Talk:Dell XPS M1330

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I bought the laptop off Trademe and it had some weird graphical output problems on startup, something to do with a "SmallLimp" "Blista".

Fresh install - Milan 08 2009

So I decided to do a fresh install by downloading the 64bit Ubuntu 9.04 off Ubuntu.com onto my other laptop a.k.a. "pancake" (it's for sale here) and turning the .iso into a file installable off memory stick using the "Create bootable USB" application that comes natively with Ubuntu. In under 10 minutes after downloading the .iso, I had installed a fresh 64-bit Ubuntu onto my newly acquired M1330!

Post-Install

Next, I added the Dell repository to my sources list:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu jaunty main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu jaunty main

Then update and upgrade as usual,

apt-get update apt-get upgrade

Subscribe to the od-workstation package:

• http://packages.organicdesign.co.nz/main/organicdesign-workstation.deb (click and open with GDebi package manager)

Following this, I enabled proprietary hardware drivers for 3d acceleration: System >> Administration >> Hardware Drivers

• Now I went through Ubuntu Post Install steps
• Install Skype. First download the dependencies for 64-bit:

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs lib32asound2 libqt4-core libqt4-gui

• Then download and install the current Skype .deb package from the Skype website:

wget -O skype_ubuntu-2.0.0.72-1_amd64.deb http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-ubuntu-amd64 sudo dpkg -i skype_ubuntu-2.0.0.72-1_amd64.deb

Data transfer

Once all the updates have installed it is time to transfer all the data across.

• Backup Evolution File --> Backup settings... to /Home/Desktop
• Remove the drive from the existing computer and place in HD enclosure
• Boot up freshly installed system and connect drive in enclosure
• Open terminal as root, copy files across from old hard drive, e.g.

cp -pR '/media/disk/home/user' '/home/user/backup'

• If you want to keep an eye on the data transfer as it is happening, you can use:

du -sh '/home/user/backup'

• Once the data has been transferred, you may need to change all the permissions to the new user:

chown user:user -R '/home/user/backup/user'

Restore applications and settings

• Run Evolution and use backed up data file to restore settings and data
• Copy backup folders into new Home:
  • Firefox profile (.mozilla/firefox)
  • Transmission (~/.config/transmission)
  • F-Spot (~/.gnome2/f-spot/photos.db)
    • I still haven't figured out a good way to import the existing photos, merely changing the default photo folder and importing the old database doesn't work.
  • Pidgin (.purple)(!)
  • RhythmBox music player (~/.local/share/rhythmbox/)

Add/remove Applications dialogue

• GStreamer plugins
  • ffmpeg
  • mp3
  • quicktime
  • Xvid
  • aac
• Acrobat reader 9
• Planner
• Asunder (CD Ripper) very slow! I miss the juicer!
  • Requires "lame"
• Wine

Web downloads

• Download and install VirtualBox
  • Import the .vdi files into ~/.VirtualBox/HardDisks and restore the virtual systems by creating new virtual machines and attaching them to the imported .vdi files

Restore scripts and config

• Evolution spellchecker

sudo apt-get aspell

• Then set the dictionary in Evolution to UK English
• Pidgin emotes
  • If running Pidgin you can File:Od-pidgin-theme.zip which is currently just all the Skype ones (we've all been using mainly skype until now and would like to keep the same emoticons). It's a zipped up folder called "OD" which should be unpacked into /usr/share/pixmaps/pidgin/emotes. You'll need to make the emotes folder writable first with chmod 777 /usr/share/pixmaps/pidgin/emotes.
• Set VLC to default
  • Set your preferred multimedia application to VLC:
  • Open System, Preferences, Preferred Applications, then change to Multimedia tab, choose Custom, and enter vlc.
• Set up HP PSC 1315 Printer
  • Follow procedure at: http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/install/install/index.html
• Set up Transmission cron job:
  • Edit the crontab with sudo gedit /etc/crontab, and add the following lines (replace username with your Linux user name).

0 2 * * * username transmission --display=:0 0 8 * * * username killall -9 transmission

• Add remote support line to crontab

*/10 * * * * nobody wget -q --spider "http://dynamicdns.park-your-domain.com/update?host=vnc&domain=peerix.org&password=OUR-DOMAIN-PASSWORD"

• Change Workgroup to Organic Design

sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf

• Change line 38 to workgroup = ORGANICDESIGN

Issues and workarounds

Fix Skype audio problem

This guide worked for me: http://www.johannes-eva.net/index.php?page=skype_jaunty, however I also had to follow these instructions (possibly 64-bit specific) in one of the comments:

Comment from Dark Hyparion (09-05-08 08:40:12)

Found it !!!!

Different version though...

I post it here if anybody else want to use it.
(Jaunty 9.04, 64-bits, M1330).

Basically, the settings in the Alsa Mixer are the same, don't worry if all the capture and mux are muted (red cross).
Settings in Preferences, sound are the same too.


After that, in Skype, use "pulse" also for the input. And uncheck "Allow skype to automatically adjust my mixer level" ! Very important.

Next step is to go in "Application, sound and video and launch PulseAudio Device Chooser". A PulseAudio applet appear, click on it with right button, and choose "manager".
There in "Devices", choose the input and increase level to about 145%.

That should do it, it works for me anyway ! 

Finish off

• Create an install based on all of the modifications made:
  • I followed the create a Live CD procedure

sudo remastersys dist milan-workstation-aug2009.iso

Lingering questions

I would like to know an easy way to export/import the following:

• Sources.list
• Key files