Installation of a Debian Linux on a Sony Picturebook PCG-C1VE

This page describe the process of installatin a Linux Debian 3.0 Woody sur on a Sony PCG-C1VE Picturebook Laptop. Following the instructions described below you should end with a stable Linux machine with all the originally installed Picturebook functionalities.   Hardware needed :  - Sony PCG-C1VE (or PCG-C1Vx)  - a CDROM Drive Sony PCGA-CD51/A, the only one that can boot this machine  - 3 Debian 3.0 Woody CDs : http://www.debian.org  - One CD burner and a blank CD on another computer to transfer basic confifuration files and programs.    if possible  - change the harddrive (original 12Go) by a better/faster one, performance are greatly enhanced and original drive is not robust. Web site for it with plenty of explanation and pictures on how to do this  - Increase memory size of your unit to 256 Mb. Even if the specs are telling you 192 Mb is the max size, there are memory modules that can boost this to 256 Mb, found on Ebay Germany.     Download and burn on the CD the following config files : Kernel 2.4.17 Kernel 2.4.34 Patch console 128x30 for kernel 2.4.17 Patch console 128x30 for kernel 2.4.26 Config Kernel file for 2.4.34 : File "camera", config for modutils File modules File apmd_proxy File gpm.conf File XF86Config-4 for XFree  Result : Kernel 2.4.34 - the last kernel available today (01/2007) in the 2.4 branch Console in 128x30, full screen XFree accelerated, 1024x480 USB Port (USB key mass storage, USB mouse with roll, digital camera...) Firewire Port (DV Digicam, external harddrive support) MotionEye Camera (Mirror, video recording, snapshot) Jogdial (XFree, launcher, volume, brightness control) Memorystick Support (mass storage) Yamaha sound (microphone + speaker, under OSS) PCMCIA (Wireless, Netgear 54Mbs sous driver Atheros 9.2.1) APM PowerManagemente + Cruzoe Longrun Processor suppot and control + batterie management + brightness automatic control   The following installation described below needs around 2/3 heures of work. The installation strategy is pretty simple, we boot on the CD and install a basic system, then we transfer the confi file, patches, kernel and wifi drivers to have a network connected PCG-C1VE, that we can happily upgrade and increase functionnalities. Base System Installation Download Debian Woody 3.0r0 (3 CDs) Insert CD1 dans in the Sony CD51A drive (the only one that boot) During boot process, press F2 to execute the BIOS et restore default option (F9) and save+exit. If you played with BIOS before (like me) that should enable again external CD boot. During Lilo boot, do not run directly, put enter the following line : linux ide1=0x180,0x360 So the CDROM drive is correctly detected in /dev/hdc Choose the following installation parameters : (language selection ARE in french, please change to your need) fr - france france francais Keyboard azerty/fr-latin0 A swap partition of 512 Mo A Linux main partition (ext2) Mount it as root / To install the kernel, use the CDROM as source Do not configure any hardware driver now Configure host name Install system base using CDROM Choose the directory /instmnt/ proposed Make bootable and choose MBR (WARNING : use only if you have no other Operating System on the machine, choosing MBR may prevent you to boot back to windows) Do not create a booting floppy. Eject the CD and reboot This time, during Lilo boot, do NOT enter a specific line ide1=xxxxxxx, but just boot normally. One the boot sequence is over insert again the CD1 Timer is on GMT Choose your time zone (Europe / Paris) activate MD5 passwords activate shadow passwords Choose root password Create a user account DO NOT DEINSTALL PCMCIA No PPP on the system Insert CD 2 and run the scan Same with CD3 Finish the scans and DO NOT update from debian yet (you should habe no network in most cases). Run taskreln, select :      X window      Desktop environment      Laptop System      ALL the developpments package      French environment  Do not do a dselect, this is enough configuring yet :-)    Answer "Yes", and reinsert CD1 + execute  Do ok on kernel warning  Do Yes on mime handler  Choose local fr_FR@euro...  Choose default on Fr_FR  Do ok on tcpwrapper  Do YES on SSH2 only  ok  yes for keyhelper  no for sshd server  no for postscript printer  ok  A4 for paper size  ok for CVS, then create  NO for pserver  xdm for display manager  No for IrDA  NO for Freetype  auto for sound demon  NO for Xwrapper  NO for xFree configuration/debconf  ok on iminitel  choose francais (1) as default dictionnary (2x)  netenv disabled  option 5 for email  Answer OK to all remaining questions and log in    You should now have a kernel 2.2.20 (to confirm, enter :  uname -a    Install needed tools from CDROM to compile a new kernel :   apt-get install ncurses-dev apt-get install klaptopdaemon apt-get install mc Copy newer kernels from the burned CDR and all config files from the top of this page Insert CDR with files and mount : mount /dev/cdrom /cdrom then copy to hard drive, unzip and