Overview and setup for getting Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron installed on the Dell Inspiron 1501
Setting Up Wireless with NDISwarapper
Easy Codec Installation
Encrypted DVD playback & Medibuntu
Stop Compiz-Fusion From Loading Automatically
Showing posts with label wifi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wifi. Show all posts
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Overview of Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon on the Dell 1501
Everything you need to get Ubuntu 7.10 running on your Dell Inspiron 1501.
Installation
Gutsy installs with no problems. There is a problem with GRUB, the resolution settings are wrong and this causes a 2 -3 minute lag in booting. Once done, Gutsy takes less than 25 seconds to load. You can find the guide on how to fix it here.
Wireless
Two Methods:
1. The Restricted Driver Manager can install the the firmware for the Broadcom 43xx card in the Dell 1501. You can find the guide .
2. You can use ndiswrapper to install the driver. For the guide and maybe why you'd want to do it yourself, check out this article.
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 8.37.6 fglrx driver is automatically installed, configured and 3D enabled. You can find the guide here.
2. You can install the newest ATI driver that uses AIGLX yourself. You can find that guide here.
Compiz-Fusion
Compiz-Fusion is enabled by default, so you don't have to install anything. If you used ATI Propiety Driver method 1, use need to setup Xgl using this guide to get Compiz-Fusion working. If you used ATI Propiety Driver method 2, Compiz works after a logout/reboot.
Media Codecs
Gutsy makes codec installation easy, no more automatix or struggling with adding repos. 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 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
Works with BIOS 1.70, use this guide for rolling back you BIOS.
Suspend & Hibernate
Doesn't work if you install the Proprietary ATI Driver (either method). A bug in ATI's driver causes this. No fixes have been found yet. If you use the MESA driver that is installed by default suspend and hibernate will work.
Video Out
Works out of the box, Gutsy'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
Works, you just need to follow this guide to set it up.
Card Reader
Works out of the box.
Installation
Gutsy installs with no problems. There is a problem with GRUB, the resolution settings are wrong and this causes a 2 -3 minute lag in booting. Once done, Gutsy takes less than 25 seconds to load. You can find the guide on how to fix it here.
Wireless
Two Methods:
1. The Restricted Driver Manager can install the the firmware for the Broadcom 43xx card in the Dell 1501. You can find the guide .
2. You can use ndiswrapper to install the driver. For the guide and maybe why you'd want to do it yourself, check out this article.
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 8.37.6 fglrx driver is automatically installed, configured and 3D enabled. You can find the guide here.
2. You can install the newest ATI driver that uses AIGLX yourself. You can find that guide here.
Compiz-Fusion
Compiz-Fusion is enabled by default, so you don't have to install anything. If you used ATI Propiety Driver method 1, use need to setup Xgl using this guide to get Compiz-Fusion working. If you used ATI Propiety Driver method 2, Compiz works after a logout/reboot.
Media Codecs
Gutsy makes codec installation easy, no more automatix or struggling with adding repos. 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 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
Works with BIOS 1.70, use this guide for rolling back you BIOS.
Suspend & Hibernate
Doesn't work if you install the Proprietary ATI Driver (either method). A bug in ATI's driver causes this. No fixes have been found yet. If you use the MESA driver that is installed by default suspend and hibernate will work.
Video Out
Works out of the box, Gutsy'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
Works, you just need to follow this guide to set it up.
Card Reader
Works out of the box.
edited by pHreaksYcle
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wireless in Gutsy Gibbon with Ndiswrapper
Back when the Dell 1501 first came out there were no native wireless drivers for the internal Broadcom chipset, so we had to use Nidiswrapper. NdisWrapper uses a wireless devices' Windows driver in Linux. It works surprisingly well. Using ndiswrapper allows you to run the Broadcom card in your Dell 1501 at full speed and connect to certain networks that the native Broadcom driver can't. You won't surf the internet faster but your PC to PC connections will be faster. If you are using the native Broadcom driver via the Restricted Driver Manager and it's working for all your day to day needs, I wouldn't recommend taking the time to change drivers.
If you have already enabled the Broadcom restricted driver, uninstall it before attempting this guide.
Go to System>Administration>Restricted Driver Manager and unselect the enable box.
Step 1: Get Needed Packages
To install ndiswrapper
In a terminal type:
sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-utils-1.9 ndiswrapper-common
Get the Windows driver for your Dell 1501
In a terminal type:
wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R140747.EXE
Step 2: Get Everything Ready
Now we will make a folder.
In a terminal type:
mkdir ~/.drivers
Now we will move R140747.EXE (the Dell driver), to the folder we just made.
