Reddragon - Ubuntu

Introduction

This is the configuration page for the Ubuntu partition on RedDragon.

Configuration Files

All configuration files can be found here.

Repositories

• Added Opera (automatically added when installing Opera)
• Added Ubuntu Tweak
• Added Medibuntu
• Added XBMC

Installed Applications

Common Essential:
[2011-11-16]	Opera (opera)	[2011-11-16] v 11.00.1156
[2011-11-16]	etckeeper (etckeeper)	Configured to use git as SCM
[2011-11-16]	GIT (git git-gui gitk git-doc)
[2011-11-16]	Google Chrome (chromium-browser)
[2011-11-16]	Midnight Commander (mc)	See reference page. Use vi as standard viewer/editor. Installed version from mc official repository to fix file highlighting issue.
[2011-11-16]	Vim (vim, exuberant-ctags, vim-gnome)	including GVim to enable support of X clipboard
[2011-11-16]	Ruby (ruby)	... for Vim plug-in snipMate.vim
[2011-11-16]	Vim/Cscope (cscope)
[2011-11-16]	Samba (smbclient smbfs)
[2011-11-16]	NFS Server (nfs-kernel-server nfs-common portmap)	See NFS for more details; Created entries in /etc/exports.
[2011-11-16]	AutoFS (autofs)	See local config
[2011-11-16]	KeePassX (keepassx)
[2011-11-16]	apt-file (apt-file)
[2011-11-16]	SSH (ssh)	Local settings
[2011-11-16]	Thunderbird (thunderbird)
[2011-11-16]	Meld (meld)	Diff tool
[2011-11-16]	Color Diff (colordiff)
[2011-11-16]	p7zip (p7zip-full p7zip-rar)
[2011-11-16]	dlocate (dlocate)
[2011-11-16]	MS Truetype core fonts (ttf-msttcorefonts-installer)
[2011-11-16]	Ubuntu restricted extras (ubuntu-restricted-extras)	shall install automatically libdvdread4
[2011-01-18]	libdvdcss2	Installed via sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh (see also [1])
[2011-11-16]	Qiv (qiv)
[2011-11-16]	gThumb (gthumb)
[2011-11-16]	GPG Agent (gnupg-agent)	Added use-agent at end of ~/.gnupg/gpg.conf
[2011-11-16]	Rename utils (renameutils)
[2011-11-16]	Wine (wine)	See Wine page
[2011-11-16]	Gnome Terminator (terminator)	See Gnome Terminator
[2011-11-16]	Flash Plugin 10 (flashplugin-installer)	First need to enable Ubuntu partner repository (deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu lucid partner). Next sudo aptitude autoremove "flashplugin-*" sudo aptitude install flashplugin-installer
[2011-11-16]	MPlayer (mplayer mplayer-doc mplayer-fonts)
[2011-11-16]	Quicktime plugin (gnome-mplayer,gecko-mediaplayer)	To play Quicktime content in Opera, Firefox
[2011-11-16]	Gimp (gimp)
[2011-11-16]	Graphical Disk Map (gdmap)
[2011-11-16]	gparted (gparted)
Dist-upgrade to Precise Pangolin
[2012-04-18]	Bumblebee (bumblebee bumblebee-nvidia)
[2013-05-28]	mini upnp (miniupnpc)	For remote support script
[2013-05-28]	vnc server (vnc4server)	For remote support script
Local applications:
[2011-11-16]	GNU Go (gnugo)
[2011-11-16]	Various Go games (qgo uligo)
[2011-11-16]	Quarry (quarry)	Board games Go, Amazons, and Reversi
[2011-11-16]	XBMC (xbmc xbmc-standalone)	See local page
[2011-11-16]	fdupes (fdupes)
[2011-11-16]	PGP (pgpgpg)
[2011-11-16]	Synergy (synergy)	[2011-03-04] v1.4.5! See local settings.
[2011-11-16]	Perl Audio Converter (pacpl)
[2011-11-16]	PowerTop (powertop)
[2011-11-16]	Gnome Tweak Tool (gnome-tweak-tool)	To change default font size...
[2011-11-16]	XScreensaver (xscreensaver xscreensaver-gl-extra xscreensaver-data-extra)	First remove gnome screensaver (sudo apt-get remove gnome-screensaver). Then set the screensaver as startup app (xscreensaver -nosplash). Select glslideshow. [2], [3], [4]
Dist-upgrade to Precise Pangolin

