[needs-packaging] acer_acpi

[Olivier Prieur]

acer_acpi
Hardware Control for Acer Laptops
Version 0.4 released 2007-03-31

acer_acpi is a Linux kernel module to allow control of some of the hardware on later model Acer (and other Wistron OEM) laptops.
acer_acpi was originally developed to enable the wireless LAN card of an Acer Aspire 5024 under 64-bit Linux. The previous solution to hardware access on these laptops, Olaf Tauber's acerhk, relied on BIOS calls to work - unfortunately, it is not possible to call a 32-bit BIOS routine from a 64 bit operating system, so acer_acpi was born.

Project owner : aceracpi AT archernar.co.uk
Licence : GPL
Website : http://code.google.com/p/aceracpi/
Download : http://aceracpi.googlecode.com/files/acer_acpi-0.4.tar.gz

[Andrey Larionov (anlarionov)]

version update. Now current version 0.5
Download: http://aceracpi.googlecode.com/files/acer_acpi-0.5.tar.bz2

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

I've just made a .deb package for acer_acpi-0.5.
This a "beta version" (and one of my first package :o) ) but you should look there : http://repository.mumblyworld.info/

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

This .deb package has not been released because of some mistakes ...

[Grzegorz "McCartney" Oledzki (grzegon)]

The repository (mumblyworld) is not working. Are you planning to still share it?

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

Hi,
I will not share it anymore because of some issues with de .deb package. It seems very difficult to create a kernel module .deb package ... I surrender :o)
If someone can package it, it will be great !!!

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

we (i speak in the name of several people ...) still hardly need this soft to be packaged !
Thanx in advance !

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

version update. Now current version 0.6.3 (released 2007-06-17)
http://aceracpi.googlecode.com/files/acer_acpi-0.6.3.tar.bz2

[Stalker (stalker-nsk)]

Version update/ Now current version 0.8.2 (released 2007-09-03)
http://aceracpi.googlecode.com/files/acer_acpi-0.8.2.tar.bz2

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

Hardly needing this package, i'm trying to do it by myself ... (second try !).
i woold greatly appreciate some help ... because it's a kernel module and it seems to be a bit harder to package it "the right way" than other "simple" package ...
Any advices are welcome ! :o)
Please feel free to contact me by e-mail.

[Panayiotis Karabassis (panayk)]

Olivier, what part of the packaging process are you having trouble with?
I have put together an *experimental* package (one of my first too, definitely *not* done in "the right way" :-) ).

Try at your own risk!
At the very least you should:
a) be running feisty on amd64 with kernel 2.6.20-16-generic (I haven't made other versions yet).
b) have completely removed acer_acpi in case it was manually installed.
c) have backed-up /etc/modules (the package is supposed to do that automatically but you never know...) and know how to restore it in an installation that doesn't boot.
d) feel comfortable with removing the package manually in case it refuses to uninstall on its own. This shouldn't happen but if it does you may have to edit /var/lib/dpkg/info/acer-acpi*.(post|pre)rm.

Oh, and you may want to edit /etc/modprobe.d/acer_acpi.

acer-acpi-2.6.20-16-generic
from
deb http://panayk.boldlygoingnowhere.org/apt feisty-testing free
with key
http://panayk.boldlygoingnowhere.org/apt/repo.key

or the attachment.

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

GREAT news Panayk ! Thanx a lot !

I will try your package as soon as possible as i run a 32 bits Ubuntu feisty fawn for now ...
As i am a beginner in packaging, i was mistaken and confused packaging a kernel module ... I had several compilation errors in the pbuilder part and i didn't know how to write the postinst, postrm, etc. files ! :o) I've tried twice packaging this stuff but without any probing result ...

Is there any chance you make a 32 bits version of your package ???

One of the "blocking" errors was this one :

# Add here commands to install the package into debian/acer-acpi.
/usr/bin/make DESTDIR=/tmp/buildd/acer-acpi-0.8.2/debian/acer-acpi install
make[1]: Entering directory `/tmp/buildd/acer-acpi-0.8.2'
/usr/bin/make -C /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build SUBDIRS=/tmp/buildd/acer-acpi-0.8.2 modules
make: Entering an unknown directory
make: *** /lib/modules/2.6.20-16-generic/build: No such file or directory. Stop.
make: Leaving an unknown directory
make[1]: *** [acer_acpi.ko] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/tmp/buildd/acer-acpi-0.8.2'
make: *** [install] Error 2
pbuilder: Failed autobuilding of package
 -> Aborting with an error
 -> unmounting dev/pts filesystem
 -> unmounting proc filesystem
 -> cleaning the build env
    -> removing directory /var/cache/pbuilder/build//2509 and its subdirectories

[Panayiotis Karabassis (panayk)]

Olivier, hi!
I am more of a beginner than you. I didn't even try to use pbuilder, instead I relied on the script given in [http://www.debian.org/doc/maint-guide/ch-dreq.en.html#s-control] to find the dependencies.
With pbuilder I get the same error as you, however if I add the correct dependencies to the control file (I messed them up in the original release) I get instead:

Unable to locate package linux-headers-2.6.20-16-generic

Maybe pbuilder is using wrong apt repos? I'll try to read more on pbuilder tomorrow.
If you are still interesting in trying my package you can get it (+ sources) at the repo above. I made a build on my desktop and although it installs and uninstalls successfully modprobe gives "No such device" (naturally). Do back-up your /etc/modules though :-)

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

Thanx a lot panayiotis !!!
At least i have a basis to go on ...
I will try your packages (32 and 64 bits) tonight ... I will give you some feedback.