In a terminal type:
mv ~/R140747.EXE ~/.drivers
Finally, we need to blacklist the broken and useless bcm43xx firmware drivers that try to load in a default Ubuntu install:
In a terminal type:
sudo su
Then type:
sudo echo blacklist bcm43xx >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
YOU MUST REBOOT NOW!
In a terminal type:
sudo reboot
STEP 3: Get The Proper Folder
In order for us to unzip the R140747.EXE driver we need to point your terminal to the /.driver folder.
cd ~/.drivers
Unzip the R140747.EXE driver
In a terminal type:
unzip -a R140747.EXE
We need to point your terminal to the DRIVER folder we just unzipped
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers/DRIVER
Step 4: Configure the Windows driver with ndiswrapper
Now install the Windows driver
In a terminal type:
sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf
Then:
sudo ndiswrapper -l (that is a lowercase L)
You should see a message that says driver present, hardware detected.
Now finish installing the driver
In a terminal type:
sudo ndiswrapper -m
Then:
sudo modprobe ndiswrapper
YOU MUST REBOOT NOW!
In a terminal type:
sudo reboot
STEP 5: TEST WIRELESS
Your WiFi light on your laptop should be illuminated. If not, you can always turn it on and off with the Fn+F2 (Function & F2 Key) and you're all set! Try running this to see if your wireless card is functioning properly.
In a terminal type:
sudo iwlist scanning
If once you get everything working and after a reboot and the wifi light does not come back on, simply repeat Step 4 and wireless will work again.
Step 6: Make it Stick
To autostart the ndiswrapper module
In a terminal type:
sudo gedit /etc/modules
and add this to the end of the file
ndiswrapper
If you have already enabled the Broadcom restricted driver, uninstall it before attempting this guide.
Go to System>Administration>Restricted Driver Manager and unselect the enable box.
Step 1: Get Needed Packages
To install ndiswrapper
In a terminal type:
sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-utils-1.9 ndiswrapper-common
Get the Windows driver for your Dell 1501
In a terminal type:
wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R140747.EXE
Step 2: Get Everything Ready
Now we will make a folder.
In a terminal type:
mkdir ~/.drivers
Now we will move R140747.EXE (the Dell driver), to the folder we just made.
In a terminal type:
mv ~/R140747.EXE ~/.drivers
Finally, we need to blacklist the broken and useless bcm43xx firmware drivers that try to load in a default Ubuntu install:
In a terminal type:
sudo su
Then type:
sudo echo blacklist bcm43xx >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
YOU MUST REBOOT NOW!
In a terminal type:
sudo reboot
STEP 3: Get The Proper Folder
In order for us to unzip the R140747.EXE driver we need to point your terminal to the /.driver folder.
cd ~/.drivers
Unzip the R140747.EXE driver
In a terminal type:
unzip -a R140747.EXE
We need to point your terminal to the DRIVER folder we just unzipped
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers/DRIVER
Step 4: Configure the Windows driver with ndiswrapper
Now install the Windows driver
In a terminal type:
sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf
Then:
sudo ndiswrapper -l (that is a lowercase L)
You should see a message that says driver present, hardware detected.
Now finish installing the driver
In a terminal type:
sudo ndiswrapper -m
Then:
sudo modprobe ndiswrapper
YOU MUST REBOOT NOW!
In a terminal type:
sudo reboot
STEP 5: TEST WIRELESS
Your WiFi light on your laptop should be illuminated. If not, you can always turn it on and off with the Fn+F2 (Function & F2 Key) and you're all set! Try running this to see if your wireless card is functioning properly.
In a terminal type:
sudo iwlist scanning
If once you get everything working and after a reboot and the wifi light does not come back on, simply repeat Step 4 and wireless will work again.
Step 6: Make it Stick
To autostart the ndiswrapper module
In a terminal type:
sudo gedit /etc/modules
and add this to the end of the file
ndiswrapper
edited by pHreaksYcle
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Wireless in Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon
Wireless for the Dell Inspiron 1501 now works out of the box in Gutsy Gibbon. It's a simple graphical install that requires four clicks of a mouse. The Ubuntu Restricted Driver Manager does all the work for you. After installing Ubuntu 7.10 you need to run the Restricted Driver Manager; you can find it in System>Administration>Restricted Driver Manager.
*Quick note if you update your install of Gutsy and wifi no longer works, it's a simple matter of running the Restricted Driver Manager over again.
You will see this:
Next you just need to click on the enable box. Then you will see this:
Simply click on the Enable Firmware button. The Restricted Driver Manager will now ask you to Specify Firmware Location:
You now have two choices.
1.- To use a local file for the firmware or to download it from the internet. Using a local file doesn't require you to connect an ethernet cable to the your Dell 1501 but you will have to download a file before installing Gutsy.
2. - Downloading from the internet requires you to connect an ethernet cable to the your Dell 1501 to establish an internet connection before you can download the firmware.
