Any Linux distros *fully working* on AA1?

Discussion in 'Linux' started by Taipan, Aug 27, 2008.

  1. Taipan

    Taipan

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    Hi all, I just purchased an Aspire One 8Gb SSD/Linpus which *should* arrive tomorrow along with a 16Gb SDHC card and a 1Gb stick of Kingston memory as per the "What RAM works?" thread.

    All that remains for me now is to do something about Linpus as I'm no fan of 'Lite' or cut down operating systems. To that effect, I'd really like to replace Linpus with another distro.

    However, after browsing through various threads including those in the Ubuntu sub-forum, I'm aware that there are certain issues that are still present in many/most of these replacement projects but in some cases, it's not truly confirmed as to what is working and what isn't.

    So as I understand it, with the current Ubuntu Hardy Heron version, the AA1 still has these issues:

    Partial Function:

    * Card Readers (only work if card in when booting)
    * Audio - there is sound, issues detailed below

    Not Functional:

    * Hibernate on A110L
    * Card Reader power saving
    * wifi power saving
    * wifi kill switch

    Is it still the case that there are currently no fixes for any of these?

    Furthermore, I noticed that several people have tried various other variations such as Xubuntu, Kubuntu and also the Intrepid Ibex alphas but I'm not clear on whether the above issues are addressed with these.

    Basically, what I'm looking for is a fully functioning Linux install on the AA1 that has as few compatibility issues as possible, whether it be an Ubuntu variation, Suse, Debian or whatever. Granted, not all of the above noted problems are particularly important but I would like to have fully functioning card reader slots, audio (including headphone/auto-speaker mute) and a quick method of disabling the Wifi (for use on flights for example).

    Are we at this stage yet with any distros or is it worth just waiting and hoping Ibex will address most of these?

    TIA

    Taip
     
    Taipan, Aug 27, 2008
    #1
  2. Taipan

    oilyrag

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    would be nice to know if it's possible to get a full linux OS on the AA1. Does the AA1 only work with XP as a full OS?
     
    oilyrag, Aug 27, 2008
    #2
  3. Taipan

    Los_Andros

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    Hi,
    I got openSUSE 11.0 nearly fully working on the A150L of my girl friend (so we have no SSD Card, but 120 GB true harddisk storage)

    I wrote a howto, but it is in german ( http://www.skritus.de/2008/08/22/opensu ... one-a150l/ ), currently I have no time to write it in english. But it isn't too difficult, because it has gotten a little bit easier now, I had to compile my kernel, this is now not necessary any more.

    These are the steps you have to do:
    - prepare boot usb disk with mksusebootdisk
    - copy content from Install DVD oder CCD to USB Stick
    - install (I did minimal grafical system) from boot usb stick
    - get the latest rpms (I wanted to have KDE 4.1 so this is not a must have ;) )
    - get the latest kernel and kernel-source from that repository: http://download.opensuse.org/repositori ... kport.repo
    - get the latest madwifi driver: http://snapshots.madwifi.org/madwifi-ha ... 801.tar.gz and install it
    - modify Xmodmap File (some keys didn't work out of the box)
    - activate LEDs (sysctl step)

    Now I had only few issues left
    - Card Reader problem (both only worked when inserted at boot time)
    - internal micro (I had no time to play with the mode options)
    - suspend to ram

    everything else worked (even suspend to disk)

    For these two problems I found this in the opensuse wiki:
    http://en.opensuse.org/HCL/Laptops/Acer ... spire_150L
    where you can find a solution for the Card-Reader problem and suspend to ram.


    So my last issue is the internal micro, and I think this should be easy to solve with the audiophile repository, where you gain access to the latest alsa drivers from git.


    So I'm not ready, but I think, that in one or two weeks I have everything working with my girlfriends A150L and I mean everything.
     
    Los_Andros, Aug 27, 2008
    #3
  4. Taipan

    rbil

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    When did Linpus cease being a "full OS distro"? What apps/packages from the GNU/Open Source communities do you require that can't be used/obtained when running Linpus?

    Cheers.
     
    rbil, Aug 27, 2008
    #4
  5. Taipan

    jukk

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    Exactly my thoughts. The AA1 IS running "a full OS distro". (how do you define it?) If you are actually USING your laptop and knows your way around, this is like any other PC running Fedora. But, for people tinkering and changing stuff all the time and like to do it, well go ahead. Or wait until the 2.6.27 kernel is out and distros are updated, they might support the AA1.

