Handtops, UMPC - OQO Linux Installation & Configurati

02/13/05 + jarango

This topic is intended to serve as an information repository about Linux installation and configuration on the OQO. I start by reporting my experiences and sharing my configuration. The idea is that we share installation and configuration information, report issues and provide solutions. Also important is that we limit the discussion on installation/configuration issues and solutions and not stray to other things.

Jesus Arango
jarango at cs dot arizona dot edu

---------------- Summary ---------------------

I have installed debian with good results. Other people would have you believe that "it just works" out of the box but this is not true. Here is a summary:

- kernel version >= 2.6.10 highly recommended. Trackstick will not work with previous versions.

- trackstick: works. you need kernel >= 2.6.10 and use the 'i8042.noloop' kernel parameter. Will not work with kernels < 2.6.10. The credit here goes to "Milan" ... Thanks.

- X11 works with a little tweaking. My XF86Config-4 is posted below. Resolution needs to be 800x480 and a corresponding modeline needs to be added to the Monitor section. Video device is "siliconmotion" but I am using "vesa" because I could not come up with a modeline that would work properly with the "siliconmotion" driver. If you have a working modeline for the "siliconmotion" please share it with us.

- cosole output: works but you need the vga=0xf05 kernel parameter. Without this parameter the bottom of the display will be blank.

- WiFi: Works, buggy, only works exporadically, could not reproduce working results. If you have this working reliably than please let us know how. This is an Atmel AT76C505A USB WiFi. There are two third party drivers available. The kernel source also has an Atmel drivers but it seems to me that it does not support USB devices. I would recommend first trying the driver at link Before compiling add the vendor/product ID of the OQO wifi device to the file ~/src/includes/usb/config.h. "lsusb" will report that the vendor/product ID is 0x1557/0x0002. The driver's site says that if you are running a 2.6 kernel than you need to apply a pacth (available on the website) to the kernel source before compiling the driver. I would like to add that as of version 2.6.7 this patch is no longer needed. There is another driver available at link To use this driver you also need to install the firmware from link Before compiling you need to add the vendor/product ID to ~/at76c505a-rfmd2958.c.

- stylus: I suspect this works but I have put minimal effort into this. Here is what I know: It is a wacom device accesible through /dev/ttyS0 (serial port) and you need an "InputDevice" section for it in your XF86Config-4. See link Milan reported on another topic that he has the wacom working and perhaps he could share the configuration with us.

---------------- Notes on Debian Installation -----------------

I installed Debian by first doing a minimal install with the netinstall CD then compiling and installing the WiFi driver to do the rest of the installation through my wireless network.

You should get the latest copy of the netinstall CD from link I first tried to use a few-months old netinstall CD and the installation program would not even complete the booting sequence. You will also need the first full CD of the debian distro (sarge-i386-1.iso) to install gcc, make, patch, wireless-tools, bzip2. You need bzip2 to untar the kernel sources that you will need to compile the WiFi driver. Be aware that some external CD drives will not boot. I used a Plextor PX-716UF. I used a USB jumpdrive to copy the WiFI and kernel sources to the OQO. Just plug it in and "mount /dev/sda1 /mnt"

------------ XF86Config-4 ------------------

Section "Files"
FontPath "unix/:7100" # local font server
# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
Load "bitmap"
Load "dbe"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "record"
Load "speedo"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "keyboard1"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "PS/2"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
# Driver "siliconmotion"
Driver "vesa"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "monitor1"
HorizSync 30-92
VertRefresh 50-85
Option "DPMS"
Modeline "800x480" 40 800 864 928 1088 480 481 484 509 +HSync
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Device "device1"
Monitor "monitor1"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "800x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
Screen "screen1"
InputDevice "keyboard1"
InputDevice "mouse1"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

04/20/05 + fil

I don't have my OQO yet (today).

From experiences on other notebooks, it depends on what's running.

A system running Knoppix-std (security distro) running Wellenreiter and Kismet is much faster and more powerful than running XP and NetStumbler. But this is a bad comparison.

