[04:38] <xu-irc41w> hello, i recently installed xubuntu on an old samsung laptop and it keeps freezing on wake.
[04:38] <xu-irc41w> it looks like a screensaver problem, but the strange thing is i disabled that and it still runs.
[04:39] <xu-irc41w> it looks like the screensaver isn't able to get the display info
[04:45] <xu-irc41w> dk_monitor_get_scale_factor: assertion 'GDK_IS_MONITOR (monitor)' failed
[04:46] <xu-irc41w> (xfce4-screensaver:4867): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 00:16:42.335: invalid uninstantiatable type '<unknown>' in cast to 'GSWindow'
[05:08] <tomreyn> xu-irc41w: which ubuntu version is this?
[05:09] <xu-irc41w> one moment
[05:10] <xu-irc41w> 23.04
[05:11] <xu-irc41w> i just tried closing the lid while unplugged and the screen won't even re-engage.
[05:11] <tomreyn> can you run this in a terminal and hpost the url it prints?   env | grep DISPLAY | nc termbin.com 9999
[05:12] <xu-irc41w> ok
[05:13] <tomreyn> and what's the single line output of this?   journalctl -b | grep "DMI:"
[05:15] <tomreyn> generally, many systems have issues with return from suspend (you mentioned "sleep", which usually refers to that). bios updates help *sometimes*.
[05:15] <xu-irc41w> https://termbin.com/yqyy
[05:16] <tomreyn> oh just this one line, i see.
[05:16] <xu-irc41w> Oct 10 01:11:53 andrew-300V3A-300V4A-300V5A kernel: DMI: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. 300V3A/300V4A/300V5A/300V3A/300V4A/300V5A, BIOS 03FI 07/27/2011
[05:19] <tomreyn> this seems to be a samsung NP300V3A-A01
[05:19] <tomreyn> can you confirm the exact model?
[05:20] <xu-irc41w> sure
[05:21] <xu-irc41w> it's actually a np300v5a
[05:23] <tomreyn> there are different ones for this, you should see the exact model on a label on the bottom of the device. https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/ to search for bios updates
[05:23] <xu-irc41w> it didn't occur to me to update the bios
[05:26] <tomreyn> an example for a complete model number is: NP305E7A-A02US
[05:27] <xu-irc41w> the download is a windows executable
[05:28] <tomreyn> hmm, yes, sadly
[05:31] <tomreyn> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SamsungBIOS
[05:35] <tomreyn> so this suggests the actual bios update is located at http://sbuservice.samsungmobile.com/upload/BIOSUpdateItem/ITEM_20130312_826_WIN_10FI.exe
[05:36] <tomreyn> still an .exe, of course
[05:39] <xu-irc41w> then i have to somehow install windows or something
[05:39] <xu-irc41w> maybe run it off of a flash drive?
[05:40] <tomreyn> not by itself, but it's possible that your currently installed bios setup has a routine to load this file from a fat32 formatted usb stick
[05:43] <xu-irc41w> it doesn't look like it
[05:43] <xu-irc41w> it looks like the bios is flashed from within windows
[05:43] <xu-irc41w> i'm guessing that i shouldn't try to do this through WiNE
[05:44] <tomreyn> no, you should not.
[05:45] <xu-irc41w> would i be able to connect an external hard drive and run install windows to that?
[05:45] <xu-irc41w> otherwise i'll have to buy another hard drive and swap it out temporarily
[05:46] <tomreyn> apparently the actual bios update files contained in the self-extracting archive are called "flashabl.rom" and "01JVM001.wph". it's a phoenix (company) bios
[05:47] <tomreyn> apparently there are some tools which can install windows to external media and make this bootable. i have not tried this recently.
[05:47] <tomreyn> maybe #windows can help there
[05:50] <tomreyn> rufus and isotousb seem to be two utilities which can do so
[05:53] <tomreyn> xu-irc41w: i'll have to leave for now - good luck!
[05:53] <xu-irc41w> ok, thank you for the help
[20:43] <xu-help22w> Hi ! Is there anyone here who can help me with an install on an IMac late 2009 ?
[20:47] <xu-help22w> Xubuntu is the only distro which allow me to go to the live session then installation process, but after reboot I have blank screen after the launch of Radeon driver… I can see grub to edit the nomodeset option…. I am lost….
[21:24] <xu-help46w> hello, i was here before asking for help with a screensaver error.  the solution suggested was a bios update, but i'm having a hell of a time getting a hold of a windows 7 iso to run the update program.  i need another option.
[21:24] <xu-help46w> the laptop is a np300v5a-a06us samsung
[21:25] <xu-help46w> dk_monitor_get_scale_factor: assertion 'GDK_IS_MONITOR (monitor)' failed
[21:25] <xu-help46w> (xfce4-screensaver:4867): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 00:16:42.335: invalid uninstantiatable type '<unknown>' in cast to 'GSWindow'
[21:25] <xu-help46w> is there another option here?  i really don't want to spend 200 dollars on an unsupported OS just to update firmware
[21:47] <tomreyn> xu-help46w: hi
[21:47] <tomreyn> there's a script for the upgrad eon linux that i found, let me find it again...
[21:47] <xu-help46w> really?
[21:49] <xu-help46w> so long as it doesn't brick the computer i'm all for it
[21:50] <tomreyn> you could try this: https://www.richud.com/wiki/Extract_Samsung_BIOS_WPH
[21:50] <tomreyn> if the file list in the end comes out similar to this, and the files are of similar size, then i'd not be too worried.
[21:50] <tomreyn> i'll try going through these steps here quickly
[21:55] <tomreyn> nope, this process doesn't work with your bios update
[21:55] <xu-help46w> well crap
[21:56] <xu-help46w> is there no other workaround? it's not detecting the display properly so when it wakes the display doesn't engage correctly
[21:58] <tomreyn> why were you looking for windows 7 specifically?
[22:08] <xu-help46w> that is what came with the computer originally
[22:09] <xu-help46w> and i have seen posts suggesting that windows 10 will not run the utility
[22:10] <xu-help46w> there is one other thing i might be able to try.  booting from usb works with any storage device right?
[22:10] <xu-help46w> i can create a portable install of my windows 10 system using wintousb on an external 1tb drive
[22:11] <xu-help46w> the samsung meets the absolute barest system requirements for running it.
[22:11] <xu-help46w> but i don't need it to do cartwheels
[22:23] <tomreyn> yes, you could try this. i imagine you might even be able to run the bios update from a booted windows installer
[22:23] <tomreyn> but then... i'm not 100% sure, since that's a "pre-boot environment" and some bis updates have a check for that and won't work there
[22:24] <tomreyn> but again, that's more a topic for #windows, i'm afraid
[22:24] <tomreyn> it's even thinkable it might work under freedos
[22:25] <tomreyn> but some of those .exe's contained in the packed .exe are windows gui applications
[22:25] <tomreyn> so that *could* mean it can only run on actual windows with a GUI.
[22:44] <xu-help46w> based on what videos i've found, they are GUI programs