Mint on new Asus Zenbook UX305 - problems - NEW

[overkill22]

EDIT: 10/01/2016 - edit solved problems and add new problems

Hi guys,
I'm trying linux mint on my new asus zenbook UX305FA before installing and deleting windows10.

I have a couple of problems and would like to know if anyone has a solution for that or if I just have to deal with them:

1) SCREEN RESOLUTION: on a 13" screen, the resolution 1920x1080 make everything super small. on windows 10 you don't notice this, in mint 17.3 yes. on a browser I can always zoom in (even if it will be annoying to have to zoom in every time), but this is not a solution for other applications. How to solve this? --> I partially improved the resolution by adjusting manually every browser settings (chrome and firefox), but still looking for better solutions.

2) TRACKPAD: the trackpad is suuuuper slow. Moving around this huge desktop takes me always a coupe of "swipes". Windows 10 was working good. Here in mint, under "mouse" I tried to set the "acceleration" but it doesnt do what I want. "sensitivity" doesnt do anything. --> I adjusted a bit the settings, and installed kernel 4.2, but at the moment I'm using an esternal mouse, will do a better report about the trackpad later on

3) [SOLVED] DISPLAY: while scrolling up and down the pages in firefox, I can see some horizontal lines. same goes if I play movies. I think is something related to the graphic card. any advice? --> I'm no noticing this anymore, but didn't do anything specific to solve that problem. It seems that it went away by itself.

4) [SOLVED] USB 3.0: the usb 3.0 super charge option seems not working. at the moment charging the phone on this port gives the same amount of current as the others (460mA). it should be 1000mA. Any solution? --> I guess the kernel 4.2 solved the problem. Now I can charge the phone from the usb 3.0 even when the laptop is off and the giving power is 1000mA.

EDIT:

5) Brightness level is set at 100% after every reboot. It doesn't keep the last parameter (ex if I off the computer using 40% brightness, it will restart however with 100%).

6) Brightness button. The fn+F3 and fn+F4 is a known bug, I'm looking for a workaround that let me using the fn button. xbacklight workaround doesn't goes with the fn button, that's because the keyboard shortcuts in cinnamon does't accept the fn button, I guess. I'm looking to use xbindkeys but not sure if this is working too.

7) Sound very weak. The speaker are super weak, impossible to play a movie even with VLC with 200% volume. The bass are totally gone. Any suggestion?

fn+F2 not working anymore. This is a new problem, when I installed cinnamon at first, it was working (put the laptop in flight mode), now it is not working anymore. Don't know why. I tried with the old kernel, but still not working. Any suggestion?
I really would like to use mint on this computer as I'm using it for long time now, but these could be huge issues for me. i hope there is a solution.

Thank you

[Pjotr]

Please generate an overview of your system like this:
- Launch a terminal window (this is how to launch a terminal window);
- make the terminal window fullscreen, in order to avoid chopped lines;
- copy/paste this command into the terminal (copy/paste can be done with your mouse):

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

if you type: the letter F is a capital letter

Press Enter.

Copy/paste the output in your next message.

[overkill22]

thank you for your help. here the result:

Code: Select all

System:    Host: mint Kernel: 3.19.0-32-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 4.8.2)
           Desktop: MATE 1.12.0 (Gtk 3.10.8~8+qiana)
           Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Machine:   Mobo: ASUSTeK model: UX305FA v: 1.0
           Bios: American Megatrends v: UX305FA.210 date: 05/19/2015
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core M-5Y71 (-HT-MCP-) cache: 4096 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 5586
           clock speeds: max: 2900 MHz 1: 1217 MHz 2: 2379 MHz 3: 1390 MHz
           4: 1384 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.17.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 5300 (Broadwell GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.5.9 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Card-2 Intel Broadwell-U Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k3.19.0-32-generic
Network:   Card: Intel Wireless 7265
           driver: iwlwifi v: in-tree: bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 258.1GB (0.7% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: SanDisk_SD7SN3Q2 size: 256.1GB temp: 0C
           ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: Cruzer_Micro size: 2.0GB temp: 0C
Partition: ID-1: / size: 3.9G used: 75M (2%) fs: overlay dev: N/A
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 48.0C mobo: 27.8C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 180 Uptime: 2 min Memory: 519.7/7887.5MB
           Init: Upstart runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.4
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.111) inxi: 2.2.28 

