Frequently Asked Questions

About UBUNTU

Is Ubuntu compatible with Windows?

Yes. Installing Ubuntu does not stop you from working with your Microsoft Windows files and applications. Ubuntu can be installed along-side (side-by-side) Windows and also it can be installed within Windows as a program. However if you use Ubuntu you may not need to use Windows since most of the applications on Windows are also available bundled with Ubuntu, like Office, Web browser etc

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How do I install UBUNTU using something else option

Steps to follow after choosing something else option while installing Ubuntu:-

Step 1: When you chose something else and click on Continue, something like the following screen will show up:

In the above window, first ntfs partition is the Windoze native partition and second is the free space. In your case, if you don't see any free space, then you can create one by deleting free partition in your desired hard disk. You can make sure which hard disk you have selected under “Device for boot loader installation”. Your ubuntu bootloader will be installed in this hard disk drive.

Step 2: Now, after freeing up the required space, you can add partitions for root directory by clicking on “Add” in the above window.

The below screen will show up when you click on “Add”:

Now, select as shown in this picture by giving your desired space for ubuntu root directory. The “/” symbol always indicates the root directory in GNU/Linux systems.

Then click OK.

This will create a new partition for the root directory.

Step 2a: Now, again click on “Add” and create a swap area. This can be done by selecting swap in the drop down menu of “Use as:” in the above window. Always the swap partition size should be the double of your RAM size. So if your RAM is 1GB then swap would be 2GB.

Then click OK.

Step 3: The above steps will result in the Install window as shown below:

Here it shows that /dev/sda1 is your Windoze partition. /dev/sda2 is your new root partition. And /dev/sda3 is your SWAP space.

Once you are happy with the changes you have made, click “Install now” and proceed to the next step.

From next step, it'll be usual installation which may show up “Where are you?” window to know the location and so on.

How do I setup Thin client in Phase-1 and phase-2 schools

Note:below mentioned setup is only for the server

1.Go to the right top panel, Left click on network icon, select the Edit connection.

2.Click on the Wired tab. and there click on Edit button.

a window opens, select IP4 settings and click on it. In methods, select manual. Now you can enter the address click on the address box below and press add and enter the information as mentioned below.

IP address - 192.168.0.1

Netmask - click on it and press add and enter 255.255.255.0

gateway - click on it and press add and enter 0.0.0.0(if it is there initially no need to enter)

DNS Servers - enter the IP address 192.168.0.1

now check mark the box below : require IP4 addressing for this connection to complete.

now check mark the box at the bottom : Available to all users click save

How to make correct, The Ubuntu login screen splitted into 2 parts Or Lower graphics mode

Note:Before following the below mentioned steps please connect the internet(internet should connected) 1: Whenever you get the split ed screen press the keys Ctrl+Alt+(F2 or F3 or F4 or F5 or F6) press any one of the function key f2 to f6 along with the ctrl and alt button till you get terminal (blank screen ended with $ sign).

2:In front of $ sign type the following command without mistake sudo apt-get install gdm press Enter

3: provide the system password (password will not appear)

4:Once the process is complete, type the command sudo reboot

5:Your machine will restarts automatically with good screen display.

Note:-If you Don't have internet follow the below mentioned steps.

1: Whenever you get Lower graphics mode press the keys Ctrl+Alt+(F2 or F3 or F4 or F5 or F6) press any one of the function key f2 to f6 along with the Ctrl and Alt button till you get terminal (blank screen ended with $ sign).

2:In front of $ sign type the following command without mistake sudo rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf press Enter

3: provide the system password (password will not appear)

4:Once the process is complete, type the command sudo service lightdm restart

5:Restart Your machine you will get correct screen display.

How to convert videos from one format to different formats in Openshot video editor

Step 1:Open The openshot video editor by clicking on Applications---->Sound and videos----->Openshot video editor (If openshot video editor is not installed then install it from the Ubuntu software center)

Step 2: After Opening the Openshot video editor Click on “+” mark to import the video files from your computer.

Step3:After importing the video files, to convert the video from one format to another format click on Export video tool which is red Button as shown in the below picture.

Step4:After selecting the export button you will get the below mentioned window. In File name give the video name and in profile select all format and in Target select the format you want to convert the video file. And then click on export video to convert.

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How do I install and switch to the GNOME-Classic desktop?

