Linux on HP 2510p:openlaw ressources

Linux on HP 2510p

informations about running Linux on HP 2510p

If I have the choice, I only use small and lightweight laptops - I can't understand, how one can like the normal size, 3 kilos bricks (in German I call them "Schlepptop"). It is not always simple to find a machine with standard compliant components in this size. But there are good products on the market and good linux distros, which can manage nearly every need of a mobile computer user. Before buying the new laptop in April 2008 (the last machine was a IBM Thinkpad X31) I was using (open)Suse for several years. It was great (e.g.: uptime of about 300 days - no reboots, only s2ram with APM, he he), but after 4 years the batteries becomes old and it is not possible to buy original parts for my x31 in Germany (the "replacement"-Parts are working like my old battery, max. 2h)...

So I was looking for a good linux machine under 1,5 kilos (ca. 3 pounds). The HP Compaq 2510p is certified for SLED, so I gave HP the chance (my last compaq - Armada - is from the year 1998 and still working as backup-machine and router with debian - in defiance of mineral water shower...).
With openSuse 10.3 on the new HP I was a little bit disappointed, because power management wasn't working out of the box. I guess it was to solve with some tricks, but I've used the occasion to try something new. I got kubuntu 8.04 beta and I was impressed, how good it is working with the machine. Installation was done in 35 Minutes, little problems (described on this page or linked here) were solved in minutes too. So I work with Kubuntu on HP 2510p now.

On this page I try to collect all informations about configuring this machine. My conclusion is: Linux is improving very fast and kubuntu on this little HP is a charm.

Problems with closing laptop lid (freezing in several cases)

Solutions are discussed here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=587390&page=3
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/acpid/+bug/157691

And in short: the solution is to do as root:

echo 1 > /proc/acpi/video/*/DOS

Power management

(2008-04-10)
It works great, there is no need to shut down the OS - suspend (for short time, max. a day) and hibernate (for longer time) with acpi are working good. I've needed very few tweaks / workarounds to make it optimum for me:

after each boot (quite rare) - always for the workaround with lid error (see above)
first s2ram has to be done with the battery-icon menu or with FN + F3 - laptop lid sometimes doesn't activate the suspend mode on the first try
battery-icon menu or with FN + F3 is the most secure way to suspend
s2disk (hibernate) is slow and works sometimes strange - after shut down the machine immediately wakes up; I turn it off on the grub menu manually and it's OK
sometimes after wake up from hibernate the keyboard doesn't working properly, so I can't log in; the workaround is to turn it into a s2ram; after wake up everything is working perfect;

How to get the UMTS-Modem to work

Still not tried, but should work with this descriptions:

Alternative: Mobile-Phone as modem:
Rütten, Christiane; Kossel, Axel: Mobilmachung. Surfen per UMTS unter Windows und Linux - In: c't 8/2006, S. 102ff
(2008-06-04)
My Nokia 6234 works as modem ver good - connection over bluetooth, following this instructions it was simple:

(Little) problems with the wireless-driver (iwl4965)

Kubunty Hardy Heron (beta) installs wireless on the 2510p without any trouble and it works out of the box.

The only thing is, the laptop has an on/off-wireless button, which runs me into some problems. This button turns on and off the wireless card and the bluetooth-module on the machine and helps saving energy, if no wireless is needed. Sometimes the wireless driver doesn't come back after turning the wireless on with the button. It looks for me, as the driver hangs and I can't remove that until reboot. Because I never reboot a linux machine (i do only suspend), it isn't a solution for me.

My workaround at the time (I don't know, if it works, but until now there where no problems) turning on and off the wireless looks like this:
- off: 1) pressing the button 2) doing modprobe -r iwl4965
- on 1) pressing the button 2) doing modprobe iwl4965
network manager does the other necessary steps.

Trying to get SD-Card-Reader to work

(2008-05-03) It's working now. Complete description of my investigation and solution here: HP2510pCardReader

All other guides to 2510p I found over the Internet

first adress, You have to look in is http://www.tuxmobil.org/hp_compaq.html
http://www.mobilnews.cz/blog/?p=40
http://www.isabisl.org/?setting-up-my-hp-2510p-with-ubuntu-7.10-gutsy-gibbon,18
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_HP_Compaq_2510p
http://www.linlap.com/wiki/HP-Compaq+2510P
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HP2510p

openlaw ressources : HP2510P