Ubuntu Hardy heron on a Sony Vaio VGN-C2S_L

I bought this laptop about a month ago. The series was reaching the end of life, new models coming in, I got it for a very low price. My previous laptop was dying and I was looking for a smaller machine (this one is 13″3). Searching the internets did not show issues with Ubuntu, intel video, wireless and sound cards, so I spent the money.

• Only after starting the hardy Live CD did I stumble upon this bug. No boot at all, with this message:

  ACPI: EC: acpi_ec_wait timeout, status=0, expect_event=1
  ACPI: EC: read timeout, command=128

  The workaround is to boot the laptop on battery or disable the “quiet” argument to the kernel. The power cord can be plugged in after login into the session.

• CPU: Intel Core2 CPU T5500 @ 1.66GHz
• Video: Intel Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller, working out of the box, compiz enabled
• Network: Marvel 88E8036 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller + Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection, working out of the box
• sound: Intel 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller, working out of the box
• Not tested: Bluetooth, 5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD)
• No proprietary driver required
• Moving this laptop from one location to the other, with very different networks, is finally easy

Except the boot bug, which can be a stopper to many users, 2.6.24-19-generic runs fine.
All in all, I’m happy :)

Edit: the boot bug is now solved in Ubuntu Hardy.

Ubuntu Hardy and networking on a laptop from several locations

This was a very nice surprise.
I bring my laptops back and forth from home to work. My home internet access is with a DSL router, using DHCP, no proxy, both wired and wireless. At work, my university use static IPs, an automatic proxy, their DNS, wired connexion etc.. Since I’ve been using Linux, I have worked with conf files (/etc/network/interface, /etc/resolv.conf, /apt/apt.conf etc.) twice a day, at work and back. That was much of a pain.. network-manager was not able to handle this easily, or not even at all.

I tried the other day, just to see how network-manager (Version: 0.6.6-0ubuntu5) was doing after a fresh Hardy install on a new computer (I’m using GNOME on this one). All my issues are solved!

• I saved locations in the manual configuration for network-manager, and can switch easily between the two:

  

  Just click the green arrow after choosing a location, and go!

• The wireless is set to roaming, and I can pick up my box without any problems:



• The general GNOME proxy setting menu is enough for everything (Firefox, Epiphany, aptitude etc.):

  

Many thanks to all the devs and individuals who made this happen :)

New words.

I heard about this podcast from the French Public Radio (France-Inter) on several mailing lists I’m subscribed to.

“Le Téléphone Sonne” is a daily program where users can give input and ask questions by telephone or email. Yesterday’s broadcast was about Open Source, and Richard M. Stallman was invited. He speaks a very good French, I already new that, and he used a word he made up some time ago. I thought it was a lovely translation mistake, but I realized may be not, just listening to the podcast [in French] a few minutes ago.

He is used to use “Logiciels Privateurs” instead of “Logiciels Privés” or “Logiciels Propriétaires” for Closed-Source or Proprietary Software. “Privateur” means the one who/which deprives or takes away. Quite a good word, really. “Privateur” is not commonly used in French, although a correct word. Looking around, I found that APRIL, a French association advocating free software, also recommends this translation. Quite interesting.

Another new word from RMS I heard in the podcast was “Esclavitude” which is an incorrect version of “Esclavage”, meaning “Slavery”. Here is a little joke for the ones who have been following the French Presidential Campaign last year, and some accidental use of improper words during interviews or meetings with the candidates: I dearly hope our politicians were not listening ^^

Reference

Blog post in French