Linux: Ubuntu 7.10 on a Compaq Presario C500
I just installed Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) on my Compaq Presario C500. Things went really well. Have I mentioned how much I love this little $375 laptop?
My laptop has enough room for Windows Vista (which I never use) and two copies of Linux. I like to keep around the old version of Ubuntu while upgrading to the new in case something goes wrong and I need a working system. This time, it recognized the other copy of Linux and migrated the users and their settings. By settings, I mean the settings for Gaim, Mozilla, and Evolution. This seems like a rather odd feature, considering it didn't copy all of the other files. Nonetheless, it didn't hurt anything.
Note, that it's probably better to be plugged into a wired network during the install so that it can setup repositories and download security updates. I wasn't, so I had to setup the repositories later.
Happily, the weird resolution (1280x800) just worked this time. Unfortunately, attempting to suspend crashed my machine, but hibernating still works. Sound works, even though it was crackly during install. Using my headphones still doesn't disable the speakers, which is a known bug in ALSA.
Here are my instructions for getting wireless to work:
Due to the location and sensitivity of the touchpad, I find it necessary to turn off tapping and scrolling:
Anyway, I'm happy. I've been waiting for this release for like a month, so today kind of felt like Christmas ;)
My laptop has enough room for Windows Vista (which I never use) and two copies of Linux. I like to keep around the old version of Ubuntu while upgrading to the new in case something goes wrong and I need a working system. This time, it recognized the other copy of Linux and migrated the users and their settings. By settings, I mean the settings for Gaim, Mozilla, and Evolution. This seems like a rather odd feature, considering it didn't copy all of the other files. Nonetheless, it didn't hurt anything.
Note, that it's probably better to be plugged into a wired network during the install so that it can setup repositories and download security updates. I wasn't, so I had to setup the repositories later.
Happily, the weird resolution (1280x800) just worked this time. Unfortunately, attempting to suspend crashed my machine, but hibernating still works. Sound works, even though it was crackly during install. Using my headphones still doesn't disable the speakers, which is a known bug in ALSA.
Here are my instructions for getting wireless to work:
Enable repositories:My buddy, Adam Ulvi, has the same laptop, but is having more trouble than I am with his wireless card. However, it was also giving him a hard time in Ubuntu 7.04.
System >> Administration >> Synaptic Package Manager:
Settings >> Repositories:
Click on all of them except source code.
Unclick cdrom.
On the updates tab:
gutsy-security
gutsy-updates
System >> Administration >> Restricted Driver Manager:
Click enabled.
Download from Internet.
At this point, my blue wireless light came on.
If it doesn't, try pressing the wireless button.
Click on the correct icon on your panel to pick an access point.
Due to the location and sensitivity of the touchpad, I find it necessary to turn off tapping and scrolling:
apt-get install gsynapticsBecause this is a laptop, the fonts look better if you turn on subpixel smoothing in System >> Preferences >> Appearance. Note that the location of the font preferences has changed. While you're in there, you can click on the "Visual effects" tab if you want to turn on more eye candy.
Added 'Option "SHMConfig" "true"' to the "Synaptics Touchpad" section of
/etc/X11/xorg.conf and logged back in.
System >> Preferences >> Touchpad:
Disabled tapping and scrolling.
Adjusted the sensitivity very slightly or else it gets set to zero on the
next login.
Anyway, I'm happy. I've been waiting for this release for like a month, so today kind of felt like Christmas ;)
Comments
I also did an install of 7.10 today on my work computer, and it was OK, but not great. The dual monitors weren't detected and the bandwidth sucks so badly here that it was taking forever to download packages (even after finding the fastest repository.) Additionally, one of my CRITICAL apps is an old 16-bit client, and it wouldn't work properly in wine, which is a HUGE issue for me. It worked fine at home on my 7.04 box, so I'm confused as to why it's crapping out.
