Hello everyone, Fedora on NC10

[vedek]

Hi guys

This is kind of a hi but need advice post all rolled into one

basically i have dabbled in Linux but now i am ready to commit to linux by putting it on my new samsung nc10, i was intially going for the eee pc which has its own brand of linux based on ubuntu but i really want fedora on my netbook, so question is will i have any problems at all putting fedora on my nc10. it is just i would rather not have to troll for ages trying to find the drivers for stuff i would much like it just to work, now if everything is fine and its plain sailing the perfect, but if it has bugs can they be fixed and how.

Thanks

[scottro]

Firstly, I've edited your thread title. Keep in mind that the forums can be busy at times, and busy people just looking at new posts are very likely to completely ignore a post with a vague title.

If I remember correctly, the NC10 has an AR5007EG card, (which Fedora will see as AR242x) which should work out of the box. Wireless LEDs won't work, but wireless itself should be pretty trouble free. Webcam, if it has it, should work.

Sound can be problematic in Fedora, but the sound card itself shouldn't be an issue. It should pretty much work. The vendors constantly change the hardware, but the majority of netbook hardware works well with Fedora.

[bbfuller]

Hello vedek

Welcome to the forum.

I have Fedora 11 on an NC10.

Mostly seems OK. Network and wireless set up with no trouble. Sound stutters during startup but works OK after that.

Haven't yet needed to try suspend/hibernate.

Screen brightness is controllable from the keyboard under Gnome but as yet I haven't looked into why it isn't under KDE.

Touchpad works OK eventually but needs the usual steps to get it going under Fedora.

I partitioned using GParted and then put Fedora in the blank space.

Don't think there's much else to say. Come back if you have any questions.

[Gödel]

You'll need ALT+F7 to move dialog menus up the screen, fonts may be too big initially, easy to fix, everything else should be a breeze.

[Dark Dragoon]

To get the brightness control working you need to disable KMS by adding "nomodeset" as a kernel boot parameter, you can also add "vga=0x315" to enable Plymouth without KMS. Also it works better if you set the backlight to "user control" and set it to maximum while on the GRUB screen.

If you don't disable KMS you can still control the backlight, as root you can run "setpci -s 00:02.1 F4.B=XX" where XX is a hex number from 00 to FF. With 00 being minimum and FF being maximum brightness.

Suspend/hibernate work fine for me, along with pretty much everything else. Though I've swapped the WiFi card for a draft-n Intel 5300 so I can't comment on the Atheros card.

You'll need ALT+F7 to move dialog menus up the screen
If you are using Compiz you can run this as yourself (not root), so you can move windows anywhere using ALT + click and drag.

gconftool-2 --set /apps/compiz/plugins/move/allscreens/options/constrain_y --type bool 0

[bbfuller]

Hello Dark Dragoon

Agree with what you say here:

To get the brightness control working you need to disable KMS by adding "nomodeset" as a kernel boot parameter, you can also add "vga=0x315" to enable Plymouth without KMS. Also it works better if you set the backlight to "user control" and set it to maximum while on the GRUB screen.

If you don't disable KMS you can still control the backlight, as root you can run "setpci -s 00:02.1 F4.B=XX" where XX is a hex number from 00 to FF. With 00 being minimum and FF being maximum brightness.

and having already done that Fn up arrow and down arrow control the brightness in Gnome, even to the extent of putting a little animated slider onscreen.

Not in KDE though.

I've got the default Atheros AR242x for wireless and it's just fine.

[socratien]

Hello, I'm not sure it' s the right thread,
My question concerns with NC10 wireless using from samsung fedora 11.since I upgraded fedora 10 to fedora 11, wireless connection is down.
At the start up , fedora 11 writes that wlan0 link is not ready and when I login, I can't connect by wireless anymore.
Do you have an idea? wireless connection was very good with fedora 10 :-(( I use networkmanager
thank you in advance

[bbfuller]

Hello socratien

I'm not sure if Samsung put different wireless chipsets in this netbook at different times.

If you run:

lspci

from a command prompt and it reports:

AR242x

among other things then I can tell you it is working perfectly here with a clean install of F11.

You may care to try running from a live CD if you can get hold of one just to check that is the case with yours. If that were so it would indicate some sort of awkwardness in the upgrade procedure.

