Wireless activation button on Acer Travelmate 4720
 

Hi,

just trying to get Kubuntu 8.10 linux up and running on my Acer Travelmate 4720. At the moment nothing seems to be working. Number one priority is to get wireless on, then I can stop switching between windows (where I get to the internet) and linux (to try solutions).

The problem is that this laptop has two switches on the front. They turn wireless and bluetooth on and off. These buttons work with windows vista, and I have no problems using wireless with windows. When I load linux the wireless indicator light is off, and switching the button doesn't turn it on. My wireless card has been detected, but because it seems to be switched off, when I search for wireless networks, none appear.

I've checked the acer website for drivers, and yes they are all for microsoft windows.

So, any ideas how to turn it on? Forgive the newbee's incorrect use of computer words...

Kit

PS here's the output of lspci -vv, sorry it all seems to be in one block, line breaks gone.

kit@kit-laptop:~$ sudo lspci -vv 00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 03) Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Unknown device 011c Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- <64ns, L1 <1us Device: Errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported- Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+ Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes Link: Supported Speed unknown, Width x0, ASPM unknown, Port 0 Link: Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us Link: ASPM Disabled CommClk- ExtSynch- Link: Speed unknown, Width x0 00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode]) Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- Reset- FastB2B- Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+) IRQ 0 Device: Supported: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, ExtTag- Device: Latency L0s unlimited, L1 unlimited Device: Errors: Correctable+ Non-Fatal+ Fatal+ Unsupported+ Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop- Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes Link: Supported Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Port 1 Link: Latency L0s <256ns, L1 <4us Link: ASPM L0s L1 Enabled RCB 64 bytes CommClk+ ExtSynch- Link: Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1 Slot: AtnBtn- PwrCtrl- MRL- AtnInd- PwrInd- HotPlug+ Surpise+ Slot: Number 2, PowerLimit 6.500000 Slot: Enabled AtnBtn- PwrFlt- MRL- PresDet+ CmdCplt- HPIrq- Slot: AttnInd Unknown, PwrInd Unknown, Power- Root: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- PME- Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable- Address: fee0300c Data: 4169 Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Unknown device 011c Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 2 Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+) Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME- 00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode]) Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- Reset- FastB2B- Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+) IRQ 0 Device: Supported: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, ExtTag- Device: Latency L0s unlimited, L1 unlimited Device: Errors: Correctable+ Non-Fatal+ Fatal+ Unsupported+ Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop- Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes Link: Supported Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Port 2 Link: Latency L0s <256ns, L1 <4us Link: ASPM L1 Enabled RCB 64 bytes CommClk+ ExtSynch- Link: Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1 Slot: AtnBtn- PwrCtrl- MRL- AtnInd- PwrInd- HotPlug+ Surpise+ Slot: Number 3, PowerLimit 6.500000 Slot: Enabled AtnBtn- PwrFlt- MRL- PresDet+ CmdCplt- HPIrq- Slot: AttnInd Unknown, PwrInd Unknown, Power- Root: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- PME- Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable- Address: fee0300c Data: 4171 Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Unknown device 011c Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 2 Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+) Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME- 00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode]) Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- Reset- FastB2B- Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+) IRQ 0 Device: Supported: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, ExtTag- Device: Latency L0s unlimited, L1 unlimited Device: Errors: Correctable+ Non-Fatal+ Fatal+ Unsupported+ Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop- Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes Link: Supported Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Port 3 Link: Latency L0s <1us, L1 <4us Link: ASPM Disabled RCB 64 bytes CommClk- ExtSynch- Link: Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x0 Slot: AtnBtn- PwrCtrl- MRL- AtnInd- PwrInd- HotPlug+ Surpise+ Slot: Number 4, PowerLimit 6.500000 Slot: Enabled AtnBtn- PwrFlt- MRL- PresDet+ CmdCplt- HPIrq- Slot: AttnInd Unknown, PwrInd Unknown, Power- Root: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- PME- Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable- Address: fee0300c Data: 4179 Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Unknown device 011c Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 2 Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+) Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME- 00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [UHCI]) Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Unknown device 011c Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- Status: Cap- 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- Reset- FastB2B- Capabilities: [50] Subsystem: Gammagraphx, Inc. Unknown device 0000 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03) Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Unknown device 011c Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR+ [disabled] Capabilities: [48] Power Management version 3 Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+) Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=1 PME- Capabilities: [50] Vital Product Data Capabilities: [58] Vendor Specific Information Capabilities: [e8] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable+ Address: 00000000fee0300c Data: 41b1 Capabilities: [d0] Express Endpoint IRQ 0 Device: Supported: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, ExtTag+ Device: Latency L0s <4us, L1 unlimited Device: AtnBtn- AtnInd- PwrInd- Device: Errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported- Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop- Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 4096 bytes Link: Supported Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Port 0 Link: Latency L0s <4us, L1 <64us Link: ASPM L0s L1 Enabled RCB 64 bytes CommClk+ ExtSynch- Link: Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1 04:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection (rev 02) Subsystem: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945BG Network Connection Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- SERR- <512ns, L1 unlimited Device: AtnBtn- AtnInd- PwrInd- Device: Errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported- Device: RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+ Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes Link: Supported Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Port 0 Link: Latency L0s <128ns, L1 <64us Link: ASPM L1 Enabled RCB 64 bytes CommClk+ ExtSynch- Link: Speed 2.5Gb/s, Width x1 0f:06.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Cardbus Controller Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Unknown device 011c Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- SERR- Reset+ 16bInt+ PostWrite+ 16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001 0f:06.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments PCIxx12 OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller (prog-if 10 [OHCI]) Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Unknown device 011c Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV+ VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR- TAbort- SERR-

Line breaks
 

I can get the output of lspci with line breaks if that would help anyone help me...

Perhaps I'm the only one reading this thread, but I'll post anyway...

I've managed to get both wireless buttons working using acer-acpi. Now when I type cat /proc/acpi/acer/wireless (or something like that, I can't remember because I had to start windows to use the internet) it returns 1 or 0 depending on whether I switch the button. Good news.

Problem is that when I use knetwork manager, I search for wireless networks and it finds none. I know there are several in range because I'm using one now.

Any ideas?

use iwconfig to list all working wireless interfaces on your computer, then use iwlist to get wireless networks in range