Jun's Scribbles

Verify TRIM support on Linux

2011-09-18T16:54:00.000+12:00

Wasted my time today puzzling why the trim support of my ssd does not work, or I thought it wasn't but was working alright. When you google "linux trim verify" the link below and most people link to the site below. Apparently the tests is not fully correct. Most of the time it works for others, but not me. Maybe it has to do that I formatted my ext4 w/ -E stripe-width=128
Anyway this is a better test I found, but I can't seem to see the link anymore. Using my bash history for reference.

dd if=/dev/urandom of=tmpfile bs=1M count=10 && sync
hdparm --fibmap tmpfile
hdparm --read-sector [address between begin_LBA and end_LBA of previous command] # expecting random numbers here
rm tmpfile && sync && sleep 120
hdparm --read-sector [address between begin_LBA and end_LBA of previous command] # expecting zeroes

The real key is the sector address is somewhere in between and NOT the start sector, as its possible the trim command will not set things to zeroes if files overlap. As it had happened to me 9 out of 10 tries using the test below I get random numbers still. The test above I get zeroes consistently.

Manual setup of UEFI, GPT and GRUB2

2011-09-18T11:03:00.001+12:00

I recently got a Crucial m4. I then have to transfer my existing HDD on it. Its easier to do a clean install of Oneiric and it would pretty much do UEFI + GPT + GRUB2 for you. However if you want to manually transfer everything I did the following steps:

Boot on Oneiric live CD or another boot this that will boot in UEFI mode. Its important that boot is on UEFI mode and not BIOS mode
Go to a shell and install gdisk as we want to partition the SSD w/ GPT and not MBR. fdisk only supports MBR
```
apt-get install gdisk
```
Partition a EFI system partition. This would hold grub2 files later and other boot loaders if needed. I partitioned mine on sda1 as type EF00 (EFI System) w/ the size of 200mb. Yes a bit bigger than what is needed however most people recommend 200mb as some boot loaders needs a bigger space.
Format the partitions. The EFI System partition is formatted as vfat, as per EFI spec.
```
mkfs.vat /dev/sda1
mkswap /dev/sda2
mkfs.ext4 -E stripe-width=128 /dev/sda3
mkfs.ext4 -E stripe-width=128 /dev/sda4
```
I put in a stripe width of 128 k as there are some recommendation this is optimal for SSD. However test suggest that your mileage may vary.

Mount and create the dirs on EFI system partition

mkdir /boot/efi
mount /dev/sda1 /boot/efi
mkdir -p /boot/efi/efi

Install grub efi
```
apt-get install grub-efi-amd64
```

Setup grub on the EFI system partition

modprobe dm-mod
grub-install --boot-directory=/boot/efi/efi --bootloader-id=GRUB2 --no-floppy --recheck
cp /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 /boot/efi/efi/grub/
cp /boot/grub/grub.cfg /boot/efi/efi/grub/grub.cfg

I copied my old grub.cfg and update the UUID to point to the new SSD

Setup the EFI boot entry

modprobe efivars
efibootmgr --create --gpt --disk /dev/sda --part 1 --write-signature --label "GRUB2" --loader "\\EFI\\grub\\grub.efi"

GRUB2 is the entry that would appear on the EFI bootloader.

The following resource helped me a lot

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB2#UEFI_systems

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFIBooting#Install_GRUB2_in_.28U.29EFI_systems

I am still working out on the graphics output, This would only give you a text based grub.

HP 6910p 3G on linux

2011-01-08T00:54:00.003+13:00

I got the 3G hs2300 on the 6910p running before, but it was a long time ago. I would need internet access again on the road. I detached the battery and put in the sim card to test. It seems modem can't be detected. Doesn't appear on lsusb, not much clue on dmesg, I verified that its turned on bios, started to look around forums, tried various modprobe, was going to start using usb-modeswitch.

I then decided to reboot to Windows after several years of not going there. HP wireless assistant tells that its disabled as that the gsm sim is accessible and suggest to close or put the battery back. I put the battery back, HP wireless assistant changes status to still disabled but now suggest to fix via Device Manager. No luck, Device Manager can't find drivers, etc. So did not want to spend it running on Windows and maybe putting the battery back is enough to get it running on Linux again.

Reboot to linux, network manager picks it up. Nothing to setup aside from APN, etc. No driver install, etc. Just put the battery back. Hopefully this post saves someone a few hours diagnosing the problem. Just put the battery back and linux should see the hs2300 3G modem.

More on Scala

2010-08-31T22:54:00.005+12:00

Get Started on Debian/Ubuntu

Install scala, this would install version 2.7.7 though, 2.8.0 has just been out recently


apt-get install scala

Run the scala shell


scala

(optional) Quick upgrade to scala 2.8.0, install scala as per above and just copy the newer jars
Download scala from http://www.scala-lang.org/downloads and extract the tarball


tar xzf scala-2.8.0.final.tgz
cd scala-2.8.0.final/lib
cp scala-compiler.jar scala-library.jar scala-dbc.jar /usr/share/java

Get Started on Eclipse

Get the eclipse scala plugin http://www.scala-ide.org/ this would include the scala jar, compiler, console, etc.
When you have the plugin the following options are available

create a new scala project

right click on existing java project and add scala nature and you can now start coding both java and scala together

run the scala console inside eclipse

Reference and Links

Below are some useful reference

Scala Tutorial - useful w/ Java Background

Scala by Example - a little long, more like a scala cookbook

Programming Scala

First Steps to Scala - a bit old but still useful

Scala Idioms, Step 1, Lists and Maps - a bit old but quick way to learn about lists. Tuples are using old syntax of {x, y} which is now changed to (x, y)

Who is using Scala

Twitter

Foursquare

Sony, Siemens, etc.

