Trip Report: Ubuntu 10.10 on HP Touchsmart IQ806

[RockOut]

Howdy. I am currently running Ubuntu10.10 on my new-out-of-the-box HP Touchsmart IQ806. I can't seem to find many people reporting about this particular configuration, so I will go ahead and give the community my Trip Report: Ubuntu-Touchsmart Edition.

If there's anything anyone wants to report about their experiences with this config, I hope you find the urge to comment on this arrangement. I hope this report will help others in the future working with this configuration.

It's a marvelous computer and running off of the Live CD of 10.10, all but 2 functions seem to be working OK--

1. I can't seem to get the wireless keyboard to connect on startup
2. I can't seem to get the wireless mouse to connect on startup.

Surely, I will find a way through this.

So, on to step 1 of the Ubuntu-ization. Installation. I am installing from the Live CD that I have running. Due to the keyboard issues, I am using a USB keyboard to help me until I can find a better solution.

[RockOut]

Ubuntu is now installed. These are the issues:

1. the keyboard does not connect
2. the mouse does not connect
3. the sound isn't working?

everything else seems to have gone very smoothly. USB mouse/keyboard is taking over for now. the touchscreen is lovely.

[RockOut]

To be clear, my first installation of Ubuntu was the 32bit version. This... did not go well.

So, now I've wiped the drive:

• using GParted
• ext3 format
• ready to install x64 version of Ubuntu 10.10.

Things I've discovered about Ubuntu's interaction with the HP Touchsmart is that the touchscreen features and capabilities seem to work just fine right out of the box. In all cases. When the first install went down, I was able to boot Ubuntu 10.04 via Live CD and keep working on my project using the touchscreen.

I fixed the sound issues using a fix found on the forums here.

So, now I'm signing off of my Live CD and about to boot into Ubuntu 10.10, x64 on a ext3 formatted HDD.

What do you think of this Trip Report format? Due to my job, I will be venturing into new computers with differing flavors of Ubuntu for the forseeable future. Anything that I should add to this to help others make a decision when buying a touchpad computer to run Ubuntu? (I think that's a fantastic idea, BTW. Get Ubuntu on ALL of the touchpads coming out!)

[RockOut]

10 things I've enjoyed using a touchscreen with Ubuntu

1. Productivity is higher! I feel more like a have a task in front of me
2. The experience with online graphical interfaces is decidedly different. I seem to be drifting from tabloid style gossip pages because touching faces seems too... personal and kind of gross ina way. ?!
3. I feel like I'm in the future
4. Details and lines in drawings (for example in Inkscpae) seem muuuuch better to manipulate when you zoom in closely and really manipulate the small details.
5. I can edit my typos faster
6. Declining online chats is a more decisive experience with a touchscreen over a mouse
7. Some people think I paid big bucks for my flashy touchscreen and ubuntu setup, i did not.

that;'s about it didnt make it to 10. But they're ALL GOOD.

[RockOut]

Bump on the road. The wireless doesn't seem to work out of the box of the 10.04 x64 distro. There is a solution that will work. You should really download this before you start Ubuntu-ing your HP Touchsmart.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1476007

Things One Should Have Dowloaded and handy before embarking on a future Ubunto Touchpad installation.

1. UNetbootin
2. 10.04x64 LTS ISO
3. Gparted Live ISO (to wipe the HD)
4. The RT2680 files in the tutorial above

Learning more daily... Anyway, this present distro seems to be working OK.

[RockOut]

Getting the sound to work -- this can help here:

http://www.ralinktech.com./support.php?s=2 use the Linux version 2.4.0.0

[RockOut]

also a super wonderful tutorial here, wish I'd had it 3 steps ago....
http://www.touchsmartdevzone.com/art...chSmart-IQ506/

[loldrup]

Nice..
Considering the new Touchsmart 9300 myself!

[RockOut]

I would recommend it. It adds this insanely nuanced efficiency to your work, to be able to physically touch and move things around on the screen. It makes explaining stuff that much easier.

That being said, and you can find this in another post, 11.10 does NOT currently agree with the touchscreen. I would recommend sticking with 10.04 LTS until a better, STABLE version of Ocelot comes out. Natty, 11.04, did NOT work at all on the touchscreen.