Re: [MLUG] Linux on new laptop

[George <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Of course you tried sndconfig?

Did you hear the test messages and test midi...

G

On Monday 06 May 2002 01:45 pm, you wrote:
> On Monday 29 April 2002 03:51 pm, you wrote:
>
>
> Thank you for writing!
>
> Sadly, if I pick the esound driver in xmms,  I get a message:
>
> Please check that:
> 1.  You have the correct output plugin selected
> 2.  No other programs is blocking the soundcard
> 3.  Your soundcard is configured properly
>
> This occurs even if I shut down the aRts sound server in KDE.
>
> How, exactly, does one get the esound driver to work?
>
> (And, by the way, are you using a Sony Vaio PCG GRX 570 also?)
>
> Interesting to note:
> ALL of the following devices appear to be trying to use IRQ 9:
> 1. Sound card
> 2. USB
> 3. ACPI
> 4. Network Adapter
> 5. Cascade from IRQ 2
>
> I expect that the failure of sound on my Sony (as well as the failure of
> ACPI and very unstable performance of USB) are ALL related to this
> competition for the IRQ 9.
>
> Sadly, there is nothing in the BIOS setup of this machine that allows me to
> change the IRQ assignments used by the machine.
>
> A.
>
> > Quick note on the sound. I had very similar problems with dropped mp3
> > frames and such. I realized that Xmms (and anything else trying to use
> > /dev/dsp) was fighting the esound driver. I set xmms to use that, and
> > everything has been peachy since.
> >
> > Hope it helps.
> >
> > On Mon, 29 Apr 2002, Aaron Freed wrote:
> > > On Tuesday 16 April 2002 09:57 pm, you wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > I've got the Sony Vaio PCG GRX 570.  That's the one with the 16.1 inch
> > > screen at 1600 by 1200, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB drive, etc that just went up
> > > from 2500 to 2700.00.  It's still a deal at that price.
> > >
> > > I blew away the Windows XP Home Edition that came with it.  I may put
> > > it back later, but I hope not.  Evidently, though, it IS required for
> > > BIOS setup. There is a basic BIOS setup available in the conventional
> > > sense, but many of the more esoteric options, most notably Plug and
> > > Play OS = Yes/No are NOT there, so you probably need a Windows program
> > > to get at those settings.
> > >
> > > In any event, I installed RedHat 7.2 stock.
> > > It installed perfectly despite one "warning" that the hard disk was
> > > "inconsistent" and suggesting that I turn on LBA32 (I did not).  Even
> > > the warning said it wasn't anything to worry about.  So I did not.
> > >
> > > Installed PERFECTLY.  GORGEOUS SCREEN AT 1600 BY 1200.  VERY BRIGHT!!!
> > >
> > > Appended "hdparm -c 1 -d 1 -k 1 /dev/hda" to /etc/rc.d/rc.local to get
> > > the hard drive going quickly. (Jumped from 3.08 MB/sec to 20-21 MB/sec.
> > > There may be additional fixes to get even higher speeds.  I think this
> > > thing is supposed to be UDMA 100.)
> > >
> > > Two things that do NOT work:
> > > Sound.  Choppy, full of dropouts.  Unusable.  (Perhaps if I could turn
> > > of Plug and Pray OS Installed in the BIOS, this problem would be
> > > resolved.) Evidently, Alsa drivers may work, but compiling these is
> > > proving difficult (because of my lack of experience, not anything wrong
> > > with the machine.)
> > >
> > > OSS does NOT work, in so far as I can tell.
> > >
> > > Battery monitoring and "on-battery control" do not work with the
> > > default install which includes the APM support.  This machine is
> > > ACPI-compliant and doesn't know APM froma hole in the wall. 
> > > Consequently, you can expect the battery (surprisingly small and light
> > > -- Only 4000 Ma/hours (or whatever the measure was) compared to my old
> > > dell which had large 5400 Ma) to last about 90 to 100 minutes with the
> > > CPU at 100 % load and full speed (as it presumably would be whilst
> > > watching a DVD movie.)
> > >
> > > Items not tested:
> > > 1.  Compile a new kernel with ACPI support.
> > > 2.  Burning CDRW's on the internal drive
> > > 3.  Finally getting Alsa to work
> > > 4.  Trying all this with Plug and Play OS setting in BIOS turned OFF.
> > >
> > > This machine DOES run VMware quite well, by the way, so if you really
> > > NEED Windows, you can run both Windows and Linux on this machine
> > > simultaneously through runnign Windows under VMware.
> > >
> > > Other than the above, I have not found a single thing that did not work
> > > on this laptop so far.
> > >
> > > Strongly Recommended!
> > >
> > > A.
> > >
> > > > On Tuesday 16 April 2002 06:42 pm, you wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I may be getting one of these things, given that there doesn't seem
> > > > to be anything terribly non-standard in the box.  I have my doubts
> > > > about the Yamaha AC-XG sound-card in it (Which evidently is really an
> > > > intel i810 -based product that may work with the ALSA driver....)
> > > >
> > > > It appears that the ATI Radion 7500 and the Intel Ethernet Express
> > > > Pro 10/100 VE should work without modification.
> > > >
> > > > If I buy the machine, I will probably post my experiences, so that
> > > > others can try it--or not.....
> > > >
> > > > A.
> > > >
> > > > > On Tue, 16 Apr 2002, Aaron Freed wrote:
> > > > > > On Tuesday 16 April 2002 11:20 am, you wrote:
> > > > > > I'm investigating a laptop as well.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Specifically, I am looking at the new Sony Vaio PCC-GRX-570.
> > > > >
> > > > > Urr, you mean PC*G*, right?  Linux on Laptops
> > > > > (http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/sony.html) suggests that Linux
> > > > > has run/can run on virtually everything out there, but nobody has
> > > > > put up anything on the GRX models yet.  deja had queries, but no
> > > > > hard data.  I don't see anything in the specs list that would
> > > > > obviously preclude running Red Hat 7.2, but I could be wrong...
> > > > >
> > > > > Meanwhile, that does look like a pretty bomber set-up for the
> > > > > price.
> > > > >
> > > > > jking
> > >
> > > --
> > > Aaron Freed			EMAIL:PROTECTED
> > > netadmin-voicesignal.com	EMAIL:PROTECTED
> > > "The truth is out there... But I have no idea who left it there, nor
> > > why." --
> > > To unsubscribe, go to http://mlug.missouri.edu/members/edit.php
> > >
> > > Archives are available at http://mlug.missouri.edu/list-archives/
--
To unsubscribe, go to http://mlug.missouri.edu/members/edit.php

Archives are available at http://mlug.missouri.edu/list-archives/