Everything you need to get Ubuntu 8.04 running on your Dell Inspiron 1501.
Installation
Hardy installs with no problems. Whether you're using the LiveCD, Alternative Install or Wubi.
Wireless
Two Methods:
1. The Restricted Driver Manager can install the Broadcom B43 fireware.
Firmware cutter will not work when used through the Driver Manager. In order to install B43-fwcutter you need to use the terminal.
In a terminal Type:
sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter
2. Use NDISwrapper to install the driver. This guide will walk you through the setup.
ATI Proprietary Driver
Two Methods:
1. The Restricted Driver Manager can install the the driver for ATI graphics card in the Dell 1501. ATI's 2.1.7281 fglrx driver is automatically installed, configured and 3D enabled. The best part is that the new Ubuntu repository fglrx driver supports AIGLX, no more XGL.
2. You can install the newest ATI driver that uses AIGLX yourself. You can find that guide here (use method two) or use Envy to install the newest ATI driver for you.
Compiz-Fusion
Compiz-Fusion is enabled once you install the ATI Propiety Driver.
To get the most out of Compiz try installing the advanced configuration tool.
In a terminal:
sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager
Media Codecs
Hardy Heron makes codec installation easy mp3, DVD, avi, aac, mpeg, wmv, asf, mov, flv, mp4, flash codecs are installed when you try to play them. If you like to add all the major codecs and make playback easy, check out my codec cheatsheet. The only thing not enabled in Ubuntu is reading encrypted DVDs. To add DVD playback and some other helpful media codecs to Ubuntu follow this guide.
Ethernet
Works out of the box. In order to do any of these guides you're going to need to plug in your Dell Inspiron 1501. Don't be cheap, go out and buy an Ethernet cable.
Brightness & Volume
Brightness (Fn Up/Down Arrow) and Volume (Fn Page Up/Page Dn) keyboard shortcuts both work with BIOS 1.70. Please leave a comment letting others know if your BIOS work.
Suspend & Hibernate
Both Suspend and Hibernate work with BIOS 1.70 and the Ubuntu repository ATI 2.1.7281 fglrx driver. Please leave a comment letting others know if your BIOS and/or ATI driver combination work. You can find a mini guide about BIOS flashing here.
Video Out
Works out of the box, Hardy's Screens and Resolutions (System>Administration>Screens and Resolutions) makes using multiple monitors a breeze. Configuration doesn't require editing your xorg.conf file.
Modem
The Conexant Modem driver is usually released by Dell once they switch their Linux machines over to the new version of Ubuntu. I'll update the site and this space when Dell releases the new driver.
Card Reader
Works out of the box.
Overall:
Hardy Heron is the Ubuntu release that Dell Inspiron 1501 owners have been waiting for. Everything works, you only need to install 3 drivers (ATI, wireless and modem). If you were hesitant about trying Ubuntu on your 1501, rest assured, it takes minimal skill and computer knowledge to setup.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Overview of Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron on the Dell 1501
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54 comments:
With Dell bios 2.6.3, suspend does not work for me, but hibernate does.
Suspend comes back with a blank, sort of flickering, screen.
P.S. you have a great website, thank you!
I did the graphics install using Envy; The AIGLX works well, but I get little glitches in the graphics at random. Small little white bars on the screen at random. Any ideas?
Are you sure suspend/hibernate works with the ATI proprietary driver? It certainly did not work under Ubuntu Gutsy. It would be great if it worked, as the alternative, the open source driver, does not provide any 3D acceleration. Therefore, no fancy 3D desktops.
rledge21
its happening to everyone, you get compiz fusion but have to put up with a few gliches. AIGLX with ATI is still new.
Ovidiu
suspend/hibernate work with the ATI proprietary driver installed and BIOS 1.70
I use bios 2.6.3, sound with(Fn button) works but does'nt work since last xorg version (just before kernel 2.6.24-16).
Excellent posting, I cant wait to use Hardy upon release. My only concern is the lack of suspend/hibernate available on the latest BIOS. I certaintly am not comfortable about downgrading my BIOS, if at all possible. I flashed it to the newest upon purchase. Suspend is pretty much mandatory for me as a student, I am mobile throughout the day. Anyone have any solution without a swap of BIOS version?
readdead - what are the advantages/disadvantages of bios 1.70?