Also perhaps run the commands:

dmesg | grep ath

and

dmesg |grep wlan0

to see if we can trap any error messages as it starts up.

[socratien]

Hi BBfuller
the log is the following :

- lspci returns AR242x
- dmesg | grep Ath returns :
wmaster0 ( ath5k) : not using net_device_ops yet
wlan0 (ath5k) : not using net_device_ops yet

- dmesg | grep wlan0 returns :
wlan0 (ath5k) : not using net_device_ops yet
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP) : wlan0: link is not ready

have you an idea?

PS: I installed fedora 10 by a server PXE configured on my second laptop with fedora 9
I have no CD reader on my samsung NC10

[bbfuller]

Hello socratien

No, NC10's don't have CD drives. I cheated and used an external, USB one, for my install.

Your output from the two commands is very similar to mine, except that mine goes on and connects and authenticates.

What is the output from:

iwconfig

If you issue the command:

su -

The space and minus sign can be important. Without them you get root access but only over you ordinary users environment. With them you get root access to the whole machine. And then the command:

iwlist wlan0 scan

What is the output?

[socratien]

iwconfig returns the standard output without information for each field
iwlist wlan0 scan returns a list of wireless networks which mine that is invisible

[socratien]

what is strange is that when I configure Networkmanager to connect to my invisible network, it fails too

[bbfuller]

Hello socratien

When you say here:

iwconfig returns the standard output without information for each field

I'm assuming you mean that it returns "wlan0" and things like "mode", "Frequency" and "Access Point" are displayed without the "Managed", "2.417GHz" and Access Point MAC Address.

It really would have been clearer if you had just copied and pasted back the output even if you had to transfer it to another machine by a memory stick.

When you say "iwlist" returns a list of access point but yours is invisible, is that because you have set yours not to broadcast its SSID? If that is so, can you try broadcasting your SSID temporarily?

If it is broadcasting its SSID but you still can't see it, can you try changing the channel it is broadcasting on?

[socratien]

Hello
I made my network be visible, the connection suceeded.
When I made my network invisible again, the connection failed
I send you the output you asked in the next message :-)

[socratien]

here /var/log/message when it runs and when it fails

Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0/wireless): connection 'JediNet' has security, and secrets exist. No new secrets needed.
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'ssid' value 'JediNet'
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'scan_ssid' value '1'
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'NONE'
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'auth_alg' value 'SHARED'
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'wep_key0' value '<omitted>'
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: added 'wep_tx_keyidx' value '0'
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Config: set interface ap_scan to 1
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state: scanning -> disconnected
Aug 6 01:23:02 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state: disconnected -> scanning
Aug 6 01:23:18 localhost NetworkManager: <info> wlan0: link timed out.
Aug 6 01:23:28 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0/wireless): association took too long.
Aug 6 01:23:28 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 5 -> 6 (reason 0)
Aug 6 01:23:28 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0/wireless): asking for new secrets
Aug 6 01:23:28 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): supplicant connection state: scanning -> disconnected
"messages" 23L, 2335C
Aug 6 01:23:33 localhost NetworkManager: <WARN> get_secrets_cb(): Couldn't get connection secrets: applet-device-wifi.c.1541 (get_secrets_dialog_response_cb): canceled.
Aug 6 01:23:33 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 6 -> 9 (reason 7)
Aug 6 01:23:33 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) failed for access point (JediNet)
Aug 6 01:23:33 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Marking connection 'JediNet' invalid.
Aug 6 01:23:33 localhost NetworkManager: <info> Activation (wlan0) failed.
Aug 6 01:23:33 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): device state change: 9 -> 3 (reason 0)
Aug 6 01:23:33 localhost NetworkManager: <info> (wlan0): deactivating device (reason: 0).
~

[bbfuller]

Hello socratien

I'm not aware of any things that you can do if a connection works with broadcast SSID and not with hidden SSID other than broadcast the SSID all the time.

Couple of things you might try though.

I notice in the output you posted that you are using WEP. Could you try WPA?

I don't know which channel your access point is broadcasting on, but channels 12 and 13, which are only available in som parts of the world, aren't favoured by some of the wireless drivers. If you are using 12 or 13 it might be worth trying a different one.

