Linux (Debian Squeeze) on Dell Vostro 1500

Notes on install of Debian Squeeze in October 2010. Xorg with Xfce4. Previously was running FreeBSD, but moved away due to some ACPI sleep issues with Nvidia drivers.

Package Management

/etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://YOURMIRROR/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free
deb-src http://YOURMIRROR/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main

deb http://www.backports.org/debian squeeze-backports main contrib non-free
deb-src http://www.backports.org/debian squeeze-backports main contrib non-free

deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org squeeze main

deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main

Ensure you're up to date:

# apt-get update
# apt-get install apt-show-versions debian-multimedia-keyring debian-ports-archive-keyring
# apt-get update
# apt-get dist-upgrade

Networking

Packages to install:

• wpasupplicant
• firmware-iwlwifi (firmware for Intel 3945ABG Wireless)

Create /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf:

ap_scan=1
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
network={
	ssid="myssid"
	key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
	proto=WPA RSN
	pairwise=CCMP_TKIP
	group=CCMP_TKIP
	psk="mypresharedkey"
}

Add to /etc/networki/interfaces

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
	wpa-driver wext
	wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

Audio

Packages to install:

• alsa-utils

Add these to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf OR create a new file (I created sound.conf)

alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
options snd-hda-intel index=0

Reload audio with alsa reload as root.

Power Management (ACPI)

Packages to install:

• acpi
• acpi-support
• cpufrequtils

Changes to /etc/default/acpi-support. Note that these settings are only read if some other power daemon such as xfce4-power-manager or gnome-power-manager isn't running:

LOCK_SCREEN=false
LID_SLEEP=true

If you still have issues just replace /etc/acpi/lid.sh with:

#!/bin/sh
grep -q closed /proc/acpi/button/lid/*/state
if [ $? = 0 ]
then
	/usr/sbin/pm-suspend
fi

X11

Packages to install:

• handbrake-gtk
• flashplugin-nonfree
• gdm
• gimp
• google-chrome-stable
• iceweasel (firefox)
• module-assistant
• mplayer
• nvidia-glx
• nvidia-kernel-common
• nvidia-kernel-source
• openoffice.org
• openoffice.org-gdk
• pidgin
• sun-java6-plugin
• xfburn
• ^xfce4\*
• xorg

Nvidia driver:

# m-a prepare
# m-a a-i nvidia

Generate an xorg.conf with `Xorg -configure`. Move the resulting xorg.conf into /etc/X11/. Edit with these changes:

Section "Device"
	Identifier      "Configured Video Device"
	Driver          "nvidia"
EndSection

# Synaptics mouse config, this config seems to allow two finger vertical scrolling
Section "InputDevice"
       Identifier  "Mouse0"
       Driver          "synaptics"
       Option          "VertEdgeScroll"        "1"
       Option          "HorizEdgeScroll"       "0"
       Option      "Protocol" "auto"
       Option      "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
       Option      "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Changes to /etc/gdm/gdm.conf for auto login:

[daemon]
AutomaticLoginEnable=true
AutomaticLogin=username