home
faq
how to
sitemap
contact
 

A short list of linux xubuntu installation hints
xubuntu 16.04.5, xfce, volume 2

 
   
(page 1)  

February 2, 2019

 
   
page 1, page 2  
   

Listed here, for convenience, are a few linux installation hints for xubuntu version 16.04.5

  purple seperator  

 

Maybe ubuntu 16.04 has less bugs than 18.04.

              i386   --- ( 32 - bit edition )

              amd64 --- x86_64    --- ( 64 - bit edition )

Version 16.04 was found at:

              http://cdimages.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/16.04/release

  purple seperator  

 

Choices while installing:

             •    Install Xubuntu

                download updates while installing xubuntu

                install third party software for graphics, wifi, flash, mp3, and other media

 

                erase disk and install xubuntu

  purple seperator  

 

Upon first login to xubuntu we have this choice:

                Xfce session

                Xubuntu session

Choose Xfce.

Then we are presented with this query:

              "choose below which setup you want for the first startup:"
                            "use default config" or "one empty panel"

      choose: "use default config"

  purple seperator  

 

While trying to use the xrandr commands to set the resolution to 1920x1080 we lost the "panels".

So, if the taskbar and panel suddenly disappear,
right-click on the desktop and open a terminal, then type:

            xfce4-panel &

            xfce4-panel --preferences

 

Or, press Alt+F2 to bring up a run program window,
and enter: xfce4-panel and press run.

          

  purple seperator  

 

ubuntu has root turned off by default, to turn it on:

                           > sudo passwd root     (to add a password to root)

                           > sudo passwd -u root    (to unlock the root account)

the above returns:

                          passwd: password expiry information changed

 

to disable access to the root account again:

                          > sudo passwd -l root

or, to work in a root console:

                           > sudo - i

 

  purple seperator  

 

trying to update the graphics drivers (to nvidia):

         (doing this rendered the xrandr commands unusable)

                          > add-apt-repository ppa : graphics-driver/ppa

                          > apt update

                          > apt list -- upgradable

then,

            >> mouse >> settings >> additional drivers

changed from:

               Using  X.Org  X  server  -- Nouveau display driver

to:

               Using Nvidia binary driver v 390.87

 

         (doing this rendered the xrandr commands unusable,
           therefore we couldn't set to a video resolution of 1920x1080)

revert back to Nouveau display driver:

               Using X.Org X server -- Nouveau display driver

  purple seperator  

 

 

(for version 16.04.5)

Fixing the desktop resolution, trying to increase it to: 1920x1080 :

              open a terminal window

              we need to be root. (su, then enter root password)

              start by entering the cvt command:

              >>   cvt 1920 1080

             we get:

              >> # 1920x1080 59.96 Hz (CVT 2.07 M9) hsynch: 67.16 kHz;
              
               pclk: 173.00 MHz
              Modeline "192x1080_60.00" 173.00 1920 2048
                 2248 2576   1080 1083 1088 1120
                 -hsync +vsync

             we pass along only the following part of the above output to the next command:

                                                        173.00  1920 2048
                 2248 2576   1080 1083 1088 1120
                 -hsync +vsync

             therefore, the next following xrandr command should be:

              >> xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00"   173.00  1920 2048
              
        2248 2576   1080 1083 1088 1120
                 
     
-hsync +vsync

             then:

              >> xrandr   -- addmode  VGA-1  1920x1080_60.00

              >> xrandr   -- output  VGA-1  --mode  1920x1080_60.00

               (the "--mode" option tag is not used here in unbuntu)

 

            Adding the above three lines to the end of the
            user's file:  ~/.profile
 will set the higher resolution of
            1920x1080 to remain even after a reboot.

     xrandr --newmode "1920x1080_60.00"   173.00  1920 2048
              
   2248 2576   1080 1083 1088 1120
                
 
-hsync +vsync

     xrandr   -- addmode  VGA-1  1920x1080_60.00

     xrandr   -- output  VGA-1  --mode  1920x1080_60.00

 

  purple seperator  

 

To modify the login screen, we found a gui in the desktop applications:

             >> lower mouse icon >> settings >> LightDM GTK+ Greeter settings

             This allows us to change the login screen's background image, to any chosen image.

             What doesn't work:

                          can't change its resolution

                          can't add an arbitrarily large image for the user's icon,
                           or else it fills the screen and the username entry box is not visible.

