Tobia's questions

Apparently XFCE 4.16 has adopted Gnome's horrible idea of custom window decorations / client side decorations (CSD) making it look completely out of place for those of us who designed and use our own custom window decoration theme.

This is a big step backwards, towards the ugliness of Gnome, where every app looks differently and behaves differently from the rest of the system, which is something many of us have been fleeing from.

Is there a switch or a setting to disable this behaviour?

Currently only XFCE dialogs and Gnome native applications (which I try to use as little as possible) have this monstrosity. But I fear it's a plague that's spreading.

(I blame iTunes, but that's just a historical note.)

I'm trying to install some packages from the Microsoft APT Repository (because I hate Snap with a passion!) but I can't seem to be able to add its key:

$ curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo apt-key add -
OK

It says OK, but the key doesn't work:

$ sudo apt update
[...]
Err:7 https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable InRelease
  The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY EB3E94ADBE1229CF
Reading package lists... Done
W: GPG error: https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable InRelease: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY EB3E94ADBE1229CF
E: The repository 'https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable InRelease' is not signed.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

I also tried retrieving the key starting from the NO_PUBKEY id printed by apt-get:

$ sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv EB3E94ADBE1229CF
Executing: /tmp/apt-key-gpghome.q9IjlmqKv9/gpg.1.sh --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv EB3E94ADBE1229CF
gpg: key EB3E94ADBE1229CF: "Microsoft (Release signing) <[email protected]>" not changed
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:              unchanged: 1

It says "not changed" and in fact, nothing changes.

If I check the output of apt-key list I see that all third-party keys have a sub rsa4096 except Microsoft's. Is this why it doesn't work?

$ sudo apt-key list 
/etc/apt/trusted.gpg
--------------------
pub   rsa4096 2017-05-08 [SCEA]
      1EDD E2CD FC02 5D17 F6DA  9EC0 ADAE 6AD2 8A8F 901A
uid           [ unknown] Sublime HQ Pty Ltd <[email protected]>
sub   rsa4096 2017-05-08 [S]

pub   rsa4096 2016-04-12 [SC]
      EB4C 1BFD 4F04 2F6D DDCC  EC91 7721 F63B D38B 4796
uid           [ unknown] Google Inc. (Linux Packages Signing Authority) <[email protected]>
sub   rsa4096 2019-07-22 [S] [expires: 2022-07-21]

pub   rsa4096 2014-06-13 [SC]
      9FD3 B784 BC1C 6FC3 1A8A  0A1C 1655 A0AB 6857 6280
uid           [ unknown] NodeSource <[email protected]>
sub   rsa4096 2014-06-13 [E]

pub   rsa2048 2015-10-28 [SC]
      BC52 8686 B50D 79E3 39D3  721C EB3E 94AD BE12 29CF
uid           [ unknown] Microsoft (Release signing) <[email protected]>

[...]

How do I solve this issue?

Ubuntu 20.04 focal

I'm trying to get hardware encoding working on ffmpeg.

I'm using Ubuntu 18.04 with its default kernel (4.15.0-50.54), ffmpeg package (3.4.6-0ubuntu0.18.04.1) and Nvidia drivers (390.116-0ubuntu0.18.04.1)

My hardware is a Lenovo Thinkpad P40 Yoga with a NVidia Quadro M500M (GM108GLM) which is supposed to have PureVideo HD 6 (VP6). I have not found a list of the codecs, pixel formats, bitrates, and resolutions supported by NVENC on this card, but it should be able to encode simple H264 videos at the very least. In fact, I have successfully used NVENC with OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) on the same computer in the past.

But ffmpeg gives the following messages:

[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] Loaded Nvenc version 8.1
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] Nvenc initialized successfully
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] 1 CUDA capable devices found
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] [ GPU #0 - < Quadro M500M > has Compute SM 5.0 ]
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] OpenEncodeSessionEx failed: unsupported device (2)
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] No NVENC capable devices found
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] Nvenc unloaded

What can I do to fix it?

Here is the full output:

$ ffmpeg -f lavfi -i testsrc=duration=10:size=1280x720:rate=30 -vcodec h264_nvenc test.mp4 -v 56
ffmpeg version 3.4.6-0ubuntu0.18.04.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2019 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 7 (Ubuntu 7.3.0-16ubuntu3)
  configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=0ubuntu0.18.04.1 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --enable-gpl --disable-stripping --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librubberband --enable-librsvg --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi --enable-omx --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-sdl2 --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 --enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-libopencv --enable-libx264 --enable-shared
  libavutil      55. 78.100 / 55. 78.100
  libavcodec     57.107.100 / 57.107.100
  libavformat    57. 83.100 / 57. 83.100
  libavdevice    57. 10.100 / 57. 10.100
  libavfilter     6.107.100 /  6.107.100
  libavresample   3.  7.  0 /  3.  7.  0
  libswscale      4.  8.100 /  4.  8.100
  libswresample   2.  9.100 /  2.  9.100
  libpostproc    54.  7.100 / 54.  7.100
Splitting the commandline.
Reading option '-f' ... matched as option 'f' (force format) with argument 'lavfi'.
Reading option '-i' ... matched as input url with argument 'testsrc=duration=10:size=1280x720:rate=30'.
Reading option '-vcodec' ... matched as option 'vcodec' (force video codec ('copy' to copy stream)) with argument 'h264_nvenc'.
Reading option 'test.mp4' ... matched as output url.
Reading option '-v' ... matched as option 'v' (set logging level) with argument '56'.
Finished splitting the commandline.
Parsing a group of options: global .
Applying option v (set logging level) with argument 56.
Successfully parsed a group of options.
Parsing a group of options: input url testsrc=duration=10:size=1280x720:rate=30.
Applying option f (force format) with argument lavfi.
Successfully parsed a group of options.
Opening an input file: testsrc=duration=10:size=1280x720:rate=30.
detected 4 logical cores
[Parsed_testsrc_0 @ 0x562d21d4b660] Setting 'duration' to value '10'
[Parsed_testsrc_0 @ 0x562d21d4b660] Setting 'size' to value '1280x720'
[Parsed_testsrc_0 @ 0x562d21d4b660] Setting 'rate' to value '30'
[Parsed_testsrc_0 @ 0x562d21d4b660] size:1280x720 rate:30/1 duration:10.000000 sar:1/1
[AVFilterGraph @ 0x562d21d4a840] query_formats: 2 queried, 1 merged, 0 already done, 0 delayed
[lavfi @ 0x562d21d498c0] All info found
[lavfi @ 0x562d21d498c0] stream 0: start_time: 0.000 duration: -307445734561825856.000
[lavfi @ 0x562d21d498c0] format: start_time: 0.000 duration: -9223372036854.775 bitrate=0 kb/s
Input #0, lavfi, from 'testsrc=duration=10:size=1280x720:rate=30':
  Duration: N/A, start: 0.000000, bitrate: N/A
    Stream #0:0, 1, 1/30: Video: rawvideo, 1 reference frame (RGB[24] / 0x18424752), rgb24, 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 0/1, 30 tbr, 30 tbn, 30 tbc
Successfully opened the file.
Parsing a group of options: output url test.mp4.
Applying option vcodec (force video codec ('copy' to copy stream)) with argument h264_nvenc.
Successfully parsed a group of options.
Opening an output file: test.mp4.
[file @ 0x562d21d6d720] Setting default whitelist 'file,crypto'
Successfully opened the file.
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (rawvideo (native) -> h264 (h264_nvenc))
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
cur_dts is invalid (this is harmless if it occurs once at the start per stream)
[rawvideo @ 0x562d21d4f740] PACKET SIZE: 2764800, STRIDE: 3840
[graph 0 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x562d21d6f9e0] Setting 'video_size' to value '1280x720'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x562d21d6f9e0] Setting 'pix_fmt' to value '2'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x562d21d6f9e0] Setting 'time_base' to value '1/30'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x562d21d6f9e0] Setting 'pixel_aspect' to value '1/1'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x562d21d6f9e0] Setting 'sws_param' to value 'flags=2'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x562d21d6f9e0] Setting 'frame_rate' to value '30/1'
[graph 0 input from stream 0:0 @ 0x562d21d6f9e0] w:1280 h:720 pixfmt:rgb24 tb:1/30 fr:30/1 sar:1/1 sws_param:flags=2
[format @ 0x562d21d6e520] compat: called with args=[yuv420p|nv12|p010le|yuv444p|yuv444p16le|bgr0|rgb0|cuda]
[format @ 0x562d21d6e520] Setting 'pix_fmts' to value 'yuv420p|nv12|p010le|yuv444p|yuv444p16le|bgr0|rgb0|cuda'
[auto_scaler_0 @ 0x562d21d72da0] Setting 'flags' to value 'bicubic'
[auto_scaler_0 @ 0x562d21d72da0] w:iw h:ih flags:'bicubic' interl:0
[format @ 0x562d21d6e520] auto-inserting filter 'auto_scaler_0' between the filter 'Parsed_null_0' and the filter 'format'
[AVFilterGraph @ 0x562d21d6e7e0] query_formats: 4 queried, 2 merged, 1 already done, 0 delayed
[auto_scaler_0 @ 0x562d21d72da0] picking rgb0 out of 7 ref:rgb24 alpha:0
[swscaler @ 0x562d21d73b40] Forcing full internal H chroma due to input having non subsampled chroma
[auto_scaler_0 @ 0x562d21d72da0] w:1280 h:720 fmt:rgb24 sar:1/1 -> w:1280 h:720 fmt:rgb0 sar:1/1 flags:0x4
Loaded lib: libcuda.so.1
Loaded sym: cuInit
Loaded sym: cuDeviceGetCount
Loaded sym: cuDeviceGet
Loaded sym: cuDeviceGetName
Loaded sym: cuDeviceComputeCapability
Loaded sym: cuCtxCreate_v2
Loaded sym: cuCtxPushCurrent_v2
Loaded sym: cuCtxPopCurrent_v2
Loaded sym: cuCtxDestroy_v2
Loaded sym: cuMemAlloc_v2
Loaded sym: cuMemFree_v2
Loaded sym: cuMemcpy2D_v2
Loaded sym: cuGetErrorName
Loaded sym: cuGetErrorString
Loaded lib: libnvidia-encode.so.1
Loaded sym: NvEncodeAPICreateInstance
Loaded sym: NvEncodeAPIGetMaxSupportedVersion
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] Loaded Nvenc version 8.1
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] Nvenc initialized successfully
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] 1 CUDA capable devices found
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] [ GPU #0 - < Quadro M500M > has Compute SM 5.0 ]
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] OpenEncodeSessionEx failed: unsupported device (2)
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] No NVENC capable devices found
[h264_nvenc @ 0x562d21d512a0] Nvenc unloaded
Error initializing output stream 0:0 -- Error while opening encoder for output stream #0:0 - maybe incorrect parameters such as bit_rate, rate, width or height
[AVIOContext @ 0x562d21d6d7a0] Statistics: 0 seeks, 0 writeouts
Conversion failed!