Frameworks and OSS Projects

Lift

twitter

Scalaz

specs

esme

squeryl

scalatra

Looking at Scala again

2010-08-18T20:02:00.005+12:00

I have been look at scala and lift (web framework built on scala), on and off about a year now. I have revisited it again for the past few weeks. Scala as a language seems to be promising. For me it adds something new to the main stream languages today, like pattern matching (not regexp), functional programming, actors library. There are some languages that have these properties but I think scala has got some transitional properties giving some balance. Using scala you get to access java libraries natively, despite its terse syntax it is still a static language, this would mean tool developers will have an easier.

Scala
Lift

I have also been re-using emacs again. Some interesting scala emacs some stuff.

Scala emacs tools

Low tech stuff

2010-07-16T17:48:00.003+12:00

I have started on computers when its wasn't hip yet. When I was a kid, I toyed around a PC XT on green monochrome monitor. Then on to doing BASIC, then to over clocking on a Pentium when Asus brought out the first overclock board. Buying a linux book to get a slackware CD as downloading over a 2400bps modem is very slow. Time has passed so fast.

Lately the latest and greatest tech stuff hasn't been appealing for me. I do get touch the nice smart phones at work. Although new tech stuff isn't as appealing as before. Not sure why, maybe just too many tech stuff going around these days.

Back in the 80s there was something cool, which wasn't computers. I am talking about RC. Remote Control cars, me and my son have a few them.

These are low tech stuff, but very interesting for me. Its one of the interesting things to me as kid back then, aside from playing space wars on a PC XT. This appeals for me especially now as my son is able to build and play with me right now.

LXC on Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

2010-07-16T16:22:00.007+12:00

If you are like me who doesn't have a lot of time anymore, at times trying new stuff is a lot harder. About a year ago I used kvm, which is great and easy enough to get up and running. I have used it since then however Kvm is a bit too much for my needs as its a full paravirt. Container based virtualization like vserver and openvz seems to be more challenging to get running on a laptop.

Fast forward today, it seems LXC Linux Containers (http://lxc.sourceforge.net) has now made some strides. Its now part of the main kernel, most modern distro should have like. Here is a quick guide on how to get lxc up and running on Ubuntu Lucid.

Below is to setup a debian lenny guest, that uses virbr0 and has dhcp. Do the following as root:

- install libvirt as its easier to do networking on it. No need to setup your own bridge, ipchains and nat. libvirt default qemu network should create a virbr0 interface.


apt-get install libvirt-bin

I have installed this prior for kvm. What we want is virbr0 is up and running. You check this by ifconfig. Try to start it manually on /etc/init.d/libvirt-bin

- install lxc


apt-get install lxc debootstrap

- create the capabilities dir and mount it


mkdir /cgroup

add to /etc/fstab
none /cgroup cgroup defaults 0 0

mount /cgroup

- get and edit the lxc-debian script from /usr/share/doc/lxc/examples/lxc-debian.gz (gunzip it somewhere and apply correct permissions)

Edit and add the following lxc parameters on copy_configuration() function before EOF


# networking
lxc.network.type = veth
lxc.network.flags = up
lxc.network.link = virbr0
lxc.network.name = eth0
lxc.network.mtu = 1500
EOF

What this does is use the host virbr0 which is already NATed. This would appear as eth0 on the guest container.

You may need to edit increase the tty allowed, I was getting init warning on my syslog respawning. What I did was to edit my guest inittab to reduce the tty.


lxc.tty = 4 to lxc.tty = 6

- create your lxc dir. In my case the name of my container is "altair". Change it as you fit.


mkdir /home/lxc/altair
lxc-debian -p /home/lxc/altair create

This would start downloading debian lenny packages and create the root file system on /home/lxc/altair/rootfs.

- create the container


lxc-create -n altair -f /home/lxc/altair/config

- run the container


lxc-start -n altair

the above runs it on the foreground, once you have setup everything then you can run it as a deamon

lxc-start -n altair -d

Once you are inside the container, things that I did was
- set the hostname
- fix /etc/hosts
- add your favorite repo on /etc/apt/sources.list
- add X forwarding on ssh and install xauth package
- install rsyslog
- maybe edit your hosts /etc/hosts and add the IP address of the container.

Some useful links:

http://lxc.teegra.net/
http://blog.bodhizazen.net/linux/lxc-configure-ubuntu-lucid-containers/
http://nigel.mcnie.name/blog/a-five-minute-guide-to-linux-containers-for-debian
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/LXC

HP 6910p, Acer 4315, HP dv6000 on Ubuntu 10.04 / Lucid Lynx

2010-07-16T16:05:00.005+12:00

Its been a while since I posted on this blog. Been very busy and had a few months not really keen about computers, more on that later. Anyway for the past few weeks I have installed Lucid on my aging laptops. So far Lucid has been pretty good. Everything runs right out of the box, I needed to install restricted wireless drivers for the Acer 4315 and HP dv6000. Very easy now, as you can do this on GUI. Gone are the days of downloading tars balls, patching kernels, compile and create kernel images.

There has been some minor issues. The Acer 4315 after resume has the wireless disabled sometimes. The volume is now better for Acer 4315. At times after resume the screen brightness is set to lowest, doesn't seem to appear lately.

For the 6910p xrandr is now able to rotate the screen. So at work my 2nd dvi monitor is vertically oriented. Great when doing code. My xrandr script has something like this.


xrandr --output DVI-0 --auto --rotate left --right-of LVDS --crtc 1

What I really liked about upgrading to Lucid is it seems LXC (Linux Containers) seems to be good enough now. I have stayed away from vserver and openvz, as I didn't have much time patching the kernel, then patching again all hardware to work (e.g. wireless) and suspend to work. Will have another post on how to get LXC running on Lucid pretty fast and hassle free.

Intrepid Ibex and virtualization

2008-12-26T22:53:00.005+13:00

I always wanted to do virtualization on my development workstation. There are some software that doesn't get along with one another, PHP5 and 4, apache 1 and 2. The list goes on. I also wanted the fact that I can upgrade my desktop w/o fearing to break things like Oracle libraries suddenly breaks because my distro decided to change libc.

