Eureka!

Where do I start? Well… I guess I could post about the reason behind this post. I am currently evaluating Contribute CS3 as a potential tool for our non-technical staff to assist in maintaining our company we site.

So far I am amazed at the ease of use in Contribute CS3! I played around with it back when Contribute 2 was published (not CS2), and dismissed it as a nifty tool that didn’t have any real value to me at the time. However, it has significantly matured since, and am delighted to find that it recognized my custom install of this WordPress blog on my site with no manual configuratino necessary! (It also recognizes many other blog standards, like Blogger, etc.)

Further testing will determine how viable it is for a medium-sized business that wants to allow content publishing to its web site without necessarily involving the IT department all the time. This means establishing of roles, publishing rights, and chain of events in the publication process. Contribute Publishing Server should allow for all this (and more!).

I’ll break into that next.

[Update: 9/25/2007] At the moment I am still awaiting purchase of Adobe CS3 at my workplace to post more detailed testing results. This post was basically a use-case for connecting to my WordPress blog. Future write-ups will be more detailed.

Well, after installing Ubuntu Feisty Fawn from scratch again, I have lost all my settings. This includes the screen refresh rate settings that are specified in /etc/X11/xorg.conf. If you are experiencing low screen refresh rates (usually 60Hz) and would like to adjust these higher, look for the following section “Monitor”. Adjust the upper limits similar to the following:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-101
VertRefresh 41-160
EndSection

Now, log off (back to the login screen), and press <CTRL>-<ALT>-<BACKSPACE> to restart the X-Server without needing to reboot completely. Proceed to log in, and set your refresh preference.

If you wish to play 3D games, do not install XGL/Compiz at this time, as NVidia does not support XGL yet in their drivers!

This guide will step you through the process of installing XGL and Compiz to add an increadible amount of gadgetry and usefullness to your desktop environment. Trust me, you wont be sorry!

1. Update your Linux install to the very latest updates: click on the System, choose Administration, then click Update Manager.
2. Click the Check button to verify that everything is up-to-date. If anything is listed, go ahead and install it.
3. Once this is complete (it may require a restart; if so you will be prompted) close the update window.
4. Make sure you have the latest NVidia drivers installed (see Part 2, the previous guide).
5. Now you will need to add the Universe repositories: open Synaptic (Applications > Add/Remove…), then click the Advanced button (you will be prompted to enter your password), then click Settings > Repositories. You should now see a list of repositories with some checked and some not. Scroll down about midway until you see two unchecked ones marked as Universe; one binary and one source. Check these two then click Close.
6. Click the Reload button.
7. Search for and mark the following packages for installation: libgl1-mesa (probably already installed), libglitz1, libglitz-glx1. Click the Apply button to finalize.
8. Search for and mark compiz-gnome for installation (it will automatically add its needed dependancies). Again, click Apply.
9. Open a Terminal window (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and enter the following:

   sudo ln -sf /usr/bin/Xgl /etc/X11/X

   .

10. Close all your applications, log out, and hit -- to restart your GDM (graphical device manager).
11. Edit your GDM confiduration file by entering the following in a Terminal window:

    sudo gedit /etc/gdm/gdm.conf-custom

    and paste the following at the end:

    [server-Standard]name=Xgl servercommand=/usr/bin/Xgl :0 -fullscreen -ac -accel xv:fbo -accel glx:pbuffer -kbflexible=true

12. Create the compiz configuration file by entering the following (don’t use SUDO here):

    gedit ~/compiz.sh

    . Paste the following in the text editor:

    #!/bin/bashLIBMESA=/opt/mesa/lib
    
    LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/mesa/lib /usr/bin/gnome-window-decorator &LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/mesa/lib /usr/bin/compiz --replace $1 gconf &
    
    exec gnome-session

    Then:

    chmod +x ~/compiz.sh

    to make the file execuable.

13. Now to create the application shortcut:

    sudo gedit /usr/share/xsessions/compiz.desktop

    and paste the following in the editor:

    [Desktop Entry]Encoding=UTF-8Name=CompizComment=Exec=/home/[username]/compiz.shIcon=Type=Application

    where [username] is the name of your home directory.

