Linux installation thread

For all Linux enthusiasts here are the tests i have done.

Ubuntu 10.10 X64
Installed correctly
No support for Ethernet network interface
No support for wireless network interface
didn't try video installation.

Ubuntu 11.04 X64
Installed correctly
Issue with Nvidia proprietary drivers (half the screen doesn't work)
network card supported
wireless card supported

ArchLinux (Latest) Core
Network card not supported
wireless card not supported

Debian 6.0
Network card not supported
Wireless card not supported.

Suse 11.04 X64
Using Gnome.
Couldn't boot, i get issues with the nouveau driver which i tried to black list and failed.
even with blacklisting in modprobe (update-initramfs -u)

Ubuntu 11.04 Server X64
Network card supported
Even without the Xorg i can't even get past grub, i get errors with the nouveau driver trying to pass commands probably to the intel card or nvidia ...
tried blacklisting nvidia, nv, nvidiafb, nouveau in modprobe + update-initramfs -u) still doesn't work.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

From the kern log

 

What are your system specifications? No one will be able to help you if your question is impossible to answer.

 

Thanks for the info - I think I will be installing the latest Ubuntu on mine so hopefully the driver issues will get sorted soon!

 

@AESDecryption.

I was just specifying the tests i have done on the m14x machine.

 

Did someone have the chance to try Linux, and was more successful?

 

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HybridGraphics

 

updated with a picture of the problem.

 

I'm going to try and install osx, see if I can get something going

 

That would be very interesting, keep me posted.

* Following a warning a received from a fellow member, please keep OSX installations information on non apple computers in private and not public.

 

Update * No discussions on OSX on the M14x is allowed, so please keep information in PM's or private.

Thanks

 

i have opened a thread on the ubuntu forums, i might get more help and keep you guys posted.

[all variants] Problem with Alienware M14x and nouveau - Ubuntu Forums

 

i have also opened a thread on linuxquestions.org to see if i could get some help there

Issues with Ubuntu on my new m14x

 

i have been able to install debian 6.0 with an old kernel, unfortunately, upgrading the kernel to 2.6.38-5 gave me the same problem.

you can manually activate the network card each time you boot.
will try CentOS 5.6

 

Good news folks, i was able to make ubuntu 11.04 work.

You only have to boot in rescue mode with the live cd
do the following

sudo apt-get remove --purge xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

then it boots correctly without the issue i mentionned.

 

well seems the fix i have found works temporary.

if you were playing a game in windows and rebooted back to ubuntu.

i still get the issue where half the screen is white.

i unplugged the ac adapter and booted in ubuntu correctly.

this automatic video card switching is very wierd and not working imo.

 

Lenovo Support - NVidia Switchable Graphics adapters vs NVidia Optimus Graphics adapters - ThinkPad T410s, W510

In this thread you can see that the bios option switch is feasible.
Based on Lenovo.

 

sudo apt-get remove --purge xserver-xorg-video-intel also helped, since i still got the issue even with the power adapter unplugged or plugged.

right now i can boot and reboot both and still have access to linux.

Thanks for Optimus switching!

 

Still working on it, i am currently testing the Bumblebee project, and will keep you guys posted on how it works out.

 

+rep for all your work madmantm !
I'm going to need Linux on my m14x in a few months so I will follow this thread closely

 

thank you so much


well i also prefer using linux.

right now the current status, if you want a fail safe work, remove the intel and nouveau xorg's.

but you lose optimizations for graphics.

 

I kind of had the same problem with my M11X r1. No Linux distro would install properly while in switchable graphics mode, so I went into the BIOS and switched to the Discreet GPU setting and lo and behold Ubuntu 10.10 worked great. I'm planning on going back to eLive once I get my M14X in the next couple of weeks, so I'll update the status on that.

 

Well, i asked and sent emails to Dell about having this option in the bios, which would make me a happy camper, but right now, i am under the feeling they simply don't care about the linux user base.

 

I don't think DELL is going to give us this BIOS option because if they do; they admit that Optimus is somewhat useless.

I'm not saying it is ! I really like the Optimus technology. But I saw people discussing this matter some time ago in the M11x section and they said that allowing m11xR2(WITH optimus) to manually switch GPUs would be a step back to m11xR1 (WITOUH optimus).

 

Well, i don't think it's complicated to implement in the BIOS, since a couple of manifacturers have done it, and giving this option would give the users control on what they want.

for me right now optimus is useless.

 

I think itis still more complex than jut a BIOS fix. the Lenovos and the one HP I know of wth the BIOS switch option have their own implimentation of OPtimus where there is a MUX for EACH GPU, 99.9% of all Optimus machines use the IGP for final render and display. you MAY be able to add INtel IGP only but fully lose the Nvidia card.

since its implementation I have had 9 laptops with Optimus and sent them all back or got rid of them. due to various issues especially with pro applications and Linux.

Dell nor Nvidia, I have sent thousands of e-mails over the last year regarding these issues to Nvidia, Dell, HP and ASUS. ASUS was atleast honest enough to say they are not sure if it will ever work right in another OS or with Professional applications such as CAD and GPU rendering apps.

its more of a cute marketing gimmick and gives the casual gamer some extra battery life. IMO

 

Thanks, for the info seriously rep+

It just saddens me to see that we can't use linux with the full potential of our hardware.

