Posts Tagged ‘ATI’

Ubuntu 10.04 Alpha 3 released

2 Comments
Posted 25 Feb 2010 — by Arun
Category Announcement, Ubuntu

Ubuntu team has released the 3rd alpha of Ubuntu 10.04 code named Lucid Lynx. Alpha 3 brings the following enhancements:

  • Ubuntu Lucid Alpha 3 includes the latest GNOME desktop environment.
  • Alpha 3 includes the 2.6.32-14.20 kernel based on 2.6.32.8.
  • Alpha 3 of Kubuntu features the new KDE SC 4.4.
  • Lucid Alpha 3 sports full removal of the hal package, making Ubuntu faster to boot and faster to resume from suspend.
  • The likewise-open package, which provides Active Directory authentication and server support for Linux, has been updated to version 5.4.
  • The Nouveau video driver is now the default for nVidia hardware.
  • Built in integration with Twitter, identi.ca, Facebook, and other social networks with the MeMenu in the panel.
  • The Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud installer has been vastly improved in order to support alternative installation topologies.

You can download Ubuntu 10.04 alpha 3 from here. Kubuntu 10.04 alpha 3 can be downloaded from here.
Since it’s an alpha release, please read the known issues below before downloading.

Known Issues:

  • On video hardware that supports KMS, the live CD sometimes does not reboot successfully, instead displaying the boot logo indefinitely.
  • When running on Ubuntu Server, the plymouth boot splash screen does not exit after the system is booted. To get to a console login after boot, you must press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to switch to VT1.
  • Console keyboard selections made at install time may not be correctly respected on reboot, leaving users with the default US keyboard map. This issue affects all images, but is mostly of concern to users of Ubuntu Server.
  • Because of the new alternatives system used for nvidia driver packages, the nvidia installer from NVIDIA’s website currently doesn’t work.
  • The fglrx binary driver for ATI video chipsets does not yet support the X server in Lucid. As a workaround, users should use the open source -ati driver instead.
  • OEM setup mode does not work from the Alpha 3 Desktop CD, because the post-reboot configuration tool is not present. As a workaround, users can use the alternate CD for OEM installs.

Source: Ubuntu.
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Ubuntu 10.04 alpha 2 released

2 Comments
Posted 15 Jan 2010 — by Arun
Category Ubuntu

Ubuntu development team has released the 2nd alpha of Ubuntu 10.04, code named Lucid Lynx. It’s still a developmental version, so it’s only for testing purpose. Ubuntu 10.04 contains the following changes:

  • Ubuntu Lucid Alpha 2 includes the latest GNOME desktop environment.
  • Alpha 2 includes the 2.6.32-10.14 kernel based on 2.6.32.
  • Alpha 2 of Kubuntu features the new KDE SC 4.4 RC 1.
  • Lucid Alpha 2 sports full removal of the hal package, making Ubuntu faster to boot and faster to resume from suspend.
  • The likewise-open package, which provides Active Directory authentication and server support for Linux, has been updated to version 5.4.
  • Three different NVIDIA proprietary drivers are currently available: nvidia-current (190.53), nvidia-173, and nvidia-96. It is now possible to install all three of these packages at the same time (although it is only possible to have one configured for use at a time).
  • The Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud installer has been vastly improved in order to support alternative installation topologies. UEC components are now automatically discovered and registered, including for complex topologies. Finally, UEC is now powered by Eucalyptus 1.6.2 codebase.

Here are the known issues in alpha2:

  • The wacom-tools driver cannot be used with Lucid Alpha 2.
  • The notify-osd notification system has “debug mode” turned on to help people find erroneously urgent notifications.
  • On video hardware that supports KMS, the live CD sometimes does not reboot successfully, instead displaying the boot logo indefinitely.
  • On video hardware that does not support KMS, using the “full disk with encryption” installation option will result in a boot failure because the prompt for the passphrase needed for decrypting the disk will not be shown.
  • When running on Ubuntu Server, the plymouth boot splash screen does not exit after the system is booted. To get to a console login after boot, you must press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to switch to VT1.
  • Manual partitioning fails in the graphical installer due to a bug in ubiquity: you can select existing partitions to use as targets for installation, but you can neither create new partitions nor delete existing partitions.
  • jockey (Ubuntu’s restricted driver manager) doesn’t yet support the new alternatives system used by the nvidia driver packages.
  • Because of the new alternatives system, the nvidia installer from NVIDIA’s website currently doesn’t work.
  • The fglrx binary driver for ATI video chipsets does not yet support the X server in Lucid.
  • Attempting to run 32bit applications which make use of 3D acceleration in a 64bit system will result in a failure.
  • Alpha 2 does not include Wubi, the Ubuntu installer for Windows.