Isn't it dangerous to downgrade?
I have 2.6.3 from dell.
CheesyBeef
Downgrading your BIOS is easy, I wrote a mini guide a while back. All you need is Windows, a exe file and to remember to keep your laptop PLUGGED IN the whole time.
Is there a reason why you would use ndiswrapper instead of the broadcom driver?
Reddead
I have bios 1.7 and hibernate works fine, but I get "error: pat entry 2 already configured". Do you have any idea what this is, and are you getting it?
I using Mandriva 2008.1 Gnome with my 1501. Everything works here. Ndiswrapper, compiz-fusion, codecs (plf repos), brightness keys & volume keys, fglrx, and suspend/hibernate, all with 2.6.1 BIOS.
to Tim:
Hi, I gave a try to "Mandriva one spring 2008".you are right , Fn functions work well. no problem at all. but it s not as fast as ubuntu ,consumes much more memory.
web browsing is a little slow and sometime sluggish. also Mandriva only detect 880 Mb of my memory :(.
anyways it was good experience. lets back to ubuntu :)
To fix brightness, it's easy as just editing two script files. No bios change whatsoever.
sudo gedit /etc/acpi/video_brightnessup.sh
replace everything in the file with
#!/bin/bash
CURRENT=$(grep "current:" /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness |awk '{print $2}')
case "$CURRENT" in
100)
echo -n 100 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
87)
echo -n 100 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
75)
echo -n 87 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
62)
echo -n 75 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
50)
echo -n 62 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
37)
echo -n 50 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
25)
echo -n 37 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
12)
echo -n 25 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
*)
echo -n 100 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness ;
;;
esac
sudo gedit /etc/acpi/video_brightnessdown.sh
replace everything in the file with
#!/bin/bash
CURRENT=$(grep "current:" /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness |awk '{print $2}')
case "$CURRENT" in
12)
echo -n 12 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
25)
echo -n 12 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
37)
echo -n 25 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
50)
echo -n 37 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
62)
echo -n 50 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
75)
echo -n 62 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
87)
echo -n 75 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
100)
echo -n 87 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness;
;;
*)
echo -n 50 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness ;
;;
esac
I know I can't get standby to work with bios 2.6.3, but does anybody have any idea how to shutdown safely after a failed standby? I had everything working perfectly yesterday, then decided to try standby just to see if it would work. When I came back from standby, it just got stuck, and when I powered off with the power button (nothing else would work), my filesystem was corrupted and I had to do a clean install. Did I have any other option?
btw, aaronmt's fix for the brightness hotkeys worked perfectly for me, thanks!
hold down ctrl + alt + prnt scrn and type ruisub
I have 7.10 ubuntu with latest dell bios on my laptop with 7.10 ubuntu.aaronmt's guide for the brightness keys worked well for me.
tnx
I just tried to upgrade to Hardy Heron via the "update is available" link in the system update list. Interestingly, it actually downgraded to Feisty Fawn and is telling me that Gutsy Gibbon is now available. Any ideas?
Doh just finished install and hoping someone can help...
When I tested from live CD before install I enabled wireless by using the driver manager I selected enable and it downloaded the firmware and wireless worked flawlessly, now 5 mins after installing I try the same thing and the driver manager doesn't do anything except change from "in use" to "restart required" but restarting just brings me back to the same thing. (Enabled is unchecked and there's a green check where it says "in use".
Also I noticed while in the driver manager that it has ATI Fire GL listed as enabled but not in use.
Any ideas would be awesome. :)
I've upgraded from Gutsy (where I was using the open-source, 2D graphics driver), and I've enables fglrx from the driver manager, and I can get it to start up just fine, but if I try to start compiz, it just gives up; fglrxinfo says I'm still using indirect rendering. Any ideas?
I found a workaround!
Basically just went to synaptic and uninstalled fwcutter then went immediately to hardware drivers(or whatever it is that they call the restricted driver manager now:) and enabled it and and it redownloaded and executed and everything works perfectly now!
