173 lines
8.1 KiB
HTML
173 lines
8.1 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN">
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<HTML>
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<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
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<TITLE>Linux PCMCIA HOWTO: General information and hardware requirements</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="PCMCIA-HOWTO-2.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="PCMCIA-HOWTO.html#toc1" REL=contents>
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<A HREF="PCMCIA-HOWTO-2.html">Next</A>
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Previous
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<A HREF="PCMCIA-HOWTO.html#toc1">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="s1">1. General information and hardware requirements</A></H2>
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<H2><A NAME="ss1.1">1.1 Introduction</A>
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</H2>
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<P>Card Services for Linux is a complete PCMCIA or
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``PC Card'' support package. It includes a set of loadable
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kernel modules that implement a version of the Card Services
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applications program interface, a set of client drivers for specific
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cards, and a card manager daemon that can respond to card insertion
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and removal events, loading and unloading drivers on demand. It
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supports ``hot swapping'' of most card types, so cards can be safely
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inserted and ejected at any time.
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<P>This software is a work in progress. It contains bugs, and should be
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used with caution. I'll do my best to fix problems that are reported
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to me, but if you don't tell me, I may never know. If you use this
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code, I hope you will send me your experiences, good or bad!
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<P>If you have any suggestions for how this document could be improved,
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please let me know (<CODE>
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<A HREF="mailto:dahinds@users.sourceforge.net">dahinds@users.sourceforge.net</A></CODE>).
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss1.2">1.2 Copyright notice and disclaimer</A>
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</H2>
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<P>Copyright (c) 1998-2002 David A. Hinds
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<P>This document may be reproduced or distributed in any form without my
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prior permission. Modified versions of this document, including
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translations into other languages, may be freely distributed, provided
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that they are clearly identified as such, and this copyright is
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included intact.
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<P>This document may be included in commercial distributions without my
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prior consent. While it is not required, I would like to be informed
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of such usage. If you intend to incorporate this document in a
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published work, please contact me to make sure you have the latest
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available version.
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<P>This document is provided ``AS IS'', with no express or implied
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warranties. Use the information in this document at your own risk.
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss1.3">1.3 What is the latest version, and where can I get it?</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The current major release of Card Services is version 3.2, and minor
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updates or bug fixes are numbered 3.2.1, 3.2.2, and so on.
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<P>Source code for the latest version is available on the web at
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<A HREF="http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net">http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net</A>, as
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<CODE>pcmcia-cs-3.2.?.tar.gz</CODE>. You may find more than one release
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number here. It is up to you to decide which version is more
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appropriate, but the <CODE>CHANGES</CODE> file will summarize the most
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important differences.
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<P>Pre-compiled drivers are included with current releases of essentially
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all major Linux distributions, including Slackware, Debian, Red Hat,
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Caldera, and SuSE, among others. So generally there is no need to
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compile the drivers from scratch.
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss1.4">1.4 What systems are supported?</A>
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</H2>
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<P>This package should run on almost Intel-based Linux-capable laptop.
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It also runs on some Alpha, PowerPC, ARM, and MIPS platforms. Most
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common socket controllers are supported. Card docks for desktop
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systems should work as long as they use a supported controller, and
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are plugged directly into the ISA or PCI bus, as opposed to
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SCSI-to-PCMCIA or IDE-to-PCMCIA adapters. The following controllers
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are recognized by the supplied socket drivers:
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>Cirrus Logic (now Basis Communications) PD6710, PD6720, PD6722,
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PD6729, PD6730, PD6832</LI>
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<LI>ENE Technology CB1211, CB1225, CB1410, CB1420</LI>
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<LI>Intel i82365sl B, C, and DF steps, 82092AA</LI>
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<LI>O2Micro OZ6729, OZ6730, OZ6812, OZ6832, OZ6833, OZ6836, OZ6860,
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OZ6922, OZ6933, OZ6912</LI>
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<LI>Omega Micro 82C365G, 82C092G</LI>
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<LI>Ricoh RF5C296, RF5C396, RL5C465, RL5C466, RL5C475, RL5C476,
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RL5C477, RL5C478</LI>
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<LI>SMC 34C90</LI>
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<LI>Texas Instruments PCI1031, PCI1130, PCI1131, PCI1210, PCI1211,
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PCI1220, PCI1221, PCI1225, PCI1250A, PCI1251A, PCI1251B, PCI1410,
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PCI1410A, PCI1420, PCI1450, PCI1451A, PCI1510, PCI1520, PCI1620,
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PCI4410, PCI4410A, PCI4450, PCI4451, PCI4510, PCI4520, PCI7410,
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PCI7510, PCI7610</LI>
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<LI>Toshiba ToPIC95, ToPIC97, ToPIC100 (experimental, incomplete)</LI>
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<LI>Vadem VG465, VG468, VG469</LI>
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<LI>VLSI Technologies 82C146, VCF94365</LI>
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<LI>VIA VT83C469</LI>
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<LI>Databook DB86082, DB86082A, DB86084, DB86084A, DB86072, DB86082B</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>Other controllers that are register compatible with the Intel i82365sl
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will generally work, as well.
