Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

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MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by MagicMint »

overkill22 wrote:
MagicMint wrote:Did the kernel 4.2 work out for you ? A few months ago, I had noticed on an AsusPRO PU551JA that the touchpad was extraordinarily sluggish with 3.19, although it worked well with 4.2. Some times later, I’ve read on the Linux Mint blog that this was a known issue on “some Asus machines”…
Depends what do you mean for working. I have now the 4.2.0-22 and it is working. I cannot judge the touchpad as I'm coming for a 7-8 y.o. laptop, where the touchpad was the super old style. At the moment I can use the tp with two fingers for click and scroll, the three fingers for click. But then I don't know what I can do with the new tp as I'm not really updated on that.
I still feel that there are no settings for the sensibility of the tp, so to cross the screen from one side to another, I still have to swipe twice. Setting the "acceleration" is not what I'm looking for for solve this problem.
There is definitely quite a lot more to clickpads than to old touchpads. Unfortunately, you can’t easily activate all these features through the GUI — this isn’t a bed of roses, even in Windows: the Asus driver never installed there on my own Zenbook :evil:

If you’re interested, take a look on my tutorial “Pimp up the touchpad of your notebook” :)
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by overkill22 »

MagicMint wrote:
overkill22 wrote:However it seems that the easiest way now it to change with cinnamon and hopefully come back when linux mint 18 mate is ready...
That could be a long time to wait… MATE is based on the older Gnome 2 technology, whereas Cinnamon has been derived from the newer Gnome 3 — and that’s where brand new features like HiDPI are easier to introduce.

MATE may still have an ergonomic appeal as Gnome 2 was ripe in this view, but the components of Cinnamon are all newer, better, and more adapted to today’s hardware. And there is not that much difference in usability between the two, I think.
actually I'm trying now Cinnamon but there is no HiDPI support. I mean, you can change in preferences > general > desktop scaling > double Hi-DPI but this will just make the windows huge. it is like setting the resolution to 640x480.
There is a font scaling too, but this works only for selected things, for example the main panel doesn't change.
I'm really surprise to see no HiDPI support on linux... Now I'm thinking why I didn't buy a Mac. :(
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by overkill22 »

Now I'm using Mint Cinnamon that apparently is the best for HiDPI screen. But it still sucks. As I understood, the auto settings for the HiDPI are 1x (that is normal and super small) or 2x (that is too big).
My screen is 13.3" 1920x1080, so it needs something in between 1x and 2x.
At the moment I wasn't able to find any solution, just complaint.
Then only thing that seems to do something (even though the results is quite shitty) is:

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xrandr --output eDP1 --scale .4x.4
or

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xrandr --output eDP1 --scale .6x.6
to reset use

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xrandr --output eDP1 --scale 1x1
any link/suggestion is really appreciated
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by MagicMint »

overkill22 wrote:There is a font scaling too, but this works only for selected things, for example the main panel doesn't change.
The text scaling is just for fine tuning of the readability, which has the more prominent effect on windows contents, obviously. You set the real font size in the Font Selection section, e.g. by changing the “Window title font” to a greater value, let’s say 24 pt.

As far as the panel is concerned, you must allow Cinnamon to Use customized panel size in the Panel settings.
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by MagicMint »

overkill22 wrote:Now I'm using Mint Cinnamon that apparently is the best for HiDPI screen. But it still sucks. As I understood, the auto settings for the HiDPI are 1x (that is normal and super small) or 2x (that is too big).
My screen is 13.3" 1920x1080, so it needs something in between 1x and 2x …
any link/suggestion is really appreciated
Unfortunately, these scalings seem to be best fitted for Retina MacBooks, indeed. Recommended readings:
  1. More granular HiDPI settings;
  2. HiDPI support on linux;
  3. ArchLinux: HiDPI;
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by overkill22 »

MagicMint wrote:
overkill22 wrote:Now I'm using Mint Cinnamon that apparently is the best for HiDPI screen. But it still sucks. As I understood, the auto settings for the HiDPI are 1x (that is normal and super small) or 2x (that is too big).
My screen is 13.3" 1920x1080, so it needs something in between 1x and 2x …
any link/suggestion is really appreciated
Unfortunately, these scalings seem to be best fitted for Retina MacBooks, indeed. Recommended readings:
  1. More granular HiDPI settings;
  2. HiDPI support on linux;
  3. ArchLinux: HiDPI;
yes, i guess all the 2x magnification are for the screen 3200x1800...