Regarding bios 1.7.0 - I had my motherboard replaced due to overheating and had been given 2.6.2. I flashed the bios down to 1.7.0 (from windows) and it killed the motherboard. (And yes, I had the power plugged in etc.) This makes me suspect that Dell may have changed motherboards and that there may be an incompatability with the one that I received. Dell replaced the motherboard that I flashed with a new one running 2.6.3 and I will not be downgrading the bios again.
Downgrading my bios to 1.7.0 from 2.6.2 killed my motherboard. (I flashed it from windows, power plugged in etc.) I had my motherboard replaced and it came with 2.6.3. I will not be downgrading my bios based on my previous experience.
Is there any work being done to fix the fn-brightness problem natively?
for the wireless install I just went to Add/Remove and in System Tools I installed Windows Wireless Drivers then I went to the hardware drivers and broadcom was there I enabled it, followed the wizard and it worked. no command line at all. in the wizard just make sure to check the option on the first page.
Dose anyone knows where is the "Share folder" option in system>administration?
It's just disappeared in Hardy Heron!!!
when i right click on a folder and try to use sharing option, it wants admin permission ( Ask your administrator to grant you permissions to create a share.)
what dose this mean?
Help pls :)
2 navid
It means, that it Ubuntu wants to install samba/nfs support, if it's not
And few words about my little issues with 8.04
- With Catalyst 8.4 XV out in mplayer don't work
Solution - in xorg.conf in "device" section add
Option "TexturedVideo" "on"
- If Catalyst was installed manually, compiz will not run through "Look'n'feel ))" menu.
Solution - just use compiz --replace in terminal or so.
- Fn + F10 (CD open) still not works.
Solution - not found yet.
- Localsation. If you use non-english version (russian in my case), you will find that after installation system will be half-translated.
Solution - in Synaptic just download gnome-language-pack-xx and gnome-language-pack-xx-base
xx is your language mark.
That is all for now :)
I keep on getting this error on hardy when i shut down the computer or run the command dmesg
atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e00d (> here)keycode>' to make it known.
atkbd.c: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0x8d on isa0060/serio0).
Help please! it makes the shutdown extremely long.
I have the same brightness problem in a Compaq Presario. But I solved the issue modifying the scripts provided by AaronMT with a little modifications:
/etc/acpi/video_brightnessup.sh
#!/bin/bash
CURRENT=$(grep "current:" /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness |awk '{print $2}')
case "$CURRENT" in
100)
echo -n 100 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
90)
echo -n 100 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
80)
echo -n 90 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
70)
echo -n 80 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
60)
echo -n 70 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
50)
echo -n 60 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
40)
echo -n 50 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
30)
echo -n 40 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
20)
echo -n 30 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
10)
echo -n 20 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
0)
echo -n 10 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
*)
echo -n 100 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
esac
/etc/acpi/video_brightnessdown.sh
#!/bin/bash
CURRENT=$(grep "current:" /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness |awk '{print $2}')
case "$CURRENT" in
0)
echo -n 0 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
10)
echo -n 0 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
20)
echo -n 10 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
30)
echo -n 20 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
40)
echo -n 30 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
50)
echo -n 40 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
60)
echo -n 50 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
70)
echo -n 60 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
80)
echo -n 70 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
90)
echo -n 80 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
100)
echo -n 90 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
*)
echo -n 0 > /proc/acpi/video/OVGA/DD03/brightness;
;;
esac
Regards.
Thanks,the ATI driver guide works perfectly!
Hey folks.
I've been using Envy to get and conf my ATI driver, which worked fine in gutsy, but now I've upgraded to hardy I can't enable desktop effects. Any thoughts?
I've just found this blog and am keen to try to get my wireless working with the windows driver and ndiswrapper, but before that, can I ask a couple of questions?
1. I'm in Australia. The CPU that came with my computer's not the one I gather that came with it in the US. There may also be other differences. Will that matter for present purposes?
2. In order to get the computer to boot up, I found instructions to add some kernel parameters: all_generic_ide, floppy=off and irqpoll. When I do that, I do get to the desktop (though I didn't without them), but not without two error messages: MP-BIOS bug: 8254 timer not connected to IO-APIC; and PCI: BIOS BUG #81 [49435000] found. Will they stop me from getting wireless going?
My inspiron overheated last night when using ubuntu. I updated the bios today (from v2.6.1 to 2.6.3). Is this likely to fix it? I don't really want to risk any permanent damage happening to it
is your fan working? call dell, i wouldnt know what your problem is from one sentence.