It was a bit hard last year to make it work and let alone all the hardware of 6910p to work. I tried to use vserver and kvm, it was too hard to make a custom kernel to make everything work. I didn't try Xen as its an overkill for my needs, vserver is just fine for my needs. Also I think due to Xen design and objective it simply will not support suspend and resume on a laptop. vserver isn't even really a virtualization more like jail or chroot. This time I am trying again as Intrepid server comes with kvm as its virtualization choice. When I tried kvm last year it was the best candidate for me, however whenever I forget to stop a guest machine then I suspend the laptop I will get a hard lock. This time I am trying kvm which part of Ubuntu Interpid server edition, I am running Intrepid desktop and all I had to was to install the following packages.


apt-get install ubuntu-virt-server
apt-get install kvm libvirt-bin

I was too lazy to do things by hand, I gave the gui a shot. It was pleasantly surprising easy to install and run.


apt-get install virt-manager virt-viewer

It works! its not VMware easy but it close enough. Good enough for me that it does not get in the way and I can start putting my different projects in their own virtual space. I can even suspend and resume the laptop even if I forget the virtual guest machines are still running. Now I am shifting my projects that has similar virtual machines, like java-devel, rails-devel, etc. I am using Ubuntu JeOS as my guest OS, which is pretty good.

Acer Aspire 4315 on Ubuntu 8.10 / Intrepid Ibex

2008-12-26T22:39:00.004+13:00

I did an upgrade for the Acer 4315 from Hardy to Intrepid. There where a couple of issues, its similar to Hardy that I had to install the madwifi-ng driver for the Atheros wireless card to run. Its a bit easier now as they are now included on the backports.

sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-intrepid

Add ath5k on /etc/modules, reboot.

Then you need to switch the drivers on System->Administration->Hardware Drivers. Deactive the current default driver (Atheros 802.11 wireless LAN cards) and activate the 5xxx series of Atheros 802.11 wireless LAN cards.

I also encountered a new problem in Skype. It seems my Logitech S 5500 mic is very choppy, the mic is connected via USB. I didn't have time to fix it, so I just activated the mic of the laptop which works with Intrepid. This is likely a software problem, as the S 5500 works fine with the HP 6910p on Intrepid.

HP 6910p on Ubuntu 8.10 / Intrepid Ibex

2008-12-26T22:28:00.004+13:00

My HP 6910p is still running after 1 year. Hardware is still fine, I did a clean install of Intrepid a few days ago. So far its alright, the only problem I encountered was with wireless. Kinda weird that Hardy worked just fine, however it is a known issue and is clearly stated on Intrepid release notes. I had to add backports and then install the backported modules.

sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-intrepid

Since I also liked the radeonhd, works great with the HP docking station. I also installed it.

apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-radeonhd

Aside from that everything is still alright. I also noticed that suspend and resume works faster. The harddisk aggressive power management seems to have been taken cared of with Intrepid. I will be observing the load cycle times for the next few days.

Acer support and cashback (part 2)

2008-09-21T00:07:00.003+12:00

Now here is my cashback experience from Acer.

Jul 21 - Posted the required form, box cut out of the snid and invoice
checking the cashback status from time to time at Acer cashback website. Has always been on status where the documents hasn't been received yet.
Sep 8 - I noticed my status says "declined due to documents were not received by the due date". I emailed the cashback email address asking them how can this happen, and I asked them to give me some good explanation why on earth a mail from New Zealand to Australia will take 5-7 weeks to arrive.
Sep 9 - I noticed my status says "processing, check will be issued on ... November *something*"
Sep 16 - I got an email from Acer cashback telling me that they never recieved my documents. They are asking me to email or fax copies of the form, snid and invoice. I emailed them the digital copies of it, except for the box cut out of the snid. Its impossible for me to produce one as it was sent in the mail, I just shot a photo of the my snid on the bottom of the laptop.
Sep 17 - I got mail from Acer, its the $99 check. ?!? Are these guys confused of my status or what? Or did suddenly their cashback turnaround processing time is within 12 hours?

Acer cashback is not that bad if you only look into what happened on the start and end. I got the $99 cashback in 1.5 months, I was expecting it to be longer than that. However given that they are certainly confused or just radomly picking cashback status, their cashback is really poor. Oh yeah before getting the cashback form you will be bombarded with extended warranty option.

For those who go into Acer cashback process here are the following things that might help you.

scan the snid box cut out. Expect the worst that the mail will get lost, most likely somewhere in the cashback dept of Acer.
declined doesn't mean anything. They are just actually confused with your status, or probably trying to see if you the type of person that would just accept a decline status.
push for your cashback

Acer support and cashback (part 1)

2008-09-19T23:25:00.004+12:00

I would like to give out my long about my personal experience with Acer support and cashback.

Acer support:
Here is my long support story, which all started with a dvd combo drive going wrong.

