I am using it with synthesia a very nice program to learn and play the piano that uses midi files as input and has an impressive feature list and actually makes it “fun” to play and reduces very much the overall difficulty curve of learning to play complicated pieces..
Its learning pack is kind of expensive ( 40$ ) so I am planning to buying it to support its programmer , sometime soon but not right now.. For now its free mode is more than enough..!

One of the down-sides of synthesia is that it is a windows targeted application but thanks to the great work by the wine guys it plays with no problems at all using wine ( 1.5.10 )..! There is an other program which is linux oriented called linthesia but for some strange reason it refuses to start at all on my machine and from what I gather it has very limited capabilities compared to synthesia..!

The keyboard required no configuration on my part since it was recognized instantly when plugged in the USB port ( I am running Lubuntu 12.04 ) , the only “hack” needed was starting timidity in a pulseaudio friendly mode , done by issuing : timidity -A100 -iA -B2,8 -Os -EFreverb=0 2>&1 & and then chosing the keyboard from the synthesia menu and the testing one by one the midi out ports until sound came out..!

Thats about it..!
I am now trying to learn the following piece , in one day after so many years , I am close to the middle xD :

Yann Tiersen: Comptine d’un autre été

My /etc/X11/xorg.conf Screen section follows..!

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Screen0″
Device “Device0″
Monitor “Monitor0″
DefaultDepth 24
Option “NoLogo” “True”
Option “Coolbits” “1″
Option “RegistryDwords” “PowerMizerEnable=0×1; PerfLevelSrc=0×2222; PowerMizerLevel=0×3; PowerMizerDefault=0×3; PowerMizerDefaultAC=0×3″
SubSection “Display”
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

In other news since it is summer and I dont have many things to do..
I decided to rewrite from scratch AmmarServer ( http server ) for linux ..
The outdated windows version of AmmarServer can be found in my legacy site ..
In this new one I will be including keep-alive support , a better code layout , the ability to create virtual files via linking an arbitrary executable to the web server , and automatic caching web page queries to the memory.. This should be particularly handy to be used as a server in conjuction with the raspberry pi.. ( when I get my hands on one ) ..

The thing about virtual files is that I would like to make a virtual file called camera.jpg that when requested by the client would trigger an other frame grabbing application that would make a .jpg conversion of the image on the fly and serve it directly to the client without reading or writing to the flash memory/disk .. That way linking everything together all possible delays will be shoved off..!

AmmarServer github repository can be found here

Thats it for now..

While playing starcraft 2 with wine..
Kern.log ->

Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691374] INFO: task SC2.exe:2189 blocked for more than 120 seconds.
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691377] “echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs” disables this message.
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691379] SC2.exe D ffffffff81806080 0 2189 1 0×00020000
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691382] ffff88018088bb78 0000000000000086 0000000000000001 ffff88018088bbc8
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691386] ffff88018088bfd8 ffff88018088bfd8 ffff88018088bfd8 0000000000013780
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691389] ffff8801b4c416f0 ffff88017ff92de0 0000000000000000 7fffffffffffffff
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691392] Call Trace:
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691398] [] schedule+0x3f/0×60
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691401] [] schedule_timeout+0x2a5/0×320
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691405] [] ? poll_freewait+0xe0/0xe0
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691407] [] ? __pollwait+0xf0/0xf0
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691410] [] wait_for_common+0xdf/0×180
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691414] [] ? try_to_wake_up+0×200/0×200
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691416] [] wait_for_completion+0x1d/0×20
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691494] [] os_acquire_semaphore+0×69/0×80 [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691550] [] _nv014565rm+0×9/0xe [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691596] [] ? _nv016163rm+0xce/0x1ee [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691638] [] ? _nv001029rm+0xbc0/0xca0 [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691680] [] ? _nv001063rm+0×66/0x2afb [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691722] [] ? _nv000937rm+0×26/0×147 [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691780] [] ? _nv001095rm+0x33d/0xa9f [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691835] [] ? rm_ioctl+0×76/0xf3 [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691888] [] ? nv_kern_ioctl+0x15c/0×490 [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691892] [] ? getnstimeofday+0×57/0xe0
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691945] [] ? nv_kern_compat_ioctl+0×21/0×30 [nvidia]
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691949] [] ? compat_sys_ioctl+0xad/0×240
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691953] [] ? compat_sys_time+0×25/0×60
Jul 7 23:50:32 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 960.691956] [] ? sysenter_dispatch+0×7/0x2e