You can download alpha2 from here.

Kubuntu 10.04 alpha2 brings KDE SC 4.4. RC1. Here are some of the features that are going to be part of Kubuntu 10.04 that Kubuntu team is working on.

Here are the known issues in Kubuntu 10.04 alpha1:

  • Due to the recent changeover to Plymouth, the boot splash shows the Ubuntu logo instead of Kubuntu’s.
  • You have to log in twice
  • Autologin doesn’t work
  • The wallpaper is missing and the panel geometry is funky to work around

You can download Kubuntu 10.04 alpha2 from here.

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Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope released

10 Comments
Posted 23 Apr 2009 — by Arun
Category Ubuntu

Ubuntu team has released Ubuntu 9.04 code named Jaunty Jackalope today. For a tour of Ubuntu 9.04, click here. To know about what’s new in Ubuntu 9.04, check my old post here.

Here are the known issues in Ubuntu 9.04:

  • Wrong display when installing to largest continuous free space on disk on partition editor
  • Hibernation may be unavailable with automatic partitioning
  • Users of older Ubuntu releases need to upgrade to Ubuntu 8.10 first, and then to 9.04.
  • Boot failures on systems with Intel D945 motherboards
  • Systems installed using Jaunty Alpha 5, Jaunty Alpha 6, or the Ubuntu 9.04 beta may use LABEL= syntax in /etc/fstab to identify file systems. This may cause unexpected behaviour later if another disk (such as a USB drive) is added later containing file systems with clashing labels.
  • python ImportError with systems upgraded before Ubuntu 9.04 release candidate
  • Upgrades from alphas may need re-encryption of encrypted home directories
  • Ubuntu 8.10 systems installed from the desktop CD mistakenly had the lilo package installed as well as grub, although grub was used for booting.
  • Setting wireless regulatory domain via module option no longer supported
  • X server crashes when using a wacom tablet
  • Ctrl-Alt-Backspace disabled by default in Xorg
  • iSCSI upgrades fail to generate initramfs
  • Display freezes with Intel graphics cards
  • Lock-ups when deleting files from ext4 filesystems
  • Switching to ext4 requires manually updating grub
  • Possible data-loss problems resizing ext4
  • Apparmor profiles incompatible with ecryptfs
  • Avahi will not start if a .local domain is present
  • Wubi reuses a pre-existing “ubuntu” directory and removes it on uninstallation
  • In some cases it can happen that the index of the “tracker” desktop search engine becomes invalid.
  • The NVIDIA graphics driver that is currently in Ubuntu 9.04 has an interaction problem that results in corruption of the internal flatpanel’s EDID on the Fujitsu Technology Solutions Celsius H270 notebook

Source: Ubuntu.

Kubuntu team has released Kubuntu 9.04. Kubuntu 9.04 includes KDE 4.2, new software management application, Quassel IRC client, Amarok 2.0.2, Network Manager plasma widget and much more.

Here are some known issues in Kubuntu 9.04. There are some serious bugs with the new network manager, so read the bug details before installing Kubuntu 9.04. I didn’t have any problem with Kubuntu 9.04 in my laptop with ATI video card.

  • There are reports of the open source ATI drivers being very slow.
    Be sure to not have Virtual size set to high and try with XAA instead
    of EXA; fixes it in some cases.
  • Nvidia 64 computer chipsets still cannot boot kernel without pci=nomsi option
  • Qt shows repaint bugs with some but not all Intel Gfx Chips. Using
    XXA or UXA fixes them in some cases, but hurts performance, please
    report UXA on this thread. Bug 338669.
  • Qt repaint bugs also seen in some situations using the open source ati driver; XAA fixes this in some cases. Bug 350120
  • Connection to non-broadcasting (hidden SSID) wireless networks with the network-manager widget isn’t possible Bug 330811
  • Network Manager does not connect to some networks Bug 339313
  • Network Manager is not added to the panel on upgrades Bug 349066
  • KPackageKit (which is now the default package manager for Kubuntu
    Jaunty) doesn’t support installations which require a removal or
    updates which require additional software. The packages to be removed /
    installed will be shown as blocked. Bug 342671
  • Kmail sieve functionality is buggy and causes CPU hang. You shouldn’t use it at the moment.
  • Network management applet must be re-added on Kubuntu upgrade
  • Kubuntu Network Management applet does not connect to WPA2 networks
  • Kubuntu may keep unneeded guidance power package
  • Pulseaudio inadvertently enabled in Kubuntu when installing from DVD or upgrading with apt-get
  • Amarok will not offer to download additional codecs when running Kubuntu from the live CD

Source: Kubuntu.

