AsusF5N
Contact: LexRoss
- Make: ASUSTek Computer Inc.
- Brand: ASUS
- Model: F5N
Website: http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=5&l2=23&l3=523&l4=23&model=1791&modelmenu=2
Current Issues
This chipset is supposed to work with "nvidia-glx-new" and MadWiFi drivers installed.
- My ISP requires VPN to connect to the Internet, so "pptp-linux" and "network-manager-pptp" must be installed as well.
- Synaptics touchpad does not work (the driver is there by default, but no entries in xorg.conf)
- No video driver in xorg.conf
- Scroll Lock LED does not work
- Dead black screen on resume from suspend mode
- 8.04 Beta 4 Hardy only: Wireless and Bluetooth LEDs are constantly on, even with wireless turned off (and there is no bluetooth adapter present on this model)
- Brigtness goes up to max unexpectedly when on AC power
- No sound, and built-in microphone doesn't work either
- Built-in webcam is not recognized and does not work
- Testing 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon 32-bit and 8.04 Hardy Beta 4 64-bit desktop CD images.
- As of today, this laptop is totally unusable with current Ubuntu release (8.04 alpha 4). It works good with 7.10 though, and touchpad right side corners are working as they should. They never did under Other OS, which made me believe that was Asus' hardware problem. Now with Ubuntu 7.10 this laptop pleases me. There are still issues with wireless, web camera, and buttons, as well as suspend and hybernation. I look forward to those to be fixed before recommending this otherwise great laptop to anyone.
System Info
- system-manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
- system-product-name: F5N
- system-version: 1.0
NVIDIA GeForce 7000M / nForce 610M chipset
- AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-58
- 2GB DDR-2 667MHz RAM
128MB integrated video: nVidia Corporation GeForce 7000M (rev a2)
- 120GB 5400RPM SATA drive
- 15.4" LCD 1280x800 WXGA
Synaptics TouchPad
- NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller (built-in Ethernet Adapter)
- Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5006EG 802.11 b/g Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)
- Built-in software modem
- Built-in USB 1.3 Megapixel Chicony CNF6131 Web Camera
- Built-in PCI Express card reader
- CD/DVD rewritable drive
Hardware details
Screen & Monitors |
||||
Device |
Works? |
Comment |
||
Screen |
No |
Yes |
in 7.10, configure xorg with vesa driver to get graphic display |
Correct resolution? |
No |
No |
7.10 Gutsy Gibbon: 1280x768 @ 60Hz with vesa driver. 8.04 Hardy: 800x600 @ 61Hz; No video driver in xorg.conf, Screens & Graphics control panel is empty (no screen, no resolution, no refresh rate, no video driver, no selection options). Screen & Graphics crashes when clicking "Test" button |
Correct refresh rate? |
Yes |
Yes |
|
3D Acceleration |
No |
No |
sudo apt-get install "nvidia-glx-new" OR use Restricted Drivers Manager to enable |
External monitor works? |
Untested |
Untested |
|
External monitor - mirrors |
Untested |
Untested |
|
External monitor - extend desktop |
Untested |
Untested |
|
Power Management |
|||
Battery detected? |
Yes |
No |
8.04 Hardy: Shows 2 batteries instead of one. Battery applet disappears when on AC Power (only when booted in English - weird) |
Hibernates? |
Untested |
Untested |
No "Hybernate" option in Power Management console or Logout screen |
Suspend |
No |
No |
Suspends but wakes up to weird state: dead screen, backlit on/off button does not help, Scroll Lock button and LED now work, power button shuts down the machine without prompting |
Dim monitor on battery |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Blank monitor on inactivity |
Untested |
Yes |
|
Lid Close |
Untested |
Yes |
|
Cpu frequency scaling |
Yes |
Yes |
800MHz - 1.6GHz - 1.9GHz |
Sound |
|||
Sound works? |
No |
No |
No sound |
Correct volume? |
No |
No |
|
Hardware volume switch |
Yes |
Yes |
Sound Up/Down and Mute buttons work fine |
Headphone jack |
Untested |
Untested |
|
Mic jack |
Untested |
Untested |
|
Networking |
|||
Wired NIC |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Wireless NIC |
Yes |
No |
in 7.10, apt-get install "madwifi-tools" |
PCMCIA NIC |
Untested |
Untested |
This laptop supports ExpressCard only (not compatible with PCMCIA cards) |
Firewire |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Bluetooth |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Modem |
Untested |
Untested |
|
Infrared |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Touchpad & Mice |
|||
Touchpad |
Yes |
No |
Works great in 7.10 - two thumbs up! in 8.04, Synaptics driver package is installed by default but is not configured into xorg.conf; touchpad is way too sensitive and produces faulse clicks (with "mouse" driver) |
Touchpad - Doubletap = double click |
Untested |
Yes |
|
Touchpad - Scroll down side |
Untested |
No |
|
External mouse - USB |
Untested |
Untested |
|
External mouse - Serial |
Untested |
Untested |
|
Docking Station/Port Replicator |
|||
AC through replicator |
Untested |
Untested |
|
USB |
Untested |
Yes |
plugging in external hard drive is no problem |
Serial |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Parallel |
N/A |
