Milan/Ubuntu

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< Milan
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Info.svg Check out this very detailed Ubuntu guide! I will be working my way through it, looking for good applications and tweaks to my set up over the next few weeks. Here is another very good guide to check out: Eva's useful guide

Contents

Generic System/device setup procedure

  • Install dropbox
  • Sync dropbox accoount
  • Install firefox
  • Sync Firefox settings

XPS 15 (L521x)

Time to upgrade and set up the latest Ubuntu on the new lappie! I am using Ubuntu 12.10 64 bit with the home partition installed on SSD and a 1TB disk for larger files.

  • XPS 15 (L521X) Owner's Manual
  • Wireless issues - seems OK now though disconnects sometimes
  • Unity crashed badly, installed Gnome seems fine
  • Nvidia-current driver crashed my system badly, had to remove
  • Ubuntu restricted extras still not installing properly

Restore home from backup

Just run Deja Dup with default settings, all there!

Installs

From software centre
  • Thunderbird now comes as default
  • Enigmail
  • Ubuntu restricted extras
  • Pidgin
  • VLC
  • Clementine
  • Gimp
  • Inkscape
  • Geany
  • ffmpeg
  • Furius ISO Mount
From websites

Auto Mount "Meeja" partition on boot

sudo blkid

Output should be something like this.
/dev/sda1: UUID="275E-9E1E" TYPE="vfat" 
/dev/sda2: UUID="825524e4-a961-4348-a046-01449fc1e97a" TYPE="ext4" 
/dev/sda3: LABEL="Meeja" UUID="f2d5d33c-79a9-4fa9-b7a2-28b7db8d9153" TYPE="ext4" 
/dev/mapper/cryptswap1: UUID="e0411269-5f28-40cc-b5f4-960b8821297b" TYPE="swap"

Cut and paste the output information to a plain txt document for future use. Next you will want to type the following in terminal:
sudo gedit /etc/fstab

Next add this to the fstab at the bottom.
# Mount at boot
UUID=f2d5d33c-79a9-4fa9-b7a2-28b7db8d9153 /media/Meeja ext4 defaults 0 1

Change ownership of Meeja partition

sudo chown -R milan.milan /media/Meeja

Create symlinks from "Home" to separate partition

I will be symlinking from my home folder to folders in another partition, "Meeja". The following folders are first moved to the new location, in this case the "Meeja" partition.

  • Desktop
  • Documents
  • Downloads
  • Dropbox
  • Music
  • Pictures
  • Videos

First, remove the existing, empty folders with those names from home directory. 

gksudo nautilus

navigate to /home/milan and delete them.

Open terminal and enter the following to symlink windows folders over to linux thus using a centralized spot for both system. 

ln -s /media/Meeja/Desktop /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Documents /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Downloads /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Dropbox /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Music /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Pictures /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Videos /home/milan

Revert to 12.04

Problems

Re: E:Encountered a section with no Package: header, E:Problem with MergeList Actually, just fixed the problem using: 

sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/* -vf
sudo apt-get update

Current state

Having spent some time in exile, I recently returned to Ubuntu-land. And I have found a lot of good changes had taken place in my absence. Finally, a robust screen-casting solution is available (Kazam), and there is a sweet new music player on the scene (Clementine).

I had previously run Windows to be able to do certain things such as...

  1. Watch webinars held using "GoToMeeting", which unbelievably, won't run on Ubuntu due to requiring Citrix
  2. I also run a keyword research tool called "Market Samurai" which needs the Adobe Air "coss-platform" application environment to run
I need that framework for the Elance time-tracker and have it running in Ubuntu, their help page on installation for Linux users may be of some use --nad (talk) 06:08, 5 October 2012 (PDT)

I can now do both of those things with VirtualBox running a Windows XP Nemesis, in combination with the system setup procedure.

I still keep my "Home" directory separate in preparation for migration to a system with small boot SSD (mSATA 32GB) and large spinning disk for data storage.