[socratien]

HI BBFuller
I appreciate the proposition to connect in WPA, but in Fedora 10, Ihad no problem in the same configuration
WHat seens to be strange is the message about get_secret_cb function
Have you an idea? a bug?
Do you know a mean to come back to fedora 10? I made an upgrade from F10 to F11 by yum ( autoimatic update)?
I see that images of F10 are here, but I 'm afraid about firmware, libs and drivers

[bbfuller]

Hello socratien

No idea about the get_secret_cb function I'm afraid.

If you decided to go back to F10 then all of the material is still available on the internet and updates will continue to be made available for it until one month past the release date of F12. Usually that means sometime in December.

I think you must realise though that Fedora is a quick moving target and not aimed for long term use. As such, if the problem happens to be an updtaed package, you may find that package being pushed to F10 as well.

Let me know if you really were using WEP. I have a spare access point here that I could put WEP on and see if I can duplicate the problem.

By the way, are you aware that as far as security is concerned, WEP is about like a wet paper bag?

[socratien]

OK, I will try to connect in WPA, but I don't see the link with a hiden or unhidden network.
Moreover, I 'm trouble with the fact that an upgrade from F10 to F11 made unavailable a wifi connection.
I found on fedora networking forum a bug raised on the same subject ( get_secrets_cb() error msg) but no solution
If I don't succeed in with the WPA, I will turn back to F10
Thank you BBFuller

[bbfuller]

Hello socratien

I'll still try WEP tomorrow just for the interest.

By the way, this business of upgrading from F10 to F11. I know it's possible, but I've heard as many people have it cause problems as have success.

I think that's especially true of wireless which is still one of the faster evolving areas of Linux. Certainly when you opt to live on Fedora's cutting edge approach.

[socratien]

Hello bbfuller
I tried a connection with WPA-PSK, it fails too with my NC10. wit the same error about get_secret_dialog_response_cb in applet-dedvice-wifi.c)
I don't know how to configure a WPA connection ( radius server,...)

PS: it is not the right thread to deal with that, but I have an other error : " Marking TSC unstable due to TSC halts idle"

[socratien]

hello bbfuller
actually, i reinstalled F10 and wireless connection works well

[bbfuller]

Hello socratien,

Well, I've tried my NC10 with WPA, WEP, and connecting with a hidden SSID and it connects every time.

I can't really think of anything else you can try.

My thought is that it is probably something that hasn't gone smoothly with the update process from F10 to F11 and that a fresh install would sort it out. Only you can tell if it is worth it.

One final thought courtesy of 'Dangermouse'. There is a possibility that if you were using "madwifi" for this card in F10, it causes conflicts with the "ath5k" driver you are using in F11. If that was the case for you then you should consider how to uninstall 'madwifi' and any of its loaded modules.

[socratien]

,hello bbfuller
I don't know what is "madwifi", I think I don't use it. How can I check it?
I agree with you about an error in the update process. I installed F10 from an iso DVD image via a pxe boot, but I upgrade to F11 via internet.
Perhaps If I upgrade to F11 via an other iso DVD via pxe, it would work better. However, it works now.
I wanted to try F11 but I don't know what it brings to me to . I read too that F10 was better for netbook ( more energy safe for instance) and I could check it when I installed F11, my netbook on battery don't durate 6h instead with F10

[bbfuller]

Hello socratien

"madwifi" is another, older way of controlling atheros wireless network cards.

I think you would know if you had ever used it because installing it requires fetching it from another repository and then some configuring. It's not included with the ordinary Fedora distribution.

Certainly it won't be in your new F10 installation.

You may be better off waiting a while before you upgrade your NC10 to F11 though.

Although mine works well enough, the screen brightness controls don't work under KDE. I'm hoping the new KDE will fix that.

They work well enough under Gnome though it may be you would still need a configuration change to make that work.

I've not tried my NC10 until the battery was exhausted but it promises me about 4.5 to 5 hours depending on what I am doing with it. I might be able to extend that if I played with the power management settings but it's not something I need.

[socratien]

thanks bbfuller
right, I use gnome on my fedora 9 and 10 :-)
I will wait a little before upgrading again my fedora.
Thank you for your advises
Bye