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Cooliris available for Linux now

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Posted 14 Apr 2009 — by Arun
Category Linux

Cooliris is a plugin that displays images from Google,  Youtube, Flickr, Facebook, from your PC hard drive etc as a 3D wall. You can effortlessly scroll through the images and videos. Once installed, you can launch Cooliris from the toolbar in the browser window or my moving the mouse over the image if the image is from one of the supported sites.

Cooliris now supports Linux. According to the Cooliris blog, Cooliris now has a linux version that is shipping with 1.10 release. Here are the system requirements:

  • A recent Linux distribution.
    • Ubuntu 8.04, Fedora 10, OpenSuse 11 should work.
  • Hardware-accelerated graphics. Without hardware acceleration, Cooliris should still run, but will be unusably slow.
    • NVidia cards with proprietary drivers (version 173 and above) have been tested and function well
    • ATI cards have been tested and work with the latest fglrx driver
    • Intel integrated cards function but with issues
    • To test hardware acceleration, run “glxgears” in full screen and see if it runs smoothly
  • Firefox 3
  • Flash 10 or higher. If you’re using a 64-bit Linux, it is recommended that you install a pre-release version of 64-bit Flash.

I wanted to check the Linux file. I was using a Windows machine, so when I clicked “To see all products, click here” in the download section, I could see only Windows and Mac versions. I couldn’t find the Linux one. CoolPreviews has a Linux version. I have to try it from a Linux machine and see if it works.

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Ubuntu 9.04 and Kubuntu 9.04 beta released

8 Comments
Posted 27 Mar 2009 — by Arun
Category Announcement, Ubuntu

Ubuntu team has released the beta version of Ubuntu 9.04. If you are planning to install Ubuntu 9.04 beta, please read the known issues section below before proceeding. Here are some of the new features in Ubuntu 9.04:

  • Ubuntu 9.04 Beta includes the latest GNOME 2.26 desktop environment.
  • Improved handling of multiple monitors with an updated gnome-display-properties.
  • The latest X.Org server, version 1.6.
  • The -ati driver has received numerous fixes and performance improvements. It now uses the EXA acceleration method by default. 2D acceleration support for the newest R6xx/R7xx family of cards is also available. 3D support is available up to R5xx cards for -ati. An updated -fglrx proprietary driver is available for R6xx/R7xx users who need 3D support.
  • New style for notifications and an option to set the notification preferences.
  • A number of improvements to the Ubuntu start-up process bring significantly improved boot performance to Ubuntu 9.04.
  • Ubuntu 9.04 Beta includes the 2.6.28-11.37 kernel based on 2.6.28.8.
  • Ubuntu 9.04 Beta supports the option of installing the new ext4 file system. ext3 will remain the default filesystem.
  • Ubuntu 9.04 Server Edition makes it easy to experiment with cloud computing. Eucalyptus, an open source technology which is included in Ubuntu as a technology preview, enables you to use your own servers to deploy, experiment and test your own private cloud that matches the Amazon EC2 API.
  • The dovecot-postfix package in Ubuntu 9.04 Beta provides an easy-to-deploy mail server stack, with support for SMTP, POP3, and IMAP with TLS and SASL.

Here are the list of know issues in Ubuntu 9.04 beta.

