After much futzing around with KPPP, I abandoned it on the strength of some forum encouragement that wvdial is the way to go being the way to go and if you’re going to mess around you may as well mess around on the command line.

How I made WvDial work!

You need to update the /etc/wvdial.conf file to read as below.  Provided that your modem is indeed located at /dev/ttyUSB0, easiest way to find out if that is the case.  unplug is, from the command line run “ls /dev/tty*” then plug it in and run the same command and see if what has changed, the new address is new stick.  (A lot of people on the Ubuntu forums have mentioned that this device gets mounted as a memory stick and that the mounted memory stick needs to be ejected first, this wasn’t the case for me running Debian.)

Here are the settings for the working /etc/wvdial.conf
[Dialer Defaults]

Modem = /dev/ttyUSB0
Username = ''
Password = ''
Phone = #777
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Dial Command = ATDT
Abort on No Dialtone = on
Carrier Check = on
Auto Reconnect = on
Check Def Route = on
Auto DNS = on
Idle Seconds = 0
Stupid Mode = on
Dial Attempts = 1
Ask Password = off

then you’ll need to close up that file and… at the command line type

~$ wvdial

Generally I get some output that looks like

--> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.60
--> Cannot get information for serial port.
--> Initializing modem.
--> Sending: ATZ
ATZ
OK
--> Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
OK
--> Modem initialized.
--> Sending: ATDT#777
--> Waiting for carrier.
ATDT#777
CONNECT
--> Carrier detected.  Starting PPP immediately.
--> Starting pppd at Sun Feb 28 09:19:56 2010
--> Pid of pppd: 28980
--> Using interface ppp0
--> pppd: 0[02]n�
--> Q [10]�P [01]
--> pppd: 0[02]n�
--> Q [10]�P [01]
--> pppd: 0[02]n�
--> Q [10]�P [01]
--> pppd: 0[02]n�
--> Q [10]�P [01]
--> local  IP address 70.28.210.69
--> pppd: 0[02]n�
--> Q [10]�P [01]
--> remote IP address 68.182.192.100
--> pppd: 0[02]n�
--> Q [10]�P [01]
--> primary   DNS address 204.174.120.46
--> pppd: 0[02]n�
--> Q [10]�P [01]
--> secondary DNS address 204.174.120.45
--> pppd: 0[02]n�
--> Q [10]�P [01]

and then if I check my connections by typing at the command line

sudo ifconfig

I see a new entry, ppp0 and there is a small amount of traffic running on it.

Gotchas

One possible gotcha I found is that if you attempt this while my wireless is on (not even connected, but just on) it still connects fine but my browser doesn’t connect to the internet.  The solution for me was to switch the wireless off then run wvdial. I’ve only had to do this on 1/3 machines that I’ve set up my Bell internet stick for.

U727 Performance

An interesting side note, is that another friend of mine was visiting a fairly remote part of BC and tried a newer model side by side with the U727 and found that the newer model (Sorry I don’t know the model). The newer model was unable to maintain a service signal but the U727 worked without problem. I guess the external antenna really does improve reception!

I’ve used the stick in a number of remote areas where the reception is really quite weak. 1 or two bars on a cell phone and had reasonably good success. Sometimes it is quite slow, but in general it has been perfectly adequate for what I need and in places that aren’t remote (one bar of reception areas) its relatively zippy.

Bluetooth Doesn’t Seem To Be Working At All!

