Re: Debian Linux on a Gericom A2
Some update information about the Gericom A2.
Finally I found some time to dedicate to the installation of debian on
my Gericom A2.
Here the updated steps:
- Resize the one XP partition using Partition Magic
- Create two new partitions using Partition Magic (swap, ext3)
- Create a new virtual machine using vmware that will the harddrive
(no virtual drive)
- But woody installer in vmware
- Install Woody into this virtual machine
- Install lilo (not MBR but on /dev/hda3)
- Install bootpart (http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm) to
add Debian to the Windows XP boot menu
- Install/Unpack kernel-source-2.4.22
- Install/Unpack pcmcia source
- Download acpi patch from acpi.sf.net
- apply acpi patch on kernel
- configure kernel sources to use acpi (apm disabled)
- build and install kernel the debian way
(http://tldp.org/HOWTO/ACPI-HOWTO/)
- configure and run lilo
(i have two images: the old one using 2.4.18* and the new one
that uses the self-compiled kernel
- shutdown linux in vmware
- reboot into Debian
From this point on everything worked fine (network, X, mouse, usb).
There is a nice tool called wmlongrun. It shows the Transmeta
processor speed. When idle this will drop to 366 Mhz. When compiling
stuff it jumps up to 800 Mhz. Amazing!
To Do:
- create a boot cd image that has the kernel above so i will be
able to install woody without the use of vmware and partition magic
> - Installed lilo
> - Copied the MRB lilo information into a file and copied this
> information to the XP partition
> - After this I was able to boot.
> - But since the kernel didnt detect all of the devices and interrupts
> the network interface, PCCARD slot and such were not detected
Alexander Mueller wrote:
nb wrote:
Hi,
Did you succeed in installing Debian Linux on your Gericom A2 ?
If so please give me your lsmod results.
I'm interesting in buying one.
Any feedback about this machine is welcome.
Regards
I succeeded. But I would not go so far and call it a success. The native
installer didnt work since the CD ROM is an external USB 2 drive. The
standard installer (and the standard kernel) has not enough ACPI support
built in to get the correct list of interrupts and such so from a point
on it just hangs.
My workaround:
- Resize the one XP partition using Partition Magic
- Create three new partitions using Partition Magic (ext3, swap, ext3)
- Create a new virtual machine using vmware that will the harddrive
(no virtual drive)
- Installed Woody into this virtual machine
- Installed lilo
- Copied the MRB lilo information into a file and copied this
information to the XP partition
- After this I was able to boot.
- But since the kernel didnt detect all of the devices and interrupts
the network interface, PCCARD slot and such were not detected
Thats it so far and I did not have the time to start another try
using a custom kernel with the ACPIp patch applied (will be the next step).
If I was to choose again I would not go for the Gericom again though it
looks very nice. Instead, I would think about bying the small Dell
notebook.
Xela
--
Mit freundlichen Grüssen aus Ravensburg
Alexander Mueller
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littleBLUE GmbH
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Telefon: 0751/55 777 65
Telefax: 0751/55 777 67
E-Mail: alexander.mueller@littleblue.de
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