 

so very true. if they would just admt its a flop and rework it fine. but the bandaids , driver lashups, excuses, delays and bull excrement from Nvidia s getting old to me. I CAN get my AMD/ATI's up to full power with switcheroo even my FirePro cards.

 

Yeah, that might explain why Apple switched to ATI in their next gen laptops.

Right now, my only hope is the bumblebee project, i blame intel and nvidia for this b.s seriously, also, why the hell intel had to come back with their cpu gfx chips. Was disgusting in the past and disgusting right now.

 

im watching bumblebee as well. I pretty much fully blame Nvidia as Intel was absolutly no suprise, they have been making low end GPUs for decades and told us the last 8 years they were planning on CPU die. yes they suck but atleast the newer ones are on par with the Nv9600's and do what 90% of what people want.... crackbook and e-mail

I see it as Nvidia totally screwing the pooch by:

1: going cheap and not putting a MUX on optimus cards/chips and offloading it all to the aforentioned SUCKY Intel IGP

2: depending WAY too much on software to handle the switching and makeing a mess of the drivers

3: NOT trying to support other OS's including XP, UNIX/Linux, OSX etc.

4: spending a year trying to bandaid it.

say what you will atleast the damn IGP works as promised.

 

i couldn't agree more.

 

the new update doesn't fix nothing unfortunately.

 

good news, people.

i got a little further in making this thing work in linux.

How To Update Ubuntu 11.04 Kernel To 2.6.39-0

updated the kernel to 2.6.39-0

then installed the bumblebee project with option 1 (DELL L502X) and the defaults.

rebooted, and now i could run optirun64 with a cuda cracking program and everything worked.

https://github.com/MrMEEE/bumblebee/issues/137

 

oh god so much work! and only because optimus is only good in a cartoon show!

 

Well i needed linux, so i had to make it work

Right now i am satisified with the laptop, i can make calls to the nvidia gpu and the xorg is handeled by the intel.

 

Very cool madmantm!

 

@madmantm

Would you be able to write up a quick guide on your first post so others who want to give linux a try on the M14x can do it (assuming you got everything working now)

I, for one am interested in giving it a shot.

 

Hi, I've installed Ubuntu 11 and I don't care about getting Optimus to work (I am only going to be coding PHP).

BUT I would like to be able to use an external monitor via the mini-Display Port.

Has anyone managed to use the nVidia display outputs? Or will I have to use VGA?

Thanks,

Nic

 

Sure, here's how i did it.

Install ubuntu x64 11.04 with the power adapter unplugged.

when you will have to reboot, if you are lucky you will see the interface, when i got the screen display issue i had, i had to shut down completely and wait then open a terminal and do the following.

How To Update Ubuntu 11.04 Kernel To 2.6.39-0

This will install the 2.6.39-0 kernel. You will reboot, then get the bumblebee project.

you will do sudo apt-get install git

then do the following

git clone https://github.com/MrMEEE/bumblebee.git

then go inside the bumblebee directory and do

sudo ./install.sh and follow the instructions

when you get promped for which laptop to use, choose 1 which should be the L502X.

then, to use your applications with the nvidia card, run optirun32 or optirun64 application name

like i said, it's not perfect, but suits my needs good luck

 

Crap i would have tried it, but i have no display port adapter

could try HDMI but i doubt it works.

 

@madmantm

Hey there, also try to install ubuntu 11 x64 and also have this issue with the monitor...

Did you install it in text mode ? I guess you install in text mode and after the installation you execute a shell on the next boot and install the new kernel... Or am I wrong ???

I cant get my monitor working... every time this half monitor issue and I see nothing except white stripes on the half of the screen....

Is the monitor working with the 39 Kernel ???

 

Heh me too, thats why I just avoid nvidia altogether

 

what you can do just in case, is boot with the live cd in rescue mode.

then do the following
sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia-current --purge xserver-xorg-video-nouveau --purge xserver-xorg-video-intel

then install the new kernel.

be careful when ubuntu asks if you just want to remove the package not the whole bunch of packages.

 

well right now it's just awesome, they both run in parallel.

xorg is rendered by the intel
and i can run my password cracking with the nvidia.

 

Also, i will post how to make USB 3.0 work correctly in ubuntu, i had a hard time making them work

Next time i boot in ubuntu

 

Wow, a lot of hurdles to get things working but in the long run it's worth it to get that knowledge in how to do it properly.

I've just got my M14X and am thinking of converting the original HDD into a Linux drive just to see how things go.

 

Thanks!

 

Go to the following directory
/lib/modules/2.6.39-0-generic/kernel/drivers/usb/storage$

You should see all *.ko files, i have renamed them to disabled except the usb-storage.ko and my USB3 port and enclosure worked.

this might not be the correct way but it worked for me, this helped me also to trouble shoot the issue i had with the video cards.

 

right now i am currently having issues with the sound card, when i plug my headphones, i can still hear the sound in the headphones and the speakers playing at the same time :S

working on it

 

after tweaking a little bit, i got my headphones working alone without the speakers.

then in the gnome-volume-manager in the hardware tab profile select analog stereo output and in the output tab in the option connect choose analog headphones.

then plug your headphone in the first jack.

also, install gnome-alsamixer and adjust the following takes a couple of tries.

screenshot to support what i say



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

Good luck folks.