Sony Vaio VGN-TX2
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[edit] Installing
I got the Sony Vaio VGN TX2 in April 2006, and I plan to document my success (if any) in putting Gentoo on to it. I intend to dual boot with Windows, but to devote most of the disk to GNU/Linux.
[edit] Basics
The Vaio is a very lightweight (1.24 kg) laptop, with a 70G hard disk, up to 1.5G memory, a lovely 1336X768 screen, and phenomenal battery life (allegedly). There's a review in PCPro The disk, as supplied has three partitions - the first is a Compaq diagnostics partition, the next two (Disks C: and D:) are NTFS/HPFS.
I first booted into Windows, and used the Vaio recovery tool to write two recovery DVD's.
I then wrote two CD's - one a minimal x86 2006.1 CD, and one a GParted Live CD.
GParted LiveCD is a very small Linux Live CD that basically runs GParted (parted with a nice GTK GUI). There's also an equivalent GParted Live USB version. This worked like a charm, and I used it to lose the third partiton (D:, NTFS), and shrink the second partition (C: NTFS) to 15G from 30G. You may need to defragment the Windows disk first if you've used it for a while.
[edit] Installation
I have followed the Gentoo handbook closely. I will only comment on things that are different from the handbook.
[edit] Setting up your network
I set up my network manually.
#> ifconfig eth0 {ip address} broadcast {broadcast} netmask {netmask}
#> route add defualt gateway {gateway ip address}
#> nano -w /etc/resolv.conf
If you are connecting to a DHCP-server dhcpcd eth0 should be enough.
[edit] Preparing the disks
My partiton scheme now looks as follows
#> fdisk /dev/hda The number of cylinders of this disk is set to 9729 [snip] Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes 255 heads, 63 sector/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Device Boot Start End Id System /dev/hda1 1 912 12 Compaq diagnostics /dev/hda2 * 913 2825 7 NTFS/HPFS /dev/hda3 * 2826 2888 83 Linux /dev/hda4 2889 9729 5 Extended /dev/hda5 2889 3138 82 Linux swap /Solaris /dev/hda6 3139 9729 83 Linux
Next I put ext2 onto /dev/hda3, ext3 onto /dev/hda6 and swap onto /dev/hda5.
#> mke2fs /dev/hda3 #> mke2fs -j /dev/hda6 #> mkswap /dev/hda5 #> swapon /dev/hda5
[edit] Installing the Gentoo Installation Files
I set the date and time, and copied and unzipped the latest stage file and portage files from Gentoo.org. I could equally have used the install CD.
[edit] Installing the Gentoo Base System
As per the manual with /dev/hda6 mounted as /mnt/gentoo and /dev/hda3 mounted as /mnt/gentoo/boot
[edit] Configuring the Kernel
I used the standard gentoo-sources kernel.
I haven't a clue which modules I will need, so I stuck to the instructions in the handbook, and added the USB Serial-Converter support which I know I will need for my PDA. I also added the Firewire module, becuase the laptop has a FireWire port. I don't have anything else with a FireWire port though!
So far I've found a few non-obvious modules needed -
HDA_INTEL (PCI Sound card)
Device Drivers
-> Sound
-> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
-> PCI devices
-> <*> Intel HD Audio
evdev (used by the touchpad)
Device Drivers
-> Input Device Support
-> <*> Event Interface
i810 (used by the graphics card)
Device Drivers
-> Character devices
-> <*> /dev/agpgart (AGP support)
-> <*> Intel 440LX/BX/GX chipset support
-> <*> Direct Rendering Manager ([SNIP])
-> < > Intel 1810
-> <M> Intel 830M, 845G, 852GM, 855GM,865G
-> < > i810 driver
-> <M> i915 driver
Load the i915 module into the kernel, i.e. put the single line
i915
into /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6. Check after you reboot with the
#> lsmod
command.
You may find when you try to configure the kernel that these i810 related options aren't visible. This is some sort of bug in the configuration software. Try a few times moving up and down the menu tree till you can see them. I am sure (well, fairly sure) that the i915 driver would also work as a built in, but I haven't done this. Don't load both the i810 and i915 drivers.
[edit] Configuring your System
More to follow
[edit] Installing Necessary System Tools
As per handbook - syslog-ng, vixie-cron. slocate and dhcpcd
[edit] Configuring the Bootloader
emerge grub - I have not yet used lilo, though it has many devoted fans. If any of them figure out how to use it with this laptop feel free to edit...
Write a grub.conf
Install grub
- >grub-install /dev/hda
Worked perfectly!
Exit, unmount, reboot, eject the CD quickly!
I can now boot back into Windows - which is a relief, because I tried to get back into Windows about halfway through the process, and got an 'Invalid partiton table' message when I tried to boot.
Now, the moment of truth, can I boot into Linux?? The kernel is being uncompressed - always a good sign.
Yes! Yes! Yes! a login prompt!!!
[edit] Graphics Card
See this HowTo.
[edit] Configuring wireless
I'm following the advice at HOWTO Wireless Configuration and Startup and at ipw2200. So, put these in the kernel
| Code: |
CONFIG_NET_RADIO=y CONFIG_NET_WIRELESS=y CONFG_IPW2200=y CONFIG IEEE80211=y |
You will need the ipw2200-firmware package, and the most recent ipw2200 drivers. Read the ipw2200 sourceforge page to understand which version is the most current one.
#emerge wpa_supplicant #emerge ipw2200-firmware
'Not ipw2100 - this doesn't work as I have discovered'
You also need a selection of the cryptographic algorithms enabled in the kernel. I don't know which ones (yet).
Then add ipw2200 to /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6
So far this loads the relevant modules - and I now have an eth1, but it doesn't work yet.... Progress!
At least part of the problem is with wpa_supplicant. The documents suggest calling it like this :-
- wpa_supplicant -ieth1 -Dipw -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
This definitely doesn´t work - the wpa_supplicant loops forever Apparently, as described on the Host-AP bugzilla the API has changed and one should now use
- wpa_supplicant -ieth1 -Dwext -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
instead. This still doesn´t work, but the error messages are more interesting...
[edit] Links
- This guide is listed at the TuxMobil Linux laptop and notebook installation survey.
- Sample xorg.conf (Might want to change swap caps)
