I can't believe it, but I guess this is actually my first post within a week of the last one. Well, I decide to post some ideas, since I'm waiting for some results of my simulations.This are my weekly News1- I have updated the video drivers (to Catalist 9.2) (see previous post) !!! I un-installed the old ones (9.1) from the console and installed the new ones from the console (no restart in between). When I restart everything seemed to work perfectly... yes, only seemed. I have to admit that I'm very happy that I have no need to re-install the touch-screen support in my laptop after updating the video drivers (yeah, I know it sound weird, but in this laptop the ATI motherboard relationship seems to be extremely intimated).2- I haven't have time to check the audio output behavior so far, I will this weekend.3- I gave up on Evolution. Move all my files back to Thunderbird, with some minor problems, but now everything is ready to get rid of Evolution. Sad. But I had no freezing situations using enigmail.4- The Network Manager/Management seems it the same situation than last week... sometimes I connect, some times I don't. Still don't know why.5- I still have the same problem with sessions...6- I haven't tried Hibernation yet.7- I haven't work on the screen rotation8- I'm working now with Eclipse, subclise (the subversion plug-in), SFTP (to send my latest code to the cluster where my applications run) and yesterday I installed the valgrind plug-in. I'm really exited !!!9-On the negative side, I got 2 freezing situations: 2009-03-12 - 15:50 and 2009-03-12 - 17:03. I guess if could be because of the video drivers.... I'm going to try to be more consistent in this.This weekend plans are:A) to test of the functionality and evaluate the new updated software packages. I just installed Banshee 1.4.3B) to have my camera ready to document weird video output. Could Banshee be a replacement of Rhytmbox+Miro ?
Friday, March 13, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
I'm BACK !!!
Several Months without posting... well, I'd been busy with my work, I traveled to South America, and I got a new laptop. I have (since the beginning of the year) a HP Pavilion tx2500. It's a nice machine, good weight and size, with touchscreen.
I'm running Ubuntu 8:10 on this laptop. I works OK most of the time, however I have some problems I can't fix yet:
1 - Audio
The laptop has 2 outputs for sound (left and right). I plug my (only) one (male) plug into one of them to have sound in (external) speakers and not in the speakers of the laptop, same thing with my headphones (to avoid bother other people in the room). However, almost every time I reboot I have to switch the plug to the other output to obtain the same results (no output in the internal speakers and output in my headphones/external speakers). I don't know if it is Ubuntu or the kernel or alsa or pulseaudio.
2 - Evolution.
I love the integration of evolution with the desktop, however sometimes when I use PGP evolution crashes the whole system (not ony the e-mail client). I wrote to the evolution development team, and I have no answer. Thus, in a few days I'm going to start my migration to Thunderbird. It's really sad.
3 - The Network Manager/Management.
This is also another "randomly on-off" situations. I'm connected to my home (I should say "the house where I live") wireless (which I don't administrate). Sometimes, I just can't connect, so I need to reboot (yes, reboot) until the network manager allows me to connect. I tried restarting the network from console, I tried running dhclient from the console, no results. I need to restart, and the "voila" the network is running.
4 - Sessions.
I'm clearly a bit stupid because I don't understand how to work with sessions. I tried to save my (current) session, so the next time I start my computer I have OpenOffice open in the document I'm working, firefox in the newspaper I read, etc, etc. I tried, System->Preferences->Sessions and in the Options tab i checkthe box ( Automatically remember ...). Then I reboot, and .... nothing ! The same old desktop, no application (re)started. So, I tried the other way, I installed ubuntu tweak 0.4.6 and tried the same thing (Session Control).... with the same result !!!
5 - Hibernation.
Mainly because of the failure to remember the applications in the state that they were before logging out, I tried to use hibernation. A total disaster, although I must confess that I was running some simulations very CPU demanding when I tried to use it. I'm going to try later today or this week and see....
6 - Video drivers/Rotation.
I choose (erroneously) to have ATI video... I thought well, ATI and AMD are now friends and AMD allways was very friendly with the open source community and Linux, so ATI is going to have a increadible good open source drivers and try to compite with NVIDIA in the "user friendly" front (because clearly can't compite in quality, speed, performance, etc.). WRONG ! I'm still using binary (close) drivers, that are bad for reproducing video (the area were the video is reproducing keep refreshing, then the reproduction is a set of flashed images). One of my friends told me that it is because Compiz and the video driver are not talking correctly to each other.... I'm able to reproduce video correctly if I use VLC and set the output to X11. Supposedly because of the same reason, the scripts for rotation of the screen using xrandr . I'll try this week with the new ATi drivers (9.2)
7 - Eclipse.