[Panayiotis Karabassis (panayk)]

A little more feedback: linux-headers-2.6.20-16-generic is in feisty-security not feisty. If I do:

pbuilder update --override-config --othermirror "deb http://gr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ feisty-security main"

after the `pbuilder create`,
I can then get my package to build using `pbuilder build acer-acpi-2.6.20-16-generic*.dsc`

Hope this helps...

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

Blimey ! You're right !!! :o)))) It works now with pbuilder !!!
Panayiotis : you save my day ! :o)

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

panayiotis,
Do you plan to maintain the acer-acpi deb package ?
I've already spread the news over my blog (http://www.mumblyworld.info) because I know several people who need this package...

[Panayiotis Karabassis (panayk)]

Olivier, so you've tried it on your system and it works?
That's great! Only problem is that I'm pretty much a beginner in packaging (not to mention linux!) and I am not sure whether I am up to producing and maintaining a 'stable' package for inexperienced user X to rely on. (After all this is a kernel module so there's plenty of potential for breaking an installation! :o) ). Would you be interested in merging my package into the acerlaptop-wifi project you've started here on launchpad and helping with producing and maintaining a stable version? Maybe we should continue this discussion there? You should be able to get the sources for the package by adding the apt-line "deb-src http://panayk.boldlygoingnowhere.org/apt feisty-testing free" then using "apt-get source".

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

Panayiotis,
I totaly agree with you ...
Let's "merge" all this stuff in the acer-laptop-wifi project on Launchpad ... let us join together our forces ! :o)
(even though i'm a bit confused with the launchpad behavior ...)
I will package (as soon as i have time before me ...) my own acer-acpi .deb relying on your .diff file.
After this, i will submit it to a MOTU i know. He will tell me if the package is ok and maybe he could "sponsor" me or you ... to get the acer-acpi package inserted in the next Ubuntu release (Hardy Heron) ... wait and see ...

In an other hand, i would be very pleased to speak about this project with you.
My MSN account : <email address hidden>
My jabber id : <email address hidden>
IRC : irc.freenode.net on #freetorrent or on #cosnix

I've noticed you are from Greece and i don't know if there is a "time shift" between France and Greece ...
I am available starting from 19h30 CET.

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

Panayiotis,
I confirm that your package works PERFECTLY on my Acer Aspire 5024 wlmi with Ubuntu feisty fawn amd64
I was able to install the wifi in less than 5 minutes ! :o)
I use the Broadcom bcm43xx GTK installer (http://blakecmartin.googlepages.com/index.html) to install auto-magically the driver OR ndiswrapper that fit the best to my computer !

Now we should work on a gutsy gibbon package (and maybon a edgy and dapper package ...)

[Panayiotis Karabassis (panayk)]

Olivier,
Sorry for the sparse replies, I've been somewhat busy today. I've just spent some time getting familiar with launchpad, and registered a branch for the version you've tried. I am a little confused about the naming conventions, also is acer-acpi going to be the only package in acerlaptop-wifi? I read in the Ubuntu homepage that Broadcom chipsets will work out of the box in Gutsy (with restricted-manager) so I suppose that only leaves the front-side buttons, but there may already exist another project for that. Tomorrow (after-noon) I'll try to upload the sources and maybe write a "to-do" list somewhere.
It is 2.26 AM in Greece, right now... :-D

[eltonss (elton-ss-deactivatedaccount)]

what happen with your wifi ? I have a acer 5050 3233 with atheros and the light never turn off

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

Actually, acer aspire 5020 series (and others ...) has a Broadcom chipset and the wifi is not hadware controlled (software controlled) ... so the "light" turns on and turns off when transmitting ...

[Martin (martin615)]

Any plans to get this working out of the box for Hardy?

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

Maybe :o)
I've been quite busy these days but i will try to make a brand new package for Hardy ...

[Martin (martin615)]

Ok. :)

Though I was actually wondering more about getting this working without having to install any extra packages, i.e. "out of the box". But maybe having a package in the first place is a step in that direction. :) (I don't really know how default installed kernel modules are handled package wise. Seems like most of them are lumped together...)

[Panayiotis Karabassis (panayk)]

If you are feeling bold you can give the package in [https://edge.launchpad.net/~panayk/+archive] a try.
I have been using the same gutsy version for a couple of weeks without any spectacular problems, so if you want to be the first to try the hardy version...
Don't use the PPA as an apt repo though, it's buggy.

[Olivier Prieur (mumbly)]

aceracpi-source is out !
Please visit http://www.mumblyworld.info/ubuntu/
acer_acpi has been included in 2.6.25 kernel and in 2.6.24 kernel for Hardy !!!

[Wouter Stomp (wouterstomp-deactivatedaccount)]

Marking as fixed as it is now in the kernel.