http://www.array.org/ubuntu/ Custom Linux Kernel - Hardy Heron en-us Copyright 2008, Adam McDaniel. All Rights Reserved. 2008-11-17T10:35:12-07:00 archive@array.org archive@array.org Linux Kernel 2000-01-01T00:00+00:00 1 daily http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=37 Over the weekend I posted a minor upgrade for Intrepid users, which includes a new kernel, 2.6.27-8-eeepc*. <p> Various changes include: <ul> <li>Merged with latest upstream stable Linux kernel: 2.6.27.6 <li>Merged with latest Ubuntu Intrepid Linux kernel: 2.6.27-8.17 <li>Fixed the 5-10 second mystery boot delay on eeepc-lean on eeepc 1000 devices (thanks to Johannes Petersson) </ul> Since the last major issue on eeepc-lean has now been fixed, its status has been upgraded to <font color="orange">Testing</font>. <p> A complete list of changes in 2.6.27-8 can be found in the <a href='changelog_linux-image-2.6.27-8-eeepc.txt'>changelog</a>. <p> Upcoming with 2.6.27-9-eeepc*, I'll make an effort to implement some of the points described in the article <a href='http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/620'>"Booting Debian in 14 seconds"</a> (thanks, xat) <p> -Adam Adam McDaniel Kernel Upgrade Released http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=36 Due to some weird memory issues, I had to take the native <tt>git://</tt> repository offline until I could find some new hardware. It's back online now, but there's a new git url syntax: <blockquote> <tt><b>git://git.array.org/<i>project</i></b></tt> </blockquote> (Please see the <a href='source-git.html'>Git URL table</a> for a list of the available projects.) <p> If you have previously cloned a git repository under the old <tt>git://</tt> or <tt>http://</tt> urls, it is possible to update your config to goto the new address. <p> For example, if I had previously downloaded the <tt>ubuntu-intrepid-eeepc.git</tt> project, I would open up the configuration file: <tt>./ubuntu-intrepid-eeepc.git/.git/config</tt> and make the following change (as shown in bold): <div class=edit-file> <pre>[remote "origin"] url = <b>git://git.array.org/</b>ubuntu-intrepid-eeepc.git fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*</pre> </div> Alternatively, the <tt>http://</tt> protocol can also be used as an alternative to the <tt>git://</tt> protocol, but it is not recommended as the download is not as efficient. Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=35 I was going through some of the newer intrepid code tonight, comparing the various changes between the hardy and hardy-proposed branch and intrepid when I came across a simple upgrade which'll greatly benefit EeePC 701SD, 901 and later owners. <p> Specifically, for the 701SD owners, the hardy eeepc kernel previously didn't actually support the rtl8187se wireless card found on this device. Hardy-proposed did, so I back-ported the rtl8187se driver to hardy. <p> For the 901 and later owners, the rt2860sta wireless driver was upgraded to v1.7.1.1; this provides better support for WPA and WPA2 encrypted networks. (Again, this was a case where hardy-proposed had the upgrade, but hardy did not.) <p> If you're already running the hardy-proposed kernel (currently 2.6.24-22-eeepc) then you already have these wireless upgrades and don't need to do anything. (Once Ubuntu has stabilized 2.6.24-22-generic, then I'll likely release that kernel as the standard hardy build. Adam McDaniel Package Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=34 Well, it would seem that all along git downloads over <tt>http://</tt> never worked; due to a broken symlink. Downloading over <tt>http://</tt> protocol should now work. <p> Note, <b>downloading over <tt>git://</tt> protocol is still off-line</b>, at least until I can find another server to host the public repositories. My lowly array.org server doesn't have enough memory to dynamically construct the intrepid download while serving the site. It only barely has enough mojo to handle the hardy download, but it was the intrepid download caused the nasty site crash from earlier in the month. Un-fun. <p> As soon as I can find a server, I'll post another announcement on the specifics. <p> OH, also, I have some new updates for the hardy eeepc users as well as the intrepid eeepc-lean users. Plus a bunch of generic site fixes. Stay tuned ;) <p> -Adam Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=33 I'm not sure exactly what happened but the git-daemon caused a pretty major crash on the server at around 0500 UTC-0700 this morning. git-daemon brought down mysql and some apache functions resulting in partial usability on the site. <p> While the repository itself wasn't affected, I couldn't actually logon to the server to fix it. <p> Everything is back online now, but I've taken the git-daemon offline until I can figure out what happened and how to prevent it. <p> In the mean time, it is still possible to download the source code, but you'll have to fall back to the http protocol. See <a href='faq.html?id=11'>FAQ #11</a>. Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=32 With the release of Ubuntu v8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) by Canonical yesterday, I have imported their latest generic kernel into my eeepc and eeepc-lean flavours and officially released a stable version of the EeePC kernel for Intrepid! <p> The stable Intrepid EeePC kernel is version 2.6.27-7.15eeepc2 which contains the following updates: <ul> <li>Merged in Ubuntu's 2.6.27-7-generic (2.6.27-7.15) intrepid kernel. <li>Merged in upstream <a href='http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.27.4'>Linux 2.6.27.4</a> stable kernel. <li>Fixed the bluetooth handle in eeepc-laptop. <li>Re-enabled ath5k driver (previously disabled in generic) </ul> See the <a href='changelog_linux-image-2.6.27-7-eeepc.txt'>linux-image-2.6.27-7 (2.6.27-7.15eeepc2) changelog</a> for the complete list of updates. Note that the eeepc-lean kernel has also been upgraded with these changes, but I'm keeping its status as experimental for now... there are still some odd issues appearing on some Atom devices (most notably the unexplained delays during boot-up.) Happy Hallowe'en! Adam McDaniel Kernel Announcment http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=31 Like most things in life, the new array.org/ubuntu site redesign took a little longer than expected! Well, the majority of the work was done a week ago, but I did have to spend some extra time debugging little bits and things. <p> The neat thing now is that information is better organized (in my opinion:) and now its easier to grab find information related to a particular device, ubuntu release, or module. Expect more frequent updates and news posts related to new releases as they happen. <p> Speaking of new Ubuntu releases, <a href='http://www.ubuntu.com/news/ubuntu-8.10-desktop'>Ubuntu v8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) was released today!</a> What better time is it now to announce my own support for Intrepid on the EeePC! <p> I would like to draw your attention to some of the new features on this site: <h4>Page and News specific tags</h4> <blockquote> Now you can search for all pages and articles that mention a specific distrobution, model, organization, module, or release. Tags are all colour coordinated to their type (i.e., all model tags are gray, all module tags are yellowish) just place your mouse over the tag to identify its type, then click it to perform the search! <p> Plus, most pages contain "Latest News" related to their tag. For example, if you browse to the Status Page for the EeePC 900, you'll see on the right all the latest news articles tha tmention the eeepc-900 tag. Neat! </blockquote> <h4><a href='status.html'>Model-specific status reports</a></h4> <blockquote> Use the model-specific status reports to view the most-recent list of supported features for your specific device, for your specific version of Ubuntu! </blockquote> <h4><a href='setup-intrepid.html'>Setup instructions for Intrepid</a></h4> <blockquote> Most of you probably already figured the steps out on your own. This page solidifies the intrepid version of the repository. </blockquote> <h4><a href='enhancements.html'>Kernel Enhancements</a></h4> <blockquote> Documentation has been posted on what specific enhancements have been applied to the eeepc kernel. This information can by used by anyone who is interested in knowing how the eeepc kernel ticks. The commits specific to the release are documented so all one needs to do is <a href='source-git.html'>download the source through git</a> and access the commit number to grab the patch. </blockquote> <h4><a href='source.html'>Source Code</a></h4> <blockquote> The source code page has been expanded to provide release-specific instructions, as well as some hits and steps for customizing and building your own eeepc kernel. </blockquote> <h4><a href='help.html'>Kernel Help and Support</a></h4> <blockquote> Finally, there's a support page linking to free community support sites available as well as the launchpad bugs page. Eventually there will be a new link on here offering Professional Support Services. </blockquote> That's it for now. Not everything is 100% but I've delayed deploying this new site long enough! Eventually the other bits and whistles will be completed and this site will be fully automated and operational! Neat! :D <p> Thanks for your patience, and enjoy Ubuntu Intrepid! <p> --<br> Adam McDaniel Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=30 I'm in the process of upgrading the intrepid kernel to shadow the latest intrepid generic kernel (version 2.6.27-7.14) when I noticed something odd.