SuSE Linux 7.3 on the Toshiba Satellite S1800-814

What is a Toshiba Satellite S1800-814?

It is (or was) a mid-range Toshiba laptop with the following spec:

CPU 1.1GHz Intel Pentium III RAM 256MB HDD 20GB DVD DVD Chipset Acer Laboratories Inc (ALi) (see below) Graphics card Trident Cyberblade XP mobile 16MB AGP XGA 1024 x 768 SVGA 800 x 600 Display 14.1" TFT Audio 16 bit stereo, Sound Blaster compatible Ethernet Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] PCMCIA 32 bit CardBus PCI Local Bus, 2 x type II or 1 x type III slot(s) OS Windows XP   Linux SuSE 7.3 Professional Upgrade

What can I tell you? I encountered no problems putting SuSE onto this machine - everything went very smoothly, just put the DVD into the drive, boot up and away you go.

OK .. there's always a bit of fiddling to be done after the install ;-)

XFree86:
SuSE 7.3 comes with XFree86 v4.1. The trident driver included with 4.1 works OK, but not brilliantly, mostly thanks to the people at Trident refusing to release hardware specifications to the XFree people. I'm running XFree86 v4.1.99.5 which I compiled from a CVS checkout, which is better and I've since upgraded my driver to Alan Hourihane's pre-compiled binary driver:

http://www.xfree86.org/~alanh/trident_drv.o

This driver is intended  for XFree86 v4.2, BTW.

Update I've since upgraded the Satellite to SuSE 8.0, and then further upgraded KDE to 3.0.4. Again, the installation was very straightforward.

Update I've further upgraded to SuSE 8.1 with only a couple of minor problems:

• The install decided that the Satellite has ACPI support (it doesn't), so I needed to add acpi=off to my boot parameters.
• I needed to change every occurrence of the string 'ide_cs' with 'ide-cs' in /etc/pcmcia/config due to a typo in the PCMCIA code. If you have problems mounting CF cards, try this solution.

Update I've further upgraded to SuSE 9.0 - the only thing I needed to change was the ACPI setting as above.

Update I've further upgraded to SuSE 9.3 - the only thing I needed to change was the ACPI setting (again!) as above. The good news is that suspend to disc seems to be working now!

Sound

YaST2 had no problems identifying and setting up the sound hardware. My /etc/asound.conf and the soundcard section from /etc/modules.conf can be found below.

PCMCIA Memory

I have a Philips Nino 510 (a Pocket PC device running Windows CE) that takes Compact Flash memory cards, and a Sony DSC-F505 Cybershot Digital Camera which takes the Sony Memory Sticks. I have PCMCIA adpators for both types of memory. The CF card was originally formatted by Windows CE and is a 32MB device manufactured by Hitachi as follows ..

Socket 0:
product info: "HITACHI", "FLASH", "2.0"
manfid: 0x0007, 0x0000
function: 4 (fixed disk)

Socket 0:
Vcc 3.3V Vpp1 0.0V Vpp2 0.0V
interface type is "memory and I/O"
irq 9 [exclusive] [level]
function 0:
config base 0x0200
option 0x41 status 0x00 pin 0x00 copy 0x00
io 0x0100-0x010f [auto]

The card can be mounted manually using

mount -v -t msdos /dev/hde1 /memstick

The Sony Memory Sticks are 4MB and 32MB ..

Socket 0:
product info: "SONY", "MEMORYSTICK( 4M)", "1.0"
manfid: 0x00f1, 0x0000
function: 4 (fixed disk)

Socket 0:
product info: "SONY", "MEMORYSTICK( 32M)", "1.0"
manfid: 0x00f1, 0x0000
function: 4 (fixed disk)

Socket 0:
Vcc 3.3V Vpp1 0.0V Vpp2 0.0V
interface type is "memory and I/O"
irq 9 [exclusive] [level]
function 0:
config base 0x0200
option 0x41 status 0x00 pin 0x00 copy 0x00
io 0x0100-0x010f [auto]