Even though I have moved back to a single boot environment and still have to get rid of GRUB boot options listing windows 7, I find this guide handy because it has some SSD-specific settings: "Setting up a dual-boot environment with SSD boot drive"

Trackball

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf

or 

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

then add this at the end of the file: 

Section "InputClass" 
        Identifier  "Marble Mouse" 
        MatchProduct "Logitech USB Trackball" 
        MatchIsPointer "on" 
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*" 
        Driver "evdev" 
        Option "ButtonMapping" "3 8 1 4 5 6 7 2 2" 
        Option "EmulateWheel" "true" 
        Option "EmulateWheelButton" "9" 
        Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" 
        Option "XAxisMapping" "6 7" 
        Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true" 
EndSection

Installs

Web
Software centre
  • VLC
  • Pidgin
  • GIMP
  • Skype
  • Clementine
  • Inkscape
  • Kazam
  • ProjectM
  • Opencast

Auto Mount Shared NTFS partition on boot

sudo blkid

Output should be something like this.
/dev/sda1: LABEL="Windows_7" UUID="48AC1276AC125EAE" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda3: UUID="35030494-3d2d-4d4a-a605-32d91e7a6d12" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda5: UUID="7219b425-9d8d-41e4-a957-e26b1e8ead4c" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sdb1: LABEL="windows" UUID="1D3B46DD6CFD93D5" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/zram0: UUID="4dc3b795-0931-484e-b809-0946253ab710" TYPE="swap"

Cut and paste the output information to a plain txt document for future use. Next you will want to type the following in terminal:
sudo gedit /etc/fstab

Next add this to the fstab at the bottom.
# Mount at boot
UUID=1D3B46DD6CFD93D5 /media/windows ntfs-3g defaults,rw,owner,uid=1000,gid=100

Install German Spellcheck and Dictionaries in Libre Office

Create symlinks from "Home" to separate partition

I will be symlinking from my home folder to folders in another partition, "Meeja". The following folders are first moved to the new location, in this case the "Meeja" partition.

  • Desktop
  • Documents
  • Downloads
  • Dropbox
  • Music
  • Videos

Open terminal and enter the following to symlink windows folders over to linux thus using a centralized spot for both system. 

ln -s /media/Meeja/Desktop /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Documents /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Downloads /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Dropbox /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Music /home/milan
ln -s /media/Meeja/Videos /home/milan

Task: Set up backup and create system image

Annoyances

Screen tearing

Maybe my laptop is getting old but this screen tearing thing is getting old too.

Slow wireless connection

Wireless has been crippled since Ubuntu 12.04 upgrade so I need to figure out how to get this working again.

  • Intel(R) 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-Card is the chipset
  • iwl4965 is the driver

Tried this but no luck: http://www.noobslab.com/2012/05/disable-ipv6-if-your-internet-is.html

Could not apply the stored configuration for monitors

none of the selected modes were compatible with the possible modes:
Trying modes for CRTC 351
CRTC 351: trying mode 1920x1200@50Hz with output at 1024x768@50Hz (pass 0)
CRTC 351: trying mode 1920x1200@50Hz with output at 1024x768@50Hz (pass 1)

This error screen keeps popping up after reboot. Sometimes it just pops up at random times, after this happens my trackball settings get messed up. Trying this: https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-nv/+question/197240

  • Nope. This is still happening. No big deal I guess just looks a bit rough on startup. Note to self: Must distract any Apple fanboys present when it gets to that point during start-up.--Milan (talk) 05:28, 5 October 2012 (PDT).

History of Ubuntu configs

I bought the laptop off Trademe and it had some weird graphical output problems on startup, something to do with a "SmallLimp" "Blista".