To use a local file you have to download the firmware for the Broadcom 43xx chipset family, before you install Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. You can find the driver here Click the OK button and WiFi works.
If you can plug an ethernet cable into your Dell 1501 you can simply choose download from internet. Click the OK button and WiFi works.
Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon makes setting up WiFi a much simpler process then Edgy & Feisty, you no longer need to downloading debs from untrusted sites or set up ndiswrapper. It's four clicks of a mouse button. Dell 1501 owners can now rejoice, it's impossible to screw up the wifi setup.
*Quick note if you update your install of Gutsy and wifi no longer works, it's a simple matter of running the Restricted Driver Manager over again.
You will see this:
Next you just need to click on the enable box. Then you will see this:
Simply click on the Enable Firmware button. The Restricted Driver Manager will now ask you to Specify Firmware Location:
You now have two choices.
1.- To use a local file for the firmware or to download it from the internet. Using a local file doesn't require you to connect an ethernet cable to the your Dell 1501 but you will have to download a file before installing Gutsy.
2. - Downloading from the internet requires you to connect an ethernet cable to the your Dell 1501 to establish an internet connection before you can download the firmware.
To use a local file you have to download the firmware for the Broadcom 43xx chipset family, before you install Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. You can find the driver here Click the OK button and WiFi works.
If you can plug an ethernet cable into your Dell 1501 you can simply choose download from internet. Click the OK button and WiFi works.
Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon makes setting up WiFi a much simpler process then Edgy & Feisty, you no longer need to downloading debs from untrusted sites or set up ndiswrapper. It's four clicks of a mouse button. Dell 1501 owners can now rejoice, it's impossible to screw up the wifi setup.
edited by pHreaksYcle
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
akabrek's fix for people having trouble with ndiswrapper
People are reporting that every time at startup they have to do a "sudo modprobe ndiswrapper" to get their WiFi working again when using the ndiswrapper guide. akabrek has come up with a solution.
You could solve this problem by doing as follows:
sudo ndiswrapper -m
gksudo gedit /etc/modules
and simply append the word ndiswrapper at end of file. Then save and reboot.
It will boot ndiswrapper module everytime Ubuntu kernel is loaded.
Thanks redDEAD for your good work, very useful. Don't give up.
__________________________________________________________________
akabrek, thank you for you good work and keep reading!
You could solve this problem by doing as follows:
sudo ndiswrapper -m
gksudo gedit /etc/modules
and simply append the word ndiswrapper at end of file. Then save and reboot.
It will boot ndiswrapper module everytime Ubuntu kernel is loaded.
Thanks redDEAD for your good work, very useful. Don't give up.
__________________________________________________________________
akabrek, thank you for you good work and keep reading!
edited by pHreaksYcle
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Rewrote the Wi-Fi Guide
Ross has sent me two comments which I have pasted below. He couldn't get the WiFi working on his Dell 1501. He begged and pleaded for me to fix the guide. The guide wasn't very broken, it just required a cognitive ability. I did notice it lacked the polish and feel of my later guides. So for Ross and everyone else who complains that they can't get the WiFi working and my guide isn't working I rewrote the guide. It is truly idiot proof and in my opinion, my best guide yet. It's almost 100% command line meaning you just have to copy and paste. If it doesn't work for you you can always try the alternate native Linux driver, which guide you can find here. Good luck Ross and enjoy the new guide.
Hi
I have tried this like 8 times now. and have just started fresh by reinstalling it and trying again but it won't work for me
I have a dell 1501 same as you. but i got the 1g mem and i have the dvd burner too but this just will not work the light does not come on. even when i restart and all the other lights flash , (the lock with 9 and the A and the down arrow) but no wifi flash , i will attach all my workings on my next post after i try once more. wish me luck!! i realy want my wifi.....
------------------
doesn't WORK!!
I've tried sooo many times i got the same thing as the guy who started this everything seems to work
but in the end nothing is actually installed at all!!
am i doing it the wrong place should i do this entire guide in root. i did it and saved both downloads to a file named .driver(wich i created ) (is there supposed to be one in there allready?)
its a hidden file. anyway inside that folder i created another folder named wifi for my driver download (the zipped one) so after that i un TAR the ndiswrapper file to the .driver folder and do everything as the guide says, thousands of dell owners have. it doesn't work for me.
the guide seems to be a bare skeleton when it comes to the informative and descriptive side...
getting no where and have reinstalled twice can you edit your guide a little, starting at the verry first line,,,,
after you suggest the root folder option you say to enter the 2 previous command's again....
which 2? the first 2 in the guide or the one to become root . there are some other confusing factors too. it seems to work for some people but i am having trouble.
and your guide for the beryl thing dont get me started....
you should tell people what it means to log in as XGL no everyone knows its a profile.. i can proof read your guides to make them idiot proof , I am half idiot after all..
