After 3 weeks running Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope on hp 540, here's the point by point review.

Graphics :
The built in Intel GME965/GLE960 Integrated Graphics Controller recognized and visual effect (compiz) can run smoothly. Tried it with more graphical intensive Kubuntu and it works.
Video playback runs good too.

Sounds :
Sounds work, it may sounds too harsh if the volume is set to maximal. I guess it is because the driver, not the hardware itself. Listening music via headphones is enjoyable.
I tried voice chat and it works, mind you there's no built in microphone, I use a separate headset.

Wifi :
I haven't try to connect via wifi, but from my house it can detect and recognize Wireless Networks from not so near Internet Cafes (so the reception must be good), either unprotected or protected.
Here's some networks automatically detected around my house, but since I don't know the their setting I couldn't connect, that and being a good citizen.
Maybe some other time when I am in free hotspot area.
 

Touchpad and scrollpad:
Works.

Function keys (fn+) :
Works.

Keyboard :
The alt key sometimes lock itself, pressing it several times will unlock it. (edit : it appears it is not Ubuntu related, but the hardware)

External Modem:
Although it's not part of hp 540, but since I use it almost every time it is on I include it here. I've tried Motorola L7, Motorola V3XX and Huawei E220 as a modem and they work.

Bluetooth :
Exchanging files with bluetooth-enabled device (a Nokia 6230) is working. Although it needed some tweak to be able to use it as bluetooth modem ( I haven't try it yet)

Suspend and hibernate :
Suspending works, but hibernating is not.
 
Problems :
Some problems I experienced so far :

• random freezes with only mouse can moves around, but clicks and keyboard are not responsive. Mind you I'm no expert so these are my guesses of what may causing the problem:
  • Intel graphics driver (most likely),
  • something related with usb driver, this just happened : it hanged when I plugged an external hard disk in. But not always.
    
  • faulty(?) memory module, two weeks before I added 1 GB RAM
    
• Alt key lock it self randomly, pressing the alt key several time will solve this problem.
  

That's it for now, I'll update this post when something new come up. What do you want to know?

update :

I think the freezes problem is solved now. Already tested for two days on my usual usage without any problem. But I'm not sure, I'll wait another days to make sure.
Here's what I did:

• Use Intel Graphics driver from ubuntu-x-swat repository
• enable uxa, xaa, exa by editing /etc/x11/xorg.conf
  ...
  Section "Device"
      Identifier    "Configured Video Device"
      Option "AccelMethod"    "UXA"
      Option "AccelMethod"    "XAA"
      Option "AccelMethod"    "EXA"
  EndSection
  ...
  

Remember it's only been tested for two days so don't let your hope too high and I'm not responsible for what would happens to your Ubuntu. I deliberately wrote the method  in a way that would only understood by those who know what their doing. I'll write in more easy to understood post when I'm sure that this method works.
One thing, it breaks suspend mode.

Thanks to John, I already eliminated memory as a possible problem source.

keyword : hp 540 ubuntu review

I won't discuss about some complex Internet tweaking here, not that I know any :)
Just a simple way to get the fastest speed you can get to download updates for your Ubuntu. How?

• Go to System -> Administration -> Software Sources
• On the Ubuntu Software Tab, pick Other on Download From section,
• Click Select Best Server, let it run to do some testing to determine which server will be the best to download from your location,
• After that click Choose Server

See picture below.

If you think that your best server is the one that located near you, think again. I live in Indonesia and there are several servers listed near my town just a few kilometers away, yet my best server location according to this test is further in Malaysia, i.e: http://ubuntu.mmu.edu.my/ubuntu.
I wonder why...



keyword : speed up, download updates, ubuntu

I am not a Desktop Environment  (DE) fanboy, I use Gnome because it's the default DE on Ubuntu. After a while I knew about other major DE : XFCE and KDE. I use XFCE on my older PC.
From what I learned DEs have their own strength and weakness. The best thing about Linux is you don't have to choose, you can have best of both worlds.
Last night I gave KDE a shot on my notebook, an hp 540. I use Ubuntu 9.04. After 188 MB, Kubuntu was installed on my system.
How to install Kubuntu on Ubuntu (for those who want to know):

• run synaptic package manager
• install kubuntu-desktop and all the files automatically included,
• log out, click option and choose KDE, log in again,
  

I was so eager to try it out, here's what I like :

• I love the blue theme and the default layout better than Gnome's
  
• its default setting looks prettier and more functional than Gnome's

But :

• It takes longer time to load,
• It hangs on me on almost every time,
• its network manager doesn't easily let me connect to my Motorola V3xx as a modem, while Gnome's do it easily.