Fresh install - Milan 08 2009

So I decided to do a fresh install by downloading the 64bit Ubuntu 9.04 off Ubuntu.com onto my other laptop a.k.a. "pancake" (it's for sale here) and turning the .iso into a file installable off memory stick using the "Create bootable USB" application that comes natively with Ubuntu. In under 10 minutes after downloading the .iso, I had installed a fresh 64-bit Ubuntu onto my newly acquired M1330!

Post-Install

First, I set up a root password: 

sudo passwd root

Next, edit sources list 

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

and add the following: 

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu maverick main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu maverick main
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu maverick main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu maverick main
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ maverick free non-free
deb http://www.geekconnection.org/remastersys/repository ubuntu/

Install keys

wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - && sudo apt-get update

Then update and upgrade as usual, 

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

Subscribe to the od-workstation package:

Following this, I enabled proprietary hardware drivers for 3d acceleration: System >> Administration >> Hardware Drivers

Further installs

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras gtk-recordmydesktop planner ktouch mencoder libdvdcss openoffice.org ubuntu-tweak msttcorefonts dkms libdvdcss2 remastersys libcurl3

Skype

http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-beta-ubuntu-32

VirtualBox

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

Data transfer

Once all the updates have installed it is time to transfer all the data across.

  • Backup Evolution File --> Backup settings... to /Home/Desktop
  • Remove the drive from the existing computer and place in HD enclosure
  • Boot up freshly installed system and connect drive in enclosure
  • Open terminal as root, copy files across from old hard drive, e.g.
cp -pR '/media/disk/home/user' '/home/user/backup'
  • If you want to keep an eye on the data transfer as it is happening, you can use:
du -sh '/home/user/backup'
  • Once the data has been transferred, you may need to change all the permissions to the new user:
chown user:user -R '/home/user/backup/user'

Restore applications and settings

  • Run Evolution and use backed up data file to restore settings and data
  • Copy backup folders into new Home:
    • Firefox profile (.mozilla/firefox)
    • Transmission (~/.config/transmission)
    • F-Spot (~/.gnome2/f-spot/photos.db)
      • I still haven't figured out a good way to import the existing photos, merely changing the default photo folder and importing the old database doesn't work.
    • Pidgin (.purple)(!)
    • RhythmBox music player (~/.local/share/rhythmbox/)

Add/remove Applications dialogue

  • GStreamer plugins
    • ffmpeg
    • mp3
    • quicktime
    • Xvid
    • aac
  • Acrobat reader 9
  • Planner
  • Asunder (CD Ripper) very slow! I miss the juicer!
    • Requires "lame"
  • Wine

Web downloads

  • Download and install VirtualBox
    • Import the .vdi files into ~/.VirtualBox/HardDisks and restore the virtual systems by creating new virtual machines and attaching them to the imported .vdi files

Restore scripts and config

  • Evolution spellchecker
sudo apt-get aspell
  • Then set the dictionary in Evolution to UK English
  • Pidgin emotes
    • If running Pidgin you can File:Od-pidgin-theme.zip which is currently just all the Skype ones (we've all been using mainly skype until now and would like to keep the same emoticons). It's a zipped up folder called "OD" which should be unpacked into /usr/share/pixmaps/pidgin/emotes. You'll need to make the emotes folder writable first with chmod 777 /usr/share/pixmaps/pidgin/emotes.
  • Set VLC to default
    • Set your preferred multimedia application to VLC:
    • Open System, Preferences, Preferred Applications, then change to Multimedia tab, choose Custom, and enter vlc.
  • Set up HP PSC 1315 Printer
  • Set up Transmission cron job:
    • Edit the crontab with sudo gedit /etc/crontab, and add the following lines (replace username with your Linux user name).
0 2 * * * username transmission --display=:0
0 8 * * * username killall -9 transmission
  • Add remote support line to crontab
*/10 * * * * nobody wget -q --spider "http://dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com/update?host=vnc&domain=peerix.org&password=OUR-DOMAIN-PASSWORD"
  • Change Workgroup to Organic Design
sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
  • Change line 38 to workgroup = ORGANICDESIGN

