Linux on a Dell Inspiron 3500

Note: this page probably contains outdated information. I just re-installed Linux on my Dell Inspiron 3500 using Knoppix 3.3 and everything works out of the box. Some remarks about installing linux on a Dell Latitude D600 here.

You'll find on this page some information helping you to install Linux (RedHat) on a Dell Inspiron 3500. I assume that you're familiar already with Linux. If you still have problems after reading this page, feel free to drop me a line : fred at pont.net.

For more help installing Linux on laptops :

http://www.linux-laptop.net

Contents

  1. My config
  2. Kernel
  3. X
  4. 3com network PC card (3CCFE575BT-D)
  5. Advanced Power Management APM
  6. sound
  7. Real Player
  8. modem PC card
  9. True Type font server
  10. Links

My config

Kernel

Currently running kernel 2.4.4. Works fine. You can download new kernels at www.kernel.org.

X

UPDATE XFree86-4.1.0:

Just updated to 4.1.0. Here is the new XF86Config.

This was tough with previous version of RedHat. It's pretty easy now : from the install menu, select the server NeoMagic(notebook/laptop) and the display LCD Panel 1024x768. Setup will then run modes probe, and find out the default values : 16bits and 1024x768.

XFree86 3.3.5 is included is RedHat 6.1. Simply use server XF86_SVGA included in the distribution.


PCMCIA 3CCFE575BT-D

UPDATE kernel 2.4:

PCMCIA kernel drivers are included in 2.4. More information here: http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/ftp/README-2.4

BEFORE kernel 2.4:

Configuring the 3Com's NIC was pretty tough with RH5.2.. You don't have anything to do with RH6.1 but to plug in your PC card.

You might still face some IRQ conflicts. You can get IRQ information from /proc/interrupts. 'cardmgr' gets IRQ 9, and the network PC card gets IRQ 5 on my laptop.

After plugging in your card, you should get this :


bash$/sbin/cardctl ident
Socket 0:
no product information available
Socket 1:
product info: "3Com Corporation", "3CCFE575BT", "LAN Cardbus Card", "001"
manfid: 0x0101, 0x5157
function: 6 (network)

bash$/sbin/cardctl config
Socket 0:
not configured
Socket 1:
Vcc = 3.3, Vpp1 = 3.3, Vpp2 = 3.3
Interface type is cardbus
IRQ 5 is exclusive, level mode, enabled
Function 0:
I/O window 1: 0x0280 to 0x02ff, 32 bit

If you still have troubles, double-check your network configuration (/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0) or drop me a line. (fred at pont.net)

more info on cardmgr : http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.org/ (D. Hinds).
more info on network drivers : http://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/linux/drivers/vortex.html (Donald Becker)

Advanced Power Management

UPDATE kernel 2.4:

Not sure APM is working correctly with 2.4. It takes about 30% CPU all the time. I got rid of APM :-(

BEFORE kernel 2.4:

Add this options before recompiling the kernel :

[*] Advanced Power Management BIOS support
[*] Ignore USER SUSPEND
[ ] Enable PM at boot time
[*] Make CPU Idle calls when idle
[*] Enable console blanking using APM
[*] Power off on shutdown
[*] Ignore multiple suspend

Check what version of apmd (Advenced Power Management Deamon) is installed :
[root@local ~]# apmd -V
apmd version 3.0final

If you get something else, you should download the latest version here : http://www.worldvisions.ca/~apenwarr/apmd/ and install it. You'll need it to get sound working properly, see next section.

sound

UPDATE kernel 2.4:

The free OSS modules don't work correctly anymore, starting with kernel 2.4. As far as I know, the only way to get sound working correctly is to get the commercial OSS drivers from http://www.opensound.com (and pay the licence :-(:

  1. using soundconf, select "Neomagic 256AV *NMA2*"
  2. "configure manually"
  3. OPL3-SA Windows Sound System: I/O port=530, IRQ=7 DMAA=0 DMAB=1
  4. OPL3-SA midi: I/O port=330, IRQ=5
  5. Yamaha OPL2/OPL3: I/O port=388
  6. make sure you've got the same setup in your BIOS
  7. turn sound on with "soundon"

BEFORE kernel 2.4:

You've got several ways to get sound working :

  1. get drivers from http://www.opensound.com
  2. get ASLA drivers http://www.alsa-project.org
  3. compile the drivers as modules
  4. compile the drivers into the kernel
I chose to compile the drivers as modules :
OSS sound modules
:
100% Sound Blaser compatibles
:
Generic OPL2/OPL3 FM synthesizer support
:
Microsoft Sound System support
:
FM synthesizer (YM3812/OPL-3) support
:
Loopback MIDI device support

In the BIOS, the default sound IRQ is set to 5. I had to set in to 7.

Add these lines into /etc/conf.modules :

alias midi adlib_card
alias sound ad1848
options ad1848 io=0x530 irq=7 dma=0 dma2=1
options adlib_card io=0x388

You'll be able to play : You'll have to run the following script in order to have sound working properly again after suspend mode:
#!/bin/bash
/sbin/rmmod ad1848
/sbin/insmod uart401
/sbin/insmod sb io=0x220 irq=7 dma=0
/sbin/rmmod sb
/sbin/rmmod uart401
/sbin/modprobe ad1848
/sbin/modprobe adlib_card

You can make this script run every time the system resumes from suspend mode. This is managed by apmd (see section APM above). Let's say you save the above script as /root/soundreconfig. Edit file /etc/apmd_proxy and add the line ". /root/soundreconfig" at the end of the resume section :

# ------------------------------- RESUME ---------------------------
# Resume ... from standby is a NOP, except the clock update.
"resume")
.
.
# added by fpont for sound reconfig after suspend mode
. /root/soundreconfig
# --END OF RESUME --

That's it.

Real Player

Real Player 7 seems to work fine as an application and, for the first time, as a plugin : http://www.real.com/products/player/linux.html

modem PC card

My PC card modem is WiseCom 56K. You can check that your PCMCIA modem is detected correctly with this command :

bash$/sbin/cardctl ident
Socket 0:
product info: "CIS", "WS-5614CM3(KV)","021", "A"
manfid: 0x0013, 0x0000
function: 2 (serial)
Socket 1:
no product info available

True Type font server

If you're tired to see ugly fonts on your linux screen, you'll need to install a true type font server. I'm running xfstt.
You'll find more information in the XFree86 Font Deuglification Mini HOWTO.
It's actually pretty simple :

Links

Other interesting sites for Linux on Dell 3500/7000 :

contact: fred at pont.net

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