MacBookAir4,1 & MacBookAir4,2 (MBA 2011) support

[uBeer]

Installing ubuntu 12.04 daily build on macbook air 4 is almost out of box. (the minor issue is my backlight keyboard didn't work and the battery life is just ok)
By default, Unity use fourfinger tap to bring up Dash. However, after in gnome shell, fourfinger tap cannot bring up overview. Is there anyone know how to set fourfinger-tap equal the command key (superkey)?

Thanks

I have found a solution, but it is not that elegant...
You can install touchegg and start it from the command line. Only problem is (at least with my laptop) that it segfaults most of the times that I try to start it, but after 5-10 times it starts without faults.
If that works you can edit ~/.config/touchegg/touchegg.conf to make 4 finger swipe.

I removed most 3 and 4 finger stuff from my config file and put in:

<gesture type="DRAG" fingers="3" direction="ALL">
    <action type="DRAG_AND_DROP">BUTTON=1</action>
</gesture>

and

<gesture type="DRAG" fingers="4" direction="UP">
    <action type="SEND_KEYS">Super</action>
</gesture>

<gesture type="DRAG" fingers="4" direction="DOWN">
    <action type="SHOW_DESKTOP"></action>
</gesture>

This enables 3 finger drag n drop, 4 finger swipe up is Super key -> shell overview, 4 finger swipe down is Show desktop.

Here -link- are all actions supported by Touchegg.

Hope this will help you out a bit...

[artik1024]

Installing ubuntu 12.04 daily build on macbook air 4 is almost out of box. (the minor issue is my backlight keyboard didn't work and the battery life is just ok)
By default, Unity use fourfinger tap to bring up Dash. However, after in gnome shell, fourfinger tap cannot bring up overview. Is there anyone know how to set fourfinger-tap equal the command key (superkey)?

Thanks

Yes ! but :

You don't have fan speed issue ? Mine is running fast since 3.2. If someone has solution to slow it down ... post kernel bugtracker.

[blackjay0419]

Thanks for tip.
However, when I start touchegg in terminal, it always appears as the following:

Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",
Reading config from "/home/taijan/.config/touchegg/touchegg.conf"
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

I have try to start it several times, but it never works.

I have found a solution, but it is not that elegant...
You can install touchegg and start it from the command line. Only problem is (at least with my laptop) that it segfaults most of the times that I try to start it, but after 5-10 times it totarts without faults.
If that works you can edit ~/.config/touchegg/touchegg.conf to make 4 finger swipe.

I removed most 3 and 4 finger stuff from my config file and put in:

<gesture type="DRAG" fingers="3" direction="ALL">
    <action type="DRAG_AND_DROP">BUTTON=1</action>
</gesture>

and

<gesture type="DRAG" fingers="4" direction="UP">
    <action type="SEND_KEYS">Super</action>
</gesture>

<gesture type="DRAG" fingers="4" direction="DOWN">
    <action type="SHOW_DESKTOP"></action>
</gesture>

This enables 3 finger drag n drop, 4 finger swipe up is Super key -> shell overview, 4 finger swipe down is Show desktop.

Here -link- are all actions supported by Touchegg.

Hope this will help you out a bit...

[blackjay0419]

The fan speed issue sometimes occurs, but it did not happen all the time. When it happens, the machine could be quite hot on the top-left corner. I don't know why.

Yes ! but :

You don't have fan speed issue ? Mine is running fast since 3.2. If someone has solution to slow it down ... post kernel bugtracker.

[allebone]

The fan speed issue sometimes occurs, but it did not happen all the time. When it happens, the machine could be quite hot on the top-left corner. I don't know why.

That would sound to me personally like the GPU is being taxed. Have you tried installing gnome and logging in with gnome no effects to see if the GPU is taked less, and this doesnt occur?

Pete

[blackjay0419]

Back-light keyboard also worked out of box. Sorry for the prvieous incorrect information.
If anyone wants to install ubuntu on macbook air 4, I highly recommend install 12.04 instead of 11.10 with post-install scripts (it never works for me).

After using ubuntu 12.04 (gnome-shell) for few hours, I have found the most annoying thing is the touchpad. It is oversensitive. For example, when I scroll down my gmail inbox with two-fingers scroll, it frequently misread it as one tap-click (so I jump into a specific mail I don't intend to read). Another example is when I type with keyboard, it is nearly unavoidable to accidentally trigger the one-click tap. It ends up I have to disable touchpad whenever I want to type something.

Installing ubuntu 12.04 daily build on macbook air 4 is almost out of box. (the minor issue is my backlight keyboard didn't work and the battery life is just ok)
By default, Unity use fourfinger tap to bring up Dash. However, after in gnome shell, fourfinger tap cannot bring up overview. Is there anyone know how to set fourfinger-tap equal the command key (superkey)?

Thanks

[blackjay0419]

I tried gnome with no effect, the fan and heat problem still occurs . Actually the problem is not improved at all under gnome with no effect.

The another problem I found out is touchpad cannot work after resuming from suspend under gnome shell.I have to log out and log in again to make it work. This does not happen with unity.

That would sound to me personally like the GPU is being taxed. Have you tried installing gnome and logging in with gnome no effects to see if the GPU is taked less, and this doesnt occur?

Pete

[deanproxy]

Has anyone figured out the horrible scrolling experience? Scrolling inside of any application is miserable for me... I know I'm pretty used to the "smooth" scrolling on the mac now, but I've never had such a bad scrolling experience as I have had with the Macbook Air running Ubuntu 11.10. I'm guessing there is some way to tweak this to make it a bit more bearable.

[mrmorris]

Has anyone figured out the horrible scrolling experience? Scrolling inside of any application is miserable for me... I know I'm pretty used to the "smooth" scrolling on the mac now, but I've never had such a bad scrolling experience as I have had with the Macbook Air running Ubuntu 11.10. I'm guessing there is some way to tweak this to make it a bit more bearable.

Unfortunately not. This also remains my main gripe with running Ubuntu on the Macbook Air. What I find to be the worst, is how touching with a second finger, even when just preparing to clicking the physical button, cancels normal tracking of scrolls/moves.

[deanproxy]

Unfortunately not. This also remains my main gripe with running Ubuntu on the Macbook Air. What I find to be the worst, is how touching with a second finger, even when just preparing to clicking the physical button, cancels normal tracking of scrolls/moves.

Yes! I tend to keep my thumb on the bottom of the trackpad while tracking so that I can make quick clicks on things. this does not work at all under Ubuntu due to what you described. it makes it very difficult to get at corners to drag or anything that requires precision clicking like that.