Ubuntu Wiki

This page is about installing and using Ubuntu Linux on Panasonic Toughbook CF-18

Installing Ubuntu

CF-18 doesn't have internal CD-ROM drive, so easiest way possible is to prepare your own bootable USB Ubuntu pendrive: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/09/28/usb-ubuntu-710-gutsy-gibbon-install/. If you are not familiar with GNU/Linux follow those instructions literally. In particular, use bootable CD as described, even if you have access to computer with Ubuntu already installed.

You may found good instructions for installing Ubuntu 6.10 on Justin's Clark webpage: http://www.justinclarke.com/archives/2006/12/ubuntu_linux_61.html. If you want to boot from pendrive make sure, that you have USB boot option activated in CF-18 BIOS menu.

For proper configuration of Wacom tablet in 7.10 make sure, that appropriate portions of your xorg.conf file (to edit this execute sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf in terminal) look like this:

Section "InputDevice"
        Driver          "wacom"
        Identifier      "stylus"
        Option          "Device"        "/dev/input/wacom"
        Option          "Type"  "stylus"
        Option          "ForceDevice"   "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Driver          "wacom"
        Identifier      "eraser"
        Option          "Device"        "/dev/input/wacom"
        Option          "Type"  "eraser"
        Option          "ForceDevice"   "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Driver          "wacom"
        Identifier      "cursor"
        Option          "Device"        "/dev/input/wacom"
        Option          "Type"  "cursor"
        Option          "ForceDevice"   "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

After that most of the laptop functionality works out of the box.

Screen rotating

You may want to add ability of screen rotating between landscape and portrait mode to your CF-18. First remember to turn off all compitz beautifiers :(. And sorry, no automated rotation this time. Screen rotating functionality works great with the help of simple script (and sophisticated programmer who wrote it, thank you, Janek!). Open your text editor of choice as an admin (ie. "sudo gedit" in terminal), and copy/paste this text:

if [ "`xrandr|grep 'current 1024'|wc -l`" -eq "1" ]
then
    echo "Rotate right"
    xsetwacom set stylus rotate 1
    xrandr -o right
else
    echo "Rotate normal"
    xsetwacom set stylus rotate 0
    xrandr -o normal
fi

Save it with the name rotatescreen in folder /usr/bin/.

Execute sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/rotatescreen in terminal.

Now by executing "rotatescreen" command you will have your screen rotated between portrait and landscape mode. I created a simple activator with command rotatescreen in my panel - now all i have to do after changing position of physical screen is to tap an icon.

Known issues

Panasonic Hotkeys doesn't work out of the box. This include screen brightness and volume control hotkeys (FN + F keys) and external hotkeys: screen rotating, activating on-screen keyboard, activating/deactivating wifi etc. There is workaround which includes kernel and acpi hacking for other Toughbook models, but i havn't tested it with CF-18: http://www.da-cha.jp/letsnote . If you know know any other working solution, please post it here and/or email me (rekrutacja[at]gazeta.pl) - thank you!

If you need to change your screen brightness settings or want to switch on/off wifi you may still do this - simply press F2 just after turning your computer on. This will take you to BIOS menu. On this stage you may still use hotkeys to select proper settings. After you leave BIOS menu they will get inactive.