Whoa .... I got an eee-PC :D

[dawnsboy]

Here is the output of lspci on my eepc 4g 701:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/PM/GMS/910GML Express Processor to DRAM Controller (rev 04)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 04)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 04)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 04)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 04)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 04)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 04)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 04)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 04)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev d4)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FBM (ICH6M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 04)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801FBM (ICH6M) SATA Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 04)
01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5006EG 802.11 b/g Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Attansic Technology Corp. L2 100 Mbit Ethernet Adapter (rev a0)

I did a fresh install of the system and repeated steps needed to get wireless running via ndiswrapper.  The system reports the driver as installed but claims there is no wireless interface.

I am using VL 5.9 Standard Gold. 

Thanks for the response to my query.

[lagagnon]

dawnsboy: I'd be interested in your VL5.9 boot time from power button press to the time you get a clean desktop and the SSD light stops thrashing. How does that compare to the Eee Xandros Easy Mode boot time?

[dawnsboy]

The VL 5.9 boot mode is very similar to any other VL equipped box (standard boot time) and is slower than Xandros easy desktop.  The folks over at eeepc user forums working with Slack 12 have compiled a slim kernel that allows Slack 12 to boot on the eeepc at the same speed as the original Xandros install.  I imagine that a kernel would have to compiled for VL on the eeepc to obtain the same rapid boot times.

I have noted that once installed VL 5.9 is very quick in this environment. 

[uelsk8s]

dawnsboy,
We have the same wireless chipset. the Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5006EG 802.11 b/g Wireless PCI Express Adapter (rev 01)
It should work out of the box with 5.9 SOHO or Light.
I will try to put together a madwifi driver package for 5.9 if you want it?

[dawnsboy]

It should work out of the box with 5.9 SOHO or Light.
I will try to put together a madwifi driver package for 5.9 if you want it?

Thanks for the offer.   

I compiled madwifi on VL 5.9 standard the other day.  After installation wifi radar was able to detect my secure home wireless network by essid.  However, I continued to be denied internet access.

I am wondering if I should simply burn either 5.9 SOHO or light versions to see if the wireless works out of the box as you suggest that it might.  That would be cool.   

[dawnsboy]

It should work out of the box with 5.9 SOHO or Light.
I will try to put together a madwifi driver package for 5.9 if you want it?

Ready, willing and unable... 

I downloaded, burned and installed VL 5.9 Light (latest version).  It is one fast distro but alas it could do nothing to solve my problem with wireless networking.  It seemd like it should work out of the box.  It recognizes the presence of the hardware and attempts to configure for wireless access.  However, I receive the same message as I did in VL 5.9 Standard with Madwifi installed, no interface present.

Not all boxes are created equal.  Too bad.  I really like this little box but it would be a lot more fun (and usefull) with VL onboard.

On the bright side    I still have an old omnibook that will get new life with VL light.

[uelsk8s]

that really sucks dawnsboy

It looks like there is a different madwifi package for the eeepc maybe give that a try
http://snapshots.madwifi.org/special/madwifi-ng-r2756+ar5007.tar.gz

[dawnsboy]

It looks like there is a different madwifi package for the eeepc maybe give that a try
http://snapshots.madwifi.org/special/madwifi-ng-r2756+ar5007.tar.gz

I found some conversation at various sites on the net that the eeepc only works with the version of madwifi that ships with the machine.  It seems that while ndiswrapper does work, it does not apparently work on secure routers (ie wep encrypted routers, etc) and that users who have had success with ndiswrapper are using non secure routers.   

It also seems that Asus has kindly released the source code for the chipset and proprietary drivers.  This may be the route to go for getting this little laptop up and running with VL because VL light turned off usb ports and the webcam.    EDIT:  Momentary lapse of reason.   

I could not get them to turn back on when I reinstalled the original desktop.  I tried turning them back on in the bios setup utility but it apparently did not save.  These items did not turn back on until I installed an nlite copy of Windows XP on this litttle box.  At that point everything worked out of the box.  Might make a good weekend project.

I think that I need to go back to VL 5.9 standard, then download the source code from Asus on another machine, burn it to cd (for some reason that usb port remained active) and attempt to compile the chipset and hardware drivers in VL.

[Will]

Im sure this has been gone on end about everywhere, however i have to ask:

What's the expected lifespan of the hard drive and ow hard will it be to replace?

[wcs]

So apparently the new version of the eee won't take long. Featuring an 8.9in screen, and some more additions (touchscreen I think, more memory, more hard drive space). I would be up for getting that one and putting Vector on it. Let us know how it goes.

I'm not sure if the eee video resolution is there in the vl installer. That would be a nice addition, together with some more resolutions that people sometimes request.

[dawnsboy]

So apparently the new version of the eee won't take long. Featuring an 8.9in screen, and some more additions (touchscreen I think, more memory, more hard drive space). I would be up for getting that one and putting Vector on it. Let us know how it goes.

