Gusto ko lamang

Gusto ko lamang sa buhay ay yakapin mo ako
Hindi naman ako milyonaryo
Basta't araw-araw yakap mo ko
Feeling ko ang yaman yaman ko

-itchyworms

Configuring Prepaid Globe Tattoo in my Ubuntu Linux 10.04

I bought Prepaid Globe Tattoo several weeks back.  However, it would not work in Ubuntu Linux out of the box. I found this thread in the internet and the guys there can't find a solution either.

I finally made Globe tattoo work.  It turned out that the Globe dongle I have is by default in mass storage mode.  A quick lsusb shows the following information.


me@me-laptop:~$ lsusb


Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 003: ID 09da:000a A4 Tech Co., Ltd Port Mouse
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 08ff:1600 AuthenTec, Inc. AES1600
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 064e:a103 Suyin Corp.
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 12d1:1446 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

The product ID is 1446 (mass storage mode) and not 1001 (modem mode).  I simply have to switch to modem mode!  To do this, I have to install usb-modeswitch program, which quite easy to do using apt-get.

me@me-laptop:~$ sudo apt-get install usb-modeswitch

After which, the next step is easy. Switch to modem mode using the following command!

me@me-laptop:~$ sudo usb_modeswitch -H 12d1:1446 -v 12d1 -p 1446 -R -V 12d1 -P 1001

I ejected my Globe Tattoo and reinserted it.  I now works wonderfully.  In fact, I'm using Globe Tattoo now in my trusty Ubuntu Linux box. 

Btw -- of course you still have to do the usual mobile broadband configuration.

Making Epson T10 work in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

I have been using Ubuntu Linux since October 2009 as my main OS (Windows 7 is still available though on top of VirtualBox OSE).  I can't print however using Epson T10 even if I already installed the gutenprint library and cups-driver.

For three days, I searched the net for instructions on how to install the correct driver for Epson T10. Not one worked except for this post I got from Pinoy Computing Tips & Tricks.  It turned out that I have to downgrade libgutenprint2 v5.2.5 and cups-driver-gutenprint v5.2.5 to version v5.2.4.

Here's a procedure that worked for me (I'm using 64bit Ubuntu Linux 10.04):

1. Remove the existing gutenprint packages:

sudo apt-get remove libgutenprint2 cups-driver-gutenprint

2. Download the 64bit version of gutenprint v5.2.4 packages:

libgutenprint2 v5.2.4 (64-bit)
cups-driver-gutenprint v5.2.4 (64-bit)

3. Install the library.  Double-click libgutenprint2_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_amd64.deb file and click the Install button.

4. Install the cups-driver. Double-click cups-driver-gutenprint_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_amd64.deb file and click the Install button.

5. Lock the v2.5.4 version. Run Synaptic Package Manager and search for the gutenprint packages installed. Select each package and click Package ->Lock Version.