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Gnome help please!
by ted.harding＠wlandres.net 11 Dec '10

11 Dec '10

Hi Folks On an older laptop [A], running Debian Etch and Gnome 2.14.3, my "power managment" blanks the screen (totally) after about 10 minutes idle time. Then, when I do anything (e.g. move the mouse or press Ctrl) it instantly comes back again, with no nonsense. This is how I like it. On a more recent laptop [B], running Debian Lenny and Gnome 2.22.3, the screen blanks after idle time (though still faintly glowing, which I would rather not have). Then, when again I do anything (as above) it comes back again, but with a window which requires me to enter my password (and this I definitely want to get rid of)! Looking at the Power Management configuration menus, they are similar (though not identical) on the two machines. I seem to have essentially the same settings on both, so I would like to expect identical behaviour -- and, in particular, no requirement to enter the password on [B]. What am I missing? Or is the newer Gnome just like that? (And why do they have to mess about with something so basic?) Settings: On [A]: Desktop --> Preferences --> Power Management "Running on AC": "Put display to sleep when computer is inactive for" 30 minutes "Put computer to sleep when it is inactive for" Never "Running on Battery": "Put display to sleep when computer is inactive for" 5 minutes "Put computer to sleep when it is inactive for" 20 minutes "Actions": "When battery power critical:" Shutdown "General": "Sleep type when inactive:" Do nothing on [B]: Desktop --> Preferences --> Power Management "On AC Power": "Actions" "Put computer to sleep when inactive for" Never "When laptop lid is closed" Blank screen "Display" "Put display to sleep when inactive for" 20 minutes "Set display brightness tlo:" 100% "[] Dim display when idle ([] not checked) "On Battery Power": "Actions" "Put computer to sleep when inactive for" Never "When laptop lid is closed" Suspend "When battery is criticall low" Shut down "Display" "Put display to sleep when inactive for" 20 minutes "[] Reduce backlight brightness" ([] unchecked) "[] Dim display when idle" ([] unchecked) "General": "Actions" "When the power button is pressed" Ask me "When the suspend button is pressed" Suspend (Plus options for notification icons and "extras") With thanks, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <ted.harding(a)wlandres.net> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 11-Dec-10 Time: 17:32:13 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------

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Linux printing and Laserjet 1000
by Phil Wade 11 Dec '10

11 Dec '10

Hi, I've been trying to use Linux (any version) as a print server for the PCs on my home network that use Ubuntu, Mint, XP and 7. I have two Epson printers that work fine on any distro. However, my default printer is an HP Laserjet 1000. Very basic, but perfect for everyday printing in monochrome. I cannot get it to work with Linux. I've spent hours Googling and trying out various suggestions. These have included downloading stuff from HP and stuff that needed to be compiled. No luck. Not a single page. I've currently got an old Compaq laptop running XP that does it without any effort (dammit) but I'd much rather use my main desktop machine that sits next to the printer and dual boots Ubuntu and Mint. Has anyone, ever, been able to get on of these Laserjet 1000 things to work with any flavour of Linux? If so I'd be very grateful to learn the secret. -- Phil Wade

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Strange man pages with .1so suffix, roff 'symbolic links', documented anywhere?
by Chris G 10 Dec '10

10 Dec '10

I'm having a frustrating time trying to configure some man pages provided by owfs (1-wire file system). I have configured and built the software OK and it works but it would be really nice if I could read the man pages that come with it. The man pages are in a slightly 'out of the way' place:- /opt/owfs/share/man but that's OK if one adds the above directory to the file /etc/manpath.config, so I have done that and a couple of man pages are now visible. However when I run mandb to rebuild the man pages index I get loads of errors like the following:- mandb: warning: /opt/owfs/share/man/man1/device.1so: whatis parse for device(1so) failed mandb: can't open /opt/owfs/share/man/ownet.1: No such file or directory mandb: warning: /opt/owfs/share/man/man1/ownetlib.1: bad symlink or ROFF `.so' request mandb: warning: /opt/owfs/share/man/man1/configuration.1so: whatis parse for configuration(1so) failed mandb: warning: /opt/owfs/share/man/man1/format.1so: whatis parse for format(1so) failed mandb: warning: /opt/owfs/share/man/man1/timeout.1so: whatis parse for timeout(1so) failed mandb: can't open /opt/owfs/share/man/owshell.1: No such file or directory mandb: warning: /opt/owfs/share/man/man1/owdir.1: bad symlink or ROFF `.so' request It turns out that the .1so files are some sort of nroff/troff internal sort of symbolic link though I can find out little more. Does anyone know how these are supposed to work? Google is useless becauser it generates thousands of hits for ISO which mask anyhting useful. All I want to do is read the man pages! -- Chris Green

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Bash Substitution
by Richard Parsons 10 Dec '10

10 Dec '10

If I do: echo "1 2 3" > test and then cat test, then I can see the contents of the file, including the new lines. However, if I do: VARIABLE=$(cat test) echo $VARIABLE then the output has spaces instead of new lines. Why is that? And how could I stop that from happening? TIA, Richard

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X vs "WayaAnd"??
by ted.harding＠wlandres.net 10 Dec '10

