Install Debian GNU/Linux on an Acer Aspire 3003 WLMI Laptop

What works?

Almost everything works, but after a lot of time configuring it. I didn't get suspend-to-RAM to work, and did not test wifi, bluetooth, the internal modem and the DVD burner (but cd writting works).

No kernel recompilation, no non-free modules !

Installation

You have to pass vga=771 to the bootloader, as explained in the help message, to get a correct display during the installation.

X.org

See this page, or my /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

Touchpad

aptitude install xfree86-driver-synaptics qsynaptics

Then qsynaptics (or vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf) to configure it.

Battery indicator

It doesn't work with a kernel < 2.16 because of a bug in the DSDT. Works fine with 2.6.16 (in unstable only as I write this).

Sleep

Suspend-to-RAM doesn't work for me. Well, it suspends, but does not recover :-(

aptitude install hibernate

and see my /etc/hibernate/hibernate.conf to suspend-to-disk one "hibernate" away

I use UseSysfsPowerState since ACPI and Suspend2 are not available in my Debian kernel.

CPU frequency scaling

You need the kernel module powernow-k8 and for example cpufreq_ondemand to have this work. Use modprobe powernow-k8 and/or add them to /etc/modules like this:

# /etc/modules: kernel modules to load at boot time.
#
# This file contains the names of kernel modules that should be loaded
# at boot time, one per line. Lines beginning with "#" are ignored.

ide-cd
ide-disk
ide-generic
psmouse
powernow-k8
cpufreq_ondemand

Then install cpufrequtils if not already done, and edit /etc/default/cpufrequtils to this for example:

ENABLE="true"
GOVERNOR="ondemand"
MAX_SPEED=0
MIN_SPEED=0

Alternatively, you can use one of cpufreqd or cpudyn

Screen projection

Overhead projector worked for me, but you have to change the resolution. Use xrandr for example.

Links

Matthieu MOY
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Last updated: March 2006.

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