Trying freebsd 10

After numerous linux hops, I am trying freebsd 10. I should say it is really fun. I found it quite easy and it is like Arch linux

My main idea to try and use freebsd as much as possible is not because of its UI or geekiness, I want its ZFS ....

I managed to install freebsd 10 rc1 in my 2 TB harddisk. Already I have all my data in ZFS pools in another harddisk. I installed this OS with ZFS filesystem. Rest of configuration, I am slowly learning and it looks so very similar to Arch linux

Now trying to install vlc, and learning ports. This is awesome, I am building vlc for the first time. Love it till now, it keeps me engaged

Got sound working, able to check processor temperature, able to mount my ZFS pools, able to use firefox, able to use nvidia card, able to use internet ...

and played mp3 from command line till vlc builds

This is new learning, I am thinking of using it till btrfs becomes stable in linux

Ubuntu 13.10 seems to be very fast

I have been testing Ubuntu 13.10 daily image from

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/

I have been testing Ubuntu 13.10 daily image for past 3 days. Todays image (14/Oct/2013) seems to be faster than earlier images and seems to be faster than any versions of Ubuntu, it could be a blindfold thing to say so. But perceptions may deceive, Ubuntu is so very responsive, think it is to do with snappiness of unity.

Waiting for the release of Ubuntu 13.10 to happen and to install it, I am being curious

How I fixed nvidia kepler video tearing in Ubuntu 12.04 Unity

Introduction

Here is  my previous rant on video tearing of GTX 650 card in linux

Tearing

With default nouveau driver in Ubuntu videos teared badly. After installing proprietary nvidia driver videos teared badly. 

I guess the reason of tearing is graphics card is way faster in delivering frames which monitor can't match to display. In technical terms it is called a sync issue or whatever. See Screen Tearing in Wikipedia to know more

The Fix

You should be running proprietary nvidia driver in linux, nouveau won't help

It is simple fix asking the window manager to request fullscreen repainting whenever some repaint is required. With KDE 4.11 this option is there.

In Unity this is done as follows in screenshots

Install Compiz settings

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Search Compiz in unity dash

Launch Compiz and select Utility --> Workarounds

Tick "Force fullscreen redraws (buffer swap) on repaint"

By default vsync is enabled in nvidia-settings, if not enable it

Now reboot and enjoy (hopefully it works for you like it did for me)

Custom 64bit Kernel 3.11 optimized for i7

Introduction

After long time, I am using Ubuntu 12.04.3 for a weeks time. Was stuck in different OS and back to Ubuntu and using Kernel 3.10 optimized for i7

Kernel 3.11

Hearing some driver improvements for open source radeon driver. Could not test it as I dont own AMD Radeon card anymore. But here I have built the kernel for someone to give it a try

For more changes about kernel 3.11 see here

I based my kernel compilation based on my earlier article with some modifications

Here is the script I used as a text file

Here are the binaries for testing 

Kernel 3.11 Image optimized for i7

Kernel 3.11 Headers for i7

Kernel 3.11 common headers

Here is the SHA256SUMS of the above

68415b5dc7d07897dc742b84d286071b7798ea14e9a612ad7232f0515d93f467  linux-headers-3.11.0-031100_3.11.0-031100.201309021735_all.deb

f75e109a856bcbc14710dcf5fcb5d97d7018f72e0915342ac26a3e2e808197e5  linux-headers-3.11.0-031100-i7_3.11.0-031100.201309021735_amd64.deb

9ed16a8dfba297c30b5d4bd46d351bc8c31fa5f0bcbac1edd5cd4a2a90f6f7a5  linux-image-3.11.0-031100-i7_3.11.0-031100.201309021735_amd64.deb

c7afa0bae884231b114a517838dd1699815a478c4e6aa5fe99427aee121f2bfb  Kernel3.11Build.txt

The script is self explanatory (and boring to explain)

Screenshot

Return of the king (Sony)

The latest jellybean update given to Xperia S is superb.

How they squashed every little bug (as far as I know), it is amazing. There is no repainting, the battery is wonderful ... what a normal guy would expect from a phone, it works (browsing, checking emails, apps, games, calls, .... )

It is fast, crisp, much better than before, It feels like a new phone now.

Renewing my faith in Japanese, :)

Indeed, it is Return of King, The real return of Sony in mobile world

Kudos Sony and Thanks

Want fresh air

Months back, I lost my old nvidia GTX 460 graphics card when I was trying a beta version of nvidia binary driver.

Then I changed to an ATI card and was very much unhappy that linux drivers were not running properly like what I used to get in GTX 460, so gave it to my nephew as he has windows and got a GTX 650

Thought everything will be breeze, how wrong I was

It was worser than AMD ATI  radeon card in linux, what ?

Initially the colors were vivid and it all looked nice with linux. The moment I played youtube videos or any videos it started tearing which was reported by many nvidia linux users across web.

Temporarily I installed Windows 8.1 Preview release. Wow, the graphics card showed its power and all the videos run fine, youtube runs fine.

I want to install linux back as I am feeling out of water without its terminal, its commands (I dont like using virtualization much). I dont feel much time is left for me to install and experiment due to various other things. Another thing, it throws me out of balance the various unstable ui changes happening around linux. It looks like a never ending beta.

Waiting for fresh nvidia drivers to land ... to come back to linux

Till then maybe I should be satisfied with running live cds and linux inside virtual box or vmware

Installing Kubuntu 13.04

Once a user of debian (based operating system), it brings back the user to debian based OS again and again

Though openSUSE 12.3 was good, it is my curiosity and familiarity with debian based distros driving me to wipe and install Kubuntu (anyhow I can install suse again :) )


Here are the two screenshots of Kubuntu 13.04 with wallpaper changed from "Get New Wallpapers" and theme modified to oxygen

One good thing about Kubuntu is rekonq browser which is deeply integrated into KDE unlike firefox

I am finding Kubuntu to be as easy as openSUSE or even better. I think it is all to do with KDE 4.10 which rocks (I am quite uncomfortable with unity because it does not allow opening apps multiple times unless I press shift key unlike Kubuntu which is quite a joy to use)

openSUSE 12.3 KDE looks stunning

openSUSE 12.3 is very responsive. Icons are looking attractive and the theme is pleasing to the eyes.


Here are the screenshots, I am going to install this tonight or this week end

Default desktop looks pleasing

Menus are snappy, so is dolphin, net browsing is extremely fast, konsole works to your command!

Kernel is 3.7.10, but built optimized and has PREEMPT support like android kernels. Everything works blazing fast as if this is a new system, see the faint glow around the edges, theming is excellent

Comes with java 1.7 runtime

 

 Firefox looks very well integrated into KDE

 openSUSE 12.3 defaults to the most recent KDE 4.10

Update: I installed openSUSE 12.3 as my primary OS in my primary computer. It is simply mind blowing operating system. Still exploring. Everything works with a click of my mouse. Thanks openSUSE 12.3