I have to install manually Ecplise Gamynede (version 3.4.x), because Ubuntu repositories have
the previous to the previous version (3.2.x). Yes, really really old repositories, which made me think about it, If no one is going to update that packages.... do we really need that there ?
Any ways, I will keep trying to inform people on what is going on. I stalled Drivel and hopefully it will be easy to blog with it :)
In the meantime at least I learn one lesson: Buy NVIDIA, ATI is lower quality and as bad as NVIDIA regarding the open source community.
One more thing: Don't get me wrong. I'm really glad and thankful to the ubuntu community, but I guess that this are things that still make Ubuntu (and linux) hard to access to the regular user.
I'm running Ubuntu 8:10 on this laptop. I works OK most of the time, however I have some problems I can't fix yet:
1 - Audio
The laptop has 2 outputs for sound (left and right). I plug my (only) one (male) plug into one of them to have sound in (external) speakers and not in the speakers of the laptop, same thing with my headphones (to avoid bother other people in the room). However, almost every time I reboot I have to switch the plug to the other output to obtain the same results (no output in the internal speakers and output in my headphones/external speakers). I don't know if it is Ubuntu or the kernel or alsa or pulseaudio.
2 - Evolution.
I love the integration of evolution with the desktop, however sometimes when I use PGP evolution crashes the whole system (not ony the e-mail client). I wrote to the evolution development team, and I have no answer. Thus, in a few days I'm going to start my migration to Thunderbird. It's really sad.
3 - The Network Manager/Management.
This is also another "randomly on-off" situations. I'm connected to my home (I should say "the house where I live") wireless (which I don't administrate). Sometimes, I just can't connect, so I need to reboot (yes, reboot) until the network manager allows me to connect. I tried restarting the network from console, I tried running dhclient from the console, no results. I need to restart, and the "voila" the network is running.
4 - Sessions.
I'm clearly a bit stupid because I don't understand how to work with sessions. I tried to save my (current) session, so the next time I start my computer I have OpenOffice open in the document I'm working, firefox in the newspaper I read, etc, etc. I tried, System->Preferences->Sessions and in the Options tab i checkthe box ( Automatically remember ...). Then I reboot, and .... nothing ! The same old desktop, no application (re)started. So, I tried the other way, I installed ubuntu tweak 0.4.6 and tried the same thing (Session Control).... with the same result !!!
5 - Hibernation.
Mainly because of the failure to remember the applications in the state that they were before logging out, I tried to use hibernation. A total disaster, although I must confess that I was running some simulations very CPU demanding when I tried to use it. I'm going to try later today or this week and see....
6 - Video drivers/Rotation.
I choose (erroneously) to have ATI video... I thought well, ATI and AMD are now friends and AMD allways was very friendly with the open source community and Linux, so ATI is going to have a increadible good open source drivers and try to compite with NVIDIA in the "user friendly" front (because clearly can't compite in quality, speed, performance, etc.). WRONG ! I'm still using binary (close) drivers, that are bad for reproducing video (the area were the video is reproducing keep refreshing, then the reproduction is a set of flashed images). One of my friends told me that it is because Compiz and the video driver are not talking correctly to each other.... I'm able to reproduce video correctly if I use VLC and set the output to X11. Supposedly because of the same reason, the scripts for rotation of the screen using xrandr . I'll try this week with the new ATi drivers (9.2)
7 - Eclipse.
I have to install manually Ecplise Gamynede (version 3.4.x), because Ubuntu repositories have
the previous to the previous version (3.2.x). Yes, really really old repositories, which made me think about it, If no one is going to update that packages.... do we really need that there ?
Any ways, I will keep trying to inform people on what is going on. I stalled Drivel and hopefully it will be easy to blog with it :)
In the meantime at least I learn one lesson: Buy NVIDIA, ATI is lower quality and as bad as NVIDIA regarding the open source community.
One more thing: Don't get me wrong. I'm really glad and thankful to the ubuntu community, but I guess that this are things that still make Ubuntu (and linux) hard to access to the regular user.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Skype and External Hard Drive
Well, this weekend was a lot of fun :)
Firstly, I finally configured Skype, using the web as source of knowledge. Basically I downloaded a static version of Skype and I'm running it with pasuspender. Of course because I'm using pasuspender the music I'm playing go mute during my call... which is a good thing specially when I'm talking with my mom. However is a bad thing when I want to be just on-line waiting for calls. I need to read this post to fix this problem.
