Update Linux Kernel on Mint or Ubuntu

for upgrade you need three packages, depending on you architecture:

linux-headers ... ... ... amd64.deb
linux-headers ... ... ... all.deb
linux-image   ... ... ... amd64.deb

if you use Ubuntu based Linux distro, you can pick one of these: 

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/

for example:

$ cd /tmp 

$ wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0.1-vivid/linux-headers-4.0.1-040001-generic_4.0.1-040001.201504290935_amd64.deb

$ wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0.1-vivid/linux-headers-4.0.1-040001_4.0.1-040001.201504290935_all.deb

$ wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v4.0.1-vivid/linux-image-4.0.1-040001-generic_4.0.1-040001.201504290935_amd64.deb

$ sudo dpkg -i *.deb

$ sudo update-grub

If for some reason you want to downgrade the kernel, it loads the newest kernel by default, so just uninstall new one (three packages that I mentioned) and it will load second on the list after reboot. Make sure you have at least one kernel installed! :)

Linux Mint 17 on Laptop Acer Aspire-E5-571G PART4

• Using Microphone

Run 

$ alsamixer 

Press F6 select sound card...  Set Mic Boost to 20 and disable Auto-Mute M (use arrow buttons)

Check audio device for capture audio from mic, by

$ cat /proc/asound/devices

  1:        : sequencer

  2: [ 0- 8]: digital audio playback

  3: [ 0- 7]: digital audio playback

  4: [ 0- 3]: digital audio playback

  5: [ 0- 0]: hardware dependent

  6: [ 0]   : control

  7: [ 1- 0]: digital audio playback

  8: [ 1- 0]: digital audio capture

  9: [ 1- 0]: hardware dependent

 10: [ 1]   : control

 33:        : timer

Try record for 20 seconds

$ arecord -f cd -D hw:1,0 -d 20 test.wav

It worked for me, I able to hear myself. 

Graphical "Sound Preferences" looks like not handle the device properly. To use mic with graphical apps you probably have to select the capture device manually.

  

Linux Mint 17 on Laptop Acer Aspire-E5-571G PART3

Automatic brightness control very very annoying, it dims down almost random, so you have to set it couple times...


To disable improper automatic brightness control, uncheck this:

To control brightness manually from 0% to 100% , install xbacklight

$ sudo apt-get install xbacklight

Don't know how to overwrite functional keys for brightness, so I made two new shortcuts for brightness control, with commands:

$ xbacklight -inc 5
$ xbacklight -dec 5

For non 60 fps videos, mplayer works pretty well with this config:

$ cat ~/.mplayer/config
# Write your default config options here!

vo=gl_nosw
af=equalizer=0:-1:-2:-3:-4:-4:-3:-2:-1:0
cache=8192
cache-min=4
nosub=1
framedrop=1

Linux Mint 17 on Laptop Acer Aspire-E5-571G PART2

Linux Mint 17 on Laptop Acer Aspire-E5-571G PART1

• Nvidia driver

I added this PPA
https://launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ubuntu/ppa
And install Nvidia-343 driver
I find out that prismusrun is alternative to optirun

• Avoiding Video tearing while watching 60 fps video

VLC useless

Mplayer works only with Intel vaapi

$ export VDPAU_DRIVER=va_gl &&  mplayer -cache 8192 file.mkv 

XBMC kodi can use both Nvidia or Intel vaapi (default)
$ prismusrun kodi
$ kodi

Totem works with Nvidia
$ prismusrun totem

• Gaming

I Instaled Wine1.7 and using prismus StartCraft II works!
$ prismusrun wine /path/to/StarCraft-II-Setup-enGB.exe

• Resource

http://askubuntu.com/questions/305305/running-xbmc-on-bumblebee-nvidia
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2121749

• Note

Hard drive on this laptop is large 1TB, but not very fast. Thats why mplayer better works with bigger cache option. I came to conclusion that most of the lag is hard drive retailed. So I made a few more settings. Set swappiness to 1 (how to) ant added "noatime" to FSTAB.

Linux Mint 17 on Laptop Acer Aspire-E5-571G

• Power button

You have to press it just right, because if you press it to short or to long it wont work! It take some to figure it out... I thought my brand new laptop not working! It's not a big deal right now.

• BIOS

Press F2 when you see Acer logo, enter BIOS
Change option:
 from "UEFI" to "legacy"

• Install Mint 17 

Create Mint17 64bit bootable flash drive and connect to the laptop.
Set first boot device "USB flash drive".
Install Mint as usual.

