The Linux.uk Community Forum

Apparently there are a lot of fake flash drives doing the rounds. Only having about half the storage that it is supposed to have. There is a way to have a check if you`re in any doubt as to the storage problem of your flash drives or check when you have a new one.

I came across this:-

https://www.linuxbabe.com/command-line/f3-usb-capacity-fake-usb-test-linux

I used f3probe on one of mine and it came back as being "the real thing".

If you are using windows as well, there are a load of different ones to use on that OS!

I have posted this because there seems to be quite a few people who are filling their flash drives to watch things only to have the picture freeze on them when they have only used halve the storage capacity on them.

Just for info.
The Peppermint website and  forums are now properly operational again. Certificate issues have been solved with thanks to JosephD.

After reading about the speed and durability of SSD`s over their SATA HDD`s cousins I thought it would be a good idea to check them out. I went onto Crucial`s website and tried to input my laptop without success. After several attempts I decided to contact them and received a reply that one cannot be fitted into my Satellite Pro L850 1DP but I can get an external one. I can see the advantage of an external one but that`s not what I want, anyway it is what it is!

Regards
Tony

Hi all,
I was wondering which is the best processor AMD Ryzen 5 or Intel I5. I know there`s a load of different ones within each range and can be confusing for the casual user.

For those that don`t do a lot of heavy intensive stuff to the user who just does day to day stuff. I was asked this the other day and was stumped and confused because it`s not my forte!

Just for info, this is mine.


             PPPPPPPPPPPPPP                [email protected]
           PPPPMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPP            --------------------------------
         PPPPMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPMMPP          OS: Peppermint 10 Ten x86_64
       PPPPPPPPMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPMMMMMPP        Host: SATELLITE PRO L850-1DP PSKDHE-00H0
     PPPPPPPPPPPPMMMMMMPPPPPPPMMMMMMMPP      Kernel: 5.0.0-37-generic
    PPPPPPPPPPPPMMMMMMMPPPPMPMMMMMMMMMPP     Uptime: 2 hours, 30 mins
   PPMMMMPPPPPPPPPPMMMPPPPPMMMMMMMPMMPPPP    Packages: 1895 (dpkg)
   PMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPMMPPPPPMMMMMMPPPPPPPP    Shell: bash 4.4.20
  PMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPMMPPMPMMPMMPPPPPPPPPPP   Resolution: 1366x768
  PMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPPMPMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP   DE: LXDE
  PMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPMMMMMP   WM: Xfwm4
  PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPMMMPMPMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPP   WM Theme: Peppermint-xfwm4
  PPPPPPPPPPPMMPMMPPPPMMPPPPPMMMMMMMMMMMPP   Theme: Crux [GTK2/3]
   PPPPPPPPMMMMMMPPPPPMMPPPPPPMMMMMMMMMPP    Icons: gnome [GTK2/3]
   PPPPMMPMMMMMMMPPPPPPMMPPPPPPPPPPMMMMPP    Terminal: sakura
    PPMMMMMMMMMPMPPPPMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPP     Terminal Font: Ubuntu Mono,monospace 13
     PPMMMMMMMPPPPPPPMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPP      CPU: Intel i3-2328M (4) @ 2.200GHz
       PPMMMMPPPPPPPPPMMMMMMMPPPPPPPP        GPU: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor
         PPMMPPPPPPPPMMMMMMMMMMPPPP          Memory: 1593MiB / 5847MiB
           PPPPPPPPPPMMMMMMMMPPPP
               PPPPPPPPPPPPPP                                       

Regards
Tony

Hi all,
I have just downloaded the latest Mint Cinnamon and installed it onto a USB stick using unetbootin.

When I plug the HDMI cable into my PC I lose all my desktop icons and no menu bar at the bottom of the screen on the TV. I just see the desktop background & the Mint logo. The laptop screen is OK.

I am puzzled as to why this is happening. Any help would be appreciated. Peppermint, which is installed on the PC works fine.

Is the following of any use to help.

