[gentoo-user] new machine : a few small queries

[gentoo-user] new machine : a few small queries

[Philip Webb]

I've got my new machine basically habitable with a few small problems.

(1) In Fluxbox, Gkrellm insists on starting on Desktop 1 ;
on my existing machine with the same config files, it starts on Desktop 8 .
There must be some setting somewhere which has got changed.

(2) Luxi Mono is not coming out cleanly in Gvim or (Xfce) Terminal :
IIRC there's a pkg or a setting somewhere to fix it,
but I can't find it in my extensive notes from the past.

(3) I have  4  heat sensors in Gkrellm : 'k10temp' + 3 * 'it87'.
Can anyone suggest which bit of which device each is measuring ?

The AMD Bulldozer X4 FX-4170 4-Core 4,2 GHz is taking  c 3/8  as long
to compile eg Firefox or GCC as this machine's Intel Core2 Duo ;
they also seem to be using less Portage tempspace on disk.
The variable-rate fan is very impressive, ranging  2200 - 6800 rpm .

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Re: [gentoo-user] new machine : a few small queries

[Mick]

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On Saturday 15 Sep 2012 01:27:04 Philip Webb wrote:
> I've got my new machine basically habitable with a few small problems.
> 
> (1) In Fluxbox, Gkrellm insists on starting on Desktop 1 ;
> on my existing machine with the same config files, it starts on Desktop 8 .
> There must be some setting somewhere which has got changed.

Perhaps something like:

[app] (name=gkrellm)
  [Workspace]   {0}
[end]

instead of:

  [Workspace]   {7}

in your ~/.fluxbox/apps file?  Or may be you have a [Jump] {yes} command in 
there too?  Not sure if something similar in ~/.fluxbox/startup could cause 
this symptom, so have a look in there just in case.


> (2) Luxi Mono is not coming out cleanly in Gvim or (Xfce) Terminal :
> IIRC there's a pkg or a setting somewhere to fix it,
> but I can't find it in my extensive notes from the past.
> 
> (3) I have  4  heat sensors in Gkrellm : 'k10temp' + 3 * 'it87'.
> Can anyone suggest which bit of which device each is measuring ?

Emerge lm_sensors and then run sensors to see what's what.

I am guessing the k10temp is the core temperature of the CPU and the it87 the 
chip temperature sensors (3-off) from ACPI?


> The AMD Bulldozer X4 FX-4170 4-Core 4,2 GHz is taking  c 3/8  as long
> to compile eg Firefox or GCC as this machine's Intel Core2 Duo ;
> they also seem to be using less Portage tempspace on disk.
> The variable-rate fan is very impressive, ranging  2200 - 6800 rpm .

-- 
Regards,
Mick

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Re: [gentoo-user] new machine : a few small queries

[Philip Webb]

120915 Mick wrote:
> On Saturday 15 Sep 2012 01:27:04 Philip Webb wrote:
>> (1) In Fluxbox, Gkrellm insists on starting on Desktop 1 ;
>> on my existing machine with the same config files, it starts on Desktop 8 .
>> There must be some setting somewhere which has got changed.
> Perhaps something like:
> 
>   [app] (name=gkrellm)
>     [Workspace]   {0}
>   [end]
> 
> instead of:
> 
>     [Workspace]   {7}
>    
> in your ~/.fluxbox/apps file ?
> Or may be you have a [Jump] {yes} command in there too ?
> Not sure if something similar in ~/.fluxbox/startup could cause this,
> so have a look in there just in case.

Yes, I looked in those places, but there doesn't seem anything odd:

  [app] (name=gkrellm) (class=Gkrellm)
    [Workspace]	{7}
    [Position]	(UPPERLEFT)	{0 0}
    [Close]	{yes}
  [end]

However, I have a custom 'apps-pp' file too,
which mb getting defined in the new machine's 'init' file.
I've made a note to check tomorrow.

>> (2) Luxi Mono is not coming out cleanly in Gvim or (Xfce) Terminal :
>> IIRC there's a pkg or a setting somewhere to fix it,
>> but I can't find it in my extensive notes from the past.

I've found the note buried in my notes from the 2007 installation :
it needs a file  /dev/fonts/local.conf  with various settings, esp

  <match target="font">
      <test name="family">
        <string>Luxi Mono</string>
      </test>
      <test name="pixelsize" compare="less">
        <double>24</double>
      </test>
      <edit name="hinting">
        <bool>false</bool>
      </edit>
    </match>

HTH anyone else who gets ugly fonts in a new box.

>> (3) I have  4  heat sensors in Gkrellm : 'k10temp' + 3 * 'it87'.
>> Can anyone suggest which bit of which device each is measuring ?
> I am guessing the k10temp is the core temperature of the CPU
> and the it87 the chip temperature sensors (3-off) from ACPI?

Well, I can guess equally well (smile). When compiling Firefox & LibreOffice,
the 'it87-3' reached  68 C  once, while the other  3  were lower ;
all  4  CPUs were working at  99 %  at the time.
IIRC the displayed temperatures are not very accurate: when not active,
 3  of the values were well below room temperature, which sb impossible.

I have the impression that the rate of CPU work is being controlled
in order to keep the temperature safely below the cut-off point
which I've set in BIOS, ie  70 C ; also, the variable fan is very impressive.
If so, it must be due to the combination of AMD + Gigabyte (mobo).

Thanks for the advice.  (1) must be fairly easy, when I find out why.
Any further info re (3) wb very welcome.

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca

Re: [gentoo-user] new machine : a few small queries

[Philip Webb]

On Saturday 15 Sep 2012 01:27:04 Philip Webb wrote:
> (1) In Fluxbox, Gkrellm insists on starting on Desktop 1 ;
> on my existing machine with the same config files, it starts on Desktop 8 .
> There must be some setting somewhere which has got changed.

The problem arose from the unadvertised & unexpected fact
that Fluxbox rewrites 'apps' whenever it exits (ugh!).
To work around this feature/bug you have to create your own file
with a different name & tell FB to look for it via a line in 'init'.

HTH others who forget such obscurities.

-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,   Philip Webb
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|   Cities Centre, University of Toronto
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'   purslowatchassdotutorontodotca