Lotus Notes 8.5.2 on ubuntu meerkat 10.10 x64

This is how I got Lotus Notes 8.5.2 working on a brand new installation of ubuntu 10.10.
Open Synaptic Package Manager
Search for libstdc++5
Install libstdc++5 from Synaptic Package Manager
Shut Synaptic Package Manager

Then install some libraries:
$ sudo apt-get install ia32-libs libgnomeprint2.2-0 libgnomeprintui2.2-0 ttf-xfree86-nonfree

Go to http://frozenfox.freehostia.com/cappy

Download
getlibs-all.deb
Double click to install.
Now get some 32 bit libraries:

$ sudo getlibs -p libgnomeprintui2.2-0 libgnomeprint2.2-0 libgnomevfs2-0 libgnomeui-0 libxkbfile1 libstartup-notification0 libsepol1 libselinux1 libgsf-1-114
libgsf-1-dev librsvg2-2 librsvg2-common libavahi-client3 libavahi-common3 libavahi-glib1 libbonoboui2-0 libcroco3 libdbus-1-3 libdbus-glib-1-2 libgnome2-0 libgnomecanvas2-0 libgnome-keyring0 libgnome-menu2 gtk2-engines-murrine

Now install Lotus Notes

$ sudo dpkg -i --force-architecture ibm-lotus-notes-8.5.2.i586.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i --force-architecture ibm-lotus-activities-8.5.2.i586.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i --force-architecture ibm-lotus-cae-8.5.2.i586.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i --force-architecture ibm-lotus-sametime-8.5.2.i586.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i --force-architecture ibm-lotus-symphony-8.5.2.i586.deb

You will also need this fix for opening screen

$ cd /opt/ibm/lotus/notes/jvm/lib/i386
$ sudo mkdir usr
$ sudo ln -s /usr/lib32 ./usr/lib

You should now be able to start Notes from the Applications/Office menu in gnome.

At the time of writing, there is a bug with the shipped ia32-libs version. Which gave me an error im-ibus.so issue but whilst this gives an error in the console, Lotus notes seems to run happily.

Enjoy

Creating virtual machines with ubuntu

When you have ubuntu as the main operating system, you have several ways of creating virtual machines for testing:
KVM (free and built into ubuntu)

• VMWare player (free player)
• VirtualBox from Sun (now Oracle)

I have used all three and it appears to me that (amazingly) VMWare player is the best of the bunch. WHY?

• Quicker boot
• Snappier screen response
• Better support for USB devices
• Allows cut-and-paste operations between ubuntu desktop and the virtual machine
• Nice user interface for managing the virtual machine parameters
• Easier transfer of virtual machines to Windows Hosts (i.e. your colleagues)
  

My tests were with jaunty and karmic. Maybe meerkat has improved things...

The best blackberry trick

I see so many people with blackberries scrolling with their thumb like crazy. They scroll down through hundreds of emails and then need to scroll back up to the top.

The best blackberry tip for all those guys is to use the shortcut keys:

T - jumps to the top of the list

B - jumps to the bottom of the list

U - jumps to the oldest unread mail in the list

Try it and save your thumb!