Ubuntu Wiki

• Contact: ["TennesseeLeeuwenburg2"], JamesRonald, TylerKinkade, SridharDhanapalan

• Brand: Dell
• Make : Inspiron
• Model: 9400 (E1705)

• Website: [http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins9400/]

Current Issues

Note: Issues from previous releases have been moved to end of report. No information has been deleted (only minor edits). It has only been moved for the sake of clarity/organization, to keep this page current with newer versions of Ubuntu, and to make this page more consistent with the LaptopTestingTeamTemplate. Please don't take offense, none is intended. -- TylerKinkade

Note: Issues relating to the Core 2 Duo CPU and associated hardware are chronicled [wiki:Core_2_Duo_Support here].

• Installing grub removes the built-in [http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/mediadirect.htm MediaDirect] OS, which is located on a secret partition (not accessible by Linux or Windows) at the end of the drive. Instructions to have GRUB co-operate with the Dell bootloader are [http://www.notebookforums.com/thread164182.html here]. I have not tested them. -- SridharDhanapalan

Sridhar, Are you saying grub removes the MediaDirect OS? Or it removes access to the MediaDirect OS? I can still run MediaDirect by pushing the MediaDirect button when powered down, but I also left the Dell partitions intact.--TylerKinkade

• The PC Speaker is very loud, and there is no way to lower the volume. It can be [http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1547346&postcount=26 disabled] by unloading the pcspkr kernel module or [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1137455&postcount=3 muted] with the xset and setterm commands. -- SridharDhanapalan

• Synaptycs touchpad horizontal scrolling is disabled by default. You can enable it by commenting (or removing) Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0" in /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Also, if you want horizontal scrolling in firefox instead of back/forward, you can enable it in about:config. -- ["Snifer"]

Issues with Edgy x86-32

Note: Do not add the 'notsc' kernel option mentioned in the x86-64 sections below. It will create a kernel panic with a x86-32 kernel.

• Pressing Fn+Up and Fn+Down has no effect at all (no crashes, no bright change). After resuming from hibernation, the keys work as expected. According to [http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-acpi@vger.kernel.org/msg03696.html], it's a problem with the acpi video module. It's possible to fix it by blacklisting the video module. Bug: [https://bugs.launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.17/+bug/74284 #74284]. -- ["Snifer"]

• Upon resuming from a suspend/hibernate action, the second CPU core is locked at its full speed. It will not throttle down. The first core behaves normally. This [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1640184&postcount=1 does not appear] to be specific to Core 2 Duo CPUs. -- SridharDhanapalan

  • CPU speed works fine after suspend/hibernate. -- ["Snifer"]

• The built-in card reader does not work (Bug [https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/hal/+bug/63553 #63553]). -- SridharDhanapalan

Issues/Solutions with Edgy x86-64

• Problem: Both CPU cores locked at maximum frequency after resume from suspend (1.83 GHz on T5600). CPU temperature climbs over 65C.

  • Workaround: Create script in /etc/acpi/resume.d/ with command: "invoke-rc.d powernowd restart" Details [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1791164&postcount=21 here]. --TylerKinkade

• Problem: Touchpad button AND tap-to-click frequently stop functioning. (Occurs almost every minute.) Bug No.[https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/hal/+bug/70687 70687]

  • Solution: Add "notsc" to kernel options (x86-64 only, see above). --TylerKinkade

• Problem: Super sensitive keyboard driver: characters repeat with a single tap. (This is not the same as the holding a key down to repeat feature: keyboard repeat delay is set to about 3 seconds.)

  • Solution: Add "notsc" to kernel options (x86-64 only, see above).

• Problem: SLOW launch of simple applications: takes about 30-60 seconds to launch terminal, Firefox, etc. (The rectangular app launch animation usually advances at the slow speed of about 1 frame per 3 seconds.)

  • Solution: Add "notsc" to kernel options (x86-64 only, see above).

• SLOW Ubuntu boot up: on the order of minutes. (WinXP boots in less than 30 seconds.)

  • Solution: Improved by adding "notsc" to kernel options (x86-64 only, see above).

• Problem: No WiFi after resume from suspend.

  • Workaround: Install NetworkManager. --TylerKinkade

• Problem: Suspend/resume problems.

  • Solution: modify /etc/default/acpi-support as posted on forum [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=296354 here]. --TylerKinkade

System Info

   bios-version: A04
   system-manufacturer: Dell Inc.
   system-product-name: MP061
   system-version: Not Specified
   kernel: Linux 2.6.17-10-generic #2 SMP Fri Oct 13 15:34:39 UTC 2006 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Linux 2.6.17-10-generic #2 SMP Fri Oct 13 18:45:35 UTC 2006 i686 GNU/Linux

• Headphone jack does not mute internal speakers
• and "jack sense" options aren't available in sound mixer

  • http://www.math.umd.edu/~olsson/jerome-install.html was recommended to me for fixing the line jack sense.

• headphone issues are cleared up with alsa-driver-1.0.11rc4, see http://lkml.org/lkml/2006/3/17/279 -JoelReed

• ALSA works, headphones broken again in latest source download from ALSA site. haven't checked CVS or above patch. is lkml patch supposed to be merged into regular alsa CVS? --purpleidea

• I just updated my kernel to .20, and everything seems to just work now. Anyone else find this? --TennesseeLeeuwenburg2

• headphones work for me in stock 686-smp kernel -21 --purpleidea
• Hard disk spins down far too soon/often, no obvious control mechanism (i.e. in "power settings" or "disks" -- don't know where else to look)

• FIX with "sudo hdparm -S12 /dev/sda" you can read about it on "http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Use_hdparm_to_improve_IDE_device_performance" --DigitalLF

• now i just found out in ubuntu you should edit /etc/hdparm.conf go to line 61 (spindown_time) and edit that to whatever you want --DigitalLF

• This the spin-down on AC power, on Battery, on both. It is reproducible if you start from a clean reboot? -PaulSladen

• AC Power, haven't checked with battery. Happens 100% of the time, reboots do not affect. --TennesseeLeeuwenburg2

• The problem just ... went away one update. --TennesseeLeeuwenburg2

Notes

• Excellent, many thanks for any testing you are able to do - hopefully you'll get a better experience out of it too! -PaulSladen

• i have now found out how to get the wifi working and i get around 200kbs better speed in linux then i get in windows so it seems like it works great on my home-unencrypted network -DigitalLF

• I have compiled my own kernel and have been trying to install this. The install guide says to look for the firmware directory in 'hotplug.agent', a file which doesn't exist on my system. How did you get it to install? --TennesseeLeeuwenburg2

• i dont have a clue about that but i dident even need to compile my own kernel its much easyer then that is there some way i can contact you msn/irc/skype? i'l walk you right through it its not that hard realy

• I have added information about Edgy on a Inspiron 9400 but don't want to step on any toes. Made some edits in the interest of clarity and organization as noted above. Please contact me if I've offended anyone because that is not my intent. TylerKinkade

• I've made a lot of additions and alterations. I can confirm that the problems mentioned by TylerKinkade are specific to x86-64 and are not present with x86-32. Also, the 'notsc' kernel option causes kernel panics with a x86-32 kernel. -- SridharDhanapalan