N/A |
|
External Monitor - VGA |
Untested |
Untested |
|
External Monitor - DVI |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Modem |
Untested |
Untested |
|
NIC |
Yes |
Yes |
|
PS/2 |
Untested |
Untested |
|
Additional Hardware |
|||
Fingerprint reader |
N/A |
N/A |
|
CD/DVD drive |
Untested |
Untested |
|
PCMCIA cards |
Untested |
Untested |
This laptop supports ExpressCard only (not compatible with PCMCIA cards) |
Parallel Ports |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Card reader(s) |
Untested |
Untested |
|
Function and other keys |
|||||
Fn key |
Operation |
Keycode |
Works? |
Comment |
|
in Ubuntu 7.10? |
in Hardy (current development)? |
||||
+ Space |
Change power profile |
0x92 in 7.10, not reported by "showkey" in 8.04 |
No |
No |
in 7.10, blanks the screen |
+ F1 |
Suspend |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
+ F2 |
Wireless on/off |
not reported by "showkey" |
Yes |
No |
in 7.10, turns wireless LED on and off |
+ F5 |
Brightness down |
|
Yes |
Yes |
goes back to max after a while if on AC power |
+ F6 |
Brightness up |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
+ F7 |
Backlight off/on |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
+ F8 |
Switch to external monitor |
|
Untested |
Untested |
LCD screen stays on |
+ F10 |
Sound Mute |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
+ F11 |
Volume down |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
+ F12 |
Volume up |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
+ Ins |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
+ Del |
No |
No |
The button is recognized but Scroll Lock LED does not come on. Option to turn on Scroll Lock LED on alternate keyboard layout in Gnome keyboard layout preferences doesn't work either |
||
+ C |
Asus Splendid Utility (screen brightness/colour/gamma presets) |
not reported by "showkey" or Keyboard Shortcut dialog |
No |
No |
This key has no special mark on it, and can be used to do whatever. On my Dell Inspiron 5000 I have the similar "secret" Fn + Q key which I use to hybernate. |
+ V |
Web camera |
not reported by "showkey" or Keyboard Shortcut dialog |
Untested |
No |
This key has a camera icon on it and is supposed to launch web camera application |
Other special keys, located at the top row next to keyboard LEDs |
|||||
Key |
Operation |
Keycode |
Works? |
Bug # |
|
in Ubuntu 7.10 |
Hardy (current development) |
||||
Movie/Music |
Media Player |
not reported by "showkey" or Keyboard Shortcut dialog |
No |
No |
|
Running Power Man |
Power Profile |
0x92 in 7.10, not reported by "showkey" or Keyboard Shortcut dialog in 8.04 |
No |
No |
Blanks the screen in 7.10 |
Jupiter |
Web Browser |
0xb2 in 7.10, not reported by "showkey" or Keyboard Shortcut dialog in 8.04 |
Yes |
No |
|
Crossed out touchpad |
Touchpad off/on |
not reported by "showkey" or Keyboard Shortcut dialog |
No |
No |
|
Power sign |
Power on/off |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
Notes
Notes concerning 8.04 Beta 4 release:
- Immediately after booting from Desktop CD the message appears: "jockey_gtk closed unexpectedly"
- In Network Manager, Point to point connection should be renamed to Modem connection, as PPPoE and GPRS are essentially modem connections; then add VPN connection as a separate option, so that one has a choice between wired, modem, and VPN.
- It would also be nice if Network Manager could handle configurations like ISP assigned address on eth0, home LAN static IP on eth0:1, and VPN to ISP. It should then be able to make Internet available to other computers on home LAN.
- Fix sensitivity for Synaptics touchpad, and make Synaptics driver to install properly.
- It make sense to leave US keyboard in when booting in other language than English. For instance, when I choose to boot into Russian desktop, I want to see "us,ru" with ",winkeys" layout and "grp:toggle" option in my xorg.conf file. While toggle preferences may vary, keyboard layout is always the same. As to the keyboard detection, PC105 is correctly autodetected for this laptop. It may not be the case for US model, as my Dell Inspiron 5000 has PC104 keyboard, which Ubuntu detects as PC105. Also, without proper xorg.conf file Gnome keyboard layout preferences don't work as expected. When I boot into Russian desktop, add US keyboard to the list and then choose Right Alt to switch layouts and Scroll Lock LED as an indicator, Ctrl key all of a sudden changes layouts while pressed (so I cannot use Ctrl-C and other combinations in the Terminal). Not to mention that Scroll Lock LED never comes on.
- Not sure how to make special keys work when they generate no keycode. But I would like to help on this issue as well. It's nice to have special keys working on a laptop.
- Fix the battery aplet so that only one battery is displayed.
- Fix resuming from suspend mode
Fix "no video driver" - it should be either nvidia or nv or vesa with the list available in Screens & Graphics control panel (it was in Ubuntu 7.10)
- Fix audio - the system recognizes audio (and modem as audio device, which is corect) but there is currently no sound. Built-in microphone doesn't work either.
- Fix webcam - there is no video input device currently detected.