Hi
I have tried this like 8 times now. and have just started fresh by reinstalling it and trying again but it won't work for me
I have a dell 1501 same as you. but i got the 1g mem and i have the dvd burner too but this just will not work the light does not come on. even when i restart and all the other lights flash , (the lock with 9 and the A and the down arrow) but no wifi flash , i will attach all my workings on my next post after i try once more. wish me luck!! i realy want my wifi.....
------------------
doesn't WORK!!
I've tried sooo many times i got the same thing as the guy who started this everything seems to work
but in the end nothing is actually installed at all!!
am i doing it the wrong place should i do this entire guide in root. i did it and saved both downloads to a file named .driver(wich i created ) (is there supposed to be one in there allready?)
its a hidden file. anyway inside that folder i created another folder named wifi for my driver download (the zipped one) so after that i un TAR the ndiswrapper file to the .driver folder and do everything as the guide says, thousands of dell owners have. it doesn't work for me.
the guide seems to be a bare skeleton when it comes to the informative and descriptive side...
getting no where and have reinstalled twice can you edit your guide a little, starting at the verry first line,,,,
after you suggest the root folder option you say to enter the 2 previous command's again....
which 2? the first 2 in the guide or the one to become root . there are some other confusing factors too. it seems to work for some people but i am having trouble.
and your guide for the beryl thing dont get me started....
you should tell people what it means to log in as XGL no everyone knows its a profile.. i can proof read your guides to make them idiot proof , I am half idiot after all..
edited by pHreaksYcle
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Feisty Fawn Starter Guide
If you decided to run Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04 on your Dell Inspiron 1501, you came to the right place. This blog is a great starter guide for getting things to work. Enjoy, it's not as hard as it looks and everything here is tested and confirmed to work. - redDEAD
AND NOW EVERY PIECE OF HARDWARE ON THE DELL 1501 WORKS IN UBUNTU
Getting Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04
Dell 1501 Compatability
Can't Get Feisty To Install
Dual Booting Ubuntu and Windows
Getting Wireless To Work Using ndiswrapper
Getting Wireless to work Using the Native Linux Driver
Beryl In Feisty With Xgl
Getting the Conexant Modem working in Feisty
Installing Java Runtime Environment 6.0
Installing Newest Azureus in Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn
Installing Wine
Installing VMware
How to Fix a Broken Key
Configure Synaptic Touchpad Settngs
Fixing Logout Freezing
Customizing Firefox
Installing Mozilla Thunderbird
AND NOW EVERY PIECE OF HARDWARE ON THE DELL 1501 WORKS IN UBUNTU
Getting Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04
Dell 1501 Compatability
Can't Get Feisty To Install
Dual Booting Ubuntu and Windows
Getting Wireless To Work Using ndiswrapper
Getting Wireless to work Using the Native Linux Driver
Beryl In Feisty With Xgl
Getting the Conexant Modem working in Feisty
Installing Java Runtime Environment 6.0
Installing Newest Azureus in Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn
Installing Wine
Installing VMware
How to Fix a Broken Key
Configure Synaptic Touchpad Settngs
Fixing Logout Freezing
Customizing Firefox
Installing Mozilla Thunderbird
edited by pHreaksYcle
Monday, May 14, 2007
Another Way To Get Wi-Fi Working - Feisty Only
I got this guide from Cosmin at http://www.linux-geek.org/. It allows you to use the Broadcom naitive linux driver at a decent speed with good reliability. He deserves all the credit. I had nothing to do with making the packages or helping to write the guide. If it works for you, thank him. If you have questions, comments or praise check out his blog and leave your questions/comments there. All I did was put it in my format and clean up the design.
Disclaimer:
I recommend using ndiswrapper, it works at full speed, offers system stability and is the best bet for new Ubuntu/Linux users. This is NOT a guide for people who couldn't get my ndiswrapper guide to work. The guide works. If you can't get it work, I guarantee you are doing something wrong. All you have to do is copy, paste and follow directions. I will not answer any questions from people who can not get this guide to work for them. This guide is for people experiencing WPA problems, want to use Aircrack, or are comfortable with unstable bleeding edge drivers. The native linux Broadcom driver does not work at full speed, it tops out at 11MBps. The module was take from a newer kernel and "ported" by Cosmin, meaning it wasn't intended to be used with your kernel. I've been testing it for three weeks now and am pretty satisfied with it. This guide is intended just for the 2.6.20-15-generic kernel, the default one in Feisty.
