ubuntu on vpcz1

Has any one managed to get 1920x1080 on the Intel Graphics natively?

 

Use the following to get NVIDIA Working Perfectly.

in BIOS switch to static graphics switching.
Boot with Speed toggle selected.
Hold shift and add nomodeset to kernel boot
open terminal
>sudo service gdm stop
Login again
>wget http://goo.gl/qtn5
>sudo chmod 777 NVIDIA{press tab}
>sh NVIDIA{tab} --update
Follow the wizard
sudo shutdown -r now

NOTE: you can add nomodeset to /etc/default/grub and run grub-update

Still working on NVIDIA (Which is what I really want)

 

Problem using Nvidia only is you will likely never get brightness control working.

 

I want to use the intel GM45m but, I was told its a pain. Can anyone explain?

 

Yes, but its a bit of a pain at the mo, needing changes to the kernel and the modded sony-laptop-zseries kernel module thats floating about. I don't have time to put a HOWTO together at the mo, but some pointers for anyone who is knowledgeable enough:

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=29141
https://lists.launchpad.net/sony-vaio-z-series/msg01384.html
https://lists.launchpad.net/sony-vaio-z-series/msg01380.html

Adam.

 

If one uses OpenSuse 11.3 it works perfectly with intel.

 

I get the same problem of garbled video even with OpenSuse 11.3.

VPCZ122GX/B

 

I managed to get Arch Linux working with the Intel graphics by following this guide (specifically the part regarding applying patches to the kernel and recompiling). However, I have not been able to get the brightness control working.

Linux on Vaio VPC-Z

I tried compiling and installing the sony_module referenced in the above link. The volume keys work after doing this, but the brightness keys just show the gnome notifier icon without actually changing the brightness. I have since tried 3 different kernels but to no avail.

 

Wanted to install Ubuntu using Wubi. Dont know what the problem is, display just stays black.

what i tried:

-using all switch positions (stamina, speed, auto...)
-using different installing options (reachable trough bootup of linux installation) (e.g. ahci, graphics safe settings, and so on...)

anyone who tried?

 

I'm trying to install Ubuntu on VPC-Z12 - all I get is black screen, high fan, high temp and I have to do a hard reset. I've tried both Maverick Alpha 3 and Lucid, GRUB1 and GRUB2, with and without NVIDIA drivers, using static and dynamic GPU switching, to no avail. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Hello.

I need to install Fedora 13 on this laptop to use it for collegiate robotics club stuff. I'm new to linux (can't wait to learn) completely and I have very basic initial questions before I dive head first into a few days of terror not having a working computer because I need this to be something that takes a reasonable amount of time.

Questions on my mind:

Fact#1. I've removed the dvd and switched it to a hard drive (500 gb western digital blue -not a ssd-) using the newmodeus hdd bay and it works great. I've got the basic vpcz11 model with the 128 gb drive., I've got about 50 gb left on it now that I've moved my music and stuff to the 2nd drive
Fact #2. I tried using virtual box but it always crashed, I'd rather use that than have to switch between boots so that I can quickly switch up tasks.
Fact #3. I didn't create recovery disks before installing the hard drive
Fact #4. I'm scared about this whole process and have read stuff about not being able to use 2 drives, loosing all my data when the Raid drive gets redone, etc...

so... my questions.

1. Can I keep my current install of windows 7 and boot from the 2nd drive with fedora on say 100gb of the 500gb drive?
2. Can I create recovery discs on a usb without having to take my computer apart or reinstall the dvd drive?
3. From what I've read - people have got virtual box to work on this laptop, is that the correct assumption - that it will work?
4. Can I have the system files for both operating systems run from the ssd and partitions for each on the separate drives? like say 20gb for linux and 108 gb for windows on the ssd and say 80gb on drive 2 for linux and 420 gb on drive 2 for windows?
5. How much time should I set aside for this?

I wish I could just have someone set this up for me... I have a friend who is a linux power user - would it be better for me to print out specific stuff from here and give it all to him? I'm not even sure right at this moment how to get all the software that came with the laptop - windows 7, etc... so all help is super, super appreciated!!!!