  • A bug in an Ubuntu-specific patch to X server logging code will cause X sessions to crash after they have been running for longer than a day. Users encountering this bug should upgrade to the latest version of the xserver-xorg-core package, which will be available immediately after the beta release.
  • Some users of Intel i8×5 video chipsets are unable to load X, getting an error message of “Fatal server error: Couldn’t bind memory for BO front buffer”. As a workaround, use the VESA driver by logging into a text console, running “sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf”, and adding the line Driver "vesa" to the Device section.
  • Users of Intel video chipsets have reported performance regressions in Ubuntu 8.10 compared with previous releases. Although these performance issues have not been resolved by default in Ubuntu 9.04, a new experimental acceleration architecture option, DRI2/UXA, is available for Intel graphics users. Testing has found this provides significant performance improvements for many users, but has also shown risk of severe stability problems, thus it’s not available to the general public.
  • Ctrl-Alt-Backspace is now disabled, to reduce issues experienced by users who accidentally trigger the key combo. Users who do want this function can enable it in their xorg.conf, or via the command dontzap --disable.
  • Ubuntu 8.10 systems installed from the desktop CD mistakenly had the lilo package installed as well as grub, although grub was used for booting. If you use the recommended Update Manager upgrade method, then the lilo package will be removed if it does not appear to be used.
  • On the timezone map in the desktop CD installer, the markers for cities are displaced from their correct locations. Users should be aware of this issue when selecting their timezone.
  • If any filesystems are mounted when starting the desktop CD installer, then a dialog labelled “Unmount partitions that are in use?” will be presented. Unfortunately, the buttons on this dialog box are poorly named: “Continue” attempts to unmount filesystems and then repeats, which will often just display the same dialog box again, while “Go Back” ignores this condition and continues.
  • On desktop installations from USB disks, such as typical Ubuntu Netbook Remix installations, the installer displays a warning about the fact that the installation medium itself (often /dev/sdb) is mounted. This warning is unnecessary, because the fact that it is mounted is completely normal, and does not interfere with the user’s ability to install the system to devices other than the USB disk itself.
  • In some cases, the “Prepare Disk Space” screen in the desktop installer displays obviously incorrect partition sizes in its graphical disk previews. This is only an error in the preview and does not reflect a problem with the partitioning changes that will actually be applied.
  • When installing to a system with another OS previously installed, the migration assistant will offer to migrate settings and documents even when the entire disk is being overwritten.
  • Users who were running eCryptfs on the Jaunty Alpha milestones are advised to re-encrypt any encrypted files. An upstream 2.6.28 kernel bug caused random kernel memory to be written to eCryptfs encrypted file headers. The fix has been applied and deployed to Ubuntu users in the Jaunty Beta kernel. Ubuntu eCryptfs users running this kernel should re-encrypt each encrypted file using /usr/bin/ecryptfs-rewrite-file.
  • Users of Compaq Smart Array controllers will be unable to remove existing LVM volumes using the partitioner in the installer.
  • The mdadm package in Ubuntu 9.04 Beta will fail to assemble RAID10 arrays on boot. Other types of RAID are not affected.
  • Booting degraded RAID may fail in virtual-machine setups where the host is running with cpu frequency scaling enabled, due to a non-deterministic race condition.
  • Upgrading a desktop system using an ATI video chipset with the fglrx binary-only driver may result in a warning that the driver needs to be replaced. There is a bug in the driver replacement logic, so if you see this prompt, please cancel the upgrade until this is fixed, which will happen immediately after the beta release.

Kubuntu team has released the beta version of Kubuntu 9.04. Here are the new features in Kubuntu 9.04:

  • Kubuntu 9.04 Beta includes KDE 4.2.1
  • Kubuntu 9.04 ships with latest Qt, version 4.5, which brings a faster desktop experience as well as new features.
  • Kubuntu Jaunty now includes a new software manager: KPackageKit.
  • Quassel is a new IRC client that is now the default for Kubuntu Jaunty.
  • Jaunty Jackalope now comes with the recently-released Amarok 2.0.2.
  • The new plasma-widget-network-manager replaces the old KNetworkManager applet.
  • KTorrent has been updated to version 3.2.
  • Kdebluetooth has been updated and is back in action, fixing the major bluetooth issues that plauged Kubuntu 8.10.

Known issues in Kubuntu 9.04:

  • Kmail sieve functionality is buggy and causes CPU hang. You shouldn’t use it at the moment.


















Source: Ubuntu release note, Kubuntu release note.

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Ubuntu 9.04 and Kubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Alpha 4 released

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Posted 06 Feb 2009 — by Arun
Category Ubuntu

Ubuntu team has released their 4th version of Ubuntu 9.04 code named Jaunty Jackalope. This version has updated X org (1.6) server, so some people might have instability problem if they are using proprietary drivers from ATI or NVIDIA. This version also includes changes to monitor DPI. Font dot-per-inch settings are now optimized based on your monitor’s capabilities, rather than defaulting to 96 dpi. You can further customize your dpi settings via System > Preferences > Appearance > Fonts > Details.

Included in Jaunty is a simple menu which can be used to set preferences for notification icons, such as where they pop up on the taskbar. There is a possibility that Ubuntu 9.04 will get a whole new notification system, as shown in the flash movie here.

