Dell Inspiron 6000

Aeiri · 06-15-2005, 08:34 PM

Just bought a new Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop.

Overall, it's a great laptop. There are a few things I can't get working though...

First, there's no DMA, this is probably the biggest problem. HD access is slow, CD/DVD drive access is slow.... it's sorta ugly... I can't view any videos because the computer can't access the data fast enough to play it.

hdparm -d1 /dev/hda1

Code:

/dev/hda1:
 setting using_dma to 1 (on)
 HDIO_SET_DMA failed: Invalid argument
 using_dma    =  0 (off)

Could be just that Slackware's kernel doesn't have the right DMA settings, I'll look into this more later.

Second, there's no 3D acceleration. This laptop has an ATI X300 PCI Express x16 in it, which, I have no idea if PCI Express works with Linux yet. The FGLRX drivers from ATI are working fine with X, running at 1280x800 resolution, but glxgears gives only 100-200 FPS. I have /dev/shm mounted as tmpfs, a trick I learned on my previous desktop with ATI card, but still nothing more. AGP Gart doesn't insert right (obviously, since it's not AGP), but I don't know how PCI Express works under Linux....

Third, I can't get the 2.6 kernel to work. I have Slackware -current installed on this computer (10.1 upgraded), but whenver I try out the new kernel it won't work. The problem is it won't detect the ATA Disk Drive, and I can't figure out which option I need to get it to work. The model number is HTS548060M9AT00 a Hitachi 60 GB laptop drive. It works fine in the Slackware 2.4 stock kernel, but even with EVERYTHING in the ATA/etc section built in to the kernel on the stock Slackware 2.6 kernel, I can't get it to detect the drive...

Finally, there's no sound. I haven't actually looked into this, but when I run alsaconf it can't detect a sound card. I've been too busy trying to get the first three to work to bother trying this one.

I've been trying for a couple of days now to find information on these problems, and I can't find anything. Beyond these problems, it is, as far as I can tell, the ultimate laptop.

Aeiri · 06-16-2005, 02:01 PM

Errm... could a mod move my post to "Linux - Laptop and Handhelds"? I feel stupid for completely missing that forum....

Aeiri · 06-17-2005, 03:35 PM

Nobody?

Any ideas on any of these problems would be great.

Aeiri · 06-18-2005, 12:07 AM

Okay, I just sort of solved my 2.6 kernel problem, I at least know what the problem is now.

The 2.6 kernel doesn't support this HD or IDE bus, at all. I stripped the options bare in my 2.4 kernel, with only the Universal EIDE enabled, and it worked fine. As soon as I disabled that option it had the same effect as the 2.6 kernel had. So, EIDE supports more computers in 2.4? What?

I just tried the 2.6.12 kernel that just came out recently, and the same thing, no luck.

My 2.4 kernel is actually 2.4.29, I'm going to go test 2.4.31 and see if that is broken too. If so, then I can figure out which version actually broke the support.

tinman77 · 07-02-2005, 05:23 PM

I am trying the same thing, and having the same problems with 2.6.12.2. The HD is a 40 gig model TOSHIBA MK4026GAX. I hope that the answer below is NOT the actual answer. Does the 2.6.12.2 kernel support this drive and if so, how do I go about getting it to work. The error I recieve after the many many compiles of the kernel is as follows:

VFS: Cannot open root device "303" or unknown-block(3,3)
Please append a corrrect "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown block(3,3)

Any help with this is greatly appreciated.

tinman77 · 07-04-2005, 11:44 AM

Still no replies? I am having a hard time resolving this.

tangle · 07-04-2005, 12:02 PM

Can you post your lspci and your lsmod?

tinman77 · 07-04-2005, 12:43 PM

Due to the inability to boot into the 2.6.12.2 kernel, this is the output from 2.4.29 (default install)

lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 2590 (rev 03)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 2591 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB (rev 03)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub USB2 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BAM/CAM PCI Bridge (rev d3)
00:1e.2 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub Audio (rev 03)
00:1e.3 Modem: Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub Modem (rev 03)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 2641 (rev 03)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 2653 (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp. I/O Controller Hub SMBus (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc: Unknown device 5460
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation: Unknown device 170c (rev 02)
03:01.0 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltd RL5c476 II (rev b3)
03:01.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C552 IEEE 1394 Controller (rev 08)
03:01.2 Class 0805: Ricoh Co Ltd: Unknown device 0822 (rev 17)
03:03.0 Network controller: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 4220 (rev 05)

==========================================================
lsmod

Module Size Used by Not tainted
hci_usb 8344 0 (unused)
bluez 27812 1 [hci_usb]
uhci 24284 0 (unused)
ehci-hcd 17516 0 (unused)
usbcore 58828 1 [hci_usb uhci ehci-hcd]
i810_rng 2528 0 (unused)
b44 13612 1
ohci1394 23888 0 (unused)
ieee1394 41604 0 [ohci1394]
ds 6548 1
yenta_socket 10436 1
pcmcia_core 39140 0 [ds yenta_socket]

tinman77 · 07-04-2005, 03:44 PM

OK. I have gotten past the initial problem and now /dev/sda3 (my HD) is found and the filesystem. Yet, bootup pauses at the root fsck and I see that /dev/hda3 is not found and swap on /dev/hda2 is not found. Where do I need to tell it that the swap is now /dev/sda2....and why or what is still searching for /dev/hda3????

