DSL Tips and Tricks :: Gateway Solo 2500 Frugal Installation

Edit:
1/26/06 Updated This Post to fix the 0x370 in use PnP complaint at boot time, now works without complaint.
1/26/06 Also added directions on how to get XFree86 running on this laptop.

Setup your BIOS
F2 at boot to enter bios:
>Advanced-->Integrated Peripherals:
>On-board stereo sound [Enabled]
my working settings are:
I/O Adress: [280H-28FH]
MPU-401 I/O Adress: [330H-333H]
INterrupt: [IRQ5]
DMA Channel: [DMA CH0]
WAVE 2 DMA: [DMA CH1]
Joystick: [Enabled]

Boot from DSL linux CD
>dsl 2 vga=788
>cfdisk
>hda1 bootable primary 60mb
>hda5 logical all but 518mb of your hdd
>hda6 logical 518mb

when formatting your boot and persistent home, opt partitions if you would like ext3 filesystem then BEFORE you run the frugal_install.sh then issue these commands. Later when asked if you'd like to format the install partition y or upgrade n? Choose N

>mke2fs -j /dev/hda1 remove the -j if you would like standard ext2 fs
>mke2fs -j /dev/hda5 (or whatever your persistent partition is called)
>mkeswap /dev/hda6 (or whatever your swap partition is called)
>swapon /dev/hda6 (or whatever your swap partition is called)

Frugal Install
Following these directions and being sure to make opt and home persistent on hda5 or wherever you put your persistent partition and making sure your swap partition is on the edge of the drive some people put it at hda1 do as you see fit as long as you have one its all bout the same.
Frugal Install How To PDF

Setup your Xserver
xsetup.sh will likely run on your first boot, if it does not, then reboot with CD
>dsl vga=788 xsetup
>xfbdev xserver
>USB mouse? y/n if <No> then IMPS/2 mouse <Yes>
>us <Ok>

Setup Xfree86
At the desktop click on myDSL then click on System scroll down to the bottom of the list and click on XFree86.dsl.info and then Download
then
click on System scroll down to the bottom of the list and click on xf86config.dsl.info and then Download

Now Jump back out and Read My post in this Thread with XFree86 as my Xserver MUCH smoother! at the top of the page and then read the follow up post in this thread with Saving and Booting Your XFree86 Settings at the top of the page.

Setup your Sound
At the Desktop click the Emelfm icon.
>navigate to /mnt/hda5/opt
>select bootlocal.sh <R>click-->User-->View in Beaver
>add this to your bootlocal.sh:
sudo modprobe opl3sa2 isapnp=0 multiple=0 io=0x370 mpu_io=0x330 mss_io=0x530 irq=5 dma=0 dma2=1
>save
>exit

Now either run the modprobe line from a terminal as SU or reboot the system, sound and video display should now be working.

Notes and Requests
If i missed anything let me know and I'll gladly append anything that seems needful. This is not a comprehensive setup only what worked for me and even then its only a very base install. You may have wifi cards, modems, nic's, or various other add on pieces, as of this writing I have found no way to get zoom video working under any linux distro, if anyone has or knows of a resource please link it up as I'd love to get that going on there as well, I do own the KingMax ZV Card. And share any success stories that this post lead you to.

Enjoy.
Starcannon aka Rob :cool:

Looking good :cool:

Did you managed to save your settings ? I'm thinking about the
>dsl vga=788 xsetup
>xfbdev xserver
>USB mouse? y/n if <No> then IMPS/2 mouse <Yes>
(and then KB layout)

Is there a way to avoid to configure those at each boot ? This kinda ruin the whole install thing

Yes saved settings by making sure to choosein my case hda5 as my backup partition. The frugal_install.sh script will ask you where you would like your backups to go, just tell it the same partition as you told it for your persistent home and opt.
After first boot without the CD you may get xsetup screen, make the choices then once in to the desktop be sure to Rclick, System, Backup/Restore, make sure appropriate partition is in the txt box then click "backup" button on the window.
Note that backups are generally automatic at shutdown or reboot and restores are generally automatic at bootup.

Hope that was helpful.

Rob

XFree86 as my Xserver MUCH smoother!
###############################
## Edit: Now has correct Font Paths ##
## listed in this posts example config ##
## file below ##
###############################
If your running one of these old Gateway Solo 2500 lappy's you've likely noticed that the defualt Tiny K Drive X Server that ships with DSL has left you wanting, fear not! This File is deprecated so if you need the default stuff in there just run the XFree86 Configurator myDSL package and use this post as reference.

My XF86Config File that works with a USB mouse on a Gateway Solo 2500

Code Sample

# File generated by xf86config.

# XF86Config-4 Gateway Solo 2500 w/USB Mouse under Damn Small Linux 1.5
# **********************************************************************
# Module section -- this section is used to specify
# which dynamically loadable modules to load.
# **********************************************************************
#
Section "Module"

Load "dbe" # Double buffer extension

SubSection "extmod"
Option "omit xfree86-dga" # don't initialise the DGA extension
EndSubSection

Load "type1"
Load "speedo"
# Load "freetype"
# Load "xtt"

# This loads the GLX module
# Load "glx"
# This loads the DRI module
# Load "dri"

EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Files section. This allows default font and rgb paths to be set
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"

RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"

FontPath "unix/:7100" # local font server
# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
#FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"
#FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"

# The module search path. The default path is shown here.

# ModulePath "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"

EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Server flags section.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerFlags"

# Removed this defualt section for ease of posting to forums

EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Input devices
# **********************************************************************

# **********************************************************************
# Core keyboard's InputDevice section
# **********************************************************************

Section "InputDevice"

Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "Keyboard"

Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc101"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"

EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Core Pointer's InputDevice section
# **********************************************************************

Section "InputDevice"

# Identifier and driver

Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Monitor section
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of monitor sections may be present

Section "Monitor"

Identifier "My Monitor"

# NOTE: THE VALUES HERE WORK FOR MY LAPTOP FACTORY DISPLAY.
# REFER TO YOUR MONITOR'SUSER MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT NUMBERS.

HorizSync 31.5-48.5

# NOTE: THE VALUES HERE WORK FOR MY LAPTOP FACTORY DISPLAY.
# REFER TO YOUR MONITOR'SUSER MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT NUMBERS.

VertRefresh 60-70

EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Graphics device section
# **********************************************************************

Section "Device"
Identifier "Standard VGA"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Unknown"

Driver "vga"

EndSection

# Device configured by xf86config:

Section "Device"
Identifier "** NeoMagic (generic) [neomagic]"
Driver "neomagic"
#VideoRam 2048
# Insert Clocks lines here if appropriate
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Screen sections
# **********************************************************************

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "** NeoMagic (generic) [neomagic]"
Monitor "My Monitor"
DefaultDepth 16

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "800x600" "800x600" "800x600"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "800x600" "800x600" "800x600"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "800x600" "800x600" "800x600"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# ServerLayout sections.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerLayout"

Identifier "Simple Layout"

Screen "Screen 1"

InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection

# Section "DRI"
# Mode 0666
# EndSection

Sorry bout that "flood" something happened when I "previewed my post" and not sure how i ended up posting a very large post more than once. I've editted this "extra" post down to what you are reading now.

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original here.