Howto create a minimal Xfce desktop (debian)

Preliminary notes

EDIT:  I ended up installing a minimal gnome instead. I think that is easier for them to use...looks more like mac/ window.  Better menus for end users.

http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20090504#feature

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=65655

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/xfce-how-to-change-the-keyboard-layout-322374/

Logg:

apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install  xorg gdm  xfce4

xfce4-xfapplet-plugin (necessary to use gnome applets like nm)

networkmanager

nano /etc/apt/sources.list

remove cd

gpasswd -a user powerdev

aptitude install --without-recommends lxde

Automount

http://slucas.wikidot.com/en:xfce-automount

Possible packages

thunar-archive-plugin???

shutdwon-helper??

xfce4-goodies

thunar

xfce4-panel

xfburn

squeeze

and whatever their dependencies are

xfwm4

xfdesktop

xfce-mcs-manager

Linux on an old Laptop

I promised to fix a friends old laptop.  I thought I would install a minimal desktop based on ubuntu.  But ubuntu does not boot on this machine as it turned out.  This also happened the first time I tried linux, ubuntu could not handle the old test laptop. That time I installed Suse without any problem.

I don't like Suse much and I did some digging around. I considered Fedora since I think redhat is probably still the best choice for servers(?) and it would hurt to learn it. 

Final decision to give debian a chance since don't really have time to Fedora right now. 

It worked without any problem! I think the debian installation process looks much better than Ubuntu and obviously it can handle old HW better.

I made a test installation with command line only and manually added Xfce & GDM. Had some intial problems but nothing much.

I also found out that there is a debian CD with lxde /xfce and  I loaded lxde onto the laptop but I didn't like it much. After some google I decided to stick with a minimal xfce on top of debian.

Plan now is to load the xdebian into a virtal machine and use it as a reference when building the mini desktop.

TEST asoundrc

http://alsa.opensrc.org/index.php/DigitalOut

http://alsa.opensrc.org/index.php/.asoundrc

http://alsa.opensrc.org/index.php/Dmix

pcm.!default plug:both

ctl.!default {

  type hw

  card ICH6

}

pcm.both {

  type route;

  slave.pcm {

      type multi;

      slaves.a.pcm "intel8x0";

      slaves.b.pcm "aureon";

      slaves.a.channels 2;

      slaves.b.channels 6;

      bindings.0.slave a;

      bindings.0.channel 0;

      bindings.1.slave a;

      bindings.1.channel 1;

      bindings.2.slave b;

      bindings.2.channel 0;

      bindings.3.slave b;

      bindings.3.channel 1;

      bindings.4.slave b;

      bindings.4.channel 2;

      bindings.5.slave b;

      bindings.5.channel 3;

      bindings.6.slave b;

      bindings.6.channel 4;

      bindings.7.slave b;

      bindings.7.channel 5;

  }

  ttable.0.0 1;

  ttable.1.1 1;

  ttable.0.2 1; # front left

  ttable.1.3 1; # front right

  ttable.0.4 1; # copy front left to rear left

  ttable.1.5 1; # copy front left to rear left

  # mix front left/right to subwoofer and center

  ttable.0.6 0.5;

  ttable.1.6 0.5;

  ttable.0.7 0.5;

  ttable.1.7 0.5;

}

ctl.both {

  type hw;

  card ICH6;

}

pcm.aureon {

   type dmix

   ipc_key 1024

   slave {

       pcm "hw:1"

       period_time 0

       period_size 2048

#        buffer_size 8192

       buffer_size 65536

       buffer_time 0

       periods 128

       rate 48000

       channels 6

    }

# the channels of this card are mixed-up

    bindings {

       0 0

       1 1

       2 4

       3 5

       4 2

       5 3

    }

}

pcm.intel8x0 {

   type dmix

   ipc_key 2048

   slave {

       pcm "hw:0"

       period_time 0

       period_size 2048

#        buffer_size 8192

       buffer_size 65536

       buffer_time 0

       periods 128

       rate 48000

       channels 2

    }

    bindings {

       0 0

       1 1

    }

}

ctl.aureon {

   type hw

   card "Audio"

}

ctl.intel8x0 {

   type hw

   card "ICH6"

}

Install Aeon skin in XBMC

This is how to install Aeon the quick way.

