Dell Inspiron 1520 | Ubuntu Installation Guide

From a dumpster to beside my toaster, this aged laptop now occupies a seat of honor. I obtained it eight months ago, but until now, I didn't have it working “just right”.

Now I do. And you can, too!

First things first, grab a DVD, a beverage, and an ethernet cord. You read that right. An ethernet cord. If wireless isn't working (yet), you'll need that.

Step 1: Install Ubuntu/Mint

I chose Linux Mint Maya for mine – the MATE edition. Cinnamon would also have been a solid choice, but I hate GNOME 3 with a passion. Cinnamon makes it barely tolerable, so if you don't like Unity, grab the Cinnamon edition.

Pop it into the tray, run the install, watch the slideshow. Notice how wireless isn't working (already)? Don't worry about that. That'll be the first thing we fix. Sip that beverage, but don't polish it off yet.

Step 2: Reboot

Reboot into your newly minted Ubuntu desktop. Mint desktop. Whatever.

Step 3: Fix the wireless

Open terminal, and paste this into it:

sudo apt-get remove --purge bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo apt-get install linux-firmware-nonfree
sudo modprobe b43
sudo su
# echo "b43" >> /etc/module

Step 4: Reboot

Reboot. Unhook that ethernet tether.

Step 5: Fix the fans

This lappie overheats really fast. That's because the fan doesn't automatically work. I hope you're ready to get down and make something, because that's what we're about to do.

'wget http://web.archive.org/web/20110708225123/http://dellfand.dinglisch.net/dellfand-0.9.tar.bz2'
'tar xjvf dellfand-0.9.tar.bz2'
cd dellfand
make

It should build. Great. Next, we throw it to start at boot

sudo cp dellfand /usr/sbin/
sudo chmod +x /usr/sbin/dellfand
sudo cp etc.default.dellfand /etc/default/dellfand

But wait, there's more!
cp etc.init.d.dellfand /etc/rc.d/rc.dellfand
gksudo gedit (or pluma) /etc/rc.d/rc.dellfand

Add this code to the bottom:
#import sysinitv daemon function
. /etc/init.d/functions

Save it.

Sudo chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.dellfand

Then, we set it to start on login:

gksudo gedit (or pluma) /etc/rc.d/rc.local

and add these lines to the bottom:
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.dellfand ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.dellfand start
fi

Save it.

Sudo chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.local

And then, to make it shutdown nicely:

gksudo gedit /etc/rc.d/rc.local_shutdown

Add these lines to the bottom:
#!/bin/sh
# script to run when shutting down
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.dellfand ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.dellfand stop #to remove dellfand lock file so next time reboot dellfand can start properly.
fi

Make that a lower-case f, mind you. Save it.

Sudo chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.local_shutdown

Step 6: Get the GPU fan slider to work.

Gksudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Add this below endsection: Option "Coolbits" "4"

* HOLD IT! *

This will only work if you installed the proprietary driver. Open jockey-gtk, grab the recommended, and then go back and do this.

Step 7:

Get the webcam to work.

Sudo apt-get install cheese

Open cheese. It may or may not work out of the box.

sudo rmmod uvcvideo
sudo modprobe uvcvideo

And reboot.

Step 8:

Fix the stupid brightness buttons.

Gksudo gedit /etc/default/grub

Add this (acpi_backlight=vendor) – minus brackets – to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT.

Sudo update-grub

References:
http://linuxg.net/how-to-fix-broadcom-bcm4311-wireless-driver-on-ubuntu-and-linux-mint/
http://kantam.fsylum.net/dell-laptop-fan-daemon/