Kubuntu on HP Envy 17 - 1010el

[lixo1]

Dear All,

I would like to post some information about my experience with Kubuntu runing on the new HP Envy 17 - 1010el laptop.
I installed Kubuntu 10.04 (x86_64) using wubi with 20Gb, and my linux kernel is 2.6.32-21.

In general it works but I'm finding many hardware problems that I cannot solve:
1. Screen brightness goes to lower during boot and login time. After login the brightness goes up automatically.
2. The speakers produce a metallic sound (like electronic sound) in idle state. Audio works perfectly, but the orange mute light at the mute button is always on. This pc uses HP beats audio, IDT audio device, ATI audio device, maybe there is some specific proprietary drive that Kubuntu cannot detect.
4. Mouse works, but the mouse block never works.
5. Mouse special mouvents (like 2 fingers) doesn't work.

Thank you very much for any kind of help.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

I just tested ubuntu 10.04 on the same machine, and I got the same identical problems as expected.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

Here more informations about the noise. Now using kernel 2.6.32-24
- The noise can be considered as intermittent high pitch sound, maybe correlated to http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/488821-envy-series-problem-high-pitch-sound-source-confirmed.html
- It doesn't came from speakers, they are from the central-right zone of the pc.
- Opening a video and setting audio to mute the noise disappears.
- When all CPUs are working (i7) the noise disappears.
- Turning off bluetooth and wifi the noise is reduced but not removed.
- This issue is only present during Kubuntu/Ubuntu use, on Windows 7 I don't get this issue.

I don't know, but maybe we can considerer this problem as a security issue correlated to kernel. Please help.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

More tests.

About speakers, after installing linux-backports-modules-alsa-lucid-generic the mute LED now works.
This laptop have 2 speakers + 1 subwoffer, the subwoffer don't work.

About point high pitch noise and lower screen brightness during boot, I tried linux kernel generic 2.6.35-14.20 and the problems stay.

In attachment the dmesg with kernel 2.6.32-24 and 2.6.35-14.20.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

I just tried to turn ACPI off during boot, then the brightness is not modified during boot and the CPU noise stops, but on the other hand wifi, audio, fn keys, ati driver don't work anymore.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

In order to check the origin of the high pitch noise I opened the pc.
The noise comes from wlan/bluetooth module.

My hardware is: Wi-Fi Broadcom 43224AG 802.11 a/b/g/draft-n and HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth 2.1 Wireless Technology.
On ubuntu I'm using the default bcmwl module.

So these two problems still:
+ High pitch intermittent noise from wlan module.
+ Screen brightness is set to minimum after ubuntu boot splashscreen, then it returns to normal after logon.
+ Mouse special mouvents (like 2 fingers) doesn't work, mouse lock doesn't work.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

Same problems on: OpenSuse 11.3, Fedora 13, Debian 5, Mandriva.
Know we can be sure that the problems are correlated with linux kernel.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

After many tests, the issue is strictly correlated with ACPI function.
Please let me know what output should be important to post, I don't know much about ACPI.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

Same for Kubuntu and Ubuntu 10.10

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

For the subwoofer, it's easy.
Just add this line in the file /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf (sudo gedit ...)
[CODE]options snd-hda-intel model=ref[/CODE]
And restart your computer !
Work for me (with natty).

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

Hi Mohegan,
thanks for your suggestion, it works!

So in conclusion at this time we have:

+ Solved bugs:
1) subwoofer and speakers now work using: options snd-hda-intel model=ref
2) clickpad can be fixed using Takashi Iwai patch
3) startup brightness can be solved using patch at https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=21212

- Problems to be solved
1) high pitch noise when the bluetooth is activated

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

With Natty (gnome version), the clickpad work well out of box (tap with two fingers for the right click and tap in top right corner for the middle click). For the startup brightness, I add this lines before the line "exit 0" in the file /etc/rc.local :

echo 10 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness
echo 10 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video1/brightness

I don't use the bluetooth.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

About the brightness, from kernel 2.6.38 you can add to grub the following option:
video.use_bios_initial_backlight=0
And remove echo 10 from rc.

