Thursday, July 8, 2010

HOWTO: Ubuntu Linux on T101MT

I wrote a HOWTO for getting Linux working on the T91MT a couple months back and as I mentioned here I ended up changing to the slightly larger T101MT. Since Unix based operating systems are the only thing I have running on my hardware it was only natural I would install Ubuntu on my new tablet. The following is what I did to gain full functionality of the tablet under Ubuntu (And Linux Mint and Zorin).

Enlightenment runs great on tablets, check out a video of Bodhi Linux running on the T101MT here.

#0 Download System Updates
Make sure your system is up to date by running

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

#1 Setting Up the Touch Screen

By default when you press on the touch screen your mouse cursor will jump to the upper left hand corner of your screen. We need to do a couple of things to get this working properly.

wget http://www.philmerk.de/dwl/deb/eeepc-t101mt-calibrator-0.0.2-2-i386.deb
wget http://philmerk.de/dwl/deb/egalax-multitouch-driver-common.deb
sudo dpkg -i eeepc-t101mt*.deb
sudo dpkg -i egalax-multitouch*.deb


Next, we need to install the kernel drivers for the touch screen. To do this you need to first identify which kernel revision is installed on your system. To do this run

uname -r

in terminal.

If you are running the 2.6.32-21 kernel, download and install
this file.

If you are running the 2.6.32-22 kernel, download and install
this file.

If you are running the 2.6.32-23 kernel, download and install
this file.

If you are running the 2.6.32-24 kernel, download and install this file.

If you are running the 2.6.32-25 kernel, download and install this file.

After you have installed all three of these packages reboot your netbook. When it finishes booting back up go to
System->Administration->Calibrate Touch Screen and go through the configuration. You should now have a working touch screen.

#2 Making Function Keys Function

Some of the function keys do not work OOTB. To fix this run

sudo gedit /etc/default/grub


in terminal. In the file this opens look for the line that starts with "GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT" and replace the entire line with the following

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi_osi=Linux acpi_backlight=vendor"

Upon the next reboot your function keys should start working.

#3 Fixing the Camera

On some T101MTs (my own included) the camera displays an upside image when used. To resolve this run the following in terminal

sudo apt-get install build-essential
cd ~/Downloads
wget http://people.fedoraproject.org/~jwrdegoede/v4l-utils-0.7.92-test.tar.gz
tar xvfz v4l-utils-0.7.92-test.tar.gz
cd v4l-utils-0.7.92-test
make PREFIX=/usr
sudo make install PREFIX=/usr


And your orientation should now be correct. Also note if you are trying to use use your webcam with Skype, by default Skype uses it's own version of this file. To correct this load Skype with the following command

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

#4 Fix the Microphone

If your microphone does not work OOTB run the following

sudo apt-get install pavucontrol && pavucontrol

Then go to input settings and uncheck the three boxes present (speaker, shield, and check) and select either "Front Left" or "Front Right" and drag it to 0%. Your microphone should now be working (check your sound preferences to confirm this).

#5 Multi Touch Gestures

To enable some basic multi touch gestures in some applications (pinch to zoom and two finger scroll) download this file and then run the following in terminal

cd ~/Downloads
tar xvfz twofing-0.0.6b.tar.gz
sudo apt-get install build-essential libx11-dev libxtst-dev libxi-dev
cd twofing-0.0.6b
make
sudo make install

Now go to
System->Preferences->Startup Applications and select "add". Call your entry whatever you would like, but under command put

twofing --wait

Restart your computer and you should now have multi-touch enabled for your applications that support it (anything with scrolling and zoom in/out).

I think I covered just about everything you need to do to have a fully functioning T101MT under Ubuntu (If I missed anything let me know). Also - I did not come up with this process on my own. Credit goes to many hard working people on the
Ubuntu Forums who packaged this all together. What I have posted here is more a condensed version of a 20+ page thread so you can get your system working with a bit less reading :)

Have any questions feel free to drop a comment below and I will do my best to lend a hand.

~Jeff Hoogland

35 comments:

  1. Nice howto. Any reason not to edit /etc/default/grub before rebooting the first time?

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  2. Nope, not really. I just listed the steps in what I felt was the order of hardware importance :)

    ~Jeff

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  3. THX, it works perfect

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  4. You have 90% of the functionality of your Eee PC, but you haven't installed anything for SHE to improve your battery life.

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  5. @FEWT Install eee-control or Jupiter? At any rate I didn't include either of these in a step because they are more a general EEE thing than just the T101MT.

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  6. eee-control is supported on Ubuntu, and Jupiter isn't technically but it does work. Either of them add the remaining 10% that's missing from any Asus Eee. Jupiter works on more than just Eee PCs too.

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  7. Thank you very much!

    Giuseppe from Italy

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  8. Thank you for your invaluable help! By following your instructions now I have my Asus T101MT perfectly working with Ubuntu 10.04, touchscreen 100% operative. Roberto (from Italy)

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  9. Hello Jeff,

    I am an average Windows user, with a strong desire to start learning Linux - the old black and white character user interface way. But I cant find a simple easy to understand book / online resource (free ofcourse), to start with.

    Could you kindly drop some suggestions.

    Thanks in advance

    Regards
    Aditya (India)

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  10. @Aditya You know, using "the terminal" for Linux really isn't 100% necessary any more. I never really sat down and read a book to learn all that I do. Personally I think the best way to learn the operating system is to just dive right in! Install Ubuntu (either in a dual boot or single boot) and just tackle issues that arise as they arise. If you really want to get sticky with Linux, try lots of different distros - they are all different. You might find one you like more than Ubuntu.