• Resource

This is what I dig out:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bumblebee
http://outhereinthefield.wordpress.com/2014/12/21/linux-gaming-setup-part-2-software-configs-nvidia-binary-and-bumblebee-steam-and-playonlinux-howto/
https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php?title=Configure_NVIDIA_%28non-free%29_settings_and_load_them_on_Startup
http://askubuntu.com/questions/128463/how-to-control-brightness

YES! The famous Linux with Nvidia Optimus Technology and two Graphic cards!
I saved some time on the research before buying, so now I can spend more time on installation... Sadly...
I guess if you want a powerful laptop it is a common hardware and it's a good price so I should not complain.

• Nvidia non free driver

Add PPA for nvidia non free driver:
$ sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install bbswitch-dkms bumblebee bumblebee-nvidia lib32gcc1
libc6-i386 libcuda1-331 libturbojpeg libvdpau1 nvidia-331 nvidia-current
nvidia-libopencl1-331  nvidia-opencl-icd-331 nvidia-settings primus primus-libs
screen-resolution-extra socat virtualgl virtualgl-libs glibc-doc vdpau-driver
primus-libs-ia32 virtualgl-libs-ia32 virtualgl primus nvidia-settings
nvidia-opencl-icd-331

• Configure "bumblebee":

$ sudo pluma  /etc/bumblebee/bumblebee.conf

My configuration, I mark the changes:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# Configuration file for Bumblebee. Values should **not** be put between quotes

## Server options. Any change made in this section will need a server restart
# to take effect.
[bumblebeed]
# The secondary Xorg server DISPLAY number
VirtualDisplay=:8
# Should the unused Xorg server be kept running? Set this to true if waiting
# for X to be ready is too long and don't need power management at all.
KeepUnusedXServer=false
# The name of the Bumbleblee server group name (GID name)
ServerGroup=bumblebee
# Card power state at exit. Set to false if the card shoud be ON when Bumblebee
# server exits.
TurnCardOffAtExit=false
# The default behavior of '-f' option on optirun. If set to "true", '-f' will
# be ignored.
NoEcoModeOverride=false
# The Driver used by Bumblebee server. If this value is not set (or empty),
# auto-detection is performed. The available drivers are nvidia and nouveau
# (See also the driver-specific sections below)
Driver=nvidia
# Directory with a dummy config file to pass as a -configdir to secondary X
XorgConfDir=/etc/bumblebee/xorg.conf.d

## Client options. Will take effect on the next optirun executed.
[optirun]
# Acceleration/ rendering bridge, possible values are auto, virtualgl and
# primus.
Bridge=auto
# The method used for VirtualGL to transport frames between X servers.
# Possible values are proxy, jpeg, rgb, xv and yuv.
VGLTransport=proxy
# List of paths which are searched for the primus libGL.so.1 when using
# the primus bridge
PrimusLibraryPath=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/primus:/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/primus
# Should the program run under optirun even if Bumblebee server or nvidia card
# is not available?
AllowFallbackToIGC=false


# Driver-specific settings are grouped under [driver-NAME]. The sections are
# parsed if the Driver setting in [bumblebeed] is set to NAME (or if auto-
# detection resolves to NAME).
# PMMethod: method to use for saving power by disabling the nvidia card, valid
# values are: auto - automatically detect which PM method to use
#         bbswitch - new in BB 3, recommended if available
#       switcheroo - vga_switcheroo method, use at your own risk
#             none - disable PM completely
# https://github.com/Bumblebee-Project/Bumblebee/wiki/Comparison-of-PM-methods

## Section with nvidia driver specific options, only parsed if Driver=nvidia
[driver-nvidia]
# Module name to load, defaults to Driver if empty or unset
KernelDriver=nvidia-331
PMMethod=auto
# colon-separated path to the nvidia libraries
LibraryPath=/usr/lib/nvidia-331:/usr/lib32/nvidia-331
#LibraryPath=/usr/lib/nvidia-current:/usr/lib32/nvidia-current
# comma-separated path of the directory containing nvidia_drv.so and the
# default Xorg modules path
XorgModulePath=/usr/lib/nvidia-331/xorg,/usr/lib/xorg/modules
#XorgModulePath=/usr/lib/nvidia-current/xorg,/usr/lib/xorg/modules
XorgConfFile=/etc/bumblebee/xorg.conf.nvidia

## Section with nouveau driver specific options, only parsed if Driver=nouveau
[driver-nouveau]
KernelDriver=nouveau
PMMethod=auto
XorgConfFile=/etc/bumblebee/xorg.conf.nouveau
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

• Nvidia settings

It creates virtual X display, by default it ":8" , it is set on bumblebee.conf.

