FSC Amilo A1650g Ubuntu Fiesty 32bit How-To

Last Updated: 3/7/2007

3/7/2007 Added Distribution ready wireless button support (see "way 3") which also fixes the wireless scan/connect issue when enabling/disabling the wireless led.
26/6/2007 Added: Distribution ready wireless button support (see "way 2")

Specs:
AMD Turion 64 ML-32 / 1.8 GHz
512MB RAM
60GB HD
ATI Xpress 200M (Shared) - Crippled By Design
SD/MS CardReader
TV-OUT
CRT-OUT
PCMCIA Slot
Firewire
LAN
Modem
4 USB
DVDRW+
Atheros 802.11a/b/g
1200x800 Display
Fancy HotKeys

How-To
Installation did most of the magic. The following were automagically detected and operational:
AMD Turion 64 ML-32 / 1.8 GHz
512MB RAM
60GB HD
Firewire
LAN
4 USB
DVDRW+
Builtin SD/MS CardReader


The Rest is as follows

ATI Xpress 200M
FGLRX Doesn't work well for me, suspend sometimes stuck at turn off etc...
Xgl is a mess in Ubuntu so Compiz/Beryl is out of the question for now till AIGLX in fglrx.
On that front, a bunch of good faithed people has gathered to hack the RS480 down, so hopefully by the next version of Ubuntu, the opensource driver will be able to supply 3D support (with AIGLX) for the CBD Xpress 200M.

Fancy HotKeys
Most of the HotKeys are recognized and are configurable. The following HotKeys were detected upon install:
HELP, SLEEP, BLANK_SCREEN, BRIGHTNESS UP/DOWN, SCROLL LOCK, NUM LOCK, HOME, END.
MUTE, VOL UP/DOWN - might needed some tuning which was done through gnome's System->Preferences->Keyboard Shortcuts.
WWW_BROWSER became operational after acerhk was loaded (read ahead).

To get wireless button working there are 3 ways:

way 1:compile a prepatched version of acerhk - this will add support for all of the missing buttons (wireless, browser, fancy fan, display...)
downside: You have to repeat this process upon each kernel update.

I've set up a place in google code for this - http://fscamiloa16xx.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/Fiesty/
1) Run uname -r at the console, if there exist a folder that matches the output and you are using the 32bit version of ubnutu. download the file and put it in:
/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/input/misc/
you'll have to overwrite the existing file.
If such folder doesn't exist, you can use the patch I made against acerhk 0.5.35 recompile it and put the acerhk.ko file in the folder mentioned above ('make install' places it in the wrong folder).
(patch is at http://code.google.com/p/fscamiloa16xx/downloads/)

2) add at the end of the file /etc/modules:
acerhk

3) add at the end of the file /etc/modprobe.d/options
options acerhk autowlan=1

Restart and start using the buttons.
(or:
sudo rmmod acerhk
sudo modprobe acerhk
)

2. way 2: force the acerhk that comes with ubuntu to a certain settings
downside: this will make the wireless and browser button operational, but the display will be recognized as ''start media" and fancy fan will not be operational

1) add at the end of the file /etc/modules:
acerhk

2) add at the end of the file /etc/modprobe.d/options
options acerhk force_series=5020 autowlan=1

Restart and start using the buttons.
(or:
sudo rmmod acerhk
sudo modprobe acerhk force_series=5020 autowlan=1
)

3. way 3: dont use acerhk at all
downside: none of the three buttons above the keyboard will be operational, wireless will always be switched on regardless of the wireless led state.
upside: WIRELESS IS FINALLY SCANNING AND CONNECTING WITHOUT A HASSLE!!! YYYPPPPIIIEEEE!

1) add at the end of the file /etc/modprobe.d/options
options ath_pci rfkill=0


Atheros 802.11b/g
To make this baby running you should fix the hotkeys (as stated above) and then press the wireless button. the wireless card driver works out-of-the-box except for the fact that area scanning is awful - you'll have to know the accesspoints names and enter them manually in order to connect. (unless way 3 was used).

To be updated on good news.