Category Archives: Mint Linux

Mint Linux

Skype for Linux 8.13 not working

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The latest Skype for Linux update (8.13.) seems broken on Ubuntu 14.04/Mint Linux 17.x. The application loads but all I can see is the white window with the menu.

During load, I see the application screen for a second before the center of the application window turns white again. Reinstall process didn’t help

Since official fix doesn’t exist (for now), the only solution is to remove the latest version and install the older one

sudo apt-get remove skypeforlinux
sudo apt-get install skypeforlinux=8.11.0.4

optionally you can “lock” Skype so it won’t ask for update (at least until they fix this problem)

sudo apt-mark hold skypeforlinux
Java, Mint Linux, Programming

Oracle Java 8 on Ubuntu 14.04 / Mint 17.3

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Default “Java” version of Mint Linux 17.3 (or Ubuntu 14.04) is OpenJDK 1.7 which works fine, but some SDKs won’t install until you upgrade to 1.8 (for example Tizen IDE studio complains on OpenJDK 1.7)

Before you start, check the current version with “java -version”

java version "1.7.0_121"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (IcedTea 2.6.8) (7u121-2.6.8-1ubuntu0.14.04.1)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 24.121-b00, mixed mode)

Add the PPA, update and install oracle-java8-installer

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install oracle-java8-installer

(During the install process you’ll need to accept the Oracle terms)

Now, check again with “java -version”

java version "1.8.0_111"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_111-b14)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.111-b14, mixed mode)

In case you’re still receiving the 1.7 versions as response, install “oracle-java8-set-default” package with

sudo apt install oracle-java8-set-default

and check again.

Mint Linux, Tips & Tricks

Change hostname on Mint Linux / Ubuntu – Howto

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To change your hostname, you’ll need to edit /etc/hostname file with

sudo nano /etc/hostname

The file content is very simple. It contains the current hostname and all you need to do is to replace it with the new one, save and exit

After you save the changes, open /etc/hosts file and replace the current hostname with the new one near 127.0.1.1 IP address.

Change

...
127.0.1.1 old-hostname
...

into

...
127.0.1.1 new-hostname
...

Save file and exit.

Now, enter the next command

sudo hostname new-hostname

Your computer’s hostname will be changed immediately. (The change won’t appear in the terminal until you reopen it again)

This method will work on all Debian based distros (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, ….)

Mint Linux, Tips & Tricks

Command line system information

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If you’re not sure which components are installed in your server/pc, you can use inxi which is a command line system information script. It will show you the system hardware, CPU, drivers, Xorg, Desktop, Kernel, GCC version(s), Processes, RAM usage, and a wide variety of other useful information.

For example:

myPC@myPC ~ $ inxi -F
System:    Host: myPC Kernel: 3.19.0-32-generic x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: Cinnamon 2.8.8
           Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Machine:   System: LENOVO product: 20E1000BSC v: ThinkPad W550s
           Mobo: LENOVO model: 20E1000BSC v: SDK0E50510 WIN Bios: LENOVO v: N11ET34W (1.10 ) date: 08/20/2015
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i7-5600U (-HT-MCP-) cache: 4096 KB 
           clock speeds: max: 3200 MHz 1: 901 MHz 2: 981 MHz 3: 2195 MHz 4: 2199 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics
           Card-2: NVIDIA GM108GLM [Quadro K620M]
           Display Server: X.Org 1.17.1 drivers: nvidia (unloaded: intel)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@59.9hz, 1920x1080@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Quadro K620M/PCIe/SSE2 GLX Version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 352.63
Audio:     Card-1 Intel Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel
           Card-2 Intel Broadwell-U Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k3.19.0-32-generic
Network:   Card-1: Intel Ethernet Connection (3) I218-LM driver: e1000e
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 54:ee:75:cc:11:4a
           Card-2: Intel Wireless 7265 driver: iwlwifi
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: 18:5e:0f:ee:f8:aa
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 768.2GB (17.1% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: LITEON_LCH size: 512.1GB
           ID-2: /dev/sdb model: ADATA_SP600NS34 size: 256.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 28G used: 9.4G (37%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb1
           ID-2: /home size: 195G used: 60G (33%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb3
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 50.0C mobo: N/A gpu: 48C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 2466
Info:      Processes: 229 Uptime: 1:09 Memory: 2341.5/15748.3MB Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 2.2.28
Mint Linux