Generally speaking, to see nvidia-settings you have to trun ON the nvidia card and specify display.

$ optirun nvidia-settings -c :8

So now card is active until the tool is closed.

• Using Nvidia GPU

Close the nvidia-settings tool and try this:

$ cat /proc/acpi/bbswitch
0000:03:00.0 OFF

Make bash use bumblebee and then check:

$ optirun bash
$cat /proc/acpi/bbswitch
0000:03:00.0 ON
$ optirun --status
Bumblebee status: Ready (3.2.1). X is PID 25018, 1 applications using bumblebeed.

Now you can do 3D math test using nvidia card:

$ glxspheres64
Polygons in scene: 62464
Visual ID of window: 0x20
Context is Direct
OpenGL Renderer: GeForce 840M/PCIe/SSE2
92.270035 frames/sec - 81.921028 Mpixels/sec

• Fixing Brightness control (copied from ubuntu forum, link above):

I figured it out from different sites, it fixes backlight.
Run the following command in Terminal:
gksu pluma /etc/default/grub
then change
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
to
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi_backlight=vendor"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=Linux"
then save and run:
sudo update-grub
and then restart the system for changes to take effect.

• Issues:

Video tearing using Nvidia card
I tested with mplayer, kodi (xbmc), vlc.
Common solution is in nvidia-settings/OpenGL set:
Sync to Vblank
Allow Flipping
Use Conformant Texture Clamping
Gues what! In my case, nvidia-settings don't have such options!

What should i do now..?
Also nvidia-settings tool shows wrong screen resolution. I try change it but nothing changed.

I checked directly manufacturer drivers at
http://www.geforce.com/drivers


Results:

Linux x64 (AMD64/EM64T) Display Driver - BETA
Version: 346.22 - Release Date: Mon Dec 08, 2014

Linux x64 (AMD64/EM64T) Display Driver
Version: 340.65 - Release Date: Mon Dec 08, 2014

I use older driver, it's probably the issue.
Unfortunately, I know how to install NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-346.22.run file but only on single GPU hardware. I have no clue how to combined with bumblebee.
Update's in PPA are WELCOME! 
 

• Intel graphic card

Mplayer2 and VLC uses "-vo vx" by default and I think it's CPU and it's not working well.
XBMC (kodi) loads intel vaapi driver and seems to works good!

To enable intel vaapi on Mplayer2
$ sudo apt-get install libvdpau-va-gl1

$ VDPAU_DRIVER=va_gl mplayer ./Video.mkv 
MPlayer2 2.0-701-gd4c5b7f-2ubuntu2 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team
Cannot open file '/home/rolas/.mplayer/input.conf': No such file or directory
Failed to open /home/rolas/.mplayer/input.conf.
Cannot open file '/etc/mplayer/input.conf': No such file or directory
Failed to open /etc/mplayer/input.conf.

Playing ./Video.mkv.
[mkv] Track ID 1: video (V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC), -vid 0
[mkv] Track ID 2: audio (A_AAC), -aid 0, -alang eng
[mkv] Will play video track 1.
Detected file format: Matroska
Load subtitles in ./Videos/
[VS] Software VDPAU backend library initialized
libva info: VA-API version 0.35.0
libva info: va_getDriverName() returns 0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_0_35
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
Selected video codec: H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10 [libavcodec]
Selected audio codec: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) [libavcodec]
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, floatle, 128.0 kbit/4.54% (ratio: 16000->352800)
AO: [pulse] 44100Hz 2ch floatle (4 bytes per sample)
Starting playback...
VIDEO:  1280x720  59.940 fps    0.0 kbps ( 0.0 kB/s)
VO: [vdpau] 1280x720 => 1280x720 Planar YV12
[vdpau] Got display refresh rate 60.016 Hz.
[vdpau] If that value looks wrong give the -vo vdpau:fps=X suboption manually.
A: 552.9 V: 553.0 A-V: -0.000 ct:  0.000   0/  0  0% 24%  0.3% 0 0

• Game on Wine

I add PPA for wine to get latest version:
$ sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa
$ sudo apt-get update

$ optirun wine ./path/to/StarCraft-II-Setup-enGB.exe

Startcraft II shows "Battle.net" window and crashes after couple seconds, during installation processes.

