# Linux on Compaq Presario 2500 (2538 CL)

## pratik

Hi,

 has anybody installed gentoo on the Compaq Presario 2500, the only hiccup i know is the ATI IGP 345M driver. 

 I tried installing redhat and everytime it stopped at the loading the firewire driver....

 I tried installing suse 8.2 live and it work fine. I just don't want to pay the $80 for the version.

 So, now i am looking At Gentoo !!! Seems there is a lot of stuff out here. Lots of people to help since i am a n00b. 

 Since i already have installed redhat, i.e it is dual booting with win xp , do i need to run grub config again when i install gentoo.........

Thanks in advance

- Pratik

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## snkmoorthy

try disabing usb from BIOS if there is such an option or boot with nousb and nofirewire - not sure about the nofirewire option though.

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## paranode

I don't know about the 2500 hardware but my 900 series Compaq laptop was a real pain to set up in Red Hat.  The older kernel had problems, and since you don't get to build your own before installing it was a real mess.  Gentoo was by far the easiest to install on it and it actually worked.  I just had to install one patch to get my sound card working correctly and everything else is fine.   So I highly recommend you try out Gentoo because it worked wonders on my poor proprietary "Built for Windows XP" laptop   :Laughing: 

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## gaz

my girlfriend just bought one and asked me to install gentoo on it (coz she thinks its cool and wants to learn it  :Smile:  )

there have been a few issues with the livecd.

the experimental cd with kde-gnome-distcc hangs when it gets to distcc (this image has no option to disable distcc)

the normal (offical) livecd hangs when it gets to 'USB and PCI hotplugging', I did try to disable usb in the bios but it still hung at the same spot. I boot with 'smp nodetect' and it works fine.. I just cant do anything because the network card isnt detected (tried to manually enable the module but the name corresponding to the network device I saw in /proc/pci doesnt work  :Sad:  )

im going to disable the network card in the bios and try booting it normally tonight.

I will keep updating this thread with my progress of the installation.

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## paranode

Try ide=nodma and/or pci=off on the kernel boot command line.

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## gaz

I did the installation without any further problems, compiled the kernel .. it complained about the first kernel I made with agpart built-in , so I recompiled it as a module with the ALi chipset support and its working fine..

everything seems to be working, except the wireless card, I left it out because I havent found a driver for it yet. (Harris Semiconductor WaveLan according to /proc/pci)

I should be moving onto xfree and ati drivers tonight.. I just have to get through the working day until I can tinker with it  :Smile: 

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## ry00

mine is Compaq Presario 2100 Series. with Radeon m340 . 

Gentoo has been running smothly on my system and 

the synaptic touchpad(scrolling), quick button etc.

juz las night i managed to make my Radeon 345 DRI- enabled.  :Very Happy: 

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=75798&highlight=igp

i saw the xfree-patch for Radeon 345 also, if im not mistaken.

cheers,

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## ry00

 *ry00 wrote:*   

> mine is Compaq Presario 2100 Series. with Radeon m340 . 
> 
> Gentoo has been running smothly on my system and 
> 
> the synaptic touchpad(scrolling), quick button etc.
> ...

 

i forgot, i use this to feed lilo ...

append =  "noapic hdc=ide-scsi"

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