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acer5051awxmi [2007/06/11 08:36] – Audio experiences with Alex's party jim | acer5051awxmi [2009/09/24 09:48] (current) – Xorg 3d support. jim | ||
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The Vaio was running Debian Unstable (Sid). Rather than spend time copying stuff over, I just removed the hard drive from the Acer and replaced it with the one | The Vaio was running Debian Unstable (Sid). Rather than spend time copying stuff over, I just removed the hard drive from the Acer and replaced it with the one | ||
from the Vaio and reconfigured. | from the Vaio and reconfigured. | ||
- | |||
===== The Quick Summary ===== | ===== The Quick Summary ===== | ||
- | Not the best Linux platform, but it' | + | In 2007, it was not the best Linux platform, but it would just about do. Video and audio support |
+ | |||
+ | Now nearing October in 2009, there is accelerated 3D Xorg support for the video, and the audio is fine. Updating to the latest BIOS means suspend and hibernate both seem now to work. | ||
===== The Hardware ===== | ===== The Hardware ===== | ||
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08:04.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02) | 08:04.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02) | ||
</ | </ | ||
- | |||
===== Video ===== | ===== Video ===== | ||
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For my use, zippy 3D performance isn't so important. If it came down to it, I'd cheerfully swap that for reliability and especially smooth suspend and hibernate. | For my use, zippy 3D performance isn't so important. If it came down to it, I'd cheerfully swap that for reliability and especially smooth suspend and hibernate. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Update 2009: The Xorg drivers now have accelerated 3D support, which copes happily with KDE4 and its eye candy. Even more reason to stick with open source goodness. | ||
==== Open source drivers ==== | ==== Open source drivers ==== | ||
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I haven' | I haven' | ||
- | My beefs with the open source drivers at present (Xorg ATI 6.6.3) are: | + | My beef with the open source drivers at present (Xorg ATI 6.6.3) are: |
- | + | ||
- | * If you suspend and then resume, when you then later come to shut down, instead of reverting back to the VGA console when the X server exits, the video mode is incorrectly set to remain at its graphical setting. So you can see the on-screen display pattern changing as the shutdown messages appear, but you can't read them. | + | |
* The external VGA isn't driven correctly. If I enable '' | * The external VGA isn't driven correctly. If I enable '' | ||
- | I saw a comment in a bug in the Xorg Bugzilla (lost now, no reference) to the effect that the information required to properly reset the chip after a resume isn't available. So that looks like the binary driver | + | * No accelerated 3D. |
+ | |||
+ | The ATI binary driver | ||
==== ATI Binary drivers ==== | ==== ATI Binary drivers ==== | ||
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I got '' | I got '' | ||
- | I then tried a suspend and resume to see if the shutdown problem I mentioned for the open source drivers was cured. | + | How about suspend and hibernate? |
I will be checking to see if things improve in the future. But as things stand, I will be suggesting to anyone thinking of getting a laptop that they make sure they get Intel or nVidia graphics. | I will be checking to see if things improve in the future. But as things stand, I will be suggesting to anyone thinking of getting a laptop that they make sure they get Intel or nVidia graphics. | ||
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The built-in wired Ethernet port is a good 'ol '' | The built-in wired Ethernet port is a good 'ol '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
==== Wireless ==== | ==== Wireless ==== | ||
Onboard wireless is provided by a Broadcom '' | Onboard wireless is provided by a Broadcom '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Update for Linux kernel versions 2.6.24 and later === | ||
+ | |||
+ | The new Linux wireless driver b43 works well. You will need to install the firmware; on Debian, all you need to do is to install the package '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | I have found that, as with '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | if [ -d / | ||
+ | modprobe -r b43 | ||
+ | MODULES=" | ||
+ | fi | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | and ''/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | === For Linux kernel versions 2.4.23 and earlier === | ||
In theory there are two possible lines of support, '' | In theory there are two possible lines of support, '' | ||
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Then follow the instructions to install the Windows driver. If you need to, you can download the Broadcom Windows XP driver from [[http:// | Then follow the instructions to install the Windows driver. If you need to, you can download the Broadcom Windows XP driver from [[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | '' | ||
+ | |||
===== Audio ===== | ===== Audio ===== | ||
- | Windows XP reports the audio hardware as '' | + | Windows XP reports the audio hardware as '' |
+ | |||
+ | === Update for Linux kernel versions 2.6.24 and later === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Recent updates to the ALSA driver have improved support somewhat. The driver still doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel | ||
+ | options snd-hda-intel mixer=acer-aspire | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | === For Linux kernel versions 2.4.23 and earlier === | ||
+ | |||
+ | Spend 5 minutes with Google and you will find all manner of reports of intermittent working and logs filled with error messages | ||
I bashed my head against this wall for a while, too, before digging down to an answer. The problem is that the ALSA driver thinks it finds an extra codec beyond the soft modem codec and the audio codec expected. It's that extra codec that confuses it beyond measure. The solution is to confine the driver to checking for the expected codecs. I made a new file ''/ | I bashed my head against this wall for a while, too, before digging down to an answer. The problem is that the ALSA driver thinks it finds an extra codec beyond the soft modem codec and the audio codec expected. It's that extra codec that confuses it beyond measure. The solution is to confine the driver to checking for the expected codecs. I made a new file ''/ | ||
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I haven' | I haven' | ||
+ | |||
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The function keys for adjusting screen brightness work out of the box. | The function keys for adjusting screen brightness work out of the box. | ||
+ | ==== Card Reader ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | There' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ENE Technology have, apparently, been totally unhelpful with specs or other info. Gits. | ||
===== Suspending/ | ===== Suspending/ | ||
- | Hibernating (suspend | + | I recently upgraded to the Debian 2.6.22-3 kernel and the latest versions of powersave, kpowersave and pm-utils. powersave is really redundant now. |
+ | |||
+ | Hibernating | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | # defoptions=resume=/ | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | to ''/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | As for suspending | ||
+ | |||
+ | For pm-utils I created ''/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | S2RAM_OPTS=" | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | For powersave, I edited ''/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | SUSPEND2RAM_FORCE=" | ||
+ | SUSPEND2RAM_ACPI_SLEEP=" | ||
+ | </ | ||
- | Suspending (suspend | + | Finally, I updated the BIOS to the latest Acer release, 3315. Acer still show 3109 on their European support site, but you can find [[ftp:// |
===== Power management ===== | ===== Power management ===== |