• Version summary

Linux Mint 17 MATE
Kernel: Linux Aspire-E5-571G 3.13.0-24-generic #47-Ubuntu SMP Fri May 2 23:30:00 UTC
2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
optirun (Bumblebee) 3.2.1
wine-1.6.2
NVIDIA Driver Version 331.113
X Server Version:    11.0
                                The X.Org Foundation
                                1.15.1
NV-Control               1.29


Linux Mint 17 on Laptop Acer Aspire-E5-571G PART2

Custom date time format on MATE panel

Install dconf-editor


Go to:

 /org/mate/panel/objects/clock/prefs


Change values:


NAME                            VALUE
custom-format               %Y-%m-%d  %A <b>%H:%M</b>
format                           custom

Running Skype 2.2 on Linux Mint 16

It works for 32bit and 64bit Mint 16 (I tested on Mate)
I use skype-ubuntu_2.2.0.35-1_i386.deb

if you try to start skype from teraminal, this is what you will see

$ skype
Segmentation fault

To fix this, download

libglib2.0-0_2.34.1-1ubuntu1_i386.deb

 from

http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=libglib2.0-0

quantal-updates (libs): GLib library of C routines
2.34.1-1ubuntu1: i386

extract deb file (you can do it whit the graphical archive extractor)

 and then start skype with prealoded lib like this:

$ Exec=env LD_PRELOAD=/home/{user}/Downloads/libglib2.0-0_2.34.1-1ubuntu1_i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libgobject-2.0.so.0.3400.1 /usr/bin/skype

Test your skype, type in:

 (mushroom)

You should not see text! :) Like me! :)

Usefull link:
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=154571&p=2

Mint 16 currently use "2.38.1" version of GLib C routines.
I tried preload newer version  "2.39.4", with the hope that they fix it,
 bus sadly they don't and the outcome was the same.   

MINT 16 XFCE Review

First of all very very good Desktop Environment. Great performance.
I liked a lot, everything what comes directly from XCFE.
And also new menu is great to!

If you use double click title bar to maximize window.
Unless you very fast clicker :) you may want to change default Double Click Time:
 

 

There is a trick with separator to manage panels properly.

If you want to keep some item in right corner you have to create transparent separator to take empty panel space, otherwise all items wil be arranged left.

Sadly XFCE don’t have some components for Desktop Environment, so you have to borrow from gnome

Login screen

Taken from gnome, looks like it works.

Users and Groups

Not exists, can do it in terminal or you can install “gnome-system-tools”, this way you can manage users graphically. It works OK, no issues and fits pretty good.

Screensaver - Lock screen - Switch user 

Aaa…
It looks like some embedded device not a PC.
I guess it’s some sort of funky workaround…
This part does not fit to the rest of the  MINT XFCE content.
You can install “gnome-screensaver” and remove “xscreensaver”, bud then you lose graphical settings of your screensaver. I was unable to find handle on that so by default screensaver starts after 10min if desktop is idle.
The issue is still unresolved and I already give up trying.
Now my target is MINT MATE 16.

One more remark

I did not understand what philosophy they use for new window location.
When you open new application or file browser window, it appears for example in bottom left corner, and it's not the last position where it was before.
So new applications windows jumping around the screen...
I'm not sure why and what this feature depend on...

Desktop Environment's for Linux MINT

KDE

http://kde.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zpdjySiS88
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dohhz91OTPY

  It looks really cool, bud too much sparkles for every day work...

Cinnamon
http://segfault.linuxmint.com
  Today looks best! I did try Mint cinnamon 16.
The Ideas I like a lot!
* Great art work.
* Work space switcher by the mouse in the top left corner.
* Managing windows by dragging them to the sides or top.
Very useful features.
Bud sorry it's to buggy...
* Unable connect to hidden Wifi, Network settings window crash every time.
* I try organize panel content - unsuccessful.
* Some thing wrong with the package manager (I believe it's fixable).
Experience was similar to Ubuntu bugs in the passed, it was Ubuntu version 12.10 (don't know how it is now).
So I guess I have to wait for more stable Cinnamon, and stick to Mate for now. 


MATE
http://mate-desktop.org/
  Good! I enjoy it! (Mint 14)

I try live Mint Mate 16 - still great!
Unfortunately installation has some issues.
* Proprietary Drivers Installer works, bud nviadia xconfig tool not.
* there are some issue with desktop fonts when nvidia driver is activated.

