Notes

Arch Linux Installation

· Reading time: ~6 minute(s) (1171 words) techsupport notes linux macbookair

First of all, create a bootable USB (or CD) based on the ISO downloaded from the main Arch Linux website and boot it up.

The Arch Linux wiki is probably one of the best I’ve ever used, so the latest basic installation steps can be found here.

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HP DM1-4027 Netbook locks up in Linux due to Thermal Event

· Reading time: ~1 minute(s) (168 words) techsupport dm1 notes

Sometimes in Linux I’ve noticed that the laptop will lock up, often in high CPU situations. This appears to be caused by some sort of thermal support (or lack of) and after some research, you can disable the thermal support within the OS and allow the BIOS to take over instead.

This is done by editing the grub entry to add thermal.off=1 at the end of the linux boot line which would result in the following (replacing {uuid} with your own UUID):

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PrimeFilm 1800u Film Scanner

· Reading time: ~2 minute(s) (282 words) techsupport scanners notes

The drivers on the enclosed CD don’t work in Windows 10.

I had a nosey around online and found this post on the Microsoft Forum where Jack Moorhouse gave some excellent advice (copied below for safety):

  • Google “How to install unsigned drivers on Windows 10 - By TotallydubbedHD” and follow instructions
  • Download & run the installer for the slide viewer (SF_ENG_1.3.exe) which is for windows up to 7. I ran it in vista sp2 compatibility mode.AT THIS POINT IT STILL DOESN’T WORK
  • Go to control panel -> device manager ->imaging devices and update the driver for the slide viewer from the folder c:\windows\Twain_32\cyberviewX_SF

I’ll tweak the above to what worked for me:

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Some reference bits for Git source control

· Reading time: ~2 minute(s) (328 words) techsupport git notes

Retaining chmod permissions for scripts in git repositories

git update-index --chmod=+x your_bash_script.sh

The git documentation provides more information on the update-index command here: https://www.git-scm.com/docs/git-update-index

Clone repository including all submodules

Get the latest commit in the parent repository:

git clone {repository_url}
cd {repository_dir}
# -- OR --
git pull

And then update the submodule:

git submodule update --init --recursive

This should pull the relevant commit for the submodule, but it will be in detached HEAD mode based on the commit of the submodule reference in the parent repository.

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Dell XPS 15 9530 sluggish performance

· Reading time: ~1 minute(s) (155 words) techsupport notes dell xps xps9530

This morning, I noticed that my Dell XPS 15 9530 felt a little sluggish, so did some investigation and found the CPU clock had capped at a lower speed. I did a full reboot of Windows 10, and luckily this was sufficient to shake things back into life. But a quick read online suggested that some people aren’t quite as lucky in this situation.

So if a reboot doesn’t resolve the issue, what next?

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