Didn't like the color scheme though..not going to use it.

Install Skin Aeon

-----------------

1)

sudo apt-get install git-core

2)

cd ~/.xbmc/skin

3)

git clone git://github.com/djh/aeon.git

(If you want a another folder name git clone git://github.com/djh/aeon.git "Aeon Stark")

4)

cd aeon

5) Get the fonts

EDIT: The URL will be generated based on your ip (I think) You have to get your own from

http://www.mediafire.com/?lywzwbnqyyy

wget http://download273.mediafire.com/aew2memhsysg/lywzwbnqyyy/Aeon_Fonts160709.zip

unzip  Aeon_Fonts160709.zip

mv Aeon/fonts fonts

6) clean-up

rmdir  Aeon

rm Aeon_Fonts160709.zip

reference

---------

http://www.xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49958

toslink AND HDMI

I am trying to get sound on both HDMI & SPDIF from XBMC.

Below .asoundrc file almost works perfectly problem is that there a time delay between the channels. The problem could be the TV though, I also get an echo if I connect the TV to the receiver...

pcm.!default {
type plug
slave {
pcm "both"
}
}

pcm.both {
type route
slave {
pcm multi
channels 4
}
ttable.0.0 1.0
ttable.1.1 1.0
ttable.0.2 1.0
ttable.1.3 1.0
}

pcm.multi {
type multi
slaves.a {
pcm "tv"
channels 2
}
slaves.b {
pcm "receiver"
channels 2
}
bindings.0.slave a
bindings.0.channel 0
bindings.1.slave a
bindings.1.channel 1
bindings.2.slave b
bindings.2.channel 0
bindings.3.slave b
bindings.3.channel 1
}

pcm.tv {
type hw
card 0
device 3
channels 2
}

pcm.receiver {
type hw
card 0
device 1
channels 2
}

Audio Out: Digital

Dolby D. (AC3): false

DTS: True

Audio output: plug:both

Passthrough: iec958

Config rc system with sysv-rc-conf

Do not auto start GDM

--------------------

sysv-rc-conf

Find 'gdm' and uncheck the boxes for runlevels 2 and 3.

Now the desktop will only start if you run:

startx

How to create a minimal ubuntu desktop

Reference

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1155961

If  you want to make a minimal ubuntu desktop install a clean system from the minimal cd and add what you need manually.

If you add everything in this list you should have more or less a standard ubuntu system minus applications.

NB: There are other desktop and window managers that are much lighter. This guide will create a standard ubuntu system (gnome desktop). 

If you really want to do it minimal / bit by bit you might want to use:

sudo apt-get --no-install-recommends install 

It will only install the really necessary packages.

Display Manager&Desktop  

--------------------------------

sudo apt-get -y install xorg gdm  gnome-core 

Reboot and you have a basic desktop!

(exlude gdm and you can start manually with "startx" instead)

You can now start add utilities and applications.

Gnome basics

------------

gnome-system-tools gnome-utils x11-xserver-utils 

Remaining system utilities

--------------------------

and stuff that will make it look like a standard ubuntu desktop

apport-gtk  (frot end crash report system)

jockey-gtk

usplash

update-manager 

notify-osd 

update-notifiers

network-manager-gnome

fast-user-switch-applet

Themes etc

gnome-screensaver 

ubuntu-artwork human-theme tangerine-icon-theme gnome-themes-ubuntu xcursor-themes

---Network manager fix

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

Comment out the lines below "primary network interface"

(This is the solution that match the standard 9.04 setup)

laptop

---------------

laptop-mode-tools 

ubuntu-laptop-mode 

apmd -advanced power management

powernowd -CPU speed (not only for laptops?)