!!UPDATE!!

You must change fstab accoridingly. Once I changed /dev/hda in fstab to meet the new sda format...it worked flawlessly.

tangle · 07-04-2005, 05:02 PM

Cool, glad you got it figured out. You might want to check Intel's website for drivers. My Toshiba laptop has Intel AGP, wireless and wired NICS and chipset. They do offer drivers, but I must say they are lacking in the ease of installment. I expected more out of Intel.

Oracbase · 08-23-2005, 07:59 AM

Hi tinman77,

I'm the same notebook as you, but have a 80Gb Hitachi drive.

When I upgrade my kernel to 2.4.21-27 and above, my linux can't find the root partition as well.

How did you get yours to work?

Cheers
Oracbase

carboncopy · 09-07-2005, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Oracbase
Hi tinman77,

I'm the same notebook as you, but have a 80Gb Hitachi drive.

When I upgrade my kernel to 2.4.21-27 and above, my linux can't find the root partition as well.

How did you get yours to work?

Cheers
Oracbase

I would like to advice you to upgrade to 2.6.* kernels. With the latest 2.6.13 (time of writing).

First compile the 2.6.* kernel as per usual with all the correct settings. Make sure you compile the Intel PIIXn chipsets support (Device Drivers--> ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL Support) into the kernel since this is the Intel mobile chipset driver.

As usual copy your kernel image to /boot and install the kernel modules.

Editing /etc/lilo.conf
<snip>
image = /boot/2.6.*kernel
root = /dev/sdaX
label = 26version
read-only
<snip>

Leave the boot = /dev/hda as it is first.

Next edit /etc/fstab
make sure your /dev/hdaX is all switched to /dev/sdaX.

Reboot.

And you will be able to boot your linux with SATA support.

If you need the config for Dell Inspiron 6000 email me at carboncopy[dot]public[at]gmail[dot]com

Oracbase · 09-08-2005, 01:07 AM

Hi Carboncopy,

Thanks for your advice.
However, I have downloaded CENTOS Linux 4.1 with kernel 2.6.x, and it works now.

The only think not really working right now is the wireless ipw2200.

Do you know how to get this Intel 2200 wireless to work?

Cheers
Oracbase

carboncopy · 09-08-2005, 09:57 PM

Yes I got IPW2200 to work.

Steps.

1. Download ieee80211 subsystem for Linux - http://ieee80211.sourceforge.net/downloads.php
2. Download ipw2200 - http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/#downloads
3. Download firmware - http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/firmware.php
4. Untargzip firmware and copy the *.fw files to /lib/firmware (Slackware, might be diff on Centos, read the README)
5. Untargzip ieee80211 subsystem. make, make install (Make sure you have the 2.6.* kernel source installed).
6. Untargzip ipw2200. make, make install.
7. modprobe ipw2200 and you are done.
ifconfig would show your wifi card as eth1.

Please read the INSTALL file of ipw2200 and ieee80211 It have certain requirements on the kernel.

gopher8029 · 09-11-2005, 09:30 AM

Hey there i was wanting to know if anybody could tell me how to get past this problem with my dell I 9300 hard drive. I have found alot of great info on this post and on others as well. Unfortunately I am at work right now and do not have my laptop with me. But from what i have found.......If i install slackware 10.1 it does install and works ok for the most part but it is slow and choppy too. That is running kernel 2.4.29 i can upgrade to 2.4.31 and it runs better but still along the same lines. If if try to install any 2.6.X it kernel panics on me every time. This is typically what i get.

VFS: Cannot open root device "402" or unknown-block(4,2)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown block(4,2)

So i did alot of digging. The Dell has a 100GB HD in it and it is a PATA HD from what i can find out. I also (correct me if i am wrong) found out that it is still an IDE drive but in linux is looked at as scsi sata drive. So with that being said and the research i have done, I recompiled the kernel for the 100000th time and i turned off all ata ide functions and enabled scsi, scsi sata support and the intel pIIx as well.

So at this point i still get the kernel panic but the number has changed from 402 to 802 or 804 block 8,4or2. Any ways i have tried in the kernel (by the way was 2.6.13) turning off all the scsi and there is an option for ata sata support for pata drives. This is a new feature of the kernel or i should say that the kernel is supporting. I still get the same error. I would not be fighting this so much to make it right if i was not certain that the HDD should be getting seen as SDA4 opposed to HDA4 but i ran the live version of the gentoo linux and it sees everything just fine as sda.

Please help i am ready to start beating my self because i am running out of ideas.

gopher0749@yahoo.com
or you can call me over the internet thru sip 677814 after 6pm any day

thanks

To add to this as well i made the changes in the lilo.conf file
/dev/sda4
and to the fstab
/dev/sda2
/dev/sda4

is there anywhere else that i should make a change to this ?