This is only for 32 bit version, for 64 bit version go to Cosmin's blog
Get the deb package
wget http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Install the firmware files
sudo dpkg -i ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Remove the package
sudo rm ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Download the module for the 32 bit kernel
wget http://linux-geek.org/files/bcm43xx.tar.bz2
or get it here: http://www.mediafire.com/?8mnjnsxubdn
Replace the bcm43xx driver provided by the Ubuntu kernel with the driver ported by Cosmin, from the 2.6.21-rc7 kernel
sudo rm /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/bcm43xx.ko
sudo tar xvjf ./bcm43xx.tar.bz2 -C /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/
Reboot
To test if it working
sudo modprobe bcm43xx
sudo iwlist scan
Enjoy!
Disclaimer:
I recommend using ndiswrapper, it works at full speed, offers system stability and is the best bet for new Ubuntu/Linux users. This is NOT a guide for people who couldn't get my ndiswrapper guide to work. The guide works. If you can't get it work, I guarantee you are doing something wrong. All you have to do is copy, paste and follow directions. I will not answer any questions from people who can not get this guide to work for them. This guide is for people experiencing WPA problems, want to use Aircrack, or are comfortable with unstable bleeding edge drivers. The native linux Broadcom driver does not work at full speed, it tops out at 11MBps. The module was take from a newer kernel and "ported" by Cosmin, meaning it wasn't intended to be used with your kernel. I've been testing it for three weeks now and am pretty satisfied with it. This guide is intended just for the 2.6.20-15-generic kernel, the default one in Feisty.
This is only for 32 bit version, for 64 bit version go to Cosmin's blog
Get the deb package
wget http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Install the firmware files
sudo dpkg -i ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Remove the package
sudo rm ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Download the module for the 32 bit kernel
wget http://linux-geek.org/files/bcm43xx.tar.bz2
or get it here: http://www.mediafire.com/?8mnjnsxubdn
Replace the bcm43xx driver provided by the Ubuntu kernel with the driver ported by Cosmin, from the 2.6.21-rc7 kernel
sudo rm /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/bcm43xx.ko
sudo tar xvjf ./bcm43xx.tar.bz2 -C /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/
Reboot
To test if it working
sudo modprobe bcm43xx
sudo iwlist scan
Enjoy!
edited by pHreaksYcle
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Your Dell 1501 is Ready
UPDATED!
The Dell Inspiron 1501 is ready for Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04. Today the last remaining bugs were squashed. I highly recommend you count the days till Feisty is released or hop on the beta and start enjoying the ride.
Installation
It's a simple matter of placing the Feisty disk into your DVD drive and installing. Takes all of 30 minutes and doesn't need pci=nomsi to install.
Wi-Fi
The broadcom card shipped with the Dell 1501 still doesn't work out of box with Feisty. But ndiswrapper works and runs the card very fast. Installation is extremely easy, the guide can be found here. Feisty's avahi network manager is amazing, best I have ever used on any operating system. It's a must have for any mobile users.
Ethernet
Works out of the box, just plug the cable in.
Modem
Reported that it works with a little tweaking. Everyone who wants to run Feisty but is stuck in 1996 can breath easily.
Card Reader
There was a bug in the 2.60 Linux kernel that caused the Ricoh card Readers the Dell 1501 shipped with to not work although they worked in Edgy. This has been fixed, card reader works great and now it asks if you'd like to empty the trash upon dismounting. Very convenient and works out of box.
ATI Driver
ATI's 8.34.8 driver is working really well for me. Installation is a snap too. The restricted Driver Manager does all the work for you. You can install the driver with four mouse button clicks.
Media Codecs
Feisty makes codecs easy, no more Automatix or struggling with adding a repo. MP3, DVD, avi, mpeg, wmv, asf, mov, flv, flash codecs are installed with four mouse clicks. The only thing not enabled is reading encrypted DVDs. Some programs can do it for you but if you'd like to do it in Totem use this guide. Word is you can buy it from Linspire's CNR which is being introduced in Feisty. Remember kids, Linux is free as in Freedom not money. If you have to pay to play DVD, bite the bullet. You saved hundreds on the OS.
Beryl
It works and works pretty damn well. The trick is that you have to force bery-core to use 0.2.0~0beryl1 because later versions don't work with Xgl. It's not that hard of a hack. My guide can be found here.
Key Bindings
Work out of box, volume control, brightness, mute any function+commands. I have my keyboard set to Generic 101-key PC. After installing Xgl & Beryl I kept my key binding to Gnome's Settings.
Hibernation
Works out of box, never used hibernation before but I just tried it and think I like it.
The Dell Inspiron 1501 is ready for Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04. Today the last remaining bugs were squashed. I highly recommend you count the days till Feisty is released or hop on the beta and start enjoying the ride.
Installation
It's a simple matter of placing the Feisty disk into your DVD drive and installing. Takes all of 30 minutes and doesn't need pci=nomsi to install.