[email protected] ~ $ inxi -Fx
System:    Host: mint Kernel: 4.10.0-38-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.6 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   System: TOSHIBA (portable) product: SATELLITE PRO L850-1DP v: PSKDHE-00H004EN
           Mobo: Type2 - Board Vendor Name1 model: Type2 - Board Product Name1 v: Type2 - Board Version
           Bios: Insyde v: 6.10 date: 09/24/2012
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i3-2328M (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 8779
           clock speeds: max: 2200 MHz 1: 799 MHz 2: 800 MHz 3: 799 MHz
           4: 799 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: [email protected], [email protected]
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Sandybridge Mobile
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.0.7 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel 7 Series/C210 Series Family High Definition Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.10.0-38-generic
Network:   Card-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR9462 Wireless Network Adapter
           driver: ath9k bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: wlp2s0 state: down mac: 20:68:9d:14:69:6f
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 2000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: enp3s0 state: down mac: 4c:72:b9:9c:66:9a
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 782.2GB (6.5% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: TOSHIBA_MQ01ABD0 size: 750.2GB temp: 20C
           ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: USB_Flash_Drive size: 32.0GB temp: 0C
Partition: ID-1: swap-1 size: 7.50GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 39.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 215 Uptime: 4 min Memory: 558.4/5854.8MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35


[email protected] ~ $ xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 2726 x 768, maximum 32767 x 32767
LVDS1 connected primary 1366x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 344mm x 193mm
   1366x768      60.04*+
   1360x768      59.80    59.96 
   1280x720      60.00 
   1024x768      60.00 
   1024x576      60.00 
   960x540       60.00 
   800x600       60.32    56.25 
   864x486       60.00 
   640x480       59.94 
   720x405       60.00 
   680x384       60.00 
   640x360       60.00 
DP1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI1 connected 1360x768+1366+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 1600mm x 900mm
   1360x768      60.37*+
   1920x1080     60.00    50.00    59.94 
   1920x1080i    60.00    60.00    50.00    59.94 
   1280x1024     60.02 
   1280x720      60.61    60.00    50.00    59.94 
   1024x768      60.00 
   800x600       60.32 
   720x576       50.00 
   720x576i      50.00 
   720x480       60.00    59.94 
   720x480i      60.00    59.94 
   640x480       60.00    59.94 
VGA1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
VIRTUAL1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Thank you.

Hi Mark,

Probably silly question time. In updater  are three level 5 updates.

linux-generic
linux-headers-generic
linux-image-generic

Is it safe to install these? I`ve installed the level 3 ones but I left these until I know they`re safe. We are told to avoid level 5 because of the risk of crashing the system etc. Hence I`m a bit reluctant to install without advice.   

Regards
Tony

Hi all,

I have just got another external hard drive which has "gpt". I reformatted it to ext4, now when I try and add folders to it, it says I can`t because I do not have permissions to create it in the destination or "error copying file, permission denied" when trying to copy files.

It`s mounted at dev/sdb2. In GParted there`s a little key icon after dev/sdb2 under partition column. Any help appreciated.

Tony

If you own DVD`s that are bought in stores and you are not reselling them, and require them to be copied just in case your original DVD`s become of no use, apart from being used as coasters, then what`s the answer?

I used to use K9Copy until it was no longer maintained. There was rumours of someone else taking it over, but that seems like a long time ago. Pauline Martin restarted the development, but only as tarballs. Quite tricky for someone with my capabilities, then I came across this >

http://tomtomtom.org/k9copy-reloaded/en.html

Nice & easy .deb files to download. Works a treat on my Mint 17, thanks to tom   .

Please remember that it`s use is only for personal use not for profit or gain.

Hi all,
Just a query about VPN`s. They give you anonymity while being online, but do they slow the speed down? Is there any detriment when using secure sites e.g. online banking etc.

Having visited a few VPN providers, they show a little map of where I am (supposedly) situated via my ISP. The position they give on their maps is roughly 20 miles from where I am. So they don`t know where I am anyway! 

I`m not very clued up on it so any help would be appreciated.