As soon as i logged in i saw over 500 updates but loosing 2 operating systems was not enough Checking Sabayon website i found a new version, 4.2.
I decided to download the ISO before starting to update 500 packages because i was almost sure something will go wrong.

And it went!

As usual, the graphic card didn’t work and wireless was down with no chance to download ATI driver for the 2.6.29 kernel. Open source driver didn’t work either so, i was in front of a “dead” laptop.

After half an hour, Sabayon 4.2 was installed.

What did work?
Graphics.
Now, when i use Compiz, MPlayer is not flickering anymore and also, other OpenGL apps are working too.

Sound didn’t work but the fix from this post worked.
CPU wasn’t set to “ondemand” so i had to apply the fix from this post.
Microphone didn’t work either … still muted by default so, i had to use aslamixer to switch to “Front Mic” and raise the sliders.

After a friend gave me an UTP cable, i was able to fix the touchscreen and fix the wireless by installing the latest broadcom-sta driver. Unfortunately at work every minute i was disconnected from AP.

I installed wicd and … nothing. It was a problem with DHCP because wicd was stuck in “Obtaining IP address…”

After checking wicd website i found a new version of wicd, not available in Sabayon repository. I had nothing to loose so, i decided to install it:

maya ~ # /etc/init.d/wicd stop
maya ~ # killall wicd-client
maya ~ # equo remove wicd
maya ~ # equo install bzr
maya ~ # bzr branch lp:wicd
maya ~ # cd wicd
maya ~ # python setup.py configure
maya ~ # python setup.py install
maya ~ # /etc/init.d/wicd start
maya ~ # rc-update add wicd default

Reboot is not necessary. As user just start wicd-client and connect.
Everything worked after. At home & work.

Other thing that didn’t work was suspend. Unfortunately, the fix from this post didn’t work so, after digging on Internet i found the fix on Ubuntu forums. Just add “i8042.nomux i8042.reset” at the end of the line starting with “kernel” in your /boot/grub/menu.lst

title Sabayon Linux (kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.29-sabayon)
	root (hd0,5)
	kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.29-sabayon
root=/dev/ram0 ramdisk=8192
real_root=UUID=f77ff3dc-6212-4294-a148-c39d4b87aab2
dolvm init=/linuxrc splash=silent,theme:sabayon vga=791
CONSOLE=/dev/tty1 quiet resume=swap:/dev/sda5
real_resume=swap:/dev/sda5
i8042.nomux i8042.reset
	initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.29-sabayon
	savedefault

Suspend is working with compiz activated too.

Soon Sabayon 5 will be out and i’ll have to start all over again as ~1000 packages to be upgraded will most likely break something

By the way, SSH FS is really awesome

Not a good idea. In fact, when i play with distro’s like Sabayon which include the latest packages i always expect something to go wrong after a big update. This time wasn’t different.

Next step, Wacom driver (tutorial will come soon). Super, working from first attempt.

After the first reboot (i wanted to see if everything works fine), my wireless stopped working. Somehow strange. I couldn’t connect to my wireless router but i was able to connect to other routers.

I decided to reinstall the wireless driver (using wired connection):

equo remove broadcom-sta
equo install broadcom-sta

Bingo!!! I asked for a new driver not a new kernel but as i like new things, i take the kernel too. Download, install, everything went fine.

Reboot… noo, not again!!!
Complete hang up this time.

Reboot in safe mode, check the logs, X didn’t start because of the ati driver was missing (of course, new kernel).

equo install ati-driver

Recompile && install Wacom driver, reboot … super, i have X now!

Wireless? I’m not that lucky.
The same problem like before.

Digging on forums i (finally) found the problem: some NetworkManager bugs.
Solution?

Wicd.

equo install wicd
equo remove nm-applet
rc-update del NetworkManager default
rc-update add wicd default
reboot

After reboot, wicd-client did a great job.
I have wireless now but not enough time to write the Wacom (touchscreen stylus and eraser) tutorial. For this one you will have to come back in a few days.

While looking for tutorials, tips, tricks to setup the Wacom digitizer i have to scroll a lot and every time i have huge problems. Because of scrolling, the entire system is freezing for a few seconds. This happens almost every minute and is pissing me off, really.

Watching the system load with top, i saw the Firefox and X using 100% of the CPU. After searching with google and checking tons of bug reports i found a few tips like: disabling smooth scrolling in firefox, adding “export MOZ_DISABLE_PANGO=1” in “/etc/profile“, adding:

Option "EnablePageFlip" "true"
Option "RenderAccel" "true"
Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"
Option "AccelMethode" "EXA"
Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"

in “/etc/X11/xorg.conf” but unfortunately none of them worked for me.

Looks like the problem is related to Compiz and ATI drivers.
Not that firefox or xorg are working 100% fine.

The only workaround for me is to switch the window manager from Compiz to Metacity. Now, xorg and firefox are using under 40% of CPU when scrolling but at least the system is not freezing anymore.

If anyone have some tips how to fix this issue, please let me know.
Thank you!

1. CPU Usage
2. Processes
3. RAM, Swap, HDD IO
4. HDD space
5. Wireless
6. Battery/AC
7. Sabayon world
8. Weather
9. Gmail

Wallpaper + Conky

The fix: a small wrapper to start Conky after 10 seconds.

#!/bin/sh
sleep 10s
/usr/bin/conky

Save file in:

/usr/bin/conky.wrapper.sh

and modify the “Conky” entry in

System->Preferences->Sessions

to

/usr/bin/conky.wrapper.sh

This should fix the problem.

/etc/conf.d/local.start

echo "ondemand" > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
echo "ondemand" > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu1/cpufreq/scaling_governor

Available options: conservative, ondemand, performance, powersave.

1. While playing movies the window is flickering.
2. From time to time the entire system is freezing for a few seconds and System Monitor show a CPU spike.

First problem affects every OpenGL application if Compiz is running.
There are a few workarounds but no fix yet. Everyone is waiting for the 9.01 closed source ATI drivers (fglrx).

Workarounds:

1. Switch from Compiz to Metacity (every time a movies is played or OpenGL application is running). Fusion Icon is included is Sabayon by default so 2 mouse clicks are enough.
2. In CCSM unredirect full screen windows
3. In CCSM “Extra WM Actions” should be activated and a keyboard shortcut should be defined for “Toggle Redirect”. Whenever a window is flickering, hit that keyboard shortcut and it will stop flickering.
4. In your player change the output from xv to x11.

Personally i use the 1st one.