Linux drivers for Omnibook 6000 ?

[Jeroen_D]

Hello,

I have recently installed RedHat 6.2 on my Omnibook, but I do not have the right network drivers. The sound card is detected but no driver is available. On a site where I could find more info on this Omnibook 6000 I've learnt that there is a driver for the sound card but it has to be bought from ESS. Kernel 2.2.17 is supposed to support the 3Com card but there are modules around so that a kernel 2.2.x can support it (where ?).

Is there a linux-driver library available ?
The videocard is no problem, but NIC and sound are.

Tnx in advance,
Jeroen

[RikTytgat]

Hi,

Check out http://www.math.psu.edu/dna/omnibook6000-linux.html for information on running linux on laptops.

Bye,
Rik.

[Jeroen_D]

That was the site of which I did not have the URL at the time of the posting (it is one of my favorites on another PC)

I reread it and found a module driver on another site. I will try that, so tnx.

Other question remains open and can probably only get answered by HP and that is the sound card driver. It was on that page that I saw that a time limited version could be downloaded from ESS and if you want the full version you have to buy it. HP does not have the license by any chance ? Not possible to download it via HP ?

(In any case I will try that time limited version cause I wonder how they made a driver time limited)

[albertini]

Hi,

I plan to buy a Omnibook 6000 too and install Linux. Globally, is it a good idea or would you recommand me to install a dual partition Linux / Windows ?

Did you solve your problem with your sound card driver ? Had you other problems using Linux RedHat with your Omnibook 6000 ?

If you like we stay in contact, my email is JBAlbertini@alditech.com

Good luck !

Thanks.

Jean-Baptiste Albertini

[Jeroen_D]

I have installed Windows2000 Professional and Linux on my portable.
Using the info on that previous link, I was able to use my NIC and Sound Card. I have no problems with the videocard either.

About the sound card : it is a time stamped version. You have to type soundon to activate it, but after a few hours the driver stops. You then have to type soundoff, soundon to re-enable it. However the amount of time you can use the driver will have decreased by 20 minutes. After a while you will no longer be able to use the driver. (That was what I read from the README)

So, sound works (played mp3's already) but time stamped, unless you buy the driver.
HP ? No license by any chance ?

I think this is an answer to all those who think about installing Linux on the Omnibook 6000. RedHat 6.2 is running just fine on it and I will soon install/upgrade to RedHat 7.0 which, as I've read has even better support for the apmd calls. It already works fine though. I have a monitor for the battery under linux which works just fine.

Stay in contact ? Well, why not : jeroen.demets@*NOSPAM*savaco.com

Of course remove the nospam.

[Marc Heinrich]

I am using the lastest
alsa version 0.5.10 with my
suse 6.4 release. It is available from : http://www.alsa-project.org

no problems found (yet) on the Omnibook 6000.

Bye,
Marc

[Steve Whitaker]

Hello,

I have Linux on an Omnibook 6000, and there were only three hic-ups to worry about.

The NIC is the 3com "Vortex-boomerang" driver. You will need to recompile the kernel using the make xconfig command, and you will see this under the 3com drivers.

The sound will require the OSS/Linux driver. It is 20 bucks, but it is a nice little driver and easy to setup. The driver you will need is for the Maestro 3. To get MIDI to work, you will need to install an instrument set, but I have yet to find a decent set. Plus, MIDI programming is *not* one of linux' strong points. ;)

Finally, you will need to purchase a PCMCIA modem. The modem that comes with the 6000 is a WinModem (software-driven DSP modem) that will not work under Linux. People are trying to get drivers for this modem, but 3com is less than amicable about releasing a driver (for whatever reason).

Otherwise, everything seems to work pretty good right out of the box. If you do not have either the 2.2.17 or 2.2.18 kernel, you will need this for the NIC. You can download the kernel from ftp.kernel.org.

Hope this helps!