I really want to explore KDE more, but the constant hang blocks me. I'll try harder and learn what's wrong on Ubuntu sites and forums. Until then my conclusion is my notebook hates KDE.

FYI, here's hp 540 specification :

• CPU : Intel Core2duo T5670 1.8 Ghz
• RAM : 2 GB DDR2
• Graphics : Intel 965 (shared 384 MB)

Isn't it powerful enough to run KDE?


Update April 26, 2009:
Well persistence is the key, I keep trying log in to KDE and now it starts and runs just fine. I don't do anything just trying and trying.  So what was causing all that trouble?
In short it looks, feels and works great! The only problem is my network manager doesn't recognize my v3xx as a modem, while it works just fine in Gnome, I have to use wvdial, it works though. But I miss my GUI-ly network manager.

My notebook loves KDE after all :)

keyword : gnome, kde, tryout, hp540

Gnome-Do is one of most useful features installed on my system. But I hate how big the Docky's default icon size was.
So here's the easy way to resize it (the less easy way is to tweak the gconf-editor):

• to resize the bar length : hover your mouse over the bar's side until you see resize icon, drag left-right to resize,
• to resize the icons : hover your mouse ove the vertical separator on the left hand side of clock applet, drag up-down to resize

At first, I looked for its configuration on Gnome-do preferences but I couldn't find any.  I even tweak the gconf-editor! And must restart the gnome-do to see the effect.
I was thinking, because it is Linux I must do it the "text way"  :)
You did too?

update (thanks Sander):
For those who like the geekier way, here's how :

• run gconf-editor either by press Alt-F2 and type gconf-editor, or click the shortcut on System Tools -> Configuration Editor,
• go to /apps/gnome-do/preferences/Docky/Utilities/DockPreferences/IconSize and change it to your desired size number,
• quit gnome-do, and then start gnome do,
  
• enjoy
  

keyword : gnome-do, docky, resize icon,

Last week was a good week, my online stock trading profit bought me a nice 14" Core2Duo notebook, an HP 540, to help me do stock trading online more mobile-y.
It is my plan from the beginning to install Ubuntu on my laptop so I chose a non OS package. Which is a great money saver, because I don't want to spend money on something I won't use and I don't want to give Microsoft a false reason to boast on sold-and-then-uninstalled Windows.
If I am to use Windows, that will be my own decision not because it is force-bundled on me.
Now back to Ubuntu 9.04 on HP 540...the result was surprising me!

(yes it's a stock image, see mine below)

• fn+ keys work, the last time I used Toshiba L300+Ubuntu, this part won't work
• suspend works
• wi-fi recognized and can detect available wireless networks,
  
• sound works (now playing Hakuna Matata)
  
• touchpad and scrollpad work
  

And it does boot fast! This is just the beginning, mind you the Jackalope is still in Beta phase. So there's a lot to hope for in this release.

I'll update this post, just let me play with it a little more.


keyword : ubuntu 9.04 | hp 540

subtitle : what i like in  Jackalope

Ubuntu 9.04 Beta!
Due to my "only stable release" policy, I installed Ubuntu 9.04 Beta on old spare 12 GB external hard disk, installed and running on Toshiba Satellite L300. I use the new Ext4 and the installation went smoothly except for one error text message that always pops out on boot sequence, that says :

Error : 1.106405 PCI 0000:02:000: Unsupported PM Caps Regs Version (7)

Strange thing is, the error number keep changing every time it boots. I don't even have a guess what causing the problem.  The error message stays for about 5 seconds, so no faster boot time for me :( And I hope when I get back home (I have been visiting my parents for Easter and this is my father's laptop) and try it in my desktop things will be different.

This is Beta, bugs and errors are normal. So here's the things I like so far :

• the new transparent-non intruding notification
  
• change to custom DNS server easily
  
• "Get Screenshot" feature in Synaptic Package Manager,
  
• Wi-fi recognized and working
• the Computer Janitor feature to keep your Ubuntu clean
• the graphic card driver works out of the box, uh hum out of ISO image actually :)
• Huawei E220 HSDPA Modem works smoothly ( I compared it with how it works in Vista - so sluggish and takes long time just to start the modem' application).
  

To keep things balance, here are bugs I encounter :

• hotkey-setup bug, that can be easily fixed with this steps.
• suspend-resume bug, already filed in launchpad
• Open Office 3.0.7 always thinks that there are documents to recover and won't start.
  

Overall I like this release (except its code name) and when it is finally released I'll installed on my system.

