[LI] Linux Tips & tricks

["K.N. Prashanth" <prash@xxxxxxx>]

Hai Everybody,
	This is my first mail that i am sending to the linux-india though i
	had been here for some time. I am discussing the few tricks that i
	had been using for a while with kernel 2.2 & now recently with redhat
	linux 6.1 & i used them on my friends machines.

	(1) This tip works only on kernel 2.2.x. You can have this work on your
	previous kernels provided you compile the framebuffer support in to the
	kernel because 2.2.x has built in support. Let me tell you that i am
	using the (in)famous SiS6215c card. In the lilo.conf add the line
	vga=ask and save the file. Then execute lilo -v so that it is updated
	on to your MBR or floppy( I use the later). Then during boot up you
	will be asked for the mode (resolution). Then there enter as
	(i) 0301 for 640X480 mode
	(ii) 0303 for 800X600 mode
	(iii) 0305 for 1024X768 mode
	And Whew !! Our pet mascot the cute emperor penguin the "TUX" appears
	at the left hand top corner of the screen.Welcome the emperor. Note
	though the X windows may not appear same as before in my case the screen
	width got reduced a bit but other than that no complaints. On some of
	my friends house it refused to accept 0305 though they were using it
	regularly. Please mail your experience with your card name & number.

	(2) Next to transfer the lilo from the MBR to the floppy just edit the
	file lilo.conf & change the entry /dev/hda to /dev/fd0 & save the file.
	Then execute lilo -v with a clean floppy in( Note that the contents will
	be destroyed).  Then check whether it boots from floppy & if it works
	reboot again & at the dos prompt (c:\>) execute fdisk /mbr which should
	remove lilo from MBR.

	(3) Some of my friends have complained saying that they weren't able
	to play the .wav files especially in KDE with its own players & others.
	This is because the sound module is compiled in to the kernel that comes
	with the 6.1 &  there is no loading it as seperate module & has no script
	file in the /etc/sysconfig directory. But the startkde tries to find the
	file & update a shell variable SOUNDCARD which confirms the presence of
	sound card & it can start kwmsound & kaudioserver. You can edit the
	file startkde & comment out the if & fi block of the file near the point
	where it tries to execute /etc/sysconfig/sound script. Then restart the
	kde. Note that you can play MP3 files though.

	(4) There is a module in /usr/lib/somewhere by name binfmt_java.o. Then
	use insmod and that module. Then compile a java src file as .class file
	& then make it executable by using chmod +x that class file & then execute
	./classfile . Wow !! you have a java output ready. Note that i haven't
	tried executing java applets though & i executed only the text based
	non graphical programs & the output was consistent with what was expected.
	Please mail me your experience with awt based apps.

	That's all folks. Happy Hacking !!

	Bye
	Prashanth
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