Aug 3 - dvd combo drive started not to read dvd discs. After a few retry, ejects, etc. there is no more power on the drive.
Aug 4 - Called up Acer. Call center tech tries to go by the book, tells me reinstall driver, etc. I politely explained the problem further and told him that I am computer literate. Call center tech goes to the next step and files a case number, tells me that someone will call me regarding the repair. Told me that I don't need to bring in the laptop anywhere. I thought wow this is great, I bought a cheap laptop and I don't have to return it to base for repair. I knew something was a miss, but gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Aug 7 - I called Acer again since nobody has called me up. Yeah I know it was too good to be true. This call center tech told me that I should bring my laptop to Datacom which is their Wellington repair contractor.
Aug 12 - I brought the laptop to Datacom. I also left the power adapter as advised by Datacom (this event will trigger another sub-story).
Aug 19 - Called up Acer call center to ask what's the status of the repair and why its taking more than the 5 days turnaround time. Call center tech puts me on hold and comes back to me tell me that Datacom is ordering another dvd combo drive as the first replacement was also defective.
Aug 22 - Pickup of laptop after the 2nd replacement drive was deemed to be ok. I noticed the power adapter was different, but did not make a fuss about it. Laptop was also not cleaned up and has some minor new scratches (nothing to really fuss about).
Aug 22 - Got home to test the unit. I realized the adapter that Datacom returned to me was faulty (and older too), its wire was loose. The adapter was charging and discharging the laptop depending on the position and if the wire gets nudged.
Aug 22 - Called up Acer telling them about the power adapter issue and demanded to get it replaced. Call center tech places an order for an adapter to be shipped to me.
Aug 27 - New adapter has arrived. The dvd combo drive worked initially. After a while failed to read the dvd drives, can read some cdrom drives. Drive physically works, but has lots of crc errors and is unable to read the dvd discs most of the time.
Aug 27 - Called up Acer about the problem. Acer call center tech apologizes and opens a new case. Acer also arranged for my laptop to be picked up. They also told me not include the batteries and power adapter for the repair. Not including accessories is what I would have expected (SOP I have experienced with other repairs), not what Datacom did which caused a new problem regarding the power adapter.
Aug 29 - Courier arrived and picked up the laptop. After a few days some message exchanges on the Acer support website to get the status of the repair.
Sep 1 - The adapter also came with a notice I need to return the defective power adapter in 10 days or else they will invoice me $50. Called up Acer, call center tech tells that yes I need to post back the defective courier and gave the address. He also tells me that I need to ship back at my expense, despite my protest. I posted this protest on the support website, that I should not shoulder the expense to ship back as it was not my fault that Datacom replaced my power adapter with a defective unit.
Sep 2 - Acer call center tech calls me up that they are sorry and will arranged a courier pickup for the power adapter. My support case on the support website was also updated with this information.
Sep 5 - Acer call center tech calls me up telling me that there was a mixup. The notice to return the defective adapter should have been given. They will not pickup the defective adapter anymore and I can dispose of it.
Sep 8 - Laptop finally arrives. The dvd combo drive was also upgraded to a Lite-on dvd writer. I am not sure if the upgrade was delibrate or a honest mistake on Acer's part.

In short, it was long support case just to get the dvd combo drive sorted. Acer's Wellington local contractor Datacom is poor. They should have a stock of a common part like a dvd combo drive, should not have got the power adapter and other accessories when turning in a laptop for repair, should clean and take extra careful of the laptop while on repair. Acer's call center tech are confused about things, they are not consistent. I found the support website to be a better way of contact, you get slower reply times though. Demand the support you deserve in a polite manner after all the other person the other end is just on his/her day job. Acer did eventually stepped up and sorted things out. Acer support in Wellington, NZ is poor primarily because of their local repair contractor Datacom.

Wow this support story is very long, I need to sleep. I will post up my cashback experience hopefully tomorrow which is equally hilarous.

Acer Aspire 4315 short review and Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy) install

2008-07-23T00:00:00.006+12:00

We got an Acer Aspire 4315 since we needed an extra laptop around. As both the 6910p and dv6000 is being used normally. We wanted something cheap for e-mail, skype, browsing, watching dvd and document editing. The Acer Aspire 4315 seems to fit the bill especially the price.

Specifications

Processor: Celeron M 540 1.86GHz, 1MB Cache, 533MHz FSB, 64-bit capable
RAM: 512MB DDR2-667(1 x 512MB)
HDD: 80GB 5400rpm SATA
Display: 14.1" WXGA CrystalBrite widescreen (1280 x 800)
Optical: DVD+CDRW Combo
Wireless: Yes 802.11b⁄g
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 up to 358MB
Firewire⁄S-video⁄FIR: No⁄Yes⁄No
VGA Out: Yes
USB Ports: x 3
Ethernet 10⁄100: Yes
Express Card slot: Yes
Battery: 6 cell

Cost

Acer Aspire 4315 = $598
512mb upgrade = $30
512mb clearance and bundle = -$30
we got the display model as its the last in store = -$30
acer cashback promo = -$99
Total cost = $469 NZD ~ $356 USD

Short Review

What have we got for $470 bucks? A pretty decent laptop if you ask me. Build quality is pretty good. Keyboard is pretty sturdy and no flex, in fact its probably better than our HP dv6000. The hinges is firm and solid, not as good as the HP 6910p but good enough. Performance wise its just as good as the HP 6910p on most everyday tasks, and what we intended to use it for (e-mail, skype, browsing, watching dvd and document editing).

Minor problems as other owners of Acer 4315 has stated:
- touchpad is very near the keyboard, I tend to touch it accidentally while typing.
- speaker sound is a bit low, however quality is pretty good. Maybe better sounding than the 6910p. It does not sound like a tin can, just not as loud as you would expect.

Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy)

The Acer Aspire 4315 comes with Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy), which is great and no need to pay Windows Vista that I don't use. I immediately installed 8.04 Hardy on it, I used the alternative CD since that is what I downloaded. I did some post install steps which came from this guide.

Status

Ethernet	works
Wireless	works, needs post install steps
Video	works
Suspend and Hibernate	works, suspend works with updated hardy kernel
Splash screen and virtual terminals	works
Harddisk Power management	needs post install steps
Audio and Mic	works, needs post install steps for proper resume
Screen brightness	works

Post Install Steps

Wireless

The atheros card will only work with madwifi-ng, stated on this guide


sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install build-essential
wget -c http://snapshots.madwifi.org/special/madwifi-ng-r3366+ar5007.tar.gz
tar xvf madwifi-ng-r3366+ar5007.tar.gz
cd madwifi-ng-r3366+ar5007
sudo make install
sudo modprobe ath_pci
sudo modprobe wlan_scan_sta

Audio and Mic

After resuming it doesn't have audio and mic. There are some suggestions to do "sudo /sbin/alsa force-reload" which works. I find it annoying as the volume control applet will complain and needs to be reloaded. What I did was to edit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base and added this at the end of the file


# properly detect the sound again after resume
options snd-hda-intel model=acer

Take note after reboot, volume control will be different. Re-adjust accordingly.

The mic does work, but its very hard to fine tune the proper level. Too low and I hardly hear myself, too loud and it shuts itself or there are lots of crackle. I ended up just plugging in a front external mic.

