Toshiba Tecra A10

Problems and successes with specific brands/models of computer video hardware
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ikarus
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Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2009, 10:45

Toshiba Tecra A10

#1 Post by ikarus »

I've had no trouble getting any version of Puppy (live) working well on most pc/laptops but I can't get it to run 'X' on my Toshiba Tecra A10 laptop. I believe it has an Intel video chipset and in other distros I can usually get the screen to display at 1280x800.

Has anybody else managed to get it going on this model? Putting the correct resolution into xorg.conf doesn't seem to work. The test facility gives me a light grey screen with close spaced horizontal lines and I can't really bail out at that point - 'cntrl,alt,backspace' sends me back to the option to re-tweak or edit xorg.conf!

I would appreciate any suggestions and/or Xorg tweaks to get Puppy 4.2 working with the Toshiba Tecra A10.

Regards

ikarus

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steve_s
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Re: Toshiba Tecra A10

#2 Post by steve_s »

ikarus wrote:I've had no trouble getting any version of Puppy (live) working well on most pc/laptops but I can't get it to run 'X' on my Toshiba Tecra A10 laptop. I believe it has an Intel video chipset and in other distros I can usually get the screen to display at 1280x800.

Has anybody else managed to get it going on this model? Putting the correct resolution into xorg.conf doesn't seem to work. The test facility gives me a light grey screen with close spaced horizontal lines and I can't really bail out at that point - 'cntrl,alt,backspace' sends me back to the option to re-tweak or edit xorg.conf!

I would appreciate any suggestions and/or Xorg tweaks to get Puppy 4.2 working with the Toshiba Tecra A10.

Regards

ikarus
Ikarus, did you get this going? I just got a hand-me-down Toshiba Tecra 9000 that is cruising with 4.2 on it. I picked a 1024x768 screen at 16 though...don't know if that is your solution or not. I didn't have to do any manual editing of xorg either.

I would like to get x11 running on mplayer with this laptop, but I probably should start another thread on it..anyway, post back if I can help with this laptop. 8)

ikarus
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2009, 10:45

#3 Post by ikarus »

Unfortunately its still no go. I have tried substituting Xorg.conf files which work on this machine and it still gives me nothing. I can only assume that Puppy does not have the correct intel driver for this model. Admittedly its a fairly new machine but most other recent distros seem to work on it.


I'd really like to get it running for serious use on this laptop. Puppy is phenomenally fast, boots from a USB stick and does pretty much everything I need. I've used it on other laptop models without problems.

IK

ikarus
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2009, 10:45

#4 Post by ikarus »

Latest alpha designated Puppy version 4.2.7

Video now perfect at 1280 x 800 and is correctly detected by puppy after the initial try which sets it up at 1024 x 768.

Other issues with this release:

correctly detects the intel wifi 5100 hardware but has no module for it

no sound

Keep going - its getting better :)

ikarus

tempestuous
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#5 Post by tempestuous »

ikarus wrote:Latest alpha designated Puppy version 4.2.7
correctly detects the intel wifi 5100 hardware but has no module for it
Well uPup alpha9 definitely has the iwlwifi/iwlagn modules enabled. Run "lsmod" to see if they are loaded.
Also check to see what the Network Wizard reports as being loaded ... or available.

ikarus
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2009, 10:45

#6 Post by ikarus »

hi tempestuous

I checked that the module iwlgn is loaded - yes it shows up in lsmod and also the gui configuration tool. The error message is:

ERROR!
Failed to raise interface wlan0
Failed command was
ifconfig SIOCSIFFLAGS: no such file or directory.

confirmed by issuing "ifconfig wlan0 up from the command line.

I don't know what the flags error means - any ideas?

Regards
IK

tempestuous
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Joined: Fri 10 Jun 2005, 05:12
Location: Australia

#7 Post by tempestuous »

It sounds like the iwlagn module failed to load properly. Run this command

Code: Select all

dmesg
and report any/all lines relating to the wifi driver.
Or you could post your entire dmesg output to the forum as an attachment, like this

Code: Select all

dmesg > dmesg.txt
gzip dmesg.txt
Now you will have a file called dmesg.txt.gz which can be attached to the forum.

ikarus
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2009, 10:45

#8 Post by ikarus »

ok - file attached as per your instruction

IK
Attachments
dmesg.txt.gz
(4.47 KiB) Downloaded 871 times

tempestuous
Posts: 5464
Joined: Fri 10 Jun 2005, 05:12
Location: Australia

#9 Post by tempestuous »

Code: Select all

iwlagn: iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode firmware file req failed: Reason -2
iwlagn: Could not read microcode: -2
There's your problem: no firmware.

See my comments about obtaining iwl5000 firmware here
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 183#252183

You should report this missing firmware in "Jaunty Puppy Alpha9 feedback"
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=42722

ikarus
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2009, 10:45

#10 Post by ikarus »

OK bear with me:

I simply download "iwlwifi-5000-ucode-8.24.2.12.tgz" , decompress it and copy it to /lib/firmware. Then it all works?

I can probably manage that but if it gets any trickier maybe I should just wait for the full release. Also got issues with no sound and the brightness control not working.

I'll keep you informed - many thanks for the help so far.

IK

tempestuous
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Location: Australia

#11 Post by tempestuous »

ikarus wrote:I simply download "iwlwifi-5000-ucode-8.24.2.12.tgz" , decompress it and copy it to /lib/firmware. Then it all works?
After you reboot, yes, in theory. If not, check your dmesg again.
ikarus wrote:I can probably manage that but if it gets any trickier maybe I should just wait for the full release.
Well the full release won't get it right unless you report the problem.

ikarus
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2009, 10:45

#12 Post by ikarus »

OK done but same result unfortunately, even after reboot. ( I was surprised to see the file persisted in the firmware folder after reboot )

Also same output from dmesg.

Could it be that in dmesg it calls for 5000-1.ucode but I am supplying 5000-2.ucode from the intel site?

Just a thought.

Yes I will report to the authorities as soon as I get a spare moment.

Regards
IK

tempestuous
Posts: 5464
Joined: Fri 10 Jun 2005, 05:12
Location: Australia

#13 Post by tempestuous »

ikarus wrote:Could it be that in dmesg it calls for 5000-1.ucode but I am supplying 5000-2.ucode from the intel site?
Yes. At http://www.intellinuxwireless.org/?n=Downloads
click "show older releases" and download
iwlwifi-5000-ucode-5.4.A.11.tar.gz

That older package contains iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode

ikarus
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue 31 Mar 2009, 10:45

#14 Post by ikarus »

YES ! that did it :D

I'll toddle off to the reporting bureau now and do my duty.

Then off to chase a few other bugs - sound, video res changes after most reboots, and a very strange shut-down error - something like ext2 fs fail (loopback).

I have no idea what effect this has on the system.

Again, many thanks for all your help, tempestuous.

Regards
IK

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