[waldojim]

I finally got it! A working copy of Linux on the W520 that results in EVERYTHING working!

The basics are simple, get Linux Mint 13, and then install the Ubuntu Bumblebee package. I am getting 6.5 hours of battery life (typical even out of Windows), screen brightnes actually works, instant resume, and Nvidia Optimus works (though quite limited). For anyone using a similar type of machine, this is the setup I recommend.

[techie4fun]

waldojim, on 25 May 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

I finally got it! A working copy of Linux on the W520 that results in EVERYTHING working!

The basics are simple, get Linux Mint 13, and then install the Ubuntu Bumblebee package. I am getting 6.5 hours of battery life (typical even out of Windows), screen brightnes actually works, instant resume, and Nvidia Optimus works (though quite limited). For anyone using a similar type of machine, this is the setup I recommend.

I just installed Mint 13 on my Dell, integrated graphics and found the start menu to be missing. Not sure what's going on there. Wasn't able to do much. I assume it's my graphics (integrated). Strange.

[waldojim]

techie4fun, on 27 May 2012 - 01:43 PM, said:

waldojim, on 25 May 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

I finally got it! A working copy of Linux on the W520 that results in EVERYTHING working!

The basics are simple, get Linux Mint 13, and then install the Ubuntu Bumblebee package. I am getting 6.5 hours of battery life (typical even out of Windows), screen brightnes actually works, instant resume, and Nvidia Optimus works (though quite limited). For anyone using a similar type of machine, this is the setup I recommend.

I just installed Mint 13 on my Dell, integrated graphics and found the start menu to be missing. Not sure what's going on there. Wasn't able to do much. I assume it's my graphics (integrated). Strange.

That is odd, as the Integrated card is what mine primarily runs on. The dedicated card is only used when I tell it to...
Could be a bad download? Or it could be that I am using Mint 13 Cinnamon Edition.

[techie4fun]

So I guess I was wrong. I installed 12 "lisa", the 32-bit DVD. So maybe I should try a reinstall and see if a window prompts me what video card to use. I know it ran a downloader during install to get additional packages, but I just let it sit and came back and then it asked for a reboot. Nothing came up about what video card to use. I hope it wasn't a bad download. I let the dang thing run overnight.

[techie4fun]

My DSL is capped at 1.5 MBPS. Takes about five hours to download 4.4 gigs. It's all that's offered up here. Man how I miss Comcast!!!!

This post has been edited by techie4fun: 27 May 2012 - 06:58 PM

[waldojim]

techie4fun, on 27 May 2012 - 06:52 PM, said:

So I guess I was wrong. I installed 12 "lisa", the 32-bit DVD. So maybe I should try a reinstall and see if a window prompts me what video card to use. I know it ran a downloader during install to get additional packages, but I just let it sit and came back and then it asked for a reboot. Nothing came up about what video card to use. I hope it wasn't a bad download. I let the dang thing run overnight.

It should default to the integrated card. Unless your bios is smart enough to know that Linux doesn't get along with Optimus and disables the IGP for you... which is kind of nice, but also a bit of a pain.

[waldojim]

techie4fun, on 27 May 2012 - 06:54 PM, said:

My DSL is capped at 1.5 MBPS. Takes about five hours to download 4.4 gigs. It's all that's offered up here. Man how I miss Comcast!!!!

Could be worse, I have been forced to download over dial-up!

[techie4fun]

Mint Linux 13 Cinnamon works.

[LiveBrianD]

waldojim, on 28 May 2012 - 08:53 AM, said:

techie4fun, on 27 May 2012 - 06:54 PM, said:

My DSL is capped at 1.5 MBPS. Takes about five hours to download 4.4 gigs. It's all that's offered up here. Man how I miss Comcast!!!!

Could be worse, I have been forced to download over dial-up!

Man, and a while ago at my grandparents' house when I had to download SP3 over their 1.5mbps DSL connection... I thought that was sslloowww... (compared to the 15mbps connection I have at home)

[techie4fun]

I did forget to mention that I was getting an out of range frequency with the screen going blank for about 30 seconds at boot up with Mint. It also appeared that some of the desktop icons wouldn't load properly, sometimes. Must be driver issues. I purchased this Dell in 2007 so it's fairly dated. The integrated graphics are just plain Intel. That might be the issue. Ubuntu also had the out of range frequency thing at boot up, as well as Fedora Core, but both showed start menu, behaved normal.

[waldojim]

techie4fun, on 30 May 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

I did forget to mention that I was getting an out of range frequency with the screen going blank for about 30 seconds at boot up with Mint. It also appeared that some of the desktop icons wouldn't load properly, sometimes. Must be driver issues. I purchased this Dell in 2007 so it's fairly dated. The integrated graphics are just plain Intel. That might be the issue. Ubuntu also had the out of range frequency thing at boot up, as well as Fedora Core, but both showed start menu, behaved normal.

I have noticed that Intel drivers seem to be crap. Sad really, considering the amount of work Intel has done with Linux.