Review of Dell XPS 410n with Ubuntu Feisty preinstalled

-From the Ubuntu Forms

I received my XPS with Ubuntu today. The first thing I will say is that when the Fedex guy delivered it he asked if Dell was having some kind of liquidation sale because he has delivered more Dells today than ever before. He told me that he had already delivered five and there were eleven more on the truck. (Just throwing that out there.)

First impression:

Opening the box I was immediately met with a glaring view of the Windows Vista logo on the giant instruction poster. The instructions detailed how to use the remote that comes bundled with Vista for use with Vista Media Center (among other things.) Uggh. I quickly discarded that to the side. I rifled through the other documentation provided searching for any sign of a Quick Start pamphlet for Ubuntu…no luck. Nothing whatsoever in the paper documentation mentioned Ubuntu in any way and nowhere did I even see the Ubuntu logo. In fact, the Dell XPS 410 Owner’s Manual offers a significant amount of information for troubleshooting drivers, but it was all Windows-specific. Nowhere in the box was an Ubuntu 7.04 “Feisty Fawn” install disc. No discs of any kind.
UPDATE:
After being contacted by Dell, I was informed that I should have received an Ubuntu install disc with the system. I did not, however. And after reviewing some others’ experiences with their machines, I realize that I am in the minority of those who didn’t get the disc.

Specifications:

XPS 410n, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6420 (2.13GHZ,1066FSB) with 4MB cache
2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE
500GB Serial ATA II Hard Drive(7200RPM)
16X DVD+R/RW CD-RW Combination Drive
Integrated Audio
No monitor (I use an ACER AL1916W 19″ Widescreen with DVI)
375 Watt PSU

First Power-On:

I hooked up my gear and powered it on. This machine is remarkably silent. The disk spun up and the Dell BIOS screen appeared. I was required to accept the DELL EULA by pressing “any key” in order to continue the boot process:

GRUB flashed it’s 2 second warning then the familiar Ubuntu Feisty bootsplash appeared. After a few seconds I was met with a new user wizard set against the default Feisty wallpaper. This wizard asked me to choose a username/password and a timezone. I entered the data appropriately and was then sent to the GDM login. I entered my information and the Ubuntu desktop appeared. The hostname is preset as dell.

UPDATE:
The GRUB menu lists an entry for booting to a recovery environment, which I assume is /dev/sda2 (see below).
Here’s the /boot/grub/menu.lst

Problems:

Screen Resolution
My native resolution of 1440×900 was not recognized immediately. While I don’t think this should be a surprise to anyone with a widescreen monitor, I was slightly disappointed. Since I did not order a Dell monitor with this machine, I cannot say whether it would be the case with those also. I do, however, think that Dell took some steps to attempt resolution autodetection for some of (their) monitors since the default /etc/X11/xorg.conf file included many resolution modes which I don’t think it would have otherwise. X did not see fit to use mine (though it was listed) so it defaulted to 1024×768. This was an easy fix by going to System -> Preferences -> Screen Resolution and changing it, which took effect immediately and without further tinkering.

Restriced Drivers Manager – nVidia
Didn’t work. It said it was doing something and showed the nice little download and install meter, then it asked me to reboot…then it killed X when it came back up.
I had to do this manually:
Code:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Select nvidia as the driver, not nv.

This worked like a charm on the first try (which happened to be while I was in a console after X died.)
UPDATE:
In my contact with Dell, I was told that the process of installing the proprietary nvidia module via Restricted Drivers Manager was tested pretty thoroughly. And from my review of other accounts with similar hardware, this problem was, again, uncommon. I am not willing to rule out user error though I followed the obvious steps to enable this functionality. I will do a system restore in the coming days to re-test this process and will report back.

