Inspiron 9400 Linux Reference Guide - Page 2

adoroar:
Please post the modeline of the xorg.conf or the entire xorg.conf, please. I am trying to get Gentoo installed.

Alex

Thanks this will save me a litle bit of a hassle when I get my I9400!

Nice post!

Used this nice guide at Gentoo Forums http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t...ight-9400.html

[marcus@inspiron ~]$ gtf 1920 1200 60

# 1920x1200 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 74.52 kHz; pclk: 193.16 MHz
Modeline "1920x1200_60.00" 193.16 1920 2048 2256 2592 1200 1201 1204 1242 -HSync +Vsync

Then use "1920x1200_60.00" as resolution.

Marcus

I've remembered why I ended up coming back to windows every time I've tried linux. I can't get the wireless driver to work

First I had to download the kernel source, then extract the source, then I spent two hours trying to copy things around to satisfy dependancies. The thing just WONT compile. I'll have to wait for an Ubuntu release which includes it or a Synaptic module.

Can't you plug it in? To get it to work? Install everything including wireless drivers ect, while wired?

Bluetooth runs.

I have installed: rpm -qa | grep blue | sort

bluez-libs-2.25-1
bluez-utils-2.25-3
gnome-bluetooth-0.7.0-2
gnome-bluetooth-libs-0.7.0-2
nautilus-sendto-bluetooth-0.4-7.2

I have put a small MSI USB dongle in the back usb port. Started the Fedora bluetooth services and my Sony-Ericsson k700i finds my inspiron. But at the phone pin control there is an error. Yes, I have no pin to my notebook given...
I checked /var/log/messages and ohh:
[...] org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.bluez.PinAgent was not provided by any .service files

Ah, I checked the config file /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf and commented out like this the dbus_pin_helper:
# dbus_pin_helper;

and use:
pin_helper /usr/bin/bluepin;

the /etc/bluetooth/pin file wants also a pin, ok done and restarted bluetooth services. Et voila: A gnome window opens while I try with my mobile phone to connect, enter the pin and bingo! Connected.

Now it' coming easier...
Downloaded 3 cool themes on my desktop. Then right mouse click on one theme and selected "send to", in the next little nautilus window selected "send as: bluetooth (OBEX)". My K700i appeared in the selection I click on OK and bing bing my mobile phone ask me to accept the file.



Greetings,
Marcus

http://www.rhce.us/i9400/i9400.html

System:
Inspiron 9400, Intel Core Duo Processor T2300 (1.66GHz/667MHz FSB)
17 inch UltraSharp TrueLife Wide-screen WUXGA, for Inspiron 9400/E1705
1GB, DDR2, 533MHz 2 Dimm, for Inspiron 9400/E1705
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950 GM, for Inspiron 9400/E1705 (more on this later)
60GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive for Inspiron 9400/E1705
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem, for Inspiron
8X DVD+/-RW Drive, for Inspiron 9400/E1705
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps) for Inspiron 9400/E1705(more on this later)
80 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, for Inspiron 9400/E1705


Installation:

Installation was straight forward. I used the DISK 4 of the Fedora set, the rescue disk, and typed "linux" when it gave me the boot splash screen.

Note: choose http install, it takes less than a third as long as the ftp install.

I always do "install all" so I don't have to worry about missing a package I want later that doesn't show up in the dependencies check. With http or ftp install, it's easy as you just walk away for the actual install.

Partition table, these work for me, choose your own:
/dev/sda7 20G /
/dev/sda1 99M /boot
/dev/sda3 9.7G /home
/dev/sda2 19G /usr/local
/dev/sda5 3.9G /var

VIDEO CARD ISSUE:
When the installation is finished, the machine reboots and starts the X configuration.
I set it to "Generic LCD 1900X1200" and Generic Video Card.
The installer will not be able to find a mode it can use and you will be asked if you want to see the logs, extended logs and if you want to run the X configurator. I tried this way, I tried straight booting, and I tried automatic configuration. None work all that well.

Solution, boot into run level three. Here's how:
when you boot and see "Booting Fedora (...) in 5 seconds" hit enter
when you see the menu that comes up, the top kernel will be highlighted, hit the letter "e" (no quotes)
go down to the second line in the new menu and hit the letter "e" again
you are now editing the boot line of this kernel. at the end of the line, type "init 3"
hit the escape key and then the letter "b"
you now boot into command line mode. Log in as root. You've got to do this anyway, so you might as well do it now, type "yum -y update" and let it run. This will take an hour or so depending on your connection.
After the update is done, reboot the machine.
NOW, you'll be able to boot into run level 5, the graphical display. The letters and display will be HUGE. Reset them to 1600X1200 and log out or kill the X server with CTRL+ALT+BKSPCE.
There, we have something that you can actually see and use.
See the 1920x1200 section below for an update
During one of these boots, get into the BIOS (f2 during the DELL splash screen) and disable the wireless hot keys. This will save you a bit of frustration for the next segment.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card Issue:
Notice this laptop does not have PCMCIA card slot? It doesn't. I've tried a couple USB 802.11g adapters to no avail. I didn't try long as an answer came to be the next day.
Go and read the (rather simple) instructions and follow them on this page: Intel's Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Driver for Linux
The installation is painless and the card gets up and running as soon as you type "load" as the last step.
I have mine connected to an 802.11g WAP with WEP encryption by only using the graphical network settings that come with Fedora.
I did this with the development driver included in these files from that Sourceforge page:
ieee80211-1.1.12.tgz
ipw3945-0.0.70.tgz
ipw3945d-0.7.16.tgz
ipw3945-ucode-1.13.tgz

