Archive for the ‘Hardware’ Category

Connecting to the Internet thru GPRS / 3G using Linux on a Laptop / Notebook Computer connected to a Mobile Phone (revisited)

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Some people have been asking me if the posting I did in the past entilted: Setting-up IBM Thinkpad X40 Laptop on Ubuntu Linux to connect to the Internet via 3G/GPRS using Nokia N70 works with newer versions of Linux on other laptops / notebook computers and connected to other mobile phone brands / models.

Yes, it still works with the latest versions of Linux and other laptop computers using different mobile phones. Just to share them to those interested, I will make a listing on what devices it worked and will update this posting once I discover new ones:

Laptop / Notebook Computers:

  • IBM Thinkpad X40
  • Toshiba (forgot the model)
  • Macbook Black
  • Asus EEEPC (701)

Mobile Phones:

  • Nokia N70 (I think this will work on other N series)
  • Nokia E71 & E51 (I think this will work on other E series)
  • Sony Ericsson K700i & K610i

I tried all of them both on Globe, Smart and when I was in Laos, the local network named Tigo. Nowadays I usually use Ubuntu but I’m sure it will work in other Linux distros as well. Aside from the set up I used in the posting: Setting-up IBM Thinkpad X40 Laptop on Ubuntu Linux to connect to the Internet via 3G/GPRS using Nokia N70, I also tried them using GPRSEC (a graphic user interface dialler) and wvdial (command line dialler). I will write on how to do them on gprsec and wvdial next time. GTG. Cheers!

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Another one for Moore’s Law: IBM and CalTech are working on DNA to reduce microchips beyond 22 nm limit

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

IBM and CalTech are working to put more power and performance in smaller sized microchips. IBM claims that these chips will be more energy-efficient and less expensive to manufacture compared to current microchips.

The possibility of having smaller, powerful and less-expensive microchips is now being developed using “DNA molecules to act as scaffolding for self-assembling nanotubes that could form the basis for future microprocessors that can be built via manufacturing processes of 22 nm and smaller.”

Microchip manufacturers are currently using a 45-nm manufacturing processes and are said to be moving towards the 32 nm limit.

Read more of the article: IBM, CalTech Use DNA for Future Microchips by Jeffrey Burt in eweek.com.

A paper of the IBM and CalTech researchers: “Placement and orientation of individual DNA shapes on lithographically patterned surfaces” will be published in the September issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

More on Moore’s Law can be found here.

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Making wifi (802.11) device work in Ubuntu on MacBook and other laptops with Atheros chipsets

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Several friends have been asking me how I made my wireless device in my MacBook running Ubuntu Linux worked. Others with different brands of laptops have shared also the same problem. I discovered that most of these laptops (MacBook included) have wireless devices with the same Atheros chipsets.

To check if your laptop have Atheros, do:

lspci | grep Wireless

The result:

02:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5418 802.11abgn Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)

will tell you that you have the Atheros chipsets.

So here’s what you need to do to make your wireless work in Ubuntu:

1. First, make sure you have an alternative Internet connection through your wired ethernet port.

2. For Ubuntu (8.04) Hardy, you just need to install linux-restricted-modules and madwifi-tools packages:

sudo apt-get install linux-restricted-modules madwifi-tools

Prior to Hardy with my laptop installed with Ubuntu (7.10) Gutsy, here’s what I did using Subversion (try this if the first instruction won’t work in Hardy):

- Install Subversion to get the driver source and the needed build tools:

sudo apt-get install build-essential subversion autoconf automake

- Get madwifi using subversion:

svn co http://svn.madwifi.org/madwifi/trunk madwifi

- Compile and install madwifi driver (module name: ath_pci)

cd madwifi
make
sudo make install-modules

The driver is now installed and will be enabled after the next reboot or can be enabled by:

sudo modprobe ath_pci

I was always having difficulty connecting using network manager, so I installed an alternative: wicd.

1. To install wicd you need to add to your repository (append to /etc/apt/sources.list) the line:
“deb http://apt.wicd.net hardy extras”

You can do this by:

echo “deb http://apt.wicd.net hardy extras” >> /etc/apt/sources.list

2. Update your repository:

sudo apt-get update

3. Install wicd:

sudo apt-get install wicd

Note: this will remove your network manager.

You can then run wicd from the menu -> Applications -> Internet.

References:

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Posted in Hardware, Linux, Linux tips | 5 Comments »

Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) on a Macbook … Part 2 (On iSight)

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

To continue from my previous post on the reference site:
How to install Ubuntu on a MacBook
[url: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBook]:

I got the iSight working with additional steps (which the site failed to mentioned). After following the instructions from the abovementioned site on iSight:

a. You need to install isight-firmware-tools.

