Sunday, December 9, 2007

93. slowing down the cd speed

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=26864

Three different approaches.

Code:
hdparm -E [speed] [cdrom device]
setcd -x [speed] [cdrom device]
echo current_speed:4 > /proc/ide/[cdrom device]/settings
speed can probably be one of 1 2 4 8 16
cdrom device can probably be /dev/cdrom or /dev/dvd


Source:
http://web.njit.edu/all_topics/Prog_...er/cd-dvd.html


EDIT: You need to be root to do that (prefix commands with sudo)

94. making web links work in skype in ubuntu

94. making links work in skype
it works!

problem:
I have a skype 2.0.0beta installed on linux-ubuntu 7.10 and when I got the web link,
when I clicked it nothing happens.

solution:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=214224

1. Check: system -> preferences -> preferred applications
2. I've got: /opt/firefox/firefox "%s"
3. However, I have got Firefox in /usr/bin/firefox
4. I changed from 'custom' web browser to firefox, and choose open link in new tab
5. As a result: I have: firefox -new-tab "%s"
6. And it works!

95. switching monitors

2007-12-01
95. It works!

Web page:
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Sample_Fn-F7_script

a. configure virtual screen size
Add a "Virtual" statement to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf, the total resolution should be large enough to fit all your screens
in the configuration you want, for example if you have 1600x1200 monitor to the left of your internal 1024x768 monitor,
your total max resolution is 2624x1200

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Virtual 2624 1200
EndSubSection
EndSection

b. configure acpi
Modify:
/etc/acpi/events/ibm-videobtn

# /etc/acpi/events/ibm-videobtn
# This is called when the user presses the video button. It is currently
# a placeholder.
event=ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001007
action=/usr/local/sbin/thinkpad-fn-f7
# action=/bin/true

c. You may need to enable ibm-hotkeys
/etc/rc.local
#!/bin/bash
# enable ibm-hotkeys (specifically Fn2, Fn7)
# 12 bit mask, little end is F1 default 0x080c = F12+F4+F3
echo enable,0x084e > /proc/acpi/ibm/hotkey

and after suspending to disk RAM
/etc/acpi/resume.d/91-ibm-hotkey-enable.sh

#!/bin/bash
# enable ibm-hotkeys (specifically Fn2, Fn7)
# 12 bit mask, little end is F1 default 0x080c = F12+F4+F3
echo enable,0x084e > /proc/acpi/ibm/hotkey

chmod 755 91-ibm-hotkey-enable.sh

d. identify output devices

Note the names of your output devices as you will have to change EXTERNAL_OUTPUT and INTERNAL_OUTPUT
to what xrandr shows, for example VGA and LVDS in this case:

$ xrandr -q
VGA connected 1600x1200+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 432mm x 324mm
...
LVDS connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

e. create the bash script

Create /usr/local/sbin/thinkpad-fn-f7, you can set EXTERNAL_LOCATION to one of: left, right, above, or below.

#!/bin/bash

# External output may be "VGA" or "VGA-0" or "DVI-0"
EXTERNAL_OUTPUT="VGA"
INTERNAL_OUTPUT="LVDS"
EXTERNAL_LOCATION="left"

# Figure out which user and X11 display to work on
# TODO there has to be a better way to do this?
X_USER=$(w -h -s | grep ":[0-9]" | head -1 | awk '{print $1}')
export DISPLAY=$(w -h -s | grep ":[0-9]" | head -1 | awk '{print $3}')

# Switch to X user if necessary
if [ "$X_USER" != "$USER" ]; then
SU="su $X_USER -c"
fi

case "$EXTERNAL_LOCATION" in
left|LEFT)
EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--left-of $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
;;
right|RIGHT)
EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--right-of $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
;;
top|TOP|above|ABOVE)
EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--above $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
;;
bottom|BOTTOM|below|BELOW)
EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--below $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
;;
*)
EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--left-of $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
;;
esac

