Website/s now gone

Just a quick note to say that links on this blog to my websites will now no longer work as the companies I use have both decided to stop providing web space services. Great! I am thinking of using other ways of getting content onto the web such as blogs (like this one), social networking sites or possibly Youtube. Oh well...such is life.

BBC Website and RealPlayer in Linux

As a keen user of the BBC's website, I have found it very frustrating that I cannot listen to the Radio iPlayer in any version of Linux that I have tried (the TV iPlayer works fine). However, I have now found a fix in the shape of RealPLayer 11 which works fine. Go to the RealPlayer website and download the following file:-

RealPlayer11GOLD.rpm

which can be loaded with the command:-

rpm --install RealPlayer11GOLD.rpm

from a konsole. You will also need to install lsb (from Synaptic in the case of PCLinuxOS) and its associated packages. When the Radio iPlayer is invoked a seperate RealPlayer window will popup and it is this that you use to control the playback rather than the main BBC page. This has been really bugging me for a while and its great to finally get it fixed.

Nvidia GeForce 6100 display (2)

Further to this problem, it seems that PCLinuxOS 2007 has some updated drivers available in the repository. Just use Synaptic and search for nvidia and select a newer GeForceFX driver. You will need to restart X after installation.

4 in 1 Card Reader and PCLInuxOS 2007

This is a bit like the zip drive - you put a card into the reader, the LED lights up and a window pops up enabling you to open it in a window.

Iomega ZIP Drives on PCLinuxOS 2007

To get these working with PCLinuxOS 2007 it is a matter of checking a box in the menu at the top of the HardDrak screen then closing the app down and restarting it and detection will take place. Put a zip disk in the drive and it will pop up a screen inviting you to open the device.

MCP61 sound on PCLinuxOS 2007

On initial installation, the sound doesn't work and gives a thumping great error message box (/dev/dsp cannot be opened). I know the sound works with Linux because it worked in Mandriva One. It seems to be using the same sound driver:-

snd_hda_intel

and much Googling made it obvious that a lot of other people were having the same problem. I'll put you out of your misery - you need to load a newer kernel than the one provided with PCLinuxOS 2007. Don't panic, it can all be done painlessly in Synaptic. Just search for the word kernel and choose a later kernel (one ending in 15 worked for me) and leave the other one loaded. The GRUB menu will allow you to choose the new kernel (or the old one if you have problems) and you should have sound. If all is well then uninstall the older kernel again with Synaptic. I was impressed how well it worked. Ok so now I have sound. The kernel change didn't sort out my lack of 3d support on the display so more research needed...

Nvidia GeForce 6100 display on PCLinuxOS 2007

This proved to be quite easy to sort out. Just select custom and select the Nvidia FX driver. This sorts out the resolution problem although it seems that 3d doesn't work and I need a newer driver. I'm working on it...