ubuntu 7.04 "feisty fawn" on an acer aspire 5570ANWXCi

Warning: Uber-geek post coming up! It's mainly for my own uses (tracking bugs and functionality), but it can also be of great use to those who want to plunge into the world that is Ubuntu. Especially if you have a similar laptop as I do. (Click here to find out more about this laptop). It's also useful if you want to learn a bit about the opensource world and how far it has progressed.

Laptop Specs:

• ACER 5570ANWXCi
  
• Intel Core Solo T1350 1.86GHz
• ICH7 Chipset
  
• 14.1 WXGA LCD
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
  
• 80GB HDD (IDE)
• DVD/CD-RW Combo drive
• 1GB of ram (originally 512MB but I upped it to 1GB)
• Texas Instruments 5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader
  

Preliminaries

For this guide, I used an Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn Live CD. Note that this live cd, besides being able to run completely from the cd, could also be used to install the complete Ubuntu GNU/Linux system on a PC or in this case a laptop. I've read some reviews however that the Ubuntu Alternate CD (just the installer, not live) resulted in a cleaner and faster system. I never noticed this however with feisty so I went ahead and did the install from the live cd.

The laptop has an 80gb harddisk that's NTFS (winxp) formatted. The goal is to dual-boot or run both WinXP and Ubuntu on the same laptop.

Unlike a desktop system, there are usually more issues when installing Linux on laptops. It's usually due to the fact that they are less modular/standardized than desktops. You can find some more of these issues and some guides on installing Linux on particular machines on Linux on Laptops and TuxMobil.

What works out of the box (OTB)?

It's great that a lot of the stuff works without any installation. Especially 3d effects :D

• LAN (Wired Network)
• Edit: WiFi works OTB
  
• GUI/Display (but with weird resolution)
• Function keys (help, contrast, mute, kill touchpad, sleep, media control keys)
• WiFi kill switch
  
• DVD/CD-Writer
• Sleep (Suspend to Ram)
• Hibernate (Suspend to Disk)
• CPU Frequency Stepping (800MHz, 1.07GHz, 1.33Ghz, 1.6Ghz, 1.87Ghz)
• add the CPU Frequency Monitor Applet to the panel
• then - sudo chmod +s /usr/bin/cpufreq-selector
• this allows you to manually control the frequency
  
• Beryl (3D Desktop Effects)
• QuickLaunch buttons (Acer) for email and browser
• Battery Meter
• Touchpad (no scrolling yet - see below for solution)
• Headphones work but with slight problem (see below)
• Mic (both built-in and external) works out of the box. Just tweak around with the recording tab in the volume control settings
  

Doesn't work OTB, but eventually fixed

• Weird screen resolution
  
• This is common in ubuntu when you have an Intel 800/900 Series Graphics Chipset and a WXGA (Wide-aspect) screen
• Solved by installing 915resolution and then reboot
• Got it working at 1280x800 (max resolution)
• Touchpad acts weird (too sensitive) + 4-way scroll doesn't work
• Solved by adding a synaptics section to xorg.conf based on this guide.
• No sound from front speakers
• Solved by alsamixer command in console
• Unmute the surround bar
• Or add the surround section to the volume control GUI (in the system tray)
• Double-click volume control icon
• Edit -> Preferences -> Check surround
• VGA-out port
• So far I've only been able to make this work by rebooting the system while the monitor or projector is connected
• I'll find a faster way (function key fn-F5 doesn't work OTB)
• Edit: Found a great guide in the ubuntu forums to do exactly this. What's more they've created a script to automate it! It allows you to switch from:
• lcd only
• lcd + monitor (cloned desktop)
• lcd + monitor (dual head, like having to separate desktops)
• lcd + svideo (tv-out) or lcd + svideo dual head
• Edit: I've also tried installing the xserver-xorg-video-intel driver and it works fine
• sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-intel
  
• no dual head support
• crashes movies when using beryl
• but, the great thing is, you don't need 915resolution anymore. It properly detects the resolution. Even the switch script above isn't needed.
• this is my preferred driver because everything just works great, especially vga-out
• it also makes the s-video work. Just plug an s-video cable in and restart X (alt-backspace). The TV/projector is detected automatically.
  
• Some resolutions unavailable form System -> Preferences -> Screen Resolution
• Solved by editing xorg.conf and adding the desired resolutions (ex. 1024x768)
• Suspend and Hibernate work OTB but it's great to automate them when the lid closes and when the battery is critical
• Just go to system -> preference -> powermanagement to change these

Not working yet... but I'll find a way soon!