Standard applications

-----------------------------

epiphany-browser epiphany-extensions (well, not the standard browser. Standard is if course firefox)

brasero 

gnome-nettool

nautilus-share  -share a folder by righ click

gdebi   - offline package manager

More utilities - installed in standard desktop

---------------

vino -vnc Remote desktop access

system-config-printer-gnome  

usb-creator

powernowd -CPU speed

More utilities - NOT installed in standard

---------------

gparted   

ntfsprogs (tools for unproblematic use of NTFS file systems)

language-pack-gnome-XX and language-pack-gnome-XX-base (with XX representing your local language, e.g. de)

ssh

gconf-editor

Another useful tool!

Example of usage:

No password when coming back from suspend--

Run gconf-editor, navigate to app > gnome-power-manager > lock

and uncheck everything.

Wifi command line tool

cnetworkmanager

Install NX server from terminal

Edit: new version available

mkdir Downloads
cd Downloads

wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.4.0/Linux/nxclient_3.4.0-5_i386.deb
wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.4.0/Linux/nxnode_3.4.0-6_i386.deb
wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.4.0/Linux/FE/nxserver_3.4.0-8_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i nxclient_3.4.0-5_i386.deb nxnode_3.4.0-6_i386.deb nxserver_3.4.0-8_i386.deb

wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.3.0/Linux/nxclient_3.3.0-6_i386.deb

wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.3.0/Linux/nxnode_3.3.0-17_i386.deb

wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.3.0/Linux/FE/nxserver_3.3.0-22_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i nxclient_3.3.0-6_i386.deb nxnode_3.3.0-17_i386.deb nxserver_3.3.0-22_i386.deb

Howto mount a new partition

View partitions:

sudo fdisk -l  (/dev/sda3)

Create a mount point:

sudo mkdir /storage

Edit the fstab:

sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab_backup

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add:

/dev/sda3 /storage ext2 defaults 0 0

Refresh:

sudo mount -a

´

Owner:

sudo chown -R xbmc:xbmc /storage

Access:

sudo chmod -R 755 /storage

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/mountlinux

Upgrade Alsa

I can't find any general PPA for ALSA like for NVIDIA. Anyone know?

Manually:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

sudo apt-get install wget build-essential linux-headers-`uname -r`

wget ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/driver/alsa-driver-1.0.20.tar.bz2

tar -xf alsa-driver-1.0.20.tar.bz2

cd alsa-driver-1.0.20

./configure

make

sudo make install

With script (I could't get the package to download with wget so I did it manually):

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6589810#post6589810

Killer samples

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/guide/hd/artbeats.html

http://tracker.hatters.org.uk/torrents/killa.sampla.x264.mkv.torrent

HowTo install ATI drivers Ubuntu 8.04 (not supported in 9.04?)

Example card ATI x1650

0) Uninstall

navigate to the /usr/share/ati

sudo sh ./fglrx-uninstall.sh

1) install pre-req

sudo apt-get install xorg build-essential dpkg-dev debhelper libstdc++5 dkms cdbs fakeroot

2) Find the correct package

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx

---Se readme

3)Download

wget https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/ati-driver-installer-9-3-x86.x86_64.run

4) Install

sudo sh ati-driver-installer-9-3-x86.x86_64.run

5)

sudo /usr/bin/aticonfig --initial

6) reboot

sudo reboot

7) test

fglrxinfo

glxinfo | grep 'direct rendering'

glxgears

I have bought and installed a Asrock ION 330 now. It works fine so far!

This is how I did:

http://www.xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=54705

Minimal desktop

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1155961

Would be interesting to learn how to add the desktop to a minimal or server installation.

and learn the start-up procedures at the same time.

Install NVIDIA with PPA

This should be a better option since it should not cause any problem when upgrading the kernel.

https://launchpad.net/~nvidia-vdpau/+archive/ppa

If the xorg.conf is not configured maybe this need to be run "sudo nvidia-xconfig".

0) Remove manually installed driver

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop

sudo /usr/bin/nvidia-uninstall

1) Add source

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/nvidia-vdpau/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main

3) Add key

sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com CEC06767

4) Install 

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic nvidia-glx-185

ATI drivers not available for Ubuntu 9.04?