There is an intermediate version just released on April 9th.  The original version (which I have) features Xandros Desktop pre-installed and runs a 900MHz mobile processor at 630MHz with a 70MHz front side bus.  The newer models meet the same general description with the following differences; the system features a 400MHz front side bus which would enable the processor to operate at the rated 900MHz and it comes with Windows XP Starter Edition Pre-installed.  Bundled software includes MS Works and Windows Live One Care.  Same 4 gig solid state drive, same 7 inch screen.

I would say it is a better system to operate linux on but as mentioned there will be a newer model with larger screen and reportedly larger hard drives in both linux and windows flavors later this year.

I'm not sure if the eee video resolution is there in the vl installer. That would be a nice addition, together with some more resolutions that people sometimes request.

Some nice folks over at the eeepc user forum have been working hard to make Slackware 12 work on the eeepc.  They have posted an X configuration file to accomodate the current 800x480 screen resolution, however the newer 900 series eeepc with the larger screen will allegedly work with 800x600 or 1024x600 resolutions.  That as they say remains to be seen.

I have been so busy I have not had time to tinker with VL on this eeepc.  I will need to grab the source code from Asus and compile the drivers as the folks working with Slackware 12 wound up doing.  I will post a full report when that happens.   


Edit:

Eeepc 900 to be released May 1st according to tuxmachines.org.  Read the post here: http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/26017

[wcs]

Silly me, that's no touchscreen, it's a "multitouch touchpad".

So it's coming real soon.
I guess these new specs turn it into more of a laptop. It's a shame the price tag also went up...

You tried both Standard and Light, am I right? Do both run comfortably? Any speed differences between them?

[dawnsboy]

VL 5.9 Standard Gold is very fast.  VL 5.9 Light operates at breakneck speed.   

The only issue at this time is getting wireless to work.  Sound apparently benefits from the use of  the latest version of alsa.

[wcs]

I was wondering if you got wireless working on the eee?
The new eee 901 will ship in the uk on the 1st of July, but I don't know about other countries.
Seems more than just a toy, with 1Gb RAM, the new processor, and better battery life. But still tiny.

(not that I would get one soon... I can hardly afford to buy potatoes at the moment)

[dawnsboy]

I was wondering if you got wireless working on the eee?

No, I never did get wireless going on the eeepc.   

I have haunted a number of message boards and googled the topic ad infinitum looking for clues to get wireless working on the eepc using VL but have failed to come up with a solution.  There is a flavor of Puppy Linux that is in development for the eeepc that is called PuPeee 4.0beta.  It is advertised to support eeepc hardware out of the box.  Guess What?  It does not support wireless out of the box.  This is a problem that has plagued a number of people who have tried this distro on the eeepc.  Fortunately someone developed a script that can be executed from the command line or it can be configured to start wireless on boot up. 

I have noticed that while PuPeee is very fast from live cd it is not so fast (not nearly as fast as VL) when installed to hdd.  I found I had a preference for the native Xandros distro over that one due to speed and other minor issues.

The initial reports on the 901 indicated that the new Atom processor would be functionally slower than anticipated but apparently that was bunk.  The 901 is reported to be the real deal with an Atom motherboard, a 1.6GHz Diamondville processor, 533MHz FSB, 1GB RAM and of course more hdd space (Windows XP 12GB & Linux 20GB) according to PC World.  The larger 8.9 screen supports 1024x600 and will present A4 size pages without the need to sidescroll.  The 901 also supports bluetooth.

A WiMax version is being released that will utilitze dual mode wifi/wimax featuring the Linksys 5150 chipset.  Will this make the eeepc more VL friendly?  I do not know.  VL supports the propietary chipset implemented in the 701.  The Atheros wireless has been successfully setup by VL users on other systems but every effort to setup wifi in VL on my eeepc has met with dismal failure. 

Too bad.  I really enjoy this little box.  I have no problems with the tiny keyboard even with aging, somewhat arthritic hands.  I quickly became accustomed to the screen size.  The 701 also supports higher resolutions on external monitors.  It takes up no space and I have come to prefer it at home over other systems for routine use.  My son has been lobbying me to buy him one.  I want to do a little more research but if the 901 will permit the use of VL with wireless, display, sound, etc. I will probably upgrade to the 901 and hand off my 701.  However, if I can find a way to make VL work on the 701 I will likely stick with what I have.  It was fine when I bought it and it is perfectly fine now (except no VL).

EDIT:

In regard to solid state hard drives and the eepc; someone over at http://forum.eeeuser.com developed a table to demonstrate wear rates at essentially worst case scenarios and concluded that if the eepc were subjected to the highest predictable wear rates while being used 8 hours per day that the ssd would sadly need to be retired in 25 years.  It was an interesting read.

(not that I would get one soon... I can hardly afford to buy potatoes at the moment)

It is a sad state when someone with a bright mind and/or able hands and the willingness to use them cannot afford potatoes!  What a strange thing to have happen in a world where there really is an awful lot of food and money going to waste.