Linux on the Compaq Presario V5305WM
The following describes my experience configuring Linux (specifically
Ubuntu 6.10 "Edgy Eft") on the Compaq Presario V5305WM. (This is the
laptop that Wal-Mart sold for $398 early one morning in November,
2006.) There are also partial specifications at the end.
What Works
- Widescreen 1280x800 video
- Ethernet at 100 Mbps
- Full Battery life indicator, with warnings and auto-shutdown
- USB, including webcams that claim to be windows-only
- Touchpad, including:
- tap-to-left-click
- Dedicated Vertical Scroll Area (very convenient, I can't
live without it now)
- CD burner
- Audio
- Dedicated buttons for audio
All told, this is even better than the last time I installed Linux on a laptop. Virtually everything
worked, no tweaking needed to get these things working. Ubuntu rocks!.
What Doesn't Work
- Horizontal Scroll Area on Touchpad
TODO
- Disable screen locking on lid close. Right now, whenever you
close the lid the screen locks. After re-opening the lid, I
have to enter my password. FIXED: Run gconf-editor. Go to
apps/gnome-power-manager. Uncheck "lock_on_blank_screen" and
other "lock_" entries. Thanks to this forum posting and many others for finding this.
Power Consumption
Thanks to a Kill-A-Watt " electric meter, I know that this laptop
consumes power at these rates:
- Off, Charging: 45 Watts
- On, Charging, Maximum Display Brightness: 65 Watts
Specifications
Compaq v5305wm Laptop
- AMD Mobile Sempron 3300+ (2.0 GHz, 128KB L2 Cache)
- 15.4" widescreen display (1280x800 resolution)
- 512 MB 333MHz DDR RAM (384MB available after 128MB for video)
- 60 GB disk space (5400 rpm)
- 10/100 copper Ethernet
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