Socket 0:
Vcc 3.3V Vpp1 0.0V Vpp2 0.0V
interface type is "memory and I/O"
irq 11 [exclusive] [level]
function 0:
config base 0x0200
option 0x41 status 0x00 pin 0x00 copy 0x00
io 0x0110-0x011f [auto] 

The Memory Sticks can be mounted using

mount -v -t vfat /dev/hde1 /memstick

NB:
Don't forget to use /sbin/cardctl eject 0 (assuming the card is in slot 0) before removing memory as this should notify the client drivers that the card is going to be removed and (hopefully) encourage them to make any outstanding writes before the power gets cut ;-)

/etc/lilo.conf

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Tue Jan 15 13:01:22 2002


boot = /dev/hda
vga = 791
read-only
menu-scheme = Wg:kw:Wg:Wg
lba32
prompt
timeout = 80
message = /boot/message

    image = /boot/vmlinuz
        label = linux
        root = /dev/hda3
        initrd = /boot/initrd

    image = /boot/vmlinuz.suse
        label = failsafe
        root = /dev/hda3
        initrd = /boot/initrd.suse
        append = "disableapic ide=nodma apm=off"
        optional

    image = /boot/memtest.bin
        label = memtest86

    other = /dev/hda1
        label = windows

/etc/X11/XF86Config

# /.../
# SaX generated XFree86 config file
# Created on: 2002-01-07.
#
# Version: 4.3
# Contact: Marcus Schaefer <sax@suse.de>, 2001
#
# Automatically generated by [SaX2] (4.3)
# PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!
#

Section "Files"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/URW"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/PEX"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin2/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/japanese:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/kwintv"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/truetype"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/uni"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/ucs/misc"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/hellas/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/sgi"
  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/xtest"
  ModulePath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
  RgbPath      "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
  Option       "AllowMouseOpenFail"
EndSection

Section "Module"
  Load         "type1"
  Load         "speedo"
  Load         "extmod"
  Load         "freetype"
  Load         "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "keyboard"
  Identifier   "Keyboard[0]"
  Option       "Protocol" "Standard"
  Option       "XkbKeyCodes" "xfree86"
  Option       "XkbLayout" "gb"
  Option       "XkbModel" "pc104"
  Option       "XkbRules" "xfree86"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "mouse"
  Identifier   "Mouse[1]"
  Option       "Device" "/dev/psaux"
  Option       "Emulate3Buttons" "on"
  Option       "Emulate3Timeout" "50"
  Option       "InputFashion" "Mouse"
  Option       "Name" "AutoDetected"
  Option       "Protocol" "ps/2"
  Option       "Vendor" "AutoDetected"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
  HorizSync    31-65
  Identifier   "Monitor[0]"
  ModelName    "AutoDetected"
  VendorName   "AutoDetected"
  VertRefresh  58-78
  UseModes     "Modes[0]"
EndSection

Section "Modes"
  Identifier   "Modes[0]"
  Modeline      "1024x768" 69.35 1024 1040 1216 1400 768 768 778 802
  Modeline      "1024x768" 79.55 1024 1040 1216 1400 768 768 778 802
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  DefaultDepth 16
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      16
    Modes      "1024x768"
  EndSubSection
  Device       "Device[0]"
  Identifier   "Screen[0]"
  Monitor      "Monitor[0]"
EndSection

Section "Device"
#  Option       "ShadowFB" "true"
  Option       "SWCursor" "true"
  BoardName    "Cyber/BladeXP"
#  Chipset      "cyberbladeXPm/16"
  Driver       "trident"
  Identifier   "Device[0]"
  Screen       0
  VendorName   "Trident"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier   "Layout[all]"
  InputDevice  "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"
  InputDevice  "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"
  Option       "Clone" "off"
  Option       "Xinerama" "off"
  Screen       "Screen[0]"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
    Group      "video"
    Mode       0660
EndSection

Output from lspci -a

00:00.0 Host bridge: Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi]: Unknown device 1644 (rev 01)
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
        Memory at f0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
        Capabilities: [b0] AGP version 2.0
        Capabilities: [a4] Power Management version 1

