Ubuntu Wiki

• Contact: LunaTick (was [guigolum]), ["tthorb"] (just supplemental)

• Make: Dell
• Brand: Inspiron
• Model: 510m
• Purchased from Dell direct: 12/02/2005

• Website: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins510m/

• Hardware Database link from Breezy: http://hwdb.ubuntu.com/?xml=ab4d55311e734d27f3679e60a3ba8604

• Hardware Database link from Dapper: http://hwdb.ubuntu.com/?xml=835a2d0b2d075ce4051a553f1211537a

• Hardware Database link from Dapper: http://hwdb.ubuntu.com/?xml=63f94d2e58668708df619a80d2253a86 - ["tthorb"]

• Complete list of bugs that I have reported in Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/people/luna-tick/+reportedbugs

Current Issues

• I still have to manually configure hdparm.conf every time that I reinstall. Thankfully the main annoyance (DMA not being turned on for my DVD drive) has been fixed in Dapper, but I feel that the system could be more optimised if this was fixed [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/base-installer/+bug/36664 Bug 36664]

• I also think that Disk Manager needs to be enhanced to allow the (sudo'ed) user to change permissions in a nice GUI, so if they don't like the defaults they can change it without editing text files [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/gnome-system-tools/+bug/36839 Bug 36839].

• Bluetooth support is shocking. It involves too much knowledge of which packages to install and setting up a pin for your machine is done by editing text files. Perhaps a 'Bluetooth' section of the Admin or Preferences menu is needed, through which you can change PINs, click buttons to install the correct packages for a task etc.. I haven't filed any bugs on this issue because I realise that there is a complete Bluetooth specification being worked on that should make this a lot better.

• The SVideo TV-Out does not work for me. If I have it plugged in to the TV and push the CRT/LCD button I get a flicker but nothing more. This is the case when I have my resolution set to 1400x1050 (my native - using 915resolution) and 1280x1024 [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-driver-i810/+bug/6270 6270].

• Installation in the Dapper Release has been entirely unimpressive. See Note 15
• AIGLX is not enabled in Edgy by default, even though the graphics card supports it. Note: Compiz on AIGLX works beautifully except that when one clicks the "exit" icon, the system hangs. This occurs even though I have the 3rd-party version of gnome-session that is meant to fix it. It will be great when all this is in Universe so that it is easy to set up and bugs can be reported! Currently one must manually edit xorg.conf to enable AIGLX, add all the repositories for Compiz-Quinn (Beryl), install the correct packages and manually add compiz-start to the start-up programmes.

Hardware details

Notes

(1) The correct resolution for my screen is 1400x1050. Neither Breezy nor Dapper could detect and set this up correctly. In Breezy, the correct resolution could be achieved by using 855resolution and editing some configuration files. In Dapper the user must manually install 915resolution (the improved rewrite of 855resolution). This package (now) needs only be installed and it sets up everything for me - determining the correct resolution and creating the configuration for 915resolution.

(2) This works fine at 1280x1024 for me. I push the CRT/LCD hotkey once and the display swaps to the external screen. I push it again and it mirrors the display on both. I push it again and the display returns to LCD-only. If I have my screen on the native 1400x1050 (see Note 1) then pushing once gives an error on the monitor saying "Input not supported" because the screen only supports up to 1280x1024. I need to test on a better screen. If I push it again, it mirrors correctly. Pushing it again returns to LCD-only.

(3) Using Gnome-Power-Manager in both. Regardless of the method used, the hibernation does not work properly. In Breezy it worked occasionally, immediately re-awoke, or hung with the screen blank and nothing to do but a hard power off [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/gnome-power-manager/+bug/3490 Bug #3490]. In Dapper I have never had it work - it either hangs or re-awakes. ["tthorb"]: It works for me, in both Breezy and Dapper, but in Dapper the specialeffect of the touchpad are gone, and two times X went down after rewake.

(4) Network-Manager does not re-establish networking properly after a suspend or hibernate. ["tthorb"]: This also works fine for me. Works fine on Dapper Flight 6, not on Breezy - ["LunaTick"]. I have not tried Network-Manager in Breezy, you're probably right. But I've discovered that if I suspend during a search for DHCP (for example if I've tried to get in to an open network, that don't allow me), the suspend occationally fails. Will try to look for a bug-thread that covers this question. - ["tthorb"]

(6) Using Network-Manager.

(7) Bluetooth support works, but it is pretty awful. I can't easily change the PIN (changing /etc/bluetooth/PIN) seems to break other things. To get it working means that I have to add the Universe repository and then install 3 separate packages. The packages do not feel at all integrated and, while functional, it isn't very good. I believe that the whole system will be overhauled.

