Dell Inspiron 6000

[RBJ1128]

There was a problem with A06 only. A07 is fine, yes.

Gotcha, I must have confused the numbers - being dyslexic sucks.

[RBJ1128]

There was a problem with A06 only. A07 is fine, yes.

Alright, this might just be a VERY stupid question, but the BIOS upgrade that I download from Dell is a Winbloze executable. How are you installing the updated BIOS?

[VinzC]

Alright, this might just be a VERY stupid question, but the BIOS upgrade that I download from Dell is a Winbloze executable. How are you installing the updated BIOS?

Ahem... under Winblowze (don't repeat it, otherwise, well, you know... ). I never tried it under Wine though it might be possible I think.

[RBJ1128]

Ahem... under Winblowze (don't repeat it, otherwise, well, you know... ). I never tried it under Wine though it might be possible I think.

I'll try it under wine, but if I am not dual-booting with Win. how do I do it? Do I just boot to a Win98 floppy and then run the .exe?

[VinzC]

I'll try it under wine, but if I am not dual-booting with Win. how do I do it? Do I just boot to a Win98 floppy and then run the .exe?

I have absolutely no idea. I was about to check it on Dell's site but it's awfully slow now - almost dead. You'll have to try. Your best bet should be wine, IMHO.

EDIT:

This file format consists of a BIOS executable file. The Universal (Windows/MS DOS) format can be used to install from Windows XP, Windows 2000, NT, Windows 9X, Windows ME or a MS DOS environment.

[RBJ1128]

EDIT:

This file format consists of a BIOS executable file. The Universal (Windows/MS DOS) format can be used to install from Windows XP, Windows 2000, NT, Windows 9X, Windows ME or a MS DOS environment.

I was able to do it by booting with a Win98 floppy. I noticed in your xorg.conf that you are using the i810 driver for your display. Currently I have mine listed as radeon. When I try to use the i810 I get an error from X stating that it cannot find some fonts. Any ideas on that one?

[juniper]

thanks for the help vinzc.

however, i seem to be having a new problem. i am trying to set up /etc/conf.d/wireless and /etc/init.d/net.wlan0 and having a lot of trouble. for one thing now even if i do it manually, i.e. i just modprobe ipw2200, my card never seems to be able to connect to an access point. i always get

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wlan0     unassociated  ESSID:off/any
          Mode:Managed  Channel=0  Access Point: 00:00:00:00:00:00
          Bit Rate=0 kb/s   Tx-Power=255 dBm
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

and it never associates to an access point even though there is output to iwlist wlan0 scan.

i read the man pages and they said this is probably a config problem. is there a way to reset all my config stuff???

hopefully i am being clear. thanks.

j

Just re-emerge ipw2200 and blank your /etc/conf.d/wireless file. You should also remove any pre- and post- functions (comment them out with a # sign). But I'm surprised you have a wlan0 and not an eth1 although you have a Dell Inspiron 6000. This is what I have, with ipw2200-1.0.3 and ipw2200-firmware-2.2. I would have expected all i6k would show the same hardware names...

what you suggested did not work. i had to enable encryption, that was the problem.

my wireless is called wlan0 because i wanted it to be called that. I changed my udev so that the wireless would be called that (so that there is no confusion with the wired eth).

i like it that way, do you think it is a bad thing to do?

j

[VinzC]

what you suggested did not work. i had to enable encryption, that was the problem.

Fine. So the problem is solved now?

my wireless is called wlan0 because i wanted it to be called that. I changed my udev so that the wireless would be called that (so that there is no confusion with the wired eth).

i like it that way, do you think it is a bad thing to do?

No, it's not a bad thing; I think it's even best the way you did. I just thought it was that way without doing anything. I once wanted to change my wireless lan interface name but I couldn't find where network adapters were mapped under /dev. How did you do that?

EDIT: Ok, searched a bit and found this.

[RBJ1128]

This file format consists of a BIOS executable file. The Universal (Windows/MS DOS) format can be used to install from Windows XP, Windows 2000, NT, Windows 9X, Windows ME or a MS DOS environment.

