Debian Linux on Dell Inspiron 500m

disclaimer:

Of course, everything here I've done by stumbling around the web and looking at other people's pages, but use this info at your own risk. Some of the stuff listed here can break your computer in horrible and nasty ways. If you don't know what something does, don't use it! A lot of really good info is also available for the 600m model (try linux-on-laptops) which is pretty close to the 500m. Another brilliant place is the dell forums, where a lot of up-to-the-minute info is available. Try the software-linux-portable(non dell installed) board.

UPDATE [CT - 19Feb04]

In yet another stunning display of obstructionism towards linux users on dells part, they killed off the above-mentioned linux laptop message board, without any warning. A general linux board still remains, but the problems of laptop installs can be rather specialised. Another example of stellar dell tech support - they won't even facilitate users helping each other!

UPDATES

review:

A nice laptop. My biggest gripe for linux applications is the totally shithouse Dell attitude towards linux users. The best you'll get from dell is mindless tech support chanting the dell mantra "We don't support linux". A prime example of this is the lack of a BIOS update enabling proper functioning of the graphics chipset, despite this being released by Intel.

Since I've had good experiences with it before, I went for a debian system. apt-get(8) rocks! And now there is synaptic(8), a GUI front end to apt-get. I decided that I'd go with an xfs filesystem, because I've had a bit of experience with SGI stuff before and their software is usually pretty decent. I wanted a journaling FS that I could trust and the lure of future ACLs was nice. I used this XFS debian ISO cd to install. This gives XFS support from install-time. It also allows emergency booting if you screw up getting the XFS partitions mounted first time. It's nasty, but it will boot a kernel, you can drop from the installer into a shell and manually mount things from there. It save my butt a couple of times!

cpu:

    Intel Pentium M processor at 1.3 GHz
    On-die 1 MB L2 cache
    32 KB Internal L1 Cache
    400 MHz external BUS frequency
    Intel 855GM chipset

General Info:

Some general links for info on centrino and/or linux stuff. This is just a direct cut from my mozilla bookmarks.

Linux on Centrino Laptops

Intel centrino site

Controlling ACPI Centrino features via software in Linux

ACPI4Linux

Linux on Laptops

Intel 855GM Chipset

Linux USB

Linux Kernel Notes - Gary J. Murakami

David Dawes 845/855GM Driver Page for XFree86

Christian Zietz's patch for the 855GM BIOS memory issue.

pcmcia:Untested

Make sure to remove port 0x800-0x8ff from include in you /etc/pcmcia/config.opts and to have yenta_socket module built, installed and used (set in /etc/default/pcmcia) instead of i82365. Thanks to Mark Holbrook for this info. See here.

ethernet: Working

The inbuilt 100Mb/s ethernet card worked out of the box. I used the intel e100 driver. Build it as a module and insert it at boot-time. I used the debian dhcp3 package to connect to my dhcp network at work. This does NOT require any downloads from intel. I screwed up and tried to use something from them at first - WRONG. It's in the kernel sources - choose the intel e100 module. Works for 2.6.3 too.

wireless: Sort of Working

The Intel Pro Wireless 2100 works with the driverloader software from linuxant. It also (apparently) works with ndiswrapper. I tested the linuxant stuff and had no dramas, but don't use it enough to pay $USD20 for it. I haven't used the ndiswrapper, but have heard positive things from others about it working. Neither of these drivers support all the advanced features on the Windows driver. Intel has a driver in the works, but they said that almost 12 months ago too. I won't hold my breath

modem: Working

Internal 56K capable V.92 Fax modem - Intel based. As others have noted, this modem (see lspci output) works with the pctel module. Find the driver here. Note especially this comment. Also useful is the sourceforge pctel site.

Intel 855GM Integrated Graphics/XFree86 4.3.0: Working

Aha, herein lies my biggest gripe with Dell. You'll need a couple of things. For DRI/DRM (hardware accel) support, you MUST have XFree86 4.3.0 or greater and kernel 2.4.19 or greater (I suggest 2.4.21). The i810 modules does the main graphics stuff, with the i830 giving DRI hardware acceleration. The 855GM has NO graphics memory and uses some of the system memory instead. Unfortunately, the BIOS only pre-allocates 892KB at boot-time and has no function for the module to inform the BIOS that more has been reserved (as of BIOS revision A05). As a result, the best you'll get out of the box is 800x600@8bpp. A pretty shithouse option.

There is hope though. Christian Zietz wrote patch which screws with the BIOS and changes the registers which tell the system how much memory is allocated. Once this is applied, the BIOS will then programme 1280x1024@16/24bpp. With the i830 module, you'll also get DRI support and hardware rendering (note: this sometimes causes hangs - fixed in the current XFree86 CVS code).

So, to get things happening, you need to: Install kernel 2.4.21, compiling the i810, i830 and agpgart modules. Install XFree86 4.3.0 install the 855patch Use XFree86 4.3+

If you're like me and you got the 14.1" SXGA+ screen, you will still not be able to get 1400x1050, because the i810 uses the BIOS to programme it's video modes. Since that mode isn't listed in the BIOS (until Dell releases a BIOS that includes the new Intel update), we're stuck at 1280x1024.

