[tested only on Ubuntu]

Hooking up an external monitor works out of the box, more or less, requiring only a simple fix to support monitors with resolutions higher than 1024×768.

1) To activate your external monitor after plugging it in (assuming you want to extend your desktop onto it for dual-screen mode) open System –> Preferences –> Screen Resolution.  Set a resolution for the second screen an adjust their relative positions.  After hitting Apply you will be asked whether to allow the program to change a configuration file on your behalf.  Let it.  After that, log out and back in and the new screen will be working.

2) Your desktop might look hideous, the result of your wallpaper being centered awkwardly between two monitors.  Don’t worry.  Also, the GNOME panel will be on the external monitor and may have lost its relative spacing of components.  The simplest solution is to drag it to your laptop screen.

3) You may have “lost” some desktop icons.  If it’s terribly important to you, go back to the Screen Resolution program and drag the laptop screen so the top of the two screens are level.  You can then drag the icons farther down and move the laptop screen back to where it was.

4) If your external monitor is larger than 1024×768 (and chances are it is), you will have to replace your xorg.conf file (thanks to Thoemy for this tip). Download this xorg.conf and put it in your home directory.

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup
sudo cp ~/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf


Log out and back in, go back into Screen Resolution, choose your correct resolution and select Apply.

[procedures described here are virtually identical for Ubuntu and Fedora so long as you are using the default GNOME and have not opted for KDE]

Screen space, especially vertical screen space, is precious on netbooks.  Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your 1024×600. Our end goal is something like this (click to see it bigger):

GNOME (some tips courtesy of Veit Wahlich):
1) In System -> Preferences -> Appearance change the theme to Clearlooks (smaller title bars and eliminates Ubuntu’s hideous orange theme).
2) In the Fonts tab of the Appearance window change the Rendering selection to Subpixel smoothing (LCDs).  More importantly, click on Details and change the resolution to 75 dots per inch.
3) Get rid of the bottom GNOME bar by right clicking on it and selecting Delete This Panel. If you like the remaining bar on the bottom, Windows-style, like me, right click on it and allow it to be moved, then drag it to the bottom of the screen. Next, right-click on System or Places and remove that bar element. Finally, add back a smaller GNOME menu and a window-display area by right clicking on an empty part of the toolbar, selecting Add to Panel, and adding Menu Bar and Window List. You will have to drag the elements around to make sure the Window List gets all the available space. You also might want to remove the Ubuntu default program icons, add ones of your choice, and lock GNOME bar elements in place. Also, right click on the time display, select Preferences and uncheck Show the date).

Firefox:
1) Turn off the Status Bar (View –> Status Bar).
2) Turn off the Bookmarks Toolbar (View –> Toolbars –> Bookmarks Toolbar).
3) Right click on one of the buttons on the navigation bar (say, the reload button). Select Customize and then check Use Small Icons and click Done.
4) Now for the fun bit. Install the extension Tiny Menu (Tools –> Add-ons and search for it). After you restart all of your menu has been condensed into a single button, leaving your main toolbar nearly empty. Right click somewhere on the toolbar and choose Customize. Ignore the window that pops up and move all of the elements on the Navigation bar (back/forward buttons, URL space, search box, everything) onto the main toolbar next to the menu. Try and maintain the same order to avoid confusion. Select Done on the window you have been ignoring. When done you should be left with a bar that has the condensed menu and all of the normal navigation buttons and spaces. The navigation toolbar however will be empty. Get rid of it (Menu –> View –> Toolbars –> Navigation Toolbar). Voila, your screen should look something like mine.

Extra:
1) For the sake of speed and indirectly, esthetics, turn off Visual Effects (GNOME Menu Button –> Preferences –> Appearance, Visual Effects tab, select None).

These tips courtesy of Veit Wahlich and the Ubuntu Community Documentation.
To enable wireless, if you are using Ubuntu you must first blacklist the (wrong) driver Ubuntu chose at installation:

sudo su
echo "blacklist ath_pci" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
echo "blacklist ath_hal" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
exit

Now for both Fedora and Ubuntu, download the latest development driver here (tested on compat-wireless-2009-01-06.tar.bz2).
Keeping in mind that the install line will takes a while, run:

tar -jxf compat-wireless*.bz2
cd compat-wireless*
sudo make install
sudo make unload
sudo make load

By this point you may have installed the ath5k madwifi drivers, and disabled the existing drivers (Ubuntu), all before coming across this blog. You may notice that the performance of the last stable version of the driver is relatively unimpressive.
Fortunately the ath5k team is actively improving the driver, and you should download and install the latest development driver.
Download the latest development driver here (tested on compat-wireless-2009-01-06.tar.bz2).
This tip is thanks to Veit Wahlich.
Keeping in mind that the install line will take a while, run:

tar -jxf compat-wireless*.bz2
cd compat-wireless*
sudo make install
sudo make unload
sudo make load

[version Dec. 21 2008 2pm]

Note: this writeup is only for Ubuntu 8.10, which I’m using at the moment. If you know Python it can be adapted to other distributions, it’s a matter of formatting the output style of amixer on your system. Even without changes however, most of these key fixes should work on Fedora 10.

1) The Problem

Normally setting up multimedia and other special keys in Linux involves telling the kernel the keys’ correct keycodes using setkeycodes and perhaps mapping them to X Server behaviors via xmodmap. Unfortunately there is some kind of glitch in Fedora which causes most of the Fn-* keys to loop infinitely. A plausible explanation for this is that only key_press events are being sent to X and not key_release events, but the reason isn’t important here.  This problem apparently does not affect other distributions.

In this writeup I give a method to make all (okay, most) of the Fn-* keys work via Ctrl-* instead. Below is a table of the special keys and their current support. After that is a guide for getting Ctrl-* support working on your system.