(8) The modem is a winmodem and does not work in a default install. I really think the whole winmodem thing needs to be handled better. According to the previous maintainer, a proprietary modem driver can be obtained from linuxant.com site (hsf). A free version of driver limits DL speed to 14.4 kbps but you can pay $20 and get the driver for 56k and fax capabilities.

(9) $ cat /proc/net/irda/discovery gives: cat: /proc/net/irda/discovery: No such file or directory ["tthorb"]: It pops up fine for me:

• IrLMP: Discovery log: nickname: SIEMENS M65, hint: 0xb124, saddr: 0x36dd6cf7, daddr: 0x04578810

- But if I wan't to actually use the irda-port for communication, I have to manually load 'ircomm' and 'ircomm-tty'. LunaTick: tthorb, how did you get the Discovery log? Just by typing in that command without installing anything? In Edgy: $ cat /proc/net/irda/discovery gives IrLMP: Discovery log: Even when there is a palm or phone beaming at it. tthorb: Actually, I've not tried this in several months, because I've replaced my cellphone. I see now that the discovery log is totally empty. My first thought was that there maybe is a switch for it in BIOS that has been turned off, but I have not been playing there for ages, so it's probably something in dapper that has went wrong.

(10) The key now does nothing in the default install. One has to manually enable the feature in Gnome Power Manager preferences.

(11) This seems to be done in the BIOS and not through ACPI. As I understand things, this means that Ubuntu is currently unaware of changes to brightness or the brightness capability [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/acpi/+bug/43572 Launchpad Bug 43572] [http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=337580 Gnome Bugzilla Bug].

(12) Interestingly, the mute toggle does not work if the speaker icon (the applet in the top-right) has been clicked and the slider is visible. ["tthorb"]: I have noticed that other Keyboard Shortcuts don't work when opening a "slider" from a panel (menus, network manager, left button-menu etc)

(14) This works the first time (as of 9 May 06) but not subsequent presses. I understand that this is due to Dells sending a key event when they are pressed, but not when they are released (or something) [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.15/+bug/44154 Bug #44154].

(15) Dapper 6.06 Desktop CD: I need to use "Manually Edit Partition Tables" to install and this did not work at all - I got serious errors that stopped me going further. Dapper 6.06 Alternative CD: The screen blanks after all the packages are installed. I just pushed Enter twice and install finished ([https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/xresprobe/+bug/47082 47082]). According to Edu: "I got the same problem. As I mentioned in #48106, in grub menu (just when installation begins), I selected 1024x768 vga resolution and the problem was gone." It could be my 1400x1050 screen. Dapper 6.06.1 Desktop CD: This seemed to work perfectly. Dapper 6.06.1 Alternate CD: The screen-blanking still occurs at the same point.

(16) The system sometimes fails to hibernate/sleep and immediately reawakes with [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/acpi-support/+bug/61407 an error about tasks not stopping]. I ran about 10 tests of both hibernating and suspending and had the error occur twice - if it couldn't hibernate for that reason then it also couldn't sleep.

(17) This button doesn't do anything by default. It did nothing by default in Breezy, either, but one could set which suspend it activated through Gnome Power Manager. This setting seems to be gone in Edgy, so it is difficult to set it up.

(18) See [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/60897 Bug 60897]. This is a bad look when the Desktop CD is the one that is recommended.

Touchpad

From http://web.telia.com/~u89404340/touchpad/

Benchmarks

• These figures were the average of five tests using a stopwatch. The results were close enough together that the average should be a fairly good estimate of the actual time. There is much more variation in the sleep/hibernate figures (up to 3 secs from the average), but the times should be accurate to a few seconds.
• The start-up figures do not tell the whole story; when Ubuntu has passed the login screen, it is a very short time until it is usable. Windows takes a much longer time between login and a usable desktop, but I decided not to measure it because a lot is due to virus scanners, automatic updates, firewalls etc.

• When trying for the five tests of hibernation on Dapper, I had four failed hibernates. Windows never failed. Edgy Knot 3 failed once with [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/acpi-support/+bug/61407 this error].

• Resume times are taken to the point where I regain mouse movement.

Fixed in Current Development

• I have to manually edit /etc/fstab to give myself read-only permissions for the ntfs partition. It seems strange that it appears on the desktop but can't be viewed - it should have the same defaults as FAT32 partitions - read-only [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/base-installer/+bug/36665 Bug 36665] - FIXED, Dapper Beta.

• If a data CD is in the drive, one cannot eject it by pressing the button on the CD drive. With an audio CD it works as expected. FIXED - Dapper Beta (9 May) [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/hotkey-setup/+bug/36539 36539].

• Volume Hotkeys work, but not for headphones. FIXED - Dapper Beta [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.15/+bug/36570 36570].

- Contact me with any suggestions, corrections or questions lists att whitehouse d0tt org d0tt nz