Reatek R8168 on Hardy

Here's a script and instructions on how to Fix R8168 on Hardy

Making an iso image of a cd (Ubuntu)

To make an iso image of a cd in Ubuntu Gutsy, put the cd in the drive. Open up a terminal
and cd to the directory where you want the iso image to be copied to on your hard drive.

Then type:
dd if=/dev/cdrom of=cd.iso # for cdrom

This will create an iso image called "cd.iso" in your current directory.

For a DVD just type:
dd if=/dev/dvd of=dvd.iso

Skype fonts too big after KDE4 install?

On Ubuntu Gutsy, if you have installed KDE 4.0, as per this page on Kubuntu.org, you might notice that in Gnome , your Skype font is much too large.

The solution is to

sudo apt-get qt4-qtconfig

then, from the terminal , type

/usr/bin/qtconfig-qt4

You will notice that the QT window has fonts about the same size as the big Skype ones. Change them using the QT Config interface, select File -> Save.

Your Skype fonts will then be back to something more normal in Gnome.

Ubuntu Gutsy - installing Compiz Snow effect

UPDATE: this post is out of date. Please look elsewhere on installing the Snow plugin

Create a compiz subdirectory in your home folder

mkdir ~/compiz

Install the packages required for compiling compiz plugins

sudo apt-get install compiz-bcop compiz-dev build-essential libxcomposite-dev libpng12-dev libsm-dev libxrandr-dev libxdamage-dev libxinerama-dev libstartup-notification0-dev libgconf2-dev librsvg2-dev libdbus-1-dev libdbus-glib-1-dev libgnome-desktop-dev x11proto-scrnsaver-dev libxss-dev libxslt1-dev libtool

Download Snow

wget -O ~/compiz/snow.tar.gz 'http://gitweb.opencompositing.org/?p=fusion/plugins/snow;
a=snapshot;h=01d0ff6ec71dae4699bc990e0114569c8ad4e083'

Extract , make , and install

cd ~/compiz/
tar -xvzf snow.tar.gz
cd snow
make
make install

Restart XOrg (logout/login).




Source:13 Compiz plugins for Ubuntu Gutsy

Ubuntu Gutsy post install script for your laptop

Ubuntu Guide is a valuable source of information on what packages you need to install after installing a base Ubuntu Gutsy system on a laptop.

So instead of manually doing lots of apt-gets based on the Ubuntu I just put all the relevant ones into a single bash script. This will get all the usual multimedia codecs, firefox plugins, and a lot of other stuff. Just chmod 700 postinstall after creating it in your favourite editor.
Then from a terminal type

./postinstall

to run it. If there is a software package that you don't want below, put a # at the start of the line to comment out.

Note: the medibuntu.org repository allows you to apt-get skype,googleearth,win32codecs and other packages that cannot be included in the Ubuntu repos for legal reasons. It is not supported by Canonical so use at your own risk.


#!/bin/bash
# postinstall script
#!//bin/bash

#this should be all on one line
sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/gutsy.list -O etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

#this should be all on one line
wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -


#update your packages database
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install w32codecs libdvdcss2
sudo apt-get install mozilla-mplayer
sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-plugin
sudo apt-get install mozilla-plugin-vlc
sudo apt-get install kaffeine-mozilla
# astronomy programs
sudo apt-get install kstars
sudo apt-get install celestia

# genealogy
sudo apt-get install gramps

# plugin that allows you to type
#"apt:packagename" in the Firefox url bar

sudo apt-get install apturl

# bluetooth
sudo apt-get install gnome-vfs-obexftp

sudo apt-get install googleearth

# rar compressor/decompressor
sudo apt-get install rar unrar

# sticky notes
sudo apt-get install tomboy

#desktop system monitor
sudo apt-get install gkrellm

# allows you to tweak compiz
sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

# lots of ubuntu tweaks in a handy GUI application
wget http://ubuntu-tweak.googlecode.com/files/ubuntu-tweak_0.2.0-1_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i ubuntu-tweak_0.2.0-1_i386.deb