14. Now we will need to do some upgrading. Open Synaptic in advanced mode, then go to Settings > Repositories and click the Add button, then click the Custom button. Paste the following:

    deb http://xgl.compiz.info/ dapper main

    and click Add Channel, then Close.

15. Click the Reload button, and now search and mark for update the following packages: libgl1-mesa, libglitz1, libglitz-glx1, compiz-gnome, xserver-xgl, libsvg, libsvg-cairo. Finalize the update by clicking the Apply button.
16. Now run the gconf editor by opening a Terminal window and entering:

    gconf-editor

17. Drill into the nodes as follows: apps > compiz > general > allscreens > options.
18. Double-click on the active_plugins entry and make sure the following are entered in this specific order: gconf, decoration, transset, wobbly, state, fade, minimize, cube, scale, resize, move, minimize, place, switcher, opacity, rotate, zoom.
19. Again, close all your windows and log out.
20. At the login screen click Options > Select Session…, then choose the Compiz option and click Change Session.
21. Proceed to log in. It will ask you is you want to make this your default session (up to you, I would recommend testing it first, though).
22. Open the gconf editor again (see the steps above) and verify that the plugins are still in the list and in the specific order. If not, repeat and rinse (log out, change session, log back in, then verfiy again). I had some trouble saving these values in the list.
23. You should now be up and running. Test the new features using the following keys:

    Switch windows = Alt + Tab Arrange and View All Windows = Moving the pointer to the top right screen corner turns on or off; clicking a window will zoom it to the front Switch desktops on cube = Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right Arrow Switch desktops on cube - with active window following = Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Left/Right Arrow Rotate cube manually = Ctrl + Alt + left-click and grab an empty desktopspace. Make window translucent/opaque = possible with the "transset" utility or Alt + wheel mouse Zoom-in once = Super-key right-click Zoom-in manually = Super-key + wheel mouse up Zoom-out manually = Super-key + wheel mouse down Move window = Alt + left-click Snap Move window (will stick to borders) = Ctrl + Alt + left-click Resize window = Alt + right-click Bring up the window below the top window = Alt + middle-click Slow-motion = Shift + F10 Water = hold Ctrl+Super key Rain = Shift-F9 "Super-key" means the Linux respectively Windows key.

Special thanks for contributing to make XGL and compiz work go to:

• luo @ compiz.net forums
• wiLLie @ compiz.net forums
• pdc303 @ ubuntuforums.org

If you are still having trouble, please visit the following resources:

Ubuntu XGL Howto

Compiz @ openSuSe

Compiz Forums

The definitive thread at ubuntuforums.org

This guide is meant to assist in the installation of Ubuntu Linux for desktop use. The intended audience are users new to Linux, hopefully illustrating that Linux isn’t so hard.

The system I am installing on has the following:

• AMD Athlon64 3500+
• 200GB Harddrive
• 2GB RAM Memory
• NVidia 6800 Ultra (2 cards in SLI mode)
• 10/100 Mb Network card

Note that harddrive space and RAM don’t need to meet my specs, nor do CPU or graphic card capablities. However, please be aware that there are certain minimum requirements your computer should have. I wouldn’t recommend anything lower than the following:

• Pentium III or AMD Athlon class CPU
• 20GB Harddrive
• 512MB RAM Memory
• A rudimentary 3D-accelarated graphics card, no older then 2 or 3 years
• You must have a network card or a modem installed (with an available internet connection) to take advantage of online updates (STRONGLY recommended).

Thid portion of the guide will deal with installing the base system so that you have a Linux desktop. Following guides will deal with customizing the desktop environment and installing specific hardware.