* Have to fix repository list, for some reason live version repository list are different from installed version (Cinnamon 16 has the same issue). 


Gnome (not available with Mint)
http://www.gnome.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVQjEtZAkPk&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLT98CRl2KxKESwFYdodPEZ42M38c40_3f
Looks better last realise, bud BIG NO! I don't like the idea!
Touch screen menu doesn't help you work
faster or easier on non touch screen PC!  
Gnome plans integrate all social web like facebook and etc... to desktop environment, I never going to be interested in that! 


XFCE
http://www.xfce.org/
I don't know yet... Have to read & see more...


P.S. "The thing that works for every case it actually does not work in any case!" OR "What is suitable for everything, often is good for nothing...".

The same menu for touchscreen and for non touchscreen PC is just stupid!
At least I did not see good one yet...  I believe it should be two different work modes. It would be great if they switch dynamically. Selecting the mode during installation it would be also not bad.

Scheduled shutdown user friendly way with qZleep on Linux Mint

A simple tool scheduled shutdown in 24 hours. Perhaps you want to let finished same job for same time...
Or you like watch TV show in the bed and your brain
shutdown unpredictably... 
It is very unpleasant to wake up at night and then turn off everything...

Download Package
For Linux Mint and Ubuntu

Mirror: qzleep_0.1.0-4_amd64.deb
Mirror: qzleep_0.1.0-4_i386.deb


 qzleep_0.1.0-4_i386.deb
 qzleep_0.1.0-4_amd64.deb

tested on
 Mint 14 MATE
 Mint 15 KDE
 Ubuntu 12.04

Sources:

https://github.com/elektronas/qZleep.git

Favorite Linux applications

Video Player: mplayer
               without skin 

Media Center: xbmc  (PC video on TV)
            This is the reason for baying HTPC not a player with embedded software inside...

Music Player: deadbeef
         Preferred  lossless audio (flac)

Mail Client: gnome evolution mail
          on Debian works better then on Mint or Ubuntu

Internet Browser: Firefox

Text Editor: Medit
          For those how like notepad++ on Windows, I think, Medit is the best choice on Linux

Torrent Client: Deluge

Calculator: Galculator
         for hex to bin & dec to hex ...


Disk & Partition Tools: Gnome disk utility
        Debian squeeze version only (bad update for Ubuntu or Mint)


Home server: lighttpd,proftpd


Communication: skype 2.2.0.35 beta
        I gonna use skype until this version works (updates not welcome!)
        Now tying to find free & so-so working voip client, no success jet.

USB Boot disk creator: unetboot

Development: Qt-SDK, Codelite-IDE

Linux Mint - Firefox do way I like it!

Hiding new tab page & making Firefox open homepage on new tab:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/new-tab-page-show-hide-and-customize-top-sites#w_how-do-i-turn-the-new-tab-page-off


Adding google search engine:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/google-default/?src=search

Set search engine for url bar:

http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-web-address-bar#w_changing-the-internet-keyword-service

Summary:
about:config
keyword.URL = http://www.google.lt/search?q=
keyword.enabled = true

UBUNTU VS MINT!

I use Debian squeeze by default.
Form time to time I search for brand new Linux distro with latest packege versions,
for Multimedia or gameing (using wine).

Ubuntu is closest to Debian cause it's Debian underneath!
There is a lot of good things on Ubuntu... 
Bud I rely struggle with Ubuntu... I did not like new Gnome style, it's clearly made for touch screens.
I use simple Desktop PC so I don't need that.
I tried to use "Ubuntu classic (no effects)" - my opinion: it's broken! 
Nautilus on sartup thinking too much...
Auto login is non functional yet... 
Somehow disappearing notification area...
Even on default apprentice of Ubuntu - a lot of buggy Gnome configuration...

Recently i got tip from a Friend - "Try Linux Mint"!
Mint is Ubuntu underneath... Repositories are the same...
Bud the result is amazingly different!!!
Performance is great! Strangely it's much faster than Ubuntu!
I came to conclusion, that the graphical interface is what dragged down Ubuntu...

There is all types of graphical interfaces for LINUX MINT.
I tied two of them (GNOME based MATE and KDE), both works amazing!

So I switching from UBUNTU to MINT!

 

http://www.linuxmint.com/

For a server I stay with Debian squeeze! :)

http://www.debian.org/