Issues and workarounds

Finish off

  • Create an install based on all of the modifications made: 
sudo remastersys dist milan-workstation-aug2009.iso

Lingering questions

I would like to know an easy way to export/import the following:

  • Sources.list
  • Key files

Upgrading to Ubuntu 10.04

This upgrade was quick and painless due to me setting up /home as a separate partition. I had to set up some things again after re-installing:

Useful documentation

General post-install guide:

Additional software sources to add

OD workstation package:

Medibuntu:

Ubuntu-tweak 

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tualatrix/ppa

Software installs

Restricted extras: 

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras ubuntu-tweak

Web downloads

Download and install Virtualbox

Download and install Skype

Ubuntu 10.04 bugs and annoyances

  • Important dialogue windows are often not brought forward
  • Taskbar/menubar a complete random mess - needs streamlining. Generally, window controls can disappear or opened programs disappear and can only be brought back into view using alt-tab keys. Years behind other OS's in terms of UI unfortunately.
  • Skype video broken - used to work on Ubuntu 9.04!
  • Management of multi-monitors for NVidia graphics cards - quite painful currently. Having worked without the external screen, it should be easy to re-connect the external and switch back to dual-screen using the laptop CRT/LCD switch. This does not work seamlessly at this time.

Logitech Marblemouse USB

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Add this: 

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier  "Marble Mouse"
        MatchProduct "Logitech USB Trackball"
        MatchIsPointer "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "ButtonMapping" "1 8 3 4 5 6 7 2 9"
        Option "EmulateWheel" "true"
        Option "EmulateWheelButton" "9"
        Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
        Option  "XAxisMapping" "6 7"
        Option  "Emulate3Buttons" "false"
EndSection

USB external drive problem on VirtualBox

I came across the problem of external USB drives being greyed out when trying to access them from the guest windows system. Fortunately the solution is pretty simple: Go to System --> Adminstration --> Users and Groups then look for the vboxusers group, hit "properties" and make sure you are added (checkbox with currently logged in user). Restart, and you should be fine. As described very clearly here: http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Fix-VirtualBox-USB-Support-111715.shtml

Post install

Packages

Medibuntu

Add packages and key
sudo wget --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list cd && wget http://packages.medibuntu.org/pool/free/m/medibuntu-keyring/medibuntu-keyring_2008.04.20_all.deb && sudo dpkg -i medibuntu-keyring_2008.04.20_all.deb && rm medibuntu-keyring_2008.04.20_all.deb
Update
sudo apt-get update
Add to software centre
sudo apt-get install app-install-data-medibuntu

Software Centre Installs

  • Thunderbird
  • Enigmail
  • VLC
  • Geany
  • Acrobat
  • Ktouch
  • Pidgin
  • Inkscape
  • Gimp
  • Backintime

Download and install

Skype
VirtualBox
Ubuntu-tweak
Duckduckgo firefox plugin

Changing over to 64 bit Ubuntu

After problems trying to install using the latest version of Ubuntu 11.04 32bit, which crashed, I used the 64 bit .iso file to create an install disk, which installed fine. Some issues remain regarding 64 bit compatibility.

Thunderbird and Lightning on 64bit

I installed Thunderbird through software centre (version 3.1.15). Enigmail and Lightning calendar didn't work, however this was fixed by:

Overall, 64bit support is disappointing in some areas and I ended up using very out-of-date versions of both Thunderbird and Lightning. The good news is that both scheduling and encryption are now running fine.