I read a lot of complaint with the small screen and Hidpi and 1920x1080 resolution. --> link1, I was actually referring to this, read it yesterday :)
third link, read many many times. They said that chrome has hidpi support.
Using

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--force-device-scale-factor=2


is ok, but not good. I'm using scaling 1.3 and still looks blur. actually firefox is better. only thing in chrome that seems nicer that firefox is whatsapp web. other fonts looks blur, "fat" or not nice.

I would like to know IF setting the correct resolution here will make any difference:

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xdpyinfo | grep -B2 resolution
screen #0:
  dimensions:    1920x1080 pixels (508x285 millimeters)
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch
I tried (my resolution should be around 166dpi, and as you see now it is 96dpi, and the reported screen size is wrong)
I tried to set it with this command

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xrandr --dpi 166
and actually it changes the values with the correct parameters

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xdpyinfo | grep -B2 resolution
screen #0:
  dimensions:    1920x1080 pixels (293x165 millimeters)
  resolution:    166x166 dots per inch
but then the resolution on the screen doesn't change. (actually the exact ppi of my screen are 165.63)
Do I have to restart the computer maybe? If yes, how can I make this setting permanent?
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by overkill22 »

I'm having another problem now.
fn+F2 doesn't work anymore. I tried it a couple of days ago and it was working (diesable the wifi and bluetooth and put the computer on flight mode), but now no more.
Don't know what is changed, I don't think I did something...

Any suggestion?
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by MagicMint »

overkill22 wrote:yes, i guess all the 2x magnification are for the screen 3200x1800... I read a lot of complaint with the small screen and Hidpi and 1920x1080 resolution.
The real problem is that a HD display with 1920×1080 pixels is only a High Definition screen, and not a high resolution one like the Retina display. The first had been designed for TV sets, and thus looks good on screens with 20+ inches — when viewed from a certain distance. The second can be considered a necessary move by Apple, since their font rendering uses dithering as heavily as if display technology hadn’t changed since the apparition of the first Macintosh with its 72 DPI, monochrome, 512×342 pixels wide display in 1984 (there is just one Retina “HD” display which deserves this name because of its standard-compliant resolution: the 5.5" one).

Even the term “resolution” is misleading, since it kinda “inverts” the original meaning used by photographers: the ability of a film to resolve distant points in order to store them in the plane of the film (alike for the human eye, by the way), and not the density of distinct points on the medium, i.e. grains for the film, receptors in the eye, or pixels on a screen. The high pixel density of a Retina display is even unnecessary, physiologically speaking: it reveals new details in an image only if you’re able to discern them — which you can’t on a 13" display as they pass below the eye’s own resolution. Thus, a so-called “high-resolution” has primarily the purpose to hide unpleasant artifacts rather than to divulge new details :x
overkill22 wrote:but then the resolution on the screen doesn't change. (actually the exact ppi of my screen are 165.63). Do I have to restart the computer maybe? If yes, how can I make this setting permanent?
If re-logging into your session doesn’t solve the problem, install xsettingsd. Then, adapt this code, proposed in an LWN thread, by taking care to change the following:
  • the name of your host instead of zoro;
  • your DPI value from 144 to 166;
  • by dumping your current settings with dump_xsettings into ~/.xsettingsd instead of copying it into ~/.config/awesome/xsettingsd (unless you’re on awesome :) ).
Unfortunately, I can’t test this on my box as I have merely HQ (High Quality) density with 1366×768 pixels on a 13" screen. But, in retrospective, I’m quite happy to have chosen this one: there are no visible pixels, the 1.77 HD ratio is respected (on an external display I have full HD anyway), and all parts of the parts of the GUI have a sensible value nonetheless :D
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by MagicMint »

overkill22 wrote:I'm having another problem now.
fn+F2 doesn't work anymore. I tried it a couple of days ago and it was working (disable the WiFi and Bluetooth and put the computer on flight mode), but now no more. Don't know what is changed, I don't think I did something...
In my experience, WiFi and Bluetooth work well with all kernels I’ve tried: 3.13 (obsolete by now), 3.19, and 4.2. It’s just the [Fn+F2] key that isn’t recognized by the asus_nb_wmi driver on some (if not most) Asus machines. If you can activate wireless or Bluetooth with the Network Manager, the workaround is easy, though: see “[HOWTO] Switching Dual WiFi-Bluetooth With a Hotkey”.
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by overkill22 »