<p>The only checkin for .14 was this:<p> <pre> commit 0ce675240e3a2f02eb98edb05ff198a51701633c Author: Tim Gardner <tim.gardner@*************> Date: Thu Oct 23 07:25:37 2008 -0600 UBUNTU: Disable ath5k in 2.6.27 Bug: #288148 Disable in-kernel ath5k driver in favor of madwifi and linux-backports-modul ath5k as released in 2.6.27 is simply not ready for wide deployment. Signed-off-by: Tim Gardner <tim.gardner@*************> </pre> It appears as as though ath5k was maintained in linux-backports-modules, proportedly a newer version too. <p> For the eeepc intrepid kernel I believe I'll keep ath5k and actually update it to the latest release of wireless-testing-2.6.git Adam McDaniel Ubuntu Update http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=29 I'm in the process of redesigning the site a bit. This will reflect the new updates that are now available on the Intrepid kernel, as well as the new eeepc-config package. <p> New site features are going to include: <ul> <li>Intrepid-specific instructions and documentation for <i>2.6.27-7-eeepc</i> and <i>2.6.27-7-eeepc-lean</i>. <li>Hardy and Intrepid-specific documentation for <i>eeepc-config</i>. <li>Specifics on the new eeepc-lean kernel flavour and what it does and why you should care. <li>An updated "state of the project" page (Much like <a href='http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.pl?date=2008-09-20T19:10:29-06:00'>my earlier post about 2.6.27-3-generic</a>.) <li>An updated list of known issues. <li>A howto for using the Elantech v5 driver. <li>Testing steps incase you encounter a problem <li>A proper blog that'll allow for comments &amp; tags 'n stuff. <li>Cleaner, less cluttered layout. <li>The announcement of kernel support for <b><i>a new netbook manufacturer!</i></b> </ul> Please be patient, check back in a couple of days :) <p> -Adam Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=27 There have been quite a few updates and new information on the <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewforum.php?id=43'>eeeuser.com Ubuntu forums</a>, more information than what's currently on the site. <p> Details about the new hardy-proposed kernel can be found online the thread <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=46519'>Kernel 2.6.24-22-eeepc ready for testing on "hardy-proposed"</a>, see below for a summary. <b>Note, 2.6.24-22-eeepc will still be posted to "hardy" once it is deemed stable and working:)</b>, please do not link to hardy-proposed unless you're interested in testing out this kernel. <p> <b>What's new in 2.6.24-22-eeepc:</b><br> <ul> <li> Applied Elantech touchpad driver v5 patch (see known issues!) <li> Enabled pcnet32 module for network support in vmware <li> Enabled CONFIG_SCHED_SMP for better HT Scheduling on the Atom <li> Enabled atl1 and rt8169 modules for networking on the eeebox <li> Enabled the modules rtl8180, rtl8187, rt2x00, rt61pci <li> Upgraded uvcvideo to r249 <li> Upgraded madwifi to r3862 <li> Upgraded rt2860 wireless to v1.8.0.0 <li> Disabled hardware header reservation in madwifi (to allow bridging on ath0) <li> ...plus dozens of upstream changes from Ubuntu (detailed list to follow) </ul> <p> <b>Known issues in 2.6.24-22-eeepc:</b><br> <ul> <li> The elantech patch is disabled by default. Add "options psmouse elantech=1" to /etc/modprobe.d/eeepc <li> See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-eeepc-kernel/ (Please don't abuse launchpad. Launchpad is not a forum for discussion just because you have a problem. This forum is! Thanks!) </ul> <p> <b>TODO items in 2.6.24-22-eeepc:</b><br> <ul> <li> Investigate backporting ath5k to 2.6.24 to replace madwifi <li> Attempt to compile the modules statically for potential speed improvements. <li> Investigate Arjan van de Ven and Auke Kok's fast-boot patches and techniques. <li> Fix the known issues </ul> Adam McDaniel Proposed Kernel Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=28 This is the initial announcment for the first intrepid-based eeepc kernel available on Array.org. The original announcment was made on October 4th on the Eeeuser.com forums: <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=46649'>Intrepid kernel packages (2.6.27-5-eeepc)</a> <p> Since that announcment, Ubuntu has released 2.6.27-6-generic, so I've upgraded my release to 2.6.27-6-eeepc as well! <p> Also, an experimental flavour of the kernel was also created for Intrepid, packaged as <b>linux-eeepc-lean</b>. Installing eeepc-lean will actually give you a kernel with most modules compiled into the kernel itself, plus various modules that have nothing to do with the eeepc (macintosh hardware support, nvidia video cards, isdn, etc) are omitted. The end result should be a more responive kernel, espcially on bootup! <p> <b>What's new in 2.6.27-6-eeepc, 2.6.27-6-eeepc-lean:</b> <ul> <li>Ported asus_eee v0.3 from ubuntu-hardy-lum into ubuntu-intrepid <li>applied asus_eee patch to fix build on kernel > 2.6.26 <li>Added bluetooth attribute to /sys/devices/platform/eeepc/bt <li>patch eeepc-laptop to support volume/wlan keys in the kernel <li>Applied Chris Snook's atl2 patch for 2.6.26, atl2 now v2.2.3 <li>Manage EeePC 1000 sound cards with the 901 driver quirk. <li>Disabled debug, mca, isa, apm; enabled embedded config options <li>Partial fix for tbench regressions, switch from SLUB to SLAB <li>eeepc-laptop fix, disable rfkill_suspend/resume to fix resuming <li>Applied Elantech touchpad driver v5 patch <li>Re-applied psmouse's "elantech" parameter, still disabled by default. </ul> <p> <b>Known issues in 2.6.27-6-eeepc*</b> <ul> <li>Toggling wireless with Fn-F2 is broken (atleast for me). The upstream 2.6.27 kernel is planning on taking over ownership of this feature in the eeepc-laptop