Satellite 2405 - S201

Documentation // Information about this Laptop running GNU/Linux OS

Hardware Specs

Tweaks for Linux 

#Output data 

#Installing the Iomega Zip Drive

# Links

#Thanks

Contact

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Necessary Tweaks to make hardware work fine under GNU/Linux OS.

• Running Fedora Core 3 dual booting w/ Windows XP Home SP2[1] .
• Managing the Boot w/GRUB.

[1]: Fedora Core 3, modifies the Windows Logical Partiotion, changing values that Windows cannot boot from. This problem is solved inserting the Installation Windows XP Home CD, entering anything related to RESCUE_MODE // REPAIR_MODE. This will bring you a DOS command line requesting your Admin password for access, do so, then write:

bootcfg /rebuild all

exit

/// This Should fix the partition incorrect values that Fedora early writed ///

.:: I tagged the procedures that work, required a modification on the default configuration, doesn't work at all, and procedures not probed ::.

Y-worked M-requires modification N-did not work at all L-limited NP Not-Probed

Keyboard	Y	US // Normal Language recognized by default
XFree86	Y	Note: that as of this writing, 3D hardware acceleration with the S3 SuperSavage chip is not supported in XFree86 and probably never will be. It is intended that DRI support for this graphic card is under development and soon we will have in our hands a full 3D driver. :D But all other XFree86 setup work fine. There's no 3D acceleration available yet provided by GNU/GPL Software. :( However there exists: The commercial Summit LX Platinum X server available at www.xig.com works great on this laptop and fully supports the 3D acceleration capabilities of the S3 SuperSavage chip and works great under my Fedora Core 3 9.0 For detailed info about Summit LX Platinum X server supported Hardware click here
Sound AC'97	Y	The Sound is working well ( Fedora Core 3 detects and installs the Sound Card in a snap ;) any trouble try locating and loading this module: i810_audio-*.o Not sure how to load a module? click here If you think that your sound card has not been detected, type this into console: #cat /dev/urandom > /dev/audio If you hear noise, your card is detected.
DVD/CDRW	Y	CD/R CD/RW is working fine, also does the DVD function. Recommend programs like: k3b // Excellent for burning, blanking, etc XINE // For Watching Movies in any format. VLC // Movies, Sound Files, etc.
PCMCIA	Y	Working well, the sockets are detected by default in all 2.6.x Kernels
SDC	NP	Under development in the 2.6.x kernel tree [experimental mode]
USB	Y	Working normally at USB Specification 1.1 (Low Speed Usb Ports)
Wireless LAN	Y	Using a PCCARD for Wireless LAN @ 802.11g Netgear WG511, Intersil Prism Duette 3890. Fedora doesn't have wake up the card, yet still detecting the socket wich is using the card. For making this card work, you need to download the firmware file from here : As a root user in the console do: #mkdir /lib/firmware Move the firmware file that you just downloaded called isl3890 and move it to the /lib/firmware folder. then use iwconfig and ifup to wake up the card and connect to the network. Not sure how to use iwconfig // ifup? click here
USB Mouse	Y	Working normally.
LAN	Y	I have not problems installing it. eth0 automatically recognized by Fedora Core 3. Runs at 10mbps and 100mbps normally.
[Win]Modem	Y	## Q: You don't know what modem you have? A: try this tool ## Just for knwoledge you should read what Toshiba has to say about winmodems here Kernel 2.4.x I finally made it work, with a driver that you can download from my site (slmdm-2.7.10). Just untar the tar.gz and read the instructions. No more additional directions < is very "easy" to install. The modem is working at almost 100%. This driver runs on 2.4.2x Kernels. This driver will not work on the 2.6.x Kernel series, this because the way the kernel handles the modules. Kernel 2.6.x The latest one here (2.9.10) Supports 2.6.x Kernel series {may be, the driver 'll not work at all } Once, you have untar the file, enter /modem $cd /modem $make SUPPORT_ALSA=1 $cd /modem #slmodem -a At this point, if all went well, you should have your modem ready, at /ttySL0 PS: Normally GNU/Linux users have selected in the prior installation options, to install the kernel source tree and the kernel devel packages as well.
Reboot	Y	Reboots... #reboot
Suspend	M	Suspend mode, requires an APM Enabled Kernel You can grab an Apm-Kernel-patch just google it!
Touchpad	Y	By default Fedora Core 3 installs the touch pad... if not do this : On Fedora Core 3, just select on mouse graphical menu, the ALPS mouse, then restart X (keys: [CONTROL]+[ALT]+[SHIFT]+[BACK SPACE]), and there you go :)
Video Out [Port]	Y/ L / M	Sneaky directions: Video Out, is working, just press the function key plus F5 [ Fn F5 ]several times, until you get the video out signal on screen. Another way to do it : (as root) #echo "lcd_out:0;crt_out:1" > /proc/acpi/toshiba/video Some problems during passing video out to the TV with XINE, not resolved yet, unknown how to frame correctly the TV Out Signal of the Fedora Core 3 desktop to TV, if you know how to do this mail me thx.
iRDA	L / M / N	This is nuts: I have probed IrDa with smcinit and it really works. I recommend to install irda-utils too just in case {Need to invest some part of your time modifying the default config.} To tell you the truth, smcinit worked well on Red Hat 9.0 with a 2.4x Kernel, but on Fedora Core 3 is very difficult to make it work, the ppl of smcinit should be aware of this...
NTFS Issue	Y / L / M	By some reason Red Hat leave out the distribution the NTFS support, however the people of Linux NTFS Project have developed a huge list of rpms for Fedora Core 3 for almost all the distributions and kernels. Working well. Limited to Read Only, RW Mode still be sneaky in some way I say that DON'T USE IT.
Pen Drive	Y / L / M	The kernel supports USB Media Storage within the module usb-storage.ko If the FileSystem of the pen drive is NTFS there'll be limited functions like write mode. In this case, the filesystem is FAT, no problems wirting nor reading ... Procedures: (for 2.4.2.x Kernels & 2.6.x) (On Fedora Core 3, the pen drive is automatically installed) In case is not: #modprobe usb-storage // Load the module #dmesg // Check that the module has been loaded Normally the drive appears like sdX where X could be any number, by default 1. #mkdir /mnt/pendrive #mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/pendrive If all worked well, you have mounted your pendrive at /mnt Adding the device to fstab, the line could be like this: /dev/sda1 /mnt/mini vfat rw 0 0
Zip Drive	Y / M	Working normally. The modifications are here
Toshiba utilities	Y	Worked ... you can find the source code right here With these utilities you can do a lot of things for example control the cpu speed, fan speed, lcd brightness, etc. These utils, can also be found, on the 2.6.x Kernel, look at /proc/acpi
LCD Display	Y	You can vary the lcd brightness using this procedure: as root user: #cd /proc #cat /proc/acpi/toshiba/lcd <--- this will give us certain values if brightness = 3 #echo "brightness:4" > /proc/acpi/toshiba/lcd This last line should change the lcd brightness.
Scanner	N	Primax, didn't support this scanner for work under Linux OS at all. Well Done Primax !#$%#^$