Xorg log ->

[ 822.042] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (2, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x0000c408)
[ 828.683] [mi] EQ overflowing. Additional events will be discarded until existing events are processed.
[ 828.683]
Backtrace:
[ 828.704] 0: /usr/bin/X (xorg_backtrace+0×26) [0x7f73b42b3996]
[ 828.704] 1: /usr/bin/X (mieqEnqueue+0×263) [0x7f73b4294073]
[ 828.704] 2: /usr/bin/X (0x7f73b412b000+0x62ab4) [0x7f73b418dab4]
[ 828.704] 3: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/evdev_drv.so (0x7f73ac544000+0x5d88) [0x7f73ac549d88]
[ 828.704] 4: /usr/bin/X (0x7f73b412b000+0x8af87) [0x7f73b41b5f87]
[ 828.704] 5: /usr/bin/X (0x7f73b412b000+0xb0eca) [0x7f73b41dbeca]
[ 828.704] 6: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x7f73b3451000+0xfcb0) [0x7f73b3460cb0]
[ 828.704] 7: (vdso) (0x7fff0bbcc000+0×707) [0x7fff0bbcc707]
[ 828.704] 8: (vdso) (0x7fff0bbcc000+0x7e5) [0x7fff0bbcc7e5]
[ 828.704] 9: (vdso) (__vdso_gettimeofday+0x2b) [0x7fff0bbcca1b]
[ 828.704] 10: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so (0x7f73ad02c000+0x883a5) [0x7f73ad0b43a5]
[ 828.704] 11: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so (0x7f73ad02c000+0xff713) [0x7f73ad12b713]
[ 828.704] 12: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so (0x7f73ad02c000+0x4cf326) [0x7f73ad4fb326]
[ 828.704] 13: /usr/bin/X (0x7f73b412b000+0x11988c) [0x7f73b424488c]
[ 828.704] 14: /usr/bin/X (0x7f73b412b000+0x4a953) [0x7f73b4175953]
[ 828.704] 15: /usr/bin/X (0x7f73b412b000+0x4e8b1) [0x7f73b41798b1]
[ 828.705] 16: /usr/bin/X (0x7f73b412b000+0x3d6da) [0x7f73b41686da]
[ 828.705] 17: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (__libc_start_main+0xed) [0x7f73b22e676d]
[ 828.705] 18: /usr/bin/X (0x7f73b412b000+0x3d9d1) [0x7f73b41689d1]
[ 828.705] [mi] These backtraces from mieqEnqueue may point to a culprit higher up the stack.
[ 828.705] [mi] mieq is *NOT* the cause. It is a victim.
[ 829.042] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (1, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x0000c408)
[ 829.042] [mi] Increasing EQ size to 512 to prevent dropped events.
[ 829.042] [mi] EQ processing has resumed after 43 dropped events.
[ 829.042] [mi] This may be caused my a misbehaving driver monopolizing the server’s resources.
[ 832.044] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (2, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x0000e348)
[ 839.044] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (1, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x0000e348)
[ 842.047] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (2, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x000002a8)
[ 849.047] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (1, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x000002a8)
[ 852.048] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (2, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x000062d8)
[ 859.048] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (1, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x000062d8)
[ 862.049] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (2, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0×00008218)
[ 869.049] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (1, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0×00008218)
[ 872.050] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (2, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x0000a158)
[ 879.050] (WW) NVIDIA(0): WAIT (1, 6, 0×8000, 0x0000a4c8, 0x0000a158)

I changed my xorg.conf Section “Device” to

Section “Device”
Identifier “Device0″
Option “Coolbits” “1″
Option “RegistryDwords” “PowerMizerEnable=0×1; PerfLevelSrc=0×2222; PowerMizerLevel=0×3; PowerMizerDefault=0×3; PowerMizerDefaultAC=0×3″
Driver “nvidia”
VendorName “NVIDIA Corporation”
EndSection

to set the graphics card powermizer setting to always use the lowest setting as a test but since it heats up a lot less , it is more quiet and the onboard electronics will probably last longer I am thinking of keeping it configured that way..!

NVidia forums remain under “maintenance”
nvnews.net has disabled new registrations..

just..

First of all setting Pulseaudio and OpenAL to a 48000Khz
using
sudo nano /etc/pulse/daemon.conf
and changing
; default-sample-rate = 44100
to -> default-sample-rate = 48000 ( removing the semicolon )

also changing the ;default-fragment-size-msec = 10
to -> default-fragment-size-msec = 5 ( once again removing the semicolon for all you noobs out there ;p [ just joking.. ] )

using
sudo nano /etc/pulse/daemon.conf
to change #frequency = 44100 to
frequency = 48000

issuing wine regedit to create the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Wine/Direct3D
and creating string keys with values as follow
KEY – VALUE
DirectDrawRenderer – opengl
Multisampling – disabled
OffScreenRenderingMode- pbuffer
PixelShaderMode – enabled
RenderTargetLockMode – disabled
StrictDrawOrdering – disabled
UseGLSL – disabled
VertexShaderMode – hardware
VertexShaders – hardware
VideoMemorySize – Your_video_memory_size_here_mine_is_895

the next step is setting cpu frequency scaling to performance mode before playing!
due to not having the gnome applets in lxde one can have the same functionality by apt-getting zenity and then running this cpufreq-govern-select.sh script ..

This with enabled VSYNC OpenGL setting in the NVIDIA driver and an emulated virtual desktop ( from winecfg ) makes Starcraft 2 run with no pulseaudio related sound glitches @ a solid 60fps on my PC , without these steps the game is almost unplayable with an average of 5-15fps..!

