Running Linux on the Compaq Armada series

This site will give you a short overview on how setting up Linux on the Compaq Armada notebook. I'm running Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 (potato), everything did work fine expecting the IRDA part together with my Ericsson R320S cellular. Finally, I also fixed the IRDA problems.
 

Base System Setup

Debian base images (disk) from ftp.debian.org downloaded and installed, configured partitions as following:

    Name        Flags      Part Type  FS Type          [Label]        Size (MB)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    hda1                    Primary   Compaq diagnostics                  15.49
    hda2        Boot        Primary   Linux ext2                        5302.89
    hda3                    Primary   Linux swap                          85.16

Please note: It makes no sense configuring big partitions in size like example above, in my case I need it for big file transfer reasons. After the base operating system setup, I installed all other components via dselect/apt from the local debian mirror here in switzerland, but before, I had to configure the pcmcia modules, see below.
 

PCMCIA Setup

If you have a pcmcia network card, you have to compile the operating system with module and basically TCP/IP support. Download the newest pcmcia card services kernel modules from David Hinds at http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net. Untar the sources in /usr/src and run make config, make all and make install. Please read the PCMCIA-HOWTO inside the card services disitribution. I'm using card services 3.1.23 with kernel 2.2. patchlevel 16.
 

Graphics subsystem and X11

On every box I installed Linux, I prefer a light and efficient desktop environment (similar to CDE), so I prefer the XFCE desktop environment together with the fvwm window manager, here is a screenshot from my Sun Sparc running xfce/fvwm. The Chips&Technologies 65555 graphics adapter is running well in 1024x768 true color mode. Setting up X11 on the Armada is simple. For debugging purposes, you can get my XF86Config but don't use it without any experience using X11! No warranty of any kind.
 

Sound subsystem

I finnaly got sound working properly on my system. The Armada 1700 has an ESS1688 soundchip. Configuring the Kernel as described below:

• <*> Sound card support
• <*> OSS sound modules
• <*> 100% Sound Blaster compatibles (SB16/32/64, ESS, Jazz16) support
• (220) I/O base for SB Check from manual of the card
• (5) Sound Blaster IRQ Check from manual of the card
• (1) Sound Blaster DMA 0, 1 or 3, (5) Sound Blaster 16 bit DMA (SB16, Jazz16, SMW)
• (330) MPU401 I/O base of SB16, Jazz16 and ES168
• <*> SoftOSS software wave table engine
• (32) Max # of concurrent voices for SoftOSS 4 to 32
• (22050) Sampling rate for SoftOSS 8000 to 48000
• (32) Max # of concurrent voices for SoftOSS 4 to 32
• <*> FM synthesizer (YM3812/OPL-3) support

Setting up an Internet connection using IRDA and wvdial

IrDA is an exciting way of communicating with remote devices. Because I use my mobile for business reasons, I need remote access to the company network for administering an RS/6000 environment. I'm using the Ericsson R320S (and sometimes the Nokia 6110) cellular. First I had some troubles setting up IRDA (no experience) but now it works fine. Most cellular phones use the IrCOMM standard, so after setting up irda, the infrared port can be configured like a serial device together with a modem. The CONFIG_IRTTY_SIR kernel option makes it possible to use Linux's own serial driver for all IRDA ports that are 16550 compatible, however, this limit the speed of the connection to 115200 bps but this is 12 times faster than a 9600bps GSM data connection over (IrCOMM). Standard Infrared (SIR) can handle up to 115'200 bit per seconds. Fast Infrared (FIR) can handle up to 4 Megabit per seconds.

Download the newest irda utils package from Dag Brattli at http://www.moblix.org . Untar the sources in /usr/src and run make clean, make all and make install. Please read the Linux Infrared HOWTO inside the irda disitribution. I'm using irda 0.9.13 with kernel 2.2. patchlevel 16.

This example just describes the installation on my system:

• Be sure the IRDA port is enabled in your BIOS (IRQ4, Port 0x03E8-0x03EF).
• Be sure that your cellular has enabled infrared.
• Be sure your operating system supports IRDA as MODULES (!).
• Installing the IRDA utils package.
• Adding the following lines to /etc/modules.conf:
  
  
  alias tty-ldisc-11 irtty
alias char-major-161 ircomm-tty



• Create a new device: mknod /dev/irnine c 161 0
• Serial port configuration: irattach /dev/ttyS2
• Test if your irda modules are loaded: lsmod
• Test if irda0 interface is configured: ifconfig
• Test connection to the cellular: irdaping /dev/ttyS2
• Configuring the resolver /etc/resolv.conf:
  
  
search yourlanname
nameserver 1st_dns_ip_address
nameserver 2nd_dns_ip_address



• Configure /etc/wvdial.conf e.g. like this:
  
  
  [Dialer Defaults]
  Phone = isp_phone_number
  Username = your_username
  Password = your_password
  New PPPD = yes
  Modem = /dev/irnine

$Id: armada.html,v 1.14 2020/11/21 11:13:30 gloor Exp $
Author: marc_dot_gloor_at_u_dot_nus_dot_edu