I've got EE classes which just started - don't want to mess up my computer or the beginning of my semester.

Thanks!!!

 

Yes VirtualBox works very well for me. What settings do you use, when does it crash?

 

Instead of installing, have you tried simply booting into Ubuntu using the live version? See if that works first.

 

Thanks for the answer. Yesterday I got some enlightenment and found this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Reverting to GRUB Legacy
So I basically booted live version (working all the time), installed, switched GRUB2 to GRUB in chrooted environment and voila! Both Lucid and Maverick working.
Now on to the business...

 

Hello,

is there anyone who know if it's possible to have the auto screen switching (to HDMI or VGA) when we close de monitor (or maybe by using de FN+F7 button) ?

I've installed the nvidia driver but nothing happen when I close the screen :?

thx

 

Whoa... Could you help me please?

Whenever I live-boot into Ubuntu or any other linux distribution I've tried on my Z122GX, I always get weird purple graphics corruption like this. I've tried both Speed and Stamina settings, but the light usually comes on Stamina every time.



What did you do to make it work?

 

Live-booting of Ubuntu worked out of the box from the beginning - try downloading newest 10.04.1 or 10.10 Alpha 3. It's preferable that you enable static VGA switching policy.

 

Todays fact: Virtual box and fedora 13 work well on the laptop. Used the AMD extensions as they make linux think it's on a 64bit machine which is what we have...

so... any little tweaks or problems I should be aware of? haven't tried two monitors yet... oh yeah, and Fedora is running on a 100 gb partition on the drive where the dvd used to be.

 

It was 10.04.1 that I had tried.

How do I do that? Do I have to mess with my BIOS?

 

You must be relieved VirtualBox has this seamless mode, where the Windows windows (that's an odd thing to say) and the Linux windows appear on the same Windows desktop. It's sort of like the Linux background becomes transparent, otherwise the behavior's the same.

 

It has something to do with the Intel driver on older kernels from what I read. Why don't you try Maverick Alpha 3? Or enable static switching and use nVidia during installation?

Yes, but it's pretty simple, takes about 10 minutes (20 with all the preparation )
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/473226-insyde-hacking-new-vaio-z-advanced-menu-bios.html

One problem for me - keyboard and touchpad won't work every few boots, I can't see any pattern to that or any problem in the logs. Anyone has the same issue?

 

Did anyone succeed installing the onboard graphics card in ubuntu? I would like to use ubuntu without the Nvidia graphics card.

 

Did you add i8042.nopnp=1 ?

 

I was wondering which distro the other users who have a Vaio Z reccommend.
I tried installing Ubuntu today but after the reboot and selecting Ubuntu in the bootloader i just got a black screen. So can some experienced users give me a good guide to install Ubuntu or a different distro properly on the Vaio Z?

also should i dualboot or just use a VM?

 

If you can use a VM (i.e. no heavy graphics requirements), it's probably much easier to do just that and skip all the trouble installing Linux natively and getting it to work smoothly.

 

so then i would still have to load windows right? nvm if that's the case.

 

Don't give up on installing native Linux so easily..... afaict it's tricky but do-able, and there's an active community working on it. A bit difficult to navigate still but check out https://launchpad.net/~sony-vaio-z-series and especially their links to scripts / howto's / blogs of how ppl have had success.

 

Why don't you give it a try? Windows 7 is very stable, and VirtualBox is free. If you don't like it, you can uninstall it easily.

 

i guess i will give it another try

 

Is Windows 7 stable out of the box? What about the various issues like wake-timers that turn on your computer for no reason, or services that defragment your SSD?

 

Yes windows 7 is very stable, havent had 1 problem so far, about 1.5 months since i got it and 5+ hours a day

you can turn those off easily in the Vaio Control Center

 

Yes, i have the very same issue! with ubuntu 10.04 was much more frequent than 10.10. this is my kernel line
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="nosplash nomodeset i8042.nopnp i8043.nopnp"

i wonder whether putting i8042.nopnp=1 is different than i8042.nopnp...

