Luka Renko

• IRC: Lure

• Launchpad: https://launchpad.net/people/lure

• Email: MailTo(lure.net@gmail.com)

Kubuntu Laptop Support

I am very interested in great laptop support in Kubuntu. Kubuntu is already best debian-based distribution in that regard, but there are some development that we need to follow closely to keep up-to-date.

Power Management

Ubuntu power management is based on hal, acpi-support scripts and powernowd. This is then controlled with gnome-power-manager (GNOME) and klaptop (KDE). Problem is that klaptop is quite buggy and unmaintained.

There is major work going on on [http://powersave.sourceforge.net powersave] & [http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=29295 kpowersave] solution: see KubuntuPowersave for details.

Network Management

For mobile users, good network management is key. Kubuntu is currently lacking in wireless management tools (wifimonitor, knemo). There are some alternatives:

• [http://wlassistant.sourceforge.net wlassistant]

  • not in Dapper yet, but may be easier to get in than networkmanager
  • still no WPA support

• [http://www.gnome.org/projects/NetworkManager networkmanager]

  • older version (0.5.1) is included in Dapper (with lots of patches to work with Ubuntu network stack)
  • KDE front-end (knetworkmanager) requires latest (0.6) version.

  • latest (0.6.x) is just discussed in [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=139334 forums]

  • initiative for installer script for Dapper - see [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=144820 here]

networkmanager on Dapper

Note: use this at your own risk! This will most probably not get officially in Dapper, therefore you may get addicted to something you may not get in released version.

1. Debian packages are provided by community: see [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=832212 forums]

   • Get key
   • Add to /etc/apt/sources.list
2. Install networkmanager and nm-applet
   • sudo apt-get install networkmanager nm-applet
   • if upgrading from old networkmanage, confirm overwriting configuration files

3. Install latest version of wpasupplicant: from [http://siretart.tauware.de/wpasupplicant siretart]

   • download and install debian package
   • if upgrading from old wpasupplicant, confirm overwriting configuration files
4. Optional: install -dev packages needed for building knetworkmanager
   • sudo networkmanager-dev libnm-glib-0-dev libnm-util-0-dev

You may also consider upgrading your driver (e.g. ipw2200) if not yet provided in Dapper:

1. Get Wireless-Installer script from [http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=144820 forums]

   • this script can install latest drivers (optional), networkmanager 0.6 (or cvs) and wpasupplicant
2. Install zenity package (required by Wireless-Installer)
   • sudo apt-get install zenity
3. Execute ./Wireless-Installer
   • Install appropriate drivers
   • Deselect all packages for NM

Now you have everything installed:

1. Reboot
2. Start nm-applet

   • check that it works - if not, do not bother with next steps

knetworkmanager on Dapper (from sources)

Note: have compilation issues currently!!!

1. Get knetworkmanager sources

   • newest I find are here: http://blog.nouse.net/?p=73

2. Install KDE development packages (if not yet)
   • sudo apt-get install kde-devel
3. Unpackage sources and perform
   1. make -f Makefile.cvs
   2. ./configure
   3. make
   4. make install

Testing

• Kubuntu on my notebook: ["LaptopTestingTeam/HPNW8240/Kubuntu"]
• Kubuntu on my desktop

Bugs

• [https://launchpad.net/people/lure/+reportedbugs Bugs reported by me]

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