HP DV2530ee with UbuntuStudio 7.04 Fiesty Fawn

I bought this laptop 2 weeks back, ever since then I have been struggling to install Ubuntu in it. Well actually I did install it, but no matter what I did, I always ended up with 800 x 600 resolution. I even tried installing the NVIDIA driver, but no cigar. stuck up with it. I tried other distros, but all of them gave me some problems or the other while installing.

Finally I almost gave up and decided, what the hell, will go for Vista. Lets see what happens. Don't know why, but at the last moment, I decided to give it one last try. I downloaded UbuntuStudio 7.04, 2 months back. So I started installing it, voila.. installation went smooth, I even got 1024 x 800 resolution. I am guessing it has something to do with the live cd, some of the hardwares don't get detected properly. I am guessing the alternate installation cd would work well too.



What works:

NVIDIA Go 7400M
Works after installing envy from http://albertomilone.com/nvidia_scripts1.html . Envy will automatically download all the software needed for the graphic card to work. Including the linux NVIDIA driver from NVIDIA website

S-Video TV out
Works by using nvidia-settings

Remote
Works on most Video and music players in Totem, ofcourse wont be able to use the Wondows media player and quickplay buttons

Play/Pause and other Media control buttons on top of the keyborad
Works flawlessly out of the box

Fingerprint Scanner
Haven't installed any driver for it

Touchpad
Flawless

Wifi
Restricted Manger detects it, works fine

LAN
Works fine

Audio/headphone
Main speaker does not mute when the head phone is plugged.
To get it to work, dowload the latest alsa driver (alsa-driver-hg20070818.tar.bz2)from, http://ftp.riken.go.jp/pub/Linux/suse/projects/alsa/snapshot/driver/

CD/DVD writer
Somehow udev doesnt create the hda directory
type
sudo /etc/rc.local
and attach the following before 'exit 0'
mknod /dev/hda b 3 0

For enabling DMA(faster DVD access)
---------
First apt-get install hdparm then once installed edit the file /etc/hdparm.conf and put this at the bottom of the file.

Code:
}
/dev/hda {
dma = on
}

then,
sudo gedit /etc/modules
add piix at the beginning


USB
Flawless

Integrated webcam
Flawless

Funniest reply by Pirate bay to Dreamwork's threat

Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 18:21:43 -0100 (GMT)
From: anakata
To: KMWLAW@flash.net[/email]
Subject: Re: Unauthorized Use of DreamWorks SKG Properties

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 KMWLAW@flash.net wrote:

> Dennis L. Wilson, Esq.
> KEATS McFARLAND & WILSON, LLP
> 9720 Wilshire Blvd., Penthouse Suite
> Beverly Hills, CA 90212
> Tel: (310) 248-3830
> Fax: (310) 860-0363
>
>
> August 23, 2004
>
>
> VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
> AND U.S. MAIL
>
> ThePirateBay.org
> Box 1206
> Stockholm 11479
> SWEDEN
>
> [email]tracker-40-aa-5f-03-412675c8@prq.to
>
> Re: Unauthorized Use of DreamWorks SKG Properties
> http://www.thepiratebay.org
>
> To Whom It May Concern:
>
> This letter is being written to you on behalf of our
> client, DreamWorks SKG (hereinafter ^ÓDreamWorks^Ô).
> DreamWorks is the exclusive owner of all copyright,
> trademark and other intellectual property rights in
> and to the ^ÓShrek 2^Ô motion picture. No one is
> authorized to copy, reproduce, distribute, or
> otherwise use the ^ÓShrek 2^Ô motion picture without
> the express written permission of DreamWorks.
[...]
> As you may be aware, Internet Service Providers can
> be held liable if they do not respond to claims of
> infringement pursuant to the requirements of the
> Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In
> accordance with the DMCA, we request your assistance
> in the removal of infringements of the ^ÓShrek 2^Ô
> motion picture from this web site and any other sites
> for which you act as an Internet Service Provider.
> We further declare under penalty of perjury that we
> are authorized to act on behalf of DreamWorks and
> that the information in this letter is accurate.
> Please contact me immediately to discuss this matter
> further.

As you may or may not be aware, Sweden is not a state in the United States
of America. Sweden is a country in northern Europe.
Unless you figured it out by now, US law does not apply here.
For your information, no Swedish law is being violated.

Please be assured that any further contact with us, regardless of medium,
will result in
a) a suit being filed for harassment
b) a formal complaint lodged with the bar of your legal counsel, for
sending frivolous legal threats.

It is the opinion of us and our lawyers that you are ....... morons, and
that you should please go sodomize yourself with retractable batons.

Please also note that your e-mail and letter will be published in full on
http://www.thepiratebay.org.

Go fuck yourself.

Polite as usual,
anakata

When Limewire gives a blank screen!!