 

try "i8042.reset i8042.nomux i8042.nopnp i8042.noloop"
(leave out the "=1"s)

That's all I'm adding, and 10.10's working fine, but I also boot with graphics static and the switch on speed.

 

Running 11.04 now. Works flawless on Intel graphics. (with BIOS hack) I am still trying to get the ambient light sensor and the fingerprint reader working.

Rest is fine.

[EDIT]: Ok, set up the fingerprint reader with the tool Fingerprint GUI, see:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...cd=1&hl=de&ct=clnk&gl=de&source=www.google.de

 

Have you tried the function keys? And nvidia brightness control?

 

I am only using the Intel graphics. All function keys are working.

 

Stupid bios hack requirement. >,>

 

I want to run Ubuntu/Fedora natively as the host operating system and run the Windows 7 that comes with my Z as a guest OS in a virtual machine. Has anyone done that? The Recovery DVD does not work to boot the VM. How can I get a copy of Windows 7 without paying for it again?

 

Why is it I can't see page 20 of this thread? It sends me back to page 19...

Edit: Ok, now it's showing there are only 19 pages... It used to say 20 earlier.

 

The version of Windows 7 that comes with the Z is an OEM version, and is only licensed to run directly on the VAIO hardware. Even if you used something like Ghost to convert an installed Windows partition to a VMware image, and ran that, or if you manually configured VMware Workstation to use a raw disk and boot the installed Windows image, Windows would detect the hardware change and demand re-activation, and a new key.
So in short, you need to pony up for a full Windows license.

 

I've downloaded an image of W7Pro and just installed it on the VM using the key on the bottom of my laptop.

 

Exactly, ghrh is right I think.

Just install Windows 7 from an image and use that key.

 

Thanks, ghrh and shurcooL. Can you point me to where I can download Windows 7? I am probably too dumb and blind but I only found the ones listed on Microsoft Shop's pages and they charge for it. Can you give me an URL? Thanks a bunch!

 

What you're asking for is how to get a pirate copy of a Windows 7 DVD. That is not tolerated on this board.

As for whether you technically can use an OEM license in a VM, yes, provided that the VM mirrors the vendor string in the BIOS that the OEM license is locked to.
However, the OEM license is pretty specific that you are only allowed to install it on ONE motherboard - even if you uninstall it from the original machine, you are not allowed to install it on a different machine. The virtual machine has a different virtual motherboard, and your one install that legally locks it to a motherboard has already been used up by Sony pre-installing the OS. So you're not allowed to do so, even if the vendor gave you a full Windows DVD and it would technically work.
Windows Server 2003 gives you explicit permission to install one (1) copy under virtualization, and Windows Advanced Server lets you install up to 4 virtualized copies, but Windows 7 has no such provisions, so if you do so, you're in violation of the EULA. A non-OEM license allows you to move the license, but an OEM license doesn't. You never paid full price for the OS, and the cheaper OEM license does not allow you to move it, even if the second system is a VM. That's why it's cheaper.

 

Sorry, I did not mean to pirate Windows 7. I was just wondering if I can legally download a copy and then activate it with the key on the bottom of my Z. Thanks for the clarification.

 

Does anyone with Linux on their Vaio have (keyboard) backlight control? I would like to have it always on but it doesn't seem to let me

 

If you bought the OEM license with your Z you can for the original installed version of Windows 7 (Home, Prof or Ultimate). But you can only use it on the Z as an OEM license is bound to the computer it's sold with and only 1 instance, either fysical or virtual. If you're lucky you can activate your licensekey because the key hasn't been used yet as Sony uses a bios code/string to activate/unlock Windows.

 

Does anyone have an idea if Ubuntu/Mint 11 will run on the Z2 (with the eGPU) as a dual boot along with Windows 7?

 

Im about to tackle this one soon. Come back in 2 weeks or so and I will have a clean dual boot Win7 and Ubuntu 11.04, time for me to upgrade

 

Great!
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