Windows Essentials 2011 breaks SAMBA Shares

If you are a user of Windows Shares and you use SAMBA to connect to it from your GNU\Linux Machine, you will find after installing Windows Essentials 2011 on the host you break the SAMBA Share.
You will no longer be able to connect to Windows Share from your GNU\Linux Machine.

WORKAROUND 1 (Highly Recommended):

In Windows Live Essentials 2011, Windows Live Sign In Assistant exist as a Windows Service so we need to disable it.

Go to Control Panel, then Services.

Find a Service called "Windows Live Sign-in Assistant" as shown below:



Double Click on it and set it to "Disable"

Save, exit and reboot.

WORKAROUND 2:

Uninstall Windows Essentials 2011 COMPLETELY

You have to revert to the old Windows Live Essentials and uninstall the Live Sign In Assistant through the Control Panel .

Exit and reboot.

Linux Nvidia Driver OverClocking

A lot of people don't read "README"s hence they missed a lot of things.

It reflects on the laziness of people of this generation refusal to read, write and learn with the only desire to enjoy and relax. Can't really blame them since it is how the world markets success.
I am guilty of that sometimes as well.

Anyway today I read through the Nvidia Propriety Driver's README and found a number of Nvidia XConfig options usually neglected.

I will only list interesting ones below, the full list is here, Read through it for more information.

To add them simply add the entries under /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
Something like this (in red):

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

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "nvidia"

Option "NoLogo" "on"

Option "Coolbits" "1"

Option "OnDemandVBlankInterrupts" "on"

EndSection

....................................

Interesting Sections below.............

Option "NoLogo" "boolean"

Disable drawing of the NVIDIA logo splash screen at X startup. Default: the logo is drawn for screens with depth 24.

This skips the Nvidia Splash Screen during boot up.

Option "ThermalConfigurationCheck" "boolean"

The NVIDIA X driver will fail initialization on a GPU if it detects that the GPU has a bad thermal configuration. This may indicate a problem with how your graphics board was built, or simply a driver bug. It is recommended that you contact your graphics board vendor if you encounter this problem. This option can be set to False to bypass this test. Default: true (the thermal configuration test is performed).

Turn On Thermal Protection on GPU.

Option "Coolbits" "integer"

Enables various unsupported features, such as support for GPU clock manipulation in the NV-CONTROL X extension. This option accepts a bit mask of features to enable.

WARNING: this may cause system damage and void warranties. This utility can run your computer system out of the manufacturer's design specifications, including, but not limited to: higher system voltages, above normal temperatures, excessive frequencies, and changes to BIOS that may corrupt the BIOS. Your computer's operating system may hang and result in data loss or corrupted images. Depending on the manufacturer of your computer system, the computer system, hardware and software warranties may be voided, and you may not receive any further manufacturer support. NVIDIA does not provide customer service support for the Coolbits option. It is for these reasons that absolutely no warranty or guarantee is either express or implied. Before enabling and using, you should determine the suitability of the utility for your intended use, and you shall assume all responsibility in connection therewith. When "1" (Bit 0) is set in the "Coolbits" option value, the nvidia-settings utility will contain a page labeled "Clock Frequencies" through which clock settings can be manipulated. On mobile GPUs, limited clock manipulation support is available when "1" is set in the "Coolbits" option value: clocks can be lowered relative to the default settings, but overclocking is not supported due to the thermal constraints of notebook designs.

When "2" (Bit 1) is set in the "Coolbits" option value, the NVIDIA driver will attempt to initialize SLI when using GPUs with different amounts of video memory.

When "4" (Bit 2) is set in the "Coolbits" option value, the nvidia-settings Thermal Monitor page will allow configuration of GPU fan speed, on graphics boards with programmable fan capability.

The default for this option is 0 (unsupported features are disabled).

In other word enable OverClocking of Nvidia GPU in Linux + SLI Mods.

Option "MultiGPU" "string"

This option controls the configuration of Multi-GPU rendering in supported configurations.