Fallout NewVegas on the other hand has very weird behaviour near areas with water , almost completely hanging , possibly due to shaders going haywire under wine/nvidia drivers/mesa/X ( you get the picture )
Luckily the game is very configurable and turning off all the water options solved the problems ..
To do so go to your /home/name/My Games/FalloutNV folder , make a backup copy of FALLOUT.ini and FalloutPrefs.ini and then go on and overwrite to make both of there water setting blocks look like this

[Water]
bUseWaterShader=0
bUseWaterReflections=0
bUseWaterRefractions=0
bUseWaterDepth=0
bUseWaterHiRes=0
bUseWaterDisplacements=0
bUseWaterLOD=0
bReflectExplosions=0
bAutoWaterSilhouetteReflections=0
bForceHighDetailReflections=0
bForceLowDetailReflections=0
fTileTextureDivisor=4.7500
fSurfaceTileSize=2048.0000
fNearWaterOutdoorTolerance=1024.0000
fNearWaterIndoorTolerance=512.0000
fNearWaterUnderwaterVolume=0.9000
fNearWaterUnderwaterFreq=0.3000
uNearWaterPoints=8
uNearWaterRadius=1000
uSurfaceFPS=12
iWaterReflectWidth=512
iWaterReflectHeight=512
bUseWaterReflectionBlur=0
iWaterBlurAmount=4

At last I can complete the underwater Volare mission ;P

Finally one last problem that I have faced using the latest NVIDIA drivers is my card dropping from the PCI bus , It is not only me who has the problem and thats good because it means its not hardware related and I have tried various things , turning powermizer on and of booting with kernel parameters “intel_iommu=off noirqbalance PCI=biosirq” , disabling CPU Virtualization features from BIOS , upgrading my bios to the latest version , enabling NVIDIA persistance mode , working with or without a second monitor physically connected , disabling irqbalance , disabling prelink , trying all the drivers ( NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-285.05.09.run was the lowest driver version that seems to run with new kernels ) and many many many other things to find what causes this behaviour but it is probably something inside the NVIDIA binary blob so for now , just have to deal with it using patience..!
It is also not a heat problem since temperature is around 60degrees Celcious which is normal ..

Jul 7 16:42:42 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 3934.728909] show_signal_msg: 24 callbacks suppressed
Jul 7 16:42:42 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 3934.728913] lxpanel[1822]: segfault at 79 ip 000000000041fc92 sp 00007fffb7f17c30 error 4 in lxpanel[400000+2e000]
Jul 7 16:46:31 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 4163.707866] NVRM: GPU at 0000:05:00.0 has fallen off the bus.
Jul 7 16:46:31 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 4163.707873] NVRM: GPU at 0000:05:00.0 has fallen off the bus.
Jul 7 16:46:31 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 4163.707877] NVRM: GPU at 0000:04:00.0 has fallen off the bus.
Jul 7 16:46:31 ammar-desktop kernel: [ 4163.707880] NVRM: GPU at 0000:04:00.0 has fallen off the bus.

Some mentions of the bug :
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=43050https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-graphics-drivers/+bug/882710?comments=all
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=174759

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NVIDIA#.27.2Fdev.2Fnvidia0.27_Input.2FOutput_error

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=167363

My camera has a built in intervalometer that I use to acquire the pictures , but lower-end cameras that do not have this kind of functionality can be “hacked” with an Arduino i.e. and be used likewise. This site has a lot of opensource hardware and software , that can be used to this end.

The results are not so good until now , at least when compared to this..

Due to environmental pollution and the lights of the city there are only a few stars visible from Athens. For daytime shots on the other hand , I have yet to find a proper position and camera configuration that on a course of 5-10 hours for example will provide a pleasing visual result..!

These are some of my timelapses so far , the third is the best one..

These are the scripts I use.. (TimeLapseTools.tar)

And these are the instructions :

To customize them you should edit the files directly and append your own parameters

STEP 0 : You will first need to extract the TimeLapseTools.tar.gz somewhere and empty your photographs , to become timelapsed in the FOLDER folder
they will have filenames like DSC_XXXX.jpg

STEP 1 : Make sure you have ffmpeg and imagemagick installed on your Linux Distro , for Debian/Ubuntu you can do sudo apt-get install ffmpeg imagemagick to download them.
It goes without saying that if you need an exotic codec for your video file you must also find it and download it too..

STEP 2 : Open a terminal and cd to the directory which has the scripts

STEP 3 : Run ./file_rename_script.sh which will change the filenames from DSC_XXXX.jpg to img_XXX.jpg starting from img_001.jpg and empty the FOLDER directory placing all of the files in the current dir.

STEP 4 : Run ./resize_images.sh which will change the resolution of the images to 1631×1080 for my cameras aspect ration creating _img_XXX.jpg for every img_XXX.jpg ( notice the initial _ )

STEP 5 : Run ./ffmpegcommand which will create an mp4 file with an image size of 1631×1080 @ 25 fps

STEP 6 : Upload to Youtube , or profit ;p

The Story of Linux: Commemorating 20 Years of the Linux Operating System

http://www.linuxfoundation.org/20th/

Linus pronounces linux