Converting magnet links to .torrent files? magnet2torrent.me!

As some torrent clients (eg NAS-drives with built in torrent clients like the iomega iconnect) do not support magnet links, there is finally a way to get your downloads working.

Just go to magnet2torrent.me and paste your magnet link like Ubuntu 12.04 i386 desktop, hit convert and wait for about 1 to 3 minutes (processing time).

Now the processed .torrent file can be downloaded. Open the downloaded file with your torrent client.

Can't download logitech.xml? Quickcamteam offline?

The Quickcamteam website appears to be down at the moment. The "Logitech Webcam Pro 9000 guide" is not working without the configuration file. Users report that they cannot download the logitech.xml file for their logitech webcam for use with uvcdynctrl.

Until the website is back online I put a copy of logitech.xml which can be downloaded from my dropbox.

logitech.xml (right button -> save as...)

Let's hope that Quickcamteam will be back online soon.

Ubuntu 11.04 Linux: Ebay listing tool! jAOLT - Turbo Lister Alternative?

The Java Auction Organisation and Listing Tool (jAOLT) allows the users to create and organize their auctions for eBay, AuVito and Hood offline as well as list the created auctions without using a website. 

The "normal" way to install the software via the developer's ppa with

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:handschuh/ppa

sudo apt-get install jaolt

DOES NOT WORK! (Could not find package 'jaolt')

But there is a downloadable .deb package of jAOLT, you can get it here!

After downloading the .deb file (jaolt_0.6.7.1-1107_all.deb)
it can be installed by opening it with ubuntu software center.


Then it seems to work, but it DOES NOT. To use jAOLT with ebay it is neccessary to obtain a token from ebay. Otherwise you cannot properly add an ebay account to jAOLT.

How to obtain a token for ebay? (developer's wiki)
Go to the official ebay developer page at developer.ebay.com and create an account if you can agree the API license agreement (at the current time, you cannot delete this account)

1. Do NOT perform a "Compatible Application Check"
2. Go into "My Account"
3. Create the production keys
4. Select the "application settings" tab in the "My Account" area
5. Select the "Production" environment and your keyset
6. Select "User Tokens" and generate your Token

Follow each step and jAOLT will work. After getting used to its "unique" user experience it is a really an open source and free alternative to ebay's turbolister.

jAOLT 0.6.7.1

ATTENTION: It is not exactly an offline-tool. It does not work properly without internet connection.

Logitech Webcam Pro 9000 - running under Ubuntu 11.04 Linux

This is my Logitech Webcam Pro 9000:




As UVC-compliant it should be working under Ubuntu 11.04 right out of the box.

In a terminal lsusb is giving back:

Bus 002 Device 004: ID 046d:0809 Logitech, Inc. Webcam Pro 9000

You can also find the camera in the /dev/v4l folder.

To see if the camera is working properly I am using guvcview.

Download and install the GTK+ UVC Viewer (guvcview) with:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pj-assis/ppa

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install guvcview

This will install the packages guvcview, libwebcam0, uvcdynctrl and uvcdynctrl-data to your system.


Starting guvcview will show you that the camera is working, but not all controls are available:



For example AutoFocus and focus controls are missing. So there should be a way to use the built-in AutoFocus (with Carl Zeiss lens system!).

What we need is a valid configuration-file from the quickcamteam. The file is named logitech.xml.


Download the file in a terminal with:

wget http://svn.quickcamteam.net/svn/qct/webcam-tools/trunk/uvcdynctrl/data/046d/logitech.xml

install the configuration file with

sudo uvcdynctrl -i logitech.xml

Restart guvcview:



AutoFocus and focus adjustment is now fully operational.

If you need the camera controls in different program start guvcview --control_only from a terminal. I you do not like the guvcview control panel you can either use V4L2UCP, which is available thru Ubuntu Software Center.

This should work with the older Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 as well. Its hardware is quite similar.

ATTENTION: It appears that the Quickcamteam website is down at the moment and logitech.xml cannot be downloaded at the moment. Please look here to download the file, if you need it.

