Tips

When in a tabbed page
  • View all
    • Ctrl->Alt->r
  • For night reading in View All mode click the paintbrush icon and change the theme to Contrast. Ctrl->Alt->r to exit View All mode.
NumLock
To reset a locked or misbehaving number pad on a Panasonic Toughbook( a common Toughbook problem) in Linux, use the Fn + NumLk shortcut or install numlockx to force-enable the keypad. Depending on your specific Toughbook model (like the CF-19 or CF-31), the integrated numpad might be toggling letters instead of numbers, or turning off after reboots.
Battery Maintenance
To maintain your Panasonic Toughbook battery, keep the charge between 40%-80% during regular use, avoid extreme temperatures.
If storing the laptop long-term, remove the battery at a 30-40% charge.
Always power off the computer when it is not in use. Leaving the computer on when
the AC adaptor is not connected will exhaust the remaining battery capacity.
Consider replacing the battery every 2-3 years to ensure optimal performance.
Operating Temperature
Recharging will not commence if internal temperature of the battery pack is
outside of the allowable temperature range 0 °C to 50 °C {32 °F to 122 °F}.
Cleaning the Screen
Use a microfiber cloth slightly dampened with water or a 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol to gently clean the Toughbook screen. Avoid harsh chemicals or abrasive materials.
No Sound
Open terminal (Ctrl->Alt->t)
Enter:
alsamixer
F6 to select sound card
Select HDA Intel PCH
2nd column(Headphone) should NOT be MM
Click the base until MM changes to 00
Use arrow keys to adjust volume and 'M' to toggle mute.
alsamixer

Chirp

Install\Update
Download Latest .whi  |  ChirpMyRadio
cd ~/Downloads
pipx install --system-site-packages ./chirp-*.whl
Prereqs
Dependancies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-wxgtk4.0 python3-pip pipx

Direwolf

Note: Close any programs using sound. Direwolf will not launch if any other audio is playing.
Cannot get card error
The "cannot get card index" error in Linux means Direwolf cannot find or access your specified ALSA audio device. This usually happens when the device is mapped incorrectly, the index numbers have shifted after a reboot, or your user account lacks audio permissions.
Fix
  • 1. Identify Your Sound Card's IndexRun the following command to list all ALSA capture and playback devices:
    arecord -1
     Locate your USB audio device (e.g., USB PnP Sound Device) and note its card number and device number (e.g., card 1, device 0).
  • 2. Update Your direwolf.conf File
    Open your direwolf.conf file (usually located in your home directory)
    :nano ~/direwolf.conf
    Find the ADEVICE line and update it using the hw:Card,Device syntax.
    For example:ADEVICE hw:1,0
  • 3. Check User Audio Permissions
    If you get a permission error, your user may not be in the correct audio group.
    Add your current user to the audio and video groups with this command and then log out and back in:
    sudo usermod -aG audio,video $USER
Failed to execute xterm -e direwolf
Linux Mint 22 ("Wilma") dropped xterm from its default base installation in favor of the much more feature-rich GNOME Terminal (or Tilix, depending on your chosen desktop edition).
Fix
sudo apt update
sudo apt install xterm

YAAC

Latitude: Positive is North, negative is South.
Longitude: Positive is East, negative is West.