Wi-Fi
The broadcom card shipped with the Dell 1501 still doesn't work out of box with Feisty. But ndiswrapper works and runs the card very fast. Installation is extremely easy, the guide can be found here. Feisty's avahi network manager is amazing, best I have ever used on any operating system. It's a must have for any mobile users.
Ethernet
Works out of the box, just plug the cable in.
Modem
Reported that it works with a little tweaking. Everyone who wants to run Feisty but is stuck in 1996 can breath easily.
Card Reader
There was a bug in the 2.60 Linux kernel that caused the Ricoh card Readers the Dell 1501 shipped with to not work although they worked in Edgy. This has been fixed, card reader works great and now it asks if you'd like to empty the trash upon dismounting. Very convenient and works out of box.
ATI Driver
ATI's 8.34.8 driver is working really well for me. Installation is a snap too. The restricted Driver Manager does all the work for you. You can install the driver with four mouse button clicks.
Media Codecs
Feisty makes codecs easy, no more Automatix or struggling with adding a repo. MP3, DVD, avi, mpeg, wmv, asf, mov, flv, flash codecs are installed with four mouse clicks. The only thing not enabled is reading encrypted DVDs. Some programs can do it for you but if you'd like to do it in Totem use this guide. Word is you can buy it from Linspire's CNR which is being introduced in Feisty. Remember kids, Linux is free as in Freedom not money. If you have to pay to play DVD, bite the bullet. You saved hundreds on the OS.
Beryl
It works and works pretty damn well. The trick is that you have to force bery-core to use 0.2.0~0beryl1 because later versions don't work with Xgl. It's not that hard of a hack. My guide can be found here.
Key Bindings
Work out of box, volume control, brightness, mute any function+commands. I have my keyboard set to Generic 101-key PC. After installing Xgl & Beryl I kept my key binding to Gnome's Settings.
Hibernation
Works out of box, never used hibernation before but I just tried it and think I like it.
edited by pHreaksYcle
Monday, April 2, 2007
Avahi, wi-fi and why I Love Feisty Fawn
Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn makes WiFi fun in Linux. Switching WiFi networks for me in Edgy with my Dell 1501 was chore, I loathed it. Today I spent the day driving around Chicago hopping from on wi-fi network to another. Clicked my WiFi icon, saw what networks were available and connected. No restarting, no logging off, no terminal commands. It just worked.
Feisty includes Avahi, it is a free Zeroconf implementation, including a system for multicast DNS/DNS-SD service discovery. It allows programs to publish and discover services and hosts running on a local network with no specific configuration. For example you can plug into a network and instantly find printers to print to, files to look at and people to talk to.
In Feisty Avahi works like this, you set you connection to roaming, left click the WiFi icon, a list pulls up with available networks including security and signal strength, and then you select your network.
This features ensure I'll never use edgy eft on a laptop again.
Feisty includes Avahi, it is a free Zeroconf implementation, including a system for multicast DNS/DNS-SD service discovery. It allows programs to publish and discover services and hosts running on a local network with no specific configuration. For example you can plug into a network and instantly find printers to print to, files to look at and people to talk to.
In Feisty Avahi works like this, you set you connection to roaming, left click the WiFi icon, a list pulls up with available networks including security and signal strength, and then you select your network.
This features ensure I'll never use edgy eft on a laptop again.
edited by pHreaksYcle
Saturday, February 10, 2007
wi-fi fix
Everytime you update your kernel you're going to have to run my wi-fi guide. You need to just follow the directions as listed. Here are some hints and some special precautions.
1. You're really gonna have to hunt to remove ndiswrapper from your system. Run Find and search your drive for all instances of ndiswrapper. They're not hard to find, but there are about 6 instances.
2. Follow the guide.
3. You do not need to redownload the wi-fi driver from Dell, you can refuse the one from the original install.
4. Reboot when you told too.
5. After rebooting you have to turn on your wi-fi card it the blue Fn key and F2 at the same time. (The wi-fi light won't come on when you hit, so don't sweat it) THEN REBOOT AGAIN.
1. You're really gonna have to hunt to remove ndiswrapper from your system. Run Find and search your drive for all instances of ndiswrapper. They're not hard to find, but there are about 6 instances.
2. Follow the guide.
3. You do not need to redownload the wi-fi driver from Dell, you can refuse the one from the original install.
4. Reboot when you told too.
5. After rebooting you have to turn on your wi-fi card it the blue Fn key and F2 at the same time. (The wi-fi light won't come on when you hit, so don't sweat it) THEN REBOOT AGAIN.
Update Nerfed Your Wi-Fi & Xbox360 Controller
This morning's Ubuntu update contains the new Edgy Kernel 2.6.17.7-11.1
The update uninstalls your WiFi and Xbox 360 controller "drivers". The controller part was an easy fix. All you have to do it edit the first line of the make file to reflect your new kernel and use the original guide.
