Installing OpenSUSE 10.3 on a Gateway MX 8711 Summary
Last updated: 1/1/2008, vern@vernmartin.com
For install on SUSE 10.2: SUSE 10.2 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 |
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
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 |
Which explained why I needed the driver linked to that page: http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o Then I ran: “bcm43xx-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o”. Now wireless works. The “Networkmanager” sometimes seems to have best success connecting to the wireless router after I have connected to a wired network. That seemed to happen more at first rather than lately. The remaining issue now is that the card does not seem to have the range in my home that it once did. Places it used to work, it does not know. |
|
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™ |
Works |
No special procedure required during installation |
|
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
10.3 is a BIG improvement
over 10.2 as far as my hardware is concerned. So many things just work out of
the box or with very little extra effort.
- This laptop is operating under Kernel version 2.6.22.13-0.3-default
- I simply downloaded the 32 bit PC DVD image from http://software.opensuse.org/
- I used Linux System Rescue 0.4.2 to boot and call “partimage” (see http://sysresccd.org) to image my existing SUSE 10.2 install (just in case). I also backed up most everything using “cpio” to an external USB drive – just in case. I then did a clean fresh complete install of 10.3.
- The issues under 10.3 are not hardware related, they are software related. For example, it took me a while to come up with the right combination of video conversion tools and libraries to get things like “tovid,” “dvdstyler,” “mandvd,” and “dvd-slideshow” working.
Unresolved Issues
- Range of wireless reduced.
Configuration
Files
- Nothing to configure.
Contact
Information