Samsung series 9

[dkearns]

Has anyone else run into an issue where dmidecode is not working? Best I can tell, the bios is not populating any information for linux to read.

I have installed 12.04.1 with 3.5.1-030501-generic on an np900x4c-a01us. Below is what I get from dmidecode. This prevents the samsung-laptop kernel module from loading, as well as pretty much anything else vendor-specific from working.

# dmidecode 2.11
# SMBIOS entry point at 0xdac46000
SMBIOS 2.7 present.
64 structures occupying 2900 bytes.
Table at 0x000E0840.

Invalid entry length (0). DMI table is broken! Stop.

I'm wondering if this might be fixed by installing the bios update from last April, and if anyone has installed that update via dos/usb, as I am not dual-booting.

Couple other notes from my experience. The single best quality-of-life improvement I've seen so far is with "xgamma -gamma 0.7". The display is super washed-out otherwise.

Also, the bios is super buggy. I usually have to reboot a few times before it works, and always have to disable the fast boot mode. Symptoms include messed up display of the bootloader menu: sometimes invisible but working, sometimes the top half renders but not the bottom, sometimes it just freezes there.

Fortunately manual suspend/resume work fine, and I really like this machine in general.

[joehothebo]

Hey,
I actually just installed the Bios update today and now got Bios version P04AAC. Unfortunately dmidecode still returns rubbish and for now i've got no idea how to fix it. As for the Bios installation I did not find any other way than to install Windows.
Cheers

JO

[joehothebo]

Hey,

now it works dunno what exactly has changed but I get the correct information from the dmidecode and the function keys are also working. Still having problems trying to update to Kernel 3.5.4 or 3.6. So if anyone knows how to properly update the Kernel I would love any help/suggestions.
Thanks a lot in advance

JO

[Muurahainen]

Still having problems trying to update to Kernel 3.5.4 or 3.6. So if anyone knows how to properly update the Kernel I would love any help/suggestions.
Thanks a lot in advance

Just download packages from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa.../v3.6-quantal/, install them and reboot.

[mpenda]

Hello. A brand new Series 9 NP900X4C-A03US. I've got 12.04 (AMD64) on a USB drive, I've disabled the appropriate items in BIOS, and when I get the boot: prompt (which will not pass on its own) I hit <TAB> and then "live" and enter. It seems like it boots, the screen flashes and I hear the tone, but the screen is illegible. If I move the mouse, I see a about 400 little squares move in unison around the screen.
Any ideas as to what's going on and how to get out of it?

[nelis123]

Even the acpi issues seem to have disappeared for me after installing that bios update.. I installed it 3 weeks ago. Previously I got a week at most before the issues re-appeared. And it almost never survived a full night suspend.

[Ub1476]

Hi, I own a 900x3c with BIOS P04AAC and am also experiencing acpi issues. Is this the latest bios? Also I see the function keys for keyboard backlight control is supposed to be working in Ubuntu 12.10 (see here), however they don't work me. Still, the backlight do seem to turn on when it gets a bit darker.

Also I've been checking PowerTOP for stuff taker more power than its supposed too.. First of all the audio intel codec has a bug, which is easily fixed by adding this to your /etc/rc.local (as explained in the link):

echo 1 | tee /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save

echo Y | tee /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save_controller

pkill pulseaudio

pulseaudio --start

However I noticed something else with wireless in PowerTOP. I have something called "radio:samsung-wlan" (using about 1.5W) and then "Network interface: wlan0 (iwlwifi)" (using about 200mW). Both are listed as "Device". I'm wondering if the samsung-wlan (running at 100%) is something I really need for wireless, or if it's just some sort of duplicate of the other (Network inter..). It just seems strange to have to two of these running at the same time.

[Ani]

When I boot into Ubuntu 12.10 (64 bit) on Samsung Series 9 900X3B screen brightness is always at maximum highest level.

Is there a way to make Ubuntu remember the previous screen brightness?

[netAction]

I installed Ubuntu 12.10 on my 900X4C A02 and started $sudo showkey. This is the result:

Setup: 118 pressed NOT released
Display darker: 224 pressed and released
Display brighter: 225 pressed and released
Monitor switch: 227 pressed and released
Touchpad lock: 193 pressed and released
Touchpad unlock: 192 pressed and released
Mute: 113 pressed and released, LED on key is always off
Volume down: 114 pressed and released
Volume up: 115 pressed and released
Keyboard light darker: nothing
Keyboard light brighter: nothing
Fan: 202 pressed and released
WLan: nothing, LED on key is always on


Then I added the following 3 lines to /lib/udev/keymaps/samsung-other

0x96 kbdillumup # keyboard backlit up
0x97 kbdillumdown # keyboard backlit down
0xCE prog1 # system settings

and the following 3 lines to /lib/udev/keymaps/force-release/samsung-other

0x96 # keyboard backlit up
0x97 # keyboard backlit down
0xCE # system settings

and rebooted the laptop. After that $sudo showkey returned different codes for three keys:

Setup: 148 pressed and released
Keyboard light darker: 229 pressed and released
Keyboard light brighter: 230 pressed and released

[sojusnik]

@all 900X3C owners

Can you hear a buzzing sound when you place your ear 5cm above the keyboard while it is illuminated (highest level)? On my newly bought 900X3C-A03DE this buzzing/whirring sound is noticeable.

Is this a defect or does everybody notice this?