UPDATE:
I have run through a reinstall from the Recovery Console (which was a breeze – took 12 mins to get a factory-default system back. That’s impressive.) Unfortunately the same problem with resolution detection cropped up again. This time it defaulted to 1400×1050.
Here’s the default /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Here’s the /var/log/Xorg.0.log
You might notice that X thought I was attached to a KVM…which wasn’t true. I tried both DVI and D-SUB connections, both with the same results. I believe these files are from a D-SUB connection.
The good news though, was that Restricted Manager did install the proprietary nvidia module without hassle the second go around. (I wonder if this was related to DVI vs D-SUB and the improper resolution detection? I wish I’d kept the logs from the first time.) When the machine came back after the nvidia module was installed, the proper 1440×900 resolution was present in the System -> Preferences -> Screen Resolution menu, and changing it was trivial.

The standard kernel 2.6.20-16-generic is installed.
here’s the config

Dell’s configuration of my disk:

Code:

ben@dell:~$ sudo parted
GNU Parted 1.7.1
Using /dev/sda
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type ‘help’ to view a list of commands.
(parted) print

Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 49.4MB 49.3MB primary fat16
2 49.4MB 2204MB 2155MB primary fat32
3 2204MB 2410MB 206MB primary ext3 boot
4 2410MB 500GB 498GB extended lba
5 2410MB 5059MB 2649MB logical linux-swap
6 5059MB 500GB 495GB logical ext3

(parted)

You might be wondering what the two vfat partitions at the front of the disk are:
/dev/sda1 mounts to /media/DellUtility
Code:

• ben@dell:/media/DellUtility$ ls
  Adaptec2.mdm DELLBIO.BIN IMchEcc.mdm Nic.mdm System.mdm
  Adaptec.mdm Dellboot.exe INT15_88.COM Parallel.mdm UsbBist.mdm
  ami_raid.mdm DELLDIAG.COM IoApic.mdm Pci.mdm UsbDevID.mdm
  AUTOEXEC.BAT DELLDIAG.EXE IR.mdm Perc2Ada.mdm USBEHCI.mdm
  AUTOEXEC.UP DellDiag.INI Keyboard.mdm PM.MDM UsbKbd.mdm
  BiosMp.mdm DELLRMK.BIN LSI.mdm Pnp.mdm UsbMass.mdm
  CABLES.mdm DellSys.msm Memory.mdm Raid.mdm Usb.mdm
  Cache.mdm DELLTBUI.EXE MiscPci.mdm Scsi.mdm UsbMouse.mdm
  COMMAND.COM DIR.LST Mouse.mdm SEAL.EXE USBOHCI.mdm
  CONFIG.SYS Diskette.mdm MpCache.mdm SEAL.INI UsbTm.mdm
  CONFIG.UP Disk.mdm mpmemory.exe Serial.mdm UsbUfi.mdm
  COPYUP.BAT Dvd.mdm NbBatt.MDM Smbios.mdm USBUHCI.mdm
  Cpu.mdm GenAudio.mdm Nbfan.MDM SMBus.mdm Video.mdm
  DDInit.mim HDAudio.mdm NbSvc.MDM Smi.mdm
  DDINIT.MLM Iaudio.mdm Nbtherm.MDM SYMTREE.INI
  DELL IEEE1394.mdm nic8254x.MDM SYSBDMON.mdm

What is this??
UPDATE:
I wont be clearing this partition after all, since magicfab pointed out that it is a Dell hardware diagnostics environment implemented in DOS. I have the tendancy to jump to conclusions when I see anything .EXE

/dev/sda2 mounts to /media/OS
Code:

• ben@dell:/media/OS$ ls
  autoexec.bat COMMAND.COM DELLBIO.BIN initrd.gz misc ub704img.tgz
  cmd.cfg debs DELLRMK.BIN LINLD.COM scripts vmlinuz

The debs directory is empty. This partition contains a couple utilities to rescue your system like fdisk, vim, etc.

UPDATE:
It was suggested below by the keen eyes of kkass that the ub704img.tgz listed above might be the Ubuntu install image, which turns out to be correct. I missed that. I assume that when you boot to the System Restore console, it reinstalls Ubuntu from this image.

LSPCI
LSUSB

Everything else about the system is rather unremarkable. It works the same way any other Ubuntu system would. Beryl installed and runs great (after the nvidia driver was installed properly.) It uses the default Ubuntu repositories, nothing Dell-specific. There are no Dell logos anywhere on the desktop and nothing in the menus. There is no crapware (AKA unsolicited software trial-versions) installed anywhere obvious. This is basically a vanilla Feisty install. The only tinkering Dell did, (I think), was add some resos to xorg.conf and add some recovery/diagnostic partitions.