Alpha 4 includes the 2.6.28-6.17 kernel based on 2.6.28.2. Alpha 4 supports the option of installing on the new ext4 file system. ext3 will remain the default for Jaunty, and developers will consider it as the default for Jaunty+1 based on user feedback.

Known Issues in Ubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4:

  • The X.Org synaptics driver is absent from the liveCD, which may prevent touchpad devices from working on laptops.
  • A bug in the udev package prevents the LVM encryption option from working correctly after reboot into the installed system.
  • A new XServer, version 1.6, is included in Alpha 4. The binary proprietary fglrx driver is not yet supported for this server and will exhibit various serious issues if run against it.
  • Users of Intel i845 or i865 video chipsets are unable to load X, getting an error message of “Fatal server error: Couldn’t bind memory for BO front buffer”. Users on these systems are advised to wait for a resolution to this bug before upgrading.
  • The migration assistant in the installer cannot be used in conjunction with the “encrypted” home option.
  • The LTSP installation option fails on the alternate CD due to an error setting up the LTSP chroot.
  • Ctrl-Alt-Backspace is now disabled, to reduce issues experienced by users who accidentally trigger the key combo. Users who do want this function can enable it in their xorg.conf, or via the command dontzap –disable.
  • Migrating documents and settings during installation will not work when the home directory encryption option is enabled.
  • Font sizes may be abnormally small or large on monitors which mis-report their capabilities.

Click here to download Alpha 4.

Here are the list of changes in Kubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope.

  • Kubuntu 9.04 includes KDE 4.2.
  • Quassel is the new IRC client that is now the default for Kubuntu.
  • Kubuntu will have Amarok 2.0.
  • Alpha 4 contains the new plasmoid-network-manager for testing.
  • Kdebluetooth has been updated and is back in Alpha4

Known Issues in Kubuntu 9.04:

  • Network manager does not show by default. You can add it to plasma through the Plasma button in the bottom right.
  • Due to software regression on the latest upload of Plasmoid Network Manager, wireless connection may not work for you.
  • Kmail sieve functionnality has a bug, doesn’t work and causes CPU hang.
  • A bug in the udev package prevents the LVM encryption option from working correctly after reboot into the installed system.

You can download Kubuntu 9.04 Alpha 4 from here.

plasmoid-network-manager

Source: Ubuntu, Kubuntu.

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Outstanding issues in Ubuntu 8.10

2 Comments
Posted 30 Oct 2008 — by Arun
Category Ubuntu

If you are planning to install or upgrade to the newly released Ubuntu 8.10, please go through this list of outstanding issues at the time of the release. Make sure your upgrade won’t hit one of the bugs listed and if it might, then make sure there is a workaround before you proceed.

Losing keyboard and mouse control when changing screen brightness with fn + arrow in laptops under intrepid
If you press Fn + Arrow keys to adjust brightness, most of mouse and keyboard keys stop working. Check bug 285323.

Hard disks potentially not shown when installing in Live CD mode
If a user browses a hard disk in Live CD mode before choosing to install, Ubiquity will not allow installation onto this disk because disks cannot be partitioned if they have busy (mounted) partitions. To use a mounted disk for installation, first unmount the drive before attempting to install.

Slow start to “Select and install software” step in text-mode installer
The “Select and install software” step in the text-mode install CD may appear to hang at a low single-digit percentage. This is particularly the case for netboot installations, where there will be no progress bar updates at all while downloading packages. This is due to a fault in the interaction between the installer and apt-get, which was diagnosed too late to fix for Ubuntu 8.10: bug 290234.

MID image requires a network for successful installation
When trying to install the Ubuntu MID (Mobile Internet Device) image without a network, the installer displays a pop-up dialog in a loop near the end of the installation while scanning the archive. The only way to break this loop is to connect to a network (bug 288320).

Recommended packages installed by default
In accordance with the Debian Policy Manual, the package management system now installs packages listed in the Recommends: field of other installed packages as well as Depends: by default. If you want to avoid this for specific packages, use apt-get –no-install-recommends; if you want to make this permanent, set APT::Install-Recommends ”false”; in /etc/apt/apt.conf. Be aware that this may result in missing features in
some programs.

