Ubuntu 8.04 on IBM ThinkPad T41 - num lock

The num lock button cannot work in the Thinkpad keyboard ... must use

#xmodmap -e "keycode 77 = Num_Lock"

To set DFS link as root folder

When you create a shortcut to a DFS link and uses the UP button in Windows Explorer, it will traverse up the DFS path. There is a way to stop this:

e.g To set LEVEL2 as root folder, instead of creating the shortcut as:

\\DFS-ROOT\LEVEL1\LEVEL2

use the following:

explorer.exe /e,/root,\\DFS-ROOT\LEVEL1\LEVEL2

Linux Mint 5 on IBM ThinkPad T41

After trying out Sabayon 4 and Fedora 10 on the IBM ThinkPad, I did not like them ... so i started to look for another distro. Need something lean and fast for this old machine. Downloaded Puppy Linux but not sure it can support the hardware, the live CD cannot detect the wifi card. Then I decide to get somethng based on Debian or should i say Ubuntu ...Linux Mint 5 "Elyssa" XFCE edition.

Installation was a breeze, wireless was out of the box and boot speed is faster. Still some problem were encounter:

(1) Update is slooow ... seems like it is going to the Ubuntu repo. in U.S. to get the updates. So i change it all (except security) to the one in Singapore.

#nano /etc/apt/sources.list

## -------------------
## UBUNTU REPOSITORIES
## -------------------

## +++ Hardy (Ubuntu 8.04) +++
deb http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-security main restricted universe multiverse

(2) My T41 is docked to a IBM Port Replicator II, which is hooked up to a 19 inch Philips LCD monitor. The problem is when Linux Mint boot up in dock, the Philips will display the wallpaper in 1280x1024 (optimize resolution for external LCD) but the task bar and whatever maximize windows screen will only take up 1024x768 (optimize resolution for notebook). Try changing the settings in /etc/X11/xorg.conf but nothing works.

Finally got the task bar to the correct 1280x1024 by turning off the T41 internal screen.

#xrandr --output LVDS --off

Hence I created 2 launcher on the desktop to turn on and turn off the screen.

#xrandr --output LVDS --auto

This is my /etc/X11/xorg.conf:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by failsafeDexconf, using
# values from the debconf database and some overrides to use vesa mode.
#
# You should use dexconf or another such tool for creating a "real" xorg.conf
# For example:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Module"
 Load  "dri"
 Load  "glx"
 Load  "GLcore"
 Load  "v4l"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
 Driver  "kbd"
 Option  "XkbRules" "xorg"
 Option  "XkbModel" "pc105"
 Option  "XkbLayout" "us"
 Option  "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Configured Mouse"
 Driver  "mouse"
 Option  "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
 Driver  "synaptics"
 Option  "SendCoreEvents" "true"
 Option  "Device" "/dev/psaux"
 Option  "Protocol" "auto-dev"
 Option  "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier  "InternalLCD"
        Option   "DPMS" "true"
 Gamma  1.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
 Identifier "Configured Video Device"
 Vendorname  "ATI"
 Boardname "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500]"
 Driver   "radeon"
        BusID           "PCI:1:0:0"
 Screen  0

 # option available when DRI is enabled
 Option  "DRI" "true"
        Option          "AGPMode" "4"
 Option   "AGPFastWrite" "true"

        # enable radeon specific xinerama
#       Option          "MergedFB" "true"
#       Option          "CRT2Position" "Clone"
#       Option          "CRT2Hsync" "50-75"
#       Option          "CRT2VRefresh" "30-82"
#       Option          "MetaModes" "1024x768-1280x1024 1024x768 800x600"
#       Option          "MergedNonRectangular" "true"

# Option   "AccelMethod" "XAA"
# Option  "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"

 # only when EXA is selected
  Option   "AccelMethod" "EXA"
 Option   "AccelDFS" "true"

 # acceleration and misc
  Option   "EnablePageFlip" "true"
       Option          "RenderAccel" "true"
 Option   "DMAForXv" "true"
 Option   "GARTSize" "128"
 Option   "ColorTiling" "true"
 Option   "BackingStore" "true"
  Option   "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"
 Option   "EnableDepthMoves" "true"

        # enable (partial) PowerPlay features
        Option          "DynamicClocks" "true"

        # use bios hot keys on thinkpad (aka fn+f7)
        Option          "BIOSHotkeys" "true"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier  "Default Screen"
        Device   "Configured Video Device"
        Monitor  "InternalLCD"
        DefaultDepth  16
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth  16
                Modes  "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
 Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
 Identifier "Default Layout"
 Screen  "Default Screen"
 InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
 InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

(2) My NTFS data partition is not mounted. No problem, google the web and found the solution.

