I'll be heading down either the dual boot path or a virtual machine based solution as soon as I receive my 17R SE.
We can anticipate challenges with switching between the integrated GPU (HD4000) and the discrete GPU (GT650M).
For expedience I reckon I'll be settling for integrated GPU only when installing Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.
Have you already planned your hard drive partitions? I am keen to learn how best to preserve the Dell recovery partition in this process of installing Ubuntu.
I am the OP. I got no luck with the customised LINUX question so in the end I disabled secure boot but left UEFI mpde enabled.
I used Gparted to shrink the Win 8 partition then installed Ubuntu 12.10 Desktop (since upgraded to 13.04).
The Ubuntu install went perfectly however It could not detect the Win 8 installation. This means that I don't get a Grub option for WIn 8. However I can F12 to get to the bios menu and boot Windows if I want to (however WIn 8 was so awful I have only done it a couple of times).
The twin GPU does not work our of the box but bumblebee only too a few minutes to install, now I can use the Nvidia when I want to.
Also the touchpad did not support scrolling for me out of the box so in the end I downloaded and compiled psmouse-alps-1.3-alt-2.tbz then it works fine. Great platform for a proper OS.
I don't know why Dell don't sell it with Ubuntu in UK.
I have the exact same model. You might have already done this but the sound will be a lot better if you enable the proper speaker/sub-woofer operation. As I recall the sound was coming from only the sub-woofer (on the bottom) until I did this:
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf
Then edit the file adding this line at the end.
options snd-hda-intel model=ref
Save the file and restart, done!
I tried installing bumblebee and when I restarted I only had two (very low) resolutions available in the display control panel, plus I saw no option for running Intel HD 4000 to save power and the Nvidia for performance as you described. Can you provide more details on how you got that working? I restored the original-install Nvidia driver and it does not seem to be running hot or using a lot of battery power, so maybe the built in (recommended) Nvidia driver is now doing a similar action to save power in this latest release.
Overall, Ubuntu 13.04 runs very well on the Dell 17R SE. I couldn't be happier.
On my 7720 17r (Ubuntu 13.04). Subwoofer doesn't work with options snd-hda-intel model=ref. With this option I don't hear sound at all.
Battery LED not working. I don't see solid white with ac plugged in or without it (battery state is >5%). I only see solid amber (battery state is 5%) when recharged and if then it is charging I see solid white only when ac plugged in. It does blink in sleep mode.
Touchpad detected as "PS/2 Generic Mouse". If install psmouse-alps-1.3-alt-2.tbz it works with lags.
Only Nvidia optimus (319.17 with official support) works pretty well
If the options mod left you with no sound you might look at where the ALSA mixer controls are set. Open Terminal and type alsamixer. Use left and right arrow keys to navigate across the controls. Use the up and down arrow keys to set the "PCM" and "Front" controls to maximum values. That's what works for me.
I am curious where you see the Nvidia 319.17 driver. I am also running Ubuntu 13.04 but I only see 304, 310 and 313 for Nvidia driver choices. This is what I see in "Additional Drivers" in the "Software & Updates" control panel.
I've the same model (but with italian keyboard). I'm using a debian sid and I can say almost everything is ok....almost....:-)
I've tried to use the " alsa-base.conf" trik, but adding that line I can't use headphones because sound exits offcourse from headset but from speakers to. This isn't really a problem: music is good enough without that options.
I've used psmouse-alps for touchpad (and it's ok) and bumblebee to combine 2 graphic cards (and this looks ok to).
The real problem is FAN.
Whe I'm on battery there isn't any problem, but when I've AC power supply plugged in fan doesn't stop...and, as soon as I unplugged power connector, it stops
Using i8k module I can see temperature and even stop left fan (the only one present in this model) but I would like to understand why, if I'm on AC power, fan slows down but never stop.
I've already tried all possible acpi_osi kernel boot parameters, tried to recompile kernel using a vanilla one, tried a lot of conf in laptopmode and so on....everything without results.
I'm using Ubuntu Desktop 13.04 and my fan is mostly off or very quietly on, like on the slowest speed I suspect. I can dual boot into Windows 8 and when I'm in Windows I feel like the fan spends more time off than in Ubuntu, but like I mentioned in an earlier post, I am not very motivated to install Bumblebee because the power management seems pretty good as it is even if it's slightly better in Windows. I am using only the Nvidia drivers that came with the standard Ubuntu install (nvidia-310 proprietary tested is the one I selected).
cjfb
18 Posts
0
May 2nd, 2013 17:00
I'll be heading down either the dual boot path or a virtual machine based solution as soon as I receive my 17R SE.
We can anticipate challenges with switching between the integrated GPU (HD4000) and the discrete GPU (GT650M).
For expedience I reckon I'll be settling for integrated GPU only when installing Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.