    Of course I am biased, I've used Redhat since 6.x through all Fedora versions, so this is very familiar to me.
     
    jukk, Aug 27, 2008
    #5
  6. Taipan

    esaym

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    All the problems you have listed are typical of any laptop.
     
    esaym, Aug 27, 2008
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  7. Taipan

    qasar.es

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    qasar.es, Aug 27, 2008
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  8. Taipan

    alexandrei

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    OpenSUSE 11.0 was the only other distribution that I've tried on my AAO 150. I was happy to get the WIFI working quite quickly, but couldn't fix the card-reader problems. Also, I couldn't make them work not even with them plugged in at boot (the reader was detected, the right side one), but the boot procedure didn't continue.

    Now, I'll try again, with the info from here: http://en.opensuse.org/HCL/Laptops/Acer ... spire_150L
    I'm so anxious :D

    I tried again the original Linpus, and it works fine (switched to advanced mode - the full XFCE desktop) and I was quite satisfied, but I hate the part with the custom acer packages and all the problems when trying to install some aplications from the repositories.

    So tonight, I'll try again the Suse! Thank you! This just made my day! :D
     
    alexandrei, Aug 28, 2008
    #8
  9. Taipan

    jimduchek

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    Passing the parameter 'pciehp_force=1' to the pciehp module will make the card reader work correctly every time, regardless of whether a card is inserted at boot.

    Jim
     
    jimduchek, Aug 28, 2008
    #9
  10. Taipan

    ichbinesderelch

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    hi, i'm running archlinux just fine on it, everything works so far, suspend to disk doesn't cause i didnt create a swap partition for a longer life of my sd card, if the card reader works or not, i cannot determine, didnt trie it yet, but there is a wiki on archlinux which seems to make them work. howto make the wifi button work, wifi led work is also documented very nice, even a fan script ;) so maybe wanna give it a try!
     
    ichbinesderelch, Aug 28, 2008
    #10
  11. Taipan

    grolt

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    I've tried several distributions and the beta distro's seem to work best on the AA1.

    Xubuntu 8.10 works fine, until an update results in an unbootable blank screen. Until then it supports the wireless networks (not the LED) and HSPDA usb modems automatically. Everything seems to work.
    The release version should be OK.

    OpenSUSE 11.1 also supports wireless (not the LED) and HSPDA usb modems automatically.
    Too early an Alpha to be useful yet, due to constant freezes and resolution problems.

    Mandriva 2009 beta 2 works best, so far.
    It supports the wireless networks (with the LED working) and HSPDA usb modems automatically.
    Main problem is OpenOffice freezing (on the Aspire One and my desktop), hopefully fixed in RC1.
    This is the distro I'm using on the 8Gb One, and there is 4.5 Gb remaining after a fresh install (no swap and custom partition setup).

    So maybe by the end of October, when the release versions are due, there'll be better choices available.
     
    grolt, Aug 30, 2008
    #11
  12. Taipan

    ddalley

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    So are you all looking to replace Linpus because of its problems and limitations? From what I understand, migrating to a different distro has its own fair share of problems with the new hardware, so it looks like you are just trading problems, to a certain degree.

    For those of us who are new to Linux, can we rely on Acer to fix the problems, albeit slowly?

    Can we expect a netbook distro, such as the Ubuntu netbook remix, to catch up to the popular netbooks, such as the Aspire One? I mean, if Acer can get stuff like the card readers, webcam & mic, sound and other hardware to work, why not Ubuntu or others, right?
     
    ddalley, Sep 1, 2008
    #12
  13. Taipan

    yodersj

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    I can't speak for the others, but I'm going the Fedora route because that is what I personally prefer. I'm willing to do the extra steps necessary to get F8 working and then move on to providing feedback for the upcoming F10. Hopefully, depending on what is required and how it meshes with the distro's philosophy, this will enable F10 to pretty much support the AA1 "out of the box".

    I don't think of the Linpus that is on the AA1 as necessarily limited, just that they may have made a few poor choices for those like me that immediately try a 'yum update' (e.g. grabbing all updates available in the Fedora repositories) as soon as it is out of the box. :) I think they did very well with the interface design and the package selection for the way the device is marketed.

    There are automobile drivers that only care about pressing the gas and turning the wheel. Then there are drivers that know a little more about what is going on under the hood, but might not do more than basic maintenance themselves. Then there are the hot rodders and mechanics, where at least half the joy is getting dirty to tear things apart and put them back together.

    Much of what folks figure out, regardless of chosen distro, and share can be utilized in some manner by all. If Acer is smart they'll have someone who can understand what the community here is doing and use that information to provide updates/fixes back to the customers who truly, and this is no slight against them, just want to run the update program. If Acer chooses not to fix things, it will be the community that will.
     
    yodersj, Sep 2, 2008
    #13
  14. Taipan

    alanine

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    I guess the desire to switch to another distro is because everyone has an opinion on how the system is managed, and therefore a preferred distro to each his/her own. Getting hardware to work with a distro is important, but not necessarily difficult because what makes the hardware tick is mostly the kernel, not other parts of a distro.