    Cheers,
    ~Jeff

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  11. hi. I have kernel 2.6.32-24. are available drivers for the touch screen?
    I also tried as you say, but the touchscreen does not work. thanks

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  12. I just updated the post to include a download link for the -24 kernel (it wasn't released when I first wrote this up). Also - not having one of the packages installed will cause the touch screen not to work. Follow step #1 and everything should be a-ok.

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  13. For some reason, my T101MT's keyboard doesn't work in Ubuntu (or any derivatives). Do you have any idea what might be causing this, or how to solve it?

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  14. This is Adrian.Thanks Jeff91 for your great help. Now i´m very happy with my t101. However i cannot handwrite using xournal -for example- with my hand resting over the screen -because of the lack of palm detection system-
    Could you,please, give me information to avoid this problem ? bye

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  15. @Nigel I am not certain on that, never had that issue. Does it work with other distros + Windows? Maybe make a post on the Ubuntu forums and see if someone has some idea over there.

    @Adrian I am just careful about how I write not to touch the screen (not too hard with some practice). Also if you mostly write towards the bottom of the screen you can rest your wrist on the bottom on the tablet and not set off the touch sensor.

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  16. Adrian: Thanks again Jeff. I was waiting for a more technicall answer like, for example, doing differences looking at the differents pressure levels over the screen from your hand and your pen while handwriting. I realise than T101 does that on widows7. however your answer is much more easy and it is good for all ubuntu versions of course. Bye Jeff

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  17. Alas Adrian I am unaware currently of a technical fix for what you suggest :-/ I posted your question asking if it would be possible though - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9820391&posted=1#post9820391

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  18. i am using xubuntuxx-32.24 and i have gotten everything running except one thing. i cant find the administrator menu. this may seem stupid, but does the GUI have one?

    im only trying to get the touch screen working, nothing more

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  19. The very first link for the touch screen calibrator is giving me a Page Not Found. Do you know if it has moved/updated/gone, or am I just missing something obvious because I can't read German? :)

    Thanks!

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  20. @Andi Thanks for the heads up. I just updated the post with a current link. A new version had released of that package and the old one was taken down.

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  21. I'm running the 2.6.32-25 kernel. How do I get the touchpad working?

    Thanks.

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  22. I installed all three of the packages and have had no change on my 101tm. I have the 2.6.32-25 kernel. any advice would be apreciated

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  23. Hey could the same process be applied if running opensuse 11.4? Looking into a new asus but I really only use opensuse. Any suggestions?
    Morgan from Canada

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  24. 11.4 uses the 2.6.36 kernel so the touch screen and the function keys should for you OOTB (or at the very least with little work). The other things are as simple as a recompile. Don't see why it shouldn't work.

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  25. Jeff
    cool post. Thanks
    I want a tablet to read Investors Business Daily and use xournal and whiteboard and to draw diagrams and do field note taking for databases and spreasdsheets. Is this the computer for me?
    thx
    dave

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  26. Jeff- Thanks for the help. My Asus t101mt is cool and I had fun getting the computer to Ubuntu and dumping Windows. My next move is to get a single boot to Mint 10. One item may help others is that I could not get the 32-21 kernel to work in Ubuntu 10.04. I went with 10.10 and followed the Ubuntu directions. I'm not sure about the two finger touch screen (if I have it working right). I have tried Inkscape which has nice sketch capabilities.

    Again Thanks
    dw

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  27. Jeff
    what on screen keyboard do you use. also should I be able to click and get the EDIT Menu to COPY, PASTE etc?

    thanks
    dave

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  28. I use cellwriter if I just need a few characters. Anything more than that I flip it back into a laptop.

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  29. I have bookmarked this page as i plan on installing Zorin OS on my t101mt and was wondering if the same process would work as it is an umbuntu based distro?

    any reply would be great

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  30. WiildOs 1.3.2 is out,
    WiildOs is an educational live and installable GNU/Linux distro build
    from the Ardesia stuff and thinking for teaching purposes. It includes
    the software that enable you to use a wiimote whiteboard.

    WiildOs includes lubuntu-desktop, python-whiteboard, ardesia, sankore,
    spotlighter, curtain, florence-ramble, wmgui, wiican, easystroke,
    whyteboard, vmg, shutter, gimp, tuxpaint, tuxmath, tuxtype, dia,
    scribus, audacity, stellarium, xournal, gcompris, geogebra, wxmaxima,
    openoffice.org, jokosher, musescore, solfege, stellarium, dasher,
    eviacam and more!

    More info on http://code.google.com/p/ardesia/wiki/WiildOs

    Build a wiildOs4win wubi like installer that allow to install wiildOs
    inside windows without partitioning the hard disk.
    http://ardesia.googlecode.com/svn/wiki/wiildOs/wiildOs4win.exe

    Changelog
    - new kernel 2.6.35; this add the support to some new devices including
    the toshiba bluettoth
    - thunderbird in now the default mailer instead of sylpheed
    - firefox is the default browser instead of chromium
    - removed xscreensaver for performance issue
    - remove all the gnome office suite; we use openoffice suite
    - fix the wiican program; now you can you use the wiimote as controller
    usinf the infrared camera or the accelerometers in a visual user
    friendly way

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  31. there is a file to download 4 ubuntu 11.10?

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  32. Does this still work for 12.04?
    The files for fixing touchscreen are missing.

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