Linux Platform Blog

Adjust or Turn Off Inactivity Screen Dimming in Ubuntu

2009-05-02T01:43:50Z

If you like to work with your laptop running Ubuntu nearby, you may object to the way Ubuntu likes to dim the screen after a few minutes, even when the laptop is plugged in. In Windows, you'd go poking around in the screen-saver settings to find this. In Ubuntu, look in Power Settings instead. System → Preferences → Power Management. Under the "On AC Power" tab, look at "Put display to sleep when inactive for:" Moving the slider control all the way to the right yields "Never."

Also look at System → Preferences → Screen Saver. What do we have here? Another setting that can blank the screen. This is set to "Regard the computer as idle after:" and the slider is set for ten minutes.On my laptop with Nvidia graphics, the sceensaver never reaches a completely blank screen. It has a noticeable dark blue cast when the screen saver is responsible for the dimming.

I've also heard that the setting in Power Management is not working in the Netbook Remix version yet.

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Turn Off Snap-to-Edge/Edge Attraction in Ubuntu

2009-04-21T00:39:35Z

If you've installed Ubuntu 8.10 and have scoured the settings looking for how to turn off the edge attraction and snap-to-edge effect (which some folks find pretty annoying), you have probably already guessed that the method is not there. That's right. Package "compizconfig-backend-gconf" is already installed, but how to get to it? And what is Compiz anyway? Well, there's no easy way to get to it, and Compiz is the special effects package for window handling - sort of what "Aero" is to Windows Vista.

To change settings in Compiz, you'll need "compizconfig-settings-manager" which you can obtain through Synaptics Package Manager or the command "sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager." You'll soon learn that that requires the "python-compizconfig" package, which is a dependency, and probably what the settings manager is really the front end for.

After starting the settings manager from System → Preferences → CompizConfig Settings Manager, enter into the "Filter" field at top-left "snapp" and the right pane should change to Windows Management/Snapping Windows. Clear the checkmark and close the settings manager to save it.

After doing this, well-behaved applications will start at the lower left-hand corner of the screen and hopefully, remember where you left them for next time.

Using a Verizon Wireless Modem with Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex

2009-02-06T01:17:11Z

Linux distributions in recent years have made great strides in automating ease of use. Here's how to set up a Verizon Wireless Novatel USB-727 "stick" modem in Intrepid.

Click the Network Manager icon at top-right on the screen. The "Auto eth0" line means that the system is set up to automatically detect Internet connections at the Ethernet port.

But look what happens a minute after the USB modem is inserted.

It's offering "Auto Mobile Broadband (CDMA)." To start the Internet connection, click the line. A little spinner will show, and you'll soon get a notification that the device is connected.

One important caveat is you must do the initial connection and setup of the modem's programming using a Windows PC. After doing that, the programming is resident in the modem. This means that users of Intrepid don't have to mess with PPP, setting up a dialer, username, number, and password. However, the flip side of this is that you should occassionally connect from a Windows PC in order to send coverage and other updates to the modem.

I set this same modem up under openSuse 11.1, and it was a traditional affair involving setting up a dialer and entering all the information about the connection. This took some study and some forum traipsing. In Ubuntu, however, it just worked.

Ubuntu promotes itself as "Linux for human beings." This human being appreciates the ease with which Ubuntu 8.10 handles a wireless cellular modem.

I'll be writing about my experiences as I come up to speed with Ubuntu 8.10 and start using it for more of my daily computing tasks. You can expect me to share any tips or cool how-tos I discover. Thanks for visiting, and pleased stay tuned to our Linux Channel.

Lamar