Harddisk Power Management

Just like the HP 6910p, the Acer Aspire 4315 came with a Hitachi disk (Hitachi HTS542580K9SA00). This also suffers from the over aggressive power management. I used my old guide, but the script will not work as in Gutsy its placed on "/etc/acpi/resume.d" which is not sourced anymore, I placed the script on "/etc/pm/sleep.d" on Hardy. There is a launchpad bug filed on this, apparently Ubuntu changed things a bit.

Summary

The Acer Aspire 4315 is a great laptop, cost 1/7th of the HP 6910p. I can surely say that the value is more than 1/7th of the HP 6910p. Comes with Ubuntu 7.10 pre-installed, installing Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy is also straight forward with a few post install steps. Now time to wait for that cash back check to arrive.

HP 6910p on Ubuntu 8.04 / Hardy Heron

2008-07-22T23:09:00.014+12:00

I have upgraded from Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) to 8.04 (Hardy). This is not a clean install however I made some effort to remove any post install steps that was done previously with my 7.10 Gutsy guide.

HP 6910p specification:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 (2.4Ghz)
Display: 14.1" WXGA+ 1440x900
GPU: AMD/ATI Radeon X2300
RAM: 2GB (2x1GB)
Harddisk: 120GB 7200rpm Hitachi 7k200 Travelstar
Optical Drive: MultiBay II DVD SM DL
Wireless: Intel Pro/Wireless 4965 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, Infrared
Ports/slots: 3xUSB 2.0; MultiBay II; Intel 82566MM 10/100/1000 Lan; Modem; S-Video out; VGA out; Firewire; Audio in; Audio out; internal microphone; SD/MMC card reader; Smart Card Reader; Type I/II PC Card Reader; SIM card slot; Docking connector; Second battery connector.
Other: Finger print reader, Touch stick with 2 buttons, Touch pad with 2 buttons, Volume up – down, Volume mute, Presentation, Wireless, HP Info Centre touch sensitive buttons.

Status:

Ethernet	works
Wireless	works
Video	works, using radeonhd
Suspend and Hibernate	works
Splash screen and virtual terminals	works
Harddisk Power management	needs post install steps
Fingerprint reader	works
Audio and Mic	works
Bluetooth	works
Screen brightness	does not work inside X, but light sensor works
Card reader	detected with intrepid kernel, some issues see comments below
Docking station	works including dvi

Post Install Steps:

Harddisk Power management

It seems this isn't resolved yet. I brought back my changes for the hard disk not to park its head excessively. This only affects a few select 6910p using a particular model of harddisk. This is not a 6910p issue but more of harddisk issue.

Summary:

The upgrade to 8.04 Hardy removed the post install steps that was needed for 7.10 Gutsy, which is what I expected. Since mine is not a clean install and I am unlikely to do a clean install due to the lack of time, anyone has a story from a clean install?

Quick update

2008-07-18T17:45:00.004+12:00

Well I am still alive, been very busy and had some series of unfortunate of health problems. Today I had some spare time, I upgraded to Hardy Heron using the update manager. So far everything is still alright. I haven't seen any needed customization yet, will check if the hard disk park issue is fixed. Suspend, works. wifi, works.

This is an upgrade from Gutsy and not a clean install. Things that still don't work is the brightness function key. I will try to check the other stuff over the coming days and probably list in detail.

I just need to bring back my customization, oracle, tomcat, etc.

Armored Core 4

2008-03-03T23:16:00.003+13:00

Its been a while since I posted, been busy and also having fun playing Armored Core 4 (AC4). I have always liked playing with mech games, I have played MechWarrior from 1 to 4. I guess maybe since I was a kid I got exposed to Gundam and one of the first games I placed on my PC XT was Battletech.

I really liked AC4 because its fast and yet you need to think. As one reviewer put it "its a cross between Virtua On and MechWarrior". I really like the fast pace battle and it has the Japanese touch to mechs, something I missed on MechWarrior where things are much slower and less Japanese touch. I also liked how you can customized your mech, but veterans of the AC series indicated that AC4 had less depth than previous games. I think I have missed this series, much like Grand Turismo and was only able to discover it much later.

Fingerprint reader on 6910p

2008-01-25T21:40:00.000+13:00

I tried to make the fingerprint reader on the 6910p to work. Surprisingly it works alright. I grabbed the packages and instruction from here.

I then run fprint_demo and registered by right index finger. So far its alright, its not perfect. There are shortcoming (mostly not the fault of fprint) like what is pointed at this thread.

Little tweak here and there

2008-01-15T21:03:00.000+13:00

I am unfortunate that I own a hard disk (Hitachi HTS722012K9SA00) that had a too aggressive power management. See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/acpi-support/+bug/59695 for details.

I tried different settings of "hdparm -B" and have observed the following:

127 - spins down and parks the head
128 to 191 - parks the head
192 to 255 - never parks the head

I have also observed that when the 6910p is on battery it does not keep on unparking the head. It seems that the best settings in battery is the default 128. I am now using 128 as the apm value when on battery. I have also added a script "/etc/acpi/resume.d/99-fix-hd.sh" as it seems "/etc/acpi/power.sh" will set never call "hdparm -B" as the power has never changed state when the laptop resumes. My 99-fix-hd.sh contains the following:


#!/bin/sh

. /etc/default/acpi-support
. /usr/share/acpi-support/power-funcs

for x in /proc/acpi/ac_adapter/*; do
    grep -q off-line $x/state

    if [ $? = 0 ] && [ x$1 != xstop ]; then     
        if [ x$ENABLE_LAPTOP_MODE = xtrue ]; then
            $HDPARM -S $SPINDOWN_TIME /dev/sda 2>/dev/null
            $HDPARM -B 128 /dev/sda 2>/dev/null
        fi
    else
        if [ x$ENABLE_LAPTOP_MODE = xtrue ]; then
            $HDPARM -S 0 /dev/sda 2>/dev/null
            $HDPARM -B 254 /dev/sda 2>/dev/null
        fi
    fi
done

For the past 2 days my 6910p wireless seems to be disconnecting. I am not sure if my wireless is getting interference from another AP or not, as this has happened to my other laptops before. I haven't seen this problem from the 6910p for a few weeks or my old nx8220. I have also changed my WRT54G firmware from thibor to tomato firmware for the past few days. Maybe the tomato firmware is causing the problem, but I doubt it so I decided to upgrade my iwlwifi from 1.2.22 to 1.2.23 and mac80211 from 10.0.2 to 10.0.4. So far it looks alright after several hours of use. I have to wait a few more hours, as it it happened for the past few days near midnight... maybe there is something happening to the 2.4ghz rf during that time in our neighborhood.

