Installation

On my Toshiba Satellite Pro 4600 (PIII,700Mhz,128,10GB,14"TFT,C,LM,W) (Model PS460E-02057-GR), I have installed the Debian/GNU-Linux(http://www.debian.org) Potato 2.2r3 distribution. Later I have installed SuSE(http://www.suse.com) Linux 7.2, the following is a mix of my experience with both distributions.

First I tried to install directly from the bootable CD, but the CD didn't boot. So I have taken the boot image floppies, which mounted the CD then.

BIOS

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

Graphics

Text Mode

Works in framebuffer mode with 1024x768 resolution vga=791.

X-Windows

According to MS-Windows98 the graphics chip is a Trident CyberBlade XP (22). Couldn't get the Trident driver (XFree86 4.0.3) to work. Instead I have used the framebuffer X server. With vga=791 in /etc/lilo.conf it works in 1024x768 mode, see the XF86Config file.

Sean Butler <sean_at_seanbutler.co.uk> wrote: ""I had some problems with RedHat 7.2 as the screen with. XFree86 4.0.3 did not work [..] When I used RedHat 7.3 it had the XFree86 4.2.0 and this worked first time with the CyberBlade XP."

TV Video Out

Not tested yet.

PCMCIA

Works fine.

USB

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

IrDA

Not tested yet. According to MS-Windows98 the FIR controller is a SMC IrCC.

Sound

Sound chip according to MS-Windows98: YAMAHA AC-XG. lspci reports: 00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2445. Works with snd-card-intel8x0 ALSA module.

LAN

Works with eepro100 module.

WireLessLAN

This device is a PCMCIA device cardctl ident shows:

product info: "TOSHIBA", "Wireless LAN Card", "Version 01.01", ""
manfid: 0x0156, 0x0002
function: 6 (network)

FCC ID ID: CJ6PS460WL

iwconfig from the wireless-tools package shows a device, so I suppoes it will work. But I don't have another wireless device to test it further.

Chris Davies <mcd_at_daviesinc.com> wrote: I've got a Satellite Pro 4600 (PS460U-0M4N48D, P900/30gb/512mb RAM) and spent the better part of two days getting the WiFi card working. I have a Lucent Wavelan AccessPoint with a WaveLan Gold card. I'm running Debian Sid Distribution, 2.4.13-ac6. I didn't have much luck when the kernel was compiled with the support in, so I left them as modules.

In /etc/pcmcia/config

card "Intersil PRISM2 11 Mbps Wireless Adapter"
  manfid 0x0156, 0x0002
  bind "orinoco_cs"

in /etc/pcmcia/wireless.opts

ESSID="lannamehere"
MODE="Managed"
RATE=11M
KEY=""

ESSID should get set automatically, but it is a bit slower recognizing the connect. I did test the KEY function and it does encrypt and recognize the link.

In /etc/pcmcia/network.opts, make sure the TCP/IP options are set appropriately. Alternatively, the settings can be set in /etc/network/interfaces, but that litters the kern.log by saying that the interface is not defined, etc.

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.

tosh-utils

This application(http://www.buzzard.me.uk/toshiba/index.html) by Jonathan Buzzard offers:

• fan works well.
• Andreas Thalau wrote: "The hotkeys work, if the toshiba module is loaded."
• svpw not tested yet.

Also available as toshutils(http://packages.debian.org/toshutils) Debian package.

Internal Modem

Doesn't work. According to MS-Windows98 it's a TOSHIBA Software Modem AMR (COM2, 0x2F8) IRQ11 The sticker on the chip says:

MAKE: ASKEY
MODEL: 1456 VQL 4(INT)
FCC NO.: H8NTAI-35629-M5-E

Sunny <sshah_at_libero.it> reported: "I got the modem working on the Toshiba Satellite pro 4600 with RedHat 9 using the slmdm-2.7.9.tar.gz drivers and establishing a connection of 45K."

APM

apm -s works, wake up the machine by pressing the power button slightly.

`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.4 USB Controller: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2444 (rev 03)
00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2445[..]
00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2446 (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Trident Microsystems: Unknown device 9910[..]
02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 2449 (rev 03)
02:0c.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device ac50 (rev 01)
02:0d.0 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0617[..]
02:0d.1 CardBus bridge: Toshiba America Info Systems: Unknown device 0617[..]

Other Resources

• Unix Laptop Survey
• TuxMobil - hardware section
• Linux Mobile Guide - Installing, Maintaining and Tuning of Linux on Mobile Computers
• Debian Laptop Proposal
• Redhat 7.1 on the Toshiba Satellite 4600(http://www.roe.ac.uk/~hme/tosh4600/) by Horst Meyerdierks

Toshiba Support

• Toshiba - Germany(http://newsletter.toshiba-tro.de)
• Toshiba(http://linux.toshiba-dme.co.jp/linux/index.htm)

Credits

• Chris Davies · E-Commerce/Colocation(http://daviesinc.com/) <mcd_at_daviesinc.com>
• Sean Butler <sean_at_seanbutler.co.uk>
• Andreas Thalau <lupo_at_laosnet.de>
• Sunny <sshah_at_libero.it>