I've switched back to the HP Pavilion dv6000; the loveable lugable laptop. It took me about three months to find the right AC adapter, which meant there were software updates in the pipeline for the dv6k's Linux operating system: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. I sat through the updates yesterday. The Update Manager had quite a list. The first download failed, and I dutifully changed the download server, which is accessed In "Update Manager" window > "Settings" button, bottom left corner > "Ubuntu Software" tab > "Software Sources." Here you have a "Download from:" pull down menu.
If you select "Other" from the pull-down, you can choose from a list of servers. You can also click the "Select Best Server" button, which offers you a suggested server based on some tests -- I think if you do this 100 time in a row, it will offer you 100 different server choices. I clicked it's server choice and then clicked the "Check" button, which updates the Update Manager's inventory of software available at the new server. The update then went smoothly. Among the updates, I noticed Firefox, Qbittorrent, and Python, version 2.7, I think.
[caption id="attachment_3447" align="alignnone" width="496"]
Counter-clockwise: Ubuntu 12.04's default Image Viewer suddenly can't can't display a JPG; GIMP can, and so can gPicView. A mystery I can safely leave to another day.[/caption]
Yesterday, Ubuntu's default image viewer ("Image Viewer 3.4.2" in the About screen, but called "Eye of Gnome," in online forums), opened all the latest photos, in JPG-format, on my camera as solid black rectangles. In Gallery mode it correctly displayed a thumbnail for each photo. The images also opened as black rectangles in Firefox 22. Both GIMP, and Comix correctly opened, and displayed the JPGs. I had no problems opening JPGs off my camera before updating my software.
I don't know squat about the various image libraries under the hood of Ubuntu 12.04. I saw there are many little programs associated with JPG support: the Python Imaging Library (PIL), and bits that may be part of it, or required by it, such as libjpeg-dev, libjpeg62, libjpeg62-dev, and zlib1g-dev. I wanted to leave all that alone.
The Image Viewer didn't sound straightforward either; being described as part of the "meta-package" ubuntu-desktop. Apparently, removing the Image Viewer would remove the ubuntu-desktop ►. I didn't want to go there either.
Because the malfunction was restricted to the default image viewer (and Firefox), I installed another general-purpose image viewer, gPicView, through the Ubuntu Software Centre. This worked fine -- in fact it worked faster, and was easily set, under it's Preferences, as the default viewer, so I noted the problem, and my band-aid solution, in my log -- leaving the real solution to another day. Small annoyance: It too is called "Image Viewer" in the Applications menu.
If gPicView hadn't worked then I would've dived in to try and learn why GIMP could display JPGs but Image Viewer couldn't; what files were required behind the scenes, and how to use the Terminal to see if they were installed or not. All that propeller-head stuff.
If you select "Other" from the pull-down, you can choose from a list of servers. You can also click the "Select Best Server" button, which offers you a suggested server based on some tests -- I think if you do this 100 time in a row, it will offer you 100 different server choices. I clicked it's server choice and then clicked the "Check" button, which updates the Update Manager's inventory of software available at the new server. The update then went smoothly. Among the updates, I noticed Firefox, Qbittorrent, and Python, version 2.7, I think.
Post software update: JPEG support gone, here, and there, but not everywhere
[caption id="attachment_3447" align="alignnone" width="496"]
Counter-clockwise: Ubuntu 12.04's default Image Viewer suddenly can't can't display a JPG; GIMP can, and so can gPicView. A mystery I can safely leave to another day.[/caption]Yesterday, Ubuntu's default image viewer ("Image Viewer 3.4.2" in the About screen, but called "Eye of Gnome," in online forums), opened all the latest photos, in JPG-format, on my camera as solid black rectangles. In Gallery mode it correctly displayed a thumbnail for each photo. The images also opened as black rectangles in Firefox 22. Both GIMP, and Comix correctly opened, and displayed the JPGs. I had no problems opening JPGs off my camera before updating my software.
I don't know squat about the various image libraries under the hood of Ubuntu 12.04. I saw there are many little programs associated with JPG support: the Python Imaging Library (PIL), and bits that may be part of it, or required by it, such as libjpeg-dev, libjpeg62, libjpeg62-dev, and zlib1g-dev. I wanted to leave all that alone.
The Image Viewer didn't sound straightforward either; being described as part of the "meta-package" ubuntu-desktop. Apparently, removing the Image Viewer would remove the ubuntu-desktop ►. I didn't want to go there either.
Because the malfunction was restricted to the default image viewer (and Firefox), I installed another general-purpose image viewer, gPicView, through the Ubuntu Software Centre. This worked fine -- in fact it worked faster, and was easily set, under it's Preferences, as the default viewer, so I noted the problem, and my band-aid solution, in my log -- leaving the real solution to another day. Small annoyance: It too is called "Image Viewer" in the Applications menu.
If gPicView hadn't worked then I would've dived in to try and learn why GIMP could display JPGs but Image Viewer couldn't; what files were required behind the scenes, and how to use the Terminal to see if they were installed or not. All that propeller-head stuff.
While searching the Net for information, I saw that Ubuntu Forums was badly spanked by hackers. Attackers got access to "every user's local username, password, and email address from the Ubuntu Forums database." Canonical added the passwords were not stored en clair, but rather as salted hashes (Mmmm!). I tried setting up an Ubuntu Forums account over a year ago, but it didn't result in my being able to post, or see links. Apparently, though, it worked well enough that I warranted an email from the Cannonical IS team warning me of the breach. Canonical says this doesn't affect Ubuntu One, Launchpad and other Ubuntu/Canonical services.
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Nice. That HP is about the same vintage as my Dell. And here I thought you'd gone over to the Windows 8 UEFI slave dark side ;)
According to the old CNet article I pulled up the HP is roughly the same size as the Dell Inspiron 6400 - luggable is right by 2013 standards - although it's lighter and ships with a bit more juice so I assume it runs stock Ubuntu with Unity pretty well. I found my Inspiron dragged its feet when I had it running Unity. Asking it to run a 1600x1200 Trinitron as well might have been a step too far.
I generally use Ristretto for image viewing. ImageMagick is even easier on resources, although it's a pretty barebones X11 experience and it clashes a bit with modern interfaces.
I have a bike trailer to carry the HP dv6k -- I usually call it a tanktop. It's virtue is the 4-hour 12-cell battery I bought for it. The HP Pavilion G6 is scary: 6 gb RAM, 750 gb HD, quadcore AMD processor. If I can install Ubuntu, great. Otherwise, I believe I'd just keep the HD, and RAM, and give the rest to a recycling depot.
HEH. You have a fine turn of phrase, sir.
Have you considered politics? The Green Party here would welcome you.
Enough bullshit. I'm not a pro binner so I have no clue. For a start I'm too full of myself to use McD's free wifi (look at ProXPN/Windows for that and let me know how you go please).
Meanwhile - I'll twirl my hipster beard ends and re read "Steal This Book".