Test manual setup

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI

http://www.xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38804

Test openGL

glxinfo | grep 'direct rendering'

output will return "direct rendering:" 

If this is 'Yes' or 'Enabled' then OpenGL is likely set up correctly. If it is listed as 'no' or 'disabled' then double check your 3D setup.

glxgears

A window will be displayed with 3 rotating gears. If 3D acceleration is correctly enabled for your video card then the reported framerate should be well over 500 FPS, at the default window size. If the output shows less than 500 FPS then you should double check your 3D setup.

fglrxinfo

Problem with alsactl store

On a few installation I got this problem with the alsa mixer:

sudo alsactl store 0

gives E: core-util.c: Home directory /home/xbmc not ours.

Only solution I found is to remove pulse audio

sudo apt-get remove pulseaudio

IR receiver troubleshooting

I will make another attempt to get my pinnacle remote / IR receiver to work.

The remote is the same as the MS MCE, the problem is the receiver.

I am struggling to find information but I now found this

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1117200.html

This should list the device:

ls -l /dev/ttyUSB*

another link with debug instr

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-967339.html

If the device is detected as keyboard/mouse instead of RC it will show up here:

cat /proc/bus/input/devices

regenerate ssh keys

SH1 protocol 

sudo ssh-keygen -q -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key -N '' -t rsa1 

SSH2 protocol 

sudo ssh-keygen -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key -N '' -t rsa

sudo ssh-keygen -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N '' -t dsa

Necessary after installing from remastersys iso.

Get WPA2 to work in Ubuntu - with wicd

EDIT:  I have upgraded to ubuntu 9.04 and wpa2 works fine out of the box.

Ubuntu seem to have problem with WPA2?

Google says the solution is to use wicd instead of Gnome Network Manager.

It is included in Ubuntu 9.04 repositories but in hardy you have to add the source.

install wicd:

Add key

wget -q http://apt.wicd.net/wicd.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Add source:

deb http://apt.wicd.net hardy extras

I used Synoptic Package Manager to install it since the network manager have to removed and I read some people having problem with it. 

Problem with drivers and wicd:

The installation went fine but wicd seem to handle drivers differently. Before I could see the network but not connect.  Now I cannot see anything and the wifi indicator is dark on the laptop.

I installed the windows wireless drivers tool (available in ubuntu rep) and added the windows drivers. 

Now I can see the networks again, but cannot connect to wpa2 network....

Then I slapped in a USB wifi adaptor and wicd light up as christmas tree..... I can also connect with no problem! This is good enough for now. (this is just an old laptop....)

Conclusion:

It is not easy to get WPA2 to work with old hardware. 

With a little bit newer hardware wicd handles WPA2 without problem.

If wicd cannot not see the network card, use a different card or skip WPA2?

It it of course possible that if I could find a newer windows driver it would work. The newest I could find from d-link was from 2007. I am not sure it would work in xp either.

Windows XP also have problem with WPA2 without the latest drivers/updates.

I am not 100% sure if the problem was the Network Manager and not the drivers, but I am pretty sure that I did test the USB adaptor with the network manager earlier.

I will verify as soon as possible if the wicd is really needed or if it is device dependent only,

Mini-IT Atom HTPC

Board

INTEL D945GCLF2 LITTLE FALLS ATOM 330 MINI-ITX BULK -----850 SEK

 

Case

SILVERSTONE HTPC SST-LC19R SILVER-------------------------------1995 SEK

(incl PSU)

alt

COMPUCASE MINI-ITX 8K01BS 100W SVART-------------------------625 SEK

Remote

PHILIPS RC197 REMOTE CONTROLL OCH RECIVER------------------340SEK

Optional GPU

Sparkle Geforce 8400GS 512MB DDR2, DVI, VGA, TV-out, PCI-------795 SEK 

It is pretty hard to find mini ATX components in Sweden, maybe too early?

An unrelated problem is that I cant find any "standard" MCE Remote any more either. To bad I do not want to have trouble getting it to work in Linux.

Portableapps - Your digital life anywhere

Something to try?

http://portableapps.com

The question is how it will interact with corporate ant-virus, firewalls and GPOs.

Create USB boot tool

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Seem to have nice functionalities. Should test