HP Folio 13
Device | Status | Modules |
Intel | Working | xf86-video-intel |
HDMI | Working | xf86-video-intel |
Ethernet | Working | |
Wireless | Working | broadcom-wl (brcmsmac not working) |
Bluetooth | Working | btusb (needs tweaking to work) |
Audio | Working | snd_hda_intel |
Touchpad | Working | xf86-input-synaptics-led |
Camera | Working | uvcvideo |
USB 3.0 | Working | xhci-hcd |
USB 2.0 | Working | ehci-hcd |
eSATA | Working | |
Card Reader | Working | |
Function Keys | Working |
Contents
Hardware
CPU Intel Core i5-2467M (1.60 GHz Dual-core, 3 MB Cache). i3 Model available too.
Mainboard Intel HM65
RAM 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 (single DIMM slot, no spare slots)
Display 13.3" HD LED (1366x768)
Graphics adapter Intel HD3000
Soundcard Intel HD Audio
Network Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B, Broadcom Corporation BCM4313 802.11b/g/n
Hard disk 128GB SSD
Webcam HP Truevision HD
Touchpad Synaptics touchpad with multi-touch gestures.
Configuration
This article refers to the HP Folio 13 ultrabook. The model specifically is the dm3-1008TU, which is the i5 variant. An i3 variant is also available with otherwise the same hardware (13-1016TU). For more: http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/folio13/index.html#.T3RIaNXK3co
Installation
The Folio 13 lacks an optical drive, so you will need to create a USB install media and boot from the USB (hit F9 at startup to select USB as boot drive). The following notes refer to Arch x86_64 installed using a nightly netinstall ISO (March 17 nightly). As noted below, you will need to alter the kernel boot line in order to prevent the display from blacking out once the kernel loads. This applies to the install media and 1st boot once installation is done.
If you experience PGP package signing errors during the package download and install phase of installation, you may need to do the foloowing: after selecting packages, but before installing packages, go to TTY3 (Alt-F3), login as root, and edit /tmp/pacman.conf. Add the following line after "Architecture = auto" - SigLevel = Never. You may also need to generate pacman's signature keys using the command "pacman-key --init".
If you wish to have all 128GB of space available on the SSD, first backup the factory partition using HP's backup tool (available when you login to the pre-installed Win 7) - you will need a 16GB USB drive to do so. You can then totally wipe/repartition the SSD during Arch installation, with the 16GB USB available to do a factory reinstall (although why would you want to!?). Of course if you don't want a backup USB, go ahead and just repartition the drive.
CPU
Works out of the box. See CPU frequency scaling for more information on power saving. Both cpufrequtils and cpupower work. Latter is recommended for additional features.
Video
This laptop has integrated HD3000 Intel Video. Works with xorg-intel driver (see above). Plays HD video fine, no graphical anomalies on the desktop (gnome-shell tested). Visual effects work fine.
i915.modeset=1 acpi_backlight=vendor
to Kernel parameters
As the brightness adjustment Fn keys don't work [updated: as of kernel 3.10 brightness and other Fn keys do all work], and the laptop defaults to 100% brightness, in order to save power and extend battery life, you may want to reduce the screen brightness at boot up. To do so, enter the following into /etc/rc.local:
echo 3500 > /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness
The value '3500' can be adjusted higher or lower (increasing or decreasing brightness respectively) as preferred. '3500' corresponds to around 75%.
Audio
Works out of the box, including built-in microphone (good for your Skype!).
HDMI
Works out of the box.
Touchpad
More correctly, the HP Folio has what is known as a clickpad i.e. no actual physical buttons exist. It mostly works out of the box with a few niggles: the pointer can jump around a bit (this seems improved in recent drivers) and the button areas are quite stiff (it does improve with use).
See Touchpad Synaptics#Buttonless touchpads (aka ClickPads) for details.
Suspend to RAM
Suspending manually (pm-suspend) works, comes back with all devices OK. Lid switch ACPI events do not work. However, the state of the lid is reported in the file `/proc/acpi/button/lid/LID0/state.` Though this is not the preferred way to manage services, it is possible to read this file in an infinite loop and trigger a command to sleep or hibernate when the lid is closed. An example script might look like this:
#!/bin/bash delay_time="2.5" cmd="pm-hibernate" while true ; do state=( $(</proc/acpi/button/lid/LID0/state) ) [[ ${state[1]} = "closed" ]] && $cmd sleep $delay_time done
Save this file to `/usr/local/bin/lid` and mark as executable with:
# chmod +x /usr/local/bin/lid`
It is preferable to run this script as a daemon (see systemd). Alternatively, it is possible to launch this in userspace, such as in ~/.xinitrc or other startup system. If so, the `cmd` variable may need to be prefixed with `sudo` and one must allow the command to be executed by a regular user as detailed at Pm-utils#Suspend/hibernate as regular user[broken link: invalid section]. Users may increase the delay_time to decrease system calls or change the command to be executed when the lid is closed.
This is a hacky solution, only to be used, if at all, until acpid registers lid events. Nonetheless, the HP Folio 13 is sufficiently powerful that the extra load created by checking a file every few seconds has no perceptible impact on the user experience.
Webcam
Works out of the box.
Function Keys
Mostly work. The screen brightness function keys don't work and neither does the wireless on-off key. The sound level/mute and keyboard backlight on-off keys do all work.
Update: the sound level/mute keys no longer seem to work with kernel 3.6.x. This is a known bug related to GNOME, and has a fix in GNOME 3.6 [testing] as of 19/10/12.
Update 29 July 2013: Function keys now all work. This update/fix appeared around kernel 3.10.
Bluetooth
Does not work out of the box. You will need to add the following to /etc/rc.local:
modprobe btusb && echo "0a5c 21e3" >> /sys/bus/usb/drivers/btusb/new_id
Finally, you will need to add 'bluetooth' to your rc.conf daemons.
Wireless
The Broadcom BCM4313 suffers from a very weak wireless signal when using the stock out-of-the-box 'brcmsmac' driver and is a known bug. In order to get normal, useable wireless strength back, you will need to blacklist the following modules by creating a file '/etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-wl.conf'and editing it to read:
blacklist b43 blacklist bcma blacklist ssb blacklist brcmsmac
Using the wired ethernet connection, install 'broadcom-wl' from AUR.
Your particular model may use an Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1030, which uses the iwlwifi kernel module. This may not work in NetworkManager, if so, try wicd.
As of kernel 3.16, the native kernel "brcmsmac" driver fixed the above problem of a weak wireless signal.