KERNEL_DIR?=/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.17.11-generic
Wi-Fi is not such an easy fix. I have to work not only today but all day (24 hrs) Sunday and most of Monday. So if you came here looking for answer the only thing I can tell you is to start the WiFi guide over again. Hopefully either one of you will send me a quick fix or Tuesday I'll come up with something. Until then my laptop is plugged into my router.
The update uninstalls your WiFi and Xbox 360 controller "drivers". The controller part was an easy fix. All you have to do it edit the first line of the make file to reflect your new kernel and use the original guide.
KERNEL_DIR?=/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.17.11-generic
Wi-Fi is not such an easy fix. I have to work not only today but all day (24 hrs) Sunday and most of Monday. So if you came here looking for answer the only thing I can tell you is to start the WiFi guide over again. Hopefully either one of you will send me a quick fix or Tuesday I'll come up with something. Until then my laptop is plugged into my router.
edited by pHreaksYcle
Friday, January 12, 2007
Fixing WiFi on the Dell 1501 Edgy & Feisty
The best thing you can do is read the complete guide first, then print it out and read it again. You have to do every step right.
STEP 1: CLEAN YOUR SYSTEM - You need to remove any and all versions of Ndiswrapper currently installed on your system.
In a terminal type:
sudo rmmod ndiswrapper
then:
sudo apt-get remove ndiswrapper-utils
Now you need to hunt down and find all instances of ndiswrapper left on your file system.
The easiest way to do this is to run a search. To find Ubuntu's search function, look under the Places entry on the top left corner of your computer. Type in ndiswrapper and look in folder : file system.
Now once you actually searched your file system to you should see results similar to the ones pictured below.
The files paths outlined by the red box tell you exactly where to look to file the old unneeded ndiswrapper files you must delete. Many of these files require you to be root (have administration access) to delete them.
To become root and look for these files you need.
In a terminal type:
sudo nautilus
You should see this:
In this newly opened /root window you can search and delete all instances of ndiswrapper. Take the file pates the search function gave you and type them in to the location box highlighted in red. If you don't have the location box, click the button in highlighted in blue to change views.
Delete all instances of ndiswrapper. Then run the two previous commands over again.
In a terminal type:
sudo rmmod ndiswrapper
Then:
sudo apt-get remove ndiswrapper-utils
STEP 2: GET NEEDED PACKAGES - We'll need to install compiling tools, the latest kernel headers, and then the source code for the latest ndiswrapper, and the wireless drivers from Dell.com
Get your compiling tools & kernel headers
In a terminal type:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`
Download Ndiswrapper
In a terminal type:
wget http://easynews.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/ndiswrapper/ndiswrapper-1.47.tar.gz
If that doesn't work use this link.
Since writing this guide newer versions of ndiswrapper have been released on sourceforge. If you decide to download a newer release just change the version number to one you downloaded. If you download 1.50 instead of 1.47 you should change the command to ...ndiswrapper-1.50.tar.gz
Get the Windows driver for your Dell 1501
In a terminal type:
wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R140747.EXE
Now we will make a folder store your drivers in.
In a terminal type:
mkdir ~/.drivers
Now we will move the files we downloaded, ndiswrapper & R140747.EXE (the Dell driver), to the folder we just made.
In a terminal Type:
mv ~/ndiswrapper-1.47.tar.gz ~/.drivers
Then:
mv ~/R140747.EXE ~/.drivers
Now we are going to to untar/uncompress the ndiswrapper.
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers
Then:
tar -xzvf ndiswrapper-1.47.tar.gz
Finally, we need to blacklist the broken and useless bcm43xx firmware drivers that try to load in a default Ubuntu install:
In a terminal type:
sudo su
Then type:
sudo echo blacklist bcm43xx >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
YOU MUST REBOOT NOW!
STEP 3: COMPILE PROGRAM - Now we'll complile the Ndiswrapper program
Point your terminal to the ndiswrapper-1.47 folder.
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers/ndiswrapper-1.47
Now get everything ready for the compiling.
In a terminal type:
sudo make uninstall
Do the above command multiple times, 3 should do it. After running the command continue to the next step. You can stop when you get the message that says something about no files or directories found.
Now we compile ndiswrapper:
In a terminal type:
sudo make
Then:
sudo make install
STEP 4: INSTALL DRIVERS - Use the Windows driver with ndiswrapper to get WiFi working
In order for us to unzip the R140747.EXE driver we need to point your terminal to the /.driver folder.
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers
Unzip the R140747.EXE driver
In a termianl type:
unzip -a R140747.EXE
We need to point your terminal to the DRIVER folder we just unzipped
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers/DRIVER
Now install the Windows driver
In a terminal type:
sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf
Then:
sudo ndiswrapper -l
You should see a message that says driver present, hardware detected.
