Laptop not powering off

[Ed Fletcher]

Raoul Snyman wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I have Ubuntu installed on my laptop, but when I log out and shut down,
> it doesn't power down the laptop. When I had SuSE installed, that would
> power it down.
> 
> How do I get Ubuntu to do the same?

There are two versions of the power management software.  One is called 
ACPI and the other is APM.  Ubuntu may default to using one but SUSE 
used the other.  I used a Knoppix disk and found that my laptop worked 
well with the ACPI.  (It also helped me with my wireless card.)  You 
could probably find a SUSE-based live CD (yep, found one - see below) 
and see what it is using and how well it works.  I'm pretty sure that 
APM will work with Ubuntu, but I haven't tried it myself.

Try Knoppix (http://knoppix.org/ - Debian/KDE),
Gnoppix (http://www.gnoppix.org/ - Debian/Gnome),
Slax (http://slax.linux-live.org/ - Slackware/KDE),
Suse 
(http://www.novell.com/products/linuxprofessional/downloads/ftp/live_eval_int.html)

Keep an eye on the boot process and note what power management software 
is being loaded.  IIRC, Knoppix gave me a choice to use ACPI or APM.

For a surprisingly long list of live cd's, see this page:
http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php

HTH,
Ed
-- 
Ed Fletcher
ed at fletcher.ca

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless,
whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism
or the holy name of liberty or democracy?  -  Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)