Press Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard to open the Terminal.
When the Terminal opens, type the commands below at the prompt, i.e. after the $ symbol.
- sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
Press Enter. Enter your password when prompted.
Note: When you type, your password is not visible.
Restart your system, and at the log in screen, click on the Ubuntu Greeter icon.
Select the GNOME-Classic session and login. As shown below.
This is only a one-time selection. You need not do this everytime you login.
Your system will now start with Classic Desktop always!

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How to setup kannada Ibus

1. Click on applications > system tools > iBus
2.you will see a keyboard icon on the right side of the top panel
3. left click on keyboard icon > preference – iBus preference window will open
4. select input method Note -check “that customise active input methods “ is selected
5.click on “ select input method “ - choose kannada from dropdown list > select kgp (if you prefer Nudi for kannada typing)

6.click on add on the right side.

If you want Baraha select i-trans as option then go to “ select input method “ and follow the steps to get i–trans. Now both kgp and I-trans are available on your system. Back to Top

My LibreOffice crashes everytime I see print preview. What do I do?

Open the Terminal (Application > Accessories > Terminal)
At the prompt, type sudo apt-get autoremove lo-menubar
Press Enter.
Enter your password when prompted (password not visible).

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How do I partition my hard disk manually to install Ubuntu 12.04?

How to use APF dvd's in Ubuntu

In APF cd/dvd's 9 dvd's are audio and video dvd's these can be play by right click and select open with VLC media player it will open up. For remaining 4 dvd's are the interactive games for that, please follow the below mentioned steps.

1.copy the APF Interative dvd on home folder give a name as APF.

open terminal for that Applications------->Accessories------->terminal

type the following commands in terminal front of $ sudo su press enter

enter system password(Note:password will not appears) press enter

Again type the command assudo chmod 777 -R APF Go to home folder open the APF folder which you copied already and in that to play any game right click on game name with the ending extension .sh select RUN it opens.

How to connect the Projector in Ubuntu 12.04

Basically we use 2 connections of Projector to connect, they are.

a.Power cable connection.

b.VGA cable connection.

Follow the steps to connect the projector

1.In Computer go to Applications------>System tool-------->System Settings
2.Click on Display.
3. Check mark on Mirror display and click on Detect displayes and Apply. It will connects automatically.
- 1.open the firefox for opening, Applications----->Internet------>Firefox Web Browser
- 2.In firefox web browser click on tools------>add-ons
- 3.In top seearch box type as easy you tube video downloader press enter , you find the same add on in list click on install button and provide the passward.
  After installation open any youtube video at the bottom of you tube video you will find the DOWNLOAD button. Click download button and save the video. Back to top
  How to install Openshot video editor in ubunutu
  
  Please follow the steps to install open shot video editor.
  (Note:-To install any software in ubuntu Internet is necessary)
  1.Applications------>ubuntu software----->center
  
  2.In search box type as openshot video editor
  
  3.After searching the openshot video editor application in the list
  
  4.Click on the install button at the right side, If you will not find the install button 'double click on the openshot video editor
  
  5.It will ask you for the password, provide your system password click on authenticate.
  
  6.After some time openshot video editor installation will completes.
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  How do I launch PhET?
  
  The customised DVD that you receive during your training sessions has PhET pre-installed on it. A shortcut or a launcher to PhET can be created as follows:
- 1. Applications----->System Tools------->Preferences------>Main menu
- 2.Select Science from menu, Click on +New Item
- 3.Type as mentioned below without any mistake.
  1. Name:PhET
  2. Command:firefox /opt/PhET/index.html
- 4.Click on OK and close all tabs
- 5.To open PhET, go as follows Applications----->Science----->PhET
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  Where is 'START → PROGRAMS' in Ubuntu?
  
  Instead of the START menu as in Windows, there are different Menus in Ubuntu (usually 'Applications', 'Places', and 'System'). These are present on the right side of the top panel. Any application, after its installation will be inserted into the Applications menu. Back to Top
  
  How do I create desktop shortcuts for applications on Ubuntu?
  - Find the program in the Applications menus and right click.
  - Select Add this launcher to desktop.
  - A link to the application will now be on your desktop.
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  How can I install new software/tools on Ubuntu?
  
