Sometimes when I have had a usb memory stick plugged in to transfer photos or other files, I can’t eject the stick using the context menu.

Here’s an easy workaround for this problem:

Open a terminal session and type:

sudo fdisk -l

Enter your password, and it will give you a listing of your disk devices.  You need to find which one is your usb memory stick.  In my case it is /dev/sde1

now type:

sudo umount /dev/sde1

Your sudo access lasts for several minutes, so it won’t ask for your password again, it will return you straight back to the prompt without appearing to do anything. However if you type the same command again it will say:

umount: /dev/sde1: not mounted

Which proves that it was mounted the first time you ran the command.

This workaround won’t stop it from happening again, but it is an easy way of making sure the stick is unmounted before you remove it, and it saves you from potentially losing data

I have this login problem with my Ubuntu 12.10 installation, and the cure for it is listed here.  It may work for other versions of Ubuntu, but there’s no guarantee.

Workaround for the Ubuntu 12.10 blank screen problem

Sometimes, on waking the computer up from being asleep/screensaver or whatever, all I get is a blank screen.  No desktop icons, no menus, no status bar, nothing.

Here’s how to get around the problem.  Bear in mind that this is not a cure, just a workaround:

Right-click on the desktop and a context menu will pop up with the following options:

Create New Folder
Create New Document
Organise Desktop by Name
Keep Aligned
Paste
Change Desktop Background

Click on the last option: Change Desktop Background, and the System Settings window will open at the Appearance Tab.

Change to All Settings by ckicking All Settings at the top of the window

Now click on Displays in the Hardware section.

Nine times out of ten, this restores the desktop icons and menus and all the other open program windows to normal.

If it doesn’t, press Ctrl-Alt-T to open a root terminal, and type:

sudo reboot

I have this login problem with my Ubuntu 12.10 installation, and the cure for it is listed here.  It may work for other versions of Ubuntu, but there’s no guarantee.

 Workaround for the Ubuntu 12.10 login problem

Sometimes Ubuntu 12.10 won’t let me login.

The graphical login screen appears as normal, but when I type my password and press Enter, the screen goes blank for a second, then goes straight back to the login screen again.

It’s almost as though my password is not being accepted, but I know it’s ok, as I can log into a console with it.

Here’s how to cure it:

Press Ctrl-Alt-F1 and do a console login using your normal username and password, then type:

sudo rm ~/.Xauthority

Enter your password, then press Ctrl-Alt-F7 to return to the graphical login screen.

You should now be able to log in.