Un-installed applications (by uninstall date):

[YYYY-MM-DD]

Application (package)

[YYYY-MM-DD] uninstalled (reason)

Simple Settings

• [2009-10-19] - Enabled proprietary video device driver NVIDIA (version 280).
• [2013-05-18] - Enable audio head-phone (see [5]). Edit file /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-output-headphones.conf as follows:

[Element Speaker]
switch = on
volume = ignore

• Printer — add Canon network printer (select IPP network printer via DNS-SD for protocol).
  • Set Color Model to CMYK

Detailed System Settings

1st install

• INSTALL LOG

File System

• To be completed

Network

• To be completed

Preferences

• To be completed

Users

• Added to group users (for write access to mnemosyne):

  mich

Printer / CUPS shit

• Go to http://localhost:631
• Set default policy to abort-job (was on retry-job)
  • Go to Printers → Canon-MG5300-series → Administration → Set default options → Policies → Error Policy = abort-job

• April 5, 2020

• Still the same issue.
• Set printer policy of all printer to retry-this-job (/etc/cups/printers.conf)
• In mich user crontab, added:

# m h  dom mon dow   command
@reboot   sleep 15 && ~/bin/cups-cron-enable&

• The script ~/bin/cups-cron-enable:

#! /bin/bash

BASE=$(basename "$0")
LOGDIR=~/.cache/$BASE
LOG=~/.cache/$BASE/$BASE.log

mkdir -p "$LOGDIR"
touch $LOG

cat > $LOGDIR/logrotate.conf << __END__
compress
$LOG {
    rotate 5
    weekly
}
__END__
logrotate -s $LOGDIR/logrotate.status $LOGDIR/logrotate.conf

check_all_printers()
{
    lpstat -p | \
    while read TAG PRINTER MORE; do
        if [ "$TAG" = "printer" ]; then
            if [[ "$MORE" =~ disabled ]]; then
                echo -n "[$(date)] $PRINTER: disabled -- restarting"
                cupsenable "$PRINTER" && echo "ok" || echo "FAILED"
            fi
        fi
    done
}

while : ; do
    check_all_printers
    sleep 5
done >> $LOG

Detailed Application Settings

HDMI support

• Create a desktop shortcut launching ~/bin/xdisplay.sh hdmi.

Screensaver

• gnome-screensaver does not work anymore. It simply show a black screen
• Use xscreensaver instead, and select glslideshow for a slideshow.

 sudo apt-get remove gnome-screensaver
 sudo apt-get install xscreensaver xscreensaver-data-extra xscreensaver-gl-extra

• UPDATE ISSUES — viewer used by glslideshow maintains a cache at ~/tmp/.xscreensaver-getimage.cache. Delete that file when updating the set of images in the slideshow.

Using xscreensaver without OpenGL

• Package chbg does not exist anymore.
• I could build package xv, but it does nothing under xscreensaver.
• Use package qiv. Add the following line in .xscreensaver:

  qiv -s -r -S -d 10  -f -u -l -t -i      \
          $HOME/Slideshow               \n\

• Select qiv as screensaver.

