Configuring the Asus U35JC on Ubuntu Lucid Lynx (10.04)

Install a newer kernel

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kernel-ppa/ppa
sudo apt-get install linux-image-generic-pae-lts-backport-maverick \
                     linux-headers-generic-pae-lts-backport-maverick

Install acpi_call to disable the Nvidia card

The Nvidia discrete graphics card doesn’t work at the time of this writing, so it’s best to completely disable it to save battery. You’ll need the acpi_call module to do so:

git clone http://github.com/mkottman/acpi_call.git
cd acpi_call
make

This builds a kernel module named acpi_call.ko. Try it and see if it works:

grep rate /proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/state
present rate:            19913 mW
insmod acpi_call.ko
echo '\_SB.PCI0.PEG1.GFX0._OFF' > /proc/acpi/call
grep rate /proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/state
present rate:            12558 mW

Create a script to do this at startup, let’s call it /etc/init.d/switch-dg-off:

#! /bin/sh
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          skeleton
# Required-Start:    $remote_fs $syslog
# Required-Stop:     $remote_fs $syslog
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
# Short-Description: Example initscript
# Description:       This file should be used to construct scripts to be
#                    placed in /etc/init.d.
### END INIT INFO

# Author: Foo Bar
#
# Please remove the "Author" lines above and replace them
# with your own name if you copy and modify this script.

# Do NOT "set -e"

# PATH should only include /usr/* if it runs after the mountnfs.sh script
PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
DESC="Description of the service"
NAME=switch-dg-off
SCRIPTNAME=/etc/init.d/$NAME

# Read configuration variable file if it is present
[ -r /etc/default/$NAME ] && . /etc/default/$NAME

# Load the VERBOSE setting and other rcS variables
. /lib/init/vars.sh

# Define LSB log_* functions.
# Depend on lsb-base (>= 3.0-6) to ensure that this file is present.
. /lib/lsb/init-functions

#
# Function that starts the daemon/service
#
do_start()
{
    echo '\_SB.PCI0.PEG1.GFX0._OFF' > /proc/acpi/call
    return 0
}

#
# Function that stops the daemon/service
#
do_stop()
{
    return 0
}

#
# Function that sends a SIGHUP to the daemon/service
#
do_reload()
{
    return 0
}

case "$1" in
  start)
	[ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Starting $DESC" "$NAME"
	do_start
	case "$?" in
		0|1) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
		2) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1 ;;
	esac
	;;
  stop)
	[ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Stopping $DESC" "$NAME"
	do_stop
	case "$?" in
		0|1) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
		2) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1 ;;
	esac
	;;
  status)
       status_of_proc "$DAEMON" "$NAME" && exit 0 || exit $?
       ;;
  #reload|force-reload)
	#
	# If do_reload() is not implemented then leave this commented out
	# and leave 'force-reload' as an alias for 'restart'.
	#
	#log_daemon_msg "Reloading $DESC" "$NAME"
	#do_reload
	#log_end_msg $?
	#;;
  restart|force-reload)
	#
	# If the "reload" option is implemented then remove the
	# 'force-reload' alias
	#
	log_daemon_msg "Restarting $DESC" "$NAME"
	do_stop
	case "$?" in
	  0|1)
		do_start
		case "$?" in
			0) log_end_msg 0 ;;
			1) log_end_msg 1 ;; # Old process is still running
			*) log_end_msg 1 ;; # Failed to start
		esac
		;;
	  *)
	  	# Failed to stop
		log_end_msg 1
		;;
	esac
	;;
  *)
	#echo "Usage: $SCRIPTNAME {start|stop|restart|reload|force-reload}" >&2
	echo "Usage: $SCRIPTNAME {start|stop|status|restart|force-reload}" >&2
	exit 3
	;;
esac

Add it to the startup sequence:

update-rc.d switch-dg-off defaults

Configure the trackpad

The trackpad is recognized correctly as a synaptics device with Maverick’s (2.6.35) kernel. This has the effect of making the “multitouch” functions stopping to work. Here is my config in /etc/X11/xorg.conf to bring them back:

Section "InputClass"
    Identifier "touchpad catchall"
    MatchIsTouchpad "on"
    MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
    Driver "synaptics"
    Option "VertTwoFingerScroll" "on"
    Option "HorizTwoFingerScroll" "on"
    Option "CircularScrolling" "off"
    Option "CricularTrigger" "0"
    Option "TapButton1" "1"
    Option "TapButton2" "2"
    Option "TapButton3" "3"
EndSection

Fix suspend

Suspend doesn’t work out of the box because of a problem with the USB buses, we need to manually disable them before going to sleep. Create a file named /etc/pm/sleep.d/20_custom-ehci_hcd and paste this script:

#!/bin/sh
# File: "/etc/pm/sleep.d/20_custom-ehci_hcd".

BUSES="0000:00:1a.0 0000:00:1d.0"

case "${1}" in
    hibernate|suspend)
        for bus in $BUSES; do
            echo -n $bus | tee /sys/bus/pci/drivers/ehci_hcd/unbind
        done
        ;;
    resume|thaw)
        for bus in $BUSES; do
            echo -n $bus | tee /sys/bus/pci/drivers/ehci_hcd/bind
        done
        ;;
esac

Don’t forget to make it executable :

chmod +x /etc/pm/sleep.d/20_custom-ehci_hcd

TODO: fix hibernate

Essnerr