hardware installation and ACPI and APIC

[Arne]

Hello all,

I am running only MDK 10.1 on an old thinkpad. I have problem with internal Winmodem and external USB 56k FAX modem and printer. I cannot install them and they are not recognized during install.

In my search to correct it I have found in /var/log/messages that both ACPI and APIC is disabled. The ACPI due to old BIOS. Linux installer cannot enable the disabled APIC.

 

Can this be the reason for my problems.

 

I can update my Bios but I have to by a new battery in order to do it. Since I use the thinkpad only to learn Linux I will appreciate if someone could clarify this question.

 

 

:o

[devries]

Winmodem: no apic problem. A winmodem is largely a software modem. Software that was written for windows and doesn't work in Linux. :) Search the board for more information

 

USB fax/printer/modem: probably the same. Give name of machine if you want definite answer.

 

APIC is power management and successor to APM.

[DragonMage]

Devries, you are thinking of ACPI. APIC is another thing entirely.

 

From wikipedia

IO-APIC (I/O Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller) is an Intel architecture for dealing with interrupts in multi-processor computer systems. It is implemented by the Intel 82093AA chip and found on all Intel SMP CPU boards.

 

It is one of several attempts to solve IRQ problems; it should not be confused with ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface).

 

It can be a cause of system failure, as some versions of some operating systems do not support it properly. If this is the case, disabling IO-APIC may cure the problem. For Linux, try the 'noapic' kernel parameter; for FreeBSD, the 'hint.apic.0.disabled' kernel environment variable.

 

In Linux, problems with IO-APIC are one of several causes of error messages concerning "spurious 8259A interrupt: IRQ7.". It is also possible that IO-APIC causes problems with network interfaces based on via-rhine driver, causing a transmission time out. Uniprocessor kernels with APIC enabled can cause spurious interrupts to be generated.

 

Otherwise, what Devries said is correct, We need to find out the exact model of the winmodem and usb fax/printer/modem first. For winmodem, you may be able to find out the model by typing

 

lspci -v

 

in a console as root.

[devries]

Oops.... :blush:

[Arne]

Hello guys,

Thanks for reply. Here is the spec:

IBM Thinkpad 600 Pentium II 266MHZ 128mbRam, 4Gb drive dedicated to Linux (/ 2,5Gb, swap 0,5Mb, rest Home),Winmodem Mwave (ACP) modem (Mwave 3780i DSP}, Sound chip Crystall42378, Logitech optical 3 button + wheel, NeoMagic 128XD TFT 13,3 inch 1024x768 16bpp. External USB 56k FaxModem with serial connection, Canon S820 with 6 inkcartridges.

 

My Desktop XP Pro sp2 have Internet connection.

 

Please, both ACPI and APIC is disabled.

 

So please tell me will BIOS upgrade have a considerable positive impact on my problems.

 

It is important for my progress in Linux that I get a modem and a printer to work.

 

please help.

[devries]

http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-mini/ACP-Modem.html

[Arne]

Hello Devries,

Thanks. the latest driver cannot be found in IBM since they have reorganiced the web site. Other sources tells me that the driver is included in mdk10.1. The command "find / -iname 'mwave*' gives

 

/lib/modules/2.6.8.1-12mdk/kernel/drivers/char/mwave

/lib/modules/2.6.8.1-12mdk/kernel/drivers/char/mwave/mwave.ko.gz

 

Is this the right one. If yes should I continue from 2.2 Building and install the source. If yes

 

1. Use "tar xzvf mwavem-yyyymmdd.tar.gz" to unpack the distribution.

 

I have mwave but not "mwavem" and what is yyyymmdd? =the date today?

 

What was the answer to my question. will an BIOS upgrade considerably improve my ability to install modem, printer and...........?????????

[arctic]

Hello Devries,

Thanks. the latest driver cannot be found in IBM since they have reorganiced the web site. Other sources tells me that the driver is included in mdk10.1.

if it is included in 10.1, linux should automatically detect your modem. apparently it isn't included in 10.1, but maybe 10.2/le2005 have the drivers included. i don't know... sorry.

what is yyyymmdd? =the date today?

year - month - day

What was the answer to my question. will an BIOS upgrade considerably improve my ability to install modem, printer and...........?????????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

not really. it will enable you to make some hardware work with your box that didn't work before. but if you upgrade the bios, it is unlikely that linux will work with the modem then, if it worked previously with e.g. windows. this is a module/driver problem, not a bios problem.

[DragonMage]

Maybe it is not one of those thing that is not installed automatically. Like NVidia Driver.

 

Anyway, I just did a search for mwavem modem driver. I think it is one of the non-free drivers, since only Suse and Debian non-free provides it. Therefore it couldn't be included into download edition of 10.1. The mwave driver may be included (since the driver is copyrighted by IBM) but the control program may not, perhaps. So the only way to do is to download the control program from IBM and then compile it yourself.

 

However, I find something interesting

 

http://rpmseek.com/rpm/mwavem-2.0-1.i386.h...0:0:0:0:1942788

 

Try installing that rpm. If it works.. good :)

[Arne]

Hello guys,

Thanks to Artic for giving a clear answer to my question about BIOS upgrade. It saved me around 100 USD.

 

As you can see in my last mail "mwave" is included in 10.1 and can be activated with "modprobe mwave" but mwavem and mwave.conf is not there.

 

Thanks to DragonMage for making it so clear for a linux newbie. The control program is not included in 10.1. Thanks also for the link to rpmseek.com. I have downloaded "mwavem" and will now 'make a run for it and keep you posted'.

 

As a experienced win user I am not used to drivers without configuration/control software. The more I learn about Linux the more different it is from win.

 

Thanks for the help and I am exited about the possibility to finally get my ACP modem working after 2 months of struggle.

 

Arne :D