As I mentioned in my post on installing Xubuntu on the MicroClient, the default video driver that Xubuntu goes for is VESA. While this at least works, screen re-drawing and animation can be painfully slow when the CPU is under heavy load.
The video chipset is the VIA CX700M, specifically the “3157″ integrated video processor. The best open source driver for this is from the OpenChrome project, but the release included with Xubuntu 7.10 is too old to include the driver for the specific chip in the MicroClient Sr. This means that I have to build the driver from source.
This can be done quite easily by following these instructions from the Ubuntu community documentation on OpenChrome. The steps required are outlined below.
- Make sure you have all necessary packages (subversion autoconf automake1.9 libtool).
- Grab the source code from the OpenChrome project.
- Run a script to automatically configure the code.
- MAKE and then MAKE INSTALL the driver.
- Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf to change the device driver from VESA to openchrome.
- Restart the X server by logging out of Xubuntu and then pressing CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE at the login prompt.
This worked fine for me and I now have a fully working X server/desktop with much smoother/better graphics action. Changing from VESA to openchrome drivers can improve frame rate by as much as 100%. 
Now, the next thing to do is to install my printer which unfortunately requires the latest version of gutenprint…
Filed under: hardware, linux, news, norhtec microclient, software, xubuntu | Tagged: microclient, norhtec, xubuntu, norhtec microclient, microclient sr., openchrome, video driver, VESA, via, openchrome project, via cx700m, video, xorg.conf
Any way someone can make a Microclient Sr patched Xubuntu iso? I can’t even get mine to get past the xvesa installation stage!
Hi Barry, thanks for stopping by.
This is something I would like to do, but I don’t know enough about linux/ubuntu etc. to do right now.
Have you tried asking over at the forum? http://microclient.free.fr/
How are you booting your Microclient (from USB like me?)
Cheers,
Graham
Hi Graham
I’ve got my order in for a Microclient Sr, now. Hopefully I’ll be able to contribute something more useful in the near future though I’m far from being a linux guru. I’m planning to try a few distros and I’ll let you know how I get on, if you’re interested.
And thanks for this blog – it certainly helped me make the decision to go ahead and get a microclient.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for stopping by! Great news on your order, you wont regret it!
I am not a linux guru either, so it sounds like we will be in the same boat. Keep me updated with how you get on.
Thanks,
Graham
I got my microclient! I haven’t had much time with it yet, but I have booted up Puppy on the supplied CF, and PendriveLinux from a USB key. I posted a longer message on the Fans Forum about some of my stumblings.
I’ll have a bit more spare time coming up at the weekend so hopefully I’ll get a bit further then.
Excellent news Tim! How well does Puppy run? I want to try it but haven’t had a chance yet…
Keep us updated with your findings. Good Luck!
Puppy runs well but I’m not a big fan because it feels too cut-down and on the Microclient Sr you don’t have to prune stuff back that far. I’ve tried a few distributions and ATM I’ve kept two on two separate cards: gOS and PCLinuxOS. gOS suits my original concept for what I wanted to do with the MC – a thick client for internet apps. PCLinuxOS suits me because I generally use Mandriva (which is what it is based on) and it seems to have up to date drivers, including the non-free ones which I don’t think you get unless you buy a full version of Mandriva – but I still haven’t decided definitively what I’m going to use.
Puppy is good if you don’t get sufficient performance from what ever you are using, or if you are paranoid about CF life. The best thing for me about the Puppy supplied with the MC is that is has the correct wireless driver but so far getting it to connect to my network has eluded me (probably because I have a lot of security on my network). I’m going to try an old access point for testing and turn off all the security to get a connection and then build up the security bit by bit so that I can work out why I can’t figure out how to get a connection in Puppy with my real network.