Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick with HP Elitebook 2540p – Updated

Background

After thousand time try and errors with linux distribution, opensuse, fedora, ubtuntu… etc, finally get it work perfectly on ubtuntu 10.10 Alpha 2 installation.

There is some changes since 10.04, /etc/X11/xorg.conf is no more present after installation, Xorg now communicate with dbus to get best configure for your hardware.

You may experience blank screen, screen flicking, screen can’t turn on after system suspend, Xorg hang for few mins randomly. So here is the workaround for me to install ubuntu on this laptop.

Installation

1. Grab the Maverick CD image, ( Alpha 2 for my case)
2. During CD boot, hit any button to interrupt autoboot
3. Press [F6] to append boot parameters

i915.modeset=0

4. Hopefully you’ll finish the installation smoothly.
— REBOOT —

Post-installation

5. Repeat step 3 to append modeset parameters before start the OS
6. Run dist-upgrade to update latest packages

— REBOOT —
7. Repeat step 3

Update Kernel to fully support the Hardware

8. Grab the working kernel images

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.36-rc4-maverick/

linux-headers-2.6.36-020636rc4-generic_2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905_amd64.deb

linux-headers-2.6.36-020636rc4_2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905_all.deb

linux-image-2.6.36-020636rc4-generic_2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905_amd64.deb

Get i386 one if you’re using 32bit OS.

9. Install the new kernel

dpkg -i linux*.deb
update-grub

— REBOOT —

Enable Multi-touch scrolling

Don’t know why the multi-touch cannot be enabled via gnome settings, here is the workaround.

Open a terminal and run

synclient VertTwoFingerScroll=1 synclient HorizTwoFingerScroll=1 synclient EmulateTwoFingerMinW=5 synclient EmulateTwoFingerMinZ=48 Put these line in /etc/X11/xorg.conf

<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: normal; color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">Section “InputDevice”
Identifier “Synaptics Touchpad”
Driver “synaptics”
Option “SendCoreEvents” “true”
Option “Device” “/dev/psaux”
Option “Protocol” “auto-dev”
Option “SHMConfig” “on”
Option “VertTwoFingerScroll” “1″
Option “HorizTwoFingerScroll” “1″
Option “EmulateTwoFingerMinW” “5″
Option “EmulateTwoFingerMinZ” “50″
EndSection</span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: normal; color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">

Misc

Monitor Brightness control

Perform a update in synaptic for “upower” packages to get back the brightness control.

libupower-glib1 version: 0.9.5-1

upower version: 0.9.5-1

Wireless LED

If you own HP Elitebook 2540p, you may found that the wireless led is blinking while data transferring, it’s kinda annoying.
Try to update the BIOS to F.04 , the problem seems gone after upgrade. Be cautioned! update BIOS is risky task, you may just accept it if you’re worry to do so.

To be continued.

Bug track

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/585651

Comments

levin September 15, 2010 - 6:29 pm Reply

Please note that, VirtualBox 3.2.8 is incompatible on 2.6.36-rc4-maverick kernel
Travis September 18, 2010 - 7:28 am Reply

I’m having some issues with flickering on my laptop monitor ( elitebook 2540p ) but not on external monitor. Have you seen / resolved this?
- levin September 19, 2010 - 12:41 am Reply
  
  Hi Travis, you need to update a beta kernel to fix the screen flickering problem, here to download the upstream kernel packages. http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.36-rc4-maverick/
  - levin September 19, 2010 - 12:42 am Reply
    
    also update xorg-intel driver from “Synaptic Package” as well.
    - Travis September 23, 2010 - 3:23 am Reply
      
      My Kernel: 2.6.36-020636rc5-generic #201009211328 SMP Tue Sep 21 13:31:25 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux
      
      I updated the intel driver as well. Seems to be better than initial install, but still seeing the flicker at times.
      
      It’s odd, with Fedora 13 I get no flicker, but can’t dock it with external monitor, but with Ubuntu I can dock etc.. but get the flicker. Frustrating.
      
      Thanks
      -Travis
      - levin September 23, 2010 - 5:51 pm
        
        That’s odd, but I’m not sure rc5 is good version or not, since i believe 36.rc4 already fixed the flicker issue.
        
        I just tested with internal display only. So maybe not apply for your case, I’ll try that with a external monitor as I can.
        
        Can you produce the following result, see if it is consistently flickering
        
        For No Docking
        1. Boot up with internal display
        2. Boot up with external display
        3. Bootup with internal display and switch over to external display when reached X login and switch it back to internal display
        
        Repeat 2,3 with docking attached.
        
