Traygon

I had a fantastic run with Ubuntu 9.10 on my Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo v5535 laptop, I think it lasted around about 8 months, which is fantastic considering I was re-installing operating systems on this machine nearly weekly. The problems started to occur though, not all down to Ubuntu itself, but mainly for the lack of support for the model I purchased just over a year ago.

Graphics

So the SiS Mirage 3+ IGP works to an extent, I have full 2D support and can have my display extended to the native 1280×800. I’m a happy bunny, but you always want your hardware to perform as well as it can. Having fully enabled Aero on Windows 7 and not being able to even enable moderate effects in Ubuntu is just wrong, of course this is the fault of SiS and their pathetic contract with Microsoft. Did I mention that they have actually made a 3D graphics driver for Linux? Will they release the source code? No. Pointless? Absolutely.

Networking

Wireless works out-the-box, along with the ethernet port. Things go fine until you wish to switch between the ethernet cable and your wireless a few times, or maybe change wired networks to perform multiple tasks. After around 10-20 changes, the ethernet stops working altogether, it can’t establish a connection at all. I have tried reseting the network, tried different cables and networks but it just doesn’t want to play along. Therefore a complete system restart is required, waste of both time and energy.

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I like it a lot, it is definately what Vista should have been but at least we are slowly getting there. Even though Microsoft are still money making vampires and throw out crap ‘fake party’ launch adverts, we all still love them!

I previously had the evaluation copy for a good 4 months and was impressed, although I did allow the machine to slowly fail with fragmentation, screwed registry entries and viruses. This time round I am doing things properly, enough fooling around.

Since I am going to get a nice £100 graphics card, my onboard graphics will have to make do. Don’t underestimate the power of the XFX 8200 motherboard. This baby plays RuneScape on full with x4 Anti-Aliasing, Oblivion on medium and Fallout very nicely.

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As you well know, I am still on my laptop, still with SiS 671 Integrated Graphics Controller, still with no driver from either Canonical or SiS. It is becoming such a strain to know that I have been searching and hoping for a year to try and shed light on a potential 3D graphics driver for Linux. I think it has now bypassed the ridiculous stage, the fact that SiS 671 graphics cannot support standard desktop effects or external displays is just awful. The fact that SiS can’t be arsed to get one developed… oh wait, they have one already created for older versions of Ubuntu, they could release that to Canonical or the community for development! Nope, they say no as they are tied to Microsoft.

It can handle Windows 7 eye candy.

Having 2D drivers is enough for a workable machine in day to day life, but what about pushing the machine to it’s potential? Not needing to un-install and re-install different drivers per release?

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ATTENTION: Please be aware that there is no need to follow this guide as Ubuntu 9.04/9.10 works out the box with the Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo v5535 model for wireless, it did for me anyway. For the graphics adapter, please read my latest post on the driver situation.

That is correct folks! I have cracked it! Using information around the web, I have finally been able to get both the wireless working on the laptop and a 1280×800 resolution. This post will explain what I did, with step by step instructions

Graphics

We have the lovely SiS Mirage 3+ integrated graphics, which isn’t the most supported Linux adapter around. There is currently only 2D support, we miss out on demanding games, screensavers, 3D effects and more, which is all more then possible with this graphics model. So why can’t we have them enabled or use 3D? SiS won’t release their driver or the source, they worship their Microsoft contract too much. So we have to make do with the 2D graphics driver, kindly compiled by the community (I have forgotten where I got it from or who created this, if this is your work please contact me so I can give kudos where it is rightfully deserved).

Simply download the 2D driver and open it up, its a .deb so it’s a simple double click and reboot. Upon restarting the laptop, you should be welcomed with the login screen on a beautifully readable 1280×800 resolution.

Wireless Adapter

The wireless adapter can be installed by downloading the package located over here. Then follow the step by step instructions on that page, for save of time and scrolling, I will post the instructions here for quick installation.

Step 1: Extract the archive you downloaded in your desktopand open up Terminal.

Step 2: Change to the File archive in Terminal:

“cd Desktop/ and then cd INSERTFOLDERNAME/“

Step 3: We now need to make and install (uses updates/ directory):

“make (wait for it to finish) and then sudo make install (Will ask for your password)”

Step 4: Now we need to uninstall the changes made to the updates/ directory:

“sudo make uninstall“

Step 4: You might need to unload any mac80211 drivers, do this step anyway:

“sudo make unload”

Now you can install the right module using modprobe, or if you aren’t sure how to do this or the right module, simply reboot your machine. You should now have working wireless, just don’t run any Linux updates until you ask on the distribution’s official forums for any advice or help in keeping the wireless working after updating the installation.

UPDATE: My laptop now refuses to accept the working wireless driver, even after a reinstall of either LinuxMint or Ubuntu. This is a problem with my laptop I believe, not the step by step. Please comment if you have the same problem (When you try make the LinuxWireless it replies with an error ‘Nothing to make’).

Good luck and never buy Fujitsu again

Rich.

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I have done it! For those of you that already know me and my laptop’s somewhat ’separate’ relationship over the word ‘Linux’ due to the wireless, Ethernet and graphics being a right pain in the ass. I was trying Ubuntu, one of the more popular distributions on offer for users, it did recognize hardware successfully and the laptop performed well. However, no wireless or Ethernet availability, nor any resolution higher then 800×600 is painful in itself. On my old blog, I did post an update for fix on the graphics card, which allowed the full resolution of 1280×800, fantastic news. But still no wireless or Ethernet, until I was forced to use ndiswrapper and the windows drivers. This worked for a while but then the inevitable came when the Internet access on my laptop failed, no matter what I tried it just wouldn’t work on Linux (the wireless drivers were enabled under ndiswrapper and everything).

So I deleted the partition of ubuntu and never returned, using Vista again for almost 2 months, I then came across a few articles of help and tips saying they have got their Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo v5355 working on ubuntu, I couldn’t believe my luck! I followed the steps for the guide on making the wireless work (I don’t really care for the Ethernet port for now). Upon a million attempts at the guides, wouldn’t work.

I remember thinking then “How can my laptop not work on the same guides other laptops of the exact same model are?!”, a compromise had to be made, what if it was ubuntu? What if I tried mint Linux? It is based off ubuntu and shares same applications etc. so it must be a possibility that this could work. I have never been more correct in my life Followed the guide on getting the wireless work here, it works like a charm! I am now blogging off my mint Linux laptop, smiling away with Thunderbird integrated Lightning, Firefox, Pidgin, my dear friend Terminal and many more! It’s just insane how being away from the mighty Windows can be so incredible.

Let’s see what Linux brings me round this new year of 2009.

Rich.

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