How to install ATI / AMD Catalyst 11.5 in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty

I could not find the latest driver for my ATI 4200 of my HP 625 in the repositories of Ubuntu 11.04. I was trying to get VAAPI running for hardware accelerated h264 video playback in VLC. I did not work.

After some research I managed to get the driver running – but still no VA video!

It should be working with the stuff from from the ubuntu x-team:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

If you want to install the linux drivers from AMD start with removing ubuntu’s fglrx (if it was installed by jockey) with




sudo apt-get remove --purge fglrx*

Downloading the driver in a new directory

mkdir ~/Downloads/amd
cd ~/Downloads/amd
wget http://www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/ati-driver-installer-11-5-x86.x86_64.run

With the  downloaded script we can start building the packages:




sudo sh ati-driver-installer-11-5-x86.x86_64.run --buildpkg Ubuntu/natty

Install the built packages with

sudo dpkg -i *deb
sudo aticonfig --initial -f


will detect your grafx adapter. After a reboot my ATI 4200 was working with the new driver!

The lates drivers are available from ATI driver download . Just replace the download-link in the “wget-command”.

Wifi (Wlan) on Acer Travelmate Timeline X 8172 Z – Ubuntu 11.04

After installing ubuntu 11.04 amd64 desktop on my Acer Timeline X 8172 Z there was no Wireless working.
 
sudo apt-get update                 – followed by
sudo apt-get upgrade              …wifi is still not available.

Jockey tells me, the proprietary STA driver is installed and active.  …still no wireless.

Load and unload the acer_wmi kernel module
sudo modprobe -v acer_wmi
sudo rmmod acer_wmi

After a reboot, the wireless LED was on, but still no wireless.

Setting up acer_wmi startup parameters:
echo “options acer_wmi wireless=1″ | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/acer_wmi.conf
Reboot.
BINGO: Wireless is working. …but you must not use the fn+F3 hotkey to turn off/on the wireless/bluetooth function. I will lead to a “system-freeze” that requires a hard reboot.
What causes the system-freeze? I do not know. Most people believe it is a Kernel bug in Linux-kernel 2.6.38. Because the system-freezes do not occur in the 2.6.39 mainline kernel.
I found another sollution:

Blacklisting the B43 system-device-driver with:
 
echo “blacklist brcm80211″ | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
…after a reboot I finally solved the wireless-problem!

The wifi-hotkey is working too:
After every reboot state is 1 (“options acer_wmi wireless=1″ ?! )
1: WLAN:on Bluetooth:off
2: WLAN:on Bluetooth:on
3: WLAN:off Bluetooth:on
4: WLAN:off Bluetooth:off
5: WLAN:off Bluetooth:on
6: WLAN:off Bluetooth:off

01:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM43225 802.11b/g/n (rev 01)

Linux kernel power problems solved?

According to PHORONIX the leading cause of the recent linux kernel problems is found.
The workaround finds its way into Ubuntu 11.04 with
sudo gedit /etc/default/grub
This will open an editor window. Find GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet splash”
and change it to
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet splash pcie_aspm=force”
Save the file and close the editor.

You must not forget to update grub with:
sudo update-grub

USB tethering with android 2.1 handset (Samsung Galaxy) – Ubuntu 11.04

Neither an app is needed nor an android 2.2 (or later) handset.

I am using a Samsung Galaxy 5 (GT I 5500), android 2.1.

Just attach your phone using your USB data cable.

Click on the network manager applet an choose “New Mobile Broadband (GSM) connection”.

The assistant will open immediately. Click “Forward”!

Choose your region.

Choose your provider.

Chose your billing plan, in my case “Default” will do it.

Confirm your settings!

BINGO! Connection established.

 

ATTENTION: Do not attach your phone before log-in.

Otherwise your phone will not be recognized.

I'll be testing this how-to with some other androidhandsets.

Next one will be a HTC Desire smartphone.