Popular Guides
View more guides at Linux Wiki Guides
Welcome to LinLap - The Linux Laptop Wiki
Asus K42F
Introduction
This is a compatibility guide to running Linux with the Asus K42F laptop.
This page is just for discussing using Linux on the Asus K42F. For a general discussion about this laptop you can visit the Asus K42F page on LapWik.
Editing This Page
If you would like to edit this page please first view our Editing Guidelines.
Specifications
For full specifications see the Asus K42F specifications page.
| Name | Asus K42F |
| Processor | Intel® Core™ i5 Processor 520M/430M : 2.4 GHz - 2.26 GHz, with Turbo Boost up to 2.93/2.53 GHz; Intel® Core™ i3 Processor 350M : 2.26 GHz |
| Screen | 14.1” (1366×768) Widescreen |
| RAM | Up to 8GB |
| HDD | 250GB to 640GB |
| Optical Drive | DVD+-RW |
| Graphics | Intel® GMA HD |
| Network | 10/100/1000 Ethernet 802.11 b/g/n |
Linux Compatibility
| Device | Compatibility | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Works out of the box | |
| Screen | Works out of the box | |
| HDD | Works out of the box | |
| Touchpad | Works | Must use 2.6.34 kernel or newer, and identify elentech touchpad as synaptics touchpad within xorg |
| Optical Drive | Works out of the box | |
| Graphics | Partially Working | For hardware acceleration, must use 2.6.35 kernel or newer. No vsync, so all videos have noticeable tearing |
| Sound | Works with modification | Must install the alsa realtek sound codec to get sound from headphones |
| Ethernet | Not Tested | |
| Wireless | Partial | Seems to have issues with the ath9k driver. Maxes out at 80kb/s |
| USB | Works out of the box | |
| Card Reader | Not Tested | |
| Webcam | Not Tested | |
| HDMI | Works | Use lxrandr/xrandr to use HDMI out |
Notes
You can enter any specific notes with running Linux on the Asus K42F here.
Summary
Due to the poor performance of the wifi, I would say that this laptop is not ready for linux use yet. Battery life is only a little less than that of windows (2.5-3.5 hours). Don't buy this if you were hoping to have a linux box able to play any sort of video, as it will look terrible due tearing even on the simplest videos.
Discussion