Disable bluetooth on startup – howto

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I’m using Mint Linux and I noticed that the Bluetooth adapter is always on (I turned it off in the previous  session). I’m using Bluetooth from time to time, but I don’t like to see it on when I don’t need it. Besides, it wastes battery.

You can turn it off per session (as I did), but next time it’s right back on which annoys me.  As I can see, I’m not the only one who is affected with this.

The solution is set InitiallyPowered parameter to false.

sudo nano /etc/bluetooth/main.conf

Search for the entry:

InitiallyPowered = true

and change the value to:

InitiallyPowered = false

Next time you boot, it should be down.

In case this doesn’t help, try to turn off bluetooth service by adding “/etc/init.d/bluetooth stop” inside /etc/rc.local file (before the “exit 0” line)

Mint Linux, Tips & Tricks

Fix “Failed To Fetch” Apt error Howto

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Google announced plans to discontinue 32-bit Google Chrome for Linux and it has. On some 64bit Ubuntu based systems (Mint/Kubuntu/Xubuntu,..), during update process you may notice the next error:

“Failed to fetch http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/dists/stable/Release Unable to find expected entry ‘main/binary-i386/Packages’ in Release file (Wrong sources.list entry or malformed file)”

To fix this error you’ll need to make some changes in google-chrome.list

Open /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list file and add [arch=amd64] before “http”

deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main

Do not edit or replace any other text in this file. Save the changes and refresh your package list with

sudo apt-get update

The “failed to fetch” APT error should no longer appear

Mint Linux, Tips & Tricks

Samsung printer on Linux – rastertosplc – No such file or directory

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If you try to install Samsung printer (in my case ML1675) on Ubuntu 14.04 or Mint 17, you’ll may have some problems with missing file – rastertosplc.

If you added printer via web (http://localhost:631/) or via printer wizard, delete installed printer and follow the next instructions

Download drivers from this page: http://www.samsung.com/pk/support/model/ML-1675/XSG-downloads, extract them and install drivers with:

sudo ./install-printer.sh

(follow the wizard to complete process)

cd into /usr/lib/cups/filter and check the existence of rastertosplc file.

If this file doesn’t exist add symbolic link to /opt/smfp-common/printer/bin/rastertospl with

sudo ln -s /opt/smfp-common/printer/bin/rastertospl rastertosplc

after you should have something like

bla@bla-178 /usr/lib/cups/filter $ ls -la
...
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root     40 Aug 23 13:39 rastertospl -> /opt/smfp-common/printer/bin/rastertospl
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root     40 Aug 23 13:51 rastertosplc -> /opt/smfp-common/printer/bin/rastertospl
...

The first file is probably created via install script while the second one is “fix” to “File “/usr/lib/cups/filter/rastertosplc” not available: No such file or directory” problem.

After you did this, add printer via wizard and try to print test page.

ml1675

Mint Linux

TrueType fonts under Debian

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If you’re coming from Windows you’ll probably notice the “difference” between the fonts on Linux and Windows. You probably don’t have true type fonts installed which are commonly used on Windows based systems. They are also known as as “Windows Fonts” or “DejaVu fonts”.

You can easily install the true type fonts under Debian Linux:

# sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

For Debian Lenny and later versions, free alternatives for the common Microsoft fonts Arial, Courier and Times New Roman are available in ttf-liberation package. You can install this package with:

# sudo apt-get install ttf-liberation

Logout from your current session and login again to reload the fonts.