Installation report for Acer TravelMate 8100

[wax_weasle]

ford42 Wrote: 
> I recently purchased the Acer 8103.  It has the same hardware as the
> 8104.  I had trouble getting Ubuntu to install on it.  I currently got
> Debian to install and am running that.  I will likely try a more
> recently Ubuntu soon.  Anyone able to solve any of the following
> problems:
> 
> 1)  Getting the ATI X700 drivers working
> 2)  Getting the Wireless card working
> 3)  Getting the DVD drive to have DMA turned on
> 
> I finally got the the sound working but would really like to get the
> rest working.  Thanks for any help.


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Ok, first,  I did not install ubuntu but I did install a straight
debian unstable on my Acer 8104.  Now I got about the same problems as
you and I believe our distro are similar. The problems are all related
to kernel settings and drivers.


1)
I can get the ATI X700 working with the ati fglrx drivers.  The trick
is that the fglrx cannot auto detect your LCD screen you need to modify
this line in the fglrx Device Section

Option "MonitorLayout"              "AUTO,AUTO"
to 
Option "MonitorLayout"              "LVDS,AUTO"

If you wish I can send you my XF86Config-4 (I'm still using XFree86).
Don't bother compiling the kernel fglrx module you dont need it, just
install the rpm.

2)
The wireless card : Intel is suppose to have some driver available for
linux. There is also the free ipw2100 driver. Try googling 'ipw2100'.
Haven't tried those though because I don't need it...

3) 
This is where I got stuck too!!! My kernel seems to load the
ide-generic driver to control the dvd. Now the ide-generic doesn't
support dma. We need to make the kernel  load specific ide related
chipset module (something like piix).

If it's not to much to ask could you let me have a look of the output
of the 'lsmod' command.

Thanks
Vincent


-- 
wax_weasle