I have a working triple-boot system on a MacBook Air (Mac OS X + Windows 7 + Ubuntu) that I achieved some time ago by following various tutorials.

Now I'd like to spice it up a bit by reinstalling Ubuntu with full disk encryption (using this great tutorial) and removing Mac OS X entirely, since I never use it anymore.

But I'm hitting a roadblock: as soon as I touch the GPT, no matter how little I change, Windows becomes unbootable!

Here is the current, working partition table (Linux gdisk command p)

Disk /dev/sda: 490234752 sectors, 233.8 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): DC542B27-E782-479A-B17F-AAB05FACFA6C
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 490234718
Partitions will be aligned on 8-sector boundaries
Total free space is 2877 sectors (1.4 MiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1              40          409639   200.0 MiB   EF00  EFI System Partition
   2          411648       160409599   76.3 GiB    8300  
   3       160409600       168409087   3.8 GiB     8200  
   4       168409088       244826335   36.4 GiB    AF00  Apple_HFS_Untitled_2
   5       244826336       246095871   619.9 MiB   AB00  Recovery HD
   6       246095872       490233855   116.4 GiB   0700  BOOTCAMP

Partitions 2 and 3 are Linux root and swap respectively.

This is the protective MBR (command: r o)

Disk size is 490234752 sectors (233.8 GiB)
MBR disk identifier: 0x4B9CA30C
MBR partitions:

Number  Boot  Start Sector   End Sector   Status      Code
   1                     1    246095871   primary     0xEE
   2      *      246095872    490233855   primary     0x07

What I'd like to do is to remove GPT partitions 2 to 4 (not to be confused with MBR partition 2 above), replacing them with a 256MB Linux boot and a LUKS partition holding everything else. (I'll keep the Mac OS X recovery just in case I need some utility to write to nvram or something.)

I can easily do it with commands: d 2, d 3, d 4, n 2 default +256M, n 3 default default. The result is thus:

...
Total free space is 869 sectors (434.5 KiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
   1              40          409639   200.0 MiB   EF00  EFI System Partition
   2          409640          933927   256.0 MiB   8300  Linux filesystem
   3          933928       244826335   116.3 GiB   8300  Linux filesystem
   5       244826336       246095871   619.9 MiB   AB00  Recovery HD
   6       246095872       490233855   116.4 GiB   0700  BOOTCAMP

Printing the protective MBR shows the exact same table as before.

And yet, if I write this to disk and reboot, Windows won't boot anymore! even though I haven't changed its partition, nor the protective MBR.

If I hold Alt during boot and choose Windows, I get a weird sequence of screens that end in a Grub command prompt! Where is that Grub coming from, is a mystery.

Luckily I had a foreboding that something like this might happen, so I made a complete Clonezilla backup before touching anything. Now I can easily restore the system to the working triple boot state and try again. But no matter what I try, I break it!

How can I modify these partitions without borking Windows?

Edit—here are the weird Grub screens when I try to boot Windows after changing the GPT:

In the second screen it mentions 3 partitions of type 0xEE. Where are they coming from? Where is this Grub coming from in the first place??

On my Debian servers I'm used to hitting Tab to "preview" the expansion of shell patterns:

$ cp *some*<Tab>
something  somewhat  have-some-cake
$ cp *some*_

When the pattern expands to one entry, Tab replaces the pattern with the actual entry; otherwise it shows a list of matching entries. This is intuitive and useful because it's consistent with the regular "prefix" Tab completion.

But my Ubuntu servers and desktops behave differently: even when it would expand to more than one entry, Tab replaces the pattern with the first entry.

I have checked the usual suspects (/etc/bash.bashrc, /etc/inputrc, and the local versions) and I couldn't find any difference.

Does anybody know which setting controls this behaviour?