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

First, I set up a root password: 

sudo passwd root

Next, edit sources list 

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

and add the following: 

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu maverick main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu maverick main
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu maverick main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/tualatrix/ubuntu maverick main
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ maverick free non-free
deb http://www.geekconnection.org/remastersys/repository ubuntu/

Install keys

wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - && sudo apt-get update

Then update and upgrade as usual, 

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

Subscribe to the od-workstation package:

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

Further installs

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras gtk-recordmydesktop planner ktouch mencoder libdvdcss openoffice.org ubuntu-tweak msttcorefonts dkms libdvdcss2 remastersys libcurl3

Skype

http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-beta-ubuntu-32

VirtualBox

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

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
  • 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

Finish off

  • Create an install based on all of the modifications made: 
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

Upgrading to Ubuntu 10.04

This upgrade was quick and painless due to me setting up /home as a separate partition. I had to set up some things again after re-installing:

Useful documentation

General post-install guide:

Additional software sources to add

OD workstation package:

Medibuntu:

Ubuntu-tweak 

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tualatrix/ppa

Software installs

Restricted extras: 

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras ubuntu-tweak

Web downloads

Download and install Virtualbox

Download and install Skype

Ubuntu 10.04 bugs and annoyances

  • Important dialogue windows are often not brought forward
  • Taskbar/menubar a complete random mess - needs streamlining. Generally, window controls can disappear or opened programs disappear and can only be brought back into view using alt-tab keys. Years behind other OS's in terms of UI unfortunately.
  • Skype video broken - used to work on Ubuntu 9.04!
  • Management of multi-monitors for NVidia graphics cards - quite painful currently. Having worked without the external screen, it should be easy to re-connect the external and switch back to dual-screen using the laptop CRT/LCD switch. This does not work seamlessly at this time.

Logitech Marblemouse USB

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Add this: 

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier  "Marble Mouse"
        MatchProduct "Logitech USB Trackball"
        MatchIsPointer "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "ButtonMapping" "1 8 3 4 5 6 7 2 9"
        Option "EmulateWheel" "true"
        Option "EmulateWheelButton" "9"
        Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
        Option  "XAxisMapping" "6 7"
        Option  "Emulate3Buttons" "false"
EndSection

USB external drive problem on VirtualBox

I came across the problem of external USB drives being greyed out when trying to access them from the guest windows system. Fortunately the solution is pretty simple: Go to System --> Adminstration --> Users and Groups then look for the vboxusers group, hit "properties" and make sure you are added (checkbox with currently logged in user). Restart, and you should be fine. As described very clearly here: http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Fix-VirtualBox-USB-Support-111715.shtml

Post install

Packages

Medibuntu

Add packages and key
sudo wget --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list
cd && wget http://packages.medibuntu.org/pool/free/m/medibuntu-keyring/medibuntu-keyring_2008.04.20_all.deb && sudo dpkg -i medibuntu-keyring_2008.04.20_all.deb && rm medibuntu-keyring_2008.04.20_all.deb
Update
sudo apt-get update
Add to software centre
sudo apt-get install app-install-data-medibuntu

Software Centre Installs

  • Thunderbird
  • Enigmail
  • VLC
  • Geany
  • Acrobat
  • Ktouch
  • Pidgin
  • Inkscape
  • Gimp
  • Backintime

Download and install

Skype
VirtualBox
Ubuntu-tweak
Duckduckgo firefox plugin

Changing over to 64 bit Ubuntu

After problems trying to install using the latest version of Ubuntu 11.04 32bit, which crashed, I used the 64 bit .iso file to create an install disk, which installed fine. Some issues remain regarding 64 bit compatibility.

Thunderbird and Lightning on 64bit

I installed Thunderbird through software centre (version 3.1.15). Enigmail and Lightning calendar didn't work, however this was fixed by:

Overall, 64bit support is disappointing in some areas and I ended up using very out-of-date versions of both Thunderbird and Lightning. The good news is that both scheduling and encryption are now running fine.

Installs

From software centre
  • Thunderbird
  • Enigmail
  • Skype
  • Chromium
  • Backintime
  • Ktouch
  • Ubuntu restricted extras
  • Pidgin
  • VLC
  • Gimp
  • Inkscape
  • Geany
  • ffmpeg
From websites

Configuration

  • Marble mouse support
  • Nvidia driver (Administration/additional drivers)
  • Make Pidgin start automatically (Preferences/Startup applications)
  • Set up emoticons for Pidgin
    • If running Pidgin you can download 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.
  • Adjust Skype microphone settings to analogue (external microphone)

Tweaking guides

Downgrade to 11.04

After a number of problems, mainly Firefox crashing lots and my printer not working any more, and lack of proper multi-screen support, I decided to downgrade my Ubuntu to 11.04, which I now run in "Basic (no effects)" mode. everything else seems to make the cpu run @ 100%. This guy here really sums up the problems with Ubuntu well...

Problem with Ubuntu restricted extras package

I ran into a problem when trying to install ubuntu-restricted-extras, whereby the ttf-mscorefonts-installer that is part of the package can't be downloaded and dpkg just hangs trying different mirrors with no success. After finding out how to fix the problem,I used this command to just install the extras minus the ttf-mscorefonts: 

sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse unrar gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse libavcodec-extra-52 libmp4v2-0 ubuntu-restricted-addons
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