10 Dec '10

Apologies to any of you that may be afflicted by my cross-posting ... I have (quite accidentally) come across the news that Ubuntu seek to implement a graphics system called "Wayland" as a replacement for X-Windows, on grounds like "We don't believe X is set up to deliver the user experience we want, with super-smooth graphics and effects," Shuttleworth explained. There is an article in PCWorld about it: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/210018/ ubuntu_will_adopt_wayland_graphics_system.html (Equivalently: http://tinyurl.com/3ygzme3 ) and, it seems from other sources, Fedora plan to do the same (though I'm not seeing any such signs on the Debian front). Wayland may be more glitzy (for all I know) and more likely to pull in users who currently prefer the Mac experience and the like. But I am seriously perturbed by the following (in the above article): "Among the X11 capabilities not included in Wayland is network transparency." The Joy of X has been that one can run different programs on different machines all the while sitting at the one machine, with X happily transmitting anything X-ish over the network to be happily displayed by the X-server on one's own machine. Would this cease? And, in the case of the other machines which may be old and running only X, even if Wayland can offer "network transparency" could it provide a display server on the Wayland machine for X applications running on other machines (and not just in Linux -- other machines running "real" Unix with X can communicate just as well)? If not, then Linux as we know it could cease to exist! Transparent networking with X is one of the joys of Linux/Unix. Any views/news? Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <ted.harding(a)wlandres.net> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 09-Dec-10 Time: 19:45:57 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------

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Ubuntu-xerox-cups won't print large files
by Jenny Hopkins 10 Dec '10

10 Dec '10

Hi ALUG, I have an annoying CUPS printer problem: Printer: Xerox workcentre pro 128 Driver: v3015.103 Cups server running on Ubuntu connection socket://{xerox_ip} The problem is when trying to print a large file (the test file is a 731K pdf doc). Error log for cups shows D [09/Dec/2010:14:29:41 +0000] [Job 2972] Wrote 4096 bytes of print data... D [09/Dec/2010:14:29:41 +0000] [Job 2972] Read 4096 bytes of print data... D [09/Dec/2010:14:29:41 +0000] [Job 2972] Wrote 4096 bytes of print data... (for many many lines.. ...and then....) D [09/Dec/2010:14:29:41 +0000] [Job 2972] Read 8192 bytes of print data... D [09/Dec/2010:14:29:41 +0000] [Job 2972] Wrote 8192 bytes of print data... Then it comes out with some cupsd type stuff like: D [09/Dec/2010:14:29:45 +0000] Returning IPP successful-ok for Get-Notifications (/) from localhost D [09/Dec/2010:14:29:45 +0000] cupsdSetBusyState: Printing jobs and dirty files D [09/Dec/2010:14:29:45 +0000] cupsdReadClient: 12 WAITING Closing on EOF then back to the 8192 thing, then it hangs and the Xerox dies and has to be turned on and off. Cups web page error says: "Unable to write print data: Broken pipe" I changed connection from socket to lpd but not much difference, apart from the cups web page changed to: "/usr/lib/cups/backend/lpd failed" I tried printing to cups-pdf then printing from the generated doc, but no difference. Does anybody know if this means the printer itself hasn't enough memory, or if the cups server has a file limit set somewhere? Or any other ideas? Many thanks, More log files can be supplied on request but I've just been trawling about trying to find a solution to this, and reading through page after page of people posting up their entire cups error logs had started to get very tedious.... Jenny

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How to get to single user mode from boot?
by Chris G 08 Dec '10

08 Dec '10

I have got myself locked out of my old eeePC 7" netbook, I don't understand why, but anyway - is there a way to get to single user mode without a CD or USB memory stick to boot from? I'm out in Belgium away from home with this netbook (Acer Aspire One) which is all working OK and the old eeePC 700 serie that I want to configure and leave here. I can download a certain amount here (3-G connection) but big downloads are out. Is there maybe a minimal download I can do to create a bootable memory stick to sort out the eeePC? (I have a memory stick and can download tens of Mb without too much problem) -- Chris Green

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Re: [ALUG] Travelodge Wifi
by Jim Rippon 08 Dec '10

08 Dec '10

Mark, Keith and Tim, Thanks for your replies - I was a bit short on useful information in my last message, sorry. I can associate with the AP and obtain an IP fine, my problems are that once connected I can't get the registration page to load. In Window$, it comes up fine (in both Chrome and Firefox), but in Ubuntu I just get a broken img artefact and a message to the effect of "service not available try again later" I'd be happy to just use something else, but as I paid for wifi with my room, I kinda feel a bit cheated that I can't use it for is intended purpose to practise and revise my coursework. Thanks for your input :) Jim Sent from Samsung mobile

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Travelodge Wifi
by Jim Rippon 08 Dec '10

08 Dec '10

Hi all, I'm stuck in a Travelodge in Marylebone this week while renewing my RHCE certification. Unfortunately I can only get connected to the travelodge wifi from Windows on my laptop - doesn't seem to make much difference which browser choice I make when back in Linux where I want to me. Any suggestions more than welcome :) Jim

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Re: [ALUG] Linux Laptop
by Steve Engledow 07 Dec '10

07 Dec '10

> Id love a new Mac but cant afford it. No you don't, that's just the conditioning talking ;) > So I am looking for suggestions. It will run Ubuntu or Mint alongside > Windows (for those times when you have to use Windows). If you've had a mac for 11 years, what times do you face when need Windows? Go the whole hog, you'll love it :) Life without Gates, Jobs, or other corporate monsters with plural nouns for surnames is far shinier. In the REM sense. > It needs to be fairly small, with a built in CD drive, USB, PCMCIA > slot and built in sound. I know that all sounds fairly standard but > Ive had machines in the past few years without some of these. > > It really needs to be at least a 1Ghz machine capable of 1GB RAM - > DDR preferably but PC133 would be ok. I bought a low-end Toshiba jobbie a while back and it's done me pretty well over the years. Anything brought out within the last 5 years or so is likely supported fairly well. I now await the reply which shoots that down ;) HTH, HAND Steve P.S. Sorry Simon, I blindly hit the reply button forgetting that I wasn't in mutt.

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