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15.05.2010
14:28

Tiny "fit-PC 2" Replacing Old Desktop PC

Recently I bought a "fit-PC 2" from CompuLab to replace my desktop PC at the WeltcafĂ© reception. The predecessor was a Fujitsu Siemens computer from 2003 which replaced itself for a short time my VIA Epia EN1200.

 

I made a photo of these three computers and I measured approximatley the power consumption. And it's really estonishing: the tiny "fit-PC 2" is the fastest of it all and consumes only about 10 W even during watching youtube-videos.

 

Inside the metal box is working a single core Intel Atom Z530 with Hyper Threading at 1.6 GHz. It's equipped with 1 GB DDR2-RAM, a Samsung 250GB hard disk and even a RaLink RT3090 wireless card. There is only a HDMI-output but CompuLab includes a HDMI-DVI connector. With my DVI-VGA adaptors I cannot see any analog output but I don't need it at all.

 

The "fit-PC 2" comes preinstalled with Ubuntu 9.10. Of course, I tried to upgrade immediately to current Ubuntu 10.04 but afterwards the graphic output was slow and my special resolution (1440x900) failed :-(

Reason for this is the Intel Graphics inside: a GMA 500. For this you need the Intel Embedded Graphics Driver (iegd) for X.org. But this driver is closed source and it's not available yet for xorg-server 1.7 which is used in Ubuntu 10.04.

 

So, I had to reinstall Ubuntu 9.10 which was quite easy: download desktop ISO-image, write it with unetbootin on a USB-memory stick, boot and install. And now I'm waiting for Intel and follow the "fit-PC 2" forum for a release of Ubuntu 10.04 for "fit-PC 2".

 

I like this tiny device. It's sufficiant fast for my needs, it's silent (you only here the hard disk a little bit), has low power consumption and it's perfect small.

 

I bought my device from in Germany from SH EDV Vertrieb for 406 EUR including VAT and shipping to Germany.

 

 

Here is a /proc/cpuinfo for people like me googleing for it:

ab@ab-fit:~$ cat /proc/cpuinfo 
processor	: 0
vendor_id	: GenuineIntel
cpu family	: 6
model		: 28
model name	: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU Z530   @ 1.60GHz
stepping	: 2
cpu MHz		: 800.000
cache size	: 512 KB
physical id	: 0
siblings	: 2
core id		: 0
cpu cores	: 1
apicid		: 0
initial apicid	: 0
fdiv_bug	: no
hlt_bug		: no
f00f_bug	: no
coma_bug	: no
fpu		: yes
fpu_exception	: yes
cpuid level	: 10
wp		: yes
flags		: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic mtrr pge mca cmov pat 
                  clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx constant_tsc 
                  arch_perfmon pebs bts pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 
                  xtpr pdcm movbe lahf_lm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority
bogomips	: 3191.90
clflush size	: 64
power management:

processor	: 1
vendor_id	: GenuineIntel
cpu family	: 6
model		: 28
model name	: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU Z530   @ 1.60GHz
stepping	: 2
cpu MHz		: 800.000
cache size	: 512 KB
physical id	: 0
siblings	: 2
core id		: 0
cpu cores	: 1
apicid		: 1
initial apicid	: 1
fdiv_bug	: no
hlt_bug		: no
f00f_bug	: no
coma_bug	: no
fpu		: yes
fpu_exception	: yes
cpuid level	: 10
wp		: yes
flags		: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic mtrr pge mca cmov pat 
                  clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx constant_tsc 
                  arch_perfmon pebs bts pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 
                  ssse3 xtpr pdcm movbe lahf_lm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority
bogomips	: 3191.94
clflush size	: 64
power management:
15.04.2010
17:45

Howto Change Language of tx-pagebrowse by DMITRY DULEPOV

Recently, t3blog changed with 0.8.3 the pagebrowser and requires now to install tx-pagebrowse by Dmitry Dulepov.

 

Using the new pagebrowser needs to change your CSS settings otherwise it looks like the default and not like you maybe used to have it.

 

On my German Blog, www.dresden-west.de, the pagebrowser remains English and I now examined why. The solution is the missing language file. It's not comming with the extension itself. But you have to pull it manually:

 

  1. goto the Extension Manager
  2. select "Translation handling"
  3. select your languages you want to pull (e.g. "German")
  4. press "Update from Repository"

Now it should be in German or whatever language you have selected.

 

20.03.2010
18:00

Install Linux ISO-Images onto USB Drive Using unetbootin

 

Some time ago I read an article about unetbootin. As I had very often the pain to install Linux on CF-card or USB-drive, I bookmarked it for the next adventure.

 

Yesterday, I had to use it the first time. It's already in debian-testing (version 408-1). Only some short notes about using it:

  • let root (and other users) popup programs on your desktop:
    xhost +
  • start as root:
    unetbootin
  • plug in your USB-drive
  • select a distribution/live system. I tested:
    - Xubuntu
    - Slax
  • download and install the iso-image with unetbootin
  • take the USB-drive to the computer you want to boot and HOPE, it will be able to boot from USB

 

Luckily my J8F9-Board _sometimes_ likes booting from USB. I didn't understand why it most of the time ignores the BIOS setting. But now it's running again with Xubuntu 9.10.

 

 

08.03.2010
18:31

Via Epia EN1200 cpuinfo

processor       : 0
vendor_id       : CentaurHauls
cpu family      : 6
model           : 10
model name      : VIA Esther processor 1200MHz
stepping        : 9
cpu MHz         : 1196.946
cache size      : 128 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 1
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge cmov
pat clflush acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 tm pni est tm2 rng rng_en ace ace_en ace2
ace2_en phe phe_en pmm pmm_en
bogomips        : 2393.89
clflush size    : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes   : 36 bits physical, 32 bits virtual
power management:

07.03.2010
21:14

Fujitsu Esprimo C5730 with "Blauer Umweltengel" / GreenIT

Fujitsu Esprimo C5730 running Ubuntu 9.10

I'm currently testing a new computer for a friend from Fujitsu. I recommended the model C5730 because it's smaler than usual micro-tower and it's quite a representant of so called "green IT". For example it carries the German eco label "Blauer Umweltengel". I think, only Fujitsu certifies some of its products for this label.

 

Power consumption in idle is about 30 W. During video sessions it's about 50 W. That's all.


Preinstalled is Windows 7 Professional. My friend needs windows for his business-software.

Just to test, I droped in the current Ubuntu CD (9.10) and it starts perfectly with it. Even the sleep mode works impressingly.

 

processor       : 0
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 23
model name : Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5300 @ 2.60GHz
stepping : 10
cpu MHz : 1200.000
cache size : 2048 KB
physical id : 0
siblings : 2
core id : 0
cpu cores : 2
apicid : 0
initial apicid : 0
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 13
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm xsave lahf_lm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority
bogomips : 5199.64
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes : 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

processor : 1
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 23
model name : Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5300 @ 2.60GHz
stepping : 10
cpu MHz : 1200.000
cache size : 2048 KB
physical id : 0
siblings : 2
core id : 1
cpu cores : 2
apicid : 1
initial apicid : 1
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 13
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm xsave lahf_lm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority
bogomips : 5199.90
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes : 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

[ 03.08.2010 ]