Install NVIDIA driver on LMDE

nvidia-settings front end

Installing proprietary driver actually a risky act. But it's worth trying for you who are brave enough to face a broken Xscreen for more 3D support. Don't worry you're not alone, I also face it a lot. Ready? Just remember, the risk is all yours :)

Done on:

- LMDE MATE 64 bit
- NVIDIA GeForce 310M 512MB (single no optimus)

Steps:

1. Detect NVIDIA card and the appropriate driver package
enter su mode

# sudo  su

install nvidia-detect package via apt or aptitude

# aptitude install nvidia-detect

run nvidia-detect

# nvidia-detect

we use detected NVIDIA GPU to look which driver version supports it. you can check it here
the newest version is 319.82 while the last stable version is 304.117

2. adding the installation repository

edit the /etc/apt/sources.list via pluma or nano or any text editor you have

pluma /etc/apt/sources.list

for newer version of driver add the wheezy-backport repository

# wheezy-backports
deb http://http.debian.net/debian/ wheezy-backports main contrib non-free

 
for stable (older) version of driver add the contrib and non-free repository

# Debian 7 "Wheezy"
deb http://http.debian.net/debian/ wheezy main contrib non-free

don't forget to update package list

# aptitude update

3. into the tty screen

enter tty1 by clicking Ctrl+Alt+F1 (or any other tty from tty1 to tty6)
login and enter su

# sudo su

it's better to turn off your desktop manager, mdm in my case. no more GUI this time

# /sbin/service mdm stop

install the appropriate linux header

# aptitude install linux-headers-$(uname -r|sed 's,[^-]*-[^-]*-,,')

install the recomended package by nvidia-detect
        for newer version

# aptitude -t wheezy-backports -r install nvidia-driver

        for older (stable) version

# aptitude -r install nvidia-driver 

* the nvidia-kernel-dkms package will be installed as well, if it isn't you can install it after this

you may install nvidia-setting and nvidia-xconfig as well

# aptitude install nvidia-setting nvidia-xconfig

after all this installation thing done you can run nvidia-xconfig. this will create a new X11 configuration file.

# nvidia-xconfig

4. brace your self. face the reality >:)

okay, take a deep breath and reboot your LMDE

# reboot

wait for all the booting process...
looking at the linux mint logo which is not as crisp as usual you maybe say
Oh, No!
okay, wait for a while...
if the NVIDIA logo comes up next then you have a successful installation. Congratulation! 

5. Oops...

when it didn't go well you can remove nvidia driver package and also remove the xorg.conf created by nvidia. take a look at reference [2] or [3]

Reference:

[1] wiki.debian.org
[2] lists.debian.org
[3] linux debian user groups

Wordpress installation Linux Mint

Pre-requisite

• apache
• mySQL
• phpmyadmin
• ftp
• wordpress [download]

Wordpress Installation
1. unzip wordpress-x.y.zip
2. put it in your directory with write permission for other user

   sudo find . -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
   sudo find . -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

3. make a link to it in your http root directory /var/www or elsewhere

   sudo ln -s /full/path/to/wp_dir/ /var/www/wp_site
   
4. launch phpmyadmin in your browser
5. create new database for wordpress and a user account for it
6. launch localhost/wp_site in your browser
7. set up a configuration file just follow the steps
8. change write permission for wp-config.php

   sudo chmod 600 wp-config.php



Uploading Plugins and Themes
1. install new theme in appearance > theme > install theme > upload [the theme]
2. install plugin in plugin > add new > upload [the framework]
3. uploading Plugins and Themes require your user and password.
4. change wp-content write permission if you experience uploading failure and write permission error

   sudo chmod -R 747 wp-content/


References
[1] codex.wordpress

Dual Boot Linux Mint + Windows 7

Case :: linux mint installed peacefully but something urgent makes you need to install windows 7 later

Prerequisite:

• linux mint distro dvd 
• windows 7 installation dvd
• make sure your hard disk primary partition only takes at most 3 partitions

        notes:

• msdos partition table only support 4 primary partition. so save 1 primary partition for windows
• what if i used all the primary partition? okay, prepare yourself to loss one of the partition. next line will be an obligation

• backup your data

        backup your home, backup your package using aptoncd, just in case there is a disaster

Steps
1. make more space for windows (resize partition)

• insert linux mint dvd to tray, boot from DVD and open GParted
• choose one partition that is large enough for your windows NTFS (at least 15 GB)
• next we will resize it

 

        notes:

• for safety measure resize the partition from the end (the white area). the beginning part may contain your data (the yellow area)

2. installing windows

• insert windows dvd to tray, boot from DVD and install windows
• choose the unallocated space

 

• install & wait until it's finished 
• now you will automatically boot to windows and your grub gone somewhere. 

3. reclaim the boot flag

• reboot, insert linux mint dvd to tray again and open GParted

      
as you can see windows will grab the boot flag so we have to give it back to grub. we'll continue to the next step
    
4. reinstall & update grub


     now it's time to call the terminal

• mount the linux mint partition

      $ sudo mount /dev/sda6 /mnt

• mount some directories that are needed

      $ sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
      $ sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
      $ sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc

• mount boot partition (only if it's located in separate partition)

      $ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot

• chroot to mount point

      $ sudo chroot /mnt

• install grub to hard disk (not the partition)

      $ sudo grub-install /dev/sda

• update grub to detect all bootable OS and option

      $ sudo update-grub

• finishing... exit /mnt and unmount them

      $ exit
      $ sudo umount /mnt/dev
      $ sudo umount /mnt/sys
      $ sudo umount /mnt/proc
      $ sudo umount /mnt/boot
      $ sudo umount /mnt/

5. reboot again

      $ sudo reboot  

6. let's wait and pray...
    thank God it's back :D

tried this in detail (including screenshots) using virtualbox. hope it's not much different from the real thing

Reference:
update-grub from live-cd