tar zxvf ieee80211-1.1.12.tgz
tar zxvf ipw3945-0.0.70.tgz
tar zxvf ipw3945d-0.7.16.tgz
tar zxvf ipw3945-ucode-1.13.tgz

cd ieee80211-1.1.12
make
(answer yes to all questions)
make install

cd ../ipw3945-0.0.70
make
make install

cd ../ipw3945-ucode-1.13
cp ipw3945.ucode /lib/firmware

cd ../ipw3945d-0.7.16
cp x86/ipw3945d /sbin
./load

Now you can use the graphical networking setup if you wish or manually edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth1

UPDATE 1920X1200!!
Thanks to this page I now have 1920X1200 resolution.
Turns out the Dell, or INTEL, video has the modes hard coded into the BIOS. That's why 1920x1200 did not appear to be a legit mode.
If you go HERE and download the latest version of the 915resolution hack, you can rewrite the BIOS offerings.
The latest version, 0.5.2, worked for me without recompile and showed me why I was unable to get full resolution.

Patch mode 3c to resolution 1920x1200 complete

NOW, we can use the 1920x1200. I've tried 24 bit and it looks HORRIBLE. There is what looks like a 1600x1200 black and white screen and it wraps around and redisplays at the right side of the screen.
32 bit doesn't show up at all and gives you the "could not start X, do you want to run the XConfigurator?" prompt
16 works. May not be the most intense graphics around but I'm not doing video editing or any other intense graphics. Pictures show up great and xine plays movies just fine with this setting.

Does anybody have any idea why sound works fine but I cannot play a CD nor do I have CD Audio in the alsa mixer? Is there a cable inside the laptop that has come loose or am I missing a driver?

What software are you using to play the CD? Does that software work fine otherwise(IE Can you play anything else with that software?)

Seablade

I'm using GRIP and KsCD. I don't think they play other things. The mp3s that I rip play fine and everything else sound-wise works great.

On a desktop, I would think the CD cable was not plugged into the sound card, but on a notebook everything is plugged in that can be plugged in.

DanH

I would lean towards it might be in your software setup, specificly I dont know if they are attempting to use the correct drivers for audio playback. Does the CD spin up at all like it is playing?

Also have you launched either of them from the console to see if they spit any error messages at you?

I might try to find a program that plays CDs and other things as well, VLC I believe will do this without much problem, and then you can eliminate the software side of things. There are of course tons of other choices as well.

Seablade

I just ordered an E1705 laptop... I got the Intel 950 video card and Intel Wireless 39xx card... When I read about the Inspiron 9400 I got very excited that linux may run very nicely on my new laptop... Are these two laptops pretty much the same chipset/motherboard wise???

Chris

More working drivers

For those of you with the standard graphics chipset (945GM), you'll be interested to know that with a little tweaking the i810 driver works a treat: 24 bit colour, full native resolution, and you can actually watch fullscreen movies!
I also have some instructions on how to modify the X xkb layout to make those play / volume etc buttons natively map to Xorg key codes.
I'll post what I have shortly.
Has anyone had any luck with the WiFi drivers & WPA?

Suse 10 works great, easy to setup

Sorry for the late response, but here is what I did, under FC5:

First of all, to the src xorg-x11-drv-i810, I applied this patch (which I found on some random japanese site)

Using this spec file:

When you install this, you will need to FORCE the install if you already have 1.4.1.3-3.1 installed

Two things:

1. I forgot to mention that this requires the 915resolution hack to still be in place. Also, this change only seems to work in 24-bit colour. This is fine by me, and I'm sure you can probably deal with it too.

2. I changed /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/inet to include the following keymaps to get the keys on the front working:
You will notice that I having cunningly overriden the inspiron 8xxx's keycodes. This can't possibly be a problem for the average installation - though it would be nice to have this change magically put into some upstream release. I tried my own keycodes section but I literally had this working every other time I started my computer - go figure. The nice thing about this installation is you can very easily have the front keys do something useful - especially through KDE.

Go Aussies!!! 3-1!!!

HI! I have a new inspiron 9400. Using KUbuntu Dapper Drake.

I have installed i8k by using ADEPT without problems. But I have to do
>>modprobe i8k force=1
every time I boot.

The problem is here:
>>echo "options i8k force=1" > /etc/modprobe.d/i8k

There is not a file like /etc/modprobe.d/i8k in my system

After doing that, I can use
>>i8kmon
and a window appears.
I think center number is cpu temp and the two numbers at left and right are fans, so I can put 0,1,2 to set rpm. Is this right?