Ubuntu Kernel updates and Nvidia drivers problems

I have a PC with this on board nvidia chip:

00:0d.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation C61 [GeForce 6150SE nForce 430] (rev a2)

Many times, after system updates which includes kernel updates, X Window configuration for nvidia fails to start X Server.
From that scenario, I've found two possible solutions:
1) Use the command line installer, like these:

sudo nvidia-installer --update

These approach, of course assumes that you are connected to the Internet, which is not always true if you are using wireless, for instance, by default Ubuntu uses gnome's network-manager to start your wireless networking.

2) Use an alternative xorg.conf to start with a minimal configuration and use the System/Administration/Additional Drivers
Remembering 1998, my first year with Red Hat Linux 5.2, back then, I came up with this minimal X Window configuration, with vesa driver, which should work in most chipset.
By replacing

/etc/X11/xorg.conf

whith this one, you can start X Window from command line:


--- start xorg.conf-vesa ----

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier     "Monitor0"
        VendorName     "Unknown"
        ModelName      "Unknown"
        HorizSync       28.0 - 33.0
        VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
        Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier     "Screen0"
        Device         "Device0"
        Monitor        "Monitor0"
        DefaultDepth    24
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth       24
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load    "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "Layout0"
        Screen      0  "Screen0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier     "Device0"
        VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
        Driver  "nvidia"
        Option  "NoLogo"        "True"
EndSection

--- end xorg.conf-vesa ----

startx

And use the System menu to fix you NVidia Driver configuration. After downloading and installing the package, you will need a reboot, and voila, you're again with your NVidia Driver up and running.

Update NVidia Driver on Ubuntu after kernel Ugrade

After upgrading kernel package, on Ubuntu 8.04 I always had to reinstall NVidia's Driver.
Fortunately nvidia provides you with an easy way to do it, and this way you make sure you always have the latest one, without having to hunt for the driver at Nvidia's site (which means a LOT! Nvidia's site browsability really sucks).
Just type the command

$ sudo nvidia-installer --update

and it will do all the work.

Ubuntu Timer Applet

Some time ago, I needed some "reminder" (computer science does cooks brains :-S ) I made a simple script to :

Code:

#!/bin/bash
if [ $# -eq 2 ]; then
sleep $1m
while [ 1 ]; do
sleep 3m
wall "$2"
xmessage -nearmouse "$2"
done
else
echo "uso: $0 #minutos MENSAJE"
fi

I did for simple tasks like "remember to call your ISP who told you Call me back in x minutes... ", which I almost always ended up forgetting.
Today I found this fantastic gnome applet (BTW it's on Ubuntu's repository):

http://timerapplet.sourceforge.net/

With Screenshots:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7982697@N0 … 37/detail/

Now I just have to remember why I was looking for an applet like this :)

Enjoy!

IBExpert Personal on Wine - Ubuntu Linux

I was able to run IBExpert within Wine merging this two guides

IBexpert WINE Howto and the using_ibexpert_with_linux_and_wine.pdf provided by my colleague (thanks to Carlao).

0- Install wine from ubuntu repositories (I'm using Ubuntu 8.04)

$ sudo apt-get install wine

1- don't run ibexpert before doing next steps, if you did it, probably you need to delete .wine directory,

2- If you not already done, Install dcom98 as http://wiki.winehq.org/NativeDcom
(may be native dcom should be fixed to work with ibexpert).

3- replace riched20.dll and msls31.dll (copy from a win98 or winxp distribution)

4- in winecfg add native dll overrides for ibexpert: ole32, oleaut32, riched20

5- Downloaded gds32.dll and copy to wine's system32 directory.

6- Run

$ wine regedit

This opens the “Windows Register Editor”. Search for the contents in the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International key, and change the value
of “sShortDate” from “d/M/yyyy” to “dd/MM/yyyy” (without the quotation marks).

7- Finally run IBexpert installation
$ wine setup_personal.exe

8- Run IBexpert through desktop link or
$ env WINEPREFIX="/home/USER/.wine" wine "C:\Program Files\HK-Software\IBExpert\ibexpert.exe"

replacing USER with your unix username.

How to add Spanish Dictionary to an English Ubuntu installation

You have to install the package openoffice.org, and the myspell-es with the command

sudo apt-get install openoffice.org myspell-es

in addition to common installation of open-office.org-writer and open-office.org-calc, etc.
It's a metapackage that installs all components of openoffice.org, besides standard ones, and that's what make spanish dictionary available.
If that doen't work, you might want to try the wizzard inside Open Office's menu:

File/Wizzards/Install new dictionary

Synchronize Evolution and Nokia 6300

This is not a HOWTO, It's more a success story extended. :)
I use Ubuntu 8.04 on a HP Pavilion tx1000z. I didn't have to install blue tooth programs, since they were already there, but if you want a detailed explanation look for this link (original article is in spanish)

Synchronize Nokia E65 with Evolution

I have this packages from ubuntu repositories:

libopensync-plugin-evolution2
libopensync-plugin-file
libopensync-plugin-gnokii
libopensync-plugin-google-calendar
libopensync0
libpisync1
libsyncml-utils
libsyncml0
msynctool
multisync
opensync-plugin-syncml

Also, this ones for gnokii

gnokii gnokii-cli gnokii-common xgnokii

I followed de steps from the guide linked above and I got my synchronization working!
Here my msynctool configuracion (I had to change < for ( on the post, because blogger eats up the tags :( )

USER@host:~$ msynctool --showgroup nokia-evo2
Groupname: nokia-evo2 Member 2: evo2-sync

Configuration :
(config)
(address_path)default(/address_path)
(calendar_path)file:///home/USER/.evolution/calendar/local/system(/calendar_path)
(tasks_path)default(/tasks_path)
(/config)

Member 1: gnokii-sync
Configuration : (config)
(connection)bluetooth(/connection)
(port)00:1A:DC:00:34:10(/port)
(model)6310(/model)
(/config)


The 6310 is a workaround I read somewhere, works perfectly fine even though my phone is a 6300.
I don't use GUI, plain and simple command line :)

$ msynctool --sync nokia-evo2

Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04 LTS on HP Pavilion tx1000z

A fresh install does almost all the work. The only thing that I had to look for a work around was wireless adapter driver. Following this steps, I got it working with WPA encryption.

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-475963.html

For perfect external video outputs (SVCD and VGA), I installed NVidia's driver version 173.14.09, from this site:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_amd64_173.14.09.html

The only things that I have not tried, because I don't need them in a regular basis, are: modem, fingerprint reader and touchscreen.
Everything else works like a charm, including bluetooth, I can synchronize my Nokia 6300 with evolution's calendar! I will post a mini howto on the sync later. This feature really changed my life. :)