00:01.0 PCI bridge: Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi] M5247 (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, slow devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
        Memory behind bridge: f7f00000-fdffffff

00:02.0 USB Controller: Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi] M5237 USB (rev 03) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0004
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
        Memory at f7eff000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2

00:04.0 IDE interface: Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi] M5229 IDE (rev c3) (prog-if f0)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0004
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64
        I/O ports at eff0 [size=16]
        Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2

00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi]: Unknown device 5451 (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
        I/O ports at 1000 [size=256]
        Memory at 10000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2

00:07.0 ISA bridge: Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi] M1533 PCI to ISA Bridge [Aladdin IV]
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0004
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
        Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 1

00:08.0 Bridge: Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi] M7101 PMU
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
        Flags: medium devsel

00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 0d)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
        Memory at f7efe000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        I/O ports at ef40 [size=64]
        Memory at f7ec0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K]
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2

00:11.0 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems ToPIC95 PCI to Cardbus Bridge with ZV Support (rev 32)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
        Flags: bus master, slow devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
        Memory at 10001000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=03, subordinate=03, sec-latency=0
        I/O window 0: 00000000-00000003
        I/O window 1: 00000000-00000003
        16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001

00:11.1 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems ToPIC95 PCI to Cardbus Bridge with ZV Support (rev 32)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
        Flags: bus master, slow devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
        Memory at 10002000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=04, subordinate=04, sec-latency=0
        I/O window 0: 00000000-00000003
        I/O window 1: 00000000-00000003
        16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Trident Microsystems: Unknown device 8820 (rev 82) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0001
        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 8, IRQ 11
        Memory at fc000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32M]
        Memory at fbc00000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4M]
        Memory at f8000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32M]
        Memory at f7ff8000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32K]
        Expansion ROM at  [disabled] [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [80] AGP version 2.0
        Capabilities: [90] Power Management version 2

/etc/asound.conf

# ALSA driver configuration
# This configuration is generated with the alsactl program.

soundcard("card1") {
  mixer("Asahi Kasei AK4543") {
    ; The type is 'bool'.
    switch("AC97 PCM Output Path", false)
    ; The type is 'bool'.
    switch("AC97 Mono Output Select", false)
    ; The type is 'bool'.
    switch("AC97 Second MIC", false)
    ; The type is 'bool'.
    switch("ADC/DAC Loopback", false)
    element("Input Gain Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 15
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 15
    element("Input Gain Volume",0,200,Volume1(0,0))
    element("Master Mono Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Master Mono Volume",0,200,Volume1(0))
    element("Headphone Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Headphone Volume",0,200,Volume1(0,0))
    element("Master Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Master Volume",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    ; The 3D effect has an on/off switch.
    ; Center : Min 0 Max 15
    ; Depth : Min 0 Max 15
    element("Effect",0,600,_3D_Effect1(sw=off,center=0,depth=0))
    element("Aux Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Aux Volume",0,200,Volume1(0,0))
    element("Video Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Video Volume",0,200,Volume1(0,0))
    element("CD Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("CD Volume",0,200,Volume1(0,0))
    element("Line Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Line Volume",0,200,Volume1(0,0))
    element("MIC Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("MIC Volume",0,200,Volume1(0))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 1
    element("MIC Boost",0,200,Volume1(0))
    element("Phone Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Phone Volume",0,200,Volume1(0))
    element("PC Speaker Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 15
    element("PC Speaker Volume",0,200,Volume1(0))
    element("PCM Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("PCM Volume",0,200,Volume1(28,28))
    element("Mono Output MUX",0,401,Mux2(element("Mono-Out Accumulator",0,301)))
    element("Input MUX",0,400,Mux1(element("MIC Boost",0,200),element("MIC Boost",0,200)))
  }
}

Sound section from /etc/modules.conf

# --- BEGIN: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
# --- ALSACONF verion 0.5.10 ---
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-card-ali5451
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss
options snd snd_major=116 snd_cards_limit=1
options snd-card-ali5451 snd_index=0
# --- END: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---