Ubuntu and the asus zenbook (UX31)

**macozz** · March 16th, 2012

Jupiter stops to work after the yesterday upgrade. Somebody else is using it in the UX31?
I am running 11.10, wiht 3.3rc6, Gonme shell.

Thanks

**jmlynn** · March 16th, 2012

Originally Posted by kriskishi

I am a unsatisfied windows user migrating to Ubuntu. I am loving it.
But i am a .net developer, so I need windows for few applications like visual studio and iTunes.
So, I am thinking of installing virtualbox or VMware on Ubuntu and install windows on it and access those applications.
Can somebody suggest me the best laptop for ubuntu as main operating system where the devices like USB and webcam and Bluetooth shud not have *problems and shud be able to share with windows. Price is not a problem but I need the best laptop where Ubuntu is primary os and windows is the virtual os. I am not looking for dell though.

Thank u...

kriskishi

I had purchased the Zenbook UX31-DH72 recently. I had installed Ubuntu 11.10 using USB thumb drive, the latest stable release and the latest release of VirtualBox on it with Windows XP. There are a few things that kind of behave strangely, otherwise, both OSes work great:

Need to do the fn+F8 button prior to boot menu to use LCD screen + external monitor
every now and then, even after fresh reboot, opening Firefox will forced log off
sleep/hibernate/resume didn't works for ubuntu

Other than that, it works fine. I didn't see most of the other problems folks in this forum reported. However, I did need to borrow a "name brand" wifi USB adapter to get both the buildt-in wifi adapter and the wired ethernet adapter to work. This was done after the USB ubunto installation is complete, but unable to install updates due to missing drivers for both adapter. Hence need a name brand one to get installation completed. Once latest updates are installed, everything works fine.

Same as you, I installed Windows XP so I can update my TomTom GPS, my Scanner, and use MS Office to collaborate documents with others. I even use the Ubuntu One to syn document between Ubuntu and Windows so I don't need to tx file using the USB Drive. Other than that, I "live" mostly in Ubuntu.

As you indicated, you are a dot net developer, you will have to live with the 4GB RAMs, you can use a USB hub to get more USB ports and a large Western Digital Passport compact TB drive. With the fast and light weight, you will love this machine.

Good luck and have fun!

Jeff

**jmlynn** · March 16th, 2012

Just to clarify, I only install Ubuntu 11.10 (32-bit, the recommended) plus its associated updates. So no kernel recompile nor use any "alpha or beta" release. Just the stable release followed by updates.

May be some of the problem people reported are using the beta release?

Jeff

**jmlynn** · March 16th, 2012

Originally Posted by quesst

Hey, figured it out - same Issue as with HDMI --> plug in AFTER booting is finished.

From previous post suggested, it is better using the FN+F8 key prior to boot menu to reduce plug/unplug the HDMI display connector.

Jeff

**quesst** · March 16th, 2012

Originally Posted by jmlynn

From previous post suggested, it is better using the FN+F8 key prior to boot menu to reduce plug/unplug the HDMI display connector.

Jeff

That's right, but as far as I have exprienced that this does not work, when I want to use the internal display at the same time.
Quesst

**aspettl** · March 16th, 2012

Originally Posted by quesst

That's right, but as far as I have exprienced that this does not work, when I want to use the internal display at the same time.
Quesst

Works for me, at least with HDMI, didn't test VGA. But you have to press Fn+F8 before Grub loads.

ASPM issue
I think I found the reason why power usage is higher since 3.2 kernels: ASPM is not enabled, even with "pcie_aspm=force".

Code:

sudo lspci -vv | grep ASPM

Output with old 3.1.10 kernel:

Code:

		LnkCap:	Port #0, Speed unknown, Width x0, ASPM unknown, Latency L0 <64ns, L1 <1us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM Disabled; Disabled- Retrain- CommClk-
		LnkCap:	Port #1, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <1us, L1 <16us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk-
		LnkCap:	Port #2, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <512ns, L1 <16us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
		LnkCap:	Port #4, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <512ns, L1 <16us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
		LnkCap:	Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <4us, L1 <64us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
		LnkCap:	Port #0, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 unlimited, L1 unlimited
		LnkCtl:	ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+

Output with current 3.3-rc7 kernel (or 3.2.11, or 3.2-Ubuntu, or 3.1.10 without pcie_aspm=force):

Code:

