Ubuntu on my Dell 700m laptop
I just installed Ubuntu 6.06 LTS into my Dell 700m laptop and I am blogging with it now =). So did it went smooth? Well, it was way better than RedHat… in terms of usability.
But I did meet up with some problems. One of the main problem is WIFI using WPA. Somehow, the NetworkManager did not have support for anything else but WEP. I am using WPA Personal at home since WEP encrpytion has already been broken. So how to enable WPA support? You will have to go through some time consuming patches… and the steps looks harder than it is. Just follow the step-by-step guide at: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=125150, and you will get your WIFI running with full WPA support! Depending on your Internet connections, it might take you a full day.
I also have to sacrifice using the super USEFUL RoboForm, a Windows only password manager. This is really sad. Because there is no way I will remember password like this: !@FTgbWr1. If Google for “Roboform Linux”, you might get some alternative solution…. but still nothing beats RoboForm as password manager.
The 3rd thing is my built-in SD-Card reader is not working. Ubuntu DOES support SD-Card reader like this, but somehow it is not working for Dell. There are people who are using Compaq laptops and successfully utilize SD-Card right after installing Ubuntu… no patch required. My digicam uses SD card, so I always transfer photos by using my laptop SD Card reader. Now, I have to live with a external card reader instead.
So, that sums up my problems with Ubuntu *Dapper* on my Dell 700m. Just 3. 1 solvable…. another have to find alternative solution, and the final problem…. that we have to wait for some hacker out there to fix it. So far… I like it. Both Eclipse and Intellij IDEA works without problems on Ubuntu. I just need to retrieve my work from Subversion (running on my desktop) and voila! I can start development immediately.
Now I can safely use my laptop… even without a Virus/Spyware Scanner. =)
October 3rd, 2006 at 11:20 am
It sounds interesting, I used FC4 for a year and just switched to Dapper. However, I currently have a problem of suspend RAM with my 700m but it solved with FC4. I also tried to solve but it’s so frustrating after a couple of weeks. Can you help me to fix it. I’d highly appreciated that.
BongKin