# music player/manager
sudo apt-get install amarok
sudo apt-get install sox
sudo apt-get install lmms

# sound editor
sudo apt-get install audacity

# codecs
sudo apt-get install mencoder avidemux transcode
sudo apt-get install ffmpeg2theora

# video player
sudo apt-get install mplayer

# mysql database server and client
sudo apt-get install mysql-server-5.0

# ssh server so that you can ssh login via terminal to your laptop from another box
sudo apt-get install ssh


# php web development language
sudo apt-get install php5
sudo apt-get install php5-cli
sudo apt-get install php5-gd
sudo apt-get install php5-curl
sudo apt-get install php5-mysql

# more bluetooth stuff
sudo apt-get install bluetooth gnome-bluetooth
sudo apt-get install bluez-gnome bluez-utils

# listen to thousands of internet radio stations
# and be able to rip the streams to mp3 format
sudo apt-get install streamripper
sudo apt-get install streamtuner
sudo apt-get install xmms

sudo apt-get install skype

# more codecs
sudo apt-get install non-free-codecs

# lightweight spreadsheet alternative to OpenOffice
sudo apt-get install gnumeric

# loads MUCH faster than Open Office Writer
sudo apt-get install abiword

# top notch programming editor
sudo apt-get install kate

# KDE office suite
sudo apt-get install koffice

# KDE browser and filemanager
sudo apt-get install konqueror

# allows SoundJuicer to rip to mp3.
sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse

Linux is "too hard" to use... yeah , right

Feisty Fawn Ubuntu install. On my laptop.

Insert a CD, and this is what I get popping up automatically....



Hint - note the Extract button.

g0S

gOS is an Enlightenment 17 flavoured variant of Ubuntu, that was shipping on a Walmart desktop PC before it sold out.

Ubuntu Feisty - Desktop effects keys

Here's are the desktop effects shortcut keys for Feisty Fawn (assuming that you've enabled it)

CTRL+ALT+DRAG LEFT MOUSE = rotate 3D cube

CTRL+ALT+LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW = flip cube face

CTRL+ALT+DOWN ARROW = flatten out the cube. use left-right arrows to select a desktop

CTRL+ATL+UP ARROW = expose all windows in the current desktop. while holding down CTRL+ALT use left/right arrow to select a window. This is like Expose on the Mac

Here's a video showing off Compiz on Ubuntu Feisty:

ATI HDA - SIGMATEL STAC 9200 CHIPSET How To

From this Fedora forum thread.
Ubuntu launchpad also refers to it where a poster writes that he has finally got his sound to work

He writes: "I have the NVidia MCP51 High Definition Audio with the Sigmatel STAC 9200 chip on it. It came with my Gateway MT3421 laptop."

Here's the instructions:
1. uninstall every alsa package if you have any
rpm -qa | grep -i alsa - if it shows nothing skip this step
and then
rpm -evv --nodeps alsa-... for every package

2. go to www.alsa-project.org and download these files :
alsa-driver-1.0.15rc1.tar.bz2
alsa-lib-1.0.15rc1.tar.bz2
.alsa-utils-1.0.15rc1.tar.bz2

Open a terminal and type : su then make a directory called alsa into /usr/local/src. Copy the files to this directory and unpack them (tar xjvf alsa-... for every file).

3. go to this page and download the file patch_sigmatel.c.patch-1.0.15rc1-simple. Copy the patch to /usr/local/src/alsa.

4. type this :
patch alsa-driver-1.0.15rc1/alsa-kernel/pci/hda/patch_sigmatel.c < patch_sigmatel.c.patch-1.0.15rc1-simple.

