Problems With Ubuntu 7.10

[rayzoredge 2]

As some of you may know, I took the dive towards Ubuntu on my main computer at home, an HP Pavilion zd8000. I was reluctant before because I thought that Windows held most of my wanted programs hostage, but after realizing that most of what I do (basic use, Internet, Photoshop, occasional gaming) could be done with Linux, I decided to close my eyes and leap. And what a leap it has been.

 

After installing Ubuntu 7.10, going through the hassle of getting my proprietary drivers to work, and realizing that my Logitech MX3200 keyboard and mouse combo wouldn't work together UNLESS I boot into Ubuntu, ONLY typed in my logon information with the keyboard, and THEN use the mouse afterwards to have the possibility of having both work in conjunction with each other, I've run into yet another problem.

 

Ubuntu CRAWLS for no reason at all after I try to resize a window. I'm running Compiz with ATI proprietary drivers utilizing fglrx (yes, I have no idea what that means). After resizing a window, Ubuntu will crawl and continue to crawl until I restart using Ctrl+Alt+Backspace. Can anyone explain why?

 

Also, something interesting to note is that the Ubuntu load screen doesn't show at all during boot. I didn't change any system settings other than xorg.conf, which to my understanding won't affect this load screen. I'm just curious as to why... it's not of much concern though compared to the other things on my plate.

 

 

 

Ubuntu load screen.

 

Of course, I'm also curious about why Ubuntu is so peculiar when it comes to my mouse and keyboard. If I boot Ubuntu and move the mouse first, then use the keyboard, the mouse becomes unresponsive almost immediately, leaving just the keyboard usable. If I disconnect my USB receiver then and reconnect it, my mouse is usuable but only is responsive for 3-second intervals with a one second period of time where it ignores any movement (is unresponsive).

 

This is the second time I have been able to boot Ubuntu with full use of both keyboard and mouse. I have made no changes to any system files or any settings to help achieve this.

 

Can anyone shed light on this?

[rvalkass 5]

Ubuntu CRAWLS for no reason at all after I try to resize a window. I'm running Compiz with ATI proprietary drivers utilizing fglrx (yes, I have no idea what that means). After resizing a window, Ubuntu will crawl and continue to crawl until I restart using Ctrl+Alt+Backspace. Can anyone explain why?

fglrx is the name given to the drivers written by ATI themselves. Compiz recommend you use them for cards better than a Radeon 9200. For anything earlier than a 9200, they say you should try the free drivers rather than ATI's. If you've got a card earlier than the 9200 that could be the problem.

 

It seems that window resizing being slow can be a common problem. There are a couple of helpful tips here:

https://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-647322.html

Run the fglrxinfo command from the command line and see what the output is. It will tell you what drivers are actually being used, as occasionally Ubuntu ignores the new drivers and continues with the old ones.

 

The other option is discussed here:

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=6piz+slow+resize

Basically, pick a different method used to redraw the windows when they change size. Some of the algorithms used work faster on some cards than on others, so go through the options and see which one works best for you.

 

Also, something interesting to note is that the Ubuntu load screen doesn't show at all during boot. I didn't change any system settings other than xorg.conf, which to my understanding won't affect this load screen. I'm just curious as to why... it's not of much concern though compared to the other things on my plate.

Xorg.conf won't affect the boot screen. You won't lose any functionality from it not being there, but I am sure it is possible to get it back if you want. I've never had this problem, so I'm not sure what you would have to do to get it back.

 

Of course, I'm also curious about why Ubuntu is so peculiar when it comes to my mouse and keyboard. If I boot Ubuntu and move the mouse first, then use the keyboard, the mouse becomes unresponsive almost immediately, leaving just the keyboard usable. If I disconnect my USB receiver then and reconnect it, my mouse is usuable but only is responsive for 3-second intervals with a one second period of time where it ignores any movement (is unresponsive).

Some people with the same mouse and keyboard combo as yourself have put this down to the encryption used by Logitech. At the moment the only work around I have found is to find a Windows machine, install the software that came with the keyboard (why won't Logitech release Linux drivers?!?!?!) and get into the Logitech Desktop Manager, or whatever it is called. Set the keyboard to use encryption. Once that setting is in the keyboard, it will work in Linux.

