Volatile Yard 挥洒自如 Write anything I want to write...

Update: My Installation Notes for Xubuntu 8.04 is here.

1. Requirements

What I use:

• Distro: Ubuntu / Xubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)
• Installation CDs
  • Ubuntu [PC (Intel x86) desktop CD]
  • Xubuntu [PC (Intel x86) alternate install CD]

2. Installation

• [Base Ubuntu System] Boot the Ubuntu desktop CD; Install it. (Package information will be updated if the optional Internet connection is available.)
  • If the internet connection is there but the Ubuntu server holding the package information is down, the installation seems to stuck at '82% Scanning the mirror...'. I pull out the internet cable to workaround the problem.
• [Xfce] Include the Xubuntu alternate install CD with sudo apt-cdrom add; Install package xubuntu-desktop; Remove this CD-ROM repository. (No network connection is required.)
  • The CD is optional. APT will get the packages from the Ubuntu server without the CD.
• [OpenOffice.org] No icons are shown if there is a theme 'mismatch'. Solve it by installing openoffice.org-style-default.
• [Development] Install packages gcc-4.2 g++-4.2 manpages-dev gcc-4.2-doc make-doc.
• [Chinese and Input Methods] Invoke System -> Language Support. Enable 'Chinese' and 'Enable support to enter complex characters'. (Reference: The installation guide [www.scim-im.org] from the official SCIM project home page.)
  • The default XIM mode causes input freezes in some applications. To fix it, run 'im-switch -s none', log out, re-login, set /FrontEnd/X11/Dynamic option in ~/.scim/config to true, run 'im-switch -s scim', log out, and re-login. This workaround however breaks the dead keys [en.wikipedia.org] often seen on European keyboards. More information [launchpad.net].
• [MPlayer]
  1. Install packages subversion libfreetype6-dev libxv-dev libasound2-dev libtwolame-dev libdts-dev libgtk2.0-dev
  2. Codecs: Get & copy the binary codecs to /usr/local/lib/codecs/
  3. Skins: Get & copy the default skin Blue to /usr/local/share/mplayer/skins/; Create a symbolic link default to point to Blue/.
  4. Set up the subversion directory; ./configure --enable-gui && make && sudo make install.
• [Java] Install package sun-java6-plugin.
• [NTFS-3G] Install package ntfs-config; Configure the write support from the menu Applications –> System Tools –> NTFS Configuration Tool.
• [Wine] Add the repository from the official Wine site; Install package wine.
• [VirtualBox]
  1. Decide the version you want and install it
     • GPLv2 version
       1. Install packages virtualbox-ose virtualbox-ose-source
       2. Install the kernel module: sudo m-a prepare; sudo m-a a-i virtualbox-ose
       3. Let the kernel module to load at boot time: echo "vboxdrv" | sudo tee -a /etc/modules
     • PUEL (Personal Use and Evaluation License) version
       1. Add the repository from the official VirtualBox site
       2. Install package virtualbox
  2. Assign yourself to have the privilege to use VirtualBox: sudo adduser $USER vboxusers
  3. Restart the computer to update your group membership and to test if the kernel module loads properly at boot time.
• [Miscellaneous] Install packages mc k3b emacs gqview pdfjam psutils rar.
• [Anti-Virus; Disk Defragmentation] What??

3. Customization

• Problem with Xfce Volume Control. The plugin may not be added properly. A workaround is: Drag the 'Volume Control' from the 'Add items to the Panel' window and drop it to the panel, instead of clicking the 'Add' button. If it still does not work, it is probably related to the theme. The bug has been reported [bugzilla.xfce.org] to Xfce but is still unresolved as of this writing.
• Add the printer(s). Use system-config-printer.
  • Fuji Xerox WorkCentre PE220
• Configure the microphone settings. Somehow, Ubuntu does not seem to configure the microphone settings well out-of-box. Many have encountered many different problems when trying to capture the microphone input. (I've configured three machines, each with different problems) A few tips here.
  • Be sure that the microphone indeed functions properly, is turned on, and has been plugged properly into the correct socket. Surprisingly this can be a common mistake.
  • Make sure that you are controlling the volume for the correct sound device.
  • Configure the following options properly: Microphone, Microphone Capture, Capture, Mic Boost (+20 dB) (or Mic Auto Gain), Mic Select, Surround Jack Mode. The signal may have been detected but the sound has been muted somehow.
  • Some useful text-based utilities:
    • aplay -l shows all soundcards and digital audio devices.
    • alsamixer is an 'ultimate' ncurses mixer program for ALSA soundcard driver.
    • amixer is a command-line mixer for ALSA soundcard driver. Useful for presetting the volume settings if they do not persist after rebooting the machine. E.g., amixer get 'Capture', amixer set 'Capture' cap.
  • Can use krecord or gnome-sound-recorder to test the microphone. The 'Input Level' monitor of krecord is especially useful. Try to record from 'Microphone' or 'Capture'—Some machines work for both, but some work for only one of them.
• Use static IP if possible. It is faster than using DHCP especially if the DHCP server is not on.
• Configure various personal settings. (For new installation) Refer to this.
• Configure volume management. Settings Manager -> File Manager -> Advanced -> Configure. Configure how removable media should be handled.
  • Also need to login to the Gnome session to totally disable the volume management.