HOW TO: Install Ubuntu on a HP TC1100 tablet pc

**Avalon2050** · April 30th, 2010

Okay, after fixing my Karmic installation, I removed "Desktop Switcher" and thought that the netbook remix was dead for me. I tried to find info whether you can install the Lucid netbook launcher instead of the karmic one (because it is efl-based and runs much faster than the karmic launcher), but found zilch, although I did find out that the new launcher is called "netbook-launcher-efl".

Then, in a fit of temporary insanity, I figured why not just try to add the lucid repos (main) and try to install the launcher. BINGO! Now, with an addition to the startup applications, the launcher works (and looks just GREAT!!). The best thing: compiz fusion and rotating still works (albeit in rotated screen, the launcher doesn't change, so it looks garbled; but the icons you can see still work).

Since I figured I might want to work with a normal desktop from time to time, I wrote a two-liner script that will kill the launcher and made it a Favorite, and put another script to start the launcher on the desktop. Works like a charm!

If you want to go that way, you might want to install the "window-picker-applet" which will show the active programs by icon and the title bar in maximized mode. If you want to cut off the normal title bar in maximized mode, install "maximus" (but DELETE or ## out the lucid repos before that, because you need to install the karmic variant), and if you don't like it maximizing everything, open gconf-editor and go to apps/maximus and check "no maximize". You can also use the "exclude class" to opt out single applications or sets of windows that should not be maximized).

I got rid of the "go-home-applet", which did slow everything down when used. I tried the normal "Show Desktop" for a while, but found that I don't need it, so I got rid of it and put the Gnome "Main Menu" up there, which has the same icon and will open the menus (which, incidentally, works out well since I sometimes switch to the normal desktop and still need access to the programs). I attached a desktop snapshot in case you're curious.

PS: If you want the desktop to not get in the way (which can happen when it is active, you might want to use the following line:
gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/show_desktop false
as a standard user. This will disallow the desktop to show. If you want, you can add the opposite (true) for the script that deactivates the launcher, but I found that I don't need to deactivate the desktop, it hasn't happened yet that it got in the way. And even if it does, all you need do is kill netbook-launcher-efl and restart it.

**DannyBiker** · April 30th, 2010

Avalon2050, would you marry me ?
I can't wait to test this. I'm finally getting an hard disk upgrade today and I am planning to install an Ubuntu/Win 7 dual boot (the two best OS for the device in my opinien) as soon as a Lucid tutorial is available.

Anyone tried Lucid yet ? Drastic changes in terms of optimizing the OS for the device or is it just basically the same steps than Karmic ?

**Aearenda** · April 30th, 2010

I've tried Lucid on my crippled TC1100 (won't boot when hot - it's a regular visitor to the fridge at the moment!) - it mostly just works, but it works better with nvidia-96 installed, tc1100-wmi added to /etc/modules, and with the madwifi driver instead of ath5k. The side buttons and the extra buttons on the front need the usual attention, but I haven't done it.

**Avalon2050** · April 30th, 2010

Originally Posted by DannyBiker

Avalon2050, would you marry me ?
I can't wait to test this. I'm finally getting an hard disk upgrade today and I am planning to install an Ubuntu/Win 7 dual boot (the two best OS for the device in my opinien) as soon as a Lucid tutorial is available.

Anyone tried Lucid yet ? Drastic changes in terms of optimizing the OS for the device or is it just basically the same steps than Karmic ?

*g* Sorry, not my cup of tea

But I'm glad I could help the Ubuntu community for a change, as I still consider myself a newbie, I am usually looking for answers instead of giving them

I installed Lucid but weren't able to get the wacom-tools running, so I figured I'd wait for a tutorial or some more info in general. I installed the nbr version of lucid, but as I posted earlier, something strange happened: WITH the 96 drivers, the icons on the launcher looked WORSE than before, and the "bouncy effect" of scrolling was gone. Couldn't find anything in the forums, so I let it slide. Now, with the lucid launcher in karmic, I am happy and completely content. I guess lucid will not come to my TC1100 in the near future even if MyR or others post a viable guide.

@Aearenda: by tc1100-wmi did you mean the wacom-tools, resp. the wacom drivers? Did you try screen rotation? About cooling: did you open the case and have a look at the plating? There's a piece of metal that is supposed to transfer and dissipate the heat, maybe it is loose?

**Aearenda** · May 1st, 2010

Originally Posted by Avalon2050

...@Aearenda: by tc1100-wmi did you mean the wacom-tools, resp. the wacom drivers? Did you try screen rotation? About cooling: did you open the case and have a look at the plating? There's a piece of metal that is supposed to transfer and dissipate the heat, maybe it is loose?

Unfortunately it's not that simple to fix my TC1100. See post 313 for more details!

