Sunday, February 20, 2011

Audio CDs give "Location is not mountable" error

You insert an audio CD and get a window with the error message "Location is not mountable".


According to the information at the link below Lubuntu (Ubuntu) 10.10 has a bug that creates this message. To stop it  you need to 

Open terminal window

Accessories/LXterminal  in command terminal type:


sudo apt-get install gvfs-backends


Next time you load an audio CD it should open with screen "Removable medium is inserted". Double click "open with file manager". That does not play the audio CD. You would need to right click a file and choose a player. Not a very useful series of actions. So all you have actually achieved is to stop the message "Location is not mountable".


The rest of the post talks about Aqualung the music player. The command mplayer cdda:// plays from the terminal command the audio CD. I did notice that the playback stutters. The post talks about increasing the buffer size - I assume this most remove the stutter - this is how you do it:


Open terminal window

Accessories/LXterminal  in command terminal type:




sudo leafpad ~/.mplayer/config

You will be prompted for you user password

config will open

Add at bottom of list cache=5000

Save and close. Test by rebooting - that should work

Note that this config only applies to current user. To apply as default for all users you would need to change /etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf



Information Sources

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Radio Tray - Installing

Before installing Radio Tray you need to go through a few steps otherwise you will get an error mesage about missing gstreamer plugin - Radio Tray will not work

First step is to install the Ubuntu-restricted-extras and Lubuntu-restricted-extras packages

Open Synaptic Package Manager via the menu

Preferences/Synaptic Package Manager  - you will be asked to input your password

In search box enter the following and press search

ubuntu-restricted-extras

You will then see the results - select the following:


lubuntu-restricted-extras
ubuntu-restricted-addons
ubuntu-restricted-extras

The way I select is to right click on the item - that brings up a menu - left click on mark for installation. Next screen select Mark. Continue this until you have marked all the items needed for installation. Then at the top select Apply - then Apply again at next screen. Installation will then start.

At some point during installation a license message will halt the install. Do Not cancel this message or your install will be incomplete and you will get problems with an incomplete installation - learn from me - because that is what I did first time around.

To accept the license use the Tab key and highlight <Ok>  and press Enter. At next screen use Tab key and select <Yes> and press Enter. Installation will then continue

When you see Changes applied and everything appears to have stopped you can then close screen and move onto next step - installing Gstreamer

sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-fluendo-mp3 gstreamer0.10-gnonlin gstreamer0.10-pitfdll gstreamer0.10-sdl gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gstreamer0.10-schroedinger gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse totem-gstreamer


Now you can install Radio Tray. This is available in the Synaptic Package Manager but I found that it is not the latest version. So I went to the website and downloaded the Ubuntu package and installed it

http://radiotray.sourceforge.net/



Information Sources

Friday, February 4, 2011

Setup VNC Server for Lubuntu

Now I have radio Tray working I want to set up Lubuntu PC with no monitor, keyboard or mouse (just power lead and Cat5 network cable).
I am used to VNC for windows so wanted to continue to use that product. Have read a lot about setting up ssh tunnel - but want to keep it simple. Also the Lubuntu PC is on my local network and will not be connected from outside.

Accessible using regular vnc viewers, and through java-enabled browsers.


Open terminal window

Accessories/LXterminal  in command terminal type:



1) Install packages


sudo apt-get install x11vnc vnc-java


2) Set up password to allow clients to view


x11vnc -storepasswd


3) Open up ports 5800 and 5900 on your firewall


4) Run this command: 


x11vnc -forever -usepw -httpdir /usr/share/vnc-java/ -httpport 5800


At this point I realised that the connection is temporary - at reboot you loose the connection and have to restart it - so to have VNC start at boot:-


5) Add the command from 4) to your sessions, so that it starts at each login.


This is how you do 5)


Open terminal window

Accessories/LXterminal  in command terminal type:


sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/lubuntu/autostart

sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/Lubuntu/autostart  (note use of upper case)


You will be prompted for you user password

Autostart will open

Add at bottom of list
@x11vnc -forever -usepw -httpdir /usr/share/vnc-java/ -httpport 5800
Save and close. Test by rebooting - that should work

Information Sources


http://www.ubuntu-unleashed.com/2007/10/setup-vnc-server-for-ubuntu-gutsy.html

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Radio Tray - making it auto start at boot

I have installed Radio Tray as the player of choice for Internet radio. There will be a separate write up about installation. I listen to BBC Radio2 all day long and wanted to have a dedicated PC running Lubuntu and its sole function is to play the radio.

I finally got Radio Tray to work but then needed to get it to auto start at boot up. Something that is so easy in windows. But everything I read about Ubuntu said that you could use the Session Settings GUI and use the add to function. That is not available in Lubuntu. Preferences/Desktop Sessions Settings does not have an add option.

Here is how you do it - and this procedure can be used for other items you want to add to startup - or delete.

Open terminal window

Accessories/LXterminal  in command terminal type:

sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/lubuntu/autostart


sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/Lubuntu/autostart  (note use of upper case)


You will be prompted for you user password

Autostart will open

Add at bottom of list @radiotray

Save and close. Test by rebooting - that should work

Information Sources


Re: "/etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart" thanks to Peter Jaric http://goo.gl/hrsjs
http://wiki.lxde.org/en/Autostart
http://forum.lxde.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1450

Introduction

This is a record of the work I have done with testing Lubuntu and getting it to work on old PCs and Laptops. I have been doing this development and testing work for a few months.  I have come to realize that a "diary" would help me to record what I have done and learnt. Lubuntu is the product I have chosen after trying other light weight distos Puppy etc. None of them provided what I wanted - namely first time install and booting without grub errors etc. The record will be in the form of notes under a subject heading - at some point I would hope to write a full procedure manual but I doubt that will happen! I apologize that the record will not be in the order which you need to follow. I have to work backwards through my notes and do the write ups (they may be out of the sequence you need to follow)  and there are still some issues I have not yet dealt with.