First I install blueman. Start it up, most everything is disabled (greyed out). Ok, why is that?

hmm… maybe hcitool will tell me something different
$ hcitool scan
Device is not available: No such device

ok… I guess that means there is no device available, check the startup via
$ dmesg | grep Blue
lots of Bluetooth entries there.

next check the bluetooth kernel module is loaded
$ lsmod | grep blue
bluetooth 41795 6 sco,bnep,rfcomm,l2cap
rfkill 13012 4 bluetooth,cfg80211

Looks like the module is loaded. Time to Google my error message
http://forum.soft32.com/linux/Bluetooth-ftopict440233.html
Provides a hint that I need to install the userspace package, in Debian this means
$ sudo aptitude install bluetooth
that installed a bunch of packages. Trying my tests again
$ hcitool scan
(same result)
Blueman (same result)

$ /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart
(maybe it’ll help… nope)
Hmmm.. sort of feels like the bluetooth adaptor is turned off. The 1001P doesn’t really have a hardware switch that I can see for turning bluetooth on.

Further Googling is talking making me feel like I should really have an entry in the output of lsusb that says something pretty clear about bluetooth, and I’m not seeing that. This really makes me think it isn’t on.

I know I shouldn’t have to… but I”ll try a reboot to get a fresh dmesg to look at and this laptop has been in and out of suspend a lot, I see that has fouled others up in that past. Nope that didn’t help.

eeePC Gotcha: Bluetooth is Controlled in the BIOS

Okay, Got a tip from a site that bluetooth on the 1001P can only be controlled via the bios (are you serious!?!) So I boot into the bios and sure enough under Advanced -> Onboard Settings (I think) there is Onboard Bluetooth and it is disabled. Enable that, save and exit. Reboot.

$ lsusb
now has an extra line in it… promising.
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 0b05:1788 ASUSTek Computer, Inc.

Bluetooth is Working, Now for the Keyboard

Straight for the throat, starting blueman, YES we have an adapater. Double checking with hcitool.
$ hcitool scan
Scanning....
alright!!

Now just to get the keyboard working. Put the keyboard into discovery mode.

Into Blueman, and searching for the device. It shows up! Good sign. Attempt to pair with the device. My secret code is requested. I enter it. “1111″ (the usual) and I go to the keyboard type “1111″ Enter. Looks like we’re paired. Uh oh it looks like it disconnected. Hmm… reconnect, which works, and then click on the trust icon. Still connected good, good. Start typing, it’s working!! (I’m sure this could all be done from the command line with hcitool as well, I’m not exactly sure how.)

Awesome.

Testing, The Use Cases

Now the two remaining tests. At work I’m doing some frustrating hack using
hidd --connect MAC ADDRES GOES HERE
and if I leave the computer for 10-20 minutes the keyboard dies. It totally sucks. Secondarily, if I restart the computer the keyboard isn’t connected. Both of these things didn’t weren’t a problem in the past, but they are now. So let’s see if the problem is the same here.

1. Coming back the next morning and it is still working!!
2. Suspending and restoring and it is still working.
3. And it even works (with a minor delay after a reboot) in the gdm screen.

Hurray!! Complete Success.

Bonus: killing the Blueman applet doesn’t kill the connection, I suspected this would be true but just wanted to confirm.

Bluetooth Files

I previously had attempted to edit a bunch of files in the /etc/bluetooth/* and /etc/default/bluetooth, but none of those files appear changed in this case and the keyboard is working fine. Being curious I snooped around and found that the specific device information related to the connection with my keyboard can be found in /var/lib/bluetooth/* but looking at a few of the files. I can see that they are definitely not meant to be editted by hand. AKA leave it to the tools in this case blueman. I’m sure hcitool also refers to and edits these files although I have not confirmed that.

Hardware and Operating System Details

• Keyboard : Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Keyboard 7000
• Debian squeeze (pre stable release)
• Linux Kernel Linux 2.6.32-3-amd64
• And of course my eeePc 1001P

Now to see if I can get it working on my work computer! Thinkpad T61.

Step 1 – The .fonts File Folder

Looks into your home directory.  We’re looking for a hidden folder

~/.fonts

If you already have this folder then you can go to step 3, if not…

Step 2 – Making the .fonts File Folder

Open up your terminal go to your home folder and make the the .fonts file folder (this can also be done in the file manager of your choice)

mkdir ~/.fonts

you can check to see if it is there using

ls -a ~

See it there?  Good! Time for …

Step 3 – Copying your font files (.ttf) into the .fonts file folder

This can be done either on the command line or in your file manager of choice.

