Linux on a Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook E7110

Author Del-Grande Diego
Contact diego@del-grande.ch

Version 1.1 - 15-09-04
- update to kernel 2.6 series
- scripts and config-files added
- firewire and bluetooth is working now

Version 1.0 - 26-08-03
- Initial revision

This howto should be a help for everyone who decide to use linux on the Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook E7110. The best distribution (at least for me) is Gentoo Linux (http://www.gentoo.org). Nothing can be better than a completely optimized self compiled system, isn't it?

1. Config files and scripts

Preliminary I offer you the most common config files and useful scripts for the E7110. Have a look at it. It might be helpful. If you were short on time, you can download this tarball.

• cat /etc/X11/XF86Config
• cat /etc/X11/XF86Config-TV
• cat /etc/fstab
• cat /etc/make.conf
• cat /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6
• lsmod
• cat /boot/kernel-2.6.8.1-1.conf
• cat /root/scripts/cisco-aironet-350

2. Specifications and overview

My Lifebook comes with the following configuration:

Legend:
- yes (works without problems)
- per (should work, either I had no time to set this up or I haven't got any devices to test these features)
- no  (no idea how this works)

3. IDE Speed

To speed up your hard-disc and use the DMA mode enter the following commands as root

# hdparm -d1 /dev/hdX
# hdparm -d1 -A1 -m16 -u1 -a64 /dev/hdX

If you d'like to force Ultra-DMA, use the following command. But use it with care, this can mess up your drive.

# hdparm -X66 /dev/hdX

You have to set these settings every time you boot, so you should run this command automatically at boot time.

4. Combo Drive

This combo drive works excellent. It is located at /dev/hdc, the secondary master port.

4.1. DVD Reading

Compile mplayer with DVD-read support (be sure you have libdvd installed) and enjoy. XINE worked better for me (only in the dvd-mode), because I lost in mplayer the ability to seek, stop, play etc. if i'm watching a movie. In XINE, all features worked well.

4.2. CD-R Burning

To access your CD-R drive with cdrecord you have to enable scsi-ide emulation. For this you should have compiled the SCSI-Emulation and SCSI-CDROM modules (refer to my kernel-2.6.8.1-1.conf). Afterwards you have to edit lilo.conf and add

option hdc=ide-scsi

to your file. Check with

# cdrecord -scanbus

if the cdrom is emulated correctly. It should be emulated at device 0,0,0.

5. Grafic Controller

I'm using XFree86 Version 4.3.x and it works perfectly. If you d'like to have 3d-hardware support do not use the kernel modules for drm that are shipped with the kernel 2.4.20. Use either the newer and better modules from the dri project (http://dri.sourceforge.net) or if you running a kernel 2.6 the modules shipped with. Compile them after you have successful compiled your kernel without drm modules for the radeon (or with if you are going to build a 2.6 kernel). After compiling the new dri modules autoload the module radeon.o before you start X. For a working configuration of XFree86 have a look at my XF86Config File.

6. External tv-out

To get this working you have to install atitvout (http://www.stud.uni-hamburg.de/users/lennart/projects/atitvout/). If you have installed this tool successfully be sure you have a resolution <= 800x600 Connect now your notebook to the TV. On the Lifebook E7110 you have a special key for the tv (FN+TV). Press it. If the TV does flicker, your TV-Out does work. Use now the command

# atitvout -f t

to enable your TV-Out. Nice, wouldn't be? To switch back to the lcd mode use

# atitvout -f l

That's all! It works nicely with XFree 4.2.x. If you have XFree 4.3.0 it doesn't work if you use the radeon.o kernel module. I have dicribed this problem in the Gentoo Forums (http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=58311). To get the TV-Out work in XFree 4.3.0 use a separate XF86Config file (see my XF86Config-TV). There you should use the vesa driver instead of the radeon.o.