Abstract
Disclaimer: I'm no native speaker, so please don't roll on the floor, bite the carpet or scare your cat, when you're reading this english version of my report ;-))
The Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook E4010 appeared on the market in 2003. It's based on the Centrino®-chipset and for this reason a lot of functions are running out of the box with Linux. If you're looking for a low noise notebook that's got
- • a big bright Display
- • high resolution (1400 x 1050 px)
- • WLAN on board
you'll be quite happy running Linux with the FSLifebook E4010. I've tested it with Ubuntu 6.10 ("Edgy Eft"). Considering the basics, there are only three things to configure: The appropriate resolution, the built-in Winmodem and the WPA encryption for Wireless LAN.
Specs
| Display | 15.1", SXGA+ 1400x1050 px, 4:3, no glare | native resolution with 915resolution |
| Chipset | Centrino® i855 | out of the box |
| CPU | Intel® Pentium® M, 1400 Mhz, 32-bit | Speedstepping out of the box |
| Graphics | Intel® 855GM (on board) | out of the box accelerated ¹ |
| WLAN | PRO/Wireless Lan 2100 | out of the box |
| Ethernet | 10/100 Base-Tx | out of the box |
| Modem | Intel® AC'97 (SoftModem) | works with SmartLink packages |
| Touchpad | out of the box | |
| Audio | Intel® AC'97 Audio Controller | out of the box ² |
| PC Cards | 2x CardBus | not tested |
| Infrared | not tested |
¹ S-Video out: not tested
² Microphone in: not tested
The notebook is equipped with the usual Fn-Keys. The keys controlling the display's brightness and the built-in speakers are working out of the box. The WLAN antenna can be switched on and off by a separate key.
I didn't test the so called Lifebook Security/Application Panel (keys to lock and unlock the notebook and to start favorite applications by a single key stroke).
Display
After the basic installation of Ubuntu 6.10 the display shows a resolution of 1280 x 1024 px instead of the native 1400 x 1050 px (SXGA+). To fix this, you've got to install and configure the package 915resolution. Simply ask your preferred search engine for "ubuntu 915resolution" to get further information.
Wireless LAN security
As I mentioned above, the Centrino® WLAN-Chip is running out of the box. However – what you want to have isn't WLAN just working, but WLAN working with safe encryption. As a matter of fact, WEP encryption is really unsafe; what you need is WPA.
Provided that the router / access point supports WPA, you should configure networking in Ubuntu 6.10 like this: before installation connect the notebook via Ethernet (cable) to the router. After installation (updating and so on) leave Ubuntu`s network administration tool untouched. To configure WLAN with WPA, you've got to install and configure the networkmanager. Once again, ask a search engine for "ubuntu networkmanager wpa". Networkmanager is a nice tool and in fact the only way to get WPA working.
Using networkmanager has a strange side effect, however (okay, it's a feature, I guess). In order to manage the encryption keys, networkmanager relies on the so called Gnome keyring and, in consequence, each time you try to establish a WLAN connection, you've have to type in keyring's master key.
The good news is: If you're willing to do without automatic login (which is generally a good idea on mobile devices like notebooks are), there's a workaround for this problem. You've got to combine Gnome's login password and keyring's password (i.e., they have to be identical). The desired result is: In GDM (Gnome's login screen) you once type in the login password and your WLAN connection will be established automatically.
To make things work like this is a little bit tricky (you have to compile and install a program called pam keyring), so here's a detailed how to. (Note: The following how to is just a translation of this one.)
Open a terminal and type:
| sudo apt-get install build-essential libtool libglib2.0-dev libgnome-keyring-dev libpam0g-dev dh-make fakeroot |
| This will install some packages required to compile pam keyring and to build an appropriate .deb package. Now get pam keyring's source code: |
| wget http://www.hekanetworks.com/opensource/pam_keyring/pam_keyring-0.0.8.tar.gz |
| Unpack it: |
| tar -xvvzf pam_keyring-0.0.8.tar.gz |
| Rename the emerged directory to meet Ubuntu's (Debian's) conventions: |
| mv pam_keyring-0.0.8 pam-keyring-0.0.8 |
| Enter this directory: |
| cd pam-keyring-0.0.8 |
| Configure the compilation process: |
| ./configure --prefix=/usr --libdir=/lib |
| Compile the source code: |
| make |
| Now set up the package info about the resulting .deb package. During the process you will be asked for the "Type of package". Choose "s" for "single binary". |
| dh_make -f ../pam_keyring-0.0.8.tar.gz |
| Build the package: |
| fakeroot debian/rules binary |
| Install it: |
| sudo dpkg -i ../pam-keyring_0.0.8-1_i386.deb |
| At this point the .deb package of pam keyring is installed. Now you have to tell GDM to load it automatically when logging in into Gnome. In order to do this you have to edit the file /etc/pam.d/gdm: |
| sudo gedit /etc/pam.d/gdm |
| Append these two lines at the end of the file: |
| auth optional pam_keyring.so try_first_pass session optional pam_keyring.so |
| Make sure to deactivate the automatic login (if you've activated it at all) and restart the computer (or the X server by hitting Ctrl+Alt+Backspace). Now things should work like outlined above, unless one problem may still have to be solved: What if you already have used Gnome's keyring with a password different from your login password? You can either simply change your login password to match keyring's password, or you can delete keyring's data by typing |
| rm -rf ~/.gnome2/keyrings |
| Next time you try to connect to the WLAN, keyring will ask you once again for a master password. (Note: All data keyring has stored so far will be lost when using the second method). |
Suspend
Suspend to RAM (S3) is working out of the box, suspend to disk (S4, hibernation) doesn't. For me personally S3 is the feature I want to have on notebooks, so I didn't try to fix the problem with S4.
Modem
I wish I could present you a simple how to concerning the built-in (win-)modem. But in the course of it's configuration, I lost overwiew somehow... And suddenly it worked...
You will definetely have to install the SmartLink packages containing the appropriate driver. Those packages (sl-modem-daemon, sl-modem-source) are part of the multiverse repo. For the actual configuration once again ask a search engine ("ubuntu smartlink", for example).
3D-Desktop
You don't really need it, but it's quite fancy and sometimes practical, too: the 3D desktop. If you want to impress your Windows® using friends ;-), simply install Beryl (don't use Compiz on this notebook). Just google for "edgy beryl" if you want to learn more about installation and configuration of Beryl.
And remember: it's status is still beta, so don't be disappointed when things are not working perfectly (even though they're doing their job quite well).
However: it's impressive to see those nice 3D effects running on a machine made in 2003 (and not stressing the fan at all).
I think this can stand comparison with (sorry, can't resist) the requirements for Windows® Vista® Tralala
including the so called Aero effects ;-))
