Alienware 15 - ArchWiki

# Alienware 15

Device | Status | Modules
Intel | Working | xf86-video-intel
Nvidia | Working | nouveau or nvidia
Touchpad | Working | xf86-input-synaptics
Camera | Working | linux-uvc
Wi-Fi | Working | iwlwifi
Bluetooth | Working | btusb
Ethernet | Working | alx
Card reader | Working | rtsx_usb

For a general overview of laptop-related articles and recommendations, see Laptop

## Hardware overview

### Alienware 15(early 2015)

Tested configuration:

lspci:

    00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor DRAM Controller (rev 06)
    00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor PCI Express x16 Controller (rev 06)
    00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 06)
    00:03.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller (rev 06)
    00:04.0 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation Device 0c03 (rev 06)
    00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI (rev 05)
    00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
    00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #2 (rev 05)
    00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller (rev 05)
    00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #3 (rev d5)
    00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #4 (rev d5)
    00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #5 (rev d5)
    00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #1 (rev 05)
    00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation HM87 Express LPC Controller (rev 05)
    00:1f.2 RAID bus controller: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] (rev 05)
    00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 05)
    01:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204M [GeForce GTX 970M] (rev ff)
    02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Qualcomm Atheros Killer E220x Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 10)
    03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wireless 7265 (rev 59)
    04:00.0 Unassigned class [ff00]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTS5227 PCI Express Card Reader (rev 01)

lsusb:

    Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:8000 Intel Corp.
    Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
    Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:8008 Intel Corp.
    Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
    Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
    Bus 003 Device 003: ID 8087:0a2a Intel Corp.
    Bus 003 Device 002: ID 187c:0528 Alienware Corporation
    Bus 003 Device 004: ID 1bcf:28b6 Sunplus Innovation Technology Inc.
    Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

### Alienware 15 R2

lspci:

    00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Skylake Host Bridge/DRAM Registers (rev 07)
    00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Skylake PCIe Controller (x16) (rev 07)
    00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Skylake Integrated Graphics (rev 06)
    00:04.0 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation Skylake Processor Thermal Subsystem (rev 07)
    00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H USB 3.0 xHCI Controller (rev 31)
    00:14.2 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H Thermal subsystem (rev 31)
    00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H CSME HECI #1 (rev 31)
    00:17.0 RAID bus controller: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] (rev 31)
    00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H PCI Express Root Port #1 (rev f1)
    00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H PCI Express Root Port #5 (rev f1)
    00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H PCI Express Root Port #6 (rev f1)
    00:1c.6 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H PCI Express Root Port #7 (rev f1)
    00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H LPC Controller (rev 31)
    00:1f.2 Memory controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H PMC (rev 31)
    00:1f.3 Audio device: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H HD Audio (rev 31)
    00:1f.4 SMBus: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-H SMBus (rev 31)
    01:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM204M [GeForce GTX 965M] (rev a1)
    3b:00.0 Ethernet controller: Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 10)
    3c:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter (rev 32)
    3d:00.0 Unassigned class [ff00]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTS5227 PCI Express Card Reader (rev 01)

lsusb:

    Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
    Bus 001 Device 004: ID 1bcf:2b8c Sunplus Innovation Technology Inc.
    Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0cf3:e300 Atheros Communications, Inc.
    Bus 001 Device 002: ID 187c:0528 Alienware Corporation
    Bus 001 Device 005: ID 04d9:a070 Holtek Semiconductor, Inc.
    Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

## Networking

Wi-Fi & Bluetooth:

    Intel Corporation Wireless 7265

Wi-Fi - Supported out-of-the-box Bluetooth - TODO Wired ethernet:

    Qualcomm Atheros Killer E220x Gigabit Ethernet Controller

### Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter

As of the main website you can install the supported driver for QCA6174 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter.

First download the board.bin file via wget and put it into your firmware library:

    wget http://www.killernetworking.com/support/board.bin
    sudo mkdir -p /lib/firmware/ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/
    sudo mv board.bin /lib/firmware/ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/

and then download the specific firmware binary and move it into your firmware library:

    wget https://github.com/kvalo/ath10k-firmware/blob/master/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-4.bin_WLAN.RM.2.0-00180-QCARMSWPZ-1
    sudo mv firmware-4.bin_WLAN.RM.2.0-00180-QCARMSWPZ-1 /lib/firmware/ath10k/QCA6174/hw3.0/firmware-4.bin

then reboot and you are good to go.

## Input

Suported out-of-the-box

See more at: Synaptics

Keyboard: For Macro keys - see : Extra keyboard keys

NOTE: Keyboard doesn't have Menu key.

## Video

Nvidia & Intel video card configuration: Bumblebee

### NVIDIA Corporation GM204M [GeForce GTX 965M]

Currently not supported by Bumblebee (Tested on Alienware 15 R2) Please install only Intel driver via xf86-video-intel

## Alien FX

Currently unsupported by pyAlienFx and alienfx[1] have some diff from previous version.

## Issues

Sound don't switch to headphone, after plug jack

For fix: Add

    'options snd-hda-intel position_fix=1'

to

    /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

Category:

- Alienware