Password limitation with ecryptfs
Users of the alternate/server installation who choose a password containing a “%” or a “-” will end up with an encrypted ~/Private directory that will not mount on reboot and subsequent logins. To fix this, affected users will need to do the following in the newly installed system:
1. Update ecryptfs-utils to at least version 53-1ubuntu12 (as soon as it becomes available as a package update)
2.Run: $ ecryptfs-setup-private –force
For more information on the bug and solution approach see bug #290445.

nVidia “legacy” video support
The 71 and 96 series of proprietary nVidia drivers, as provided by the nvidia-glx-legacy and nvidia-glx packages in Ubuntu 8.04 LTS, are not compatible with the X.Org included in Ubuntu 8.10. Users with the nVidia TNT, TNT2, TNT Ultra, GeForce, GeForce2, GeForce3, and GeForce4 chipsets are affected and will be transitioned on upgrade to the free nv driver instead. This driver does not support 3D acceleration.

Users of other nVidia chipsets that are supported by the 173 or 177 driver series will be transitioned to the nvidia-glx-173 or nvidia-glx-177 package instead. However, unlike drivers 96 and 71, drivers 173 and 177 are only compatible with CPUs that support SSE (e.g. Intel Pentium III, AMD Athlon XP or higher). Systems with older CPUs will also be transitioned to the nv driver on upgrade.

ATI “fglrx” video support
The ATI video driver in 8.10 drops support for video cards with r300 based chips (the Radeon 9500 – X600 Series of cards). If you have such a card, please use “Hardware Drivers” at System/Administration to disable it before the upgrade. Please see bug 284408 for more information

X.Org Input Devices
The X.Org configuration file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf) still has InputDevice entries for the mouse and keyboard, but they are ignored now because input-hotplug is used. The keyboard settings now come from /etc/default/console-setup; to change them please use sudo dpkg-reconfigure console-setup. After that, HAL and X need to be restarted .

Toshiba laptop hotkey support
The tlsup kernel driver included in Linux 2.6.27 for support for Toshiba laptops is not compatible with the X.Org 1.5 event model, as a result of which hotkeys on these laptops are not usable with Ubuntu 8.10. This will be addressed in a post-release kernel update to reintroduce the toshiba_acpi driver.

Boot failures on systems with Intel D945 motherboards
Users have reported slower than normal detection of SATA hard drives on systems with Intel D945 motherboards in Ubuntu 8.10. This may cause the system to drop to a busybox initramfs shell on boot with a “Gave up waiting for root device.” error. Wait a minute or two and then exit the initramfs shell by typing ‘exit’. Booting should proceed normally. If it doesn’t, wait a bit longer and try again. Once the system boots, edit /boot/grub/menu.lst and add rootdelay=90 to the kernel stanza for your current kernel. (Bug 290153).

System lock-ups with Intel 4965 wireless
The version of the iwlagn wireless driver for Intel 4965 wireless chipsets included in Linux kernel version 2.6.27 causes kernel panics when used with 802.11n or 802.11g networks. Users affected by this issue can install the linux-backports-modules-intrepid package, to install a newer version of this driver that corrects the bug. (Because the known fix requires a new version of the driver, it is not expected to be possible to include this fix in the main kernel package.)

Cannot reactivate Intel 3945/4965 wireless if booting with killswitch enabled
On laptops with Intel 3945 or Intel 4965 wireless chipsets and a killswitch for the wireless antenna, starting the system with the killswitch enabled (i.e., with wireless disabled) will prevent re-enabling the wireless by toggling the killswitch. As a workaround, users should boot the system with the killswitch disabled. A future kernel update is expected to address this issue.

Atheros ath5k wireless driver not enabled by default
The version of the ath5k driver for Atheros wireless devices included in Linux 2.6.27 interferes with the use of the madwifi driver for some wireless devices and as a result has been disabled by default. Many Atheros chipsets will work correctly with the madwifi driver, but some newer chipsets may not, and the madwifi driver may not work with WPA authentication. If you have an Atheros device that does not work with madwifi, you will want to install the linux-backports-modules-intrepid-generic package, which includes an updated version of the ath5k driver. While not installed by default, this linux-backports-modules-intrepid-generic package is included on the Ubuntu 8.10 CD and DVD images for ease of installation.

iSCSI boot order
File systems hosted on iSCSI targets may not be mounted automatically at boot time, even if they have an entry in /etc/fstab, if a bridged or bonded Ethernet interface is required to reach the iSCSI target. As a work-around, you would have to restart the open-iscsi service and manually mount the file system in question after system boot, once the required network interface have been brought up. Systems equipped with a plain Ethernet interface are not affected. See bug 227848.

Cannot mount more than one iSCSI target
Mounting multiple iSCSI targets at the same time is currently not supported. Systems configured to use more than one iSCSI targets should not be upgraded to Ubuntu 8.10.
For more information on the bug and solution approach see bug 289470.

