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Ubuntu tweaks

I'm not a huge fan of Ubuntu, but its a pretty simple distro for quick installs.

I plan to post my tweaks here that I make to a default install so that I can actually deal with using it on a daily basis.
(UPDATE)  I have since quit using Ubuntu altogether (in favor of Gentoo).  My mother still runs it though.

Ubuntu 8.10 Upgrade
Here is a good reason not to install Ubuntu :P
After upgrading from inside of a current 8.04 install, the system reboot and then hangs with a kernel panic.  Turns out that the grub menu was incorrectly updated and that an initrd image was not created.  Execute the following steps:

  • edit /boot/grub/menu.lst, under the first kernel (2.6.27-11-generic), under the kernel line, add the following
    • initrd     /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic
  • You will probably want to do the same for the second kernel (2.6.27-11-generic recovery mode)
  • run the following command
    • update-initramfs -c -k 2.6.27-11-generic

System Bell / Beep
This is SUPER annoying...

  • edit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
# my personal tweak to get rid of the annoying pc speaker beep
blacklist pcspkr
Trackpad/Pointer fighting
I use the mouse pointer on my laptop (because I like it better) with the left/right mouse click from the track pad (because the pointers left/right click is broken).  This creates issues for some reason such as dragging windows (they get dropped).
  • Turns out that this is a compiz issue.  Under System-> Preferences-> Appearance, Set Visual Effects to None.

Vi / ViM
Turns out that Ubuntu doesn't come with the full Vi install...

  • Open the Package Manager and install "vim-gnome, vim-gui-common, vim-runtime"

Fonts / Nvidia / DPI
After installing the binary/closed Nvidia driver, some fonts become FAR to large.  A good example is at the GDM login screen.  The username and password field characters don't even fit anymore!

  • in xorg.conf:
Option "UseEdidDpi"   "false"
Option "Dpi"          "92 x 92"
  • Supposedly, this also works as a temporay solution: startx -- -dpi 75x75

Nvidia Powermizer
http://tutanhamon.com.ua/technovodstvo/NVIDIA-UNIX-driver/
Quick example: in xorg.conf: Option  "RegistryDwords"        "PowerMizerEnable=0x1; PerfLevelSrc=0x2222; PowerMizerDefault=0x3; PowerMizerDefaultAC=0x1"
This sets minimum power when battery operated and maximum when AC powered.
Also, to manually set a power level, in xorg.conf: Option  "RegistryDwords"        "PowerMizerLevel=0x3"

CPU Throttling
A CPU speed applet can be added to the menu bar that reports the current cpu speed.  However, by default you cannot manually set the speed or the mode (conservative, on-demand, etc).

  • To allow manual setting, execute: sudo chmod +s /usr/bin/cpufreq-selector