You’re Done

That’s it!  If you open up an application that let’s you choose your font, you should see your newly installed font.  I can attest this works in OpenOffice and in GIMP.

As an example, try installing ecofont and save the world/your money by using less ink on your print outs.

The solution from [url=http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Setup_Samba]http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Setup_Samba[/url]
I get a Permision denied message trying to access a Windows 2000, XP, 2003: Make sure you have Guest account enabled on Windows machines and Guest have sharing permissions over the shares. Sometimes this is not trivial due to the permissions editing of a carpet is not shown by default in some Windows systems. If it is enabled, right click on the share, pick up the Permissions section and add Guest user with the appropriate rights (probably full control full control can be security risk. "Modify" provides read/write and create/delete without the more dangerous abilities).

And now I can the website backed up. yay

However you can install the .deb files that you can get from ATI
cd /usr/src/
tar xjf fglrx-tar-bzr
cd /usr/src/modules/fglrx

then get the patch from [url=http://darcs.frugalware.org/repos/frugalware-current/source/x11-extra/fglrx/fglrx-2.6.20.patch]http://darcs.frugalware.org/repos/frugalware-current/source/x11-extra/fglrx/fglrx-2.6.20.patch[/url]

run the patch using the command
patch < /path/to/fglrx-2.6.20.patch

and then compile the modules using following steps of 4.1c here
[url=http://www.stanchina.net/~flavio/debian/fglrx-installer.html]http://www.stanchina.net/~flavio/debian/fglrx-installer.html[/url]

Lord bless the smart people that figured all this out!

glxgears

You see people using the program to test the framerate (FPS) of their ATI cards. trying to spot imporvements… well the newest version. requires this switch

$ glxgears -iacknowledgethatthistoolisnotabenchmark

to output the fps.

Haha, you gotta love when people are that careful.

Turns out it is easy. In Gnome go to Desktop –> Preferences –> Keyboard Shortcuts

Then find the function you want to control, click on it, and then click on the laptop button that you want to control it.

And now it works. yaya.

To make a long story short all that I needed to do was go to the alasmixer and mute the External Amplifier.

Bango, it worked.

Now if only the ocean glider I am working on would come to the surface and call home…

There have been a few trials.
1. Audio – I like music, I want music. So when the audio didn't work I was a little bit bummed.
Then suddenly its working… Now it ain't kind of intermittent every time I boot up its a question… "Oh is the sound working?"
Hopefully I can get this nailed down soon!

2. Wireless not working – This was a toughy. I initially solved it by following the tutorial here [url=http://www.debiantutorials.org/content/view/153/213/]http://www.debiantutorials.org/content/view/153/213/[/url]

And then undid that fix because I wanted to use the network-manager-gnome package. This started working after I actually read the README.Debian file for network-manager (the daemon, RTFM) and recomiled the kernel for 2.6.20 not exactly sure what made the difference the change the manual suggested or the kernel. But I am currently putting my money on the kernel.

3. Fan control – I do not like noisy computers
Why all the noise when I am just typing?!?! Driving me crazy luckily I fixed the problem, it seems by
"apt-get install powernowd"
powernowd couldn't be started for two reasons
1. The virtual file system for accessing the cpu wasn't loaded (uh ok) so the README.Debian says you need to add
"sysfs /sys sysfs defaults 0 0" to the /etc/fstab file did that.
Then I realized the powernow-k8 kernel module wasn't loaded. So I loaded the module with the command
modprobe powernow-k8
and then started the powernowd with the command
/etc/init.d/powernowd start
and finally added this line to the /etc/modules list so that
powernow-k8
to the /etc/modules list so it would load in the future at boot up.

And right now I it all seems to be working.