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MSI GX723
Introduction
This is a compatibility guide to running Linux with the MSI GX723 laptop.
This page is just for discussing using Linux on the MSI GX723. For a general discussion about this laptop you can visit the MSI GX723 page on LapWik.
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Specifications
For full specifications see the MSI GX723 specifications page.
| Name | MSI GX723 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo processor |
| Screen | 17” WSXGA+ Widescreen |
| RAM | Up to 4GB |
| HDD | 320GB to 500GB |
| Optical Drive | DVD+-RW Blueray |
| Graphics | nVIDIA Geforce GT 130M |
| Network | 10/100/1000 Ethernet 802.11b/g/n WLAN Card |
Linux Compatibility
| Device | Compatibility | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Works | |
| Screen | Works | |
| HDD | Works | |
| Optical Drive | Works | |
| Graphics | Works | Install the proprietary NVIDIA drivers for 3D support. |
| Sound | Works | |
| Ethernet | Works | |
| Wireless | Works | |
| Bluetooth | Works | |
| Modem | Not Tested | |
| USB | Works | |
| Card Reader | Works | |
| ExpressCard Slot | Not Tested | |
| Webcam | Works |
Notes
Tested with Ubuntu 9.10. Everything work well right out of the box.
Summary
The MSI GX723 works great with Linux. Near perfect.
Discussion
btw I hooked up my 23” LCD and it displays brilliantly at 1920 x 1050. Awesome!
Really enjoying this machine. I love the big display - what a productivity booster (I'm a developer not a gamer :) )
It seems now that the media keys are working out the box on Ubuntu 9.10 64-bit.
I tested with Rhythmbox and all the keys work perfectly.
Not sure if I tested properly before :)
Still no luck on the Eco key, but the Turbo works as expected.
Bluetooth works like a charm, as do the Webcam and Wifi.
I've not tested the P1 button, but it does register an event when you run xev, so it should be possible to map the key to launch your favourite app (using xmodmap I guess).
Still no luck with the brightness keys, but the GNOME brightness applet and a change to /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness works fine.
Also, when I'm running on battery, the brightness keeps adjusting by itself down to the minimum, even if you set it to max again, which get's slightly annoying. Thus I generally don't run on battery unless I really need to.
Something else that's bothering me is the sound output. It's supposed to Dolby 7.1 stereo but it doesn't sound like I'm getting all the output. Maybe a software issue that I need to read up on, but still I'd expect it to work correctly without any tinkering.
Sound with earphones / external speakers is perfect though.
Other keys that don't seem to work:
Fn+F2 , Fn+F3, Fn+F4, Fn+F5
None of these register with xev, so nothing we can do there it seems.
The sleep key (Fn+F12) works nicely (as does the sleep function with Ubuntu 9.10 - seems pretty stable now).
I wouldn't mind dedicated Home and End keys. Guess I'll have to get used to pressing Fn for those. Kind of like the Mac Fn+Backspace combination lol :D
I am running Ubuntu 9.04 32-bit and I agree that this laptop is a killer.
Just a few notes to mention:
To get media touch sensitive keys to work, try typing:
#acpi_listen
And press the fast-forward/play/rewind keys.
It works perfectly on my setup which I got working from http://www.howtoforge.com/manage-your-laptop-hotkeys-on-fedora at:
Any luck with the Eco keys yet?
I've got this laptop working like a dream.
Running Ubuntu 9.10 64-bit.
Mostly, everything works fine and this is a really nice machine to run with Linux.
Large resolution display is fantastic and boot up time is real zippy.
Stuff that works, which I expected to have trouble with:
- webcam works with Skype 2.1beta; nice and clear
Stuff that doesn't work:
- Fn+F4 and Fn+F5 to adjust display brightness
- Media touch sensitive keys for fast-forward and rewind
Stuff I haven't tested:
- Card reader (for SD cards)
- firewire port (IEEE 1394)