Ubuntu 8.10 - Installed

Couldn't sleep well with this problem nagging my head. A few more attempts later I realized there was something else wrong too. The screen I was getting wasn't all blank, if it had a cursor blinking at the left hand corner. Checked the integrity of the CD, and found one file to be bad. No idea how though. Waited patiently for the download to complete again and this time it was the Alternate CD.

Burned again, installed. It went smooth, and finally I was greeted by the much awaited 800X600 poor resolution screen. Installed the nvidia restricted drivers v177.81 and then on reboot, the evident happened, Black screen of Death. I was almost certain this would happen having read the recurring problem in the forums.

Back to troubleshooting.

Followed some instructions on editing a file called - xorg.conf at /etc/X11. This file contains the parameters to load the display drivers and the monitor - Samsung SyncMaster 226BW. No success. Damn. Tried tons of configurations but to no avail. And just when I am neck deep, grumbling - power goes 'poof'. Sheesh, I cursed loudly and the next two hours were slow, tried reading for the exam a bit. Power was back in couple of hours [no idea why it went in the first place, and if I notice it always does when I am doing something serious].

Browsed a bit more and got the right monitor parameters for the setup. Still no luck.

Opened the Xorg.0.log file and finally figured something was wrong, have a look at this -

(--) NVIDIA(0): Connected display device(s) on GeForce 7900 GS at PCI:1:0:0:
(--) NVIDIA(0): CRT-0
(--) NVIDIA(0): Samsung SyncMaster (CRT-1)
(--) NVIDIA(0): CRT-0: 400.0 MHz maximum pixel clock
(--) NVIDIA(0): Samsung SyncMaster (CRT-1): 400.0 MHz maximum pixel clock
(WW) NVIDIA(0): Option "UseDisplayDevice" requested "DFP", but no unused DFPs
(WW) NVIDIA(0): are available.
(II) NVIDIA(0): Option "UseDisplayDevice" "DFP" converted to "".
(WW) NVIDIA(0): Unable to find any of the requested display device "" in the
(WW) NVIDIA(0): list of available display devices "CRT-0, CRT-1".
(II) NVIDIA(0): Assigned Display Device: CRT-0

The card Nvidia GeForce 7900GS has a dual display out, and evidently my monitor was configured as CRT-1. Obviously using the UseDisplayOption with DFP was not right, since there is no display like DFP. The system was by default assigning CRT-0 as the assigned display device, which did not exist.

(II) NVIDIA(0): Assigned Display Device: CRT-0

I edited my xorg.conf and changed the option line of UseDisplayDevice as

Option "UseDisplayDevice" "CRT-1"

That cracked it and now I am having the most beautiful screen ever. Below is the snippet of the final file xorg.conf if it helps anyone -

Section "Module"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "SyncMaster"
DisplaySize 474 296
HorizSync 30.0 - 81.0
VertRefresh 60.0
ModeLine "1680x1050" 119.0 1680 1728 1760 1840 1050 1053 1059 1080
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Driver "nvidia"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Monitor "SyncMaster"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "UseDisplayDevice" "CRT-1"
Option "NoLogo" "True"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1680x1050"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Satiated!!

Apart from the above glitch, to experience this OS is a bliss. I remember 5-6 years back when I had installed RedHat and had the most horrifying experience, finding the most elusive drivers, installing and configuring them, connecting to a network, mounting my Windows NTFS disks etc. Linux has definitely evolved, I did not have do a thing - it was as simple as installing Windows, in fact I was most impressed during the installation boot up screen, when my Wireless USB keyboard and mouse worked flawlessly. Though installation took quite some time roughly about 40 mins, [wonder why it took so long on a Athlon 3000+ powered processor] I was blown away when the screen finally loaded.

I can see Linux evolving to a much higher level, and can picture the desktops around the world booting to THE fabulous system. Windows 7 has to pull off a miracle!

US - Jobs - Recovery not likely until 2010

An excerpt from an article courtesy CNN -

Another economist suggested that the positive effects from a stimulus package would not be felt until spring or early summer 2009 at the earliest and that there would be no significant job gains until 2010.

"Classically, employment is a lagging indicator that will decline well into the recovery period," Brian Bethune chief U.S. financial economist for research firm Global Insight. "Assuming the recession lasts until middle of 2009, it may be another six to eight beyond that before employment stabilizes."

This is not good news, especially when I am planning on taking a gamble to study in the US. I am stumped, these signs are not very encouraging!

Read the full post here!

Ubuntu - 8.10 - Disappointed

Well, here I am really bored. Waited patiently for the Ubuntu new version 8.10 of Linux to be downloaded, it just released last week. Never used Ubuntu, have heard its pretty sleek.

I had just finished downloading the entire pack of Fedora as well, however chanced upon the new release of Ubuntu and decided to wait.

Download over, hope against hope I opened the rack of CDs to find a last burnable CD left. It is just a 690 MB install, pretty cool huh, Fedora was 3.8GB, but of course I am not certain if it boasts of all the applications Fedora comes packaged together with, though.

Burned it, rebooted system. Cool menu and even has an option to check out the OS without actually installing. Clicked on the Install option and after a short splash cool screen, nothing - blank screen with the cursor dangling at the left corner. I said to myself OK, just a minor glitch. Tried it again and left the system for an hour, but to no avail. Just a blank screen. Browsed the forum and discovered I am not the only one having this conundrum - I am just one of the victims of the Black Screen of Death

Most likely a problem with the kernel unable to find the right resolution for the monitor. Do not want to try with the Alternate CD [the one with the text installer], simply because I suspect after installation, the problem will again reappear, as it has to some of the folks.

Fedora it is, will give Ubuntu another 2 days time....

Sunset

Browsing through my old collection of hand written documents, written much before the explosion of computer and internet epoch, I found an old poem. A classic piece which astounds me now. I faintly remember being a literary genius, back when I was younger. In 6th Standard, I had attempted my first write up, Ramayana. I had read the unabridged version of the book and wrote the story in the form of an essay. I remember it to have come out very impressive.

Inspired by my father, I had begun writing. Short stories and poems mostly. I also remember winning the Short Story Competition at Champak. Hah! found that antique piece hidden in my collection as well. I signed, those were the days !

Here goes -

Sunset

Dreams of intoxicating love
Pure as honey, sweet as wine
Smooth as a white dove
But devastating as a mine.

Naked, he was standing alone
His whole life flashing by
His lips mouthing a silent moan
The fiery falcon he could hear, fly.

Wonderful dreams descended upon him
When he thought of the maiden
The happy times, an unbroken film
Pleasurable thoughts, his mind was laden.

The fair lady, slim and elegant
Deep desire of a wife
Scattering charms with her scent
Enchanted his entire life.

Black beautiful hair, rolling waterfalls
The fairy beauty, river of milk
Her melodious voice, a nightingale calls
Her irresistible figure, an embodiment of silk.

He lay still on his bed
Love lost, beyond repose
The flower, nipped in the bud
No longer for his joys.

Yeah its crude and can be shaped better, but pretty good for a kid - huh?

Signing off !!