How to install Dell's driver package for Latitude E5450?

Question

I have a Dell E5450, and Dell offers some driver packages.

I have downloaded a houston-15_A10.fish.tar.gz, and extracted it:

$ tar -xvzf houston-15_A10.fish.tar.gz

And then the folder contains:

$ tree .
.
├── casper
│   ├── initrd.lz
│   └── vmlinuz.efi
├── debs
│   ├── ath9k-3.16-dkms_1somerville3_all.deb
│   ├── bbswitch-dkms_0.7-2ubuntu1_amd64.deb
│   ├── config-enable-dell-micmute_3-4_all.deb
│   ├── config-prime-select-intel-all_0.4_all.deb
│   ├── dell-recovery_1.32~somerville6_all.deb
│   ├── iwlwifi-3.16.2-dkms_1.0_all.deb
│   ├── libcuda1-340_340.24-0somerville2_amd64.deb
│   ├── libvdpau1_0.7-1_amd64.deb
│   ├── linux-firmware_1.127.8_all.deb
│   ├── nvidia-340_340.24-0somerville2_amd64.deb
│   ├── nvidia-libopencl1-340_340.24-0somerville2_amd64.deb
│   ├── nvidia-opencl-icd-340_340.24-0somerville2_amd64.deb
│   ├── nvidia-prime_0.6.2_amd64.deb
│   ├── nvidia-settings_331.20-0ubuntu8_amd64.deb
│   ├── oem-audio-hda-daily-trusty-houston-dkms_0.2_all.deb
│   ├── screen-resolution-extra_0.17.1_all.deb
│   ├── touchpad-alps-trusty-dkms_1.0_all.deb
│   ├── ubuntu-drivers-common_0.2.91.6_amd64.deb
│   └── workaround-pm-utils-suspend-psmouse_1.0_all.deb
├── houston-15_A10.fish.tar.gz
├── kernel
│   ├── linux-generic_3.13.0.38.45_amd64.deb
│   ├── linux-headers-3.13.0-38_3.13.0-38.65somerville1_all.deb
│   ├── linux-headers-3.13.0-38-generic_3.13.0-38.65somerville1_amd64.deb
│   ├── linux-headers-generic_3.13.0.38.45_amd64.deb
│   ├── linux-image-3.13.0-38-generic_3.13.0-38.65somerville1_amd64.deb
│   ├── linux-image-extra-3.13.0-38-generic_3.13.0-38.65somerville1_amd64.deb
│   ├── linux-image-generic_3.13.0.38.45_amd64.deb
│   └── linux-libc-dev_3.13.0-38.65somerville1_amd64.deb
├── prepackage.dell
└── scripts
    ├── chroot-scripts
    │   ├── fish
    │   │   ├── 00-install-hwe-kernel.sh
    │   │   ├── 99-force-minimun-intel-backlight-brightness.sh
    │   │   └── 99-route-atheros-bluetooth-xhci-ehci.sh
    │   └── os-post
    │       ├── 99-kernel-parameter-add-video-use-native-backlight-true
    │       ├── 99-tlp-disable-sound-powersave-controller
    │       └── utils
    │           ├── add-options-in-double-quotes
    │           └── change-pair-value
    └── emergency-scripts
        └── 00-install-hwe-kernel.sh

Yet I am missing a README as I have no clue how to proceed and what to do next.

The installation guide is of no help either, as it assumes that one uses the Dell Ubuntu image:

Installation instructions 1) Download the latest Dell Ubuntu image from http://goo.gl/s4Atrh.

2) Create a bootable USB stick or DVD with the Dell Ubuntu image.

Yet I have used the default Ubuntu 14.04 image and wanted to now install the drivers. I don't want to do yet another Ubuntu installation with Dell's image, which even seems to only be 12.04.

How do I install the driver package?

Solution

You don't need to extract it. What you need is the Dell Recovery application from Ubuntu Software Center. This, once installed, will associate the houston-15_A10.fish.tar.gz with itself and not archive manager.

Not sure how this association is made as it reverts back to archive manager unexpectedly which can cause confusion.

If the above fails you can always install the .deb files manually via: How do I install a .deb file via the command line?

Comments

[sudcha]

Right now I am more in the mindset of: Do I actually need these packages to be installed? As my Ubuntu installation now works using the 3.19-Kernel line, and it seems that the Dell package only supports a custom 3.13 one. So I guess the solution for me is to not do anthing with this stuff, but good to know what should have been done.

[Thomas Ward]

@k0pernikus "If it's not broken, don't fix it" is a common phrase. If all's working, then don't mess with other drivers. When that driver pack was released, 3.13.x was in Ubuntu. The LTS means that the newer kernels are 'available' to the LTS release as time goes on, which enables newer hardware, etc. That means that drivers change too, but Dell doesn't update Linux drivers often.