Pre install

Download and Burn Ubuntu 8.04 (I used 8.04.01) Alternate ISO

Base Installation

I just followed this blog post ;-)

Post install

Power Savings

Enable Laptop mode

You can see if laptop mode is active with this command:

 # cat /proc/sys/vm/laptop_mode
 5

If the content of that file is 0, laptop mode is disabled. In the example here, laptop mode is enabled.

To enable laptop mode, you can use this command:

 echo 5 > /proc/sys/vm/laptop_mode

Putting /etc into Version Controll

Installing needed software:

 sudo aptitude install etckeeper git

Read the documentation (to find your way to configure it):

 zless /usr/share/doc/etckeeper/README.gz

Initialize etckeeper's GIT Repository and add the files:

 sudo etckeeper init

Commit the files in etc to GIT (see the list of files with git status when you're in the etc directory):

 cd /etc
 git commit -m "initial checkin"
 git gc

For more details see the readme or git manual for commands.

My etckeeper configuration:

 cd /etc/etckeeper/post-install.d
 (echo '#!/bin/sh' ; echo 'exec git gc') > 99git-gc
 chmod +x 99git-gc
 git add .
 git commit -m "run git gc after each apt run"

Creating LVM Snapshots

Sync DATA directory with Desktop PC

Getting included Hardware to work

Only stuff that doesn't work out of the box!

Screen flickering

Tried to get rid of my screen flickering with following code (doesn't work anymore)

 !!! doesn't work !!!
 Insert at the end of /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-kernel-nkc
 options nvidia_new NVreg_Mobile=1 NVreg_RegistryDwords="PerfLevelSrc=0x2222"

Sound

Add following line to the end of /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base (do it with sudo)

 options snd-hda-intel model=lenovo

Change all Audio settings to use ALSA (System->Preferences->Sound)

Fingerprint reader

https://www.2030.tk/wiki/Enable_AuthenTec_Fingerprint_Reader_as_PAM_modul

(text copy from ubuntu laptop testing team) You can install fprint libraries and binaries from the hardy-backport repository:

 sudo aptitude install libfprint0 libpam-fprint fprint-demo

Fingerprints are stored on you home directory (~/.fprint). You can enroll your finger with either fprint_demo and pam_fprint_enroll.

Currently, pam_fprint (version 0.4) can't be configured for which finger it will read at password prompt (it will chose the first one it find... that can even be the left thumb!). Also, since the prints are stored in your home directory, you can't authenticate yourself as another user (except root).

Auth config #1

(version from ubuntu laptop testing team)

In order to authenticate via the fingerprint reader, you must configure PAM to use pam_fprint. Here is a simple example how to add finger authentication to sudo (thanks Diego). Create a file /etc/pam.d/fprint and put these lines:

 auth       sufficient   pam_fprint.so

Change /etc/pam.d/sudo to include the fprint file:

 #%PAM-1.0
 @include common-auth
 @include common-account
 @include fprint

Now when using sudo, it will ask for your password and then you fingerprint.

Auth config #2

(system wide version)

 Ends after first use in an Segmentation fault when using sudo, didn't happen with old fprint library

http://www.mail-archive.com/ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com/msg946814.html

edit your /etc/pam.d/common-auth so it contains

 auth    sufficient      pam_fprint.so
 auth    required        pam_unix.so nullok_secure

Auth config #3

(partial version, activating just for some services) Create a file /etc/pam.d/fprint and put these lines:

 auth       sufficient   pam_fprint.so

GDM Login

Change /etc/pam.d/login to include the fprint file:

 @include fprint
 @include common-auth

Gnome screensaver

add the

 @include fprint

in the file /etc/pam.d/gnome-screensaver befor the line with common.auth

Scan your finger

To scan a finger with a gui, you can use the demo application by installing fprint_demo package

 $ fprint_demo

Only the first scanned finger will be taken for authentification.

Nvidia graphics

Activate restricted Hardware driver for Nvidia

 system > Systemverwaltung > Hardware-Treiber

3D Acceleration

(text copy from ubuntu laptop testing team) If you don't use screen rotation, you can speed up the 3D rendering by setting the INTEL_BATCH environment variable. In your ~/.bashrc, add the line:

 export INTEL_BATCH=1

It will enable batch buffer codepath for OpenGL apps. Note that it isn't really safe with rotation. It speeds up glxgears from 900 fps to +1700 fps and Quake 3 four.dm_68 demo with timedemo from 58 to 78 average fps.

Sleep fix

(from ubuntu laptop testing team) Screen still stays blank after resume... :-/

 sudo pico /boot/grub/menu.lst

Look for a line that says # defoptions=quiet splash and modify it to:

 # defoptions=quiet splash i8042.reset

Save file and then run update-grub in console

If wifi doesnt resume: (didn't happen on my laptop)

 # Reload kernel module
 sudo modprobe -r ipw3945
 sudo modprobe ipw3945

If it's still not working you may find more fixes here: http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Nvidia-Grafikkarten/Suspend

Hibernate fix

(from ubuntu laptop testing team) When comming back up from hibernation and suspend, NetworkManager is not responding which prevents connection a any network (wired, or wireless). A work around is to create this file (don't forget to make it executable!)

 echo "killall NetworkManager" > /etc/acpi/resume.d/99-network-manager.sh
 echo "NetworkManager" >> /etc/acpi/resume.d/99-network-manager.sh
 chmod +x /etc/acpi/resume.d/99-network-manager.sh

A minor problem, is that the first time you connect to a wireless network, the connection will last 10 seconds and then disconnect, next connection will be stable. At least no console is used to get into this state :)

Security modifications

Deactivate unused bluethooth device

to deactivate the device

 hciconfig hci0 down
 rmmod hci_usb

to reactivate again just type

 modprobe hci_usb

The Bluethooth LED is still activated, dont know if its still consuming power but its not scanning the world and is not in a connectable state as far as I know.

Personal firewall

Added following line to /etc/init.d/networking before the switch case

 # add block all incoming firewall rule
 iptables -I INPUT \! -i lo -m state --state NEW,INVALID -j DROP

TODO: http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/how-do-i-run-firewall-script-as-soon-as-eth0-interface-brings-up.html

Additional Software

Encrypt a single folder

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/crypt-manager-an-encrypted-folder-manager-for-ubuntu-linux.html

Project 2030

Install Ubuntu 8.04 on Lenovo 3000 N200 with encrypted LVM