Starting the blog

Hi, this is my new blog.
It is a translation from my blog in Spanish, http://debianenmipc.blogspot.com , which is about using Debian GNU/Linux in my PC.  Specifically Debian Squeeze for x86 in my desktop at home.
Software, hardware, how to, and much more, everything to tune my PC up using Debian/GNU Linux.
Jose A. Viana

How to mount a NTFS partition on Debian

Sometimes, we need to used a Windows OS in another partition or disk, but, what happen when you want to share those files which are in the Windows partition?.  In the past, the most common file system architecture for Windows OS was FAT32 but right now everything has change and the most common file system for Windows OS is NTFS. This file system was the standard of Windows NT, introduced by 1993, and it's still used for Windows XP/Vista/7.
Let's mount a NTFS partition of Windows Vista (could be any Windows OS using NTFS) in our Debian GNU/Linux Lenny as only read.
First, make a new folder which will contain your Windows files:
$ mkdir /home/your_user/windows

Then, as root, check the partition name that you want to mount:
# fdisk -l | grep NTFS
/dev/sda2   *           7       19129   153600000    7  HPFS/NTFS

In my case, the partition is sda2.  Now, as root, mount the partition in the new folder, with only read permission for user UID=1000:
# mount -t ntfs /dev/sda2 /home/your_user/windows/ -o uid=1000
(You got to check the UID for your user and be sure which is your UID before make the last command).

It's done, you will see in /home/your_user/windows/ everything that is in your Windows partition.

Jose A. Viana

VF0470 Live! Cam Notebook Creative

Let's install the Creative Live! Cam Notebook webcam in Debian/Lenny with kernel 2.6.22-3amd64.  Here you have the lsub command:
# lsusb -v
Bus 002 Device 005: ID 041e:4068 Creative Technology, Ltd
Device Descriptor:
bLength 18
bDescriptorType 1
bcdUSB 1.10
bDeviceClass 0 (Defined at Interface level)
bDeviceSubClass 0
bDeviceProtocol 0
bMaxPacketSize0 8
idVendor 0x041e Creative Technology, Ltd
idProduct 0x4068
bcdDevice 1.00
iManufacturer 1 Creative Labs
iProduct 2 VF0470 Live! Cam Notebook
iSerial 0
bNumConfigurations 1

It shows the product name and specific information about our webcam. Now, download the ov51x-jpeg driver from http://www.rastageeks.org/downloads/ov51x-jpeg/ov51x-jpeg-1.5.6.tar.gz . Be sure you dont't have the ov511 driver loaded because it could start first on the boot sequence and make a mess.
# rmmod ov511
Then, delete its module from /lib/module/`uname -r`

Compilation and installation
You will need kernel headers and the videodev module builds with video4linux option (first as root, try modprobe videodev).  Extract files from ov51x-jpg-1.5.6.tar.gz you already downloaded:
$ tar -xzvf ov51x-jpeg-1.5.6.tar.gz

Next , as normal user, go to the folder ov51-jpeg-1.5.6 and make:
$ make

And, as root:
# make install
# modprobe ov51x-jpeg

Ready, connect your webcam and try with your favorite application.  For me, it works with Kopete and Amsn.  As additional information, the ov51x-jpeg comes pre-compilated in Debian but this webcam is not supported by that driver.

Jose A. Viana

ATI video card in Debian GNU/Linux [Lenny] AMD64

Below you have the procedure that I followed to install my video card ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro 512MB, using fglrx from non-free Debian repositories.  You shouldn't have any ATI driver installed, this is for a new Debian installation (that was my case).

First, as root:
    # aptitude update

Then, let's install the driver:
    # aptitude install module-assistant fglrx-driver fglrx-kernel-src

Now, make and install the fglrx module:
    # module-assistant auto-install fglrx-kernel-src

At this point, you must restart the computer to be sure the new module is loaded.   You will see the kdm or gdm won't change at all, it happens because xorg doesn't have the new configuration.  Change to one of the consoles ( e.g.: Ctrl+Atl+F1 ) and, as root, stop the display manager:

    # /etc/init.d/kdm stop
or
    # /etc/init.d/gdm stop

Next, configure xorg.conf with the new ATI card:
    # aticonfig --initial

Finally, restart the computer and you will see the change.  Log in with your regular user, open a term, and check the new configuration:

    $ fglrxinfo

And you will get something like this:
    display: :0.0  screen: 0
    OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
    OpenGL renderer string: ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro
    OpenGL version string: 2.1.7276 Release

For more information, check the Unofficial Wiki for the ATI Linux Driver out, where there are other ways using the proprietary ATI Linux driver.

Jose A. Viana