Have you already planned your hard drive partitions? I am keen to learn how best to preserve the Dell recovery partition in this process of installing Ubuntu.
kubuntu63
2 Posts
0
May 3rd, 2013 14:00
I am the OP. I got no luck with the customised LINUX question so in the end I disabled secure boot but left UEFI mpde enabled.
I used Gparted to shrink the Win 8 partition then installed Ubuntu 12.10 Desktop (since upgraded to 13.04).
The Ubuntu install went perfectly however It could not detect the Win 8 installation. This means that I don't get a Grub option for WIn 8. However I can F12 to get to the bios menu and boot Windows if I want to (however WIn 8 was so awful I have only done it a couple of times).
The twin GPU does not work our of the box but bumblebee only too a few minutes to install, now I can use the Nvidia when I want to.
Also the touchpad did not support scrolling for me out of the box so in the end I downloaded and compiled psmouse-alps-1.3-alt-2.tbz then it works fine. Great platform for a proper OS.
I don't know why Dell don't sell it with Ubuntu in UK.
Alec
mikesmithv
3 Posts
0
May 10th, 2013 16:00
I have the exact same model. You might have already done this but the sound will be a lot better if you enable the proper speaker/sub-woofer operation. As I recall the sound was coming from only the sub-woofer (on the bottom) until I did this:
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf
Then edit the file adding this line at the end.
options snd-hda-intel model=ref
Save the file and restart, done!
I tried installing bumblebee and when I restarted I only had two (very low) resolutions available in the display control panel, plus I saw no option for running Intel HD 4000 to save power and the Nvidia for performance as you described. Can you provide more details on how you got that working? I restored the original-install Nvidia driver and it does not seem to be running hot or using a lot of battery power, so maybe the built in (recommended) Nvidia driver is now doing a similar action to save power in this latest release.
Overall, Ubuntu 13.04 runs very well on the Dell 17R SE. I couldn't be happier.
01010
2 Posts
0
May 18th, 2013 02:00
On my 7720 17r (Ubuntu 13.04). Subwoofer doesn't work with options snd-hda-intel model=ref. With this option I don't hear sound at all.
Battery LED not working. I don't see solid white with ac plugged in or without it (battery state is >5%). I only see solid amber (battery state is 5%) when recharged and if then it is charging I see solid white only when ac plugged in. It does blink in sleep mode.
Touchpad detected as "PS/2 Generic Mouse". If install psmouse-alps-1.3-alt-2.tbz it works with lags.
Only Nvidia optimus (319.17 with official support) works pretty well
Please help me! What am I doing wrong?
mikesmithv
3 Posts
0
May 27th, 2013 22:00
If the options mod left you with no sound you might look at where the ALSA mixer controls are set. Open Terminal and type alsamixer. Use left and right arrow keys to navigate across the controls. Use the up and down arrow keys to set the "PCM" and "Front" controls to maximum values. That's what works for me.
I am curious where you see the Nvidia 319.17 driver. I am also running Ubuntu 13.04 but I only see 304, 310 and 313 for Nvidia driver choices. This is what I see in "Additional Drivers" in the "Software & Updates" control panel.
01010
2 Posts
0
May 28th, 2013 12:00
The driver from nvidia official site. It has official initial support for Optimus with kernel >= 3.9:
http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/319.12/README/randr14.html
Driver:
www.nvidia.com/.../linux-display-amd64-319.17-driver.html
scegliau
1 Message
0
June 4th, 2013 13:00
Hi All,
I've the same model (but with italian keyboard). I'm using a debian sid and I can say almost everything is ok....almost....:-)
I've tried to use the " alsa-base.conf" trik, but adding that line I can't use headphones because sound exits offcourse from headset but from speakers to. This isn't really a problem: music is good enough without that options.
I've used psmouse-alps for touchpad (and it's ok) and bumblebee to combine 2 graphic cards (and this looks ok to).
The real problem is FAN.
Whe I'm on battery there isn't any problem, but when I've AC power supply plugged in fan doesn't stop...and, as soon as I unplugged power connector, it stops
Using i8k module I can see temperature and even stop left fan (the only one present in this model) but I would like to understand why, if I'm on AC power, fan slows down but never stop.
I've already tried all possible acpi_osi kernel boot parameters, tried to recompile kernel using a vanilla one, tried a lot of conf in laptopmode and so on....everything without results.
Can you please tell me how your fan works ?
thanks in advance
regards
andrea
mikesmithv
3 Posts
0
June 7th, 2013 11:00
I'm using Ubuntu Desktop 13.04 and my fan is mostly off or very quietly on, like on the slowest speed I suspect. I can dual boot into Windows 8 and when I'm in Windows I feel like the fan spends more time off than in Ubuntu, but like I mentioned in an earlier post, I am not very motivated to install Bumblebee because the power management seems pretty good as it is even if it's slightly better in Windows. I am using only the Nvidia drivers that came with the standard Ubuntu install (nvidia-310 proprietary tested is the one I selected).
Mike