Value Behavior
0, no, off, false, Single Use only a single GPU when rendering
1, yes, on, true, Auto Enable Multi-GPU and allow the driver to automatically select the appropriate rendering mode.
AFR Enable Multi-GPU and use the Alternate Frame Rendering mode.
SFR Enable Multi-GPU and use the Split Frame Rendering mode.
AA Enable Multi-GPU and use antialiasing. Use this in conjunction with full scene antialiasing to improve visual quality.

Option "SLI" "string"

This option controls the configuration of SLI rendering in supported configurations.
Value Behavior

0, no, off, false, Single Use only a single GPU when rendering
1, yes, on, true, Auto Enable SLI and allow the driver to automatically select the appropriate rendering mode.
AFR Enable SLI and use the Alternate Frame Rendering mode.
SFR Enable SLI and use the Split Frame Rendering mode.
AA Enable SLI and use SLI Antialiasing. Use this in conjunction with full scene antialiasing to improve visual quality.
AFRofAA Enable SLI and use SLI Alternate Frame Rendering of Antialiasing mode. Use this in conjunction with full scene antialiasing to improve visual quality. This option is only valid for SLI configurations with 4 GPUs.
Mosaic Enable SLI and use SLI Mosaic Mode. Use this in conjunction with the MetaModes X configuration option to specify the combination of mode(s) used on each display.

SLI and Multirendering advance configuration.

Option "OnDemandVBlankInterrupts" "boolean"

Normally, VBlank interrupts are generated on every vertical refresh of every display device connected to the GPU(s) installed in a given system. This experimental option enables on-demand VBlank control, allowing the driver to enable VBlank interrupt generation only when it is required. This can help conserve power.

Default: off (on-demand VBlank control is disabled).

More power saving in Linux.

The rest are either enabled by default or nothing much interesting.

That is all.

Maemo: Linux Powered OS for Future Nokia Smartphones

Image via Wikipedia

Although the Symbian OS for the Nokia N-series has been profitable to both parties, there seems to be a Linux powered OS coming over the horizon in the next few months: the Maemo. We reported last time that Nokia is thinking of dropping Symbian for Maemo but it will do so in a very slow and deliberate way. We're reading reports now that are saying that only one Nokia will carry Maemo next year. Actually there's already one in production: the Nokia N900.

The question begs: why not just continue with Symbian and help develop it further? According to Reuter's:

"Nokia's Linux Maemo operating system is seen as a key for the top cellphone maker in its battle against Apple's iPhone, and many analysts and industry players have expected the firm to roll out numerous Linux models already next year."

What makes the iPhone OS such a hit with the "in" crowd is not just its Operating System but also its technology. Unless Nokia does better at that category, it doesn't matter what OS they use on their smartphones. Another to look into would be the applications that are one of the selling points of having an iPhone in the first place. Although Symbian does have its fair share of applications available for its user base, some are just way too expensive or cumbersome to be used on such a small screen as Nokia's. Lastly, it's the "coolness" factor. You look better with an iPhone on your hand rather than a Nokia's. In this case, it's a marketing problem that has been haunting Nokia for a long time in the US.

Hopefully with the new Linux powered Maemo, they also take a step back and look at the overall Nokia phone as something to overhaul.

Source

Yes Virginia, Linux Runs on Kindle

With Sony and other e-readers breathing down their necks, what could Amazon do for the Kindle to ensure it's still the e-reader to beat? We don't know, but we guess running an OS on it may probably interest some people. That's exactly what Jesse Vincent decided to do for his beloved Kindle: he hacked the Kindle to run Ubuntu 9.04 AKA Jaunty Jackalope.

Ubuntu Jaunty has an ARM target. It's a fairly similar linux to the OS shipped on the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX. A little bit of fiddling and an NFS export later, I was able to chroot into an Ubuntu environment on my Kindle.
That was when I discovered that Lab126 have built the Kindle's kernel without CONFIG_VT...and X.org really wants a tty or virtual terminal, but not for any particularly good reason.
This evening, I managed to bludgeon X.org into submission and found myself face to face with everybody's favorite checkerboard background.
After that, it was just a hop, skip and an apt-get until I was watching the mesmerizing transitions of xdaliclock.

Now if only Amazon picks up on this and makes a Kindle MORE than just an e-reader, then they may just have something new on their hands.

Source