This problem usually happens when limewire is running under Beryl in Linux, don't know about Compiz, though!

Problem: In some environments where Linux is running with Beryl, there is a possibility of getting the screen of Limewire as blank. I have no idea how this crazy thing happens in the first place. But I think I cracked it!

Solution:
1.Copy the folder contents from windows for limewire
i.e c:\Program Files\Limewire\
to a respectable Linux location.. preferably under the /home/.Limewire/

2.Make sure you have the runLime.sh script, if not try to download it from net(http://frankandjacq.com/ubuntuguide/LimeWireOther.zip , you gotta unzip this, and extract the runLime.sh file to the linux limewire folder; assuming you got the pro version copied to the linux limewire folder :P )
under super user mode.. goto /usr/bin/
create a file called limewire.sh(cat > limewire.sh)

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/.Limewire/
export AWT_TOOLKIT=MToolkit && ./runLime.sh

REMEMBER!! If you don't have Beryl installed, then the script would be

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/.Limewire/
./runLime.sh

And don't forget to make limewire.sh file executable (chmod +x limewire.sh)

3.Finally create a application link to the file on desktop. Under the command part of the link, type: ./limewire.sh.

4. Most Important!! Get the latest Java Runtime Environment

My experience in the interview

Well.. to tell the truth, I was a bit nervous about it. It was not a matter of failure to consider, but a matter of honor! I really didn’t wanna go back home and say, “ I am sorry dad! I didn’t make it! But good news is rest of the class did! Yeh!!!” Of course this also involved the little thing involving everyone in college staring at me.. whispering, “hey look at that guy! A fucking looser!”. Didn’t really have the heart to go through that.

Actually I was off to a bad start, not only did I go through 6 strokes of bad luck (Which includes 4 writtens and one mishap interview) but added to the misery by getting dysentery. You can imagine how that goes!

Well.. they asked me to wait for my name to be called. Well they must have figured I have a hell of patience, coz they made me wait for 5-6 hours! Maybe they were trying my patience or just plain playing around, but I was really loosing my cool.

So finally they got me to go inside the office. Hell!! I thought that the waiting period was over! Man was I wrong! It seems that after you are out of the big queue, they set you up in the little queue. But still I maintained my composure. After an hour they called my name, I was put in this little seat right in front of the office door. I don’t know what others were thinking but it really did seem like I was off going to get a checkup, except I was wearing a tie which was so tight, I think it permanently damaged my larynx.

It was after 5 mins, I was called in. The first thing he asked me was “tell me about yourself”, the usual question. Which, I proceeded. I don’t know why but never do I get to completely tell any of the interviewers about myself. Someone always comes and interrupts. Then he started asking me all sorts of technical questions, hitting me one after the other. Good thing was I was well prepared for it. I had a couple of days to study for it. And after seeing my project all he did was ask me from my project. All in all, I don’t think he missed anything that an interviewer asks an interviewee. I must have impressed him because he asked me to grade myself! I was a bit put off by that. But I quickly regained my composure and said “Sir! That’s really your call!” Then he gave me the form to fill up. Actually, ladies and gents that’s not where it ends! It means that I have to go for a HR interview now.

Man I was so excited so excited that it got me nervous as well. Coz, after coming this far I really didn’t want to loose out. I hurriedly filled up the forms. They asked me to wait for my name to be called. Before I continue let me say I didn’t attend the Pre Placement Talks fully. I had to go to the bathroom.

The person who was taking my HR was a lady. I thought to myself “well looks like I am in for a treat”. Man was I wrong!

She started with the usual HR questions like tell me about yourself and everything else. Then she asked me if I knew anything about the bond. The bomb was dropped, I literally shit my pants. I told her I didn’t. She asked me if I attended the PPT. I wish I could have said that I went to the bathroom! I considered the moment, the time and the person I was talking to, all of this taking into hand didn’t give me a positive vibe for saying “I went to the bathroom”. I said I had to attend a personal call. She asked what type of personal call. I said “pretty personal”. She then asked me to go find out about the bond. I wasn’t the only one who was flabbergasted, coz no one else in their entire life had to go through this ever. To add to the pain, I asked some one who had no idea about it. I should have confirmed with other people, but I was so nervous that I just didn’t. When I came back in I was asked to tell what the bond was. She was pissed with the answer. She said “I ask you to do one thing and you don’t do it right! Go find out the bond again”. This time I went out and asked everyone about it and confirmed it! When I came back in again, she asked me what I had learnt from this. To which I said “I learnt not to rely on one person”. After this she asked me why their company should hire me. To which I said “I have a lot of good ideas”. She then said “what! All half baked ideas?”. I said “No maam! Sometimes I have full-baked ideas as well!”. I think I noticed a certain smile which conveyed “ok so you can think for yourself!”. She then asked me to leave, which was more like, “thank you and fuck off!”