MagicMint wrote:
overkill22 wrote:but then the resolution on the screen doesn't change. (actually the exact ppi of my screen are 165.63). Do I have to restart the computer maybe? If yes, how can I make this setting permanent?
If re-logging into your session doesn’t solve the problem, install xsettingsd. Then, adapt this code, proposed in an LWN thread, by taking care to change the following:
  • the name of your host instead of zoro;
  • your DPI value from 144 to 166;
  • by dumping your current settings with dump_xsettings into ~/.xsettingsd instead of copying it into ~/.config/awesome/xsettingsd (unless you’re on awesome :) ).
Unfortunately, I can’t test this on my box as I have merely HQ (High Quality) density with 1366×768 pixels on a 13" screen. But, in retrospective, I’m quite happy to have chosen this one: there are no visible pixels, the 1.77 HD ratio is respected (on an external display I have full HD anyway), and all parts of the parts of the GUI have a sensible value nonetheless :D
Amazing explanation, thank you!!!

I'm trying this now... but have just a few questions:

1) I will copy the code, paste in a new plain text document, change the host (i guess it is the computer name, correct?), changing the resolution in the line 8, change the destination folder in line 13, 14 and 19. then, I will save the file where? in the folder that I'll add in line 13,14 and 19 ?

2) after this, what? should I add xsettingsd to the start applications, launch just one time with some terminal command or what?
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by MagicMint »

overkill22 wrote: 1) I will copy the code, paste in a new plain text document, change the host (i guess it is the computer name, correct?), changing the resolution in the line 8, change the destination folder in line 13, 14 and 19. then, I will save the file where? in the folder that I'll add in line 13,14 and 19 ?
Such scripts belong to the directory ~/bin which isn’t probably present by default.
2) after this, what? should I add xsettingsd to the start applications, launch just one time with some terminal command or what?
You shouldn’t start xsettingsd directly, but rather let that script ~/bin/xsettingsd-setup.sh auto-start with a certain delay. For all eventualities, I’d set up a launcher for it too, either in the panel or the menu, or both.
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by overkill22 »

MagicMint wrote:
overkill22 wrote: 1) I will copy the code, paste in a new plain text document, change the host (i guess it is the computer name, correct?), changing the resolution in the line 8, change the destination folder in line 13, 14 and 19. then, I will save the file where? in the folder that I'll add in line 13,14 and 19 ?
Such scripts belong to the directory ~/bin which isn’t probably present by default.
2) after this, what? should I add xsettingsd to the start applications, launch just one time with some terminal command or what?
You shouldn’t start xsettingsd directly, but rather let that script ~/bin/xsettingsd-setup.sh auto-start with a certain delay. For all eventualities, I’d set up a launcher for it too, either in the panel or the menu, or both.
i feel quite lost.. :cry:
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems

Post by overkill22 »

MagicMint wrote:
overkill22 wrote: 1) I will copy the code, paste in a new plain text document, change the host (i guess it is the computer name, correct?), changing the resolution in the line 8, change the destination folder in line 13, 14 and 19. then, I will save the file where? in the folder that I'll add in line 13,14 and 19 ?
Such scripts belong to the directory ~/bin which isn’t probably present by default.
2) after this, what? should I add xsettingsd to the start applications, launch just one time with some terminal command or what?
You shouldn’t start xsettingsd directly, but rather let that script ~/bin/xsettingsd-setup.sh auto-start with a certain delay. For all eventualities, I’d set up a launcher for it too, either in the panel or the menu, or both.
So, I created the file xsettingsd.sh

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

# Don't try to guess DPI. For a laptop, we don't want the same DPI as
# for an external screen. Just hardcode stuff...
case $(hostname),$(xrandr --current | \
                          sed -n 's/\([^ ]*\) connected .*[0-9][0-9]*x[0-9][0-9]*+[0-9][0-9]*+[0-9][0-9]* .*/\1/p' | \
                          sort | tr '\n' ':') in
    asus-ux305fa,eDP1:) dpi=166 ;;
    *) dpi=96 ;;
esac

# Build xsettingsd.local
cp  ~/.config/xsettingsd ~/.config/xsettingsd.local
echo Xft/DPI $(( $dpi * 1024 )) >> ~/.config/xsettingsd.local