Secondly, I bought an external hard drive and I'm using it to backup my files. I have to use encryption for this because I have sensitive data. I'm still using scripts for the backup because I'm not sure that the backup software will give me full freedom, for example access my backed up data from a different platform, or using a different software to access the saved data. I'm thinking that if I need to access my backed up data is because something failed and therefore I'm not sure what software I will have at hand to access my data.
Well, now I have to go back to my weekly work routine.
Firstly, I finally configured Skype, using the web as source of knowledge. Basically I downloaded a static version of Skype and I'm running it with pasuspender. Of course because I'm using pasuspender the music I'm playing go mute during my call... which is a good thing specially when I'm talking with my mom. However is a bad thing when I want to be just on-line waiting for calls. I need to read this post to fix this problem.
Secondly, I bought an external hard drive and I'm using it to backup my files. I have to use encryption for this because I have sensitive data. I'm still using scripts for the backup because I'm not sure that the backup software will give me full freedom, for example access my backed up data from a different platform, or using a different software to access the saved data. I'm thinking that if I need to access my backed up data is because something failed and therefore I'm not sure what software I will have at hand to access my data.
Well, now I have to go back to my weekly work routine.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Why I do a "Fresh" Install when a new version of my OS is released
I have noticed that when I use the Synaptic's option "Complete Removal", the hidden configuration files/folders in my home directory are not removed. Some people told me that is because when I reinstall the software I can re-use my previous configuration... I totally disagree with that way of thinking, because if it is a complete removal, it should be complete (i.e. remove all files, including configuration files), for the other situation there is the (plain) removal option. Ubuntu as you know release a new version every 6 months, after 6 months of using a release, meaning not only using the software but also trying (installing, removing and updating) different software packages, my hole directory is a mess. The only way I know to restore the directory to the "original clean initial state" (that is not so clean and ordered) is to do a fresh install.
A second reason for doing a fresh install is to 'test' if all my hardware is correctly detected and configured without any intervention (For example, in early versions I do remember having to modify my profile (.bashrc) in order to have my wireless card working).
Because of these two reasons I do a "fresh" install.
A second reason for doing a fresh install is to 'test' if all my hardware is correctly detected and configured without any intervention (For example, in early versions I do remember having to modify my profile (.bashrc) in order to have my wireless card working).
Because of these two reasons I do a "fresh" install.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Starting this weekend !!!
Yes !!! Starting this weekend I will begin to post my adventures and misadventures with Ubuntu. It will be a way to expel my frustration and my excitement about the open source world... strongly related with Ubuntu and Gnome (because I like it more than KDE, sorry guys; I don't want to start a war about this, from my point of view Gnome is simpler and more beautiful). This Blog will also be my "step by step" preparation for the new release of Ubuntu and my way on detecting missing point in both the open source solution and the proposed solutions to some common problems. Because sometimes the solution that we use is bad, mainly because we are not aware of other (and probably better) solutions.
Potentially, I will be probably posting on some unrelated topics.
I have been using Ubuntu for almost five years now, and I'm pretty familiar with it, however, in the last two or three years I started to be real serious about using Ubuntu. My new year's resolution was to stop using any Apple or MS systems... unfortunately I have been able to keep my promise, at least twice I had to leave Ubuntu and work in a non-open platform.
My first time was really lame, yes, I have to confess that I use an Apple system to install a game on my Ipod (I will make a point about the Ipod later). It is lame but I could find any way to download the game except using itunes, which I could make it connect to the "itunes store" using wine + Ubuntu (although some people says it is possible).
The second time was when I really need to call my family on the other side of the word and I have to use skype for it. I had use skype previously on Ubuntu and it use to work properly, after the appearance of pulseaudio, everything turn to be not-so-smooth. Few days ago, during an emergency I didn't have time to configure skype properly to run it on Ubuntu, so I talked with my family over MS+skype. Now, that I have a bit of time I will try to configure it properly... we will see...
Anyways, the main point here is that I have all my data in my laptop running Ubuntu. I can't afford a failure in my system. I can't afford to install an unstable version of anything and although I do know how to deal with computers, I don't enjoy anymore to spend 10 hours configuring an application. I could and do spend time tuning some applications, but I want to have the "minimal functionality" ready fast to use right after installation. I guess that I can summarize all this just by saying I'm not a geek anymore.
Regarding Ipod's and suggested devices.