I create the mount partition in /media

#mkdir /media/windows

Then i modify the /etc/fstab

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# /dev/sda5
UUID=98cc2ffd-ce16-49a1-be33-206ecaafdc09 /               ext3    relatime,errors=remount-ro 0       1
# /dev/sda6
UUID=40af3aea-ce02-4219-a974-bc85248137c3 none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/scd0       /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0
/dev/fd0        /media/floppy0  auto    rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0

#/dev/sda2
/dev/sda2 /media/windows ntfs-3g defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 1

(3) Disable the splash screen and see the boot up, I have to modify the line in /boot/grub/menu.lst to

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=/dev/sda5 ro vga=791

To be continue ..

18 Feb 2009: I stopped using Mint … found that i don't like XFCE interface … now having Ubuntu 8.04..

How to make link with space usable in Outlook?

When you have a link that contain space, you will not be able to make it active in the new message you create in Outlook. For example:

\\MYSERVER\MY DOCUMENTS

will create a link pointing to

\\MYSERVER\MY DOCUMENTS

To resolve this, enclosed the link in < >

i.e. <\\MYSERVER\MY DOCUMENT>

What does Up or Upz means in classified forum?

Just get to know that Up or Upz is usually post by the originator to bring his thread "up" to the front, since all forums display threads based on the post date. It is sort of making the old threat new again ... how many will go pass the first 5 pages of a classified forum ... see the point?

Clone primary IDE HDD to secondary using GHOST

The idea is to the image the current Windows XP in C: to another new drive using GHOST. Then use the new drive as C:.

(1) Connecting the new IDE drive as Slave or Secondary (D:)

(2) Format the new disk in Windows XP

(3) Boot up with GHOST and select copy Disk to Disk.

(4) When done replace the C: drive with the new ghosted D: drive

(5) Reboot and all done

Wait .....WTF... Windows XP now caught in the endless loop of login.

After hunting high and low for the solution, I managed to find it in the Internet. To solve this, we need to run ghost with certain parameters: GHOST -FDSZ

Think the problem lies in some sort of disk ID assigned by Windows XP when it access it. So even when the new ghosted disk is set as primary C:, its disk ID still make Windows XP think it is D: drive.

The FDSZ parameter clear away the disk ID.

Scoll box in Wordpress

Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6
Line 7
Line 8

To create the content scroll box in Wordpress, insert the code as below:

<pre style="border: 1px dashed grey; margin: 0px; overflow: auto; width: 500px; height: 100px; text-align: left; background-color: white; color: black;" dir="ltr">
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6
Line 7
Line 8
</pre>

Fedora 10 on IBM Thinkpad T41 - Wireless Issue

Spend an hour installing Sabayon 4 Linux on an old IBM Thinkpad T41 but could not get the wireless to work.

#lspci |grep Ethernet

02:01.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82540EP Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Mobile) (rev 03)
02:02.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor (rev 01)

Hence downloaded Fedora 10 to try out. Installation was much faster but wireless is still a hit and miss. Worst, there seems to be a background process that keep interrupting the mouse movement.

Soon discovered that the default ath5k module was causing the problem. It keeps generating the noise floor calibration timeout and unable to reset channel error message.

#dmesg

Jan  5 23:54:43 localhost kernel: ath5k phy0: noise floor calibration timeout (2432MHz)
Jan  5 23:54:43 localhost kernel: ath5k phy0: ath5k_chan_set: unable to reset channel (2432 Mhz)
Jan  5 23:54:44 localhost kernel: ath5k phy0: noise floor calibration timeout (2427MHz)
Jan  5 23:54:44 localhost kernel: ath5k phy0: ath5k_chan_set: unable to reset channel (2427 Mhz)

Upon discovery, I blacklist and remove the module:
#echo ath5k > /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
#rmmod ath5k

Then I go to http://rpmfusion.org/Configuration and run its graphical setup via firefox to add the repo to my software sources. I need it to download the old madwifi ath_pci module.

Check my Linux version with

#uname -r

and it gives 2.6.27.9-159.fc10.i686.

From this info, I select in Add/Remove Software the correct madwifi i686 package to install. Learnt that those with PAE are meant for computer that support more than 4G of memory. PAE=Physical Address Extension.

After installed, I run

#modprobe ath_pci

to insert the module. Restart the computer and it is done.

To be continue ..

18 Jan 2009: I stopped using Fedora 10 ... found that it is a bit slow on T41 ... now trying out Linux Mint 5.