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Nvidia Optimus on Linux

Oct. 19, 2022, 4:14 p.m.

NVIDIA provides a proprietary driver for Linux, which generally provides better performance compared to the alternative FOSS driver -- Nouveau, as well as better functionality for newer models of its GPUs. For desktop computers, enabling the proprietary driver is straightforward. However for Optimus laptops running Linux, the situation is more complicated, requiring either specialized utilities provided by Linux distributions or manual methods to set the graphics mode (i.e., switching between discrete GPU only, integrated …

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The Best Distributions for Problematic Nvidia Optimus Hybrid Graphics

May 19, 2020, 4 p.m.

For Linux users with NVIDIA/Intel hybrid graphics laptops, having everything working perfectly or at least to the extent that their needs are met from the computer sometimes requires intervention by the user if the chosen distribution does not set it up. Sometimes this includes adjusting the system configuration to prevent the FLOSS Nouveau driver from being loaded or installing card switching technology such as Bumblebee. The last of these is what I have always done …

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Enabling a Native File Dialog for Firefox on Plasma Desktop

May 19, 2020, 1 p.m.

Firefox is an excellent browser with many useful and innovative features that is created by an organization that respects and strives to protect its users' privacy. It is also a GTK based application which means that it will use GTK elements in dialog windows for browsing files to upload to a website or to save files to the computer from a website. Plasma users would prefer to have native Qt/KDE Frameworks based file dialog windows. …

Enabling a Native File Dialog for Firefox on Plasma Desktop

Using SSH in KDE's Dolphin File Browser

July 13, 2019, 6 p.m.

KDE's Dolphin file browser is widely regarded as the most customizable. But it also has a lot of advanced built-in functionality and is extensible to add even more capability. Among its most useful functionality is the ability to access and manage remote files directly in the file browser using the FISH protocol, which in turn relies on the SSH protocol. This article describes how this can be used to transfer files to and from remote …

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Introduction to Phoronix Test Suite

Feb. 18, 2018, 6 p.m.

Phoronix Test Suite is a Free and Open Source automated benchmarking program developed by Phoronix Media, which also publishes the Phoronix website. Linux enthusiasts most likely have seen the output of the PTS software on Phoronix in their benchmarking results. In this article, we provide an overview of the installation of Phoronix Test Suite, the configuration of an account on openbenchmark.org -- where results can be shared, and the process of running a few basic …

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Using rsync

Feb. 1, 2018, 6 p.m.

rsync is a file transfer and file synchronization program for Unix and Unix-like computers that provides efficient transfers and synchronization "by sending just the differences in the files across the link, without requiring that both sets of files are present at one of the ends of the link beforehand," according to the rsync website. Because of this efficiency, it is, in some cases, a good alternative to backup and transfer schemes that use tar …

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GRUB for EFI Systems

June 20, 2015, 6 p.m.

Installing and configuring GRUB for an EFI system is a simple matter of a few commands to make the EFI System partition available, to install the appropriate version of the GRUB package, to install GRUB (the bootloader not the package) in the EFI System partition, and to update the configuration. The steps given here can be used to repair GRUB, to install and configure GRUB for EFI on distributions that don't do it for you …

GRUB for EFI Systems

EFI System

June 20, 2015, 6 p.m.

Generally, an EFI is an interface between the hardware and its firmware and the loader of the operating system. Practically, what a user interested in dual booting or multi booting Windows 8/8.1 and Linux needs to know are that an EFI system can only be used with a GPT disk and the following.

EFI System

Installing Multiple Versions of Firefox Including Multiple Profiles

May 1, 2015, 6 p.m.

Nearly all distributions make Firefox available through their default repositories. Some also make the beta, developer, and nightly editions available through non-default repositories. For distributions that don't provide these editions, or for distributions that make only one or some of the other editions available -- in the case of openSUSE, only the developer edition is available through the Mozilla OBS repository -- it is possible to install Firefox Beta and/or Firefox Developer Edition manually. It …

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