Re: Linux on the 755CD

[pepersb@cuug.ab.ca (Brad Pepers)]

> -- [ From: Joe Burns * EMC.Ver #2.3 ] --
> 
> Hello!  
> Are there any 755CD users on the list running Linux?

You bet!  I have a 755CD, 24Mb RAM, 810Mb HD.  I use PCMCIA ethernet
and modem cards with my machine too.  I'm running Caldera but used
to run Slackware.  Here is some info on Linux on a 755CD:

1. The i82365 PCMCIA controller likes to choose interrupt 12.  This
is the same as used by the PS/2 type mouse in our Thinkpads.  The
mouse driver doesn't reserve the interrupt until it is used so the
PCMCIA stuff gets it first and no mouse!  The fix is to add an
option to the PCMCIA startup stuff (usually in /etc/rc.d/rc.pcmcia)
that gives "irq_mask=0xceb8".  This disallows irq 12 for the PCMCIA
so it is free for the mouse.  You may need to add an "exclude irq 12"
line to your PCMCIA config file as well just to be sure the irq isn't
given away to a PCMCIA device.

2. If you try really using iso9660 cds you will find that the ide-cd
driver in 1.2.x Linux has a bug that screws up reading the data.
If you go into a directory with many files and do an ls you may only
see some of the files.  Do another ls and there will be more.  The
fix is to grab the Linux 1.3.1 sources and copy over the one program
from drivers/block/ide-cd.c.  This is just one revision higher than
the one in the 1.2.x kernels and it fixes the problem.

3. If you boot into DOS first, do the "MWGAMES ON CD", and then load
linux using loadlin - the Soundblaster sound works in Linux as well
as listening to audio CDs.  The soundblaster must be compiled into
your kernel and I boot with the lilo options "ro hdc=cdrom sound=
0x222051,0x138800".  I had to add some "exclude irq 5" types lines
to my PCMCIA config file to keep them free for the sound stuff but
now it works great!

Thats all I can think of.  Any other problems just give me a msg and
I've probably hit it before and can help you!

> Thanks,
> Joe Burns
> jburns@internetMCI.com

+----------------------------Ren & Stimpy--------------------------------+
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+------------------ Brad Pepers -- pepersb@cuug.ab.ca -------------------+