Installing OpenSUSE 10.2 on a Gateway MX 8711 Summary
Last updated: 7/08/2007, vern@vernmartin.com
More detail is available at: MX8711_Install_notes
For install on SUSE 10.3: SUSE 10.3 Install
General Hardware Specifications of [Laptop]:
|
Hardware Components |
Status under Linux |
Notes |
|
CPU: Intel Dual Core Pentium Processor T2060 1MB L2 Cache, 1.60 GHz, 533 MHz FSB |
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
Display: 17” Ultrabright™ WXGA+ TFT |
1440x900 display required a workaround. |
See Unresolved Issues section below. |
|
Video: Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with up to 224 MB Shared Video Memory |
Works |
Automatically detected, no special procedure during installation |
|
RAM: 1024 MB DDR2 Dual Channel |
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
Hard Drive: 100 GB SATA, 5400 RPM |
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
Modular Floppy Drive |
Not Included |
Not Included |
|
Integrated Network Card |
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
Internal 56k
Modem |
Not Yet Tested |
Not Yet Tested |
|
Optical Drive: Multiformat Double Layer DVD±RW |
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g) |
Working |
Using windows driver via ndiswrapper. |
|
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
|
Built-in Speakers and Audio |
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
Memory Card Reader: 4-in-1 Secure Digital™ (SD), Memory Stick™, Memory Stick Pro™, Multimedia card™ |
Not yet working. |
|
|
Ports/Connectors |
4 USB, 1VGA, 1EEE 1394, 1 S-Video, 1 Headphone, 1 Microphone, 1 Kensington Lock Slot, 1 AC Adaptor |
USB and AC adaptor work fine. Headphone jack works. Others not yet tested. |
Install Notes
- This laptop is operating under Kernel version 2.6.18.20-34-default
- I simply downloaded the x86 iso images for OpenSUSE 10.2 from http://download.opensuse.org/. Nothing special.
- I started out with a dual boot install against the pre-loaded Windows Vista. Sometimes I had some trouble with partitioning the hard drive. I did get it to work.
- The easiest install was my final try: I deleted all HD partitions and let Linux give me its default setup.
- All that was required to be adjusted was the settings for my secured wireless network. All GUI driven with NO special drivers required.
- This is my first ever attempt to run Linux on a laptop. It’s also my first gateway and the first PC ever from Best Buy. So far so good. It’s working very well.
Unresolved Issues
- The best display I could get under X was 1024x768 until I was playing around with dual-head mode. Suddenly my display was set to 2880x900 which did not work for the additional monitor but did put the primary monitor into 1440x900. This works fine under KDE. Windowmaker (my preferred desktop) places Firefox popups on the right half of the screen where I can’t get to them. That’s a minor issue. The screen now looks beautiful. 1024x768 was usable, but everything was stretched out a bit horizontally. It was far from perfect.
- 4/21/07: Tried “Mandriva One” booting from CD and it was able to deal with my display just fine – although I had to configure it specifically, logout, and log back in. But it was able to go to 1440x900 just fine. Tried the Mandriva xorg.conf file under SUSE with unpredictable results – usually display problems and crashes.
- See Yast->Hardware->Graphics Card and Monitor. If you want more details (screen shots, etc.) send me an e-mail.
Configuration
Files
- Nothing to configure.
Contact
Information