work with them Kernel 2.4.34 with patch "full width" console 128x30 1024x480 Follow the instructions on the dedicated section here One the kernel is patched correctlyn you can compile it :  make mrproper            //// so we have a fresh start  make menuconfig          //// configure in text mode For example you can use my own kernel config for 2.4.34 kernel CONFIG-KERNEL-VAIO-2.4.34 You absolutely need the following options to get the console in 128x30 : Console Drivers /     VGA Text console : YES     Video Mode Selection : YES     Frame Buffer Support : YES             ATI Mach64 display support : YES                 Mach64 CT/VT/GT/LT support : YES                 vaio C1VE 1024x480 LCD support : YES                 Mach 64 generic  LCD Monitor support : YES And the following line in lilo.conf vga=0x301 so it does call the first line mode of atyfb/vesa (normally 640x480) that we have now replaced by ... 1024x480 make dep                   //// dependancies check make bzImage             //// create a zipped kernel make modules            //// create modules make modules_install     //// install them  copy the bzImage createad from arch/i386/boot to /boot  edit the /etc/lilo.conf and  add a comment sign "#" in from on the line vga=normal  add a new line : image=/boot/bzImage label=kernel24 vga=0x301 read-only  run the command lilo to integrate lilo config change into the boot/mbr  reboot  choose kernel "kernel24"    You should now boot in 128x30 console full screen, under kernel 2.4.34 Connect the PCG-C1VE to internet with wireless You will need to install a PCMCIA if you need go for Wifi install the wireless tools , unzip, untar, make , make install  add the needed config parameter : echo /usr/local/lib >>/etc/ld.so.conf  and run the command : ldconfig    compile and load the module matching your wireless LAN card   Configure TCP/IP on this card (my cisco did created me a device ETH0 and my Netgear (Atheros) a device ATH0) ifconfig eth0 up iwconfig eth0 with the right parameters Exemple :  iwconfig eth0 essid "ACCESSPOINT" channel 6 key ABCDEF01234567890123456789)  ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.21  route add default gw 192.168.0.254           (my home gateway is .254 and not .1)    configurer the DNS resolution by editing /etc/resolv.conf and adding the lignes :  search  nameserver 212.27.53.252  nameserver 212.27.54.252  (these are the "free.fr" internet provider DNS)    once you are connected correctly, (test with ping www.yahoo.fr for exemple)    configu apt-get with new sources : apt-setup   now take a source HTTP close where you live    and run apt-get update  and then apt-get upgrade  and do yes to massively upgrade all packages of your système. Go get a coffee :-)    Once update done, you need to get all PCG-C1VE specific software :   apt-get install longrun  apt-get install motioneye  apt-get install spicctrl Sound Support  start OSS with modprobe ymfpci    Install a MP3 command line player :  apt-get install mpg123  download a sample MP3 somewhere and test it from command line  mpg123 FILENAME.mp3 To have mouse control both in console and under X11 For this, I have installed gpm  apt-get install gpm and configured the file /etc/gpm.conf in the following manner : device=/dev/psaux repeat_type=aux type=ps2 append='' sample_rate= I had them modified my XF86Config-4 Config file to point the mouse under /dev/misc/psaux    X Support copy the file XF86-Config in the /etc/X11 folder Start X : startx A graphic manager like blackbox is highly advised. Gnome has proven to be medium slow on this machine and KDE is VERY SLOW.  Video Camera  You need to create a node in the /dev : mknod /dev/sonypi c 10 63 mknod /dev/video0 c 81 0    and add the right parameters in a file you create, like /etc/modutils/camera : alias char-major-10 63 sonypi alias char-major-81 videodev alias char-major-81-0 meye options sonypi camera=1 minor=63 fnkeyinit=1 options meye gbuffers=2 video_nr=0        et run update-modules to reconfigure all this  then run modprobe sonypi modprobe videodev modprobe meye    test with spicctrl -b=0  to see if backlight goes down to minimum spicctrl -b=255 to set it back to maximum    Test under X11 the webcam with the command "motioneye -d" et check if you can see yourself in the screen :-)   Install PowerManagement support apt-get install apmd       (must run a massive update) apt-get install hdparm     Power management, longrun, harddrive performance et backlight control Edit the apmd start script in /etc/init.d/apmd to add the parameter -c 3 at startup with parameter -P, otherwise apmd will  only check battery status every ... 30 seconds (default value). Rename apm_proxy et copy my script apm_proxy given here. Il does manage backlight, longrun and harddrive parameters. Jogdial pour go get jogdial running, simply use the program sjog apt-get install sjog et kick it under X start by modifying the rootcommand under blackbox or ather windowmanager. Modify the file /etc/sjogrc to configure your preferred softwares.