Now finish installing the driver
In a terminal type:
sudo ndiswrapper -m
Then:
sudo modprobe ndiswrapper
YOU MUST REBOOT NOW!
STEP 5: TEST WIRELESS
Your WiFi light on your laptop should be illuminated, if not you can always turn it on and off with the Fn+F2 (Function & F2 Key) and you're all set! Try running this to see if your wireless card is functioning properly.
In a terminal type:
sudo iwlist scanning
STEP 1: CLEAN YOUR SYSTEM - You need to remove any and all versions of Ndiswrapper currently installed on your system.
In a terminal type:
sudo rmmod ndiswrapper
then:
sudo apt-get remove ndiswrapper-utils
Now you need to hunt down and find all instances of ndiswrapper left on your file system.
The easiest way to do this is to run a search. To find Ubuntu's search function, look under the Places entry on the top left corner of your computer. Type in ndiswrapper and look in folder : file system.
Now once you actually searched your file system to you should see results similar to the ones pictured below.
The files paths outlined by the red box tell you exactly where to look to file the old unneeded ndiswrapper files you must delete. Many of these files require you to be root (have administration access) to delete them.
To become root and look for these files you need.
In a terminal type:
sudo nautilus
You should see this:
In this newly opened /root window you can search and delete all instances of ndiswrapper. Take the file pates the search function gave you and type them in to the location box highlighted in red. If you don't have the location box, click the button in highlighted in blue to change views.
Delete all instances of ndiswrapper. Then run the two previous commands over again.
In a terminal type:
sudo rmmod ndiswrapper
Then:
sudo apt-get remove ndiswrapper-utils
STEP 2: GET NEEDED PACKAGES - We'll need to install compiling tools, the latest kernel headers, and then the source code for the latest ndiswrapper, and the wireless drivers from Dell.com
Get your compiling tools & kernel headers
In a terminal type:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`
Download Ndiswrapper
In a terminal type:
wget http://easynews.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/ndiswrapper/ndiswrapper-1.47.tar.gz
If that doesn't work use this link.
Since writing this guide newer versions of ndiswrapper have been released on sourceforge. If you decide to download a newer release just change the version number to one you downloaded. If you download 1.50 instead of 1.47 you should change the command to ...ndiswrapper-1.50.tar.gz
Get the Windows driver for your Dell 1501
In a terminal type:
wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R140747.EXE
Now we will make a folder store your drivers in.
In a terminal type:
mkdir ~/.drivers
Now we will move the files we downloaded, ndiswrapper & R140747.EXE (the Dell driver), to the folder we just made.
In a terminal Type:
mv ~/ndiswrapper-1.47.tar.gz ~/.drivers
Then:
mv ~/R140747.EXE ~/.drivers
Now we are going to to untar/uncompress the ndiswrapper.
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers
Then:
tar -xzvf ndiswrapper-1.47.tar.gz
Finally, we need to blacklist the broken and useless bcm43xx firmware drivers that try to load in a default Ubuntu install:
In a terminal type:
sudo su
Then type:
sudo echo blacklist bcm43xx >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
YOU MUST REBOOT NOW!
STEP 3: COMPILE PROGRAM - Now we'll complile the Ndiswrapper program
Point your terminal to the ndiswrapper-1.47 folder.
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers/ndiswrapper-1.47
Now get everything ready for the compiling.
In a terminal type:
sudo make uninstall
Do the above command multiple times, 3 should do it. After running the command continue to the next step. You can stop when you get the message that says something about no files or directories found.
Now we compile ndiswrapper:
In a terminal type:
sudo make
Then:
sudo make install
STEP 4: INSTALL DRIVERS - Use the Windows driver with ndiswrapper to get WiFi working
In order for us to unzip the R140747.EXE driver we need to point your terminal to the /.driver folder.
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers
Unzip the R140747.EXE driver
In a termianl type:
unzip -a R140747.EXE
We need to point your terminal to the DRIVER folder we just unzipped
In a terminal type:
cd ~/.drivers/DRIVER
Now install the Windows driver
In a terminal type:
sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf
Then:
sudo ndiswrapper -l
You should see a message that says driver present, hardware detected.
Now finish installing the driver
In a terminal type:
sudo ndiswrapper -m
Then:
sudo modprobe ndiswrapper
YOU MUST REBOOT NOW!
STEP 5: TEST WIRELESS
Your WiFi light on your laptop should be illuminated, if not you can always turn it on and off with the Fn+F2 (Function & F2 Key) and you're all set! Try running this to see if your wireless card is functioning properly.
In a terminal type:
sudo iwlist scanning
edited by pHreaksYcle
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