5. do this:
cd alsa-lib-1.0.15rc1/
./configure && make && make install
cd ../alsa-utils-1.0.15rc1/
./configure && make && make install
cd ../alsa-driver-1.0.15rc1/
./configure && make && make install

If the configure script complains about missing some libraries yum for them and try again.

6. reboot
7. after rebooting volume may be muted so use kmix or some other mixer to enable it.

Hope it works for you. I have a Gateway MT 3705 laptop and i finally have sound after months of silence

NOTE - on Ubuntu with step 1 you just have to remove alsa-lib and alsa-utils.

Ubuntu Feisty - sound problems

A bunch of links regarding sound problems with the STAC9200 chipset on Ubuntu Feisty

Launchpad Bug 117246
No sound - Ubuntu Forums
No sound with hda nvidia and sigmatel stac 9200
Comprehensive sound problems guide
Hda Intel Sound HOWTO
Fedora 6 - No sound on Sigmatel - Gateway laptop
ALSA dmix setup
Envy - nvidia driver download python script

Myth TV versus Vista MCE review

Over on the AVS forum , there is a review of Myth TV on Ubuntu versus Vista Media Center.

Hat tip:Slashdot

Dell and Ubuntu

The Dell/Ubuntu deal is mentioned in this weeks Ubuntu Weekly News digest (which you can subscribe to via here).

Here's what they say about it:

The long awaited release of Dell computers preinstalled with Ubuntu was this week, with Dell announcing three different models, two desktops and one laptop. All three laptops contain mostly Intel parts, with the two desktops using Core 2 Duos. All models are priced about $50 USD cheaper than the equivalent Vista models. Currently they only available in the US, although Dell representatives in at least Canada and Australia have confirmed that they will be available in those countries. You can see more at http://www.ubuntu.com/dell and you can purchase the models at http://www.dell.com/open

Dell announces models for Ubuntu

Over at Jeremy's blog is a blogpost about a Dell email, in which they announce the models on which Ubuntu will be offered:

We will be launching a Linux based OS (Ubuntu) on the E520, 1505 and XPS 410 starting next Thursday, 5/24. We expect these systems to be less than 1% of our OS mix for the entire year which is ~20,000 systems annually. Please cover the huddle deck below with your team by EOB Sunday. If any questions come up, please let me know so I can address them before launch.

The goal of launching Linux is to continue to give our customers more choices to customize their new Dell. Providing more options to our Linux Enthusiast customer group will hopefully create even more Raving Fans!!

Here are the links to the Dell models mentioned above:
Dell Dimension E520 desktop
Dell Inspiron 1505 laptop
XPS 410 desktop

FL Studio running on XP in VMWare on Ubuntu

Making Ubuntu usable

In this chapter from the ExtremeTech book Hacking Ubuntu: Serious Hacks Mods and Customizations you'll learn how to set up the operating system to your taste with things like changing the startup music, the background, fonts, icons, and colors, and navigating the Nautilus file manager—on both PCs and Macs.

How To - iPod with Ubuntu Linux

Comprehensive thread here on how to get your ipod working with Ubuntu.

I recently purchased an iPod Nano, and i can confirm that the Feisty Fawn live CD does indeed recognise it - it pops up on the desktop when you plug it in. However, i'm having problems with it being seen by my Dapper Drake laptop. "dmesg" shows that its being recognised at a low level, but Amarok and gtkPod can't see it. I'll probably just upgrade to Feisty anyway.

Goodbye Fedora

Feb 21 message from Eric Raymond - after 13 years of loyalty to RedHat/Fedora he ditches it for Ubuntu.

Feisty Fawn due out tommorow

The next release of Ubuntu , "Feisty Fawn", is due out tommorow.
Press release here
Start downloading now and get it faster on release day

Ubuntu open week - Ask Mark

IRC log files of the "Ask Mark Shuttleworth" chat session , that was held as part of Ubuntu Open Week

Installing Ubuntu without a CD drive

Installing Ubuntu with no cdrom drive