Knoppix and Firefox on Linux versus XP and IE or Firefox is faster and seems to use less overall memory, but it's a Windows thing..Windows loves to consume memory, especially XP.

win2k and win2k3 appear to use the same amount of resources and use less overhead than XP from what I've seen. I can run win2k3 on the same machines as win2k and have the same experience, while XP on those same machines (that may have below 256Mb of Memory) have performance issues.

Recent Blog: Apple iPhone Switch

04/20/05 + grant

We shrank the Windows XP partition by first defragging windows, then started a install of Mandrake 10.1, when we got to partitioning we selected custom, selected the windows partition and the resized it, which gave us room to create partitions for Linux.

We created a Ghost 2003 floppy with firewire support, booted the OQO with this floppy and backed up the OQO. The only trick was that we had to wait for the message "Starting PC DOS" before plugging in the firewire drive. The system would hang if we started with the firewire drive plugged in and if we waited to long after the "Starting PC DOD" message the firewire drive would not be found.

Has anyone gotten networking working under Linux, using the docking cable?

04/20/05 + nuoqo

grant,

What is your Windows OS footprint size on the OQO?

04/21/05 + grant

nuoqo,

We used half of the 20 gigs for Windows and the other half for Linux.

04/22/05 + nuoqo

I gave up on Linux. Too much hassle for non-supported devices like the ethernet port and usb. I'm I wrong here?

I decided to install Tablet PC 2005 today and OQO should have given us this OS instead of XP Pro. Makes the Wacom function much better and speech recognition is great with the mic on the OQO.

Anyone else tried Tablet PC 2005?

04/24/05 + handyman

"I decided to install Tablet PC 2005 today and OQO should have given us this OS instead of XP Pro."

Nice idea, but help me out here.
How do you get a copy of XP Tablet without buying a Tablet?
I searched the 'net and couldn't find anyone who will sell it.
Apparently M$oft requires that you purchase a Tablet PC just to get the software.
Am I wrong?

04/25/05 + weatheryoko

handyman,
You can "purchase" a copy thru link It's Microsoft's developer's site. You'll have to pay for a subscription....(you'll need to purchase the OS version ~$699.00 to get a copy). I haven't done it yet, but I'm thinking about it.

Let me ask this question to the Forum... Once I purchase this subscription, I download Tablet 2005 and install and activate it, can I use it indefinately? In other words, after my annual subscription ends, can I still use the product and get "critical updates", software updates (i.e., service packs) etc? I'd rather not pay $700.00 bucks a year just to use one OS. It would make more sense just to buy a Tablet PC and use the installation CD.

Thanks for the info.

04/25/05 + fil

weatheryoko,

Yes, once you establish your MSN account, the license you use is valid. Once your subscription is cancelled, your license will still be valid, BUT you will no longer get MSDN DVDs sent to you.

Bottom line, you can still get Windows Updates and patches.

Hope that clears it up.

Recent Blog: Apple iPhone Switch

04/25/05 + weatheryoko

fil,
It does. Thanks. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't spending ~$700.00 annually to use a $200.00 OS.

05/27/05 + moshen

Hey guys, there are a few items at: link that may help you out if you're running Ubuntu Hoary.

Make sure to read the README there. None of this is officially supported by OQO, so please don't call customer support for any linux related issues. I'm here on my own time and will help you out if I'm not busy.

Tommorow, I'll post more instructions/tips on Ubuntu on the Model 01, but feel free to play with what's there for now.

05/27/05 + educationk12

I know this is totally off the subject line here...but does anybody know the answer to this. I saw on an auction on ebay tonight that a potential ebay buyer asked an oqo seller whether the unit was manufactured within the past month or so...he said the newer units have better wifi reception. Does anybody know if OQO fixed the wifi reception issue? And if so, when did they do this?

05/27/05 + victorgv

Thanks but there are no kernel-image-2.6.10-oqo-5 on ftp site. Thanks.

05/27/05 + moshen

It should be there now!

05/27/05 + Picasso

Wonder if somone would be so kind and make a Ubuntu Livecd with these changes.

06/01/05 + moshen

I've compiled a list of instructions & tips on running Ubuntu here:
link

If you guys have anything else to add, feel free to email me and I'll incorporate it here...