module, but there are some issues with it triggering. If you want to manually disable wireless, you should be able to do so with a command like: <div class=terminal> echo 0 | sudo tee /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill0/state </div> Enabling it, change the first bit to "echo 1". This should be fixed shortly in upstream linux, in which case I'll push the fix down on the repository. </ul> <p> <b>How to download 2.6.27-6-eeepc*</b><p> I still need to update the rest of the site, but for now you can link into the kernel by following the standard <a href='setup.html'>setup instructions</a>, the only difference is that you should edit the array.list file after downloading it. <div class=terminal> sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/array.list </div> Add the following line: <div class=edit-file> deb http://www.array.org/ubuntu intrepid eeepc </div> Everything else should be the same. <p> I plan on making some major changes to the site, formalizing the new intrepid codebase, as well as updating the FAQ with the new lessons learned and tips and tricks when implementing this kernel. <p> Stay tuned! Adam McDaniel New Kernel Packages http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=26 Sorry for the half-assed update. its 2am and i need sleep :T I wanted to post an upgrade tonight for users connected to the hardy-proposed repository.. preliminary 2.6.24-22-eeepc changes include <ul> <li>Upgraded elantech driver to v5. See http://arjan.opmeer.net/elantech/ (You must manually enable the elantech code by setting a the psmouse elantech parameter. I.e., create/append to the file: /etc/modprobe.d/eeepc <div class=code> options psmouse elantech=1 </div> You'll know if it's working if you see "elantech" mentioned in /var/log/messages <li>eeepc-config upgrade for Ubuntu-eee users. </ul> Note these are testing packages only. Tomorrow i'll post a formal announcement on the eeeuser.com forum, with instructions on how to link to hardy-proposed. <p> Anyway, more details to follow... in the morning. Im off to bed. Adam McDaniel Proposed Kernel Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=25 A few people have asked me if I'm planning on releasing an eeepc-optimized kernel for the upcoming release of Ubuntu v8.10 (Intrepid Ibex). My answer is... <b>only if it's necessary</b>. <p> The table below is a comparision of what is and is not currently supported in Hardy (v8.04.1) compared to Intrepid (v8.10alpha5). Information here is accurate as of Saturday, September 20 2008: <center><table border=0 cellspacing=10> <tr> <th style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">Supported by Hardy, out-of-the-box<br><font color=grey>v8.04.1, 2.6.24-21-generic</font></th> <th style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">Not Supported by Hardy, out-of-the-box<br><font color=grey>v8.04.1, 2.6.24-21-generic</font></th> </tr> <tr valign=top> <td><ul style="margin:0px; padding:0px 0px 0px 20px"> <li>atl2 module (wired network on 900A and earlier) </ul></td> <td><ul style="margin:0px; padding:0px 0px 0px 20px"> <li><font color=green>madwifi module (wireless network on 900 and earlier)</font> <li><font color=green>atl1e module (wired network on 901 and later)</font> <li><font color=green>rt2860sta module (wireless network on 900A and later)</font> <li><font color=green>uvcvideo module (webcam on all models)</font> <li><font color=green>Front mic on 900, 901, 1000</font> <li><font color=green>eeepc-acpi module (hotkey events)</font> <li><font color=red>hotkey support (hotkey buttons)</font> <li><font color=red>elantech driver (enhanced touchpad)</font> </ul></td> </tr> <tr> <th style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">Supported by Intrepid, out-of-the-box<br><font color=grey>v8.10 alpha5, 2.6.27-3-generic</font></th> <th style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 1px;">Not supported by Intrepid, out-of-the-box<br><font color=grey>v8.10 alpha5 2.6.27-3-generic</font></th> </tr> <tr valign=top> <td><ul style="margin:0px; padding:0px 0px 0px 20px"> <li>atl2 module (wired network on 900A and earlier) <li>ath5k module (wireless network on 900 and earlier) <li>atl1e module (wired network on 901 and later) <li>uvcvideo module (webcam on all models) <li>Front mic on 900, 901 </ul></td> <td><ul style="margin:0px; padding:0px 0px 0px 20px"> <li><font color=red>rt2860sta module (wireless network on 900A and later)</font> <li><font color=red>Front mic on 1000</font> <li><font color=red>eeepc-laptop module (hotkey events)</font> <li><font color=red>hotkey support (hotkey buttons)</font> <li><font color=red>elantech driver (enhanced touchpad)</font> </ul></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2 align=center> <li><font color=green>Green items are addressed by this site's kernel</font> <li><font color=red>Red items are <i>not yet</i> addressed by this site's kernel</font> </td> </tr> </table></center> <p> While I am supplying Ubuntu patches for Intrepid on what I know, I don't know if everything on the "Not supported by Intrepid, out-of-the-box" list will be ready by the time it's released. <p> If there are any features missing from Intrepid, I will likely produce an Intrepid EeePC kernel to address them. <p> (Disclaimer: The information listed here is based upon my personal experience and anecdotal evidence from end-users. Information is up-to-date as of Saturday, Sept 20, 2008. The specific items that are and are not supported are by no means a guarantee as to what is and is not supportable for your specific device.) <p> <b>Edit: Sun Sep 21 11:33:17 MDT 2008</b> <p> I forgot the elantech driver for (enhanced touchpad support) on this list. Side-note, I've been informed that the author has released a new version of this driver. I'll see what I can do about integrating it within the next week or so. Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=24 A minor modules upgrade was released today. The following upgrades are now available in the linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-21-eeepc package: <ul> <li> Enhanced soundcard (snd_hda_intel) module with support for the EeePC 1000's internal microphone <li> Upgraded wireless (madwifi) modules (branch madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6, revision 3862) <li> Upgraded webcam (uvcvideo) module (revision 249) </ul> Adam McDaniel Package Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=23 Given the release of 2.6.24-21-eeepc, and the sudden (and expected) jump in download activity on the repository, I've created a new page to summarize the latest stats: <a href='repository-activity.html'>Repository Activity</a>. <p> Logs are loaded into the database at 2:30am MDT. <p> This page will usually be updated nightly at about 3am MDT. <p> Charts will always describe the last full day of activity. Adam McDaniel Site Update http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=22 Well, it took a little longer than expected, but 2.6.24-21-eeepc is finally released! <p> So, why did this take so long? <p> Over the last few weeks I've been busy with several non-Linux and non-EeePC commitments. I also wanted to test and validate this kernel, as thoroughly as possible. Not everything is here that I would have liked, (as some <a href='hacks.html'>hacks</a> are still required) but things are certainly a bit closer, especially for the newer <b>EeePC 900A, 901, 1000, and 1000H devices</b>. <p> First off, I must say <i>"Thank You"</i> to Franco Lee and Ed Martinson. Both of whom lent me their personal 700 and 901 devices to help with development and testing. Without their contribution, I certainly wouldn't be as comfortable releasing this new version as I am today :) <p> <img src='guinness.jpg' align=right>And finally, an even bigger <b><i>"THANK YOU"</i></b> to everyone who's supported this project through the <b><i><font color='#1a3665'>Pay</font><font color='#32689a'>Pal</font></i> "Beer Fund"</b>. I plan on notifying everyone who's contributed via email, asking for permission to add your name to a new "Sponsors" page. To date, 27 people have contributed CAD$411. <i>That's about 74 pints of Guinness!</i> :D :D :D <p> <h3>So, what's new in 2.6.24-21-eeepc?</h3> This version was released as a beta weeks ago as a special download for EeePCs 901 and later. It was required because of changes to the wired/wireless drivers meant madwifi and atl2 modules would not work. <p> If you're currently using an EeePC 900 or earlier, there actually aren't that many changes for you. Other than, <ul> <li>Hacks #1, #2 and #3 are largely unnecessary <li>The eee overclocking module has been upgraded to v0.3 (now called asus_eee) <li>Simplified USB_PERSIST code that's "always-on" </ul> <p> For a complete list of features available in 2.6.24-21-eeepc, please see the <a href='technical.html'>Technical Features</a> page. <p> <h3>What are the long-term goals?</h3> Ultimately, I'd like to have all of the hacks going away. Either replaced with a separate config package (which is currently in development) or handled by the kernel. <p> It is very likely that Ubuntu Intrepid v8.10 will be released before that point, in which case I plan on re-assessing exactly what is in Intrepid and what is not, and releasing a specific set of packages, if necessary. <p> Enjoy! Adam McDaniel Kernel Upgrade Released http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=21 I was mucking with mysql, perl and apache's logs over the weekend, I've found some fairly interesting stats. <p> As of July 2nd 2008, the total number of... <p> <table> <tr> <td>Unique IPs that have downloaded the public key:</td><td>7503</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Unique IPs that have linked to the repository:</td><td>24280</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Unique IPs that have linked to linux-eeepc package:</td><td>7310</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Unique IPs that have downloaded 2.6.24-19-eeepc:</td><td>1589</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Unique IPs that have downloaded 2.6.24-20-eeepc:</td><td>6458</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Unique IPs that have downloaded 2.6.24-21-eeepc:</td><td>2827</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Requests