All the essential hardware functions properly. This includes (non-accelerated) graphics via the Free nv driver (default). Hibernation and suspend both work out of the box with both the nv driver and the nvidia driver. All sound playback/recording works without hassle. This includes microphone sensing, which has been trouble for some. The CD/DVD-R/W works as it should for burning/erasing discs. I have not investigated CPUfreq scaling, but will soon.

I cracked open the case and had a look inside and was delighted. They’v got some crazy fan-thing on the CPU that spins almost entirely silently. Everything inside is removable just by lifting a lever or two, or by pinching a clamp. It is very easy to add/remove drives etc. Both the hard disk and the DVD-r/w that shipped with it are SATA2. There are a total of 6 SATA channels, 1 IDE channel (if I remember right) for two drives master/slave, 1 floppy, 3 PCI, 1 PCI-E x16, 2 PCI-E x1, 6 rear USB, 2 front USB, 1 rear IEEE1394, front panel mic/headphone jacks. There is room for a total of two 3.5″ internal drives and 2 external 5.25″ drives as well as 2 external 3.5″ slot for floppy or mem. card reader etc. As I said, everything snaps in/out. It is extremely trivial to add/remove hardware.

Final Thoughts:

I think Dell has done a good thing with this system. They obviously made an effort with resolution detection (which was going to be sore no matter what) and did an excellent job of keeping the crapware off the system. If you want a machine that’s going to run all the apps you need and do it well, and without having to research endlessly for compatible hardware to make one yourself, this machine is good for you. I have seen nothing that makes this a deal-breaker for the average user…assuming they don’t want to enable 3D out of the box. That still takes some skills.

UPDATE:
For more information regarding Dell’s Ubuntu machines, they have a wiki and a mailing list (where the Dell devs hang out.)

I want comments!

AFTER THOUGHTS:

There have been quite a few criticisms of Dell and Ubuntu regarding the Restricted Manager debacle killing my X Server when it rebooted. I think this criticism is misguided. It is important to remember whose ultimate fault that was: nVidia’s. Ubuntu’s ability (or inability) to smoothly load a proprietary module is worthless if we can’t support it, if we can’t own it. I am sure the nVidia developers can’t help but agree. They no doubt work hard to get their GPUs up-to-snuff for even the most demanding GNU/Linux user. They are hackers at heart, just like us. But unfortunately the company that employs them sees them as nothing more than ones and zeros. Their paychecks are just an impact on the bottom line. This minimalism strikes deep with every developer of Free software. If we make it, we own it, and we share it to make it better. Every bullet needs to fly at nVidia. Or not. They may never get the clue. They may just decide to keep their secrets and for that they may just find a smaller and smaller crowd singing their praises.
__________________
Linux user, master of mad
Last edited by benanzo : 1 Day Ago at 05:35 AM. Reason: Correct my grammer and add updates
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“Linux car” first to crash at Indianapolis 500

So because of the efforts of the Tux 500 campaign, so the car got the Tux logo on it. unfortunately it crash early during the race on Sunday causing it to finish dead last. After all that, it funny and sad at the same time.

GPUs & Beryl: What is Needed?

-from Phoronix

We thought it was already clear what graphics processors and drivers work and don’t work with Linux desktop eye candy such as Beryl and Compiz, but it seems based upon the number of e-mails we have been receiving along with messages in community bulletin boards that the line isn’t so clear after all. For those that have never tried out Beryl, it is a compositing window manager branched from Compiz (though Beryl will merge back with Compiz soon) that provides a variety of window decorations and other desktop “eye candy” for X.Org users. In this article we hope to make it clear for you what GPUs will make your Linux desktop look the most pleasurable and what ones just sweat thinking about these desktop effects. We have taken eight different systems, benchmarked them using the Beryl Benchmark, and have our thoughts on these ATI/AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA solutions with Beryl v0.2.