Installs

From software centre
  • Thunderbird
  • Enigmail
  • Skype
  • Chromium
  • Backintime
  • Ktouch
  • Ubuntu restricted extras
  • Pidgin
  • VLC
  • Gimp
  • Inkscape
  • Geany
  • ffmpeg
From websites

Configuration

  • Marble mouse support
  • Nvidia driver (Administration/additional drivers)
  • Make Pidgin start automatically (Preferences/Startup applications)
  • Set up emoticons for Pidgin
    • If running Pidgin you can download File:Od-pidgin-theme.zip which is currently just all the Skype ones (we've all been using mainly skype until now and would like to keep the same emoticons). It's a zipped up folder called "OD" which should be unpacked into /usr/share/pixmaps/pidgin/emotes. You'll need to make the emotes folder writable first with chmod 777 /usr/share/pixmaps/pidgin/emotes.
  • Adjust Skype microphone settings to analogue (external microphone)

Tweaking guides

Downgrade to 11.04

After a number of problems, mainly Firefox crashing lots and my printer not working any more, and lack of proper multi-screen support, I decided to downgrade my Ubuntu to 11.04, which I now run in "Basic (no effects)" mode. everything else seems to make the cpu run @ 100%. This guy here really sums up the problems with Ubuntu well...

Problem with Ubuntu restricted extras package

I ran into a problem when trying to install ubuntu-restricted-extras, whereby the ttf-mscorefonts-installer that is part of the package can't be downloaded and dpkg just hangs trying different mirrors with no success. After finding out how to fix the problem,I used this command to just install the extras minus the ttf-mscorefonts: 

sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse unrar gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse libavcodec-extra-52 libmp4v2-0 ubuntu-restricted-addons

Ubuntu 12.04 64bit

Setting up a dual-boot environment with SSD boot drive: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1627197

Trackball

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf

or 

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

then add this at the end of the file: 

Section "InputClass" 
        Identifier  "Marble Mouse" 
        MatchProduct "Logitech USB Trackball" 
        MatchIsPointer "on" 
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*" 
        Driver "evdev" 
        Option "ButtonMapping" "3 8 1 4 5 6 7 2 2" 
        Option "EmulateWheel" "true" 
        Option "EmulateWheelButton" "9" 
        Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" 
        Option "XAxisMapping" "6 7" 
        Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true" 
EndSection

Installs

Web
Software centre
  • Banshee
  • VLC
  • Pidgin

Auto Mount Shared NTFS partition on boot

sudo blkid

Output should be something like this.
/dev/sda1: LABEL="Windows_7" UUID="48AC1276AC125EAE" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda3: UUID="35030494-3d2d-4d4a-a605-32d91e7a6d12" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda5: UUID="7219b425-9d8d-41e4-a957-e26b1e8ead4c" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sdb1: LABEL="windows" UUID="1D3B46DD6CFD93D5" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/zram0: UUID="4dc3b795-0931-484e-b809-0946253ab710" TYPE="swap"

Cut and paste the output information to a plain txt document for future use. Next you will want to type the following in terminal:
sudo gedit /etc/fstab

Next add this to the fstab at the bottom.
# Mount at boot
UUID=1D3B46DD6CFD93D5 /media/windows ntfs-3g defaults,rw,owner,uid=1000,gid=100

Slow wireless connection

Wireless has been crippled since Ubuntu 12.04 upgrade so I need to figure out how to get this working again.

  • Intel(R) 4965AGN Wireless-N Mini-Card is the chipset
  • iwl4965 is the driver

Tried this but no luck: http://www.noobslab.com/2012/05/disable-ipv6-if-your-internet-is.html

Solved

Using Linksys wireless-G USB adapter

Could not apply the stored configuration for monitors

none of the selected modes were compatible with the possible modes:
Trying modes for CRTC 351
CRTC 351: trying mode 1920x1200@50Hz with output at 1024x768@50Hz (pass 0)
CRTC 351: trying mode 1920x1200@50Hz with output at 1024x768@50Hz (pass 1)

This error screen keeps popping up after reboot. Sometimes it just pops up at random times, after this happens my trackball settings get messed up. Trying this: https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-nv/+question/197240

Install German Spellcheck and Dictionaries in Libre Office

Install Adobe Air

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