Scribbles & Notes: Acer Aspire 8920G

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Sunday, October 4, 2009

Ubuntu 8.04: Screen Brightness Control for Acer Aspire 8920G

The FN-key + left and right arrow is used to change screen brightness. By default this doesn't work. Here is how to make them work. (I found this code in several help forums and modified it to make it work for my Acer).

Step1:

Before you start, make a backup of these files (video_brightnessup.sh and video_brightness_down.sh) so you can put things back the way they were if necessary.

Ubuntu 8.04: BlueTooth headset in Skype on Acer Aspire 8920G

Normally the installation of Ubuntu should detect the BT-controller. Turn on the BT receiver/transmitter and you will see if it is detected. Go in terminal mode:

Test if the BT adapter is working:

$ hciconfig -a
If you get an output with hci0 and manufactures name, the BT adapter is working.

Config BT configuration file:

$ sudo gedit /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf
Near the top of the file you will see the following:

# HCId options options {

# Automatically initialize new devices autoinit yes;

# Security Manager mode

# none - Security manager disabled

# auto - Use local PIN for incoming connections

# user - Always ask user for a PIN

# security user;

Change the security user line to

security auto A

few lines down from this is a section about password:

# Default PIN code for incoming connections passkey "1234";

Change the default password “1234” to something else, e.g.: 8372.

This will be the passkey required for other Blue tooth devices to connect to you and it would be insecure to leave it at the default. SAVE the file and EXIT.

Restart the BT service to activate the changes in the config-file above.

$ sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart

An informational box will appear in your task bar saying:

-0 Device has been made discoverable

where is your computer's name.
In my case Aspire9820: "Aspire8920-0 Device has been made connectable".

Turn on BT headset , but don't go into pairing mode, and type the following:

$ hcitool scan

your BT adapter will scan for devices and show your headset. Occasionally it won't show anything, in which case you can try the scan while having te headset in pairing mode (Your headset probably has been paired with another device, putting it in pairing mode wile scanning again, will make it visual)

The output would look like this:

$ hcitool scan
Scanning ...
00:41:2E:AA:CB:C1 PLANTRONICS
$

Take note of the MAC-address, you will need it in next section.

Create a new (hidden) file in your home directory called “. asoundrc”

sudo gedit ~/.asoundrc
Add the following code and add the Substitute the MAC-address with your MAC-address that you gathered as seen earlier.

pcm.bluetooth {

type bluetooth

device 00:41:2E:AA:CB:C1

profile "auto

}

Save and Exit the editor

Loading modules and making pulse audio (default for Skype) aware of the BT device.

$ sudo hciconfig hci0 voice 0x0060

$ sudo modprobe snd_bt_sco

$ sudo modprobe sco

If you would like to load the drivers automatically on each boot, only add the two modprobe lines above to the end of the /etc/modules file (sudo gedit /etc/modules)

$ pactl load-module module-alsa-sink device=bluetooth

$ pactl load-module module-alsa-source device=bluetooth

If you do kernel updates or system updates to sound drivers, you might have to run these last 2 commands again to make your headset work with Skype. (I would suggest to keep them in a file on your desktop and make them executable for higher convenience. Alternatively you could create another hidden file in your home folder, but you might have side effects with it and not recommendable.

NOTE:

This procedure is to make your headset work with Skype, not to play your audio. Your BT device is not yet connected to your sound card yet. If you choose to create that functionality you will have to add few more procedures. (not covered in this manual)

Friday, October 2, 2009

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS: Acer Aspire 8920(G) LAN/WAN configuration.

Wireless:

The wire-less works out of the box. You only need to configure your security (WEP / WPA)

Wired:

Aspire 8920 uses an Attansic Technology Corp Atheros AR8121 / AR8113 PCI-E card. Unfortunatley that hasn't been included in the current kernels. Therefore you need to do this manually. The following forum has a good description (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=770173) In short here:

Install build-essential (synaptic, aptitude or apt-get)
download the linux driver from: http://support.asus.com/download/dow...model=P5KPL-CM or : http://www.bas-r.nl/atheros_lan_driver/ (this has the latest, needed for 2.6.24-24-generic)
Unpack in your Home directory ex. /home/user//LinuxDrivers/L1e_Lan/l1e-l2e-linux-v1.0.0.4/src
in this directory run: sudo KBUILD_NOPEDANTIC=1 make sudo KBUILD_NOPEDANTIC=1 make install
This will install driver in /lib/modules/2.6.24-22-generic/kernel/drivers/net/atl1e/at1le.ko
in this directory run: sudo insmod ./atl1e.ko

Ubuntu 8.04/9.04: NVidia Geforce Restricted Drivers Installation (Aspire 8920G)

Nvidia Restricted driver installation.

I've used this procedure on different versions of Ubuntu. (8.04 / 8.10 / 9.04) and for different Nvidia Geforce cards (6600, 7300, 9500, ... ) and for all it is the same method. Just make sure you download the correct driver for your card.