Wireless doesn’t work after suspend with ath_pci driver
Wireless devices that use the ath_pci kernel driver, such as the Atheros AR5212 wireless card, will be unable to connect to the network after using suspend and resume. To work around this issue, users can create a file /etc/pm/config.d/madwifi containing the single line:
SUSPEND_MODULES=ath_pci
This will cause the module to be unloaded before suspend and reloaded on resume.

Kubuntu Bluetooth support
Bluetooth is not supported in Kubuntu 8.10 because KDE does not yet support the bluez 4.x stack required for compatibility with the kernel used in 8.10. A fix for this is being evaluated as a post-release update. (Bug 280997)

KNetworkManager cannot manage connections with static IPs
KNetworkManager in Kubuntu 8.10 sometimes fails with network connections that require static IP address configuration (bug 280762). Connections which use DHCP for IP address configuration are not affected by this problem.

Only US wireless channels enabled by default on Intel 3945
The iwl3945 wireless driver defaults to the US regulatory domain for wireless, so wireless networks on channels forbidden by US regulations but permitted by European or Japanese regulations will not work out of the box. This affects IEEE 802.11b/g channels 12 (Europe and Japan), 13 (Europe and Japan), and 14 (Japan only), as well as all 802.11a channels. (Some other wireless drivers may be affected; this is the only one we are sure of so far.)
To work around this, add the following line to the /etc/modprobe.d/options file if you use this driver and need to use European wireless channels:
options cfg80211 ieee80211_regdom=EU
Alternatively, add the following line if you use this driver and need to use Japanese wireless channels:
options cfg80211 ieee80211_regdom=JP

CD eject problems
After ejecting a CD tray containing a disc, the tray will be immediately retracted, making it difficult to remove the disc (bug 283316). This can be worked around by pressing the eject button again before the disc is fully mounted, after which it will stay open. We expect to fix this in a post-release update.

Hangs with desktop effects on Intel 830MG and 845G video cards
There is a bug in the Intel video driver for the older intel 830 and 845 integrated video cards that are used on laptops like the IBM R30. Desktop effects with compiz will not work on those chips and will freeze the system. For new installations, please install using the safe graphics mode (press F4 in the startup screen) on these systems and disable desktop effects via System -> Preferences -> Appearance, clicking on “Visual effects” and choosing “None”.

I haven’t listed all the bugs. For more information, please check Ubuntu release note.

Source: Ubuntu.

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Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 5 upgrade

No Comments
Posted 24 Sep 2008 — by Arun
Category Ubuntu

I upgraded my Ubuntu installation in my laptop Acer Travelmate 8204 from Ubuntu 8.04 to Ubuntu 8.10. It’s an upgrade and not a fresh installation. I had both Ubuntu and Kubuntu 8.04 installed in my laptop and I set Kubuntu as default and was using that for the past few weeks to test KDE 4.1. I didn’t want to download the complete ISO file of the alpha version to upgrade, but I couldn’t find an option in Kubuntu to do a pre-release upgrade. I used update-manager -d in a Kubuntu terminal and it started the Ubuntu upgrade manager. I proceded with the upgrade.

After the upgrade was done, I restarted the system. I got an error that kdm was not loaded, so I was not getting the login screen. I then logged on to command line and reconfigured my system to use gdm. I still couldn’t login to Kubuntu using GDM. I then chose Ubuntu as default and logged into Ubuntu. When I checked Synaptic, kdm was not installed. The upgrade screwed it up. I then completely uninstalled Kubuntu and am using Ubuntu 8.10 now.

The good thing about Ubuntu 8.10 is, my wireless card light is on now. Though the wireless worked, the light never came on after I moved to Ubuntu 8.04. The light now works good and even the wireless card works pretty good. With Ubuntu 8.04, I had to be near the router to conenct before I take my laptop to another place, but now I could connect from anywhere in my house. That’s a big improvement and a good one too. The only bug now is, Ubuntu does not store the key, so you have to enter the key each time. I hope this gets fixed soon.

Another major issue with the new Ubuntu (actually the new xorg) is the ATI driver support. The new Xorg is not supported by current version of fglrx driver. I have to use the open source ATI driver. Though it’s not slow for normal use, Firefox is painfully slow when I access my gmail account. I’m not sure if it’s the driver issue or Firefox. I hope ATI supports the new Xorg before the final release of Ubuntu 8.10.The system is slow if I use Compiz.

