install nvidia's package drivers with a compiled kernel

cd /usr/src
CC=gcc SYSSRC=/usr/src/linux-2.6.26 SYSOUT=/usr/src/linux-2.6.26 sh
NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.12-pkg1.run
startx

Firefox3 diverted links in background tab

about:config
browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground

making a kernel from source

apt-get update && apt-get install initrd-tools kernel-package

make mrpropper
make menuconfig
make-kpkg --initrd kernel_image

make sure initrd (ramdisk) is installed /boot/initrd-`kernalversion` in grub or lilo
(initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-6-k7)

DISTCC masquerade recursion issue

make sure that g++/gcc has absolute linkage to g++-/gcc-(version) otherwise there is will be a recursion issue

mkdir /usr/lib/distcc/bin
cd /usr/lib/distcc/bin
ln -s ../../../bin/distcc gcc
ln -s ../../../bin/distcc cc
ln -s ../../../bin/distcc g++

mkdir /etc/distcc
echo 'localhost' >> /etc/distcc/hosts

echo "export PATH=/usr/lib/distcc/bin:$PATH"
ln -sf /usr/bin/g++-4.1 /usr/bin/g++
ln -sf /usr/bin/gcc-4.1 /usr/bin/gcc

set path variable to have distcc as the first

Startup scripts enable disable

Enable:
- sudo update-rc.d  <scriptname> defaults
Disable:
- sudo update-rc.d -f  <scriptname> remove

http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/28

Command shell linux logon

edit /etc/inittab
change default runlevel to 1

ALSA Woes

If you have alsa configured correctly {sudo alsaconfig no error} you are using oss. Make sure that nothing is using the sounds card (XMMS).
Explicitly create the device files
mknod -m 777 /dev/dsp c 14 3
mknod -m 777 /dev/mixer c 14 0
Make sure xmms
- using alsa
- NOT software mixer

to reload
sudo alsa reload