• Inserted MemStick in the Card Reader isn't detected, much less mounted
• SD and MMC cards work OTB but Memory Stick, SmartMedia and XD don't
• Texas Instruments drivers for MS/SM and XD are not yet available as of this writing
  
• After waking up from hibernate, the battery light blinks amber (it's supposed to be green or amber and not blinking). Blinking stops after a reboot. (Note: The laptop works fine after waking up, it's just the blinking that's annoying me)
  
• Front speaker volume can't be controlled through keyboard. You need to go to the volume control gui to mute or adjust it
• Solved by going to System > Preferences > Sound > Default Mixer Tracks
• Choose PCM as the output controlled by the volume keys
  
• Inserting earphones in the jack makes them work but doesn't mute the front speakers (you have to mute them manually)
  

Untested

• S-Video (TV-out) - I don't have a connector yet to test this
• Modem - dsl at home, so this is still untested
• 5-in-1 Card Reader (Texas Instruments) - Except for MemoryStick (tested, but not working)
• Wireless - No wireless network at home, will test in school. It's very likely that it's gonna work, since it's an Intel Wireless device
• PCMCIA - I don't have anything to test it with
• Mic untested
• however, if the mic bar in the volume control is adjusted, it generates feedback
• so i think it's working

Additional Tweaks

Watch out here for a guide of all the cool tweaks I've managed to do in order to maximize the use of this laptop in Ubuntu 7.04. Such as:

• Battery saving with laptop-mode
• Battery saving with intel3945 wifi (using powermanagement flag)
• Enabling the additional launch keys to suite your needs
  

Any help you might have on how to solve these issues will be much appreciated. Just drop a comment :D

Linux-on-Laptops Listed

yunlang.

brand spanking new laptop

Ok, maybe not really "spanking", as Yugs pointed out in the comments section of my previous post, but definitely brand new. I finally bought this laptop as promised on that post. It's a cheapo laptop but I think it would be fine for my meager needs. I wasn't really looking for a gaming/video editing type of system. Just something to get me through gradschool and my teaching work. So, all in all, I think its low-end specs will do just fine.

Here are some basic stuff about my new system:

• ACER 5570ANWXCi
  
• Intel Core Solo T1350 1.86GHz
• 14.1 WXGA LCD
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 80GB HDD (not sata)
• Combo drive
• 1GB of ram (originally 512MB but I upped it to 1GB)
• Wireless a/b/g
• Extras
• 5-in-1 card reader
• TV-out
• Great screen
• Modem (although I doubt that I would ever use it)
  

I quickly did a windows xp install just to test out the features and functionality. Tomorrow, I'll be installing Ubuntu on it and hopefully blogging about the experience.


yunlang.

dell's linux 101 video

Just had to blog about this :D.

I've been following this story ever since the buzz started about a month or two ago. Dell (popular PC/Notebook distributor) has started pre-installing Ubuntu 7.04 on 3 of their models. It's a great oppurtinity for the linux world to reach-out some more to people.

As part of this push from Dell, they've created a 5min video clip explaining Linux to the non-techie person. Although it has its flaws, it's definitely a very simple, easy-to-understand, and informative video. I think it's appeal is that it tries to explain opensource to average users (moms and dads). Here's a link to the website:

StudioDell - Just click on the video "Linux 101: What's all the fuss?"

It's definitely worth watching if you don't have any idea what I'm talking about. If you do then you definitely should watch it.

Some funny stuff in the video:

• They demo GIMP (opensource photo editing software) and just scribble around like doodling :D
• That guy is scary. He looks like a bald action star/wrestler turned techno-geek!
• It says in the video: No more bluescreens! Woohoo. Ok, no woohoo at the end.
• They showed a video of how to download a .iso file of ubuntu and used Internet Explorer. Hello?! Firefox!

Overall it's a great push to educate people about Linux and it has a sort of commercial/marketing/for dummies look. Which is great! Because the really geeky people already use Linux :D

yunlang.

fpga training is a success!

Yesterday marked the last day of the UP DSP Lab's 4 day FPGA Training Seminar. Taught by yours truly. 14 people underwent the training and hopefully they learned a little something from the class.

It's been a great experience for me (hopefully for them too). I've learned so much about teaching in general. What to do, what not to do and how to organize a lecture. Unfortunately, the organization part is something I need to work on a lot more. I'm just plain disorganized and so far this has worked well for me. :)

But, now that I'll be starting of as a Teaching Associate (details below), I need to start being the ultra-organized (OC) kind of person. Disorganized just won't cut it with teaching because other people are depending on you. If it were just me, I'd stick with my old style, but it isn't just me now. Life is about adapting, and changing and moving on. :D

Teaching Associate

As most of you know, I was accepted as a EEE Teaching associate. I'm really looking forward to teaching and imparting knowledge. If you're wondering (and your from UP EEE), I will be teaching:

• EEE 21 (Switching Theory and Digital Logic Design - Discussion Class)

• EEE 8 (Digital Circuits 1). This class is a service course offered for Computer Science students. I'm handling the lecture class in this one and I'm really thankful to EEE for allowing me to teach a class on my own.

• SDR Team - I'll also be the team leader of the Software-Defined Radio Group. It's a partnership between the DSP Lab and the Wireless Comms Engineering Lab (WCEL).
  

That said, I'm awfully thrilled to conduct my first class (Woohoo!)

UP Engineering Graduate School

I'm now officially accepted for grad school in UP Diliman. I'll be taking up MS Electrical Engineering (the ECE/CoE/EE distinction does not exist in grad school). I just need to submit a medical certificate. The registration process starts June 5.