For the ATI graphics processors in this article we will be testing the R200, R300, and R400 series with comments on Beryl for the R500/R600 generation processors. On the NVIDIA side we will be testing the GeFore FX, 6, and 8 series. Finally, we will also be testing the Intel GMA 3000 IGP.

ATI Radeon 9200 (R200)

The GPUs with the best open-source display driver and support for AIGLX the longest is the ATI Radeon R200 series, which consist of GPUs from the Radeon 8500 to the Radeon 9250. While these cards have had the longest support their performance is far from the best. Some parts of Beryl, such as the water plug-in, cannot even function due to the lack of the GL_ARB_fragment_program extension. The R200 system we had tested Beryl on had used an ATI Radeon 9250 AGP graphics card with 128MB of video memory (running at 1280×1024), 1GB of system memory, and a Pentium 4 2.8GHz “C” processor while running Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn.

Beryl Benchmark is not an incredibly accurate benchmark, but it does serve to show how well Beryl can run on a particular setup. Beryl Benchmark is simply a plug-in that will show a pop-up window that displays the frame rate in frames per second (FPS). Also, keep in mind that with each of these different systems we had used more than just a different graphics card so there are many more variables at play. Our Radeon 9250 system with Beryl v0.2 was averaging 16 to 20 frames per second while the desktop was idling with the Beryl window manager being active and no other desktop effects. However, when it came to dragging around wobbly windows and other subtle effects, the frame rate was consistently less than 5 FPS. For the very basic desktop eye candy an R200 graphics card with the open-source X.Org Radeon driver will work, but anything beyond that will lag your desktop experience.

ATI Radeon X300 (R300)

The open-source support for the R300 series had to be reverse engineered (for more information see ATI Has Open-Source Drivers Too) and as a result there remains much room for improvement with this driver, but their performance overall is much higher. In this test we had used an ATI Mobility Radeon X300 64MB (running at 1400×1050) with an Intel Pentium M 750 (1.86GHz) and 2GB of DDR2-533 memory running Fedora 7 Test 4 and the X.Org 7.2 Radeon driver.

In this environment while idling on the desktop Beryl Benchmark was reporting 60~65 FPS, but once we started utilizing the Beryl water effects and other eye candy the frame-rate had dropped to 15~20 FPS. At this rate, the desktop wasn’t lagging nearly as bad as the Radeon 9250, but there is of course much room for improvement. AMD/ATI Radeon graphics cards that are from the R300 series or newer are generally able to cope with Beryl on the desktop without any serious issues.

ATI Radeon X800XL (R400)

While the R400 series is just an extension of the R300 class these faster GPUs offer a much more pleasing experience with desktop eye candy. Using an ATI Radeon X800XL 256MB (resolution at 1680×1050), which is one of the fastest graphics cards right now with open-source X.Org drivers, it had performed extremely well. The desktop while idling and during basic desktop usage was always over 200 FPS and the lowest that the frame-rate had ever dropped during heavy usage was to about 25 FPS. Other system components had included dual Intel Xeon Clovertown quad-core processors and 4GB of RAM with Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn.

ATI Radeon X1000/X2000

With the ATI Radeon X1000 (R500) and ATI Radeon HD 2000 (R600) series this is where the curve ball comes. There is no support. While the R500 series is being reverse engineered, the only option right now for Linux desktop users running these current-generation graphics cards is to use the AMD Linux Catalyst “fglrx” display driver. The problem with the fglrx driver is that it doesn’t support AIGLX and namely the GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap extension. Without this support you cannot run Beryl or Compiz directly. You can run XGL and then run Beryl or Compiz, but that is not a path we endorse. Fortunately, the needed support will come. The fglrx support for AIGLX will also allow R300 and R400 owners to have an improved desktop experience through faster acceleration using this driver. When this support does finally come you can expect a very fluid desktop experience with Beryl or Compiz using the R300/400/500/600 graphics cards. When will this support arrive? Well, stay tuned to Phoronix to find out when these Linux users can finally rejoice.