Apparently qiv does not work well with sub-folders. I use the following script (autoln):

#! /bin/bash
#
# Usage: autoln /path/to/file /path/to/second/file [...]
#
#        will create the following symbolic links:
#
#        _path_to_file         --> /path/to/file
#        _path_to_second_file  --> /path/to/second/file

while [ -n "$1" ]; do
    target="$1"
    symlink=${target//\//_}
    ln -ns "$target" "$symlink"
    shift
done

In the command line:

find -L /home/mich/Slideshow -type f -print0  | xargs -0 autoln

Remote support

New method

We call remote the remote laptop to which we will connect, and local the laptop we connect from. server is the intermediate ssh server.

• On server, add to .ssh/authorized_keys:

no-pty,no-X11-forwarding,permitopen="localhost:54895",command="/bin/echo do-not-send-commands" ssh-rsa PUBLIC_KEY_HERE username@remoteserver

• On remote, start automatically autonoekeon.sh at boot:

#! /bin/bash

autossh -M 0 -f -N -n -q -R 54895:localhost:22 immie    # or 'ovhi'

• On local, setup a 2nd SSH forwarding link:

autossh -M 0 -f -N -n -q -L 22221:localhost:54895 ovhi

This being done, one can either start an SSH-only session, or an SSH+VNC session:

• On local, to start an SSH session only:

ssh -p 22221 mich@localhost

• On local, to start an SSH and VNC session:

# SSH connect to remote + fwd some vnc ports
ssh -p 22221 -L 5900:localhost:5900 -L 5631:localhost:631 -L 5901:localhost:5901 mich@localhost          
# Old method:
#   export DISPLAY=:0
#   xhost +
#   sudo x11vnc -safer -localhost -nopw -once -auth /var/lib/gdm/:0.Xauth -display :0
x11vnc -safer -localhost -nopw -once -tightfilexfer -auth ~/.Xauthority -display :0

• In a separate terminal on local, starts the vnc viewer:

#vncviewer localhost:0
xtightvncviewer -compresslevel 0 -bgr233 -quality 0 localhost:0

• CUPS administration on remote is also available via http://localhost:5631

To try — x11vnc client-side caching

******************************************************************************
Have you tried the x11vnc '-ncache' VNC client-side pixel caching feature yet?

The scheme stores pixel data offscreen on the VNC viewer side for faster
retrieval.  It should work with any VNC viewer.  Try it by running:

    x11vnc -ncache 10 ...

One can also add -ncache_cr for smooth 'copyrect' window motion.
More info: http://www.karlrunge.com/x11vnc/faq.html#faq-client-caching

old solution — Troubleshooting on scarlet box

• Open a browser, and go to local.gateway. Go to LAN servers. Check that port 12322 is re-routed to server's port 22

old solution — How to connect

(note: previous config used to send an e-mail to michael.peeters@noekeon.org with instructions, but this does not work anymore. Now it creates a gpg file on noekeon.org)

• Download gpg file, then view content for instructions:

scpn @/mip.txt.gpg .
gpg -d mip.txt.gpg >mip.txt

old solution — Configuration on the server

• Disable strict host key checking for noekeon (to allow ssh connection even if host key changed):

Host ftp.noekeon.org   noekeon
     User                    daemenj
     HostName                ftp.noekeon.org
     StrictHostKeyChecking   no

• autonoekeon.sh is run automatically at logon:

#! /bin/bash

autossh -M 0 -f -N -n -q -R 54895:localhost:22 noekeon

To connect, first setup port forwarding, then connect via localhost:

autossh -M 0 -f -N -n -q -L 22221:localhost:54895 noekeon
ssh mike@localhost -p 22221

• Port forwarding also allows to connect to router and cups server:

autossh -M 0 -f -N -n -q -L 8080:192.168.1.1:80 -p 22221 mich@localhost   # Access remote router      via localhost:8080
autossh -M 0 -f -N -n -q -L 8081:localhost:631 -p 22221 mich@localhost    # Access remote cups server via localhost:8081

• Script on desktop to setup vnc remote (vnctunnelnoekeon):

