Configuring Ubuntu Gutsy for Sony Vaio with Thinkfinger Fingerprint reader, Intel4965n Card, Intel X3100 running Compiz-fusion, with sound working

Introduction

This document outlines configuring Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) on your Sony VGN Series. Most items will work out of the box and a base install should provide you with a completely working system. Due to the modular nature of the VGN series there are many different configuration, please read carefully and only make the changes specific to your system.

Installation Notes

• § If booting with the live CD gives you a blank screen you should select the “Safe Graphics” menu choice.

Display/Video

Accelerated Video and Desktop Effects

Intel 2D and 3D accelerated video work out of the box.

Due to | bug 111257, compiz is disabled on the Intel i965 based video cards. To fix it do a apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager. On install add “SKIP_CHECKS=yes” to your “/etc/xdg/compiz/compiz-manager” .

Note: If you enable Compiz on an Intel card there will be issues with viewing media files, please see the bug report above for details

Intel X3100:

Plugging in an external monitor works, but is a clone of the built-in LCD by default. Using the Screens and Graphics tool located under Administration you can setup the second monitor as an extension of the existing screen or a clone for presentations.

Setting up dual monitors via the command line

If you like doing it via the command line and are using the Intel drivers you can use this example (Note all this should be possible using the Screens and Graphics tool so only make this change if you prefer the command line method):

This is an example for a 1680×1050 built-in LCD and a 1600×1200 external LCD: Add a “Virtual 3280 1200” line in the Display SubSection of the Screen Section in your xorg.conf:

Exit to a virtual terminal (press: ctrl-alt-F1), login and type the following:

# sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop

# xrandr –output LVDS –auto

To set the built-in LCD to ouput 1680×1050

# xrandr –output VGA –right-of LVDS

To extend the desktop

Fonts on High-Res Screens

On high-res screens (e.g. 15″ 1680×1050), some users consider the default fonts too be too large (Launchpad bug report). You can fix this by following these steps:

• 1. Open System->Preferences->Appearance
• 2. Select the “Fonts” tab
• 3. Click the “Details” button (lower right)
• 4. Adjust the Resolution down to 96dpi
• 5. Make sure you have Subpixel (LCD) Smoothing enabled
• 6. Save the preferences

If you also want small fonts on the GDM login window, you can do this:

• 1. Open System->Administration->Login Window
• 2. Select the ‘Security’ tab
• 3. Click the ‘Configure X-Server’ button
• 4. Append ‘-dpi 96’ (without quotes) to the text in the ‘Command’ field
• 5. Reboot the computer.

Brightness

Intel X3100:

The brightness controls should work out of the box on a fresh install.

Audio

Getting Sound to work

If you are using Intel ICH8(the newer sound chipsets) your sound might not work with a fresh install of Gutsy. To correct this simply make sure your backports repository is enabled in /etc/apt/source.list. Then run sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-generic . This will install the latest alsa drivers for your sound.

Fingerprint Reader

The reader works with ThinkFinger. General instructions available here and here. Instructions in French available at http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/materiel/thinkfinger

Prebuilt packages are available from jldugger using Launchpad’s PPA:

Add the thinkfinger package repository by creating /etc/apt/sources.list.d/thinkfinger.list with these two lines:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/jldugger/ubuntu gutsy main restricted universe multiverse

deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/jldugger/ubuntu gutsy main restricted universe multiverse

Then update the package database and install packages:

$ sudo apt-get update

$ sudo apt-get install libpam-thinkfinger libthinkfinger-dev libthinkfinger-doc libthinkfinger0 thinkfinger-tools

After the package is installed add the following two lines to /etc/pam.d/common-auth

auth sufficient pam_thinkfinger.so

auth required pam_unix.so try_first_pass

Edit /etc/modules and add the following line:

uinput

Load the module manually for this session:

$ sudo modprobe uinput

Summary:

• § Recording fingerprints works
• § Login works
• § The password must be entered to unlock a locked screensaver
• § sudo works
• § gksu and gksudo hang: for example it is necessary to run synaptic twice and enter your password upon failure. To be able to use the Finger print reader in the session subsequently, kill the hanging gksu/gksudo process. A workaround is editing the Gnome System Menu (alacarte) to specify sudo instead of gksu/gksudo for the launching command and choose type “Application in Terminal”: this opens an extra terminal window for each superuser application you want to use though.

Please note: This post has been modified from the original post on http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Installing_Ubuntu_7.10_(Gutsy_Gibbon)_on_a_ThinkPad_T61 to work for Sony Vaio Notebooks.

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~ by Chuka on October 24, 2007.