Ubuntu Patching - Help please!

[timtim86]

Hi everyone,

Basically I have an old-ish laptop that's very small and I decided to put Ubuntu Netbook edition on it.

Having overcome various difficulties getting it installed, I have no come across another problem - the Netbook UI is very slow.

The laptop has an Intel 855 GPU, and I had to enable Ubuntu i915 drivers to stop it crashing at boot (input i915.modeset=1).

There is a patch here:

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git?p=ubunt...b6779e044d6afb

that apparently is for this very problem (slow UI) but being new to linux I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how to put it in.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks in advance

[peterb]

I can't remember if Ubuntu uses YUM or APT as it's application manager, but if that patch is available through the packages manager it is just a case of either using the GUI application manager or a command line like

# yum install package_name

If it isn't in the package manager, the download and install process is usually described in either a README file or on the site you are downloading from.

Edit:

Just looked at the link you posted - that isn't the code or the download site - it is the Ubuntu fork of the debian kernel development site. (Ubuntu is based on the debian distribution (or distro).

So the fix will be incorporated in a future release of the Kernel, which you will be able to download (possibly automatically) when it is released - using the package manager.

There may be a patch but I haven't had a search for it.

Sorry this isn't really the answer you were probably looking for. If I get some time over the W/E I'll try and look into it a bit more - but I'm not particularly familiar with Ubuntu (or debian)

[Jay]

ubuntu uses apt

[mycarsavw]

Ubuntu is;

apt-get install <packagename>

Just so I understand fully, you're trying to load a patch that'll make the Ubuntu NE GUI quicker?

[aidanjt]

If all you want to do is force modesetting for the i915 module, all you have to do is use your text editor to open a file in /etc/modprobe.d.. say.. /etc/modprobe.d/forcemodesetting.conf, and put the following in it:

options i915 modeset=1

Then reboot.

[timtim86]

Ubuntu is;

apt-get install <packagename>

Just so I understand fully, you're trying to load a patch that'll make the Ubuntu NE GUI quicker?

Yes I guess so, something about enabling MCHBAR on the i915 chipset - apparently a few people were having problems with it being really slow.

If all you want to do is force modesetting for the i915 module, all you have to do is use your text editor to open a file in /etc/modprobe.d.. say.. /etc/modprobe.d/forcemodesetting.conf, and put the following in it:
Code:

options i915 modeset=1

Then reboot.

Put that one in already, that's the only reason the screen actually works

[mycarsavw]

You have to patch the kernel - that's not something for beginners to even attempt imho.

https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/28308/

The patch itself is at the end of the messages.

[aidanjt]

Agreed, look for an appropriately patched ppa on launchpad, and use their kernel packages instead.

[directhex]

You're forcing modesetting on? Odd, the kernel package changelogs suggest the opposite approach:

* SAUCE: i915 KMS -- support disabling KMS for known broken devices
- LP: #563277
* SAUCE: i915 KMS -- blacklist i855
- LP: #511001, #541511, #563277

[timtim86]

Well this seems to have become far too difficult for me to deal with, being a linux noobie. Quite liking it so far though! And thanks for your help explaining things.

Last question - Ubuntu or Windows 7?! What do you think?

(Intel Centrino 1.1 GHz, 512 Ram, 60gb HDD)

Thanks as always

[MSIC]

Win7 is a great Operating System, so i'd probably vouch for that if you are willing / able to afford, however Ubuntu is clearly free, so why not both?

Edit: Just realised you said 512Mb RAM. Win7 may well run, but it wouldnt be a good fit. Either fit more memory, or Linux all the way.

[timtim86]

Win7 is a great Operating System, so i'd probably vouch for that if you are willing / able to afford, however Ubuntu is clearly free, so why not both?

Edit: Just realised you said 512Mb RAM. Win7 may well run, but it wouldnt be a good fit. Either fit more memory, or Linux all the way.

Great, thank you for the advice!

[MSIC]

Just for info, on my Acer Aspire One with the usual Atom 1.6 (so overall a weaker system than a Centrino 1.1 Ghz setup) I upgraded my standard 512MB with an extra 1 Gig, thinking that it would be useful.
Under Ubuntu NBR (firstly 9.04, then 9.10, and now 10.04) the 'System Monitor' application shows me that I can have firefox open with a few tabs, banshee running in the background playing tunes, skype running in the background, and it never goes above about 300 MB used.
All in all, the extra 1 Gig was a complete waste really (although i havent removed it, it makes me feel better that its there! LOL).

[timtim86]

Just for info, on my Acer Aspire One with the usual Atom 1.6 (so overall a weaker system than a Centrino 1.1 Ghz setup) I upgraded my standard 512MB with an extra 1 Gig, thinking that it would be useful.
Under Ubuntu NBR (firstly 9.04, then 9.10, and now 10.04) the 'System Monitor' application shows me that I can have firefox open with a few tabs, banshee running in the background playing tunes, skype running in the background, and it never goes above about 300 MB used.
All in all, the extra 1 Gig was a complete waste really (although i havent removed it, it makes me feel better that its there! LOL).

Really appreciate that input, thank you. I was wondering whether to put another 512mb in there, seems to be relatively expensive though. You also answered another question I was thinking about - how this would compare to a cheap-ish netbook. Basically I have a 10.4" Vaio - so it's very small - but it also has the benefit of a DVD-RW drive. Pleased that it would stand up well to a new netbook!