Difference between revisions of "IdeaPad S12"

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I got an IdeaPad S12 for Christmas!  I'm going to install Ubuntu Karmic on it.  This page will record my adventures.
 
I got an IdeaPad S12 for Christmas!  I'm going to install Ubuntu Karmic on it.  This page will record my adventures.
  
== Prior art ==
+
== Installer ==
 +
 
 +
The IdeaPad S12 has a Nano processor by VIA.  It's a 64-bit, x86 compatible processor, so you can either install 32-bit x86 or 64-bit x86.  Since 64-bit is still flaky I went for 32-bit.
 +
 
 +
== Graphics ==
 +
 
 +
The default installer for Ubuntu Karmic (including both the Netbook Remix and normal versions) don't contain the correct drivers for the VIA Chrome9 HC3 IGP. You'll know if this is happening to you because the kernel will boot (you'll get to stare at a pretty Ubuntu icon for several minutes), and then the screen will either go blank and have a blinking cursor, or because the screen will start flashing through colors such as red, green, blue, grey as if it were going through a factory test. I also saw a root prompt shortly before graphics attempted to kick in.  You should be able to get a terminal using control-alt-fX.
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 +
There is a PPA with updated drivers that worked for me.  To install it, get a terminal (using control-alt-f1) and then:
  
* [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Netbooks#Lenovo%20S12%20(Intel%20Atom%20CPU%20based) The Ubuntu Wiki] claims it "Works very well", but recommends nosplash as a kernel option
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add-apt-repository ppa:xorg-edgers
* [http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1256490 This forum thread] claims that dual-boot doesn't work well. I won't be testing this case.
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aptitude update
 +
aptitude full-upgrade
  
== Installer ==
+
I did not have to custom compile the drivers myself.
  
The IdeaPad S12 has a Nano processor by VIA.  It's a 64-bit, x86 compatible processor, so you can either install 32-bit x86 or 64-bit x86.  Since 64-bit is still flaky I went for 32-bit.
+
== Wireless ==
  
== Problems ==
+
Wireless did not work by default, Ubuntu offers you a choice of Broadcom restricted drivers (according to [http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=948475 this thread] the STA driver is higher performance), so make sure you have ethernet and go install it.
  
Using a USB with Ubuntu Netbook Remix on Karmic, I can get the kernel to boot but graphics fail to load. I haven't figured out why yet.
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== Webcam ==
  
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Works out of the box.
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{{Template:S12}}
 
{{Template:S12}}

Latest revision as of 15:53, 15 November 2010

I got an IdeaPad S12 for Christmas! I'm going to install Ubuntu Karmic on it. This page will record my adventures.

Installer

The IdeaPad S12 has a Nano processor by VIA. It's a 64-bit, x86 compatible processor, so you can either install 32-bit x86 or 64-bit x86. Since 64-bit is still flaky I went for 32-bit.

Graphics

The default installer for Ubuntu Karmic (including both the Netbook Remix and normal versions) don't contain the correct drivers for the VIA Chrome9 HC3 IGP. You'll know if this is happening to you because the kernel will boot (you'll get to stare at a pretty Ubuntu icon for several minutes), and then the screen will either go blank and have a blinking cursor, or because the screen will start flashing through colors such as red, green, blue, grey as if it were going through a factory test. I also saw a root prompt shortly before graphics attempted to kick in. You should be able to get a terminal using control-alt-fX.

There is a PPA with updated drivers that worked for me. To install it, get a terminal (using control-alt-f1) and then:

add-apt-repository ppa:xorg-edgers
aptitude update
aptitude full-upgrade

I did not have to custom compile the drivers myself.

Wireless

Wireless did not work by default, Ubuntu offers you a choice of Broadcom restricted drivers (according to this thread the STA driver is higher performance), so make sure you have ethernet and go install it.

Webcam

Works out of the box.

S12