mirror of https://github.com/tLDP/LDP
156 lines
6.8 KiB
Plaintext
156 lines
6.8 KiB
Plaintext
<!doctype linuxdoc system>
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<article>
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<title>Linux on Sony VAIO mini-HOWTO
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<author>Hideki Saito <tt/hideki@chatlink.com/
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<date>v1.1, 16 September 1998
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<abstract>
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This document explains installation of Linux on Sony VAIO computers.
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</abstract>
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<toc>
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<sect>Introduction
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<sect1>Notes
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<p>
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This document first appeared in "Hideki Saito's Homepage" at
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<tscreen><verb>http://ryoohki.anime.net/~hideki/</verb></tscreen>.
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This version of HOWTO is rewritten for updated information. HTML version
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is found in http://ryoohki.anime.net/~hideki/VAIO+Linux.html. You may
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distribute this document freely. When you publish it, please drop me a
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note; I just want know how this documents are used :)
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<sect1>Notes about different systems
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<p>
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I've recently received some mail stating that some of contents in this
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document is incorrect. It is because some reason, hardware installed on
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more recent systems are slightly different than older systems. I will
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start covering those information. But since of course, I don't have every
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system in here, I would like to ask Sony VAIO owners to tell me more
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information about it. This would help me a lot if you can put [VAIO
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Information] in the beginning of the subject, so I can take extra
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attention to it. Also, please include model number of the system. If it is
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notebook, please include that information in a content, or in a subject. I
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would like to apologize to ones that got confused by this document.
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(Addition: 12/29/98)
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<sect1>Update History
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<p>
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12/29/98 Added several updates
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<sect1>Disclaimer
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<p>
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Also most of procedures in this document is tested, I will
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take no responsibilities for any problem caused by using any information
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in this document. As like in GPL, please try anything in your own risk. I
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am not native English writer, and you will find many mistakes in this
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document. Please excuse me on those. Any corrections and clarifications
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are welcome; please send those to hideki@chatlink.com.
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<sect1>What this document all about?
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<p>
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In this HOWTO, I will go over how to use Linux under Sony VAIO
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computers. The VAIO computers are great, but was not very friendly to
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Linux. But this isn't mean that you cannot use it, actually you can!
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Throughout this document, I will assume that you own either PCV 70 or 90.
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Since almost all VAIO models are similar in their architecture (although
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newer ones have larger disks, updated video card, more RAM, etc), many of
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contents in this document should apply to all VAIO models.
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<sect>Hardware compatibilities issue
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<p>
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<sect1>Hardware that not compatible with Linux
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<p>
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Most of hardwares installed in the system are compatible under
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Linux. However there are exceptions of modem, USB Port and MPEG decoder.
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Please be aware that you cannot use modem, which should be problem for
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some of you. Modems installed in the VAIO is called DSVD modem, which is
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the variant of the "Winmodem."
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(Addition: 12/28/98)
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Newer model seems to have normal modem instead of Winmodem.
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<sect1>Partially compatible hardwares
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<p>
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The soundcard and the Video card installed are partially compatible.
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<sect2>Soundcard
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<p>
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Soundcard is compatible under Linux with supports of Microsoft Sound
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System + Sound Blaster, if you want to use MIDI under Linux, you need to
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compromise your sound input capabilities. For this case, cancel out the
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Sound Blaster. If you need MIDI, and sound input, you may want consider
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buying OSS/Linux, which you can use all of its capabilities under Linux.
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The soundcard equipped with the VAIO is Yamaha OPL3SA, and OSS/Linux has
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full support to it. It seems like that the wavetable synthesis mentioned
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in the specification is really the soft synthesizer, so you are not
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missing hardware capabilities on it. As the time I am writing this, there
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is the OSS/Free 3.8, which supports
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this soundcard under Yamaha OPL3-SA1 audio controller. Please note that
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this is not initially installed on 2.0.x. You will need to download from
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OSS site. 2.1.x comes with updated version of OSS/Free, but I haven't
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tested compatibility with it. If you see that it is working with this
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soundcard, please let me know.
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<sect2>Video Card
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<p>Videocard is partially supported under Linux. You will have no
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problem
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using it under Linux console mode. If you wish to use it under X Window,
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get 3.3.1 or later XFree86, which has support to ATI Rage. Other
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commercial X Window system should support this, too. However, 3D
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acceleration of this video card will not work under Linux, as there is no
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driver for this. (Update 12/29/98) For model number 505, ALSA drivers on
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XFree86 V3.3.3 or later is compatible.
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<sect>How to install Linux?
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<p>
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Installing Linux on the system will not be big problem. However,
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you
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need to aware that initially, there are one non-DOS partition on the
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system. I have no idea what that partition is. It is 400MB partition,
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and it is visible by running fdisk. I simply deleted this partition to
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allocate it for Linux. And I don't have any problem, so probably it must
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be something to do with software installation. (Update 12/29/98) This
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400MB partition is only on older models, it really supporsed to be another
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400MB DOS partition, but Sony made mistake on it. Please refer to other
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instruction for general installation of Linux. The VAIO has nice support
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that you can boot directly from CD-ROM, if CD-ROM is bootable. Since the BIOS
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supports it, it is what you can use in some distribution. This is nice,
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because you can perform floppyless installation. Particularly, Redhat
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could boot from CD-ROM. Other distribution like SUSE also claims that it
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can boot from CD-ROM. But as I have not checked those yet, I cannot be
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sure on that. If that this way of booting does not work with yours, try
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checking boot option in the BIOS. Kernel configuration shouldn't be big
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problem except for the part to setup soundcard. But as I covered that
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issue earlier, I will not talk about it in this section. The VAIO
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computer is equipped with APM BIOS, or Advanced Power Management BIOS, I
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personally don't recommend that you enable support to it under Linux. I
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had problem when I enabled it. (Update 12/29/98) I have received report
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that with 505, CD-ROM install is difficult and network install is much
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easier.
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<sect>After all...
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<p>
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Everything went well? I hope it did. Now your Sony VAIO computer
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is one of the best Linux workstation. If you have any problem, I may have
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answer to your questions. Please just send those to hideki@chatlink.com
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anytime. I will try to answer those as soon as possible.
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<sect>Little Legal notes
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<p>
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VAIO is the trademark of Sony.
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All other trademark appeared in this documents are belonged to their
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respective holders.
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The copyright of this document is reserved by Hideki Saito.
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<sect>Special thanks
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<p>
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I would like to thank to following people, not in any particular order:
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Daniel Nunes. If you feel that your name should be on this section, please
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let me know by mail. (recentlly I lost big portion of my mail spool by
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accident, so it maybe the case)
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</article>
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