Headphones and Acer Aspire with Linux

Finally I have a working set of headphones on my Laptop! I have been trying to sort the problem out for some time, and have scanned many (hundreds?) of messages trying to get to the solution of my problem - why is there no sound from my headphones.

I have discovered that it is nothing to do with the version of Alsa that I am using, and nothing to do with the version of Linux or the kernel drivers. My problem is now solved.

It all comes down to the fact that in the sound chip used in the Acer there are several channels, and thus about a dozen volume controls in the mixer. Well, the control that deals with the output to the headphones is the one marked "surround sound". I just would never have guessed. Having unmuted the surround channel, I can now get sound in the headphones.

call yourself a computer expert?

Well, no I didn't. But that has not stopped some folks posting their pleas for help on Linux as comments on my blog. I am flattered. As to getting help, I would suggest looking out a Linux support group near to where they live and posting there for help. I cannot answer some of the questions, particularly about hardware that I have never used, but I am sure there is someone with the answer. So, go on, put linux User Group into your favourite search engine along with the town nearest you. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Baha'is try to live by the principles of honesty, modesty, service to others, investigating the truth. You may find your computer support group has some of those same ideas. After all, they are none of them in it for the money!

different computer operating systems

A comment on one of my previous posts asked what the benefits and drawbacks were in using Linux.

Well, everyone has their own needs, and what suits one person may not suit someone else, so here are my personal views.

Drawbacks of running Linux include having to wait for drivers that handle your particular computer hardware (or writing it yourself if you are capable), transferring data to/from proprietory programs used by your colleagues, and generally perceived as a bit awkward by those who use a different, more widespread system.

Advantages are the cost and the feeling that I am contributing in some small way to freedom of choice. I have a full database system, web server, accounts package, UML diagramming, music package (MIDI interface and notation editor) and office software all free.

I have made offerings to some of them mostly in the way of documentation and whilst appreciated this is not obligatory. But it is this sense of community, and helping each other that initially drew me to Linux all those years ago.

linux group support

Well, I finally have my digital camera working with my Linux laptop. A suggestion from one of the members in my local Linux User Group pointed me to a program called gphoto2, and on trying to install it I found that the library it uses was quite out of date and was not able to support the camera. Upgrading libgphoto2 to a more recent version and now I find that not only does gphoto2 work, but so does digiKam. I was able to copy all the pictures in little more than 1 minute.

digital camera woe

I recently bought a digital camera from a local photographic shop. Looks great, with a good sized screen, 3x optical zoom and 8Mpixel resolution. However, now that I have taken several dozen pictures with it, I find that I cannot transfer them to my Linux computer. I contacted the manufacturer, only to have a plain "We do not support Linux" reply.

I am not at all happy, as I have no plans to ditch Linux which I have been using for over 15 years. Sadly, the pictures will have to wait until I find some other way of transferring them from the M883 camera.

wireless fun

I connected my laptop to my wireless router the other month, but until today had not got round to configuring my daughter's laptop computer for wireless connection. Configuring my SimplyMEPIS linux machine to take an Intel card was so easy, I thought that there would be no bother connecting my daughter's machine. How wrong I was! Even though the wireless LAN card was supplied with, and had the same maker name as the laptop, I could not get it to work under Windows XP - all I had was the message that the driver failed to load. Searching for a solution (using the ethernet cable connection), I discovered that others had encountered the same difficulty. The card, like the computer, is a rebadged OEM device and identified in Windows as a Prism card. I discovered that the card was recognised in the Linux system that I run on my laptop. So I came to the obvious solution - I swapped cards! MY laptop now has the Intersil Prism running under SimplyMEPIS, and my daughter's machine is using the Intel card.
Just goes to show that 'extras' supplied with a machine are not always guaranteed to work with it!

In praise of Open Standards

I am working with others, spread across the country, on a project. As it is for charity, we are all working in our own time on our personal computers, not all together in one office. Now, how are we to share information if someone works on Windows and another works on Linux?
Of course, there is OpenOffice - which I have used successfully for months to send documents to colleagues who only use Word. Now I have added to my list - GnuCash to handle accounts written with Quicken, MDB Tools to read and import Access databases into MySQL, and a diagramming package called Dia that works on both Windows and Linux.

But everyone uses Windows, don't they?

Well here's a turn-up for the books! I have been elected Treasurer of the local Interfaith Council. That is a meeting of representatives of all the different religious communities in the city - Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Baha'i.
I was told that it would be best to use a computer with (insert name of popular Accounting package) and when I replied that I had not used Windows system for over 10 years there was general astonishment, and a "well what else is there?". I explained that I used Linux at home for email, browsing the web, office matters like spreadsheet and document writing and I had no intention of going back to Windows just to run an accounts package. So of course, I looked for a Linux based package as soon as I got home. I have downloaded GnuCash and will be trying it out over the next few weeks. I'll let you know how I get on.