====== Linux on a Medion 9706 laptop ====== Last update : february 24, 2007\\ ---- This page is here to tell my experience installing Linux on my [[http://www.medion.com|Medion]] [[http://eric.gerbier.free.fr/my_icons/md9706.gif|9706]] laptop.\\ I'll try to provide useful information for future owners of this laptop, or people currently shopping for a Linux-supported one.\\ \\ Oh, of course : I am in no way affiliated to [[http://www.medion.com/|Medion]] or any other vendor. Please get in touch with their customer service for official support (although they most likely still live on a Windows-only planet...). I'll try and answer non trivial questions but I can only do so much...\\ \\ I buy it in a supermarket in spring 2002, because I need it for personnal projects, and it was cheap (around 1800 euros).\\ In fact, I buy it even cheaper, because it was an exposition model. And I use it until February 2009, when it was stealed. ---- \\ ===== Overview of the Medion MD9706 ===== * pentium IV at 1.6 Ghz * 256 MB SDRAM * Graphics subsystem : [[http://www.ati.com/|ATI Radeon Mobility M6]], 14.1" TFT XGA screen * Integrated audio/modem chipset : 82801BA/BAM AC'97 * RTL-8139C Ethernet 10/100 Mbits controller * Hitachi DK23CA 20 Gb hard disk. * Matshita CW-8121 8x4x24x CD-RW * PCMCIA : 2 slots, PCI4410 Cardbus Controller * 2 USB slots (i810), IrDA, parallel, serial, firewire PS/2, VGA out, TV Out * external usb 3.5" floppy lspci output :\\ // 00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset Host Bridge (rev 04)\\ 00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82845 845 (Brookdale) Chipset AGP Bridge (rev 04)\\ 00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BA/CA PCI Bridge (rev 05)\\ 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BA ISA Bridge (LPC) (rev 05)\\ 00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801BA IDE U100 (rev 05)\\ 00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM USB (Hub #1) (rev 05)\\ 00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM SMBus (rev 05)\\ 00:1f.4 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM USB (Hub #2) (rev 05)\\ 00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Audio (rev 05)\\ 00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Modem (rev 05)\\ 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility M6 LY\\ 02:02.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C (rev 10)\\ 02:03.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI4410 PC card Cardbus Controller (rev 02)\\ 02:03.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments PCI4410 FireWire Controller (rev 02)\\ //\\ note : for more comprenhensive output, use [[http://ezix.sourceforge.net/software/lshw.html|lshw]] ===== medion hardware failures ===== I had some problems with it : - very soon a problem with the battery (can not load it), probably because it was an exposition model.\\ I just call the hotline, explain the problem, and they change the battery very quick. - then, just before one year old, a motherboard failure (the symptom was black screen, no bios message, no beep at startup). It was changed under the garantee. - on end 2004, I now have some problems to record/read some cdrom, I had burned on this computer - on May 2005, my AC adaptator stopped to work : it is possible to find universal adaptator, but I prefer to buy an an old one to a medion user - 2006 : the cdrom does not read any more cdrw disks ===== changes ===== * memory update to 512 Mo * disk replaced by a 80 Go, to support several linux distributions * To my mind, many problems come from a too hot internal temperature : there is not enough space under the box to allow a good job for the fan. And in fact, the fan is running almost all the time !. So I add some pieces of wood to have it higher. * bigger holes to have more air going to internal fan ===== linux installation ===== This laptop was solded with windows XP, installed in 2 partitions * 12 Mo en NTFS for the system * 8 Mo in FAT32 for "tools" I wanted to keep XP for games, my wife, probably for modem use, and so on, so : \\ * I first resize the fat with [[http://www.gnu.org/software/parted|parted]] * then install first [[http://www.redhat.com/|redhat]] 7.3, without any problem * then [[http://www.debian.org/|debian]] woody (stable) * [[http://www.mandriva.com|mandriva]] 2007 * [[http://www.ubuntu.org|ubuntu]] 6.10 ===== Linux hardware support ===== this section is applying to redhat 7.3 install (I do not have any problem with other further linux install) \\ * Keyboard : no problem * Mouse/touchpad : no problem with the touchpad, in console mode or under X \\ as I prefer a "real" mouse, I also install an optical usb mouse (microsoft).\\ I choice to have only the touchpad in console mode, so I do not modify /etc/rc.d/init.d/gpm\\ but I wanted to have both on X, so I change the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file, with 2 mouse sections : \\ // Section "ServerLayout"\\ Identifier "Anaconda Configured"\\ Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0\\ InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"\\ InputDevice "USB Mice" "SendCoreEvents"\\ InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"\\ EndSection\\ Section "InputDevice"\\ Identifier "USB Mice"\\ # Modified by mouseconfig\\ Driver "mouse"\\ Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"\\ Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"\\ Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"\\ Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"\\ EndSection\\ Section "InputDevice"\\ Identifier "Mouse0"\\ # Modified by mouseconfig\\ Driver "mouse"\\ Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"\\ Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"\\ Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"\\ Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"\\ EndSection\\ // * Video : well recognized and configured during install * Audio : use the i810_audio module * Network : Supported by the 8139too kernel module * Modem : I have some doubt about it, and spend "some" time on internet. I tried : * [[http://developer.intel.com/design/modems/support/drivers_linux.htm|intel ham driver]] (because I see another medion laptop with this kind of modem) : do not work * [[http://www.mbsi.ca/cnxtlindrv/|connexant]] driver, because it supports some 8086:2446 Intel Corp. e2801BA/BAM AC'97 Modem : do not work * [[http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/pctel-linux/|pctel]] (0.9.5) driver, because XP show me "pctel driver : HSP56 MR modem" : do not work I finally put my eyes into pctel driver code, add some lines, reboot some times, and it **WORKS**\\ (my patch is now integrated in 0.9.6 release) * external usb floppy : works well, it is just impossible to make a low-format on usb.\\ I have tested a rescue floppy with grub * CDRW : I just had to configure /etc/cdrecord.conf to access /dev/sg0 (generic SCSI access)\\ dvd not tested * PCMCIA : not tested * IrDA : not tested. * Power management : I use apmd (acpi does not seem to work).\\ I configure it * to suspend on disk if battery is too low * to suspend on memory if I close the screen all two are working perfectly.\\ The only problem is that apmd (3.0.2-10) can not read battery charge. * battery : the cpu is not a mobile pentium, so it is hot, and the fan is working often : bad for battery autonomy ! (near 2h ?)\\ There is an interesting feature in the bios : "battery learning", to discharge completely the battery before loading it (better for battery life)\\ I can give 2 advices : * the battery does not charge if temperature is too high (45 C), so I charge when not working ! * and I remove the battery each time I can to work only on AC adaptor (will extend battery timelife)\\ ===== Resume ===== after some years of use, almost all works well, so I think it is was good choice --- //[[eric.gerbier@free.fr|eric gerbier]] 2009/09/18 12:08// {{tag>administration}}