  The preferred way to install software in Ubuntu is to use the package manager, which you can access through Ubuntu Software Center. This requires an Internet connection, unless you are using offline repositories. Ubuntu Software Center can be accessed through Applications-> Ubuntu Software Center. Type a query into the search-> Select a package you think is relative to what you want-> Click "Install"
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  How do I remove an application/software on Ubuntu?
  - Click Applications → Ubuntu Software Center.
  - In the Installed Software section, find the application that you want to remove by finding it in the list or by searching for it.
  - Select the application and click Remove.
  - You may be asked to enter your password. After you have done that, the application will be removed. This should not take very long.
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  Why is Linux/Ubuntu less prone to Malware/Viruses?
  - Linux is based on UNIX architecture. UNIX is designed as a multi-user operating system and has in-built safeguards to protect user from malware. This includes user permissions definitions, user space distinct from system space etc
  - Programs are run as normal user, not Root User.
  - Vast diversity makes it difficult to reproduce flaws in a system.
  - All software and drivers are frequently updated by Package Managers.
  - Software is generally installed from vast Repositories not from unfamiliar websites.
  - No-one profits from supplying anti-virus or security products.
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  Why isn't there a 'Refresh' option when I right-click on Ubuntu?
  - There is no 'Refresh' option in Ubuntu. Instead you can press 'F5' or 'Ctrl+r' for refreshing your desktop.
  How to recover the missing top panel in Ubuntu (Gnome Desktop)
  1. Press Alt+F2
  2. Type 'gnome-terminal'
  3. Check/tick 'Run in terminal' box
  4. and type the following command 'gconftool --recursive-unset /apps/panel&& killall gnome-panel'
  Alternatively,
  You can open the terminal by clicking on Application -> Accessories -> Terminal and type the following command at the $ sign 'gconftool --recursive-unset /apps/panel&& killall gnome-panel'
  
  How to add new/recover missing icons on the Desktop Panel in Ubuntu (Gnome Desktop)
  1. place your cursor to top panel press Alt+window+Rightclick at a time on top panel, select Add to Panel
  2. Select the required item from the list and click on Add
  3. The selected icon will appears on top panel.
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  Why is GNU/Linux not as popular as Windows though it has so many advantages and benefits
  
  It is known that technology particularly software has an element of addiction and people are unwilling to move to a 'new' environment requiring learning (also Newtons first law :-) ). this also adds to the 'lock-in' of the software. in an environment where proprietary software is pirated, it is already free (mufta) so no immediate economic benefit is seen in adopting public software.
  The challenge is to explain to people that this is not about mufta but about mukta - that the learning resources we use (software is a digital tlm) must be publicly owned so that we all have the freedom to share and modify. If a private company owns them then our learning process is under the control of the vendor who can decide the access to the software. Hence this is a philosophical and ethical issue (rather than purely technological or economic) and like any other social change process (like fighting alcoholism for eg - the benefits of avoiding alcohol is known still it is not easy to give it up), change will be slow and gradual.
  Also there are strong forces to keep us chained to proprietary software - hardware vendors who get commission on sale of the proprietary software (no commission on public software!!), proprietary software vendors who adopt unethical and illegal practices to push their products. and the willingness of many of us to stay ignorant :-) and avoid this debate/discussion on the ethics of using proprietary software on grounds of "convenience"
  Gnu/linux is public software, intended for public use in all areas (not just education). it is our collective responsibility (all of us in society need to come together to insist that we will only use digital resources that are not proprietary), proprietising (privatising) digital resources and preventing their free sharing (which is so simple - copy/paste) is unethical and greatly harmful to society.
  But there are many positive examples - in many countries (and states in India like Kerala), once many people start using GNU/Linux, it spreads fast. Specially if teachers use it, they can explain the benefits to students. So let us keep talking about the importance of software freedom, of the need for public software (like public education) for universal access... and supporting people to adopt it.. our efforts will surely give the result--
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  ABOUT OpenOffice.org (please note that LibreOffice is similar to OpenOffice and these suggestions apply to both)
  
  Why we should use and promote LibreOffice or Open Office?
  
  LibreOffice is public software - we all own it and can freely share it. Microsoft Office is proprietary software and is owned by the company The documents produced in MS Office - doc, xls and ppt also belong to the company Government of India has mandated use of ODT, ODS and ODP in its'policy on open standards in egovernance Hence we should adopt and promote LibreOffice
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  why should we use LibreOffice and not Microsoft Office?
  
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  Can I open Microsoft Office document in Open Office?
  
  Yes you can. Open Office can open .doc, .xls and .ppt files of Microsoft Office.
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  Is it a good idea to open same document in both Microsoft Office and Open Office?
  
