Sony Vaio X and Ubuntu 12.04 Precise

So, here is how to install Ubuntu 12.04 on a Sony Vaio X (my model: VPCX11S1E).

With minor adjustments, the intel GMA500 video card is now working out of the box.

I don't use the built-in WWAN 3G modem but if you do you should probably keep some driver files from the Windows partition! See this post.

Working:

• LAN + WLAN
• Trackpad with edge scrolling/scroll area (no/disabled multi touch/two-finger scrolling)
• Audio/built-in speakers/microphone and camera (mic really bad though) and volume control
• Graphics with brightness (after fix below)
• USB/Bluetooth
• Suspend (works sometimes, I don't really use/test the suspend feature)

Not working/tested:

• External VGA
• Graphics boots up with faulty resolution sometimes (including during installation). Just reboot to fix.
• WWAN 3G modem

Steps:

1. Create Ubuntu install USB (info).

2. On the USB, add the following boot options to syslinux.cfg:
quiet splash console=tty1 acpi_backlight=vendor acpi_osi=Linux acer_wmi.blacklist=yes mem=1920mb

3. Install Ubuntu from USB and reboot (to a black screen).

4. Fix the black screen by dropping to console (Crtl-Alt-F1) and log in.
sudo nano /etc/default/grub
# Change GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash console=tty1 acpi_backlight=vendor acpi_osi=Linux acer_wmi.blacklist=yes mem=1920mb"
# Change GRUB_GFXMODE=1366x768x32
# Add GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=1366x768x32
sudo update-grub
sudo nano /etc/grub.d/01_915resolution# Add echo insmod 915resolution
# Add echo 915resolution 58 1366 768 32
sudo chmod a+x /etc/grub.d/01_915resolution
sudo reboot

5. Fix suspend:
sudo nano /etc/pm/config.d/gma500
# Add ADD_PARAMETERS='-quirk-vbemode-restore'

Vaio X and Ubuntu 11.04 Natty

Here is how I make my Sony Vaio X work with Ubuntu 11.04.

The installation/upgrade is not seamless and still need some tweaks.

Working:

• LAN + WLAN
• Trackpad (no scroll area and no multi touch)
• Audio/built in speakers
• Graphics *
• USB/Bluetooth
• WWAN 3G modem (Qualcomm Gobi 2000) *

Not working:

• Built in web camera (haven't even tried)
• Stand by / hibernation

Here are my steps:

1. Install Ubuntu from USB (info).

Keep a few files from Windows 7 before completely removing it (see 3. below).

* 2. Install EMGD video driver for GMA 500 (info):

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gma500/emgd

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install xorg-emgd emgd-dkms

sudo emgd-xorg-conf

# Replace /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-emgd.conf with http://paste.ubuntu.com/612551/

# Make brightness buttons work:

sudo apt-get install emgdbl

# Add "blacklist poulsbo" to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

# Add "emgdbl" to /etc/initramfs-tools/modules

# Add "acpi_osi=Linux acpi_backlight=video" to /etc/default/grub (GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT)

sudo update-initramfs -c -k all

sudo update-grub

sudo reboot

* 3. Install WWAN 3G modem support:

# Make sure you have the following files backed up from Windows 7:

# C:\Program Files\Qualcomm\Images\Sony\UMTS\AMSS.mbn

# C:\Program Files\Qualcomm\Images\Sony\UMTS\Apps.mbn

# C:\Program Files\Qualcomm\Images\Sony\6\UQCN.mbn

sudo mkdir /lib/firmware/gobi

sudo cp AMSS.mbn Apps.mbn UQCN.mbn /lib/firmware/gobi

sudo apt-get install gobi-loader

# and then Enable Mobile Broadband in the network tray application.

Vaio X and Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick

Here is how I make my Sony Vaio X work with Ubuntu 10.10.

I recently upgraded from 10.04 (here is my guide for installing 10.04) and found 10.10 much better (includes WWAN loader).

The installation/upgrade is not seamless and still need some tweaks.

Working:

• LAN + WLAN
• Trackpad with scroll area (no multi touch)
• Audio/built in speakers
• 2D graphics with external display (3D and Hardware Video Acceleration is also claimed to work) *
• USB/Bluetooth *
• WWAN 3G modem (Qualcomm Gobi 2000) *
• Built in web camera (Tested ok with Skype, PIP does not work / worked in 10.04)

Not working:

• Stand by / hibernation (kernel regression? - display comes back too bright or white)

Here are my steps:

1. Install Ubuntu from USB (instructions here).

Keep Windows 7 (WWAN drivers are located there).

* 2. Install Poulsbo video driver for GMA 500 (information here):
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gma500/ppa && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install poulsbo-driver-2d poulsbo-driver-3d poulsbo-config && sudo reboot

* 3. Bug fix for USB/Bluetooth:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub
# append " memmap=1K#0x7f800000" to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT)
# My working example: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash mem=1900mb nohz=off acpi_osi=Linux memmap=1K#0x7f800000"
sudo update-grub

* 4. Install WWAN 3G modem support:
sudo mkdir /lib/firmware/gobi
sudo cp "/media/70E256E3E256ACDA/Program Files/QUALCOMM/Images/Sony/UMTS/"* /lib/firmware/gobi
sudo cp "/media/70E256E3E256ACDA/Program Files/QUALCOMM/Images/Sony/6/UQCN.mbn" /lib/firmware/gobi
sudo apt-get install gobi-loader
# and then Enable Mobile Broadband in the network tray application.

The above leaves the Vaio X fully working. I have always been a fan of hibernation but with web browsers being able to remember windows/tabs between restarts I'm still surviving without so far.

Vaio X and Ubuntu 10.04

For Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick, see this post.

For months we put up with poor performance and non-working fixes for my Vaio X. Even though Jakob Westhoffs articles put us in the right directions, they got a bit dated when the Ubuntu 10.04 release finally came.

10.04 does not take care of everything:

Working:

• Bluetooth
• USB
• LAN + WLAN
• Built in web camera (Skype)
• Trackpad with scroll area (no multi touch)
• 2D graphics with external display (3D and Hardware Video Acceleration is also claimed to work) *
• Audio & built in speakers *

Not working:

• Stand by & hibernation (10.04 kernel regression?)
• WWAN 3G modem (modem is detected but so far disconnects from network)

Here are my steps for a working installation:

1. Install Ubuntu from USB (instructions here).

No need to keep Windows 7 (unless you want to experiment with some of the WWAN solutions out there).

* 2. Install Poulsbo video driver for GMA 500 (instructions here).

They just recently included instructions for the 3D and Video Acceleration beta installation.

* 3. Install Alsa 1.0.23 for built in speaker support (instructions here).

10.04 comes with Alsa 1.0.21 but Vaio X requires 1.0.23. Tested with kernel 2.6.32-22, 2.6.32-23, 2.6.32-24 and 2.6.32-25.

The above leaves the Vaio X fully working. For WWAN I use my 3G phone over bluetooth. I have always been a fan of hibernation but with web browsers being able to remember windows/tabs between restarts I'm surviving without so far.