    So the quick approach is to re-use the stock kernel from Linpus after switching to another distro. Everything's gonna work if you know the way around your favorite distro. Basically this is how I managed to get Slackware on AA1.
     
    alanine, Sep 2, 2008
    #14
  15. Taipan

    N6546R

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    Within an hour of buying my AA1 I'd wiped the SSD and installed Ubuntu. After a day or to of getting everything working, I started wondering what it was that Linpus didn't have that I needed from Ubuntu. In my case, it wasn't much, and I re-installed Linpus. So far the only thing that doesn't quite work is that my desktop wallpaper doesn't display correctly when running compiz...that's something I don't care much about. Everything else I use runs fine, and it's damned fast, too.

    The AA1 is training me...just today I discovered that I can spin the compiz desktop cube using an external mouse, and that Opera runs faster than Firefox. Also that movies play smoother under straight xfce rather than emerald. I run Kubuntu on all my other machines, but for now it's just Linpus on the AA1.

    Although I am looking at onleinux.org every day now...

    Perry
    www.kidpub.com
     
    N6546R, Sep 2, 2008
    #15
  16. Taipan

    lotus49

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    I am a big fan of Linux and Ubuntu in particular, but I am sorry to say that so far I have not been able to get everything working. Xubuntu runs nicely but there are still problems (same as Ubuntu mentioned above). The main attractions of Ubuntu are the excellent community and the deb package management system which, in my not at all humble opinion, knocks the socks off anything else.

    I have installed XP to a USB drive out of curiosity, and I am gutted (= very disappointed for non-English people) to say that it runs perfectly. Everything seems to work and it is quick. The only problem is that I hate Windows...

    As one of the previous posters said, these issues are typical of Linux and laptops, but that doesn't make me feel any better when XP runs without any problem. In addition, I have 6 laptops and my One is the only one I have failed to get everything working on.

    I was interested to read about ArchLinux above. This is one of the few distros I haven't tried so perhaps I'll try it. I am rather disinclined to learn yet another distro though so I'll wait and see for a bit.
     
    lotus49, Sep 2, 2008
    #16
  17. Taipan

    lotus49

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    Thanks for the suggestion, but this didn't have any effect on my Xubuntu One.
     
    lotus49, Sep 2, 2008
    #17
  18. Taipan

    ruckus

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    Isn't the SD card merging with internal storage a feature of the built in OS? I am under the impression that updating the OS will remove that feature and therefore I would find much less need to use SD cards. I'd rather just use USB sticks since that is what I have laying around.

    I wish it were a hardware feature or defined in the firmware, but I think it is in the Linpus OS
     
    ruckus, Sep 2, 2008
    #18
  19. Taipan

    ddalley

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    Whoa! While he deserves some sort of kudo for trying and his project is probably very necessary (at least I think so...), his comments are not encouraging. He should probably try joining a team that has already started.
     
    ddalley, Sep 3, 2008
    #19
  20. Taipan

    scottro

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    FWIW (Sideways and I discuss this briefly somewhere else) F10 will support the wireless card out of the box--so will Intrepid, I believe and just about anything else with a 2.6.27 kernel. (However, the LED sysctl variables aren't in the 2.6.27 kernel at this point--whether omitted by design, overlooked, or moved to something else, I don't know.)

    I find a lot of shortcomings (for MY taste) with the current O/S, and am wondering about channels for feedback to Acer. Maybe we should try to start a thread (or two--one for hardware) of suggested improvements.

    I'm finding it a bit too Windows like--by default, there is one user (and unlike Windows, you don't even get to choose their name) :-( who can do everything without a password.

    Using another desktop is problematic--some sort of hardware recognition is going on in the xfce startup scripts and I haven't found it yet, to my chagrin. Adding multiple users is problematic--it can be done, but several things (so far, audio, at least) is owned by root:user, and so one has to do some extra manipulating with groups.

    I haven't yet tried installing another distribution--because (and this is where I have some understanding of what Acer is doing) the current setup works quite well for my wife, who isn't a Linux person. As she needs the Asian input, the scim running by default (another thing I haven't yet found the source of, though I haven't looked,) is actually quite convenient, and if I install something else, I'll be doing that myself.

    Anyway, I haven't looked around the forums long enough to be sure--I was hoping to find a suggestions to Acer section. If not, perhaps we could start a thread.
     
    scottro, Sep 3, 2008
    #20
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