Intel GMA 3000 (Q965)

While there are only open-source drivers right now for Radeon graphics cards up to the R400 series, Intel’s open-source drivers cover all of their integrated graphics processors and eventually their discrete graphics cards (once they are launched). The Intel IGP we had used for these Beryl tests was the GMA 3000 (@ 1280×1024) with the Intel Q965 Chipset. Along with the Q965 motherboard were an Intel Pentium D processor and 2GB of RAM running Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn.

When the desktop was idling and not seeing much action, Beryl Benchmark was hovering around 130 FPS. When we had started implementing some of the different intensive desktop effects the frame-rate would jump between 20 and 55 FPS. With the Intel X.Org driver and Beryl in our particular setup we ran into a bug where the windows would be disappear or lose control. Intel IGPs that are with the 9XX series Chipsets should have what it takes to handle Beryl quite well on the desktop. Other GMA 3000 benchmarks from Phoronix can be found here.

NVIDIA GeForce FX5200

When it comes to NVIDIA and Linux all the talk recently has been about the Nouveau 3D open-source driver for NVIDIA graphics cards. While things are progressing very well for this FreeDesktop project and it should get especially interesting later in the year, right now the open-source NVIDIA driver is not at the stage to support Beryl/Compiz as they are still working on the core 3D functionality. However, the official NVIDIA binary drivers already support the GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap extension. This support was added in the NVIDIA 1.0-9XXX series.

Our first Beryl test was done with a PCI based GeForce FX5200 graphics card with 128MB of video memory (running @ 1280×1024). Other system components included dual Xeon LV “Sossaman” dual-core processors and 1GB of ECC Registered DDR2 system memory. With this hardware the FX5200 would idle with Beryl at around 70 FPS. However, once we started glamorizing the desktop with various effects the frame-rate had quickly dropped. While a bit better than the Radeon 9200, the frame-rate during desktop activity was generally between 4 and 10 FPS.

NVIDIA GeForce 6600GT

Moving up to a GeForce 6600GT the experience was much more appealing. In this system we had used a PCI Express GeForce 6600GT with 1GB of RAM and an AMD Sempron 3400+ processor running once again Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn at 1280 x 1024. With minimal desktop effects the system would idle about 75 frames per second and even when we had begin utilizing the demanding water effects we had seen the frame-rate spike at just over 70 FPS. The lowest we had seen the frame-rate go with Beryl 0.2 and the 6600GT was about 30 FPS. Graphics cards in the GeForce 6 series or newer is where Beryl begins to shine on NVIDIA hardware.

NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT

Finally onto our last test system for this article we had used a NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT 256MB graphics card with dual Intel Quad-Core Xeon processors and 4GB of system memory and a 22″ display running at 1680×1050 with Fedora 7 Test 4. Starting out with this new PCI Express graphics card the frame-rate was consistently above 250 FPS and briefly had topped over 300 FPS. With the different desktop effects, Beryl Benchmark had reported the frame-rate at about 80 FPS with a majority of the different effects and Beryl options we had used. The desktop eye candy on this system was extremely pleasing even at this higher resolution.

So What’s Needed?

In this article we only went through eight different systems and graphics cards, but we have used Beryl and Compiz on dozens of hardware configurations at Phoronix. While a Radeon R200 will work for some of the basic effects, to really enjoy Beryl on ATI hardware you will need an R300 or R400 generation graphics card. To much dismay, R500 owners or anyone else using the fglrx driver is stuck without support. XGL can be used, but we would recommend steering away from it when possible. The much-awaited support for AIGLX in the fglrx driver is still not here but by year’s end we should hopefully be able to share a much brighter story.

Intel’s IGPs are certainly not the fastest but using a GMA 3000 or newer GPU should be able to provide a clean and fluid Beryl/Compiz experience. On NVIDIA hardware using the 1.0-9XXX or 100.xx.xx series driver, a GeForce 6 series graphics card or newer should be able to efficiently handle Beryl/Compiz.

These GPU recommendations are not only based upon the different systems mentioned in this article but from all the different hardware systems we have tested up to this point. You can share your experiences with Linux desktop eye candy in this Phoronix Forums thread. When the time comes we will have an article dedicated to ATI/AMD graphics cards with the fglrx driver using Beryl and Compiz.