If you have time, could you please load the module btusb and check if you observe this intermittent high pitch noise?
modprobe -a btusb
If it's enabled by default (check lsmod) try to disable the module (modprobe -r btusb) and check if the machine sounds different :-)

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

Thanks for th option in grub. It's work.
I test the module btsub (activate bluetooth and connect to my phone) but I don't have an intermittent high pitch noise.

For the wifi, have you got any problems ? If I use the wl module, my connection is slow and if I use the brcm80211 module, my connection isn't stable.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

Ok, it seems that my wifi+bluetooth module is too sensitive, or the italian version of envy has some bad components inside.
Do you tried in a quiet root? Do you tried to place the pc near to your ear?
I know, it seems stupid questions but the noise that I'm observing is near 16MHz (sound frequency), so not very easy to heard.

About the wifi, yes, brcm80211 is very fast, nice and opensource, but when I used it, it crashed my pc several times. (each boot after 30min of use), in fact there is this limitation to the number of CPUs.

Now I'm using the latest 64bit wl.ko module (released in december) compiled by hand from http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php, and it works great without crashes and at full speed. So just try it. (probably you will need to remove the wl debian package before install it by hand)

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

For the wl module, the last version from broadcom.com is the same than the repository version : 5.100.82.38
Any differences ?

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

> Any differences ?
Just try it by hand. If the behavior is the same I'll send you my kernel .config file, to check if you have my same wifi configuration.

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

I test the bluetooth and I have the same noise. It's very low and I think it come near from the subwoofer. I hear much the fan.

Another trick : when I unplug my charger, the brightness don't reduce. So I add a script for pm-util :

- sudo vi /usr/lib/pm-utils/power.d/brightness
- Put this :

#!/bin/sh

case $1 in
    true) echo 5 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness ;;
    false) echo 10 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness ;;
    *) exit $NA ;;
esac

exit 0

- sudo chmod +x /usr/lib/pm-utils/power.d/brightness

And now, it work

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

> I have the same noise.
Great! (not for the problem, but finally someone can confirm me this issue).

> It's very low and I think it come near from the subwoofer.
Yes, me too. Probably it's the wifi+bluetooth card.

So please, when you have time, just copy and paste what you just said in this kernel bug report:
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=25532

They are the only guys that can solve it (i.e. backlight was solved by them). In my opinion there is something wrong, for our machines, in the btusb module driver, something like the bluetooth radio frequency refresh rate, etc... This issue is not present on the default win7, so naturally it must be btusb bug.

About the backlight when unplug, on KDE 4.6 I don't have this issue, however I can modify these options from the system power control page.

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

I forgot, just copy and paste what you just said about the high pitch noise also on this ubuntu bug report:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bcmwl/+bug/651585

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

Take a look at this bug : https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/730215

Now, I use the last brcmsmac module (the new name of brcm80211) for the wireless.

And, it works great !

[lixo1 (lixo1)]

This is a very good news! Thanks!

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

The brcmsmac is fast but I have many disconnection. I think that the problem come from my internet modem (freebox), not the module.

If you test, tell me if it works well.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 613963

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

Precise howto to activate the subwoofer.

* First, remove the line "options snd-hda-intel model=ref" from the file /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf (sudo gedit ...). It doesn't work with precise.

* Download the script I made with hda-analyzer and copy it in /usr/bin (sudo wget https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/613963/+attachment/3160161/+files/hda_analyzer.py -O /usr/bin/hda_analyzer.py)

* Modify the file rc.local to auto launch the script : just add the line "python /usr/bin/hda_analyzer.py" before the "exit 0" (sudo gedit /etc/rc.local)

* Restart and it works.

* Just a little bug. The subwoofer isn't mute when headphones are plugged in. So, I made another script to auto mute the subwoofer when headphones are plugged in.

* Download the script to auto mute the subwoofer (wget https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/613963/+attachment/3160162/+files/subwoofer_mute.sh). Just open the "startup application" and add the script to auto launch it at every login.

[Mohegan (jack-mohegan)]

For the touchpad / clickpad, take a look at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/582809 : posts #327 to 330.
It works again !