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<P>Due to the rapid pace of technological change for laptop hardware, new
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controllers appear frequently, and there may be delays between when a
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new model appears on the market, and when driver support becomes
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available.
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<P>Support for Toshiba's ToPIC bridges was hindered for a long time by a
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lack of sufficiently detailed technical documentation. While some
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datasheets have been available, a few idiosyncracies of the ToPIC
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chips were not adequately explained. Toshiba has given some direct
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technical help on some of these issues, and I think the major ones
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have been resolved. However, with the introduction of kernel PCMCIA
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support in 2.4.* and later kernels, some new Toshiba bugs may have
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cropped up in the new socket driver code.
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<P>The Motorola 6AHC05GA controller used in some Hyundai laptops is not
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supported. The custom host controller in the HP Omnibook 600 is
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also unsupported.
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss1.5">1.5 What cards are supported?</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The current release includes drivers for a variety of ethernet cards,
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a driver for modem and serial port cards, several SCSI adapter
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drivers, a driver for ATA/IDE drive cards, and memory card drivers
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that should support most SRAM cards and some flash cards. The
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<CODE>SUPPORTED.CARDS</CODE> file included with each release of Card Services
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lists all cards that are known to work in at least one actual system.
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<P>The likelihood that a card not on the supported list will work depends
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on the type of card. Essentially all modems should work with the
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supplied driver. Some network cards may work if they are OEM versions
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of supported cards. Other types of IO cards (frame buffers, sound
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cards, etc) will not work until someone writes the appropriate
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drivers.
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss1.6">1.6 When will my favorite (unsupported) card become supported?</A>
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</H2>
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<P>Unfortunately, they usually don't pay me to write device drivers, so
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if you would like to have a driver for your favorite card, you are
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probably going to have to do at least some of the work. Ideally, I'd
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like to work towards a model like the Linux kernel, where I would be
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responsible mainly for the ``core'' driver code and other authors
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would contribute and maintain client drivers for specific cards. The
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<CODE>SUPPORTED.CARDS</CODE> file mentions some cards for which driver work is
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currently in progress. I will try to help where I can, but be warned
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that debugging kernel device drivers by email is not particularly
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effective.
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss1.7">1.7 Mailing lists and other information sources</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The Linux PCMCIA information page is at
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<A HREF="http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net">http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net</A>, and has bug tracking,
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support and feature requests, and a variety of PCMCIA related message
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forums. Users can request email notification of new responses to
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particular questions, or notification for all new messages in a given
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category. I hope that this will become a useful repository of
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information, for questions that go beyond the scope of the HOWTO.
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<P>The Linux Laptop Page at
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<A HREF="http://www.linux-on-laptops.com">http://www.linux-on-laptops.com</A>
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has links to a vast number of sites that have information about
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configuring specific types of laptops for Linux. There is also a
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searchable database of system configuration information, and pointers
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to a variety of laptop-related mailing lists.
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<P>
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<HR>
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<A HREF="PCMCIA-HOWTO-2.html">Next</A>
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Previous
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<A HREF="PCMCIA-HOWTO.html#toc1">Contents</A>
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</BODY>
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</HTML>
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