Dell’s Ubuntu Linux machines launching today

-from Engadget

There’s still no press release but those three Dell’s running Ubuntu are just minutes away from donning their direct-sales wings according to Dell’s official Direct2Dell site. Just like we heard, the three rigs available for the Linux pre-load include the E520 Dimension desktop, Inspiron E1505 consumer laptop, and XPS 410 media rig, now suffixed with an “n.” All three will be up by 4pm CST later today from Dell’s “open” site. Prices start at $599 for your choice of the E520n desktop or E1505n notebook while the XPS 410n will cost you $899. Interestingly enough, Vista pre-load pricing starts at $369 for the E520, $699 for the E1505, and $899 for the XPS 410. Huh? It’s just a start according to Dell, with “plenty more to come.”

[Via Ramblings from the Marginalized, thanks Steve D.]

RestrictedFormats/BluRayAndHDDVD

-from ubuntu documentation
Blu-Ray and HD DVD Video

Both Blu-Ray and HD DVD include DRM, which stops consumers from exercising fair use rights, including:

*

The ability to use open source software to play the Blu-Ray and HD DVD films they have purchased.
*

The ability to display films on monitors using standard digital (DVI) or analog (VGA) cables.

However this DRM is ineffective and it is currently possible to play DVD films using your existing display on Linux.
How Linux Players Are Possible

The DRM used in HD DVD and Blu-Ray was originally intended that each Blu-Ray or HD DVD player application requires its own unique player (or ‘device’) key. This player key is eventually used to decrypt each discs media, volume and title keys, which are in turn used to decrypt the films content and play it.

*

The current popular workaround is to fetch widely known media keys (hence eliminating the need for a device key to decrypt the media key) – this method is used by BackupHDDVD C++, needed to play HD DVDs on Linux.
*

It’s also currently possible to simply guess or brute-force the media keys, eliminating the need to for either a device key or fetching media keys. This method will likely be adopted by future Open Source HD DVD and Blu-Ray players, in a manner similar to existing Open Source DVD players.
*

As most Blu-Ray and DVD hardware is sold with a license to use Windows based software players, it may also be considered fair use in many parts of the world to use that licensed key to play discs in other Operating Systems.

As with DVD, the ability to play HD DVD and Blu-Ray in Linux is restricted in countries by laws restricting the exercise of fair use rights if this requires circumventing DRM.

*

Legal Notice Patent and copyright laws operate differently depending on which country you are in. Please obtain legal advice if you are unsure whether a particular patent or restriction applies to a media format you wish to use in your country.

None of the software below is supplied or endorsed by Ubuntu.
Playing HD DVD and Blu-Ray Films in Ubuntu

It’s possible, but cumbersome, to play HD DVD and Blu-Ray films under Ubuntu.

*

1. Install a UDF 2.5 filesystem driver. See Linux UDF project.
*

2. Acquire cryptographic keys for the disc player. BackupHDDVD C++ (not the regular BackupHDDVD, which only works on Windows) can perform the decryption necessary to play HD DVD and Blu-Ray discs (a separate player app is also needed, see below). This app uses title keys available in an XML file format distributed at various online sources. This will output .evo files containing your disc’s video and audio content. Ensure these files are saved to a filesystem supporting files larger than 4.2GB (ie,. not FAT32 or older Ext2).
*

3. Play the decoded .EVO video and audio files. The current subversion release of MPlayer includes and works with the latest ffmpeg, which includes support for the VC-1 video decoder and H.264 audio. Support for E-AC3 audio format is coming soon.

Further Reading

Release announcement for BackupHDDVD C++

Doom 9 Forum thread on playing HD DVD disc content with Linux mplayer SVN+

Doom 9 Forum thread where it is discovered that HD DVD volume keys are predictable

Wikipedia article on BackupHDDVD, on which BackupHDDVD C++ is based)

Wikipedia article on AACS, used to restrict users rights on HD DVD and Blu-Ray

last edited 2007-04-03 02:53:05 by MikeMaccana

Boot linux on the 360

-from MydediBox
Here is a crappy help to boot linux on the 360.