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.:: Output Data ::.

[using SLAX GNU/Linux LIVE CD Slackware Based Distribution w/Kernel 2.6.12]

dmesg // Kernel Hardware Messages

modules // Current running modules

kernel_make_config // The Kernel Config customized for this Toshiba Laptop

lspci -vv // Mapping PCI Devices

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.:: The Iomega Zip Drive ::.

Installing a Iomega Zip 250Mb Parallel Port Drive under a 2.6.x Kernel Series is so easy:

1. First of all, you have to enable the parallel port on your PC BIOS.

2. Second, of course plug the power and attach the drive to the Pport of your PC.

3. Third, Boot Linux Fedora Core 3, enter as a normal user, then open the console and as a "root" user type:

#modprobe parport_pc    // This should load the driver for parallel port

#modprobe ppa       // This is the older module could work for older drives.
#modprobe imm       // This is the newest module, worked with my 250Mb drive.

4. Once you've done the lines before, the kernel should detect the drive, make sure it has doing on console "dmesg":

$dmesg              // This will output all the kernel important messages

Example of it using imm:

imm: Version 2.05 (for Linux 2.4.0)
parport0: PC-style at 0x378 [PCSPP,TRISTATE,EPP]
parport0: device reported incorrect length field (61, should be 62)
parport0 (addr 0): SCSI adapter, IMG VP1
imm: Found device at ID 6, Attempting to use EPP 32 bit
imm: Found device at ID 6, Attempting to use PS/2
imm: Communication established at 0x378 with ID 6 using PS/2
scsi0 : Iomega VPI2 (imm) interface
isa bounce pool size: 16 pages
  Vendor: IOMEGA    Model: ZIP 250           Rev: H.41
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Attached scsi removable disk sda at scsi0, channel 0, id 6, lun 0

5. If your system detected the Drive, then you should have to mount it using the command mount, under console as a 'root' user type:

#mkdir /mnt/zip          // This will create the directory 'zip' under /mnt .
#mount /dev/sda /mnt/zip  // This will mount your zip drive on 'zip' directory.

Done, could happen that your system detects the Zip Drive with another name for the device, in that case you'll to probe by hand sda^sdb...etc.

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.:: Links ::.

• Toshiba Linux // Toshiba Linux Project.
• Toshiba Linux Utilities // The Toshiba Utilities now included on the 2.6.x Kernel Series.
• Linux Laptop // Excellent for reviewing Laptops Running on GNU/Linux.
• Tux Mobil // Useful site for check out Linux Docs on mobile devices.
• Winmodems are not modems // All about Winmodems [Not Modems] .
• Smart Link // About the linux drivers for the Toshiba Software Modem included in this laptop.
• Prism54 // About the Chipset of the Netgear WG511 .

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.:: Thanks ::.

• Thanks to all the people that readed this "pseudo manual",

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.:: Contact ::.

If you have something to say about this page, or about anything else, please I encourage you to write me at:

humbertoa[at]gmail[dot]com

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