Before you start, backup your current xorg.conf file: sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup1
Download the latest drivers for your version of Linux here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html (pick the right version and processor type)
Open terminal screen
Become root: sudo su
kill the x server with: killall gdm (in case you run gnome desktop) ore use: kill -9 PID#
Check with ps aux | grep gdm if all instances are really killed.
make the downloaded file executable: chmod +x /your_download_location/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.17-pkg1.run
Run the file: sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-180.17-pkg1.run If all is right and X indeed has been killed the program will do it's thing. You will have to recompile the driver. At the end you will be asked to configure xorg.conf. Go ahead and do that.
Reboot or Restart X (reboot is the easiest just type reboot as root)
When the system is rebooted; open terminal screen again. and type: sudo nvidia-settings Don't run the Nvidia settings from the menu, unless you have changed the menu item to run it as root. you need those permissions to write back the new settings you pick into your xorg.conf file.
Select the settings you want (even dual screen) and save to xorg.conf

This should get you the beautiful 1920 x 1080 resolution the Acer Aspire 8920G delivers.

Hint, if you want to use dual screens, Twin view is an option but I would suggest to go for separate X screens. This has some disadvantages but allows you to run your laptop either in dual screen mode or single screen boot without to change the xorg.conf file. the machine is powerful enough to handle 2 X screens.

I suggest you to copy the new xorg.conf to a new backup file again.

NOTE:

Every time you update the kernel you will have to redo this process as the driver has been compiled in the current kernel manually.

If you have done many modifications to your xorg.conf file, I would suggest to copy it to a master file for later use. you can just copy that one back to xorg.conf after re-installing the Nvidia drivers. (saves you from doing all the settings again)

I attach my xorg.conf for Acer Aspire 8920G in Dual Screen mode as example (2 x screens: 1280x1024 external monitor and 1920x1080 laptop screen)

File: /etc/X11/xorg.conf

 # nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings

# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder57) Sun Dec 14 20:59:56 PST 2008

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig

# nvidia-xconfig: version 1.0 (buildmeister@builder57) Sun Dec 14 20:59:00 PST 2008

Section "ServerLayout"

Identifier     "Layout0"

Screen      0 "Screen0" 1280 0

Screen      1 "Screen1" LeftOf "Screen0"

InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"

InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"

EndSection

Section "Files"

EndSection

Section "Module"

Load           "dbe"

Load           "extmod"

Load           "type1"

Load           "freetype"

Load           "glx"

EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"

Option         "Xinerama" "0"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default

Identifier     "Mouse0"

Driver         "mouse"

Option         "Protocol" "auto"

Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"

Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"

Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default

Identifier     "Keyboard0"

Driver         "kbd"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

Identifier     "Monitor0"

VendorName     "Unknown"

ModelName      "Seiko"

HorizSync       30.0 - 75.0

VertRefresh     60.0

Option         "DPMS"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

Identifier     "Monitor1"

VendorName     "Unknown"

ModelName      "Philips 170S"

HorizSync       30.0 - 83.0

VertRefresh     56.0 - 76.0

EndSection

Section "Device"

Identifier     "Device0"

Driver         "nvidia"

VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"

BoardName      "GeForce 9500M GS"

BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"

Screen          0

EndSection

Section "Device"

Identifier     "Device1"

Driver         "nvidia"

VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"

BoardName      "GeForce 9500M GS"

BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"

Screen          1

EndSection

Section "Screen"

Identifier     "Screen0"

Device         "Device0"

Monitor        "Monitor0"

DefaultDepth    24

Option         "TwinView" "0"

Option         "metamodes" "DFP: 1920x1080_60 +0+0"

SubSection     "Display"

Depth       24

EndSubSection

EndSection

Section "Screen"

# Removed Option "metamodes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"

Identifier     "Screen1"

Device         "Device1"

Monitor        "Monitor1"

DefaultDepth    24

Option         "TwinView" "0"

Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "CRT-0"

Option         "metamodes" "CRT: 1280x1024_75 +0+0; CRT: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"

SubSection     "Display"

Depth       24

EndSubSection

EndSection

Ubuntu 8.04: Sound Card Setup for Acer Aspire 8920G

Sound Card set-up

There is at the moment of this writing a new project running to create scripts that install the ALSA drivers (by soundcheck). The Ubuntu forums host the discussions here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=962695 I've tried this but it didn't work (known issues with kernel version, and unfortunately the workaround didn't work either) So back to the trick from while ago with updated source code.

Set model to acer-aspire in /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-basegksudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base (add the following line at bottom) options snd-hda-intel model=acer-aspire
Download and compile hda-verb-0.3.tar.gz from: ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/people/tiwai/misc/ unpack the file and then compile the code with the make command.
Copy the compiled program to /usr/local/bin (sudo cp hda-verb /usr/local/bin/)
Add the following line to /etc/rc.local (before exit 0) /usr/local/bin/hda-verb /dev/snd/hwC0D0 0x15 SET_EAPD_BTLENABLE 2
Reboot and the sound should be working.