2) Chart of Special Keys

“Fn Support” indicates status of Fn-* keys. I will not show the hacks here to get Fn-F2 and Fn-F7 working, because they cause problems behind the scenes, wasting CPU cycles indefinitely once pressed.

“Ctrl Support” indicates whether equivalent functionality can be achieved with Ctrl-* post-writeup. The goal of course is to be able to do everything with Ctrl-* and forget about the Fn key, but that has not been achieved yet. For now, both will have to be used.

3) Ctrl-* Writeup

Windows Logo Key

First something easy. The default Linux mapping of the Windows Logo key (Meta) isn’t something most desktop users will find very useful. Type gnome-keybinding-properties at the Terminal and bind the key to something of your choice. I have it launch Terminal.

Other Keys

First install the packages we’re going to need:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbacklight
sudo apt-get install xosd-bin
sudo apt-get install xbindkeys
sudo apt-get install python-virtkey
sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Place my Python script (available here or here) in /usr/bin to guarantee it’s in your path.
Also place my C program (available here or here) in /usr/bin (source available here or here for those who are curious).
Make the files executable with:

chmod +x /usr/bin/nc10_keys.py
chmod +x /usr/bin/battery_xosd

Place my xbindkeys configuration file (available here or here) in your home directory and rename it .xbindkeysrc (including the initial “.”).

Configure the xbindkeys command to be executed at system startup through System -> Preferences -> Personal -> Sessions.

Now start xbindkeys by typing xbindkeys in Terminal and you’re ready to go.

*** F8 (toggle CPU speed) is not supported by the kernel. I have mapped Ctrl-F8 to launch Pidgin instead, since the running guy looks like the AIM logo.

**** F9 (toggle wireless card) is not a feature supported by the current driver. I have mapped it to launch the default web browser instead.

If you’d like to help me bind the rest of the functions to Ctrl, reading the python script and its comments is a good place to start.

The Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition EULA states I’m under no obligation to accept the operating system and can receive a refund if I don’t want it, “if applicable.”  The exact wording of the EULA implies that the retailer gives the refund, but this Microsoft site confirms it is the manufacturer’s (Samsung’s) responsibility.  For good measure I contacted Microsoft and got the same information straight from the horse’s mouth.

I emailed Samsung twice, a few days apart, two weeks ago.  I received no reply.  Then last week I called them only to be told that Samsung could do nothing more than acknowledge the receipt of my emails.  As for the refund . . . well it was strictly “no comment.”

Update (Dec. 2): I called Samsung again today and after being put on hold was told that a refund is not possible because the specifications let me know in advance that Windows was part of the package. After I explained that the EULA offers a refund the support specialist told me his supervisor would call me back within a day.

Update (Dec. 2): The previous service specialist’s supervisor, Paul, called me as promised to tell me that he had it straight from “upper management in Korea” that users could not receive Windows refunds on the grounds that the package is a bundle. He specifically cited the “if applicable” clause in the EULA.
Also, I chatted with Microsoft Support and sent them an email asking point blank whether their agreement with OEM license distributors requires they give refunds. Previously (above) I asked whether it was Samsung’s or the retailer’s responsibility, but did not ask whether Microsoft considers the refund an entitlement. The answer should be very interesting.

Update (Dec. 10): I have spent the last week making inquiries to Microsoft support.  Most of the correspondence is too painful to post here, consisting of my asking clear questions and receiving completely irrelevant replies.  After some work though, I did finally get this information  by email:

Whether Samsung is obligated to provide a refund or not:

======

Regarding this issue, I would like to explain that Microsoft has contract with third party computer providers. That third party pay for the copyright of Windows XP and they can customize this operating system and sell it to their own customers. Hence, this is a new system other than the Windows XP copy released by Microsoft.

Legally, this is a new product from the third party manufacturer. Hence, they have their own rights to price the product. As a result, they have their own rights to judge if the product can be refunded.

In most cases, the preinstalled OS are installed as a Free product to the end users. Hence, it may not be refunded by the computer manufacturer.

This reply is very telling, and has convinced me that the commonly held idea in the Linux world that recipients of pre-installed copies of Windows are entitled to a refund is fallacious.  It is based on nothing more than a misreading of the EULA that leaves out the “if applicable” clause.  There is nothing in your agreement with the manufacturer or the manufacturer’s agreement with Microsoft that requires a refund, at least from the information I have gathered.  The only remaining argument concerns the manufacturer’s right to “bundle” products.  The legality of that varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction so any analysis of that subject would not be universal like the EULA or Microsoft OEM Windows distribution contracts with manufacturers.

after rejecting the EULA

The NC10 has an awesome battery, so there’s no reason not to treat yourself to maximum brightness while on battery. This one is thanks to the Ubuntu NC10 blog.

1) Reboot your computer, interrupting startup with F2 just after the computer turns on (you have to be quit). Set screen brightness control to user controlled instead of automatic.

2) Turn up the brightness all the while in the GRUB screen at boot. After that point you won’t be able to raise the maximum any higher.

[. . .] but the hardware support for the NC10 on Fedora is considerably better.

[Update] Hardware support is similar between Ubuntu 8.x and Fedora 10.  Wireless works out of the box with Fedora 10 but is a quick fix in Ubuntu.

Virtually everything works out of the box: display graphics, external graphics (1024×768 or lower), speakers, WiFi, wired LAN, webcam, Bluetooth, USB ports, microphone port, SD card reader, touchpad, standard keyboard keys, sleep, hibernate.

Work to be done: internal microphone, headphone port (works but doesn’t turn off speakers), Fn-* keys, external display (higher than 1024×768).