Happy Easter.

Heaven knows how hard I tried to change my DNS server to openDNS. I've tried all the methods I could found on the Internet to no avail. After all I did, the DNS always comes back to the provider's default.
That was what happened with Ubuntu 8.10.
But now with Ubuntu 9.04 Beta, modifying DNS server is easy as it should have been. See the Primary DNS and Secondary DNS in this picture already pointing to openDNS.

How to change your default DNS server to openDNS in Ubuntu?

• Go to System -> Preferences -> Network Connections
• Edit your working Internet Connection to the Internet, in my case it's on Mobile Broadband tab,
  
• Edit it, click the IPv4 Settings tab
  
• Choose Methods : Automatic (PPP) adresses only
• On the DNS servers, type :
  208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220
  
• Click Apply, and you're done. Next time you connect to Internet you'll be using openDNS.

Easy! I think I'm going to like Ubuntu 9.04.

ps :
I said I was waiting for the stable 9.04, therefore I installed Ubuntu 9.04 Beta on external hard disk.



keyword : ubuntu | opendns | 8.10 | 9.04

When I wrote two posts about Synapse, I learned about Jabber-ID for the first time. In order to get connected with Synapse you need a Jabber-ID.

It is not just for Synapse, really, there are tens of Jabber-ready-IM clients across platforms (Mac, Windows, Unix/Linux, Web Browser, console and mobile phone) that are free to download. E.g. : Empathy, Gajim, Kopete and many more. Read the full list here. So what is Jabber?

Jabber is an open instant messaging technology that anyone can use. The Jabber community runs a worldwide network of free IM services and has created plenty of free software that you can download -- clients for every device and operating system, servers you can run at your organization, and libraries you can use to build your own Jabber applications.

If you already have Gtalk or Live Journal account then you don't need to make one. Gmail and Live Journal are Jabber-enabled services. If you don't have one you can create one by sign up with Gtalk and Live Journal sites, or these sites below :

• binaryfreedom.info
• darkdna.net
• im.apinc.org
• im.flosoft.biz
• im.thiessen.it
• jabber.ccc.de
• jabber.hot-chilli.net
• jabber.org
• jabber.rootbash.com
• jabber.se
• jabberes.org
• jabster.pl
• macjabber.de
• programmer-art.org
• swissjabber.ch

Happy Jabber-ing…

 

source : Jabber.org

keyword : jabber client | list of sites

Just a few days to go until The Jackalope arrives. We got Beta now and a Release Candidate shortly then the final vesion. For those who can’t wait the final version and want to taste the Beta, here are ways to have 9.04 on your desktop. Me? I’ll wait for the stable one.

Ways to upgrade to Ubuntu 9.04 :

#1 Being Beta means it’s not stable yet, and still needs further testing and bugs crushing to be done. So the wisest choice is to download Ubuntu 9.04 Beta Live CD, play with it until the Stable version comes out without touching your current stable Ubuntu.

beware, next methods could break your system!

#2 Not your taste? Oh, so you like living on the edge, don’t you? Here’s how to upgrading it over your Ubuntu 8.10.

• press Alt+F2 and type in "update-manager -d" (without the quotes) into the command box.
• an update manager window will be opened with message : New distribution release '9.04' is available.
• Click Upgrade and follow the instructions.

Only do this kind of update if you have stable and fast Internet connection. If not, you’re only looking for trouble.

#3 Still want to upgrade your Ubuntu 8.10 but you don’t have stable internet connection? Then try this method :

• Download the alternate installation CD for PC (Intel x86) or 64-bit PC (AMD64) alternate install CD to your desktop.
• Burn the ISO to a CD and insert it on your to-be-upgraded computer or you can save some bucks and be green in the same time by mounting the ISO file with this command (open the terminal first by clicking Application –> Accessories –> Terminal and copy this command and paste it in Terminal with Ctrl-Shift-V):
  sudo mount -o loop ~/Desktop/ubuntu-9.04-beta-alternate-i386.iso /media/cdrom0
  or (depends on your file name) :
  sudo mount -o loop ~/Desktop/ubuntu-9.04-beta-alternate-amd64.iso /media/cdrom0
• A dialog window will appear, follow the instruction.

For a complete guide on how to upgrade from alternate installation CD, here’s the link (scroll down to the bottom of that page).

What is an alternate installation CD? It’s a text-based installation CD, meaning no graphical interface.

This post will be updated accordingly to the latest Ubuntu release.

 

image : © BYSD
keyword : upgrading ubuntu : live cd, network upgrade, without internet connection