How to make nouveau driver work in Ubuntu 9.10

Using the reverse engineered open source nouveau driver for nvidia cards.
Update to the latest, and install the driver.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

# install the driver
# this will emove your proprietary nvidia driver, in case you have that installed.
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

# gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
SubSection "Display"
Virtual 3840 3840
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Default Device"
Driver "nouveau"
Option "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection

Run this to make sure it's working

glxinfo | grep direct
direct rendering: Yes

Note:
This driver does not support 3D. If you need 3D support you still have to install the nvidia proprietary driver.

Ubuntu 9.10 3D Desktop

Ubuntu Jaunty 9.10 alpha3 with the latest updates as of 2 AugUG 2009.
compiz, emerald and cairo-dock are enabled.




The demo was recorded with gtk-recordmydesktop and uploaded to you-tube without changes.

I used a Thinkpad T400s with a Intel gfx chipset. The cool thing here is that 3D support on the Intel gfx chipset looks to be fixed and works great with compiz on the new Ubuntu 9.10

The video was recorded at 1440x900 15fps with the apps running at same time, it looks a bit sloppy, but on the screen of the t400s it looked very fluid and smooth.

I think gtk-recordmydesktop was not able to grab all the video glory from the video card.

Sound sharing with ubuntu

Ubuntu has a supper cool feature for people who would like to share the sound between multiple machines.
This allows for a computer connected to a HI FI sound system, to share this system with several other machines.

It's also super simple to setup.


Install:

sudo apt-get install paprefs paman padevchooser

On the machine in where you want the sound system to be available to other machines
goto System->Preferences->PulseAudio Preferences and change it to look like the picture



On the system where you want where you want the sounds applications to run
Install:

sudo apt-get install paprefs paman padevchooser

goto System->Preferences->PulseAudio Preferences and change it to look like the picture


Also go to Applications->Sound & Video->Pulse Device Chooser, this will add a icon to your task bar. Check the "Start applet on session login", for future reboots.





Final step is just to select the server where you want the sound to be played.
Just on the click Pulse Audio applet and select "Default Server" and pick the server.



Enjoy

VirtualBox can't operate in VMX root mode

If you get this message from VirtualBox:

VirtualBox can't operate in VMX root mode. Please disable the KVM kernel extension, recompile your

type:

sudo modprobe -r kvm_intel

Run VirtualBox again that should fix the problem.

Transparent VirtualBox window with compiz manager

If you getting a transparent VirtualBox window, you can start VBox like this to fix the problem:

env XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 VirtualBox

references:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/virtualbox-ose/+bug/292588
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1160178

Ubuntu Jaunty unstable with video ATI chipset

If you have a laptop or machine with a ATI video card and you install Ubuntu Jaunty, you probably notice it's not stable and X freezes very frequently.

This fixed my problem:

# http://temp.minimum.se/mesa_with_fixed_ati_bug/
# 32 bit
wget http://temp.minimum.se/mesa_with_fixed_ati_bug/libgl1-mesa-dri_7.4-0ubuntu3_i386.deb
wget http://temp.minimum.se/mesa_with_fixed_ati_bug/libgl1-mesa-glx_7.4-0ubuntu3_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i libgl1-mesa-dri_7.4-0ubuntu3_i386.deb libgl1-mesa-glx_7.4-0ubuntu3_i386.deb

# for 64 bit
# replace i386 with amd64

Reference:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mesa/+bug/368049

Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04 Netbook Remix on Dell mini HOWTO

This tutorial describes how to configure a Ubuntu (UNR) Desktop for daily use, using a Dell Mini 9.

Grab the ubuntu img file from ubuntu web site

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download-netbook

Get to a Ubuntu desktop and install

sudo apt-get install usb-imagewriter

goto Applications-> Accessories -> ImageWritter


Write the image to the your USB drive (bigger than 1Gb).

Unplug the USB key, plug it in your Dell Mini 9, reboot, press 0 to select to boot from the USB drive.

Just follow instructions and perform regular installation. After install is done, install all updates.



Run this to fix a problematic bug on desktop-switcher,

# Run these commands:

wget http://launchpadlibrarian.net/26020903/desktop-switcher_0.4.6_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i desktop-switcher_0.4.6_i386.deb

In case you already corrupted your desktop config, you can one of these commands to fix the problem, depending on what mode of desktop you are running:

If you are in Ubuntu Netbook Remix dekstop mode:
gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/session/required_components_list --type list --list-type=string ["windowmanager","panel"]

If you are in Ubuntu standart desktop mode:
gconftool-2 --set /desktop/gnome/session/required_components_list --type list --list-type=string ["windowmanager","panel","filemanager"]

Dell Apps

On Ubuntu goto to System->Administration->Software Sources->Third Party Software and select "Add".

# Dell airplane mode from https://launchpad.net/~opensource-subakutty/+archive/ppa/
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/opensource-subakutty/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main # Dell aircraf-manager

For installation execute the following command:

sudo apt-get install aircraft-manager

This application is necessary to enable and disable the bluetooth and wifi networks, after installing make sure your bluetooh and wifi networks are enabled.