[Pjotr]

It might be that the 3.19 kernel series is a bit too old for your brand new machine. I advise to install it as is, and then upgrade the kernel to the latest of the 4.2 series:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... el-updates
(item 3, right column)

[overkill22]

It might be that the 3.19 kernel series is a bit too old for your brand new machine. I advise to install it as is, and then upgrade the kernel to the latest of the 4.2 series:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... el-updates
(item 3, right column)

Is there a way to try with this kernel in live mode?

[Pjotr]

It might be that the 3.19 kernel series is a bit too old for your brand new machine. I advise to install it as is, and then upgrade the kernel to the latest of the 4.2 series:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... el-updates
(item 3, right column)

Is there a way to try with this kernel in live mode?

Unfortunately not.

What would come closest is testing Mint's relative Ubuntu 15.10 in live mode, because Ubuntu 15.10 has the 4.2 kernel by default.

If things work well with that, chances are big that Mint 17.3 will perform equally well after a kernel upgrade.

[overkill22]

It might be that the 3.19 kernel series is a bit too old for your brand new machine. I advise to install it as is, and then upgrade the kernel to the latest of the 4.2 series:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... el-updates
(item 3, right column)

Is there a way to try with this kernel in live mode?

Unfortunately not.

What would come closest is testing Mint's relative Ubuntu 15.10 in live mode, because Ubuntu 15.10 has the 4.2 kernel by default.

If things work well with that, chances are big that Mint 17.3 will perform equally well after a kernel upgrade.

cool. I have already Lubuntu 15.10 on a usb. I think they have the same kernel.

[overkill22]

I'm trying lubuntu 15.10 right now, with kernel Linux 4.2.0-16-generic.
But it seems to be the same as the 3.19 on mint. by default everything is super small. Is there anyone else using linux mint on a HiDPI device with small screen (mine is a 13") that can tell me how they manage the high resolution on this small screens?

[austin.texas]

But it seems to be the same as the 3.19 on mint. by default everything is super small. Is there anyone else using linux mint on a HiDPI device with small screen (mine is a 13") that can tell me how they manage the high resolution on this small screens?

Menu > Preferences > System Settings > Display

[overkill22]

But it seems to be the same as the 3.19 on mint. by default everything is super small. Is there anyone else using linux mint on a HiDPI device with small screen (mine is a 13") that can tell me how they manage the high resolution on this small screens?

Menu > Preferences > System Settings > Display

This setting change the resolution. I don't want to change the resolution. That's a different thing. I want to have bigger icons, font and etc... keeping the same resolution. Windows 10 is handling this, but I don't know how to explain...

[DanielR]

How to resize your desktop icons is explained in this thread: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=152404

open file manager
click the "edit" menu and then select "preferences"
set the "icon view defaults" larger or smaller than 100%
this will set all the icon sizes on your desktop at the same time.

[overkill22]

Anyone can tell me if this solution could work in mint?

http://askubuntu.com/questions/197828/h ... screen-dpi

[MagicMint]

But it seems to be the same as the 3.19 on mint. by default everything is super small. Is there anyone else using linux mint on a HiDPI device with small screen (mine is a 13") that can tell me how they manage the high resolution on this small screens?

Menu > Preferences > System Settings > Display

This setting change the resolution. I don't want to change the resolution. That's a different thing. I want to have bigger icons, font and etc... keeping the same resolution. Windows 10 is handling this, but I don't know how to explain...

The right settings to tweak is Menu› Preferences› General› Desktop Scaling› Double (Hi-DPI).

[MagicMint]

Anyone can tell me if this solution could work in mint?
http://askubuntu.com/questions/197828/h ... screen-dpi

The post is out of date, and it probably won’t work anymore. But even if it did, I wouldn’t mess with internal DPI settings

[MagicMint]

I'm trying lubuntu 15.10 right now, with kernel Linux 4.2.0-16-generic.