		LnkCap:	Port #0, Speed unknown, Width x0, ASPM unknown, Latency L0 <64ns, L1 <1us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM Disabled; Disabled- Retrain- CommClk-
		LnkCap:	Port #1, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <1us, L1 <16us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk-
		LnkCap:	Port #2, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <512ns, L1 <16us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
		LnkCap:	Port #4, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <512ns, L1 <16us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
		LnkCap:	Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <4us, L1 <64us
		LnkCtl:	ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
		LnkCap:	Port #0, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 unlimited, L1 unlimited
		LnkCtl:	ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+

I have a power usage of approx. 4.5W on the old 3.1.9 kernel, compared to >5.5W with 3.3-rc7 (or 3.2 vanilla, or 3.2 Ubuntu). 3.2.5 (and higher) or 3.3 kernels contain the "ASPM fix" (see e.g. http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...tem&px=MTA1MzY), so this seems to be a problem for us.

Here is a good page about ASPM: http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Documentation/ASPM
I'm not keen on trying setpci directly, but maybe I'll try the enable-aspm script... that should be safe, as we know which ports support L0/L1 by looking at the output of lspci -vv using an older kernel.

Regards
Aaron

**aspettl** · March 16th, 2012

Update:
The enable-aspm script seems to work

I have to call it two times, once for root complex 00:1c.3 (PCI Express Root Port 4), endpoint 03:00.0 (USB 3.0 controller), and once for root complex 00:1c.1 (PCI Express Root Port 2), endpoint 02:00.0 (Atheros wireless).

Probably these values are the same for other UX31 users, but maybe not, so make sure they are. (I'm using BIOS version 210.)
This drops power usage by about 1W for me (on idle).

Regards
Aaron

**quesst** · March 17th, 2012

Originally Posted by aspettl

Update:
The enable-aspm script seems to work

I have to call it two times, once for root complex 00:1c.3 (PCI Express Root Port 4), endpoint 03:00.0 (USB 3.0 controller), and once for root complex 00:1c.1 (PCI Express Root Port 2), endpoint 02:00.0 (Atheros wireless).

Probably these values are the same for other UX31 users, but maybe not, so make sure they are. (I'm using BIOS version 210.)
This drops power usage by about 1W for me (on idle).

Regards
Aaron

Thanks for the report. Yet, my system knowledge is simply too little to be able to apply your information. Could you either link some pages that explain the theory and practical part or could you give more precis instructions on how to do this?

thanks
Quesst

**aspettl** · March 17th, 2012

My approach was simple:
I booted an old kernel (Ubuntu 11.10 3.0 kernel should do, but also 3.1 series or 3.2 series until 3.2.4) and wrote the current configuration to a file:

Code:

sudo lspci -vv > lspci_vv_old

Then, I rebooted with a recent kernel and did the same again:

Code:

sudo lspci -vv > lspci_vv_new

Now you can compare the two files. There are four entries in the lspci_vv_old file with "ASPM L0s L1 Enabled", where the lspci_vv_new file contains "ASPM Disabled". Those four entries correspond to two devices (USB 3.0 and wireless) and the two corresponding root complex devices (USB 3.0 / wireless are connected to those "PCI Express Root Ports").
For me, these are:

Code:

00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev b5)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev b5)
02:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
03:00.0 USB Controller: Fresco Logic Device 1009 (rev 02)

You have to determine which device is connected to which root complex, this can be done with

Code:

lspci -t

The root complex ids are on the second level (below "[0000:00]") and the square brackets behind them tell which bus address belongs to the root complex. The bus address is the first part of the device id, before the colon.
Example, for my UX31:

Code:

-[0000:00]-+-00.0
           +-02.0
           +-16.0
           +-1b.0
           +-1c.0-[01]--
           +-1c.1-[02]----00.0
           +-1c.3-[03]----00.0
           +-1d.0
           +-1f.0
           +-1f.2
           \-1f.3

Therefore, 02:00.0 is below 00:1c.1, and 03:00.0 below 00:1c.3.

You have to insert the endpoint and root complex device id in the enable-aspm script:
http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Do...th_enable_aspm
I created two copies of enable-aspm and set ROOT_COMPLEX and ENDPOINT in both, i.e.,

Code:

ROOT_COMPLEX="00:1c.1"
ENDPOINT="02:00.0"

and

Code:

ROOT_COMPLEX="00:1c.3"
ENDPOINT="03:00.0"

Regards
Aaron

**stephanlinn** · March 17th, 2012

Hi,
I can relate.... I installed 11.10 (64 bit ) from a usb and the wireless and ethernet did not work. I switched to 12.04 which fixed the communications problem, but now the touchpad is broke. After a while, it needs a reboot because no keyboard input is accepted.
Typing this from my MacBook, which I will hold on to for a while.
Cheers