pheonixgodas.com

Pidgin is a great multi-protocol IM. One thing i found mising in that was Skype. I searched for Skype plugin for pidgin and to install  u need to download a package file.Just follow the below commands

wget http://eion.robbmob.com/skype4pidgin.deb

sudo dpkg -i skype4pidigin.deb

Above thing will do the job and u will be able to use skype with u r pidgin

FINGER PRINT READER

Next thing was to protect my system from unauthorized user , m1530 has a got a finger print reader .To use it in ubuntu u can there is a package called thinkfinger

Install thinkfinger-tools and libpam-thinkfinger:

sudo apt-get install thinkfinger-tools libpam-thinkfinger

now acquire the finger print with this command

sudo tf-tool –acquire

to test u r fingerprint

sudo tf-tool –verify

now how to use it daily,as everyone Linux has lots of config files now we need to edit one of those

/etc/pam.d/common-auth

modify it as
#
# /etc/pam.d/common-auth - authentication settings common to all services
#
# This file is included from other service-specific PAM config files,
# and should contain a list of the authentication modules that define
# the central authentication scheme for use on the system
# (e.g., /etc/shadow, LDAP, Kerberos, etc.). The default is to use the
# traditional Unix authentication mechanisms.
#
auth sufficient pam_thinkfinger.so
auth required pam_unix.so try_first_pass nullok_secure

and don forget to acquire a fingerprint
now done with finger print reader.

WEBCAM

worked out of box with cheese

just install cheese package .

Remote Control

worked out of box

Bluetooth

i am able to send files (out of box).there is a problem in receiving .not able to solve it

wireless

i don think there is problem now with all updates ,now works properly with wifi led blinking.to make led work install backport modules of u r kernel.

dell xps m150 works fine with ubuntu with few hiccups.Main Idea of the post u can go ahead to purchase dell xps m1530 ,if u r plannin to use linux .

I got a Dell XPS M1530 with Following specification

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7250

• Graphics: nVidia GeForce Go 8600M GT with 256 MB video memory

• Screen: 15.4-inch widescreen, 1680 x 1050 CCFL (LG) with 2.0 Mpixel webcam

• RAM: 3 GB (2GB + 1GB) 667 MHz DDR2

• Harddisk: 250 GB SATA

• Wireless: Intel 3945 WiFi

• Bluetooth: Dell TrueMobile 355

• Fingerprint reader

• DVD+/-RW slot-load drive

• 90W AC adapter, standard 6-cell battery

It came with Windows Vista Home Premium Edition. I mainly work in linux evironment , i choose to install ubuntu 8.04. I had a gr8 time configurin it ,thought of bloggin it to help other having the same problem

Touchpad

first shock i got after successful installation was that the touch pad was not working properly .MY dell XPS M1530 came with A08 bios i have upgraded it to A09. Small Tweak in the grub/menu.lst solved the problem,i found out this in ubuntu forums

This problem is solved by using the following kernel boot parameter:

i8042.nomux=1
ie make this change in u r grub/menu.lst

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic
root (hd0,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=b0dcf52b-86d4-4dd6-aa7c-31a462ed09d8 ro quiet splash i8042.nomux=1
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
quiet

GRAPHICS
Immediately after makin the touch pad working ,next thing was to get my graphics driver installed . i went to System / Administration / Hardware Drivers . I installed it and reboot my system and Xserver Crashed. i just got a white screen .They changed myself to terminal CTRL+ALt+F1, i got the drivers purge removed . but actually my friend also have same laptop and he did not have any problem worked out of the box for him
After searching the web , i actually found two method working without any problem
before selecting any of two method c that u don have any drivers installed ,purge remove them if u have any

method 1

sudo apt-get install envyng-gtk
then type in terminal
envyng-gtk
select Nvidia and go for install nvidia driver(automatic hardware detection )
this will solve the problem

Method 2

first download the drivers from
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_ia32_173.14.09.html
after downloadin the driver do this
press ALT+CTRL+F1
log into u r system … warning before goin further c that u have removed all the existing drivers
then type this commands into u r teminal

u need to stop the Xserver first type this command
sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop
after that go to the folder where u have downloaded drivers in the terminal and type this command
sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-173.14.09.pkg1.run
accept the the license and this will do the job

Reboot the System and Graphics driver will work.U can select any of the two methods , i have tested both and both worked,just c that before doin any method u don have any driver installed

to be continued ……