I’m going to stick with Ubuntu alpha version for now just because the wireless works better. I hope the rest of the bugs are fixed when it moves to beta.

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Issues with Skype video in Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon

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Posted 14 Nov 2007 — by Arun
Category Technology

I wrote earlier about Skype 2.0 beta with Webcam support for Linux detected my webcam. I also wrote that I have to chat with someone to see if it works. There are 2 issues here.

Issue 1: Skype detected my laptop’s (Acer Travelmate 8204) inbuilt webcam (Logitech orbicam), but the video didn’t work. The test screen was showing a blank video window. I’m not sure if it’s due to the webcam model or the video card (ATI Radeon Mobility X1600). There are some issues related to ATI’s Linux driver. I have listed the known problems with Skype beta 2 below (after Issue 2).

Issue 2: As I wrote earlier, Skype detected my desktop webcam (Logitech Quickcam) and the test video was good. I then initiated a video chat with my parents yesterday. The video started fine and the quality was pretty good initially (close to Windows), but then the video got quite darker. They could see only the table light, outline of my face etc. Everything else was dark. I then stopped my webcam and restarted it. The video again started fine and went dark after a minute or two. It doesn’t go blank, but it gets too dark. I have NVidia GeForce FX 5600 card in my desktop.

Here are the list of issues that are fixed and would be available in the next release:

  •  Using uvc webcam driver with new Logitech cameras can cause a split video effect which does not recover until you restart video.
  • Using uvc webcam driver with ATi fglrx graphics card driver results in a memory leak and potential crash currently.
  • v4l webcams (including gspca) causes a crash when changing to low-quality mode (160×120) when there is no camera support.
  • v4l webcams that only capture in 352×288 are not supported.

Here are the list of issues that are being worked on currently:

  • There is a noticable flickering effect if you focus in/out of the call window during a video call.
  • V4L (1) cameras can sometimes crash upon conclusion of the call.
  • Drivers which don’t support capturing at 320×240 cause Skype video feature to not function (V4L) or display many broken lines in the wrong resolution (V4L2).

Here are other known (outstanding) issues:

  • Full-screen mode stretches out of aspect on widescreen monitors.
  • iSight camera doesn’t work due to currently unsupported UYVY image format.
  • Syntek/stv680/quickcam_messenger cameras don’t work due to currently unsupported RGB image format.
  • Using a display driver with only a single Xv port means you can only see video in one direction currently.
  • Using a display driver with no Xv support will not work at all.
  • ATi fglrx driver versions before 8.42.3 may crash your X server and lock up video during the call.
  • ATi fglrx driver version 8.42.3 may crash your X server and lock up video at the beginning of the call.

Source: Skype Forum.

Skype

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Laptop webcam works with AMSN in Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon

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Posted 30 Jul 2007 — by Arun
Category Ubuntu

I did a fresh install of Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon Tribe 3 on my laptop on Saturday. It has ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card. I had problem with the Live CD as usual. The X server didn’t work. I had to use the safe graphics mode in Live CD to get it to work. I then installed Ubuntu from the Live CD. The installation went fine, but Ubuntu didn’t install the proprietary driver for ATI card by default. I had to manually install and reconfigure my xserver. ATI support really sucks in Linux. Gutsy is slightly buggy, but it didn’t prevent me from doing the regular work.

The good news is, AMSN detected my built in webcam automatically and the video chat worked fine. AMSN in Ubuntu Feisty Fawn didn’t detect the built in webcam in my laptop. It did detect the external webcam in my desktop. I’m not sure if the fix was in AMSN or Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. The video chat with my parents worked fine.

The audio doesn’t work by default in AMSN. To get the audio setup appear in the preferences, you have to install the package libsnack2. Open a terminal and type
sudo apt-get install libsnack2

Once done, Open the preference box in AMSN, go to Others tab and you’ll see the video setup option at the bottom. The setup will guide you through audio and video tuning similar to audio and video tuning wizard in MSN. I couldn’t get my built in mic to work with Skype or AMSN in Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. It was working fine in Feisty. The new beta version of Skype offers 6 options under the mic setting and I’m not sure which one to select. The default one is not working.

The UI of AMSN also underwent a change in Gutsy. I’m not sure if they changed the default theme, but it looks good to the eyes now. It’s much more fancier and neat. Once I get the mic to work, I’m all set.

Amsngutsy1

(New chat window)

Amsngutsy2

(Video window. I Captured the video at the wrong moment, when the video was refreshing)

Amsngutsy3

(AMSN Main window)

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