# Figure out current state
INTERNAL_STATE=$($SU xrandr | grep ^$INTERNAL_OUTPUT | grep con | sed "s/.*connected //" | sed "s/(.*//")
EXTERNAL_STATE=$($SU xrandr | grep ^$EXTERNAL_OUTPUT | grep con | sed "s/.*connected //" | sed "s/(.*//")

if [ -z "$INTERNAL_STATE" ]; then
STATE="external"
elif [ -z "$EXTERNAL_STATE" ]; then
STATE="internal"
else
INTERNAL_STATE=$(echo $INTERNAL_STATE | sed "s/[0-9]*x[0-9]*//")
EXTERNAL_STATE=$(echo $EXTERNAL_STATE | sed "s/[0-9]*x[0-9]*//")
if [ "$INTERNAL_STATE" = "$EXTERNAL_STATE" ]; then
STATE="mirror"
else
STATE="both"
fi
fi

function screen_external(){
$SU "xrandr --output $INTERNAL_OUTPUT --off"
$SU "xrandr --output $EXTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto"
}

function screen_internal(){
$SU "xrandr --output $EXTERNAL_OUTPUT --off"
$SU "xrandr --output $INTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto"
}

function screen_mirror(){
$SU "xrandr --output $INTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto"
$SU "xrandr --output $EXTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto --same-as $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
}

function screen_both(){
$SU "xrandr --output $INTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto"
$SU "xrandr --output $EXTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto $EXTERNAL_LOCATION"
}

function screen_toggle(){
case "$STATE" in
internal)
screen_mirror
;;
mirror)
screen_external
;;
external)
screen_both
;;
both)
screen_internal
;;
*)
screen_internal
;;
esac
}

# What should we do?
DO="$1"
if [ -z "$DO" ]; then
if [ $(basename $0) = "thinkpad-fn-f7" ]; then
DO="toggle"
fi
fi

case "$DO" in
toggle)
screen_toggle
;;
internal)
screen_internal
;;
external)
screen_external
;;
mirror)
screen_mirror
;;
both)
screen_both
;;
status)
echo "Current Fn-F7 state is: $STATE"
echo
echo "Attached monitors:"
$SU xrandr | grep "\Wconnected" | sed "s/^/ /"
;;
*)
echo "usage: $0 " >&2
echo >&2
echo " commands:" >&2
echo " status" >&2
echo " internal" >&2
echo " external" >&2
echo " mirror" >&2
echo " both" >&2
echo " toggle" >&2
echo >&2
;;
esac

chmod 755 thinkpad-fn-f7

$ sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/sbin/thinkpad-fn-f7
$ sudo service acpid restart
OR
$ sudo /etc/init.d/acpid restart

96. VNC

2007-12-01-02-06

96. If VNC server responds connection refused 10006 it may mean that on the host
where is the server, the firewall is set.

There is a workaround you have to use a REVERSE mode: vncserver -connect host_ip
with the host ip on the host where viewer has to be run and vncviewer -listen on the
viewer computer. When you are connected you can change firewall settings to allow
vncserver

97. Getting fast email client

- get rid of evolution
- try sylpheed 2.3.1

98. Getting Microsoft Fonts on ubuntu / better fonts

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FontInstallHowto

Get package msttcorefonts from Synaptic.
Logout and login.

If you want better fonts try Western encoding (not Central European).

99. Add Skype to Ubuntu

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Skype

- Open Synaptic Software Manager
- Add Skype repository:
deb http://download.skype.com/linux/repos/debian/ stable non-free
- Reload the repository
- Search for Skype

Works fine for me.

100. Enable TrackPoint middle-button scrolling

To use the blue middle TrackPoint button as a scroll wheel (using the red TrackPoint itself to scroll up and down), do the following. In a terminal, enter these commands:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf-original
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

In the editor, find the section headed Section “InputDevice” / Identifier “Configured Mouse” and add the following lines above the “EndSection” line:

Option "EmulateWheel" "true"
Option "EmulateWheelButton" "2"

Save the file. Logout, restart X with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, and log in again.

Source for this item: Many ThinkPad-related sites, confirmed by experiment.