[mdlug-newbie] Linux Mint XFCE & MSI Wind

[Brandon Fotiu]

Thanks Bob!

I checked into apm and acpi but it when I try to do >apm i get a message of
"apm not supported by kernel".  Since Mint is sort of a custom Ubuntu I
guess this makes sense.  Is it really worth me recompiling the kernel for
apm support or would there be other options?  Alternatives to a recompile
are definitely something for me to look into since I've heard that's pretty
high level.

I was able to get my wlan working using the r8180 driver.  I followed a
tutorial from the MSI Wind forums.  Most people there are running straight
Ubuntu though so there are some situtions where I'm not sure how to access
certain settings.

For now at least I can get online, wired and wireless, compiz works and it
has a working OS.  It's a start but there's always more to do.

Thanks again!

Brandon

On Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 12:15 AM, Robert Meier
<list1c30fe42 at bellsouth.net>wrote:

> Brandon,
>
> > As of about an hour ago I've gotten the XFCE community edition of Linux
> Mint
> > 5 Elyssa running on the Wind.
>
> Good.
>
>
>
> > I'm having a couple problems though.
>
> > The biggest is that ACPI doesn't work by default.
> > I can't boot with it enabled so I've resorted to adding "ACPI=off"
> > to the Mint startup command.
>
> Well done.
>
> ACPI is not supported by all bioses.
> apm is another protocol popular on laptops (e.g. Dell Latitude C600).
> <IIRC>
> Appending "acpi=off" kernel option will disable ACPI and enable apm.
> </IIRC>
>
>        ---- bash> apm ----
> AC on-line, battery status high: 100% (0:44)
>        ---- bash> apm ----
>
>
>
> > The other is that I'm not totally sure how to get wireless working.
> > I've heard there is a wrapper for the Windows driver but it only
> > works on some hardware?
>
> Unfortunately, some computers have "Win..." components that depend on
> the CPU to execute propietary code.  Winmodems are an example.
> Essentially they are a sound card.  The cpu executes code,
> (usually proprietary) to perform the functions that would be
> performed by a modem microcontroller.  In my experience the cost
> of the cpu cycles, interrupts, and communications reliability lost
> has been many times larger than the cost of an actual modem card,
> an external modem, or upgrade to a better-equipped laptop.
> I've seen the above loss frustrate those with the proprietary code,
> as well as those without.
>
> To determine what hardware you have,
> most distros provide hwinfo(8) (Yup, a man page citation),
> and many provide a gui for it.
> Look for mention of "modem", "wlan", "803.11", "network interface",
> and google (http://www.google.com/linux) for the hardware mentioned.
>
>    ---- bash> /usr/sbin/hwinfo --wlan ----
> 05: PCI 1000.0: 0282 WLAN controller
> [Created at pci.310]
> UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_8086_4222
> Unique ID: y9sn.ME9ySuipOaE
> Parent ID: qTvu.4chw4Z9dkyF
> ...
> Hardware Class: network
> Model: "Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection"
> Vendor: pci 0x8086 "Intel Corporation"
> Device: pci 0x4222 "PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection"
> SubVendor: pci 0x103c "Hewlett-Packard Company"
> SubDevice: pci 0x135b
> Revision: 0x02
> Driver: "iwl3945"
> Driver Modules: "iwl3945"
> Device File: wlan0
> Features: WLAN
> ...
> Driver Info #0:
> Driver Status: iwl3945 is active
> Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe iwl3945"
> Config Status: cfg=no, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
> Attached to: #18 (PCI bridge)
>    ---- bash> /usr/sbin/hwinfo --wlan ----
>
> Hopefully helpful,
> --
> Bob
>
>  "The liberties of our country are worth defending at all hazards. We have
>   received them from our worthy ancestors; they purchased them for us with
>   toil, treasure and blood. It will bring an everlasting infamy on the
>   present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be
>   wrested from us...or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and
>   designing men."
>             -- Samuel Adams, 1771.
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