Ultimate Guide to installing Ubuntu on Your Benq Joybook S41 and S42

What you need:
1)S41 users : congrats u don't need any extra package or configuration other than having the install disc for Ubuntu 9.04 desktop version
2)S42 users: xp-bios from the benq website ( to avoid tricky configuration for the hybrid card)
and of course the installation disc.

How to install?

s41 users :

1.Put the disc into your disk drive on start up, i recommend live disc rather than alternate disc for beginners or those who has very little knowledge about text mode installation.
2.Prior to that, for those who plan to do dual boot with windows, i recommend installing windows prior to ubuntu, just leave out 10GB from ur hard disk for Ubuntu is more than enough. Don't worry abt ntfs support, ubuntu can handle them very well, read and write will never be a problem. NOTICE! Never use ExFAT file system, Ubuntu gives no support for it.
3.Next, on the Ubuntu Logo screen after u boot into the disk, You should be able to see the option to boot into live session. Select it and press enter.
4.Once boot into the live session, ur keyboard and trackpad should be functioning properly. If there is any support problem with ur keyboard and touchpad, please refer to the guide for s42 users below.
5.Double click the [install] icon on the desktop, and folloe the steps through the installation wizard.
6.At the partition editor part, just select the option to use all the empty space available ( the 10GB u left earlier)
7.the wizard should show u that 9.5GB of them is use as the mount point [/] and 512MB as swap memory. This may of course vary from what i write.
8.For those who r only using ubuntu as the single OS in ur s41, feel free to choose the manual option. From the empty space, setup new partition of 10GB for the mount point [/] and make sure u use EXT3 Journaling file system, I still dun recommend EXT4, because it is still in unstable state. Then use theb rest of ur hard disk to format them into another partition using EXT3 journaling file system as well. Set the mount point to [/HOME]. Then use another 1GB of it to setup a partiton as SWAP.
9.The rest of it is just go and get urself a Teh tarik and wait for the installation to complete.
10.Restart the system once finish, and u should be able to use Ubuntu without any problem, hardware driver for Nvidia 8600M GS should be detected and downloaded.

S42 users:

This is one of the more tricky install in Ubuntu i have ever came across, I myself has tried for more than 5 times, and at last found the best solution for it.

First, all s42 users shoud know that Ubuntu still have some issue with the hybrid card of S42, this will later be solved with the xp -bios from the benq website.

Next is the problem with the keyboard and touchpad, they will not be recognised automatically as in S41. We need to do some changes to the boot option to make it works.

1.First, in order to be able to flash the xp-bios, we need to first install windows xp, for those who r going to use windows xp, please refer to the downgrade form vista guide on the benq official website.
2.Once done, boot into the live disc. Now on the logo page, press [F6].
3.You will see a line pop up at the bottom of the screen, move the cursor to the end of the line, and press [space] once.
4.Now, type: i8042.nomux=1 i8042.noloop=1
5.press [enter] and boot into the live session, u will notice the boot time is very long, don't wory, it is becuase of the script. But, once u got the Ubuntu install, the boot time wil be come normal again.
6.The rest of the steps are similar to the s41 until u finish the installation.
7.On the first booting into Ubuntu, press [esc] once u see the grub loader screen on the start up.
8.Now, u will enter a screen with the kernel selection option, and as well the memtest.
9.Navigate to the first option and press [e]
10.nest navigate to the line starting with „kernel...“ and press [e] again,
11.at the end of the line press [space] once and type: i8042.nomux=1 i8042.noloop=1
12.press [enter] and then [b ]
13.U will be able to boot into Ubuntu again and of course with the keyboard and touchpad working.
14.Now, press [alt+F2] and type: gnome-ternimal
15.A window will open up, then type: sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
16.the terminal will ask for ur password, type them as usual, but u won't be able to see what type, press [enter] when finish typing.
17.Now another window will pop up, scroll to the end of the document, and search for line starting with „kernel...“ at the end of it press [space] once and type: i8042.nomux=1 i8042.noloop=1
18.make sure u put this extra line into both the kernel selections. Remeber to reedit this document again every time u update to newer kernel.
19.Save the document and restart the computer.
20.NOW. Comgratulation from me, u have just successfully install Ubuntu on ur s42 where there still many s42 users worldwide, who do not know how to get it works...lol

Guide for Useful application list on Ubuntu

http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/

download the pocket guide from the website. And u will be an expert in no time....haha, just joking. But at least you will be able to understand how to use ur Ubuntu.

And for those who accidently mess up their grub loader, refer here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=224351

For those who have problem with multimedia play back, go to [application > add and remove application], install every package starting with „gstreamer...“ there.

Then install the w32codec here : http://debian-multimedia.org/pool/main/w/w32codecs/

For more information look here https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/musicvideophotos/C/index.html

In order to keep ur system at optimum condition, i do not recommend skipping the disk check which runs automatically on every 27 times of ur start up. Run the update manager often to check for update as well.
I guess that's all for this tutorial, You can always refer to ubuntuforum.org for more help.

Weiyap a.k.a Mr Poison..26/4/09