# First time attempting to use a laptop...

## chatgris

Ok, I have bought a nice new shiny laptop and I am attempting to get xfree to work on it..  At the bottom of this post I have included the results of cat /proc/pci.

I am following the instructions at http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/desktop.xml which worked fine on my desktop, but not so fine on my laptop..  I think the problem is that I cannot find a matching video entry in the list of video card drivers for my video card, so I just skip it and enter the amount of ram (it is a 64MB DDR ATI Mobility). 

I am also having trouble finding the vertical and horizontal syncs for my monitor..  I read through the manual and all it say sin specifications is

LCD

15.7 inch 1280x1024 SXGA TFT

I jstu guessed at the configuration and put monitor that supports 1280x1024 at 60HZ, and then chose the lowest vertical sync range (I thought that was safest)... 

Is there any way I could find out the sync ranges for my monitor too?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...  (BTW, the laptop is "Linux compatible" it worked with redhat without a hitch, and the place wher ei bought it support them with redhat...  but redhat jsut doesn't cut it when compared to gentoo =)

***EDIT***

Also, a few notes on the hardware...  It's running a Desktop pentium 4 chip..  it's pretty large, weighs abotu 25 pounds, so I'm thinking it contains mostly desktop parts, which in theory should be pretty easy to configure (I hope?)

***EDIT***

```

PCI devices found:

  Bus  0, device   0, function  0:

    Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset Host Bridge (rev 4).

      Prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xa0000000 [0xa3ffffff].

  Bus  0, device   1, function  0:

    PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset AGP Bridge (rev 4).

      Master Capable.  Latency=128.  Min Gnt=10.

  Bus  0, device  29, function  0:

    USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM USB (Hub #1) (rev 2).

      IRQ 10.

      I/O at 0xe000 [0xe01f].

  Bus  0, device  29, function  1:

    USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM USB (Hub #2) (rev 2).

      IRQ 11.

      I/O at 0xe120 [0xe13f].

  Bus  0, device  29, function  2:

    USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM USB (Hub #3) (rev 2).

      IRQ 10.

      I/O at 0xe240 [0xe25f].

  Bus  0, device  30, function  0:

    PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BAM/CAM PCI Bridge (rev 66).

      Master Capable.  No bursts.  Min Gnt=2.

  Bus  0, device  31, function  0:

    ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801CAM ISA Bridge (LPC) (rev 2).

  Bus  0, device  31, function  1:

    IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801CAM IDE U100 (rev 2).

      IRQ 10.

      I/O at 0x0 [0x7].

      I/O at 0x0 [0x3].

      I/O at 0x0 [0x7].

      I/O at 0x0 [0x3].

      I/O at 0x1100 [0x110f].

      Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0x20000000 [0x200003ff].

  Bus  0, device  31, function  5:

    Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM AC'97 Audio (rev 2).

      IRQ 11.

      I/O at 0xe400 [0xe4ff].

      I/O at 0xe600 [0xe63f].

  Bus  0, device  31, function  6:

    Modem: Intel Corp. 82801CA/CAM AC'97 Modem (rev 2).

      IRQ 11.

      I/O at 0xe800 [0xe8ff].

      I/O at 0xea00 [0xea7f].

  Bus  1, device   0, function  0:

    VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M7 LW (rev 0).

      IRQ 10.

      Master Capable.  No bursts.  Min Gnt=8.

      Prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0x90000000 [0x97ffffff].

      I/O at 0xc000 [0xc0ff].

      Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xe0000000 [0xe000ffff].

  Bus  2, device   0, function  0:

    Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 16).

      IRQ 10.

      Master Capable.  Latency=128.  Min Gnt=32.Max Lat=64.

      I/O at 0xa000 [0xa0ff].

      Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xd0008000 [0xd00080ff].

  Bus  2, device   2, function  0:

    FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AB21 IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link) (rev 0).

      IRQ 10.

      Master Capable.  Latency=128.  Min Gnt=2.Max Lat=4.

      Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xd0000000 [0xd00007ff].

      Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xd0004000 [0xd0007fff].

  Bus  2, device   9, function  0:

    CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1250 PC card Cardbus Controller (rev 1).

      IRQ 10.

      Master Capable.  Latency=168.  Min Gnt=192.Max Lat=5.

      Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0x20001000 [0x20001fff].

  Bus  2, device   9, function  1:

    CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1250 PC card Cardbus Controller (#2) (rev 1).

      IRQ 11.

      Master Capable.  Latency=168.  Min Gnt=192.Max Lat=5.

      Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0x20002000 [0x20002fff].
```

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## bsolar

Hi,

About your monitor feq. maybe looking in google might help. Still I have a Dell Inspiron and simply use a default range. It works, I don't bother...