                          The icon therefore, needs to be a maximum of 100x100 pixels.

 

  purple seperator  

 

On xubuntu 16.04, gedit is not installed.

to install, be root, then:

             >> apt install gedit

  purple seperator  

 

To determine display manager currently in use:

             >> echo $DESKTOP_SESSION

this returns to us:

             >> xubuntu

  purple seperator  

 

Found linux applications at:     www.opendesktop.org

 

            >> apt install   gimp              

                                                   

            to copy CDs, DVDs, use:      K3B 2.0.3
                                                    kde burning tool
            >> lower mouse icon >> multimedia >> K3b

 

  purple seperator  

 

Getting samba to work:

               trying with:   system-config-samba

               its missing, need to install it:

                      >> su

                      >> apt install   system-config-samba

               need to be root to run "system-config-samba"

                      >> su

                      >> system-config-samba

                      get errors:

                              could not open:   /etc/libuser.conf
                              no such file or directory

                      solution:

                      >> su

                      >> touch  /etc/libuser.conf

The above was enough to get samba working.

 

  purple seperator  

Error:  unable to access Win7 machines

Can't access the Win7 machines from the linux box via the file manager.

     ( even after having installed samba via "system-config-samba" )

The error received from the file manager is:

 
 
 Unable to mount location
Failed to retrieve share list from server

The following solution fixes this problem:

    ( this solution was found here )

     On the Win7 machine, some registry keys need to be modified:

               1. set the following registry key to: 1

    HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\LargeSystemCache

               2. set the following registry key to: 3

    HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\Size

               3. reboot

  purple seperator  

 

  purple seperator  

miscellaneous:

 

installing the flash player:

           (there was no need to install a flash player, firefox already contained it.)

 

 

some .bashrc aliases:

           alias ls='ls -F --color'
           alias la='ls -alF --color'  

           PATH=$PATH:./  

 

  purple seperator  

 

  purple seperator  

 

  purple seperator  

 

  purple seperator  

 

 scripting:

 

           #!/bin/bash   (add this to the first line of the file)

 to make the script file executable:

           chmod 777   (read, write, execute to everyone)
           chmod 755   (read, execute to everyone, rwx to owner)
           chmod 700   (read, write, execute to owner only)

  purple seperator  

 

miscellaneous:

 

installing the flash player: (the solution is found here, and here)

        for 32-bit (i386) :

rpm -ivh http://linuxdownload.adobe.com/adobe-release/adobe-release-i386-1.0-1.noarch.rpm
rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-adobe-linux

        for 64-bit (x86_64) :

rpm -ivh http://linuxdownload.adobe.com/adobe-release/adobe-release-x86_64-1.0-1.noarch.rpm
rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-adobe-linux

           yum check-update
           yum install flash-plugin
           yum install nspluginwrapper

 

installing an audio player: (some can be found here)

           yum install audacious
           yum install musique
           yum install xmms (this resembles winamp the most)

 

ftp:

           ftp -i remote_ip_address   (turns off prompting for mput, mget)

 

some .bashrc aliases:

           alias ls='ls -F --color'
           alias la='ls -alF --color'  

           PATH=$PATH:./  

 

setting the hostname:  (as root: ... if the hostname is to be, for example: krom)

           hostnamectl  set-hostname  --static  krom

       this will set the file: /etc/hostname... do a "cat /etc/hostname" to check results.

           if there is a problem using hostnamectl, do the following:   (selinux may be the cause of some errors)

           restorecom  -v  /etc/hostname

           > hostname
           localhost.localdomain

  purple seperator  

 

errors:

 

       for a binary executable test file labeled: test1

          bash: ./test1: cannot execute binary file
                    This can mean we are using the wrong architecture,
                    if we are trying to mimic the executable's "test1" architecture.
                    Use the command: uname -r  
                                         (to see which architecture we are currently using...)

                    ...   .i686   ...      --- is a 32-bit system
                    ...   .x86_64   ... --- is a 64-bit system

                   The only solution to the above error is a fresh install of the proper system.
                   Upgrading is too messy, if its even possible.

 

  purple seperator  

 

 

 

 

dark maelstrom icon dark maelstrom
flash games
  t-shirt icon dark maelstrom
t-shirt designs

back

home