First, you need :

– 360 xbox with an exploitable kernel (4532 or 4548).
– Dvd drive flashed with xtreme firmware.
– Serial adapter (http://mydedibox.homelinux.com/1.jpg).
– King kong patched.
– Xell loader (thanks tmbinc).
– A powerpc toolchain (http://kegel.com/crosstool/)

– Install NFS server on your linux box, and make a share available for the 360 linux kernel to load the filesystem (eg. /tftpboot/x360). You also need portmap installed.
For help if needed :
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/NFS-HOWTO/server.html
http://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&q=nfs+server+howto&btnG=Recherche+Google&meta=

– Now we need to make the filesystem, i choose ubuntu 6.10 powerpc64 livecd iso (ubuntu-6.10-desktop-powerpc.iso), mount it, install squashfs-tools then extract the compressed livecd content :

ninux$ sudo mount -t squashfs -o loop,ro ubuntu-livecd/casper/filesystem.squashfs mnt/
ninux$ cp -a mnt/. /tftpboot/x360

Note that there isnt enough device copied from the ubuntu compressed file system to our nfs root file system to boot correctly. Copy your current “/dev” folder to the nfs share :

ninux$ cp -a /dev/. /tftpboot/x360/dev”

– Edit the .config file from tmbinc (http://mydedibox.homelinux.com/downloads/x360/.config) so the kernel find the filesystem on your computer ip : “root=/dev/sdb1 ip=10.0.0.204 video=xenonfb console=tty0 nfsroot=10.0.0.1:/tftpboot/x360”

– Recompile the kernel (of course with the xenon patch applied) :

ninux$ alias smake=’make ARCH=powerpc CROSS_COMPILE=powerpc64-unknown-linux-gnu-‘
ninux$ smake

– Now upload the Xell loader via serial to boot your newly kernel (either by tftp or cdrom, i prefere tftp), it should load the filesystem from your NFS server. You can then chroot an usb disk from there so you dont need the NFS server anymore (a lot tricky).

– I had a probleme with the password from the livecd to pass the prompt so i added the option “single” to the kernel config line (“root=/dev/sdb1 ip=10.0.0.204 video=xenonfb console=tty0 nfsroot=10.0.0.1:/tftpboot/x360 single”) so i can change the root passwd then removed this option.

Now i should look to make an initrd so my usb disk will be available when the kernel is booting. It would prevent all this tricks.

Edit : You can also install linux on your 360 hard drive, so you dont need the nfs part anymore. Note that its not sure that you will be able to use it again after format it to a linux filesystem.
Anyway if you want so, mount the “filesystem.squashfs” file under your nfs share (“/tftpboot/x360/mnt/fs” for exemple) so it is available under your 360 linux box.
When logged on the 360, use cfdisk for exemple to make a partition on your 360 hdd (/dev/sda), format it with mkfs.ext3.
Mount it (mount /dev/sda1 /temp) then copy the filesystem on it (“cp -a /mnt/fs/. /temp).
Now recompile your kernel with this option : “root=/dev/sda1 video=xenonfb console=tty0”. You now have linux installed on your hdd !
Finnish the work .. (edit /etc/fstab, /etc/hosts, /etc/network/interfaces etc …).

Adopting Ubuntu

-From CBC News
Linux switch can be painless, free
March 23, 2007
By David Conabree

The author is a regular reviewer of new high-tech gear and longtime computer user.

In all the “switcher” TV ads that the folks in Apple’s marketing department have come up with, the choice is always the same. Go with the clunky and complicated Microsoft Windows machine, or pick up the hip and sleek designer Apple computer running the Mac OS (hip and sleek short form for “operating system”). They’re good ads — heck, I’ve even gone to Apple’s website just to watch them.

But there is another choice out there that a lot of people simply aren’t aware of because there’s no slick marketing campaign behind it.

