Proprietary Linux

[TexasSecede79366]

I got a really strange call from an old friend regarding "proprietary Linux".

It would seem that AARP is peddling foolproof old people PCs with "proprietary Linux" installed on them.

It seems my friend got handed a brand new laptop courtesy of AARP that the sound doesn't work. (Aww dam' remember the driver wars?)

My question: Has anybody heard of "proprietary Linux".

According to him it can only be fixed online for a fee.

[PAR35]

Good point. Thumb drive, then.

[TexasSecede79366]

Sam,I’ll dance at your next wedding! That is exactly the rig I was looking for. Thanks!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You're being sarcastic, right?

You're not really going to buy that overpriced piece of garbage, are you?

[smokingfrog]

The WOW! Computer™ comes with free lifetime Basic Support.

Looks like a fairly basic computer with Linux touchscreen installed and a proprietary user interface.

[TexasSecede79366]

-- and the Edsel was a perfectly designed car.

Without going into particulars this is a scam to screw seniors without paying Bill Gates his "gravitas" which is all good except that the dumb jerks that are doing it are clueless about Linux and hardware.

Wull just dam' this always worked in Windhoes.

This is so wrong on so many levels the FBI should be involved but after all,it's AARP

[JerseyHighlander]

That All in One PC is built by the manufacturer MSI .

I bought a MSI branded one running Windows7 for an elderly relative.

You should be able to find the onboard Audio chip pretty easily.
Here is the manufacturer info:

http://www.msi.com/product/aio/Wind-Top-AE2050.html

Windows drivers:
http://www.msi.com/product/aio/Wind-Top-AE2050.html#/?div=Driver&os=All

I think it is this exact model, but all of the line of models have almost exact same motherboard and onboard audio chipset.

You Can buy a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium then install the MSI touchscreen software suite from here:
http://event.msi.com/aio/sw/
The Wind Touch 4 and Easy Viewer software are very nice pieces of software.

[JerseyHighlander]

Here is how to fix your problem (if you can get root access):

http://www.webupd8.org/2010/11/fix-hda-intel-realtek-alc887-no-sound.html

The fix:

Edit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf:
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

And add the following line:
options snd-hda-intel model=generic

Save, reboot (a logout might be enough too) and the sound should work. If this generic fix doesn’t work for you, see THIS post. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=314383

The software suite on the AARP PC is a locked down version of Meego I think.

the PC is manufactured by MSI.

From the Manual for the 2050:
Audio
HDA Codec by Realtek® ALC887
Compliant with Azalia 1.0 specs

Also
MSI released a new BIOS in last month...
http://www.msi.com/product/aio/Wind-Top-AE2050.html#/?div=BIOS