Your video card seems the same as mine, memory size apart. The generic "ati" driver works, as well as the "radeon" one.

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## chatgris

I can't find a generic ati or an ati radeon driver in the card database when running xf86config...

I have a feeling that there is something I'm missing here...  Where did you get your driver?

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## bsolar

If I remember well I selected only the memory size as you did in the configurator and then I edited XF86Config by hand.

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## bsolar

Also xfree 4.2.99 shows the option in the card database of xf86config...

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## chatgris

Hmmmm...  I just skipped it an entered the size and that didn't work..

oh well, I might as well try out xfree 4.2.99...

thanks for the tip!   :Smile: 

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## bsolar

The new xfree is great.

The confoigurator is a lot more powerful with a more rich database and more options, namely modeline configuration.

Finally I have a working low-resolution and I can play xmame wihout scaling...

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## chatgris

 *bsolar wrote:*   

> The new xfree is great.
> 
> The confoigurator is a lot more powerful with a more rich database and more options, namely modeline configuration.
> 
> Finally I have a working low-resolution and I can play xmame wihout scaling...

 

Excuse the following questions, but I'ma n00b who wants to learn =)

a) What is modeline configuration?

b) less importantly what is xmame?    :Smile: 

I'm installing xfree now..  though for some reason the gentoo.oregonstate.edu mirror i put in can't find any of the files and I'm downloading from ibiblio at 15k/s..  I'm not sure what's going to take longer, the download or the compilation   :Confused: 

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## bsolar

Well "modes configuration" is more correct...

xmame is an emulator for arcade games. Here is the link.

Arcade games usually go at resolutions lower than 640x480, so with the old xfree I had to double their resolution to fill the screen. To get them work better it's possible to add a modeline in XF86Config instructing the server how to go i.e 400x300. The problem (to me...) was to find the correct settings (actually I never managed to do that). The new xfree does that without a fuss, you have the option to set your video modes, you can change the avalabile resolutions and the sequence of them.

When you'll use the new xf86config you'll see...  :Wink: 

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## chatgris

ooooh!  maybe that means I'll be able to change resolutions and   :Surprised:  Actually have my resolution change  :Surprised:  instead of jsut have the zoom change and the actual data stay the same and have to scroll my desktop!

thanks for the info, I am looking forward to this   :Very Happy: 

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## bsolar

Well I think it still zooms (I cannot try now).

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## chatgris

Hmm..  Then, I think what you wanted to do with xmame was possible with Xfree 4.2.1

On my machine with my nvidia card, after I selected it I got a page that prompted me for a bunch of resolutions//color depths to enter (I didn't get that option by just entering the MB of my card, so I thnk it has osmething to do with the card database)

Anyways, then you could do <ctrl><shift> +/- to change between those modes.

But that's just info, if 4.2.99 works then that's all you need =)

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## bsolar

xmame autmoatically switchs to the most appropriate resolution he finds... Before it was 640x480 that was too much...

I agree probably was a database issue.

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## chatgris

Thanks, the new xfree solved my problem.

Had a bit of a heart attack though trying to sut down the xserver...  alt + ctrl + backspace didn't work, but some frantic button pushing finally had (I think) alt + ctrl + backspace + another backspace   :Razz: 

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## bsolar

Happy that It worked.

btw. I have no problems in killing X with [ctrl]+[alt]+[bsp]

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## dirtboy

You have one of these laptops don't you?

Sager 8886

Pro-Star 8854

Alienware

Hypercomputing

Here's a little factoid:  They are all the same laptop.

I have the Pro-Star 8854 and have Gentoo running great, except for wireless but that is because of my wireless card.  PM me if you have any questions on it.  I can send you my configs for the kernel and stuff and they should work just fine for you.

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## chatgris

Nope, none of the above =)

It's a eurocom 8880 Dream Machine =)

15.7 inch screen, 2 20 GB hard drives, 1.6 Ghz P4, 512MB DDR RAM, 64MB DDR Video...

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## dirtboy

Heheheh, add that one to the list.  It is exactly the same as mine except for the processor speed.

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## chatgris

Did you manage to get the sound working on it?  I can't each time I boot into KDE it says Cannot open /dev/dsp no such file or directory =(

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