1. Download Ubuntu (text install) from http://releases.ubuntu.com/6.06/. Note that you will want to download the 64-bit release if your CPU supports it, otherwise download the standard PC Intel version. The notes for each version should be self-explanitory.
2. Burn the downloaded image to CD with your favorite burn utility (Nero is great for this if you have a copy).
3. Reboot your computer and start up with the newly burned CD inserted. Make sure your boot options in your BIOS specify to boot from CD prior to booting from the harddrive.
4. Install Ubuntu by choosing “Install to the hard disk” option after booting up into the Linux splash screen.
5. Choose your preferred language for your desktop. This will be your default language once the system is installed. (Default is English.)
6. Choose your country.
7. The previous two choices will establish your default keyboard layout. If you wish to change this select the option “Select from full keyboard list”.
8. Next the installer will go through a series of hardware detection routines. Sit back and watch it go!
9. When done it will ask you to enter a hostname. Default is “ubuntu”, however you can change this to whatever your fancy strikes you. This entry will be the name your computer will be known as on your network.
10. Now for the difficult part: partitioning the harddrive. If you want to do a linux-only installation on your computer, this is easy (also the route I will take in this guide). This screen will list all available harddrives for you (should you have more than one in your system). Choose the appropriate one.
11. Partition the disk: You have 3 (really 4, but the fourth is complicated) options here. The first will resize the harddrive partition to use the remaining free space for your linux install (and preserve whatever you have on the drive at this time); the second will erase the entire disk for use with Linux; the third is the same as the second with the addition of adding Logical Volume Management to your install. In my opinion this is for advanced installation where there are certain requirements that may call for storage re-allocation later on. However, with the option of having GParted on your system, you can resize your partitions at will anyway. The fourth option is setting up your partitions manually. For the purpose of this tutorial, I am choosing option two: erase the entire disk.
12. Verify your settings and hit “Yes” to continue.
13. Again, sit back and watch Linux do its thing. So far the installation has been very similar to the windows installations you may have had experience with in the past. Nothing too daunting, I should think.
14. Select your time zone.
15. Enter your full name.
16. Enter your user name for your account.
17. Enter your password.
18. Enter your password again.
19. Take a breather and pat yourself on the back. You’ve made it this far, and things should be going smoothly. Linux is copying all its files over while you sit back and drink your beer. Life couldn’t be better!
20. Next up: select your video resolution(s). Restrict yourself only to resolutions your know both your video card and your monitor support. General rule of thumb: if you have an LCD screen that is 17″ or 19″ do not exceed 1280×1024. I have a 19″ LCD and will check the following resolutions: 1024×768, 1280×1024.
21. The installer will now install the remaining files needed.
22. Once prompted, remove the install CD from the drive and continue. The installer will now reboot and load Ubuntu Linux from your harddrive.
23. After it reboots, Ubuntu will load its graphical logon screen. Enter your username and password that you selected above here.
24. Your desktop will look similar to windows, but be arranged slightly different. Explore and play with various utilities and programs to get a feel for your new environment. Congratulate yourself on a Linux install well done!

That concludes this guide. I hope you had fun installing Linux and see how easy it really is!

While trying to google a fix for this issue I was experiencing, I came accross a post on a forum detailing the resolution to this problem. It appears that this is an issue that most likely only NVidia users will see if they have their Color Correction settings not set correctly. By default (at least for some driver versions) color correction is set to “Desktop”, while the fix for the issue is to set it to “All”, as shown in the screen print:

I’m assuming this fix will work for most, if not all FX-series cards. Simply follow the steps below to get your Linspire set up on dual monitor view:

1. Open /etc/X11/xorg.conf in a text editor of your choice (I use Kate).
2. Look for a section labeled “Devices”.
3. At the end of this section insert the following 3 lines:

    Option "TwinView" Option "MetaModes" "1280x1024,1024x768" Option "TwinViewOrientation" "LeftOf"

4. Adjust the following to your needs:
   a. The first entry in the MetaModes line is your Monitor1 resolution, the second entry your Monitor2 resolution, regardless of placement on your desk. Monitor1 is usually your main monitor that you have been using so far.
   b. The option in the TwinView Orientation line is the placement of the additional monitor in relation to your main monitor. Known values are “LeftOf” or “RightOf”.
5. If you like to see the nVidia logo while booting up, comment out the line in the same section that reads Option “nologo”.

In summary, your Devices section should now look something similar to this:

Section "Device" Identifier    "Device1" Driver        "nvidia"#    Option    "nologo" BusID        "PCI:2:0:0" Option "TwinView" Option "MetaModes" "1280x1024,1024x768" Option "TwinViewOrientation" "LeftOf"EndSection

If things turn out not to be working right and you end up hanging on reboot, simply do a hard-reboot and load in Rediscover mode.