Before, you start, I know.... proprietary hardware and software and I pretend to write about open source !! It is a contradiction, yes, but, what were the options when I got it (3 years ago more or less)???. Please, give me a 60Gb portable device that is able to organize and reproduce all my music, notes, contacts, video and games, that fits in my shirt pocket.... well at that moment (about 2005) there was not other option, and still today it is hard to find a portable device that can hold all my music (more than 300 CD's). I have to recognize, however, that having more than 10000 songs in the Ipod makes the "rolling scroll" extremely inefficient. I don't know if there are new firwares that improve the usability of the ipod, because I haven't study whether or not it is possible to upate the firmware of my Ipod from Ubuntu, without risking my music library (please feel free of suggesting applications that can do that!).
Last summer I decided to start exercising, I wanted a portable music player so I can listen to "something" (music/podcasts) while running. Therefore I need a device that:
In Addition, Ubuntu.org did not suggest any portable device. And I want to make a point here, if there are some hardware companies that make devices that are 100% compatible with open source, why is not easier to have a suggestion from Ubuntu (and other linux distribution) to use their products. Look, MS will strongly suggest you to buy a Zune (voice recording?). Apple will tell you that the best option is an Ipod shuffle or a nano (although no voice recording). But, Ubuntu tells you... "Please, go to the hardware compatibility list", but I want to have a "suggested device", and later perhaps I'll visit the compatibility list to explore further options...
Anyways, this post is much longer than I was expecting. In the future I will try to make shorter posts and please fell free to disagree with my ideas...
Potentially, I will be probably posting on some unrelated topics.
I have been using Ubuntu for almost five years now, and I'm pretty familiar with it, however, in the last two or three years I started to be real serious about using Ubuntu. My new year's resolution was to stop using any Apple or MS systems... unfortunately I have been able to keep my promise, at least twice I had to leave Ubuntu and work in a non-open platform.
My first time was really lame, yes, I have to confess that I use an Apple system to install a game on my Ipod (I will make a point about the Ipod later). It is lame but I could find any way to download the game except using itunes, which I could make it connect to the "itunes store" using wine + Ubuntu (although some people says it is possible).
The second time was when I really need to call my family on the other side of the word and I have to use skype for it. I had use skype previously on Ubuntu and it use to work properly, after the appearance of pulseaudio, everything turn to be not-so-smooth. Few days ago, during an emergency I didn't have time to configure skype properly to run it on Ubuntu, so I talked with my family over MS+skype. Now, that I have a bit of time I will try to configure it properly... we will see...
Anyways, the main point here is that I have all my data in my laptop running Ubuntu. I can't afford a failure in my system. I can't afford to install an unstable version of anything and although I do know how to deal with computers, I don't enjoy anymore to spend 10 hours configuring an application. I could and do spend time tuning some applications, but I want to have the "minimal functionality" ready fast to use right after installation. I guess that I can summarize all this just by saying I'm not a geek anymore.
Regarding Ipod's and suggested devices.
Before, you start, I know.... proprietary hardware and software and I pretend to write about open source !! It is a contradiction, yes, but, what were the options when I got it (3 years ago more or less)???. Please, give me a 60Gb portable device that is able to organize and reproduce all my music, notes, contacts, video and games, that fits in my shirt pocket.... well at that moment (about 2005) there was not other option, and still today it is hard to find a portable device that can hold all my music (more than 300 CD's). I have to recognize, however, that having more than 10000 songs in the Ipod makes the "rolling scroll" extremely inefficient. I don't know if there are new firwares that improve the usability of the ipod, because I haven't study whether or not it is possible to upate the firmware of my Ipod from Ubuntu, without risking my music library (please feel free of suggesting applications that can do that!).
Last summer I decided to start exercising, I wanted a portable music player so I can listen to "something" (music/podcasts) while running. Therefore I need a device that:
reproduces several audio formats (mp4, mp3, ogg). Why? Because several podcasts are in mp3 and mp4.
has recording capabilities. Why? Because most of the time when I'm running I have good ideas for my research work and I don't have anything to write them down, however if I had a recording device I could totally record these ideas and later transfer the audio file to my laptop (that's a totally different story).
Small, light and durable.
In Addition, Ubuntu.org did not suggest any portable device. And I want to make a point here, if there are some hardware companies that make devices that are 100% compatible with open source, why is not easier to have a suggestion from Ubuntu (and other linux distribution) to use their products. Look, MS will strongly suggest you to buy a Zune (voice recording?). Apple will tell you that the best option is an Ipod shuffle or a nano (although no voice recording). But, Ubuntu tells you... "Please, go to the hardware compatibility list", but I want to have a "suggested device", and later perhaps I'll visit the compatibility list to explore further options...
Anyways, this post is much longer than I was expecting. In the future I will try to make shorter posts and please fell free to disagree with my ideas...
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