Acer Extensa 5620Z Hardy How To

[chrisby]

Note: This post has been updated to configure under Hardy LTS Version 2:

1. Compiz works out of the box with the intel 965/X3100 graphics card
2.1. Broadcom 43 works by enabling the restricted STA driver (Requires Restart)
System->Administration->Restricted Drivers
2.2. Atheros wireless status?
3. no longer necessary

4. Hibernate and Suspend work out of the box, but resume after hibernate has no audio

This can be fixed by:
4.1. Enabling "linux-backports-modules-hardy-generic" in synaptics.
4.2. a. open the terminal
b.

sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base

c. add "options snd-hda-intel model=acer" after the first line (thanks ScottNC)

5. Speakers may seem quiet. This can be fixed by:
5.1. open the terminal
5.2. run alsamixer
5.3 make sure that Master and PCM are up to 100

6. Audio input may appear not to work. If the volume control fails to yield any results:
6.1. open the terminal
6.2. run alsamixer
6.3 hit tab -> arrow to capture -> increase capture to 90%

For built in microphone set "Input So" to "Front Mi"
For microphone jack set "Input So" to "Mic"
I could not get the line in to work.



Notes on Intrepid and Jaunty:

Intrepid has severe graphics performance degrades.
glxgears commands under hardy give approximately 900 FPS
glxgears commands under intrepid give approximately 300-500 FPS

Jaunty has improved graphics performance, but has random freezes associated with the intel chipset (Currently, the intel 965 is blacklisted and compositing wont work)

In my opinion, hardy is still the best (I wish I never left)

[chrisby]

Step 3 is no longer necessary

[afewtips.com]

Your wireless worked out of the box?

I did this and got it to work.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=816780

[chrisby]

Yea, the card in the store had the Atheros wireless chipset, but mine came with a Broadcom 43xx wireless chipset (1 click in the hardware drivers tab). Did you have the no sound after hibernate issue?

[OprahDust]

i tried installing Ubuntu 8.04 when i first got my 5620z a couple months ago, and i remember that most of everything worked out of the box for me, except for the delete key, which it looks like you fixed

but the major problem that i had was the microphone and front audio ports (line in, mic, headphones) weren't working

do either of you have the same problems? i would really like to give ubuntu another shot relatively soon before school starts up again

[chrisby]

I haven't had any issues with audio after applying step 4, and I use the headphone port all the time. Maybe its an issue with pulse audio.

My suggestion is to shrink your vista partition from within vista and try Ubuntu again on the free space. If it doesn't work you can get back to vista without much headache (other than the headache of using vista ).

The Delete key should work now without step three, and step four may fix your audio issues.

Ubuntu lists my sound device as a Realtek ALC268

Here is a screenshot of my sound preferences:

[OprahDust]

so, does the internal microphone work or not?

and by the way, i down(up)graded to XP from Vista, i just couldnt take it anymore

[chrisby]

I played around with it a little and couldn't get the internal microphone working. The front line in, and microphone both worked though.

you should edit the down out of your last post, xp is an upgrade over vista .

[jgor]

Thanks for the help. I have an Extensa 5620 (no Z) and the sound fix works. I can now hibernate knowing that I can come back with sound. It should be noted though that a restart is required. For the complete Linux newbie gedit is a program for text and should be replaced with mousepad if you are using xubuntu. I took me a fair amount of time to figure this out since xubuntu is the only distribution I have tried so far.
I agree that vista is a terrible operating system. This is sad because I knew that vista sucked before I bought my acer Extensa 5620. The sad truth of the world we live in is that having windows makes a laptop cost less money; they already mass produce hardware windows-friendly, and they already mass produce support technicians windows-friendly. Speaking of which I'm going to need to find a good way of hiding my Linux partition because technically I voided my warranty on day one by installing xubuntu. The retailer actually told me I had to make (or keep) my hard drive windows-only or they won't fix any hardware.

[cetheriel]

just thought we should link (merge) these two topics.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=868841