$sudo apt-get install isight-firmware-tools

b. If you have the isight-firmware-tools already installed you need to do a:

$sudo dpkg-reconfgure isight-firmware-tools

to “point” to the location of the firmware you copied from your MacOS installation/partition.

c. You need to install the module uvcvideo:

- Optional step just to remove any old modules and back up any existing uvcvideo.ko:

$sudo modprobe -r uvcvideo

$sudo mv
/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/ubuntu/media/usbvideo/uvcvideo.ko
/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/ubuntu/media/usbvideo/uvcvideo.ko.original

- Update your Ubuntu archive/repository if you haven’t done recently:

$sudo apt-get update

(more…)

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Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) on a Macbook … Part 1

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

Just got into playing with a Macbook Black from the office last December 2007. Since I’m more comfortable with Ubuntu Linux (than MacOSX Leopard :-) ), I did a dual boot install using rEFIt [url: http://refit.sourceforge.net/] as a dual (or multiple) boot menu.

I noticed some of the devices/hardware does not work properly on Ubuntu “out-of-the-box” (default install of Ubuntu 7.10 for intel) like sound volume control, iSight, sound recording through the built-in mic. To some of us who are used to doing “right clicks” on the mouse, we need to have an alternative way of doing it given that all Mac laptops only has one built-in “mouse” button that works as a “left button”.

I saw a very good reference at the Ubuntu Community Documentation:
How to install Ubuntu on a MacBook
[url: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBook].
The site does not only contains instructions on installing Ubuntu on a Mac but also on making Ubuntu work on the Apple Hardware and some tweaking instructions:
(more…)

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Posted in Hardware, Linux, Linux tips, MacBook, Ubuntu | No Comments »

World’s Smallest Linux Computer

Wednesday, September 26th, 2007

The picotux 100 is the world’s smallest Linux computer, only slightly larger (35mm×19mm×19mm) than an RJ45 connector.

http://www.picotux.com/

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Making Sierra Wireless AirCard 775 work in Ubuntu 7.04 and Connect to the Internet via GPRS/EDGE/3G

Monday, July 30th, 2007

Referred to also by Linux.com July 31, 2007 (3:00:00 PM)

A nephew recently bought a PLDT WeRoam Wireless kit containing among others a Sierra Wireless AirCard 775 pcmcia card with antenna. He asked me to help him in installing it to his WinXP laptop. Later I thought of trying it also on my IBM x40 laptop with Ubuntu 7.04.

The Sierra Wireless AirCard has newer models now but this is the model PLDT WeRoam currently issues for a prepaid kit. The AirCard enables a laptop to connect to the internet using GPRS/EDGE technology. This is the technology used by mobile phones which means wherever there is a cell site it is also possible to connect to the internet. While the connection is quite slow (around plus or minus 225 kbps) compared with a DSL link, it is better than having nothing at all especially if you’re on the move and you need to connect to the internet once in a while.

The PLDT WeRoam kit costs PhP 10,860 (US$231) and includes the Sierra Wireless AirCard 775, CDs for Windows install (plus anti-virus) and a free 3 months unlimited GPRS/EDGE connection plus a 3 month wifi (803.11) connection where there is an Airborne Access. After 3 months you need to “load” your account around PhP 1,700 (US$36) monthly to continue using both types of connection. Not bad compared to a link using Globe or Smart which charges per mb and per 30 minutes respectively which are more expensive in the long run.

Initially, I got some info from the Ubuntu Community Docs: Sierra Wireless AC850 wireless card installation in Ubuntu url: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AirCard8X0. Since the documentation is about a different model of the AirCard, I decided to revised/customized the steps/configs to suit the AirCard model we have. I also tried a different script to connect to the internet, which I already tried with my Nokia N70 (see earlier related blog). Later, I also tried GPRS Easy Connect, a GUI-based software for internet connection using cellphones and similar wireless pcmcia card.

Here are detailed steps:

(more…)

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Posted in Hardware, Linux, Linux tips, Ubuntu | 13 Comments »

Setting-up IBM Thinkpad X40 Laptop on Ubuntu Linux to connect to the Internet via 3G/GPRS using Nokia N70

Monday, January 29th, 2007

Nokia N70Setting-up Nokia N70 (Mine is a Music Edition but will work on other versions of Nokia 70).

For other Phone Models that are reported to work, see reference/sources below at the end of this article.

1. I am using kernel 2.6.17 provided in stock Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft (Though my set-up were previously upgraded from Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy to Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper then to Edgy Eft). Based on the BitUbique Site Article by Xiao Feng, this works also in kernel 2.6.15 provided in the stock Dapper and should work with other 2.6 kernel. Xiao Feng says he has no idea whether it will work on 2.4 kernel though.

Hardware set-up:

IBM Thinkpad X40
Nokia 70 connected via USB cable

For the complete details,
(more…)

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