I am also trying to look at my power draw with the help of powertop from intel. Not sure how much I can save with the tweaks... still playing with it.

xrandr and radeonhd crtc problem

2008-01-04T11:18:00.000+13:00

I have been having a problem with my 6910p re-enabling the DVI or VGA external output. It does work when I re-login or restart X, but after I disconnect the external monitor for a long time I couldn't enable it back. Here is what is happening to me:

xrandr --output DVI-D_1 --auto --right-of PANEL
X Error of failed request:  BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)
Major opcode of failed request:  154 (RANDR)
Minor opcode of failed request:  21 ()
Serial number of failed request:  19
Current serial number in output stream:  19

To resolve the issue I have to explicitly pass in the crtc number

xrandr --output DVI-D_1 --crtc 1 --auto --right-of PANEL

For a more detailed discussion of the problem you can look at xorg mailing list archive post here:

http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/xorg/2007-November/030024.html

A newer xrandr should resolve the issue in the future, for now I just use --crtc switch.

Linux install on HP 6910p using Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy)

2007-12-30T16:17:00.001+13:00

I have installed Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) on my HP 6910p, there where a couple gotchas although most should be gone by Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy) or a more recent Linux distribution. Most of the issues can be resolved by updating to more recent versions of the affected software.

HP 6910p specification:


00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port (rev 0c)
00:03.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965 MEI Controller (rev 0c)
00:03.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965 PT IDER Controller (rev 0c)
00:03.3 Serial controller: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965 KT Controller (rev 0c)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82566MM Gigabit Network Connection (rev 03)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Contoller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f3)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HBM (ICH8M-E) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc M64-S [Mobility Radeon X2300]
02:06.0 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltd RL5c476 II (rev b9)
02:06.1 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltd RL5c476 II (rev b9)
02:06.2 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller (rev 03)
02:06.3 Generic system peripheral [0805]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter (rev 20)
02:06.4 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C843 MMC Host Controller (rev 10)
10:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN Network Connection (rev 61)

Installation

Installation of Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) went fine, however some of the hardware was not running. Most notably Gutsy is unable to identify the GPU. X will be configured with the basic VESA driver and configured to run on a low resolution. After the installation I had to do some fixing to most of the hardware run, here are the solutions that I have found out.

Wireless

My 6910p came with a Intel 4965 wireless card, Gutsy was able to detect it. For some reason my wireless card would not function properly, its unable to proceed in scanning the network. There is no notable error on syslog or dmesg. I was able to run it once only using the live cd while Ubuntu was installing. Intel 4965 should have been supported out of the box on Gutsy, but mine did not run maybe because its revision (rev 61). I had to update the drivers from http://www.intellinuxwireless.org and rebuild the linux-ubuntu-modules package.

Here is how I made it to work.

1. Download the linux-ubuntu-modules source package


sudo apt-get source linux-ubuntu-modules-`uname -r`

2. Edit the iwlwifi download script to fetch the latest drivers from http://www.intellinuxwireless.org
cd linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-2.6.22/ubuntu/wireless/iwlwifi
edit the BOM script file, set the correct versions and fix the firmware move, here is my diff:


@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
# only need to do this when you are updating from one version
# if iwlwifi to the next.
#
-IVER=1.1.0
-MVER=10.0.0
-FW3945_VER=2.14.4
-FW4965_VER=4.44.17
+IVER=1.2.23
+MVER=10.0.4
+FW3945_VER=2.14.1.5
+FW4965_VER=4.44.1.20

if [ ! -f iwlwifi-${IVER}.tgz ] ; then wget http://intellinuxwireless.org/iwlwifi/downloads/iwlwifi-${IVER}.tgz; fi
if [ ! -f mac80211-${MVER}.tgz ] ; then wget http://intellinuxwireless.org/mac80211/downloads/mac80211-${MVER}.tgz; fi
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@
# Note the '-1' in the new firmware file name.
#
tar xzf iwlwifi-3945-ucode-${FW3945_VER}.tgz
-mv iwlwifi-3945-ucode-${FW3945_VER}/iwlwifi-3945.ucode ../../../ubuntu-firmware/iwlwifi/iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode
+mv iwlwifi-3945-ucode-${FW3945_VER}/iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode ../../../ubuntu-firmware/iwlwifi/iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode
rm -rf iwlwifi-3945-ucode-${FW3945_VER}

#
# Note the '-1' in the new firmware file name.
#
tar xzf iwlwifi-4965-ucode-${FW4965_VER}.tgz
-mv iwlwifi-4965-ucode-${FW4965_VER}/iwlwifi-4965.ucode ../../../ubuntu-firmware/iwlwifi/iwlwifi-4965-1.ucode
+mv iwlwifi-4965-ucode-${FW4965_VER}/iwlwifi-4965-1.ucode ../../../ubuntu-firmware/iwlwifi/iwlwifi-4965-1.ucode
rm -rf iwlwifi-4965-ucode-${FW4965_VER}

3. Run the update script so it will fetch and patch the files.


./MUNGE

4. Rebuild the linux-unbuntu-modules, then reinstall the package.


fakeroot debian/rules binary-modules-generic
dpkg -i ../linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22-14-generic_2.6.22-14.37_i386.deb

Now my wireless is working flawlessly.