  You can. However you may face formating problems
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  Can I save a file in Microsoft Office format (.doc, .docx etc) in OpenOffice?
  
  Yes you can. Open Office can save a text file in '.doc' format, a spreadsheet in '.xls' format and a presentation file in '.ppt' format of Microsoft Office. These files can then be opened by MS Office Word.
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  Can OpenOffice open '.doc' files and can MS-Office open '.odt' files?
  
  OpenOffice.org can open documents of almost all the formats and it can also save a document in any format. However, MS-Office can open documents that are created only using MS Office.
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  If the receiver of my document uses MS Office and I use Openoffice, how can I send the documents?
  
  OpenOffice.org can save documents in many formats including the MS Office format (.doc, .docx, .ppt, .xls etc)
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  Can I use OpenOffice.org on Windows Operating System?
  
  Yes you can use OpenOffice.org on Windows Operating System, however OpenOffice.org is a part of GNU/Linux operating system distributions.
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  What are the applications to create spreadsheets and presentations on Ubuntu?
  
  On Ubuntu, OpenOffice.org Presentation can be used to create presentations, OpenOffice.org Spreadsheet can be used to create spreadsheets, and OpenOffice.org Word Processor can be used to create word documents.
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  Can I create regional language documents using OpenOffice.org?
  
  Yes, you can create regional language documents using OpenOffice.org. Unicode fonts needs to be used.
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  How can I upgrade an older version of OpenOffice.org to a newer one?
  
  No upgrade patches exist. To upgrade an older version of OpenOffice.org, you always need to download a new installation set of OpenOffice.org and install that version. It is recommended that the previous version be uninstalled before updating to a new version.
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  What is Unicode?
  
  Unicode provides a unique number for every character, no matter what the platform is, no matter what the program is, no matter what the language is.
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  Can I copy OpenOffice and take it home, give to my family and friends?
  
  All Sarvajanika Tantramsha software can be downloaded freely from the Internet. Information about free download is available on the Public Software website. You can also get all Sarvajanika Tantramsha applications on Windows platform from the SSA technical support team and e-Governance team.
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  How do I Password Protect my files using OpenOffice?
  
  In OpenOffice just go to File --> Save As and tick the Save with password option on bottom left corner. It works with .odt files but can not work with .doc files as the algorithm used to password protect those files are proprietary, and cannot be legally used.
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  How to enable spell check in OpenOffice Writer?
  
  Click here[1] to learn about enabling spell check in Openoffice Writer
  Contributed by Sudhakar R Bhandary, Regional Coordinator, American India Foundation Trust
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  How to reduce photo size before inserting into your document?
  
  Please use GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) to reduce the file size by 90% as follows:
  1. Right click on photo and select open with GIMP
  2. Click file save as give new name (add REDUCED to beginning of existing file name)
  3. Click on SAVE
  4. In the box that opens for picture quality, select 30%, this will save the picture with reduced quality (but your eye CANNOT Make out any difference) and reduce file size by 50 - 70%.
  5. Do this BEFORE YOU INSERT Pictures to your document
  How to read OpenOffice files in your mobile phone (only for Android phones)?
  1. OpenDocument Reader app can be used to read ODF (such as .odt of LibreOffice writer, .ods of LibreOffice Calc and .odp of LibreOffice presentation) docs in an Android phone.
  2. Go to your phone's Google play store and install OpenDocument Reader app.
  3. Alternatively, click on this link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.tomtasche.reader&hl=en to go there.
  4. Now, browse to your odf documents in your phone and open them with this newly installed app. This can read odt, ods and odp formats.
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  MOZILLA THUNDERBIRD ON UBUNTU
  
  What is Thunderbird
  
  Thunderbird is a free, open-source Mail Client application for managing email. It is a local (rather than a web-based) email application that is powerful yet easy-to-use. Thunderbird is free. Also, it gives you control and ownership over your e-mail.
  