The pen just works in normal rotation; 'xsetwacom' is part of the wacom driver automatically loaded but doesn't work. There doesn't seem to be a separate wacom-tools package any more.

TC1100-wmi is a different thing, it enables the wireless switch in the same way as before and the ability to control screen brightness using the toggle switch as in previous versions.

UPDATE: I have found how to rotate the tablet. The name of the stylus is recognised as "Serial Wacom Tablet", so for example the stylus rotate counter-clockwise command is

Code:

xsetwacom set "Serial Wacom Tablet" rotate CCW

This should be the key to sorting out the calibration and rotation scripts from earlier releases. I found it simply by using the -v option on xsetwacom, which lists all the devices it is matching the name against. xsetwacom --list is confusing because it appends text to the name, but does make sense once you know what the name is!

**MyR** · May 1st, 2010

True to my word, I have tested 10.04 (actually since alpha 2)

The good news is that it boots in about 45 seconds on my tc1100 (from power switch to desktop).

If you just want the good news, you can stop reading.

Proprietary nvidia drivers can be installed as usual and work without any major problems as far as I can see. It does give some distorted patterns on startup.
Screen rotation can be fixed by adding RandRRotation True to xorg.conf as in 9.10
I assume stylus rotation can be fixed by adding the appropriate lines to /usr/lib/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-wacom.conf and fixing the name of the stylus in the rotation script but I haven't actually tried this.
I have not been able to properly fix the stylus right click. The button activates without the stylus tip being pressed.
I was very disappointed to see that the stylus buttons regressed and no longer work -- they probably need to be patched. Good luck with that.
Screen brightness can be controlled as usual with tc1100-wmi & jogdial.
Doesn't resume from suspend.

9.04 is still my ubuntu release of choice for the tc1100 (because everything works) and 9.10 is the easiest to get working.

Have a great day & remember not to beat your head on the wall. ;] Linux should make life better.

**Aearenda** · May 1st, 2010

More info from my experiments:
I didn't need to fiddle with /usr/lib/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-wacom.conf at all to get stylus rotation to work.
I didn't try the right-click button earlier - on mine it doesn't work at all, yet! Update: Yes it does, just as MyR described.
Suspend works for me (ath_pci has to be told to unload, ath5k works out of the box).
The screen distortion at bootup seems to be fixed by adding 'GRUB_GFXMODE=1024x768' to /etc/default/grub.

More: You can use the 'assistive technology' settings for 'mouse accessibility' to turn on simulated right click, which means the stylus button isn't needed - you just hold the stylus on an object for a delay period, then release, and the right-click menu will appear in a controllable fashion.

And more: Adding this line to /usr/lib/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-wacom.conf, below the line that says 'Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" ', seems to fix the right-button problem:

Code:

Option "TPCButton" "on"

I rebooted to be sure this was seen. It may be sufficient to log out and in.

Note: The panels seem to go missing sometimes with this setting on. 'killall gnome-panel' puts them back.

**Avalon2050** · May 1st, 2010

Wow, this is interesting. I had seen this behaviour of the right button with my brief test of Lucid RC, and I was also saddened by the apparent regression of functionality, but after reading that you can turn on right-click by depressing the pen for a longer time, I figured: maybe we don't have to see it as a regression; after all, if means you can now turn the screen without mouse or keyboard, just by pointing, and you still got a right-click! That opens up many new possibilities in using the TC1100 in tablet mode; you can switch desktops without needing the desktop-switcher-applet, and WITH eye candy

Anyway, great work finding out all these settings, I will give them a try tomorrow with my trusty 20 Gig testing HD and see if I can get it to work as you described.

Has anyone tried to install/start the netbook-launcher-efl from the normal Lucid desktop? I'm just anxious to find out whether the buttons still look garbled as they did with the Lucid nbr when I installed the nVidia driver... but I'll find that out tomorrow as well

**yeppp** · May 1st, 2010

Hey guys. I have been using a hp tc1100 for about 4 months now. I originally followed MyR's 9.10 guide and upgraded to 10.04 yesterday. I can confirm that the command Aearenda found does rotate the stylus. When I added that to the rotation script by replacing the lines that dealt with the stylus rotation I get

Code:

#!/bin/sh
if [ -n "$(xrandr | grep 768x1024)" ]; then
        xrandr -o normal
        xsetwacom set "Serial Wacom Tablet" rotate none
else
        xrandr -o left
        xsetwacom set "Serial Wacom Tablet" rotate CCW
fi

which seems to do the trick.

I am still having trouble with the stylus buttons up top. If I remember correctly those were enabled through wacom-tools, which is no longer supported. That means that my xbindkeys configuration isn't working. Any thoughts on how to get those working again?

**MyR** · May 1st, 2010