I installed the new BIOS, recompiled the kernel, and did a emerge world -NDe. My system still locks up. I have narrowed it down to X causing the problem. If I switch over to a console and run

Code: Select all

ps aux | grep gdm

and then kill everything that gdm is running (which kills X) I can run with no problems. Last night I unmerged X then emerged it over again to see if that would fix the problem but to no avail. Here is my xorg.conf file, hopefully someone will see something in there and they can tell me what to try next. Thanks.


http://people.clemson.edu/~rbjohns/linux/xorg.conf

[VinzC]

I was able to do it by booting with a Win98 floppy. I noticed in your xorg.conf that you are using the i810 driver for your display. Currently I have mine listed as radeon. When I try to use the i810 I get an error from X stating that it cannot find some fonts. Any ideas on that one?

Of course if you have a radeon card, i810 doesn't apply for you. I've read other posts where I advised you to use dschauss xorg.conf. Did you recently? There are less differences between your configuration and dschauss' than with mine in fact. If his laptop works there is no reason why yours shouldn't. You should make sure you're using the same drivers from ATI and followed exactly the same steps installing the drivers and other required stuff. Otherwise you could always try vesa driver (klavs xorg.conf and modelines at the beginning of this thread) and see if your computer still locks or not.

[VinzC]

http://people.clemson.edu/~rbjohns/linux/xorg.conf

Code: Select all

Section "Screen"
    Identifier          "Screen 1"
    Device              "** NVIDIA (generic)                   [nv]"
...
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "Simple Layout"
    Screen "Screen 1"
...
EndSection

I don't understand: is it a Radeon or nVidia that you have?

[RBJ1128]

I don't understand: is it a Radeon or nVidia that you have?

It is a Radeon card, I'm not exactly sure why it was called an nVidia, but it is Radeon.

[RBJ1128]

I don't understand: is it a Radeon or nVidia that you have?

I think that it is time for an update... I belive that the problems were mainly caused by the line

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Option  "xfree86-dga"   # To deal with vmWare

int my xorg.conf file. Thus far I have only had my computer lock-up when I am doing graphic-intensive things. I was trying to watch a movie and it crapped out in the middle of it. I am going to try to mess around with the radeon driver some. I remember during the install of the driver that it stated running opengl-update ati and running fglrxconfig. I am hoping that wil solve the problem. Here is my current xorg.conf.


http://people.clemson.edu/~rbjohns/linux/xorg.conf

EDIT:

fglrxconfig does not support my card - unless it is compatible with something that is listed there.

[mhanski]

Hi RRBJ1128

I've experienced exactly the same problem with system lock-ups as yours (complete freezes on high CPU loads, neither reboot nor ssh login are possible) and tried pretty much everything to get rid of this problem, to no avail. However, perhaps with mutual help we'll be able to narrow it down. I'd like to point you to some points that look strange to me:

1. Your xorg.conf doesn't contain the commercial ATI "fglrx" driver but only the open source "radeon" driver? Could it be, that you mistakenly tried configure X with this driver using fglrxconfig? Issuing "opengl-update ati" in connection with "radeon" driver wouldn't make any sense either. I'm assuming, that you've got the same ATI Radeon X300 that I have -- it works well with ati commercial drivers. See my xorg.conf for comparison:

http://linux.hanski.info/tests/xorg.conf

2. My xorg.conf contains the line Option "omit xfree86-dga", it doesn't solve the freeze problem.

3. You've mentioned, that you don't experience the lock-ups in text mode. I tried to switch down the system to the boot runlevel ("telinit 1") and started as root X with startx then. Everything worked smoothly, no freezes on high CPU loads, even playing tuxracer and encoding divx at the same time didn't cause any problems.

cheers
Maciej

[RBJ1128]

1. Your xorg.conf doesn't contain the commercial ATI "fglrx" driver but only the open source "radeon" driver? Could it be, that you mistakenly tried configure X with this driver using fglrxconfig? Issuing "opengl-update ati" in connection with "radeon" driver wouldn't make any sense either. I'm assuming, that you've got the same ATI Radeon X300 that I have -- it works well with ati commercial drivers. See my xorg.conf for comparison:

http://linux.hanski.info/tests/xorg.conf

I'll be more than happy to help with this. More so, I am happy that I am not the only one who is experiencing this. As far as the driver goes, I have not had good luck with the flgrx driver. Do you have anything in your /etc/modules.autoload/kernel-2.6 file?

[mhanski]

I'll be more than happy to help with this. More so, I am happy that I am not the only one who is experiencing this. As far as the driver goes, I have not had good luck with the flgrx driver. Do you have anything in your /etc/modules.autoload/kernel-2.6 file?