UPDATE: updated iwlwifi to newer version and step #4

Video

Gutsy will not detect the Radeon X2300 and will configure X with just the standard vesa driver. I have decided to use radeonhd driver because of 2 reasons:

1. fglrx currently has a problem with suspend, see Ubuntu issue 121653
2. radeonhd supports xrandr

Here is how I got radeonhd running.

1. Install the xserver-xorg-video-radeonhd from universe


sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-radeonhd

2. Unfortunately the version is still old on Gutsy, Hardy has the working one. I had to manually update and install from source. Download the radeonhd tarball and follow the install instruction and overwrite the files from the debian package.

I was able to run xrandr, but its not that stable on the external display. Based from the radeonhd wiki I believe it can be fixed by updating X and xrandr. For now I just logoff to shutdown X and login again. I am trying to backport the Hardy deb package.

UPDATE: I have now resolved the xrandr re-enable of the external display. The basic fix is to explicitly specify the CRTC via --crtc switch of xrandr. My later blog entry explains it further.

Another solution is to grab the Hardy deb packages, this is what I did recently.

1. Edit the file /etc/apt/sources.list find all "gutsy" and replace with "hardy"
2. Get the newer packages


sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-core
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-radeonhd
sudo apt-get install libxrandr2
sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-input-synaptics

3. Revert the file /etc/apt.sources.list find all "hardy" and replace with "gutsy"
4. Update apt so it points back to gutsy packages

sudo apt-get update

If you need 3D support, then fglrx is the only way. Just go install on the menu "System->Administration->Restricted Drivers Manager" and use "ATI accelerated graphics driver".

UPDATE: I am able to change the brightness when I switch to the console screen. I think this will be fixed on the later versions, its a documented issue with radeonhd on some video cards. Its a bit annoying but I don't change the brightness much so its ok. Ambient light sensor also has the same problem, function keys only works on the console.

Suspend and Hibernate

Suspend and hibernate works once I have edited "/etc/default/acpi-support". I have set the following:


SAVE_VBE_STATE=false
POST_VIDEO=false

Sometimes resume takes a while, it takes about 20 secs after to resume after suspending. Resume also sometimes does not work, however after setting


DOUBLE_CONSOLE_SWITCH=true

My resume has been successful all of the time.

Splash screen and virtual terminals

The splash screen and virtual terminals does not work. I was only able to make either work, but not both.

To make the virtual terminals work, I disabled the splash screen:

1. Edit /boot/grub/menu.lst
2. Change the defoptions=[your custom kernel params] splash to defoptions=[your custom kernel params] nosplash
3. Change the "kernel /boot/vmlinuz-[your kernel] root=UUID=[your UUID] ro quiet splash" to "kernel /boot/vmlinuz-[your kernel] root=UUID=[your UUID] ro quiet splash"

To make the splash screen work, but with no working virtual terminals:

1. Edit /etc/usplash.conf


xres=1024
yres=768

2. Edit /boot/grub/menu.lst
3. Add "vga=791" to "defoptions=[your custom kernel params] splash vga=791" and your kernel
"kernel /boot/vmlinuz-[your kernel] root=UUID=[your UUID] ro quiet splash"
4. Update your initramfs


sudo update-initramfs -u -k `uname -r`

The above work around is discussed here:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/2299
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1541970

Harddisk Power management

I am unfortunate that my harddisk (Hitachi 7k200 Travelstar HTS722012K9SA00) is one of those affected by too aggressive power management. This issue is discussed here https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/acpi-support/+bug/59695

The workaround that reduced my Load_Cycle_Count

1. edit /etc/laptop-mode/laptop-mode.conf:


LM_AC_HD_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=300
LM_BATT_HD_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=300
CONTROL_HD_POWERMGMT=1
BATT_HD_POWERMGMT=128

2. edit /etc/default/acpi-support:


ENABLE_LAPTOP_MODE=true
SPINDOWN_TIME=60

3. edit /etc/acpi/power.sh:
Changed "$HDPARM -B 1 /dev/$drive 2>/dev/null" to "$HDPARM -B 128 /dev/$drive 2>/dev/null"

UPDATE: lowered the apm value when on battery, check my later post for the additional script.

Fingerprint reader

UPDATE: It works, just needed to install fprint. Read my later post for some more details.

Audio

UPDATE: The microphone works perfectly, the thing is, its is at the Capture level 0 by default. Go in your sound config panel, Capture tab and set Capture at e.g. 60%. - by Alexander

Bluetooth

UPDATE: Bluetooth works. I had to install "gnome-bluetooth" since I want my laptop to be the server. You can stop the bluetooth service. "/etc/init.d/bluetooth stop" and use update-rc.d to stop it permanently.

Summary

Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) will not able to run HP 6910p right of the box. With some work it will be able to do it. Ubuntu Hardy should be able to resolve most if not all of the issue. For now I am pretty happy with the laptop as most of it now works. Items I wish to work on the future:

hard disk accelerometer
3G broadband

HP 6910p photos

2007-12-30T00:06:00.002+13:00

My mini review didn't contain photos so here are a few photos of the HP 6910p

Photo of 6910p (left) and nx8220 (right). You can clearly see the size difference of the screen and chassis. The 6910p keys are slightly bigger and full size keyboard, the keyboard layout has also changed. 6910p gun metal gray color is also slightly lighter in shade.

Despite the 6910p being the newer model its front is slightly thicker than the nx8220. The thickness at the rear is however the same. 6910p (left) and nx8220 (right), an AA battery as a reference.

HP laptops 6910p (left), nx8220 (center) and dv6000 (right)

HP 6910p mini review

2007-12-24T22:08:00.000+13:00

I just got a HP 6910p, which is HP's 14.1" premier business laptop range. It was toss between a Lenevo T61 or HP 6910p, in the end the 6910p edge out since there where no T61 14.1" available locally that had WXGA+ (1440x900) resolution and a 7200 rpm hard disk. I will be comparing the 6910p with my current and previous laptops which are: HP nx8220, HP dv6000, HP zx5000, IBM G40 and Toshiba *forgot the model*. I got a few laptops that are HP, not that I am a fan of HP its just a coincidence due to the circumstances at the time of purchase such as with the 6910p where the T61 models was not available locally.

