www.immv.es - Manuel Morán Vaquero

Linux on a Toshiba Satellite A200

This is my guide on how to install GNU/Linux on a Toshiba A200. My computer is an A200-12x, but this guide might work for most of the A200 series and maybe some of the P200. Use at your own risk, you have been warned! If something goes wrong, don't complain to me! :)

The default partition layout is very convenient, as I used the empty Vista partition to install Linux, so I get 100 GB for each operating system.

This is based on Fedora 7, which I recommend for being bleeding-edge as well as fully stable

Need a Fedora 7 installation guide with all plugin-installation and stuff? These two guides are my favourite: Fedora 7 tips and tricks and Personal Fedora 7 Installation guide

What works and what doesn't

This is a table which depicts which components work out-of-the box after a fresh install of Fedora 7, what needs easy work, and stuff that I haven't tested yet.

Processor	OK	Dynamic frequency switching can be seen on power applet
Screen	OK	Firstboot sequence is a bit blurry, but understandable
CD-DVD	OK
Graphics	OK	Nvidia drivers available for great beryl! (See below)
USB	OK	See below for installation instructions
Ethernet	OK
Hibernate	OK	Works after you install the updates and reboot
Suspend	EASY	See below for installation instructions
Wireless	EASY	See below for installation instructions
Sound	EASY	See below for installation instructions
56k modem	Not tested
Firewire	Not tested
SD Card Reader	Not tested
PCMCIA	Not tested
Bluetooth	Not tested
Webcam	EASY	Supported by the UVC project

How to solve the issues above

UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!

First of all, make sure your system is fully updated via the pup utility

SOUND

Edit /etc/modprobe.conf and change the two lines stating:

options snd-card-0 index=0
options snd-hda-intel index=0

to this

options snd-card-0 index=0 model=3stack
options snd-hda-intel index=0 model=3stack

And reboot

If you want your volume button to work, you will have to execute these two commands, as your local user:

xmodmap -e 'keycode 176 = XF86AudioRaiseVolume'
xmodmap -e 'keycode 174 = XF86AudioLowerVolume'

And put them into .kde/Autostart as a script if you want them to be executed every time you log in. GNOME users have the possibility of configuring it through gnome-keybinding-properties

Wireless

Users of any A200 will get wifi working without doing any extra things. If you own a laptop using the new 4965agn driver (such as A200-12x) then you should copy this file to /lib/firmware. If you don't like to download this file from my web page, you can download it from Intel Linux Wireless official web page clicking on "latest iwl4965 ucode".

Make sure you have updated your system before next step!! Now reboot and you will have your interface working.

Now go to system-config-services and start NetworkManager and NetworkManagerDispatcher (remember to tick them if you want the services to autostart each reboot)

Then, you can use the command nm-applet as the user, and connect to your wifi.

You might as well want to disable the activation of wlan0 at system startup (to avoid long startup times). You can do this by editing the wlan0 device properties in the utility system-config-network

NVIDIA accelerated drivers

If you want the great Beryl manager in your A200, it is very easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Install the livna repository by clicking here
2. Go to the command line and get root (by using the command su - and typing the root password)
3. Type the command yum -y install kmod-nvidia beryl
   
4. Type the command livna-config-display
5. Just click OK
6. Reboot

When entering graphical mode, your display will flash the nvidia logo (which means the driver is working)

To use beryl manager, just click on Beryl Manager on start menu or execute beryl-manager on the command line

Be careful not to use livna repositories mixed with freshrpm and others. Either one or another, but never both! You've been warned! :)

Hibernate

Hibernate will work after you update and reboot the new kernel (you should have at least kernel 2.6.22 after you update)

Suspend

Suspend only works for me if I use the NVIDIA accelerated drivers (installation see above)

Webcam

To get your Chicony USB webcam to work, try this link

Contact me

For any new hints, configurations, or things that don't work, contact me here

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