Uplink

As of this summer, I've been very busy with a part-time job. I was lecturer for UPlink Tutorials (UPCAT/ACET/Anything Else) Review Center in Katipunan. I like to think of it as teaching experience :). It's a very decent generous pay, considering that what I'm teaching is really simple stuff. It's run by a UP Engineer turned entrepreneur which I also plan on becoming someday.

I've been working my ass off this summer, hopefully to save up and buy this laptop. It's an ultra-cheap laptop, but I think it will be enough for my purposes as of now. It's even cheaper than most (it's dirt cheap in fact). This is because it doesn't have the Windows license and is preinstalled with Linpus Linux. Which I plan to wipe out and replace with Ubuntu. My goal is to completely survive without M$ Window$ with this laptop. I seriously doubt it though, because of all the proprietary/window$ only stuff used in EEE. I'll try.

I'll be buying next week and hopefully be doing a post about it.

P.S. Ever since my first paycheck in this sideline of mine, I've been self-supporting and I feel good about it. Although I still live at home, so maybe self-supporting isn't the right word here :D. Let's use "partial support" :p

The Lord giveth... and the Lord taketh away... blessed be the name of the Lord

- repeatedly said in The Book of Job

yunlang.

the amazing ubuntu 7.04 live cd

When the latest and greatest version of the Ubuntu operating system was released last April 19, I immediately downloaded a copy and burned it to a cd. Only problem is, the 2nd harddisk at home went byebye about a month ago. So I couldn't really install it at that time.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, the monitor decided to give up too. So I've got a pc with no ubuntu and no display. Fortunately, the display is still under warranty. The store said its gonna take about 2 weeks to fix it. What?! :(

Next week I will be conducting a series of lectures/training to a bunch of students at the EEE department. This includes newbie labmates at the Digital Signal Processing Lab and a group from WCEL (Wireless Communications Engineering Lab). The training will be about FPGA prototyping and hardware design (with focus on DSP applications).

So I had to make presentation slides for the seminar but I had no computer. Fortunately for me, my dad had an office issued laptop which I could use. Unfortunately however, it only had M$ Windows and didn't even have M$ Powerpoint. With no "pirated copy" on hand :D. I decided to use OpenOffice.org Presentation (similar to ppt but free). Then I thought, why not just use the Ubuntu CD I had burned.

The Ubuntu 7.04 CD also acts as a live cd. This means that you could run the whole OS from a cd without installing it first. This was great for my purposes because I'm not allowed to install stuff on my Dad's office laptop. So I went ahead and popped the cd in and rebooted. This is the first time I really put the Live CD feature to good use. I must say, it's simply amazing.

Ubuntu Live CD

It's great that I could run Ubuntu completely from the CD. Everything worked great (except suspend). There was even the surprise of being able to make 3D-desktop effects work right out of the box. This includes the desktop cube, wobbly windows and great window effects. All of that without installing anything and not a "piso" spent.

With a decent internet connection, you could definitely do some real work from the live cd. I definitely recommend that anyone reading this get a copy of it and pop it in your cd drive. Prepare to be impressed! If you are, then this cd is also the installer for Ubuntu. Just click on install to put ubuntu on your pc permanently.

Some pictures of the Ubuntu 7.04 Live CD at work

The Cube Switcher ("look ma, no installation")

OpenOffice and GAIM (instant messenger)
Getting some work done

You can download the CD image here.
Or if you don't have broadband. You could request for a cd delivered right at your doorstep (like I did). Just register at ShipIt.

yunlang.

road less traveled

Today, I have officially started my slightly unconventional and challenging but hopefully rewarding career path.

Yes, the next chapter of my life begins today. By this, I mean that today I have submitted my application to UP College of Engineering's Masters Program. Specifically, the MS Electrical Engineering program. I say unconventional because in the field of electrical engineering or engineering in general, most graduates choose to practice in the industry right after graduation. In fact a lot of my batchmates either have a job offer or have started already in various high paying, corporate jobs.

I have felt long before graduation that "corporate slaveship" isn't really my cup of tea. I'm not saying that I hate it. In fact, I am a firm believer that corporations and capitalism is the way to go for true economic progress. Liking something and actually doing it are two very different things. I just don't see my self in that path. I've never seen my self in that path. For me, the calling of the road less traveled is too strong too oppose.

I've been officially accepted as Teaching Associate to the UP EEE department. Besides graduate school, I will also be teaching in EEE. Yet another peculiarity in the field of engineering. Especially considering the contrast in monetary compensation. I guess it will take another post (or two) just to explain my reasons.

The bottom line is, I'm not satisfied. I need more, more than what I have now. More than what the big companies can offer me. More than any employer can offer me. More knowledge and more experience. I guess you could say that this part of my life is just a stepping stone to reach that goal. A means of getting accepted in a PhD program abroad. In the US maybe (MIT, Stanford, etc.). I believe I have the ability. Whatever happens, I will never stop believing. Hoping that soon, my dreams will become a reality.

yunlang.