Ubuntu Tweak

Ubuntu Tweak is a GUI tool that allows you to add software sources and applications very easily.
# add key
sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com FE85409EEAB40ECCB65740816AF0E1940624A220
# add this software source
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu jaunty main
# install
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-tweak




You can use Ubuntu Tweak to install the following software sources, on the "Third Party Sources":

• Medibuntu
• Opera
• Google
  

Don't install other "Third Party sources" from the ubuntu tweak list, since all of them are already included in medibuntu or ubuntu jaunty sofware sources.
You can now move to the "Add/Remove" section and select:

• Audacity
• Avant Window Navigator
• Avidemux
• Cairo-Dock
• Googleearth
• Gnome Partition Editor
  
• gtk-recordMyDesktop
• Inkscape
  
• Kino
• Lastfm
• Miro Internet TV
  
• Opera
  
• Skype
• Ubuntu restricted extras - multimedia codecs, java, flash
  
• VLC media player
  
• Wine

The first time you start Google Earth you need to disable atmosphere on the view menu, otherwise is to slow.

Pick any other application that you find interesting, and select apply.

Howto fix the jaunty sound config to work with Skype

Just copy the settings below to your machine

System->Preference->Sound



Volume Control, and Skype


Configure repositories for extra Applications

On Ubuntu goto to System->Administration->Software Sources->Third Party Software and select "Add".

# Canonical repository (Acrobat, Flash, VMWare and DB2 Express)
# enable this on the Software Sources Management tool (tab thir-party) from ubuntu/kubuntu menu

# Google Linux repository, add both to get picasa
deb http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/ stable non-free
deb http://dl.google.com/linux/deb/ testing non-free

# Virtual Box
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian jaunty non-free

# medibuntu repositories
# run this command to add this repository
sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/jaunty.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

To get the GPG key for Picasa and Virtual Box

# Google Key
wget -q -O - http://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -

# Virtual Box Key
wget -q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/sun_vbox.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

# medibuntu Key
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get update

Java, Skype, Acrobat, GoogleEarth, Proprietary and Others


For installation execute the following commands:

# Update the index of your repositories
sudo apt-get update

# multimedia codecs, flash, java, google earth, virtualbox, libdvdcss2, codecs, skype, ffmpeg, amarok, lastfm, picasa, wine, acrobatreader, gimp, krita, kget, ksnapshot
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras googleearth libdvdcss2 ffmpeg non-free-codecs skype miro amarok libtunepimp5-mp3 lastfm picasa wine acroread gizmo5 lastfm gimp krita kget ksnapshot

For other very usefull apps:

# Some cool games
sudo apt-get install frozen-bubble warzone2100 chromium nexuiz

# Amarok media player, Lastfm music client
sudo apt-get install amarok libtunepimp5-mp3 lastfm

# The ubuntu-restricted-extras (installs flash, java, multimedia codecs)
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

# The kubuntu-restricted-extras (install this one if you use kubuntu)
sudo apt-get install kubuntu-restricted-extras

# Mediatomb UPnP MediaServer with a nice web user interface. Share your media with PS3 and XBOX devices.
# cat /var/log/mediatomb.log to see what url is the server running point you browser to that url to configure
sudo apt-get install mediatomb


# Acrobat Reader
sudo apt-get install acroread

# Google Earth, Picasa
sudo apt-get install googleearth picasa

# Skype
sudo apt-get install skype

# Miro - The free open-source video platform.
sudo apt-get install miro

# KDE download manager
sudo apt-get install kget

# OSS voip, softphone, video conference tools
sudo apt-get install ekiga twinkle gizmo5

# image and publishing tools
sudo apt-get install krita scribus inkscape karbon gimp

# Kexi is considered as a long awaited Open Source competitor for Microsoft Access, Filemaker and Oracle Forms.
# Kivio is an easy to use diagramming and flowcharting application
# KPlato is a project management application.
sudo apt-get install kplato kivio kexi

### Advanced usage

# visual partition editor
sudo apt-get install gparted

# To change the default JVM run the command below and select the relevant version.
# If you only have one JVM this step should not be required.
sudo update-alternatives --config java

# remote login using ssh
sudo apt-get install sshfs openssh-server

Restart, enjoy

Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04 Skype sounds problems

The default sound settings on Ubuntu Jaunty worked fine for playback, but I was having problems with recording on Skype and with my headphones output.
After playing with the defaults, I changed the settings to make my Skype and headphones jack work.


Below are the settings that work fine for a Thinkpad T62


Below are the settings that work fine for a Thinkpad T61


Below are the settings that work fine for a Thinkpad T60


Below are the settings that work fine for a Thinkpad R50


Your millage may vary, but I would start to set everything to "Pulse". And if in case Skype does not work, change "Input Source" on Volume Control and pick the right Mic, if that does not work the next step would be to change Skype "sound in" setting to the first ALSA device on the list, as the example on T60.

Some Folks reported huge latency with pulse audio on skype calls, here is a config for skype using only ALSA on a T61:, this should fix the latency problem. You might need to execute "killall pulseaudio" to stop pulseaudio.




Thanks to: Marcin Bogdanski for the T61 config