A final note. I and other users have noticed that the screen is unstable when X exits from 24bit mode. This goes away if you switch to 16bit mode. Of course, the 855patch code could possibly break your computer, so use it at your own risk.

My XF86Config might help. Maybe the XFree86.0.log will too. 

    cthom@wumpus:~$ glxinfo
    name of display: :0.0
    display: :0  screen: 0
    direct rendering: Yes
    server glx vendor string: SGI
    server glx version string: 1.2
    server glx extensions:
        GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_EXT_import_context
    client glx vendor string: SGI
    client glx version string: 1.2
    client glx extensions:
        GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_EXT_import_context
    GLX extensions:
        GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_EXT_import_context
    OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
    OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 852GM/855GM 20021115
    OpenGL version string: 1.2 Mesa 4.0.4
    OpenGL extensions:
        GL_ARB_imaging, GL_ARB_multitexture, GL_ARB_texture_env_add, 
        GL_ARB_texture_env_combine, GL_ARB_transpose_matrix, GL_EXT_abgr, 
        GL_EXT_bgra, GL_EXT_blend_color, GL_EXT_blend_func_separate, 
        GL_EXT_blend_minmax, GL_EXT_blend_subtract, GL_EXT_clip_volume_hint, 
        GL_EXT_convolution, GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array, GL_EXT_fog_coord, 
        GL_EXT_histogram, GL_EXT_packed_pixels, GL_EXT_polygon_offset, 
        GL_EXT_rescale_normal, GL_EXT_secondary_color, GL_EXT_texture3D, 
        GL_EXT_texture_env_add, GL_EXT_texture_env_combine, GL_EXT_texture_object, 
        GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias, GL_EXT_vertex_array, GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip, 
        GL_MESA_window_pos, GL_NV_texgen_reflection, GL_SGI_color_matrix, 
        GL_SGI_color_table
    glu version: 1.3
    glu extensions:
        GLU_EXT_nurbs_tessellator, GLU_EXT_object_space_tess

UPDATE [CT - 19Feb04]

sound: Working

Intel ICH4 82801DB chipset AC'97

The i810_audio module works well. To get esd running, I have a line in my /etc/modutils which specifies options i810_audio clocking=48000. Then I start esd with the -r 48000 flag. There's a note in the kernel src/drivers/sound/i810_audio.c file to this effect.

The console bell shits me to tears. I've had some success with aumix turning the volume for this down.

UPDATE [CT - 19Feb04]

DVD+RW: Working

I pretty much followed exactly the notes on the dell forum here. I'll reproduce them below. I also recall seeing people with problems with this drive, depending on the firmware, but since I've never burnt DVDs with it (only CDs - which have been fine btw), I don't know much about them. 
    Philips SDVD6004 notes
    
    Hello,
    
    I've spent the last few weeks fighting to get the DVD+RW drive (mentioned
    in the subject) to work on my Inspiron 5100. Here are a few notes for you,
    to keep you from making as many coasters as I did. I'm running SuSE 8.2,
    and won't go over the details of setting up the DVD drive under Linux (SuSE
    did this for me, BTW).
    
    This drive is a +R/RW drive, meaning DON'T try to burn DVD-R/RW. They won't
    work, and you will have wasted your money.
    
    To burn DVD+R/RWs, go straight to
    
    http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW
    
    and download the latest dvd+rw-tools. If you have kernel 2.4.20 or earlier,
    you have to patch the kernel.
    
    To burn a DVD, you must use Disk At Once (DAO) mode, which I never got
    working with dvdrecord. Instead, I'm using the programs from the site above
    as follows:
    
    dvd+rw-format -f /dev/sr0
    growisofs -Z /dev/sr0=/dvd.iso
    
    Now to read the DVD you just wrote, you have to run
    
    dvd+rw-booktype -dvd-rom-spec -media /dev/sr0
    
    Sound rediculous[sic]? Same here, but that's what Dell decided to ship with it's
    notebooks.
    
    Feel free to ask any questions. I hope to save someone some grief, time,
    and money.
    
    BTW, a great utility to use to make backups of your video DVDs is
    dvd2iso.pl, found at

UPDATE [CT - 19Feb04]

disk: Untouched

Need to enable DMA, but I just haven't got around to it yet.

serial: Untested

usb: Working

Working using usb-uhci (the correct module for the chipset), with the hid and mousedev modules. Since the 500m doesn't come with a psaux port for a mouse, I use a wheelie usb optical mouse. Works like a charm - see the XF86Config file for the lines to get the wheel working.

UPDATE [CT - 19Feb04]

infrared: Untested

s-video out: Untested

ACPI: Working

UPDATE [CT - 19Feb04]

i8kmon: Working

Use the i8k module and i8kutils package in debian testing. Haven't set up the buttons yet.

fn keys: Working

The i8kmon utility and kernel module lets me control certain things about my laptop. For instance, it lets you send commands to something like aumix using the dell volume keys. But more importantly, it monitors the CPU temp and controls the fan speed. I recall reading somewhere that the BIOS does a crap job of this, and I don't mind a bit of noise, so I like the fan to kick in at a fairly low temp (say 35degrees). The module does this for me. Debian users can just apt-get install i8kutils. Everyone else should get it here.

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Last modified: Thu Feb 19 18:11:23 EET 2004