#! /bin/bash

# Save current stdout / stderr
exec 3>&1
exec 4>&2

# Redirect stdout / stderr
exec > >(tee /tmp/stdout.tmp)
exec 2> >(tee /tmp/stderr.tmp >&2)

# Deleting current .ssh/known_hosts
echo "Deleting current .ssh/known_hosts"
rm .ssh/known_hosts

# Open a vncserver
echo "Opening a virtual desktop for remote desktop sharing..."
vnc4server :1 -geometry 1440x900 -depth 8 -rfbport 5901

# TRAP EXIT --> Will remove port forwarding and kill the VNC server
trap "upnpc -d 12322 TCP; vnc4server -kill :1; rm /tmp/vnctunnelnoekeon-tail-f.tmp" EXIT

# Tunnel the VNC + local SSH Server connection through noekeon ssh
# ... SSH tunnel will remain open for 5min after which it will be automatically closed if no connection is made
ssh -f -n -R12301:localhost:5901 -R12322:localhost:22 noekeon sleep 300
# Wait a bit so that error message don't mess up my text below...
sleep 2

echo "################################################################################"
IPLOCAL=$(getlocalip.sh)
echo "Local IP address: $IPLOCAL"
IPPUBLIC=$(getpublicip.sh)
echo "Public IP address: $IPPUBLIC"
echo "################################################################################"
echo "Opening port 12322 on UPNP:"
upnpc -a "$IPLOCAL" 22 12322 TCP | tail -n 1
echo "################################################################################"

#Stop tee redirection
exec >&3
exec 2>&4

#Mail the current session to me
MAILSERVER=smtp.scarlet.be
FROM=michel.roch@scarlet.be
TO=michael.peeters@noekeon.org
echo "Sending mail to $TO..."
exec 5<>/dev/tcp/${MAILSERVER}/25
cat <&5 >/dev/null &
sleep 1
echo -e "HELO dummy.domain" >&5
sleep 1
echo -e "MAIL FROM: $FROM" >&5
sleep 1
echo -e "RCPT TO: $TO" >&5
sleep 1
echo -e "DATA" >&5
sleep 1
echo -e "subject: IP Addresses" >&5
echo -e "" >&5
echo -e "LOCAL IP Address: $IPLOCAL" >&5
echo -e "PUBLIC IP Address: $IPPUBLIC" >&5
echo -e >&5
echo -e "Connect with 'ssh -p 12322 username@$IPPUBLIC'" >&5
echo -e >&5
echo -e >&5
echo -e "Content of stdout:" >&5
echo -e "---------------------------------------------------------------------" >&5
cat /tmp/stdout.tmp >&5
echo -e "---------------------------------------------------------------------" >&5
echo -e >&5
echo -e "Content of stderr:" >&5
echo -e "---------------------------------------------------------------------" >&5
cat /tmp/stderr.tmp >&5
echo -e "---------------------------------------------------------------------" >&5
echo -e "." >&5
sleep 1
echo -e "QUIT" >&5
sleep 1
echo '... mail sent (hopefully)!'
echo

# Cleaning...
rm /tmp/stdout.tmp
rm /tmp/stderr.tmp

# kill it when the user press a key
echo "========================================================================"
# tail file to duplicate edit session. Eg:
# 1. Connect to $IPPUBLIC
# 2. tee stderr
#    exec 2> >(tee /tmp/vnctunnelnoekeon-tail-f.tmp >&2)
# 3. Redirect stdout
#    exec >&2
# 4. From now, current terminal will duplicate login terminal
touch /tmp/vnctunnelnoekeon-tail-f.tmp
tail -f /tmp/vnctunnelnoekeon-tail-f.tmp &
read -p "Press ENTER to close the desktop sharing session..." ignore
# No need to kill VNC / UPNP port forwarding, will be done on EXIT signal trap
# ssh will exit automatically

To Do

Issues

See Common Issues.

To Do

None.