install

How To Have the KitKat Launcher On The Galaxy Nexus

Google have announced that the Galaxy Nexus won't be getting Android 4.4 KitKat. The teardown of the Nexus 5 factory image gives us the bits we need to have some of the KitKat tastiness on the Samsung made Galaxy Nexus. This quick tutorial gives you the new Google Play Services, Google Search, and the Google Launcher. I am not to be held responsible for any damage to your phone, you, the space-time continuum or anything else. I would like to add that I am not responsible for the lack of recent Rachel Stevens albums either.
You can have this KitKat crumb, but not the whole thing.
You will need to download and install the new Google Play Services first. You can download it from here.

Next, download and install the new Google Search (Now). It is available from here.

Finally, download and install the new Launcher. You can get that here.

Once you have done that, press the home button and then select the blue Launcher icon and select "Always".

That should be it! Enjoy the KitKat crumb while the newer Nexus devices get the full chocolatey experience.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to pop them below.

Enjoy the bigger icons and app drawer!

How To Get WiFi Working on a Dell 1120 in Linux Mint 10

I was setting up Linux Mint on my aunt's Dell 1120 earlier this evening and was amazed by how easy it is to get everything working even though it involves freedom hating (proprietary) drivers.


The reason I was setting up Linux Mint on this machine for my aunt is the ease of use of Linux Mint for people who are not too comfortable with computers. I dare say that it was so easy my auntie could have done it herself.

What You'll Need To Follow This Tutorial

  • A Dell Mini 1120 or similarly specified AMD Vision chipset machine.
  • Linux Mint 10 installed and updated on the above mentioned computer.
  • Access to a modem/router with a network cable.
  • A working internet connection on the above mentioned modem/router.
  • 10-20 minutes of time depending on the speed of your internet connection.


Step One

If your machine has Linux Mint 10 installed and updated, and your computer is plugged into the modem/router with a working internet connection, you should be seeing something like this:


Click on the Menu button in the bottom right left hand corner of the screen and then click in the search box in the menu pane that pops up. Start typing in "Additional Drivers". Before you have finished typing in "Additional Drivers" you should be given the option of a program called "Additional Drivers" above the search box. Go ahead and click on it. You should then get a window open up like this:

Step 2

Click on the first driver that is in the new window that is entitled Broadcom STA proprietary wireless driver and then click on the Activate button second last to bottom right of the same window. A new popup window should appear telling you that the driver is downloading and installing. Don't panic, that is what is supposed to happen.

Once the download and installation has finished, the driver at the top of the window should have a green light next to it. If it does, you have successfully installed the wireless driver on your Linux Mint machine.

Step Three

Click on the second driver called ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver. As with the wireless driver, click the Activate button. The driver will download and install. When the driver has been downloaded and installed, you will be prompted to restart your computer to activate the driver.

Step Four

Restart your computer and then everything should be working.

Feel free to post questions and/or comments and let me know how you get on.