Custum Linux distro based on LFS for hp ze5300 Everything supported

[John Rosewell]

This is just a post to find out if anyone is interested in a custom Linux distro that I have compiled. It is based on Linux from Scratch documentation. I almost have everything working. The modem is the problem. If I have time I am going to try and write a driver for it.

What works so far....
Full openGL acceleration provided by Xi Graphics accelerated X

PCMCIA seems to be working but has not been tested yet

All usb ports work

Firewire works

All function keys are supported by the omnibook kernel module

Software suspend seems to work properly but has not been fully tested yet

Sound is no problem drivers provided by alsa

Battery status is functioning as well as ac status

ACPI works not yet fully tested

CDRW works

What does not work....
The modem

What has not been tested at the moment
but probably won't be a problem

TV-out

Externel monitor

Eventually I will provide an iso with simple install instructions, but only if there is an interest

Let me know what you think. If your interested drop me a line :-)

[John Rosewell]

I'm very tired. I will try to be clear here. I deserve about 1% of the credit for this. 110% goes to all the authors of the packages that are used. The LFS system is 100% optimized and compiled for the i686 arch. of the laptop. When I say all function keys work I mean all. Even the mute and vol. controls on the side of the laptop. My buddy says he has the ir working, but I have not confirmed this personally. When I am finished I will try and find a host for the image. Maybe the lfs website, or sourceforge? The system is quick. Return to Castle Wolfenstein runs like a dream. I will have to contact Xi Graphics to see if they will let me include their Acceletated-X demo. This is where the Full OpenGL support comes from. The only drawback is that if you do not have the license for Accelerated-X the X server will shutdown about every 25 min. It then has to be restarted. Other than that use is umlimited. The license is $125.00 for the LX package. I think, but don't quote me on that. All touch keys function and can be made to launch progs with the hotkeys package. I am going to try to make this an automated install from a cdrom. If I can't do it the install will still be easy and straight forward. It just won't be automated :-( Questions? Feel free to post back. I am watching this thread and will check my mail for responses a few times every day.

[Steven E. Protter]

I know a number of people that have had no end of troubles with Linux on laptops.

There are hundreds of posts in this forum on that very topic.

If the distribution were flexible and had support for the various specialized hardware that laptops use, this would be of keen interest to many in the forum(forgive me for speaking on your behalf).

A lot of the issues posted however are modem related, and people are strange, they want everything to work.

SEP

[Bruce Copeland]

You might also want to look at the following site for an alternative to the Xi Graphics:

http://bugs.xfree86.org/show_bug.cgi?id=314

Quite a number of us now have 3D acceleration working satisfactorily on RadeonIGP hardware. It relies on the 4.3.99.9 cvs release of XFree86, but it seems to be stable and reliable once configured appropriately. (I currently use it on an HP ze4100 notebook for production work.)

Bruce