-Geek) using (in powershell):
Get-AppxPackage name | Remove-AppxPackage

With name's including:
- *skypeapp*
- Microsoft.WindowsPhone
- Microsoft.WindowsMaps
- *3dbuilder*
- Microsoft.BingNews
- Microsoft.WindowsCamera
- *windowscommunicationsapps* # Calendar and Mail
- *officehub* # Get Office
- *solitairecollection*
- *bingfinance*
- *zunevideo*
- *onenote*
- *people*
- *Xbox*
Note: some (eg: Xbox) seem dependent on others, so the order of removals is important
Above now coded into PS script, so, as each user, run: powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass utils\cleanWindows.ps1
Remove OneDrive:
Uninstall Onedrive from CP | Programs
Ref: MS
NB: you have to do this as each user (surprisingly non-Admin users as well).
For Win10m as per many posts: (eg: techjourney and lifehacker). First, using gpedit.mscLocal Computer Policy | Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | OneDrive
and enable the "Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage" setting.
Subsequently set the other three (not configured) settings to not OneDrive ones.
Then, from an Admin command prompt:
taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe

%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall
Then also delete: \Users\xxx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive
Stop Edge autostarting (thanks to Martin Brinkmann): Run gpedit.msc and go to
Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Edge
There disable both Allow Microsoft Edge to pre-launch at Windows startup, when the system is idle, and each time Microsoft Edge is closed
and Allow Microsoft Edge to start and load the Start and New Tab page at Windows startup and each time Microsoft Edge is closed.
Disable Background apps (thanks to Nick Dich):
Run Settings, search for Privacy Settings go to its Background Apps and use the top switch to turn them all off.

Switching Android phone or tablet

(last updated Jul-2021 : Vankyo tablet rebuild)

Stick in SIM and (for Three at least) wait for and install series of updates
Get on Wifi and add accounts: JandP@binney.net plus:
phone: Peter@gmail for his
~~tablet: J&gmail - but maybe not needed?~~
Go through setup options
No to data backup/restore
Turn off backup&store to Drive Despite this, after finishing startup install gets "all 217" JandP contacts
Turn off Gmail, and other, app sync (under each Google account | Sync) as required:
- Vankyo: only ones on:
  JandP: Contacts, Google Calendar (Calendar OFF), Keep notes
  ~~Jgmail: Contacts~~
- PLB phone:
  JandP: Calendar, Contacts, Google Calendar, Keep notes, Tasks in Calendar
  Pgmail: Calendar, Contacts, Google Calendar, Keep notes, Tasks in Calendar
- JC phone:
  JandP: Contacts, Google Calendar, Calendar, People details, Tasks in Calendar, Keep notes, Gmail
  Jgmail: Contacts, Google Play Music, Google Calendar, Calendar, People details, Tasks in Calendar, Keep notes, Gmail
Open Playstore and update all, except not needed: Duo, Digital wellbeing, Google Text-to-Speech
Install required apps from Playstore:
- Kindle
- Economist (Legacy)
- Jango
- Zoom
- Google Keep if required, and set it to use JandP a/c)
- Zarchiver
- Logviewer
- AndrOpen Office
- Meross
- Ideally Moto Device Help for its hardware tests (but can't find it for G5)
- Railcard if appropriate
- Google Authenticator (set up as per wisdom)
- On tablet:
  - TED
  - Twilight
  - Wake on Lan
- On Vankyo tablet:
  - Twilight: Color temp: 1415K Relaxing, Intensity: 33%, Screen dim: 80%
    Filter translucent navbar
    Filter notifications and lock screen
  - Reduce Twilight auto-kill bug: Settings | Battery | App standby optimizer
    Which shows a list of apps. Touch Twilight and turn off the "App optimised" setting (so the hint confusingly reads "Close App optimized" instead of "Enable App optimized")
  - Settings: font size large
  - Settings display sleep after 5 mins of inactivity
  - Settings: Audio profiles turn off Screen- locking sounds
  - Kindle: Dark Theme, Push notifications off. Visible Clock
  - Keep Notes: dark theme
  - Chrome: In Settings enable simplified view.
    Set Dark theme in main Settings and when in Simplified View
- On phone:
  - On phone: G Cloud backup (but don't run until ready to do phone swap)
  - Prey
  - On old phone, do full G Cloud backup, remove SIM and put in new one.
  - Open G Cloud, login and choose option to switch from old phone (bringing Messages, Phone log and Contacts back).
    For tidyiness, download these backup to main PC.
Remove/Disable apps (click OK to disable by don't OK to replace app with factory version):
- Google Duo
- Digital Wellbeing
- Any non-English Google Input apps
- Google Play Movies & TV
NB: do not disable Google Drive, so we can use its PDF viewer
Various settings:
- Home settings desktop grid to 6x6
- Security & Location | Screen lock | settings : trun off Make pattern visible
- Audio profiles | Edit default turn off Tap sounds
Copy to Download via USB cable: stash.zip
Open Chrome and download (into Downloads) most/all of what is on quick links page. In particular:
- topage.htm (and click star to save as bookmark)
- quick-links.htm (-ditto-)
- libavail.htm (and put on Home screen)
In Maps download London area

Android Settings

(as of 8.0 Nov-2018)

Set (Mobile) Data Saving: Connections (or Network & Internet) | Data Usage | Data Saver
If Data Saving on but want emails on Mobile Data: Apps | Gmail | Data Usage | Unrestricted data usage

Page last edited: 12-Apr-2023