Thank you for your blog! I have found this helpful. I too have an Inspiron 1501. I am new to Linux and Ubuntu (just installed this past weekend). I can't believe how easy it has been!
I have a question though...Does Ubuntu recognize the HyperMemory on the ATI Xpress 1150 card? All the information that I can find seems to be giving my card 128MB and not the 256MB that Windows recognized.
I just want to know if I am missing something or what.
Thanks,
Brad
Okay, i'll expand the point. I've never had any issues under XP. I've left it running complex programs (ie 50% on one core and another one on another) and i've never had any issues. I've asked a few computer savvy friends who said something about Power Now, but nothing in the BIOS is iffy (well as far as I can see). The fan is going at the moment and it goes on overdrive under XP. The ubuntu version i am running was using about 10% CPU maximum for the previous hour. Umm, i'm not sure what else to say, but i don't think its the fan. Is there any processor drivers that can be installed?
Please, notify when modem driver is available!!! I have to use win to surf :(
Very good blog. #1 reference (ubuntu + inspiron1501)
Anyone has tried KVM? I need virtualize windows (Office2007) and I can get it work at good speed...
At least!!! Dell has released a modem driver, in fact, the reorganized the directory tree (drivers for gutsy, drivers for hardy)
Sorry, that driver didn't work, maybe dell folks have to tweak it.
It doesn't seems to work, and completely disables sound (during install, it replaces sound driver modules)
SOUND works, no problem with the driver.
Although sound works, has anyone gotten the microphone jack to work on a 1501? Any audio recording program that I try hangs when I ask it to record. Skype simply fails to respond to the mic, though at least doesn't hang.
Despite the claims, this is one hardware component that doesn't work out of the box. We never got the mic to work with Feisty or Gutsy either, though it works just fine in Windows.
Timing is everything. After doing an update this morning, the mic problem that I commented on last night has suddenly gone away. Our mic now works. The audio recorder program can record a clip and play it back happily and Skype now works. It's not completely clean, however as I did hear some clicking, but at least it's functional.
I got it to work on skype quite easily...you have to go in the sound control then you need to go in preferences to show the mic options and unmute it.
I get similar errors to the one caleb mentioned above, with a phantom key being pressed and released thousands of times per second. Shows up all over dmesg.
Anyone else familiar with this problem?
Compiz doesn't work for me with the proprietary driver. I get an error "Composite extension is not available." Is anyone else getting this error?
We solved the phantom key-press by updating our BIOS to the 2.6.3 version available from Dell. Check their website. It requires Windows to install.
The phantom keypresses also happen in Windows and were preventing the screensaver from kicking in.
Ok, modem finally working. But I've to install the alsa-driver from linuxant (and install patch, otherwise you get compiling errors), then install the driver in the Dell site. I've to reinstall Hardy, but it worked.
Everything OK.
on bios 2.6.3, brightness controls dont work but volume controls work...
it also seems like the cpu fan doesnt work... but havent verified that properly.... because in windows, the cpu fan does not run continually (only when it needs to)...
the suspend works on bios 2.6.3 (32bit wubi ubuntu 8.04)... but resuming from suspend by pressing the power button gives a flashing screen with stripes before a successful resume...
have not tried hibernate yet as wubi does not support hibernation...
using bios 2.6.1 , the cpu fan seems to be running continually...
the display brightness controls still dont work... but the volume controls work...
great work with the blog!
have been using ur blog ever since you made your first post about ndiswrapper... since edgy.... when i decided to get back on ubuntu after leaving it for a while... after breezy badger...
bios 2.6.1
brightness controls: dont work
volume controls: work
cpu fan spins seems to be spinning continually...
downgraded to dell bios 1.7.0 and brightness controls work! ... will check out the remaining BIOS versions and let you know which ones work well....
Well I have to say, I am finally happy with Hardy. I did a distro upgrade from Gutsy. It was mostly a smooth upgrade but it clobbered my Compiz and ATI proprietary drivers.
Now I finally have everything working again in Hardy... AIGLX, Compiz Fusion, ATI proprietary driver, backlight hotkeys, and suspend/hibernate.
Very, very nice!
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