 

Also, someone says this section in Xorg.conf works for your keyboard and mouse:

 

Section "InputDevice"	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"	Driver		"kbd"	Option		"CoreKeyboard"	Option		"XkbRules"	"xorg"	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc105"	Option		"XkbLayout"	"be"EndSectionSection "InputDevice"	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"	Driver		"mouse"	Option		"CorePointer"	Option		"Device"		"/dev/input/mice"        Option          "Protocol"              "auto"        Option          "Buttons"               "7"        Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"        Option          "ButtonMapping"         "1 2 3 6 7 4 5 6"EndSection

Backup Xorg.conf, then replace the keyboard and mouse sections with that. Then in the server layout section at the bottom of the file, make sure you have these two lines:

InputDevice	"Generic Keyboard"	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"

I also see that Logitech have not responded to your support request in their forums. If you can, phone them, and ask why they don't support Linux. Enough people contacting them will make them realise they need to provide Linux drivers. It worked for nVidia, ATI and HP.

 

There is a page on the Ubuntu Wiki with help specifically for your machine:

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

There are some links and tips at the bottom of that page that could be quite useful to you.

[rayzoredge 2]

You are awesome. Did anyone tell you that today? The resize tips work perfectly. And I was ready to live without being able to resize any windows just to deal with that... haha. I already had those lines for my keyboard and mouse there to get them to work... in the past, without any changes, if you move the mouse first (at the logon screen), it would move a quarter of an inch and remain unresponsive for the rest of that session. (With that case, the keyboard works.) Within the same session, if you unplugged and reinserted the USB receiver, the mouse will work with that lag I mentioned and the keyboard would become useless.Strange. I'll just have to remember to just type, then move the mouse. Oh well... can't complain. Haven't been back to Windows yet. Gotta learn GIMP and use Ubuntu's version for financial software... that should be fun.Thanks again!

Edited March 28, 2008 by rayzoredge (see edit history)

[rvalkass 5]

You are awesome. Did anyone tell you that today?
The resize tips work perfectly. And I was ready to live without being able to resize any windows just to deal with that... haha.

Thanks, and good to know it works

I already had those lines for my keyboard and mouse there to get them to work... in the past, without any changes, if you move the mouse first (at the logon screen), it would move a quarter of an inch and remain unresponsive for the rest of that session. (With that case, the keyboard works.) Within the same session, if you unplugged and reinserted the USB receiver, the mouse will work with that lag I mentioned and the keyboard would become useless.
Strange. I'll just have to remember to just type, then move the mouse.

That is pretty much the exact description of the problem coming from people who have fixed it with the Windows encryption thing. I know it is not the ideal solution, and Logitech should do something about it, but if you have access to a Windows machine then you may as well give it a go.

Oh well... can't complain. Haven't been back to Windows yet. Gotta learn GIMP and use Ubuntu's version for financial software... that should be fun.
Thanks again!

The version of the GIMP in Ubuntu's repositories may be slightly out of date - a new version (2.4) was released quite recently with some cool new features. If you're up to compiling it then you could give it a go. If not then it will filter down to a package pretty soon. There are also plenty of tutorials on the 'net especially for the GIMP, so keep a look out for them. As for financial software, I use KMyMoney (I have KDE rather than Gnome) and it works great.

[rayzoredge 2]

I'm sorry to say that I'm back to Windows again. Consistency of functionality of the Logitech MX3200 keyboard and mouse was what did me in. During the last post, I was happily poking around in Ubuntu, trying to make it a new home and adapting to it to replace my familiar Windows applications. I was able to do this because I eventually passed out (because I was sick) and left the computer on, enjoying two days of Ubuntu until this morning when I decided to turn it off.Bad choice.On boot, everything was fine and dandy, until I noticed that the mouse wasn't working after logon. (Great... this again.)I did a restart... and the same thing happened again.Looking at my xorg.conf file, I noticed a few changes... or the lack of them. My original configuration was changed to the default configuration that Ubuntu came with. Of course, I went back to the Ubuntu forums to look at what others recommended doing to get the functionality back.Following directions to the letter, I restarted and hoped.The mouse still didn't work.I tried another avenue of approach, using a different protocol (evdev, to be exact). (xserver-xorg-input-evdev was installed prior to this endeavour.)And of course, Ctrl+Alt+Backspace led to a distorted screen, then to a black, blank screen, then to a distorted screen... until it just froze on the distorted screen. In which case I just turned the machine off, since it just sat there, not doing anything, and then turned it back on.On boot, Ubuntu decided to run in low graphics mode at the 640x480 with VESA graphics, and my xorg.conf file was reset with the default values with the exception of added "failsafe" sections for the video card.After repeating this entire ordeal twice (tallying up to about an hour and a half of wasted time), I gave up.I hope that the new Ubuntu release will bring some sort of renewed way of recognizing wireless input devices that share a single receiver or that Logitech actually hears the pleas of Linux users and releases support for Linux drivers.