# Signal xsettingsd
pid=$(xprop -name xsettingsd _NET_WM_PID 2> /dev/null | awk '{print $NF}')
if [ x"$pid" = x ]; then
    xsettingsd -c ~/.config/xsettingsd.local &
else
    kill -HUP $pid
fi

# Also use xrdb for very old stuff (you know, LibreOffice)
echo Xft.dpi: $dpi | xrdb -merge
then I did

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dump_xsettings ~/.xsettingsd
the result:

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Gdk/UnscaledDPI 137625
Net/CursorBlink 1
Gtk/RecentFilesMaxAge -1
Net/EnableInputFeedbackSounds 0
Gtk/FontName "Noto Sans 9"
Net/DoubleClickTime 400
Gtk/ShellShowsAppMenu 0
Xft/Hinting 1
Gtk/Modules ""
Gtk/IMStatusStyle "callback"
Gtk/CursorThemeName "Adwaita"
Gtk/IMModule ""
Gtk/CanChangeAccels 0
Gtk/ToolbarStyle "both-horiz"
Xft/RGBA "rgb"
Gtk/ColorPalette "black:white:gray50:red:purple:blue:light blue:green:yellow:orange:lavender:brown:goldenrod4:dodger blue:pink:light green:gray10:gray30:gray75:gray90"
Gtk/ShowUnicodeMenu 1
Xft/HintStyle "hintslight"
Net/EnableEventSounds 0
Gtk/MenuBarAccel "F10"
Gtk/ToolbarIconSize "large"
Gtk/ButtonImages 0
Gdk/WindowScalingFactor 1
Gtk/IMPreeditStyle "callback"
Gtk/TimeoutInitial 200
Xft/Antialias 1
Gtk/CursorBlinkTimeout 10
Net/DndDragThreshold 8
Gtk/ColorScheme ""
Xft/DPI 137625
Gtk/MenuImages 1
Gtk/KeyThemeName "Default"
Gtk/EnableAnimations 1
Gtk/RecentFilesEnabled 1
Net/SoundThemeName "LinuxMint"
Net/CursorBlinkTime 1200
Gtk/ShowInputMethodMenu 1
Net/ThemeName "Mint-X-Orange"
Gtk/DecorationLayout "menu:minimize,maximize,close"
Gtk/ShellShowsMenubar 0
Net/IconThemeName "Ultra-Flat-Orange-Bright"
Net/FallbackIconTheme "gnome"
Gtk/CursorThemeSize 24
Gtk/TimeoutRepeat 20
Gtk/AutoMnemonics 1
then I edit the properties of the file xsettinsd.sh to "allow executing file as program".

then I test it out launching it and "run".
but nothing changed.

Any advice?
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

Post by MagicMint »

The file ~/bin/xsettingsd.sh should be the following for a resolution of 166 DPI:

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#!/bin/sh
# ~/bin/xsettingsd.sh	(MagicMint) P0124
# From xsettingsd-setup by Vincent Bernat
# https://github.com/vincentbernat/awesome-configuration/blob/master/bin/xsettingsd-setup

# Don't try to guess DPI. For a laptop, we don't want the same DPI as
# for an external screen. Just hardcode stuff...
case $(hostname),$(xrandr --current | \
                          sed -n 's/\([^ ]*\) connected .*[0-9][0-9]*x[0-9][0-9]*+[0-9][0-9]*+[0-9][0-9]* .*/\1/p' | \
                          sort | tr '\n' ':') in
    `hostname`,eDP1:) dpi=166 ;;
    *) dpi=96 ;;
esac

# Build xsettingsd configuration
dump_xsettings | sed '/Xft\/DPI/d' > ~/.xsettingsd 
echo Xft/DPI $(( $dpi * 1024 )) >> ~/.xsettingsd

# Signal xsettingsd
pid=$(xprop -name xsettingsd _NET_WM_PID 2> /dev/null | awk '{print $NF}')
if [ x"$pid" = x ]; then
    xsettingsd -c ~/.xsettingsd &
else
    kill -HUP $pid
fi

# Also use xrdb for very old stuff (you know, LibreOffice)
echo Xft.dpi: $dpi | xrdb -merge
Call it first from a terminal — simply by typing xsettingsd.sh — in order to test it. For me, it does work, even with a HQ screen with a lower pixel density than yours (there is always a much bigger virtual screen behind the real one).