serviced by the repository:</td><td>400,320</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Packages downloaded from the repository:</td><td>76,881</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Bytes downloaded form the repository:</td><td>310,498,367,408</td> </tr> </table> <p> Yes, that's <i>310 Gigs</i>! Neat! <p> Very shortly (Monday or Tuesday) I'll release 2.6.24-21-eeepc as the standard kernel on this repository. The number of downloads for this kernel is going to jump over the next week or so (probably to about 8000 or so) as people migrate to the latest kernel :P Adam McDaniel Site Update http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=20 The <a href='features.html'>Features</a> and <a href='hacks.html'>Hacks</a> (formerly labelled Post-installation) pages have been redesigned to be a little simpler and straight forward. With the addition of support for the 901/1000/1000h devices, certain features and hacks only apply to specific devices. <p> Both pages are designed to be a little more dynamic, now with the ability to generate device-specific results depending on what you select. <p> Unfortunately, some of the hacks are still incomplete. I should be able to collect this information within the next week or so. Adam McDaniel Site Update http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=19 It took a little longer than expected, a few unexpected issues popped up in the last few days with the sound-card, but, <b>2.6.24-21-eeepc has finally gone gold!</b> <p> The last remaining issue, the headphone jack output (or lack there-of), was finally resolved this morning. Officially, the following features are now provided by this kernel to support EeePC 901/1000/1000h devices: <ul> <li>Wired ethernet support (via atl1e module from Asus) <li>Wireless ethernet support (via rt2860sta module from Ralink) <li>Complete WEP and WPA wireless encryption support (via unreleased Ralink patch) <li>Complete sound card support (via unreleased AlsaProject code) <li>ACPI with Bluetooth support (via patched eeepc-acpi module) <li>SMP enabled (for hyperthreading your Intel Atom CPU) <li>Simplified Persistent USB support (via an "always-on" patch) </ul> <p> This kernel maintains backwards compatibility for all EeePC 900 and earlier devices. Within the next week or so, barring any major bug reports or problems, this kernel will be released as the standard repository kernel. <p> If you want to try it out today; all you need to do is <a href='http://www.array.org/ubuntu/setup.html'>link to the repository</a> then run the command: <div class=code> sudo apt-get install linux-image-2.6.24-21-eeepc </div> <p> Enjoy! Adam McDaniel Package Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=18 It's been a few weeks since I've updated the news, so I figured now is a good time. <p> Work is in progress to provide <i>100% support</i> for the EeePC 901/1000/1000H devices. As of today, if you install the 2.6.24-20-eeepc kernel you may noticed that you have no ethernet or wireless support, no bluetooth hotkey control (Fn-F2), and a broken internal microphone. <p> Once complete, the following new modules will be available: <p> <ul> <li><b>atl1e.ko</b>: Wired LAN module ... (previously only available direct from <a href='http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/socket775/P5KPL-CM/LinuxDrivers.zip'>ASUS's LinuxDrivers.zip</a> <li><b>rt2860sta.ko</b>: Wireless LAN module ... (previously only available from <a href='http://www.ralinktech.com.tw/data/drivers/2008_0708_RT2860_Linux_STA_v1.7.0.0.tar.bz2'>ralinktech.com.tw</a> <li><b>snd-hda-intel.ko</b>: Sound card module, ALC629 models ... (from code not yet formally released by the <a href='http://www.alsa-project.org'>AlsaProject</a> <li><b>eeepc-acpi.ko</b>: EeePC Hotkey module, bluetooth support ... (from a <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?pid=304343#p304343'>patch released by daltona</a> on eeeuser.com) </ul> <p> If you'd like to track the progress of this work, or to try out some of the experimental modules, subscribe to the thread:<br> <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=38030'>http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=38030</a> Adam McDaniel Site Update http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=17 The kind folks at the <a href='https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/'>Ubuntu Kernel Team</a> are preparing to release their 2.6.24-20-generic kernel as the standard Hardy Heron kernel. Considering that they view this kernel as being stable, I thought that I'd follow their lead and release <b>2.6.24-20-eeepc as this repository's standard kernel</b>. <p> <h3>What does this mean for you?</h3> <p> It means that if you're not already running 2.6.24-20-eeepc, it will be downloaded and installed for you on the next system update, and you will be prompted to reboot. <p> <h3>What's different in 2.6.24-20-eeepc?