Radeon + Linux = FIRE? Not anymore.

I know many out there who struggle with the overheating issues caused by installing a Linux distribution on a laptop with an ATI Radeon graphics card. I suffered from the same problem as well.

So basically the problem being that both the graphic devices (Intel & Radeon) are running at the same time, causing unbelievable amounts of heat emissions in spite of the built-in fan trying its best to cool down the graphics card.

So I looked around for a driver to manage this issue. I did find one, but it turned out that it doesn't support all Linux distributions and frankly it sucks. Very unstable.

So the only possible solution was to switch off my Radeon. I didn't need it anyway, the Intel graphics accelerator is doing a decent job of showing me what I am doing with my computer.

This script helped me switch it off:

echo OFF > /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo/switch

But it demands super user rights. So you will have to be in super user mode to access the directory. 
You could always work around it with the sudo command, but its still a tedious 
job to do everytime you switch on the laptop. How you get around this is upto 
you. Sudev (sudevshares.blogspot.in) suggested we make it a command and 
then sudo it.

I could always automate it on startup. I will do it soon once I get the time. 
To see if this script is doing the job for you, you could monitor your hardware's
temperature using the sensors command.

p.s. I am no scripting wiz, so if you have a better suggestion, feel free to leave it the comments area :)

You can find more similar silly scripts here: https://github.com/nachivpn/lanimert

Vocabulary? Fun? Nope. No Kidding.

A really good vocabulary is not every programmer's game. And sitting and studying for the GRE is not every programmer's dream either. Why? Because it is simply boring. But unfortunately for some of us, we don't have a choice. Colleges don't look at the amount of code you have written or how much you seem to know to get your way around technical situations. They all want a transcript claiming you have aced a bunch of useless exams. And if you cant produce that, you definitely need a similar one from ETS. To produce the latter you have got to crack the GRE. Well again, cracking GRE doesn't just involve doing some easy 10th grade math, it involves some mind boggling vocabulary skills.

Studying in NIT Calicut, is not helping me in any way either. I'm not blaming anyone for this. But that's that. There is nothing one can do about it. Sitting in my final year of B.Tech (Computer Science), I have many interesting things to do. I have all the ideas and opportunities I have always wanted. But guess what? Life is a bitch. Now, I have no TIME. Sounds very lame when people say time management is important. But unfortunately those people are right.

Thinking about starting to study for the GRE itself simply bought me some anxiety issues.(Kaplan was not making things simpler) But then, I found this FUN way to improve my vocabulary. (I got to know from some of my friends actually) Trust me, its true. At vocabulary.com, without realising you are improving your vocabulary, you will be busy trying to earn badges and crack levels. Some very nice people have taken their time make test prep. lists for GRE.

No, I have not cracked the GRE yet. I have scheduled mine for the next week. (19th October).

Yes, I will ace it, may be not in the first attempt. I have time for one more attempt before I start going crazy with my college application process.

Cheers :)