Ubuntu on Acer Travelmate 630

Installation

I used Ubuntu 7.10 on a CD.

On the boot screen you have to select F4 (VGA) and select a resolution of 1024x768. Otherwise you will only see junk on your screen.

Surprisingly Ubuntu will start with the correct resolution of 1400x1050!

Click on Install, fill out the questions and you should have a running system.

Modem

However, if you want to connect to the internet via modem, you still have to enable your modem:

On any computer with internet access (or by booting XP) download:

ungrab-winmodem-20070505.tar.gz or later
slmodem-2.9.11-20070813.tar.gz or later

Back in Ubuntu install the following packages using e.g. the Synaptic Package Manager:

gcc
gcc-4.1
linux-headers-2.6.22-14-generic
libc6
libc6-dev (it contains the header files like stdlib.h)

Unpack the drivers:

tar xzf ungrab-winmodem-20070505.tar.gz
tar xzf slmodem-2.9.11-20070813.tar.gz

Edit slmodem-2.9.11-20070813/Makefile

KERNEL_DIR:=/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.22-14-generic

Make and install the drivers:

cd ungrab-winmodem-20070505
make
sudo make install
cd ..
cd slmodem-2.9.11-20070813
make
sudo make install

Start the modem drivers

Enter the following in a shell:

sudo modprobe ungrab-winmodem
sudo modprobe slamr
slmodemd -c GERMANY /dev/slamr0 &

Configure dialup:

sudo chgrp dialup /etc/ppp
sudo chgrp dialup /etc/ppp/*
sudo chgrp dialup /etc/ttySL0
wvdialconf

Enter your dialup information in /etc/wvdial.conf:

Modem = /dev/ttySL0
Phone = <phone number without spaces>
Username = <your dialup user name>
Password = <your dialup password>
Carrier Check = no
Stupid Mode = on

(the first entry should already be set (by wvdialconf) and the last two entries are optional (but may be needed)

Add the following lines in /etc/ppp/peers/wvdial (and /etc/ppp/peers/ppp0, if you use gnome-ppp) to ensure that the dialup connection is used:

defaultroute
replacedefaultroute

Dial:

wvdial

This should produce lines like:

WvDial Modem<*1>: CONNECT 48000
WvDial<*1>: Carrier detected. Starting PPP immediately.
WvDial<Notice>: Starting pppd at Thu Nov 1 21:22:30 2007
WvDial<Notice>: Pid of pppd: 6273
WvDial<*1>: Using interface ppp0
WvDial<*1>: local IP address 194.24.140.17
WvDial<*1>: remote IP address 194.24.140.62
WvDial<*1>: primary DNS address 194.24.128.100
WvDial<*1>: secondary DNS address 81.3.216.100

Use Ctrl-C to disconnect.

There are some problems:

the group of /dev/ttySL0 is reset to root after each dialup. You need to set it back to dialup using sudo or start wvdial with sudo.
the device file /dev/slamr0 disappears on boot - you have to create it again with

sudo mknod -m 600 /dev/slamr0 c 242 0
sudo chgrp dialout /dev/slamr0

Startup script

Create the following script /etc/init.d/slmodemd:

#! /bin/sh -e

case "$1" in
start)
    modprobe -r slamr
    modprobe ungrab-winmodem
    modprobe slamr
    mknod -m 600 /dev/slamr0 c 242 0
    slmodemd -c GERMANY /dev/slamr0 &
    ln -sf /dev/ttySL0 /dev/modem
    chgrp dialout /dev/slamr0
    chgrp dialout /dev/modem
    chgrp dialout /dev/ttySL0
    ;;
stop)
    ;;
force-reload|restart)
    ;;
*)
    echo "Usage: /etc/init.d/atd {start|stop|restart|force-reload}"
    exit 1
    ;;
esac

exit 0

Then execute the following commands:

sudo chmod +x /etc/init.d/slmodemd
sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/slmodemd /etc/rc2.d/S90slmodemd
sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/slmodemd /etc/rc3.d/S90slmodemd
sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/slmodemd /etc/rc4.d/S90slmodemd
sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/slmodemd /etc/rc5.d/S90slmodemd

Connecting

On the command line you can use

wvdial

Or use gnome-ppp. After the configuration, make sure that /etc/ppp/peers/ppp0 has all required entries (see above). At least for me gnome-ppp never leaves the "Connecting..." stage (but still works).

Bluetooth

See here.

Install

gnome-vfs-obexftp (to browse the files on the bluetooth device)
obexpushd (for receiving files via bluetooth)
ussp-push (for sending files via bluetooth)
gnome-bluetooth (context menu send-to?)

Bluetooth is now available. If you want to push files from your phone to your computer, you have to start Accessories/Bluetooth File Sharing.

For HID (bluetooth mouse/keyboard) edit /etc/default/bluetooth:

HIDD_ENABLED=1

Then in a shell:

sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart

If you try to use e.g. your Sony Ericsson K750i, connect from it.

Then enter the following command on a shell:

sudo hidd --search

Palm PDA

To connect via USB, start visor (or usbserial):

sudo modprobe visor

Better yet add visor to /etc/modules to have it loaded at boot time.

Multimedia

On a command line define the medibuntu repository, where we will get libdvdcss from (it's two commands!):

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/gutsy.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list
wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - && sudo apt-get update

Install the package:

gnome-media (?)
libdvdcss2
libdvdread3
libxine1-ffmpeg
totem-xine

The last package will replace gstreamer with xine as backend of totem movie player.

Microphone

Right click on the speaker symbol on the panel and select "Open Volume Control":

Edit/Preferences: enable "Microphone", "Microphone Capture", "Mic Select", "Capture"
Close and reopen volume control
Set Playback/Microphone to a high value
Set Recording/Capture to a high value
Select Switches/Microphone Capture
If necessary, select a microphone from Options

Suspend

Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf to contain the options and ensure the other settings:

Section "Device"
    ...
    Driver        "nvidia"
    ...
    Option        "NvAGP"        "1"
    Option        "RenderAccel"    "True"
EndSection
Section "Module"
    Load        "glx"
EndSection

Ensure the following settings in /etc/default/acpi-support:

ACPI_SLEEP=true
ACPI_SLEEP_MODE=mem
SAVE_VBE_STATE=false
POST_VIDEO=false

3D-Effects

Install the following packages:

compiz (should already be installed)
compizconfig-settings-manager
xserver-xgl

Reboot and change your keyboard settings (System -> Preferences -> Keyboard), if you are non-US.

Go to System -> Preferences -> Appearance and change the Visual Effects to custom, then click on Preferences to set the effects, e.g.

Rotate Cube (activate with Alt-Ctrl + LeftMouseButton + Drag)
Expo (activate with windows-e)
Shift Switcher (windows-tab)
Group and Tab (select windows with windows-s, group with windows-t, ungroup with windows-u)