For many people, e-mail, web surfing, picture editing, listening to music, making spreadsheets and basic word processing are just about all they do with their computers. Today’s Macs and Windows PCs are impressive machines indeed, but their power — and price — can be overkill for the average computer user. If you’re looking for a new computer and you’re not sure whether to go Windows or Mac, I’d suggest also paying some attention to the “L” word.

No, not that “L” word. I’m talking about Linux.
A brief history of Linux

For those of you not familiar with the world of Linux, let me give you the Coles Notes version. Some time ago, a rather creative software engineer in Finland decided he wanted to build a new computer operating system in his spare time. In what ended up earning him a near god-like status in the “geek” hierarchy, Linus Torvalds and a growing group of volunteers eventually did the highly improbable, putting together a new kind of operating system that could go head to head with the software that companies like Microsoft and Apple have spent millions developing.

Torvalds then went and gave his software, called Linux, away to anyone who wanted to use it or tinker with it, so long as they agreed to openly share any changes or improvements they made. Since that time, dozens of flavours of the Linux operating systems have come out, and the majority of them are utterly free. They’re also stable, secure, easy to use, and generally not plagued by spyware and viruses the way commercial operating systems are.

Now, back to our story.
Ubuntu

Linux, and more specifically the free “Ubuntu” version, has come a long way in the past few years and is well worth considering for basic computing.

Best of all, it won’t cost you a penny to try it out.

Like many Linux distributions, the entire Ubuntu operating system is available as a free “Live CD” you can download from the internet. Just burn the file [called an “ISO”] to a CD, and that’s it … you’re ready to try Ubuntu on any home or business PC. Alternatively, you can pay a small shipping fee and have an Ubuntu disc delivered to you by mail.

Either way, reboot your Windows machine with the disc in the CD drive, and rather than starting up Windows, the computer will run Ubuntu directly from the CD. This means that your entire Windows installation, including all of your personal files, are left entirely untouched — nothing is “installed” over the existing content on your machine. Once you’re finished trying Ubuntu, just take the CD out, reboot and your PC will start Windows exactly as it did before.

So what is it like?

Amazingly, Ubuntu feels much like Windows. I have converted several friends to Ubuntu over the years and every one of them has had the same opinion — everything is where you think it should be if you’re familiar with a Windows computer.
Software

The Linux operating system comes with great open-source software, and the icons for them are right there on your desktop where you’d expect to find them. Want to write a memo? Ubuntu comes with Open Office, a full (and free) office software suite that works with Microsoft documents, such as spreadsheets, text files and presentations. For browsing the internet, you get Firefox, the same browser I use now for both my Windows and Mac machines. Play music in the Rhythmbox Media Player or play your videos in Totem — again, both included for free.

With the exception of gaming, which is limited, almost all of the average person’s basic computing needs are well looked after with this package. I’ve used the last three versions of Ubuntu on my main portable web-surfing computer for years just to avoid viruses and spyware (as the vast majority of these nasty programs are written for Windows), and I have yet to be disappointed.

If you like it, you can load Linux permanently onto a cheap “bare bones” PC from your local computer store, saving yourself a chunk of cash that you’d otherwise have to spend on an operating system, software and high-powered hardware. The Ubuntu software is free, although there is an option where you can buy several years’ worth of support and troubleshooting if you feel you’ll need some extra help.

I’ve also “resurrected” several old machines using Ubuntu and various other versions of Linux that are far more compact and less memory intensive than Windows or the Mac OS, so they don’t need as much computing power to run them. It’s amazing to see how quickly you can breathe new life into an old beige-box geezer and save it from the landfill, rather than junk it because it doesn’t have the power to keep up with the latest commercial operating system.

The “Damn Small Linux” version actually comes in at a paltry 50MB for the entire operating system, complete with basic software to cover most daily computing needs — it’s great for getting more use out of old desktops or notebooks.

Ubuntu, however, is far slicker and more powerful than these trimmed-down versions of Linux. If you’re new to the Linux world and want to compare the experience to Windows or the Mac OS, I highly recommend Ubuntu as the best place to start. It will cost you nothing to try out, and you might just be surprised at how good “free” really is.

Ubuntu + Beryl + World of Warcraft

Linux gets all the cool stuff…