[/quote]

Here we go:
/etc/modules.autoload/kernel-2.6:

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agpgart
intel_agp
fglrx
ipw2200
ieee80211
ieee80211_crypt
ieee80211_crypt_wep
ieee80211_crypt_ccmp
ieee80211_crypt_tkip
#i8k force=1

Installed ati-drivers: 8.14.13-r1

M.[/b]

[RBJ1128]

...
See my xorg.conf for comparison:

http://linux.hanski.info/tests/xorg.conf

Where did you get the settings that you have for the Section "Device"? I don't know where to look to get all of the stuff that you have.

[RBJ1128]

Here we go:
/etc/modules.autoload/kernel-2.6:

Code: Select all

agpgart
intel_agp
fglrx
ipw2200
ieee80211
ieee80211_crypt
ieee80211_crypt_wep
ieee80211_crypt_ccmp
ieee80211_crypt_tkip
#i8k force=1

Installed ati-drivers: 8.14.13-r1

M.[/b]

Where in the kernel do you have the settings for agpgart, intel_agp, and fglrx? I get

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# modprobe agpgart
FATAL: Module agpgart not found.
# modprobe intel_agp
FATAL: Module intel_agp not found.
# modprobe fglrx
FATAL: Module fglrx not found.

when I try to load them.


EDIT:

I found this:

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 This option gives you AGP support for the GLX component of
 XFree86 4.x on the ATI RadeonIGP family of chipsets.

 You should say Y here if you use XFree86 3.3.6 or 4.x and want to
 use GLX or DRI.  If unsure, say N.

 Symbol: AGP_ATI [=n]
 Prompt: ATI chipset support
   Defined at drivers/char/agp/Kconfig:47
   Depends on: AGP && X86 && !X86_64
   Location:
     -> Device Drivers
       -> Character devices
         -> /dev/agpgart (AGP Support) (AGP [=m])

and this

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CONFIG_DRM_RADEON:

 Choose this option if you have an ATI Radeon graphics card.  There
 are both PCI and AGP versions.  You don't need to choose this to
 run the Radeon in plain VGA mode.  There is a product page at
 <http://www.ati.com/na/pages/products/pc/radeon32/index.html>.
 If M is selected, the module will be called radeon.

 Symbol: DRM_RADEON [=n]
 Prompt: ATI Radeon
   Defined at drivers/char/drm/Kconfig:41
   Depends on: DRM && PCI
   Location:
     -> Device Drivers
       -> Character devices
         -> Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support

I don't know where to find the fglrx, but have you tried either of these?

[mhanski]

My kernel .config might be handy here:)

http://linux.hanski.info/tests/.config

Also, have a look at this howto:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_ATI_Drivers

Where in the kernel do you have the settings for agpgart, intel_agp, and fglrx? I get

Code: Select all

# modprobe agpgart
FATAL: Module agpgart not found.
# modprobe intel_agp
FATAL: Module intel_agp not found.[/quote]

You have to check this two options in your .config:

 Device Drivers --->
  Character Devices ---> 
   <M> /dev/agpgart (AGP Support)                                                                          
        <M>   Intel 440LX/BX/GX, I8xx and E7x05 chipset support  


[quote]# modprobe fglrx
FATAL: Module fglrx not found.[/quote]


The fglrx module will be built from kernel source while emerging ati-drivers, do this to get the newest driver:

  echo "media-video/ati-drivers ~x86" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords 
  echo "media-video/ati-drivers-extra ~x86" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords
  emerge  ati-drivers ati-drivers-extra
  opengl-update ati

Please try my xorg.conf then and see, if you can get any further :)

cheers
M.

[RBJ1128]

...
Also, have a look at this howto:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_ATI_Drivers

...

Please try my xorg.conf then and see, if you can get any further

cheers
M.

I tried to use your kernel config file and your xorg.conf file but I kept getting a black screen when X would try to load. I could also not get rid of it, the LEDs for num lock, caps lock, etc would respond, but I could not get anything to show up. I also tried to use the HOWTO and I got the same problem. While using your config file I was able to mess around in it a bit and I could get SOME display, but X kept complaining about not being able to find fonts and modules. So I had to revert back to my kernel config and my xorg.conf. Here are both of those files that I am currently using:

http://people.clemson.edu/~rbjohns/linux/config
http://people.clemson.edu/~rbjohns/linux/xorg.conf

Again, I hope that someone can see something in there and let me know what I am doing wrong. It looks like the driver fglrx just kills my system.

