HARDWARE Dell Inspiron 1501

From Gentoo Linux Wiki

This article is part of the Hardware series.

Laptops • TV Tuner Cards • Wireless • Servers • Storage • Other Hardware • Motherboards • Related

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1 Introduction
2 BIOS Adjustments
3 Hard Drive
4 Kernel Configuration
5 Modem
6 External Links

[edit] Introduction

Note: This is a work in progress. I have notes from my install, and I am in the process of moving them to the wiki.

The Dell Inspiron 1501 laptop is somewhat tricky to install Gentoo (or any distribution) on. There are problems with the Linux kernel recognizing the SATA hard drive properly. The soundcard is not detected properly by default, and to get the wireless card working, you may have to use ndiswrapper.

If you're willing to use newer kernels, these issues may disappear. If you're also willing to compile your own kernel with up-to-date and experimental features (like b43 instead of bcm43xx for wireless) then you can easily get a fully functional gentoo 1501. BIOS updates may affect function and compatibility (backlight controls for example, or proper framebuffer display) and should be looked at before starting this project. BIOS downgrades may be useful for some users. (lmj 4-10-08)

The following is a step-by-step procedure for anyone slightly familiar with Linux that would like to get it working on this particular laptop. This wiki article does not go into detail on aspects already covered in the Gentoo Handbook.

First : Get the live CD and boot up for the install.

Head over to gentoo.org and download the live-cd and burn it to a cd-rom.

[edit] BIOS Adjustments

You will need to enter the BIOS and change the device boot order so that the live CD will boot before the hard drive (or else you will get Windows).

Enter the BIOS:

Press F2 at the beginning of the bootup sequence.
Press the Right arrow key three times so that the Boot tab is selected at the top of the screen.
Use the down arrow key until the CD-ROM is selected. Press SHIFT and the + key to move it up in the list. Do this until it is at the top of the list.
Insert the Gentoo Live CD.
Press F10 to save and exit BIOS. Select YES
The computer will now boot to the live CD.
Disable wireless hotkeys, this prevents failures in both b43 and ndiswrapper wireless setups

[edit] Hard Drive

The Linux kernel does not recognize the hard drive controller that comes with the 1501. Therefore, you have to apply a "hack" to get it to work properly.

Adjust Boot-time Parameters:

When the Gentoo boot prompt appears, press F1 to adjust kernel options.
At the prompt, type in the following code and press enter:

Code: Kernel Options

gentoo pci=nomsi

The live cd will boot Gentoo.

This kernel boot option ("pci=nomsi") is only required for kernel versions prior to 2.6.21 (see here for details).

Install the basic system:

Double-click the Gentoo Linux Installer (GTK+) icon on the desktop.
Follow 2006.1 Handbook instructions to configure your installation.
I would recommend not choosing any additional packages at this time. First, make sure you can get a working installation before adding additional packages.

Grub adjustments:

To make sure the hard drive continues to function correctly, you will have to make the pci=nomsi hack permanent (You can read more about this hack in the resources section at the end of this document).
If you used grub as your bootloader:
- As root, edit /boot/grub/grub.conf (vi /boot/grub/grub.conf or nano -w /boot/grub/grub.conf)
- On the "kernel" line, after the root=/dev/sdax section, add pci=nomsi.
- Save the config file.

[edit] Kernel Configuration

To get sound and wireless card working, you will have to make some adjustments in the kernel. The livecd uses the genkernel. Be sure to read the kernel documentation to learn what sources are right for you. I suggest gentoo-sources rather than the monolithic genkernel. To upgrade to gentoo-sources, perform the following:

Code: gentoo-sources upgrade

emerge gentoo-sources

While upgrading your kernel, now is a good time to enable the features for your sound card and your networking card. Note: This document is only addressing sound and networking, you may have other configurations that you should do to your kernel.