Linux Lucky Bag

The Expert Tools (+) menu item takes you to some basic tools that are available in many other distributions. They include Boot Repair [8] to repair Linux computers that fail to launch (Figure 5), OS Uninstaller [9] for uninstalling Windows or Linux from your drive (Figure 6), the well-known Gparted [10] partitioning tool, and the popular partitioning and data rescue tools Testdisk [11] and Photorec [12].

Figure 5: Boot Repair offers many options that influence GRUB.

Figure 6: OS Uninstaller lets you remove unneeded Windows and Linux instances.

If All Else Fails

Wherever it makes sense, Rescatux creates a logfile and stores it on the desktop of the target computer. The Support (+) button takes you to useful options that let you put these logfiles to good use in a partially automated troubleshooting process. Show log lets you view the logfiles.

The Share log option copies the contents of a log to a pastebin [13], a web application that assigns a URL to the text. In this way, you can post the logfile on IRC without flooding the chat room with text. In combination with the Chat menu item, which takes Rescatux users seeking help directly to the project's chat room, this is a useful aid.

Additionally, you can select Share log on forum to create an interactive problem description, to which Rescatux adds the URL of the log in the pastebin. However, the developers still need to put in a bit more work here, because so far you can only select the Ubuntu forum.

The Boot Info Script menu takes you to a script with the same name [14] that collects all relevant information for solving boot problems. If you need help, your best option is to post its output on forums or in chat rooms along with the logfiles.

Future

The Rescapp GUI is currently not particularly pretty, but it serves its purpose without complaint. With a few mouse clicks, it sets repair processes in motion that only experienced users could otherwise reproduce manually.

In an interview, the Spanish developer Adrián Gibanel explained that he is currently revamping the Rescapp menus visually and reorganizing them in the process (Figure 7). His aim is fewer mouse clicks and a more modern look (Figure  8). Moreover, Gibanel is testing a move to the new LXQt [15] desktop environment as the underpinnings of the distribution.

Figure 7: The new menu for the upcoming Rescatux version 0.32 – everything at a glance.

Figure 8: The new menus in Rescatux 0.32 offer more space for documentation.