Some Ubuntu-related tricks will be descibed here.

== X ==

If X gets totally hosed (i.e. you don't have any graphical interface at all), try running "sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg" and select a very basic video configuration, using the "vesa" video driver, and accepting all the default options.  

On Dell machines with fancy Nvidia video cards, there is a proprietary video driver available.  Running "nvidia-xconfig" will switch over your X configuration to use the Nvdia drivers.  See also [[http://www.cs.cornell.edu/w8/~djm/ubuntu/feisty/#nvidia-driver]].


== Matlab ==

Matlab R2007a crashes frequently in Ubuntu Feisty.  Apparently most of these problems are actually the fault of Java, on which Matlab relies heavily.  By setting a few environment variables and upgrading the java JVM, most of these quirks can be fixed.

=== Simulink crashes ===

Install a new JVM by typing:

{{{
sudo aptitude install sun-java6-jre sun-java6-fonts
}}}

Now set the MATLAB_JAVA environment variable to point to the new JVM.  I start Matlab via the following shell script (which I put in ~/bin):

{{{
#!/bin/sh
export AWT_TOOLKIT=MToolkit
export MATLAB_JAVA=/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-sun-1.6.0.00/jre
eval `~/ligotools/bin/use_ligotools`
/usr/local/bin/matlab $*
}}}