'Hardware Titbits' collects instructions on how to set up hardware devices which haven't been detected or configured by Mandrake Linux.
You are welcome to contribute a titbit, too!

Installation on Laptops

Have a look at the resources listed on the hardware resources page first. The most common problem seems to be a 'signal 7' error during installation. If you encounter this, you may try one or all of these steps:

• See if there are upgraded boot and pcmcia images available. Get the list of Linux-Mandrake FTP mirrors. The images are located in a subdirectory of the same name. Or give Red Hat's images a shot.

• Disable all PCMCIA support during the installation process. You can later re-enable it using 'pcmcia=on' on the LiLo prompt or in '/etc/lilo.conf'.

• Install LiLo in the Master Boot Record, or - alternatively - use the Loadlin program located in the 'dosutils' directory of your Mandrake CD. This depends on how your notebook's devices will work more properly: when initiated by MS-Windows® or when left alone.

• Disable power management in your BIOS. Some BIOSes are known to get along very badly with GNU/Linux when APM is enabled. GNU/Linux comes with its own power management system, so you might not need it anyway.

• Check the comments for your laptop model in Mandrake Laptops.

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Installing the Rage 128 X server

Having installed your Linux-Mandrake distribution, switch to the 'apps/X-Rage128' directory of your Mandrake CD. Run

rpm -i XFree86-Rage128-1.3-2mdk.i586.rpm

and

rpm -U Xconfigurator-4.2.3-7mdk.i586.rpm.

Then re-run the Xconfigurator.

Ralf Niehaus adds this: (edited)

You should also mention that the user has to link the Rage 128 X server to the SVGA server.

cd /usr/X11R6/bin
ln -s XFCom_Rage128 XF86_SVGA

then re-run the Xconfigurator
choose unlisted card
select SVGA ....

Don't probe anything.

I found these instructions on the SuSE web site (www.suse.com) and on theATI Rage 128 SuSE X-Server HOW-TO.

Mikel Sola notes that he has had to use 'XF86Setup' instead of the Xconfigurator to install the server correctly.
'XF86Setup' is XFree's own graphical X setup tool and can be installed from your Linux-Mandrake CD.

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Installing a 3dfx Voodoo3 2000

(contributed by Toby Person, edited)

I'm in the process of ordering a 3dfx Voodoo3 2000pci card, and in my wanderings on the web I ran across this URL on how to install it.

Philip C. Hewitt II adds this (edited):

I have had a hell of a time getting that damn card working but I finally did it and here's how.

• First of all you definitely have to temporarily move your /lib/modules/2.x.x-xxmdk directory or at least rename it (this is for Mandrake6.1). I kept getting errors until I renamed it.

• All packages except the Device SRPM work. This is just for the Device SRPM. I also had to create a '/usr/src/RPM/RPMS/i586' directory (it didn't exist on my system) since this is where rpm --rebuild wants to place the rebuilt rpm (why I don't know). Do a rebuild, then go to /usr/scr/RPM/RPMS/i586 and install the rpm.

• Next go to '/lib/modules' and a new directory for your kernel version will be there. Copy the new stuff to its appropriate place in the renamed directory, delete the new directory, rename the old dir back to what it was and voila it should work.

Of course you have to get all the 2D stuff working first but thats the easy part.

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Pro Audio Spectrum 16 w/SCSI fix

(contributed by Kevin Williamson, edited)

The install disk that came with Mandrake doesn't work with that card. However, if you boot up with a Red Hat 5.2 or 6.0 boot disk that card will be detected, and after it sees the SCSI cdrom attached to it, switch floppies and you're back in shape.

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ESS-Solo 1 for Mandrake Linux

(contributed by Michael McGlothlin, edited)

Support isn't included but you can get the files from the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Project.

Download these three files. Their are newer versions but at the time of this writing they didn't work w/ the ESS Solo 1.

ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/driver/old/alsa-driver-0.3.2.tar.gz ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/lib/old/alsa-lib-0.3.2.tar.gz ftp://ftp.alsa-project.org/pub/utils/old/alsa-utils-0.3.2.tar.gz

Extract each of the files. This can be done by typing:

gzip -d alsa*.gz
tar -xf alsa-driver*.tar
tar -xf alsa-lib*.tar
tar -xf alsa-util*.tar

Go into each directory where you will configure, build, and install each. Type:

cd alsa-driver*
./configure --with-isapnp=yes --with-debug=yes
make install
cd ../alsa-lib*
./configure --with-isapnp=yes --with-debug=yes
make install
cd ../alsa-util*
./configure --with-isapnp=yes --with-debug=yes
make install
cd ../alsa-driver*
./snddevices

Now setup your computer to load the sound modules every time you load. Go into your preferred text editor and type:

#!/bin/sh
modprobe snd-esssolo1
modprobe snd-pcm1-oss
modprobe snd-mixer-oss

If you want sound to start automatically save the file as /etc/rc.d/rc.sound, if not save it in your home directory as sound-on. Either way you named it you will need to make the file executable. Type:

chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.sound

or:

chmod +x $HOME/sound-on

If you want it to start on boot then edit the file /etc/rc.d/rc.local and at the very end add the line:

/etc/rc.d/rc.sound

If you don't start it automatically then each time you wish to start sound you need to type:

$HOME/sound-on

Reboot and sound should be working.

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Nicolas Tetreault contributed this comment (edited):

I think that the problem ('There are newer versions but at the time of this writing they didn't work w/ the ESS Solo 1') is easily solved by replacing the line modprobe snd-esssolo1 by modprobe snd-card-es1938.
I also found that adding a line to '/etc/rc.d/rc.local' to be able to run the 'rc.sound' script at boot up didn't work for me. I had to load it with the SysV system which worked great.

On Nov 03, 2000, Kevin added:

"I recently upgraded to version 7.2, and it starts and recognizes my Solo1 as "snd-card-es1938" every time."

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