Debian GNU/Linux on the Toshiba Satellite 2800-500 Laptop

Installation

I have started the installation of Debian/GNU-Linux 2.2r3 Potato via boot floppies (1.44MB, compact version) and than continued from the CD/DVD drive. Installation directly from CD or via other boot floppies didn't work. After that I updated to Debian/GNU-Linux Testing and a selfmade 2.4.4 kernel.

I have just finished a basic installation, further descriptions will follow.

BIOS

The BIOS can be reached by the MS-Windows GUI. You may also press <ESC> at boot time (immediately!), then <F1>.

Graphics

Text Mode

Works well in framebuffer mode vga=791.

X-Windows

The graphics chip is a nVidia GeForce2Go (16MB video RAM). There are dedicated kernel options and X11 server for OpenGL support available from NVIDIA. I used XFree86 4.0.3 here is my XF86Config-4. 3D applications work very fast with OpenGL.

I have used also tested the framebuffer X server (XFree86 4.0.3). With vga = 791 in /etc/lilo.conf it works in 1024x768 16 bpp mode. Note you have to start with the options -- -bpp 16 or set the default color depth to 16 in /etc/XF86Config.

PCMCIA

Works with recent PCMCIA-CS packages.

USB

Mouse worked with usb-uhci driver (Legacy mode not tested yet).

IrDA

No IrDA port available!

Network Card

The in-built network card works with the eepro100 driver, though with kernel 2.4.4 I get some error sometimes.

Mouse (Accupoint II)

Works in PS/2 mode. The scroll buttons are reported as wheel motion (Z axis motion) and can be accessed after mapping in XF86Config. But I had no time to check this yet.

Keyboard

LEDs

setledkeys works.

Fn Keys

Key	Function	Status
F1	lock, backlight	works
F2	suspend?	doesn't work
F3	hibernation ?	doesn't work
F4	speaker loudness	doesn't work
F5
F6
F7
F8
F9
F10	unknown	unknown
F11	NUM pad	works
F12	unknown	unknown

Special Keys

These keys (CD/DVD drive, WWW access) don't seem to work.

Smart Card Slot

Couldn't be tested yet.

tosh-utils

This application by Jonathan Buzzard couldn't be tested in detail yet, but it seems to work.

Internal Modem

Doesn't work! The Lucent modem chip used in former Toshiba laptops seems to be changed, to Modem Askey 1456VQL4(INT) (Softmodem).

FireWire

The chip Firewire Texas Instruments OHCI (12LV26) seems to work with module ohci1394, but I don't have a FireWire device to test it.

APM

APM doesn't seem to work, at least apm -s and apm -s don't work.

Sound

Sound chip is a Sound AC 97 (YAMAHA YMF754B-R), using ALSA 0.5.11 snc-card-ymfpci I couldn't get it to work. Also kernel module ymfpci.o doesn't work.

Toshiba Support

• Toshiba - Germany
• Toshiba

Output of `lspci'

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 1130 (rev 11)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 1131 (rev 11)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2448 (rev 03)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 244c (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 244a (rev 03)
00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2442 (rev 03)
00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2446 (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation: Unknown device 0112 (rev b2)
02:03.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments: Unknown device 8020
02:07.0 Multimedia audio controller: Yamaha Corporation YMF-754 [DS-1E Audio Controller]
02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2449 (rev 03)
02:09.0 System peripheral: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0804
02:0d.0 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0617 (rev 31)
02:0d.1 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0617 (rev 31)

Other Resources

• Unix Laptop Survey
• TuxMobil - hardware section
• Linux Mobile Guide - Installing, Maintaining and Tuning of Linux on Mobile Computers
• Debian Laptop Proposal
• Linux on the Toshiba Satellite 2800-201 by Karl Speed Redman