Did the kernel 4.2 work out for you ? A few months ago, I had noticed on an AsusPRO PU551JA that the touchpad was extraordinarily sluggish with 3.19, although it worked well with 4.2. Some times later, I’ve read on the Linux Mint blog that this was a known issue on “some Asus machines”…

[DanielR]

Maybe these HIDPI Tweaks will provide a solution for you: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HiDPI

[overkill22]

The right settings to tweak is Menu› Preferences› General› Desktop Scaling› Double (Hi-DPI).

Hi, there is no such a parameter to set. I have no "General" in Preferences. And in Preferences> Display there is no similar parameter to set.
I'm running Linux Mint MATE 17.3

Did the kernel 4.2 work out for you ? A few months ago, I had noticed on an AsusPRO PU551JA that the touchpad was extraordinarily sluggish with 3.19, although it worked well with 4.2. Some times later, I’ve read on the Linux Mint blog that this was a known issue on “some Asus machines”…

Depends what do you mean for working. I have now the 4.2.0-22 and it is working. I cannot judge the touchpad as I'm coming for a 7-8 y.o. laptop, where the touchpad was the super old style. At the moment I can use the tp with two fingers for click and scroll, the three fingers for click. But then I don't know what I can do with the new tp as I'm not really updated on that.
I still feel that there are no settings for the sensibility of the tp, so to cross the screen from one side to another, I still have to swipe twice. Setting the "acceleration" is not what I'm looking for for solve this problem.

Maybe these HIDPI Tweaks will provide a solution for you: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HiDPI

What parameter should I follow for MATE?
I'm quite surprised that no one seems to have this problem here. Am I the only one with a 13,3" HiDPI screen?

[DanielR]

[...]

Maybe these HIDPI Tweaks will provide a solution for you: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HiDPI

What parameter should I follow for MATE?
I'm quite surprised that no one seems to have this problem here. Am I the only one with a 13,3" HiDPI screen?

If you care to search the internet for "HIDPI Mate" you will find several comments and statements that Mate is not designed/suited for HIDPI. Presently, Cinnamon, KDE and Xfce seem to be the DE of choice when it comes to HIDPI on Linux. Among the three Cinnamon seems to be the best suited for HIDPI support. In the LM17 Cinnamon release notes you can find the following: http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_qiana_cinnamon.php

HiDPI

HiDPI is detected automatically. You can however force Cinnamon to run in low or in high DPI mode by going to Menu->Preferences->General.

[overkill22]

[...]

Maybe these HIDPI Tweaks will provide a solution for you: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HiDPI

What parameter should I follow for MATE?
I'm quite surprised that no one seems to have this problem here. Am I the only one with a 13,3" HiDPI screen?

If you care to search the internet for "HIDPI Mate" you will find several comments and statements that Mate is not designed/suited for HIDPI. Presently, Cinnamon, KDE and Xfce seem to be the DE of choice when it comes to HIDPI on Linux. Among the three Cinnamon seems to be the best suited for HIDPI support. In the LM17 Cinnamon release notes you can find the following: http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_qiana_cinnamon.php

HiDPI

HiDPI is detected automatically. You can however force Cinnamon to run in low or in high DPI mode by going to Menu->Preferences->General.

I thought there was a solution or workaround for this as I was researching before and I found a lot of positive comments from users with my computer and mate. plus I would like to stick with MATE.

However it seems that the easiest way now it to change with cinnamon and hopefully come back when linux mint 18 mate is ready...

[MagicMint]

However it seems that the easiest way now it to change with cinnamon and hopefully come back when linux mint 18 mate is ready...

That could be a long time to wait… MATE is based on the older Gnome 2 technology, whereas Cinnamon has been derived from the newer Gnome 3 — and that’s where brand new features like HiDPI are easier to introduce.

MATE may still have an ergonomic appeal as Gnome 2 was ripe in this view, but the components of Cinnamon are all newer, better, and more adapted to today’s hardware. And there is not that much difference in usability between the two, I think.