</h3> <p> According to the <a href='features.html'>features page</a>, 2.6.24-20-eeepc contains: <ul> <li>Everything from 2.6.24-19-eeepc <li>Restored extra kernel modules that were missing from 2.6.24-19-eeepc (I.e., DVD support, squashfs, usb+wifi support, etc.) <li>USB_PERSIST support via <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=22712'>timauton's patch</a>. (See <a href='http://www.array.org/ubuntu/post-install.html#Persistent_USB_Support'>post-install steps</a>.) <li>Upgraded madwifi wireless modules (madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6 branch, svn r3745) <li>Upgraded uvcvideo module (svn r233) <li>Updated <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=30685'>Elantech touchpad driver port</a> to become <a href='news-archive.html#2008-07-21T12:43:57-06:00'>user-selectable</a>. </ul> <p> <h3>What if I have problems upgrading?</h3> <p> Please log your concerns into the eeeusers.com Forum, under the <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=37136'>2.6.24-20-eeepc Kernel Upgrade Announcment Thread</a>. Adam McDaniel Kernel Upgrade Released http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=16 The elantech patch has been added back into the 2.6.24-20-eeepc kernel, however it remains disabled by default. This is atleast until the <a href='http://arjan.opmeer.net/elantech/'>original</a> <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=30685'>authors</a> are satisfied with its performance on the EeePC. <p> If you want to use the original elantech code on 2.6.24-20-eeepc, all you need to do is create a new file called <tt>/etc/modprobe.d/psmouse</tt> with the line: <p> <div style="margin: 5px 15px 15px 15px; padding: 8px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border-color: #ACA899; font-family: monospace; width:80%;"> options psmouse elantech=1 </div> <p> Setting "elantech=0" or omitting this file will default to original psmouse.ko code, as it existed before the elantech patch was applied. <p> Don't forget to also update <tt>/etc/X11/xorg.conf</tt> in the "Input Device" section for your mouse: <p> <div style="margin: 5px 15px 15px 15px; padding: 8px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border-color: #ACA899; font-family: monospace; width:80%;"> Option "SHMConfig" "true" </div> <p> Note, this patch was previously active for the 2.6.24-19-eeepc kernel, however there is no way to disable it without <a href='faq.html#remove_elantech_patch'>downloading a seperate psmouse.ko module</a>. 2.6.24-20-eeepc was initially created as a way for users to choose which mouse driver they want, however more updates have been pushed to this new kernel so it seems like now is a good time as any to just retire 2.6.24-19-eeepc. <p> If there aren't any major problems with this patch, then I'll push out 2.6.24-20-eeepc as the standard kernel on the repository. That'll probably happen sometime before this weekend. Adam McDaniel Package Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=15 The <a href='source.html'>Source Code page</a> has been updated to contain the diffs for the latest packages' versions available. <p> All code here has been commited to an eeepc branch on a git repository, cloned from ubuntu's <a href='http://kernel.ubuntu.com/git'>kernel.ubuntu.com</a> git repository. Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=14 The <a href='post-install.html'>Kernel Post-installation page</a> has been updated with actual content. It now describes what steps the user needs to do by hand in order to reach "EeePC nirvana" :) <p> For example, if a user were to install Ubuntu v8.04 fresh and not setup this kernel, there would about <b>10-12 additional steps</b> that need to be performed by hand. (I.e., download and build madwifi, eeepc-acpi, eeepc-linux, uvcvideo drivers, setup scripts, etc.) On top of that, if Ubuntu releases an updated kernel, you'd have to go through the entire build process again just to restore your system. (Assuming you follow <a href='http://wiki.eeeuser.com/getting_ubuntu_8.04_to_work_perfectly'>http://wiki.eeeuser.com/getting_ubuntu_8.04_to_work_perfectly</a> to the letter.) <p> Using my kernel, there are only <b>four additional steps</b> (well, I'd classify only the first three as being <i>absolutely necessary</i>.) All of which only need to be peformed once. <p> Eventually, some of these steps will become packages, making the install and setup process even simplier. Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=13 I've rebuilt the linux-image-2.6.24-20-eeepc package and established a dependancy on linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-20-eeepc. <p> If you had problems with your mouse, soundcard, wireless, etc after installing 2.6.24-20-eeepc, all you need to do is download the updated package via synaptic or "sudo apt-get -u dist-upgrade" <p> That will download an updated linux-image-2.6.24-20-eeepc package and the missing linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-20-eeepc package. Adam McDaniel Package Fix http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=12 For anyone who installed 2.6.24-20-eeepc for the first time after Wed July 16, you may have encountered a problem where the mouse, sound card, wireless, &amp; ethernet stopped working. This was because the linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-20-eeepc package wasn't auto-installed along with the new kernel. <p> If you've previously used 2.6.24-20-eeepc BEFORE Wed July 16, you should notice no problems at all, because you likely already had this package :) <p> I'm in the process of rebuilding 2.6.24-20-eeepc so that the dependancy to the linux-ubuntu-modules package is properly established. I should have the fixed package uploaded to the repository shortly. Adam McDaniel Package Bug http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=11 Back home now, and I have a couple updates for the 2.6.24-20-eeepc kernel. <p> <ul> <li>Applied <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=22712'>timauton's patch</a> to enable USB_PERSIST on the EeePC. Using this will allow you to keep USB peripherals (including the internal SD card reader) active when suspending/resuming your Eeepc. Very useful if you have your home drive mounted on a seperate SD card.<p> Please see his <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=22712'>original forum post</a> for details on how to enable the feature. <p> <li>Applied critical security patch <a href='http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-625-1'>USN-625-1</a>, released by Ubuntu on July 15, 2008. </ul> Adam McDaniel Package Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=10 I'm off tomorrow, leaving for my summer vacation to London, England and Moscow &amp; St. Petersburg, Russia. Actually, I bought my EeePC 900 specifically for this trip. <p> We plan on heading back home to Canada on July 15th, but I have no idea what to expect for internet access. <p> I'll try to keep tabs on the <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewforum.php?id=43'>forum</a> and email, but if I'm delayed in replying, please be patient :) <p> In the mean time, I've thrown together a <a href='https://launchpad.net/ubuntu-eeepc-kernel'>ubuntu-eeepc-kernel launchpad project</a> specifically for this kernel. There's also a <a href='https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-eeepc-kernel'>bug reporting page</a> available. Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=9 I rebuilt 2.6.24-20-eeepc's kernel image and modules after disabling CONFIG_PREEMPT. Something nasty happened with usplash that caused everything to flicker on bootup and not initialize properly. That, and linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-20-eeepc was not downloading properly meant everyone trying 2.6.24-20-eeepc was having a Bad Time. <p> Should be fixed now :P<br> The repository should auto-download the fixed packages for your convenience :) Adam McDaniel Package Fix http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=8 There's a fairly major bug with 2.6.24-20-eeepc. If you've downloaded it you may notice your screen flickering on bootup. While the boot up eventually completes, there is as obvious problem with the framebuffer. <p> I'll issue a patch tonight, but for now 2.6.24-20-eeepc has been removed from the repository. Adam McDaniel Package Bug http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=6 Re-compiled the linux-ubuntu-modules package with the default config options. Some users noted that certain modules that are available in the generic kernel (such as squashfs, lirc, 3rd party wireless, etc) were missing from my eeepc kernel. <p> They're now back in. Adam McDaniel Package Announcement http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=7 Built a beta copy of the 2.6.24-20-eeepc kernel. This version contains the most recent 2.6.24-20-generic kernel code, plus extras missing from the earlier eeepc kernel (DVD player support, misc/obscure libraries, etc.) <p> This version of the kernel LACKS the earlier elantech driver... at least until the <a href='http://arjan.opmeer.net/elantech/'>Elantech v3 patch</a> can be standardized to work on the EeePC. <p> <b>If you want to use this new kernel, you must explicitly install it.</b> <p> <div class=code>sudo apt-get install linux-image-2.6.24-20-eeepc</div> (I'll only be released as a standard download when Ubuntu releases their final 2.6.24-20-generic build.) Adam McDaniel Package Announcement http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=5 Applied the <a href='http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?pid=298419#p298419'>microphone patch</a> to snd_hda_intel. This fixes the front microphone on the EeePC 900. Adam McDaniel Package Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=4 General HTML layout upgrades. Added FAQ entries that describe how to disconnect yourself from forced Ubuntu generic kernel updates Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=3 The linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-19-eeepc package was upgraded to include: The new madwifi modules (branch madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6) * The eeepc-linux overclocking module (v0.2) * The uvcvideo module (svn r215) Adam McDaniel Package Upgrade http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=2 Adam McDaniel Site News http://www.array.org/ubuntu/news.html?id=1 Adam McDaniel Site News