        Thanks
        
        lets compare with my working version.
        
        libdrm-intel1 2.4.21-1ubuntu2
        xorg 1:7.5+6ubuntu2
        xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.12.0-1ubuntu4
        linux-generic 2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905
        linux-headers-2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905
        linux-headers-2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905-generic 2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905
        linux-image 2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905
        linux-image-2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905-generic 2.6.36-020636rc4.201009130905
      - foo October 29, 2010 - 5:46 am
        
        tried rc4 and rc7 with the same results as Travis. Switching from 60 to 40Hz update freq finally solved the flickering problem.
Travis September 18, 2010 - 7:34 am Reply

Great info by the way.. Thanks
Ares October 4, 2010 - 10:46 am Reply

You are the man! Honestly I’ve had been trying to make it work for my girlfriends laptop for a while now, and nothing had worked. Thanks!
Justin October 21, 2010 - 12:45 am Reply

I tried the rc4 kernel and the rc7 kernel (both i386) but my video is still flashing every few seconds. Do you know if there is a patch to apply or a way to track down why this is happening? I checked the package manager but it appears I already have intel-xorg-video-intel package installed.
Also, the multitouch works great for the track pad but how can I set those settings to automatically apply when the computer turns on? A startup script just seems like the wrong way to do it.
Thanks
- levin October 30, 2010 - 12:24 pm Reply
  
  put these line in /etc/X11/xorg.conf for auto-enable multitouch
  
  Section “InputDevice”
  Identifier “Synaptics Touchpad”
  Driver “synaptics”
  Option “SendCoreEvents” “true”
  Option “Device” “/dev/psaux”
  Option “Protocol” “auto-dev”
  Option “SHMConfig” “on”
  Option “VertTwoFingerScroll” “1”
  Option “HorizTwoFingerScroll” “1”
  Option “EmulateTwoFingerMinW” “5”
  Option “EmulateTwoFingerMinZ” “50”
  EndSection
Haggan October 29, 2010 - 10:05 pm Reply

Iam testing 40Hz now seams to be flicker free with rc8 of the 36 kernel. What about the smart card reader?
Any one know how to get it working? Also has any one working N speed with the wifi?
Travis November 19, 2010 - 6:19 am Reply

Latest Kernel seems to kill the display on the HP 2540. Docked, or not. The external display when docked works fine. Happened on both of the 2.6.37 releases. Anyone else?
Fredrik November 19, 2010 - 3:29 pm Reply

Travis, the same thing happens to me: I get a black (internal) screen with the 2.6.37rc’s.
Haggan December 3, 2010 - 7:36 pm Reply

40Hz dont work for me with 2.6.36 rc8 or the 2.6.35-23 kernel. I have tried 2.6.37 I also got blanck screen.
About the smart card HP suggest the following. I cant get it workin I guess it because I am running x86_64

Note: HP does not take any responsibility in doing the same. This would be at the customers own risk.

Step 1:
Run the command – lspcmci -v and get:
Product Name:
Identification: manf_id:

Check for: prod_id(1):

Step 2:
Goto – http://www.scmmicro.com/support/pc-security-support/downloads.html
Download the driver – SCR241 – Linux 32-bit (2.4.x) Driver
Extract the files, and find the file scr241_main.c
Search for the lines containing
PCMCIA_DEVICE_PROD_ID1(“SCR243 PCMCIA”,0x2054e8de),
PCMCIA_DEVICE_PROD_ID1(“SCR24x PCMCIA”,0x54a33665),
and add the line:

PCMCIA_DEVICE_PROD_ID1(“HP”, 0x53cb94f9),

Note: “HP”, 0x53cb94f9 is the prod_id(1) what I have got in my unit – so this has to be changed with what the customer gets on his unit when he runs the lspcmci -v command
Joao December 28, 2010 - 8:08 pm Reply

I tried everything. I updated the kernel, verified that I have the newest driver, changed the frequency to 40Hz, updated the bios, disabled the light sensor in the bios.
Nothing helped. Why can I not get rid of the problem?
- levin December 28, 2010 - 9:50 pm Reply
  
  The flickering issues seems broken in upsteam release, so far as i knew the lastest working kernel is http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.36-rc4-maverick/
Fredrik January 19, 2011 - 5:57 pm Reply

The flickering seems to be solved by the latest daily kernel:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/daily/2011-01-18-natty/

However I still have some troubles with plugging/unplugging external displays.
- levin January 19, 2011 - 6:16 pm Reply
  
  actually, the external display problem seems never been fixed… btw thanks for your update! cheers
ediulia January 19, 2011 - 8:19 pm Reply

i understand that there is no option at this time to install ubuntu 10.10 or 10.04 on 2540p without to spend at list a week for fix problems after installation. i will wait for 11.04. may be next version will solve screen problems without create new bugs…
david February 4, 2011 - 11:05 pm Reply

This kinda works for me, The flickering disappeared..

I installed the kernel from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/daily/current/
But now the openafs kernel module wont compile..
levin April 29, 2011 - 7:42 pm Reply

Just a quick update, 11.04 work flawlessly with HP 2540p. Everything work as expected!
Howdy Howdy testing ;p ;p ;p | Gowtham