php :: session entries may not be named ‘name’

if you name your session entry ‘name’ ugly things will happen. this is solved in php 4.3 but with 4.2 it is disturbing you session system.

mencoder :: xvid compression multipass

Sometimes it is necessary to compress video. My preferred codec is XviD, because its GPL.
With the following script the 2 pass encoding is done automatic.

#!/bin/bash
bitrate=$3
infile=$1
outfile=$2-xvid-$bitrate.avi

# Audio preprocessing
mencoder $infile -ovc frameno -oac mp3lame -lameopts vbr=3 -o frameno.avi -quiet

# 2pass
mencoder $infile -ovc xvid -xvidencopts bitrate=$bitrate:pass=1 \
 -vf pp=tn/lb/hb/vb -oac copy -o /dev/null
mencoder $infile -ovc xvid -xvidencopts bitrate=$bitrate:pass=2 \
 -vf pp=tn/lb/hb/vb -oac copy -o $outfile

# remove trash
rm -f frameno.avi xvid-twopass.stats

call it with ./xvid.sh inputfilename outputfilename bitrate.
It needs twice as long as normal compression but the result is quite better.

palm :: visor module needed

add the following to your kernel

Device Drivers  --->
  USB support  --->
    USB Serial Converter support  --->
       USB Serial Converter support
      [*]   USB Generic Serial Driver
         USB Handspring Visor / Palm m50x / Sony Clie Driver 

now hope that your hotplugging is properly installed. maybe you must make /dev/usb/tty/* readable with chmod 666 /dev/usb/tty/*. now if you connct the palm or what ever to your usb port and pressed the hotsync button, the visor and the usbserial modules shuold be loaded and the sync should start.

kernel :: usb serial device

with devfs used for example in gentoo the location of the USB Serial devices has changed. they are now found at /dev/usb/tty/*

cups :: network printing

to use cups just start the cups deamon. then point your browser to localhost:631 . there you can add your printers to cups. most printers need special drivers, that need to be installed:

*  net-print/hpijs
      Homepage:    http://hpinkjet.sourceforge.net/
      Description: The HP Inkjet server for Ghostscript. Provides best output for
                   HP Inkjet Printers and some LaserJets
      License:     BSD

*  net-print/hpoj
      Homepage:    http://hpoj.sourceforge.net/
      Description: HP OfficeJet Linux driver
      License:     GPL-2

*  net-print/pup
      Homepage:    http://pup.sourceforge.net/
      Description: Printer Utility Program, setup & maintenance for certain
                   Lexmark & HP printers
      License:     GPL-2

but the most important parts are:

*  net-print/foomatic
      Homepage:    http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic.html
      Description: The Foomatic printing meta package
      License:     GPL-2

*  net-print/foomatic-db
      Homepage:    http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic
      Description: Foomatic printer database
      License:     GPL-2

*  net-print/foomatic-db-engine
      Homepage:    http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic
      Description: Foomatic printer database engine
      License:     GPL-2

*  net-print/foomatic-filters
      Homepage:    http://www.linuxprinting.org/foomatic
      Description: Foomatic wrapper scripts
      License:     GPL-2

With these installed all printers should be usable.

dvb :: driver for hauppauge dvbs nexus

cardspezification:

0000:01:07.0 Multimedia controller: Philips Semiconductors SAA7146 (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Technotrend Systemtechnik GmbH Technotrend/Hauppauge DVB card rev2.1
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 16
        Memory at df002000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)

Needed modules:

Multimedia devices  --->
  Digital Video Broadcasting Devices  --->
    <*>   DVB Core Support
    <*> STV0299 based DVB-S frontend (QPSK)
    [*] DVB For Linux
    <*> AV7110 cards
    [*]   Compile AV7110 firmware into the driver
    (/usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/dvb-ttpci-01.fw-261c) Full pathname of av7110 firmware file
    [*]   AV7110 OSD support

I build them into the kernel but of course you may use [M] as well.

xorg :: mouse wheel

to get the mouse wheel working with xorg u have to add to your xorg.conf in Section:

Section "InputDevice"
   Identifier  "Mouse1"

the following code:

file: xorg.conf
   Option "Protocol"    "IMPS/2"
   Option "ZAxisMapping"   "4 5"
   Option   "Buttons"  "7"

Now restart xorg and your mouse wheel will be available.

gentoo :: problems with nvidia >5336

after gentoo updated the nvidia driver xorg doesnt start. because i couldnt find the error i am back to 5335. because this driver version is not fully compatible to kernel 2.6.9 i had to add the following:

file: nv.c
unsigned int __VMALLOC_RESERVE;

after this change the nvidia.ko module can be loaded to the kernel.