[mhanski]

While using your config file I was able to mess around in it a bit and I could get SOME display, but X kept complaining about not being able to find fonts and modules.

What do you mean by "some display"? Obviously, you have to put into this xorg.conf _your_ font directories, not mine. Which modules were not found? This is a working xorg.conf, so if you could able to look into your /var/log/Xorg.0.log after the X crash, you would find some detailed info about the missing things.

cheers
Maciej

[juniper]

what you suggested did not work. i had to enable encryption, that was the problem.

Fine. So the problem is solved now?

yup.

my wireless is called wlan0 because i wanted it to be called that. I changed my udev so that the wireless would be called that (so that there is no confusion with the wired eth).

i like it that way, do you think it is a bad thing to do?

No, it's not a bad thing; I think it's even best the way you did. I just thought it was that way without doing anything. I once wanted to change my wireless lan interface name but I couldn't find where network adapters were mapped under /dev. How did you do that?

EDIT: Ok, searched a bit and found this.

i did it using udev. i added the line

BUS="pci", SYSFS{address}="youraddress", NAME="wlan0"

in /etc/udev/rules.d/50-udev.rules

you obtain the necessary address with

udevinfo -a -p /sys/class/net/yourethernetcard

probably that was eth1.

i got this info from

http://www.reactivated.net/writing_udev_rules.html

it has a lot of stuff on writing udev rules. it is pretty clear with lots of examples.

[VinzC]

i did it using udev. i added the line

BUS="pci", SYSFS{address}="youraddress", NAME="wlan0"

in /etc/udev/rules.d/50-udev.rules

you obtain the necessary address with

udevinfo -a -p /sys/class/net/yourethernetcard

probably that was eth1.

i got this info from

http://www.reactivated.net/writing_udev_rules.html

it has a lot of stuff on writing udev rules. it is pretty clear with lots of examples.

Thanks a lot.

So you're using the MAC address as a selector. I'd have liked a more generic way so I thought I could use the device class identifier since I noticed the broadcom and WiFi adapters have different class IDs - both differ on a single bit. I hoped both class IDs meant something like PCI ethernet and PCI wireless. But I need more info on class IDs, e.g. from developers.

I also thought selecting the MAC address would also be slower than the vendor or PCI bus ID. I saw a thread somewhere a guy stated the card was not renamed immediately but after 4-5 seconds. I thought it's because the module must be loaded (and some transaction occur maybe) before the MAC address can be read. Do you see such a delay before the card is renamed?

[RBJ1128]

While using your config file I was able to mess around in it a bit and I could get SOME display, but X kept complaining about not being able to find fonts and modules.

What do you mean by "some display"? Obviously, you have to put into this xorg.conf _your_ font directories, not mine. Which modules were not found? This is a working xorg.conf, so if you could able to look into your /var/log/Xorg.0.log after the X crash, you would find some detailed info about the missing things.

cheers
Maciej

I copied the font locations form my old xorg.conf file and that worked for the errors, but I still get a black screen whenever I try to use the fglrx driver. When I run

Code: Select all

xorfcfg

I can see that X is checking the modules, but it returns a segfault on the fglrx driver. What I mean by a black screen is just that, the screen goes black. I have no display, even when I try to switch to a console. I can try to restart X, but nothing happens. I do, however, have my num lock LEDs toggle when I press the keys, so I know that the system has not locked up, but the screen has no display.

[mhanski]

While using your config file I was able to mess around in it a bit and I could get SOME display, but X kept complaining about not being able to find fonts and modules.

What do you mean by "some display"? Obviously, you have to put into this xorg.conf _your_ font directories, not mine. Which modules were not found? This is a working xorg.conf, so if you could able to look into your /var/log/Xorg.0.log after the X crash, you would find some detailed info about the missing things.

cheers
Maciej

I copied the font locations form my old xorg.conf file and that worked for the errors, but I still get a black screen whenever I try to use the fglrx driver. When I run

Code: Select all

xorfcfg

I can see that X is checking the modules, but it returns a segfault on the fglrx driver. What I mean by a black screen is just that, the screen goes black. I have no display, even when I try to switch to a console. I can try to restart X, but nothing happens. I do, however, have my num lock LEDs toggle when I press the keys, so I know that the system has not locked up, but the screen has no display.

What does your /var/log/Xorg.0.log say after the X crash?