HP6910p specs: GU42pa

CPU: Intel C2D T7700 2.4Ghz 4MB L2 Cache
OS: MS Vista Business 32/64bit
RAM: 2x1024MB DDR2-667 (2GB Total; expandable to 4GB)
Display: 14.1” WXGA+ 1440x900 Anti-glare 200nit
GPU: ATi X2300 w/128MB Dedicated DDR3 RAM
HDD: 120GB 7200rpm
Optical Drive: MultiBay II DVD SM DL
Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion 55WHr
Wireless: Intel Pro/Wireless 4965 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, Infrared, Vodafone 3G Broadband
Weight: 2.30kg w/6 cell and Multibay II DVD SM DL drive
2.15kg w/6 cell and weight saver
Dimensions: 330x240x33-40mm WxDxH (front-back)
Ports/slots: 3xUSB 2.0; MultiBay II; 10/100/1000 Lan; Modem; S-Video out; VGA out; Firewire; Audio in; Audio out; internal microphone; SD/MMC card reader; Smart Card Reader; Type I/II PC Card Reader; SIM card slot; Docking connector; Second battery connector.
Other: Finger print reader, Touch stick with 2 buttons, Touch pad with 2 buttons, Volume up – down, Volume mute, Presentation, Wireless, HP Info Centre touch sensitive buttons.

Design and Build
The 6910p does not have a flashy design, some people may not like it as its just shades of gun metal gray and black. Some people like me do like the low-key design and gives the laptop a very professional look. The design is very similar to the nx8220, as some of my office mates could not tell the difference which is the newer laptop among the two. For me I like the design of the 6910p compared to a T61 which has an off-center screen and 6 cell battery that is not flushed.

The build quality is very good, on par with the best laptop quality builds like the Thinkpad T-series. This laptop is solid, no chassis flex and LCD panel flex under normal use. I can carry the laptop one corner w/o flex or creaks.

Keyboard and Pointing device
The keyboard is a fullsize one, like the build quality it is on par with the best laptop keyboards in the market. I don't have a long term experience with a Thinkpad, so I don't know if its better or worse than a Thinkpad keyboard as for me its just has a different feel. There is some flex near the enter key, however its minimal and does not flex under normal typing. I need to push the area to see the flex. Coming from a nx8220 laptop, I welcome the bigger keys that the 6910p have. I don't like where the home, pgup, pgdn and end are placed as they are lined up vertically at the right side. I still prefer the nx8220 layout that is similar to a desktop keyboard where its clustered near the backspace in 2 rows. I guess its better for me, as my other laptop is a dv6000 which has an identical layout.

I always liked the touchpad of the nx8220. Its deep and skewed to the left, so I don't accidentally touch it while typing. Unlike my dv6000 and zx5000, their touchpad have no borders and centered on the laptop which makes it a constant pain of jumping mouse pointer. I also like the the touchpad surface as its not too slippery. The 6910p also comes with a track point, which I can say is not as good the Thinkpads. Its stiff and I don't have the option of using a different cover, it only comes with a flat top rubber cover.

Screen

The screen is 14.1" WXGA+ (1440x900) matte (non-glossy) which is rated 200 nit brightness. It is certainly better than the nx8220 screen, because nx8220 has a poor screen. I don't think its a good screen, its probably somewhere in the middle of the pack. The dv6000 and even the older zx5000 has better screens, then again the 6910p is a business laptop and not a multimedia laptop. Horizontal and vertical viewing angles are decent, there is noting to write about and noting to complain about. The LCD panel seems to be made by Chi Mei Optoelectronics, as it identified as cmo.

Sound

The sound for the 6910p is pretty good, but its not exceptional. I can confirm what the other reviews on notebookreview.com that the 2 speakers are located on the right of the laptop, so it looks like the speaker screen on the left is just for vent and looks. The sound quality is pretty good, not as good as dv6000 altec lansing or zx5000 harman kardon but good enough for presentation. The amount of bass is alright for a small speaker, unlike some Asus laptop speakers which are really poor.

Summary

Overall the 6910p is a very good laptop, its got the punch of the bigger laptops in terms of cpu (T7700) and harddisk (7200rpm) speed. It sacrifices the video performance (amd/ati x2300) for the mobility (2.3 kgs). Its build quality is one of the best which should last the daily travel and its a pleasure to use as you feel the quality in the keyboard, hinges, etc.

A more detailed review of 6910p can be seen here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=140343

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3960

I will try to post details of running Linux on the 6910p in a few days.

Vista resize ntfs partition woes

2007-12-21T23:48:00.001+13:00

I just got a HP 6910p, I am now resizing the vista partition to make way for linux. Unlike the HP dv6000, this Vista on HP 6910p didn't want to resize as much as I wanted. It only gave me 7mb, despite following the workarounds listed here:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/working-around-windows-vistas-shrink-volume-inadequacy-problems/

Nothing worked PowerDefragmenter, Auslogics Disk Defrag, PageDefrag, diskpart.exe, etc. I finally went on to just use gparted as documented here:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-gparted-to-resize-your-windows-vista-partition/

Fortunately for me vista just fdisk itself and I didn't need to use the recovery disk, which I left in the office. I used gparted live cd 0.3.4-11

Now time to install gutsy...

Ubuntu Gutsy NetworkManager erratic on resume

2007-11-13T11:23:00.000+13:00

It seems Ubuntu Gutsy's NetworkManager is erratic, didn't have a similar problem in Feisty. I need to restart after resume often now. Just to save me the hassle of typing and my wife having not to deal with it I added a resume script on /etc/acpi/resume.d called 99-restart-wireless.sh that contained:

#!/bin/sh

/etc/dbus-1/event.d/25NetworkManager restart

--edit

The above is lame. I figured the problem, I needed to unload the broadcom drivers of the dv6000 during suspend. Just edit /etc/default/acpi-support

MODULES="bcm43xx"

That should unload bcm43xx module during suspend