  What is the benefit of using Thunderbird
  1. First, using an email client can be a tremendous time-saver if you have multiple email accounts. If you want to check for new messages across all of your email addresses, then that means that you will have to log in to several different sites.
  2. Once you download and setup an e-mail client like Outlook or Thunderbird, it will download your mails across all of your accounts, so that you can access them all at one easy place.
  3. One of the greatest advantages of using an e-mail client is that they allow you work with your e-mails even when you are off-line.
  4. You can group your messages/mails into folders.
  5. You can set up MESSAGE FILTER to automatically move a mail to a defined folder so that it does not flood your Inbox. For example, all subject teacher forum emails can be automatically sent to a separate folder such as 'MathsSTF' or 'EnglishSTF'. Inbox will be less busy and you can read the STF Mails at your convenience
  If you have your own computer - desktop or Laptop, then you MUST configure Thunderbird on your computer. It is easy to configure Thunderbird. Thunderbird is part of Ubuntu custom distribution. You can click on the APPLICATIONS - INTERNET - THUNDERBIRD TO install it and use it.
  
  How can I configure or add my GMail account on Thunderbird?
  - Logging into your GMail webmail account using your default browser
  - Click on Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP > POP Download: and choose Enable POP for all mail.
  - Note: POP (Post Office Protocol) is the protocol that is used by local email clients to retrieve email from a remote server.
  - Click the Save Settings button.
  - [Click here to view the screenshot of the Mail Settings option in GMail.
  - You must provide the POP settings in Thunderbird for GMail, so that the email client is able to access all the messages of that account.
  - Go to Edit > Account Settings > Server Settings.
  - [Click here] to refer the document to enter the correct POP details.
  - You must also enter the SMTP details in the Thunderbird settings.
  - Note: SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is an Internet standard for email transmission across IP networks.
  - [Click here] to refer the document to enter the correct SMTP details.
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  LANGUAGE SETTINGS (KANNADA) ON UBUNTU
  
  Can I type in Kannada in OpenOffice or libreoffice?
  
  Yes. On Windows, OpenOffice Kannada typing using Nudi works exactly in the same manner. After installing OpenOffice, a one-time configuration for Kannada typing is required. The Kannada and Public Software document has the information for such configurations and also on typing in Kannada information in general. One requirement is to use UNICODE fonts, which is the universal standard for all languages.
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  how to type knnada in freemind
  - Open Freemind Ubuntu Menu Applications > Office > Freemind
  - Click on Menu Item File > New (CTRL N)
  - Click Menu Item Tools > Preferences, a window like the example below appears
  - Select Defaults Tab
  - In Default Font type in Lohit Kannada
  - Click Save, the window below appears, click ok.
  - Close and restart Freemind Application
  - To type in Kannada
  - Open Open Office Writer
  - Type the words in Kannada using iBUS
  - Copy and paste to Freemind.
    Can I read old Kannada documents in non-UNICODE font using OpenOffice?
    
    Yes, you can read Kannada documents in non-UNICODE font using OpenOffice.
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    Where can I get the Tunga, Lohit Kannada and other UNICODE fonts?
    
    Lohit Kannada is available on Lohit Kannada. Tunga is part of Windows operating system. Information on downloading UNICODE fonts is availabile on the Public Software website.
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    My Kannada documents do not open with the Kannada script. What do I do?
    - Click Alt + F2 and type sudo nautilus and select Run in terminal. A terminal window will open prompting for the password. Please enter the password and press enter.
    - A file browser will open. On the side pane (if no side pane is visible, press F9), double click File System, then double click on the usr folder, then on the share folder and then on the fonts folder. Now the location bar would show /usr/share/fonts.
    - Paste the copied fonts in the fonts folder.
    - Fonts will now be installed on Ubuntu.
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    How do I install fonts on Ubuntu?
    
    Once you download the font, double-click on it. In the right down corner there is an "Install" button just click it and your font is installed.
    
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    How do I download and instal Unicode fonts on Ubuntu and Windows?
    
    Red Hat has released five Indian language fonts as open source licensed under the GPL. The fonts are named Lohit which means Red in Sanskrit. Currently, the font family supports 16 Indian languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, and Telugu. Now, Fedora Project and its contributors took the responsibility to consolidate the further efforts and improvements of the Lohit fonts. Lohit Fonts are Unicode compatible.
    - Click on Applications -> Accesories -> Terminal
    - At the $ sign, please type $sudo apt-get install ttf-kannada-fonts
    - Enter your password when prompted (you'll have to key in your password, it will not be visible at all).
    - Click on Applications -> Accesories -> Terminal
    - Type sudo nautilus then it will ask your login password, type and press Enter key.
    - Copy your downloaded fonts then Goto File System -> usr -> share -> fonts folder -> copy your downloaded fonts into this folder
    - Once you done with this process, if you want to working on new installed fonts. Please restart your machine.