After the first boot problems I wanted to use google to find out some info on the issue, but unfortunately, Ubuntu could not recognize my RT25xx WIFI card... That is what rationalist philosophers called the vicious circle,: you would need drivers from the net to access the net. . .
Therefore, forget the drivers. The problem is not with the drivers at all, but in fact with the Network Manager.
My solution was to install WICD and the problem was solved. However, in order to install WICD, you need Internet, but this problem is well-known and solved already:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=582445
(so look for WICD deb. package on sourceforge.net)
Install the package with GDEBI (the default package installer) and it will ask if to remove the original Network Manager. Say yes, and WICD installs. Well, if you are not patient enough, you may think that nothing has changed, as the system tray is still saying that you do not have a network access.
BUT!
Click on the network icon in the tray, and try to search for WIFI. I found my network, ticked to use it autaomatically, and the problem is solved.
SO the conclusion: Do not tamper with drivers, (as you can only access RALINK drivers in source-format,) but use WICD network manager.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
BOOT fails for MSI S271
The most annoying problem was installing. The Ubuntu liveCD install went on correctly, however the first boot failed
I kept the VISTA partition, and selected GRUB to aid the boot process.
If your first boot fails, and you get a blank screen after selecting to boot UBUNTU, don1t panic. You have two options.
1. If you have plenty of time, WAIT!
- in the next five-to-ten minutes the screen remains black, but after a while the system will start. But after it finally does, login, and find the terminal (don't bother with the wifi card yet) then enter:
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst (enter the root password and press enter)
Then you see the bootmenu of GRUB in an editable format. search for the line that starts with "kernel" and find the actual boot command. If you have 32bit version as I do, go to the end of the line and enter hpet=disable. Then save. If you have a 64-bit Thurion installed in your MSI, or any other 64bit stuff, enter nohpet.
(Other posts and blog entries refer to noapci, or apci=off, but I do not recommend this, as these either do not work or you cannot use powr management functions after all, battery management and baterry recharging included)
Then save the menu.lst and try to reboot. If it does not change, do not worry...You will have second chances.
2. If you cannot manage to boot up at all, Restart the machine, and when the GRUB boot menu appears, press "e" (edit) on the UBUNTU line in the boot menu. After that, you will see three lines, go to the second one, that will be the kernel boot menu
line. Hit "e" to edit this too. Try to find the end of it and enter hpet=disable (or nohpet for 64bit) but do not hit esc, or tab, but use enter. after that simply press "b" to boot the modified bootcommand. After the successful boot, follow
the instructions of 1. above, and automatize this modification.
NOTE: If this solution does not work, do not worry, but after fixing the internet connection, isntall Startup Manager from the extended repository, and make the boot
process visible with it!
I kept the VISTA partition, and selected GRUB to aid the boot process.
If your first boot fails, and you get a blank screen after selecting to boot UBUNTU, don1t panic. You have two options.
1. If you have plenty of time, WAIT!
- in the next five-to-ten minutes the screen remains black, but after a while the system will start. But after it finally does, login, and find the terminal (don't bother with the wifi card yet) then enter:
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst (enter the root password and press enter)
Then you see the bootmenu of GRUB in an editable format. search for the line that starts with "kernel" and find the actual boot command. If you have 32bit version as I do, go to the end of the line and enter hpet=disable. Then save. If you have a 64-bit Thurion installed in your MSI, or any other 64bit stuff, enter nohpet.
(Other posts and blog entries refer to noapci, or apci=off, but I do not recommend this, as these either do not work or you cannot use powr management functions after all, battery management and baterry recharging included)
Then save the menu.lst and try to reboot. If it does not change, do not worry...You will have second chances.
2. If you cannot manage to boot up at all, Restart the machine, and when the GRUB boot menu appears, press "e" (edit) on the UBUNTU line in the boot menu. After that, you will see three lines, go to the second one, that will be the kernel boot menu
line. Hit "e" to edit this too. Try to find the end of it and enter hpet=disable (or nohpet for 64bit) but do not hit esc, or tab, but use enter. after that simply press "b" to boot the modified bootcommand. After the successful boot, follow
the instructions of 1. above, and automatize this modification.
NOTE: If this solution does not work, do not worry, but after fixing the internet connection, isntall Startup Manager from the extended repository, and make the boot
process visible with it!
The first painful step
The first painful steps of UBUNTU 7.10 install on MSI S271-428 made me to use google in a special way, in which I had never used before - due to the fact that I was a typical "windows-is-ok" user. Until a week before, when I was totally fed up with Windows Vista. (what a luck that I did not payed for that piece of ....)I started looking for forum posts and blog entries, but I missed notebook specific blogs like this one I am planning here.
The little success I achieved with installing ubuntu on a funny and cheap hardware set, made me to create this blog and aid those who wish to use Linux on MSI S271 megabook.
I had used WINDOWS VISTA for one month, and it totally killed my nerves. First of all, the CPU usage was never under 35%, which is not a surprise - considering that MSI S271-428 has an AMD Sempron 3500+ installed. This was one of the last subnotebooks at the end of 2007 without 64bit CPU or DUALCORE, but it lowered its price (I got it under 900$, out-of-the-box, with 2-year-guarantee).
Please, dear MSI users (and other users who could not install Ubuntu, or could not configure itchy low-cost wireless cards like Ralink 2500 is) welcome my brief instructions, and do not hesitate to ask, if You have a question...
But be convinced: Ubuntu is much better than any Windows OS, for your notebooks: more battery life, less heat, less CPU usage and faster system will be the result...
The little success I achieved with installing ubuntu on a funny and cheap hardware set, made me to create this blog and aid those who wish to use Linux on MSI S271 megabook.
I had used WINDOWS VISTA for one month, and it totally killed my nerves. First of all, the CPU usage was never under 35%, which is not a surprise - considering that MSI S271-428 has an AMD Sempron 3500+ installed. This was one of the last subnotebooks at the end of 2007 without 64bit CPU or DUALCORE, but it lowered its price (I got it under 900$, out-of-the-box, with 2-year-guarantee).
Please, dear MSI users (and other users who could not install Ubuntu, or could not configure itchy low-cost wireless cards like Ralink 2500 is) welcome my brief instructions, and do not hesitate to ask, if You have a question...
But be convinced: Ubuntu is much better than any Windows OS, for your notebooks: more battery life, less heat, less CPU usage and faster system will be the result...
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