Before leaving for the door, from the corner of my eye, I saw her hand holding the pen about to tick the reject box. I knew should have gone home and started preparing for the next company. But something held me back!

After a while all the names were called! I don’t know if it was divine intervention or something else, but I was among the selected as well. When all the selected were called in the office, I saw the HR maam again. She had the certain smile on her face which looked like she was playing with me all along. Meaning, she knew that I was looking from the corner of my eye!

After that I ran back to hostel, called my parents. Got pretty high, woke up next morning with a smile on my face.

Bumbling little Idiots

This is a story about the idiots who spoiled one girl's chance to get a job. Let’s call them Boo and Ba, and the 3rd mysterious, yet stupid entity is Nana. The girls name is Didi.

Usually we have campus interviews held every year, and we had to take a trip to the main campus, so that we could sell ourselves as worthy products. So that the companies hiring us would say, "Wow!! Look at that, I want one of that!”

Didi had an unfortunate start; she fell sick on the first day and couldn't sit for one of the companies. Well we didn't actually blame her for that, coz it wasn't really her fault that she got sick! But we did blame her when she didn't sit for the 2nd company. The blame shouldn't be entirely her's, because Nana took part in her mind-numbing decision.

According to Nana, the trainee for that company has to wear mini skirts! This would be valid in Bizzaro world where software companies use female employees as a weapon (in terms of sex) to sell their products. But in reality (as much as we would like it to be true!) it doesn't exist. On asking the representatives of the company, she found out that the tale isn't true. But somehow manipulative lil' Nana made her see his way.

The truth was ladies and gentlemen that Nana couldn't sit for most companies, coz he wasn't eligible. Being that, he couldn't let his girlfriend get that job and make him look like a looser. Bottom line was, if he is going down, he is gonna take someone with him to share his failure!
Boo and Ba got thru that company and so did my other friend. I was absolutely sure that Didi would have gotten through only if she had gone for the written.

Of course the most interesting part of the story was when the 4-some decided to go and see their last semester grades. Well, Nana somehow managed to check their grades. Somehow he did pretty well! In a moment of joy he decided to tackle Ba, and Ba tripped. This all took place in front of one professor. The professor immediately called them to his office and blasted them. He made the 4-some write an apology, and even threatened them, that he would send this to our director if he found them repeating such childish tomfoolery again. If that was the starter, then the main course would be when he shouted at Nana for wearing such strange clothes. Nana as everyone knows would be perfect for "Queer eye for the Straight guy" cast. He would fit right in. Of course I don't doubt his sexual orientation!( Maybe sometimes I do! But that's another story!) But the flashy clothes he wears does call for attention to the untrained eye!

Then came the 3rd comp. Nana, as I said b4 wasn't eligible for a lot of companies, still holds true. Except for one company! The 3rd one! For which he had more than enough days to prepare for, but of course he was fooling around, so he didn't get thru!

Now his time was up! He had no right to stay in the main campus, coz he wasn't eligible to write for the coming comps. This held true for Boo and Ba as well, coz they were already placed! They were officially even asked to leave the campus! But did they pay any heed to that? Nope! Not Boo, Ba and Nana, the campus was practically their playground.

In the mean time 2 things happened in their unfortunate stay here. The head official came to know of their illegal stay in campus and Nana's phone got stolen. So, Nana being the stupid yet righteous self, decided to complain to the head official.
I don't think he even got to the part where he could mention that his phone was stolen. He was asked immediately to pack his bags and leave the campus ASAP! Now the head official knew that only Nana was staying illegally, he had no idea that Boo and Ba was part of Nana's clan as well. When he saw the pair, he asked them politely as to what they were still doing here. To which Boo replied almost innocently, "We are just waiting for Nana to be placed"
Now, I don't think even I was ready for the fiery exchange that followed! Now all the 3 had to leave the campus by next morning!

Now Didi was almost prepared for the 4th company. I think she went through all the subject s that were taught from the 1st semester. But as I came to know later, she packed her bags and left without appearing for the 4th company because the pair and Nana had to leave! This was really sad. Because, I got through that company! But I knew from the bottom of my heart that Didi could surely have gotten through!

And to top it all, Nana blames all this on a conspiracy! He believes that the entire world is out to get him. What the hell! Some people just don't get it!

Here endeth the saga of the bumbling fools!

Why I want to blog?

Many would ask me this question..., as to why I should blog? More importantly I would ask myself the question as to, why I should share my life with everyone! The simple reason being that,... so many weird stuff has happened to me throughout my life, and most of the time, I end up being the only one who has the key to puzzle!

The problem is that, I cannot keep these secrets any longer! I have to get it off my shoulders! So here it is.. for those unfortunate surfers who happened to come across my page by mistake! The dirty little secrets!