This is a compatibility guide to running Linux with the Asus UL80Vt laptop.
This page is just for discussing using Linux on the Asus UL80Vt. For a general discussion about this laptop you can visit the Asus UL80Vt page on LapWik.
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For full specifications see the Asus UL80Vt specifications page.
| Name | Asus UL80Vt |
| Processor | Intel Core2 Duo Processor SU9400/SU7300 : 1.4 GHz - 1.3 GHz, Intel Celeron Processor SU2300 : 1.2 GHz |
| Screen | 14” HD (1366×768) Color-Shine (Glare-type) |
| Graphics | Hybrid Graphics, Intel 4500MHD and NVIDIA GeForce G 210M |
| RAM | Up to 4GB |
| HDD | 250GB to 500GB - 5400rpm |
| Optical Drive | DVD Super Multi |
| Network | Atheros AR81xx 10/100/1000 MBit Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100 ABGN Intel WiMAX/WiFi Link 5150 |
| Additional Features | ExpressGate 12h Battery live |
| Device | Compatibility | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Works | |
| Screen | Works | |
| HDD | Works | (500 GB Version), approximately 12G occupied by Expressgate partition (includes win7 recovery) |
| Optical Drive | Works | (Read&Write) |
| Graphics | Works partially | works with nv drivers, to enable nvidia proprietary drivers follow steps found here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=9216876&postcount=34 |
| Sound | Works | Intel HD audio |
| Ethernet | Does not work | Driver is atl1c (atl1e?) Atheros AR81xx see comments |
| Wireless | Works | |
| Bluetooth | Not Tested | Should work |
| USB | Works | |
| Card Reader | Works | |
| Webcam | Not Tested | Works with cheese |
| Suspend | Works partially | No suspend to mem, hibernate works |
Tested with Ubuntu Karmic 9.10
Tested with Sabayon Linux 5.1.3 (gentoo based)
Booting Sabayon install was a pain, graphical problems. For beginners, installing might seem impossible.
The ethernet (Atheros Driver: atl1c) supplied in the linux kernel 2.6.30+ works with flaws, LAN (eth0) is detected and dhcp works, but when one attempts to transfer any data (http, rsync tested), it does not transfer anything. Supprisingly ping'ing other hosts works. Additionally, there are no errors at all, so no clues, what is going on.
Using the driver supplied by Atheros (http://partner.atheros.com/Drivers.aspx) and going trough the pain of finding the right kernel version, one gets the same problems. So one can consider ethernet as not working.
The hybrid graphics is not supported in linux kernel prior to 2.6.34, but afaik there is currently only preliminary support present. Because of that, the laptop uses the (energy consuming) nvidia graphics, resulting in a reduced battery life (ca. 5.75 h; idle system, full display brightness) and no hardware accelerated desktop (which should work with the Intel GMA).
The “Fn Keys” are not working out of the box: setting keyboard layout in kde to ASUS keyboard enables fn-F2 (wifi), F5,F6 show on screen feedback but do not seem to be effective: use setpci. I think that they are activated by a special driver or software (which is windows-based of cource). There seems to be no hope to support these on linux, thus you get full screen brightness (that is not bright at all), no Turbo33 (dynamic overclocking the cpu to 1.7GHz), can't switch wlan off, can't disable the touchpad, can't work with external screens, and so on.
Suspend to ram is not even advertised in /sys/power/state, so no STR support.
Suspend to disk (aka hibernate) works with flaws, the system does not power off, but resuming works. This feature was only tested though some extent.
To judge by Fedora 15 and concurrent Ubuntu, most things now work out of the box, some tzeeks can sort details.