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  • From: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • To: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [BL] laptop sound
  • Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:12:44 +0000 (UTC)

For Toshiba laptops, to enter CMOS, press ESC, get a message to check system and hit F1, which I did.

I found numerous websites listing SETUP keys: DEL F1 F2 F3 F10 INS TAB CTRL-ESC, or CTRL-ALT plus S Enter or ESC, or hit Reset 2X. One model uses Ctrl-Alt-F11.

I found a line for Sound IO/IRQ/DMA and it was set to 240 not 220. I changed this to 220 and sound now installs without complaints.

I have the sound devices but need to add some sound players and sounds and I can then take this laptop to the library with my Aero340 wireless card and headphones and listen to streaming audio while downloading mplayer source code. (I wrote David Moberg asking if he could compile the latest version against uclibc for us - his is 3 years old. Or teach me how).
Or listen to library CDs with the built-in CD drive. (It comes with a plug-in external floppy drive to make it lighter to carry around).

It seems to display better at 800x600 than 640x480 (fills the screen).
There is an option to 'stretch' the text, meaning you get nice looking text full size. My Gateway 200MHz gives a choice of scrawny stretched or small unstretched text, two Compaq Armadas have no choice and only use 3/4 of the screen for nice-looking text, and the Compaq Presario offers only the stretched scrawny text. I highly recommend this model for linux.

SVGA server is working with the Chips and Technology 6550 video using Steven's XF86Config but with

HorizSync 31.5 37.9
VertRefresh 50 60

Modeline 640x480 -- change the last four numbers to 480 491 493 525 Modeline 800x600 -- change the 36 to 35

I modified the modelines (probably from someone else's posting) - see my XF86Config.laptops file posted at http://keesan.freeshell.org/blfiles.htm (which also works with the newer Toshiba 335CDS, a 133MHz Hitachi, and a Gateway with Neomagic NM2160, Thinkpads, probably others from 1996-1998). Substitute for XF86Config in /etc and use X_SVGA server. 2MB video RAM.

Nice small laptop because you can leave floppy drive at home (external).
(The 335CDS lets you switch between FD and CD but you can't have both, and it does not work with my Orinoco wireless cards if I recall correctly).
Comes with one speaker, speaker out, VOL dial, mike and line-in.

CMOS lets you set hard drive and display power-down time, and switch from color to MONO. (Why?). 1996.

This list is great! Thanks!

Sindi Keesan

On Wed, 24 Sep 2008, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

BL2 on a Toshiba Satellite 420CDT, 100MHz, 24MB RAM.
Custom 2.2.16 kernel with sound support as modules.

Chips and Technology video works at 800x600 with X_SVGA.
svgalib works with the default drive (with libvga.config set to chipset
VGA - it works in full color, otherwise won't display jpegs).

It should also allow framebuffer text at 800x600. Not tested yet. My framebuffer kernels are larger.

Audio chip is said to be ESS688, which is fully sb compatible.
It appears to be ISA not PCI, since after I
insmod soundcore
insmod soundlow (2.2.16 kernel)
insmod sound
insmod uart401
insmod opl3 io=0x388 [for FM synthesis of midi sounds]
insmod sb

I am told io irq and dma are obligatory (ISA not PCI sound chip)
Web research suggests irq 10.

You can change that in BIOS to 5 for use with DOS sound.

insmod sb io=0x220 irq=10 dma=1

Would have worked with io=0x240.

sb: dsp reset failed
sb: init_module: sb: Device or resource busy.

This suggests I have the wrong module (not an sb-compatible).
(One BL newbie reported these same error messages to linuxquestions and
turned out to have a non-sb sound chip onboard).

Nope, wrong io.

Sindi




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