Asus EeePC 701, 901 and 1000

Linux Repository Setup

Welcome to our software installation setup page for the Asus Netbook PC. Here you will find details in setting up your Software package management system.

This will allow you to get our most recent open source software automatically via your software package management client (Synaptic Client).

Synaptic Repository Setup (ASUS EeePC)

Software Package Setup for the ASUS EeePC

The Asus Ultra Mobile PC comes pre-installed with the Synaptic, a Software Package Management system. Here you will find easy instructions on how to add the Betavine Software repository to your package management system.

This will also allow you to get updates of new Software versions when they become available.

The process follows three steps:

Starting Synaptic

Adding Betavine

Instalation

Starting Synaptic

To start Synaptic using the Asus PC launch a terminal window hitting the keys

"CTRL + ALT + t"

The Synaptic client application must be run with root privilege, so must be run with the sudo command and the application name. Ensure to have a ''''space'''' character between both commands. Hence from your command line type:

" sudo /usr/sbin/synaptic "

Adding Betavine to your repository

From the Synaptic menu select menu " settings " and submenu " repositories "

This will launch a configuration box allowing you to input the Betavine repository URL.

The repository package description needs a type URI and Distribution but no Section name. This is due to the fact that the Betavine repository has been setup as ''''trival'''' repository. Hence add the following:

Type: " Binary (deb) "

URI: " http://www.betavine.net/repo/debian/dists/etch/ "

Distribution: " EeePC/ "

Section(s):

Select OK to confirm your selection.

Please note, the dialog box may appear larger than the physical display, to move the window use the following keys :

Key Combination: ''''Left-ALT'''' and ''''Left mouse + drag''''

Installing Vodafone Mobile Connect card driver

You can now navigate to the subcategory networking (multiverse), on the right hand side will appear a package called vodafone-mobile-connect:

Subcategory: "Networking (multiverse) "

Right click the driver once it's found and select the "Mark for Installation" option.

Please avoid using the "search" facility on Synaptic due to a possible error scenario.

Package "vodafone-mobile-connect"

Select "Apply" , you will be shown a warning message about the software not being authenticated by Synaptic, this is normal.

Select "Apply" again. The software will now be installed by the package management system.

Quit synaptic, and exit the terminal window.

You should now find the Vodafone Mobile Connect icon in the top menu, next to the WEB icon.

The Vodafone Driver is now successfully installed on your system

VMC Setup

Betavine Mobile Connect Setup

To connect the datacard to a Network it is necessary to use the correct settings in the profile setup. The settings are specific to each network opperator. This section of Betavine aims to give clear instructions for the setup of the datacard in Vodafone''s Network.

If you have issues connecting, or in setting up in specific countries get involved in the forums, let us know

Setting Up With Vodafone UK

Start the new profile dialogue box by selecting the ''tools'', ''profile'' and ''new profile'' menu.

Action: "Tools" "Profile" and "New Profile"

This will spawn the New Profile dialogue box.

The new dialogue box will allow you to setup a title, password, username, preferred connection, authentication mode, APN host, and DNS settings.

The good news is there is only 4 settings that you are required to enter, and only 3 of them are specific. The rest of the settings can be left with their defaults.

Profile Name: Any name you prefer can be used in this field

Username: "web"

Password: "web"

APN host: "Internet"

Select OK to confirm your selection.

Setting Up With Vodafone Germany

Use the following settings for a Vodafone German SIM connecting to the Vodafone German Network. Again changing only the user name, password and internet values as shown below.

Profile Name: Any name you prefer can be used in this field

Username: "vodafone"

Password: "vodafone"

APN host: "web.vodafone.de"

Setting Up With Vodafone Italy

Use the following settings for a Vodafone Italy (VF-IT) SIM connecting to the Vodafone Italy Network. Again changing only the user name, password and internet values as shown below. This time leaving the password and user name blank

Profile Name: Any name you prefer can be used in this field, leave the username and password blank

Username:

Password:

APN host: "web.omnitel.it "

Possible Errors on the ASUS EeePC

Betavine hope to document and inform users on known issues, work around''s, and fixes for the Ultra Mobile PC''s. Be sure to check here first if you have problems. Otherwise get involved on our forums.

Known Issues:

using ''search'' on synaptic

Using Search On Synaptic

To Synaptic package management system has a search facility. If this is used to search for the VMC package an error message my appear describing a locked file in the directory /var/lib/dpkg. The full error is given below:

Error 1

"E: Unable to parse package file /var/lib/dpkg/status(2)"

Error 2

"E: Unable to lock the download directory"

This is a known problem, you can find out more about this at the EeeUser wiki. We suggest our users navigate to the network (multivers) subsection to find the VMC package.

Using ''Add/Remove Software'' from the Settings tab removes the ''Vodafone'' icon

When updating your Asus EeePC via the ''Add/Remove Software'' application on the ''Settings'' tab screen it may remove the ''Vodafone'' icon on the ''Internet'' tab screen after the update. This does not mean the VMC (Vodafone Mobile Connect) software has been removed. The update script run by the ''Add/Remove Software application has not correctly added new icons into the XML UI file controlling what gets displayed on your screen.

Betavine do not control this process and so it requires a fix in the update software. Betavine are pursuing this to get fixed via the correct channels. However, there are currently two solutions to getting round the problem:

Manually add the lines back into the XML file
Re-run the Synaptic manager and re-install the VMC software

Option two is the simplest option. However for the die-hard, options one is covered below:

Follow the links to learn how to update the simpleui.rc script which controls the icons, positions, languages, and applications the widgets start on your screen

The following text entries need to be placed into your SIMPLEUI.RC file. This should be positioned directly after the entry for the firefox.desktop in the internet tab.

<parcel simplecat="Internet" shortcut="/usr/share/applications/vmc.desktop"
			icon="vodafone_norm.png" 
			selected_icon="vodafone_hi.png">
		<name lang="en">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="zh_TW">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="zh_HK">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="zh_CN">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="ar_AE">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="de_DE">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="es_AR">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="es_ES">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="fr_FR">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="it_IT">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="nl_NL">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="pt_PT">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="ru_RU">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="th_TH">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="tr_TR">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="ja_JP">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="ko_KR">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="cs_CZ">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="hu_HU">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="sk_SK">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="el_GR">Mobile Connect</name>	
		<name lang="pl_PL">Mobile Connect</name>	
		</parcel>