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Changing Bootup Resolution (Plymouth) in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

May 26th, 2010 by Naman Bagga | 2 Comments | Filed in Linux, Tech Talk

I've written a post on adjusting the bootup resolution i.e. the resolution of the splash screen that shows up when you start Ubuntu. Lots of things have changed since then. GRUB2 has replaced GRUB as the default bootloader and Plymouth has replaced Usplash so although changing the bootup resolution has a similar procedure, its a bit more complicated with GRUB2 and Plymouth.

Why would you want to change the bootup resolution? People are complaining that the ubuntu logo in the startup splash screen has turned large and ugly after installing ATI or Nvidia propitiatory divers. That is because the bootup resolution is too low. Other people might not be able to see the splash screen at all. In short, if you have any issue related to the splash screen not showing up properly, you are recommended to try this procedure. This is what the splash screen would normally look like(click to view full size)-

Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Splash Screen

Nice and Purple: The Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx Splash Screen


Note- In this procedure, I've assumed that your monitor supports a resolution of 1280x1024 and used this resolution in the steps. If you have an old monitor, it is possible that it might support a maximum resolution of 1024x768. You are free to try any resolution your monitor supports. If its a widescreen, you might want to try widescreen resolutions as well. Any resolution would work as long as your monitor supports it. And for those who think its not obvious, when I write 'run ' it means you need to run it in a terminal.

Here's how to change the bootup resolution and fix the big, low-res Plymouth logo-

1. First of all, run sudo apt-get install v86d in a terminal to install the v86d package.

2. Now you need to edit the resolutions in the GRUB2 files so run sudo gedit /etc/default/grub and look for the line-

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

and replace it with-

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset video=uvesafb:mode_option=1280x1024-24,mtrr=3,scroll=ywrap"

Then look for-

#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

and replace it with-

GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x1024

Note that you need to remove the # from the beginning of the GRUB_GFXMODE line else it will be commented out. Also, I repeat, you may use any resolution you wish to use in place of 1280x1024 as long as your monitor supports it. Save the file and close the text editor.

3. Now you need to edit another file, so run sudo gedit /etc/initramfs-tools/modules and add the following line at the end of the file-

uvesafb mode_option=1280x1024-24 mtrr=3 scroll=ywrap

Don't forget you need to replace 1280x1024 if you used some other resolution in the last step. Save the file and close the text editor.

4. Now run echo FRAMEBUFFER=y | sudo tee /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/splash
You'll get FRAMEBUFFER=y as output.

5. Now run sudo update-grub2
This will generate the updated grub.cfg file.

6. The last step is generating the new splash screen. To do that, just run sudo update-initramfs -u

Now reboot Ubuntu and you should see a much better looking, high resolution splash screen and GRUB menu. If you see nothing at all, it might be because your monitor does not support the resolution you set. Try a lower resolution in that case.

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Changing Window Button Positions In Ubuntu

May 2nd, 2010 by Naman Bagga | 4 Comments | Filed in Linux, Tech Talk

People who upgraded to Ubuntu 10.04 would've noticed that the new Ambiance theme has window buttons on the left side of the window border. This means, when you install Ubuntu, you get an unordered set of buttons on the left which look like this-

Unordered buttons on the left

Unordered buttons on the left side spells DISASTER

At first sight, it doesn't seem to be much of a problem to have the window buttons on the left. But it gets really irritating when you start using it and tend to move your mouse pointer towards the top right to find absolutely no buttons there. I tried living with it for a couple of hours before I finally gave up. Its pointless to get used to working with the window buttons on the left. You'll go crazy when you'll have to work on other computers in your office/labs with buttons on the right. So its highly recommended to change the position of the Window button and bring them back to the right side. Doing this is pretty simple.

1. Open the GNOME Configuration Editor. There are many ways to do this like typing 'gconf-editor' in the terminal.

2. Move to '/apps/metacity/general' and edit the 'button_layout' key.

3. Set the 'button_layout' key to 'menu:minimize,maximize,close' as shown-

Ordered Buttons

Edit the button_layout key to change the button position to right as shown.

The buttons mentioned before the colon appear on the left and after the colon appear on the right. Your buttons will now be on the right side of the window border.

If you still didn't get it, here's a video tutorial explaining how to do this-

Ankur suggested me a simple python script that uses a GUI to change the button position on the fly. You can check that out if you're more of a GUI person.

Domain + Unlimited Hosting for $10

April 16th, 2010 by Naman Bagga | No Comments | Filed in Tech Talk, Web D

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Nexx Inc. All opinions are 100% mine.

Nexx web hosting has been re-branded and to promote the new launch, they are having a special promotion where they are offering free Unlimited Web Hosting and a free .com domain for 1 year at the approximate price of a .com domain- $10.

Nexxbannernoflash

Here are the features of the hosting plan-

  • Diskspace: Unlimited
  • Bandwidth: Unlimited
  • E-mail: Unlimited
  • Free Domains: 1
  • 24/7 Customer Support
  • Google Adwords Credits: $50
  • Facebook Ads Credits: $50
  • One-Click WordPress and Blog installations

Its a really good offer and is worth trying. All you'll have to spend in the first year is $10 which amounts to a saving of $61.40. If you have an idea but aren't willing to invest too much on hosting yet, you can take advantage of this offer, make a website. Then monetize from it for a year. If it is able to recover the cost and generate enough revenue to support future hosting costs, continue with it. Otherwise, you can always drop the idea after trying for a year. One year is also a good enough time period to judge the host in terms of uptime, customer support etc. This really is a smart promotion and its a win-win situation for the clients. You can always judge a host and move your site to another host if you are unsatisfied. So, in short, this promotion really is worth trying.

Visit my sponsor: Unlimited Web Hosting + Domain Name for $10 @ Nexx

Make Free STD and ISD calls with Skype and Free411

February 3rd, 2010 by Naman Bagga | 5 Comments | Filed in General, MobiWorld, Tech Talk

Very often you come across tricks to make free calls and honestly, most of them don't work. I recently came across a trick that really works so it gets to feature on my blog. So here goes the trick to make free STD and ISD calls with Skype.

First of all, the only requirement is that you need to have Skype installed. If you don't have skype you can download and install it. Skype works on all platforms-Windows, Linux and Mac too.

What we are going to use in this trick is a service called Free411. Its actually a US based service with the toll free number- +1-800-FREE411 which is +1-800-3733411. Skype does not charge for calls made on toll free numbers so calling this number using Skype won't cost a penny. So here's what you have to do-

Dial +18003733411 on Skype and click on the call button to connect the call. I would suggest you to save this number in your Skype contacts for faster future access.

Screenshot Call Phones or Send SMS Make Free STD and ISD calls with Skype and Free411

Dial +18003733411 on Skype

The call will be answered by an IVRS system. You will have to bear a small ad before you reach the main menu. When prompted to select your option, say "Free Call". Now if their lines are not busy, you will get a 5 minute free call. You will be asked to dial the phone number to which you wish to make the call. Dial the full number including ISD code. For example prefix Indian mobile numbers with +91, UK numbers with +44 UAE numbers with +971 etc.

This service works well for me and usually I manage to connect to a free call within 5 to 10 minutes of trying to get a free line which is acceptable considering that this service is being used extensively in the US and also by people from all parts of the world. Leave a comment if you face any kind of difficulty or have any doubt about this service.

PS-The service I've mentioned here is a free service. Please use it judiciously and don't use it for making prank calls. Your idea of fun will might make this service unavailable for someone who needs it more than you do.

PPS-For all my friends who for some reason haven't added me on Skype yet and for those who intend to create a skype ID after reading this post, my ID is namanbagga.

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