You should then Menu› Preferences› Startup Applications› Add it with the same command as in the terminal. That’s it :)
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

Post by overkill22 »

No, I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I'm not able to make it works.
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

Post by MagicMint »

What does the terminal display, when you call xsettingsd.sh ?
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

Post by overkill22 »

MagicMint wrote:What does the terminal display, when you call xsettingsd.sh ?
I'm not even able to start the file.
I tried with the command line, with right click open in terminal, double click - run/run in terminal.

nothing.
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

Post by MagicMint »

overkill22 wrote:I'm not even able to start the file. I tried with the command line, with right click open in terminal, double click - run/run in terminal.
nothing.
How do you do this, and what does the terminal say ? It’s certainly more than “nothing” :?

The file must be made executable, contain the right command interpreter in its first line (as it does in my example), and the ~/bin directory must be in the path (which it is, when there is such a directory). You could even call the script with its full path ~/bin/xsettingsd.sh. Normally, the script would be displaying xsettingsd importing its settings, but the terminal does tell you in any case why it cannot execute such a script.
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Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

Post by overkill22 »

MagicMint wrote:
overkill22 wrote:I'm not even able to start the file. I tried with the command line, with right click open in terminal, double click - run/run in terminal.
nothing.
How do you do this, and what does the terminal say ? It’s certainly more than “nothing” :?

The file must be made executable, contain the right command interpreter in its first line (as it does in my example), and the ~/bin directory must be in the path (which it is, when there is such a directory). You could even call the script with its full path ~/bin/xsettingsd.sh. Normally, the script would be displaying xsettingsd importing its settings, but the terminal does tell you in any case why it cannot execute such a script.
Ok, so this is what I'm doing right now.
Take this file named xsettingd.sh > make it executable > copy and paste in the folder ~/bin as root.

This is my actual file:

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#!/bin/sh
# ~/bin/xsettingsd.sh   (MagicMint) P0124
# From xsettingsd-setup by Vincent Bernat
# https://github.com/vincentbernat/awesome-configuration/blob/master/bin/xsettingsd-setup

# Don't try to guess DPI. For a laptop, we don't want the same DPI as
# for an external screen. Just hardcode stuff...
case $(hostname),$(xrandr --current | \
                          sed -n 's/\([^ ]*\) connected .*[0-9][0-9]*x[0-9][0-9]*+[0-9][0-9]*+[0-9][0-9]* .*/\1/p' | \
                          sort | tr '\n' ':') in
    asus-ux305fa,eDP1:) dpi=166 ;;
    *) dpi=96 ;;
esac

# Build xsettingsd configuration
dump_xsettings | sed '/Xft\/DPI/d' > ~/.xsettingsd 
echo Xft/DPI $(( $dpi * 1024 )) >> ~/.xsettingsd

# Signal xsettingsd
pid=$(xprop -name xsettingsd _NET_WM_PID 2> /dev/null | awk '{print $NF}')
if [ x"$pid" = x ]; then
    xsettingsd -c ~/.xsettingsd &
else
    kill -HUP $pid
fi

# Also use xrdb for very old stuff (you know, LibreOffice)
echo Xft.dpi: $dpi | xrdb -merge
then in the terminal:

xsettingsd.sh (note that in the terminal I can call for another program called just xsettingsd)

here the answer

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alessio@asus-ux305fa ~ $ xsettingsd.sh
xsettingsd: Unable to parse /home/alessio/.xsettingsd: 3: Got invalid setting value
That's it. I didn't do anything like

Code: Select all

dump_xsettings ~/.xsettingsd
or similar.

Thank you again for your help! :)
MagicMint

Re: Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

Post by MagicMint »

overkill22 wrote:Take this file named xsettingd.sh > make it executable > copy and paste in the folder ~/bin as root.
You don’t need to do this as root at all — ~/bin is your own directory after all :wink:

But this is of no importance…
overkill22 wrote:note that in the terminal I can call for another program called just xsettingsd)
That’s right, xsettingsd is the X settings daemon that gets called by the shell script xsettingsd.sh :)
overkill22 wrote:

Code: Select all

alessio@asus-ux305fa ~ $ xsettingsd.sh
xsettingsd: Unable to parse /home/alessio/.xsettingsd: 3: Got invalid setting value
That's it. I didn't do anything like

Code: Select all

dump_xsettings ~/.xsettingsd
or similar.
Sure it did. The problem now is that the generated new settings contain some kind of error.

Could you please post the contents of your ~/.xsettingsd ?
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