Damn it all though, Linux has come a long way but still has miles to go. As much as I want to kick the Windows world to the curb, I cannot do so entirely since my job function requires me to interop with these systems. Additionally, I couldn't RDP from Linux into my remote desktop server.. it just kept hanging and crashing. This has not been a good Linux week for me.
All in all, wireless was the only really flaky thing on my laptop that I couldn't live without.
Sorry to hear you're back on 7.04. I'm reinstalling it right now as well, ha ha ha!
- A
apt-get update
apt-get install ndiswrapper-utils-1.9
apt-get install build-essential
apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`
wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R151517.EXE
rmmod bcm43xx
modprobe ndiswrapper
unzip -a R151517.EXE
cd DRIVER
ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf
ndiswrapper -l
ndiswrapper -m
echo ndiswrapper >> /etc/modules
echo blacklist bcm43xx >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
Reboot.
In a terminal window, run
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base
Then add the following line to the bottom of the file:
options snd-hda-intel model=laptop
Either restart X [ctrl-alt-backspace] or reboot, and you should find that plugging in headphones mutes the main speakers :)
http://drewp.quickwitretort.com/2007/10/22/0
Wow, that really sucks. Of course, as I was about to reply to you the first time, my machine froze solid and I had to hold the power button down for 5 seconds. Yeah, a lot of people are not happy at this point.
Instead of fvwm, have you considered trying out Xubuntu? I'm tempted to give it a go. On the other hand, it's Firefox that's eating most of my RAM, and there's no complete open-source alternative to Firefox. Konqueror is nice, but it doesn't work well with GMail, which is crucial for me.
Did you really upgrade instead of installing from scratch? If so, I'd try installing from scratch. I didn't have nearly as many issues as you did. I'm always suspicious of upgrades. Of course, from the sounds of it, you might be happier in 7.04!
By the way, my text-mode virtual consoles still work.
Wahoo! That fixed it.
I actually had to reboot. Restarting X wasn't sufficient.
Thanks for the tip!
There's definitely one thing I can say. It's *crazy* fast. And I haven't seen a free gig of memory in a long time ;)
I found that gutsy does ships 2.6.20 kernel so I can have linux-wlan-ng back.
The fvwm move isn't actually a step backwards, since I use a heavily-customized fvwm setup on all my other boxes.
Now it's just the little things that are annoying me (where zsh stopped inserting a space; how 'less' draws differently; eog mousewheel doesn't zoom; etc).
I also upgraded my Dell Inspiron D820 to Gutsy last week from Dapper. I am slightly happier than I was with Dapper.
It seems like suspend is more reliable, but if I ever happen to wake it up in location without wireless I will be greeted with a black screen the next time I try to wake it up. Logging out occasionally leaves me with black screen, meaning have to power off to recover. Hibernation seems to be almost completely broken now.
Wireless is also more reliable in a single location, starts automatically after suspend most of the time. However, if NetworkManager can't connect it stubbornly shows that it is connected. So I have wireless working great at home, but it won't reconnect at work, and vice versa. And NM can no longer turn off wireless or networking (previously turning wireless off/on solved most problems). I have to kill -9 NM and restart it to get wireless working again.
On the other hand, I can now plug in a projector and the display is automatically cloned. I can finally give presentations at work! My printer/scanner worked like magic. Headset and sound in general seems to work more reliably. Also lots of improvements in almost all software since Dapper, so I am generally happy.
I've written about my experience here, and will update as I learn new stuff: http://chandlerproject.org/Journal/UbuntuGutsyGibbonOnLatitudeD820
You can fix the headphone problem by typing:
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base
Then add this line with the other options:
options snd-hda-intel model=laptop
Save it and reboot. Your headphones will now turn off the speakers. REBOOT IS REQUIRED!
How is it that two commenters knew about this, and I didn't? ;) Thanks.
I get the same messages, but my sound works. Weird!
Thanks for the tip.
I've also found that sometimes you have to play a lot with the mixer in order to figure out which setting is turned down all the way when it shouldn't be.
Glad to hear it ;)